Quote:
Originally Posted by myoozik
You do your research. Go on MacInsiders. Come talk to students in classes. Seek us out. It's terrible to say, but you know what, students for the most part, are apathetic and dare I say it, leaning on the lazy side. To sit back and wait for e-mails is kind of a cop out. It's just going to be a waiting game between you and your constituents if you wait for e-mails because you very well know that only a handful of students will be willing to write a meaningful e-mail. You could go your entire term shouting "E-mail us!" and you will more than likely receive less than 100 e-mails.
If you notice that nobody is e-mailing, despite reminders by SRA members to e-mail them, then do something different.
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DITTO!
That is pretty much one of the main points of the argument I have against Emails, the reason I argue against you guys, criticize and potentially antagonize is not for my personal ego, not due to any unknown enmity agianst the MSU(I am working pretty much every day for hours these days on three MSU projects, so I really have no reason to hate it) nor any other reason you might think so.
It is honestly and simply for one reason: Solving student apathy and getting them involved.
I am afraid but your aforementioned method of "Email Us!" will NOT work. You can mark my words here, you will never get anywhere close to 200 emails you claim you can handle(super typer much?) ever.
That is atleast what my personal philosophy and theory to solve apathy is, you need to seek out people wherever they are. You need to treat them as equals and as a valid source of information and opinion even if they are being negative and cynical all the time(i.e: They are not Bitching). The chance to get their opinion heard needs to be brought to their side of the court, using methods that they prefer; not methods that suit YOU. We have to remember that the SRA members are here to serve the students, not themselves, not the BOD.
Hence the Boss analogy just won't work, you aren't working with a Boss who cares solely about his company/profits and your effectiveness; nor is he someone with perfect information and motivation. Hence the Boss really isn't a Boss, you need to see the problem from some other angle!
"Apathy" is an issue that doesn't get solved by locking oneself up in ones fortress and asking people to send them nice little mails, you have to get out into the city(Insiders being a very nasty city full of dissedents and rabble rousers If I am to believe your misguided viewpoint
) and get your hands dirty, there will be negativity, there will be unconstructive nonsense. But if you spend even 5 minutes on this topic with a clear head, you will find there is golden level of useful information out here. It is a valid venue for qualitative research and sampling.
Though that really isn't the case most of the time since looking at your last nights outburst, there still seems to be a sense of lingering mistrust of well a group of people who cannot be defined as nothing more then "
students/
Msu Constituents". That really won't help you in your quest for student opinion(If that is honestly what you want), if you view people at MacInsiders with negativity wait till you get out into the real world.
The real world in being the VERY Apathetic students(In other words pretty much around 80% of our student body who doesn't vote and doesn't view the MSU with nothing more then a critical and often nonsensical dismissal; trust me I know ALOT of such people), they will infuriate and annoy you even more with their views on things.
In contrast I personally think people at Insiders are much more informed and knowledgeable of what is going on, most of all they care for McMaster and the student union enough to spend their time articulating their mostly constructive criticism. If you can't deal with them properly and get them positively engaged what hope does the MSU have against the rest of the 80%? NONE I say.
That is only some of the points I argued with Michael Wooder(Student Life Co-Ordinator for the MSU) earlier this week for an hour or so. I'm not sure but he did finally after much arguing concede the need for a Communications Policy for MSU elected officials.
