Originally Posted by huzaifa47

Hey Chad its a great Idea to summarize our points and actually SEND it to the manager of Quarters. However I think One point I would highly recommend you to add is to have a volunteer survey/discussion session with the International/Exchange students who might have a different outlook as to what's wrong with Quarters and how the bars/pubs at their university are succesful(assuming). Remember they have only been here for 6 months or so and whatever they do or say is pure observation.
You could get in touch with the international students centre/department, they do send me(Being an international student) regular emails regarding events, surveys, volunteer oppurtunites on campus. They could easily send one regarding Quarters.

This is a great suggestion to give to Quarters if they are looking for customer feedback and suggestions. But we won't do their job for them. They'd have to talk with the International Students Department and set that up.

International Students can signup on MacInsiders and post here, so I invite you to tell your friends to come to the thread and post their views and we'll add it to the list

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

Probably could be backed up by some obsure historical reference to Roman/Ottoman emperors who sneaked into the daily life of "commoners/peasants" to see things first hand

Only the early Ottoman emperors haha....the later ones just pretty much were locked in their rooms and jus enjoyed the luxaries of ruling over three continents. Sorry, I'm in the Ottoman history class haha

The idea of the Courtesy Cards for PTMs and SRA members is:

1) SRA members are volunteers who devote their time to the MSU.
2) PTMs are underpaid, semi-volunteer, departmental managers who run the MSU services.
3) Service executive are unpaid, fully volunteer support staff who help the PTMs run the MSU Services.

These people are student leaders, and as such typically have goals of helping the student population while futhering their own academic careers. The implicit thing is, they won't come into Quarters and start fights, or steal stuff, at the risk of their own positions. If PTMs and SRA members are encouraged to take their friends to Quarters, we see less fights, stolen stuff, and increased amounts of people going into the place for those off nights.

Of course, that is in theory. There have been certain members of previous SRAs or Boards who have definitely shot that theory to pieces over the years, but institutional memory is about 2 years long.

Anyways, our cards don't let us take a ton of people in anyways. Just 1 guest list spot before 11:00PM, per card. As far as I am concerned, when we have people like my exec who are doing their own events, working on their own charity fundraisers, and not getting a single iota of thanks from the greater community, I will make sure that they are duly rewarded with something, and these cards seem to make people happy. It's good for employee morale, and is a slight incentive to doing a good job.

Whenever I was the "guest" of someone with a line by-pass card, I didn't pay cover. So I'm fairly sure that the SRA/MSU execs get line bypass and free cover for themselves and a guest.

As for my motivation for the idea, it was more so that those responsible for Quarters would have more motivation to get it back on track. In addition, it wouldn't hurt if they were waiting in line with the rest of the student population. Perhaps they can use their time in line to talk to students about what Quarters could do better?

Why, after all, did Congress take away the Auto Exec's & Bank's private jets?

As a compromise, how about you keep the line by-pass but you have to pay cover?

Originally Posted by Alex McColl

Whenever I was the "guest" of someone with a line by-pass card, I didn't pay cover. So I'm fairly sure that the SRA/MSU execs get line bypass and free cover for themselves and a guest.

As for my motivation for the idea, it was more so that those responsible for Quarters would have more motivation to get it back on track. In addition, it wouldn't hurt if they were waiting in line with the rest of the student population. Perhaps they can use their time in line to talk to students about what Quarters could do better?

Why, after all, did Congress take away the Auto Exec's & Bank's private jets?

As a compromise, how about you keep the line by-pass but you have to pay cover?

At what point in time did the SRA assume direct control of the bar?

Secondly, for all this griping you do, where was your elevated sense of duty to students. Why did you not pay cover?

I pay cover, anyone I come with pays cover.

At the time, a number of people (including an SRA Finance Committee Member by the name of Ian Finlay) assured me that Quarters was doing fine.

If you'd like to further criticise me for the perks I enjoyed as a rather prominent student leader:

The MSU Bought me Dinner twice (at various banquets - dinner came with 2 bottles of wine per table)
The MSU Bought me Lunch at Quarters (it was a lunch meeting with Ryan, Tommy and Myself to talk about the University Fees Committee).
I think (and this is hazy) that the MSU Bought me 7 Drinks (?) at Quarters over the course of the Year. (Apres MSU Banquets there is usually MSU paid for partying at Quarters).

Now I'm in no way saying that these were bad things. The MSU PTMs enjoyed many of the same things I listed above. It's good to reward productive PTMs and SRA members for good performance. However, I do think that the SRA would benefit from seeing how slow the Quarters line is first hand. If it's fast now, as you claim, then why shouldn't they line up?

I have never been on the MSU Finance Committee except as ex-officio this year.

My mistake,

One of your supporters during the election told me you had.

Quite alright. I did claim to participate with Finance Committee meetings, but never was a member due to my choice to let other newly elected SRA members to have a seat on a committee.

Originally Posted by Alex McColl

At the time, a number of people (including an SRA Finance Committee Member by the name of Ian Finlay) assured me that Quarters was doing fine.

If you'd like to further criticise me for the perks I enjoyed as a rather prominent student leader:

The MSU Bought me Dinner twice (at various banquets - dinner came with 2 bottles of wine per table)
The MSU Bought me Lunch at Quarters (it was a lunch meeting with Ryan, Tommy and Myself to talk about the University Fees Committee).
I think (and this is hazy) that the MSU Bought me 7 Drinks (?) at Quarters over the course of the Year. (Apres MSU Banquets there is usually MSU paid for partying at Quarters).

Now I'm in no way saying that these were bad things. The MSU PTMs enjoyed many of the same things I listed above. It's good to reward productive PTMs and SRA members for good performance. However, I do think that the SRA would benefit from seeing how slow the Quarters line is first hand. If it's fast now, as you claim, then why shouldn't they line up?

Once again, I defend the bypass on behalf of my volunteer executive, and PTMs. Not the SRA. As far as I know, a number of them choose to avoid Quarters for some unknown reasons.

Once again, I defend the bypass on behalf of my volunteer executive, and PTMs. Not the SRA. As far as I know, a number of them choose to avoid Quarters for some unknown reasons.

I've told you time and time again - CREEPY STEVE! =(

Moreover, I don't drink and am not the clubbing type. The courtesy card is there because it's just that - a courtesy; a 'thank-you' since we are volunteers. Whether we use it or not is up to us as individuals.

Saying that ptms and your exec deserve it and not SRA is insulting to me. We put in a lot of effort as do many others in the MSU and this generalization you're making is just completely disrespectful.

..and on that note, I don't even seem to need the card anyways. Try walking in with a fancy camera and you seem to be let right in ahahahaha yay marmor!

Originally Posted by temara.brown

I've told you time and time again - CREEPY STEVE! =(

Moreover, I don't drink and am not the clubbing type. The courtesy card is there because it's just that - a courtesy; a 'thank-you' since we are volunteers. Whether we use it or not is up to us as individuals.

Saying that ptms and your exec deserve it and not SRA is insulting to me. We put in a lot of effort as do many others in the MSU and this generalization you're making is just completely disrespectful.

..and on that note, I don't even seem to need the card anyways. Try walking in with a fancy camera and you seem to be let right in ahahahaha yay marmor!

I just choose to not say who on the SRA deserves it and who doesn't. As we are both aware, both sides of the coin exist and I choose not to enter that conversation.

And you show up to take pics for the Marmor so it's not like you don't come.

Originally Posted by deadpool

I just choose to not say who on the SRA deserves it and who doesn't. As we are both aware, both sides of the coin exist and I choose not to enter that conversation.

And you show up to take pics for the Marmor so it's not like you don't come.

Then please do not make general sweeping remarks against the entire SRA that started this off in the first place. Accountability in all areas is something to be desired and we can work on that in a constructive way instead of negatively outcasting those who do not altogether deserve it.

I do not say any of this in order to defend myself but rather to properly portray our group as a whole. There exists a myriad of individuals on the SRA with different outlooks on it all.

I've only gone to Quarters to take photos and then leave, which is my 'work.' In the process, I've witnessed the experience of it. I'm sure no one who cares enough about representing students is uncaring about Quarters and what it provides. I usually take note of the lines and about friend's experiences. I'm usually at school pretty late during the week and see it all while walking home on Thursdays. I would probably never go for the Thursday night experience on a 'non-work' day but that's not to say I don't care. I'm sure this is a sentiment shared with others who you may be accusing.

For those who argue that we choose to be ignorant of it and instead just waft in our own self-implemented glory, you are mistaken. There have been blaming of the SRA aplenty on this thread and I think people who do have more insight on the day-to-days as a member should use that constructively.

I really do appreciate that there are those who do choose to positively contribute to the actual topic (and hopefully someone finally takes in my point about friggin creepy steve).

I especially enjoy the concept of working to increase the diversity of the establishment so that more people are welcome to enjoy what it has to offer. The only thing I would go to Quarters for now would be the food but.. yea. Once again, there's the creepy steve thing!! BAH!

I personally think that maybe by adding "Halal" food, you'll be able to attract more of the... Muslim/Brown [not in any racist way, of course] community. Of course, I don't mean to change the whole menu to halal, but at least have one or two things that can be made halal. I think that would sort of make an impact as there is nothing on campus that's good and people go to Gino's or that shawarma place.

Also, as stated a lot of times before, the smell in that place needs to change.

Furthermore, maybe if they added more stuff on the menu such as say, pasta, or cheese lasanga [to attract vegis], and beef [to get the meat-eaters], that would help. And put in some more deals like the wings night and all as someone already said.
By the way, the pizza they have for 3.99, not a lot of people would buy because with tax it comes to 4.50 or so, but at student center [pizza pizza] you can get it for 4.19 and it's right there for students. If they are going to add things like that for competition, then it has to be something extra special for people to buy.

Edit: the reason I compared the two was because the pizza pizza's pizza is always ready and it's there. It doesn't take more than 5 minutes to get it at max and it's a lot cheaper.

I think maybe if the service was a little faster, it would help. I realize that in the last 2-3 months it has been a little slower than it was in Sept/October.

Hmm, What about the patio? Its pretty much unused at night/evenings right?