A little over two weeks ago, before the previous edition of The Griffin, President Stoute gave his State of the University address, which was closed off to students. Our thoughts on that are expressed in The Griffin editorial from Oct. 11. What our editorial will focus on this week is the immediate student response to being kept out of the address, and some other issues that, in our view, go along with it.
It was truly heartening to see how many students showed up to the address with the intent to listen in. As we expressed in our Oct. 11 editorial, each student here has a significant stake in the school, both in the present and future of it. While we applaud student concern about what is going on, we do not see the angry stewing outside of the address or the nasty personal comments about administration from students as productive – or appropriate – for a student body. There are other, more productive outlets for that energy, and that energy does not have to be negative.
The Griffin has been covering student senate meetings for at least four years now (probably longer, but this scribe has only been here for four years), and only on the rarest of occasions are there students present in the meetings outside of members of the senate. There is a whole section of senate meetings dedicated to “general student concerns,” but these are often passed through within seconds, as nobody is there to raise concerns. Perhaps this indicates that everything is going well for people at Canisius, and that they have no concerns; however, the discussion around campus over the last few weeks does not indicate that. We are not under any illusions that a passionate speech in front of USA will suddenly save the school’s financial situation or prevent cuts to programs, but if one wants their voice out there, show up.
Here’s the thing about Canisius: it is quite a small school. When somebody says something, it gets out. For example, in previous years, spring break at Canisius was held the week after Easter. While this gave us a long break in April, it also meant ten straight weeks with no days off, which is a long time. Students complained, the student senate took it up and Canisius changed its spring semester schedule. Now, our spring break is in March instead of April, a direct response to student concerns over a late spring break.
USA is not the only place where students can address their concerns (though it is open and accessible). Last year, when President Stoute announced concepts for upgrades at Old Main, Stoute asked for feedback from the audience. In that audience, there was only one student there, a reporter for The Griffin, who was only there covering the story for The Griffin. President Stoute specifically asked our reporter what they thought about the Old Main renovations, as the only student in attendance. Further, in The Griffin’s lunch with President Stoute two weeks ago, he told us that he has office hours, and that anybody with concerns is welcome to come talk to him. While we find the State of the University debacle to be disappointing, there are opportunities out there for students to stay informed and voice their concerns, we just have to use them.
We do not want to swamp administration with angry students asking questions, of course, but for many of you who are concerned about what is going on at Canisius, try to ask. It will be helpful for you, as you ought to know what is going on at your school, and perhaps you can provide your feedback as a student.
President Stoute will be addressing the student senate today, Oct. 25, at 2:30 p.m. He will answer questions previously submitted to USA by students. Those students who are concerned about the state of Canisius should go if they can so they can be informed about what is going on at our school.
-JPD