Author:
I would like to respond to all of the letters the past few weeks complaining about things on campus. I have one piece of advice . . . TAKE ACTION! Instead of complaining about the situation, do something about it. Enough “awareness”! We all know that there are problems, but by simply raising the issue and leaving it to be taken care of by someone else, these people are doing nothing to help the situation.
For example, people cite many problems with the campus’ social life. I understand that some of them are freshman who do not know first hand how things were before, but how about asking for specific things the upper classmen would like to see change in order to have a better social life? During the 12:25-1:30 break that most freshman have, she could email President Veitch and the appropriate administrators asking what the students can do to help rectify the situation (5 minutes), start a Facebook group to gain feedback from other students (10 minutes), type up and print a petition (5 minutes), and e-mail students to form a committee to help bring about change (10 minutes) and still get lunch! If that is what can be done in a lunch break, imagine what could be done with more time and effort! By the way, all schools have to follow state and federal laws. They can’t endorse drinking for anyone under 21.
In regards to what happens to the coffee cups from the Green Bean good for you for making suggestion on how to improve the Green Bean! However, instead of assuming what happens to the thrown away cups, why didn’t you take the few minutes after or before lunch to stop in the Green Bean and ask a manager what their policy is and how it is implemented? The answer may or may not have surprised you, but at least then you have the facts.
If you’re going to complain, the very least you can do is suggest ways to improve the situation. So go ahead and complain all you want, as long as it results in taking action. I will join your protests, committees, and Facebook groups, but I will not create them for you and reinforce the idea that someone else will do your work for you. But I’m ready to stand with you and change things at Oxy. As for what I did? I’m not a hypocrite. I looked up Stanford’s alcohol policy, talked to friends about what they’d like to see changed, and suggested in this letter things that can be done to change the social situation.
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