2004 New Year’s resolutions

This archived article was written by: Jeff Spears

Due to the sheer number of controversial events that occurred, fall semester of 2003 was the best semester these writers ever had at the College of Eastern Utah. I am sure that this was quite apparent to students and faculty.
Last semester was a field day for me as a journalism student, and fueled my passion for making people think twice before altering, deleting or downsizing any organization. These minute changes seem not to have affected administration, yet caused the students to become dissatisfied with their college.
This season finds us with the opportunity to make New Year’s resolutions where departments can take the opportunity to redeem their damaged student relationships. Everyone is trying to make his or her own modifications to specific departments of CEU. The following is my own list of proposed resolutions for the different departments.
The communications department is pleased to announce that they are ready for a fresh new look for 2004. The head of the department has started a new fashion trend by cutting his hair, while maintaining that ever deep evil laugh. The Eagle staff has invested in stylish sweaters that now alert everybody that we may be investigating a story. These new sweaters will now enable us to jump on the affiliation bandwagon with the likes of the Eastern Utah and ASCEU sweaters.
I wonder if these sweaters are for the benefit of journalism students, or just to poke fun at the tradition of publicizing the fact that one is a member of an organization. In addition to sporting new threads, The Eagle has also redesigned the newspaper and has even upgraded their computers thanks to our webmastaer, Les Bowen. I feel that this change is just in time to revolutionize the image of The Eagle and make our claim as being on of the oldest and most prestigious departments of CEU.
The cafeteria has installed video cameras in an attempt to prevent theft from happening in their fine establishment. This is a great move guys! But I wonder if they are to be used to address the theft that occurs when the meal-plan students get rung up, or just to foil shoplifters. Have they considered whether jacking up the prices mid-semester had anything to do with theft? I feel that the money spent on cameras could have been used instead to purchase more palatable food, and not try to stop petty theft.
My resolution for the cafeteria then is to delegate responsibility to a faculty member who is not already swamped with other issues. I would think that the nutrition of the students would be a major concern for the college and not just something they delegate to an overburdened faculty member. Hire somebody who has both the time and expertise to make meals that are nutritious and not reminiscent of anything that I dissected in seventh grade. I tried to work there and make a difference, yet I was restricted by what we could cook. I would also encourage student employees to care about serving their customers, and not merely being there for a paycheck.
Campus housing is a touchy subject for me due to the fact that I was employed by that department for two years, and still have many friends there. I love the people associated there, yet feel the administration is dropping the ball on this issue. They need to again devolve the responsibility to a certain complex director that I feel would be sufficient in running the dormitories. I know that I have learned multiple skills from this person, which equated into a decent residential advisor and friend. One person simply can’t be in charge of multiple departments and hope for success.
The Health and Wellness Center should also be in consideration for increased funding to extend and implement more services for the students. The staff is amazing and turned nothing into a stable service for students. I would not even be able to tell students that we had a Wellness Center until last year and now realize what a vital role it plays for this college. They are always willing to help sick patients and to try to accommodate students with such a small budget. The increased funding is overdue and can only help students feel safe away from home. This is important in establishing a love for this college and developing faith that we are ready to not only educate our students, but also remedy their ailments.
Next in line is a resolution that will beautify our campus. Cigarette butts and soda bottles are not biodegradeable, nor are they seeds that turn into pretty flowers come springtime. Please resolve to stop pretending that you are Johnny Appleseed, and put your trash in a garbage can.
These are my resolutions for the college in the New Year and would hope that each be evaluated carefully. These recommendations would increase the appeal of the college and cause for students to consider coming back for years to come.