Brushing shoe polish off my teeth really sucks, and I'm not talking about some strange need I have for ingesting potentially toxic substances. It's just that it stays there in the form of a residue of shame whenever I stick my foot in my mouth.
I am hoping not to do that here.
During my time at ASU, I have had my fair share of disagreements and battles with various higher-ups at the University. In various leadership positions that I've had, I have always been expected to take the administrator's lead and do what I was told. However, I am not one to revel in the monotony of the status quo.
Recently, many students and organizations have experienced frustration in programming and planning events on campus. The prime example is the Student Recreation Complex canceling the Punk Voter Tour on its fields at the last minute. As a result, a show that would have been free for ASU students will be $25 at the Marquee Theater.
For years, we've been labeled as a commuter campus and as an apathetic university, yet many students have made huge strides to build a campus community through providing free events on campus. Whether it be the Student Alumni Association, The Blaze, the Programming and Activities Board, or any other group on campus, there are an infinite number of activities that take place each day.
Hoodlums New & Used Music has successfully done this time and time again by bringing top name acts such as The Ataris, Phantom Planet and Rufus Wainwright to play free concerts. Frankly, I'm just waiting for Hayden Lawn to cave in someday as the crowds at these concerts get bigger and bigger. Maybe then certain administrators will see that it is time to explore other large, grassy venues for events on campus.
Rather than taking out any past frustration, I want to be reasonable and suggest something to all of the program coordinators and administrators: Let's work together. Please.
Let's be real for a second here. Most students who are involved in planning campus events are far more results oriented. We want people to know about the event, we want butts in the seats, and we want people to have a good time. Nevertheless, the endless number of hoops students have to jump through is disheartening at times, showing that we must be far more process oriented to pull off anything remotely successful.
We swim in paperwork for weeks to ensure that an event that will last less than an hour can take place. There must be some alternative to this, because, dang it, those paper cuts hurt. While I realize that insurance needs and contracts must be upheld, we as students are obligated to do schoolwork as well. On top of that, we work hard to help our fellow students have a great time on campus.
So we are now open to suggestions. We are working hard to do our part, but we need help and cooperation from the University to get these events off the ground. If there is an easier way, please let us know.
Students are the majority on campus. We pay tuition and fees to the University, and some of those funds go to bodies responsible for planning and putting on events. If the students want an event on campus, don't you think we should use fees they paid to put it on?
John Ronquillo is a journalism senior and vice president of the Programming and Activities Board. Reach him at johnron@asu.edu.
