What we don't know can hurt us
Opinions
The other day I received an e-mail from “Announce-L” and I noticed that it was just one in about eight other e-mails there from the University. I perused the subjects of each electronic message and noticed that only three of them were of interest to me. I deleted the other five.
This made me think about how little many students know about events planned on campus. Many students and faculty have trouble knowing what events are going on during the week and/or the weekend. In a conversation I had with Senior PR & Advertising Major Kelly Brown, she mentioned that she thinks the problem has to do with the advertising used—or not used—on campus. She recommended that signs be placed in really obvious places of high-student traffic.
While I spoke with Kelly and thought more about this problem, I realized that we hadn't really come up with the reason for the problem.
Later I went back to my room. While I was prepping for the intramural basketball game I had that evening, I wondered. Was it a problem of apathy? Of laziness?
Throughout the game, I pondered the problem and eventually became convinced that I had at least a partial solution to the problem.
Many of the students don't bother to check their e-mails or even look up when they are walking around campus. Ultimately, the problem still lies in the hands of the advertisers from each department. Like Kelly mentioned, the posters need to be placed where everyone can see them, not on dumb, little bulletin boards that people don't want to look at.
If you’re a student and don’t know that you have an e-mail account with the University, you should go down to Findley and have them teach you how to access your electronic messaging system. Don't pass on the blame! Don’t be clueless! Do something about not receiving e-mails and not looking at posters.
On the other hand, if you are one of those responsible for setting up the e-mail accounts, maybe you should do a better job of letting people know about that service during registration. Maybe more students would know if you placed that information on the instruction sheet for registration. Fliers and posters would also help. It seems like there’s no reason for having a school e-mail account if students don't know that they can use it.
Knowing this, I challenge this school! If you have a message you think should be publicized, please make sure to take the time to make the posters, fliers, signs, and even e-mails to let everyone know. If you’re a student, make sure you know how to access your on-campus e-mail account and check it regularly for notices.
It’s not enough to plan a great event. It’s not enough that people want to go. None of this matters if they don’t know it is happening. To know they have to see the signs and e-mails. Let’s work together to make sure the word gets out so we can all know what’s going on.