My Fellow Students,
I have a problem. I see a lot of problems and opportunities at USM that can be fixed, but there are not enough people to fix them. I hear a lot of students who are pissed about a lot of the things that are happening at USM, but not a lot who want to do anything about it. WAKE UP USM!!! You cannot rely on other people to do everything for you. Sometimes, if you want to get things done, you are just going to have to do it yourselves. You don’t expect the school to do your homework for you, or to do your laundry or clean your room, so why should you expect the status quo to change if you are not prepared to change it? We are experiencing an unprecedented lack of student involvement, leadership, and give-a-damn at this school right now, at a time so critical that we should be up to our ears in concerned students who want to step up and try to be part of the solution. This begs the question, what happened?
Just last year we had student leaders heading state wide campaigns to help Maine college graduates afford high education, and now, we have members of the Student Senate resigning left and right. We have student organization with nobody willing to lead them, and no clear successors waiting to take over next year. We have seats on University Committees like Parking and Transportation and Dining Services, and I have struggled to find people to fill them. Those of us who are doing their part, who are doing jobs nobody seems to want to do, are becoming over worked and over stressed because we are running out of people to help us, to support us and to fall back on. What happened?
USM this may not be something you want to hear, but if students are going to be taken seriously by the administration and the faculty of this university, then we have got to get our act together. We are in serious danger of losing our credibility!!! If we are going to be able to do anything we need to be able to stand together and get it done!
Those of you who complain that there isn’t enough to do on campus, I will tell you that if you would like to see great concerts at USM, which seem to happen at every other college in the US, but not here, I’m sorry to tell you this, but somebody is going to have to organize it. So what do you do? Join the Gorham or Portland Events Board! If you don’t want to see your favorite professor have to leave the school because their contract isn’t being renewed, I hate to break it to you, but you are going to have to organize and speak up to tell your department heads that it is unacceptable!
USM, it’s time to stop wishing things were better, and start making things better. Get appointed to the Student Senate, or run for a position in the upcoming election. Join a group like the GEB or PEB, and start making things happen. Stop sitting around, and start doing something!!! We cannot afford to wait around any longer; we have to start making sacrifices and make some extra-curricular commitments to start seeing some positive change at this institution. We are capable of doing many great things, because without us, there is no University of Southern Maine! This is the most tuition dependent school in the University of Maine System, so if you think about it economically, we are its biggest investors. We cannot sit around and expect to get a favorable return on our investment; we have to ensure its success by getting involved!
One way to start being part of the solution and not part of the problem will be to attend “Change ’08!” Summits of student leaders at USM which will identify, discuss, and create solutions to some of USM’s biggest challenges. “Why is there a lack of community at USM?; Why is there a shortage of Student Leaders at USM?; Why are student services so hard to figure out?” These are just some of the possible questions the day long summit will try to explain and solve. This unprecedented and important event will take place on February 29th in Bailey Hall in Gorham. Keep an eye out for more information about this event as they become available.
Don’t think that Change ’08 is the only way to start getting something done. I know the tone of this letter is harsh, but I can’t hold back any more, because I can’t sit back and watch this happen. If we all do a little, it will accomplish a lot. Contact me at [email protected] if you are fed up with the way things are, and want to start making USM a school you can be happy and proud to be a student of.
All the best,
AJ Chalifour
Student Body President