As a third year student, there are certain things around campus I’ve noticed as being very ineffective and uninformative.
This semester the campus seems to be going a tad overboard with the plastic yard signs.
In case you haven’t noticed the yard signs from the IUS Police and Campus Life, as well as the tobacco-free signs, take a quick look.
They have been seen across campus en mass these first couple of weeks.
We all know the IUS campus has a no-smoking policy, with the exception of the parking lots. We also know it isn’t strictly enforced on campus either.
I guess that’s the reasoning behind the “thank you for keeping the campus tobacco free” yard signs posted recently.
Just so you know, the signs aren’t working. I’ve seen signs that have piles of cigarette butts right next to them.
A sign isn’t going to make the perpetrators stop smoking. Try citations.
Now, I’ve had the honor of watching some students blatantly disregard the next set of yard signs.
“Do Not Park on Grass” signs have got to be the largest joke I’ve seen. I’ve lost count of how many there are around campus.
Seriously though, where else are they going to park when spaces run out? Which they do. Don’t tell me they don’t.
I remember a time when there was the use of ropes and stakes. That was enforcement. I don’t remember anyone actually disregarding rope.
OK, Campus Life had the best idea out of the three.
The signs they posted around campus in multiple locations were actually useful and had a purpose.
They were informative and kept students up to date during the Week of Welcome events. Even I appreciated them at times.
I also noticed those signs can be re-used as needed. Way to go guys.
While I’m having a good laugh at the pointless use of signs, the campus calendar on the other hand is downright frustrating.
When it is actually functioning, it is full of errors or lacking pertinent information.
Trying to write the What’s Happening page this week was an absolute nightmare. Most, if not all, campus activities had little if any description about the event.
A description, even one sentence, will give me exactly what I need: who, what, when and where.
I cannot imagine how the freshmen in the First Year Seminar classes feel. They are required to attend events and write papers about them. The campus calendar is there for a reason.
Very frustrating.
Also, if you’re going to be publishing content to a web-based program, try a little practice in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Double checking the wording could help too.
The best, or should I say worst, example of a typo so far this semester is the description for the Campus Boogie.
“Whether you like to dance or just cheer on your favorite dance team, you won’t want our version of America’s Best Dance Crew.”
Well, you didn’t see me there did you?
Starting this semester, as many students have found out, the UCard is now the only accepted card on campus.
Used for nearly everything now, IU Southeast is making it to where you can’t go to school without it.
Let me tell you though, it’s possible. I’ve gone one year without using it.
Currently the only reason you’d absolutely need the UCard, according to ius.edu/ucard, is for lodge entry, purchasing a parking pass, to borrow books from the library, to attend sporting events and for food at the cafeteria.
Unless you start carding students to find out if they are actual students, I really don’t see the point.
Here’s my solution.
Don’t live on campus, purchase a parking permit at the dispenser – it’s quickly becoming cheaper than the passes, use the book at the library or find someone you know that has it and carry cash.
Honestly, I see no reason for the UCard. The old identification cards were just as good.
The next time you’re trying to find a spot to park, asked to put money on your UCard or see someone smoking on campus you might notice what I’m talking about.
There are so many ineffective, and pointless, wastes around IU Southeast that once you pay attention, you realize exactly what your fees and tuition go toward.
By GRACE STAMPER
Editor
gstamper@ius.edu