This semester the Student Association (SA) has taken a step forward in improving students’ Harding experience by placing suggestion boxes in three different well-trafficked locations around campus.
Senior Phil Habegger, SA president, thought of the suggestion box idea last semester. The SA members jumped on the idea and took action. Their work paid off; the beginning of spring 2015 the suggestion boxes were placed in the student center, the library and the cafeteria.
The suggestion boxes were created for students to easily communicate and share ideas for campus improvements with the SA. The SA checks the boxes at the end of each week and students are welcome to suggest ideas anonymously. There has been good feedback from students on the suggestion boxes, according to SA secretary senior Chelsea Bradley.
Bradley is currently working to spread the word and remind students about the boxes. Sophomore representative Cody Stubblefield serves on the food services committee and is working with suggestions dealing with the cafeteria and food options.
“My job is to meet with the administration of Aramark and discuss ways to make the student center and cafeteria more enjoyable for the students,” Stubblefield said. “With one of the suggestion boxes being placed in the caf, the box will be hopefully a great asset for my committee.”
The suggestion box located in the cafeteria has already made a difference in one student’s cafeteria experience.
Stubblefield said one student recommended that the cafeteria serve Thousand Island dressing. Stubblefield immediately took that suggestion to the cafeteria management who were in full support.
Junior Kelby Czerwonka, former freshman representative, said she sees the need for the suggestion boxes as a way to receive feedback from students and see where changes should be made.
“If students are unwilling to utilize those tools they have no right to turn around and complain that their complaints aren’t being heard,” Czerwonka said. “If you didn’t take the time to think out an argument or think out a complaint, write it down and turn it in you don’t really have a right to keep complaining about it.”
Bradley said the SA is made up of students who are willing to use their tools, connections and time to better the student life on campus and better the relationships between the students and faculty.
“We want to be seen as the problem solvers, like if you have a problem, a suggestion, an idea let somebody on SA know,” Bradley said. “We have the resources and we have the brainpower … we can make changes happen.”
