Weiss

Last semester, I wrote an article called “Holds and Headaches.” In it, I mentioned some concerns that another student and I had about some confusing holds we had on our student accounts. As it goes with many articles, I didn’t expect much to happen.

But this time, it was different.

When I arrived back in Emporia and checked my mail – that is, my real mail – I found a very interesting letter. President Michael Shonrock read my article and wanted to inform me of the changes that were made in response. Specifically, students will now have the ability to enroll in classes even if they have a balance on their account, given that the balance is less than $100.

I was so happy with Shonrock’s response. It was not only effective, but also very quick. The whole situation was impressive, and I was really excited to have done something useful – something that sparked change. It’s change like this that makes this job seem not only worthwhile, but important.

I think it’s easy for people our age to feel impotent, to feel like our actions won’t have any effect on the world, or even our immediate environment. We send our hours of work – homework, essays and projects – into black holes. But opportunities for improvements are everywhere, and all kinds of things that hinder happiness are readily changeable.

I want to encourage anyone reading this to take a proactive approach to their problems. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Use The Bulletin as a tool if you can. It could truly be “the student’s voice” if more people used it as a means to share their opinions. All it takes is a letter sent to opinion@esubulletin.com.

Don’t be afraid to apply these principles beyond school. Communication between coworkers, friends and employers/employees is vital. The majority of the year is still ahead of us, so let’s make 2013 an honest and communicative time for us all.

P.S. Thank you, President Shonrock. That was truly encouraging.

Weiss

I have to say, I really enjoy attending Emporia State. I pay tuition and fees, and they leave me alone for the rest of the semester. I like that.

But every once in a blue moon, ESU will pull something that is totally unreasonable. The following is a tale of the unreasonable:

A little over a month ago, I overheard a coworker dealing with the frustration of a hold that had been put on her student account. When I asked her about it, she said she had an outstanding balance that she hadn’t paid. Apparently, she wasn’t aware of the balance at all, and wasn’t going to be allowed to enroll in classes until it had been rectified.

I understood her frustration, but I was unable to relate. I – the infallible Ellen – would never have a hold on my account because I am just too dang diligent about paying my balances…or so I thought.

Just a week later, I had to go to the Student Wellness Center. They took my insurance information and told me it would be billed to my account. After guessing and checking for a few days to see if it appeared, I paid the $12 I was charged as soon as I saw it. No big deal.

A fortnight passed, and I was rushing to apply to a conference with limited spaces. I went to print out my unofficial transcript and BAM! – a hold was put on my account for an outstanding $5 “Student Wellness” fee that I had no idea was there.

I rushed to pay it online, but, apparently, there is a two week wait to clear virtual checks. (Insert some expletives here) Then, I had to rush to the cashier’s office to pay again with cash.

Needless to say, it was an unnecessary pain in the neck. In response to these events, I have written the following letter:

Dear Emporia State,

Please email me updates about my account balance.

Sincerely,

Ellen

A simple correction like this is a win-win situation. So, if you know someone who has a hand in the cashiering or emailing services, please put a good word in for me. Let’s nip these annoyances in the bud.

Weiss

Hark! Progress! Just when I was beginning to think that Americans were going to fight over the morality of abortion for the rest of the decade, our recent election has shown that people care about other stuff, too! Amazing! In fact, the notion was so new it was downright historic!

In case you haven’t already heard, two states, Washington and Colorado, have both voted to – in short – legalize marijuana. This is huge! But, the drug has been, and still is, outlawed by the federal government.

From the research and conversations I’ve had concerning the subject, the argument against marijuana legalization doesn’t hold much water. I’ve gathered that the ban on weed was imposed not for true fear of national health, not because it was causing any true harm to the nuclear family, but for purely political reasons. Not only that, but alcohol is a far more addictive and harmful drug than marijuana, and was only legalized again because people were going blind because they were illegally making their own.

This is also an excellent opportunity to see what will happen to a state with the “legalize it” laws. Will their prison populations shrink? Will they prosper greatly because of taxes on marijuana? Will parents and children have a new, fun and legal way to bond with each other?

Or will increasingly more Washingtonians engage in risky behaviors such as driving while intoxicated? Will there be a wave of marijuana addiction a la ‘Reefer Madness’ in Colorado?

Only time will tell.

And let us not forget about the first openly gay senator, Tammy Baldwin, and Californians agreeing that sales and income taxes should be raised – which is not a common decision in popular vote.

The coolest thing about all of this is that it shows that voting in local and state elections alike really does something. Huge decisions can be made!

So, whether you are excited for, or hating, the new legislation, remember to keep up with local politics and VOTE.

Weiss

The one thing neither presidential candidate is willing to discuss is gun control. Feeling safe is a priority for everyone. For many, having a firearm is how they can feel entirely secure. I have never been able to sympathize with these people…until recently.

I had my first experience with a Peeping Tom, and it was the scariest experience I’ve had in a while. After I called the police and freaked out with my roommate, I found it rather difficult to fall back asleep. For the first time, I wished I had a gun.

I don’t like the idea of guns. They kill things, and that’s reason enough for me to avoid them. But the idea of being able to buy guaranteed protection? It sounded tempting in a way it never had before.

Gun control has been a hot topic recently, and I thought I had solidified my position – ban concealed weapons wherever, whenever. Now, not so much.

My instincts say “mo’ guns, mo’ problems,” but a new thought has crossed my mind – there is no point in banning guns in most places because those who break the law are going to have their weapon despite its illegality.

No matter your position on the topic, I hope that we all can agree that the steps it takes to purchase a gun should be better regulated. You have to get a license, registration and take a test to operate a vehicle. Yet guns, which are equally as deadly as a vehicle, are given out like candy. Bad stuff.

In any case, the “New Me” has formed a to-do list, which reads as follows: 1. Go to the Gun Den and get something. Pepper spray sounds good. 2. Ask my landlords if we could put bars on the windows. 3. Figure out how to stop having nightmares about people breaking into my apartment.

Part of me wishes I didn’t have to have a terrifying experience to become more moderate on my views. If you have a chance to take the other path and have an intelligent conversation with someone, I highly recommend it.