For the past year that I’ve been a student at Drake, Student Senate has been promoting ways to bridge the communication gap between the table and the students. Inviting students to Senate meetings, creating a twitter handle for students to follow (@DrakeStuSenate) and posting the weekly meeting minutes on its website were all failed attempts — these solutions just didn’t cut it.
However, I’d like to give credit where credit is due. Junior Ekta Haria, this year’s Student Services Committee Chair and her infamous Facebook page have done wonders for giving around 800 students a place to vent about the less-than-perfect Sodexo catering company, the custodial staff and the ever-popular plus/minus grading system. Whether or not Sen. Haria can help you, she always offers timely responses with a promise to bring it up at Senate’s next meeting, and makes sure to tag the corresponding senator.
Larson is a sophomore magazines major and can be reached at [email protected]
Those who are members of this group receive notifications each and every time someone posts a complaint on the page, making everyone more aware of issues that they didn’t even know existed, especially senate members. Because, let’s face it, I didn’t even know there were bathrooms in Hubbell South, let alone that one of them wasn’t for women. And, while I’m not extremely fond of receiving an alert every time Hubbell is out of ketchup or Crawford Residence Hall’s second-floor bathroom is out of soap, I do believe that this Facebook page is a step in the right direction. Many complaints with Sodexo have been remedied (like bringing back the ice cream machine), and Haria has provided the student body with valid reasons why some things must stay the way they are. With any luck, campus will be complaint-free in no time.
If you have a complaint about literally anything on campus, feel free to voice it on the Drake University Student Senate: Student Services Facebook page with nearly 800 of your classmates. And, if you’re too shy to be “that person,” feel free to like or share your favorite posts, Senator Haria encourages it.
