The Real Deal: No Sweet Talk

As I write this I ask to be unknown. I chose to write this to send a clear message without being judged for my affiliations. The entire student body needs to learn from (Council of University Programming) CUP’s current situation. The CUP executive board was thinking about cutting out the Diversity Chair, therefore threatening the smaller groups (LASO, NSBA, BAC, etc.) of eliminating what little communication already existed. The result was a past editorial (on June 15th in NuNews) from the nine student groups and the more recent meetings CUP has hosted. CUP feels they may have been “bullied,” but the effort being put forth by the minority groups (also seeking to diversify themselves) is EVIDENCE of the immense control of cause and effect CUP has among the ENTIRE student body. The message sent forth by the smaller groups may have been harsh to even my liking, but a response is better than none. CUP needs to know that they are much more than a student organization. They are supposed to be the organization of ALL organizations which chooses to hold programs in a representative manner for all. That is why CUP receives a budget that does not need to be requested from BRC. RSA, for example, represents all of the students in dorms and therefore makes their events geared towards them. CUP should realize that they are not little giants and do the same. On the other hand, all involved need to also publicize the general CUP meetings because we really cannot expect them to be mind readers. They are simply doing what they are meant to do and refer to their own life experience. If students continue acting as if they were in high school, we would never learn to branch out and communicate with other resourceful leaders in the community for fear of awkwardness. I believe that it should have never gotten to the point that once CUP was considering cutting the diversity chair that it is when we all became alarmed. The next CUP meeting will be at August 2nd, in room 320-2 of the Curry Student Center. I implore any concerned students to be there and hear CUP’s ideas for the vacant chair and show them that we all care not for one student group over another, but that we truly care for the fellow peers in our student body who make all our events possible with their student fees.

Tanisha Santos Sociology Major 2008