At one time, there were actual suggestion boxes in the Union. These were locked boxes with comment cards near them where people could ask questions and offer suggestions on how to improve the Union. Each floor had one, and if you know where to look, the holes drilled into the pillars and wall are still visible. (You can e-mail me if you want me to point them all out.) Along with these, there were display boards that took questions posed and offered responses from the Union Policy Board and other staff members who could act on the suggestions made.
Instead of these, there are now "electronic comment cards" that you can go to any of the kiosk computers and use from the main menu. The idea is that you can do the same sort of commentary but without all the bulky boxes cluttering up the Union.
The problem with this lies in human nature. If you don't use the kiosks for your computer needs, you probably will never see the option for a comment. Even if you do use a kiosk, are you going to remember to file your comment when you're there? With a suggestion box in place, it offers a constant reminder. Eventually you'll remember to put your response in.
This is still no guarantee that anyone will listen. In 1999, I put a suggestion in one of these boxes. In 2000, the comment card was still in the bottom of the box and the response board hadn't been updated, so I put another one into the same box, suggesting that they pay more attention to the boxes. The two of them sat for another year before the box was removed. (The response board was still in place and hadn't been updated since my first comment was placed in 1999.) When I ran for Student Senate in 2003, I mentioned my story during a party organizing event, which prompted the removal of most of the rest of the suggestion boxes and the display boards for responses. The last one (near the 8th Note) was removed in 2004. Am I the only one that finds this suspicious?
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