Response to Hook’s note

I am very glad to see you have taken an interest in my first article here at Technician. I am pleased that you agree with my opinion regarding the date and time of such an important forum. I would like to point out that the purpose of such extreme language in an article such as this is to grab the attention of readers and policy makers, such as yourself, with an opinion to which they can relate. This is with the intention of sparking change in a conflicting process, such as the scheduling of the chancellor’s forums.

Along with this, I believe that many times those in Student Government get wrapped up with good intentions for bettering the life on N.C. State’s campus, that when such a crisis hits they do not have the ability to address such matters. I have been pleased with many of Student Government’s policies and actions this year, but believe that with this kind of topic they have failed to comfort those they represent. This announcement frightened many students and faculty campus-wide. Unlike many of the other forums Chancellor Woodson has held, this one in particular hits home with every student walking on this campus. Due to this, I felt it was of high priority to point out the inconvenience of such an event.

However, I do agree with you that it is not only the fault of timing for such a meeting, but the history of the apathy of the student body at such forums. For this issue I do propose more advertisement to the students, as well as making it accessible to them. I also applaud your leadership and responsiveness in attempting to get students more actively involved in their education. With this article I hoped to spark the interest of students so that attendance at these meetings would not be, as you put, “zero.” I would be up for meeting with you to bounce ideas off of one another as to the ideal way to get the student body at-large involved in such important matters, as well as voicing their opinions. I completely agree and commend such actions of the vice-chancellor and the provost to attempt to reach out to and communicate with the student body. I hope for the best kind of success in these endeavors.

Unlike some, I do understand the severity of such budget cuts, however my article was directed towards the availability of the forums that leads to the solutions, not the solutions to the budget cuts themselves. I am the last person who would want to show disrespect to my authority figures or my peers. While I apologize if I offended you in any way and would be happy to discuss any possible solutions for the decisions N.C. State will be forced to face in the near future, I would like to discuss matters in a more private setting rather than on a Facebook Note.

Trey Ferguson