I took the liberty of asking the students at Cap, those willing to do my survey, of course, what they wanted to see from the Capilano Students Union (CSU) in the future. And boy, were there some fun responses. Three out of the forty-eight that I surveyed this week felt happy with the services offered to them by the CSU. Few students felt like their voices were being heard in regards to what they wanted from the CSU.
Still feeling slightly jaded by the apathy that I’ve witnessed in some students' responses, I reviewed the results with some cynicism. In the aftermath of an overwhelmingly positive response to an optional extended dental plan (in a previous column, I found that 84% of the students I surveyed would be in favour of the dental plan, if the CSU actually goes through with it) I found that even though the students from this survey were different from before, few had any knowledge of the proposed dental plan.
The most positive of all survey responses, was “They are perfect”! But it was quickly counter argued by 17% of survey responses that were either left blank or filled with comments such as, “does the CSU even do anything? If they do, they should find a way to keep us better informed instead of us having to go to meetings.”
In defense of the CSU, I would like to remind students that if they want to learn more about what services the CSU provides, they only have to walk up to the building and ask for some information (or these students could always check the posters up around the school, or even grab a handbook).
That said, I can see where survey respondents are coming from. Last year, as a first year at Capilano and new to the Vancouver region in general, I had no idea what the CSU even did. The only time I went in there was to receive the free agenda they offered, and to check out the couches that, as I rightly suspected, would be perfect for napping.
As for my own personal discovery of the CSU, it was only after I nearly got evicted from my apartment, after my landlord did something illegal, that I found out the CSU offered services to help figure out my rights as a tenant. So perhaps the Students' Union should work a little harder to inform students of the vast range of services they offer. But this is also a call to you students, who don’t know much about your union, to go in and ask any questions you may have.
13.25% of cap students think the CSU
should review the clubs available and cut
the ones that no one is going to
15% want the CSU to hurry up and get
us an optional medical/dental plan
2% would like Cyprus Passes (to compli-
ment the Seymour and Grouse passes
they probably already have)
2% would like the CSU to advocate forcheaper options (in general)
2% say stop spending money on services
that could be free (i.e. the website)
8% say the CSU should work towards
change in food at the cafeteria and advo-
cate more for healthier options
4% of you would like to have vending
machines in the horticulture building
// Nicole Mucci
Stat Cat
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