It would not be ASUO election season without the emergence of expertly timed grievances filed by one candidate against another.
Grievances are mostly based on minor technicalities and are an unfortunate waste of students’ time. The grievance process only underscores how petty and pointless the election process can be. It should be noted that one grievance – against posters that were illegally displayed in a residence hall – was held over from winter term, clearly for political reasons.
The grievance process is intended to create equity and fairness. Nonetheless, the election rules are so Byzantine that very few people have them memorized. Primarily, grievances are used as cheap “gotcha” tactics, intended more for short-term political gain than leveling the playing field.
But as campaigns heat up, candidates begin to take the process very seriously – perhaps to a fault. There are legitimate reasons to file grievances, but none of the grievances filed so far meet any criteria for giving a candidate a discernible advantage. Filing a grievance for the sake of filing a grievance is petty and, frankly, pathetic.
Perhaps the candidates are adhering to the letter of the law by filing these grievances. Still, they are pointless political exercises intended to obscure the real issues with rules violations.
Kudos to the UO Health Center for new, interactive self-care Web site
The University Health Center did a good thing when it signed up for the HealthyLife Students’ Self-care Guide. The site provides sound, trustworthy and easy-to-use information about whether the user should go see a doctor when faced with medical troubles.
The health center decided to purchase the interactive Web site in part because won’t be open on Sundays, which is a fair tradeoff.
Busy college schedules make this even more of a plus for students, because in about three minutes of time one can decide if that diarrhea warrants immediate medical attention or a home remedy.
The site’s best feature is its “Questions to ask” section, which is included as a part of each health problem. If users answer no to all questions about symptoms, they are given a list of self-care suggestions.
It also has tips about alcohol safety and drug overdose information, as well as dozens of others.
The site’s positive effects go beyond just assisting students, it also will help prevent students from making frivolous appointments when they don’t really need medical attention. This will leave more time for doctors to focus on cases that require more attention.
The health center warns that students shouldn’t take the advice as a diagnosis, but simply as a guide about how to get appropriate care.
Kudos to those at the health center for making this deal. When they realized they would no longer be able to stay open on Sundays, they proactively sought a way to fulfill their duty to students, and the result is a good one.