Dear Editor,
I need to clarify my previous note. When I wrote it, I understood that the Triangle wanted to do an article on alumni opinions of the proposed changes to the Grassy Bowl. I wrote hastily because I did not expect my email to be published as a letter to the editor and because I have very limited Internet access.
The statement “To me, this decision is only another indication that the administration cares very little about what Bryan students want their school to be” is accusatory, too broad, and vague. I apologize for it. Those words are not exactly what I meant.
There are many good and wise people whom I respect in the Bryan administration. I am thankful that, in this situation, my claim that they care very little has proven untrue: they have listened to students and alumni and have decided to preserve the Grassy Bowl.
However, I do believe there is a communication problem between students and the administration. The task of making Bryan College financially sustainable has been difficult and complex and has involved much change. Change is hard. In general, people are afraid of it and often opposed to it. It is naive to expect any group of people to be supportive of changing something they deeply care about without first clearly explaining the need for change and the proposed solutions. Wise leaders go a step further: they listen to the responses to their plans and consider those responses carefully.
The Bryan administration does not sensitively introduce and explain change to students and yet still expects student support. This is unreasonable. Moreover, in the seven years I’ve been associated with the school, I’ve sensed that few in the Bryan administration know what student concerns about change actually are. This apparent lack of knowledge seems to indicate a lack of concern and respect for student thoughts and feelings. I recognize, however, that lack of knowledge does not necessarily mean lack of concern. As I wrote before, though, on a purely pragmatic level, it would behoove the Bryan administration to make an effort to communicate more effectively with students. Students do become alumni.
Faults of communication are not often one-sided. Bryan students complain and criticize much, yet do little. To Bryan students: if you really care about your school, act. Talk to SGA. Run for SGA. Realize that the people in charge of Bryan College are exactly that—people. Imperfect, but for the most part, really trying to do what they believe is right for the school and deserving of your respect.
But we know that listening is at least as important as speaking when we try to communicate. My pastor talks about the need to listen beyond the words a person uses, to his heart. As an academic institution, Bryan College rightly stresses the need for precise and appropriate language. This is certainly important, but I’ve learned that always demanding precision and even propriety in language often has many negative consequences—ranging from quickly forgotten misunderstanding to truly damaging verbal interchanges—and often actually cripples real communication.
So I challenge the whole Bryan community and myself to try to listen beyond words and to listen to learn—whether from young or old, educated or uneducated.
Sincerely,
Emily Reitnauer