This year the issues addressed at the town meeting seem like they may actually be rectified or at least looked into.

University president, Stuart Rabinowitz, both laid back and seeming more accessible, showed genuine concern for the students’ questions and comments, even when the students appeared a bit agitated. And this year, the students had documented facts and evidence to support their claims. The students didn’t seem to be just complaining because they could. It was less of a grip session and more of a give and take.

Each year the administrators learn a little more about how to deal with the students. Rabinowitz learned the first year that at the very least he needed to show up. They learned the following year to take each request seriously. And if anything can be learned this year, students are an equal match in a debate on issues.

Rabinowitz did a very good job at the third annual town meeting. He was candid, open and honest. He admitted when he was wrong, even at one point calling himself silly. He agreed with students rather than always taking the sides of his administrators. And he did not make any false promises. He told students when requests were too obscure, especially regarding the University budget, but welcomed an intelligent discussion in order to help him improve funding.

But as clubs, such as Students Against Injustice, have done to institute changes by forcing administrators to uphold their promises, students must hold the president accountable for these requests.

Not including the 15-minute open office hours the president offers twice a semester, the town meeting is the one chance for every vice-president and director of departments to really listen to students’ complaints. But the effort should not stop there. Students must continue to petition their student government representatives to fight for their causes and if that doesn’t work they must stand on their own.

Problems are not solved by voicing them once to a panel and then complaining when they are not fixed. Problems are solved by persistence.