Hi,

I’m Frankie, and I spent the last year as Editor in Chief of Reporter, and the last four years as a student at RIT.

In that year, and in those four years, I have been aware of, part of and impacted by an array of issues and events that have shaped this community. There have been times where we should have raised our voices in response, and times when we did not quite know how to react.

Everyone on this campus — be it students, faculty, staff or administration — is trying to push this place to be the best it possibly can.. We may have different ideas of what that is or how to get there, but inevitably, that is the goal we all share.

We need to push each other to reach that goal.

Students should question every action the administration takes. Question what your fellow students are doing, as well. Make sure that everything that is happening is in your best interest, and is handled in an efficient and sensible way.

The administration should question students too — especially on why we want certain things and what we are willing to compromise on. Tell us why things are the way they are, or why you are doing things a certain way. Oftentimes that is not clear.

Question everything, but also be willing to listen. Sometimes that questioning will present an idea that wasn’t considered before, and sometimes there might be more to a situation than it seems.

To the administration: we do not hate you. It is our role as students to push you to be better, to make our needs and interests heard and to keep the dialogue flowing. We won’t stop doing that.

To the students: the administration of this university does not exist solely to be at odds with your needs and interests. They have roles to fulfill, as well, with a variety of challenges and obstacles that come with that. Be critical, but constructive and understanding.

I care very much about this university and this community, as we all do. It has been my home, my purpose and the most influential period of my life.

I have witnessed some incredible change here, but I have also witnessed events and decisions that should not have happened or should have been handled better than they were.

We must continue to combat poor decision making and the factors that cause those events.

To everyone, with everything — question.