Do We Trust Our Choice to Trust Us

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By Ng Min Xi

I would like to think of our alma mater as our guardian, our educators as parents if you will. Strict, patient, never forceful, ever trusting and most importantly, guiding us to better ourselves.

What started out as an assignment to inform J-on readers about the various parking issues surrounding UTAR has lead to this commentary. As student journalists, we learned that getting a source to be interviewed can sometimes be complicated.

People will give ridiculous reasons to reject an interview. But more often not, rationality is dominant and we get to proceed with our work.

So when I approached UTAR’s Department of Student Affairs (DSA) to ask some general questions about the parking system in UTAR, I could not comprehend that I was turned down.

But it got me thinking, why would the officer decline answering simple questions like the total number of parking bays inside the campus. Anyone could just go around counting it but it would be convenient for everyone if I was just told the answer.

Was it because he did not know? Was it classified information of ISA level? Or maybe it would lead to some deep conspiracy that will finally be the downfall of UTAR. None seemed plausible to me.

What made the whole thing more absurd was that I was giving the DSA a voice. Maybe it’s just me but I think it would be better for everyone if the systems under the university be kept under transparency.

I did found out from other sources that a second balloting will be held if the spaces given out during the first balloting have not been claimed. Apparently there’s also a special parking sticker for the night.

Now there’s even a rumour going around that students will not be able to park at the land outside East Gate for long because the owner is claiming it back. Of course this is unconfirmed.

Putting digression aside, the behavior shown by the office is actually a culture here. The reason why I was denied an interview was simply because UTAR does not trust its students.

Forgive the anonymity surrounding the next few sentences.

A camp held by some students was denied having the flying fox because it was claimed to be too dangerous, when in fact it is so common everywhere else.

When was the last time you heard a similar case of the university stopping a project for absurd reasons?

Layers of bureaucracy hinder students from pursuing their interests. The fear of having to take responsibility for the students deters the staff from breaking boundaries. The distrust among the university and the students affirm the belief that this is the only way.

But can we blame the office? Not when students are liars, students are selfish, students will manipulate others to make it through the day, students will not take responsibility, and students are failures. Is that what they think of us?

If you nodded your head, I lose hope. If you shook it, then I believe that you want things to change.

It is poignant when more trust is being placed to me in the outside world than in my own school.

One of UTAR’s goals and I quote, is to maintain a strong undergraduate programme, which encourages the intellectual and personal development of students and responses to professional and community needs.

They key here is community needs. When I asked about UTAR’s parking system, I was thinking of the UTAR community, J-on is not an unfair advocate to students. If there is nothing to hide then hide nothing.

I just hope that the time will come when it becomes a culture for the university to trust its students.

Until then, we’ll do our best, even if our guardians don’t trust us.

Filed Under: English , Highlights , Opinion