Students need not fear media

There seems to be a general sense of fear that if a student talks to a media source, members of the administration can somehow affect their collegiate career.

Allow me to set the record straight. They can't!

There is only one person who can mess up a student's academics: his or herself. No one can punish you for talking to any media source, including The East Texan.

Take it from me. I've given the administration multiple reasons to sabotage my academic career because of my work with The East Texan, and to date, nothing has happened. I've planned on graduating this May for some time, and that plan has not changed.

This fear that the administration is looking to punish the student is downright ridiculous. These people are here to help the students. For the most part, their primary goal is to aid students in their time in college and transition them into professional life.

A&M-Commerce has gone so far as to create the student access and success division, the entire purpose of which is to bring in new students and retain current ones.

Now obviously there are ways students can get in trouble here. This school does have a code of conduct and a student handbook filled with guidelines, and if a student violates any of those, the administration can affect graduation dates via some form of punishment. However, there is nothing anyone can legally do to a student for talking to another student.

I'm not advocating blowing every little rumor out of proportion, but if there is a problem that needs to be addressed, bring it to our attention. If using the media as a vehicle to shed light on bothersome issues bothers you, speak to a counselor. There are multiple avenues available to students for taking on wrongdoings on campus.

It's also important to remember that The East Texan is a part of this community. We report on news and yes, sometimes that news is negative, but we are not out to get anyone. Our goal is not to cause harm. We try to remain as objective as possible in our reporting. We are simply seeking the truth and sometimes the truth is unpleasant. We don't control what happens in Commerce, we simply report on it. We are not a public relations firm; so don't expect everything in the paper to be positive.

The purpose of college is to form children into educated adults. This process cannot be completed if students live in perpetual fear of their teachers. The administration and faculty are here to help and if they're not, they won't be around for long.