Why "fix" what is not broken??

I just sent this letter to the Chancellor and all those other high-falutin' people:

 

I am a Syracuse alum writing to request that you leave the Syracuse Outing Club under its current capable student-run leadership. I was a SUOC member from 1985-1989. My involvement with this remarkable club was the most valuable experience I had at Syracuse University. When I discovered it during my freshman year I felt like I had finally found some kindred spirits in the midst of a large unwelcoming student body. I have never been part of a more caring and supportive group of peers. We forged lifelong friendships and continue to feel deeply connected to all the generations of SUOCers who have come before and after. This club is truly a giant extended family.

I had great respect for and confidence in those of my peers who took on leadership roles in SUOC. They brought thorough knowledge, safety-awareness and skill to every trip. It was so empowering to be taught by them and to grow into a leadership role over the years myself. This unique organization showed me that people can work together with respect, compassion and equality and when they do, every member becomes personally invested in its success.

Now I am a high school teacher who understands the value of empowering my students with the right to make their own choices and trust their own leadership skills. Democratic (student-centered) classrooms work much better than dictatorships. It surprises me that there are administrators at SU who do not know this and who wish to take over a club that is already healthy, strong, safe and vibrant just the way it is. Why "fix" what is not broken??

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Kendall Kalkstein Laird