It happens daily. You get back to your dorm room after an enjoyable lunch, eager to get some homework done before class or (re)watch last night’s 30 Rock. You flip open your laptop for the requisite Gmail check - which shouldn’t take more than a minute or two—before you get started. But, alas, sorting through today’s emails proves taxing, even annoying. The majority of your messages are mass undergraduate emails, most advertising events you would never consider attending, developments that don’t apply to you, or utterly vague messages of interest to virtually no one. And, most commonly, the ystud parades its author’s almost-functional illiteracy.
Instead of feeling delighted with the wide array of activities and events offered at Yeshiva, we are annoyed that our inboxes are transformed into semiliterate swamps showcasing students’ communicative incapability. Before you send a message to all your colleagues, make sure you will not end up informing them that you got nothing out of Comps 1 and 2. You all have friends qualified to proofread your emails, and the Writing Center is happy to help perfect any kind of piece before you send it out to everyone.
There is just no excuse for the number of spelling mistakes and failed attempts at syntax in the typical ystud. Similarly, being capital letter- and exclamation point-happy does not qualify you to make an appearance in the inboxes of the whole campus community. Chances are, if your announcement is truly worthwhile, you do not need such creative “grammar” to convey its importance.
No more than two emails, at most, is necessary to advertise a single program. And, if you forgot to send out the ystud until the night of the event, you are not entitled to send out two messages on the same day to persuade people, last-minute, to alter their evening plans. In fact, getting two annoying emails on the same day about the same program is actually likely to alienate people from your now annoying event.
Event co-coordinators: coordinate your ystuds! Overlapping mass emails rather blatantly reflect disorganization and speak very poorly for you and your event.
If your announcement pertains exclusively to a specific group of students, like seniors, economics majors, or SSSB guys (by the way, there’s an sssbstud—use it!), a ystud is not in order. The point of ystuds is to communicate messages of importance or interest to the entire male undergraduate community. They are not a cheap way to get your news across to your club of friends (who may very well understand your unintelligible argot). Create an email list. Organizations like the Book Club and Model UN have got the idea.
When you send a ystud, the message is as much about your club or event as it is about you. Make it positive one. Rather than cringe every time we receive another announcement, Yeshiva students should be able to look upon our campuses’ exciting array of activities with pride.
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Last year, I was that guy. I worked very hard on this problem and saw some results, but of course it didn't stick to this year. I didn't expect it to. Yechiel is absolutely right, there needs to be action taken, and a person in charge to take said action. It could be anyone... someone just needs to step up. The "perpetrators" are not going to stop just because of an article you write in the Commie, trust me, I tried that a few times to no avail... most of the time, these "perpetrators" don't even think about/realize what it is they are doing to their fellow students, they think "the students need to know about this, one more email won't hurt." And the aggregate effect is what prompted you, Abramowitz, to write the article, and you, Cement, to comment. You need to take REAL action, though. Demand the Student Life Committee do something. Respond to ystuds and tell the senders how annoyed they make you. If you do nothing, or just write articles, this problem will go nowhere. I believe you DO have a SLC Communications Chair, go find him and tell him he needs to step up his game. Or take his position away from him if he won't. But remember, even without an official seat on the Student Life Committee, any student can easily write back to a ystud sender who repeatedly floods you with emails, simply by hitting "reply." That is certainly one way of getting the message across without dealing with any red tape.
YC
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