A Formal Letter Of Complaint

Click, click, click, click, click, click, click, stop clicking the pens please, and while we are at it there are some other little class-actions that are a detriment to students at universities across the board. Shockingly, there are two sides to this court or more appropriately classroom, and guess which side warrants attention? Actually, both the teacher and the student's pet peeves will be brought to light to create a perfect alliance in the education community.

For years professors have quite adamantly expressed a deep unnatural hatred of cell phones. One such professor goes so far as to distribute a zero for the day to any student caught. More importantly, everyone knows the pet peeves of the teachers, they are blatantly obvious. Don't be late, don't shuffle papers, don't call assignments busy work, don't have a cell phone, don't carry on private conversations, don't ask off topic questions, don't have thanksgiving diner during class, don't text message, don't tell the professor you went to his/her office to get help but they were not there, they were, you just didn't go, don't go to the bathroom, don't sleep, if you sleep don't snore, and lastly, most importantly, don't make excuses.

That is a lot of don'ts, but nothing that can't be complied with, simple enough. After all, students have been groomed in academic etiquette for over a dozen years in education. Yet, what bothers students? A bantam case-study showed that it is sometimes the teacher, but mostly the actions of the other students in the class.

"I really dislike those people that talk all the time in class to try and impress the teacher and/or other students, but have no idea what they are talking about." Avila senior Kevin Gray expressed.

The professor's job at Avila University is to fulfill the mission statement as set forth in the Student Handbook.

"Avila University, a Catholic University sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, is a values-based community of learning providing liberal arts, professional, undergraduate, and graduate education to prepare students for responsible life-long contributions to the global community."

However, semester after semester some professors lose sight of the mission statement and seem more concerned with the transference of their "infallible" values than producing students who will be successful global contributors.

"I really dislike it when the professor tries to project his/her own personal beliefs on the class instead of just conveying the required material." Explained Avila's Dani Asher

There are other fields of aggravation, in addition to, those of an academic focus. Being social is not just a component of college life it is the most dominant feature, and because the classroom only consumes a small portion of the day students are left with ample time to party. Yet, when the classroom and the bar or basement coincide a problem is born.

"At 8 in the morning, while it is quite impressive to make it to class sporting a hangover it is not cool to do so reeking of the night before. Running your hands x-ed in Sharpe marker, through that greasy un-showered hair is pathetic. So, shower and cut the Budweiser bracelet off too, you are no cooler with it on anyway." Daniel Heinze, senior at Kansas State University stated.

The austere nature of pet peeves makes them insufferable, but due to the fact that every person is authentic with unique mannerisms there are no concrete resolutions to the little things that drive professors and students nuts. But, one clear cut action for students and professors alike is to be cordial to one another showing the deference that all human beings are entitled. As for the clicking pens, the tapping feet, the knuckle cracking, and every other nail on the chalkboard, try a pleasant voice and a "please stop."