The Student Government Association's (SGA) "Little Black Book" arrived only two weeks ago, later than both the organization and students would have liked.
Work on the directory began in April, when Annelise Catanzaro was elected SGA president. As president, Catanzaro was responsible for gathering all the necessary background information needed for the book.
An initial delay in the completion of the book came as a result of SGA's work to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The act requires SGA to give students until October to take their name and phone number off the list for the directory.
"(SGA) had to be especially careful to abide by these rules," Catanzaro said. "Last year's administration accidentally included students' residence hall locations." This is illegal, according to FERPA.
After compiling the necessary information for the directory, Catanzaro said that SGA had nothing to do with the books until the finished product was delivered.
"The books were delivered in December, and then Mailing & Receiving at (the College) didn't contact me until the second week of December," Catanzaro said.
SGA was unable to store the books in Campus Activities when they were delivered because the area was being repainted and re-carpeted. Finals added an extra complication because they tied up students who may have helped deliver the books.
"(SGA's Little Black Book) is definitely something my organization would use," Marissa Eckrote, junior health and exercise science major and member of the Future Alumni Association, said.
Like many organizations at the College, the Future Alumni Association relies on sending e-mails to contact members.
The Rugby Club relies on students' extension numbers rather than their e-mail addresses.
Callan Wright, president of the women's rugby club and junior international business major, said that the Little Black Book is important to her group because it relies on extension numbers to contact members.
Wright added that she thinks the Little Black Book is a good resource for incoming freshmen who are just settling into college life.
Kristen Roensch, junior marketing major and member of Delta Zeta sorority, said that her organization relies on the Little Black Book for its opporunity for advertisement. Roensch said that the number of new members the group received this school year was lower than in past. She suggested that this may have been because they were unable to reach incoming freshmen.
Despite these concerns, individual students seem less worried about the delay. Catanzaro said she was not contacted by any students or organizations concerning the Little Black Book.
"It's nice to have," Kelly Mitchell, freshman nursing major, said. "But I didn't think it was supposed to come out any earlier than it did."
Catanzaro offered her "sincere apologies to any organization or individual that could have used the black books last semester."
She said she will recommend to the SGA that the Administration & Finance Committee find a faster publishing company, but added that, "given our legal restrictions, the earliest any future administration can deliver the books is in mid-November."
