In need of a hero

FACT #1: Spider-Man is my favorite super hero.
FACT#2: I hate the administration of Sonoma State University.

That's about all you need to know going into this article.


With Sonoma State in the state it is, with problems ranging from economic issues to the ever present problem of campus diversity, do we need a trouble-maker like Spider-Man stalking our campus? The answer, in this person’s opinion, is a resounding “NO!” Spider-Man is no hero; Spider-Man is a menace!

We need a real hero, someone who doesn’t have to wear a mask to make an impact. People like President Rueben Armiñana, who spends every day making an impact at this university. We don’t need people running around, subverting authority. We don’t need people going around trying to help people, asking for nothing in return. Nor do we need people who act in a ways that point out the flaws in this institution, trying to show the hypocrisy of people in charge. Those kinds of people cannot be called heroes. They are deviants, rebels. They disrupt systems and what good is a system if it is being disrupted by these kinds of people? A system cannot be used if it is being disrupted and people like Spider-Man know this.

What we need are the heroes who are already in place, chosen by the institution to represent the student body. People who tirelessly work for the student body during their 9 to 5, Monday through Friday work week. We don’t need someone like Spider-Man making a mockery of the standard work day by always being around, always being a menace no matter what time it is during the day (or even at night). If students are already spending hours upon hours outside of class to get their work done, how can we expect the people in power to do the same?

There is a phrase I have heard. “With great power comes great responsibility.” In this time of economic hardship, we need people who understand what that means, who make the hard choices for budget cuts and are rewarded for their efforts with raises. We need to remember that we are in a country that rewards excellence. Thankfully we have an administration that honors the very system this country was built on. They have used their great power to enact great change it is the responsibility of the university to reward these brave souls. The administration holds the power while the rest of the university holds the great responsibility. Spider-Man is destroying this system. This “hero” attempts to take all the responsibility as well as all the power that comes with it. That is just selfish. If the people in power take all the responsibility, there will none left for the students who have no power.

And this Spider-Man is creating a terrible example for the students. He is teaching them to take matters into their own hands and go against the grain. That is being a vigilante. This is not what students should be learning. They should be learning from books. They should be learning from teachers. They should be learning for the administration. What better examples are there? Students need to learn that in order to make a difference, you need to be put into a place where you can affect the lives of many by bettering your situation at the expense of others. That is the message the administration is giving these students and it is a fine one.

In conclusion, the example of Spider-Man needs to be taken away from the students. He is brainwashing them into fighting things that don’t need to be fought. Why would anyone fight anything in this school? Classes are still being offered so who cares that there is less of them. The general education classes cover longer periods of time meaning that they are teaching students more. So what if fees are being increased? If one pays more for something, that makes it more valuable and what is more valuable than an education. Less services offered leads to less confusion on where students need to go. Unit caps mean classes are more abundant for students to choose from and gives the upper classmen a chance to be more generous to the lower classmen.

People like the menace Spider-Man spit in the face of this. At this time, Sonoma State doesn’t need people who are hurtful to the student body, people who show no regard or care to the needs and concerns of students. There is no need for people in power to shirk their responsibilities and continue to pass blame. Thankfully, this school does not have anyone like that because they are not what is needed. What Sonoma State needs right now is a hero.