The independent student news organization of Nicholls State University

the nicholls worth

The independent student news organization of Nicholls State University

the nicholls worth

The independent student news organization of Nicholls State University

the nicholls worth

Open communication encouraged on campus

Many of us are wondering what will happen to St. Thomas Aquinas’ Common Grounds Caf. The contract violation that the situation creates between Nicholls and St. Thomas and Nicholls and Sodexho appears to be a pretty black and white issue. What should now be done about this situation may not be. However, one thing is for sure: it should not have taken advertisements in The Nicholls Worth for someone to notice that St. Thomas was opening a caf.This conflict should have never evolved to its present state. If the administration had taken more interest in the construction at St. Thomas, maybe they wouldn’t be in the position they are now. Or maybe the answer is that St. Thomas should have been more direct on the specifics of the construction in the grant proposal. We may never know who is more to blame in this incident, but both parties failed to communicate successfully on multiple levels.

Miscommunication is a problem that we all face. Sometimes we get so caught up with our own personal agendas that we fail to see that what we are doing might affect others or even our own interests. If we all became more interested in what was going on around us, we would endure less turmoil.

If St. Thomas would have had better communication with Nicholls this could have been prevented. Although the lease specifies that the Aquinas Center can be used for recreational purposes, assuming that that includes the opening of a full-scale restaurant is a bit overzealous.

On the other hand, perhaps it should have specifically been stated in the lease agreement that an establishment like a caf would violate Nicholls’ contract with its food vendor, Sodexho, and would be prohibited. By not checking on the construction at St. Thomas, Nicholls put itself in a risky position with Sodexho. If Sodexho pulls out of the contract, Nicholls students, faculty and staff will suffer.

If we want to improve our University, we have to improve our communication with one another. While no one can now go back in time to correct this error of communication, it serves as an example of how important it is that Nicholls maintains open communication lines with organizations and facilities on campus.

We believe neither the University nor St. Thomas had bad intentions. St. Thomas simply wanted to provide quality food to students. Nicholls just wants to protect its contract agreements with Sodexho, for if Sodexho pulls out, it could cost students significantly more money to eat on campus.

It’s hard to take a side in this matter as most students seem to want Common Grounds to remain yet we realize this violates a contract that was set in stone. The only side we’ll take for now is the side of communication. We need to use this incident as a lesson learned and open up communication. Who knows what other operations on campus may be in violation without even knowing it?

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Open communication encouraged on campus