Marcela Smid, a medical anthropology major, said she has noticed during her years at CWRU that many students often talk about University staff members as if they are all the same and mostly just a means to an end—their lunch, financial aid check, the copier, etc.

"Many students don't have any real person-to-person interactions with staff," Smid, who is also in the College Scholars Program (CSP) and a founding member of the campus group Catalyst: Students for Social Justice, told the CWRU Staff Advisory Council (SAC) during its February meeting. "I think that's a problem and want to do something about it."

Her solution-part of her senior project for CSP-is Staff-Student Interaction Day, a day to be devoted to personal exchanges between students at all levels and employees from across the University.

Details of the event are still in the works, but Smid said she plans for the day to involve turning the tables to some extent so students can serve staff, even if it is only refreshments

"I want to throw a big party . . . to encourage students and staff to come together," Smid said.

SAC, by general consent, agreed to co-sponsor with CSP the first of what both Smid and the council hope will become an annual event.

"Some of my most rewarding experiences on campus have been interactions with undergraduate and graduate students," said Kathryn Howard, chair of SAC and a research assistant in infectious diseases at the School of Medicine. "Many staff members don't get to experience that. I hope this day will give them the opportunity."

With financial assistance from the provost's discretionary fund, the event, tentatively scheduled for April, not only will bring students and staff together and start the process of creating better relations between them but also will showcase a documentary on University staff experiences Smid is creating.

In other business, SAC will host another vision conversation between staff and President Edward M. Hundert from 3:30-5 p.m. March 18 in Room 2 of the Peter B. Lewis Building. The council also is scheduling for April and May a series of informal discussions between staff and Rhonda Gross, CWRU executive vice president and chief operating officer.

SAC also announced that it has received initial approval to plan a University-wide community service day and released preliminary results of an e-mail survey asking employees for feedback on the news that the print version of the CWRU telephone directory will be discontinued. Of the 365 staff members who responded to the survey, 72 percent said the print directory is an "essential" part of their work environment, according to Howard.