Student emails ending in .edu, which provide many useful benefits are a staple for many four-year institutions as well as a small number of lucky community colleges. But, the marketing behind edu emails has been frail. According to Stephanie Rigsby, the DASB Vice-President, De Anza can provide .edu emails, but students must adamantly request one from the administration.

The status of the implementation of these emails is so arcane that while Rigsby states that they are obtainable, College Life Office Coordinator Dennis Shannakian notes that it is currently impossible for De Anza students to obtain a .edu email, even if they specifically request one.

In terms of the benefits of such an implementation, universal student emails would provide all with free Amazon prime, a spotify premium discount, free Microsoft Office, an Amazon Prime account, free New York Times, free Wall Street Journal, free anti-virus software, and increased professionalism.

De Anza administration continues to obfuscate and pretend that there is a lack of support. When asked about serious implementation of .edu emails, Marisa Spatafore, associate vice president, communications and external relations, repeated a previous statement she had given to La Voz — that she would want to see widespread support from students before administration takes action.
That response does not make sense given that a 2014 study conducted by the College Office of Institutional Research and Planning revealed that 80 percent of students would like .edu emails, and 40 percent would in fact use them multiple times a day.

She added that the survey results were invalid because they are four years old, but back when the study was published, she stated a complete inverse: “De Anza College and the district are definitely considering the wish many students have to obtain a college email address.”

The assumed narrative that students would neither want nor use .edu emails ironically comes at a time when the DASB student government just unanimously endorsed universal access to .edu emails, coupled with the already demonstrably high levels of student support.
While educational emails may seem insignificant given the many day-to-day challenges, saving money and opening professional gateways are no doubt beneficial at a community college composed of many working and middle class students, and this is precisely what an edu domain accomplishes.

Administration is no doubt busy, but honesty and transparency would be much preferred to beating around the bush. However, despite the administration’s its befuddling choice of language, some students have decided to meet the high burden of proof which administration is requiring.

Sobia Chahal, 20, said “We will be collecting student signatures and providing data to backup importance of addresses for students to advocate.”

As well, Mako Mori, 20, working alongside Chahal expressed her interest which stems from the elevated professionalism the domain provides, allowing for more credibility when contacting faculty and administration.
Admittedly, a great deal of data storage and work would be needed by De Anza’s educational technology services. Luckily, a widespread swath of students are ready for such a transformative change, and based on the current climate and all given data thus far, this hard work would be put to use.

You have to wonder why studies like these are performed if the high authorities of the school have no interest in taking student opinions seriously.
Instead, administration chooses to indulge in circular logic that will ultimately require an unnecessary amount of activism to demonstrate something that has already been proven.