Students’ arguments and suggestions to the city won’t be heard - they’ll be read.

East Lansing City Councilmember Beverly Baten and Jonathan Rosenthal, director of community affairs for ASMSU, have established an e-mail address to help develop better communication between the city and off-campus students.

“Students need to realize the city council’s ears are open,” the business administration junior said.

The program is designed for students to respond to the question, “As a student at MSU, what do you believe are quality of life issues for off-campus living in the city limits of East Lansing?”

The address is active for students and will remain active until the end of March.

The e-mails can range from concerns over a student’s rights as a tenant to how summer festivals could be better served if they were held on dates when students could attend.

The survey is the first in a series planned to better develop communication between the two groups, Rosenthal said.

“This is the time students need to step up,” he said. “This time, you voice your concerns.”

If the program is a success, a Web site may be developed to help build a working relationship between off-campus students and city officials.

The responses will be a way to educate students about their city rights and responsibilities, Baten said.

“(City council) is available to come over to anyone’s apartments, fraternity, sorority and home,” she said.

Students who have concerns but don’t participate might be doing themselves a disservice, Baten said.

“We want to know what the concerns are of the quality of life in East Lansing,” Baten said.

But how students feel about living in East Lansing might be drastically different.

Tim Koczman said he hasn’t had any real concerns while living off campus, but knows other students who have.

“I am sure there will be people who take advantage of it,” the finance junior said.

But other students said they may not send off an electronic letter any time soon.

International studies senior Laura Delavan said the city has never been very student-oriented.

“I think the student officials proved how they felt because they won’t change the election date,” Delavan said.

“I think that shows they don’t care what we think.”

Students can send an e-mail response to studentsurvey@ci.east-lansing.mi.us.