If you’ve opened your email in the last several weeks, you’ve probably been asked to complete a survey. The surveys seem to be about anything. E-cigarettes, sustainable food, school start dates–with quality ranging from scientific to outright confusing (one survey had multiple broken questions, including a question where the only possible answer was “Option 1,” with no clue to what Option 1 was or what it represented). At some point, teachers raised concerns with the media center about how easily surveys could be sent out.

“[Mr. Lunaburg] got some flak from teachers,” said Dr. Avise. “Before that, if he thought it made sense he just sent it out.”

Until recently, there was no criteria for any survey, unless it was being used for a scientific project or something that was going to be “sent out to the community.” To test exactly how hard it was to get a survey to the school, I sent one of my own. My survey asked whether the now-infamous dress was black and blue or white and gold, or something else. It was sent to every student at Ames High within minutes.

“After [all these surveys received criticism], we decided we ought to get it approved by administrators,” said Dr. Avise. “That rule went into place a little under a month ago. They now get it approved through the administration and the media center sends it out. Any one of the three administrators, Mr. Evans, Mr. Anderson, or myself can approve it.”

While surveys will probably now improve in quality and be sent out less often, I’m sure we’ll all miss the amusing bits of spam that greeted us with their absurdly loaded questions and floating Option 1s.