well, that's fucked.

I don't usually like to swear online (which is weird, because I curse like a sailor in every day talk), but I decided to make a special exception for this one, if only because this post has to do with my student council. To start off, I've been on a student council since I was in grade 4. That year, I was the representative from my homeform to sit on the Student Representative Board (a council comprised of reps from every homeform from JK/SK to gr. 6), which was awesome. I did it again for grades 5 and 6, and then in grades 7 and 8 I did it again (albeit at a different school, but the rep system was still intact). In grades 9 through 12, high school, the student council was more of a council and less representatives. I was a grade 9 rep to the council in grade 9, assistant treasurer in grade 10, treasurer in grade 11 and external affairs officer in grade 12. Heck, I had more experience than the President that year, and as a result, I was also the Head Prefect (the only guy, lol) and the Valedictorian.

So, in short, I was a keener. I've always been like that, and I can't really explain what draws me to the whole student government thing. In first year of university, I actually didn't sit on my college's council, but was the first year representative for VOCA, the Victoria Off Campus Association. The following year I took a pretty big leap, as I became the college council's Finance Chair, responsible for a budget of 200,000$, and now in third year I am a Member-At-Large, for the same council.

It's interesting, VUSAC (Victoria University Student Administrative Council) hasbecome such a large part of my life, I can't really imagine what I would be doing if I wasn't a part of it. I mean, yes, I've done Orientation Exec, and I've done VCDS (god, I am a keener, aren't I?), but VUSAC is so different from them, and is gratifying in a different way.

It's also funny, as when I was the Finance Chair, I cared so much about the council. Perhaps that comes with the job, as the FC position was a pretty high stress, high work position, one that you got paid for ($500 honorarium), but if you screwed up, the onus was on you to fix it and also to explain to people how student money went missing. In short, I cared quite a bit. I still had a fantastic time, however, as the council was comprised of some of the best people I've ever had the pleasure to work with. Indeed, some of my best friends at university have been made through the council (i.e. Ashley, Evan, Sarah, Micah, all members of the council in 2009-2010), and everyone else on the council I still count as my friends, people I could joke with and make fun of and all sorts of things. Even in meetings, when things got heated, afterwards people were able to take a step back and still be friends and joke around and laugh at the silly things that were said to one another during the meeting. To be fair, though, the Finance Chair was supposed to be as neutral as possible, and even though I developed friendships with people, I was as neutral as I could be.

This year, everything is different. I should start by saying the Member-at-Large positions are quite minor, when compared to the other commissions. MALs, as they're called, are basically the grunts (Grunts, if you like Halo =P) of VUSAC; they're assigned to a commission, and while they're supposed to be treated like a co-commissioner, most of the time they just do whatever their commissioner tells/asks them to do. The experience of a MAL really depends on which commissioner you're assigned, if only because you might get one who is really controlling, so you don't get much work, OR you get a commissioner who delegates everything...its hard to find a middle ground. As the FC, I kind of didn't think much of the MALs, because I primarily dealt with the commissioners/President/Vice-Presidents. Now that I am a MAL, the whole game has changed.

Firstly, I definitely do not care as much. I am also lucky, because I have who I think is the best commissioner (well, he's the Vice President External, so technically not a commissioner) on the whole council. He's fair, gets me enough work to make me feel involved, but doesn't swamp me with it. I've seen other MALs this year either get NOTHING to do, which is a waste of time (why bother running to be elected, then?), or get SO MUCH that they can't handle it and burn out. I honestly have the best situation, which is why I think I don't take much seriously. In addition to not caring as much, it seems as if the dynamic has changed a LOT. To backtrack a little, last year's elections (so when this year's commissioners were elected last spring) carried with it a little taint of scandal, due to the Presidential vote having some tampering with it. The candidate who had tampered votes added to his total still ended up winning, and some felt that this was not right....anyway, fast forward to the present, and now half the council resents him for it. It's kind of sad, really...well, it would be sad if he were a better President, but there you go. As it stands, he's harsh, and somewhat mean to people who don't agree with him. To be fair, though, that is his personality, but still, not the most becoming one for a President.

It's great, though. Because I have the experience and the less-important position, I get to lol at everything! Commissioners sniping at each other during/outside meetings, awkward moments in the VUSAC office, the President berating people/yelling at them/taking sides in debates, the Chairperson shutting people down/displaying blatant favouritism during meetings...it's awesome. This, finally, has brought me back to the title of this post. A friend of mine and I decided that because the meetings/VUSAC in general is messed up this year, that it needed an appropriate slogan. So, whenever something crazy happens....'well, that's fucked' is uttered. I think it's catching on!

But, still, it's a little sad that VUSAC is this messed up this year. There have been moments which are awesome, but for the most part, it has definitely not lived up to expectations. I feel as if part of it comes with being a MAL; work with no glory, basically. It also has to do with commissioners expecting a lot from everyone else, focusing on their own events and not really caring to help out with other commissions' events. There is a lot less unity, although I'm proud to say I am friends with everyone on the council. Having said that, I still enjoy sitting back and enjoying lol after lol.

Even after all that, though, I find myself gearing up for election season next year. The only way to make VUSAC better is to do it yourself! I mean, I already have some idea of who is running for what, and if everything falls the way I think (or rather, I hope) it will, VUSAC will be wayyyyy better next year. We're working on some reform policies right now that will hopefully shrink the council for next year, so that there are less people doing more, rather than the bloated mess we have now, but I have hope for next year regardless of what happens concerning the policies. It'll be interesting, no doubt...anyway, time to go ready my VPE campaign. wooo VUSAC!