With the last exec meeting before the mid trimester break – and therefore three weeks until its printed in the mag, I decided to force some accountability on the exec by turning up and watching them with my beady eyes. Here goes…
Tonight’s meeting was in the Union Boardroom – VUWSA appears to be moving up in the world. Literally. The boardroom is a floor above the usual meeting place.
As soon as the meeting began, a matter of urgent business was mooted. The exec moved into committee for matters of personal privacy. I cant report on what was said, or what the matter was about. But I can say that when the exec moved out of committee on this issue, there was tangible tension in the air. And two empty seats at the exec table.
With so much animosity in the air, the exec took a five minute break. When the majority returned the meeting turned to more mundane things. Until Women’s Officer Georgina Dickson arrived – following by Campaigns Officer Sonny Thomas, who demanded she leave the Union boardroom or he’d call campus care.
Administration Vice President Alexander Neilson pointed out that it was unconstitutional for exec members to be coerced out of attending a meeting – so the forum was moved downstairs. Why it didn’t start there is beyond me.
Once we’d all settled in downstairs Dickson let out a stream of expletives calling Thomas a “prick” and an “arsehole” for removing her from the Union bar, after she had accused Thomas of spiking a drink – a joke she had said in an effort to “decrease the tension”.
While this entire hubbub was going on, environment officer Mark Newton had made himself a cup of tea. Upon realising he’d put milk into Green tea he threw it all out the window. But he kept the teabag. What a tidy kiwi.
This comic relief allowed everyone to focus on more boring VUWSA business. Some crazy had written to the university condemning its carbon neutrality as “shameless PR”. President Joel Cosgrove pointed out that carbon neutrality was SRC policy – and offered to inform the complainant.
It had also been brought to the execs attention that UniComm students had gone into mediation with management, with the support of VUWSA. They were demanding $1000 compensation, per student, for the insufferable conditions they are being forced to live in. According to Cosgrove, if they don’t get their way, they are going to protest on the Hall’s open day with banners reading “UniComm this year has been the worst year of my life”. I had a chortle. That’s pretty funny.
Tea throwing environmentalist Newton, also asked VUWSA’s support for a new Gecko Vege garden proposal – supposedly it would be used to grow organic veges for the foodbank. It passed unanimously.
Finally the exec dealt with the issue of the foodbank itself. It’s running out of money big time – and has already given out 487 parcels. Education Officer B, Seamus Brady, showing his ire at milk from the foodbank recently being stolen uttered angrily “it’s like stealing money from World Vision”. Thievery aside, things are looking dire for the foodbank – Gecko better start getting on to growing those potatoes.
And on that earthly note, the meeting ended.