At the recent Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA) awards, I spoke with the presidentelect of Palmerston North’s Massey University, who raised the topic of the VUWSA exec. My conversation with him was one that has become distinctly familiar this year – it was one that I have also had with former Auckland University Student Association (AUSA) President David Do, among many others who understandably seek first-hand confirmation that the reported antics of our exec are actually factual.
In a way, I think our past and present student representatives should find some solace in the fact that despite their numerous shortcomings, inadequacies and failures, they have a reputation that transcends the confines of its own university. This probably, and I’m speaking relatively here, counts as some kind of achievement.
It is nearing 18 months since I attended my first exec meeting. My lasting disdain for the meetings is well-documented, but in what is (hopefully) my last commentary on the exec, I must concede that they have reliably fulfilled their newsworthy value for me in my term as News Editor. It is probably a safe bet that the incoming exec will similarly prove their worth to my successor.