Student freedom was dealt a perplexing blow last Thursday when the Student Union banned the Greens@Vic Group from the Quad for conducting an “unsanctioned” petition (or something).
Greens@Vic member Corin Higgs said Union Operations Manager Catriona McBean “came along and told us to bugger off.”
“We were told, you have to give seven days notice and you can’t do that in the quad. So we just went and did it anyway.”
As a result, the group was banned from the Quad, Higgs said.
“She came along and said, since we ignored her request to to leave, our permission to use the facilities are removed for the rest of the trimester.”
Student Union Complex manager Rainsforth Dix told Salient that if the group ‘’follow the same procedures as every other club at the University they will be able to use it [the Student Union Building].”
She said the Greens@Vic were asked to leave the Quad because “they did not follow a process that was put in place to ensure fair and equitable access to University facilities by student clubs.” The Greens@Vic saw this differently.
“It’s ridiculous, because we’re just using a table in the quad, it’s not like we’re using a room or something like that.
“It seems like mindless bureaucracy, when no one uses the quad anyway.”
VUWSA President Jasmine Freemantle said The Union’s action was “regrettable and completely unnecessary”.