NEXUS ISSUE 22 2014

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nexus magazine LETTUCE Cupcake Disappointment ANONYMOUS I thought that the cupcakes could have been bigger at the AGM, I am a hungry poor student - and I depend on the goodwill of our student body to help us out in the most practicable ways. They need to provide more, the cupcakes just didn't cut it. Event of the Decade! A STUDENT WHOSE VOTE WON'T BE BROUGHT BY A CUPCAKE. take more than the temptation of cupcakes and coke to get you to come and talk about your future as students. Futhermore, the conduct displayed by some of the board members was embarrassing. Actually, it was mainly just Zanian Steele. Seriously dude, you were acting like a child out there. We would have gotten more intelligence out of the crying baby a few rows in front of me. Nice jacket, by the way. Anyway, we need fairer, more accurate means of determining what the majority of students want because these meetings aren't getting us anywhere. Maybe we should look at online meetings where everyone has a secure vote that can be easily counted. Or something like that. WSU AGM SAM Student politics came alive! Shit got real when every motion at the AGM got shut down. Well over 150 students came to be heard and they were not happy, especially with the WSU president. In the end the meeting was adjoined. What a mess, almost the entire audience and even some members of the board opposed the motions! I hope the board actually listened to those who were there and change their plan and budget to cater to what students actually want. People love to say students don't care, that they are apathetic. Well not on that Wednesday. Dearest Waikato So I went along to the WSU AGM yesterday, mainly because of the free beer and delicious looking cupcakes (they were delicious, big ups to the chef!) But it was evident that cupcakes couldn't quell the anger and frustration of a broad range of students. Students were angry that they hadn't been consulted on decisions made that would impact their time at university. What was interesting was how the WSU Board dismissed these claims as unimportant. Board members rolling their eyes at Maori representation and a safe space for LGBT students isn't a laughing matter. If I can see that as a straight, white first year student, how come these 'experienced' board members can't? Or is it that they just don't want to? DISCLAIMER: Letters published contain the opinion of the writer and the writer alone. Nexus publications take no responsibility for the content or opinions so expressed. By submitting your letter you give consent to its publication in Nexus and subsequent public scrutiny. Letters are the authors own work and Nexus will not edit to compensate for lack of intelligence or coherency. Nexus reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish any letter which breaches any law, is defamatory to any person, or contains threats of violence or hate speech. JUST-A-LITTLE-BIT-EMBARRASSED When it takes an hour to move past something as trivial as minutes of the last SGM, there's something seriously wrong with our AGM. Words such as 'unconstitutional' and 'no confidence' would actually mean something if the majority of the meeting wasn't one crazy person's personal crazy group. How can we say that our meetings are a fair representation of Waikato students when you've gone and asked all your mates to turn up and agree with everything you say? The only thing that tells us is that you have a lot of mates. Good for you. The fault mostly lies with Waikato students, though. This is important stuff we're talking about. You should care more about this! Seriously, get involved. It shouldn't Physic Link? DEEPLY SPIRITUAL TELEPATHETIC PERSON I'm afraid that the WSU president and quite frankly the next President, seem to be sharing thoughts and strategies together lol - not in word but by telepathic communications and by that, they think they thought stuff - the President described his record of certain motions are correct by nature – that’s really really legal! Got something to say? Email editor@nexusmag.co.nz 4 nexusmag.co.nz
NEWS nexus magazine LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES ARE CONTAGIOUS JAMES RAFFAN — Last week’s WSU AGM had it all. There were big personalities, a clear show of dissent from at least two board members, a ticking clock and a question about how to vote ‘no confidence.’ For those of you that love this sort of thing, the good news is that we will get to do it all again in a few weeks. Due to lecture theatre bookings the AGM was under pressure to be done within the hour. Unfortunately the events of the last few months (starting at the SGM and continuing through the election) had set this up to be a conversation that was never going to be contained in a fifty minute booking. “It’s unfortunate that we were unable to discuss the substantive business of the meeting because I’m certain that the large majority of students are supportive of what we are doing in the clubs, lobbying and finance areas. The issue is that it wasn’t these students sitting in our AGM and it was quite clear that we had a group of students in front of us who were feeling disenfranchised. I’ll be working with our Vice-President Maori to meet with the various Roopu over the coming week to try and put forward a plan of action that we can all live with,” said President Aaron Letcher. Alvina Edwards who attended the meeting and has been vocal in recent criticisms of the board said to Nexus following the meeting “I am horrified to think that our current directorship in WSU [excluding a few] would consider any part of their recent actions in the Elections, SGM, AGM and in their own meetings- is anything near accountable or even being transparent. It all lacks good faith and fair consultation; zero is culturally appropriate; and they make things up as they go,” “I suggest that we all start asking some tough questions of our current WSU representation - because they are only there because of us” she added. The issues that exist seem almost as much to be about the personalities involved on both sides as they were about what was being discussed. In one corner there was a board who feel that they have done significant work for students this year and in the other corner there was a group who felt under-represented, unconsulted and disenfranchised. “It was a little disappointing as I feel this year’s team has achieved a lot for students and we were hoping to put forward a plan for 2015 that would allow them to build on that good work. Unfortunately we didn’t make it far enough through the meeting to even discuss the annual plan or budget,” said President Letcher. The Annual Report (which was passed) highlights what the board views as significant work for students around extended library hours, swipe card access, vans, and better internet access. However the majority in attendance at the AGM were of the view that issues such as the SGM and the decision to remain outside of NZUSA have not been properly considered or consulted on. The meeting stalled over accepting the minutes of the SGM with a number of members asking for amendments to the record and suggesting that the record was inaccurate and did not reflect the members’ recollection of the events that transpired. When it became clear that no agreement could be reached on the minutes they were deferred for further discussion. There was not enough time to pass the Annual Plan for 2015 and, more concerning, the budget. “Constitutionally we need to schedule a second AGM in no more than 15 business days. The budget and annual plan are the two most important documents for our organisation so we will be working hard to get them across the line.” said Aaron Letcher. President Letcher was also asked to provide the meeting with the process for removing him with a vote of no confidence. This would require a signed petition of 700 students to instigate an SGM and 250 students must vote on the motion. The question led to a show of hands as to how many people would sign such a petition (pictured above). WSU Board member Zanian Steele was openly critical of the annual plan and budget including the decision not to re-commit to the New Zealand Union of Student Associations (an organisation the WSU was last part of in 2013 at a cost of $20,000). Mr Steele felt membership to a wider network of student organisations was an imperative function of the WSU and money should be set aside for the next board to rejoin. “It’s disappointing that some board members would rather voice their concern in a public meeting than work through the issues constructively in the appropriate manner but what’s done is done. This is now an internal matter that we will work through.” said President Letcher. Should the board carry the remaining motions at the second AGM, then it will likely earn a brief respite until next year. A number of the key players in last week’s events have been elected to serve on the board together in 2015. 5
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Page 18 and 19: nexus magazine AUTEUR HOUSE PRESENT
Page 20 and 21: nexus magazine C.V. Tips LOUISE HUT
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NEXUS ISSUE 22 2014

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