Some Serious Counseling

A new year has begun and so has a new semester and the bungling just doesn’t stop, does it? I admit that I am late to rise from hibernation and so have let slip the opportunity to comment timely on a few really vexing issues. I owe an apology to my faithful readers and those who love to lambast me. I actually considered shutting down this whole shebang mainly because I felt there was no impact, but encouragement from allies has drawn me forth:

The Vandal writes again!!!

Although a lot has happened this past month and half, I must say the one thing worming my mind the most is the colossal error that marred the end of another action packed CG (or is it IG? Indecent Gathering??).

To have to announce a whole new set of final standings due to critical mistakes – unofficially and in the absence of a formal apology to the students – really displays in my view a lack of owning up to the responsibility placed upon the Students Council as a whole. Not only that but to pass the buck on to the judges and a tight schedule at the end just does not cut it; it is up to the organisers to recheck all results and ensure their exactness and as for a tight schedule: it just shows a lack of organising ability. Shit happens every now and then, but if it does, you need to have the guts to say that it did and that you tried your best but failed to do deal with it. Admitting one’s own faults really demonstrates integrity and courage – although it might not seem like the best thing to do.

On the whole the event was as good as it could have been. To those who complain of events starting late and rescheduling etc. I’d just like to ask them to try managing a couple of hundred students at a time – a bunch who can’t stick to daily schedules and who think it’s either their way or the highway.

Still, there were certain gaffes which come to mind more prominently:

• The absence of required infrastructure and council members at events like the quiz
• The absence of certain members of the Council at the final valedictory function
• There should have been more delegation than what seemed like micro-management
• The issue of the video submission should have been considered more seriously – since I’m not from the winning department some may say I’m being a sore loser – but after watching all the submitted entries I don’t think that the winning entry was as far above the others as it was made out to be; it is my belief that a sufficient penalty for late submission (since an ultimatum was issued) might have resulted in a different winner and not necessarily a promotion of the runner-up.

Hopefully such errors won’t occur next year and it’s never too late for a corrigendum; Council?

This issue was going to be covered by the EO but a certain villain gags and ties that fair maiden to the train tracks time and again. What use is a democratic process if you can’t criticize the representatives? That’s what keeps future elected leaders on their toes. No system is perfect, but errors can be minimised. Just speaking about positives won’t help; you have to take the rose and the thorns, or the bull and its horns.

More of your favourite nonsensical ramblings to come soon – so keep those lovely “Eye’s Only” on the lookout.

Oh and lest I forget:

A belated Happy ‘Vandal’tines day to you all...