OUSA is opening its gates on Monday, September 9th (today for diligent readers) calling for nominations for all Exec positions. What does this mean? Basically, anyone who wants to can nominate themselves or a mate to be on the OUSA Exec, the student government around these parts. There are 12 positions on the Executive, 10 of which anyone can apply for this coming Monday. Did we mention that you get paid?
You’ll have to go through an election process (probably) but a student exec credit on your CV ain’t a bad thing. To be nominated, you need two other people besides yourself, and all of you need to bring your student IDs (or have your student ID numbers memorised). To nominate yourself, you can head to the OUSA main office, located next door to Auahi Ora. Nominations close at 4pm on the 12th of September. Voting for all candidates will open at 9am on September 30th, closing at 4pm on October 3rd.
Current Prez Keegan Wells, speaking to the bennys of the job, told Critic: “Imagine the cherry blossoms blossoming on campus. That is what every day could feel like if you run for OUSA Exec. Being on OUSA Exec is like being a part of something much much bigger than yourself and not in a way that's a ‘your mum’ joke. It’s as if every day your beer was cold.”
Oh you thought she was done? No. Clearing her throat, Keegan continued, “It's as if every day there was snow in Dunedin and you didn’t have any classes so you could go frolic. The only way you can truly experience what the OUSA Exec is like is by being on it. Everyone can run, everyone can campaign, everyone can be an executive, you just have to find it deep within.”
Heartbreakingly, Keegan confirmed that she will not be running for a second term as OUSA President – a position she snagged as the sole candidate last year. Based on the above statement, you may be able to guess why (take a break, Keegan). Rumour has it she’ll be making an Irish exit and hitting the slopes as a ski instructor in some obscure country where Fireball is cheap. Stoke levels are high.
Another (perhaps more sane) OUSA Exec member, Political Rep Liam White, said, “As an Exec member, you'll work alongside passionate individuals from across Dunedin, putting in the effort to drive meaningful change for our community – and there's usually free noodles and gum going around if you can get to it."
Welfare and Equity Representative Tara Shepard said she would also encourage anyone to apply. “You pick up some key skills and meet a wide range of our university community. It’s not as cringe as you think to run an election campaign.”
The roles include President (40 hours); Administrative Vice President, Finance and Strategy Officer, Academic Representative (20 hours); Welfare and Equity Representative, Postgraduate Students Representative, Clubs and Societies Representative, International Students Representative, Political Representative, Residential Representative (10 hours).
Chuck your mates name in there for a laugh. Or chuck yourself in if you think student life can get better. Dream big, y’all.