Sign-Up Club has successfully petitioned for OUSA to host another SGM, which will take place on Friday 30 April at 5pm in the Main Common Room.
“SUC is giving the power back to the people,” said the group.
SUC motions that OUSA:
- Host another Hyde party this year
- Host an annual couch burning day
- Repeal Walk Your Wheels
- Make Uni a “wet” campus (allow for booze)
- Increase remuneration for ex officio positions i.e. the President of University of Otago Pacific Island Students Association and Te Roopū Māori
- Make Bill and Bill the official Uni mascots
Sign-Up Club founder Reid Eberwein reported that while submitting the motions to OUSA, some members of student exec were present, and promised to rally as many voters as possible to outweigh the influence of the viral online club.
Eliott, who has been a member of Sign-Up Club for two weeks, said “I guess it just highlights how vulnerable a democracy is to an organized and motivated group of people. But I guess that’s also the point of democracy.” He plans on attending the SGM, “voting with my heart, and tagging three friends.”
The controversy surrounding the SGM comes from a few motions specific to Sign-Up Club. Reid admitted that these were “a bit of a long shot”. These include:
- Every official OUSA email must include, in the signature, “Sign Up and Tag 3 Friends!”
- Sign Up Club exec get reserved parking spots at Uni
- Sign Up Club members get to cut the pint night line
- All graduation ceremonies invite a Sign Up Club member to speak
- Sign Up Club receive $1,000 a month to spend as they please
Sign-Up Club is not OUSA affiliated, and does not intend on applying for affiliation. The OUSA constitution states that motions cannot influence financial matters, which renders a few of SUC’s motions invalid. Reid knows this, but submitted them anyway, “because why not? We might get lucky.”
Reid was aware that his club could propose a motion to repeal the financial exemption, but decided not to, for fear of stirring the pot too much and “actually pissing people off”.
If 100 people attend an SGM, then whatever motions they vote on will be taken seriously. Sign-Up Club, which has over 6,000 members, has called on its base to attend the 5pm Friday meeting as a sort of pregame for a night out. “Hopefully we’ll all have something to celebrate, and don’t forget to tag three friends,” said Reid.