CHARGE UP YOUR YEAR!!

VOTE AA!!!
AYDA ASKARI
for Female Co-Chair
First Year Council!!

voting takes place this wed, sept 30 at
JHE lobby, Mary Keyes lobby, Student center, and the commons building between 9:30am to 4:30 pm!!!

Maybe if you tell me WHY rather than screaming at me that I should, I will.

You guys are all so annoying, standing up in class 'Teehee, vote for me, because I have a cool name and I'm really cool and I don't really know what I'm doing, but vote for me anyways for no particular reason because... Uh... You have no one else to vote for!'

Give me REASONS!

Awww, the first year keeners are so cute; running for a position they likely know next to nothing about because it sounds impressive.

Good Luck Ayda

Originally Posted by Flag

Maybe if you tell me WHY rather than screaming at me that I should, I will.

You guys are all so annoying, standing up in class 'Teehee, vote for me, because I have a cool name and I'm really cool and I don't really know what I'm doing, but vote for me anyways for no particular reason because... Uh... You have no one else to vote for!'

Give me REASONS!

YOU ARE MY HERO! I'm supposed to stay civil and quiet about this but these people are going to be public officials so why not?

If I were a first year I wouldn't vote for anyone of you! Heck I would put a no confidence in! This is NOT how you do stuff. Spend some time looking through the Bylaws; past minutes, TALKING to past execs about the challenges they faced and their recommendations I would probably consider it. But all I've seen so far is a repeat of last year. I know its just your first month at Mac; you get some slack for that! But this isn't highschool council! You still have 2 days till polling day, spend some time doing what I recommended and reply to Flag!

An example is my platform from last year: http://www.macinsiders.com/showthread.php?t=2089 2& It isn't the most perfect since it was the middle of the midterm season but I think I did do my research!

Originally Posted by Tailsnake

Awww, the first year keeners are so cute; running for a position they likely know next to nothing about because it sounds impressive.

Good Luck Ayda

That doesn't change anything. The Exec should reply to them if they have any questions! For my position I have actually made efforts to go to their facebook groups and post lengthy stuff questioning/critically evaluating their platform. Being new is NO excuse; everything they should possibly know about this position is easily available directly or indirectly!

The problem with cutting slack to the FYC is that the fyc is still responsible for alot of issues pertaining to first years. Everyone can organize formals and Quarters nights but the advocacy/represenation section gets shunted off because they don't know what to do and no one in the MSU was there to tell them what to do!

38% of Engineers flunk first year; Its around 10-15% for other faculties. A number suffer from stress related psychological issues; it is the FYC's duty to atleast "attempt" to do something about it! The SRA members are atleast 2nd year and above and have no reasons to directly focus on first years. Even if they do they wouldn't be the most effective rep's since they aren't in First year anymore! FYC should ideally do that job.

The only reason I ran for FYC was because I saw pictures of my friends going to the FYC formal with a volcano in the middle of the dancefloor! It was impressive but is that event really worth spending the budget? I know this right now but any FYC candidate can request a expense sheet for last year and find out where the money went and then think where it should actually go! [/rant]

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

That doesn't change anything. The Exec should reply to them if they have any questions! For my position I have actually made efforts to go to their facebook groups and post lengthy stuff questioning/critically evaluating their platform. Being new is NO excuse; everything they should possibly know about this position is easily available directly or indirectly!

The problem with cutting slack to the FYC is that the fyc is still responsible for alot of issues pertaining to first years. Everyone can organize formals and Quarters nights but the advocacy/represenation section gets shunted off because they don't know what to do and no one in the MSU was there to tell them what to do!

38% of Engineers flunk first year; Its around 10-15% for other faculties. A number suffer from stress related psychological issues; it is the FYC's duty to atleast "attempt" to do something about it! The only reason I ran for FYC was because I saw pictures of my friends going to the FYC formal with a volcano in the middle of the dancefloor! It was impressive but is that event really worth spending the budget? I know this right now but any FYC candidate can request a expense sheet for last year and find out where the money went and then think where it should actually go! [/rant]

I respect your sentiment, but the FYC itself has almost no real power. There were many advocacy attempts last year and none of them resulted in any real change because administrators simply write off the FYC.

While I do agree that we lacked guidance last year (many of the execs from last year are trying to work with the new FYC members for a little while to give them the running start we didn't have) we still had the aid of the Maroons spirit leader and we had a lot of communication with the then VP Education (current MSU President). We weren't running around with no direction, we just had no ability to enact any actual change. Though we looked into many first year issues (such as writing midterms in the IWC so we'd actually have the space we needed and weren't juggling sheets of paper, being able to recover part of the meal plan if not all of it was used, changing lecture halls that a significant number of students complained about, etc) but none of that amounted to anything, we had no power to make those changes even though we tried. The events that we did run were required of the organization, we actually had one of the smallest budgets of the formals that were run last year and the volcanoes that you're mentioning were all hand-made via paper mache. A number of members poured their time, sweat, and effort into making that formal look amazing for as little actual cost as possible.

I can't really say how much you know about the actual organization, since you joined at the end of the year and I haven't noticed you at any of the info sessions this year, but throwing around your lofty ideals isn't helping the situation at all. The execs from last year are doing a great job trying to make FYC more relevant (stronger partnership with Maroons, proper info sessions, mentoring the new members, etc). The election process is always a shallow popularity contest, but with both voter apathy and the general ignorance about both what is possible and what is needed from the FYC that electorial canidates have to contend with that is unlikely to change anytime soon.

Originally Posted by Flag

Maybe if you tell me WHY rather than screaming at me that I should, I will.

You guys are all so annoying, standing up in class 'Teehee, vote for me, because I have a cool name and I'm really cool and I don't really know what I'm doing, but vote for me anyways for no particular reason because... Uh... You have no one else to vote for!'

Give me REASONS!

When she stood up infront of my class to campaign for herself, she actually told us why we should vote for her and stuff. Just wanted to clear that up for her incase anyone thinks that she's one of those people who don't have a real reason to run.

Originally Posted by IbrahimH

When she stood up infront of my class to campaign for herself, she actually told us why we should vote for her and stuff. Just wanted to clear that up for her incase anyone thinks that she's one of those people who don't have a real reason to run.

Even though she did do that in your class, the people who aren't in the class don't know. Which is why she should write why we should vote for her in her post.

Right now it just looks like she's screaming at us to vote for her for no reason.

Also I don't think she should put vote AA in her slogan just put "Vote (insert name here)" cause i'm an AA and she could be accidently be saying to vote for someone else especially if that's all the person who looks at her slogan reads and there's someone else who has those initials.

Originally Posted by niteskie

Even though she did do that in your class, the people who aren't in the class don't know. Which is why she should write why we should vote for her in her post.

Right now it just looks like she's screaming at us to vote for her for no reason.

*Virtual high five* You get it.


I was just out, and saw a sign 'Vote for whateverhernamewas! For no real reason.'

At least she admits there's no reason.

Originally Posted by Tailsnake

I respect your sentiment, but the FYC itself has almost no real power. There were many advocacy attempts last year and none of them resulted in any real change because administrators simply write off the FYC.

While I do agree that we lacked guidance last year (many of the execs from last year are trying to work with the new FYC members for a little while to give them the running start we didn't have) we still had the aid of the Maroons spirit leader and we had a lot of communication with the then VP Education (current MSU President). We weren't running around with no direction, we just had no ability to enact any actual change. Though we looked into many first year issues (such as writing midterms in the IWC so we'd actually have the space we needed and weren't juggling sheets of paper, being able to recover part of the meal plan if not all of it was used, changing lecture halls that a significant number of students complained about, etc) but none of that amounted to anything, we had no power to make those changes even though we tried. The events that we did run were required of the organization, we actually had one of the smallest budgets of the formals that were run last year and the volcanoes that you're mentioning were all hand-made via paper mache. A number of members poured their time, sweat, and effort into making that formal look amazing for as little actual cost as possible.

I can't really say how much you know about the actual organization, since you joined at the end of the year and I haven't noticed you at any of the info sessions this year, but throwing around your lofty ideals isn't helping the situation at all. The execs from last year are doing a great job trying to make FYC more relevant (stronger partnership with Maroons, proper info sessions, mentoring the new members, etc). The election process is always a shallow popularity contest, but with both voter apathy and the general ignorance about both what is possible and what is needed from the FYC that electorial canidates have to contend with that is unlikely to change anytime soon.

haha if you say so sir!

#1 The FYC DOES have power; if you mention that the FYC has no power then that means the MSU has no power; SRA is a similar representation body: do they have no power as well? FYC is equally obliged to bring up motions to the SRA. There is a fine line between reality and lofty ideals but that never ever applies to student politics.

FYC is MSU; I agree that the Mac admin is pretty firewalled when it comes to criticism and suggestions and I have myself had a nightmare dealing with FYEO. But that is exactly what Vishal wants to change this year when I had a talk with him last month. He wants to take the fight to the admin and for people to start forgetting about issues like 1280 and to start considering the 95% of our tuition we pay to the admin critically.

The FYC just has to provide solid evidence to the president and vp ed and they will forward it to the admin! You can't go in unprepared(I have a source) or have evidence lesser then 5-10 people when you ask senior officials to take their time out! I see no reason why the FYEO wouldn't consider it! Though the FYEO tends to paint a "everything is perfect" picture(as seen by their own survey; of which the number of recepients/methodology has still not been revealed despite my efforts, sketchy!) but I'm still confident the Fyc can get them to use their resources for better. Change isn't possible by randomly visiting someone or sending out an email, especially the admin; you have to harass people regularly till they give the first years what you want. I can't say more about the last year's FYC because that will turn into an HR issue.

That is exactly why I came up with my 7 page FYC Educationa & Commuity Survey on my own and contacted over 40 people(including all SRA members, SLDC and Stats profs) and put minimum of over 30-35 hours of work into it! It gives the next FYC a ready made tool to prove emphatically that things aren't all that well! So I would suggest you avoid your "stop spraying your quixotic ideals around" monologue If I paint a picture of ideals, trust me I'll make sure it actually happens! I wish I had more time and more receptive input from SRA members.

I also find highly offensive and slanderous your claim that I have not been around; You were the admin officer last year but you haven't been in the chain of emails that was going around between the exec during the summer! I was the one who had to run around between the MSU and FYEO to get tables for both Welcome day and Clubsfest since the other exec had forgotten about the former and were busy for the latter. I have also talked to over 150(no kidding) First years during WW & SummerO to get them running for FYC or come out to the informational sessions; I did come out to the second one and wasn't able to get off work for the first! I wish I could say more about your other stuff but you can go contact the CRO and he'll tell you who's been around and in touch and who's not!

Originally Posted by IbrahimH

When she stood up infront of my class to campaign for herself, she actually told us why we should vote for her and stuff. Just wanted to clear that up for her incase anyone thinks that she's one of those people who don't have a real reason to run.

Actually MacInsiders and Facebook Groups are an even better opportunity and space for laying out your presumably extensive platform because there are no time limits or word limits! You can say whatever you want to do and engage students!

Compared to the 2-3 Minutes you get in class that is!

Just an FYI:

The SRA (specifically members of the University Affairs Committee) is taking a good hard look at FYC this year and will likely be reviewing/rewriting the policies/bylaws that pertain to the FYC and helping to improve it from an advocacy point of view.

If you've heard the opinions of the FYC that I've heard from upper year students, it's not good at all, so we're going to be working to improve how the FYC operates.

Originally Posted by Taunton

Just an FYI:

The SRA (specifically members of the University Affairs Committee) is taking a good hard look at FYC this year and will likely be reviewing/rewriting the policies/bylaws that pertain to the FYC and helping to improve it from an advocacy point of view.

If you've heard the opinions of the FYC that I've heard from upper year students, it's not good at all, so we're going to be working to improve how the FYC operates.

Yeah I forgot to mention that! The FYC is kind of lost/limited because the bylaws are a bunch of cliche's/vague terms! That kind of leaves you to your imagination to come up with projects and to leave your eyes and ears open for anything that can even vaguely be concocted into the FYC umbrella! That isn't a problem for anyone who subscribes to peter's laws

Unfortunately though the bylaws won't come under review till October/November the last I talked to Matt!

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

Unfortunately though the bylaws won't come under review till October/November the last I talked to Matt!

as a member of the B&P committee, I can tell you that we've been given the bylaws that are up for review this year (many were done last year).

but be patient! Matt has big plans for the bylaws this year. Our meetings are every Thursday at 2:30 in the SRA Lounge (MUSC 204), so if you ever want to stop by, please do!

Also, the agenda and materials are posted on the SRA B&P Page here. Just click on "Committee Documents" to access the actual documents to see if there's anything that interests you at the meeting.

but oh FYC. the posters are pretty creative this year, I like the ones I've seen so far.

Originally Posted by jmbauman

as a member of the B&P committee, I can tell you that we've been given the bylaws that are up for review this year (many were done last year).

but be patient! Matt has big plans for the bylaws this year. Our meetings are every Thursday at 2:30 in the SRA Lounge (MUSC 204), so if you ever want to stop by, please do!

Also, the agenda and materials are posted on the SRA B&P Page here. Just click on "Committee Documents" to access the actual documents to see if there's anything that interests you at the meeting.

but oh FYC. the posters are pretty creative this year, I like the ones I've seen so far.

I am on the mailing list for B&P! I did get that email today; I have been unable to come to the last 2 meetings because of work but the policy writing clinic is something I took work off for! Because there might be a couple of operations policies I might end up editing/writing!(atleast that's the plan!) Thanks though

But yeah I am 99% certain Matt will get it done. But that still doesn't change anything if the FYC fail to implement them; but oh well time will tell