Hopefully you’ve passed all your exams, and hopefully by the time you’re reading this the University has come to its senses and the NTEU’s ban on the transmission of results has been lifted and we’ve all got our grades. Industrial action like this is a hassle for students, sure, but it ensures the quality and integrity of our education for decades to come. In the end, it is well worth the small inconvenience now for the security and improvement of this institution in to the future. For those that have issues with the results they have (or have not) received, remember you can always come to the Student Union and get help from an experienced Student Rights Officer. Our services are strictly confidential, they’re free, and we know what we’re doing. Email us at [email protected] or visit the website for more info.
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We rocked semester one, sending it off in style at our popular end of exams party, but the semester break is certainly no holiday for us here at RUSU. Our welfare and student rights team are flat-out with students in need during and after exams, and our other departments are planning and organising another jam-packed semester of campaigns, support and activities for you all. We have plenty more of the usual action, events and services planned for semester two as well as a few new surprises, so stay tuned! The best way to keep in the loop with new services and events, as well as what’s happening generally at RMIT, is to grab a $10 membership and join our mailing list.
Soon we will be in to the busy swing of elections, not just for Federal parliament but for our own Student Union. RUSU will be working hard in the lead up to the Federal election to ensure students are both enrolled and informed. It is important that students become engaged to some degree with politics, not only so they can be informed voters, but so politics works for them. Ensuring that you and your peers maintain a connection to State and Federal politics will ensure issues affecting your education and future job prospects remain relevant. If tertiary students are disengaged from politics, why would the government support or protect this sector? Your engagement can help safeguard education now and in to the future, so get involved, do some reading, join a political party, write to your local member, do something. Don’t let yourself become the person who complains about how the country is run but sits back anyway and lets it all happens – you can do more than just vote.
The same can be said of our own Student Union. Don’t be afraid to get involved. Elections are open to any and all students, but you don’t have to be elected to have a say. You can get involved in many ways: join a collective or committee, write an angry email to us, join our volunteer program, come to a student council meeting, or just stop me on campus and tell me how what you’d like to see done better around RMIT. The point is, get involved. You might be here for just a few months, or maybe for a few years, but you can get involved, have more fun, and make this place better for those to come. Captain Planet perhaps said it best: The power is yours.
James Michelmore
