I attended the AUSU town hall regarding the upcoming increase in AUSU fees.  I was met with two AUSU Executive members, one AUSU Councillor, and a couple of AUSU staff members.  That’s it.

I have to admit I was a little bit surprised, as when AUSU has raised its fees a couple of times in the past there were usually some students there who were at least curious about what might be lost if fees weren’t increased. We hung about and chatted for 20 minutes or so before deciding that there probably wouldn’t be any students attending and called it a night.

The lack of student attendance means that at the next Council meeting the increase will likely sail through without much discussion, and students will start to see the change when they start their courses next year.  A lack of student attendance also often means that students are generally satisfied with how things are going, because upset students would likely be less accepting of any fee increase at all, and generally take advantage of any opportunity to make their dissatisfaction known.  All of which is to say kudos to the current AUSU Council.  It seems you’re doing something right, or at least, not doing anything terribly wrong.

Fortunately, part of what this fee increase will enable is some more AUSU supports for students who are really in need.  And along those lines, I should also point out that the AUSU winter awards and bursaries are now open for the month of October.   Some of them are needs based, but some of them are for being willing to share parts of your AU experience to give AUSU Council a greater understanding of the members it is serving.

But this brings me again to announcing that if you’re interested in earning some extra cash for a few hours work each month, I need a current AUSU member who’s willing to go to AUSU Council meetings and give me a student’s impression of what AUSU Council is doing.  I like to think that part of why they’re doing things well is because they know that they’re being watched by people like you and The Voice Magazine.

Meanwhile, this week in The Voice Magazine, in addition to our fiction feature, one that, to me channels Ayn Rand to some degree.  We also have a look at how to master the art of public speaking, and how the biggest impediment to doing well with it is often just ourselves.  Our third article is something I haven’t seen before, a thank you from one Voice writer to another.   It’s a decent read and I found it interesting for how it explores how the same thing can have different effects on different people.

Beyond the features, we also have music reviews, an exploration of what it’s like to not be using the internet to procrastinate and how you might be able to do the same, events, scholarships, a look at what’s required to create policies that stave off systemic inequities, and much more.

I also want to take this opportunity to let you know that if you haven’t subscribed to our weekly reminder, now might be a good time to do so, as I’ve gotten the go ahead to run some occasional secret draws for some Voice and AUSU swag among those who are signed up to our list.

Enjoy the read!