A bunch of long articles and a fight with Windows Update has caused some issues with the issue, but there’s a lot in here that I’m happy to provide. Starting off with one of the most in-depth Minds We Meet I’ve seen in a while, Josh Flis gives us some unusual and interesting ideas for his stint as the AU President, along with tips for studying that were hard won. Then we have a look at hacking with a Canadian connection. What’s interesting is while I’ve heard of one or two of the people mentioned, I never knew that they were Canadian. And Marie Well is lining up a lot of dots that create a very unpleasant picture in her article, “World War III?”. And that’s just the start.
We’ve also got a very good article for those of you out there who find Grammarly or Word providing advice on passive writing. What’s passive about it? Take a look at Jessica MacLeod’s latest to find out.
Of course, this coming out on the ninth means that it’s the last issue before Valentines Day, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by our writers either, with [blue rare] and the Fly on the Wall both giving a nod to the holiday of beheadings and ancient roman key parties. And you thought romance was dead.
However, this coming out on the ninth also means it’s the last issue before the call for candidates for AUSU Council opens on February 13th. It only happens once every two years, so if you’re at all interested, you should take the opportunity to throw your hat in the ring. If you’re worried that you have no board experience or knowledge of what’s going on at AU, I’ll let you in on something: Most of the people on now didn’t either before they joined. I certainly didn’t when I joined way, way back when. And if you ever hope to be on a board, then this is a great place to get some practice, learn how things tend to work, beef up your resume or CV, and who knows, maybe even get flown across the country for various meetings. It can be a lot of fun and eye-opening in a way.
But, being perfectly honest, it can also be a pretty hellish experience with the wrong set of people. Fortunately, that’s unlikely to happen as AUSU members seem to be pretty savvy with their choices most of the time. We only really get in trouble when there’s too few running so not enough choice to be had.
I should note that it was being on AUSU council that made me really understand that government isn’t this massive, faceless thing, but, really, just a bunch of ordinary people. People with hopes, fears, biases, idiosyncrasies, and everything that comes with being a person. People who are usually trying to do the best they can in the way that they believe is right. That doesn’t mean they’re good at it, of course. But as a member of AUSU council, you could well have a part in influencing those in government to help them be better at it, at least when it comes to AU and your fellow students.
So, if you haven’t already, perhaps take a moment to think about running for AUSU Council. After all, being selfish, I’m always happy to have more Voice readers on it.
Enjoy the read!
