Elections should be fun
Let’s be honest. Everything we do, we do in the name of fun. Sure you can use fancy lingo, such as pleasure, satisfaction, gratification, joy, and even gusto if you’re that kind of person, but at the end of the day, fun does the trick just fine.
The reason we make babies is because sex is fun. The reason we keep ourselves fed is because eating good food is fun. The reason we push for social justice, is because being fair and just is fun. Printing 2,000 copies of this self-indulgent paper every week is FUN.
I guess in a way it’s appropriate that this is the fun issue – we always had great timing. It’s our last issue before nominations close and campaigning for the Leadership Elections begins. It’s appropriate because if you’re thinking of running, you should be thinking about fun. The sabbatical roles (the officer trustee positions, the ICSM pres and the felix editor roles) can be surprisingly hard, especially if you are even going to attempt doing a good job. Sure they can be easy, because you could just sit around all day doing fuck all and no one would bat an eyelid (with the exception of the felix editor – people would very quickly notice if the paper stopped coming out, or if instead of a centrefold you just got a scan of my butt… though now that I think about it...), but if you’re planning on doing that you really shouldn’t be running in the first place.
If you’re going to be running you need to think about the enjoyment you’ll be getting out of your work. Whether that’s through problem solving, or caring for people, or publishing a pretty kick-ass paper every week (with “new age centrefolds” and snazzy graphics). If you don’t get a high from carrying out the duties of the role, then you’ll either not care enough to do your job properly, or give it your best and crash and burn.
The sabbatical roles are a great opportunity for students to get their hands dirty and bring about some much needed change. And with the right people filling these roles they can be and should be fun.
So if you’re running, good luck and if you’re not, you have till Sunday to change your mind!
