Things don't look too great with the new student association. About a week and a half ago I attended a meeting with the people heading the whole thing, and all they did was yell at each other. I feel a bit deceived, since it seems part of what I was told (which I later told people at the stands, believing it was true) was false. Even if we get more than half the students to sign up, we still have no guarantee that we'll replace the current association.

Last week there were elections to the student council of the current association. Because of rules put in by the old council, the new council won't have much power to change anything. People have to be in the council or in another high position in the association's executive branch at least six months to be eligible to be elected chairperson or department head - so even though the new council elects the new execuitves, they won't have anybody new to choose from. It's like saying that the new government after a parliamentary election must be from the outgoing coalition!

Anyway, I still hope that somehow either the new council will be able to make changes from within, or the new association from without. I know four people who were elected to the new council - three of them are good people (the guy I voted for from my department, a friend of mine and one guy who is also active in the alternative association) and I don't like the fourth one very much, but it doesn't mean he's corrupt, though I'm not sure how much he'll work hard to better the system.