Beware the haters

[miss_baggins]

I'm wondering when exactly it is that you become "institutionalised". By that I mean when you start to define your boundaries by that of which you are a part. Today I was talking with Susan Daniel (head of school) and she was blurting enthusiastically about the glory of her freedom to make decisions. I openly questioned her "freedom" by asking about the committees to which she is forced to report and to whom she is answerable - her "freedom" therefore is only proportional to how high up she is in the foodchain. It has made me wonder how bogged down I'm going to allow myself to get next year. I'm extremely "anti-the-institution" on principle and was introduced to the Staff-Student Committee as "a radical" by Susan herself and I still remain sceptical (especially after the barrage of misguided abuse that she directed at Carrie in the meeting) as to whether or not her affection is genuine. She knows that I can make her job easier if I'm on side, and I guess with that is aware that I can also be major pain in the ass. From that it is obvious that keeping me onside is the favourable option, but I can't work out whether its just that. I don't think she's a bad person but she is so tied to all the legislation and red-tape bullshit that it seems impossible that she could be the ally I need her to be. Maybe if I took the advice and stopped seeing it as such a battle...but if I do that am I just giving in and being another puppet for the university? Truth is, to me this is a battle, not just against massive institutions like the University but against student apathy - I'm living in the past - seeing students as revolutionaries that protested against wars, governmental corruption and helped bring down aparthied! I just don't understand how we became such a feeble race! It frustrates me. The university keep complaining to us that the reason they are cancelling skills lessons and specific modules is because students don't attend - they have proof of our own lack of involvement and yet students stream into the union to complain about the lack of these classes! How can I fight that as a student representative when the students I represent are the most unenthusiastic and apathetic people I have ever known! Thats very general of course but the vast majority of the students I know here can't be bothered doing anything unless it involves them getting pissed on the cheap or some kind of financial reward! That is my battle.

Bertie Russell said "this is the year of direct action for Leeds" and I'm with him all the way. Bring it on!!!