This week there were discussions about grants policy, committee reports, and the clubs council amongst other things, but Critic doesn’t want to distract from the calamitous events outlined below by discussing these other issues. We promise you you’re not missing anything vital…
During the rarely anticipated OUSA Executive meeting, Education Officer Bryn Jenkins put controversial 2016 President Laura Harris forward for a position on the 2017 Education Committee. Admin VP William Guy, who served on the executive last year alongside both Laura Harris and Bryn Jenkins, spoke of how the association were “still trying to repair” the damage she caused, going on to say that “it is not a good look for OUSA to appoint her.” Jenkins immediately responded, arguing that “in the interests of fairness it is not right to deny students on general worries.” President Hugh Baird then asked Jenkins, “if she’s not willing to step foot into OUSA buildings how can she work on that basis?” “Has she said that in private or public?” Jenkins asked; “In general discussions,” Baird said. Postgraduate Officer Lucy Northwood wondered why anyone in the Anthropology Society or the Geography Society (or any other humanities society) had not been considered? Finance Officer Cody Kirby chimed in to say that the arguments against Harris were either strawman arguments or William Guy’s hurting feelings, and that it is in the best interests of OUSA to support Jenkins. Jenkins then asked the group to “tell me now if there’s no confidence in me controlling the meeting.” Kirby said the problems were between Laura [Harris] and Admin VP Jarred Griffiths, and because Griffiths is not on this committee there shouldn’t be a problem. Northwood, seeing the fury build on Jenkins’s face, said “we should be able to discuss this without anger,” before referring to the similar emotion he had showed in earlier discussions the two (or more members - it wasn’t clear) had in the bullpen (OUSA Executive office) on the appointment. The executive then voted by a margin of 8 to 1 that Harris be appointed to the Education Committee as the representative for the College of Education. See the editorial on page 5 for Critic’s view on this vote.