So the Annual General Meeting (AGM) was last Monday. It went okay? It was quite different from the previous AGM... For one, only the president spoke, and that his speech was really short. It then occurred to me why! The members of the 3rd College Student Committee (CSC) had not organized as many events as the 2nd CSC, so each individual had less to present on what they had done. This is not a bad thing, as I will explain later.
But this also made me realize why I had so much less to blog about ever since their elections. My focus has been on college events and initiatives, and the past semesters under the 3rd CSC haven't been as eventful. Less events, so less posts. I suppose it's time to shift my focus.
Anyway, this AGM made me think about the role of the CSC. I thought it'd be good to start with a sketch of what some of the expectations of the CSC are: they are a political and administrative force. Basically, a government of sorts, that looks after "student life/ interest". In scope, they are focused internally, so they tend to liaise mostly with the college's immediate stakeholders (students, Fellows, dining hall, and various offices). This excludes issues regarding the academic programs and rooming. The CSC facilitates the running of events, programs and groups within these (rough) boundaries.
On the flip side, the CSC can mobilize the student body for the organization and running of larger events, such as Open Day or Orientation.
However, every year's CSC is different. Well, because every cohort is different, so the needs and expectations of the college changes. As such each committee positions themselves differently within this sphere of expectations... So here's what I think of our CSCs so far:
1st CSC – the Hopeful
I suppose as it is with the firsts of anything, the 1st CSC established the Tembusu community. Their most important contribution to Tembusu was the tone they set. From what I remember, they constantly reminded the college that anything is possible. That we, the students, could create, structure, establish the community as we pleased. That we could pursue what we were interested in, and take risks. This ideal still resonates strongly in the college, as evident by the last Open Day theme "Home of Possibilities" that has endured and become a sort of motto for us residents.
2nd CSC – the Lively
Inspired by their predecessors, the 2nd CSC took full advantage of the college potential. They had lots of initiative, energy and resilience in making many, many events happen. It was almost as if we experienced an explosion of events that year actually, such that it was hard to keep up. The excitement was ecstatic. The 2nd CSC was responsible for establishing that energy and the general flow of events in an academic year.
3rd CSC – the Invisible
I'm not sure if it is the personalities of the committee members, or the politics of their (non)-election into office, but the 3rd CSC was rather 'withdrawn'. Admittedly, the 2nd CSC had left behind a strong presence that was hard to live up to. But also the events run by the 3rd were significantly more sober. And in a good way too. They re-instituted some sense and order to the chaos left behind by the 2nd CSC. They reconfigured the committee structure and individual members' roles. Also, they made an good attempt to clearly define their administrative processes. Of course there is still much to be improved on, but much of their work seems to have been on refining the CSC's back-end administrative systems.
4th CSC – the United?
I was rather hesitant to give the 4th CSC a label since they have only just assumed office. However, their dynamics have been very evident from their election campaigns. The main problem they have responded to is the apparent internal fragmentation of the previous two CSCs. As such, they campaigned as a complete committee – a college first. Each member clearly had an agreed understanding of their future roles, and their relationships with their colleagues. Hopefully by absolving internal friction they can function more cohesively and efficiently. They also seem conscious of retaining the strengths of their predecessors: the hope and excitement of the 1st, ideas and energy of the 2nd, and the organization of the 3rd.
Personally, I do hope my impressions are right, and that the 4th CSC lives up to them. It seems they are making a good step forward, at least in organizing themselves as a team. The next step is to prove their teamwork works.
Best of luck guys!
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