A new academic year, elections for a new student government! On 12th August, the Student Government speeches commenced, starting with speeches from the candidates standing for the Ministry of Campus and Culture (MoCC) positions.
Trisha Saini presented her manifesto, emphasising the need for workshops on sex education and sensitivity, as well as celebrating festivals through small workshops and potlucks. She highlighted the importance of food and nutrition, proposing a collaboration with a nutritionist and university services. She also called for improved equipment in the RH2 gym and addressed accountability in volunteer systems for events, suggesting a “tracking method using spreadsheets” to manage volunteer rotations when questioned about it. She proposed smaller-scale festival committees, similar to Ganesh Chathurthi, to streamline efforts and achieve her goals with the help of relevant university organisations.
Yuthika Mehrotra was up next, a passionate first year who began her speech with an emphasis on wanting to focus on "both the campus and culture" of the MoCC. She laid importance of keeping POSH members informed about campus events to gather feedback. She also said that she aims to simplify the roommate change process in collaboration with OSL. She then talked about how “the food served is healthy, but the combination in which they’re served isn’t the best”, and therefore in collaboration with the food committee would wish to work to improve the food combinations. A student raised a concern regarding her manifesto's claim about increasing POSH candidates; Yuthika clarified that she would engage with ILS to better understand the POSH selection process and address the issue better during the debates.
The third candidate was Pari Khanter, a second year with very clear goals as to what she wishes to aim for if she were appointed to the position of MoCC. Her manifesto highlighted the need for a smoother transition between old and new Peer Support Volunteers (PSVs) to better support students. She proposed a "Mix 'n' Mingle" event for informal faculty-student interactions, advocated for a 24x7 eatery, and suggested increasing classroom availability during exams. Additionally, she aimed to implement a biometric system for event management to facilitate the volunteer process. When questioned about the 24x7 eatery, she indicated that she would start by extending the hours of existing outlets first and then work her way through that.
Harigovind Geetha Krishnan, a first-year student who wanted to spread the word about our college campus’ beauty, was the next person. He started by talking about his past experiences on his school campus. He went on to say that “[s]ome people might think that being in a position of power makes you immune to bullying, but I myself have faced such a problem…” and hence wants to create robust policies to ensure such instances do not occur. He also mentioned that before coming to Krea, he felt like “the university had no student life” and wants to make sure that there is stronger engagement with the student life through social media. One of the students from the student body informed the candidate about the annual intra-college sports event (Bolt) taking place so there won’t be a lack of sports events. The candidate subsequently took note of this.
The last candidate of the night was Krithvi Vasan, an enthusiastic first-year student, who delivered a speech focusing on engaging the student body beyond her manifesto. To make sure she is “enhancing the cultural diversity on campus”, Krithvi proposed initiatives such as an "oration club" and a culinary club to encourage interaction through events like potlucks. She also expressed that she would like to start a student-run podcast. She expressed concern over the sidelining of performing arts clubs and suggested outsourcing creatives through SPIC MACAY to enhance campus culture. However, she was informed that performing arts clubs are already very active, and thus, she should try to aim for goals that exist outside of the performing arts clubs. Due to time constraints, she couldn't fully address her points on ragging but acknowledged the feedback received.
The informal session revealed challenges in budget allocation for festivals due to funding cuts from OSL, creating a reliance on crowdfunding. Candidates proposed various strategies: Trisha suggested smaller events and movie screenings, while Yuthika recommended theme days to maintain a festive atmosphere. Harigovind said, “[t]his might be controversial…but maybe we should hold peaceful student riots”. When asked about their motivations for running for MoCC, candidates emphasised engaging the student body with campus events and “giving back to the community”.
Concerns were raised about instances of "ragging" and "homophobia" in speeches, but candidates lacked concrete examples. They were also informed that clubs do not operate under the Student Government and were independently functioning bodies. Yuthika then supported the sentiment that the MoCC is there to assist these clubs, not to create clubs themselves as potential MoCCs. Additionally, a student raised the issue of 24x7 eateries, highlighting the already intensive hours the staff work at the eateries on campus. Previous MoCC representative Harshi Shah noted the heavy workload during events, with instances that reflected poor division of labour amongst the committee, prompting questions about time management and student engagement, which Yuthika addressed by suggesting interest and feedback forms for volunteers to understand turnout and genuine interest and Trisha agreed with her sentiment. This was the last question answered in the informal session.
This marks the end of the MoCC speeches! The tension was high and the candidates were tested. The MoCC debates will follow soon enough, looking forward!
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