Attended NUSSU's combined Flag meeting today; I'd expected some bitching flying around, but when it *did* happen, it still turned out to be rather surprising.

Firstly, in NUS, it's quite well-known among the more active students and student bodies that the Halls don't like the Student Union. Why, I don't exactly know, since I'm not a member of any of the Halls, but I have a vague idea that it has something to do with the CCA points system and how the JCRCs (Junior Common Room Committee) of all six Halls have been unhappy with it for quite some time.

So, today, while the various faculty club and Hall representatives were taking notes of important dates and information during the meeting-slash-briefing, I was amusing myself making notes of who seemed to be doing the most bitching so I could blog about it later.

Productive of me, I know. But I *do* have some proper notes, don't worry; I wasn't completely inattentive.

Well, okay, the meeting started off fine, and it looked like we'd get to go home pretty early if we could get this finished soon. But, no. Where would the fun be in that after all; welcome to the world of University politics. Or at least, NUSSU politics.

Barely ten minutes into the meeting, Raffles Hall's president asked if NUSSU had actually asked for the Halls' consensus on.. the issue of the ticket sales for Flag, I think. Whatever it was, he seemed slightly pissed off, but he still managed to say it in a somewhat politely diplomatic tone, if you know what I mean.

(The ticket sales thing is another component that NUSSU's added to Flag this year, besides the normal can donations.)

And then the rest of the Halls joined in, saying that they didn't want to help sell the tickets for Flag Day coz they felt that they didn't have the manpower to spare, what with Rag and orientation programs going on concurrently. Then they said that all six Hall presidents had actually come to a consensus among themselves that the Halls would not participate in the ticket sales.

The faculty clubs weren't too bothered. At least, Xinyan and I weren't too bothered.

Can't say the same for Bizad. -_-

One of the representatives for Bizad (a guy whose name I CAN remember but I won't mention here) kept complaining about how the "larger faculties" would have an advantage over the smaller faculties in the ticket sales, and EVERYTIME he mentioned the "larger faculties", he'd say, "the larger faculties, like Arts".

If you've got a personal problem with us, let's take it outside, man. We don't love you overly much either.

But you know what the strangest thing is about Bizad complaining?

Bizad wins Rag and Flag every year. So it seems more logical that all the OTHER faculties should be complaining and asking where the hell Bizad gets their money from.

And then there was more complaining about how the points for the competition should be calculated. Yes, you read that right; the different faculties in NUS actually compete to raise the most donations for Flag, if you didn't already know.

Sad to see charity being reduced to a sort of competition, but that's the way it is.

Have a good feeling about this year's Rag and Flag, tho. :) We've got a real dedicated bunch of Raggers on our hands, and as for Flag, the comm has already gotten to work on some ideas as to how to raise more donations.

So.. hm. Maybe some "smaller faculties" really should watch it. ;D