The SU on the UWCA: Many words but nothing to say

Large and complex bureaucratic organisations are great for overseeing complex operations and releasing long-winded statements, but useless when it comes to making powerful change.

This is obvious to almost anyone who has read a Terms and Conditions agreement, or applied for anything from a local council, but it has been made obvious once again by the Warwick Student’s Union in their response to the Fix the SU campaign, formerly Disband the Tories. Following the release of a video showing members of the Warwick Conservatives Association singing the SS marching song ‘Erika’ at a chairman’s dinner, a campaign to disband the association quickly grew and many Warwick students had real, valid concerns about the association being allowed to continue as an SU society.

Perhaps the primary mistake of the SU’s latest actions and statement is a failure to establish a clear line on the issues

Essentially, the Student’s Union had two choices: to go along with the demands of the campaign and disband the UWCA, or to dole out disciplinary measures to those guilty of singing Nazi anthems, while still allowing them to exist. In the typical fashion of a large bureaucratic organisation, what they did was an awkward mix of both options which satisfied almost no one.

I have read through the SU’s most recent statement in the hopes that readers don’t have to. It’s long, really long. In a response that clocked in at just under two pages, the SU ramble on for what feels like an eternity until they realise they are “unable to support use of the Union’s democratic processes to impose sanctions or other detriments on a group.”

The SU had an opportunity to utilise the momentum which had built up around this issue and show the students that as a body, they are able to institute real change

Once you’ve cut through the jargon of their statement, what they’re saying is that they don’t intend on disbanding the UWCA or, indeed, on “fixing” the SU. That isn’t to say that they haven’t come down hard on the members of the UWCA, who have been put on three-year probation, and are now all required to attend training on both antisemitism and Islamophobia – this also includes members who have joined after the aforementioned Nazi chant. All this shows that perhaps the primary mistake of the SU’s latest actions and statement is a failure to establish a clear line on the issues: they have flip-flopped around the issue instead of releasing a prior clear plan and position. Even those who agree with the way the SU has handled the campaign against the UWCA feel somehow dissatisfied due to the SU’s long-winded statement. As such, it doesn’t feel like a genuine response to an issue, only that they are trying to please everyone.

To sum up, I feel a certain apathy to this latest development in SU politics. I feel very strongly about the singing of ‘Erika’ by Warwick students and the releasing of rambling statements – making strange compromises does little to feel like change is being made. The SU had an opportunity to utilise the momentum which had built up around this issue and show the students that as a body, they are able to institute real change, and demonstrate that our voices really matter. Instead, they proved what many already thought: that they are well meaning but when it really comes down to it, they will fail to do what needs to be done. What the SU seems to do is release underwhelming and ineffective statements, which has left people wanting a clearer response. The actions taken by the SU are more or less satisfactory, but their latest statement almost feels deflated.