Hello, fellow mourners.
I'm a little nervous speaking in front of so many people. For those of you who don't know me, I've been a friend of GA for quite some time. We've laughed together, we've cried together, and we've had some great times. So I'd like to take this opportunity to say a few words in memory of GA.
GA was a polarizing figure in our community. You either loved him or you hated him. That was his way of getting your attention. Looking back, some of the crazy things he said and did made us more involved in campus life. He pulled us in. Remember that capital campaign motion? People were coming out of the woodwork for that one! And where would Students Organized Against Protesters be without GA? GA helped us stick it to American Eagle and force the Students' Society to sing Rocket Man at council meetings. GA always gave the newspapers something to write about. We should remember GA and all the good he did in making student government accessible, if only for a short while.
So how did GA pass away so suddenly? Well, he was sick, and SSMU had to do something about it. The operation was risky, but there was no alternative. Unfortunately, the procedure wasn't a success. Raising GA's quorum requirements to enhance his legitimacy made sense, but there was a small complication, and now we're here to mourn his passing. You see, SSMU decided that if too few people turned up for GA, his motions would go to an online referendum. The online referendum requires a 15 per cent participation rate with no campaigning allowed. If the online vote doesn't make quorum, all the motions remain on the agenda for the next GA, and we're stuck discussing No Pants Fridays, Darth Mendelson, and the demilitarization of McGill forever. That, my friends, is how GA died.
No single person is to blame. We all need to take responsibility. GA could have given SSMU direction and encouraged student participation, but he didn't have enough time to prove himself relevant to moderate students. Blaming GA's parents for his demise is too easy. People who say SSMU neglected GA need to look at themselves first. Students who were unhappy with turnout should have brought two of their friends. More importantly, the people writing and voting for motions should have taken some responsibility for their implementation. SSMU already has a full plate-it's unfair to burden them with following through on every aspect of GA's resolutions. The lacklustre implementation of GA's resolutions was largely responsible for his health problems. And it didn't help when the administration refused to acknowledge GA's decisions as representative of student opinion.
2008 Woodie Awards
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