VCASU

Message of solidarity from Melbourne Uni student posted on the Save Arts e-list

Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 17:16:30 +1000
Subject: [savearts] action wednesday 21st

hello kids

i am writing on behalf of everyone who participated in our action on monday. We did not nominate anyone to post to this list, so i am doing it. Hope thats ok.

We need to continue to make noise! The Melbourne Model and the changes in the Arts Faculty need to keep being contested. These changes are not happening because there is no money. They are happening because decisions have been made about the allocation and distribution of money and knowledge. They are about the imposition of an economic, managerial and pedagogical model upon the staff and students of the university. This model marginalises dissenting and critical voices (economics, pedagogy, managment - these things cannot be separated from one another and they cant be removed from the context in which they happen —- despite what Glyn and others with powerful suits keep repeating into their microphones; there is a lot to say about this…).

Sorry to rant -
Onto the wonderful action!
At the last minute, university council was moved from the old quad to the law building in an attempt to avoid hearing us; we went to the law building, were met with security and other little threats (tresspass! police! Law! grrr). We got to level 9 and were blocked from going to university council…we were not stopped because of intimidation but because elevators can be disabled and heavy doors can be locked - but, still, they heard us and felt us.

When we saw that it was physically impossible to get up to level 10 of the well fortified law building, we asked if uni council would accept a number of us as representatives. They said no - they did not even agree to have a representative from the VCA student union go up (Fucked, given the uni wants the VCA student union to ‘merge’ with UMSU with no extra funding - ie - they want to kill the student union at VCA, to silence their dissent).

[Crew from VCA student union were so brilliant - so many and so much energy from such a small school! (they are having an action on the 30th, whoever can get down should; i will post details closer to the date)]

We then sat at level 9 of the law building and had a meeting (sadly, the security blokes blocked our view). The university wants to ignore us, so we need to force them to pay attention by putting the spotlight on them. Together, we decided upon something which seems to be working for others at the moment — Disruption! We need to involve the rest of the world, because the university does not exist in a vacuum!

This Wednesday the 21st we will be meeting at concrete lawns at 1230 (the wonderful VCA kids will be back again). From there we will move down to a big hunk of public street and sit down, dance, scream, etc. Maybe it will be a bit of a festival? Costumes, musical instruments, pots and pans, voices, bodies. It will be a bit of a riot (!).

We need numbers for this, so please come down, please bring ppl. We need to fight this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!