The Smartest Guys on Campus

In We’ve Got Spirit! I showed the manic enthusiasm that students here at HKUST go through to ensure their clubs longevity. Sure, the drive for funding, and the ability to book a room for a community event arguably a necessary asset for an organization to have: though, through my own personal experience, certainly not a prerequisite – what with the ability to guerrilla organize with a fervent enough team.

The great energy with which these clubs bring to their drive to attract supporters is truly ridiculous. It has the unintended consequence of turning people against their group: they crowd the atrium, hog the common rooms for preparation, waste tons of paper and miles of adhesive, litter the atrium with promotional materials and pollute the venue with raucous noise. For three weeks this goes on, all in order to get the clubs own members to vote for their future existence. If I could vote in these groups polling, I would: I’d come out to vote against next year’s cabinet, for being a pain in my ass.

This week, I did go out and vote; however, I voted for the continued existence of the Band Society – which maintains the LG4 Band Room that Frank and I used for rocking-out. More importantly, I voted for them because they were wise enough to know that being obnoxious, wasting money one worthless handouts that were going to be thrown out, is a poor way to attract votes from your members. Instead, they went smart.

After class, I noticed a text message on my phone. I didn’t know the number, and figured it to be another worthless advertisement. To my surprise it was from the Band Society, which requests members’ cell phone numbers when you register as a member. Nothing extravagant: just a simple message reminding that polling for the club occurred this afternoon, and requesting members to come out and vote.

So I did just that. Hopefully next years students will still have a place to go make loud noise in. If not, they will just have to go and join one of the other organizations, and make noise in the atrium.

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