My college is a place where there is freedom of speech.

My college is where the community gets along well together.

My college is where the students have an equal say in the running of things.

Ah, wishful thinking.

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Many by now would have heard of the Shout Out - Shout Back incident. It all began when the secretaryman, moi, replied (Shout Back) on the SC notice board to his fellow students' complaints (Shout Out). In merely doing his responsibility (addressing the student's complaints/suggestions/opinions), he inadvertently irked some fellows in the administration by his perceived convictions (or according to them, his accusations.).

This is the controversial paragraph :

"...Ladies and Gentlemen, the College is not as rich as you think. It’s so important that I get it through you I have to say it again, THE COLLEGE IS NOT AS RICH AS YOU THINK. We just barely get by. To be honest, I don’t know where all the money went, be it somebody siphoning money out of the college, overspending on certain BIG projects like a second water tank which is USELESS, big fat pay checks for executives, sky high electricity bills, mishandling of accounts, I don’t know, we’re just not very rich right now. ... Sure we have a right to demand for certain things. But we cannot bombard the admin with an endless list of demands. We need to distinguish between what we NEED and what we WANT. What is necessary and what is a luxury." Click here for the full version.

Now, the reason that they were ticked off so much is not because I made these "accusations" (which I deny. Come on. Have they ever heard of the delicate skill called sarcasm?) but because there exists some degree of truth in them. There have been official complaints and investigations on the dealings of the Bursar (fat. ugly. thinks he runs the college.). So the things I just made up as I was thinking of ridiculous destinations of the college's money were actually (to a certain extent) true. Well, pardon me for not knowing. SO SORRY.

The outcome, I was censored (Pn Rog personally took down the shoutback) and I (along with Zawawi and Akmal, pres and vicepres respectively) had a little session with the Bursar where he explained not without excessive smiling what a nice guy he is. Hah.

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All the shoutouts (little column on the notice board where the students post their various complaints) came down with the Shoutback. They didn't "make any sensitive accusations". So why did they come down?

Apparently Pn Rog isn't too happy that the students are complaining so much about the Administration's (Wardens, IT services, Student Services, Dining Hall) lack of commitment and incompetence. It makes them look bad, she said. When they look bad, their superiors don't give them high marks and they don't get their monthly bonus for a job well done.

EXCUSE ME ? If they're not doing their jobs, then they don't deserve the bonuses. Aha! So, THAT'S where all the money went.

Geez. What the HeLL is wrong with this place?

I say keep the Shoutouts coming. If the complaint is justified, keep posting 'em. You're fighting the good fight.

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Being an SC is a thankless job.