On March 1st, the 31st reporting and election conference of the Klaipėda University Student Union (hereinafter – KUSS) took place. During the event, many issues important to the organization were discussed: approval of the KUSS statutes, presentation of annual and financial activity reports, reports of the audit committee and the board. A new audit committee was formed. Delegates also elected a new union president – Olivija Vaidak.
Asked about the difficulties of relinquishing his position, the outgoing union president, Augustas Andruška, stated that while he doesn’t fully feel like he’s stepped down, he feels much calmer: Your “Facebook Messenger” doesn’t constantly explode, you don’t have to constantly reply to emails or plan evening work to get everything done. It’s a bit sad, because after a year, it becomes routine – how to work, how to cope, how to live with it. I calculated that I spent three and a half years in the KUSS office. So now leaving all this is painful. There was work, fatigue – everything. But still, there was motivation to learn the news, to be a student representative. Now there’s a certain emptiness, which perhaps will be filled by Alumni activities. It’s difficult because at the same time I have to leave both the status of a Full Member and the office. About the new presidency, A. Andruška commented positively: I can’t say much, because most of the people came from my previous team, who stayed with me until the end. These are people I trusted and trust. I can assure you that half of the team is truly competent and responsible. And about the new members of the team, I can also confirm that everyone is truly enthusiastic, motivated, and active, demonstrating competence and responsibility in various events.
The new Student Union president, Olivija Vaidak, stated that the hardest part of running for this position was figuring out the action strategy she would like to pursue: The hardest part was understanding in which direction I would like to go, understanding what topics I would like to tackle with my team and where to make a change. The LSS mentorship program, where I worked with Smiltė Kiaunytė, the former Vilnius Tech SA president, helped a lot. Together with her, we had productive conversations, after which I knew where I wanted to focus. However, despite this, Olivija did not find it difficult to decide to run for president: Since my first year, I knew I wanted this position, but I lacked experience and understanding of organizational activities. Having started as Vice-President in August’s team, I knew I wanted more. Asked about the changes that await KUSS during her term, the new president replied: We will improve the flexibility of studies at the university, strengthen the organization’s community, student representatives, and further improve relations with the entire KU community.
We wish the new team and president success.
Grow by Educating Yourself, Student!
