Editorial: Students’ Union didn’t do enough to Seek the Record

Did you participate in the University of Alberta Hide and Seek club’s attempt to break a Guinness World Record last Friday? If you did, you’d know that they didn’t end up reaching the 1,437 participants required to Seek the Record. The world’s largest game of hide-and-seek record remains with Chengdu, China, but the club still managed to pull in 620 participants. They worked hard to get to that number and they should be proud. But if there’s anyone who could have done more, it’s the Students’ Union.

Just like last year, the SU decided not to host the Break the Record dodgeball event they did in previous years. They’ve received some criticism from students both years for their decision, as the massive dodgeball event was one of the few events that excited nearly everyone on campus. But it’s understandable why they didn’t hold the event. Break the Record was costly, with expenses estimated at $75,000 to $100,000. Instead, students had a chance to break a different record when the Hide and Seek Club announced they would try to hold the largest hide and seek game ever.

So, how much of that $75,000 to $100,000 did the SU spend on Seek the Record? $1,005, the Butterdome facility rental, security from UAPS, turnstiles and radios from Safewalk. Actually, the money didn’t even come out of the Break the Record budget, which is instead being spent on SU programming like comedy nights, the singer-songwriter series and poster sales. It’s not like the SU is strapped for cash. They’re currently considering spending $10,000 on improving toilet paper. I guess they consider that a more monumental achievement than breaking a world record and getting national attention. I don’t.

Whatever impact their paltry contribution made, it was lessened by the fact that the SU still charged the Hide and Seek Club $300 to display ads on SUTV in SUB. They gave the club money, but then took 30 per cent right back as payment for their services. That’s not how good sponsorship works. The Hide and Seek club clearly could have used more money for advertising on posters, social media and elsewhere on campus. Remember that the Hide and Seek Club is a student group, falling under Student Group Services — part of the Students’ Union.

Not even the SU website makes mention of it. At least the other sponsor, the University of Alberta Office of the Registrar, made it the front page story on the UAlberta website. There’s also the lack of any social media support from the SU whatsoever. The last official Students’ Union Facebook post before the Feb. 6 event was about Project Feminist U on Feb. 3. I went through more than a year of posts, trying to find some mention of Seek the Record, but I got nothing. Their Twitter is also completely absent, as is SU Vice-President (Student Life) Nicholas Diaz’s, the executive that would be in charge of helping out this very student life-related event.

The VP (Student Life) has historically helped organize Break the Record. Diaz didn’t even start thinking about the dodgeball event until November, months after planning usually starts. SU execs, especially vice-presidents, are often forgotten after their term ends. This would have been a great opportunity for him to make his mark on campus, but he and the rest of the SU unfortunately dropped the ball. Back in The Gateway’s Jan. 20 article “Ready or not here I come! Hide and Seek Club shoots for Guinness World Record,” Diaz talked about empowering student groups rather than having the SU do it. While I agree with that, just saying it doesn’t exempt them from helping out more. Let’s face it, a student group getting 2,000 participants out for an event likely isn’t possible without the SU’s help. Giving a group $1,005, stamping their name on an ad and showing up doesn’t empower anybody — it’s just being lazy.

The most baffling part of this is that their own president, William Lau, was the seeker. Surely, more exposure would have benefited both parties. The SU constantly faces criticism for not being transparent, not holding student interests at heart and not being visible enough on campus. Students just don’t see, know or care enough about the SU to vote on its future. Last year, voter turnout was 20 per cent. This would have been a great opportunity to spread their message while at the same time doing something students could have fun with.

It’s incredibly difficult to hold a massive student event with minimal support from other organizations on campus, especially for a small student group like the Hide and Seek Club. They had neither the manpower nor budget to bring enough attention to the event, so I wouldn’t put the blame completely on them. But with over 40,000 people at the U of A, we should have been able to get the 2,000 that Seek the Record was looking for, let alone the 1,438 needed to break the record. It may not be entirely the SU’s fault that the record wasn’t broken, but as one of the largest campus organizations, a stronger voice from them would have given us a much stronger chance of breaking the record.

Oh well. At least we can wipe our asses with the money saved.