The last few days were marked by growing initiatives for the forming of various students' organizations. The Students Union of the School of Physics is such an organization, so we decided to ask its president, Aleksandar Jankovic, a few questions.

BOOM: When,why and how did this union become active?
ACA (Nickname): The Students Union of the School of Physics (SUFF) officially began to work after its latest assembly in May this year. However, we have existed for two years already as an organization under the name of The Students Union of the Schools of Mathematics and Physics (SUMFF). Since that organization originated ad hoc it fell apart the same way. From then on there were two unions SUMF and SUFF. It all started as an idea to form an organization that would really represents student interests, because the current situation then was disastrous. During that time we got some books from people in Europe to form a library because the embargo was also present. That is when we decided to form this organization.

BOOM: Is it a legal organization?
ACA: No, because we are disallowed to get registered by the police although, legally, this is absurd. From unofficial sources we know that we cannot get registered because the Chancellor, although this rule does not exist in any book of regulations, is counted on to veto any attempt of registering any kind of student organizations.

BOOM: Is this the case with AEGEE too?
ACA: AEGEE Belgrade did not try to register itself officially, but, unofficially, they did through a certain number of professors who approached the Chancellor and he said: no.

BOOM: Except the library, what are the projects that SUFF has undertaken up until now?
ACA: The library project was never finished because the embargo was lifted. Among the more significant projects are a series of lectures under the name of "Science and Religion", the Primoteka quiz, the discussions named "Aids and Morale" organized in cooperation with JAZAS, etc.

BOOM: Do you think that the students are well informed on how this organization works?
ACA: No. I think the students are not adequately informed. The problem is that the students are not too interested in all this. We tried to start a bulletin which would help inform them on what actions we are taking to help them and update them on current events at school. We edited a pilot and first issue. The second issue was never printed because the protest broke out and BOOM was founded.

BOOM: What is the status of SUFF at the school?
ACA: At the beginning we were known as an alternate student organization because there was the Students Alliance as our opponent. This alliance practically does not exist any more ( I do not see any signs of its existence), although they have a seal which makes them a legal organization. That means we are one of two organizations which are active and have healthy liaisons with the school administrations, professors and deans and with their assistance coordinate some of our actions. The reader must make his own judgement concerning the actions of the other organization, what is their status or wether they even heard about them (not counting the talk that came from people from the Student Union), because we constantly stress the fact that we are only one of two such organizations at our school.

BOOM: What is the role of the Student Union in the protest?
ACA: It has no role in the Student Protest. However most people that are active in the Student Union have entered the protest, one could say even that they initiated the protest at the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (PMF).

BOOM: What impact do think the protest will have on student unions in the Belgrade University.
ACA: I think the conditions are good for an expansion of student organizations and that there are plenty of interested people. The protest has revealed that we are very well organized at all the schools-there are: bulletins, coordination boards, teams for food supply, etc. So people are getting organized and there are groups of people who will build all of this into a normal student organization. So, things are bound to get better!

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