Be a shaper!

Good evening,

I hope you are all enjoying the second Intro weekend of 2007 and as I get ready for a Saturday night out I thought I would let you know what I had been up to on this manic Freshers week.

Well it's been exactly that and more. From the Intro talks on Monday to the Activities Fair on Thursday with various Intro talks in between it has been non-stop. Throughout all this however it is easy to forget that next week will being new challenges and opportunities and I continue to get on with representing you on loads of different issues.

The highlight of my week however hasn't been welcoming students in talks or helping students move in over the weekend but spending my Wednesday evening with the men and women who protect the city centre- the police. Yes on Wednesday Mark Willoughby and I headed out with the bobbies on the beat checking out what they do for safety in Sheffield. It was amazing to see everyone in their blue, red, orange and yellow t-shirts wander down West St moving from bar to bar.

The amount of cameras and patrols they have on a regular night out in Sheffield is really impressive and we are quite literally in the safest city in the UK. This said however we all need to use our common sense by not walking home alone and keeping to well lit areas. Enjoy your night out and stay safe in shef.

Even though this stands out in my week there are many more things I could mention. For those who made it the Advice Centre tea party was fantastic and really well done. Even without tea however its a great place to go into for advice on housing, academic, international and money issues. Hopefully you won't need it, one the police in your time at Sheffield but it's worth knowing where to go when things don't go right.

For most students there is alot which you can have in common, We are all studying (to a greater or lesser extent), we are all at this University and we are all members of Sheffield Students' Union. This said however there are many options open to help you move away from the crowd. To stand out not just on paper but in person. On Thursday and Friday there was fairs helping students to do just do that, but your opportunities don't just stop there.

The best way to separate yourself out from the crowd is to become a Departmental Councillor. The Students Union Council this year will be elected from all Departments and Representative groups and we are looking for passionate people to shape your Union. So be a shaper, not just shaped. Be a leader, not just a follower. Nominations open on Monday and it couldn't be easier but have your say and represent your peers.

Stand out from the crowd.

Welcome

hi

Well it's here. It seems to come round pretty quick this year but Intro Week 2007 is here. Today and tomorrow thousands of you are heading here for the first time or returning after the summer.

And what are you coming back to....
a new Foundry and Fusion, a new food outlet with New Leaf, 8 new Union Officers, 6 new communities in the Residences and loads more aside.

And what are you coming to (for the first time)...
Well a beautiful, friendly, welcoming city which I'm sure your fall in love with and a Students Union which had loads of different opportunities to get involved.

Anyway I'm sure your here all about everything going on over the coming week so I'll leave you and do a proper blog some point during this week. In the mean time if anyone has any questions then pop and say hello to either myself or one of the other Union Officers. Ciao for now.

Thanks/ One Potato. Two Potato. Three Potato. Four.

Hi,

Well firstly apologies for not updating my blog last week as you can probably tell there is a lot going on and this is why I'm posting this on a Saturday as I sit and attempt to get some work done before my holiday.

The last couple of weeks have seen loads of different things going on and if your visiting this site foe the first time and are looking forward to starting at Sheffield university then I'm Tom the Welfare Officer of the Union. Elected by you to represent you.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been focusing on my objectives for the year, which will appear on the website soon. One of them solely focuses on financial and employment issues students face. Most people have summer jobs to pay for university and increasingly there are loads of you working to pay your way. Well this year one my objectives is to work with University and the Advice Centre to inform students of their rights at work. From minimum pay, to holiday leave we all need to know our rights in the workplace. In the last couple of weeks I've been padding out this idea to work with the Careers Service, the Job-Shop and the money Advisors in the Advice Centre so that students are empowered employees.

I've also disappeared for a couple of days to Leeds in order to brush up on the new housing law in place. Basically it helps protects your deposit, you, and is there so that students don't get ripped off in houses. It was also a great way to meet other Welfare Officers from around the country and compare Sheffield Union to them. Trust me we are good! But we could be even better.....

As a team we've been planning for the year ahead over the last couple of weeks and there is still lots to be done in the run up to the 22nd September when everyone descends on Sheffield for Freshers 07. With all this planning a lot of people go unnoticed in the Union From people in Marketing, the Advice Centre, the Bars and the Entertainments and loads of other departments. All working incredibly hard. Some haven't even had a summer holiday! Personally I just wanted to say thank to you all for your hard work it's much appreciated. Without their support we couldn't do half the things we do.

Anyway I will leave you. Oh I bet your wondering why my title talks about potatos. Well, I went to another Nursery event this week and walked off with some Jacket Potatos. Thanks again to everyone at the Nursery for organising it and thanks for the goodie bag.

Tom