And now, the end is near,
and as I face, this final update.
My friends, I’ll say it clear,
this year has been, one I won’t forget.
I’ve been your voice and face,
and now I’ve done, the best I could do.
But friends, whats more is this
I did it YOUR WAY.
This Union, is fantastique,
but then again, it’s up to you.
To make this place it is, get involved!
it’s about, what you do.
You are, its vibrant heart,
its beating pulse, and its no mistake.
That we are number one,
because it is YOUR WAY.
Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate them up and spat them out.
I faced it all and I stood tall;
And did it YOUR WAY.
This year, has it’s trials,
from ACS, to other officers.
But then we’ve won for you.
We’ve made changes, you can’t miss.
We’ve listened, we’ve learnt
and then again, we always we’re going to.
But now its up to Kathryn
To do it YOUR WAY.
For what is a Union? What have we got?
If not for you, then we have not,
To say the things you truly feel,
To the university who should kneel,
My record shows, I took the blows
And did it YOUR WAY!
Friday 30 May 2008
Monday 21 April 2008
Homeward Stretch but still stretching
hi everyone and a happy Monday morning to you all!
Over the last ten months I have had the privilege to help lead this body of students and for the next two months they will be my last. But ladies and gentleman they won't be the least.
This week has our liberation campaigns on the concourse educating us about the discrimination still faced in society. We have the amazing Stuff't Olives on the 2nd May. We have a whole host of your issues to raise with the University from housing rights, accommodation issues and student carers and when I'm gone Kathryn Axon will capably take forth the realms of welfare beyond anything I can imagine.
Even though the horizon can be seen it is still receding and therefore the work continues.
Next week we will see the AGM's for all working committees so please come along and get involved.
Welfare Committee- Tuesday 29th 6pm to 7pm, Meeting Room 2, Octogan
LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans) Committee- Tuesday 29th, 7pm, Octogan Council Chambers
DDSF (Disabled and Dyslexic Students Forum) - Wednesday 3oth, 5:30pm-6:30pm, CILASS Collaborative Room 1, Information Commons
Come along and get involved!!
Over the last ten months I have had the privilege to help lead this body of students and for the next two months they will be my last. But ladies and gentleman they won't be the least.
This week has our liberation campaigns on the concourse educating us about the discrimination still faced in society. We have the amazing Stuff't Olives on the 2nd May. We have a whole host of your issues to raise with the University from housing rights, accommodation issues and student carers and when I'm gone Kathryn Axon will capably take forth the realms of welfare beyond anything I can imagine.
Even though the horizon can be seen it is still receding and therefore the work continues.
Next week we will see the AGM's for all working committees so please come along and get involved.
Welfare Committee- Tuesday 29th 6pm to 7pm, Meeting Room 2, Octogan
LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans) Committee- Tuesday 29th, 7pm, Octogan Council Chambers
DDSF (Disabled and Dyslexic Students Forum) - Wednesday 3oth, 5:30pm-6:30pm, CILASS Collaborative Room 1, Information Commons
Come along and get involved!!
Monday 14 April 2008
Use Your Head, VOTE!
Hi everyone
Now firstly I want to say sorry for not catching you up on all the goings on here in the Union. There has been alot happening and about to happen so hopefully I'll catch you in on all that at some point over the next week.
Well, it's all back again! Elections! Democracy, the rule of the people. Now these elections Part Deux are weird. We already have 3 of the 8 people who will replace this current team and by Friday morning we will have the other 5 to join them.
Now the decision is in your hands. The candidates are already out campaigning and the voting starts tomorrow so make your voice heard.
Some say we do nothing, or that we don't do it well. Well, I'll leave that question for another day. What I can say however is that this So when your at the ballot box don't think who has the catchiest slogan or the most gimmicks think - Who's going to represent my needs, my wants and help make my University life the best ever.
After talking to some students about who they are going to vote for this is going to be a close election so make sure you get out and vote.
Make sure you use your head and VOTE.
Check out: http://www.shef.ac.uk/union/student-voice/uforums/elections-08-b14.0/ for joining in the discussion on Uforums
Check out www.sheffieldunion/com/elections08 for all the candidates videos and manifestos.
Now firstly I want to say sorry for not catching you up on all the goings on here in the Union. There has been alot happening and about to happen so hopefully I'll catch you in on all that at some point over the next week.
Well, it's all back again! Elections! Democracy, the rule of the people. Now these elections Part Deux are weird. We already have 3 of the 8 people who will replace this current team and by Friday morning we will have the other 5 to join them.
Now the decision is in your hands. The candidates are already out campaigning and the voting starts tomorrow so make your voice heard.
Some say we do nothing, or that we don't do it well. Well, I'll leave that question for another day. What I can say however is that this So when your at the ballot box don't think who has the catchiest slogan or the most gimmicks think - Who's going to represent my needs, my wants and help make my University life the best ever.
After talking to some students about who they are going to vote for this is going to be a close election so make sure you get out and vote.
Make sure you use your head and VOTE.
Check out: http://www.shef.ac.uk/union/student-voice/uforums/elections-08-b14.0/ for joining in the discussion on Uforums
Check out www.sheffieldunion/com/elections08 for all the candidates videos and manifestos.
Thursday 21 February 2008
Nightline
Got a question?
Need an answer?
Need someone to chat to?
Need to be pointed in the right direction?
Who do you have to call NIGHTLINE!
Every night from 8pm to 8am thankless and courageous volunters man the phones waiting for your call.
So no matter what you want to speak about phone 0114 222 8788 (information line) or 0114 222 8787 (listening line)
- It's the best thing since sliced bread!
I also want to say a huge thank you to the people who wait by the phones and run Nightline day in, day out. You are a wicked bunch of people whose best work goes unseen. Thank you.
Need an answer?
Need someone to chat to?
Need to be pointed in the right direction?
Who do you have to call NIGHTLINE!
Every night from 8pm to 8am thankless and courageous volunters man the phones waiting for your call.
So no matter what you want to speak about phone 0114 222 8788 (information line) or 0114 222 8787 (listening line)
- It's the best thing since sliced bread!
I also want to say a huge thank you to the people who wait by the phones and run Nightline day in, day out. You are a wicked bunch of people whose best work goes unseen. Thank you.
Wednesday 30 January 2008
Community Officer
Hi
Sorry it’s been ages since I’ve last ‘blogged’. So what have I been up to?
Well, there’s loads of conversations about the Officer Roles Review currently going through Council which will be put towards referendum in a few weeks. One of the most exciting things about this proposal is the creation of a Community Officer.
This Community Officer will have represent you to the local community whether that is your Landlord, the Police, or the City Council. For the first time one person will have the responsibility for representing us on issues where we live- especially housing and safety. At the moment these issues get floated in between myself as Welfare Officer and the President. Never coherent. Never sufficient attention is given to these issues.
Fantastic! And it couldn’t come at a better time. When student burglary has increased. When students are being ghettoised by planning laws. When new Housing Laws mean that students are going to have better rights we need to make sure these are followed through.
This Community Officer would also represent those students in University accommodation which we know has been of pressing concern to many students this year.
Over the next few weeks I’m going to chat about what the other roles will involve however all have come about through a complete blank page review which had the largest engagement of people in a governance review of the organisation.
OVER 1000 PEOPLE WERE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS!
So we’ve listened. We’ve learnt and what we’ve come up with will progressively move forward our Students Union and make sure that standing up for students is our core purpose.
Speak to you soon
Sorry it’s been ages since I’ve last ‘blogged’. So what have I been up to?
Well, there’s loads of conversations about the Officer Roles Review currently going through Council which will be put towards referendum in a few weeks. One of the most exciting things about this proposal is the creation of a Community Officer.
This Community Officer will have represent you to the local community whether that is your Landlord, the Police, or the City Council. For the first time one person will have the responsibility for representing us on issues where we live- especially housing and safety. At the moment these issues get floated in between myself as Welfare Officer and the President. Never coherent. Never sufficient attention is given to these issues.
Fantastic! And it couldn’t come at a better time. When student burglary has increased. When students are being ghettoised by planning laws. When new Housing Laws mean that students are going to have better rights we need to make sure these are followed through.
This Community Officer would also represent those students in University accommodation which we know has been of pressing concern to many students this year.
Over the next few weeks I’m going to chat about what the other roles will involve however all have come about through a complete blank page review which had the largest engagement of people in a governance review of the organisation.
OVER 1000 PEOPLE WERE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS!
So we’ve listened. We’ve learnt and what we’ve come up with will progressively move forward our Students Union and make sure that standing up for students is our core purpose.
Speak to you soon
Saturday 10 November 2007
Make the Smart Move
Hey
Looking for a house can be the most exciting experience you can get at University. You snoop around other peoples houses and you decide on who you want to live with. However it can also be a journey of many pitfalls. That's why the Student Advice Centre, Welfare Committee and PropertywithUS have come to bring you the Smart Move housing campaign.
So next week throughout the whole week we will be in the Residences and out and about giving out information and advice on how to avoid those and make finding the right house an experience you'll never forget.
One thing you should remember though: THERE ARE MORE STUDENT HOUSES THAN STUDENTS. So don't rush. So even pick up a pace make sure you make the right steps to finding the right house.
And what are those steps? Well..
1. Choosing who to live with. What a massive question and make sure you know exactly who is going to be right for you and don't worry if you haven't decided yet because loads of people in that situation and there are events in the Union next semester to help you out.
2. When should you look? Well January is the best answer as that's when the accredited houses come on the market and they are the ones checked by the University to make sure they are OK.
3. Where should you look? Loads of different places, from PropertywithUS to online groups and agencies, newsagents and the accommodation board in the Union by reception.
4. Victorian terrace or modern apartment? Know what type of property you want to look for and make sure you set clear boundaries that all of you can agree to. Like setting a maximum rent you could all afford, or even listing the things you want in the house like a bath and double beds. It helps to narrow things down.
5. Location, Location, Location. Really look around the whole of Sheffield from Broomhill, Crookes, the city centre, Walkey, Sharrowvale, Ecclesall Road, Crookesmoor. Think about how far it is from lectures but also whether its the right house for you.
6. Choosing the Right House? Check the whole house from security to locks on front doors and make sure you know what your looking for.
7. Signing on the Dotted line. Don't sign anything you haven't read and understood. The Advice Centre run a housing contract checking service and can go through your contract with you to identify any problems to you that you might have.
Above all enjoy yourself. Watch out for the step by step guide in the Union and pick it up and have a read. The Student Advice Centre sees loads of problems with accommodation every year and we really want to make sure you don't suffer the same fate. Check the website for more information www.sheffieldunion.com/housing
Remember the most important thing however is that to find the right house, you can make the right home.
Take it easy
Looking for a house can be the most exciting experience you can get at University. You snoop around other peoples houses and you decide on who you want to live with. However it can also be a journey of many pitfalls. That's why the Student Advice Centre, Welfare Committee and PropertywithUS have come to bring you the Smart Move housing campaign.
So next week throughout the whole week we will be in the Residences and out and about giving out information and advice on how to avoid those and make finding the right house an experience you'll never forget.
One thing you should remember though: THERE ARE MORE STUDENT HOUSES THAN STUDENTS. So don't rush. So even pick up a pace make sure you make the right steps to finding the right house.
And what are those steps? Well..
1. Choosing who to live with. What a massive question and make sure you know exactly who is going to be right for you and don't worry if you haven't decided yet because loads of people in that situation and there are events in the Union next semester to help you out.
2. When should you look? Well January is the best answer as that's when the accredited houses come on the market and they are the ones checked by the University to make sure they are OK.
3. Where should you look? Loads of different places, from PropertywithUS to online groups and agencies, newsagents and the accommodation board in the Union by reception.
4. Victorian terrace or modern apartment? Know what type of property you want to look for and make sure you set clear boundaries that all of you can agree to. Like setting a maximum rent you could all afford, or even listing the things you want in the house like a bath and double beds. It helps to narrow things down.
5. Location, Location, Location. Really look around the whole of Sheffield from Broomhill, Crookes, the city centre, Walkey, Sharrowvale, Ecclesall Road, Crookesmoor. Think about how far it is from lectures but also whether its the right house for you.
6. Choosing the Right House? Check the whole house from security to locks on front doors and make sure you know what your looking for.
7. Signing on the Dotted line. Don't sign anything you haven't read and understood. The Advice Centre run a housing contract checking service and can go through your contract with you to identify any problems to you that you might have.
Above all enjoy yourself. Watch out for the step by step guide in the Union and pick it up and have a read. The Student Advice Centre sees loads of problems with accommodation every year and we really want to make sure you don't suffer the same fate. Check the website for more information www.sheffieldunion.com/housing
Remember the most important thing however is that to find the right house, you can make the right home.
Take it easy
Tuesday 6 November 2007
Reignition
Hi everyone,
I've just been looking back at my last post which seems like such a long time ago! boy there has been loads going on!
The one thing that has been striking me however is that at the core of what we're doing as a students union is community. Take my week for example. Last tuesday I spent two hours talking to local residents groups about issues which they face and how we as a students union can work with them to address them.
Last night I sat in on an Activites and Events Committee meeting in Opal 2. These committees have the sole responsibility to promoting community in the Residences (by the way you can still get involved go to www.sheffieldunion.com/residences or head along to the relevant meeting this week)
From that I went to meet residents of the Nook and Harcourt Road in Interval to chat about the success of the Love Where You Live event which took place on the 27th October. This event brought non-students and student residents to paint bins, pot plants, tidy streets and make the place feel loved. The biggest thing I can notice is the hedge oppostie the Hadfield on Barber Road has been chopped down- finally we can walk on the pavement!
But then I regularly look at our activites and societies which all help promote community. Be it Debating society going to interval on a Monday evening or any of the activites on the Give It a Go programme. But it also shocked me how community isn't a 'new' thing.
I mean we as a team have got for this year a community team objective and yet community is one of the oldest concepts around. Community was around in Aristotle's day and it will be around long after you and I are gone. But it's core to us as a Students Union. That word 'Union' rings with it a community of students, bound together by common values and goals (we're all here to get the best degree!)
But community cannot be discovered, nor can it be invented. Infact community can be reignited. From the Love Where You Live events, AEC's, or societies community cannot be discovered because it already exists. Instead we have to help reignite the pilot flame of community and fan it throughout Sheffield.
So it doesn't matter what I do (well it does but for this it doesn't), because community cannot be dictated, degreed or decided on in committee but it has to be acted and active from the bottom-up in society. From me saying hello to my next door neighbours Sue and Ian whilst they light fireworks in their back garden to please their son Jamie who just lost his pet Rabbit (true story as I was walking home) to you saying hello to people on the street we need to reignite community.
Next week I'm going to launch the Smart Move Housing campaign with the strapline that to find the right house can make the right home. Most of us are here for three years (or more!) so I ask you to regnite the community around you, knock on the door of your neighbour,get involved in events around campus and be part of a community, a union, your Students Union.
I've just been looking back at my last post which seems like such a long time ago! boy there has been loads going on!
The one thing that has been striking me however is that at the core of what we're doing as a students union is community. Take my week for example. Last tuesday I spent two hours talking to local residents groups about issues which they face and how we as a students union can work with them to address them.
Last night I sat in on an Activites and Events Committee meeting in Opal 2. These committees have the sole responsibility to promoting community in the Residences (by the way you can still get involved go to www.sheffieldunion.com/residences or head along to the relevant meeting this week)
From that I went to meet residents of the Nook and Harcourt Road in Interval to chat about the success of the Love Where You Live event which took place on the 27th October. This event brought non-students and student residents to paint bins, pot plants, tidy streets and make the place feel loved. The biggest thing I can notice is the hedge oppostie the Hadfield on Barber Road has been chopped down- finally we can walk on the pavement!
But then I regularly look at our activites and societies which all help promote community. Be it Debating society going to interval on a Monday evening or any of the activites on the Give It a Go programme. But it also shocked me how community isn't a 'new' thing.
I mean we as a team have got for this year a community team objective and yet community is one of the oldest concepts around. Community was around in Aristotle's day and it will be around long after you and I are gone. But it's core to us as a Students Union. That word 'Union' rings with it a community of students, bound together by common values and goals (we're all here to get the best degree!)
But community cannot be discovered, nor can it be invented. Infact community can be reignited. From the Love Where You Live events, AEC's, or societies community cannot be discovered because it already exists. Instead we have to help reignite the pilot flame of community and fan it throughout Sheffield.
So it doesn't matter what I do (well it does but for this it doesn't), because community cannot be dictated, degreed or decided on in committee but it has to be acted and active from the bottom-up in society. From me saying hello to my next door neighbours Sue and Ian whilst they light fireworks in their back garden to please their son Jamie who just lost his pet Rabbit (true story as I was walking home) to you saying hello to people on the street we need to reignite community.
Next week I'm going to launch the Smart Move Housing campaign with the strapline that to find the right house can make the right home. Most of us are here for three years (or more!) so I ask you to regnite the community around you, knock on the door of your neighbour,get involved in events around campus and be part of a community, a union, your Students Union.
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