Out of a job!

Well comrades, that's it, I have handed over to new general secretary Sarah Woodvine and all that is left to do is help her get to grips with the role.

Throughout my year as gen sec I have placed my focus on two things that go hand in hand, union democracy and communicating that to students.

Whether it was blogging or live minutes from the final SGM being shown in JC's I have tried to get the hard the work that the union is doing out to students.

In truth I was barely able to scratch the surface of exciting new ways to communicate directly with our members but I hope I have got people thinking outside the box.


Campaigning for gen sec with housemates

As general secretary I also had to chair the officer responsibility group, which involves the unenviable task of collecting complaints about the sabbatical officers from any student. In hindsight I could have dealt with this responsibility better and perhaps the frankness of my report was not the best approach to take.

I wish I could continue the work I started as general secretary but I can't wait to get stuck into the role of education officer in earnest from July 1st and I have no doubt new general secretary, Sarah Woodvine, will do a great job and hopefully benefit from some of the lessons I have learnt this year.

For now, as a technically unemployed member of the students' union, I wish my sole regular reader of this blog, whoever you are and if you haven't given up reading it yet, a great summer.

Needless to say there is a more ambitious blogging project in the pipeline!

Hwyl!

The referendum question - no good time for Swansea Union

“Do you want the Assembly to have the power now to pass laws on all the subjects which are devolved to Wales?

1. YES

2. NO”

This is the question that First Minister Carwyn Jones sent new Secretary of State for Wales (and Chesham and Amersham) Cheryl Gillan for her approval.
If she agrees with the question we can then move on to setting a date for the referendum.




There is plenty of debate currently occurring about whether the question is right and what date the referendum should be held on amongst politicians, experts and the twitterati.

Thankfully there is no debate about what stance the students’ union will be taking on the forthcoming referendum – the students’ union, pending a motion to SGM, will throw its full weight behind the ‘yes campaign’.

In the 1997 vote on whether there should be a Welsh Assembly Swansea voted yes, just about. 53% said yes and 47% no, with the margins this fine, the student body could decide whether Swansea votes yes or no this time.

So when could our students’ union make the most positive impact on the yes campaign?

October 2010

A referendum in October this year seems to be the First Ministers choice, but how much time would people find to campaign for a yes vote in the mayhem of fresher’s fortnight and its aftermath?



There will be many Ents shaped distractions for students and our staff will be just about recovering from the stress of whatever joys the busiest two weeks in the calendar has served them up.

Maybe we could combine welcome speeches with rip roaring political addresses asking our new intake and their grannies that have come to help them move their stuff in, to vote yes.

March 2011

Well how about the romantic patriotic option of a March 1st referendum? Although, that has been tried before in 1979 when the people of Wales voted no, and not for the first time in our history conspired to end our own existence.

The referendum would either be held on Wales national day, March 1st, or because elections are always on Thursdays, March 3rd is another possible date, which is close enough to St David’s day for the yes campaign to ride on the wave of patriotism.



But assuming that the students’ union sticks to our 2010 timetable, a March 3rd referendum would be on the day that the sabbatical elections are launched.

With a large bulk of union activists of all political colours time being taken up preparing their own sabbatical campaign or helping friends, either way a lot of potential yes activists could be a little pre occupied.

May 5th, 2011

The last and least likely option is to hold the referendum on the same day as the Welsh general election on May 5th.

It isn’t hard to imagine that students involved in political parties would put the referendum on the back burner in order to campaign for their party.

With all four party’s supposed to be campaigning together for a yes vote this could be disastrous to our efforts in a national and union context.

Added to this that May is exam season and you have a recipe for total apathy for the referendum.

So all in all…

There seems no good time to hold a referendum if your Swansea University Students’ Union.

The fact that all of the dates hold serious perils for our efforts in the yes campaign means that we will have to put time and effort into preparing our contribution to the yes campaign in Swansea and the country.

But on a positive note our union was number one in Wales for promoting the ‘Vote for Students’ campaign in the Westminster elections, in now small part down to Luke Young’s energy for the campaign.

And with similar preparation I am sure we can beat all these set backs and provide just as positive a boost to the yes campaign, whenever we’re needed.

Live SGM banter blog - get involved!

Student General Meeting, Faraday A, 6pm



Tomorrow I will be blogging live from the SGM with the hope of taking union democracy to the (a few more) people.

The blog will start with the SGM at 6pm, keeping everyone up to date with the Students' Unions hot topics.

You can get involved in the blog, whether you're are there, at home or in JC's, by tweeting your views on what is being discussed and including the hashtag #swanseasgm

Keep up with events by viewing the blog here or at www.swansea-union.co.uk

To view the blog simply hover your mouse over the play symbol on the blog below from 6pm.

If you are going to the SGM then you can view the blog again anytime on either website.

Executive elections: new faces, new challenges

The Observer’s feature on Westminster’s new faces got me thinking about the fresh faced executive the Students’ Union will have come late on Tuesday night.

As if everyone hadn’t had enough of elections; their were some bleary eyes round Mandela House on Friday morning and most students don’t look back fondly on the campaign gauntlet laid down on the mall during sabbatical election week, Tuesday brings the Students’ Union executive elections.

Twenty-two students will be campaigning to try and convince you they are the right person to elect to one of the 12 positions that need to be filled for next year.

Those lucky enough to be elected, who will no doubt seek advice on how to be a good officer, could do worse than taking heed to the advice dished out in today’s Observer article.

Former Labour deputy leader Roy Hattersley, speaking about finding his way as a newly elected MP way back in 1964 says: “avoid veneration. Respect is essential, but revereance encourages the belief that parliament is important in itself. It’s a workshop not a shrine.”

Basically, you’re on the exec to do a job, represent your fellow students, not to get friendly and comfortable with the SU’s political leadership, hang out on level 3 and have a picture of your mug on the stairs.


Don't let your face get to your head

Hattersley advices new MP’s to have the courage of their convictions and that simple message can be applied to new exec members. Remember that you were elected as an individual to represent students, not as part of a team and sometimes you need to speak up even if it will cause an argument with someone you like and respect.

But at the same time Hattersley says “a member who constantly does the whip’s bidding becomes as ridiculous as one who rebels three times a week for no better reason than hope of notoriety.”

For those not familiar with political language, a whip is someone responsible for making MP’s of a certain party all vote the same way – for the team.

What Hattersley says is as relevant to the exec as it is to MP’s. If you come in with an axe to grind and are set on voting against a certain group of exec members or one member then you will quickly become ridiculous and unhelpful to union democracy, probably finding yourself on the receiving end of a boot out the door next election.

But at the same time a “good House of Commons man or woman” type person in the executive, who always votes with a group or person on the exec, is just at useless.

From my experience Hattersley is right, sometimes you need to be a team player, be flexible and stand with your fellow executive members and sometimes you need to rebel and stand firm for what you believe in.

The Labour man says in Westminster the only amenity he enjoyed “was my own coat hook” and he worked where ever he could find desk space and paid for his own phone calls.

New exec members might get a hoody but certainly don’t get a coat hook and shouldn’t be looking forward to any exciting freebies.

There is no queue jump for Tooters, no name or position dropping for tickets or free sandwiches allowance at Level 2 Spar, the only privilege you get is representing the interests of your fellow students.

Although with the quality of candidates that are standing that is no doubt the only privilege they seek.

But the most salient advice from the feature comes from Stoke-on Trent’s new MP Tristram Hunt who say’s come election day “one (vote) is enough; the rest is ego” but after your election you’re there to work hard for the people that put their trust in you and there is no room for ego in that.

Everyone should hear that advice now and again.

Peter May, Labour, HMO's and the election - TAKE 2

So Labour's Geraint Davies has been elected in Swansea West and Peter May, villified over his views on students living in the community, has been edged out.

I posted an entry yesterday highlighting the fact that the difference in politicians views on HMO's was not necessarily different between parties but people.



I've noticed quite a few Facebook status updates aimed at Peter May's record on HMO's or homes of multiple occupancy to the council - so to you and me a student house - in the last few days.

Naturally in this key marginal of Swansea West Labour supporters want to make the most of their oppositions weak spots.

But I can remember the HMO argument raging back in early 2009 when I covered it for a Waterfront front page.

The headline, a quote from a Swansea councillor read - Students 'would be better in hostels'.



A public gaffe from Counciller May? Nope. It was Labour Party councillor Derek James who called students "the transient population" who should be "housed in hostels".

James said: "In a country that presumably has a housing shortage, it is criminal to lose eminently suitable two and three bedroom family houses to a transient popultion more easily house in hostels."

After what I remember as a very, very lengthy chat to Peter May over the phone in response, which I then had to listen back to again, he said: "Whilst students should have a choice there should be a distribution. A consequence of the uncontrolled growth that's happened is seen in the summer when it's a very quiet area indeed."

"One of the most poignant things you can see is at Christmas time where you can go into streets in Brynmill where you're lucky to see one window decorated with Christmas lights."

"It's got to the point where if we tried to get a mass exodus of students from the Brynmill area you would have the problem of converted properties that no-one wants to buy."

So May's words arn't quite as bad as the Labour man, but then again Derek James is not the Labour candidate in this election and Peter May would have been well aware of the audience he was speeking to through the Waterfront.

Sources I trust have told me May isn't being totally straight here and wants to seperate students from the community.

But I have no agenda here, just thought it was a relevant time to fish this out of the archives.

MP for the University of Wales?

The hugely successful Vote for Students campaign run by the National Union of Students means that students in many seats may just hold the balance of power between candidates, forcing them come clean on where they stand on tuition fees and other important issues.

The scheme makes our MP’s accountable to students once again, but could we do better? How about a MP just for Welsh Universities?

From 1918 to 1950 that is exactly what we had. The University of Wales returned one MP to Westminster in a first past the post system, with the electorate consisting of graduates of the University.



Liberal candidate Herbert Lewis was the first elected to the new seat in 1918, defeating Mrs H Mackenzie by 563 votes – the electorate was a mere 1,066.

But Swansea votes didn’t count until the 1922 election when Thomas Lewis, who fought the election from his nursing home, was elected only to die a year later at 41.

The Liberals held the seat from its creation in 1918 until it was abolished in 1950. Although both Liberal MP’s were also members of the Welsh home rule movement Cymru Fydd.

And William Gruffydd, who held the seat from 1942 until 1950, was also the vice-president of Plaid Cymru until a feud broke out when he stood against the Swansea University academic and founder of the party Saunders Lewis.

Whatever happens this time I doubt we will see representation like that again.

The Police and the party

As an enthusiastic connoisseur of all things alcohol related I was pleased to hear about some plucky freshers organising a house party in the village that has already gained semi legendary status.

But then there was some news from the police. It would have been no surprise if Sting and the boys had got wind of this gathering from America and announced they would be rocking up to provide music for the over 1000 strong guest list on Facebook.

Unfortunately the Police in question were the boys in blue who have allegedly decided to contact the party organiser to kindly inform them that should the party go ahead they could incur a fine of up to £10,000 and face being booted out of university.

A few things strike me about this intervention. Firstly, did the university estates bosses just happen to come across this Facebook event or are MI5 not busy enough at the moment.

Secondly and more seriously, what happened to the right of assembly? Last time I checked getting a 1000 people together in a four bedroom house didn’t constitute a crime.



But in all honesty this is far from a human rights tragedy and the police and the University have probably done the organisers a favour putting the breaks on before hand.

Trying to explain your way out of couple of grand’s worth of damage when its all over and everyone’s gone home would be more challenging than a degree in Medicine.

Plus there's always the distinct possibility that nobody turns up, an event from my first year springs to mind, and that's never nice for the organiser - word tends to get around on the quasi automous state of Hendrefoeland Student Village.

Although judging by the Facebook message, which says they have people in Germany now facing a night in watching the Pobl y Cwm omnibus after it was called off, that probably isn't the case here.

All in all though best not to get your house destroyed. But, if or when the university finally sell the village to developers, an impromptu festival to see off the village would surely be the only right thing to do!

Can we make SGM's sexy?

#nusnc10 - 10 best tweets of #swanseaunionontour

In no particular order: my top ten tweets from Swansea Union delegates and stalwarts from NUS UK conference.

- RT@LEJ88 : Row V, seat 17 is a Tory!!! Shhh don't say I told you #nusnc10

- RT@estellehart : i'm a big fan of @tobinwebb in the chair, he said tombola #nusnc10

- RT@simondarvill: in a Irish bar in Newcastle Steven Marshall would love it, and have his passport out! #notirish #nusnc10 #swanseaunionontour

- RT@lukeyoung: Conference I do not see 100 delegates RT @LEJ88: @RaechelMattey is moving a procedural motion to extend the guillotine on her birthday by 24 hours #nusnc10

Twitpic!


- RT@lukeyoung: as if a volcano is threatening my plans #offensive #nusnc10 #swanseaunionontour

- RT@lukeyoung: Ben seems to be talking about Welfare, I was under the assumption that this was VP Warfare... #nusnc10

- RT@lej88: Thought #nusnc10 was a safe space? People keep slagging off career hacks, I am staging a one man walk out on behalf of all #NUJ members!

- RT@lej88: Oh dear, a candidate just accidentally ended on "I'm not the candidate for you." #speechtimingfail

- RT@lleuwilliams: BORE DA is not good afternoon #CymraegFail

- RT@raechelmattey: Is having a Top Gear challenge from Newcastle to Cardiff with @luke young car v train who will win???

National Union of Infighting - NUS UK Conference Report

Excuse me. Are you the Judean Peoples Front?

Fuck off! We’re the Peoples front of Judea.

You don’t need enemies when you’re in the National Union of Students - that is my impression as I arrive back from the NUS UK conference today, which you elected me to attend last year.

Despite spending a full three days in Gateshead, with another 900 delegates representing students’ union from across the UK, the verdict has to be that NUS could do better after a conference stifled by infighting.

Centre left Labour students and the menage a trois of far left revolutionary student movements attacked each other relentlessly over the three days.

The result, no time to discuss motions which could have been crucial to Swansea students such as minimum pricing of alcohol, bilingualism and motions to enable more students to engage in NUS activities.

I voted on the merits of each motion and argument, finding myself siding with both the centre and far left on different issues, each presenting their own battle. I won’t accredit blame, but NUS UK is an inherently party politicised union which in my view is often a diversion to fighting for students.



Despite the constantly ensuing battle of the social justice vs. class war agenda the conference managed to hear reports from national officers and sections who are doing valuable work and discuss motions which will have a positive effect on Swansea students.

Students’ best interests were often lost though, muddled in between political grandstanding.

Many delegates paid all of their attention to fighting the BNP and solidarity with Palestine, whilst I am in solidarity with Palestine and have stood on the frontline against fascists if we don’t give time to developing a strategy on fighting cuts in education and other welfare issues we will be out manoeuvred by the mass of mainly liberal English politicians who want us to pay through the nose for education and are happy to see standards decline.

I believe whilst Westminster sets the UK budget, which effects how much the Welsh government can spend, we should remain a part of NUS UK.

However the interests of Swansea students, I believe, would be better served by a stronger NUS Wales – education is devolved to the Welsh Assembly and therefore we need to concentrate on lobbying the Welsh government to see the greatest gains for our students.

But all your Swansea delegates (Luke Young, Raechel Mattey, Simon Darvill, Paul Cargeeg and myself) worked hard to represent Swansea union and your best interests.

I made a note of my full voting record on motions and candidates for office for the purposes of transparency; just ask if you’re interested in knowing how I voted on any issue.

Money for War

I am, like everyone, currently deep into essay hell. However I just came across a really relevant poem in a copy of Celyn magazine while scouring it for inspiration.

It summarises frustrations about spending priorities pretty well. The fact that in the London governments latest budget defence spending is protected whilst education is not. Even the university have shares in arms companies, which Campaign Against the Arms Trade highlight year after year.

Anyway, im not a massive poetry fan but thought this was pretty fitting so here it goes.

Money for War by Herbert Williams - from Red Poets issue 15.

The patients are lined up on hospital trolleys,
They're waiting for ten hours or more.
But put down Iraq for another six billion,
They always find money for war.

The schools are a shambles, there aren't enough textbooks,
The damp's coming up through the floor.
But stack up the cluster bombs, target the missiles,
There's no end of money for war.

We can't pay the nurses half what they're asking.
They're stroppy? Then show them the door!
Just make sure there's a smile on the face of George Dubya
By giving him money for war.

The dentists go private. Our molars go rotten.
The trains are a joke. It's a bore.
But so long as the profiteers make a good killing
You'll find that there's money for war.

We know what the future holds. Pain and frustration.
No this and no that. It's the law.
And most certain of all is the truth beyond telling-
There'll always be money for war.

Yesterday a pay rise, today more cuts!

Yesterday the Western Mail revealed the University Vice-Chancellor Richard Davies had recieved a 28k bonus (see last blog).

Today the news is MORE CUTS - this time to academic staff in the Arts and Humanities department.

American Studies, Cymraeg, English Literature, Media Studies, Modern Languages, Translation, Classics and Ancient Eygyptology, English Language, History, Medieval Studies, Politics and International Relations and War and Society students, your courses are under attack.

The result for students, less value for your money. You will pay the same money but can expect less contact time, longer waits for feedback and less of the books you need in the library.

The information available says there will be compulsory and optional redundancies to your lecturers and academic staff, with postgraduate students filling in the gaps.

These cuts will have a real impact on your education and experience - we must make students aware they are happening and resist them together.

I am keen for the good relationship between the Students' Union and the University to continue, hopefully we have the same aims, the best education and experience for Swansea students.

However the prospect of cuts just a day after the Vice-Chancellors bonus was revealed is a real slap in the face and an attack on Swansea students best interests!

Vice-Chancellor pay rise a slap in the face to students and staff

Vice-Chancellor Richard Davies recieved a 14% pay increase between 2007/08 and 2008/09, according to figures released by Swansea University and revealed in the Western Mail.

The increase worth 28 thousand pounds was the joint second highest in Wales in percentage terms - click here for the full list.


Pay rise: Swansea Vice-Chancellor Richard Davies

This increase comes after a year where the Students' Union rallied students to protest outside a meeting which decided the futures of several staff in the School of Society and Environment - the jobs eventually being saved.



General Secretary of the University College Union has called the pay rise "unfortunate and perhaps a little distateful" and crucially added "It should not come as a surprise that staff are sometimes sceptical when their 'leaders' ask for belts to be tightened."

We, as students, should therefor be equally as sceptical next time we are told there isn't the money to fund things crucial to our education and experience we pay thousands of pounds for each year.

For example we now have:

- Lectures starting at 8am and going on until 8pm
- Saturday exams
- University plans to use Wednesday afternoons for lectures
- Room for massive improvement in feedback
- A lack of computers on campus

And those are just a few things amongst others where, as students, we are not recieving value for money.

So how then does Swansea University and Richard Davies justify a 28 thousand pound pay rise?

That is a question for myself and fellow Students' Union representatives to get answers for as soon as possible.

The Stock Exchange

Anyone remember classic Divas night The Stock Exchange?

Well apparently nobody else does because the worlds premier news agency Reuters have excitedly been building up the hype around a new New York bar called the Exchange Bar and Grill.



The new bar which opens on April 1 promises "prices for food and beverages will fluctuate like stock prices in increments according to demand."

Sound familier? I am pretty sure the world famous Swansea Ents didn't invent the idea but maybe just to be sure the union should start sending out a press release to all the major news agencies everytime Ents come up with a new event.

Carnage: the beginning of the end?

Spare a thought for the poor person in charge of Carnage UK's public and media relations this year.

At the start of the academic year they found themselves on the end of a almighty public outcry after Sheffield student Philip Laing urinated on a war memorial.



Now they are finishing in equally fine form - a Carnage manager faces prison after assualting a man during a Carnage event in Bangor.

Carnage has always attracted a lot of media attention but now they find themselves under attack from MP's.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said in the House of Commons this week: "these disreputable organisations need to be tackled and indeed in most places across the country there is a very realistic and very meaningful partnership between local police and licensees to ensure that licensees do not have their own reputation undermined by organisations such as that which you mentioned.”

Public opinion has ammassed against Carnage and as a result the politicians are chasing the scent of an easy crowd pleaser, getting rid of Carnage.

It would take a PR miracle to turn back the tide now so if you're a Carnage fan enjoy the next one because it might just be the last.

Swansea NUJ students gaining recognition

I was flicking through the National Union of Journalists magazine this evening when the headline'Students form chapel' caught my eye.


Above: A piece from the NUJ magazine on the conference I and other student journalists covered last year.

Suprisingly the NUJ magazine has featured the NUJ chapel we are trying to establish at the university in their magazine.

It's only a small piece but nice to see our efforts in Swansea have been recognised.

I look forward to forming a strong NUJ group at the university next year to ensure once myself and other key activists are gone students will continue to reap the rewards from being NUJ members.

Gen Sec's unofficial minutes

So we're ten minutes in, flown through stand in chair Raechel Mattey's welcome, no one's spotted any hideous errors in the minutes and Ross has congratulated and commiserated sabbatical candidates in the space where he was suppose to give a report of what he’s been doing as education officer.

We’re onto the sticky subject of banning chewing gum and I’ve just recycled opinions from Tuesdays Exec meeting for which I received, what I would call a second hand round of applause, due to the fact I was merely summarising points made by other exec members on Tuesday.

They all count though.

Just as we’re coming to a consensus that the Uni can shove their solidar….in walks two suited gentleman who proceed to have a stare off with societies and services Queen Raechel Mattey before explaining they have booked the room and want us out.

Thankfully the ever tactful Steve Cushen was on hand to ascertain our guests names by asking in his soothing Merthyr valley tone: “who are yooo?”.

Which gave the game away as to why Cush didn’t run for sabb – he has nailed a job with the world renowned North Korean Diplomatic Service.

It turns out they were lecturers from the Engineering Department. Not in Faraday surely.

Anyway long and short of it we have to tramp downstairs to finish the debate and decide the students’ union will be facilitating chewing for a while yet.

Onto the Emergency Motion – a review of part-time officers positions which will cut the number of positions to 13.

Simon Darvill proposes, gets a good reaction and the exec members present Tuesday have already agreed with the motion. I reckon this will fly through and I might catch the end of the Fulham game.

After ten minutes of clarifications on the motions have been given the forward defensive by Darvill we move on to a vote if there is no one to speak against…

Not likely! Up steps the ever present Tom Lake of SGM fame to level some good arguments and ask people to vote against.

So six speeches in three rounds of two minutes each later and were ready for a vote.

Gilman asks for all in favour – a decent 17 hands, not a clear majority. Gilman asks for all those against – after a thorough count, a close 12, but no cigar.

There were some pretty notable abstentions too.

So the best SGM in recent memory leaves you minus an accommodation officer, communications officer, Ents officers, Erasmus rep, Department of Adult Continuing Education rep, village rep, library rep, two non-portfolio officers, race relations officers and undergraduate rep.

But in my view with a more workable executive…only time will tell who is right.

MORE OF THE SAME NEXT TIME PLEASE!

Big Questions

How does Raechel Mattey make her hair so nice? Will somebody defend me in court if I react badly to Ross Gilman inviting me to another group with a guinea pig as the profile picture?

OR

Isn't it about time we had more computers on campus? You sounded serious about taking action in a recent Waterfront article but have you actually done anything about it?

At the end of every SGM anyone can ask the sabbatical and executive officers a question about absolutely anything and get an answer.

BUT even better if you don't fancy asking the questions yourself there will be a big box as you come in to the SGM for you to drop in a questions which I, General Secretary, will ask the officers on your behalf.

It's really easy so please so get your questions ready and let's leave no stone unturned comrades!

You can even email your question to exec@swansea-union.co.uk and I will ask it on your behalf on Thursday.

Swansea Uni NUJ Chapel

Nine current Waterfront journalists and myself attended the Swansea branch meeting of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) last night, with the view to making the uni a hotbed of NUJ activism.

I gave a brief talk on the NUJ at yesterdays Annual General Meeting (AGM) and mentioned that there was a meeting of the Swansea branch straight afterwards.

The fact that nine people then came along at short notice to the Environment Centre for the NUJ Swansea branch meeting shows the commitment of the aspiring journalists in the Waterfront to succeed as journalists, improve the Waterfront and fight for good journalism.

I am calling a meeting to start the NUJ Swansea University Chapel on:

Tuesday, 23rd at 6pm Venue to be confirmed

Please make the effort to come along if you are passionate about journalism, want to improve journalism at Swansea University and you are willing to do something about it.

Drop me a line at exec@swansea-union.co.uk if you have any questions etc.

Training courses: http://www.nujtraining.org.uk/show_title.phtml?ref=0&category=wales

Calling all journalists

Back in November I attended the Annual Delegates Meeting (ADM) of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) as a student member.

The NUJ campaign to uphold the standards of journalism and for the welfare of journalists worldwide.

During the conference I met delegates from the Swansea branch who delivered a fantastic speech to the conference on the dire state of the Welsh media and the need to start the fight back.

I was also surprised to hear that there are over thirty members of the NUJ at Swansea University.

At the last Student General Metting (SGM) of last year I passed a motion mandating the Students’ Union to pay for all members of the Waterfront to attend NUJ training courses.

I want to get an NUJ chapel, which is NUJ speak for a branch in a certain workplace, at Swansea University so that all aspiring journalists at Swansea University can make use of this and other support the Students’ Union can give.

Joining the NUJ as a student member has many benefits, such as discount on training, support in finding useful work experience and the chance to fight for your future career.

If anyone is interested in helping set up a chapel of the NUJ at Swansea University drop me a line at exec@swansea-union.co.uk

Also the next NUJ Swansea Branch meeting is Monday, 15th which I will be attending, if you are interested in getting involved you are more than welcome to come along.

5 reasons to go to tonight's Student General Meeting (SGM)...

1. You see where all the money is going.

For the many of us that donate heavily on a regular basis to the Students' Union at the bar its important to know where our pounds are being spent.

2. Banter stakes are high.

3. Have your say...if some nutters come to the SGM and try to ban Tooters and your not there to vote against it what are we going to do on a Friday?


4. Theres a nice picture of David Hasslehoff on show...last year a SGM passed a motion to mandate the SU to acquiring a picture of David Hasselhoff.

Thankfully the part of the motion which mandated everyone who speaks at any SGM to hold it whilst they are speaking was voted down. But goes to show you can change anything and everything.

5. Theres lots of pretty people.

Student General Meeting. Faraday A. 6pm - TONIGHT


http://www.facebook.com/#/event.php?eid=258951393415&index=1

My letter re Welsh media

Below is my letter regarding the Welsh media which appeared in yesterdays (24/01/2010) Wales on Sunday.


"AS a regular reader of Steve Tucker’s usually hilarious column in Wales on Sunday and student member of the National Union of Journalists, I was disappointed by the sentiments he expressed about S4C this week.

In his column about S4C’s recent Sgorio programme, which officially had no viewers, Steve asks “why can’t we have some programmes in English on S4C?”

My question would be why can’t we have English language channels specifically for Wales, much like RTÉ in Ireland, as well as Welsh language channels?

I am surprised to see Steve criticising S4C when its position is similar to the Western Mail’s.

I buy the Western Mail and Wales on Sunday because I want Welsh news, sport and opinion, but I am in a minority, the majority of people in Wales, that still buy a daily paper, will read a newspaper that was written for an English audience with nothing about Wales inside.



Despite not speaking Welsh, I often watch S4C, including Sgorio, with subtitles on because I want to watch programmes that reflect Welsh culture and tackle Welsh issues. I don’t believe I am alone in wanting to consume media that is relevant to me. You say things have got so bad Rod Richards said S4C should be closed down, well if Richards succeeds in stirring up support for S4C’s closure, how long until the Western Mail is under threat because it doesn’t have enough readers?

I applaud the work S4C, BBC Cymru Wales and Media Wales do but our media in Wales is still underdeveloped and in a delicate position.

I would hope Steve Tucker and other public figures in Wales get right behind the growth of independent Welsh media in the future."


GWYNFOR 1 MAGGIE THATCHER 0

Food & Fuel

Unless you have been living under a rock or sleeping off a serious Divas hangover you may have noticed there is a recession happening.

As always this crisis of capitalism has hit the poorest the hardest, the price of food worldwide is rising and wages are decreasing and climate change has caused mayhem, including recent flooding.

The idea that students are just riding out the recession, holed up in three or more years of blissful ignorance, is very misguided.

We, as students, are amongst the poorest in this country and therefore we are going to feel the impact of the failures of capitalism in many different ways. Including:

- As the price of oil rises, the price of fuel rises, and the price of our bills will rise. Standard things like having a shower, cooking or heating the house will cost more than before.

- Food will cost more because of the economy’s reliance on imported foods. Fewer foods will be available to those living on a student budget.

Whilst politicians fail to come to an agreement over climate change Swansea Students’ Union must make a plan of action for our members.

The Students’ Union needs to throw its full weight behind the food co-operative, run by Discovery which offers local fresh fruit and vegetables for £2.50 a week, for starters.

I know there are plenty of people and groups who work hard at this university to promote green issues and I think now is the time for food and fuel security to go right to the top of our agenda in the students’ union.

We might not be feeling the effects too much now but food and fuel shortages could hit us quickly and without warning.

I think both food and fuel prices will be a key concern of welfare officers to come for the foreseeable future.

The UK government have revealed a 20-year food plan, it's time to start thinking about our plan.

Students' Union allotments?