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?