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ANY OTHER BUSINESS Want to develop your skills as a campaigner? Now is your chance.
On Monday December 13th NUS will be running Activist Development Days in two locations across the UK – aimed at students. These events will provide a wide range of skills that any budding campaigner should be looking to develop. Where and When is the training? Monday 13th December – London School of Economics How Much will it cost? The events are just £5 and registration is simple – though before you register you should check with your students union whether they are sending people as if more than 10 activists from your students’ union turn up – we will let you all have your places for free. I’m IN – How do I get on the course? To register please download this form and send the forms to: wendy.white@nus.org.uk What can I expect? These days are aimed at student activists and we will be passing on information, advice, training and support around Building, Running and Winning campaigns on campus. There will be a wide range of sessions focused on: Building a Campaign Army, Choosing Campaigning Issues, Identifying Targets and Allies, The Campaign Life Cycle, Campaigning Online, Campus Stunts and Actions, Using Campus and Local Media, Educating Students on Issues. The day will also provide campaign teams a chance to work together to consider how they can run campaigns locally with input and advice from expert campaigners.
NUS News
A round up from the national voice for students.
NUS responds to Nick Clegg’s “astonishing” letter on tuition fees and education cuts Aaron Porter, NUS President, today responded to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s letter which sought to mollify recent student protests by claiming that protesters did not understand the proposals. The response comes on a third day of national action against the proposed changes which will include a rally at Trafalgar Square.In his detailed and lengthy response Mr Porter calls attention to the many “ways in which these proposals are problematic, misleading or damaging” and presents counterarguments, including: - The coalition have not properly considered a graduate tax and have dismissed the idea based on a ‘pure graduate tax’ system that has not been proposed - They recommend a foolish and extremely risky approach to funding the higher education sector, with a rapid move to an unconstrained market in which students meet almost the whole cost of teaching - They accept at face value the lazy myth that competition on price between universities leads to higher quality, and accepts the falsehood that fair access can be achieved through so-called ‘needs blind’ admissions and a trade in bursaries or scholarships, whilst dismantling the education maintenance allowance (EMA) and AimHigher schemes - They ignore the probability that with much higher fee levels, prospective students especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds - will change their behaviour and make judgements primarily on prices, costs and debt
Government tells students to “aim lower” as minister axes university access scheme NUS today condemned an announcement by Universities Minister David Willetts that the Aimhigher university access scheme would be abolished. The Minister announced the decision at a Universities UK (UUK) funding conference in London as MPs prepare to vote on proposals to treble tuition fees to £9,000 and the Government seeks to abolish the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the poorest college and sixth form students. NUS said the already announced £150 million for university scholarships would be outweighed by cuts of £450 million to the EMA budget which it is paid to poorer college and sixth form students aged 16-19 in order to access education.
Students will take no lectures from Nick Clegg, says NUS Responding to Nick Clegg’s Hugo Young lecture the National Union of Students said students were tired of his dishonesty and said that he risked destroying voters’ faith in politicians. Aaron Porter, NUS President, said: “Students will take no lectures from Nick Clegg. It does absolutely nothing for public trust in politics to have politicians breaking cast-iron promises they have made to voters. We listened carefully to him before the election when he said that he would resist, vote against, campaign against any increase in fees. He even said he wanted to join forces with us and to top it all signed our pledge in front of students. He should go back and examine both that document and his conscience before he asks students to believe anything he says.” “Nick Clegg’s claims that the Government’s proposals are close to the graduate tax advocated by NUS are distorted nonsense. He is proposing the removal 80 per cent of teaching funding for universities and asking the next generation to shoulder the bill through a tripling of fees and now has the gall to argue that is fair. Students, families and the public at large are overwhelmingly inclined not to believe him. As he correctly notes, however, it remains Liberal Democrat policy to abolish tuition fees.”
NUS launches ‘Right To Recall’ campaign to oust leading Lib Dems The National Union of Students will launch a “decapitation” strategy aimed at ousting Nick Clegg and other top Liberal Democrats from parliament in protest at the party’s U-turn on student fees. What is Right To Recall? It’s actually one of the political reform measures that the Lib Dems called for at the general elections and one of the terms to be discussed in the Coalition Agreement, and is now quite interesting because of the amount of broken promises that have arisen from the Lib Dem camp, especially surrounding student matters. If passed it means that if 10% of constituents complain about their MP, then that MP will immediately face a by-election. The NUS have recently launched the campaign, which aims to help keep MP’s to account over broken promises - such as the promises made about tuition fees and EMA grants for college students. More info is available at: http://www.nus.org.uk/en/News/News/NUS-launches-Right-toRecall-campaign/
In the letter to the Deputy Prime Minister, Aaron Porter writes: “All of your party’s MPs signed personal pledges to vote against higher fees. Those pledges did not offer voters making decisions on the basis of those signatures the additional information that you would seek to abolish fees if you won, but agree to triple them if in coalition. The anger felt at this betrayal is real, justified, and desperately disappointing to those who placed in you their hope for a different politics.” “The Government is, in effect, proposing a vote to triple fees before Christmas; a vote to make them ‘progressive’ after Christmas; and a vote on legislation to deliver value for money for those fees much further down the line. This process is nothing short of a democratic disgrace and should be resisted by MPs and Lords of all parties – and especially by you. For these reasons, I would urge you to reconsider the process that you are looking to undertake with regards to changes to the system.”
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“We refuse to sit by while our universities are transformed from centers of social, academic and personal development into mines for the human mental resource. We do not see students, teachers and courses as a raw mineral ore to be extracted and profited from.” R.O.A.R. (Radical Organised Alumni of Roehampton)
“the only governmentrecognised centre of excellence in teaching and learning in the field of human rights in the country, for which Roehampton was awarded £4.5 million” www.roehampton.ac.uk
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Fresh Newspaper
SOCIETIES Well it’s the last Fresh before Christmas, deadlines are here, the loans have run out but that doesn’t mean there isn’t time for one last party! I hope everyone has had as great a term as I have; all you fresher’s have settled in, second years you’re realising your degree actually counts now, and third years we are fast approaching our last few months at Roehampton! I’d just like to say that over the past month societies have really shown their mettle and worth, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of it all. Let’s build on this work, and make next year the biggest and best yet! We’ve had some great socials over the past month, with both the Roehampton players and the third row dance society hosting nights at the bar. The Roehampton Player ‘this is England ‘86’ theme went down well, with our very own Anant Naik on the DJ decks and plenty of braces around. If you didn’t get a chance to play pass the pint, I’m sure there will be another coming up soon. The cocktail night third row ran was a great success, felt a little strange drinking sex on the beach at the union but it was definitely something I could get used to! They were both a great success and I can’t wait for the next society to put something on! Here at the RSU we’ve made some changes and putting a night on at the bar has never been easier, just email myself or Natasha Blake for all the details! Remember Monday nights are society night at the bar, but that shouldn’t stop you from doing something at the weekend! Come next term the RSU will be running re-fresher’s week. It’s a great time to join up to a new society (it’ll be pretty well established by now) and you’ll know if you can handle any extra commitments. During re-fresher’s we at the RSU will be looking for feedback on a new idea, the idea of Departmental societies. So each new department has a student run society that directly relates to their subject, hopefully with academic support from the department itself. If you’ve got any ideas on this don’t be afraid to email me at (springel@roehampton.ac.uk) this idea has never been done at Roehampton before so we can build it from the ground up! I’d like to say a great big thank you to all the societies who came to the national Demo on November 10th. We had a brilliant turn out from Roehampton, and societies made up a big chunk of that, it was a great day, even if a little marred by violence. However the fight isn’t over, with subjects now facing the axe at Roehampton it’s time for societies to rally round each other and support each other as much as we possibly can. So if you’ve got some free time, head-over to the human rights society, all there contact details are on the RSU website, get involved! I know it seems early, but don’t forget that Societies achievement ceremony isn’t coming up, so if you think your society puts on an event, of any kind remember it! You can nominate anyone next term! I hope everyone has a great Christmas break, finish all your work early (don’t leave it to the last minute!) and come back and enjoy Re-Fresher’s week! Merry Christmas Luke Springett Societies President
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ACS King and Queens Heats There were at least 40 people in the venue, It started late but that didn’t stop it from entertaining early on with flashing lights, animated presenters and wonderful talent on show. Wrist bands were handed out and security was tight, and there was no rough behaviour or misconduct, but highly charged with excitement over the acts preparing to perform. As the room swelled with excited spectators, one could catch the glimpse of the potential queens practising their walk in the corridors, memorising lines, picking and all manner of things before the show commenced. The project manager of the ACS introduced the afro Caribbean society as a charitable event that encourages positive views about black culture. This was a beauty pageant to bring people together and telling by the numbers, the event was doing what it said on the tin. Each contestant had to catwalk, pose and walk back, typical of a fashion shoot. After this there was a talent run, giving the prospective queens the chance to show their talent whatever it was and whoever was favoured got through. The least two were eliminated from the race. The judge’s score would be tallied up and revealed after which there were joyous cheers and a hunger for more. The first contestant performed a poem discussing the connotation of the colour black and to add to it, sung during the poem earning herself plaudits. The second contestant performed a poem discussing God and protection. Like the contestant before her, she had no script but what added to her eloquence was not her spoken word but her expression of movement, rendering her more confident than the latter. The third contestant swept the crowd away with a song about the love she receives from her father. The fourth performance was a dance and it did not disappoint, there was shaking galore and the crowd’s fixity was firmly pressed upon her, not wavering for a moment. Finally, the fifth contestant performed a song. After this, judges were scribbling away and moments later, the scores were again added and moments later the next two to leave the competition were announced after much deliberation from the judges. X factor eat your heart out. The third, second and first place are announced and the winner is a flood of emotions and rightly so, it was a fierce competition. However, in what some may call a rather tragic twist of fate, a wild card is brought out. All contestants are brought back and presented before the audience, for them (the audience) to decide who should get given another dance. Ultimately, the audience decided who got the most support by clapping. The audience made noise for their winner and the poor girl who thought she had won was trumped. From experience we all know that sometimes the people we thought would get through don’t…just watch the X-factor! This was a night about beauty and not so much in the carnal sense of the word but what being young, black and multitalented is and why we should use our gifts to make each other rich. And on that note, it was a very prosperous night. Courtesy of www.theroehamptonlanejournal.wordpress.com
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SPORT ROEHAMPTON Spurs fans should Bale-ieve in their Rafa good team The dream duo are promising something special at White Hart Lane It’s fair to say I was more than surprised when I’d seen that Tottenham fans had booed their players off the field after a 1-1 draw with Sunderland. I’m not a fan of booing your own players, but this just seemed crazy. Spurs have done fairly well so far this season, and Steve Bruce’s side are no pushovers (they went on to beat Chelsea 3-0 the following weekend). However, the fans were dissatisfied enough to elicit such a seemingly unnecessary reaction. Even on internet messageboards, some drama queens were talking about how this season was turning into “a disaster”. League performances have been a bit inconsistent for Tottenham, but this was always going to be the side-effect of a Champions League campaign for a side and a manager who have little experience in such an area. Spurs are currently sitting in seventh, only three points adrift of fourth place, and with such a long way to go before the season’s climax that’s certainly not a bad place to sit. I’m fairly sure league titles have been won from such positions at this stage. Aside from that, there have been two massive positives for Tottenham this season. The aforementioned Champions League campaign has been a real success so far. Just making the group stages was a big achievement for Tottenham, but beating the reigning champions is the sort of lunacy Spurs fans could only have dreamed of at the start of the season. It’s nice to see someone different from the usual four competing, but it’s even better if they’re playing well and giving themselves a shot at making the latter rounds. The other big positive is the birth of two new stars at White Hart Lane. There’s been so much talk about Gareth Bale that it’s almost not worth discussing him again, yet people are still divided on whether his recent run of form is his coming-of-age or simply a flash in the pan. I am absolutely certain it’s the former, because Bale has threatened to turn into a quality player for a long time now. He’s finally turned that potential he always had into substance, with goals and assists stacking up more and more every game. Stats can lie, but watching Bale is all the indication you need to realise that he possesses the natural instincts of a winger. It’s remarkable that at age 21, Bale is playing the starring role in a Tottenham side with bundles of midfield talent. This doesn’t happen to someone who is simply having a good patch of form, and neither does scoring a hat-trick against Inter Milan. Is he world class? Definitely not. But he can, and probably will be. The other star is of course, Rafael van der Vaart. It’s perhaps no surprise that he’s been so good for Tottenham, but that will not take away from the enjoyment fans get from watching him. The former Real Madrid man has brought a much-desired attacking quality to the centre of the Spurs midfield, and his contributions have been in about as much abundance as Gareth Bale’s. After his first game, I was already impressed by him. He was constantly finding the space between midfield and defence, and always had room for the ball to be played into him as well as the ability to use it. His positioning is second to none, and his technique when he has the ball is sublime. It’s that extra bit of quality that Tottenham needed, and it represents another shrewd bit of business by Harry Redknapp. £8m seems a lot, but when you consider that Alex Ferguson paid the same price to bring Bebe to Manchester United, it suddenly becomes a bargain. I’d imagine that Champions League football was a big factor in van der Vaart’s decision to join Tottenham, but it’s still an unlikely and
fantastic signing that Redknapp has pulled off. These two players are only part of a Tottenham side that, when you consider the faltering of the top clubs this season, could achieve some great things. There was never any doubt that Spurs would be contenders for a top four spot again this year, but with the rise of these two great footballers, I think Tottenham can go beyond that and maybe finish in the top two or three, perhaps even winning the FA Cup along the way. In either case, Spurs fans should give their side a bit of time, and enjoy what should be a very special season for them. Jake Fleming
Row-Hampton Roehampton Rowing Club has a lot to look forward to within the next few years. British Rowing has funded the university with money to improve the quality of the club and the team is now even being trained by British rowing trainer Laura Fisher. Roehampton has such a prime location for a rowing team with the Thames being so close and we have many great opportunities with one student that has been selected for the GB Rowing team and two more - Sam Sears & Ryan Ames – training in order to trial for it sometime next year. The club has seen an influx of interest this year and are hoping that it will get even more from students and sponsors alike. There are plans to make the university an acknowledged rowing team with the help of British rowing and constant fundraising. And a massive well done to Ryan Ames who competed in the Scullers Head singles race for the first time on Saturday 27th November. The race started in Chiswick and finished at Putney Bridge. Ryan completed the race in 26:03 minutes which is a fantastic time for his first attempt and finished 353rd out of 501. A quick word from the captains; is the first of ome on this wintery afternoon. This Hello and I wish you a warm welc ing team at row the , pton rding rowing at Roeham many bi-weekly news letters rega next few years the over for ned plan ge ressive chan the University is undertaking a prog a brand new ding inclu of funding from British Rowing, which has seen the introduction ra Fisher. coach – so a big high five to Lau C with the increase in participation at RUR Already this year we’ve seen an and one which we ent evem achi astic fant a is h whic development of 6 crews. YES SIX, s! guy k Keep up the good wor hope will go on to great success. Sam Sears Clubhouse Captain
Hello, As the women’s capt ain I’m really this year! I’m pleased to see real so many wom fitness wise. Le ly looking forward to wat en join the team ching us all pr ts keep up the og commitment order to get th that some peop ress both technically and ose others, w le are already ho may be sh part of the te y or unsure, m showing in am. With raci ore involved ng season just prepared that and love bein around the co we can :) Kee g rner we all w p up the good ant to be the work. m ost Ellie Biggs, Women’s Capt ain pton ain of the Roeham mens rowing capt as at d th an ds , la es w Am is Ryan u to all the ne Hello, My name me and thank yo are going like to say welco st d it looks like we ju an d t ul ou wo I rn tu m t tea ea gr a e is d er ha th r, ve ar. We ha th. Howeve turned up this ye on to comptete wi as to get se nt is th wa s d ew an cr is th cked u’re reading yo id to have some wi so ds la e or room for m still plenty more ntact. shy and get in co be n’t do d involve Cheers, Ryan
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