Durham Union Epiphany Term 2024 by Durham Union Society

B I L L B R Y S O N

AUTHOR AND DURHAM UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR 2005-2011

Speaking at the Durham Union was easily one of the most

Speaking at the Durham Union was easily one of the most stimulating, enjoyable and brain-challenging experiences I stimulating, enjoyable and brain-challenging experiences I had in my time at Durham. It was an invigorating reminder of had in my time at Durham. It was an invigorating reminder of just how intellectually voracious Durham students can be. And just how intellectually voracious Durham students can be. And the drinking afterwards was fabulous. the drinking afterwards was fabulous.

What Is the Union?

The Durham Union Society is Durham’s oldest and largest student society. Founded in 1842, the Union plays a unique role in the collegiate system of Durham University. It brings together students from across the university in a way no other student society can. The Union’s guiding principle of free speech is the foundation of our rigorous debate and discussion. Our Debating Chamber on Palace Green is a place to listen and engage with people from all walks of life, guest speakers and fellow students alike, with all perspectives heard and none privileged.

On top of our debates and addresses from exceptional speakers, we host free members’ socials and termly headline balls. We also operate our own bar, 24 North Bailey Club, affectionately known as 24s.

Beyond this, we are the home of competitive debating on campus, hosting some of the country’s best debating championships and sending teams to the European and World Universities Debating Championships every year.

I n a n e r a w h e n w e r a r e l y g e t s l o w n e w s d a y s a n d w h e n s o c i e t y f e e l s i n a I n a n e r a w h e n w e r a r e l y g e t s l o w n e w s d a y s a n d w h e n s o c i e t y f e e l s i n a

c o n s t a n t s t a t e o f c r i s i s , t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o a p p r o a c h t h e w o r l d w i t h a f r e s h

p e r s p e c t i v e i s e v e r m o r e i m p o r t a n t . E p i p h a n y i n p a r t i c u l a r i s a t i m e f o r u s a l l

t o r e f l e c t a n d c o n s i d e r w h a t w e v a l u e a n d h o w w e j u d g e o u r s u r r o u n d i n g s . I

a m t r e m e n d o u s l y p r o u d o f t h e w o r k d o n e b y t h e w h o l e D u r h a m U n i o n t e a m a m t r e m e n d o u s l y p r o u d o f t h e w o r k d o n e b y t h e w h o l e D u r h a m U n i o n t e a m

t o o r g a n i s e a t e r m w h i c h p r o v i d e s t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o a l l o f o u r m e m b e r s t o

t o o r g a n i s e a t e r m w h i c h p r o v i d e s t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o a l l o f o u r m e m b e r s t o m e e t , h e a r f r o m a n d d e b a t e w i t h a n e x c e p t i o n a l s e l e c t i o n o f i n s p i r a t i o n a l , m e e t , h e a r f r o m a n d d e b a t e w i t h a n e x c e p t i o n a l s e l e c t i o n o f i n s p i r a t i o n a l , l e a d i n g a n d e n g a g i n g i n d i v i d u a l s w h o o f f e r a n i m m e n s e l y w i d e r a n g e o f l e a d i n g a n d e n g a g i n g i n d i v i d u a l s w h o o f f e r a n i m m e n s e l y w i d e

w e l e a r n m o r e a b o u t o u r w o r l d a n d c h

g e e a c h o t h

n g e e a c h o t h e r ’ s o p i n i o n s w i t h o u t i t ? T h a t i s w h y I a m d e l i g h t e d b y t h e d i v e r s i t y o f t h o u g h t a n d d i v e r s i t y o f i t ? T h a t i s w h y I a m d e l i g h t e d b y t h e d i v e r s i t y o f t h o u g h t a n d d i v e r s i t y o f b a c k g r o u n d a m o n g s t o u r s p e a k e r s f o r t h i s t e r m . T h e r e r e a l l y i s a n e v e n t f o r b a c k g r o u n d a m o n g s t o u r s p e a k e r s f o r t h i s t e r m . T h e r e r e a l l y i s a n e v e n t f o r

’ s o p i n i o n s w i t h o u t w e l e a r n m o r e a b o u t o u r w o r l d a n d c h

e v e r y o n e a n d a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o c o n s i d e r t h e w o r l d i n a f r e s h l i g h t . e v e r y o n e a n d a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o c o n s i d e r t h e w o r l d i n a f r e s h l i g h t .

I n t h e E p i p h a n y T e r m , w e w i l l h e a r a b o u t t h e p o w e r o f t h e h u m a n s p i r i t t o

f i g h t t h r o u g h a d v e r s i t y f r o m i n s p i r a t i o n a l i n d i v i d u a l s w h o h a v e s u r v i v e d f i g h t t h r o u g h a d v e r s i t y f r o m i n s p i r a t i o n a l i n d i v i d u a l s w h o h a v e s u r v i v e d

e x t r a o r d i n a r y t r a u m a a n d h a v e c o m e b a c k s t r o n g e r , i n c l u d i n g H o l o c a u s t

s u r v i v o r J o h n D o b a i , I n v i c t u s G a m e s g o l d m e d a l l i s t M a r k O r m r o d a n d t h e s u r v i v o r J o h n D o b a i , I n v i c t u s G a m e s g o l d m e d a l l i s t M a r k O r m r o d a n d t h e

2 0 0 3 N o b e l P e a c e P r i z e w i n n e r D r S h i r i n E b a d i . Y e t , w e w i l l a l s o h e a r

2 0 0 3 N o b e l P e a c e P r i z e w i n n e r D r S h i r i n E b a d i . Y e t , w e w i l l a l s o h e a r w h e r e t h e w o r l d s t i l l n e e d s t o i m p r o v e f r o m f i g u r e s s u c h a s M e l B , C h i p w h e r e t h e w o r l d s t i l l n e e d s t o i m p r o v e f r o m f i g u r e s s u c h a s M e l B , C h i p

T s a o a n d J u s t i n e G r e e n i n g . T s a o a n d J u s t i n e G r e e n i n g . 3

W e w i l l h e a r f r o m t h o s e a t t h e h e a r t o f a c a d e m i a , j o u r n a l i s m a n d s c i e n t i f i c

i n n o v a t i o n , i n c l u d i n g t h e N o b e l l a u r e a t e S i r P a u l N u r s e , a b o u t t h e c u t t i n g i n n o v a t i o n , i n c l u d i n g t h e N o b e l l a u r e a t e S i r P a u l N u r s e , a b o u t t h e c u t t i n g

e d g e t e c h n o l o g i c a l d e v e l o p m e n t s b e i n g p i o n e e r e d t o d a y .

I n a d d i t i o n t o e x c e p t i o n a l p u b l i c f i g u r e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e B i s h o p o f D u r h a m , w e

w i l l h e a r f r o m a d i v e r s e r a n g e o f p o l i t i c a l f i g u r e s a b o u t s o m e o f t h e b i g g e s t

i s s u e s o f o u r d a y , w i t h a l l p e r s p e c t i v e s h e a r d a n d n o n e p

a d d r e s s e s , d e b a t e s a n d p a n e l s . W e h a v e a n o u t s t a n d i n g r a n g e o f s o c i a l s t h i s t e r m , i n c l u d i n g o u r h e a d l i n e b a l l a t D u r h a m T o w n H a l l a n d a s e r i e s o f

t e r m , i n c l u d i n g o u r h e a d l i n e b a l l a t D u r h a m T o w n H a l l a n d a s e r i e s o f t h e m e d s o c i a l s a t t h e U n i o n C l u b h o u s e , 2 4 s . Y o u w i l l a l s o h a v e t h e t h e m e d s o c i a l s a t t h e U n i o n C l u b h o u s e , 2 4 s . Y o u w i l l a l s o h a v e t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n i n f o r m a l d e b a t e s t h r o u g h t h e r e s t o r e d t r a d i t i o n o p p o r t u n i t y t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n i n f o r m a l d e b a t e s t h r o u g h t h e r e s t o r e d t r a d i t i o n o f ‘ B o o z e a n d V i e w s ’ e v e n i n g s , a n d I e n c o u r a g e y o u t o t r y o u t o u r

o f ‘ B o o z e a n d V i e w s ’ e v e n i n g s , a n d I e n c o u r a g e y o u t o t r y o u t o u r

c o m p e t i t i v e d e b a t i n g w i n g , r u n b y o u r i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y r e n o w n e d s t u d e n t c o m p e t i t i v e d e b a t i n g w i n g , r u n b y o u r i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y r e n o w n e d s t u d e n t d e b a t e r s . d e b a t e r s .

U l t i m a t e l y , t h e U n i o n ’ s g r e a t e s t a s s e t i s i t s m e m b e r s . E l e c t e d f r o m t h i s , w e

h a v e o u r c o m m i t t e e m e m b e r s a n d O f f i c e r s , w h o h a v e p r o v e n t h e m s e l v e s h a v e o u r c o m m i t t e e m e m b e r s a n d O f f i c e r s , w h o h a v e p r o v e n t h e m s e l v e s

e x c e p t i o n a l a n d w h o m I a m t r u l y h o n o u r e d t o c a l l m y f r i e n d s . I v e r y m u c h

e x c e p t i o n a l a n d w h o m I a m t r u l y h o n o u r e d t o c a l l m y f r i e n d s . I v e r y m u c h h o p e y o u e n j o y t h e e v e n t s w e h a v e p u t o n S o , a v e r y H a p p y N e w Y e a r , a n d I h o p e y o u e n j o y t h e e v e n t s w e h a v e p u t o n . S o , a v e r y H a p p y N e w Y e a r , a n d I

l o o k f o r w a r d t o s e e i n g y o u a t t h e U n i o n t h i s t e r m ! l o o k f o r w a r d t o s e e i n g y o u a t t h e U n i o n t h i s t e r m !

Getting Involved

There are many ways you can get involved in the Durham Union, and your contributions make the Society the melting pot for intellectual curiosity that it is today. Organising our debates, addresses and socials each term is a huge task involving numerous elected Officers and their committees.

Getting involved comes with lots of perks. Members of the General Committee earn points to live in our North Bailey Club's accommodation and can have their say on the future of the Society.

The committees support the work of the Officers and keep the Society running. Being an elected member of a committee grants membership to the General Committee, which votes in elections and helps to set the direction of the Society. Members of General Committee are eligible to run for Rules Committee.

To find out more, visit dus.org.uk/about-us/getting-involved

Our debates follow the traditional British Parliamentary (BP) System. There is a motion formatted as 'This House...' and there are two sides of the House, the Proposition, who are for the motion, and the Opposition, who are against it.

There are three speakers on each side. Each speaker delivers an 8-10 minute speech, with the first and last minute being protected time. Audience members may make points of information during unprotected time, make floor speeches or ask questions at the end.

There is a floor prize for the best floor speech, and any member who speaks earns an invitation to the Reading Room for drinks with the speakers after the event.

This term, we are also hosting two panels in lieu of our Friday Debate, as well as an alumni debate preceding the Ball and a BP showcase with the American Montgomery Cup Debating Squad.

A A R O N B A S T A N I

M A D E L I N E G R A N T

J O S H U A O X L E

J o s h u a O x l e y i s t h e

o u r s o c i a l i s t - i n - r e s i d e n c e . J o s h i s a m e m b e r o f o u r A d v a n c e d

D e b a t e S t r e a m a n d h a s r e p r e s e n t e d D u r h a m a t t h e E u r o p e a n

U n i v e r s i t i e s D e b a t i n g C h a m p i o n s h i p s i n B u l g a r i a .

R I C H A R D H O L D E N

M P

R i c h a r d H o l d e n i s a C o n s e r v a t i v e p o l i t i c i a n s e r v i n g a s t h e

M e m b e r o f P a r l i a m e n t f o r N o r t h W e s t D u r h a m s i n c e 2 0 1 9 , t h e f i r s t C o n s e r v a t i v e M P i n t h e c o n s t i t u e n c y ’ s h i s t o r y H e h a s s e r v e d a s C h a i r m a n o f t h e C o n s e r v a t i v e P a r t y a n d M i n i s t e r w i t h o u t P o r t f o l i o s i n c e N o v e m b e r 2 0 2 3 .

R E E C E S H O R

R e e c e S h o r t i s t h e S o c i a l S e c r e t a r y o f t h e D u r h a m U n i o n a n d

a s e c o n d - y e a r L a w s t u d e n t a t t h e C o l l e g e o f S t . H i l d a n d S t .

B e d e .

SPEAKER TBC

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on Hospital s the Chair of ntributes to a second year Law ining Secretary. etitions, including n Vietnam.

r of the as the He is also a story of Boris ve Editor and an co-host of The or of numerous ig Data’ and

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LORD FROST

David Frost is a former British diplomat, civil servant and politician whose career included time as British Ambassador to Denmark and EU Director at the FCO. He was the Chief Negotiator for Exiting the European Union and Minister of State at the Cabinet Office

FELIX POWELL BEN HABIB

Ben Habib is a businessman and politician who has served as CoDeputy Leader of Reform UK since 2023 Before this, he was successful in the property industry, and in the 2019 European parliamentary election, he was elected as a Brexit Party MEP for the London constituency

Felix Powell is a third-year International Relations student from Hatfield College. He is the Durham Union’s Speakers’ Secretary and was the President of the Durham University Conservative and Unionist Association in Michaelmas Term 2023.

LORD DUBS

Alf Dubs is a Labour politician who served as the MP for Battersea from 1979 to 1987, later becoming a life Peer He was evacuated from Czechoslovakia prior to WWII by Nicholas Winton and the Kindertransport due to his Jewish heritage. He was the Director of the Refugee Council from 1988 to 1995

SIR VINCE CABLE

Sir Vince Cable was leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2017 to 2019 and served as MP for Twickenham from 1997 to 2015 and from 2017 to 2019 He also served as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2010 to 2015.

BAILIE ROZA SALIH

Roza Salih is a politician and activist, notably campaigning for the rights of asylum seekers with the ‘Glasgow Girls’ activist group. Since 2022, she has served as an SNP councillor in Glasgow She is also Scotland’s first elected refugee and emigrated from Kurdistan.

SPEAKER TBC

DANIELLE-EVE KAPLAN

Danielle-Eve Kaplan is a third-year Sociology student at St. Chad’s College and a member of the President’s Committee and of the Secretary’s Committee She has specialised in global feminism throughout her studies.

OLIVIA FANE

Olivia Fane is the celebrated author of numerous novels, including the Betty Trask Award-winning ‘Landing on Clouds’, her first novel. In addition to her fictional books, she has written extensively on issues surrounding feminism and sex, most notably her recent book ‘Why Sex Doesn’t Matter.’

DIYA PERRY SOFIA TSOURLAKI

Sofia Tsourlaki is a researcher of progressive Islamic feminism at SOAS, University of London Her research focusses on the impact which Progressive Muslim Scholars’ ideas and social media have on young Muslims.

Diya is a second year Philosophy and Politics student at University College. She is a member of our Advanced Debate stream and has debated competitively for nearly a decade She is the Durham Union’s Debate Competitions Secretary.

2ND FEBRUARY | 8:30PM | THE PEMBERTON BUILDING

In conversation with

Address from

Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer and former judge living in exile in the UK. She is the recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, the first Muslim woman and first Iranian to win the award. She is an advocate for democracy and human rights in Iran, having founded the Defenders of Human Rights Center, and she has focused particularly on freedom of expression and the rights of women, children and refugees. She is an opponent of Western forced regime change in Iran.

Chip Tsao is a writer, columnist and broadcaster from Hong Kong living in the UK, sometimes known by penname To Kit. His topics of interest include Hong Kong’s political situation and differences between China and the West. He will speak about “Hong Kong, a paradox of colonialism, and explore how we may face a world inspired by the faded glory of a former British colony, and how liberals should learn from it to know about our position in the fast-changing global village today.”

In conversation with

John Baird is a Canadian politician who served as Canadian Foreign Minister from 2011-2015, alongside other Cabinet positions between 2006 and 2015. He is a specialist on international affairs and has spoken previously at the Union on managing the West’s strategic adversaries.

Address from

Gérard Biard has been the Editor-in-Chief of Charlie Hebdo since 2009 and has been associated with the controversial left-wing magazine since its revival in 1992. He is a strong proponent of “laïcité” - France’s secularist ideology - and has been awarded for his work in supporting freedom of expression.

Address from

Justine Greening is a former politician who served as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Putney from 2005 until 2019. She held numerous high-profile roles in government, including as Secretary of State for Education, Secretary of State for Transport, and Secretary of State for International Development. Since leaving Parliament, Greening has devoted time to campaigning for social mobility and equality of opportunity, hosting the Fit For Purpose podcast, which seeks to ‘explore how business is working to level up in Britain’.

In Conversation with

Michael Howard is a politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2003 to 2005, having previously held cabinet positions in the Thatcher and Major governments, including Home Secretary, Environment Secretary and Employment Secretary.

Address from

Sir Paul Nurse is a world-renowned geneticist who won the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries of protein molecules that control the division of cells in the cell cycle. He is a former President of the Royal Society and is the current Chief Executive and Director of the Francis Crick Institute. His success has also seen him receive over 60 Honorary Degrees and Fellowships.

Address from

Gary Smith is the General Secretary of the GMB, the UK’s third largest trade union with more than 560,000 members in nearly all industrial sectors, including schools, the NHS, and social care. The GMB is the third largest donor to the Labour Party and Mr Smith has gained prominence recently for his outspoken opposition to the expansion of London’s ULEZ scheme as well as Labour’s plans to ban new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. Throughout 2022-2023, ambulance workers from the GMB went on strike in protest against poor pay and working conditions, culminating in the largest strike within the NHS in history.

Address from

Bobby McDonagh is a former Irish diplomat o has served as Ireland’s Ambassador to the nited Kingdom, Italy and Malaysia, during a career in the Irish diplomatic service that anned forty years. He is seen as an expert on European Union having spent many years in various relevant roles, such as the Irish manent Representative to the EU, as well as rector General of the EU division of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.

Sir Peter Westmacott is a senior diplomat who has spent forty years in the British Diplomatic Service, serving as British Ambassador to Turkey (2002-2006), France (2007-2012) and the United States (2012-2016). He has also served in several other diplomatic roles, such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s director for the Americas, as well as spending four years in Iran before the 1979 Revolution and a secondment to the European Commission in Brussels. From 1990 to 1993, he was also the deputy private secretary to the Prince of Wales.

Address from

Sir Peter Bazalgette is British television executive and producer. After producing a variety of hugely successful programmes, he became Chairman of Endemol UK and Creative Director of Endemol Group worldwide. In these roles, he was responsible for shows such as Big Brother and Deal or No Deal. He has also served as the Chair of the Arts Council England as well as Chairman of ITV. In light of his many senior roles, he has been dubbed ‘the most influential man in British television’.

Address from

Mel B is a singer, television presenter and actress who rose to stardom as a member of the Spice Girls, the bestselling female music group of all time. She has also received number one hits as a solo artist and has served as a judge on numerous reality talent shows such as The X Factor, America’s Got Talent and Lip Sync Battle UK. She is also an activist for women’s rights and domestic abuse victims.

The Durham Union offers the opportunity to enjoy a three-course meal (with wine) with our speakers and the President at the Marco Pierre White restaurant. It offers an intimate setting for you to ask any burning questions and get to know the speakers on a personal level. To find out more, go to dus.org.uk/dinners

Our members enjoy numerous reciprocal relationships

From hosting debates for schoolchildren to raising funds for local charities, community engagement is at the heart of everything we do at The Durham Union Society. Our belief in debate and discourse as a means of fostering a wider curiosity in children, regardless of background, is something we strive to fulfil. Our Schools Outreach Programme provides state schools access to our debate chambers, free of charge, to further their educational development. We proudly host events like Debating Matters – an initiative to develop oratory skills for our young people – and also fundraise for a range of local charities to help support our local community.

Week One

Week Two Shirin Ebadi Address - 8.30pm

Week Three

Week Four

Week Five Justine Greening Address - 8.30pm

Week

Week Seven

Week Eight

Week Nine

Week Ten

3rd february 2024

Dress Code: White Tie/Black Tie Optional

Throughout our socials, we aim to foster a sense of community and add extra value to Union membership.

Expect to find free drinks, themed decorations, outlandish fancy dress and fantastic company!

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA to find out about our impromptu socials including bar crawls and coffee mornings!

Social!

The Union's bar, fondly known as 24s, is student-run and managed by our Custodian, Theodore Stubbs. It is the beating heart of social life at the Union, as well as the wider University.

After events, members often continue the evening at 24s, where they can have discussions with guest speakers and socialise with other members of the Society in a relaxed and inviting setting.

24s socials often include karaok costumes, competitions, quizzes and more. They’re open to all students, not just members!

8:30–11:30PM

Sunday – Thursday 8:30PM–MIDNIGHT

Friday & Saturday

Fundamental to the Durham Union’s values of free speech and debate is the opportunity for everyone to express their views regardless of background and the belief that diversity is crucial to informed discussion. To ensure that we are a leader in EDI on campus, we are committed to ensuring that the Union is a place where everyone feels comfortable expressing their opinion.

Miles Weekes, our Equalities Officer (now on Standing Committee), leads the Equalities Committee, made up of members from historically under-represented groups. In the event of concerns or suggestions, you are welcome to speak to either the Equalities Officer or the Welfare Officer. The Equalities Officer can be contacted at equalities@dus.org.uk

I am thrilled to introduce myself as the first Welfare Officer here at the Union. I am deeply committed to promoting the well-being and happiness of our members, and I am to foster an inclusive and nurturing environment where every member feels valued and supported. My Office Hours are 1-2pm, every Wednesday in the Pemberton Buildings.

Fraz Ahmad

All sessions will take place in the Pemberton Buildings

Novice Debate Practice / NDP - Mondays at 7pm

Intermediate Debate Practice / IDP - Thursdays at 7pm

Advanced Debate Practice / ADP - Tuesdays at 7pm

In addition to our regular training sessions, we provide our competitive debating squad with amazing opportunities to compete at numerou university competitions throughout the UK, including LSE, TCD, Edinburgh and many more. We also have the honour of participati at prestigious events like the European and World Universities Debating Championship achieving great success, most notably at the World Championship in South Africa in 2019 where we progressed to the semi-finals. Previous locations have included Vietnam, Mexico, Bulgaria, Croatia and Greece.

MONTGOMERY CUP

23rd February 2024 - 8:30pm

The Montgomery Cup was established in 1997 for University Debating Societies from the US to conduct a tour around the UK University Debating Circuit. This year, we welcome students from the University of Central Missouri, Louisiana State University, and Lee College Texas for an evening of British Parliamentary competitive debating.

The competitors will have only 15 minutes to prepare to debate any topic, having to think on their feet to convince the judges of their debating prowess. Look forward to an evening of intellectually stimulating competitive debating in the style in which our own debate squad compete all over the world.

Durham Schools

Durham Schools is the world’s largest residential debating competition for schoolchildren, inviting hundreds of students from across the UK and beyond to compete in a weekend of intellectually rigorous debate. There are plenty of opportunities to help with organising, judging or speaking at the tournament. If you would like to learn more or get involved, email the Competitions Secretaries at competitions@dus.org.uk

TEACHER AT LIVERPOOL COLLEGE

on attending Durham Schools 2023

The atmosphere you created this weekend not only showed our students that they can compete with some of the most privileged sections of society in terms of intelligence and eloquence, but more importantly, that they can connect and interact as young

There are also plenty of opportunities to get involved with the elected Debates Committee, including positions such as Training Secretary, Competitions Secretary or Equity Officer! If you would like to get involved, email the Director of Debating, Josh.

President

William Rome

College of St. Hild & St. Bede president@dus.org.uk president.epiphany@dus.org.uk

Treasurer

TO BE ELECTED treasurer@dus.org.uk

Social Secretary

Reece Short College of St. Hild & St. Bede social@dus.org.uk

Publicity Officer

Maria Snow

Trevelyan College publicity@dus org uk

Debating Treasurer

Severino Bonvini

St. Aidan’s College debating treasurer@dus org uk

Secretary

Angela Ortiz-Jimenez Grey College secretary@dus.org.uk

Custodian

Theodore Stubbs Hatfield College custodian@dus.org.uk

Director of Debating

Joshua Oxley Grey College debating@dus.org.uk

Equalities Officer

Miles Weekes Hatfield College equalities@dus.org.uk

President-Elect

Matthew Brooker Hatfield College president easter@dus org uk

Returning Officer

Charles Aldous University College returningofficer@dus.org.uk

Sponsorship Secretary

Maria Barinova

St Chad’s College sponsorship@dus.org.uk

Steward

Adam Shank

Hatfield College steward@dus.org.uk

Ben Huthwaite

Stephenson College Tech Officer tech@dus.org.uk

Debate Training Secretary Alumni Officer

Aryan Makhecha

South College training@dus.org.uk

Speakers Secretary

Felix Powell Hatfield College speakers@dus.org.uk

Assistant Secretary

Brendan Almqvist South College assistant.secretary@dus.org.uk

Competitions Secretary

Diya Perry University College competitions@dus.org.uk

Welfare Officer

Fraz Ahmad HatfieldCollege welfare@dus.org.uk

Dep. Publicity Officer

Will Lawrence John Snow College publicity.deputy@dus.org.uk

Debating Equity Officer

Luca Lombardo Collingwood College equityandwelfare@dus.org.uk

Ollie Lycett College of St Hild & St Bede alumni@dus.org.uk

Outreach Officer

Oli Dawson Trevelyan College outreach@dus.org.uk

Assistant Custodian

Pascal Johnstone Stephenson College assistant.custodian@dus.org.uk

Competitions Secretary

Angela Wang College of St. Hild & St. Bede competitions@dus.org.uk

Dep. Tech Officer

Ryan Wilmot-Simmons St. John’s College tech.deputy@dus.org.uk

President Emeritus

Theo Osborn Grey College theo osborn@durham ac uk

Debating Equity Officer

Emma Zaoli South College equityandwelfare@dus.org.uk

Speakers Secretary-Elect

Jake Field-Gibson St. Chad’s College speakers.elect@dus.org.uk

Our Officers are responsible for the day-to-day running of the Society with the support of their committees. They are split into Junior Officers and Full Officers, the latter of which serve on the Standing Committee, the Society's executive body.