NEWS
SU launches ‘Hey Neighbour’ campaign Liam Cassidy News Editor @casdee
A new campaign to improve relations between students and full-time residents in South Belfast has been launched by the Students’ Union. Headed by VP Community, Chloe Patterson, “Hey Neighbour” aims to encourage students to “get to know their” neighbours and “be more considerate of them” during their time at Queen’s. Additionally, participants in the campaign will be encouraged to “shout about all the wonderful things” they do as students and the contribution to community they represent. The campaign has arisen in response to the fact that “residents are often unhappy with the levels of noise, litter, and antisocial behaviour” in South Belfast which is often attributed to the student population. The focus here is placed on maintaining healthy relationships in the residential areas around campus all year round, as opposed to temporary efforts around potentially troublesome periods. In particular, the high density of students is often blamed for anti-social behaviour during the Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day periods in South Belfast. The Hey Neighbour campaign will instead have designated ‘Street Reps’ in each of the key residential areas around Queen’s: the Holylands, Botanic Avenue, Stranmillis, Malone Avenue, and Lisburn
Road. These ‘Street Reps’ will be current students at Queen’s and will be the first point of contact for both students and other residents should difficulties arise. Trained in “mediation and management,” it is hoped these student volunteers will help alleviate any tension between students and full-time residents. Hey Neighbour is also the Student Union’s
environmental aspect to” to Hey Neighbour alongside community relations as Street Reps will “have to take part in litter pick-ups in hotspot areas”. The response to the scheme has been positive so far: fourteen students successfully applied to be Street Reps and have combined with the Environmental and Ethical Committee in the Union to make up eighteen Reps in total. The scheme has also been well received by residents’ associations in South Belfast. As VP Community, Ms Patterson regularly meets with residents’ associations and admitted that “in years past, the VP Community would have come under a lot of fire from residents” over issues with students’ behaviour, but hopes this scheme will help “combat the negative with the positive.” Ms Patterson found that the positive work done by students, particularly volunteer work, was not promoted enough in the past and many residents were not aware of it. The team have met twice already and aim to have their first event this month. Furthermore, they hope to solidify plans for their main initiatives throughout the year and get them off the ground as soon as possible. Students volunteering in this campaign will also be recognised by the Department of Education through Millennium Volunteers.
Green Excellency project for this year. This is enabled by the National Union of Students Green Impact scheme, which Queen’s Students’ Union has participated in for a number of years. Ms Patterson explained that, as a member for so many years, Queen’s SU is allowed to “take a year off ” to expand a larger scale project. She also highlighted how “there is an
St. Mary’s Fights Budget Cuts Niamh McGovern News Editor @mcgovern_niamh
QUB’s affiliate teaching college, St Mary’s in West Belfast, could still face closure from recent DEL cuts, if 30% cuts are enacted. Both Queen’s University and Ulster University face a 10.8% cut from the Department of Employment and Learning. DEL propose a 30% annual budget cut on St Mary’s and Stranmillis College. St Mary’s claim this level of cuts would not only force the college to refuse applicants, but to close its doors. The most up-to-date count for a petition, acting under the slogan Save Saint Mary’s, had 12, 863 signatures in favour of saving the college. Recent pressure by school students and staff, who protested outside Stormont, has proven the specialist teacher training college will not close quietly. Former QUB student, and current undergrad at St Mary’s college, Marty Mathers, said “St Mary’s has one of the highest student satisfaction rates for a university in the UK. For Stephen Farry to think he can close down a landmark of Belfast which produces excellent quality grades and teachers is nothing short of a disgrace”. Marty Mathers went on to say “The level of support for our protest should prove to Stephen Farry there is a need for specialised teacher training in Belfast, of the quality St Mary’s provides.” Sinn Fein MP, Paul Maskey, has vocalised opinion on twitter, tweeting “More than 4 times as many people signed the petition to #SaveSaintMarys than voted for Stephen Farry in the last election
Facing Cuts
assembly”, and has been thanked by the institute for his efforts to save the college. Maskey said “This is discrimination against St Mary’s. At the meeting I found the minister uncaring and indifferent to the consequences of his actions in withdrawing the funding. He showed little interest when I pointed out to him that unless he withdrew his threat to withdraw the funding St Mary’s faced imminent closure.”
QUB Sinn Fein have also extended support solution for both Stranmillis and St Mary’s. DEL and encourage Queen’s University students to sign have yet to respond with their final decisions for both the petition. QUBSU President Ciarán Gallagher was colleges. present at a recently rally against the cuts alongside NUS-USI President Rebecca Hall. Stranmillis and QUB have been quiet on the proposed cuts to the teaching colleges, despite rumours that a new integrated college could be the
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