#DEMO2012

This is your chance to debate!

What is our education worth in 2012?

What should your Students’ Union, your University, the  National Union of Students (NUS) and the Government be doing to ensure that your education and future is the best it can be?

At the NUS’ Annual conference this year, they voted to hold another National demonstration in London on November 21^st 2012. The NUS believes that you should march to highlight to the government the risk that they are putting your future in. With rising youth unemployment, increasing levels of student debt and the removal of grants,the NUS think that the government is letting a generation down.

At the last demonstration in 2010, RUSU took over 500 students spending £8,000 to fight against the cuts and rise in tuition fees. Reading students had a great impact on the march, but we didn’t achieve our aims.

So here are the questions you need to be considering:

•  Is the Demo what we should be spending our money on?
• Should we be supporting a march when there are no government plans that it can affect?
• Should we support a march which last time damaged the reputation of students?
• Should we be spending money and time when we may do betterand be more effective, lobbying the University to improve your education on your campus?

We think this decision is so important that it needs to be decided by YOU!

We will be holding a debate on October 16^th at 6.00pm in Cafe Mondial followed by an online referendum.

If you want  to hear more or be on the debate panel? Email Ceri Jones, VP Democracy and Campaigns

So… the choice is yours!

WILL WE MARCH?

Hello from Nick your Vice-President Student Actvities

Hi Reading students,

I’m Nick your elected Student’s Union Vice-President for Student Activities. A bit of a mouthful I know but this basically means I work with the elected student committees to get the voices of societies, sports clubs and our various volunteers heard and to effect positive changes for those groups.

I’m looking forward to having a successful year working with all our great teams, societies and volunteer programmes to ensure that Reading really is a brilliant place for students to be.

With the explanation out of the way; I hope everyone has been enjoying their holidays and congrats to all those new students who are joining us in a weeks’ time.

We have a great Freshers’ week planned with both our societies and sports clubs working very hard to ensure Freshers’ Fayre will be amazing! So if you have a hobby, a talent, play a sport or just want to try something new, get excited, because you will be spoilt for choice here at Reading.

I will be out and about during most of Freshers’ week, so if you want to have a chat please, keep an eye out for me.

Whether you are a new or returning student, if you want to try out some of the activities before you join, we have a great list of taster sessions you can get involved with. Take a look at our Student Activities Guide to find when and where they are taking place.

Other things the Student Activities team have been working on during the Summer include:

Varsity
We have begun planning our Sports Varsity 2013 against our neighbours and rivals Oxford Brookes. This year it takes place at their campus in Oxford, which gives us the chance to beat them on their home turf and bring home the glory. Look out for more information on this later in the year, as we build up the Varsity fever.

RUSU Rewards and Recognition Scheme
Our societies have worked hard over the last year to secure reward and recognition points. These points highlight those who really have gone that extra mile for their members. The RUSU Activities and Design teams have worked together to design a new logo based upon a 5-1 star rating system that societies can use as a stamp, to display their level of excellence. The results from last year will be on show at Freshers’ Fayre and each society will have their star rating on display. So get excited because 2012/13 will be a year that will truly recognise achievement.

Reading Knights
I am pleased to announce that the Reading Knights brand that covers all our Sports teams, has continued to progress. We have tweaked the logo to include the Reading name. So this year people won’t only know who we are but where we’re from. I’m sure other Uni teams across the country will be worried when they see a fixture against the Reading Knights!

Look out for our new Reading Knights banner at the Whiteknights Campus entrance when you arrive for the new term! Also, check out the new Facebook page ‘Reading University Sport’ for all the updates on Reading Knights fixtures and results.

Volunteering
The Student Officer team and I recently volunteered down at a local Charity Garden called the Ridgeline Trust. The garden helps people with mental health problems and physical disabilities recover and relax. Volunteering is a great way to spend your spare time at Uni and enables you to give something meaningful to others. If you are interested in getting involved in our many Volunteering opportunities over the year please get in contact with me or Emily Shaw our Societies and Volunteering Coordinator.

RAG
'Raising And Giving' is back again this year. It is a student run group designed to raise as much money for charity as possible. Keep an eye out for their events over the year and support them in whatever way you can. We want to help RAG raise a large amount for charity this year to show how much students care. If you want to get involved with RAG then please contact me or Emily Shaw.

Peace Out

I hope this update has been useful and you are all as excited as us for Freshers’ Week and the new  term. I’ve got a feeling 2012/13 will be an amazing year for Reading Students and Reading Student Activities.

Thanks for reading.

Nick Cook
VP Student Activities

Part-time International Officer Ushana, on arriving in Reading for the first time

Apa Khabar? ('How are you' in Malaysian)

I’m Ushana Gamany, RUSU's International Students’ Officer.

I’m a second year Law student from Malaysia. I’d like to share my experience of being here at Reading, so you know how amazing the University of Reading is!

When I came to here one year ago, it was the first time I had been to the UK and I had come alone.

However, I wasn’t worried….. well up until I was on the plane. That’s when everything began to sink in. I’m going to a place 7,000 miles away from home, I’m all alone, what if something happens? Who do I turn to and will I be lucky and meet lots of people as I always have or will everyone be different and I just won’t make any friends.

I was terrified for a while and it didn’t help when I arrived at my Hall of Residence.The first night I was scared but also excited.

The first day started a bit badly with me having no food and not really sure how to use the shower… yes I know what you’re thinking “What an idiot!”. Oh well I have my moments. Anyway,I went to the Carrington building at 8.30am and there was literally no one on the University grounds. I was starting to wonder if I was in the right place until more students started showing up. Registration went smoothly and I met a few students doing the same thing.

Then in the afternoon we went on a tour of the campus and town. There were friendly faces everywhere and all of us on the tour got to know each other. That night was Bollywood night and I went out with my flat mates and we just “clicked”. Everything fell in place after that and I never felt alone again.

I was really lucky to find such amazing friends. There was Alex from Moldova, Carlos from Chile, Joris from France, Carsten from Germany, Mihai from Romania, Joe Sun from Malaysia, Mike from China, Lara and Helena from Spain, Cathy from London, Jack and Jack from somewhere else in the UK (haha) and Alice from Italy.

Before going to University I already had an interest in being involved in a Students' Union as we didn’t have them in Malaysia as they have been illegal since 1971. I talked to the VP of Academic Affairs, Alex Slater, and he told me I could get involved by becoming a Course Rep and he was very supportive of my interest.

Not long after that, I stood for elections and got elected as 1 of the 3 First Year Law Course Reps. It was an enriching experience as I got to meet students and talk to them about their issues on the course. Then I would discuss these issues and voice these opinions at staff student liaison committees and sat on the Board of Studies Meetings at the Law School. I got to meet all the lecturers and at these meetings I didn’t feel like an inferior but rather an equal. It was a very different experience than I was used to with teachers back home.

I had also decided to join the Boat Club, Mountaineering Club, Caving Club, and the Law Society. Due to time constraints I ended up doing a little bit of each of it. However, I don’t regret it as I now know what societies and clubs I’m interested in joining and I’ve tried everything I wanted to try (almost). So I’ve decided to go with Mountaineering in my second year.

I had an amazing first year. I may not have gone to as many parties as some of my friends but I did get to do a lot of things and had fun during every single moment of the last year!

There are opportunities everywhere at the University, friends to make and people to meet at every corner. You need only take a small step and talk to someone. In my experience most people have been very friendly and helpful. Everywhere you turn there’ll be helpful people. It’s not very hard to find something you’re interested or passionate about either. It’s rare that you can’t find  a society that you like and if it there isn't, I’m sure you’ll find people who share your interests, so why not start a society yourself?

I have to say, some of my best memories and some of my closest friends are from Reading University. It truly has been an amazing year.

My advice to you is to be open to new experiences and to meeting new people. It will really open up your mind to new perspectives.

My main goal this year is to improve integration between home and international (includes EU) students and I will be running various campaigns to further this goal.

So if you have any problems whether it's getting lost on campus, housing issues, dealing with racism or just not coping that well with life, I am here to help. That’s what I’m here for, to help YOU. It doesn’t matter how small or big your problem is.

So feel free to email me at  internationalstudents@rusu.co.uk or drop into the Students' Union Reception and ask for me.

Ushana Gamany
International Part-time Officer
2nd Year Law Student

A Few Handy Safety Tips

Hi to all our Reading Freshers' and Returning students,

The RUSU Student Officers can’t wait to meet all our new Freshers' during Freshers’ Week and welcome back our Returning students for the Autumn Term.

This is an important time to remind you to keep your belongings safe while you are here. Criminals can target students and student properties because they know each one is likely to store a treasure trove of laptops, ipods, ipads etc.

Our friendly local police service the Thames Valley Police, has created a great list of things to remember, to help protect yourself and your property.

• Close it and lock it - don’t give burglars a helping hand. Make sure you lock your doors, rooms and windows when leaving your property
• Be smart – mark your laptops and cameras etc with security markers
• Immobilise – register all your valuables online to help catch thieves and keep a list of the make, model and serial numbers of your electronic items
• Don’t be a show off – keep valuables like laptops, mobile phones, ipods and expensive jewellery out of display in your home, car and when you are walking around
• Plan – your journeys - if you are going out, make sure you tell a friend. Don’t take short cuts and only use licensed taxis
• Never walk alone – walk with friends and in groups. Don’t make yourself more vulnerable
• Drink aware – enjoy your drink responsibly. Don’t leave your drink unattended and never accept drinks from strangers
• Don’t flash it – be wary around cash points
• Stay alert – if you see someone hanging around outside your house or halls, ask them who they are and be careful of letting others follow you into your building
• Shred – your personal documents before you bin them

Don't let this all worry you, but do make sure that you do all you possibly can to keep safe.

Our brand new 'Pay Later' Taxi scheme is also a great way to make sure you get home safely without having to worry about money after a long night out.

We are really excited about seeing you all in less than 3 weeks’ time and if you have any questions on Welfare then please do not hesitate to contact me!!

Sophie Davies

VP Welfare and Representation

A Big Welcome to all Reading Freshers' 2012!

Hey guys,

We hope the last few days haven’t been too stressful for you. It was only 3 years ago that the Student Officer team was sitting in the same place, having just been accepted at what we think is the best University in the world. The next 3 years are going to be some of the craziest, most-life shaping and wonderful of your life.

So, as you’ve been doing the countdown to find out what your future was going to hold, the Students’ Union has been powering full steam ahead to organise a brilliant year for you. The Students’ Union is here for many reasons but mostly to make sure that you’re University experience is the best it can be.

Your Union is run by students, for students. Your Student Officer team only graduated 2 months ago so we understand what you will be going through and hope you get involved as much as you can so you can shape your time here.

There are many things to take part in, whether that be by:

·        Playing a sport or joining one of our 105 societies

·       Getting involved in some amazing volunteering opportunities

·        Leading or helping us run some amazing campaigns where we can lobby the University, the local community or the Government to make real change

·        Joining up to be a Course Rep to speak up for your course

·       Finding our Part-time Officers who spend their time making sure we truly represent our students and see how you can get involved

Reading University Students’ Union (RUSU) also has a brilliant team of trained advisors who you can talk to about any financial, academic or housing needs. Their service is free and confidential so just come to one of the drop in sessions (Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 10.00am- 1.00pm and Wednesday 2.00pm-5.00pm) in the Students’ Union Hub or email them at with any concerns.There’s also some useful advice on our website.

We hope you have a fantastic day celebrating your results as we are getting excited about seeing you in just over 6 weeks.

Your Student Officer team is here to help you, so if you have any questions feel free to post on our Facebook page or feel free to email or tweet us. Our individual details can be found on the RUSU website.

We look forward to seeing you all at the end of September.

Your RUSU Student Officer Team,
James, Sophie, Kara, Nick and Ceri

Ready and Raring to Go!

Hello everyone!

I’m James Fletcher, your new RUSU President and together with Kara Swift (VP Academic Affairs), Nick Cook (VP Student Activities), Sophie Davies (VP Welfare and Representation) and Ceri Jones (VP Democracy and Campaigns) we make up your RUSU Student Officer team for 2012/13.



Student Officer team 2012/13  : (clockwise from top)
 James, Sophie, Kara, Nick and Ceri.



We are very excited about stepping into the big boots of the outgoing ‘sabb team’ and all the brilliant things that they have won for the students at Reading. The £600k library spend increase, changes to the way the Student Officers are scrutinised and the first ever elections for Part-Time Officers are just some of the amazing wins that they have achieved for us. I’m sure we would all like to thank them for being such great representatives and wish them every successes for the future.

On behalf of the new team I would like to thank all of you who elected us into office earlier this year in RUSU’s record-breaking elections. We are all committed to start implementing our election manifestos as soon as possible and we look forward to you keeping us on our toes at Student Officer Scrutiny. We will keep you updated on progress as it happens.

The new team will be working in and around our offices (located above The Hub) throughout the summer so if you are around, pop in and come and have a chat with us. We’re always happy to hear your thoughts, views and ideas. If you aren’t in Reading, just drop me an email or come along to one of our democracy meeting when term starts.  

Otherwise, we’ll see you in the Autumn Term for all the fun of Freshers’ Welcome Week!!

Have a great summer!

James Fletcher
RUSU President

Pathetic Fallacy, Last Orders and The Summer Ball

Afternoon all,

I, like all of you I’m sure, am pretty chuffed that the sun is out.  Campus seems like a different place, suddenly it’s awash with people as if the students of Reading  University are solar powered.  Of late, just having a scour over campus, there seems to be quite the element of pathetic fallacy what with the current weather. Now that them gloomy grey skies are out the way and the suns shining everyone seems a lot more chirpy.  The shorts are out, the dangerously misinformed donning the ever fetching “crocs” and those without sensitive teeth are straight in on the ice creams. Smashing.

Being ever the optimist I want to talk about what you’ve all got to look forward to once those exams are over! A minor distraction allowing you to procrastinate and have a peek at something coming up to get you through these last few days/weeks.

Perhaps I read too much into these things but to me the university year has a strange way of fizzling out.  There is a huge build-up of pressure around exams which starts before Easter which is way too early! As a student, every day seems to be a bit of a countdown, you struggle to maintain the motivation to keep going through the revision.  Then the day arrives that you finish your last exam… there’s a mandatory polite shandy or two…or three… or a couple of jugs of pimms followed by in my case a somewhat hazy evening.

Once the initial euphoria has worn off however,  you crazy Van Wilders out there ( you know who you are) no doubt will have a feeling like someone has just rung the bell for last orders at the bar a little bit too soon.  People start going home for the summer, it all ends a little bit too quickly.  This was definitely my experience last year, I loved every second after I finished exams, but it was all ending too soon, it didn’t seem as if there was a fitting way to finish all this university lark off.  That is until the Summer Ball came around…

It’s very rare that you have one of those evenings where everyone you hope to see will be in the same place.  Where there is the opportunity to round off the year or a period of your life on such a grand scale and where you’ll be given the perfect opportunity to say goodbye to people and the place that has played such a large part of your life over the last few years. 

I’m hugely excited about this year’s summer ball, a great line up, open for longer than ever before, a bigger festival tent than ever before, more acts, a bigger fun fair, more bars. It promises to be a brilliant event, In fact for the first time ever we are randomly selecting five lucky tickets for VIP treatment.  Those five people will get to bring three mates with them to a champagne reception, they will have access to our VIP lounge where they will be given a jug of Pimms, a bottle of Grey Goose vodka and iced buckets of beer.  They’ll be given food vouchers for the evening and queue jump for all the fairground rides. They’ll will also be given VIP stage views for all of the acts and most importantly they get a free breakfast in the morning!

While I was writing this blog I thought back to last year’s Summerball… I’m hopelessly in love with Ellie Goulding so it struck me as very odd that she is not the first thing that comes into my head when I do remember that evening…instead like the sentimental old man I’m become, I remember:

Being stood in a festival tent in the middle of a field at 6am, with the sun coming up, Slightly merry (one too many merry) , Singing Never forget by take that in an incredibly manly voice, my suit in an absolute state covered in hog roast apple sauce, looking around me and being surrounded by some of the best people I’ve been fortunate enough to meet.

That was what Summer Ball was for me, after that I remember feeling like I had done my bit with studying at Reading. I felt like I had said all the goodbyes that I needed to and had finished my time as a student on perhaps the best high I could have possibly done.

I hope that you all are fortunate enough to experience what I did last year at this years summer ball and that it’s a brilliant evening. Finally if on the 17th June at 6am if you see someone a little worse for wear in a slightly scruffy suit claiming to go by the name Ben Haines ensure that he makes it safely to Mojo's for a glass of water and some breakfast.

Cheers boys and girls

*winning smile/optimistic grin

See you all soon

Ben