We recently met with the President of Football Beyond Borders Southampton, Adnan Bakir, to find out more about the fantastic projects the society run and what they’ve been working on since their launch last year. Football Beyond Borders is an education charity with a core programme based in London. Their aim is to support and develop young people (aged 8 – 19) in the local community who may be from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is achieved ‘on and off the pitch’ through the power of football but also through mentoring sessions, to help young people achieve their goals and make … Read the rest

Hi, it’s Sam Higman, VP Welfare, and I’m here with another Expect Respect blog following our campaign last week.

Trigger Warning: rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment

Last week, I wrote a blog about our Expect Respect campaign, which had a focus on sexual consent awareness. Throughout the week, student leaders, committee members and staff members wore  Expect Respect wristbands to show support for the campaign. In fact, many of us continue to wear them, and will do so on a daily basis.

We also ran the No Worries Wednesday Fayre on Wednesday 25 October, with relevant support and … Read the rest

Night owls, rejoice! From Monday 06 November at 07:30, Hartley Library will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until Friday 15 December.

Group Study Rooms will also be available to book 24/7 during this period.

Remember that after 22:00, the outer Library doors are card entry only, so you’ll need your University ID cards to gain access.

24 hour opening provides the opportunity to study at all hours of the day and night, but don’t forget to take regular breaks and stay hydrated. If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed with your studies our Advice Centre, … Read the rest

Huge congratulations to everyone who was elected into position in our Autumn Elections!

During this round of elections we voted for Academic Reps, Halls Committees and Student Leaders, alongside electing our Halls Committees. Together, these students will work across the University and its various sites to make sure we represent the academic interests of all students, and make your university experience the best it can be.

Our Reps and Officers have varied roles and remits, from representation at course levels to putting on some events in halls. Find out more about the newly elected teams, and their plans at susu.org/elections… Read the rest

Trigger Warning: rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment

This week we’re running our Expect Respect campaign, with a focus on sexual consent awareness. Last week, we saw the huge emergence of the #MeToo campaign on social media, where victims bravely shared their experiences of sexual harassment, assault, or violence, drawing attention to this widespread issue. We need to speak up and raise awareness about the importance and necessity of consent and make it clear that harassment is unacceptable.

It’s important to remember that many assaults and rapes go unreported; many people suffer in silence. According to Rape Crisis, 85,000 women and … Read the rest

Southampton RAG, our Raise and Give Society, was awarded Top RAG at Breast Cancer Now’s MegaRaid this weekend.

RAG was invited to attend Breast Cancer Now’s big MegaRaid, a large bucket collection across London involving RAG societies from all over the country.

Several different RAGs travelled down to London on Thursday night for the occasion, getting up at 05:00 on Friday morning (20 October) to ask for donations for 12 hours at specific tube stations across the city.

Southampton RAG has had an incredible reputation for bucket collections, and has won the highest average collected per person three years running … Read the rest

Part 2 of our series on Colonialism in Africa, we will be focusing on Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganada, Madagascar and Burundi

Several events will be coming up during this month, so keep an eye out for:

• BHM Karaoke (Stags’) – 19 October
• Caribbean Curry and Quiz at WSA (WSA Cafe)– 24 October
• Debate: Building The Black Lives Matter Movement And Its Importance (Nuffield 06/1081)– 25 October

Ethiopia

Ethiopia was one of 2 African countries to have never been colonized, but was occupied by Italy for a short period in 1936. Under the Reign of Emperor Menelik II, the Italians signed the … Read the rest

October is Black History Month and a time to reflect on history: a history from which we can take pride, learn from and sometimes avoid repeating it’s mistakes.

Several events will be coming up during this month, so keep an eye out for:

• BHM Karaoke (Stags’) – 19 October
• Caribbean Curry and Quiz at WSA (WSA Cafe)– 24 October
• Debate: Building The Black Lives Matter Movement And Its Importance (Nuffield 06/1081)– 25 October

During this month, the Union and student societies are leading a campaign on the history of Colonialism in Africa. We will be focusing on African nations  which … Read the rest

Hi everyone – it’s your friendly neighbourhood Union President here with an update on the laptop free zone in The Bridge!

We’ve had a lot of engagement through You Make Change submissions and social media about the laptop-free zone in the Bridge. It’s been so great to have so much feedback on an issue that really matters to students, and it means we can make better decisions that benefit you!

Therefore, from 01 November 2017, The Bridge will be a laptop-free zone between the hours of 11:00 and 14:00, a solution suggested in many of your You … Read the rest

Voting for our Autumn Elections is now open. This is your chance to have your say on who will represent you, make your voice heard and feedback your ideas and concerns to those who can make change happen.

Vote for who will be your Course Reps, Faculty Officers, Halls Committee and Zones members. Postgrad students can choose who will be on the Postgraduate Committee and WSA students can decide who they would like to be their Winchester Campus President and International Officer.

Voting closes on Friday 20 October at 16:00, so make sure you’ve got your votes in by then. … Read the rest