Well it’s been a pretty decent week. I’m delighted that NUI Maynooth students have taken the wise decision to rejoin the national organisation. I am looking forward to formally welcoming NUIM SU back into the fold. Well over 70% decided that USI was worth joining and I think this is a particularly impressive figure given the amount of misunderstanding of what USI does and the negative campaigning from the no to USI side.
Having NUIM back in the fold will strengthen USI standing on a national scale and ensure that some new voices will be heard in our policy decisions.
We also had our Lobby of the Oireachtas on Thursday. Again another good turnout from the members of the Oireachtas with just over 100 coming over to see us. It was a long day – with us running from 8am to 6pm. As always Mary Upton was the first one in, we also had some of the newest senators visit us – James Carroll and Niall O’Brolchain. NUIG, WIT, IADT, Carlow IT and Tralee IT brought students to talk with the politicians and we had student unions from UCC, UCD, DIT and TCD present. All in all it was a positive day and after meeting with the department of education on Monday I am hopeful of getting the Student Support Bill back onto the agenda soon.
I am writing this on a bus from Dublin back to Galway where I will be having a bit of a birthday bash and I am looking forward to taking some annual leave next week!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
A Defining Week?
Well this week looks like its shaping up to being one of the defining weeks of USI 2009 - 2010.
Two major events this week, the NUIM Affiliation Referendum and the Lobby of the Oireachtas. Details of each can be found on www.usi.ie.
The NUIM Referendum is on Wednesday 24th and here the students of Maynooth are being asked two questions, whether they want to re-join USI and whether they wish to have another referendum in three years to decide whether they want to stay in USI, should they choose yes for the first question.
Dan has been on the ground in Maynooth for almost a week now and we also have a cohort of Maynooth students helping out. USI officerboard will be taking to the campus on Monday, Tuesday and a big push on the Wednesday.
Here is hoping it goes well!
The second big event this week is the Lobby. This lobby, the second of our term so far, will focus solely on the grant and back to education allowance. It is 24 months since the student support bill was published. It is unnacceptable that there has been such a delay and that is why, as part of our campaign to get it back on track, we are hosting this lobby.
The thousands of students affected this year should send warning signals to policy makers and politicians as this will only get worse over the coming years unless we address the meltdown in the grant system.
We also have to ask why those on the back to education allowance will no longer be able to recieve the grant. A cut that only affects mature students.
I will be going to the department of education on monday for discussions on the bill and this will kick off - what I hope is our final big push - for the student support bill and reform in the grant system.
So another big week for us in USI and its also my birthday this week so sounds like a hectic week already!
Two major events this week, the NUIM Affiliation Referendum and the Lobby of the Oireachtas. Details of each can be found on www.usi.ie.
The NUIM Referendum is on Wednesday 24th and here the students of Maynooth are being asked two questions, whether they want to re-join USI and whether they wish to have another referendum in three years to decide whether they want to stay in USI, should they choose yes for the first question.
Dan has been on the ground in Maynooth for almost a week now and we also have a cohort of Maynooth students helping out. USI officerboard will be taking to the campus on Monday, Tuesday and a big push on the Wednesday.
Here is hoping it goes well!
The second big event this week is the Lobby. This lobby, the second of our term so far, will focus solely on the grant and back to education allowance. It is 24 months since the student support bill was published. It is unnacceptable that there has been such a delay and that is why, as part of our campaign to get it back on track, we are hosting this lobby.
The thousands of students affected this year should send warning signals to policy makers and politicians as this will only get worse over the coming years unless we address the meltdown in the grant system.
We also have to ask why those on the back to education allowance will no longer be able to recieve the grant. A cut that only affects mature students.
I will be going to the department of education on monday for discussions on the bill and this will kick off - what I hope is our final big push - for the student support bill and reform in the grant system.
So another big week for us in USI and its also my birthday this week so sounds like a hectic week already!
Monday, February 8, 2010
SHAG Week is apon us again!
Well it is here! SHAG week has arrived, it’s been a long time coming - when you consider our offices were full of boxes of condoms, lube, envelopes etc!
So the launch happened today in the busy and boisterous Bolton street campus of DIT. The launch ad a good mix of students, media and student union officers and was a really great way to launch the flagship event of USI’s calendar.
As I pointed out today, USI officers used to get arrested for giving out condoms – now we have a week dedicated to sex and giving out almost 50,000 condoms to students. Of course the week is called SHAG week but this stands for Sexual Health and Guidance Week, so there is much emphasis on education and guidance as part of the overall campaign.
This week promises to be another busy week. Lots of media done today as regards the delay in grants and this is an issue that we are working hard to address in HQ at the moment.
Stay tuned for more information!
So the launch happened today in the busy and boisterous Bolton street campus of DIT. The launch ad a good mix of students, media and student union officers and was a really great way to launch the flagship event of USI’s calendar.
As I pointed out today, USI officers used to get arrested for giving out condoms – now we have a week dedicated to sex and giving out almost 50,000 condoms to students. Of course the week is called SHAG week but this stands for Sexual Health and Guidance Week, so there is much emphasis on education and guidance as part of the overall campaign.
This week promises to be another busy week. Lots of media done today as regards the delay in grants and this is an issue that we are working hard to address in HQ at the moment.
Stay tuned for more information!
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