A Week of Duties and Even More Porn!

Monday 22nd October to Sunday 28th October 2012

Regular Duties

   I've called these regular duties because they happen almost every week - the Executive Committee met on Monday evening, and it was exciting as we welcomed the newly elected students. The great thing was, we were able to talk about their manifestos and to see where we could work together. For example, I really want to make our Union more accessible by making videos, and so I can work with Ashna who is the Rhubarb TV Station Manager, and also Zosia who is Communications Officer. 

   Tuesday we had the General Meeting, and to try and make the elections more accessible we made and printed out sheets of paper with each of the roles available. They also had a photo of the Exec Officer you could talk to if you were unsure about running. It proved successful, as a few people ran who otherwise might not have. 

   On the I&R Senate, we still have the positions of BME Rep and Disability Rep up for grabs! Like our I&R Senate page on Facebook to find out more here, or email me at eandl@su.rhul.ac.uk.

   Now, this isn't a duty, but it is regular! On my Wednesday radio show "Desert Island Sid" I had the pleasure of interviewing the resident Catholic Chaplain, Father John Dickson. He had a great many interesting stories to tell, and he was a genuinely fantastic guest! Next week, we have one of our very own Undergraduate Politics & International Relations students, Claire O'Reilly!

From left to right - Art Mitchells-Urwin, Anthony Morgan,
Alex Dymock and Sarah Harman.

Let's Talk About Porn

   Oh yes! And talk about it we did! The four speakers: Art Mitchells-Urwin, Anthony Morgan, Alex Dymock and Sarah Harman all provided a real insight into why it is illegal in the UK to see a woman ejaculate, the effect porn has on relationships, the legal technicalities around censorship and finally the multiple perceptions of porn. It was great to have so many people turn up and engage with the topic.

   We talked about how the narrative in porn allows for a conversation leading to consent, as sex doesn't happen in a vacuum and this conversation is important. We talked about cartoon porn, and how it created a dimension of things that are not otherwise possible or could cause harm to one party in particular, such as bestiality. The most important thing we touched upon was censorship, and how it was important not to have any. This allows the individual to search for their own desires whilst avoiding any societal pressure about what "should" turn you on. In relation to younger people accessing this kind of material, it was reasoned that we were all curious young naive adults once, and that porn is one way of exploring your sexuality. For example in a heteronormative world, recognising that being attracted to people of the same gender or sex as yourself is okay and normal. Also, the structure of the internet means you need to actively search for it. A few people talked about their own experiences in discovering porn, and we realised how important it was for us to view consumers as individuals, and not as groups of people. 

The infamous poster.

   All in all it was a fantastic talk and there will be more to follow. They are run by the I&R Senate, so get involved by liking the page (link is above). You can pick up a copy of the Orbital and find an article I wrote to promote the event!

Come in your Socs

   This was held on Wednesday night, where everyone heads to the Student's Union as part of their Societies! I went as part of Feminism Society and Philosophy Society (one lone question mark was penned onto my shoulder!). I had a great time and fully dressed up for the occasion!

Potential Founders Library Wheelchair Accessibility

   This is an exciting little gem of an idea that myself and Chelsea, the International Student's Officer are working on. Founders library is infamously shut off to students who require wheelchairs, but Chelsea has spotted an easy access route. We are currently finding out how far College have taken this request, and hoping to be able to provide input. If you would like to be involved in this, why not run for Disability rep?

Zero Tolerance

   The SU management requested business cards with the information needed for students who had experienced sexual harassment. I have made them, and although they are very simple they have all of the information that you could possibly need. On it you will be able to find contact details for welfare support from both the college and the university, and even an anonymous website where you can post if you'd like to talk about it but not report it. Security will carry these in their pockets, and hand them to both the people who report and violation of the Zero Tolerance policy. 

   In other news, our SURHUL venue has been accredited as a Zero Tolerance university! This means that Womens NUS will soon be providing us with information and resources to begin training the staff of our SU. This is great news!

That's all from me! Have a great week everyone!