Being Body Positive on a Monday!

Check out the blog post I wrote for Feminism Society on why Body Positivity is important. You can find the link to the post here: http://rhul-fem-soc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/surhul-love-your-body-campaign.html

You'll also find the video, which I've attached here!

Enjoy!

A Magical Monday in February and More!

Monday 18th February to Sunday 24th February 2013

What has my week been like? I'd like to begin with the first day of the week; Monday. 

I'm beginning with this because Monday was one of the best days of my life, something I realised upon waking up the following morning. 

Usually, as a student, everything feels like a battle. You work hard to get your essays done, you fight to do your reading, you push to get out of bed and go to your lectures. Working in the SU with Liberation, I'm used to working on campaigns and with people that requires effort to function. This Monday, however, was one of those days where everything fell into place - and I mean everything!

One of the main things that fell into place, was that the I&R Senate secured funding for an extra Observer Delegate at the NUS Disabled Students Conference 2013. This is all thanks to the Educational Support Team, who secured the funding. This conference is actually this week, and so we're wishing our Royal Holloway delegates all the best. Liberation conferences are an incredibly inspiring experience, and if you identify with any of them I thoroughly recommend going to one. Even if the opportunity for the NUS Conferences this year has passed you by, try and find or even set up your own caucuses (forums of self-defining individuals). I promise that you'll learn more about yourself and your identity than you thought possible. 

The talk last week.

Monday evening the I&R Senate held a discussion called "Let's Talk About Liberation Officers", and we were lucky enough to have Hannah Paterson the NUS Disabled Students Officer, Aaron Kiely the NUS Black Students Officer and Susan Cook, the London Met LGBT+ Officer come and speak with us. They provided incredible insight into their own struggles, their collective struggles and the importance of Liberation Officers in any Student's Union. They made me so proud of SURHUL and our four new Liberation Officers who will come into their roles early next year. If you would like to run for any of those positions, nomination packs need to be handed in to our SU by 4pm on Monday. You can find the nomination packs online here: http://www.su.rhul.ac.uk/elections/elections2013/

Speaking of Mondays, this Monday the 25th February is our very own Body Positivity Day! We have a viral video and several body positive blogs that help spread the positive image. Keep an eye on our facebook page to find out more! https://www.facebook.com/SURHUL.Inclusion

The Thursday just gone was Feminist Society's second birthday, and we partied like it was our birthday! Susuana has done an incredible job, including organising a Student Feminist Conference in London with the help of Ruth and Victoria. Fantastic people, if you talk to them you'll be in as much awe as I am, as they seem to be unstoppable feminists. Just as I was saying about caucuses and self-defining conferences, it's incredible to be around people who think like you and yet challenge you further. It's thoroughly refreshing. You can find out more about the RHUL Feminism Society here: http://rhul-fem-soc.blogspot.co.uk/

Rose, Me, Ruth, Susuana, Vic and Josie!

As usual, get in touch if you would like to be involved in anything! We'll be seeing you at the General Meeting this Tuesday at 6pm, and you can find out more here: https://www.facebook.com/events/298427506953500/?fref=ts This week is also RAG week, where we are Raising And Giving money to several charities. Find all the events (and there are some awesome ones) here: https://www.facebook.com/events/482778861782225/?fref=ts

Some final words: don't give up. Whatever it is that you are fighting for, whatever that essay is or project deadline - don't give up. 

This is me with a long face in a library, with a really cool jumper.
Have an awesome week everyone!

And it was Reading Week...

Monday 11th February to Sunday the 17th February 2013

This week I went home, and didn't do a lot of studying. A bit, but not enough. Still, I recuperated - I ate healthy meals, drank lots of tea, slept lots and saw lots of family (and babies!). It was a lovely week.
As usual, I've been emailing, messaging and organising stuff, so here's my top pick for the week ahead:

MONDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2013

6pm, ALT1 - Let's Talk About Liberation Officers
Why do we have Liberation Officers? Who are they for, and what do they do? Is their role even important or vital to a functioning Student's Union?
We have four speakers coming, one from each liberation group to talk about why liberation is important, and what for. It will only be an hour long, but each speaker is an experienced activist, and all but one are involved with either the NUS or London Met. I am also the fourth speaker, so come check it out! https://www.facebook.com/events/313064318797046/

That's my main pick. Enjoy it! 

As always, if you would like to chat about being an Executive Officer, becoming a Liberation Officer, or just curious about what the SU can do for you, feel free to Facebook me, email me or meet me for a coffee. I promise that it will be worth your while!

In the meantime, I wish you all a very productive week, one filled with sunshine much like today's. 

I'll leave you with a lovely little quote that I came across today, that seems apt for my thoughts these past few weeks.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=500236740018727&set=a.204542062921531.45848.184599864915751&type=1&theater

Over and out!

Strictly Come Holloway, Societies Ball and the GM

Monday 4th to Sunday 10th February 2013

Usual duties - Exec and the GM

The Executive Committee met on Monday to talk about the upcoming GM - and so I'll move on swiftly to the General Meeting (GM)!

The motion for liberation officers to be self identifying passed with an overwhelming majority, which is excellent. This means that just as your First Year Officer is in fact a first year, and your Postgraduate Officer a postgraduate, the Liberation Officers will be self-identifying also. This will however be based on trust, so that if you are a disabled student you do not have to come out about the specifics of your disability in the elections. You only reveal as much as you want to, and nobody can force you otherwise. We are young adults who should trust each other. 

However the motion for the voters of Liberation Officers to also self-identify fell. Hopefully the motion can be worked on so that it becomes true at a later date, or it will have to be left. In student politics you win some, and you lose some. I know that with a lot of Liberation issues, what you think depends on where you're standing. It can be tough to recognise that, and to see where the people around us are standing also. Perspective changes everything! So I'm saying that if you think differently to me, that's alright, but I'd like to know your perspective. 

Another motion was passed to support Roma, Gypsy and Travellers rights to a safe and secure place to live. This, like the first motion I've mentioned, passed with an overwhelming majority! There are students here who are Gypsy, Roma or Traveller, and that's why these motions are important. 

Strictly Come Holloway

Strictly Come Holloway

This was on Thursday night! A massive shout out to the Ballroom and Latin Dance Society for organising and holding this fantastic event. It alone raised just over £1,700! Tommaso and I danced the Quickstep - and it was great fun! I forgot how when performing, you practice over and over again, but that the performance is always over before you know it! I slipped a little on the floor and it threw me - but Tommaso just kept dancing, as the catch phrase goes. At the Ball on Saturday, this event won the "RAG Event of the Year" award, and very deservedly so as well!

Societies, Media & RAG Ball 2013

What an incredible evening! The food was delicious and the event very well organised. Well done to everyone who was nominated for an award, who won an award, and of course to all the unsung heroes as well. It was fantastic to see what each society had been working towards over the course of the year, and to join in on the enthusiastic clapping! Well done to everyone, and I hope you all had an excellent time!

Your Executive Committee

Blog Post for RHUL Feminism Society

Over the weekend, I wrote a blog post about checking your feminist label. Here's a sneaky peak!

"If weʼre supposed to be leading a movement or a new wave of thinking, how can we expect others to listen to our challenging ideas when we cannot challenge our own? We should question ourselves and each other more often. We should look at our actions, not only in our political lives but our work lives, our private lives and our relationships. Attitude shapes behaviour, and it should be an attitude worth being shaped by"

You can find the rest here: http://rhul-fem-soc.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/check-your-feminist-label.html

Liberation, Liberation and more Liberation!

Monday 28th January to Sunday 3rd February 2013

Organisation and Duties

Although I may have less to show for this week, I have still been busy! I've been going to my meetings as usual, such as Exec every Monday at 6pm. Did you know that any student can sit in on these meetings? It can be quite curious sometimes! 

Together with the I&R Senate we have been preparing for a Body Positivity Campaign on Monday the 25th February, a talk on Liberation Officers and also a SURHUL video on Disability. If you want to get involved (or are even curious) about any of the above, pop along to the I&R Senate which meets every Tuesday at 5pm in Rialto. I promise you won't be disappointed!

I've been to Feminism Society this week, including their collaboration with ISoc which was a very interesting and eye opening. I think it comes down to personal choice and belief - but we certainly smashed some stereotypes!

Motions on Liberation for the next General Meeting

The GM is this Tuesday, from 6pm in the SU main hall. We have two important motions going through:

1. For Liberation Officers to be self identifying

Just like the first year Officer is a first year student, and the International Students Officer is an international student, it's the same for the Liberation Officers. The people running for election need to identify themselves as part of the group they want to represent: so the person running for Women and Marginalised Gender Officer is someone from that group. So how do we make sure? Well, it's based on trust. We may be young adults, but Liberation Officers are for the common good, not only the people they represent. Liberation is as much political as it is part of your identity and the roles deserve to be treated with sensitivity and respect.

2. For the voters for Liberation Officers to be self identifying

This would again be based on trust. Everyone would be given the same ballot form, but it would have different sections for the liberation groups. These sections would explain what it is to identify, and how to vote. This is important because it recognises the different experiences each student has had, and it asks us to respect that. 

You can see the motions and the agenda for the GM here: https://www.su.rhul.ac.uk/asset/News/6001/GM.05.02.13.pdf

What else, Sid?

Sometimes, I like to tell you what else I've been up to! I've calculated my priorities and am putting more work into my course. Sounds obvious, I know, but sometimes these things take a while to figure out. I went to Senate House yesterday and was very productive, more of that to follow I hope!

Also, THIS THURSDAY IS STRICTLY COME HOLLOWAY! I am very nervous! I have a week to work on my feet, the position of my head and my manic smiling. Come along and vote Sid & Tommaso! You can find the facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/435061423234517/?fref=ts

All of the money raised is going to a charity called Parity for Disabilities. See you there!

At Senate House