By Lawrence Wakefield, Elections Communications Administrator

With the voting period for the student elections just round the corner, I thought I’d take a look at how it’s going to happen this year.

The first thing to note is that for the first time we are implementing electronic voting. This doesn’t mean you can sit at home and vote via the internet, but rather that the polling stations will be harbouring computers to take your vote.

The super secure system is simple enough to use and literature will be on hand at the polling station explain everything to you. They’ll be a polling officer present to help if you get stuck.

The next important thing to remember is that the elections are once again implementing an AV system of voting. AV is about as exciting as an omnibus of the BBC’s Songs of Praise, but it’s worth understanding if you want to make best use of your vote. I’ll try and explain it as briefly and simply as possible;

Imagine there are 5 candidates running for president. Three dogs and one cat. In a normal ‘First past the post’ vote, such as in an English general election, you will place one vote, and the candidate who receives the most votes will win.

However, in an AV voting system, you instead order the candidates into a list – your favourite candidate first, then your next choice, then your next.. placing as many or as few candidates as you wish. If the candidate you choose as your first choice comes last in a round of voting, your vote will be re-cast for your next preference, and so on.

You might be wondering why we use such a system? Well the answer is that simply that it is fairer.

Imagine the results of a the vote above are as follows:

Cat    34%
Dog 1 31%
Dog 2 20%
Dog 3 25%

Under the ‘First past the post’ system, the cat would win. However, it is clear that 66% of voters (the clear majority) wanted a dog to win the election. The AV system means that in such a scenario, the top dog (most likely Dog1), would win.

Phew. See you at the polling station!
 

From Lawrence Wakefield, Elections Communications Administrator

Attention campaigners! Your election manifesto is your chance to tell student voters what you’re all about. But how do you make your manifesto stand out from the rest?

During my own campaign last year, it became immediately obvious what had worked in my manifesto, and what I had got horribly, horribly wrong. I recommend you learn from my mistakes and follow my five-step guide to writing a good manifesto!

1. Grab their attention

Students will invariably choose not read every word of every manifesto that candidates submit. Make sure your opening lines catch their eye and get them interested in what you have to say.  Avoid listing details like your age, favourite colour or the name of your hamster - You can tell them more about yourself later.  Instead, why not open with a question, a relevant quote, or a thought-provoking idea?

2. Summarise your pledges

Work out exactly what you would do if elected. This will make up the bones of your manifesto, so spend some time on working out what is important to you, and what will appeal to voters. Try to make these ideas and plans as concise and clear as possible, one sentence should be enough. For example, ‘I will campaign for cheaper drinks in the Student Union ‘ is better than ‘I will campaign for Fosters , lemonade and WKD prices at the Students’ Union to come down by ten pence so we can all save money when we meet there to play poker’.

3. What’s your USP?

Work out what separates you from the other candidates running, and make sure you tell students about it. Perhaps you have experience in a field relevant to the position you are running for? What is it that you bring to the table that no-one else can? Don’t go overboard though – starting every sentence you write with ‘During my Gap Year...’ may put some students off.

4. Don’t be afraid to use humour

Students, like most humans, respond well to humour. If you feel comfortable doing so, don’t be afraid to use it in your manifesto. Pledges in my own manifesto such as ‘Increased defences against zombie attack’ were the best remembered by students and often proved vote winners!
A word of warning though - take it too far and you risk not being taken seriously. Also remember that everyone has a different sense of humour. A joke that you find hilarious may not be appreciated by all of the diverse student community we have here.
 

5. Czech Ur Engerlish

If you know your English isn’t the greatest, or even if it is, take the time to proof your manifesto for mistakes. Read it out loud, have a friend check it, or even ask a tutor to help. Poor writing will give a bad first impression, so be sure to spend a few minutes getting it right.

 

From Lawrence Wakefield, Elections Communications Admin

Hello. Lawrence here, I'm the Election Communications Administrator for this season. I'll be using this blog to keep you up-to-date with the latest elections news. I'm also a Journalism + PR student and can be commonly sighted shuffling around campus clinging to a caffeinated beverage from Starbucks. Other caffeinated beverages are available...

In recent history, we’ve seen the largest shake-up to higher education in our lifetimes. Welcome to the unavoidable world of student politics.

Whether you have found yourself hitting the streets armed with placards, letting your views be heard over Twitter, or complaining to your friends down the pub about how issues have been tackled, you've been part of a body of students showing the country that they are not afraid to make their voices heard.

This spring, SUUG are giving you the chance to change the issues that affect you most – the ones on your own doorstep. Whether you want more beef in your burgers, better events at your Students' Union or a higher budget for your university sports team, you should consider running to become a Student Representative.

SUUG is a democratic organisation, so by becoming an elected officer you can really make the changes you want to see. You can either opt to run to become a paid full-time Sabbatical Officer, a voluntary Student Representative, or an NUS delegate – all three look great on your CV and will provide you with the kind of challenging and rewarding experience you probably hungered after when you first filled in your UCAS application.

Interested? Then you need to move fast, as time is running out to throw your hat in the ring. Click here to find out more on how to nominate yourself.

Yes, that's exactly what's wanted at this time of year, when the roads are busy, people are partying and, well, there are just too many other things to do. But there's never been a better time to log on to the National Blood Service and do something that's as amazing as they claim, as well as very easy – so please give blood.

I had been giving blood on and off for about five years - since I started riding a motorcycle (medics call us organ donors, such is the accident rate) - when I signed up to the British Bone Marrow Register. I'd read a bit about it, as you do when you're looking at the leaflets waiting your turn to be called from the waiting room in the blood donor centre, but I didn't think I'd ever be called upon to actually do it! Because bone marrow donation needs a pretty exact match - a very close DNA signature or something like that - and lots of people on the register never get called. (More often, the donor is a family member of the recipient, but plenty of those matches aren’t close enough).

Twelve months or so later, I was called. After another blood sample (Nurse - "It's just a little prick." Me - "There's no need to be rude!") was analysed and the match with the unknown recipient confirmed, I had a two hour interview with a doctor going through the process and making me aware of lots of risks so I could sign the consent form with full knowledge – the risks sound scary, but it’s a medical procedure so they always do. I decided to use the stem cell harvest method since I’m a coward and the sucking out of bone marrow from my back sounded painful! Finally, I had a check-up to show that the heart, lungs etc were all working fine and, praise be, they were.

A week or two later, a nurse visited me at home and injected me with drugs that promoted the production of stem cells – those little building blocks open the door to miraculous medical treatments that scientists are only just beginning to explore. After another blood sample was tested to see if I had enough stem cells coursing through my veins for the harvest, I was called to hospital and spent the morning with two lovely nurses talking about football, Trinidad’s carnival and how children drive you mad. I was four hours hooked up to the apheresis machine as my blood left one arm, had the stem cells spun out of it, and returned to my other arm. Did it hurt? For two hours, my observation notes read – comfortable, asleep, asleep, asleep.... comfortable – so what do you think?

I felt no ill effects at all, but had to do a couple more hours of the machine the next day to fill the bag sufficiently with stem cells. I had taken two mornings off work and was riding the bike the next day.

Four years later, I was contacted again – not for stem cells, but for white blood cells required by the person who already had my blood in them, as their body worked against their disease. That was just another gentle couple of hours on the machine.

My story of donating stem cells is as typical as any I suppose. There is a cost in terms of time, but not much, and it’s made as convenient as possible by the National Blood Service. There’s no real pain, though you do have to be prepared to have a lot of needles stuck into you – but they sting for a second or two, if at all. And some people ache a bit (I didn’t) but it’s nothing compared with the aches one gets even with a heavy cold. So it’s not quite true to say that, like one candle being lit from the flame of another, there is no cost to the donor, but it’s minimal when one thinks of the weapons one has placed in the hands of doctors in their fight against man’s most bitter enemy – cancer. I don’t know who got my stem cells nor if they’re alive or dead now, but I can imagine what it must have felt like when they and their family heard there was a match and treatment could begin. And I don’t mind saying that I feel good that I played a part in that.

So can you.   

From Kazi Haque, Vice President Education & Welfare

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
Then I missed the deadline for an academic appeal.
Now there’s not even 21 Seconds to Go.
I wish I could Turn Back Time, but now
Nothing Else Matters.

There’s a good 3 decades of song titles and lyrics in the lines above, but music is full of life's lessons! Because whatever the issue is about, if you miss the deadline to submit an academic appeal, you will normally lose your chance of resolving the problem.

Remember, that you only have 15 working days (that is, 3 weeks) to appeal against academic decisions. The clock will start ticking as soon as you have been formally notified. Late appeals are only accepted if the University agrees that you had very good reasons preventing you from submitting your appeal at any time within the deadline.

You can download a copy of the University’s Academic Appeals procedure, which includes the appeal form,  from the University website.

The Student Union website also has guidance. You don’t have to do this on your own. If you’re not happy about academic decisions affecting you, you can always contact your personal tutor at the University to discuss options.

And for free, independent advice on the appeals process and any other problem you might have, you can see an adviser at the Students' Union. We are not part of the University, and can help you through the appeals process. Our service is confidential: we will not share information with the University unless you want us to.  So, do yourself a favour and contact us. It won’t cost you anything, and could save you from a trip with Elvis to Heartbreak Hotel.

www.suug.co.uk/welfare/academic

From Arun Thakral, SUUG President

Hello all you wonderful people of the University of Greenwich! I believe it’s a very a exciting time for some of you who have started university life. I hope you all are having an amazing time at the University.

Freshers is now over but don’t worry - SUUG is dedicated to work for you to make your time the best at university. If you’re looking for something new, you should try our brand new programme called Give It A Go which will give you a chance to participate in over 100 taster sessions, trips, workshops and other events throughout the year. If you are a sports person, join the different range of sports clubs as per your interest. If you feel like dancing try a traditional Bhangra dance through the new Bhangra society. We also has different course related, cultural and interest led societies.

SUUG is all about you, so chill, relax or party in your Union and make the most of your time. I believe the Sabb team this year is a very friendly and approachable team and we are dedicated in giving students a strong voice. You are most welcome to meet us anytime you feel like; we are ready to support you and advice you.

It’s an exciting time to get involved with opportunities of self development and gain skills that can be used for future employment. For example, you can become School Reps and represent fellow students. So, if you are a people person and want to enhance your leadership skills, get yourself nominated. For more information check out the Get Involved section on the SU website.

There’s MUCH MORE coming for you so STAY CONNECTED and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

From Mary Mazzilli, Representation Coordinator

We are in the middle of a gorgeous October and School reps nominations are in the full swing. This is great opportunity for all Greenwich students to gain fantastic, first-hand experience of how decisions are made and carried out at the University of Greenwich. You will be able to attend academic meetings and mingling with lots different kinds of people. Above all, you will become part of decision making processes.

For every 250 students there are two School Reps. School Reps are the voice of students and, together with Course Reps, make sure that students are heard at academic meetings and with University staff.

You might think, “this is too daunting” or “it’s not for me”...having worked with student representatives for many years I have seen students transformed by this experience as they gained confidence, self-assurance and charisma. This experience has even helped some of them in their job hunting later on. Furthermore, SUUG and I are here to support you each step of the way so that you have the right tools to make most of your time as a School Rep.

Nominations will close on Saturday 22nd October and voting will take place 24^th/25^th/26^th October with training dates coming up in November. So hurry up and do not miss out! Full details of the voting and nomination procedures can be found at www.suug.co.uk/getinvolved/schoolreps/ - you can read a full role description be clicking here too.

There’s also a referendum coming soon to adopt our proposed Memorandum and Articles of Association, which are required as a result of new legal and administrative requirements. These will bring no change to the Union’s work but your vote is important because you need to make sure that Union can function according to the new laws and regulations. Go to www.suug.co.uk/getinvolved/ref2011/ for more information.

If you have any queries, I’m around at the SU two days a week; give me a ring or drop me a line.

Mary Mazzilli
Representation Coordinator
Students' Union, University of Greenwich
020 8331 8267
m.mazzilli@gre.ac.uk

If you go for a School Rep position, good luck, and most of all, Get Voting!

New academic year, new blogs! We'll be bringing you news and updates from all areas of the SU, starting with an update from Katrina Harradine, our Vice President Student Activities. She's got a quick question for you all…

FRESHERS...ARE YOU READY? You better be! Because that is pretty much all we are talking about here at the SUUG offices right now. If it's not the Freshers Fairs, it's the Sports Day or the events at Bar Lat and Sparrows. It's gonna be a jam-packed fortnight of madness and a time of your life you will never forget! 

Elsewhere, I have started planning for the year ahead, making sure sports teams and societies are ready and making plans for new events that will be happening this year. One is a programme of events leading up not just to the Olympics but the Paralympics too! So I went along to the International Paralympic day in Trafalgar Square last week and met some of the athletes preparing for summer of 2012. We also got demonstrations of some of the sports played. I watched the Basketball and then also some Table Tennis and learnt all about some specialised sports just for the Paralympics such as Boccia and Goalball. 

Unfortunately due to a jam-packed day of work I couldn't stay too long, but it has assured me that I definitely want to go and apply for tickets for the Paralympics. If you fancy getting yours too then it's not too late you have until 6pm on the 26th September to apply for tickets.

If you fancy getting involved or helping out at some of this years events at SUUG then send me a quick e-mail on k.harradine@gre.ac.uk.

Can't wait to see you all this week :D 

Katrina
Vice President Student Activities

With superinjunctions "stopping" us hearing all about that footballer trending 24/7 on Twitter and Facebook having more active users than there are people in all but a handful of countries, social networking has a claim to being the transforming technology of the early 21st century in the way that the motor car was the transformative technology of the early 20th century. The pre-social networking world may not have caught up with the revolutionary changes already underway, but have you?

How much do you use social networking sites and what do you use them for? Can it help you in your education, in making friends, in helping you make the most of life as a student? Or is it just hype?

Having lived most of my years in the pre-FB world, I can't imagine life without it nor Twitter these days. Not only does it allow me to communicate with friends scattered all over the world about sport, politics and art, it's a window that opens out on to some great material, both in the MSM (Mainstream Media) and in little corners of the internet where people do some extraordinary stuff. Follow X on Twitter or like Z on Facebook and all that is yours.

Probably my favourite aspect of social networking, is the discourse that has developed about maintaining friendships. I can hear nothing from someone for two years, then have an intense exchange of views about President Obama, cricket, the films of Hayao Miyazaki, anything and then not hear from them again for another couple of years - and nobody minds.

Do leave some thoughts below in the comment section and remember to follow your union on Twitter at @SUGreenwich and on Facebook too.