Sabb Blogs

Weekly updates about issues affecting students from your elected representatives at the LSE Students' Union. These updates are taken from UGM reports. *Image above: from left to right are Emmanuel, Wil, Aled and Dan.

Page contents > Communications blog | Education & Welfare blog | General Secretary blog | Treasurer blog

Communications blog
19 March 2009 – Dan Sheldon

Website tender a GO GO
This week I put together the tender document for our website redevelopment. Come to my office if you want to see it - it's a thrilling read. We've sent it out to loads of agencies and we're well on track to launch in September 2009. If you've got any opinions on what the website should look or feel like, and what guiding principles we should use, please get in touch.
Awards²
Nominations are now open for the Teaching Excellence, Union and Society Awards; and the Media Group Awards planning is well underway. SU Reception is the place to get involved, so please do nominate your friends and tutors as appropriate.
National Student Survey
Are you a third year undergraduate student? Have you been bugged to death by IPSOS MORI yet? If so, get them to stop bugging you by DOING THE SURVEY! You never know, it might actually improve teaching quality at LSE, too.
Thanks & goodbye
It's been a fun year. If I may just finish with two brief remarks-first to the UGM. I have never pretended to be a great UGM man, but I pay the UGM the greatest compliment I can by saying that, from first to last, I never stopped fearing it. The tingling apprehension that I felt at three minutes to 1 today I felt as much 3 years ago, and every bit as acute. It is in that fear that the respect is contained.
The second thing that I would like to say is about politics and to all my colleagues from different political parties. Some may belittle politics but we who are engaged in it know that it is where people stand tall. Although I know that it has many harsh contentions, it is still the arena that sets the heart beating a little faster. If it is, on occasions, the place of low skulduggery, it is more often the place for the pursuit of noble causes. I wish everyone, friend or foe, well. That is that. The end.

12 March 2009 – Dan Sheldon

Global RAG Week - double trouble!
Seems like years ago now, but Global RAG Week was the best ever, even if I do say so myself. Loads of amazing events, loads of fun and - most importantly - loads of money. We're still counting up but we've already raised over £10,000 and are on course to double last year's total of £5,600. Well done to everyone involved in such an amazing week.
Elections & congratulations
Congratulations are in order. Well done to my flatmate George for a stunning bean-themed electoral victory. I don't know how he thinks these things up. Also, well done to Robin 'banter merchant' Low, who has the highly enviable task of taking over from me in July. The Media Group did a great job of the coverage, despite being very naughty boys and girls. Last, but certainly not least, Ossie Fikret did a superb job of running these elections, with the 2,002 strong turnout testament to that.
Website update
You might have noticed a few changes to the notoriously shit LSESU.com recently. A few updates here, a bit of a redesign there. Not groundbreaking stuff, but just getting our house in order at long last. Meanwhile, we are working on the much bigger project to completely relaunch the SU website when our current contract expires in September 2009. Just to clarify to everyone YET AGAIN, the £30,400 we are going to spend on the website is not from our SU budget, it is special ringfenced funding from the Annual Fund, which we wouldn't have been granted unless I applied for it. So ner.
Arts Week
This week is Arts Week, headed up by the Visual Arts Society. Get yourself down to one of their events. Of particular note is the exhibition in Parish Hall. Who knew LSE students were so artistically talented?
Union Awards
Nominations are now open for the Union Awards, which will hopefully be a lot bigger and better than in previous years.
National Student Survey
Are you a third year undergraduate student? Have you been bugged to death by IPSOS MORI yet? If so, get them to stop bugging you by DOING THE SURVEY! You never know, it might actually improve teaching quality at LSE, too.
My first cycling lesson
Had my first cycling lesson for many years the other week. Managed to signal, look behind and cycle round the block. Next step: roads with traffic on them!
Other meetings
Risk Committee - discussed the School's Strategic Risk Register. Thrilling stuff.
External Relations Committee - discussed the School's Communications Strategy in less than 45 minutes.
Court of Governors - Amazing stuff. Presented student experience paper, feels like we made some real progress. Exactly what the SU should be doing.
NUSSL Collaboration & Partnership Seminar - Interesting couple of days in Coventry sharing best practice with other SUs and looking into new ways of working

Inspirational quote: Speak when you are angry - and you will make the best speech you'll ever regret.  Laurence J. Peter
Teaching Excellence Awards
The LSE Teaching Excellence Awards is an opportunity to raise the profile of teaching across the School, and to acknowledge the effort and enthusiasm invested in teaching and the support of learning by academic staff. Up to five awards of £2000 are made each year. Nominations close tomorrow so this will be your last opportunity to submit a form so pick on up from the Student's Union reception today!
24 Hour Library
This week I attended a meeting with senior members of the LSE's administration regarding the 24 hour library. Several issues were discussed including problems surrounding cost, environmental consequences and welfare concerns. Some of these issues are completely valid, so I have therefore agreed to commission a report into how the school can address the ramifications of students studying at night. If you have any suggestions please send me an e-mail.
Residences Committee
There were several topics discussed by the Residences Committee mainly relating to safety, pastoral care and building a closer relationship between the Students' Union and Hall Committees. There have been further initiatives fro the school following on from the success of SU initiatives such as the Halls Safety Guide such as investment in improving security. I will be tabling a paper regarding the relationship between the SU and hall committees at the next meeting.
Grub Club
Grub club is taking off well and I have had several requests for information packs
Grub club is s part of our healthy eating campaign and in conjunction with BBC Headroom.
Grub Club is a new way for students to get involved in Headroom, a campaign to encourage you to look after your mental wellbeing. It's also a great excuse for you and your friends to get together and cook with and for each other.
Cooking and eating the right food feeds your mind and fuels your body. When you have an essay to write, an exam to take or simply need to shake off a hangover, the right kind of food will give you the energy to tackle the task and keep your stress levels down. Spending time with friends is also a great way to lift your mood.
To Request your Grub Club information pack please send me an e-mail.
Pointless but interesting fact: The most common term in the world is 'OK' the second most common is 'Coca-Cola'

12 March 2009 – Emmanuel Akpan-Inwang

Inspirational Quote: Don't let what you can't do stop you from doing what you can do.
Grub Club
As part of our healthy eating campaign and in conjunction with BBC Headroom this week marks the launch of Grub Club. Grub Club is a new way

Well done for getting to the end of term! I'm exhausted, but have been working hard on a number of things. A lot of people have put it in a lot
of hard work this term - thank you so much!
New Union Building developments
We've had several meetings with the School about the new building we're getting, what exactly goes in it and other aspects of the project. We
also met with members of the Environment and Ethics Forum to discuss making the building as green as possible, and will be doing a lot of
work on this area. The project remains really exciting - we're just working hard to make sure we get what we want, how we want it!
Dialogue
I've spent a lot of my time this week discussing the Dialogue Commission, what was in The Beaver and how that relates to this week's
motion on anti-Semitism. I would like to stress again - the fact that there is even dialogue is a massive step forward. Many students have
been involved in the process and deserve to be thanked. This is how we should be making policy - through discussion and negotiation. Not
everyone is going to happy with motions but the most consensus possible must be reached.
University Challenge continues!
The trials for University Challenge happened last week. To be it mildly, the results weren't amazing, although the questions were fiendish.
However, the deadline has been extended to May 1st and we will therefore be doing more trials. Please get involved, even if you don't think
you're that good - you may be surprised at just how well you do!
The Penguin - (still) MIA
The investigative force I took down to Kings, while striking fear into the Strand Poly, came back fruitless. I have forced the Kings Sabbs and
SU to do a thorough investigation and look forward to results. In the meantime, keep your eyes pealed!
Well done Shibani!
Well done to Shibani for becoming the new Executive Editor of The Beaver. Look out for a further Collective meeting tonight, replete with
elections, and the RAG elections, also tonight. Good luck to all involved!
Other meetings and exciting things...
Council Committee Membership Review Group, helping out at Student Mentor training, Trustees' meeting, Exec meeting, meeting with ICEF, meetings
about the proposed Thinking Like a Social Scientist (TLSS) course, C&S, Beaver Collective and more!

12 March 2009 – Aled Dilwyn Fisher

I'll give a broader update given that many of you will not have read the report in the last few weeks, what with elections, hustings and so
forth! I am also so lucky to be able to give these weekly reports for another year - thank you!
Paper to Council reaps benefits to students!
Our paper to Council on improving the student experience caused a lot of discussion of student issues at the highest level in LSE. The first
benefits of this are being reaped straight away - a working group has been set up to look at how to make Wednesday Afternoons free, and the
group will report back in Summer Term (hopefully) with scenarios for how to make them free for ALL students, and from 12noon (as the dictionary
intended!). This is the biggest leap forward we've made on this for years, so I'd like to thank everyone who worked on the paper.
The Penguin
The loss of the penguin has caused great anguish, distress and disappointment among the student body. Our friend - known as Jonny to
some, Alfonso to others, or simply 'The Penguin' - is an integral part of the LSE community. Many students have photographs with him at
graduation; others talk to him when drunk; but most just simply smile as they walk past. There is a gaping hole at the heart of LSE. If Kings
have it, they better give it back - or face the consequences. Rumours are that it is at Kings or possibly Queen Mary's law department on
Lincolns Inn Fields, but both deny these rumours. Please vote for today's motion - and keep your eyes and ears open!
University Challenge - LSE wants YOU
The First Round of University Challenge is TONIGHT at 7pm in D302. There is another First Round event tomorrow at 12noon in D202. Please come
along - our team made the Quarters last year and we need the best students for the team! The Second Round will be next week at 12noon in
the Sheikh Zayed Theatre, hosted by Howard Davies.
SOAPBOX and the listening campaign
The SOAPBOX event on Monday was fantastic, and the listening campaign, being led by the Citizens for Social Justice Society, is really useful. Please get involved by contacting the society or Sadia Kidwai (star of the Penguin video on Facebook!).
Other things
Several meetings about the new union building, helping our at Student Mentor training, School Academic Planning and Resources Committee (APRC)
meeting, discussions of allocations in halls with Accommodation Office, and much more...

This is the end. 

New Building Development 

Another four hours of meetings this week on the brief to go to design competition. We’ve been working on all sort of architectural mumbo jumbo like adjacency diagrams, feasibility studies but we are still on target to go out to design competition next month which is very exciting. We are introducing a poll function on the website which we envisage will enable us to keep consulting our members about the new building. There will also be a NUB progress report section appearing in the near future to keep everyone update on this project. 

Budget Submission 

I’ve also been working with the Finance Team on our budget submission to the LSE this week. This will be submitted at the end of the week. We are currently looking to request an 8% increase on last year’s submission, with a particular focus on development of society and sporting activities. 

Environment 

Been working on three key environment projects this week. Firstly, I have been working with NUSSL to finalise our entry to the Sound Impact Awards. As one of the 20 unions being audited this year we have to prove our environmental credentials – which means sending along photos and e-mails.

I worked with Justus to finalise his roof top garden project, which has now been given the go ahead by the LSE Estates Division. We just need to finalise the small print but with the sun in the sky there doesn’t seem to be a better time to start gardening on campus. So congratulations to Justus for winning this. 

Finally, I met with representatives from the Environment and Ethics Forum to discuss the key environmental requirements for the New Union/Student Building. All the information from these sessions will be included in the final brief which is very exciting. I would just like to say a big thank you to Katherine Ripullone and others for all the work they have done so far on this. 

Business Society Meeting 

On Monday I had the privilege of meeting three generations of Business Society President to discuss their current deficit. By the end of this term we are projecting that the amount of money the society owes will stand at around £8,000. This is quite an achievement considering that they owed £19,000 in October. 

So congratulations to the Business Society for their prudent financial management over the past year. 

Society Funding 

As mandated at the start of the first term the review of society funding is progressing and will be run past F&S and the Executive shortly. Some societies have already been consulted as part of this process and the complete findings will be sent out when the consultation has finished. 

Penguin Posse 

On Monday I joined the Special Penguin Delegation which went down to Kings at lunchtime. I then had to deal with worried KCL Sabbs who were quaking in their boots as a result of Aled’s hastily written “return our penguin or else message”. 

Other Meetings 

One or two society AGMs, final meeting with the current Exec, Treasury Team

12 March 2009 – Wil Barber

Over the last week, I had two days on holiday which have meant a less action-packed week than usual (well, that’s my excuse anyway).  

New Union Building Brief Development 

This has probably been the most time consuming part of the past fortnight. I have been working with Students’ Union staff and members of the Executive to finalise the brief for estates based on feedback from the New Union Building Survey. We are currently working with Estates to resolve any gaps within the brief. There are a few niggley details to be sorted out – particularly with regards to the feel of the building hence the forms in front of you. If you could fill these out we would be most grateful. 

Union Awards 

The nomination forms are out this week for Union Awards. Categories are as follows:

Honorary Studentships, Outstanding Contribution Award, Society Contribution Award. Society Awards are for Best Society, Best New Society, Best Event, Best Joint Event, Best Charity Event. 

More information is available on the Union website and forms are available upon request from myself and SU reception. 

Bernard Levin 

The deadline for submissions for this award is midnight Friday evening/Saturday morning. So you’d best get writing if you want a chance to win the £500 up for grabs. 

Banking 

As a result of various issues with the Natwest bank over the last month this week have now started discussions with other banks about the alternative service arrangements. These discussions will be ongoing and any final decision will be presented to the Executive Committee and Finance and Services Committee. 

Other meetings 

The meetings calendar has quietened down quite a bit: only meetings other this week were the Executive Committee as well as meetings with Simeon Underwood and the LSE Counselling Service.