That Girl from Derwent dwells on the value of religion this Christmas.
That Girl from Derwent has learned a few more things about prejudice since moving up North.
That Girl From Derwent reckons if you're going to be offensive, you should find a better reason.
That Girl from Derwent considers why it is that some words have wider implications than others.
I'm no accountant but the recent figures for JCRC funding reported in Nouse just don't add up.
Any student has the right to question why their college is holding money, especially when it is probably their money which they spent in Freshers' Week, on subsequent events or on merchandise. It is also important to get the facts straight; and therefore to acknowledge that the figures are an accurate snapshot of the financial positions of the JCRCs at a particular point in time.
However the headline 'How they spend your money' is wildly misleading, as are several statements within the article. There seems to be a total lack of interest in the views of the JCRCs themselves, with only one chair and one treasurer quoted.
I'm no accountant but the recent figures for JCRC funding reported in Nouse simply don't add up.
Having been Vice-Chair for Services in James for the past three months, I am rapidly realising what an enjoyable but thankless task providing for a college is. No member of the JCRC profits from their involvement, and we are here to do everything we can to avoid short-changing students - I'm sure everyone will agree with £3,000 tuition fees and the additional living costs we are spending enough. A JCRC which hoards money benefits no-one but the bank.
Then how, you may wonder, am I allowing James to hold by far the largest bank balance? The answer is simple. We have plans. Very big plans.
Of course everyone would like to see improvements around their college, but I think most James students will agree with me that our social space at present is adequately equipped. However, come October we will inherit the large shell of Goodricke's common room. This will require full decoration and equipment such as sofas, a television and entertainment facilities, and thus will only realise its full potential with adequate funding - something which must come from the JCRC. Lanqwith has been praised for similar spending. This along with the costs of recent Quad Dash event, provided free to all students, and the unfortunate losses of the Cirque de Kirk event, will put our bank balance much more in line with all the other colleges.
Jane Grenville's money is not unspent; it is just appropriate to spend it at a point at which it will benefit the whole college. This has been identified as the (non-alcohol related) entertainment at Quad Dash, and the common room spending discussed above. It must also be noted that James runs one of the most comprehensive Freshers' Weeks at the university, with a non-alcoholic alternative event available on every night. Thus spending on these events would indeed promote wider socialising within the college and would not be ignoring the fact that it is not intended for alcoholic events.
Our spending on sports and welfare is indeed below average. However £28.99 is not an accurate reflection of this year's provisions. Since their election back in November, the sports reps have been working tirelessly to contact all the captains of our sports teams and we have offered to fund any reasonable requests. All requests have been approved, and it is now up to the teams to get what they need and we will reimburse them. Sports reps are also in negotiations with YorkSport for funding of university-wide requirements for sports such as netball and rugby.
In conclusion, James is by far the wealthiest college, but this is not without good reason. The purposes of campus media should be to inform the student body; however, this should be through seeking the complete story and presenting a balanced view. I am not trying to attract thanks for our work, but I feel the need to speak out to assure every member of James that their college is in safe hands and would welcome any suggestions as to how we can better provide for their time at university.
Nothing in this article disproves anything written in Nouse.
The fact is, the figures are correct. They were literally printed from the YUSU finance office.
Yes, they are open to interpretation - but the Nouse piece was really quite factual and didn't really offer much in the way of opinion.
As a James College student and as someone who turned up to the James General Meeting I would like it to be known that there was actually widespread criticism for the JCR. Whilst it is unfair for people to blame the JCR as a whole, certain aspects are significantly lacking drive. Though the JCR do intend on the money to be spent on next years freshers questions were raised about the lack of spending on this years students. Specifically the lack of social events. Those that turned up to the meeting felt victimised by a small proportion of the JCR for merely bringing up some of these facts. I felt the article brought to attention some underlying issues which otherwise may not have been raised.
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