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.
Women's Committee
Written by Ellie Kuper Thomas and Amal Ali
YUSU Women’s Committee serves as a means of promoting women’s welfare, and ensuring equality between male and female students. We feel that it’s an important tool in tackling the large inequalities women still face at university, the workplace and across the globe.
We try to achieve these aims by meeting once a week during term time, where we organise our campaigns, events and other exciting things! Our campaigns can be on welfare issues, or have a more political or social element. For example, we have run campaigns on ‘Love Your Body’ to promote a healthy body image, as well as campaigns on women’s rights in developing countries, and on lap dancing clubs. We also organise events as an opportunity for like minded feminists to get together, such as a private social in Lush and nights out in York. Each term we run a clothes swap to raise money for Women’s Committee activities, as well as providing a fun way to meet people and brighten up your wardrobe!
We have a committee made up of twelve positions and one or (as at the moment, two) Women’s Officers, but our meetings and events are open to all male and female students. The committee aims to promote and oversee the women’s liberation movement on campus, and represent minority groups with an interest in women’s rights; including them in the women’s campaign. Additionally, the committee sets out support and advises the Women’s Officer(s), and try to show that women’s liberation can and should be pro-active, positive, productive and relevant. The Women’s Officers sit on the Union Council, ensuring that the concerns and considerations of female students are heard at the highest level.
Last term we ran several successful campaigns. We produced a performance of ‘The Vagina Monologues’, opening up a discussion about female sexuality, as well as raising money for V-day and IDAS. Our focus on sexual liberation has continued with ‘Tell’, an anonymous anthology of sexual experience. Contributions can still be made in any form presentable on paper: prose, poetry, art etc. at www.tell-york.com, which will be published later this term.
Our focus this term is on an Anti-unwanted Attention and Safety Campaign: a campaign to highlight and tackle the prevalence of low-level sexual harassment faced by women. We will also be confronting ongoing safety issues for women, and all students, walking between campus and town. The plan is for a visible and provoking poster campaign, assertiveness workshops to combat unwanted attention on the street, discussions about issues surrounding interaction in the public sphere and a Reclaim the Night March in York to place pressure for safer links between the university and town.
If you are interested in any of this please email us at womens@yusu.org, visit our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=5750852733&ref=ts, or come along to our fresher’s meet and greet tea party at 6.15 Monday week 2 in L/N/ 006 (Langwith extension opposite the Porters’ Lodge).
LGBT
Written by Peter Warner-Medley and Elanin Vince
Hi there!
We're the LGBT Officers for YUSU.
It's our job to make sure that LGBT concerns and issues are taken seriously at all levels with the Union and the University.
We ensure the smooth running of the welfare-provision for LGBT people within colleges, and run campaigns on various subjects from Blood Donation to LGBT rights around the world.
We're the first point-of-contact for any LGBT queries you might have, so if you ever have any questions, problems or just want a chat we'd love to hear from you. We can always supply you with condoms, lube, dental dams, chlamyida tests, pregnancy tests and any other welfare supplies you might need. As well, we have a wealth of welfare info, so we can point you in the right direction with any LGBT (or not!) issue that may be affecting your life at University.
We believe that accessibility and inclusion are both vital for YUSU LGBT to run in a smooth, fair and helpful way. We are constantly striving to make our events, services and resources easier to find out about and access, and we're both committed to making sure anyone who is interested in or wants to talk about gender and sexuality can come to YUSU LGBT for information, help and support.
This term we're hosting a range of talks, social events (in collaboration with LGBT Social) and mini-campaigns. The main focus of the term will be on what LGBT is, why it exists and what the experiences of real LGBT people have been. Our first big event of term is our UV themed Icebreaker on Sunday of week 2. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, get involved with LGBT at York and have some really good fun! Also, look out for our fun-filled 'Week of Pride' later in the term, exploring why Pride is still relevant and what it means, and giving out rainbows all over campus!
E-mail - lgbt@yusu.org Website - http://www.yusu.org/lgbt Facebook - YUSU LGBT
Racial Equality
Written by Abrafi Kusi and Deniz Ekren
We, The Racial Equality Officers centre on the belief that ALL students at the University of York should feel comfortable within the university regardless of race, gender, religion or sexual preference.
Deniz is originally from Turkey but was born in Japan, and lived for half of his life in countries such as Greece, Pakistan, Turkey and the USA. On the other hand, Abrafi was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and would identify herself as first generation Black British.
We come from very diverse backgrounds from which we have developed a strong cultural awareness. Together as racial equality officers we can strike a healthy balance between an international and non international perspective.
Here is a brief overview of what we do: 1. We stand to represent students from all different ethnic backgrounds.
2. We are committed to promoting racial equality throughout the university to ensure that students are getting the support they need where necessary and views are being heard.
3. Feel free to get in touch with us we are very approachable and great listeners!
Women's Committe, LGBT and Racial Equality can all be contacted via www.yusu.org.
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