Euan Morrison - Vice President Education

My Letter To Robin Walker - Peoples Vote

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 19:17:00 Z

Dear Robin Walker,

My name is Euan Morrison and I write to you as both a constituent and as the Vice President Education at Worcester Students’ Union.

As a representative of over 10,000 students of which a large proportion are also fellow constituents of yours I felt it was important that I wrote to you in light of the recent events surrounding Brexit.

I fully appreciate that the Brexit deal was never going to be the “easiest in history” as so famously claimed by your colleague back in the summer of 2017. As a fellow ‘remainer’ during the referendum campaign I am sure that we can both agree the arguments and promises in favour of Brexit presented by the Leave Campaign were optimistic, to say the least, and unfortunately both untrue and misleading on many occasions.

The ultimate result of the referendum in 2016 left me hugely disappointed as I am sure you were as well. I think the country has come a long way since then. The analysis of why so many people voted for Leave on the day have really shed light on some of the other deep-rooted concerns fellow citizens have with the country. I think it is wrong, however, that many of these were laid at the feet of the European Union as it has been and I do not believe that leaving the EU and the proposed deal will resolve these concerns. In the aftermath of the result, I was of the persuasion that it was important that the government worked to negotiate the best possible deal. I did, however, remain sceptical that this could be achieved. I appreciate that this has been one of the most difficult set of arrangements to negotiate and agree on, however, I feel the resulting proposals will not deliver a better future for young people in the United Kingdom.

You will be acutely aware of the media coverage that has surrounded the deal since Tuesday. I think this has really demonstrated the discontent among the British public over the proposals. This deal satisfies no one as demonstrated by the events within government over the last few days. Unfortunately, through no fault of your own, the fundamental issue remains that the promises that were made by the Leave Campaign were undeliverable. Although these set of arrangements may have been the best you and your colleagues could produce under the tight parameters, it is a set of arrangements that nobody voted for, expected or I believe wanted.

Now that we have the facts on the table as to what we will get if we leave the EU I believe that the Brexit being delivered is a million miles away from the promises made. In my eyes it is therefore vital we ask the public for their opinion again in the form of a People’s Vote.

As someone who works in and represents the Higher Education sector alongside young people, I have noticed the demand among young people and students for a Peoples Vote. We know that an overwhelming majority of young people voted in favour of remain in 2016. This has not changed, and their voices are only getting louder. As someone who works in student politics, I often get asked the question ‘why aren’t students political anymore?’ To this, I argue that students’ voices are becoming louder than ever. We saw the results of the last general election and the effect it had in both Sheffield and Canterbury. This was a fantastic example of democracy in action with young people making their voices heard. The topic of Brexit this is no different. We recognise the potential impacts that this deal could have on our opportunities just as we are setting out on our journeys into the world of work. Brexit is galvanising young people like never before in a way I haven’t seen before on both campus and online.

As a Students’ Union we passed a motion to support the People’s Vote Campaign earlier this year, we took a coach full of students down to the march and saw some of the highest engagement in any kind of discussion of a topic that we have ever had at one of our pop-up campus stalls. The overwhelming majority of these students are in favour of a People’s Vote.

It is also worth pointing out that the University of Worcester as one of the leading nursing and health care educators in the country has a huge percentage of students really in tune with the pressures the NHS face and in particular in Worcestershire. From the false promises on a side of a bus to the reality of how many of our EU health and social care professionals have benefited Worcestershire and the UK as a result of freedom of movement, there is dismay that, particularly in a region that has struggled recently, that politicians would support something that will damage the NHS as they see it.

I feel as if I would be fighting a losing battle to convince you to vote against the deal when it goes to Parliament. However, in what seems the most likely scenario that it does not pass and we are facing down the barrel of a catastrophic no deal Brexit, I would urge you as my representative, and the representative of thousands of students to listen to our calls and those of young people in favour of a People’s Vote.

I look forward to your response.

Yours Sincerely,

Euan Morrison

e.morrison@worc.ac.uk

Welcome Week? Completed it Mate.

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 10:28:00 +0100

Wow, what a week! So, I last wrote to you all on the eve of Welcome Week and as you are aware that has now finished. It was a really successful week and everyone at the SU are so pleased to have heard such positive feedback from you guys! We are glad you enjoyed it because we loved putting it on.

It, of course, started on the Saturday with the first day of registration. It not only gave us the chance to meet all of our new students but also our first chance to show many of you our renovated Hanger. We are really happy with the changes so we are glad you guys like them too. To celebrate this, we hosted a nine-piece hip-hop group at our grand opening event. In a packed Hanger, many celebrated (including the SU staff) into the wee hours, only to be back and ready to do it all again the next day for the second day of registration.

During the week we hosted three fairs. The employability fair was a new addition to the calendar this year and aimed to assist students to find part-time work as well as providing tips on how they can improve their own employability. With over 800 students in attendance, we were glad to see the event was a success and hope to see it as a consistent fixture in Welcome Weeks to come. The Welcome Fair and the Sports and Society Fair made their annual appearances. This year both were hosted in the Sports Centre which saw an improved offering and an improved atmosphere. It also gave us the chance to promote a number of SU campaigns including the upcoming Autumn Elections and New Year New Soc.

At this point, a big shout out should go to our all new SU Crew. You guys were awesome last week and a real asset to the SU. Helping students settle in and feel at home is why Worcester is a great place to be and we couldn’t do that without you!

Rather excitingly we also had Sky News broadcast live from the SU all day on Thursday. They ran a report on tuition fees that reflected the recent political discussions. It was really great to see the mainstream media take the opportunity to discuss the topic with our students. Well done to everyone who took part including our President Jade, you guys all did a great job at representing the University and didn’t the SU look good in HD!

Of course, for many of you, the highlight of the week was our many evening events. We tried to put on a range of events and hopefully, there was something for you. My personal highlights were the Treasure Hunt with those great prizes; Bavarian Night a classic of singing along and of course The Quiz which was a great way to end the week with over 200 students taking part.

I hope you enjoyed the week as much as we did. For now, it’s back to normality but make sure you check the SU page regularly for all our upcoming events throughout the year.

Welcome Week Eve

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 19:43:00 +0100

It’s been all hands to the pump at the SU these last few weeks so apologies for not keeping you all in the loop recently!

The most imminent event is, of course, Welcome Week. It’s going to be a busy week but I can’t wait. We have loads going on at the SU during Welcome Week. We have a range of events on during the day including the Employability Fair, Welcome Fair and the Sports and Societies Fair. These are great opportunities to find work or to get involved while you are a student at Worcester. We also have some evening events on in the Bar! From Bavarian Night to a Quiz Night the SU has something for you. Look out for Me, Jade and Sophie! We will be attending as many of the events as our bodies will manage and can’t wait to see you there!

It’s also great to see that this year our link with the Residential Ambassadors is stronger than ever and Sophie has been working very closely with them to set up some exciting events. If you are moving into halls make sure you get to know your RA and look out for these events!

Of course, I am writing this at the end of our early starters second week. This year The Hanger hosted a number of events for those starting early. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it but it was great to hear that it went down really well with the new students. I’ve met some of you in our induction talks and it’s been great having people back on campus. I hope you have enjoyed your time here so far and make sure you get involved in all our festivities this week!

This week I also met the International Students who have arrived. To you guys Welcome to Worcester! I am sure you will love it as much as I did!

Our sports and societies received their training this week. A big hand has to go to Sophie G, Eleanor, Tim, Lyndsey, and Hannah. It was a really successful first conference and I’m sure it will be a permeant fixture in the years to come. The committees learned a lot and hopefully will be more effective than ever!

On Monday we also hosted our first ever Staff Open Day. The day was aimed at members of University Staff that would like to know more about what the SU does. It was great to see so many members of staff attend and ask questions. Thank you to everyone who attended!

And finally, a big SU hello goes out to our two newest members of staff Jodie and Lyndsey! Jodie will be our new Student Voice Assistant and Lyndsey will be covering Hannah’s role while she is away. I look forward to working with both of them in the future!

Lots of Exciting Changes at the SU

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 16:27:00 +0100

It’s been a wee while since I posted my latest blog and a lot has happened to tell you all about.

Firstly the change I am most excited to inform you all about is the all new branding for the SU! We have not only launched a new logo (that looks brilliant) but we have also renamed the bar to be called The Hanger! We didn’t stop there though and we have also kitted out the bottom floor with new tables, sofas, and chairs. The space looks as fresh as the fresh paint on the walls and I can’t wait for you guys to see this great new space when you return!

In a close second, I am also really excited to see that the line-up for our Welcome Week events has now been launched! We have all new day and evening events this year ranging from an employment fair to help you find part time work to the grand opening of The Hanger. We will also see the return of some the old favorites such as the Sports and Societies Fair and the Bavarian Night. It’s going to be a great week and I am already counting down the days!

I also write this in the wake of A-Level results being released! I really enjoyed seeing the excited messages on social media of the new students that will be joining us in September! If you are one of those students you have made the right decision and you will not regret it. Worcester is a great place to study and you will make loads of great mates. At the SU we are doing all sorts of work to prepare for you arriving. You will get to see all of this when you arrive!

I can also reveal that there are some exciting new developments regarding one of my manifesto pledges. I can’t tell you all just yet what these developments are will be but watch this space!

I would also like to welcome all the new staff members to the SU. Matt and Alannah have now joined the team and have made a brilliant start! I look forward to working with them for the upcoming year.

And finally, it is with great sadness that the wonderful Marketing and Comms Coordinator Kate is leaving us today. The marketing brains behind many of the campaigns and so much more, she will be sorely missed by all at the SU. Good luck Kate!

NUS Lead and Change

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 16:47:00 +0100

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend NUS’ annual Lead and Change conference.

The conference took part in the capital of the North, Leeds and was a great opportunity to meet my equivalents at other universities. Not only did it allow officers to share stories and best practice among each other but it also allowed us the opportunity to develop our leadership skills and how we approach challenges that student unions face.

On the first day, I attended sessions on understanding the governance of Student Unions, different types of representation, working with minority groups and the importance of self-care.

The second day provided us with training sessions on student engagement, effective campaigning, and networking. That day I also attended workshops on developing our representation system and how the recent changes within the higher education sector will affect us as Student Unions.

On the final day, we discussed how to approach difficult conversations with staff and students as well as work through some mock scenarios that tested what we had learned from the week.

The conference also gave us the chance to hear speeches from the various liberation officers at the NUS about their aims for the year as well as having the opportunity to meet and discuss the year ahead with the other NUS officers such as President Shakira Martin and Vice President (Higher Education) Amatey Doku. In all, it was a great week in the wonderful city of Leeds. We exchanged some great ideas, made new connections and learned a lot.