Executive and Ents clash
The hire of the Snack Bar in the Student's Union by Irish Television channel TG4 for the filming of 'Deis Roc', a battle of the bands competition, has caused upset among the Executive.
The Sabbatical officers were informed only a matter of weeks ago that the Snack Bar would be out of use to students all week due to the presence of the television production crew. The booking, taken by Entertainments manager Rod Martin, was made early in the year and did not at any stage seek consultation with the Executive in the process.
Union President John Roger said he was disappointed that he and his team had not been told of the booking, which saw both the Dragonslayers and the Christian Union displaced from their weekly meeting venue. He asserted that this was primarily student space and students should come first at all times. General Manager Barney Hughes claimed the venue, which doesn't have heat or electricity, is virtually uninhabitable for societies but that the Christian Union and Dragonslayers, due to their large numbers, have an unwritten agreement with the Union for use of this space.
Rod Martin, a former student Sabbatical officer who retained the post of Entertainments manager when it was made permanent some years ago, refused to comment on the situation. A Union source has claimed TG4 is paying somewhere in the region of £5000 for the space from Monday 3rd to Friday 7th December.
A further issue regarding the refusal by the Executive to allow a banner to be hung outside the Union was thought by some to be related to the open display of Irish language. However, TG4 are not pursuing the matter and the Executive have refuted the argument stating they simply do not wish to advertise further the fact that student space has been hired out by a private company without their consultation.
What is your opinion? Does the hiring out of this space bother you as a student? Is it another example of the privatisation of our Union or the lack of substantial power of the Student Officers?
The Sabbatical officers were informed only a matter of weeks ago that the Snack Bar would be out of use to students all week due to the presence of the television production crew. The booking, taken by Entertainments manager Rod Martin, was made early in the year and did not at any stage seek consultation with the Executive in the process.
Union President John Roger said he was disappointed that he and his team had not been told of the booking, which saw both the Dragonslayers and the Christian Union displaced from their weekly meeting venue. He asserted that this was primarily student space and students should come first at all times. General Manager Barney Hughes claimed the venue, which doesn't have heat or electricity, is virtually uninhabitable for societies but that the Christian Union and Dragonslayers, due to their large numbers, have an unwritten agreement with the Union for use of this space.
Rod Martin, a former student Sabbatical officer who retained the post of Entertainments manager when it was made permanent some years ago, refused to comment on the situation. A Union source has claimed TG4 is paying somewhere in the region of £5000 for the space from Monday 3rd to Friday 7th December.
A further issue regarding the refusal by the Executive to allow a banner to be hung outside the Union was thought by some to be related to the open display of Irish language. However, TG4 are not pursuing the matter and the Executive have refuted the argument stating they simply do not wish to advertise further the fact that student space has been hired out by a private company without their consultation.
What is your opinion? Does the hiring out of this space bother you as a student? Is it another example of the privatisation of our Union or the lack of substantial power of the Student Officers?
posted by Gown Team at
4:11 pm
32 Comments:
I'd be interested to know where that £5000 is going - back into improving the entertainments in the Union? Improving the terrible P.A systems in all three venues?
And when exactly are the Union / University going to pull their finger out and start refitting the space into this all-singing, all-dancing open plan workspace for students? Bit more information on that might offset any upset.
This is absolute pettiness by anybody who opposes the snack bar being used for these purposes. £5000 is a nice sum for the Student Executive to recieve to spend furthering services that the Student Union has to offer to the students as a whole. The dragon slayers and the christian union are being irrational in even questionning this decision. If it was not for people like Rod Martin taking the initiative, nothing would ever get done and the student union would still be in the same that it was in 3 years ago. As for the objection of the Irish Language Banner being displayed outside the union it sends a shiver down my spine to imagine this is the state of mind of the future of this region.
Prepare to defend yourself! When the dragonslayers use their sword of smiting +4 on your executive ass, thereby there will be great gnashing of teeth!
ROLL FOR INITATIVE!
Great event for the union. A televised battle of the bands in which anyone could be in the audience for free and I'm sure £5000 can be put to good use. Don't see the problem
cdb,
I presume you're having a laugh.
It's neither the CU nor the Dragonslayers that are complaining about this. It's the Executive - and quite right they are too.
The Students' Union should be run on a student need basis, with students being put first. It should not be run as an Ents-run cash cow, and this £5000 will not be going to the EMC to help fund their Plans of Work.
If such a good move, why not consult with the Exec over it?
catch a grip, union misses out on $5000 or 2 clubs lose one night each?
john rogers takes himself too seriously. This is not the first time he has made the union look stupid, remember cringe worthy exchanges with alasdaire mcdonnel?
Who actually gets the £5000?
Thank God the money isn't going into the grubby hands of John Rogers and the other Exec. What are they going to spend it on? Free condoms, rape alarms and fairtrade coffee beans? Catch a grip of yourselves.
2 societies can not dictate to the Ents. Dep. of the SU. The sooners more things like this are taken completely out of the hands of the executive the better!
Ask yourself this: who has more knowledge, experience and qualification in dealing with these matters? NOT the executive.
Through their pathetic post of this and other threads "Yer Man" has yet again shown themselves to be a member of the useless EMC or one of their apologists.
Bring back Andy Ward - The People's Champion
"john rogers takes himself too seriously. This is not the first time he has made the union look stupid, remember cringe worthy exchanges with alasdaire mcdonnel"
What else do you honestly expect from someone who models themselves on Ben Preston. LMAO
God help us if the rumours that he is going to run for a second term are true.
Are you not missing the point It's Time to Speakeasy? The whole point of the STUDENTS' Union is to put students first - if the exec make a mess of it at least they're (sort of) answerable to us, where as these 'professionals' are pretty much guaranteed a job for life despite how much they sideline students.
Should this not be the point to get rid of Rod Martin and put the post back in student hands, who will hold events that students want to go to rather than the absolute shambles of things like Shine?
It's Time to Speakeasy,
The point I will once again make, is that this is a further privitisation of our Students Union. A decision was made above the heads of EMC, and one that consequently made two recognised Societies move home for the week.
The £5,000 will not be going to the EMC but straight to Ents - so what's to stop them again booking out rooms without consulting Exec?
I'm of the opinion that students should come first in what is our Union. If that makes me some kind of apologist of the Exec then so be it.
the ents dept should be made to account for where the money is going. if it will benefit us all, then i see no problem with it, and as a keen irish speaker, it is a win win situation. if, on the other hand, students will not see a penny of it, then it is quite a dubious decision to place money above student welfare.
and just on the topic of the entertainment dept, why arent htey doing more to highlight the upcoming nightwish gig in mandela? there is quite a market for this band, but anyone would think they were trying to hide it. i only came across it myself on the official nightwish site, and have yet to hear in mentioned around campus
Yer Man = 2nd Floor of the SU occupant
Who else is going to be posting on this at 9:54am.
If computers on the 2nd floors of the the SU were banned from this blog I think comments within working hours would be well down!!!
The new poll on the qubsu webshite is rather hypocrital.
"Should the politicans at Stormont have put up Student Fees?
Yes - 43%
No - 7%
So much for their 'scrap fees' manifestos - 36%
I don't know - 14%"
Hardly appropriate for which ever Sabb mounted the poll to be lecturing about manifesto committments!
this brings us all back to the point of the students union again.
Is the students union there to generate as much income as humanly possible to feed back into the main University accounts?
or is it an independent student space that facilitates societies and students best interests?
if the SU belonged to the students they could have booked TG4 in, switched the societies for one night and used the money for SU initiatives. this obviously hasnt happened. Rod is clearly under pressure to perform financially and get a return on the SU.
Also, Shine is not a shambles, it is a very well-performing night in the Union and produces great revenue.
In repsonse to Yer Man Roger, I have to agree that it obviously a post made by a 2nd floor of the SU occupant. The writing has all the characteristics of a certain Sabb officer who thinks he can single-handedly revolutionise the world starting with the union. If these people want to post such comments should they at least have the initiative to post a little more inconspicuously instead of praising themselves!!!
Tony- good point about the so-called 'independence' of the SU. I have been around the block now at QUB for a few years and I can safely say that the independence of the SU was traded-off along time ago. But what exactly did those 'student reps' responsible receive in return? Interesting to note that one of those responsible is now working for the university. mmm...? The reality is that the university has the SU in shackles. Tony makes a good point that revenue is coming before anything else, and yes Rod isn't necessarily to blame either. Shine, however, is a perfect example of this privatisation of the union. Why should I, as a QUB student, have to pay to get into my own union on a saturday night? (ANSWERS ON A POST CARD PLEASE). I feel sorry for the exec, because it is honestly not their fault and they have every right to be annoyed. This is simply an example of the legacy left by the actions of previous execs in the SU. They were not strong enough to stand up to the universitys 'efficiency' agenda. Now we have a legacy that is orientated towards, and characterised by, the maximisation of profit margins. But how do we get out of this scenario?
I must admit that i am a little surprised. It was suggested that if i would like to know more about union politics i should have a look at this blog.
All it is seems to be jeering and sniping. I'm all for criticism- constructively.
Could someone please explain what it is that John Roger has done - something concrete - that makes people think he is in th Universities pocket?
"Is the students union there to generate as much income as humanly possible to feed back into the main University accounts?"
Except the University is a net contributor to the Students' Union.
To 3rd Year History and Politics...
Welcome to the party. The jeering and sniping is *all* that goes on. I come on here everytime I want a good laugh. Why do I find it funny? Because Union "politicians" think that what they're doing in the Union will ever amount to anything. It won't, they're wasting their time, but its funny watching the B-movie violence unfurl before your eyes.
If you want some decent politics, check up the Presidental race in the US (there is some great competition among the democrats for their candidate to run) or even Sweden which has seen a bit of upheaval recently with the creation of the "Pirate Party" whose policies are all about freedom to download and exchange movies, music etc. Really interesting stuff - How can it be against the law if its not illegal :P?
Anyhow, not to get off topic...I recommend coming on the site about once a week, get to grips with whats being said (though don't take much notice of who is saying it - thats usually a lie) and if you feel riled or amused by it all, comment on it.
Otherwise sit back, relax, and watch Hatton - Mayweather part II ;).
Those who voted for John Roger have reaped what they sowed.
Londeree for President. (Students' Union first, USA second)
Wot they have done in the Union is a complete sell out from politics in my day.
Rogers is selling out the students to a money greedy and capitalist regime!
Down with him!
Andy is correct.
roger = money grabbing capitalist.
Does anyone care about John Roger?
I am told he is having second thoughts about running again. Clearly the Arch - Axis of Amnesty, CU and GAA members formered by Helferty scares him.
once again,
hello thomas?
don't you have a life?
The fact that Pissed off Reader is posting pathetic comments like the above on a Sunday evening says it all!!! Get a life Ciarnan!!!
What is with all the personal comments on this blog? Would discussing the issues not be a better way of spending time?
Simons -
Yes it would ciarnan
I am very disturbed that somebody has posted a defamatory comment online pretending to be me: is it possible to report this to the moderator? This is very frightening. It could be considered a form of cyber bullying. I never even use this forum.
Ayomide Esan
Also is it possible to remove such offensive comments?
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