Chlamydia Testing Tuesday Week 2-SHAG Campaign

On Tuesday 2nd October 2007 you will be able to pick up a testing pack to test yourself for Chlamydia. Between 10am-3pm at Gipsy Lane reception the tests will be available for students, organised as part of the SHAG campaign (sexual health and guidance) by the Students' Union working with the National Chlamydia Screening Project.


The self-tests are designed to be used discreetly so you can check yourself with no need for intimate medical contact: for boys the method is to pee in a pot and for girls it is a self swab. Tests results are revealed one week later by text message.

It is the first time we have managed to secure sexual health checks on campus and if this service is used then we are hoping to extend it's provision so tests will be available all year round and at all campuses.

If we are wanting to secure a continued sexual health service at Brookes, students need to come to the stall (Gipsy Lane reception) and use the self tests because if you don't we will have to assume that there is no demand for it which if you look at the statistics (1 in 10 under 25years are suggested to be infected) suggest otherwise.

Tell all your friends!

Freshers Week

So freshers week is finally over! I had a really good week meeting loads of new students and saying hello to some of my friends who were returning. To be honest, I think some of you were getting fed up of seeing our faces because you kept bumping into us! The other officers and I spent the week doing hall talks, wondering around Freshers Fair where we also had a stall and attending the club nights.

I was asked what my highlights have been and I have to say meeting all the excitable new freshers! I really enjoyed going back to my old halls Cotuit and painting peoples faces at Pleasuredome. What I didn't enjoy how ever was speaking to the two guys outside Morrells where one proceeded to urine on the other!

It was tiring working 13 hour days but still fun! Now it's back to the office where I am sorting out Hall elections, Pee in the pot day (Chlamydia testing on campus Tuesday week 2) and Breast cancer awareness for next month.

If you are interested helping out drop me an email or pop in to see me.

Much love

Lou

p.s. thank you to my housemates for all the cake and 'banter'

Mental Health Day 7th September 2007 (Manchester)

Last Friday I woke up really early (5.30am!!) and took the train to Manchester for Mental Health Day. Mental health is considered to be one of the highest rated concerns for students in the UK. I thought it was very important for me to attend this day to learn more about how to approach the issues around mental health because it is such a varying and sensitive subject for many people. Mental health is involved in the student movement from the academic to social scene, expanding far beyond the scope of the usual identified welfare remit.

This year I will be addressing mental health through my Healthy Living campaign, focusing mainly on Eating Disorders and Stress. I will also be working with Oxfordshire’s Early Intervention Service, a service which helps those with psychosis. For more information on any of these issues please keep an eye on my blogs and website page at www.thesu.com.

If you do have any particular questions or concerns then email me or come see me.

The workshops which I attended were:

• Students and Suicide Workshop
• Eating Disorders Workshop
• Students and Debt Workshop

NUS: “The sheer numbers of students with poor mental health demonstrates the need for student officers to be informed, trained and updated on the issues involved.”

Campaign Convention 4th September 2007

I attended the NUS Campaigns Convention in Canary Wharf. All other student officers from around the Country came to find out what National campaigns their students could be involved with and learnt how to run an effective campaign.

The day started with the news that NUS, just days before, had secured victory against HSBC who implemented a policy to charge graduates interest on their overdrafts from the moment the left their course. Following enormous pressure from thousands of students and graduates from across the country, HSBC made the welcome decision to reverse its decision to charge full interest on graduate overdrafts.

The campaigns which I am running this year are: SHAG (sexual health and guidance), Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Healthy Living and Cancer Awareness. But I don’t what to make all the decisions- if any students wants a campaign over a certain issue or they too want to run a separate campaign then get in touch!

Also, look out for the Welfairy… adding that sparkle to those issues which can sometimes be neglected.

Unipol Training 29th-20th Aug (Leeds)

This training coincided nicely with a Bank Holiday trip home for me! The training itself is designed so I have more of an idea of what students rights are in relation to student accommodation. The two day event covered the following topics:

• Trends and Developments in Student Accommodation- growth of the private sector, the needs of students affordability, parents and the changing consumer;

• Housing and the Community- how students can help develop their community’s environmental and social capabilities and challenge the negative view of student disruptive presence in the community;

• Health, Safety and Standards in Student Housing- practical risk assessment and powers of enforcement;

• The Law: Can students agree to anything? What can be enforced and what cannot? Protected and unprotected tenancies, fair and unfair contact terms, small claims courts;

• The Housing Act 2004- Licensing, tenancy deposit protection Schemes;

• Dealing with Disputes- inter tenant friction, the uses of meditation.

The day helped to identify key issues of information, advocacy and campaigning. In particular it made me aware of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. This scheme WILL affect you if you have signed for your house after 6th April 2007 and means that the deposit you paid for your student accommodation will have better protection so your landlords are less able to keep your money once your leave the property. HURRAY!! If you signed for a tenancy after 6th April 2007 you should ask how your tenancy id protected! For more information log onto www.unipol.org.uk