18 May 2015

ANOTHER REASON TO VOTE IN THE 2015 BOARD ELECTION

First years: welcome to the USU Board Election period.

For everyone else: welcome back.

It’s understandable if you’re disillusioned, or if you’re fatigued by the latest round of coloured shirts filled with people promising big things. The 2014-15 Board is well aware of the flaws of the electoral system, and that’s why we’ve put in a lot of concerted effort to bring about good electoral reform. Amongst them, we have revisited the voting incentive, and replaced the age-old drink voucher with a $1 donation to the USU’s nominated charity partner.

In 2015, the USU Charity Program is supporting headspace Camperdown. Aran Kanagaratnam, the 2015 Charity Officer, is responsible for organising events to support and raise funds for the phenomenal work they do for youth mental health. To further this support, every vote cast in this year’s Board Election will make the USU donate $1 to headspace. I spoke with Aran to gain a better understanding of the Charity Office, and why supporting headspace is so important.

1. In your opinion, why is headspace such an important organisation for the USU to support?

Young people have the highest rates of mental illness (about 1 in 4) but are also the least likely to get help (only 40% do). This makes mental health account for more than half the disease burden among young people. Adolescence and early adulthood is often a fluid period in young people’s lives – they’re still trying to find their identity, and this is a period characterised by change, making it even more tough when these problems do occur.

Headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation, were set up to oversee exactly this problem. They are a confidential early intervention and prevention service with psychiatrists, mental health nurses, doctors and psychologists, and they’re only ten minutes from campus. In addition they run support groups and clinics, and offer drug and alcohol counselling. Mental health problems affect every cross-section of the university community – it is very likely that either you, or someone close to you is suffering from a mental illness, and that’s why headspace is so important.

2. How have you worked with headspace thus far in your term as Charity Officer?

So far, we’ve worked with headspace and had a stall at O-week, where people could book consultations, get freebies or just have a friendly chat with one of the headspace professionals. We also ran a screenprinting workshop during Pride Week, where anyone could come and print a personalised message for free onto a t-shirt. This was a great success, with many unique designs and positive messages about individuality and diversity, and we ended up running out of t-shirts!

For Health and Wellbeing Day, we produced a joint headspace/USU publication on looking after your mental wellbeing. We also had experts from headspace give a workshop on how to help a friend who you think might be having a rough time, and we had a chill-out zone where people could relax, play games and get away for a couple of minutes (or hours!) from the general hustle and bustle of uni life.

3. What can we look forward to for the rest of the semester (or year)?

Looking further ahead, we’re partnering with the final Funch of the semester with a special “de-stress before exams” theme, and later in the year we’re hoping to have a big collaborative installation for Verge and National Mental Health Week.

4. What can USU members and the broader University community do to support headspace and aid its goals? 

Firstly, come along to the various events we’re running at the USU festivals, whether they are just to have a good time and relax, or to learn more about these issues, so we can reduce the pervasive stigma that surrounds mental health. People can also get involved directly with headspace, who do provide volunteering opportunities. Most importantly though, if you or a friend are going through a tough time, try to make the first step towards seeking help. This can be small, like listening to a friend talk about their problems or seeking online advice at eheadspace.org.au, or even going to or accompanying a friend to an appointment at headspace.

If election promises, campaign design or the principles of democracy aren’t enough to convince you to vote this coming Wednesday, consider headspace and make a difference.

OLIVIA RONAN
BOARD DIRECTOR


If you are after some more information around headspace Camperdown services, visit www.headspace.org.au/camperdown or give them a call on (02) 9114 4100.

Find out more about the elections here.


04 May 2015

BIRTHING KIT EVENT TOMORROW

In Australia, it is easy to forget sometimes just how lucky we really are. Few times in our lives is this more noticeable than when you’re having a baby. We have access to excellent pre-natal care, with skilled midwives and obstetricians, ultra-sounds, (which are much more important than just getting cute photos) and if something does go wrong help isn’t more than a phone-call away.

Yet around the world, millions of women do not have access to this. As many as 385,000 women die during pregnancy or childbirth each year; that’s around one woman every two minutes. The causes of maternal death are usually high blood pressure during pregnancy, complications during childbirth or severe bleeding and infections contracted during labour. 

In Australia there are around 7 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. That puts us right down the bottom, with the Scandinavian countries.  To put that into perspective, in countries such as Ghana and Ethiopia that number climbs all the way to 350. Yet, in South Sudan that figure is a staggering 2054 deaths per 100,000 live births. [1]

Similarly, in Chad 1 in every 15 women will die from complications in pregnancy or delivery. [2]
The saddest thing is that nearly all of these deaths are preventable, with access to the right maternal healthcare. Together we can make a difference to the lives of these women. Organisations such as the Birthing Kit Foundation of Australia do amazing work providing education and birthing kits to women in developing countries; but they can’t do it without us!

So tomorrow, the Wom*n of the USU Program would like to invite you to join us in making birthing kits to send overseas to women in Africa, India, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea.  

The event will be from 1pm to 3pm in the Holme Common Room; please come along even if you can only make it for twenty minutes between classes. There will even be pizza provided at the end for our fantastic volunteers.  

To find out more about the event visit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/885855994787100/

And to find out more about the great work of the Birthing Kit Foundation of Australia head to their website: https://www.bkfa.org.au/

Looking forward to seeing you there, 

KATE BULLEN
WOMEN'S PORTFOLIO HOLDER - BOARD DIRECTOR



[1] https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2223rank.html

[2] https://www.bkfa.org.au/our-work/the-challenge-issues/

03 April 2015

USU BOARD ELECTION ADVICE

Now that the mid-semester break is upon us, you might be thinking about running in the University of Sydney Union Board Elections, planning your campaign, and developing your policies - so the current Board wish to impart a bit of advice...




"Make sure you get in touch with your lecturers and tutors about any upcoming assessments and your class attendance! They can be incredibly supportive and helpful, and your best friends when it comes to balancing the campaign and your studies."
TARA WANIGANAYAKA
"TARA ON TOP" 2013




"Have fun! Be yourself, ignore the haters, and run on policies that you are passionate about. Also, invest in a couple of good bottles of red wine (not $4 Bowlers Run) to help you wind down at the end of a long day of campaigning."
ROBBY MAGYAR
"ROCK IT ROBBY" 2013



"Remember to take care of yourself! Have a core team of 5 or 6 people that you can rely upon for two weeks to run you red bulls and sandwiches. That will keep up your energy so you talk to as many students as possible."
ALISHA AITKEN-RADBURN
"UNLEASH ALISHA" 2014



"Two pieces of advice. First (and most important) pick a good psych up song for those early mornings. Secondly, talking to staff of the Union and current or former Board Directors is a great way to get an insight into how some of your ideas and policies could actually be implemented if you're elected - it's a great resource to challenge and refine your thinking before you have to 'sell' your policies to students."
TIM MATTHEWS
"I CHOOSE MATTHEWS" 2013




"Save up now so that at any point during the campaign you can splash out on some self love & get a foot massage. Also make sure you break in whatever shoes you’re gonna wear before the campaign - you’re gonna want to be comfy!"

EVE RADUNZ
"AN EVEn BETTER UNION" 2013



"Rolling a piece of PVC pipe over your legs after a long day of campaigning rocks. Also, stock up on lemon and honey."
LIV RONAN 
"YOU ONLY LIV ONCE" 2014



"I think probably the most important thing in the election is to remember how amazingly brave you are being! You're putting your hand up for something, you're putting yourself out there - and it's terrifying and fun all at the same time. Find a song that makes you happy and every single morning put that song on and dance your way in to the day!"
KATE BULLEN
"IT'S YOUR UNION, ELECTROKATE IT" 2014



If at any point you have any questions, feel free to contact Tara Waniganayaka via president@usu.edu.au and be sure to come along to the USU Board Elections Information Session - https://www.facebook.com/events/1573242026286561/

30 March 2015

NOMINATIONS FOR BOARD ARE OPEN

The 2014-2015 Directors being "cute" post Board Induction
Spend your days jumping from society event to society event?

Passionate about the student voice?

Or just love having a beer at Manning?

Well, you might be interested to know that nominations for the 2015 Board Elections are now open at www.usu.edu.au/election - having the opportunity to be a Board Director of an organisation with a turnover of over $20 odd million dollars a year is an incredible, humbling, and highly-challenging experience as a University student.

What’s the role of a director? 

As a member of our student board we are charged with making decisions at monthly Board meetings on high-level strategic decisions – from giving the green light to a new infrastructure project to tabling our own policies and initiatives to make change to the organisation.

In my seven months as a director a short list of work by our Board includes:
  • Overseeing the completion of Courtyard Café and the much-needed renovation of Engo Grill near PNR.
  • Establishment of the Equity Access Scheme, which has seen 118 students from low socio-economic backgrounds receive free ACCESS cards.
  • Publication of ‘We are Women: 100 years, 100 stories’ – which celebrates one-hundred years since the establishment of the Sydney University Women’s Union.
  • Action on the 2014 Transparency Review in the form of new feedback mechanisms, publications of Board documentation and the publication of Board expenditure. 
  • No EFTPOS minimums at USU outlets (excluding Manning and Hermanns)
  • Engaging staff and directors in diversity and sensitivity training 
…and as recently as last Friday the Board has enshrined a breastfeeding policy into our suite of governing documents.

What are the elections like? Is it worth it?

Fun + yes.
USU elections are just one of the very busy and very colourful times that add to the vibrant fabric of the unique University life we are so lucky for at Sydney Uni. Running as a candidate is a big commitment, very challenging but ultimately incredibly rewarding.
Come along to our information session on Monday 13th of April for more in-depth information, there are also autonomous session for women-identifying students, queer students and international students with info provided at www.usu.edu.au/election

USU Board Candidates' "Oscars Selfie" at Soapbox 2014

Former directors of the University of Sydney Union include:
  • Edmund Barton – First Prime Minister of Australia
  • Michael Kirby - Former Justice of the High Court of Australia
  • Adam Spencer - Radio Presenter
  • Meredith Burgmann – Politician
  • Malcolm Turnbull - Politician
Not bad hey?


Electoral Changes

We’ve also put through a raft of electoral changes that aim to make it easier to run in 2015:
  • Current USU Board Directors can’t directly campaign to electors i.e. no wearing shirts, changing display pictures – so that it’s what you know, not who you know.
  • One dollar from each vote will be going to the USU Charity – headspace. This is in place of a drink voucher.
  • Shorter election (just two weeks) – kicking off with a barbeque on the Wednesday rather than the traditional Monday.
  • And every candidate is still eligible for $500 election grants – so you won’t have to stress about money.

If you’d like more information about running for Board, want to have a chat with a Director or just learn more about the Union and our elections – please don’t hesitate to zip an email through to our President Tara Waniganayaka at president@usu.edu.au

 
Vote early and vote often!

ALISHA AITKEN-RADBURN
ELECTORAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE - BOARD DIRECTOR

29 March 2015

BREASTFEEDING POLICY

Hiya Everyone,

On Friday 27th March, the Board passed our new Breastfeeding Policy. This is something that I, as Wom*n’s Portfolio Holder, am immensely proud to have written and put forward for the Board’s consideration. This forms one crucial part of the Parenting Review that I’m working on at the moment. I’m investigating ways that students whom are parents are treated on campus and how accessible services and spaces are to them.

The Breastfeeding Policy comes in two parts; policy and procedure. 

1. Policy:
  • Breastfeeding is welcome in all USU public, student and designated spaces.
  • It is at the feeding parent’s discretion whether they choose to cover or not cover exposed breasts; either is welcome.
  • In addition to public, student and designated spaces, the USU will seek to provide spaces to address the needs of persons to breastfeed eg. Wom*n’s Room (Manning Building) and Parent’s Room (Wentworth Building).

2. Procedure:
  • Elements of this policy will be contained in the Staff Handbook and available for access on the USU intranet.
  • Elements of this policy will be included in all relevant staff training sessions.
  • Signage stating that breastfeeding is welcome in USU spaces will be made visible in all USU buildings.
  • The USU will seek to maintain listing on the Breastfeeding Welcome Here venues list provided by the Australian Breastfeeding Association.
  • New requests for parent spaces will be governed by the Dedicated Spaces Policy.

Breastfeeding isn’t restricted to parents’ rooms or designated facilities, parents can breastfeed at all USU spaces including public and student spaces.

The policy is effective immediately.


So what does this mean?

In June 2011 amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (SDA) established breastfeeding as a new separate ground of discrimination. Breastfeeding is defined as the act of expressing milk and includes a single act of breastfeeding and breastfeeding over a period of time. Despite this, we know that mothers regularly experience discrimination in open areas and on social media for choosing to breastfeed in plain sight. Facebook and Instagram have both been attacked for removing photographs of mothers feeding their children. [1] This has resulted in fantastic campaigns such as #normalisebreastfeeding[2]
As such, this policy seeks to further iterate the Union’s commitment to fostering a safe and welcoming atmosphere for all. We believe that it is a mother’s right to feed their child anytime, anywhere and that’s why we passed this policy. Its practical applications pave the way for more parent-specific rooms across campus and we look forward to working with the SRC, SUPRA and the University to make this happen.




As I said, this is just one part of a big Parenting Review that I’m currently working on - so stay tuned for more!

KATE BULLEN
WOM*N'S PORTFOLIO HOLDER - BOARD DIRECTOR

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