Your Guide to your Students’ Union, University and Brighton.
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Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme We want our EU family to stay in Brighton & Hove! The EUSS protects the rights you currently have in the UK, including access to healthcare and employment. If you have EU friends, please tell them about the EUSS. Apply at: gov.uk/eusettlementscheme For more information go to: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/Brexit #WeAreBrightonAndHove
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hoto: Simon Anderson / Royal Pavilion / Brighton Festival / VisitBritain
EU citizens living in the UK
Content Find us on Campus Contributors We are your Students’ Union Advice & Support Full-Time Officers Student Representation Sports Clubs & Societies Food Waste Cafe Leave No Trace Events One World Week The Career Equity Project Sussex Students’ Elections Referenda & Reps Under The Sheets SPRITZ Recipe - Italian Society Student Engagement Buddy Scheme Language Cafe
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Find us on Campus FOOD & DRINKS FALMER BAR & DELI TAKEAWAY OPENING HOURS Monday - Sunday: 12pm - 9pm WWW.FALMER.BAR
Falmer Bar & The Deli will remain closed for eating-in due to the national lockdown but are operating a takeaway and delivery service.
SHOPPING CO-OP Bramber House OPENING HOURS Monday - Sunday: 7am - 11pm SUSSEXSTUDENT.COM/ABOUT-US/SHOPS-AND-BARS
Our Co-op located up at Bramber House, right in the middle of campus is open from 7am-11pm every day. Get 10% off with a TOTUM card! 4
Contributors Keen to get involved with the next edition of The Sussex Student? Get in touch! We’re always on the lookout for student contributors wanting to gain valuable media skills and submit work. Pitch us an article you’d like to write or just say hello. We’re looking forward to hearing from you! General Enquiries & Marketing Falmer House University of Sussex Brighton BN1 9RH 01273 872611 Events & Sponsorships alice.p@sussexstudent.com henry.g@sussexstudent.com Contributors, in order of appearance: Louisa Kazig / Henry Gunter / Lottie Allen / Robert Luscombe / Kathy O’Regan / Tierney Kirby / Michael O’Connor / Nehaal Bajwa / Ijlal Khalid / Connor Moylett / Annie O’Conor / Paris Palmano / Roseanne Steffen / Mara, Food Waste Café / Sophie, Leave No Trace / Natalie Sacks / Ellena, Under The Sheets / Italian Society / Becca Finney / Jane Trueman / Smriti, Buddy Scheme Member / Meena Zaveri / Jaycie Carter
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We are your Students’ Union Our mission is to ensure that you make the most of your time at Sussex. We are independent from the University and we improve student life by offering you: confidential advice, academic representation, activities, events, sports clubs, societies, campus bars & shops and more!
Find us online sussexstudent.com
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Advice / Support Content The Student Union Advice Service offers a safe & confidential space to talk through any worries or questions you have about your University experience. We are independent from the University, so anything you tell us will not usually be shared with anyone outside the Service. We offer detailed help & advice on the following: • Most course-related issues (appealing your results, academic misconduct, problems with your academic progress & attendance) • Any concerns you have about quality of teaching, course content, or complaints about wider University services • Housing & tenancy issues • Student discipline issues (if you are unhappy about the behaviour of another student, or if someone has put in a complaint about you). If your situation doesn’t fit into one of the categories listed above -- We are always happy to offer a friendly space to discuss your issue, whatever it may be. If we can’t help directly, we will point you in the direction of somebody who can! We always try to tailor the help we offer to your situation and what you most need. So we might help by: • Talking through your situation and addressing any questions or confusion you may have about what has happened • Helping you identify any realistic options to move forward your situation • Helping you explain your situation or put forward an argument to the University • Helping you draft emails, applications or written submissions to the University • Accompanying you to University meetings and panels • Putting you in touch with our Student Union elected Officers if there are wider campaign or policy issues associated with your situation which you would like to discuss with them
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Content You can book a phone or zoom appointment with us via our online booking portal: sussexstudentunionadvice.simplybook.it/v2/ You can also contact us via our confidential advice@sussexstudent.com mailbox.
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Full-Time Officers
Every Spring, all students elect a team of full-time and part-time officers to lead the SU for the next year. The Executive works together to represent students, respond to the University, and make change within the SU. Three student trustees are also elected to shape the overall direction of the SU.
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Student representation: Independent and democratic student representation is vital for ensuring student views are brought to the University and shape decisions around how it is run. As student representatives, officers sit on various committees within the University and engage in semi-regular meetings with Uni management. However, with many issues it takes more than giving your input in a committee/meeting to get the Uni to take you seriously. This is where student campaigning, SU policy, and lobbying with staff becomes important. Student reps (heroes) and Race Equity Advocates (follow @SussexREA) also work hard within their schools to make changes, and work with us to influence change across the Uni. Student democracy and activism at Sussex: Students at Sussex are known for their progressive and radical campaigning, and this has often been echoed by the Students’ Union. From anti-apartheid activism in the 70s and 80s to demands for free education and opposing outsourcing on campus, Sussex students have been leading these campaigns. Through Union Council and ‘All Members Meetings’, the SU has been a place for students to organise around the issues that matter. When officers and trustees started in July last year, we voted through a Trade Union Recognition Agreement for the SU with UNISON, which represents SU staff. Unions are important at a time when workers’ rights are being eroded across the country due to the pandemic. This term we’re running sessions on how and why you should join a union if you do any kind of work. We are committed to working for an anti-racist Sussex and held a series of feed-in sessions for an anti-racist manifesto with students, societies like Decolonise Sussex, and SU and Uni staff, called SARA: Sussex AntiRacist Action. You can read the manifesto online: bit.ly/ saramanifesto. We’ve also continued our commitment to the Race Equity Advocates programme, which pays 2 students to carry out anti-racist work in schools.
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The new SU Sustainability Committee meets regularly to decide on the ethical and environmental position of the SU, lobby the University’s recently established Sustainability Committee, and amplify student campaigning. This year’s focus is ethical banking (bye Barclays!) and mobilising for the UN (COP) climate conference in November, a key moment for pushing for limiting carbon emissions. With sports cancelled for most of the year and societies having to move online, we’ve also started up new monthly sports and societies assemblies. These are a place for student groups to skillshare, collaborate on events and campaigns, and speak directly to activities staff about their plans for the coming weeks and any support they need. Nearly 600 students are signed up to the Sussex Renters Union rent strike to withhold rent from the University. The SU fully supports this. We’ve worked to ensure strikers know their rights and will help in their negotiations with the Uni. A referendum passed by students last term had nearly 90% of those who voted saying the SU should support rent strikes.
It was amazing to see so many students and staff working together to successfully campaign against Chartwells, the on-campus catering company, plans to fire over 70% of its staff before Christmas. We’re keen to help students to stand up for their rights and the rights of others in the community and will be running lots of organising training this term.
This is your SU and it’s meant to represent you. Get in touch if you’d like to be involved with any of this or have any ideas: fulltimeofficers@sussexstudent.com 12
Have you joined a Sports Club or Society yet? We support over 300 student-led Societies and Sports Clubs. There are plenty to choose from and they are simple to join. If you can’t find the one you’re looking for it is simple to start your own. There are resources online to guide you through running a society, from putting on events and fundraisers to holding elections.
Please do check out our list of groups by clicking on the ‘Your Community’ tab at the header of the website where you will find info regarding our Sports, Societies and Media groups.
Are you on a committee and think your group will require funding? We have three student led committees who rule on all funding requests should you need help to run your group. Sports Reps, Society Committee and Media Committee will be meeting during term time and are all chaired by our Sports, Societies and Events Officer. Funding is not guaranteed but we do encourage you to apply. All information can be found by searching for the relevant committee on our website.
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Food Waste Cafe Tackling Food Waste at Uni Tackle Food Waste - Tips and Tricks For many of us this is the first time we are faced with the overwhelming yet exciting adventure of living alone. Managing university responsibilities, taking care of ourselves and at the same time being conscious of the food waste we are producing can be challenging, to say the least. Food waste is an enormous problem both nationally and internationally. Aside from the enormous amount of carbon emissions food waste causes, it also uses up finite resources (24% of global agriculture freshwater is used to produce food which is never eaten!). Reducing our food waste is one of the easier ways to have a direct impact on the environment and there are several changes we can implement in our routines that help to mitigate this issue, save our money and improve our lifestyle. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you reduce as much food waste as possible and build a more sustainable lifestyle: • Cook more meals at home! - this is one of the best choices you can make for your health, for the environment and it also saves you money. • Store your food correctly - save your left-overs in food storage containers and perhaps learn how to make your own beeswax food wraps, an excellent plastic-free alternative to cling film. Also, keep your fridge clutter-free so you always know what’s in there! • Shop smart - To avoid impulse buying, make sure you know what you have at home, what you really enjoy eating and what you can eat before the food goes bad. Also, choose irregular and “ugly” fruits and vegetables (those are never bought and end up in the supermarkets’ garbage). • Be creative in the kitchen! - sometimes it may seem we have nothing in our cupboards so we end up ordering take out or forgetting about something we had something on the back of the self. Don’t be afraid to experiment with ingredients in new ways and mixing things you never thought could be put together. • Don’t beat yourself up - nobody is perfect and it is hard to combine convenience and sustainability, just do your best! 14
Leave No Trace Leave No Trace are a student led enterprise that aims to recycle your unrecyclables. Many of the materials we use in our day-to-day lives are not recycled by the local council, leaving the residents of Brighton and Hove with no choice but to throw them in the rubbish bin. Leave No Trace are here to offer the students and staff of Sussex Uni the opportunity to recycle these materials, and to promote a less wasteful lifestyle. The society runs a bi-weekly stall on campus (usually in Falmer Quad, but exact details of each stall are posted on all of the society’s social media pages) where you can drop off your waste. The stall is run by society members who volunteer their time to collect and sort your waste ready to be recycled. They currently accept: aluminium foil, beauty packaging, biscuit packaging, bread loaf packaging, contact lens packaging, crisp packers, metal lids, pens, Pringles tubes, textiles (this includes old clothing, shoes, and bras) and dental products (toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes and toothbrush heads). This list is everywhere on their social media as a reminder of what you can recycle with Leave No Trace. All items are taken to The Green Centre at the Open Market. If you’d like to be involved, you can start collecting waste today! Keep a bag in your kitchen or by your normal recycling bin and fill it with the things Leave No Trace accept. If you’d like to become a volunteer with Leave No Trace, contact them directly through Instagram and Facebook and they can give you more info on how you can be a member!
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Events - Term 2
March International Women’s Day One World Week Climate Justice Week
April Sussex Students’ Elections 2021
SUSSEXSTUDENT.COMWHATS-ON
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Events - Services Fancy your hand at planning and running an event? We offer a range of services and funding to help you make your idea become a reality. While COVID-19 restrictions continue to change, we have capacity to help with both physical and virtual events depending on what is permitted at the time. • • • • • • • • • •
Funding bids Venue & ball contracts Campus room bookings Off-Campus venue bookings Risk assessments & external speaker checks Planning & promotion Ticketing Technical assistance Sound, lighting & equipment booking Help with virtual event & streaming platforms
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Content
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Content One World Week is fast approaching! One World Week is a series of events and projects taking place from 15th 21st March 2021, which aim to share cultures, raise awareness of global issues and highlight international opportunities for our diverse Sussex students and staff. If you’d like to host an event or project, we have a small number of grants worth up to £200! All you need to do is apply on our website: sussexstudent.com/whats-on/one-world-week If you have any questions or what to chat your ideas through further, please contact: events@sussexstudent.com
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THE CAREER EQUITY PROJECT Enhancing career development for students of marginalised communities.
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The Career Equity Project The Career Equity Project is a collaboration between The University of Sussex Students’ Union and the Careers and Employability Centre and it focuses on giving additional career support to students from marginalised communities. Our mission is to enhance career development for students of marginalised communities that face barriers in accessing current career development and employability opportunities. We want to address the specific needs they have and barriers they face in accessing employment to; empower students to overcome challenges, develop skills and move into their chosen careers and continue to progress within it. For more information, head to: sussexstudent.com/whats-on/career-equity-project
BAME Students | Students with Disabilities | Trans Students | LGBTQ Students | International Students | Asylum Seekers & Refugees | Carers | First Gen Students | Care Leavers | Student Parents | Students of Faith 21
Elections
Put yourself forward to be one of the new Students’ Union leaders for the next academic year! The Students’ Union Executive Team is made up of 6 Full Time Officers and 7 Part Time Officers. Officers have made real change at the Union and you could do too. Whether you run as a candidate in the election or cast your vote, make sure you have your say. Nominations are open now at sussexstudent.com/elections. Voting will take place in April. It matters who your leaders are. Check out all key dates on our website
To find out more, go to sussexstudent.com/change-things or contact natalie.s@sussexstudent.com
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Referenda Each year, the Students’ Union runs a democratic process called Referenda. Proposals are made by students which are then voted on by students. Last term, around 3000 votes were cast in three referenda resulting in the Union being mandated to lobby the University to reinstate First Generation Scholar bursaries and to support students rent striking. You can make a change like this too. Have your say by voting in the on our website! Key dates: • Voting opens 15th March (9am) • Voting closes 19th March (midday) Reps In September, hundreds of students were elected into the role of Student Rep. Since then Reps have been meeting regularly with staff to make sure the student voice is being heard in relation to students’ learning experiences. Reps have also met with University Senior Management to raise issues such as accessing library resources online, police presence on campus, communication about plans for next term and getting more regular feedback. Students Reps are an invaluable way for students to have their say about the way courses and the wider university are run. It is vital students have a safe way to provide feedback without compromising relationships with tutors or feeling unable to raise issues at all. “If you’ve got a problem with your course you go to your student rep if you find it intimidating to go to your lecturer. You have someone to make it easier to make your opinion heard”. - Jess, Student Rep 2019-20 Your rep is here for you. Find their details at sussexstudent.com/student-reps/current-reps
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Under the Sheets @sussexunderthesheets Sex, in every form, should be safe and make you feel good, and sexual health is a huge part of this. From a young age we are taught that STI/Ds are shameful and embarrassing, which can often put us off looking after our sexual health altogether. This helps to suppress the open attitudes and behaviours that we need to promote in order to reduce stigma around STI/Ds. Making STI/D tests a part of your regular health routine is a key way to look after your sexual health. Ordering testing kits online is really easy, and getting tested between every sexual partner, or if you have unprotected sex (without a barrier method, as hormonal contraception does not prevent the spread of STIs) is a simple way to help you keep on top of things. Brighton SHC Testing Kits: brightonsexualhealth.com/online-sti-testing Alternatively, an under 25s clinic runs every Wednesday from Morely Street: brightonsexualhealth.com/service/young-personsclinic/ Its also common for STIs to be asymptomatic, or dormant for a while before symptoms develop, which is why it’s important to maintain regular testing. Most are 100% treatable if caught early! Many people can struggle with feelings of insecurity or anxiety after receiving a positive STI diagnosis, and whilst it’s normal, having open and important conversations about these things can help reduce the stigma and make sure you aren’t dealing with it alone. Check in with yourself and your sexual partner(s) regularly. You deserve to have pleasurable sex, whatever that means to you. Please remember that the contents of this blog post was created by students, largely for the use of other young people and is not in any way intended to be used as official medical guidance, please speak to your GP or current health provider if you have any medical concerns or queries. Stay safe! Under the Sheets is a student led campaign group which facilitates educational workshops, signposts sources of support and disseminates resources on issues surrounding healthy relationships and sex. Relationship and sex education is lacking severely within campus and younger school environments, and our group’s aim is to make information and resources more readily accessible for the student 24 community to help keep us all safe and healthy.
SPRITZ (and its mocktail) Ingredients • • • •
60 ml of Aperol or Campari 90 ml of Prosecco Soda Ice
Preparation Place some ice in a glass and add the Aperol (or Campari), then add the Prosecco and mix. Top up with soda. Tips Place half a slice of orange in the glass Mocktail Ready in 5 minutes or less Serves 1 person Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten -Free
The procedure remains the same, just replace Aperol/Campari with bitter grapefruit juice, so you will get the bitter taste typical of Aperol. Replace Prosecco with sparkly orange juice (like Fanta), to give it the sweetness it needs, still balancing it with the acidic note of oranges. SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram @sussexitaliansociety Facebook: Italian Society - University of Sussex And join our facebook group!!
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Student Engagement Race Equity Advocates The Race Equity Advocates are here to fight for students of colour at Sussex. We take your feedback directly to senior management and work with them to make real changes in your school. Our goal is to eliminate the awarding gap for Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority Students at Sussex by shifting the culture and tackling institutional racism. If you identify as Black, Asian or as an Ethnic Minority you can speak to one of the Advocates about any issues that you face, no issue is too small or too big. You can also submit your feedback via our online form. We will pass it on to your head of school anonymously! Find out more about us and the awarding gap: sussexstudent.com/race-equity-advocates
SARA Sussex Anti-Racist Action is a collective of students, staff and members of the community including your sabbatical officers, trade unions, campaign groups and societies who want to build an anti-racist Sussex. We are building a coalition of staff, students and the wider Sussex community to tackle institutional racism at the University of Sussex. Have a look at our manifesto and find out more: sussexstudent.com/sara Community Organisers Here at the Students’ Union we support students to make change through community organising. We are a diverse team of community organisers who are part of student communities whose voices are often not heard within the Union and the University. We are the “glue” connecting student communities with the Union and the University. Now more than ever students’ voices and 26
their issues need to be heard. And we are here to listen. As community organisers, we hold virtual 1-2-1s and group meetings. We recognise that, more than ever before, you may want to speak to someone about what it’s like to be a student at Sussex and what makes you angry and what you value. To get involved: find out more about our community organisers, connect with us on facebook or instagram or fill in this form to connect with a community organiser and make change happen! Student Campaigns Is there something you’d like to see changed at Sussex? Don’t keep it to yourself. Chances are other students are frustrated by the same thing and would like to see it changed too. Come talk to us, we’d love to help you connect with like-minded people and provide you with advice. We can also help you take your campaign further by helping you become a unionrecognised campaign which will enable you to have access to more support including staff support, access to our campaign fund and other resources. Go to our website, facebook or instagram to find out more about our current SU Student campaigns, how to create your own one and how to get more involved in activism at Sussex. Alternatively please email campaigns@sussexstudent.com or becca.f@sussexstudent.com - we would love to hear your ideas for change! Sustainability Last term we established the new Student Sustainability Committee with our studentelected representatives. It is made up of driven and passionate young voices, it addresses anything from the University’s ‘energy and decarbonisation’ plans to climate education’ and justice initiatives. If you are interested in joining the Student Sustainability Committee meetings to be part of the discussions, hear what we are up to or to present a campaign you want us to support then please get in touch with your Student Living and Sustainability Officer roseanne.s@sussexstudent.com or your SU Campaigns and Environmental Lead becca.f@sussexstudent.com . There are also a range of sustainable student groups or campaigns you can get involved in here at Sussex and across Brighton please go to our website to find out more! 27
Looking to meet new people? Whether you have been at Sussex for a semester, a year, or you are new to the Uni, our Buddy Scheme is here to help you make friends. We can connect you with other students based on your preferences, such as interests, course and language. Despite Covid-19 you get involved in the Buddy Scheme and safely make new friends and do fun stuff through our virtual activities. Sign up to be paired with a Buddy today, it only takes a minute! buddyscheme.com/apply If you have any questions please do contact us, we are always happy to help: buddyscheme@sussexstudent.com Smriti (Buddy Scheme Member) shares her experiences of the Buddy Scheme: “When I got the news about getting into Sussex I was both excited and nervous. The thought about going to a whole new place made me anxious as I had no friends there. When I got the email about the Buddy Scheme and immediately joined it as I thought this could help me overcome my fear of being completely alone in an unknown place. I signed up and not long after I was matched with Yasmin, a second-year student from Italy. We got in touch and talked about her experience when she was a first-year student in Sussex University. Talking to her helped me understand the university life better.
First few weeks were hard as I had to settle down on campus, but we kept in touch. The thought that there was someone who knows me and is able to answer any of my questions and just a friend to whom I can talk to made me feel less worried. The Buddy Scheme without doubt helped my settling down in Brighton easier and that’s one of the main reasons why I decided to become a Buddy Volunteer in the Buddy Scheme this year. I would highly recommend joining.” 28
Learn languages in a social setting for free The Language Café meets weekly during term time for you to learn or practise your chosen language and meet other students. The Cafe is open to all levels, from beginners through to advanced. The Language Café is led by students who design and deliver activities and games in small groups in different breakout rooms that are supported by volunteers. Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, we will be running the Language Café online, using the platform Zoom so you will be able to take part from wherever you are located across the globe. If you are interested in becoming a Language Café volunteer and are passionate about sharing your culture and language with other students, go to our website: sussexstudent.com/volunteering/opportunities/community/su-volunteering You can also sign up to the weekly newsletter that details future themes, events, and activities taking place at the Café. It also provides readers with helpful language learning resources. http://eepurl.com/hfSwHv If you have any questions please do contact us, we are always happy to help: languagecafe@sussexstudent.com sussexstudent.com/whats-on/ language-cafe
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