The 2015 Freshers Guide | Cambridge Union

Welcome to Cambridge The Cambridge Union Freshers’ Guide

The Cambridge Union Society

Welcome to the Union So you made it to Cambridge. That’s pretty great. Well done you. We’re all very proud.

When you are done patting yourself on the back (seriously – go ahead – no one is watching) you are going to need to dip your toe in the ocean that is Cambridge societies, clubs and extra curriculars. There’s loads – and they are all pretty great – but none of them come close to the scale of the Cambridge Union. We are the oldest debating society in the world, the largest society in Cambridge, and we have our own 19th century building, complete with a Parliament-like Chamber, extensive Café/Bar, Library, Snooker Room and a couple of Dining Rooms. Plus this is the final term of our 200th anniversary. Which is nice if you like that sort of thing.

Members of the Union (over 70% of Undergraduates) pay a one-off fee, and in return, get access to the Union’s termly programme of events for the rest of their lives. With the Freshers’ Discount active until October 15th, now is the time to join the Union. We have the best speakers in the world, either on their own or part of world-class debates, and some of the best social events in town – including a fabulous Freshers’ Ball (the only one in Cambridge).

My name is Oliver, and I’m the President of the Union. Along with my phenomenal team (Fred, Sachin, Asia, Charlotte, William and 40 other student staff) – we have put together a fantastic line up of speaker events, weekly debates, parties, social events and city-wide discounts for you to enjoy. So check out this Freshers Guide, join the Union at www.cus.org/join, and we will see you in Michaelmas.

Have a great summer. You’ve earned it.

Yours sincerely, Oliver

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Welcome to the Union

Where to Find Us The Union is conveniently located within a ten minute walk for most colleges, nestled behind the Round Church just off Bridge Street.

9a Bridge Street Cambridge CB2 1UB

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+44 (0) 1223 566 421 www.cus.org

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The Cambridge Union Society

Prices and Plans The Open Period is a chance for freshers to experience the Union before buying membership, but when it ends on October 15th, you won’t be able to attend our events or use our facilities without a Union membership card.

Here are the prices and discounts available: LIFE MEMBERSHIP Freshers Discount: £185 Regular Price: £199 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP Regular Price: £110 BURSARY LIFE UPGRADE Anyone receiving a Cambridge Bursary is entitled to Life Membership for the price of Annual Membership.

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Our 200th Anniversary

Our 200th Anniversary This year marks the Cambridge Union Society’s two-hundredth anniversary. The Union has hosted a series of events including a Bicentenary Dinner and Debate, a Ball, and a Garden Party. The celebrations will be brought to a close with a unique debate in Middle Temple Hall in London. The debate will focus on the central political question of the era: the UK’s relationship with the EU. Tory rebels and senior figures of UKIP will face a former French President, Tony Blair’s Minister for Europe, and a Conservative Attorney General, in what will prove a climactic end to our already successful Bicentenary.

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The Cambridge Union Society

Speakers While the Cambridge Union is world-famous for it’s debates, it has attracted as much prominence for its single speaker events. Whether its taking a selfie with Robert Downey JR, being straddled by Russell Brand, singing ‘Smelly Cat’ with Lisa Kudrow, or being accused of being a dirty racist by Omid Djali - the Union Chamber has given students the best part about Cambridge: memories.

The Union is unique because we do not shy away from controversy. So if joking around with Holywood A-listers isn’t your focus: you could have been interrogating Marine Le Pen directly after the French General Election, listening to Julian Assange straight after the Wikileaks Scandal, or questioning Dominique Strauss Kahn following his resignation from the IMF. In the Union: nothing is off-limits.

Politics The Union consistently attracts the biggest names in front-line politics. Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Macmillan and John Major have all spoken in our world famous debating chamber. Sir Winston Churchill spoke about the problems facing post-war Britain, while Michael Howard and Ken Clarke addressed students concerning the future of the Conservative Party (both of them Ex Presidents of the Union themselves).

Foreign Heads of State are particularly well represented. US President Theodore Roosevelt, President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf, the first Prime Minister of India Jawarhalal Nehru, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl have all spoken here. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi addressed the chamber via video-link from Libya, while the Prime Minister of Iraq Jalal Talabani spoke about the Iraq War, as the first democratically elected leader the country had ever had.

Most recently ex-London mayor Ken Livingstone, ex-Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell, Labour stalwart Tony Benn, Hazel Blears and David Blunkett have all discussed the political issues of the day with members. Former Chancellors of the Exchequer Norman Lamont and Geoffrey Howe, Liberal Democrat grandfathers Paddy Ashdown and Vince Cable, ex-Labour Leader, Neil Kinnock and the last Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, have all spoken.

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Speakers

Film & Television In just the last few years we have heard from Brian Blessed, Sir Michael Parkinson and Sir David Frost. Actors such as Dame Judi Dench, Robert Downey Jr, Alec Baldwin, Bill Nighy, Bradley Whitford, Hugh Bonneville and Zoe Wanamaker have all talked to members about the experiences in theatre and film, while directors Oliver Stone and the legendary Clint Eastwood have discussed their role behind the camera. From stage to screen, the Union has hosted the world’s greatest.

Comedians are well represented at the Union. Dara O’Briain, Rob Brydon, Bill Oddie, Jo Brand and Dame Edna Everage have all visited.

From David Blaine, to Jerry Springer, Deborah Meaden to Lisa Kudrow, and Stephen Fry to Tim Minchin, our members get the unique chance to see the personalities that bring the silver screen to life.

Arts & Journalism Quentin Blake, Neil Gaiman and Tracy Chevalier have addressed-Bill Bryson entertained members with tales of his travels while Andy McNab thrilled with stories of his life behind enemy lines.

Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, Times columnist David Aaronovitch, Daily Mail columnist Peter Hitchens and Private Eye editor Ian Hislop all gave contrasting views on the role of the modern media.

In short – you won’t see a line-up like the Union’s anywhere else in Cambridge. We don’t mean to brag – but with a celebrity list as long as ours – it’s hard not to.

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The Cambridge Union Society

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Main Debates

Main Debates Exactly 200 years ago, the first Cambridge Union debate was held in the back room of a local pub. Since the construction of the Union building in 1866, the Chamber has borne witness to countless discussions and dialogues, culminating in the weekly Thursday Debates.

Casting eminent world leading figures and student speakers together in an intellectually driven discussion, the debates have long captured the imagination for their pertinence, variety, and all-round entertainment.

From Hollywood celebrities to Nobel-prize winning academics – the Union throws together people from all walks of life to debate the issues that shape our lives. In the heat of a live debate – you can never tell what a speaker will say next.

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The Cambridge Union Society

Student Involvement Thursday Debates offer one of the greatest opportunities for students to play an active role in the Cambridge Union. The hundreds of students who work at the Union play an active role in choosing who to invite, and even the motions themselves get formulated through member feedback and suggestions, ensuring that the final set of motions are not just topical and timely, but also relevant and of interest to the members of the Union.

On a debate night itself, this level of student participation and interaction is key. Aside from interjections mid-speech, the President will always call for brief speeches ‘from the floor’, in which the audience are encouraged to challenge the speakers on points of contention or put forward an alternative opinion or argument.

Students often appear in Main Debates, as well as in the studentonly Emergency Debates before the Main Debate begins – usually on something comic, or something relevant to the week’s news.

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On a Debate Night

On A Debate Night Once the Main Debate has also finished, and the audience have left through their voting gates (be it for Aye, Noe or Abstention), the evening continues apace. The voting results are read out in the bar shortly afterwards, where students and speakers alike mingle to the sound of live music, allowing members to meet and engage with the speakers over a drink in a post-debate environment.

Coming to a Cambridge Union Debate allows you to challenge, query and rebut some of the most important and iconic figures of the day. It is experiences such as debating the existence of a god with the Archbishop of Canterbury, or discussing antidisestablishmentarianism with Stephen Fry, that make the Cambridge Union unique.

Motions from Last Year: Easter: This House Believes We Need The 1% This House Regrets The Existence Of Organised Religion This House Would Not Vote Because They’re All Tossers Anyway This House Believes In The Unconditional Right To Offend This House Believes The West Is Responsible For Islamic Extremism Lent: This House Supports The Government’s Cuts To Legal Aid This House Believes Israel Is A Rogue State This House Would Legalize The Sex Industry This House Would Bring Back Grammar Schools This House Is Overworked And Undersexed This House Believes It Isn’t What It Used To Be This House Believes Space Exploration Is Worth The Cost

This House Would Disestablish The Church of England This House Believes Capitalism Has Failed The Third World This House Would Welcome The Return Of A Labour Government Michaelmas: This House Believes That Scientists Should Run The Country This House Believes That Austerity Works This House Believes That UKIP Has Been Good For British Politics This House Believes That Western Feminism Has Failed The Developing World This House Would Swipe Right This House Believes That Putin Is A Serious Threat To Global Stability This House Supports The Right To Be Forgotten This House Believes That WW1 Has Been Unnecessarily Glorified This House Believes That Oxbridge Is A Force For Good

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The Cambridge Union Society

Social Events The Union is not just about debating and speaker events, it’s a social hub right in the centre of Cambridge. The Union’s 1815 Bar is a comfy café by day and one of the cheapest bars in town by night, with special deals for members and all University students to enjoy.

Throughout the year, the Union hosts some of the most popular social events. Kicking off with our annual Freshers’ Ball, our events then range from cocktail workshops and fitness classes to our summer Garden Party on the first Saturday of May Week.

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Social Events

Weekly Ents Members have access to weekly fitness classes held at the Union which in the past have included: Zumba, Yoga, Meditation and Pilates. If that doesn’t take your fancy there are bi-weekly Cocktail workshops for you to sign-up to if you want to get your creative juices flowing. Regular society socials are held in the 1815 bar post-debates and Monday night hosts our regular LGBT+ drinks, which everyone is welcome to attend.

Parties The highlights of the Union’s social calendar come in the form of our individual parties. In the past these have included Election Parties, Eurovision screenings, the Superbowl, Oktoberfest and some of the biggest DJ nights in Cambridge. New members get exclusive access to our Freshers’ Ball, which falls at the end of Freshers’ Week and you your first taste of the extravagant parties that Cambridge has to offer – without the hefty price tag.

With a number of events already planned for the term ahead, and the new surprises that may be in store for Lent, it’ll be wise to keep your ears and eyes open to make sure you don’t miss out on news of what we have in store for you next at the Union.

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The Cambridge Union Society

Officer Reports

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President Oliver Mosley

As President, it is my job to manage the Union and create a program of events. I joined the Union in my first term, and have been involved ever since. From being cat-called by Russell Brand, to chatting with Stephen Fry, it’s been one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

As T job t more wort mem getting sponsorship and by expenditure. This means we a really exciting range of sp this term, which I’m hugely

Executive Officer Fred Vincent

As the Executive Officer I am responsible for assisting the President in managing their term. The debates for this term are under my remit; I hope they showcase the diversity, intellectual investigation and all-round entertainment that attracted me to the Union in the first place.

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Officer Reports

reasurer

Speakers Officer

Charlotte Ivers

Treasurer, it is my to make sure you get e than your money’s th from your Union mbership, both by y cutting unnecessary e can afford to put on peakers and debates y excited about.

Sachin Parathalingham

As Speakers Officer it is my job to plan the Union’s programme of individual speaker events for Michaelmas 2015. From calling agents, sending thousands of invitations and replying to hundreds of emails a day, speakers has been such a unique experience.

Social Events Officer Asia Lambert

As Social Events Officer my goal is to make sure that there is a great line-up of events at the Union throughout the term for you to enjoy.

Planning the Freshers’ Ball has been one of the most rewarding and challenging things to do at Cambridge; I hope you all enjoy it!

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The Cambridge Union Society

Competitive Debating From weekly Wednesday evening workshops (where you can eat free pizza), to representing the Union at competitions in America, Malaysia, and Croatia (just to name a few), to organising international debating competitions (yes, students do this), competitive debating offers great opportunities for experienced debaters and complete novices alike.  Members of the Cambridge Union Debating Society are amongst the best debaters in the world. At the recent Worlds University Debating Championships held in Malaysia, where we funded three teams to go and compete, the world’s best speaker and second best speaker were from Cambridge, as was the best team. From the Yale IV in America to the Paris Open in France, Cambridge Debaters have won it all, and you can be our next big winner.

So if you have been debating competitively since you were in your diapers, or if always wanted to show the world how good of a public speaker you are but never had the opportunity to do so, or if have genuine fears of speaking in front of audiences, we are the perfect fit for you. From intense Wednesday evening workshops that are designed to make complete novices into the world’s finest debaters, exciting and entertaining socials where you can make lots of other friends with similar interests, to weekly debating tournaments where you can hone your skills against the national debating community, we have something for everyone.

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Competitive Debating

CUS Live As the global appeal of our events widens, and the number of life members living far away from Cambridge increases, the Union has continued to embrace new ways of enabling greater access to the Union for members and speakers alike.

As we conclude our anniversary year, the Union is pleased to announce that all events hosted in the Union are now being broadcast live and in high-defintion from a fully automated multicamera rig. Members can watch the debate or speaker event online, and contribute by tweeting @CambridgeUnion. The presiding officer can then read out questions or comments on the floor of the Union.

You can access this service from anywhere in the world by logging in with your membership details at www.cus.org/CUSLive.

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The Cambridge Union Society

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Stephen Fry Debates, April 2015

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The Cambridge Union Society

Facilities & Benefits The Keynes Library The Union’s library is open to members 9-5:30pm during full term. It’s a beautiful space for members to read and relax in, with plenty of study space, power points and free wifi.

Snooker & Pool The Union has two full size snooker tables and a pool table available for use by members free of charge.

1815 Bar & Café The Union’s 1815 Bar & Café opens 10-4pm Monday to Friday. The café serves a range of snacks and food for lunch, both hot and cold. You can enjoy these inside on our comfy sofas or outside on the grass if the weather’s being kind.

Reciprocal Membership When joining the Cambridge Union, you also get access to Unions at almost 70 other universities, including Harvard, Oxford, Edinburgh and Bristol.

Livestreaming Membership entitles you to watch all of our events live in HD online, at www.cus.org/CUSLive Party Packages Brand new for Micahelmas 2015: the Union has introduced package deals for those wanting to host parties in the Chamber, or in on of our dining/event rooms. From small gatherings of 5-10 people, to massive dinners for 50+, the Union now caters to you all. For more information, email eventsadmin@cus.org, and let us take it from there.

Members’ Benefits Members of the Union get substantial discounts in loads of local shops, restaurants and clubs.

The list is always growing, so head to https://cus.org/members/discounts to find out more.

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Facilities & Benefits

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The Cambridge Union Society

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The 1815 Bar and Café

The 1815 Bar and Café The 1815 BAR and CAFÉ is one of the cheapest bars in Cambridge. By day: 1815 has some amazing lunch deals for you to take advantage of, with our Paninis a firm favourite. By night, the Café turns into a huge Bar, providing a buzzing central location but without the central prices.

With wooden floors, chandeliers and comfy leather sofas, coupled with special discounts for all Cambridge students, not just members, it is one of the finest and cheapest bars in Cambridge.

The bar offers a wide range of spirits, wines and beers and a range of non-alcohlic drinks for you to chose from there’s plenty of choice. If you want to try a cocktail just ask one of our expert bar staff to create you something from your favourite tipple.

After our Thursday night debates, students congregate in the bar and mix with the speakers to continue the debate whilst waiting for the results to be announced. Some nights there may be post-debate entertainment which in the past has been provided by jazz bands, singers and even a cappella groups.

What’s more, the bar is open till late so you can move straight to a club if you’re drinking into the early hours.

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The 15th Annual

Cambridge Union

FRESHERS’

Ball

Start Cambridge as you mean to go on Saturday, October 17th 2015 9.00pm ‘til the early hours Free for new members. Guaranteed ticket for first 100 new members.

FAQs

FAQs How can I join?

You can buy membership online at www.cus.org/join or in person, either at the freshers’ fair or in the Union office.

Is paying for membership worth it?

Three years for fantastic speaker events, debates, workshops and parties make it well worth it, not forgetting that you are a member for life on top of that!

Members’ Discounts in the Union bar and in shops across Cambridge add to the incredible value of membership.

How many freshers join the Union?

Roughly 70% of Cambridge undergraduates join the Union. We are the largest society in Cambridge Do I need any experience to get involved in competitive debating?

Absolutely none at all. Each week, we host workshops aimed at every level of experience; training public speaking as well as competitive debating.

What else does the Union provide besides public debates and speakers?

The Union hosts weekly classes, allows access to the Union’s snooker room and library, and provides discounts in the Union bar and across Cambridge.

Plus you will get discounts and special access to any external companies that book the Union out.

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