Go, Go, Referendum Rangers!

Fantastic!

The Referendum Rangers campaign meeting today was a huge success and thank you to all of the Rangers who attended.

It was great to have the opportunity to provide you with all of the relevant information and also answer your questions. Your suggestions were very useful and will contribute to our campaigning techniques. Plus, I hope you're all wearing your Referendum Ranger t-shirts as you sit reading this!

And above all else, it's always nice to have an excuse to order Subway :)

We will compile a mailing list from the blue forms you filled in and will regularly contact you by e-mail to keep you updated on our campaigning progress.

Remember, banner painting is tomorrow 11am - 4pm in the Guild and Sunday 11am-4pm. Meet at Reception.

Thank you once again, Rangers! We are all one step closer to Saving the Guild!

E-Voting: Future or Farce

Great success!

The research document that I compiled last August titled E-Voting: Future or Farce has been used as the basis for an NUS Report of the same name.

The report went online early last week and features the pros & cons of the transition to e-voting, featuring quotes from Sabbs all around the country which I obtained in my original research.

The report can be found at the link below and is definately worth reading.

And yes, they missed the 's' off the end of my name on the front cover :(

But it's nice to help out the NUS and give something back.

"Credit where credit's due!" Nick Smith, Higher Education Union Development Officer.

http://resource.nusonline.co.uk/media/resource/Evoting0907.pdf

The World Was Changed!

Yesterday, the Guild of Students held its first Change Your World Fair.

It was great to see so many student groups getting together to share campaigns and shout about all the positive work they do, either locally, nationally or internationally.

I set up a Flickr album with shots of the society stalls (and they all looked great!) and you might even get a glimpse of the giant inflatable VOTE. You can check out the photos at the link below.

Thank you to those who attended and we plan to use your feedback to create a bigger and better Change Your World Fair in Welcome Week next year (we aim to increase footfall by hosting it between 12pm and 6pm so we start during the lunchtime rush!)

Keep changing the world people!

To quote our mate Phil Collins (left): "The world is in your hands, now use it."

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23084847@N06/sets/72157603775290133/

The Road to Referendum!

It's begun! The Road to Referendum!

Last night, Guild Council approved the new Constitution and the question for the Referendum so we're now good to go! The campaign started 45 minutes ago when the Facebook Group went active. If you haven't joined already, join now and learn all about the Referendum --> http://ubrm.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20738965260 It's exciting stuff.

In short, we need 3000 students to vote for change in Week 5 of this Semester or our student-led Guild might not be here in two years. What would life be without a Guild run by students, for students? Pretty shabby is the answer. It could jeopardise student groups or Redbrick or the bar or the Jobzone or Mermaid Square or Fab N Fresh or Guild Council or RAs or Student Mentors or Subway.

And Rhydian would have nowhere to sing :(

So now is the time to campaign, spread the word and most importantly VOTE!

If you would like to be a kick-ass, campaigning machine then become a Referendum Ranger! Our campaign meeting is being held next Friday 25th January in your Guild Common Room between 3pm and 5pm.

Join the event to find out more --> http://ubrm.facebook.com/event.php?eid=9314127530

There will be FREE Subway for all! I'm not even joking.

So... we have all started on the long Road to Referendum. It's a Road frought with hazard signs and pot-holes. We may even encounter the odd stray deer. But we've got a tank full of gas, our seatbelts are fastened and we're all riding shotgun! And this metaphor has gone on long enough.

It's time to save the Guild! Let's do it.

Your Guild Needs You -> The Exec Elections 08/09!

It's here.

The Executive Elections 2008/09 are upon us and you now have the opportunity to lead the Guild on its campaigns and activities over the next year. This is your chance to make a difference and create huge change across campus, benefitting the lives of all of our students.

Here are some important dates:-

• Nominations Open: 9am 21st January
• Nominations Close: 5pm on 4th February
• Withdrawal Deadline: 5pm Monday 11th February
• Campaigning Begins: 9am Friday 22nd February
• Voting: 9am Monday 3rd - 12pm Friday 7th March
• Results Night: Saturday 8th March

There are 18 positions that you can stand for and details of all of these are available in the nomination pack and on this Facebook Group -> http://ubrm.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7781462197 Join today!

I'll finish on Andy Warhol's poignant statement (see right): "They say that time changes things but you actually have to change them yourself."

Well said, Andy.

The Big Vote -> Green, Gorgeous, Gargantuan!

Money. Well. Spent.

After being inspired by one of Leeds Union's creative campaigning methods (see the previous blog), I decided that it was time for the Guild to think outside the box ourselves.

The Referendum approaches and we all know it. There will be the usual flyers and posters and e-mails (and Facebook Groups) but how exactly do we make this vote stand out from all the others? After all, this is a vote unlike no other!

Well, the answer to that is 8-foot, bright green, giant inflatable letters tethered in the middle of campus. And I literally cannot wait to whack 'em out in front of the library!

Students will stop and look. They will wonder. They will wanna come over and see what's going on. Most of them will probably take a photo or two with their camera phones. Some may even want to touch the letters. And all the while, in their mind, they are seeing the word vote, vote, VOTE!

Just promise not to pop them, okay?

Inspiration -> Leeds Have Got Knowledge

The Referendum approaches and we have to hit the student population with everything we've got if we expect to get those all-or-nothing 3000 votes!

We therefore looked to our Student Union cousins over in Leeds for a little inspiration and look what we found... giant inflatable letters!

The yellow inflatable 'Knowledge' letters were part of a welfare campaign led by Community Officer Sara Gill (pictured below). The campaign was designed to promote to students the importance of getting home safely after a night out and the letters were displayed in Hyde Park to emphasise the danger of the park at night time. It also promoted to students how they could protect their homes against burglary.

The campaign was a great success for Leeds and many students began recognising 'Knowledge' as a welfare brand leading to reduced crime and better safety across their campus.

I was inspired by the high-visibility of their yellow inflatable letters and thought just how simple it can be to capture people's attention by doing something different and eye-catching.

With the Referendum just three weeks away, I thought it was time for Birmingham to try and put a bit of spectacle back into our campaigning. Check out my next post and get ready to gasp :D

But let me end by saying a big thank you to our cousins at Leeds Union.

You are an inspiration to us all!