Comments on: ‘Too little, too late’

By: Seasoned portering campaigner

Seasoned portering campaigner — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:11:05 +0000

It is NOT too late. I’m not sure what happened in 2007,
but certainly in 2001-2 YUSU were similarly slow and weak
in getting a proper campaign off the ground. Eventually,
someone from outside YUSU got the whole thing going
properly, by getting a UGM motion passed to start a real,
hard-ass campaign. The fight started in earnest around
the New Year (6 months after the cuts) and then within
a month or two we had the Vanbrugh evening porter back.
Campaigning for portering- done in a spirited and intelligent
way – is SO worthwhile. It is NOWHERE NEAR too late.

By: ~J

~J — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:58:28 +0000

How come only 18 students though that portering hours didn’t matter at the last UGM? Only 18 students out of the whole of campus think that we should move on and actually care enough to vote?

This article is very inaccurate. Going and asking the porters whether they think the protests are going to work doesn’t really matter. Going and asking students whether they think the protests are going to work doesn’t matter – neither of them are experts in how management decisions are made and the management themselves won’t say how much these portering protests make a difference.

We need a massive demonstration. Things have been getting bigger over recent weeks so whilst it may be late (compared to July), it’s not going to be too little, I hope!

By: the voice of reason

the voice of reason — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:26:20 +0000

ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!

The porters’ hours have been cut. We get it. We don’t care.

They are useless, always have been. Always will be.

Seems like students are so desperate to campaign for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING… just to give in to th student stereotype.

THE PORTERS NO LONGER WORK 24-HOURS!!!!!!!!!!

There may be vacancies for a new job, that hasn’t been advertised yet: picking up the duck poo around campus.

By: Grant Bradley

Grant Bradley — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:16:39 +0000

In response to “Not The Biggest Fan”, the portering cuts are not something I, or any other candidate mentioned (as far as I’m aware) throughout the whole elections process. So whilst I think some blame lies at YUSU’s door for not picking up on this and fighting harder when there was a chance of remedying this, placing any of it solely on Tim, as it appears you’re trying to, is unfair.

It was hardly surprising that this sort of activity has been carried out, budget cuts were a likely outcome for Hes West as Hes East keeps mopping up all funds. I for one, had seen that coming and making sure that accommodation services (like portering) and bars were not affected was a huge part of my failed campaign.

Derwent bar had been circling the drain for a while and as you said, everyone thought it was a “non-issue” less than 6 months ago. I’m not going to pretend I could have done anything to stop these things, or that I knew anything about them, and I can’t say what I would do in any of the Sabbs’ shoes, but bitching about YUSU (as a whole or individuals therein) isn’t going to solve anything.

By: ex-senator

ex-senator — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:05:04 +0000

The University has become very skilled at picking out ideal times for cutting services to students, namely during the power-vacuum that’s inevitable when old sabbs are replaced by new ones. Without heavyweights MJB and RS, YUSU looks weaker than the HCSA.

By: Not The Biggest Fan of Student Politics.

Not The Biggest Fan of Student Politics. — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:20:35 +0000

This is just typical of what happens, YUSU dealing with a problem after it becomes a too late.

Anyone remember back in May when the elections kicked off and there were candidates gunning for the presidential position who kept banging on about bars and accommodation but everyone else thought they were non-issues?

Did they know something everyone else didn’t or were they just sharp enough to realise that with Hes-East opening that the proverbial was about to hit the fan?

I’m not saying that voting for any of the other candidates would have changed what has happened, but at least throughout two of their campaigns it was highlighted as a priority and that they knew it was a concern.