Jacob Leverett's diary

Gone are the days of Student Union bars and Venues?

Recently I discovered a campaign to Save Our Student Union (S.O.Su) at Oxford Brookes, Much like our own situation Oxford Brookes Student Union (OBSU) doesn't own its own venue, it belongs to the University who operate and own the building which the Union then use.

However, in Oxford the union is moving, its getting a shiny new building with purpose built office space. However, the University is dragging its feet on a decision on whether to build a venue for students or not.

What we need to understand here is the subtle difference between a Students' Union and a Students' Union. Ok I know I just repeated myself, the first Student's Union I refer to is the democratic student support organisation. The sabbs, the media, the course reps and the sports teams is what I'm talking about. The other Student's Union is a building, a club, a bar somewhere to drink and shimmy.  The second is only called a Union by chance it in fact can be called anything. For example Reading is called 3Sixty. As some "Union Venues" (the second type of Union) are owned and operated by either the University or trading arms of the Uni does this show that Unions are either unwilling or incapable of running venues? By why let the Uni run it? If the students are willing to sub-contract out their venue to a non-democratic organisation, why let it be the Uni? How about a student union run by the same people as Liquid and Envy? Or a bar run by Scream of Yellow Card fame?

The University of Brighton Students' Union holds its official Wednesday night in Digital, the local branch of a nation chain of clubs, is that such a bad thing?

A university is primarily an academic and profit making organisation tasked with teaching students. Not just undergrads but masters, doctors and whatever else is up that tree. It also performs ground breaking research. Portsmouth has an international reputation in Brain Tumours, Bra design and sports science. Not on its list of objectives, or experiences is running a night club. Do those with experience and training in teaching and research necessarily have the skills needed to run and promote a venue? So why do they try?

Would you go to a Uni with no student owned social scene? No sports club chanting, no fancy dress?

Is that what makes you decide on a uni? Does the uni know this and run a club just as a marketing method to get more students on courses?

Why does everyone want a Student Union Bar or Venue?