As some of you may know, I've been suffering from financial issues, stemming partly from the University's lust for funds. The student loans company isn't playing ball, and neither is the university.
I called them today to offer an arrangement over the summer to cover my fees, but they're not interested. Any financial institution worth their salt would be fair enough to at least consider an offer like this, since it displays a willingness to pay up, but not the University of Portsmouth. It makes me wonder if they're struggling to pay their bills, since I can't imagine £1,200 making all that much difference to their coffers otherwise.
Instead, the University are doing what they do best. threatening to expel me tomorrow after sending me a letter that arrived on Saturday, giving me a grand total of ONE DAY to try to arrange payment. I've told them numerous times that I am currently suffering from severe depression, and I'm getting counseling and taking anti-depressant medication, but hey I guess it's not their problem.
Part of me wants to threaten to leave my blood on their hands, but I know that's blackmail. 

Cam anyone help me out here? Advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

You may recall that I was arrested back in January, and then I put in a complaint. The story has come to a close and it turns out that it was a lawful arrest and detention. I'm still not right after it, but it's a learning process, amirite?
I thought I'd use this experience as a way of sharing some understanding of the law in all its intricacies. It turns out that you can be arrested and locked up for up to 24 hours on the say-so of one person, regardless of supporting evidence. This is on the grounds that a signed statement is legally evidence and assumed to be a true account of events. In my case, I knew it was all rubbish, but the police didn't. They are legally obliged to follow up any allegations and that usually means arresting and questioning the suspect.
The officer assigned to my complaint explained the reasons for my arrest and I have to grudgingly admit that he's right, but hell, I was in agony and I nearly went insane. I'm still on a knife-edge emotionally, but that's not the police's fault.
I'm also going to share, for the first time, what it feels like to live with clinical depression. I'm sure most people can guess, or already know, but I'm hoping that by sharing, I can lose some of the weight from my shoulders.
I recently started taking anti-depressant medication and I can't even tell if they're working. Some days I feel cheery and chipper and other days I feel like I'm staring over the edge of a cliff. It's an old cliché but so apt. I'm hoping that the meds are starting to work, because I'm sick of feeling like this.
I've been depressed for probably about ten years, but I was only diagnosed in September. Since then I've been getting worse, which makes me wonder if I should have gone to get diagnosed.
The worst thing about my mind is that I'm constantly trying to figure out what's wrong with me, which can escalate my problems as I start to fret about these things on top of my existing depression.
I'm sorry for blathering on, but I'm hoping that someone else out there can help me, or that someone else can see there's others like them.

I brushed on the subject of the student stereotype in one of my earlier blogs, saying that there is a general feeling among non-academics that students are lazy, drunk, beans-on-toast-eating, soap dodging, drug-dustbins. I asked why it is that we are happy both to live down to that stereotype it and to not try to disprove it.
We are educated, or at least being educated, people and we should know a lot better than we make out.
I'm an old fogey compared to most people on my course (I'm 25), so maybe I'm a little more hurt by that criticism, but I can't help thinking that it doesn't do anyone any good if we're running around shirtless in December with "PORTSMOUTH UNIVERSITY RUGBY TEAM: I LOVE COCK" written in permanent marker across our backs in Guildhall Square at three in the morning, while singing songs about doing unspeakable things to our team-mates.
There are, it must be said, many elements in the student body that are responsible for encouraging binge-drinking and hooliganism and, lets be honest here, the sportos are one of the biggest. Of course, the bars and clubs don't help matters with their low price alcohol offers. I've been to clubs where it's cheaper to buy alcopops than it is to drink soft-drinks!
I've done a lot of thinking about causes for the stereotypical student behaviour, and I think a lot of it is the sense of freedom that first-years have, that makes them want to drink unpleasant cocktails to the point of vomiting, then get stoned out of their trees, coupled with the "expectations" that they have of university life.
I on't want to attack anyone's lifestyle or their enjoyment, but we need to address for ourselves the damaging aspects of student culture. Encouraging excess and recklessness does't do the University or the Union's reputations any good. I think that we should be shouting more about our socially responsible achievements, like our ViP programme and our political activism. These activities show that we are socially aware, and of course we have our wonderful PUGWASH Media, which has done lots for the Union's communication and letting students find out about what's going on in their university.

All I'm saying is we need to look at our attitudes and what we value about our Union and our Uni. Take pride in what you do!       

    I'd like to get a debate going on the subject of organ donation. Gordon Brown has approved the "opt-out" system of organ donation, replacing the current "opt-in" system, whereby people who give no express order to have their organs kept are buried with them.    Personally, as a student of health sciences, I feel that this is a step in the right direction, as so many people neglect to express a wish either way and as a result, thousands or millions of people die for want of viable organs. At the moment, there are probably millions of people who have no great wish to have their organs when they're buried or cremated but who haven't expressed a wish to donate them to needy people.    I've seen so many people already griping over this proposal, saying it's an erosion of their rights. Their rights to what, exactly? To rot in one piece? To go up in smoke with the lives of maybe six other people? I realise that some people may be religious and think that maybe god won't let them into heaven after giving their organs to save someone else's life, but really it smacks of vanity and greed. To these people, I ask: If it was you who needed that organ, would you condone this behaviour? If it was a member of your family that needed a new heart, would you be complaining about this "harvesting"?    Having worked in a hospital, I can fully understand the dearth of organs in the NHS organ transplant system and it irks me that people think that doctors are harvesting people with their eyes and notebooks. The doctors' first job is to preserve the lives of their patients, not other people's. Giving your organs to another person after you die is the greatest gift a person can give, it's passing on your fading life to give someone a new, fuller life.    I realise this almost sounds like I'm being paid to sell the idea, but I know that when I die, I want to give my organs to someone else. It's a tragedy that so many organs go to waste because of apathy and ignorance. If people are really so vehemently opposed to giving their organs, they can say so. Those who are ignorant or indifferent are hardly likely to be too offended once their brains cease to function and they die, are they? And if their families are worried, they can opt out on their behalf, or one would hope so. Hopefully, the consultation will iron things out in this respect.  

I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks about this situation too. Please share!

P.S. Thanks to James, AKA Orwellian Trash on LiveJournal for the inspiration for this blog.

As some people may already be aware, I was arrested on Friday afternoon, out of the blue on a trumped up (for which read "fake") and uncorroborated allegation of common assault.
I'll set the scene for you briefly:
A police officer called by at 8AM to inform my girlfriend that she would be arrested and taken into custody at 1PM the same day, and I went along to give her moral support (the same made-up charge applied to her). She was taken in, and I sat bored and impatient outside the police station wondering what was going on, til 4PM, when a policeman came out, asked me who I was then proceeded to arrest me on suspicion of a common assault that apparently happened a month previous. Here's where the lesson begins.

Lesson 1: Co-operate fully with the police

 When they arrest you, do exactly as they say, be polite and answer any pertinent questions. When you're booked in, you're offered the right to read the police codes of practice and the right to legal representation, take this up! Do not answer anything related to the case, but give all identifying information to the custody sergeant and be as helpful as you can. I was doubled over in agony after an operation, but I tried to be as helpful as possible.