NUS Conference 2013

This year my College's Student Union voted me as their NUS Conference 2013 representative - something which as LGBT Officer (rather than President or vice President) I did not expect to happen and something I'm incredibly proud of! Below is my own unique slant on how the 2013 conference panned out!

The 2013 annual NUS Conference in Sheffield got off to a particularly interesting start this year with the misplacing of my parental consent form; after 2 hours of waiting around the organisers could finally confirm with my parents that I had not run away from home to attend the event without permission!

Aside from this small blip the event was as interesting, thought provoking and tiring as usual! The countless challenges to the Chair’s professionalism meant the phrase “there’s a vote of no confidence in the Chair” was heard far too many times; and the debate over the highly controversial gender-balancing policy of motion 701 caused both physical and social networking attacks from both sides, making this year’s conference the most memorable yet!

Although I failed to take to the podium myself, my views on motion 701 were strong; I believe gender-balancing the NUS would be a slap in the face for both the male and female electives who work hard, stand for what they believe in and run strong campaigns to gain votes. As a female, I do not want it to be my ‘right’ to be elected into a Student Union just because I happen to be a woman, I want to earn my right through a strong campaign and a popularity in the policies I stand for. I’d rather lose a campaign to a male who is more suited to the Student Union position, than automatically win the campaign because I have breasts. Why should a male have to work twice as hard to get elected into a Student Union just because a certain quota of women has to be met? … I could rant forever on this matter; however such a rant can be withheld until the next annual conference, as motion 701 fell by 8 votes and gender-balancing did not become policy – thankfully!

Further controversy came from the Presidential candidate speeches, which were a particular highlight, as candidate ‘the inanimate carbon rod’ received the most thunderous round of applause in NUS conference history by stealing lines from the Simpson’s to highlight the broken promises and careerist intentions of past and present NUS Presidential candidates. Although I was backing Vicky Baars for President and thought Richard Osman's look-a-like Peter Smallwood gave the strongest speech, I believe Toni Pierce will make an excellent NUS President.

As the 3 day conference drew to a close, the best moment of the entire event occurred… in the form of an NUS musical.  Les Miserables was the base of a highly amusing parody about NUS delegate’s lives and the most perfect finish to an eye opening; politically fuelled; fun, friendly and frankly amazing NUS Conference 2013.

It’s true what delegates say; one conference can change your life and cause an addiction to voting on motions… I’ve found myself debating procedural motions with my parents over mundane activities for weeks; “I need a for and against argument for 1 minute each as to why we should have fajitas for tea” is amongst one of the more memorable moments of insanity caused by the 3 days of NUS policy amending! Here’s to NUS Annual Conference 2014!