26 October 2012

Affirmative Action Consultation Forum

After the approval of the 2012 Affirmative Action Review prepared by Women’s Portfolio Holder Hannah Morris, the USU Board would like to carry out further consultation with members to develop any further actions to be brought to the November Board Meeting.
The USU Board recognises that we are a membership organisation and invite all members to share their opinions and thoughts in advising the Board.

We will be holding a Consultation Forum this Thursday, 1st November to provide a safe space for debate on the topic.
Details are:
Autonomous Discussion:
4-5pm, Women’s Room. Level 1, Manning House.
Followed by,
General Discussion: 5-6pm, MacCallum Room. Level 2, Holme Building.
The agenda for both discussions will be related to the four areas of the review, as follows:
1.      Affirmative Action in the USU’s Board of Directors
2.      Affirmative Action and female representation in the USU’s Student Leadership Program and the Clubs and Societies Program
3.      The USU’s existing structures promoting and recognizing Women’s leadership
4.      The USU’s communication strategy surrounding the promotion of women’s leadership and Affirmative Action
5.      Other matters for noting (time permitting)

Please find the USU Affirmative Action Consultative Paper which contains substantive findings from the Affirmative Action Review here: 2012 Affirmative Action Consultative Paper
We invite you to read this paper and provide us with submissions on the issues pertaining to each section. Your submissions can include any proposed models addressing the issues, ideas or comments on the findings. These submissions can be anonymous or you may include your name. Additionally, if you would like any part of your submission to be directly referenced at the Consultation Forums, please indicate if you would like it to be done so anonymously.
Please email any submissions to the Women’s Portfolio Holder at h.morris@usu.usyd.edu.au by 4pm on Thursday, 1st November.
Come along to the event in the spirit of respect and open debate. The USU began as Debating Society after all.

Yours sincerely,

Board of Directors

University of Sydney Union


23 October 2012

Changes To Our Coffee

We’re pleased to announce that as early as January 2013, the USU will be changing its coffee to beans that are Rainforest Alliance certified and 100% organic. Our decision to move to socially sustainable coffee is just one way we’re hoping to improve our CSR practices.

For some time now, students have been telling us they want socially responsible coffee. This came to a head with 2010’s referendum on Fair Trade initiated by the student group Fairly Educated. At the time, we were locked into a coffee contract so could not make immediate changes to our coffee.

When our coffee contract came up for review this year, we decided to put out a call for socially responsible coffee suppliers. The tender process was vigorous with suppliers asked to respond to an extensive list of questions formulated by the Tertiary Access Group (a non-profit cooperative providing Australian universities with commercial support), as well as additional questions developed by Fairly Educated.

We established an internal Coffee Working Party to compare the responses from the ten companies who replied to the tender. Our main aim was to ensure our final supplier of choice would not source beans from farmers who exploited ethical labour standards. After a long process including consultation with Fairly Educated, the Board voted to award the contract to our current supplier, Cantarella Bros., a 100 per cent Australian owned company. We will be sticking with the Vittoria brand, but supplying beans that are ethically sourced.

This decision is just the beginning of our move towards a more socially responsible USU. The majority of our products will go through TAG’s questioning process to ensure that when you buy something from the Union, you are doing a good thing for workers and the environment.

I’m currently working with the Board and other USU staff members to review our environmental practices and expand our CSR strategy. Already, there have been many exciting ideas discussed, so watch this space for more info.

If you would like more information on our coffee and social responsibility at the USU, please contact me at: t.raue@usu.usyd.edu.au

Tom Raue
Board Director


17 October 2012

ODYSSEY – HERMES 2012


Dear membership and friends of the USU,

Last week your Union continued one of its oldest and richest traditions, by launching the latest edition of Hermes (pronounced her-mees, not er-mez).

Hermes, is Australia’s oldest literary journal, which has been produced by students since 1886. Whilst Hermes is a product of students here at the University of Sydney, its international reputation and remarkable heritage means that it is revered in literary circles across this land and abroad.

This year, Jackson Busse, Gabriela Edelstein, Kate Farrell and Chenoa Fawn have composed an edition themed ‘Odyssey’. In their prologue, they say that writers have a special freedom to “explore and attend the whole drama of human life”. It is a testament to the talent and travails of these students, that anyone who glances at Hermes will quickly realise that this lofty notion has been captured, exquisitely in their 110–page literary gem.

For its exemplary literary pieces, and flashes of Jazz Age imagery, I cannot recommend obtaining a copy of Hermes 2012 highly enough. Brought to you by your USU, editions of Hermes are available free from the Access Desk in Manning, and from the Verge Gallery in Jane Foss Russell Plaza. 

Kind regards,

Zachary Thompson
Honorary Secretary

08 October 2012

Verge Extravanganza!


If you’ve noticed any peculiarly placed artworks, music humming from corners of the campus that you didn’t know existed, or the massive big dome currently residing on our front lawns – you’d have probably guessed it’s that time lovely Verge time of year again. The Verge Arts Festival is bigger and better than ever before, and is totally living up to this year’s theme of “Compulsory Fun” - Verge Directors James Colley and Lauren Eisinger have worked at super hard to bring you one of the most rocking festival programs I’ve ever seen on this campus.


It's Alive!
Opening Night Party 
It all started off with a bang last Wednesday at Manning Bar with its “IT’S ALIVE” launch party, and has to date delivered the most excellent sources of entertainment (and excuses to skip class) with heaps of gigs under the dome, the ultra glamourous “Glitterati” night, a smorgasboard of Theatresports and even commandeered the bell tower to deliver your favourite tunes on request. One of the most exciting things on the schedule was the sold-out game of Humans vs Zombies on Saturday, turning the campus into an apocalyptic (and extremely fun) strategic battlefield.

If you’ve missed out thus far (or recently emerged from under a rock), never fear. Verge will be continuing its mighty festivities for the rest of the week.

On Monday, Harry Potter Trivia will be happening from 6:30pm onwards, aptly located in the Great Hall. If you haven’t managed to get yourself a ticket, no worries – you can still get your JK Rowling fix with Wizard Chess happening in the Festival Dome at 6pm. At 8pm, the Festival Dome will be turned into a wondrous cave of light illusions with “Luminous”, a blacklight circus show.
Bounce your way to Super Tuesday on the Front Lawns, and feast on the inflatable activities on offer, from human foosball to giant slides from 12-3pm. While you’re there, check out the acts under the Festival Dome, with comedy happening at 12pm, and Super Florence Jam playing at 1pm. If running around looking for things is more your deal, grab your friends and head down to the Scavenger Hunt, which will be happening all day from 10am til 4pm. There will also be a host of shows and musicals for our more thespian friends, with Seascape presented by SUDS happening in the Old Equine Operating Theatre (er, check a map) at 3pm, MUSE presenting a cabaret night under the Festival Dome at 8pm, and the SASS Factor Grand Finals happening at 5pm in the Verge Gallery. Our friends from the Conservatorium of Music will also be paying a visit to the Festival Dome at 6pm for CONverge, a collection of some of the most talented jazz musicians playing some wicked sick tunes.

Have breakfast with us in the Festival Dome on Wednesday (most students wake up at noon, right?) with the Mad Hatter’s High Tea from 12pm to 2pm – dressing up is very much encouraged. After the cupcakes, 2pm heralds the start of 24 continuous hours of glorious comedy under the Dome, with a bunch of our most talented comedians delivering lols for the entirety of a day.

Can you take a Winstagram? Hashtag
#VergeFestival on your Instagram for your chance to win! 
On Thursday, come celebrate the launch of the 2012 edition of Hermes, Australia’s oldest literary journal of its kind, at 4:30pm in the Verge Gallery. There will also be Twilight Markets happening along Eastern Avenue and the Front Lawns. At 6pm, let out your inner kid with the Magical Music of Disney singing out from the Great Hall, then come party at 8pm with the Beat the System society putting on a massive band night under the Festival Dome.

And so it goes until Friday, which is also the first day of Oktoberfest celebrations at Manning. Grab a beer and view all the Bavarian entertainment on offer. There will be comedy and live music yet again under the Festival Dome, and it all wraps up with a Comedy Dance Party Extravaganza under the Verge Festival Dome at 6pm.

In addition to all these awesome things, the Wine Cellar will also see host to a bunch of plays, workshops and shows throughout the week.

For more info, a complete program of events and details for what’s on, visit www.vergeartsfestival.com.

Karen Chau
Board Director 
UA-5126621-7