SUBU Full Time Officer Nominations now open!

subu-elections-2015Are you interested in becoming a Full Time Officer at your Students’ Union, working hard to ensure that all students are represented the best they can be?

Nominations for SUBU’s 2015/16 Full Time Officer team are now open, and you can nominate yourself to become the next SUBU President, VP Activities, VP Education or VP Welfare.

Nominations are now open and will close at 5pm on 27 February 2015.

Find out more about the role that you can apply for, as well as the answers to any questions or queries which you may have, on the SUBU website.

If you have any other questions feel free to email the SUBU Democracy and Campaigns Coordinator at sbradfield@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Project India coverage of Indian elections

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A project to report on and catalogue the Indian elections is underway at Bournemouth University.

Project India aims to give an alternate take on the 2014 Indian elections by focussing on voices not always picked up by mainstream media. Work is carried out by a team of students from Bournemouth University (BU), in collaboration with students and staff from other universities in India and the UK.

Stories are written and collated on the Project India website, and students are also encouraged to submit work to the project’s two media partners; rediff.com and WoNoBo.com, both based in India.

The project also seeks to research the traditional and new Medias used by politicians and voters during the elections, to provide in-depth analysis of the part that media has played in the historic election race.

This research will also look at the way politicians present themselves through media and how Indian citizens relate and react to the election through media and social media. Particular attention will be given to how the election is being covered in the margins, and how previously unheard voices in the media will come out through the elections.

Dr Ana Adi, Head of International Development at Bournemouth University and one of the coordinators of the project, said, “We had a wonderful experience with the US 2012 elections where students from Bournemouth University worked together to create coverage of the elections. Using the good practice acquired during the project, and considering our growing interest and number of connections in India, we found it timely to consider a similar project that enabled us to have an alternative look into the Indian Parliamentary Elections.”

Dr Adi continued, “Project India is a great example of international cooperation that brings together education, practice and research. We are proud that the project involves undergraduate and postgraduate students from various degrees, as well as researchers and practicing journalists.”

As a part of the project, students are encouraged to research the latest developments in the election and create unique and interesting multimedia content – often providing an alternative viewpoint of how the elections are affecting the country and how Indian citizens are responding to these political developments.

Stories written so far include a look at how Tibetans living in Delhi are voting in the elections for the first time and how talking about gay rights is still a taboo during the 2014 election race.

The other universities partnering with BU for the project are the University of Madras, Chennai; Amity University, Uttar Pradesh; University of Mumbai, Mumbai; and the University of Bedfordshire.

The project has already received significant interest from the UK and abroad, and is due to be covered by BBC World Service in the coming weeks.

For more information can be found on the Project India website or through social media on Facebook and Twitter.

Labour MP sets Politics students the task of engaging young voters

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Bob Ainsworth MP spoke to Politics and Media students at Bournemouth University as they look to study the EU Parliamentary elections.

Mr Ainsworth, a Visiting Fellow within BU’s Media School, set an online campaign task for five groups of first year students aimed at mobilising young voters in the South West region for each of the main parties: Labour, Conservative, UKIP, Liberal Democrat and Green Party.

Labour lost their MEP in the 2009 election and the Green Party missed their target for an MEP by less than one percent, so a small surge in voter registration and engagement could easily tip the balance for any of the parties next month. The students discussed what they saw as the main weaknesses and strengths of the existing online campaigns, which in their view were all weak and not currently aimed at young potential voters.

Shortly afterwards in a studio interview  four students Elina Kuusio, Alan Andrews, Jack Aspinall and Joanna Poulton (pictured) grilled Mr. Ainsworth, Secretary of State for Defence in the last Labour government, on his views on what the European Union offers young people, UKIP and the likely outcome of the elections.

Parts of this televised debate will be broadcast during the Media Schools coverage of the 2014 EU Parliamentary elections on the 22nd May between 10pm and 1am. Bob Ainsworth is returning to Bournemouth University to judge their campaigns on the 8th May when he will also be contributing to a student organised screening and debate on Belarus.

In an effort to engage young voters on May 15th, Bournemouth University will be hosting a hustings in the Allsebrook lecture theatre from 7pm where prospective MEPs from all the parties will be addressing students and local residents. Politics students will be attending this and learning more about this important election.

Could you lead SUBU into a new era?

subu_logo_smallThe partnership between SUBU and BU is vital to improving the student experience here at BU. Critical to this are the various SUBU Officers, some full-time, some part-time, who represent YOU. But perhaps YOU could be one of these leaders?

SUBU elections take place soon, so find out below how to nominate yourself or someone else:

  1. Recommend a friend This is a new feature which is a way for any student (or any staff member) to recommend someone for considering standing in the elections. Fill in the form and we will contact them via phone or email with some nice anonymous comments. We will then send them further details about the elections and how to consider nominating themselves.
  2. Youtube videos: We have produced a series of videos about the positions available and more info about the election:
  1. For more information visit the SUBU website or contact: Matt Wall – Representation and Democracy Manager, SUBU

Email mwall@bournemouth.ac.uk
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