University of Kent Students' Union
Encyclopedia
The University of Kent Students' Union, officially known as Kent Union, is the student representative body
for students at the University of Kent
, England
. Based around five elected full time officers (the 'sabbatical team
'), a Board of trustees, part-time student officers as well as 'lay' members of the local community and business selected for their specialist expertise. Kent Union has an influence at all levels of the University.
, Zane Lowe
, B*witched, Judge Jules
, Tim Westwood
, Bodger and Badger
, several members of the cast of Skins and many MOS tours.
The Kent Union Licensed Trade Department was the national winner in the 2007 and 2008 Best Bar None awards run by NUS Services Limited, after two years as runner up. The Best Bar None award recognises good practice and procedures with regard to all aspects of student safety, campaigns on responsible drinking and drink spiking, relations with the non-student community, staff training as well as a whole other variety of additional best practice in the licensed trade industry.
the student union had a strong reputation for live music with a band playing on campus most weeks, a notable example being when U2
played Rutherford JCR the week their debut album Boy
was released. Admission was 50p and all 150 tickets sold in advance. Other bands who played in the early eighties included Howard Jones
, Level 42
, Teardrop Explodes, Duran Duran
, Depeche Mode
, Joboxers
, Echo & the Bunnymen
, Greg Lake
and Elvis Costello
.
A popular annual event run by the Keynes College Committee is the Keynestock Festival, a battle of the bands held in the garden behind Keynes College, which was once headlined by Billy Bragg
. There is also another annual festival ArtsFest every June between Rutherford and Eliot colleges that is very well attended.
and The Wombats
.
In early March 1970 the University of Kent at Canterbury Students' Union voted in a General Meeting to occupy the Cornwallis Building as part of a national student movement to open personal records to individual student scrutiny. The occupation lasted about two weeks, with a majority vote ending the occupation on March 18th. Approximately 400 students marched out of the Cornwallis Building to present a set of demands that were handed by Union President David Lawrence to the University Registrar Mr Eric Fox. The demands had been drawn up and debated by groups of up to 300 students at a time in meetings and seminars held throughout the occupation.
At one time (ca. 1974) nationally notorious for its extreme left-wing politics
, leading to demands for law changes from staff trade unionists, Kent Union has changed significantly in recent years, shifting their focus away from campaigning and towards running commercial services. In 1998 a substantial construction programme was completed that included a successful multi-purpose shop (Essentials) and a 1500 capacity nightclub known as "The Venue", this was in addition to the bar operated in the on-campus student village, known as "Woody's", which opened in 1994. This expansion was a massive undertaking for Kent Union, but was poorly planned and prepared for so although the services were popular with members, it put Kent Union under significant financial pressure.
In 2010, ahead of a parliamentary vote on issues concerning raising tuition fees, the Union took part in the national demonstrations
. The union heavily subsidised the transport for students to get to London
.
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
for students at the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Based around five elected full time officers (the 'sabbatical team
Sabbatical officer
A sabbatical officer is a full-time officer elected by the members of a students' union , commonly at a higher education establishment such as a university...
'), a Board of trustees, part-time student officers as well as 'lay' members of the local community and business selected for their specialist expertise. Kent Union has an influence at all levels of the University.
The Venue
The Venue the student-only 1500 capacity nightclub operated by Kent Union opened in 1998 , consisting of three floors and five bars, making it the biggest nightclub in the city. The top floor, with a panoramic full frontal glass window overlooking the campus, is known as 'The Attic'. In recent years the Attic has seen a daytime coffee outlet, branded as 'Wicked Coffee' (one of three Wicked Coffee franchises run by Kent Union on the Canterbury campus), and a fast food outlet open all day and night known as The Kitchen. The middle or ground floor is known as 'The Balcony', due to the fact it is a mezzanine floor overlooking the main lower ground floor of the building, known as 'The Venue'. This comprises a stage, a dance floor as well as a main drinks bar as well as a popular shots bar. This floor has seen several major refurbishments over the years, but in its present incarnation it is characterised by clean lines, simple colours and a sophisticated feel. The Venue has hosted many DJs, bands and events over the years including PendulumPendulum (band)
Pendulum is an Australian drum and bass and electronic rock band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen, and Paul Harding.Swire and McGrillen were members of the rock band known as Xygen. After hearing Konflict's "Messiah" at a club, they were inspired to enter into the drum and...
, Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
, B*witched, Judge Jules
Judge Jules
Judge Jules is a British dance music DJ and producer, known for his DJ activities and popular radio show which achieved global success.-Education:...
, Tim Westwood
Tim Westwood
Timothy Westwood is an English DJ and presenter of radio and television. He also presents the UK version of the MTV show Pimp My Ride...
, Bodger and Badger
Bodger and Badger
Bodger and Badger is a BBC children's comedy programme which was first broadcast in 1989. It starred Andy Cunningham as Simon Bodger, who had a badly behaved companion, a talking badger with a love for mashed potatoes.- Plot :...
, several members of the cast of Skins and many MOS tours.
The Kent Union Licensed Trade Department was the national winner in the 2007 and 2008 Best Bar None awards run by NUS Services Limited, after two years as runner up. The Best Bar None award recognises good practice and procedures with regard to all aspects of student safety, campaigns on responsible drinking and drink spiking, relations with the non-student community, staff training as well as a whole other variety of additional best practice in the licensed trade industry.
Rutherford Bar
The bar within Rutherford college is also run by Kent Union. The bar is open till 11pm Monday to Saturday. It offers food and drink including cocktails and pizza which they have become famous around campus for.Woody's
Woodies is a Kent Union run bar in the heart of the on-campus student village known as Parkwood. It is generally known as being the main Sports Bar on campus, showing most major live sport, and is popular with the main sports societies, particularly Wednesday afternoons and evenings. It is also regarded as the cheapest bar on campus. These have combined to gain it almost cult status with students and alumni alike, but years of underinvestment have made it look tired and uncompetitive with other on- and off-campus establishments. This changed in the Summer of 2007 with a complete gutting and refit which has re-branded Woody's aesthetically as a more traditional pub, with food and entertainment offerings in keeping with this.Live Music
In the early eighties1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
the student union had a strong reputation for live music with a band playing on campus most weeks, a notable example being when U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
played Rutherford JCR the week their debut album Boy
Boy (album)
Boy is the debut album from Irish rock band U2, released October 20, 1980. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the album received generally positive reviews. Common themes among the album's songs are the thoughts and frustrations of adolescence. The album included the band's first United Kingdom hit...
was released. Admission was 50p and all 150 tickets sold in advance. Other bands who played in the early eighties included Howard Jones
Howard Jones (musician)
Howard Jones is a musician, singer and songwriter. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, "Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter who was a regular chart visitor in the mid 1980s with his brand of synthpop. Jones, who was equally popular in the U.S., appeared at Live...
, Level 42
Level 42
Level 42 are an English pop rock and jazz-funk band who had a number of worldwide and UK hits during the 1980s and 1990s.The band gained fame for their high-calibre musicianship—in particular that of Mark King, whose percussive slap-bass guitar technique provided the driving groove of many of the...
, Teardrop Explodes, Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
, Joboxers
JoBoxers
JoBoxers was a predominantly British New Wave/soul group formed in 1982, when former Subway Sect members Rob Marche , Dave Collard , Chris Bostock , and Sean McLusky teamed up with American singer, Dig Wayne...
, Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
, Greg Lake
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
and Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
.
A popular annual event run by the Keynes College Committee is the Keynestock Festival, a battle of the bands held in the garden behind Keynes College, which was once headlined by Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
. There is also another annual festival ArtsFest every June between Rutherford and Eliot colleges that is very well attended.
Summer Ball
Every year the Union hold a special Summer ball with live music from popular artists. Past live performances have included Florence & the Machine, FeederFeeder
-Technology:* Feeder , any of several devices used in apiculture to supplement or replace natural food sources* Feeder , another name for a riser, a reservoir built into a metal casting mold to prevent cavities due to shrinkage...
and The Wombats
The Wombats
The Wombats are an indie rock band formed in Liverpool, England. The band comprises native Liverpudlians Matthew Murphy and Dan Haggis , alongside Norwegian-born Tord Øverland-Knudsen...
.
Services
Kent Union is also nationally recognised by the high standards of free or heavily discounted services it provides, facilitates or helps organise for its student members such as sports societies, interest societies, campaigns, representation, an employment agency (JobShop), an advice centre, RAG, an FM radio station CSR 97.4 FM a joint project between Kent and ChristChurch, volunteering and a dedicated student newspaper, Inquire.Demonstrations
At one time (ca. 1974) nationally notorious for its extreme left-wing politics
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
, leading to demands for law changes from staff trade unionists, Kent Union has changed significantly in recent years, shifting their focus away from campaigning and towards running commercial services. In 1998 a substantial construction programme was completed that included a successful multi-purpose shop (Essentials) and a 1500 capacity nightclub known as "The Venue", this was in addition to the bar operated in the on-campus student village, known as "Woody's", which opened in 1994. This expansion was a massive undertaking for Kent Union, but was poorly planned and prepared for so although the services were popular with members, it put Kent Union under significant financial pressure.
In 2010, ahead of a parliamentary vote on issues concerning raising tuition fees, the Union took part in the national demonstrations
2010 UK student protests
The 2010 UK student protests were a series of demonstrations that began in November 2010 in several areas of the United Kingdom, with the focal point of protests centred in London. The initial event was the largest student protest in the UK since the Labour government first proposed the Teaching...
. The union heavily subsidised the transport for students to get to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.