THE SIMMIE NEWSLETTER
Welcome, Simmies!
Hi Simmies! Welcome to the first Students’ Union newsletter of the academic year.
We hope you’ve all had a fantastic Freshers’ Week and are settling into university life.
Each month, we’ll bring you updates from your Sabbatical Officers, campaigns, student opportunities, petitions, society news and all the events you won’t want to miss.
Meet your officers Have your say Society news Campaigns Make a change What’s on
Meet your Sabbatical Officers
I hope you’ve all had a great start to the year. It’s been amazing meeting so many of you throughout Freshers’ Week, and I’m really looking forward to working with you all this year.
Over the summer, I’ve been doing lots and lots of planning behind the scenes, and I’m excited to finally start putting those plans into action.
October is going to be a busy month as I start pushing forward some of my manifesto priorities, particularly around student safety and the Refectory. I’ll also be continuing to push for the return of the Wednesday night bus, which I’m hoping we can get up and running as soon as possible.
October also marks my first campaign of the year: Simmie Safety Week. I wanted to run this as close to the start of the academic year as possible, so you can learn more about the support, services and resources available to help keep you safe throughout the year.
Please get involved throughout the week, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever need support. Keep an eye out for more events, campaigns and updates throughout October. I’m so excited for the year ahead!
Welcome to the first SU newsletter of the year. It’s been a busy start to the year, and it’s been great meeting so many of you during Freshers’ Week and hearing your experiences, ideas and what you’d like to see from your Students’ Union this year.
Over the next month, I’ll be focusing on recruiting Course Reps by 12 October, helping to make sure students have a strong voice within their courses and that your feedback is heard.
I’ll also be preparing for my October campaign, Black History Month. I’m really excited to bring students and societies together to celebrate Black history, culture and achievements across our university community.
There are lots of ways to get involved, whether you have an event idea, want to help promote the campaign or simply want to show up and support. Everyone is welcome to get involved. Keep an eye out for more information and opportunities over the coming weeks.
Have your say
Become a Course Rep
Want to have a say in your course and help make sure student voices are heard? Become a Course Rep. Course Reps work with the Students’ Union and University to share student feedback, raise issues and help make positive changes to the student experience.
Interested? Speak to your lecturer to find out more, or reach out to Jasmine, your Education President, if you’d like to get involved.
Course Rep training: 19 and 20 October.
It’s a great opportunity to build your confidence, represent your classmates and make a real difference to your course. Your course. Your voice. Your say.
Help shape your Students’ Union events: join the Events Committee
Want to have a say in what events happen at St Mary’s? We’re looking for around 10 students to join our new Events Committee and help shape the Union’s events programme around what students actually want to see.
As part of the committee, you’ll be able to:
- Help come up with new event ideas
- Have a say in what we run throughout the year
- Bring ideas and feedback directly to the Union
- Work with other students to create student-led events
- Help make sure there’s something for everyone at St Mary’s
We want the committee to represent the wider student body, so we’re looking for a wide variety of students with different experiences of the Union’s events. Whether you’ve got loads of ideas or simply want to have more of a say in what happens at your Students’ Union, we’d love to hear from you.
As a thank you for your time and commitment, Events Committee members will receive free tickets to all SMSU-run events throughout the academic year.
Interested? Register your interest using the form below. Once we’ve received some initial responses, we’ll invite interested students to an introductory meeting where we can chat about the committee and start planning.
Let’s make this year’s events student-led.
Societies are off to a flying start
Societies have kicked off the academic year with a fantastic turnout at Freshers’ Fayre, meeting thousands of students and welcoming plenty of new members. This was followed by a week of exciting taster events, with something for everyone to get involved in.
Yalla SMU started the week with a fun Dialect Challenge, followed by Nutrition Society’s snack-tasting session. The brand-new Rose & Raven Society hosted a creative social, while Swim Fit got freshers festival-ready with hair tinsel. Drama Society helped everyone break the ice with a selection of fun games.
Creative Writing and Book Club Society gave students the chance to get to know each other through sharing their favourite books, while Catholic Society kept the creativity flowing with a relaxed Paint and Chat session. Podcast and Journalism Society hosted their first editorial ideas session, giving students the opportunity to share their thoughts and shape what the society could explore throughout the year. CU got members thinking with a thought-provoking session asking why the society is important to its members, while African Caribbean Society brought a fun and lively atmosphere to campus with an exciting games session.
On Friday, Physiotherapy Society got people chatting and connecting with a social at The 1850, and Anime Society wrapped up the week with a movie night.
It’s been a brilliant start to the year, with societies creating welcoming spaces for students to meet new people, try something different and get involved in university life. From creative workshops and thought-provoking discussions to games, socials and movie nights, there’s already been plenty to enjoy and this is just the beginning!
Did you know?
Any St Mary’s student can start their own society. Find your community. Explore societies
Campaigns coming up
Simmie Safety Week
5–9 October
Simmie Safety Week will help you learn more about the support, services and resources available to you at St Mary’s and beyond. Keep an eye out for events, information and opportunities to get involved throughout the week.
Black History Month
October
Throughout October, we’ll be celebrating Black history, culture and achievements across our university community. Look out for events and activities from the Students’ Union, societies and students throughout the month. Everyone is welcome to get involved.
Make a change
Got something you want to change at St Mary’s or in the wider community? We currently have three student petitions open and we want to hear what you think.
- Stop Thames Water’s plan to build a pipe to pump treated sewage in the Thames in St Mary’s backyard
- Get bottled water on points in the Ref
- Renovation of all campus bathrooms
Your voice can help shape what happens at St Mary’s. See all petitions and ideas
What’s on and staying connected
What’s on?
Looking for something to do? From society events and campaigns to socials and activities at The 1850, there’s plenty happening throughout the year.
Your voice. Your Union.
Have a great October, Simmies. We’ll see you around campus.
Your Students’ Union
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