By Joe Rukin
Over a year ago educationet was officially labelled 'lie-ridden' by NUS , through the then National Secretary Ben Monks when we made public planned spending cuts to the priority campaigns. Now the National Union has taken on that mantle, saying educationet has accused Student Unions "of promoting heavy drinking" in the Times Higher Education Supplement (20th Sept). As was pointed out in the original educationet article, NUS launch most useless campaign ever though, they've missed the point.
There were more (see article), but the points which Alison Goddard of the THES had wished to pick up on were that: NUS had failed to see the issues of student poverty which increase binge-drinking; NUS had got loads more publicity in re-inforcing the incorrect stereotype that all students are drunk all day than they ever do for funding campaigns; Student Unions need money from commercial activities to help provide Advice Centres, Clubs & Socs etc; and that as the 2nd largest buyer of alcohol in the country, NUS were slightly hypocritical. Other points like the fact NUS- importantly not the individual unions which have to take on the campaign- hardly disencouraged student officers from heavy drinking via the flavoured vodka ice ski slope at NUS Convention were overlooked.
But in their media round up for 20th September, NUS Online say of Page 1 of the THES;
"More on the NUS campaign to combat excessive drinking. Student unions are accused of promoting heavy drinking through raising revenue from bar receipts. NUS National President, Mandy Telford, explains that the campaign is an awareness raising campaign to ensure all students are fully aware of the dangers of drinking."
As for accusing student unions of promoting heavy drinking, the article in the THES (which is in full at the bottom of the page), educationet merely endeavoured to point out some facts;
"To most students the primary function of their student union is to provide a bar with cheaper beer than the rest of town. In times of ever decreasing support from cash-strapped institutions, the cash in those tills is the very lifeblood of student unions, providing much-needed income to subsidise clubs and societies, advice centres and a plethora of other services. This will ensure that any campaign may well be half-hearted"
Harsh? No, just accurate. The odd thing was that if this is saying unions promote heavy drinking, then NUS themselves must also be guilty. Here's a quote from NUS Online's section on what your local union does
"The functions of students' unions are primarily threefold. Firstly, to support and represent members. Secondly, to house union clubs and societies. And thirdly, to provide cheap commercial services to members, of which the proceeds can be put back into support and representation."
"Commercial services include bars, club nights, concerts, cheap food outlets, shops and much else. All are directed specifically at the student membership. Students' unions' commercial services are run in the interest of students, not, primarily, to make money. However, many are so successful that they do generate a healthy turnover that can be put back into the union's 'core' services."
As for the other points, such as the fact NUS had committed a massive -maybe deliberate- own goal in convincing the public that students are drunkards, Ivo Wengraf wrote in the Liverpool Student;"The latest welfare campaign of NUS has attracted national media attention and has led to claims of NUS hypocrisy and a lack of basic media savvy on the part of officials."
"Students.. often fall victims to alcohol-related accidents, but also suffer from the unfair stereotype of being care-free, work-shy drunkards. The national press seized upon the story and many took the opportunity to run articles affirming the traditional but misleading student stereotype."
"This campaign, according to some involved in student politics, moved the public understanding of students away from the debt-ridden image of undergraduates- an image vital to the anti-fees campaign. Indeed more national media attention was given to students after this new campaign began than was given to certain national fees protests of the recent past."
Maureen O'Donnell, writing in the London Student was equally unimpressed;
"The most dangerous thing that come out of this campaign is the ease in which the media, and Mrs Hodge, can use it as more evidence of students' constant hedonistic excess which 'the taxpayer' shouldn't be paying for."
And that is the point. The main thing about the whole campaign was that there was absolutely no need whatsoever to go to the press. Sensible drinking, along with safe sex and loads of other welfare campaigns are run year after year in student unions across the country successfully. These are issues which there will always be literature to be found on around campus, and that is where any campaign matters. But why go public in a blaze of publicity? Did they not know how the press owuld react? And then why try and trash any one who criticises?
THES ARTICLE
Drinking Campaign Leaves Sour Taste
Alison Goddard
As thousands of students raise their glasses to celebrate freshers week, the National Union of
Students is being accused of hypocrisy over its campaign to promote sensible drinking.
After Her Majesty's Armed Forces, the union through NUS Services Limited, is the UK's single biggest
bulk buyer of drink. Moreover, many activities run by student unions are financed by profits made in
the bar.
"As one of the largest bulk buyers of alcohol in the country, NUS may seem a tad hypocritical," says
the students website educationet.org.
The site was created by Joe Rukin, a postgraduate student at Coventry University. He said; "To
most students the primary function of their student union is to provide a bar with cheaper beer
than the rest of town."
"In times of ever decreasing support from cash-strapped institutions, the cash in those tills is the
very lifeblood of student unions, providing much-needed income to subsidise clubs and societies,
advice centres and a plethora of other services. This will ensure that any campaign may well be
half-hearted"
Mr Rukin said the campaign would also divert attention from the issues of student stress and
poverty. He said the campaign would reinforce "the public perception that students waste all their
money getting drunk" just before NUS begins a drive to demand more money for students.
"The campaign fails to see the real factors at work in the proliferation of binge drinking"
NUS President Mandy Telford said; "The NUS sensible drinking campaign is an awareness raising
campaign. It highlights the risks attached to drunkenness for the drinker and for other people,
including accidental injury, short and long term health problems, violence, anti-social behaviour and
becoming a victim of crime."
"It is one of the welfare campaigns we run over the year to ensure that students are fully informed
on a host of issues that directly affect them, such as meningitis and finding safe student
accommodation."
