Romans Matulevics, 2nd year Politics and Economics
Sam Birchall, mutli-user interface programmer
Sam George, 3rd year Politics and International Relations
Yan Sun, 2nd year Business Studies
Mike Harding, Senior Researcher
April Hamilton, 1st year English Literature
Rachel Gaffney, 1st year English Literature
Michael Drakard, 1st year Peace Studies
Joshua Riddett, 2nd year Management and Entrepreneurship
John Wallbank, Physics Research Associate
Katie Gough, 2nd year German and Linguistics
Alex Croy, postgraduate student
Joanne Greenhalgh, 2nd year, Biology
What do you think about the banning of Page 3 in LUSU shops?
I think it’s silly. University students are grown-ups and should make their own decisions. You can always do the same thing on the internet, so banning Page 3 won’t change anything.
– Romans Matulevics, 2nd year Politics and Economics
I don’t really agree with the decision. I think it’s a bit of a slippery slope, to be honest. If profanity on the airwaves offends you, just switch over.
– Sam Birchall, multi-user interface programmer
Magazines created by women for young girls have done a lot worse. By giving them this unrealistic body image they end up completely destroying their self-esteem.
– Sam George, 3rd year Politics and International Relations
Page 3 is kind of rude but all the students on campus are over 18. They have to use their own judgement. I don’t buy them but it’s not that fair on people who do.
– Yan Sun, 2nd year Business Studies
I have no real opinion on Page 3. I mean, I don’t look for that in a newspaper. It’s not that bad, though, because people these days are desensitised to things like that what with the internet.
– Mike Harding, Senior Researcher
Yeah, absolutely. It’s a good idea. I don’t really buy papers but I definitely don’t buy those ones. I don’t want to encourage them or anything.
– April Hamilton, 1st year English Literature
I think it’s a good idea. When I read the news, I do it online. I never read the ones with a Page 3, though.
– Rachel Gaffney, 1st year English Liteature
I think it’s a bit of an over-reaction, really. It’s part of a bigger problem and I don’t think this will solve it really.
– Michael Drakard, 1st year Peace Studies
What long-term aims would you offer LUSU?
Well, I don’t really know what they do. I suppose that means they should focus on more outreach.
– Sam Birchall, multi-user interface programmer
I don’t know what they do. Whenever I need something I just go to my faculty department. I know they have an expensive shop, though. That’s not bad!
– Sam George, 3rd year Politics and International Relations
I think they should continue to focus on students’ basic needs. I lived on campus for my first year and it was always inconvenient to get my stuff sorted. Like, if I wanted to do some big shopping, I always had to go to town. Things like that.
– Yan Sun, 2nd year Business Studies
Probably just raising awareness of whatever they’re already doing. That would definitely help with elections, because whenever they have these votes they always end up with really low turnout, don’t they?
– Mike Harding, Senior Researcher
Uh, more union-y stuff…? I’ve heard they have quite broad responsibilities, but I don’t know enough about what they can actually do.
– April Hamilton, 1st year English Literature
I don’t know what their job is, to be honest.
– Rachel Gaffney, 1st year English Literature
I think the council where they make decisions like the Page 3 ban could be better advertised, maybe make it into a larger forum. Perhaps they can work with academic departments more as well.
– Michael Drakard, 1st year Peace Studies
I think it needs to define itself better to students and perhaps advertise itself more as well. From my perspective as well we have one of the best business schools in the country so, while LUSU does work with student business, maybe we can expand on that even more.
Joshua Riddett, 2nd year Management and Entrepreneurship
I think we could invest more in sport, we’re good at it already so we can build on it and hopefully get more people involved.
– John Wallbank, Physics Research Associate
Maybe more working with the Base in the careers section. I think the mental health campaigns are a really good idea so they could build on those as well.
– Katie Gough, 2nd year German and Linguistics
Social networking is supposed to be fun, not about making important decisions! I wouldn’t know what to put. I think half the problem is that many people don’t really know what LUSU does on a day-to-day basis.
– Joanne Greenhalgh, 2nd year Biology
Should the library be open 24 hours permanently?
Yeah, definitely. This is a campus university so it would be silly not to.
– Sam Birchall, multi-user interface programmer
I only come here to work in the mornings, so no. Opening much later would just be a drain on the University’s resources, and there are lots of other things that need them.
– Sam George, 3rd year Politics and International Relations
Yeah, absolutely. I think it should be open all the time. Now that I’m in my second year, I always have loads of work to do in there.
– Yan Sun, 2nd year Business Studies
I work in the Computer Science Department, so I already have 24-hour access to the labs there. Also, given the whole online library thing, if you want to find a book at 4:00 in the morning, you can just go on the internet.
– Mike Harding, Senior Researcher
Don’t they already do that at most other unis? I’m glad about the evenings, though. It’s nice they’re opening later.
– Rachel Gaffney, 1st year English Literature
It’s awesome. It may insinuate students are terrible at organising their work but I take it as an advantage.
– Joshua Riddett, 2nd year Management and Entrepreneurship
It’s a good idea and I think the fact that there’s no time limit for work really suits students.
– Katie Gough, 2nd year German and Linguistics
Yes, it’s good for people who leave thing to the last minute and for those who need access to particular resources. If it means employing more people then that would be great too.
– Alex Croy, postgraduate student
Are we as a country too London-centric?
I’m not certain we are as a country. London-centricity is just a symptom of a centralised political system: a place for the democratic mob. Concentrating things like that is just another race to the bottom. Maybe there should be a slightly greater regional emphasis, but I don’t think London is going to be a big problem up here.
– Sam Birchall, multi-user interface programmer
Yes, yes, yes! Now they’ve got these stupid projects making the train journey from London to Manchester quicker by about 20 minutes or something. They should be investing that money into rail links up here that don’t always end in London.
– Sam George, 3rd year Politics and International Relations
Yes. I think we focus too much on the capital. They now have the ability, like a vampire, to suck the blood out of other areas in England. Taking up all the resources like that will cause an imbalance of growth in towns like Lancaster. Even though it’s a big and important area, it’s not leaving enough even for the areas around it.
– Yan Sun, 2nd Business Studies
There’s obviously a clear economic divide with the North. Just look at housing prices in London. It’s because of all the workers moving there. When I left university, about 90% of my friends went down there for the jobs.
– Mark Harding, Senior Researcher
Well, it is the capital. It’s kind of always going to be that way. Perhaps they should focus a bit more on the North, though.
– April Hamilton, 1st year English Literature
It’s kind of hard to avoid that. When people from other countries think of the UK, they think of London and Big Ben and the Gherkin. That’s where the visitors want to go. They could spread the limelight a bit, though!
– Rachel Gaffney, 1st year English Literature
Yes I think so. Often statistics for grad jobs show a lot of them are in London and I don’t think it’s a good thing because we have lots of other good cities as well.
– Joshua Riddett, 2nd year Management and Entrepreneurship
I think people abroad often associated Britain with London but I think most people in the country tend to appreciate all the different regions.
– Katie Gough, 2nd year German and Linguistics
I think they are to an extent, but there are jobs in other cities. Everything is centralised in London, but I think it’s short-sighted and naïve to continue with that. I could have a detrimental effect for other cities.
– Alex Croy, postgraduate student
I know that most engineering jobs are in the South, so if people don’t mind moving then it’s fine. I think if companies were spread out across the country though, we could end all up living in places like London, which most people don’t want.
– Joanne Greenhalgh, 2nd year Biology
