Welcome to the Durham Union Society
Welcome back, everyone! I hope you have all had a relaxing break and are ready and refreshed for the new year at Durham. Epiphany Term can be challenging as summative season begins, so I hope that the Union can provide a much-needed outlet for intellectual stimulation, relaxation and enjoyment!
Unique to Durham, Oxford and Cambridge, the Union fulfils several different functions. We provide students with the opportunity to meet, listen to and engage with an incredibly diverse range of leading figures from all areas of public life. This is done through a range of weekly addresses and our Friday Night Debates, where we consider the most pressing issues of the day. This term we have motions ranging from whether Sport has been devalued by commercialisation to whether the UK should legalise assisted dying.
In recent years, the Union has been fortunate to host speakers ranging from Roger Stone, Maajid Nawaz and Caroline Lucas, to Jeremy Vine and Anastasia Lin. This term we have an exciting lineup of speakers, including decorated Paralympic athlete Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Professor A.C. Grayling, Lord Menzies Campbell, Anton du Beke and many more. The full list of speakers can be found later in the brochure, but be prepared for even more names to be announced…
Our Union is far more than just a debating club - our Society is much like a college, an environment for socialising and making lifelong friendships. With over 800 students signing up to the Union each year, attending Durham Union socials is a unique way to meet like-minded people and make friends with those from different colleges and courses. This term we will host a Mardi Gras Social, a Valentine’s Day Social and a themed ‘extra-terrestrial’ social with the chance to dress to impress (prizes available), along with a new formal dinner which will be held in the beautiful crypt of Durham Cathedral. Our socials are held at 24 North Bailey, which is owned by the Union. Membership of the Union gives you the opportunity to live in and work at 24s. Indeed, we are the only society at Durham University to have our own private bar and venue.
The Durham Union offers one of the globe’s finest student debating programmes for anyone who wants to learn the art of debating as a novice or hone their skills with our world-class debating squad. Over Easter, there’s also a chance to be volunteer at Durham Schools, as we host the largest residential schools’ debating competition in the world. Of course, you can also be involved in the running of the society through committees and officer positions, which is great for your CV and a highly rewarding way to use your free time as a student.
It is fair to say that it is hard to gain the true Durham experience without membership of the Union! I very much look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events.
Very best wishes,
Rahul Prakash
President, Epiphany 2019
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Click here to see our exciting new Epiphany Term Card!
Upcoming Events
In the meantime, I look forward to welcoming you to the Union very soon!
