A Note from the President
Welcome to the Easter term at the Durham Union. The busiest (and hottest) weeks of the academic year are upon us, but hopefully coming along to the chamber offers a welcome reprieve. We’ve got a suite of excellent addresses and debates planned this term, and a glorious jubilee garden party once exams are finished!
Returning to normality after two years of restrictions has highlighted how special a place the Union occupies in Durham. Nowhere else will you find a community on campus that is as curious and engaged as the Union’s. Each year, I’m pleasantly surprised by the variety and depth of arguments put forward by new members. The Union transcends college and course and has become a cherished part of my time at Durham, and I hope it will be for you as well.
It is important then that the Union remains an accessible and welcoming place for all. Over the past year Standing has worked to ensure this is the case, and our upcoming Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan will lay the groundwork for the next three years of this effort. I’m particularly proud of the introduction of an elected Equalities committee and the expansion of the support we provide to access members to include subsidised social tickets.
It would be remiss to not touch on the Union’s guiding principle of free speech, a principle increasingly politicised both by those who would abuse and those who would restrict its use. Free speech is the foundation of rigorous debate, and it is also an essentially egalitarian principle. The Union provides a vital forum for discussion and understanding on campus in a climate of increasing extremes. I hope it may continue for another 180 years.
Jack Morgan
Easter 2022 President
