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University of Ulster Students’ Union: Are they worth a vote?
By Dylan Ruane and Ryan Murphy
Today begins the gruelling campaigning process for those running in the Student’s Union elections.
We interviewed Jemma Dolan, VP for Campaigns and Communications, and we look at what the Students’ Union has done for its students – and whether it has gone unnoticed. Click on the picture here to listen to the interview.
Pips Suicide Awareness
By Elizabeth, Aimee, Ryan, Claire and Niall
PIPs suicide awareness brought their pro-mental health training course to students on Coleraine campus.
The project arranged by Student’s Union Campaign’s Vice President, Jemma Dolan focused on making students aware of the signs and symptoms of suicidal thoughts and depression. Coleraine Campus was one of the stops of a nationwide tour of the project which included prisons, schools, police and fire services.
The project was set up to tackle the supposed ignorance surrounding depression and suicide prevention in society. They have decided to debunk the myth that there is nothing that the average person can do to detect and prevent suicide among their peers.
Their slogan of “’Listen, look, link” was pitched to students to remind them that they can spot differences in the behaviour of their peers, recognise them as dangerous and to connect them with relevant professional help.
VP of Campaigns Jemma Dolan had this to say on the matter:
“This is our second year of doing it, it has been really successful. University is stressful; it is definitely something that was needed because there have been three suicides in the last year in the University of Ulster alone.”
The funding for the project came from the National Lottery fund, which approved the initiative which allowed a close working relationship between the SU and PIPs to be struck.
The course was reviewed by student Cara Forbes who attended the course at Coleraine. She said: “The effect it had on me was quite a change. It meant I was more informed” about “what I was to do if someone came to me with suicidal thoughts and also who to link them to in that particular situation.”
Cara Forbes comment seemed to match PIPs aims of educating students into taking positive action in regards to mental health. With this kind of training, students at Coleraine really can hold their heads up high.
DEGENERES’ SELFIE BREAKS RETWEET RECORD
Ellen DeGeneres@TheEllenShow10 hrs
If only Bradley’s arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap
Report from: aimee, elizabeth, claire, niall and ryan
Academy awards host Ellen Degeneres has done it!
She has stolen the prestigious record of most retweeted selfie. During last night’s Oscar’s, Degeneres made her way to the front row where the crem de la crem of celebrities were seated. It was a case of how many A listers can fit into one ‘selfie’ as Bradley Cooper strectched to accomadate, wait for it… Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Lawerence, Jared Leto and Channing Tatum. Phew!
Ellen Degeneres uploaded the selfie at 10pm (local time), and within 3 minutes it had almost 80,000 retweets. Within the hour it had surpassed the President’s selfie with over a million retweets, even crashing Twitter’s webpage!
Serious assault in Coleraine
By Jack Bell and Jordan Gale
The PSNI have announced they are appealing for information in relation to an assault on a man in Coleraine town centre.
The attack is believed to have taken place around 8 o’clock last night (2 March 2014) in New Market Street, a side street just a matter of minutes away from the centre of the County Londonderry town.
Eyewitnesses to the incident claim that police entered The Market Bar shortly around 9.00pm. A Volkswagen Caddy was also stopped by police in the Abbey Street area of the town a short time afterwards.
The 52-year-old man is said to be in ‘critical but stable’ condition following the assault.
A 48-year-old man has been arrested for questioning about the incident and is assisting police with their enquiries.
When asked about the incident, the bar staff refused to comment.