Summer Ball so hard Formal Dinner can't find me
A review of the Union
You can’t deny that the Union isn’t carefully considering the financial onset of this year’s Summer Ball. Regrettable as the cancellation of the on-campus Formal Dinner was to those preparing their own formal attire, the decision will not have an impact on the financial success of the event, with the tickets having been sold at cost price.
Although the dinner was to be held at the lowest price available with College catering, students, as reported in Deputy President (Finance & Services) Michael Foster’s Council Report, “voted with their feet”. This is unlikely to evolve into a student-led revolt, with events already being organised to hold pre-Ball events at other establishments.
And despite all of the controversy at this week’s Council and a lack of attendance at last week’s General Meeting, it’s worth remembering there have been a variety of significant outcomes from the Union this academic year. That is, aside from Council discussing an issue for a significant period of time and not really getting anywhere at all.
Following a new Impact Report detailing the Union’s recent successes, one can recall the highest turnout across England and Wales for a Student Union election, with an overall turnout of 41% across college, with 58% of undergraduates and 19% of postgraduates voting. Next year’s officers will be representing the largest mandate yet.
Volunteering at Imperial has been given a new lease of life with a new partnership between the Union and Student Hubs, which is discussed at length in this week’s feature.
Technological advances such as the long-awaited lecture podcasting and note storage facility NoteBox will be thoroughly introduced following influence from the Union and suggestions of students. Representation has seen a boost following February’s Love Your Rep week, with further support set to be provided to reps in the future.
And a cash machine returned to Beit Quad, so that’s a bonus right there.
So, while the usual Union hackery can never truly be avoided, ultimately significant advances have arrived during this academic year. And anyway, it may well be a pity that the Summer Ball won’t be playing host to a Formal Dinner may not be going ahead, but at least there won’t be a loss generating from it.
