STUDENTS SHOWED Uni bosses their thoughts on the porter crisis by marching to Heslington Hall last week.
The YUSU-led campaign marched through campus, starting at Derwent Porters Lodge and making its way around Market Square, aiming to create as big an impact as possible.
Led by President Tim Ngwena, the group of nearly a hundred students demanded a return to 24/7 portering provision across all porter lodges, and not just selected ‘campus zones’.
Students stood in the courtyard of Heslington Hall and began a tirade of mass chanting, some of which included a remodelled version of the popular song “Hey Baby.” The protest was designed to raise awareness of the cause and to continue to convey student opinion to Hes Hall bigwigs.
Speaking on URY last week, Jane Grenville commented that despite student cuts “there are now more people looking after [students] on campus at night than there were last term’.
But Tim Ngwena told protestors she had failed to give students the right phone number for Security Services.
He added: “No doubt, as the University grows they will cut more and more and more.”
Student support for the retention of 24 hour portering is continuing to gain strength, with YUSU’s ‘Save Our Porters’ Facebook group now boasting over 2,000 members.
Talking to Vision, student Meghan Betts commented that Thursday’s protest should have “raised awareness that students are really serious about this”.
Other non-YUSU organised events have also taken place, including the uninterrupted removal of furniture from Derwent bar earlier this month and chalked graffiti appearing across campus by anonymous sources.
Tim Ngwena has since posted on his online YUSU blog his response to the support that students are showing to the campaign: ” This is not a flash in the pan campaign. This is a campaign driven by students… you are at the heart of it. Thank you for the huge amount of support we’ve had so far and please keep it coming.”