While we’re enjoying a well-earned break over Christmas – and planning an even better 2018 – we thought we’d share ten of our most-read stories of the year!
2017 has been another bumper year here at De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU).
From our biggest Elections ever, to another incredible welcome to De Montfort University (DMU) with #FreshFest17 and opening our transformed home in #YourNewDSU in the Campus Centre, the last 12 months has had it all.
And while we’re enjoying a well-earned break over Christmas – and planning an even better 2018 – we thought we’d share ten of our most-read stories of the year…
In January, the ribbon was finally cut on #YourNewDSU by Premier League champion Christian Fuchs.
Over nine months we completely transformed the Campus Centre into a home fit for DSU, and the Leicester City defender was on hand alongside President of DSU, Dan Winney, and DMU’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard to formally open the freshly refurbished building.
Our new home has seen a massive £3million investment to turn the building into a fantastic hub for students to relax, socialise and make your student life exceptional – and Christian brought his infamous Egg Roulette Challenge to crack open the celebrations.
In February, we became one of only six institutions across Leicestershire to achieve the prestigious Investing in Volunteers Quality Standard.
The standard, which lasts for three years, recognises an organisation’s commitment towards supporting volunteers – in our case, running a society or sports club, representing your course mates or just helping another student settle into university life – and much more.
Back in March, more students than EVER before voted for the team who will #LeadYourDSU in 2017/18.
A record 5,455 DM) students voted for ten new members of our Officer Team for the academic year that we’re now right in the middle of!
One of our societies painted Bede Park red (and blue, and yellow, and green…) for the annual Holi festival in March.
The Indian Society hosted the traditional celebration with hundreds of DMU students and staff to raise money for DMU Square Mile India.
Our community radio station DemonFM welcomed hundreds of students to the annual Student Radio Association (SRA) Conference at DMU in late April for the first time since 2013.
Some of the biggest names in radio – including Greg James, Mistajam and James O’Brien as well as Stephanie Hirst, Christian O’Connell and Steve Lamacq – headed to DMU for the event which saw keynotes, breakouts and other sessions designed to help students make their mark in the radio industry.
There were also two massive nights of celebration, including Demo Factor – where students could submit their demos to be judged by a panel of industry experts – and the I Love Student Radio Awards, where DemonFM were nominated for six national awards.
Hundreds of students descended on the home of football in May to celebrate at The DSU Awards.
The evening was the first time that societies, sports clubs and volunteering groups have been recognised alongside Course Reps and SRCs all at the same event, and saw more than 400 DMU students head to The King Power Stadium to look back on an action-packed year, hosted by outgoing President Dan Winney and DSU’s Officer Team.
August saw the excited news that we had been named in the top 10 students’ unions in the UK by an influential national survey – leaping up an astonishing 21 places from just 12 months ago.
Thousands of final-year students at DMU responded to the National Student Survey (NSS) earlier in the year, giving DSU an overall student satisfaction score of 68% – compared to a sector average of 57%.
More than 100 students, staff and members of the local community trained to save lives in October thanks to our unique partnership with a Leicestershire charity.
The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT), set up after the death of 14-year-old Joe from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) in 2012 while out on a training jog near his home, brought celebrity patrons Martin Johnson and Kasabian star Chris Edwards to DMU earlier this term as part of SADS Week.
We had an *incredible* time welcoming you to DMU at #FreshFest17 in September.
Our biggest and best Freshers Week EVER took place from Friday 22 September until Sunday 1 October and saw performances from Bugzy Malone and Tom Zanetti as well as huge events like Freshers Fair and Activities Fair.
Students at DMU are set to save up to £200,000 on printing this year after lobbying from DSU’s Officer Team.
Mike Mayes, VP Media and Communications at DSU, has secured the saving after months of work with the university’s Student Print Project Board – which has already seen 90 new printers fitted across campus, and printing costs slashed by up to 80%.
Phew – what a year! But our work doesn’t stop here.
We hope you enjoy a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year for 2018. We’ll see you in January for what is already looking like our biggest and best year yet!
Hop on #RewindDSU across social media to see more of our favourite stories and videos from the last 12 months!
RELATED NEWS