Applications are still open till the 16th of March to become a libraries committee member! So to give you some motivation to fill out an application we have put together three accounts from current libraries members, so you can see what all the fuss is about! If you want an application, pop into the union and find them at the porters box, or send an email across to libraries@guu.co.uk!
Being part of the GUU Libraries committee has been an absolute blast. I’ve been lucky enough to have spent two years on the committee and during that time have made friends for life. The G-You represents a diversity of issues and topics which you, as a committee member, are able to write about. There isn’t really an end to the creativeness which you can explore. Things I have written for the G-You range from a sober subcrawl to an opinion piece on being ‘boxed in’ and this all in my own style of writing.
G-You allows you to keep your authentic writing style which makes the magazine an interesting read for everyone. Apart from the creativity freedom, there is also the chance to meet a great mix of people. The GUU is a fantastic place to make new friends, some might even be life-long mates. On top of Fresher’s Week (one of the greatest ‘festivals’ ever) – there is plenty of other events the GUU holds for you to keep on meeting new people. I’m still meeting new mates as we speak! All in all, if you want to enhance your university experience and become part of a great organisation – definitely apply!
Tom Smits
Socials and Social Media Editor
My year on libraries committee has flown by. I still remember getting the email confirming my place as an editor. Since then, for the last year, I have had some of the best times at Uni, courtesy of none other than my own libraries committee members. It can be tough when you’re balancing essays, exams, a magazine deadline, and whatever other social commitments you have. But have no doubt over how much fun you will get from being on the nicest committee in the GUU, Freshers week was the first of many occasions that I experienced that first hand. Of course, beyond Freshers Week, there are so many opportunities for having a blast: from contributor socials and crates for each magazine put out, to D*** F***** (committee get a free ticket!), and socials with the other Union committees. It’s not an exaggeration to say that a place on committee affords you a unique place within the Union and the extended circle of friends you’ll make as a result of that.
As an editor, you also get privileges in choosing and promoting articles for your section. By working with contributors, your help and careful editing can ensure that their very best work goes forward to the final print of the magazine. And beyond everything else, your fellow committee members will become something like a family to you. These are the people I call when I want a pint, or when I’m feeling down. These are the people I pre-drink with (often with disastrous consequences), the people I tell my embarrassing stories to, and the people that, above all, unfailingly have my back. Cliché it may be, but being on libraries committee really has made my 2nd year of university the fabulous time it has been. You’d be a fool indeed to pass up such an opportunity.
Anya Brzeski
Culture and Lifestyle Editor
525,600 minutes… How do you measure, measure a year [on the best GUU committee] …?
Okay maybe it doesn’t quite flow like the hit show tune from RENT, but to summarise my year on the libraries committee in three-hundred words is just near impossible.
I started this ride, applying while home in Belfast suffering from a God awful chest infection. Interviewing via skype, I sat in my parents’ office with a nice shirt on, a smile that was painted on due to some lovely painkiller that were fighting the fever and pain, and no trousers on, because, heck, they only saw from my chest up…. Anyway, I somehow managed to impress the panel, and ended up on the team. Since then it has been non-stop fun, and antics! I was offered opportunities that your usual university student just doesn’t have access to; be that helping to edit a magazine that is distributed across campus and online, being given the scope to organize, put on, and run an event that drew in a crowd, or interview the the Shadow Foreign Secretary and Shadow First Secretary of State, one on one! Apart from CV building benefits, there definitely are some fun perks too, like a ticket to the D*** F***** buffet and exclusive bar, or being automatically put onto guest list for HIVE and Switch every single week, if that is your scene! Along with having monthly socials, where you get rewarded for your hard work, the benefits are great.
However, all these are nothing in comparison to the friends I have made this year. Not just within the committee, which is like a second family to me, but also with the contributors you get to work with! You support each other, challenge one another, and generally just have a cracking time together. There has not been a single day I regretted being apart of the squad, and it is something I am committed to repeating for the new team I bring on. As the convener I plan to make sure every editor in the group feels the same family like support I experienced.
I hope to see your application soon!
Owain Campton
Politics and Current Affairs Editor
G-YOU, Editor-in-Chief
GUU Convener of Libraries
