DSUninterested
“It’s like a slap in the face”: societies hit back after DSU slashes opening hours.
This Sunday a petition was broadcast by Purple Radio encouraging affected students to show their support in extending the DSU’s sudden earlier closing times.
In January societies learned that the Union would be closing at 6pm on Sunday evenings instead of 11pm, resulting in a serious student backlash.
Rosie Kyrke-Smith, Station Manager for Purple Radio, said “We have had the best year in terms of listening figures and advertising so when you get nothing back it is like a slap in the face.”
Sunday was one of Purple Radio’s busiest nights last year as it prepared listeners for Klute. Although the DSU has relinquished its decision by two hours after the response from Purple Radio, this has still resulted in the station losing any listeners it had in the hours between 8pm and 11pm.
Swing Society has also been affected; they used to run their lessons from 6-10pm on Sunday but have now been forced to move their sessions to Tuesday.
Tasha O’Dowd, Swing Society President, told us, “DUSS thrived on a Sunday night and having it on a Tuesday is not the same.”
Some dancers who paid for a year-long membership now cannot attend.
According to society members the decision to close early was not implemented well at all and has left many feeling extremely dissatisfied with the DSU.
Rosie Kryke-Smith argued, “Why would you close a Union when it is underused on a Sunday evening instead of encouraging people to come to it?”
In light of the petition society leaders hope to meet with the CEO in order to regain these hours.