Union expands access to Freshers Week following public outcry

UEA Union made a shock u-turn today on social media, announcing that second and third years WILL be allowed to attend Freshers Week events.

The decision comes just one day after hundreds of students vented their anger on social media at being banned from Welcome Week.

In a statement released this morning, the Union said it would “implement changes” to their original programme to “address disappointment.”

These changes include adding extra capacity to Welcome Week events.

Extra tickets will be available to purchase from midnight on Monday September 15th. However, the tickets available to returning students will still be limited.

As a concession to the original Freshers ban, “dedicated returners events” will be held, with a “Returners LCR” on Friday 19th September and Waterfront events to be announced.

Chief Executive of the Union Jim Dickinson told The Tab, “We can’t confirm the precise number of tickets we’ll release to returners on each event as we are working hard to expand capacity with revised layouts and staging but it will be a substantial number.

“We’ve moved the Returners LCR to Friday to maximise the chances that students will be back and able to attend.”

Returners will now be able to attend all of these events as a limited number of tickets are made available

Returning students who have purchased tickets to Welcome Week events received an email from the Box Office asking that they “come in to the Box Office from September 15th to exchange [their] tickets for returners Welcome Week tickets.”

However, entry with Freshers tickets will be dependent on students presenting the new-style campus card and returning students who have purchased these will therefore need to exchange them at the Box Office.

The Box Office promptly sent out emails this morning

But many students remain unconvinced by the changes.

Final year student student Edgars Kronbergs said, “The Union is supposed to unite all students. They did that but in an unlikely way – because of their indecisiveness and bad judgement.

“Students stood up against the decision and won.”

Some freshers have been left disappointed

Third year student Georgina Doe said, “It should of course be first dibs to freshers but should also welcome returners.

“I just wish they’d made the decision before everyone bought their tickets.”