This is the second out of my 3 final blogs- I was just going to reflect a bit on life as a NEC member and the NUS Disabled Students Campaign

So life as a NEC member? It is hard, frustrating, annoying, challenging, exciting, motivating, great fun, inspiring and rewarding. I have loved the last 2 years. I know I have been lucky as well. When you have 27 NEC members not everyone is treated the same and as with all politics there are those in the inner circle and those of the outside. I have been lucky because of friendships and my knowledge and the way I was I had been on the inside but always very aware that not all my fellow colleagues had the support that I did. I hope this is something that will change. All NEC members should have the opportunity to do what they want and to have the support to carry out their manifesto. I have to say I feel in particular for the part time members. One of the strangest things to both watch and feel since annual conference in March is the changes of power in the organisation. It is very strange- actually being part of power shifts. But I will say this respect and power has to be earnt- you do not get it through being horrible or by bullying and the people you actually get your power/respect from isn’t your fellow NEC members but students and student officers and that is the way it should be!!!

One of the biggest issues that I have is that at times we as a movement do not practise what we preach. We preach equality and diversity but then slag each other off, are nasty to each other (anonymously on websites) etc. People think that because people have stood up to be counted that they are asking for that- well I say this no they are not. Every year a NEC member’s mental health has been affected by the NUS experience. It shouldn’t be deemed that you are not ‘strong enough’ mentally for the role. No one should be perceived as ‘weak.’ We should be about building not destroying. One of the hardest things I found in the movement is how there is a want to destroy not build. I hope that this changes- mind you maybe we need a change in basic human nature before these changes?.

The Disabled Students campaign ahs changed over the last 2 years and I am proud of that but unfortunately disablism is still rife in our movement. What we deem unacceptable for LGBT students, women or black students are still regarded ok for disabled students. If an event was inaccessible to a black student, a women etc. then it would not be carried on but sometimes there is an attitude by some individuals within the movement that disabled students can just deal with it. Hell if we have this attitude in our own movement how can we expect to change the world? Luckily this attitude seems to changing and I know that there are officers, students and staff working hard o make sure that it is gone. We do not accept racism, sexism or homophobia in our movement so we should not accept disablism!!! I do believe we have the potent ional to change not just ourselves and the way that we see disability but also the world and society and the way it sees disability.

When on the NEC your life becomes NUS and its been a real adjustment getting use to ‘civvie’ life but in a strange way it is one I am embracing. I am enjoying having time for myself but also having time to campaign on issues that mean a lot to me. I can assure you this Sian Davies the campaigner and activist does not change just because I am no longer member of the SU movement. Hell I have already joined the Trade Union at my new job and am getting stick in!! Some things won’t change.

So final reflection? Well NUS and the student movement has many flaws but it has changed so much over the last few years, for the better and it will continue to. In the end the positive of our movement and what we have done and continue to do on a daily basis outweigh the bad stuff. It will be that NUS many of us will hope it to be but the only way that that can happen if people stay involved and ensure that it continues to develop and evolve. If you feel NUS has flaws, get involved; change them because what the last 2 years have taught me is that anything is possible!!! We would be lost without NUS, students would be lost without NUS and this country and the post 16 education sector on the whole would be worse off without it. So get involved, stand up and be counted, don’t harp on from the sidelines and lets continue to change NUS, the student movement and student lives.

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