Sussex Progressive Freshers’ Ball
- When: Friday, September 29th, 2006
- The Honeyclub/The Beach
Sussex announces progressive Freshers’ Ball
Responding to impending global issues of racism and environmental concerns, The University of Sussex Student Union (USSU) are pioneering the positive energy of the music scene at the Fresher’s Ball to fight back against environmental pressures and racist sentiment. USSU have chosen to support conscientious music collectives as well as local Brighton clubs at this premier Union event, to kick-start this year’s campaigns, on campus and with organisations in the local community.
On the last Friday of this month, September 29th, Sussex’s Freshers’ Ball opens its doors to 2,300 new students. Challenging the traditional booze-culture stereotype, the Freshers’ Ball will be demonstrating the possibility of making entertainment ethical to thousands of people and hundreds of students’ unions throughout the country. The largest sponsors of the event are USSU’s official city nightclub, ‘The Honeyclub’, who will be working with the Union over the year on socially responsible practice, and Brighton club ‘The Beach’. These clubs will be supplemented by progressive music from famous Brighton group ‘Bad Science’ and conscious live hip-hop from the ‘Peace Not War’ collective. ‘Love Music Hate Racism’ DJs will also be celebrating diversity and anti-racist activity through their sounds.
The environmental message will also be prominent at the event to initiate practical changes and awareness raising at the University. To promote the possibility of running institutions on green energy, there will be portable compost toilets at the ball. Compared to traditional chemical portable toilets which can be harmful to the local environment, the ‘Got2GoGreen’ portable toilets include biodegradable waste bags, bin bags and wet wipes, 100% recycled loo rolls, incense sticks, plants, wooden flooring, eco-friendly cleaning fluid and landscape pictures. Dan Glass, USSU President said, ‘Progressive politics is no longer just about voting; it would be very dull if that were the case. We have been working over the Summer to help fund our first ever Freshers’ Ball with an environmentally-friendly, anti-war message.’
Keith Taylor - Brighton + Hove City Councellor and Principal Speaker Green Party of England and Wales, said: “Brighton and Hove is fast becoming a national centre for radicalism and green politics, with the country’s highest green vote. Politics here isn’t just something you see on the TV, it’s happening now, on the campus and on the streets. Party on and get involved”
200 free ‘Shewees’ will be given out on the night, enabling women to urinate standing.
USSU’s Freshers Week includes a photo display on global resistance to war and environmental disaster by one of USSU’s most successful societies ‘Poda Poda’.
http://www.ussu.info/freshers
www.lovemusichateracism.com
http://www.peace-not-war.org
