Durham Union Society
From Free net encyclopedia
| Image:DUS logo.jpg Free Speech Since 1842 | |
| Established | 1842 |
|---|---|
| Institution | Durham University |
| President | Paul Robertson |
| Location | Palace Green, Durham, England |
| Members | 3000 |
| Homepage | DUS homepage |
The Durham Union Society is a debating society founded in 1842 by the students of the University of Durham. Commonly referred to as the DUS or The Durham Union, it is the university's oldest and largest society with over 3000 members. Until 1899, when the DSU was founded, the society acted as the students' union.
The Union Society maintains offices and its debating chamber on the Palace Green World Heritage Site, as well as its own members' club and bar facilities nearby on the Bailey. It hosts weekly debates featuring prominent external speakers, as well as inviting address speakers and holding social events. Those who have spoken since the start of the 2005-6 academic year include the actress Imelda Staunton OBE, BBC Newsnight presenter Jeremy Vine, radio and television personality Nicholas Parsons, former Chief Inspector of Schools and current Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education and Skills David Bell and Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Shirley Williams.
The social highlight of the year is the annual ball held in Michaelmas term. The programme varies, but usually consists of champagne reception, dinner, music, and after dinner dancing.
The Durham Union Society is a major force in competitive debating and regularly represents Durham at intervarsity competitions around the UK, at the European Universities Debating Championship and World Universities Debating Championship. It hosted the European Universities Debating Championship in 2004, winning the competition in the next year at University College Cork, Ireland and reaching the final in 2006 at the Berlin Debating Union. The Union Society also hosts the Durham intervarsity competition in November, and an Open Pairs Competition in June. Over two hundred sixth-formers compete at the Durham schools competition every March.
The Union's members enjoy reciprocal relations with and use of facilities at the Oxford Union, Cambridge Union, Edinburgh Union, the College Historical Society of Trinity College Dublin and the University Philosophical Society of University College Dublin.
Past Presidents include Crispin Blunt MP, Edward Leigh MP, Giles Ramsay and General Sir Richard Dannatt (Chief of the General Staff designate). Mo Mowlam was Secretary of the society during her time at Durham.
External links
| Image:DU 2-col lrg.png | Durham University |
| About Durham University | |
|---|---|
| Main Entry | Academic dress | People | Students' Union | Union (debating) Society | |
| Colleges of Durham University | |
| Collingwood | George Stephenson | Grey | Hatfield | John Snow | Josephine Butler | St Aidan's | St Chad's | St Cuthbert's Society | St Hild and St Bede | St John's | St Mary's | Trevelyan | University | Ushaw | Ustinov | Van Mildert |
