Welcome to the March edition of my blog!
This week we celebrate Women’s Week, marking International Women’s Day yesterday (March 8) celebrating the contributions of women in our community, and the work that remains in ensuring gender equity. Tonight's event is Let Her Rip!, featuring live music from local female musicians, and which will run in conjunction with our fortnightly Unwind event, from 5pm-9pm at Molo. I hope to see you there. Also, we have our last Women's Week event tomorrow, Kick-on - AFLW^
It has been an interesting, and somewhat turbulent start to the year, with the flooding affecting campus just last week. If you, or anyone you know, has been affected by the floods – such as damaged property, inability to access offices or impacts on assessment – please contact our Student Assistance team for support at parsa.assistance@anu.edu.au
Following our Accommodation Campaign this year, PARSA has seen a dramatic rise in the number of postgraduate students accessing our emergency accommodation grants and seeking accommodation support. Our survey revealed that nearly 10% of postgraduates are either homeless, or at risk of homelessness. This is a serious issue for our community, so please know that there is support available – just contact us at any time for free and confidential advice.
Lastly, PARSA currently has two important projects which we are seeking your feedback on: the Ramsey Centre for Western Civilisation, and the PARSA Constitutional Review. PARSA is currently preparing a response to the ANU regarding our position on the Ramsey Centre given substantive issues that have been raised by students as to the ideological standpoint of the centre, and its leadership. On a lighter note, the PARSA Constitutional Review is your opportunity to provide us with input into the future of PARSA and how we are governed. This is an extremely important project to make the organisation stronger and more sustainable. Please join us at the Town Hall on the 20th, feel free to submit online feedback at any time, and watch out for our videos coming out next week where we will be discussing some of the proposed reforms!
All the best and I hope you enjoy the long weekend.
Alyssa, PARSA President