Liverpool Guild of Students

Not to be confused with Liverpool Students' Union.
Liverpool Guild of Students
Institution University of Liverpool
Location Liverpool
Established 1889
President Harry Anderson
Executive officers Tricia O'Neill
Other officers
  • Alex Ferguson
    Deputy President
  • Rosie O'Donnell
    Vice-President
  • Emma Sims
    Vice-President
Members c. 22,000[1]
Affiliations National Union of Students, Aldwych Group
Website www.liverpoolguild.org

Liverpool Guild of Students is the students' union of the University of Liverpool.[2] The Guild was founded in 1889, with the building constructed in 1911.

The title also refers to the Guild of Students building, which is the centre point of activity in student life at the University and is run by the four sabbatical officers who are elected annually in an all-student ballot. Following a £14.25m refurbishment in 2013, it now contains a cinema, a theatre, a shop, two dance studios, four bars, a 2,300 capacity gig venue and an underground nightclub.[3] This is as well as administrative offices and society meeting rooms. The Guild regularly hosts live music, theatre and comedy.[4]

History

The Guild building

The origins of the Guild may be traced back to the establishment in 1892 of two Students' Representative Councils at University College, Liverpool. However, students were forming societies long before this, such as the Athletic Club in 1885, the Medical Students' Debating Society (later known as the Liverpool Medical Students Society) in 1874, the Women's Literary Society, and the Arts and Debating Society in 1888, among others. The University College Magazine documented the activities of these new groups, being first published in 1886.[5][6] The Guild building has been located on Mount Pleasant since 1911.[7]

The Guild building is the work of Charles Herbert Reilly and was originally built with the west side for women and east for men, with the architecture of the building reflecting this. The building was built in three stages; the original building, housing the Gilmour Hall (then the debating chamber) was built in 1911. The middle section was built in the 1930s and the largest part, housing the Mountford Hall and the Courtyard was opened in 1966.[8]

In 2013 a £13.8 million refurbishment began on the Guild of Students building, in order to generally improve the building and add a new bar, cafe, and meeting areas.[7][9]

Media

LGoS once published the Liverpool Student newspaper, which was a joint publication with Liverpool Students' Union and Liverpool Hope Students' Union, until it closed down in May 2007 because of increasing costs and declining advertising revenues. Shortly after, in 2007, LGoS produced its own official publication, Sphinx magazine, referring to the original student publication of the Guild in the early 1900s. Sphinx itself folded by the start of September 2008 due to rising costs and a lack of advertising revenue.

Although not officially organised by LGoS, Sphinx magazine was replaced with the web based venture LSMedia (Liverpool Student Media) In 2011, under editor Matt Healy, LSMedia was shortlisted for a Guardian Student Media award under the category "Website of the Year". Under direct Guild supervision LSMedia has since folded due to a lack of interest, being replaced by a new online version of The Sphinx student publication.[10] The only current print student publication is Ellipsis magazine, which is funded directly by the University.[11]

The Guild is also home to a student run, internet radio station, LSRadio. Founded in 1961 as radio enthusiast group, Liverpool Amateur Radio Society, the station has gone under many different names including XSLive in the 90s, ICON Radio between 2002 and 2011, before rebranding as LSRadio in 2011. Notable LSRadio alumni include BBC Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw, Tulip Mazumdar and Hannah Coleson. LSRadio is a member of the Student Radio Association.

Liverpool Medical Student Society Controversy

Following an investigation into the activities of the Liverpool Medical Students' Society,[12] the Liverpool Guild of Students in conjunction with the University of Liverpool decided to de-ratify the LMSS, and prohibit all activities and communication in official matters. The LMSS responded, stating that its members had been threatened with formal 'Fitness to Practice' investigations if they did not co-operate,[13] a claim refuted by the Guild.[14] In response to the controversy, a Change.org petition was mounted, calling for the resignation of the Liverpool Guild of Students President, Harry Anderson, for "isolating the LMSS's 1,500 students". As of 21 January 2016, this petition has over 1,300 signatures.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "About the University of Liverpool". University of Liverpool. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Liverpool Guild of Students - University of Liverpool". University of Liverpool. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Step inside University of Liverpool’s Guild of Students". liverpoolecho. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
  4. ↑ Lytton, Charlotte (17 April 2013). "Liverpool Hope University guide". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Kelly, Thomas (1981). For advancement of learning : the University of Liverpool, 1881-1981. University of Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. p. 560. ISBN 0853232148.
  6. ↑ "Archive of the University of Liverpool: Guild of Students, Student Societies and Student Life". Guild of Students of the University of Liverpool.
  7. 1 2 "Liverpool University £13.8m union upgrade plans released". BBC News. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  8. ↑ Joseph Sharples (2004). Liverpool. Pevsner architectural guides. Yale University Press. pp. 221–222. ISBN 0300102585.
  9. ↑ Carter, Jack (15 May 2014). "University of Liverpool venue to reopen next month". Conference and Incentive Travel. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "About us - The Sphinx". The Sphinx. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  11. ↑ "About". Ellipsis. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  12. ↑ "Liverpool University probes student rape play script". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  13. ↑ Engl, Helen Pidd North of; editor (2016-01-17). "Liverpool University medical society says ban over sexism 'disproportionate'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  14. ↑ "LMSS questions answered". Liverpool Guild of Students. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  15. ↑ Traynor, Luke. "Students demand guild president's sacking after campus ban over rape row play". liverpoolecho. Retrieved 2016-01-21.

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