By Mastura Omar
Last academic year, the LSE Students’ Union (LSESU) decided to change its policy regarding weekend room bookings on campus for LSESU societies. Unlike previous years when weekend room bookings were free of charge, this year LSESU Societies are required to pay a fee for this service. The Beaver is due to verify the exact costs of these bookings.
The Beaver asked the LSESU Drama Society for a comment on their experience. Lara Arencibia Pender, President of LSESU Drama Society commented, “The [LSESUs] decision to charge for the Venue on weekends has impacted the way the society can operate to put on events, in particular by increasing pressure to re-organise and condense preparations, which could potentially have an effect on the events the society offers in future.”
Despite these changes, Pender expressed that the LSESU has been very willing to cooperate and help societies that have been greatly affected by these changes. Pender noted that the LSESU has been ‘‘has been very receptive to our concerns, and both Sabbatical Officers and SU Staff have been very forthcoming and invested in helping the committee find solutions. This included a significant compromise on the part of the SU to allow our annual flagship event to go ahead (as we had already begun planning the event before being informed of the policy change), with a view to finding a different option next year.”
This is a developing story. The Beaver has reached out to more people for comment to further investigate this lead.
