I am led to believe that tomorrow’s edition of Felix newspaper contains an article about our first ever Dri night. I wanted to let you know a bit about the event and the reasons for why we ran it. More importantly whilst the Union ran, organised and delivered tens of events in the last two weeks that have almost entirely been a sell-out, beaten budget and been received well by our members, our fine newspaper has decided to report on this event only. Throughout the year you will certainly read lots of stories about the Union in Felix, remember their job is to hold the Union, and us as Officer Trustees of that Union, to account. I do hope that they do so, after all our aim is to make our members’ time at College the best it can be – as it should be for them.
Back to the issue of Dri. One of my manifesto points when I ran for Deputy President (Welfare) was to have a mingle-style event that catered for everyone, including under-18s. This vision was realised on Monday 13 October when the Union held its first alcohol-free club night, Dri.
The event was positive, thoroughly enjoyable, and despite reports to the contrary, popular
Its aim was clear, to provide most inclusive package for students - the silent majority of whom are not big drinkers. I passionately believe they have as much right of access to our facilities as any of our members. In order for us to allow under-18s in to the venue we would have to stop serving alcohol across all of our bars. However this wasn’t just about under-18s, many of our members don’t drink whether for personal, religious or health reasons.
The event was positive, thoroughly enjoyable, and despite reports to the contrary, popular. There was an above-average peak of people in the bar compared to a normal Monday. There was also a good number in the Union Bar all evening.
The Union always knew that we would have a lower bar-take on this night compared to a ‘normal’ night. However we unanimously decided that it was worth doing this in order to provide the most inclusive package for students, the silent majority of whom are not big drinkers. As a member-led organisation we are in a position to make such a decision. And, in light of national media picking up on problem drinking among students, including specifically at Imperial College, the event showed very successfully that alcohol is not required to have a very enjoyable evening.
The entertainment for the night DJ Sue was extremely popular, and many people in conversation even said that they wanted to book her for their events. This was a cutting-edge event, so of course there are learning points for us. This allows us to refine and improve the event for the future.
I am very proud of the event and believe Imperial College Union is ahead of the trend for less alcohol-focussed events. I would like to thank the Commercial Services team and bar staff for their commitment to the event.
What do you think? I would like to hear your feedback on this initative and if you would like to see more less-alcohol themed events. Email me at dpwelfare@imperial.ac.uk
