Officers go back to school

DSU president Emily Fieran-Reed and education and welfare officer Heather Richardson will visit the Hermitage School, in Chester-le-Street to talk to sixth-form students and staff about life at university and the courses on offer at Durham. The university is keen to give colleges and sixth forms a realistic view of life at university and believe that the sabbatical officers, who have just graduated, are the best people to do this. Ms Richardson said: "When you choose a University you don't just want to know about the course and the place, you want to know what it is really like to be a student there and the kind of things that go on outside study time. They are some of the things we can get across to pupils".

For more information about organising a group visit to the Students' Union or to arrange a school or college visit by union officers, call the president's office on 0191-374 3315.

ASSEMBLY CAMPAIGN: Union president Emily Fieran-Reed and treasurer Paul Leake joined MPs, councillors, trade unionists and activists at a rally on Saturday to launch the North-East Assembly campaign at the Angel of the North, in Gateshead. The students' union lent its support to a campaign it believes will "bring the power back to the people in this region". The crowds released balloons bearing the message North-East Ready to Go and sang Are You Listening, Tony Blair? to a background of cheering. Mr Leake said: "This is a big day for all of us who live in the North and a Northern Assembly would put an end to the North being run by a London-centric Westminster."

BOOK-SIGNING VISIT: Mo Mowlam, former Redcar MP and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, will be signing copies of her autobiography Momentum when she visit the university on Thursday. Ms Mowlam has maintained close ties with Durham since her student days, when she was a member of Trevelyan College and was also the union's first education and welfare officer.

NEW SLOT: From next week, Student In:Site will appear in The Northern Echo every Wednesday.