De Montfort University African Caribbean society African Caribbean Society

2011/2012
Portfolio

Lets Show Creativity

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 FUNDING................................................................................................................................................................. 5 MEMBERSHIP CARDS .............................................................................................................................................. 6 DMU ACS TV ........................................................................................................................................................... 7

DMU ACS CRIBS................................................................................................................................... 7 Sports Interview Series ....................................................................................................................... 8 OTHER VIDEOS .................................................................................................................................... 8
FRESHERS WEEK ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

Credit Crunch Cookout........................................................................................................................ 9 Fresher Than Average 2 .................................................................................................................... 10

BLACK HISTORY MONTH ....................................................................................................................................... 11

Clash Of The Titans ........................................................................................................................... 11 Roots ................................................................................................................................................. 12 Great Debate Tour ............................................................................................................................ 13
OTHER EVENTS tHIS YEAR ..................................................................................................................................... 14

Action jackson iNSPIRATIONAL speaker ......................................................................................... 14 UNWIND ............................................................................................................................................ 15 DMU ACS Meets the Tae Kwon Do Society....................................................................................... 16 DMU ACS Meets Jesse Jackson ......................................................................................................... 17 DMU ACS DEBATE FEATURING FEMI OYENIRAN AKA MOONY FROM KIDULTHOOD ....................... 18 dmu acs goes zumba ......................................................................................................................... 19 DMU ACS Meets Lord Waheed Alli ................................................................................................... 20 ACS Valentines Day Special ............................................................................................................... 21 Earplug .............................................................................................................................................. 22 DMU ACS raises money for RAG Week ............................................................................................. 23 Mr and Mrs DMU Fashion Show ....................................................................................................... 24

DMU ACS Sports ................................................................................................................................................... 25

Midlands sports day .......................................................................................................................... 25 DMU ACS Football ............................................................................................................................. 26 DMU ACS Netball .............................................................................................................................. 27 DMU ACS STEPPERS .......................................................................................................................... 28 General Sports Activity .................................................................................................................... 31
DMU ACS MERCHANDISE ..................................................................................................................................... 32 SOCIETY OF THE YEAR ........................................................................................................................................... 33 DMU ACS COMMITTEE 2011/2012 REFLECTION .................................................................................................. 34

INTRODUCTION

The African Caribbean Society (ACS) is a student led network that exists at universities across the United Kingdom. ACS has grown to become one of the largest student societies in the United Kingdom. Its objectives are to unify and explore the diversities within the African and Caribbean cultures through social, cultural and educational activities (African Caribbean Society, 2012). There are ACS in almost every university in the country ranging from Oxford and Cambridge to Essex and Hertfordshire. De Montfort University prides itself on being a creative, innovative and multicultural university and this is further exemplified through DMU ACS. The main mission for DMU ACS this year is outlined by the president, Andrew Olasehindes strap line, Lets Show Creativity. Throughout the year this has been a major aim for DMU ACS. Creativity has been shown through educating, empowering and entertaining not only the members of the ACS but many others including no other than Her Majesty the Queen!!! In addition, we have shown a mass of creativity through videos, this has resulted in our videos generating over 24,000 views on YouTube all within one year!!! This portfolio has been developed to showcase all that we have achieved as a society this year. With DMU ACS being involved in many areas, the work and achievements of the society are often overlooked. Many of the committee members have had to balance jobs and university work while running the society, making the achievements made by DMU ACS this year that much more special. The year 2011/2012 has been a revolutionary year for DMU ACS. Please join us in the display of our revolution....................

Christopha Gordon DMU ACS Secretary/Treasurer

FUNDING

Before all the achievements are discussed, one of the major hurdles for DMU ACS needs to be stated. This hurdle is that DMU ACS receives no funding at all to help run the society. This has been true for DMU ACS throughout the whole of the year. DMU ACS is a not for profit society and all money raised goes towards developing better events and facilities for its members. It is a society which always has its members at heart with an ambition to grow and push boundaries to provide a greater society. With the society not receiving any funding and little support throughout the year this has been a difficult challenge and it has often meant that committee members have had to put their own money into the society.

MEMBERSHIP CARDS

In order to help us in raising funds we developed a membership card for the society at the price of 5. Before the 2011/2012 academic year began the treasurer, sports coordinator and liaisons officer developed links between over 15 businesses within Leicester to create discounts for DMU ACS members. In the past the ACS membership card only gave members a discount to ACS events however, in order to further incentivise the card, this years ACS decided to take it that one step further and get ACS members discounts with local businesses. This allowed us to create a better relationship with local businesses and also gave members greater opportunities to save money. We also created a video on our DMU ACS youtube channel to show ACS members how to get to businesses that offered discounts.

DMU ACS TV

As stated in our introduction our DMU ACS TV YouTube channel now has over 24,000 views and counting. DMU ACS TV started from the presidents initial vision to develop an SB.TV type of channel for DMU ACS, where talent, events and interviews could be publicised. DMU ACS CRIBS As soon as the committee were given their positions in June 2011. They were quick to start making an impact. We decided to develop videos showcasing our university accommodations in a similar format to MTV Cribs. All the cribs videos were recorded and edited as soon as the positions were stated and were completed before the committee left to go back home for summer. The videos were publicised over summer leading up to freshers week with the idea being to give freshers an idea of what the accommodations are like that they will be moving into. Another aim was to provide laughter and this was achieved with the cribs videos collectively gaining over 6,000 views.

SPORTS INTERVIEW SERIES

DMU ACS meets is a sports interview series headed by our sports co-ordinator Chisha. We have currently interviewed 2 DMU students who are a part of the society who represent the country. One is Kiara Baxter: Under21 England Netball International.

The other is Dion McKenzie: GB vice captain for Kick boxing as well as being no. 7 in the world for his weight and current British and European Champion

OTHER VIDEOS We also have: a video to show students how to sync their university calendar to their phone using Google sync, a video of our committee trying to get a valentines in conjunction with our valentines event, various videos of our steppers performing a video interviewing our Mr and Mrs DMU candidates and many more!!!!!!

FRESHERS WEEK
Freshers week is an all important week for societies as it is the period where they publicise themselves and attract members. During Freshers week we had two key events the Credit Crunch Cookout and Fresher than Average 2. We were present at the freshers fair where over 60 people signed up for our membership cards and we also held trials for football, netball and stepping!! CREDIT CRUNCH COOKOUT

Type of Event: Cookout Location: Bede Park and Interlude Description: The Credit Crunch Cookout was our first successful event of the year. As we do not get funding we had to fund this whole event ourselves hence the name credit crunch cookout. It was a perfect hot day where we provided free food such as chicken and sausages, soft drinks and also games such as 5 a side football, rounders and skipping. We had a great turnout of over 50 people and then continued the event at Interlude where everyone chilled out from the heat of the sun, socialised, had cocktails, and were accompanied by music provided by our vice president Kisame.

FRESHER THAN AVERAGE 2

Type of Event: Rave Location: Bar Sirius Music Provided By: Description: Fresher than Average Part 2 was the welcome party for the freshers and was a brand used successfully in the year prior. Raves became synonymous with ACS in the past; therefore bad attention was attracted to the society. Although ACS in the past did not just focus on raves, it was seen that all ACS was about was raving. In addition, police and the university felt that every time there was an urban event and something negative happened, it was assumed that the ACS played a part in the event. These issues played a major role in the reason that the 2011/2012 ACS strayed away from raves and aimed on showcasing the other positive aspects of the African Caribbean Culture. With this said Fresher than Average Part 2 was a well received rave and attracted an estimate of 300 people to the event.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

CLASH OF THE TITANS

Type of Event: Talent Show Location: Highlight Music Provided By: DJ Kisame Description: One of the aims of the DMU ACS president was to showcase the talent within the university. This was achieved with Clash of the Titans which was a talent show battle between DMU ACS and Leicester ACS. The event was hosted by A Dot Comedian who is well known within the urban comedy scene, performing all over the country. There was a great turnout of over 200 people, constant laughter due to the host and a great variety of talent from singing to poetry to dancing to rap. The eventual winners were DMU ACS through Keisha who did a brilliant cover of Corinne Bailey Raes Like a Star.

ROOTS

Type of Event: Drama Performance Location: Y Theatre Description: ROOTS was a heartfelt drama piece which portrayed a womans journey in the modern time period and the days of slavery. The drama company Flourish who created ROOTS, produce and organize this event every year since their ACS days 3years ago. This time they approached us to work on a bigger and better show. The event gave our members a chance to act and show their passion for drama, dance and singing. This moving event attracted 350 people to its theatre doors. It was hosted by ChaleBoy the poet, with live poetry from him, George the Poet and a comedy sketch by A Dot comedian.

GREAT DEBATE TOUR

Type of Event: Debate Location: Leicester Uni Campus Description: The Great Debate Tour is a tour which reaches 6000 students and works in a similar format to BBCs Question Time. The panel includes guests from politics, investment banking, Business leaders, community leaders, student leaders, Media, and more. The tour reached Leicester where it provided thought provoked discussion on issues such as employment, crime, discrimination & race equality, education and more.

OTHER EVENTS THIS YEAR

From November onwards there were many more events that took place that were educational, empowering and entertaining. These events touched peoples hearts and minds and helped to further ensure a successful year for DMU ACS 2011/2012. ACTION JACKSON INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER

Type of Event: Motivational Workshop Location: Hawthorne, De Montfort University Description: Action Jackson is a great inspirational speaker whose talents have allowed him to travel all over the country inspiring people to achieve their dreams. He has been called upon by Morgan Stanley, the NHS, Local Education Authorities, schools and colleges and has assisted thousands of businesses and people. With a turnout of over 150 people Action Jackson inspired our society, gave out prizes and brought some people to tears through his powerful messages. This was a heartfelt and motivational event that was felt by everyone that was present

UNWIND

Type of Event: Social Location: Fat Cat Caf Bar Music Provided By: DJ Kisame Description: Unwind was truly an opportunity for students to unwind! With unprofitable prices people could understand this event was solely for the people of ACS. People came to socialise, play board games like connect four, party games like musical chairs and Video games like Mario Kart and FIFA. The general feedback was that the event was very relaxing, warming and sociable.

DMU ACS MEETS THE TAE KWON DO SOCIETY

Type of Event: Tae Kwon Do Location: John Sanford Sports Centre Description: On the Tuesday the 13th of December DMU ACS joined forces with the DMU Tae Kwon Do Society, to hold a taster session for all those within the society that could possibly be interested in starting tae kwon do as a hobby. From 7-9pm students from the ACS society turned out and learned the basics of tae kwon do. There were a few that followed up their interest in the sport after the taster. Working with other societies is something we really believed in this year.

DMU ACS MEETS JESSE JACKSON

Type of Event: Q & A Session Location: Trinity House, De Montfort University Description: On Tuesday the 13th of December De Montfort University were privileged enough to host and present the right honorable Reverend Jesse Jackson with an honorary degree. Jesse Jackson, most notably took part in the civil rights movement which occurred in America in the 1960s. He worked alongside organization such as the NAACP and individuals such as Dr Martin Luther King. Jesse Jackson was also the second black person after Shirley Chislom, to run for presidential elections and although was not successful it could be said that he paved the way for the likes of Obama who followed. After various emails sent between Chris Gordon (Secretary/Treasurer) and executives at the Student Union and the University, DMU ACS were privileged enough to be invited to attend an informal question and answers session, with the Right honorable Reverend Jesse Jackson.

The ACS was allocated 5 representatives and it was decided that one would be allocated at random to one person, only if they had expressed an interest on Facebook. This spot was taken by Yvonne Garshong, who said she Felt extremely privileged to be in the presence of reverend Jesse Jackson, a man of wise words. I have been inspired and humbled by this experience. This was a feeling that was reflected by the committee that also represented the ACS at the event.

DMU ACS DEBATE FEATURING FEMI OYENIRAN AKA MOONY FROM KIDULTHOOD

Type of Event: Debate Location: Hawthorne, De Montfort University Description: To highlight the start of the New Year we reflected with a debate on events that took place last year and current issues and attitudes. We invited Moony from Kidulthood as a special guest for our panel. His TV appearances include ITVs Golden Hour and Channel 4s The Ghost Squad. He has appeared on news channels BBC News 24 and Sky News, BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 4s Today Programme and the BBC Asian Network to discuss youth culture in London. This event attracted over 200 people to the debate and was a great way to start off the New Year.

DMU ACS GOES ZUMBA

Type of Event: Zumba Location: Student Union, De Montfort University Description: The 12th of January was an important day for many health conscious students around the university. We decided to encourage every ACS member to attend as well as generally promote the event to students around the university. The Christmas holidays are traditionally a time when people young and old indulge in larger quantities of food than they would throughout the year. Therefore, we believed it was the best time to encourage our immediate society and other students to get involved in such a great activity that the students union had begun

DMU ACS MEETS LORD WAHEED ALLI

Type of Event: Q & A Session Location: Trinity House, De Montfort University Description: Proceeding DMU ACS development in links within the university, DMU ACS were invited to a Q & A session with Lord Waheed Alli the chancellor of De Montfort University. The chancellor is a member of the House of Lords. He was co-founder and managing director of Planet 24, a TV production company, and managing director at Carlton Television Productions. He is currently chairman of ASOS.com, and a director of Silvergate Media. He is also from Croydon in London and both his parents are Caribbean. With this said he had a lot of relation to members from the society and as a very successful individual it was a great experience and insight for members who also wish to reach such heights of success.

ACS VALENTINES DAY SPECIAL

Type of Event: Valentines Special Location: 02 Academy Music Provided By: DJ Kisame Description: This years valentines we decided to throw a single large gameshow event instead of a small weekender as done in previous years. We had a three way link up with our neighboring ACS, Leicester ACS and Loughborough ACS. The event was hosted by Aurie Styla and the games consisted of Take me out Blind Date and a Chat up line game.The promotional video for the event reached 2000 views on Youtube in two days which gave the event a massive buzz.

EARPLUG

Type of Event: Q & A Session Location: Trinity House, De Montfort University Description: A Live Charity Acoustic Night to raise money for African Childrens Education (ACE) which is currently located in The African Caribbean Centre. 8 unique DMU first year students, brought together by their passion for music were chosen to showcase their musical talents. Alongside them were worded pieces from renowned poets that bubbled in the minds of the audience. Hosted by ACS committee member: Adeola, it was an an eye-opener for most not knowing what their peers were capable of. We raised 100 for them and from this event launched the volunteering scheme to help with their Study Club.

DMU ACS RAISES MONEY FOR RAG WEEK

Type of Event: Q & A Session Location: Trinity House, De Montfort University Description: On the steps of our Student Union, alongside other societies we bucketed for the Rainbows Hospice as part of RAG (Raise and Give) week. We had support from many of our members that stepped up and assisted. By singing songs and dancing we drew in the walking crowds and increased awareness of the Rainbows Hospice and the work the RAG society does within our own community.

MR AND MRS DMU FASHION SHOW

Type of Event: Fashion show Location: Leicester College, Leicester Music Provided By: DJ Kisame Description: On the 21st February we decided to have our very own Mr and Mrs DMU, as we never had one in previous years. The event also consisted of a Fashion show with four different Labels, it was hosted by Mo the comedian and we had two live performances. Online voting was used to pick the final 8 candidates to go through to the live finals of the Mr and Mrs Competition. The winners, Dewayne and Drusilla were picked by our four judges, who were also our fashion designers who showcased their clothing on the night. This event was a success and attracted 200 plus people.

DMU ACS SPORTS

The Aim has been to bring people together making university more socially enjoyable through sport and sporting activities. This aim has been achieved by leaps and bounds this year with DMU ACS Sports expanding in an exciting way.

MIDLANDS SPORTS DAY

What a great experience this was for all our students. It was very close to not happening because the previous committee (who were theoretically still in power) wasnt too interested in the event. However the importance we wanted to place on sport in the upcoming year made this event a must attendance for DMU ACS. We travelled up with quite a strong team to Nottingham, the Harvey Hadden Stadium. Everyone competed well and despite having a smaller team compared to the other universities we finished 2nd, with wins in the 100 metre mens final, 100 metre womens final & 100 mens relay. It was again a great experience and one which set the aim of the year in motion, to bring students together, make friends, as well as getting those who hadnt taken part in any form of sport for many years an opportunity to do so again.

DMU ACS FOOTBALL

DMU ACS has exceeded all expectations this year below is a highlight of the teams year: Connected with and played Universities all over the country theses include-Nottingham, Nottingham Trent, Bolton, University of East Anglia, Northampton, Leicester, Derby and Loughborough

We won 8, drew 1 and Lost 1 out of 10 Games all season to enhance the universities reputation within the midlands for sport and also the ACS societys reputation as the best University ACS for sports.

We held a very successful football tournament, which attracted students from not just the ACS society.

Our ACS 5 aside Team won the Sparks University wide charity tournament

Our main striker also represents the universitys official football team and has been the top goal scorer for DMU 1st Team this season. Many of our 1st team also play for DMU Mens from the 1st team to the 4th.

DMU ACS NETBALL

In previous years there has not been much of an opportunity for girls within the ACS to play sports and this was something that we really wanted to change this year. We have been connecting with other universities and have played other ACSs from all over the country.

Its been harder to get the girls games due to other ACS not having netball teams. However they have still been able to beat Nottingham, Leicester and Derby in their 1st season, despite these universities having had established ACS netball teams which compete in inter-uni leagues.

The coaches are two members of the ACS society. One is the 1st Team captain for DMU 1st Netball Team & the other is now an England Under 21 International

DMU ACS STEPPERS

Origins of Stepping In the 1950s and 1960s, music and war had an impact on its roots. Fraternities (American version of a university society) started singing and dancing to mimic the styles of R&B groups like the Temptations and Four Tops. The fraternities with the best song and dance steps got the most recruits. This is how it has come to be known as stepping today. World War II is equally influential in the evolution of stepping. As new members were recruited and granted membership into these exclusive organizations, they had to perform a step to signify allegiance. Soldier fraternity members came back to America and incorporated elements of drill routines such as military marching and line formation into their steps for crossing over rituals. Influences from the military still exist in stepping to this day. Stepping has been featured in movies like Road Trip (2000), Drumline (2002) and most recently, Stomp the Yard (2007), which is where our immediate influence to start a Stepping team came from. In America, Stepping is HUGE, it is nearly alongside cheerleading in its popularity. Despite this, we found that the UK audience did not really know about Stepping until the film Stomp the Yard. Its something that is seen as different here in the UK, especially with the uniqueness of the act. We believe that it can take the UK by storm! Chisha Chitambala-Sports Coordinator

The De Montfort University African and Caribbean Stepping Team, also known as the DMU ACS Steppers One of the Most Unique Dance Acts in the UK Currently
-We are the 1 University Stepping Team in the UK and as far as we know one of the most active Stepping Teams in the UKPersonal Profile The steppers were recently selected to be part of the Queens Diamond Jubilee Celebrations that took place at De Montfort University on March 21st. They were one of two acts specially selected by the University to entertain the guests at the Royal Fashion Show, whilst also entertaining the crowds before and after the Queens arrival
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Our President and Sports Coordinator were invited to BBC Radio Leicester on Sunday st the 1 of April to talk about the Stepping Teams Beginnings, Inspiration, Progress and Current Activities.

The DMU ACS Steppers have become the official entertainment for the Leicester Riders who are part of the British Basketball League. This includes opening their Home games or a performance during the Half time Show. Their Home games attract over 900 people each week.

The stepping team will also be opening the game for the Leicester Cobras who are part of the th Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association League on April the 29 2012

The Steppers have also featured in the University Student Newspaper, The Demon, as well as featured on the Student Radio station, Demon FM. They have performed at the nationally acclaimed Curve Theatre in Leicester, In front of a 1000+ audience after making it to the Finals of Leicesters Best Dance Crew

The steppers also Flash-Mobbed Leicester City Centre on February the 11 2012 to promote the group ahead of the Leicester Best Dance crew Finals

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The Steppers performed for a University Talent Show in front of an 300+ urban crowd in a major venue in Leicester, as well as recently performing at the Annual Urban Showcase held in Nottingham

They will also be performing for a very High profile entertainment show in Loughborough on th the April 28 2012 which will include the attendance of many Nationally known comedians and Musicians.

The Steppers have an internet following with nearly 4,000 views to date on YouTube. (www.youtube .com/dmuacstv)

They recently featured on Pukaar news (sponsors of the Leicester Riders) and did a Banghra collaboration with entertainer King Jamal to open one of the Leicester Rider games.

The steppers have only been active for 6 months, yet have a growing reputation nationally.

They also performed in the British basketball league semi final between the Leicester Riders & the Newcastle Eagles, which was a maximum 1000 seated capacity game.

GENERAL SPORTS ACTIVITY

We entered and took part in the university charity netball tournament: Netfest, further showing how the ACS is willing to get involved with university events.

'This was a great moment for De Montfort African & Caribbean Society, though we have been performing for the Riders all season this was the largest crowd & occasion. The steppers represented the society and the university really well. After the Royal Fashion Show, this has definitely been the largest performance for the team and they really enjoyed it especially with the sky camera's everywhere. It was such a great opportunity, a fantastic experience and the atmosphere the fans created was electric and made it all the more worthwhile!'

We helped promote the Leicester Rider basketball games and were given a special dispensation price to sell to students who bought from us.

We have also had many re tweets on twitter from important organisations & people such as Planet Netball, the National ACS Body, the Vice Chancellor (Pictured), other University Acs, as well as our own Universitys Twitter.

As a society we Sold tickets for The Mens Football varsity. We have also encouraged students to join the athletics twilight sports scheme which has been quite successful.

DMU ACS MERCHANDISE

Sustaining the memory of this year was very important for this committee, ensuring that all those involved not only benefited from an intangible experience but also something tangible that they could hold on to for years to come. The DMU ACS 2011/2012 Merchandise helped to achieve this goal. At the beginning of the year the committee used their own money to purchase their own DMU ACS hoodies which were created to help publicise the society, make the committee instantly recognizable and also to be held as memorabilia.

DMU ACS Netball Tops

DMU ACS I REP Hoodies

DMU ACS Football Varsity Jackets

SOCIETY OF THE YEAR

As a committee this was by far our biggest collective achievement. This was the first time ever that DMU ACS has won society of the year at the university and is a major milestone for the society!!! When we started as a committee this was one of the main goals that we had and it is amazing to see us reaching this goal after all the hard work that has been put in non-stop throughout the year. We THANK EVERYONE that has supported us since the beginning of our 2011/2012 reign and has helped us to create an everlasting legacy at the university.

DMU ACS COMMITTEE 2011/2012 REFLECTION

Name: Andrew Position: President Speech:

Running ACS has been the most rewarding experience Ive had at University so far! I have gained a mass amount of experience throughout the year and even though it is hard work having such an efficient, hardworking and committed Committee made everything run smoother and made things a lot more fun. The committee understood my Lets show creativity vision for our ACS this year 2011/2012 and it has been so overwhelming to see my vision mirrored by our members and our wider society. After my year as President is over I will always encourage everyone to showcase their Creative side. And finally thank everyone for the Good times.

Name: Kisame Position: Vice President Speech:

The ACS is a challenging society to coordinate, that has big benefits, not just for the panel, but for the society. Constantly designing new innovative events and activities to engage young adults proves a very difficult task to juggle around university, but the rewards for events that pay off in regards to satisfaction leave you with an amazing feeling of contribution and dedication. My experience has found that having a true love for helping students to have the best experience at university is key to having a great panel, and this year the ACS panel had plenty of this.

Name: Chris Flash Gordon Position: Secretary/Treasurer Speech:

Becoming a committee member of the ACS has been one of my greatest decisions at university. It has helped me to expand as an individual and give something back to my community. It has also taught me a great deal about business, the power of brands and event organisation. I commend the rest of the ACS team. I am extremely proud of our achievements and seeing others push themselves to achieve has been a brilliant experience. I truly urge anyone reading this to use the opportunities at university to develop yourself, and find your passion. ACS FOR LIFE!!!!!!!

Name: Chisha Position: Sports Co-ordinator Speech:

Running for DMUs ACS Sports Coordinator successfully was one of the best things that have happened to me in recent times. I have really enjoyed every moment whilst in the position, learning so many life skills for the future. I believe the reputation of the society has greatly improved within the university & in the Leicester community through innovations like the DMU ACS Stepping Team. The team effort has been tremendous and we hope to have left some sort of legacy for the new committee to continue and improve the society.

Name: Adeola Position: Events Manager Speech:

In the aspect of events, this year has been exceptionally successful with the variety and frequency of events that we were able to showcase to audiences. Different crowds that were not aware of ACS were drawn in and mingled with the usual members in a cosy, fun, exuberant atmosphere. People of all ages were educated, empowered and entertained. We helped build bridges between years of students and the community through debates and local charity events. This year has with no doubt been fruitful; with the development of essentials skills like communication, teamwork and time management everyone has learnt something from the experience. As much hard work is needed, DMU ACS needs funding and support to maintain, exceed expectations and ensure success.

Name: Shani Position: Media Officer Speech:

After being in my role for 9 months, my experience as ACS media officer has truly been one to remember. Not only was I blessed to work with such beautifully talented people but I was able to inspire others to want to become part of the community we built together. As photographer, I enjoyed capturing the events ACS put together through sheer determination and being part of memorable moments from the year. I am grateful for picking this valuable experience over the course of the year and it felt good to pass on my knowledge to those keen to learn.

Name: Shamim Position: Promotions Officer Speech:

Being part of ACS this year has been such a great experience. I could not have asked for a better team than what I was put in this year. I have met a lot of people including other professional promoters, students within the university, celebrities and more along the way. Holding the position of promotions officer has been very challenging but rewarding at the same time. I was mainly responsible for making sure our society understood what was going on with their ACS, promoting all our events via social network sites, street team and word of mouth so that our events were successful and memorable. I can honestly say that we have achieved all our goals and aims for this year and I have had so much fun! I would not trade this experience for the world.

Name: Precious Position: Welfare Officer Speech:

It has been an honour being part of such a hardworking team. This year has definitely been a rollercoaster for the African Caribbean Society, weve had so many highs and just when we thought we peaked we came up again. As welfare officer of the ACS, I often felt like the mother of the group, so making sure there was a positive atmosphere and reaching out to people is one thing I strived to achieve. There was rarely discord in the group and before any problems surfaced I was able to sort them out. One of our strengths this year was definitely our chemistry as a committee, we all worked so well as team, I believe thats why we achieved a lot of the goals that we set.

Name: Liaisons Officer Position: Speech:

This ACS year has been full of its benefits and challenges alike. I'm glad I decided to run for the liaison position, the lessons I've learned such as new interpersonal skills and further communication skills have been great and I'm sure I would not have been able to learn these lessons better if I had not run for the position. I can also truly say that through being on the committee I have made some very good friends and colleagues plus further links and networks which will definitely benefit me in the future. I have also done things which I would never have thought I'd say for example helping organise a fashion show or helping to direct a promotional video. Although great there have been some challenging times, being a Nonprofit organisation we have not always had the capital to pull of the events we have wanted to do but this has helped me to realise that with patience and hard graft anything is possible.