The KSU Freshers’ Week should be a week during which new university students will have the opportunity to meet other students, to speak to different organisations, meet fellow student activists and to familiarise themselves with the University of Malta. Instead, this week is going to be taken over completely by the many companies which sponsor the Kunsill Studenti Universitarju (KSU) and which will occupy the central spaces at the University of Malta. 

The central quadrangle in front of Students’ House, Parking Number 4 and the space leading to the Gateway building are going to be dominated by private companies and commercial enterprises which have nothing to do with university students’ educational experience. During a week where we are supposed to be celebrating the work of students, the KSU chose to serve the interests of private companies whose only purpose is profit. 

For another consecutive year, organisations have been relegated to a restricted space in front of the main university library where there will be a lot of crowds and heat. As in previous years, the confusion and the loud music during this time will be a nuisance to students working in the library or attending lectures in the vicinity of these spaces.

For the past two years, Studenti Graffitti and Pulse, have called for a change in the way that Freshers’ Week is organised. We would like student organisations and academics to be at the core of this week’s activities, where they will occupy the majority of spaces with activities for students and academics within the University of Malta. Despite these calls over the past two years (2022 and 2023) the KSU did nothing. Therefore, we are joining two other organisations, Pulse and S-Cubed, to get our message across. 

We believe that activities organised by students should be at the centre of this special week. We also believe that KSU should be assisted financially by the University of Malta so that the financial burden is shared. We urge KSU to strive to make immediate changes in the infrastructure and planning of Freshers’ Week and to put the interests of students first and foremost.

Organisations
Moviment Graffitti
Pulse
S-Cubed

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Freshers’ Week: L-Istudenti Għandhom Ikunu il-Qofol

Il-KSU Freshers’ Week għandha tkun ġimgħa fejn studenti universitarji ġodda jiltaqgħu ma’ studenti oħra, jitkellmu mal-organizzazzjonijiet varji, jiltaqgħu mal-attiviżmu studentesk u jorjentaw ruħhom mal-Università ta’ Malta. Minflok, din il-ġimgħa se tiġi maħnuqa mill-ħafna kumpanijii li jisponsorjaw lill-Kunsill Studenti Universitarju (KSU) u li se jokkupaw l-ispazji ċentrali tal-Università ta’ Malta.

Il-pjazza prinċipali quddiem Dar l-Istudenti, Il-Parkeġġ Numru 4 u l-ispazju li jagħti għall-Gateway se jkunu fgati b’ditti u kummerċ li mhumiex il-qofol tal-esperjenza edukattiva tal-istudenti universitarji. F’ġimgħa fejn suppost se nkunu qegħdin niċċelebraw xogħol l-istudenti, il-KSU għażlu li jaġevolaw kumpaniji privati li l-uniku skop tagħhom huwa l-profitt.

Għal darb’oħra l-organizzazzjonijiet se jkunu mitfugħin fi spazju limitat quddiem il-librerija prinċipali tal-università fejn se jkun hemm folol kbar u sħana qawwija jekk it-temp ikun sħun. Bħal ma ġara fis-snin ta’ qabel, il-ġenn u l-mużika għolja f’dawn il-ħinijiet itellfu lill-istudenti li jkunu fil-librerija jew waqt lekċers fil-viċinanzi ta’ dawn l-ispazji.

Għal dawn l-aħħar snin, Studenti Graffitti u Pulse, sejħu għal bidla fil-mod ta’ kif issir il-Freshers’ Week. Nixtiequ li l-organizzazzjonijiet studenteski u akkademiċi jkunu l-qofol ta’ din il-ġimgħa, fejn ikunu jistgħu jokkupaw il-maġġoranza tal-ispazji b’attivitajiet għall-istudenti u akkademiċi fi ħdan l-Università ta’ Malta. Minkejja dawn it-talbiet fl-aħħar sentejn (2022 u 2023) il-KSU baqgħet m’għamlet xejn u għalhekk qed ningħaqdu ma’ żewġ organizzazzjonijiet oħrajn, fosthom il-Pulse u S-Cubed, biex inwasslu l-messaġġ tagħna.

Biex l-istudenti jkunu verament fil-qofol tal-Freshers’ Week, nemmnu li l-attivitajiet organizzati minna l-istudenti għandhom ikunu iċ-ċentru ta’ din il-ġimgħa speċjali u mhux l-entitajiet u kumpaniji privati. Ma naħsbux li l-infiq għandu jsir kollu mill-KSU u aktar għajnuna finazjarja għandha tiġi mgħotija mill-Università ta’ Malta. Nitolbu li l-KSU tfittex li tagħmel tibdil immedjat fl-istruttura u t-tfassil tal-Freshers’ Week u jpoġġi fil-qofol nett l-interessi tagħna l-istudenti.

Għaqdiet
Moviment Graffitti
Pulse
S-Cubed