Journalism students need entrepreneurial skills

This reply is also partly in response to Ali's comment as regard being a politician and a journalist. Where I got almost all my ideas and policies for my election campaign was in fact from searching for stories on campus as a journalist in the weeks since I got here. There is quite literally a mine of stories out there and just from talking to people you can find all sorts of angles to chase, like:

• Essentials - anyone care to do a  review the items it stocks? Price comparison with other local shops anybody?
   
• There are 5 places where you can buy lunch on campus...again I would suggest a price comparison, but an atmosphere comparison also.
   
• Did you know there is a building on campus that is apparently condemned? I believe it's a swimming pool..? This is one story I have yet to follow up at all, but it sounds incredibly interesting to me.
   
• The Purple dilemma - what is to become of the space known as Purple? Last year UMSA made a point of trying to do something with this space to turn it into a regular event venue, yet despite continuing this policy in freshers week and by hosting one or two events afterwards, Purple has once again fallen into silence. Rumours abound that UMSA want to turn it into a storage space and indeed walking past there any day this week has reinforced this idea as you can see stacks of boxes and trolleys stored within. However a quick check of student e-mail reveals that UMSA has recently sent out a student survey with a whole section dedicated to asking what should happen to Purple. Further, they still promote it as a venue in which societies & clubs can hold events. 
   
• RaG - wouldn't it be an idea to talk to RaG reps to see how they're doing this year? Are they raising as much as last year, roughly the same, or less? How can students donate outside of specially organised RaG events? And just where does the money RaG raises go? To which charity or charities?
   
• Coach Costs - the bus issues between universities is an fascinating one. I was talking to an older student last night and, though it wasn't this campus but another Greenwich campus, he remembers that in 1999 it was a pound each way from that campus to the main Greenwich campus. The distance from the two campuses is approx. the same as that between Medway and Greenwich. Currently the coach to Greenwich from Medway is free, but after Christmas they are charging. This has caused a massive uproar amongst students, but apparently this charge links in to the fact that student numbers at Medway are increasing and Greenwich is struggling to come up with the funding. True or false? Will this new cost be more or less than the similar bus in 1999? Are other coaches to the other campuses doing the same? Why is Kent the only university not to provide a regular coach service to their main campus from Medway? It's about the same distance between the campuses as with the other universities.
   
• Societies & Clubs! There are loads of them, more even than you'll find on the UMSA website which always seems to be slow to update...each one can be covered for stories. The rugby team was in Hertforshire the other day I believe, though this may have been Kent Canterbury, not sure on this. Regardless, the rugby team DOES go on trips to play other university teams quite often and so do the other Medway teams! There's a whole untapped sports following of news stories.
   
• Then there are societies such as the debating one, primarily for Law students but happy to accommodate all who wish to attend, which is very active. You don't even need to participate to be a member of the audience and the debates are quite entertaining - I attended one yesterday discussing the motion of whether the human rights act should be repealed and, as even lecturers attend and occasionally ask questions as members of the audience, the debate was very interesting. Either an article discussing the debating society, or a story which uses the platform of the debate to launch itself into a more serious discussion, is easy to do.
   
• Do you know the badminton society is trying to get lecturers to come and join in their badminton sessions? Sound like it could lead to a fun piece!
   
• And what of the strong allegations from some students that UMSA are favouring Kent and leaving other universities in the dark, especially that of Greenwich? This has come from several places and after some investigation it's revealed that in a sense Kent 'own' UMSA as they originally are the ones to set them up. There are apparently very strong links between UMSA and the student union bar 'Venue' on the Canterbury campus, links that still tie them in favouring Kent? Or is it really just a case of numbers, interest or funding proportions? 
   
• Then there are the sabbatical officers sent to represent our interests on the main campuses. They apparently don't come from Medway, but from the main campuses themselves! How can this be right? Many of them have no idea what life on the Medway campus is like and strong words have been used to describe what looks like a dire failing in the student representation system. 
   
• What about the vandalism? After speaking with the security officer for our campus several weeks back (his name escape me right now) he talked about the hooligans who come from off campus to wreak havoc and cause damage, which he has to then sort out. I haven't seen evidence to back this up, but he was assertive in his opinion and a proper interview could well reveal that there is indeed a larger amount of vandalism on the Medway campus than is apparent.
   
• Parking on campus! A disaster...probably the number one issue people seem to get worked up about. What is the problem exactly? Why has this happened? Is there really an issue or are people just making a fuss?
   
• There's that dance society poster that's everywhere...is this a society that has just started? Or is trying to get out there and promote itself? Posters provide a great source of idea for stories, there a so many on campus...the rowing society poster is EVERYWHERE at the moment. Where do they train? How often? Do they enter competitions, do they travel far to row in nice locations? People are usually genuinely interested to know more about these societies that they see advertised on posters but then that's it. They get curious.
   
• The new park opening between Mid-Kent College and the campus...so many people are fascinated by it, only because they walk by each day! A little investigation into how it will all look when it's finished, perhaps a copy of the plans included, and the opening date and people would just devour such an article.
   
• Medway is a unique campus, shared by 4 institutions - just how does it all work? Who funds what? Does this mean certain universities get less or more than others? What are the difference in photocopy costs, who pays the least (Christ Church I believe pays the least at 15p a copy)?
   
• Is UMSAs website up to scratch? Personally I'd say it isn't, but it would need a panel of IT experts studying website design here at Medway, coupled with the opinions of other students who use the site, in order to make a decision that you could publish. 
   
• Christmas! What's the campus doing for Christmas? Christmas trees, decorations, special offers in the cafés, parties...a review of the Medway Christmas spirit, or lack of, would be nice.
   
• Accommodation...Liberty Quays still has lots of potential. So does a general look at the Medway student accommodation situation. The Greenwich halls, basically on-campus, are apparently pretty bad. Compared with Liberty Quays, they're an extra 50 pounds a month and have far less space and less up-to-date facilities. Worth it? I don't know, someone could go an find out.
   
• One that's close to my heart at the moment is the mess of this year's elections. I don't know how they went last year, but I'm told they ran better than this. Nobody aware the elections are even on, very few candidates, almost no posters from these candidates around the campus, a ballot box system that isn't clearly explained leading to lots of votes being ignored...the election doesn't finish until Friday late-afternoon, but so far I'm not impressed and I'm sure others aren't either.
   
• Coopers - why was it randomly shut last Sunday? Is it always shut? What are the opening times and days so people don't walk through the driving rain only to find it closed? Could it not put a warning on it's Facebook page at least when they know that some 50 year old is renting the entire bar out for his birthday on a Friday (or possibly Saturday) night? And just WHO would want to rent out Coopers for their 50th birthday party?
   
• Gym facilities on campus, a disgrace. I have not found a single student who said they like the on-campus gym yet. Need I say more?
   

I could go on for ages yet, I'm nowhere near short on suggestions of stories that someone could do relating to the campus or campus life. Really, it's absolutely thriving with them! Talk to people and the stories just abound. 

Simply brilliant comment there Rob :D