Bear the pain!

On being told that he might have to co-Mod OUSA Cuddly Toys after all, and that it would definitely involve loads and loads and loads and loads and loads and loads and loads and loads of work with the E C and just about everyone else coming out as a secret cuddly toy fiend, OUSA Belgium's least convincing member held his rapidly emptying head with a mixture of remorse and mousse.

Grad Ted Rules OK!

Here in OUSA Belgium we wholeheartedly believe in the principle of all students benefiting from free access to UK-based graduation ceremonies only, and are more than willing to sell all our honey to help promote our beloved OU. We also firmly believe that it's only a matter of time before OUSA does its best and sets up Mark Sharing and Cuddly Toys Forums in order to be in step with its 'Everyone's A Winner' big brother.

We do recognise though that some students in Belgium may find the ceremony a rather startling introduction to the more manic aspects of Anglo-Saxon culture, rather akin to being publicly executed, and so we've provided a training video that shows how as long as you cover yourself with a plastic bag and ground yourself in the high points of European culture, you're unlikely to get attacked by Mr Gradgrind and/or Sissy Jupe. Just don't get too Jaded.

Rational....

...is OUSA's middle name, and so rationalization is all the rage. In this example, OUSA Matters and OUSA Cuddly Toys have been merged in a new medium (a recycled desktop) in the interests of greater efficiency and interactivity. The new E C M for England is responding to the sole remaining student in Belgium's question about what they've done with E C M Ireland.

The art of rhetoric

Here in OUSA Northern Europe we are very keen to train Conference delegates in the art of rhetoric. Here is an excerpt from one of our training videos demonstrating how to oppose a motion successfully based on carefully selected briefing. Note how the delegate from Southern Europe on the left proposing the motion tries to get away with making the same point twice and how skillfully the Northern Europe delegate on the right opposing the motion um.............outplays him by making the same point three times.

"One thing about us Mike is that whatever we talk about, we're always going to be grown up about it..."