The Conference kicked off on Tuesday 27 March in Glasgow, a city known for its production of influential thinkers and activism. It might have been grey and wet outside, but inside the Armadillo Conference Centre it was ablaze with colour and energy as delegates itched to take the stage and debate the future of university policies.

Fees and funding were the first issues to be discussed and were brought up throughout the conference as a priority matter that affects a wide range of the student populace. Various motions that aim to tackle unfair tuition fee and funding schemes were passed by majority votes.

Accommodation was another prominent topic of discussion and warning shots were fired for shoddy landlords as delegates spoke of the outrageous prices students were paying to have a roof over their heads. Many candidates up for election spoke with pride on their efforts to increase numbers of affordable student accommodation in some of the UK’s priciest places.

Brexit. The dreaded word and the feared partition was always going to rear its head at the conference. Passionate delegates discussed the possibility of campaigning for another referendum. Motions were passed to lobby government to secure special immigration status for academics and to protect student mobility.

Discussions of equality were a major feature at the conference in one way or another, as speeches that were as touching as they were rousing were made about the worrying rise of xenophobia and recent high-profile cases of racism on campuses across the UK.

A mass protest saw hundreds of delegates take to the stage in a seated occupation. They chanted songs of solidarity and raised pleas to have issues such as the rights of sex workers and women’s rights (in particular, a policy on securing freedom of choice for pregnant women in Northern Ireland) debated and included in NUS policy.

With the rise of student mental health issues in the UK and worldwide, services and support for those affected were an integral feature in many of the proposed policies under debate. Durham SU’s own President Megan Croll spoke on the issue, and policies were passed to improve understanding and provision of services.

Elections were the focus of much of Days 2 and 3 as delegates were given the opportunity to vote for candidates to take on the burden of NUS representation for 2018-19. Some candidates came dressed in costumes, some struggled to articulate but were encouraged by applause from the audience. All were impressive in their research and obvious determination to work for the benefit of students and apprentices.

Recycling and zero-waste campuses were another topic that raised contestation. For instance, a rep explained how many disabled students rely on ready-made meals in single-use plastic containers to actually eat whilst at university, as not everyone can cook for themselves. As one rep stated, ‘we don’t all have the ability to go home and make that millennial avocado salad’.