Co-President, Societies and Media, Pippa Gentry, responds to comments from the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference.
So with classes having been in session for over a week and the faint thudding of an SU club night back to only being heard on a Wednesday and Friday, Freshers’ Festival seems like a distant memory to us at Royal Holloway.
But discussions about freshers’ week celebrations are far from being over in the media. In particular, I am referring to the article posted by the BBC last week based on the claims made by headmasters that freshers’ weeks are 'isolating and expensive'.
These reports from the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference would have everyone believing that freshers’ week is a pointless and unwanted boozefest that has become ‘out of control’ since the bygone era of their student years.
Headmaster of Haberdasher Aske’s Boys School in Hertfordshire refers to the rising tuition fees in his claims that freshers’ weeks are leaving students lost without the strict structured days of high school. Coincidentally, Haberdasher Aske’s charges their senior students fees of more than double the yearly £9000 university tuition fee, read of that what you may!
This rhetoric, undervaluing students, student life and students’ unions is nothing new to us but that doesn’t stop us from reacting angrily when wildly off the mark claims are thrown around by out of touch and out of order officials that know very little of the real life experiences of university students today.
We know that Freshers’ Festival at Royal Holloway was so much more than just drinking. We know that you spent your days and nights attending a huge range of events from Freshers’ Fair to taster sessions to club nights.
We know that over 300 of you enjoyed our non-alcoholic events like Reel Cosy and the Open Air Cinema.
We know that over 5000 of you came to Freshers' Fair to find out about about what our societies and clubs have to offer.
We know that 1323 of you have bought Student Opportunities membership so far.
And we know that, between you, you have bought over 4000 memberships to clubs and societies, which is over 1000 more than this time last year.
We know that Freshers’ Festival at Royal Holloway was so much more that what the HMC and media says it was. Thank you to all of you for making it such an incredible week, for getting your teeth stuck in to all the activities planned and for showing that student life is more vibrant, more engaged, and more exciting than ever before.
Pippa Gentry
Co-President, Societies and Media