Pippa Gentry, Co-President, Societies & Media, gives us her highlights of term one.
One term down, two to go! This term has been full of milestones, from our first campaign week, to our first council, and all the way to our first new group ratifications in the last two weeks of term. Needless to say, a lot has happened and a lot has changed already this year.
I wanted to write a round-up of everything our societies and media outlets have achieved and everything that they have helped me achieve but honestly it would take you hours, so instead here’s a summary of some of my highlights!
Freshers’ Festival
Of course, I have to start with Freshers’ Festival. We really started everything off with a bang with Freshers’ Fair being the biggest ever both in terms of attendance and sign ups. More of you than ever before have signed up for societies and sports clubs and are engaging in co-curricular activity. Yes, co-curricular, not extra curricular.
One World Week and Employability Week
Which leads me nicely on to my next highlight. One World Week and Employability Week both helped to spread the word of the benefits of being a Royal Holloway student and member of the Students’ Union. In One World Week we celebrated diversity and in Employability Week we put the power into the hands of our groups to showcase the invaluable skills they have learned through engagement in activity outside their course.
RAG and PIR
RAG relaunched a sleeker image and fundraised like never before thanks to their hard work and the hard work of dozens of other groups who got involved that week. During that week alone you helped to raise £3000 for charities across the country and the world, making a difference to a huge range of good causes.
PIR Society held the first Formal Hall of the year and I had the honour of attending as a guest. I never thought I’d walk into a room of formally dressed students with a fanfare playing behind. A fun, if not surreal, night that I won’t be forgetting for a very long time.
Student Media
Insanity Radio were nominated for an award at the Student Radio Association Awards and though they didn’t win their commitment to high quality radio and the hard work of the board, presenters and teams of volunteers has really paid off. Even the sabbs had a go with their weekly SABBotage show - thank you and apologies to anyone who has listened!
Equalling the efforts of Insanity Radio, The Orbital have put out 7 magazines in total this term, 5 mini and 2 full, as well as a whole host of online content. Their biggest achievement has to be how they have professionally dealt with a number of serious and breaking news stories this term, consistently ensuring that students had access to factual and up-to-date news.
RhubarbTV have also had a fantastic first term covering everything from Coffee House Sessions to Big Bears Wednesday to Strictly Come Holloway. Their recent outreach programme with Oaklands College has produced some truly outstanding content from young enthusiasts helped by the knowledge and expertise of the RhubarbTV members and board.
Ratifications
Last, but not least, we ratified five new groups this term and I am over the moon to welcome App Society, CoppaFeel UniBoob Team, Marrow Society, Jewish Society and The Jam Magazine into the mix. All groups did enormously well in their ratification meetings so watch this space for what they get up to in the new year!
I’ve had an amazing first term as Co-President Societies and Media and can’t wait to start it all up again after Christmas. A big shout out to my partner in student ops crime, Steff Milne, to the student ops staff team and of course to the amazing Student Opportunities Committee who have worked so hard this term and helped me and Steff so much.
The biggest thank you to all of you though for getting stuck in, juggling deadlines and committee positions and events, and for making it through the other side. Our student group committees have had to deal with an enormous amount of change this term and we can’t thank you enough for your patience and hard work. Here’s to a restful break and a Spring Term as successful as this one!
Pippa Gentry
Co-President, Societies and Media