Your Union

Phew! As I mentioned last time, things really are starting to heat up in my course as I delve into third year and assignment deadlines, not to mention project milestones, continue to pile up. This, combined with the arrival next week of a show I’ve been co-directing for the past few months, Equus (more on this in my next post!), at the Annex Theatre, means it’s all systems go at present, with breaks few and far between!

These days seem to routinely consist of getting up, scampering my way to morning lectures (I like my sleep!), filling in any gaps in my timetable with researching topics, undertaking coursework assignments, attending group meetings or tackling other commitments (which, by hook or by crook, I’m somehow still adhering to!), before heading on over to rehearsals or production meetings in the evenings – and then the cycle repeats. There’s definitely no rest for the wicked at the moment!

So any downtime I come across is greatly appreciated, and usually permits me to indulge in a spot of power-napping (a skill I’d never previously practised before coming to University, but one which I now couldn’t do without!) at home or to take the rare opportunity to blow off some steam by chilling out with friends and housemates.

And one of my favourite places to do just that is the Students’ Union (affectionately known as ‘SUSU’) and its buildings on Highfield Campus, where facilities and activities (and some might say distractions!) aplenty are on offer in many various forms, be they sports halls and courts, bars, the “Union Films” cinema (which also doubles as a nightclub on Fridays), cafes, a shop, the infamous “Stag’s Head” pub (many a happy hour spent there!), media (including radio and television) studios and countless underground networks of tunnels (always making for an entertaining wander when you’re lost!), making it the perfect site for some rest, relaxation and recreation.

There’s always something happening in and around the building to make your day a little more interesting, so I often find myself hanging about there just to see what’s new; for example, every Monday, you’ll find on the ‘redbrick’ area a wonderfully well-stocked and varied marketplace, packed full of stalls selling assortments of goods which are ideal for your fresh fruit and vegetable needs (or, indeed, those of baked goods!), and there’s seemingly always companies handing out freebies (buying a pen is somewhat of a rarity!) or great deals to passers-by, such as discounts on newspapers, stationery – and takeaways!

Indeed, just this past week I bumped into a promotional event I hadn’t quite expected to see on the ‘concourse’ (the area just inside the building) when, on one particularly busy morning, I popped into the building for a quick cup of coffee – scores of the latest games consoles with free playable demos, which kept me and some friends entertained for a fair while!

Needless to say, with the opportunity to try out one of the latest game consoles on offer, the need for coffee was quickly offset!

And it’s this constant buzz of positivity, this never-ending hive of activity, with its members at its heart, that makes SUSU such a great place to be around. You soon find that, regardless of what course you study or which societies you join, everybody seems to know everybody else at Uni, so you’re pretty much guaranteed to bump into several friends wherever you go there, be they studying in the pods, grabbing a bite to eat in the trendy Bridge Bar (recently renovated, and highly recommended by myself!), watching the footy in the Stag’s or relaxing with a film in the evening.

It’s all designed with the student body in mind, which means that, aside from offering cheap prices abound (a trip to Union Films is just like the real thing, only for a fraction of the cost), it’s always open for you to book out its services (often for free) for your own purposes, be it for something as grand as a whole society event, or just when you fancy a couple of games of squash with friends.

This definitely came in handy for a few of us the other night, when, needing to shoot a trailer for Equus to further our marketing push (which is also soon to take to Surge Radio, the Union’s own broadcasters), we were able to use the filming equipment and studio of the Union’s television station, SUSUtv, at no charge, and with the added bonus of having the extremely helpful assistance of one of its experienced committee members, Anjit, on side – thanks to him, the final product should be suitably atmospheric, and hopefully sell a few tickets too!

The availability of an underground TV studio allowed us to shoot a creepily eerie Equus trailer – soon to appear on SUSUtv!

So if you’ve not managed to make it in so far, I can only recommend visiting the Union as soon, and as often, as possible! Why not check out all the things on offer or, better still, get involved with the societies that run them? By allowing its members to assume positions of responsibility within the organisation that makes it up, SUSU not only grants us experience in roles of leadership (into which there are many people elected each year), but also gives the opportunity to influence changes, decisions and strategies for each other’s benefit and to reflect a common consensus, meaning more great perks to studying in Southampton for you, me and the rest of the student body, and for that reason alone it’s more than worth engaging with.

At the end of the day, it is YOUR Union, after all!

Robin