Passing the mantle

I know I’ve written this a lot recently, but wow - it’s a curious feeling knowing that it’s your final year at University! And when it has become to be something of a second home over your time spent there, like Southampton is for me, it’s odd to imagine there’s a world beyond it - I can’t quite get my head around it!

But, as the weeks tick by, the MEng Software Engineering Group Project deadline draws ever nearer (terrifyingly so!), and the pile of job and graduate scheme applications continues to grow (or in most cases fill up my email inbox!), the reality that life at Southampton is drawing to a close, for me as a student at least, is beginning to sink in. The last iteration of many annual festivities have already taken place – such as the final attempt to get a Halloween costume right last week, and the final attempt to put on a decent fireworks show on Bonfire Night without blowing anything up (congratulations to my friend Charlie for a great display last week)!

The fireworks at my friend Georgia’s birthday party on Bonfire Night were fantastic! 

Although I can already feel the first pangs of sadness creeping in (I really will miss it!) with the knowledge I’ll soon be moving on after what seems like no time at all since those heady days back in my first year, I’m still trying to get as much out of being in Southampton as I can – such as by signing up to society socials to popular nearby places like Playzone, for instance! In fact, I feel like I’ve almost made it something of a personal crusade this year to attempt to get out there, meet people, and prosper from the fantastic opportunities and experiences that the University and Students’ Union continue to offer on a daily basis. In doing so, I have been well and truly reminded of how it’s just impossible to get through everything there is to do here – well, without taking on ten more degrees, I guess!

It’s with this in mind that I’ve continued trying to make the most of the brilliantly supportive frameworks, systems and resources in place within the Union’s Performing Arts department while I still can (possibly with a career path in mind!). Last week I successfully pitched to a committee for the opportunity to direct a production of the farcical award-winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone through the musical theatre society, Showstoppers, to take to the stage in March 2015. Tackling the challenges of a musical, and in particular the unique elements of the brilliant ‘Chaperone’ (which includes a particular song one poor actor will have to sing while roller-skating!), is definitely something I’ve never attempted before – so another new, exciting opportunity, and another item off my start-of-year bucket list!

But while I’m extremely excited about upcoming auditions, rehearsals and performances – there’s something incredibly satisfying about building a production from the ground! – I also go into it in the knowledge that, as probably one of the more experienced (read: old!) folk from within the Performing Arts, it’s important that I do my best to give back such opportunities to future students, so they can go on and enjoy them as much as I’ve done in my time here. Although when I started out I could never have imagined I’d be one of these ‘older generations’ of society members, it’s great to know just how much they all have to look forward to – and that, hopefully, I can help them to have an equally fantastic time in Southampton too!

It’s with this in mind that myself and my fellow final-year Co-Director, Andy, decided to open up the voluntary jobs on our Chaperone production team – including Director, Producer, Choreographer and Musical Director, roles – to the general Performing Arts subsection and its membership base in its entirety, hoping to attract some new faces and garner production team experience for as many people as possible. After all, from next year, they’ll be the ones directing, producing, choreographing and musically directing the shows of the future. We figured it’d be great to offer them the opportunity to pick up some new skills (there’s no real other way to practice directing a room full of 25 people) and learn how student productions work in general!

Hence, with auditions for the show approaching (and if you’ve ever fancied trying acting out, I’d definitely recommend it!) and another great show on the horizon, we go into The Drowsy Chaperone not only nostalgically aware of the show’s proximity to the end of the year and a fantastic spell in Southampton, but also very excited to be working with the fresh faces at the forefront of the team! After all, however amazing it’d be, I guess we won’t be around in Southampton forever!

Robin