Staying connected

One thing which I can remember most surprised me about coming to University, all those years ago (or so it seems at least, many coursework assignments later!), was the sheer number of people I met in my first year.

Be it through halls of residence, my course, societies, friends of friends, random people on the bus or in the launderettes (you soon get used to the standard Freshers’ Week conversation of “What’s your name?”, “Where are you from?” and “Where are you staying?”!) and numerous other avenues, I couldn’t believe how quickly I was being introduced to multitudes of friendly, welcoming and personable strangers. The size of my phone contacts list practically trebled in the first six months, and I went from barely using it in daily life to sometimes seemingly living on it – well, except during lectures, of course!

I was completely taken aback by just how sociable activities and events are around here, and whereas I came to University quite shy (one of my earliest memories was staying in bed for ages on my second day to avoid having to unlock my door, just out of sheer nerves!), I figured the best way to get by would just be to throw myself into as much as possible and keep busy, especially given the distance between myself and my Northern friends (who’d pretty much all stayed up there)!

But I honestly couldn’t have predicted the number of social opportunities which were on offer from the very first day. Within ten minutes of setting foot outside halls, I’d been invited to a free welcome barbecue that very evening, and but a week later, after merely attending a few society welcome meetings, I had three socials on my calendar already in the forms of a night out, a film screening and a trip to laser tag! I’m lucky enough to say that since then, I’ve not really looked back, having fallen in with a great set of people who have made my time in Southampton undeniably fulfilling and enjoyable, and it’s strange to think that I was ever so apprehensive about talking to them.

But, overall, what I’ve found is that my first week was highly symbolic of what was to follow, and the trait which I personally consider to be the critical essence of the student experience here in Southampton: finding your interests, meeting an eclectic variety of people and characters hailing from all corners of the globe, sharing memorable experiences as you come to know them and, best of all, making those connections with people which can not only lead to great friendships, but can also help hugely to broaden your mind and expose you to the way others view the world.

Just last week, for example, I met someone who’s travelled round Europe, South America and Africa, and is now training to be a stunt double! It’s quite fascinating, and incredibly enlightening simultaneously – I’ve lost count of the number of long chats I’ve had with people on topics ranging from video games to the role of religion, often to the point where we’ve run out of time to continue them!

For me, taking on Performing Arts shows, like the Show in a Week project I just took part in, was a fun way to get to know a lot of great people quickly! (Credit: Caitlin Hobbs)

I think my favourite example of connecting at University though would have to be the case of my first year flatmates, many of whom I’m still living with today. With one of them originating from South Africa, and another a formerly heavy employer of their own local dialect (mostly slang!), at first we were all constantly asking for translations from one another as we struggled to understand what was meant! But as we spent time with each other, we almost seemed to gradually adapt to the extent where we’d picked up enough of each other’s vocabularies (including some extra meanings of words I’d previously thought I fully understood!) to even start, often subconsciously, using it ourselves.  As one might say, “it was sick, fam!”

But it’s not just by phone that I was connecting with people; I’ve found social networks, for example, to be hugely helpful in planning event timetables and such, particularly in terms of organising groups of contacts for easy message circulation (like informing people about rehearsal dates and times for shows I’ve directed!) and resource sharing (for example during group coursework assignments) – and that’s not even mentioning the outstanding potential for procrastination that these networks provide, although not so much these days with my third year project deadline looming!

Best of all, however, is the easy way that such networks and devices allow you to easily stay in touch with everyone at the press of a button. Numerous times per day I find myself writing messages to people asking for a favour (often “please can you grab me some milk?”!) or needing help with an assignment, or arranging a meet-up, and the ease of access to technology which supports this communication is hugely salient across campus, allowing you to pretty much get in touch with anyone, at any time. It’s a great privilege and facility to have, and it’s definitely an aspect to consider for anyone considering Higher Education (although it’s not essential by any means!). However, any kind of phone, laptop or communication device can really help you to keep on top of things, particularly if, like me, you need the extra organisational help!

Yet regardless of how and when you communicate, life as a student is about just that: communication with the people that make up the student body around you, in turn making the most of the rich community that embellishes every campus and broadening your own cultural horizons. Indeed, if there’s one thing I’ll miss come the end of University, it’ll be the frequent, informal afternoon and evening meet-ups in the Students’ Union bar – the perfect place, for me at least, to stay connected!

Robin

My last dance competition

Last weekend I travelled up to Loughborough with the University’s advanced ballet, jazz, contemporary, street, tap, bhangra and novice jazz squad to compete in the annual Loughborough University dance competition. This is the biggest inter-university dance competition in the UK! It’s basically what we’ve been working towards all year…

For the past few years it’s been tradition for the Southampton dance squads to stay at the Hilton Hotel during the competition weekend and this year was no different! This means that in addition to indulging in the absolute adrenaline rush you get from performing, and the pleasure of watching what the other universities have been working on all year, we also have the opportunity to enjoy a full buffet breakfast (two days in a row) and the hotel facilities (i.e. Jacuzzi, sauna and swimming pool)! However, most of the weekend was spent inside the massive competition hall where the entire competition was filmed and streamed live (no pressure!).  We needed to wake up at 6am to get our hair and makeup ready before eating breakfast at 7am and then arriving at Loughborough University by 8.15 sharp. The competition began with novice ballet at 9am. I didn’t get much of an opportunity to watch the novice routines because Southampton’s advanced ballet squad was first to kick off the advanced ballet section which meant we all needed to stretch and warm up. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous before stepping onto the stage but I think that’s actually part of the fun of it! It feels really good to get nervous and to challenge yourself outside of your comfort zone. We trained for months only to perform in front of the judges for a few crucial minutes. Your chance to impress the judges is over in a heartbeat! Nevertheless, I’m extremely proud of what we achieved.

Group huddle before getting changed into our costumes and warming up for the competition

Finale position of the advanced ballet routine

And before you know it the dance is over and all you can do is wait for the results… After performing I was then able to relax a little and watch the other universities perform. This can be incredibly intimidating especially seeing as there were a number of truly impressive routines. Following the ballet section was tap, lunch and then wildcard.

Here’s a photo of the Southampton bhangra squad competing for the first time in the wildcard category

The final category for the day was advanced jazz (my favourite routine to perform).

Our advanced jazz squad

After the advanced jazz category everyone quickly went back to the hotel to shower and change before heading back to their students’ union where we had dinner and waited for the results of day one… We placed second with our advanced ballet squad and second with our advanced jazz squad. The standard was really high and we’re all extremely proud of placing in those categories. In addition, our advanced jazz dance squad captain also won a prize for best male! Following the awards was a freestyle battle and then a night out to celebrate day one.

The following day began with another early start as we again prepared for a day full of dance. After performing in the advanced contemporary section I had the rest of the day to relax and enjoy watching the other routines. During the lunch break they also had a number of workshops running so I jumped in and took the opportunity to try zumba which I found super fun. I may even join the Southampton zumba society next year.

Photo from our contemporary performance.

The final category of the competition was advanced street and then it was time for the results of day two. Southampton placed third in the advanced street category which was simply phenomenal. The street squad made history seeing as this was the first year Southampton’s advanced street squad had ever placed at Loughborough.

Group photo of everyone from Southampton who competed in the competition.

I had an incredible time and I’m grateful to have been able to share such a fantastic experience with so many wonderful dancers. What is more is that in about a week it’ll be time for our annual pure dance show which includes performances from members of all the dance societies on campus with routines from beginner to advanced level. It’s basically a chance for everyone, no matter what level of dance you are at to show off what you’ve learnt over the past year. The week following the show I’ve organised a workshop along with the contemporary dance society and then we break for Easter! During the first week back from our Easter holidays the jazz dance society will have an AGM and a new committee will be voted in. My time as president has passed unbelievably fast but I’m excited to embrace what’s to come.

As the year has progressed I’ve become more and more confident that a career in research is what I want to pursue. We’ve started discussing third year projects now, which is a little daunting but also very exciting – but more on that another time…

Kristin 

Springtime

Spring has most definitely arrived – the sun is shining again and it’s been warm enough to go outside without a coat for the first time since September (I just hope I haven’t jinxed it!). I decided to make the most of the good weather over the weekend and along with my housemates, I headed down to Portswood to visit Sprinkles, everyone’s favourite ice cream parlour, to gorge ourselves on sundaes, waffles and ice-cream!

Last Tuesday was Pancake Day – a favourite for many students. As a house we decided to make an evening’s entertainment out of making as many pancakes as we could possibly eat, which was the first time we had cooked and eaten together as a house since Chinese New Year all the way back in January. We started by preparing about a litre of mix, which used up nearly all of our eggs and flour and milk!

We then took it in turns to make our pancakes, turning the process into an efficient pancake-making production line. Although it started out as just a bit of fun, it soon turned in to a competition of who could come up with the best (and sometimes the most outrageous) topping combination. Forget the traditional lemon and sugar, it was time for chocolate mousses, cinnamon and even chocolate cake!

We were very impressed with our pancake making skills!

Of course it wouldn’t be Pancake Day without testing out your flipping skills. Even though we were expecting most of them to disappear down the back of the stove, everyone (surprisingly) managed to keep theirs in the pan! If there was an Olympic pancake flipping event we definitely would be vying for a gold medal; never have four students been more successful at flipping pancakes!

Pancake Day signifies the beginning of Lent, for which many people choose to give something up (normally chocolate related), but I have never participated in this concept. Instead I take the view that if you do partake in Lent, you should take up an activity and try something new. At the University of Southampton this is a very easy thing to do as there are a wide range of societies representing everything from dance and sports to music and academia. I wasn’t sure what I should try, but then the opportunity to play squash arose, so naturally I said yes! At the time of writing this I have played once and have every intention to play again. Hopefully it will become a regular feature of my sporting week, alongside the swimming, badminton and handball which I already participate in.

Definitely not giving up chocolate for Lent

Keeping with the Easter theme, my latest fancy dress outing involved me dressing up as a rabbit. However, it wasn’t the Easter bunny, but the White Rabbit from the much-loved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. This outfit wasn’t for a fancy dress society social, but for my girlfriend’s half-birthday! The idea might seem a bit weird, but considering the fact that she doesn’t normally get to celebrate her real birthday with all her Southampton friends because it’s during the summer break, the concept starts to make sense. The book introduces a similar idea: an un-birthday, which the Hatter and the March Hare celebrate by throwing a tea party, so the Alice in Wonderland theme fitted perfectly. There were some very impressive costumes, with everyone making a decent effort and surprisingly only two people came as the same character!

James

Evacuated

Sometimes things don’t always go quite as you’d expected them to. Recently, I was up in London to attend the TEDx Manhattan ‘Changing the Way We Eat’ viewing party at Impact Hub Westminster, hosted by the Sustainable Food Trust. They were providing the venue and some nibbles, and live streaming the conference, we were bringing a dish to share and some stimulating discussion. I met my friend, Becca, and her Mum, who were both joining me, and we settled down with some tea and a slice of cake as the conference began.

About an hour and a half in, we were all fully absorbed in a talk by Lance Price on how antibiotic use in food animal production can negatively affect human health, when one of the organisers came forward, stopped the stream and introduced herself. We thought she’d chosen a rather odd time to do so, until she drew our attention to the alarm ringing in the background, which none of us had even noticed. The workmen downstairs had managed to cut through a water pipe, flooding the ground floor of the building, and we all had to be evacuated!

Prime seats for the live stream

Disaster strikes! Clutching my enormous salad next to the fire engine

We all gathered outside, and were attracting quite a bit of attention from passers-by whilst waiting to see what would happen. At first, the organisers thought we might be allowed back into the building, but it soon became apparent that that wasn’t going to be the case. Luckily, staff from Chipotle, one of the sponsors of the event, turned up with 4 huge boxes of burritos which they had intended on serving to us inside, so we all tucked in as we waited. Quite a few people who were walking past thought they were there just to give out free food, so I’m not sure how many of the burritos went to their rightful homes.

Becca and her Mum, Barbara, tucking into their burritos!

It was getting colder by the minute, and the prospect of finding an alternative venue was looking increasingly bleak. Everyone was close to giving up hope, when it was announced that the Institute for Contemporary Arts, just around the corner, had agreed to give us a new home. We all piled in, they set us up with a screen and speakers in next to no time and we managed to watch the live stream well into the evening. It was a fantastic, thought-provoking event, despite the disruptions, and I take my hat off to the organisers, who did a fabulous job in difficult circumstances. I suppose it just goes to show that even the best laid plans don’t always work out! Nevertheless, through the power of networking, and the kindness of strangers, the event was salvaged, and made all the more memorable.

On Thursday, I went on my first ever (and probably last!) field trip. As part of the Geography module I’m taking this term, we visited Wytham Farm, in Oxfordshire, which focuses on developing sustainable production systems. It was great to see some of the things we’ve been discussing in lectures in practice, and to see some of the farm’s projects in action.

Making friends on the farm

It’s definitely worth finding out whether field trips are a part of your chosen degree, as they really are a fantastic way to supplement the knowledge you gain in the lecture hall (as well as just an all-around good day out!). Some subjects even run field trips abroad, to places like Paris and Berlin – you just never know where your subject will take you!

Tayler

Breath of fresh air

I guess, given how I’m now firmly entrenched in my third year in Southampton and student life, I should no longer be surprised by just how busy things can seemingly get. But then weeks like the past few come along, and it’s difficult to know where to begin!

As I’ve written about previously, recent events have very much seen me performing a juggling act of my (some might say excessive!) love of all the activities and opportunities that the Students’ Union’s Performing Arts department throws at me, in juxtaposition with the knowledge that the Third Year Project (Computer Science equivalent of a dissertation) deadline, formerly ever distant, now lies but two months away. And with plenty left to do, as well. Panic stations!

And yet somehow, as always, things seem to have come together, worked themselves out and, although the sleeping pattern seems to have taken a recent hit (in extremely stereotypical student fashion!), I’ve had an absolute blast.

Things kicked off with intense rehearsals for the Showstoppers’ (the musical theatre society) production of the classic musical Guys and Dolls, which took place at the on-campus Annex Theatre last week – and given its proximity to the last show the society put on, they certainly needed to be intense (although, as ever, fun)!

And although we were worried that it might be difficult to attract student audiences given the presence of mass election fever on campus, we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by full houses on both Friday and Saturday nights – a far cry from what we might’ve expected, and a nice surprise at that! The show itself went very well indeed, receiving a couple of favourable reviews in student and local media, and as ever was a brilliant opportunity to meet, work and have a laugh with a lot of fresh talented members of the society whom I can only hope will go on to do plenty more – crikey, all of a sudden I feel very old!

I loved being involved with Guys and Dolls from the off, and got to meet plenty of wonderful people along the way – thanks to all who granted us the opportunity! (Credit: Oli Crump)

Also in the same week were the aforementioned elections, during which I got behind a fair number of my friends running as candidates – some more seriously than others, it must be said!

It was generally though the usual brilliant showcase of imagination, hilarity, a little bit of controversy along the way to spice things up and, to top it all off, a great night at the Union for Results Night Live, covered with their customary professionalism by the wonderful SUSU Media teams, with SUSUtv (the television station) even providing two simultaneous streams for viewers to flick between – an incredible achievement for any station, let alone an entirely student-based one! Congratulations to all involved.

Once again, Results Night Live was an incredible, professional standard show – just look at the set-up!

But the torrent of events didn’t stop there, as this week saw the beginning – and will see the end – of “TBC”, the Theatre Group’s mysteriously-titled 2014 edition of the annual “Show in a Week” project. With three (or possibly four, as sales are going so well!) performances all taking place on Saturday, and with all proceeds going to the YoungMinds UK charity, a small group of us have been meeting every night this week to hash out a fully-fledged show in just seven days, with lines, cues, costumes and all sorts flying everywhere in the meantime.

It’s been one of the most fun experiences I can recall so far, with my character, codenamed “the Brain” (fingers crossed not overly typecast!), being an absolute joy to play, and the rest of the group consisting of hilarious and welcoming folk who’ve formed a strong team unit. I’ve a good feeling it’ll pull itself together and be entertaining to watch for the audience members who can make it along – well, if we ever somehow manage to learn an hour’s worth of lines between us, anyhow!

Kicking off the same day that Guys and Dolls ended, TBC has certainly filled the potential performance-based hole in my life!

Yet, somehow, all of the above has seemed to, despite initial reservations, balance quite nicely with working towards completing a degree in Software Engineering – against all odds!

The project seems to be making a steady headway towards completion, although Easter may be a busy spell (as previously suspected anyhow!), and I’ve started to feel more confident about the prospect of the hand-in date, despite the ‘to-do’ list seemingly growing every time I go to tick something off.

But best of all, the past few weeks have seen me wake up with a spring in my step every day, with each day offering something new, be it an objective to be accomplished, a rehearsal to be attended, or an assignment to be handed in (probably sooner than I’d like!). Things have been a breath of fresh air, and even some lectures have featured a couple of unexpected courses of events – like asking project groups to determine a ‘random’ limitation in a management simulation game by throwing at a dartboard the lecturer had brought along!

An unorthodox method of teaching perhaps, but it certainly made a point, and we had a great time to boot!

So despite having a packed schedule as ever, and regularly fretting academically (and extra-curricularly!) about the hoards of things that likely need to be done, I know that I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, to prepare for tomorrow’s list…

Robin

Dominating at the BNU Dance Competition

Since my last post, the University of Southampton’s dance squads competed in the annual Bucks New University dance competition and we completely dominated! Not only did we return to Southampton with a ton of gold trophies to add to our collection, but we also had plenty of amazing memories from the day. Our final and most important competition is the annual Loughborough Dance Competition, which is happening in just over a week! It’s now time to take on any feedback given by the judges from our previous competitions and workout any last minute kinks in the routines. The Loughborough Dance Competition takes place over the course of two days so we’ll be gone for the entire weekend. It was an absolute blast last year, so I’m hoping for another incredible weekend this year. Until then, here are a few photos taken from the BNU dance competition last Saturday.

Happy Southampton dancers with lots of trophies!

This photo was taken during our winning advanced jazz routine! Out of the three squads that I’m in, this has to be my favourite routine to dance, and it was choreographed by a student studying here at Southampton!

Me and the advanced ballet squad girls after the competition.

We are also currently preparing for our annual Pure Dance show, which will take place at the end of March in the Turner Sims, a concert hall situated on campus. This week I’ve had a shot at choreographing the jazz finale section for the show and I’ll be teaching the short routine to the society’s members in our next class. Time really is flying by at lightning speed! Not only is competition season over soon but, after Pure Dance, it won’t be long until it’s time to elect a new Jazz Dance committee and my time as President will come to an end (as I mentioned in my previous post I don’t plan on dancing in my final year).

With so much going on and lots to think about, it’s actually very rewarding being a student blogger. Not only is it fun sharing my university experiences, but in order to do so I also get to reflect over what it is I’ve been doing. When you’re constantly busy this can easily be neglected.

Apart from dance, I’ve also been enjoying the various lectures for the new modules that I’m taking this semester. I’ve recently had a couple of really interesting tutorials which are great opportunities to discuss (in smaller groups), relevant scientific topics, challenges and studies as well as apply some of what we are learning in our lectures. The tutorials are led by PhD students or lecturers who are usually carrying out research relevant to the topics we are discussing in the tutorial, allowing them to share the copious amounts of engaging information they have and often providing a new perspective and better understanding of the subject area.

Furthermore, over the last few weeks I’ve also had a number really interesting (and fun!) practicals for the new modules that I’m taking. These include working with live Madagascar hissing cockroaches for my Evolution module and learning some basic (but essential) microbiological techniques for my Microbiology module.

Lastly I’ve also been making potential plans for the summer break. It might seem like quite a while until then but as I’ve already mentioned, time is just flying by and keeping on top of things and planning ahead is really key!

Kristin

Election week

Voting for the SUSU elections has begun! I’m sure if you’ve been on Highfield campus in the last couple of weeks you’ll have noticed the increase in activity and the sudden appearance of many vibrant banners and posters with numerous names and slogans splashed upon them.

With so many candidates vying for your support it’s hard not to get involved and become invested in the elections in some way. This year several of the candidates are people I know, which has made the elections appeal to me even more than they already did. I also think that now I am in my third year of University I am more conscious of what I actually want from a candidate.  This is because I feel I have a better understanding of how our Students' Union works compared to what I knew in my first year, through my continual involvement with societies and experiencing the general running of the union on a daily basis.

My main involvement with societies comes from my role on the fancy dress society committee. Last week I received an email which was sent out to all committees discussing the organisation of AGMs (Annual General Meetings) - I can’t believe it is time to start thinking about that already! AGMs are extremely important for societies, as they provide an opportunity for every member to discuss the future of their society and voice their own opinions. At the same time the society will hold their own small-scale elections to decide upon the committee for the following year, which not only provides a great way to get more involved in the club’s activities, but also looks great on your CV! On a side note, I can’t wait to get the fancy dress ball rolling again, as our first event of this semester will be coming about very shortly.

For most University of Southampton students, last Thursday was results day – a day that is anticipated with equal amounts of excitement and apprehension. I’m glad to say that I was pleased with my results, which makes all the hard work I put in over the Christmas period seem worth it.

Aside from my various Physics assignments, computer programming exercises and manifesto reading, several of my housemates and I decided to go down the Leisure World cinema in the centre of town for a much needed break. We went to watch ‘The LEGO Movie’ and although the reviews were widely positive, I still had some reservations of my own. However, despite looking like a children’s movie, it is actually a brilliant film that works on so many levels and had me in hysterics nearly the whole time. I doubt it’ll be long before SUSU’s very own cinema, run by Union Films, will be showing it and I will definitely be first in line to see it again!

Dressing up for Valentine’s Day

Just across from the Leisure World is Ocean Village, which some students often forget about because it is right at the end of the Uni-Link bus route and is situated on the dockside. In the summer the docks are a beautiful place to visit and can be viewed from the several restaurants which look out over the water. Unfortunately the February weather didn’t lend itself too kindly to gazing out over all the boats on Valentine’s Day, but we didn’t let that spoil a wonderful night dining at our luxurious sea-front table!

James