Posted on Tue 10 Oct 2023 at 16:55 by
Jimena Alamo And with October rolling around, I can say I successfully survived Freshers’ Week (though barely).
The rest of FW went like this: lots of events during the day (for which I justified sleeping in and turning up to work at 10 AM), some great events going on in the Plug and Tub in the evenings, and some arena nights we’ll remember forever (especially because they reminded me that though I live on campus, I certainly don’t have the energy of a fresher anymore). I just have to mention this again because it was an absolute highlight: I joined the bar staff for Mixology during FW! I got to prove my bartending skills and meet a lot of new students in the process (whether they remember our interactions or not, I don’t know). Toga night was another completely memorable evening – shoutout to the people that helped me keep my toga together (I would mention them all, but it took an army).
Since Freshers’ week, a lot more has happened. We have finally welcomed back our returning students, and the buzz of campus has meant literal traffic jams on stairs and narrow corridors. It was a sight that we missed over the Summer (though I now must leave my house 5 minutes earlier to get to the office on time and my sleeping schedule isn’t happy about this). Because I didn’t do placement, all my friends are now coming back for final year. It has been so special, having everyone back. I have this habit of stepping outside my office in between meetings to say hi to people in the Plug. It has been a lot of fun but has definitely affected my productivity. That said, if you come see me and I’m not in my office, the Plug is a good bet.
On the serious side of things, we’ve started having our top 10 meetings with the university. I’m leading on two of our ten issues: the development of a housing strategy beyond first year students, and the expansion of financial aid sources for all students – regardless of nationality or background. I think we’re very optimistic on our top 10 issues being achieved this year or in the next couple of years. I also went to my first media exec meeting and got a closer look at what our media groups do – massive shoutout to their committee members because they’ve done so amazingly so far and everything they did during FW was great! I also had a meeting with Elliot, editor of Bath Time, to approve the first print edition. I can’t wait to see it printed. I have a couple important university meetings coming up: a council development day (which is an opportunity to develop my skills as a university governor as well as network with the other council members), and a meeting of the COVC (Committee on the Office of Vice Chancellor), the committee that will appoint a new vice-chancellor for next year. There is always more stuff going on, but I won’t dive into it all because I try to keep these updates readable. Always happy to take any questions or explain anything else in more detail if needed.
I hope to see some of you in Score this week! I apologise in advance if I have too much face paint on me, seems to be the case after every football social...
See you around or at my next update in a couple weeks! Just a quick reminder that with semester starting again – whether you’re a returning student or a fresher – it's easy for it all to be overwhelming or stressful. Make sure to check in on your friends and to be kind to one another!
Much love,
Jiji x