New Societies Prepare to Recruit | Karen O'Neill
In advance of Societies Day this Wednesday, Karen O’Neill discusses the wave of new society approvals.
Societies’ Day 2012 will take place on the 26th of September in Devere Hall. The event will be awash with fresh faces as UCC welcomes nine new societies to campus. However, the addition of such a large number of societies this term has raised questions as to whether the Guild Executive have changed the policy regarding society approval.
The Guild Executive’s Development and Engagement Officer, Pádraig Rice, explains that that the approval process is unchanged and as demanding as ever. “The reason we approved six applications during our term is that the applications were of a high standard. We also rejected some applications. At the end of the last term some societies were also made dormant and others were deleted.”
In short, this year the number of active societies has dropped from 92 to 87. The Guild Exec is delighted with the new additions, adding that “Each will provide a social outlet, contribute to debate, hold great events and overall enhance the student experience.”
The Societies Guild Executive consists of six part-time officers and the full-time Sabbatical President, Jamie Hooper. Jamie believes that we have “one of the most student-lead, democratic and accountable systems in the country” and that it is something UCC should be “immensely proud” to have. The Guild Executive intend to “provide a forum for discussion, collaboration and appeal and act as the representative body in the college to ensure societies’ needs are met at high levels.” They will provide training to and foster the new societies throughout the coming year.
The new societies for this year are as follows: Cancer, Voxsoc, Chinese, Animal Welfare, Hope, Drugs Awareness and Reform (DARS), Musical, Disability and Feminist. Having been approved, each of these will remain “provisional” for one year. At the end of this year their performance and activity are subject to review by the Societies Guild Exec who will provide a recommendation on the granting (or withholding) of full status. With this in mind these societies will be working hard to impress in the next few months. Here’s a sample of what’s in store:
The Chinese Society will host cultural nights, tea nights, dumpling parties and more. Students can join them in celebrating the Chinese National Day and the Chinese New Year. There will also be language nights who want to learn the language or practice what they know!
Voxsoc is described as “the voice of social science”. This year, they hope to provide a platform for discussion and opposition of pressing issues such as the planned increase in the student contribution. The Voxsoc hopes to provide both an educative and informative space for students, encouraging them to participate in public debate and discourse in the social sciences. They hope to host panel discussions, host guest speakers and support campaigns which affect the lives of students.
The UCC Cancer Society has a wide range of events planned, from diverse campus fundraisers to academic talks and debates on the science of cancer. One of their main events will be the Irish Cancer Society initiative “Relay for Life”, a unique 24-hour fundraiser that will take place in 2013.
UCC Feminist Society wish to provide a social space for the development of feminist ideas and strategies as well as responding to sexism with effective protest. They believe men and women have an equal part to play in working together towards gender equality and men are of more than welcome to join the society.
The Musical Society aims to involve people of all standards and aspects that run alongside musical theatre by providing workshops and running fun events for like-minded people to pursue their passions.
If you would like to check out any society, Societies Day will take place in Devere Hall on the 26th of September from 10am to 5pm.