Meet the Makers

Some say being in a Society is key to having the ‘ultimate university experience’, as it is a way to find an escape from the anxiety and stress your coursework brings. However, they can be an added stress to those managing them and so, is it worth it? Could it be that fun? To delve deeper into this, I decided to interview 3 society figureheads about their experiences. In this piece you will explore the journeys of GU Amnesty’s previous chair Lyall Tighe, the Taylor Swift Society’s president Lina Leonhard and the WiS’ previous chair Holly Hourston that led them to their respective leadership positions.

University degrees are notorious for being difficult and overwhelming, yet societies bring an escape from that and allow you to be further involved in your passions.

So, some people like Lyall, who love activism, found the “diversity of human rights causes” appealing to them most and felt like GU Amnesty would be an environment where they could thrive. Similarly, someone like Holly, found the environment in which to follow her passions mattered and so joined WiS because of the “welcoming and encouraging” committee of the society who stood out to her as role models. This welcoming environment of like-minded peers helped her work on matters she cared about and inspired her to take on a leadership role. But what if someone struggles to find a society where they feel like they belong. What would their options be?

Lina’s path to leadership is more unorthodox. As a “huge Taylor Swift fan”, when she heard about the founding of a Taylor Swift society, she thought it would be something “perfect” to do and so became a member of the society’s first committee. She, like Lyall, progressed through the committee into eventually presiding over the society. What is common among all these leaders is their love and passion for the things they do. It was those two factors that led all of them to join a committee and get more involved. We are always told by our lecturers that the key to not being overwhelmed is to manage our time wisely. Some people struggle a lot to do that and so must make sacrifices and choose between societies and academia. Holly, for example, felt it was important to be involved and to “accept that something was going to give” because she believed that sometimes it can be difficult to “have it all”. However, someone like Lyall who felt overwhelmed with having to “work on every issue ever” felt eventual burnout. They found that the work they were doing, although great, was overwhelming and so at times did not perform their best. But, having their committee to fall back on, communicating with them, and having mutual understanding helped them to persevere.

Safe to say everyone’s experience is different, however undoubtedly maintaining balance between societies and university is no easy task. Sometimes, if you, like Lina “always try to prioritise uni work over the society,” you will not be able to attend events fully nor enjoy them as much as everyone else. It can be hard to fully commit to both societies and university.

However, it seems from the leaders that having a committee to uplift you and share your work is what maximises the potential of a society and makes it run smoothly. Sharing the burdens of this balance is the key secret to being able to manage both areas of university life. Lots of people worry about joining societies from factors like worrying about fitting in. It can be a daunting experience to choose to go to a society. When asked to give advice to those who struggle, Holly and Lina agreed that the best way to choose a society is through Freshers’ Week. The Freshers’ Fayre has a plethora of societies present and Holly strongly believes that “there is a society for everyone” and that you just must look for it. The SRC website is a great starting point for example. However, what about attending the events of those societies? Lina seems to believe the best way to do that is by going with a friend because “everything is easier with a buddy” and having someone you know around could help you relax more and hence, have more fun.

Holly, Lina and Lyall all seemed to have a different experience with their society, however, they all seem to share the love, passion, and commitment to their society. Through this article, it is clear the most important part of being in a society is the welcoming environment and the support system it gives. That is what helped all these leaders to balance their time and put the society in the trust of others, which ultimately influenced their university experience and made it much better.

by Omar Atwan.