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kate-bullivant
24th April 2013

Highlights

Kate Bullivant talks about her three favorite societies, and the highlights of the year.
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TLDR

Manchester University boasts a huge number of societies ranging from the slightly obscure such as the Interesting Board Game to the more famous RAG and SKUM. This year has been anything but boring or disappointing with events being organised from Reclaim the Night to a naked calendar competition. As this is the last issue of the year it seems a perfect opportunity to remember the highlights, and how much has been achieved.

One of these highlights would have to be when The Harmony Gospel Choir was invited to sing on the X Factor. Members supported Jermaine Douglas in the finals and met the stars backstage after the show. However the Harmony Gospel Choir has not let the fame go to their heads, they definitely don’t take themselves too seriously and anyone is welcome to join. The Harmony Gospel Choir is a free student run choir which has been running for over ten years. Apart from mixing with the celebrities they have also organised many concerts within Manchester University. Their annual Christmas concert was one of these and exceeded expectations as always, with high energy performances and fantastic songs. By the end everyone was off their chairs and dancing at the front of the stage. If you are looking to join a society, and singing is your thing then I would recommend you check out the Harmony Gospel Choir.

If singing is not up your street then The Dance Society offers a diverse range of dance including Ballet, Tap, Modern, Street, Salsa, Contemporary and Dance Fitness. This society has been involved in two of the Mancunion’s Society Swaps, firstly with the KnitSoc and then later with the SHE Choir. It was on the second swap I had the chance to attend one of their Tap sessions. The Dance Society is worth a mention because everyone from the Chair, to instructors, to members, they all work so hard. The instructors who lead the classes are highly qualified and create a fun, relaxed atmosphere so you don’t realise how much you are learning from one session. It’s well organised with classes for different abilities and regular competitions meaning members always have something to work towards. Lastly, the whole society is so friendly and welcoming and at the risk of speaking on their behalf seemed to be such a close knit team.

As well as the sports, music and recreational societies there are also a whole host linked to certain charities. These societies are to thank for raising unbelievable amounts of money for such important causes. One which only started this year is Women for Women International. This charity supports women in 8 worn torn countries, by pairing them with women from America and the UK who then help these women attempt to rebuild their lives and give them hope for the future. Women for Women International is not just important because of the worthwhile cause it supports, but also because it supports other societies within the Manchester community. They were present at Reclaim the Night and have held multiple fundraisers. One of these being a screening of ‘The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo’ by Lisa F. Jackson, an influential film about rape being used as a weapon of war in the Congo. This society is always looking for new members, so have a look at their Facebook page for more information.

Only three societies are mentioned here, but these are the three which have stood out for me over the year. For more societies of the same standard, with equally as dedicated members then make sure you visit the Manchester University Societies website: http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/groups


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