UGM present… Welcome to Carnival

UGM present…  Welcome to Carnival

So as you know I am Chairlady for the University cheerleading squad (Greenwich Mermaids). Last weekend we competed in a national university championship and had an amazing weekend, coming 3^rd in Level 1 and 8^th in Level 2 (which is a massive improvement on our scores from last year’s university nationals – I’m incredibly proud). A lot of the team are new this year, so for many of them it was their first competition which can be very nerve-wracking but they smashed it and their performance was awesome!  I also competed with my stunt group and managed to perform the routine the best we’ve ever done, hitting every stunt with some great feedback from the judges.

Competitions can be very expensive; from entrance fees to travel and accommodation if the competition is far away (we’ve been to Loughborough, Bath and Birmingham to name just a few) but are 100% worth it!

To try to help us get to competition, the squad are holding a fundraiser event at Sparrows (the SU bar at Avery Hill) and the theme is…CARNIVAL!! Think tropical colours, feathers and sequins, what is not to love?! We’re having a range of stalls on the night like guess how many sweets in the jar, limbo, photo opportunities and shotgirls.

Hopefully we’ll make enough money to compete again soon because the team definitely have the competition fever now. Last night we had a fun training session to let off some steam after working so hard – I’ll include a photo of me trying out being a flyer rather than a base!

Until next time,

Melissa xo

Pics: Left – Right
Level 1 squad (UGM Navy), Me flying, Stunt group (UGM Elite), Costume Ideas and Carnival

Crazily busy!

Hi Guys J

So third year is craaazily busy (sorry for no blog posts in a while). There is so much to do and so little time! It’s so important to organise your time at university to make sure you get a good work/life balance. I like to get involved in quite a lot around the university – as you can probably tell.

At the moment, the Students Union (SU) elections are coming up with lots of roles available to run for; President, 3 Vice Presidents (Student Activities, Education and Campaigns & Welfare) – which are full-time paid roles, 11 part-time officers and 6 NUS Delegates – which are unpaid alongside studies.

Last year I was elected as an NUS delegate which was a great experience as I got to attend the NUS national conference in Liverpool with 5 other delegates from the University of Greenwich, along with hundreds of other people from Students Unions around the country. We got to vote on national policies that the NUS take to parliament and challenge MPs on bigger issues like tuition fees and the rising cost of living for students. Although I’ve never been involved with politics I found the experience really educational and exciting (the feeling like you’re making a difference to other students’ experiences is really rewarding). The voting system and election process was a little daunting at first but there were workshops and FAQs on the SU elections page to help with any queries and help on where to begin (www.suug.co.uk/elections).

                                                        

A lot of people don’t really know how influential the SU are (no, it’s not just the student bar!), they get involved with campaigns around the university which affect everyday life – think reducing bus costs, rent prices and wifi included in halls, as well as sports and societies opportunities and wellbeing and advice services to make your student experience even better.

I really would recommend running in the elections – even if you have no idea about politics or aren’t usually involved in the Students Union, you really have nothing to lose and a lot to gain ( it looks great on your CV and you get to meet some lovely people).

Nominations close Friday 6^th February!!