I thought I would give an update on my society decisions. I joined CSU, which is the Catholic Student's Union very early on. Michael and I went to mass at St. Albert the Great's Chapel a couple of times while he was here and the first person I met was Fr. Tim. He is a Black Friar and basically the big man on campus with regards to the chapel. St. Albert's is the chaplaincy for the University. Anyhow, they have a student-only mass every Sunday night during term and always have something going on afterwards (in association with CSU). The first night it was a wine and cheese get together, which was really great in the fact that many people made an effort to say hi to me and introduce me to others they thought I might have something in common with (like being from the US). The club has a fantastic group of students and the mass and functions are very well attended. I was immediately pegged as a postgrad student (wonder what gave that away) and invited to attend the inaugural meeting of STAGGS (St Albert the Great's Graduate Society). We had dinner in the basement of the chapel (cooked by some CSU folks) with plenty of wine to go around. I met some very interesting PhD and Master's students from all over the world. Tuesday nights are 'Theology and then the Pub' night. This involves a 20 minute talk by one of the friars on a relevant subject, then we all head to the pub for more discussion, if desired, and some serious pool playing. I ended up Fr. Tim's partner last week and basically blew us out of the water. He is pretty darn good.
The first talk was the about the history of the Domincan Order and the Black Friars. It was rather interesting. Tonight is another goody - how you can believe in both science and God. Obviously very appropriate for me. I have unfortuately noticed that a LOT of veterinary students call themselves atheist and agnostic. Rather disheartening. There is also a mid-week meal every Wednesday (again cooked by CSU'ers and down in the basement) for one whole pound per person. It seems like a club that I am going to get way more out of than I ever would have expected. It is good for me to be involved in something outside of the vet school and its student population. I know I have not written on my program yet, but most students are very, very young here. It is important for me to interact with some students that have relatively similar backgrounds, experiences and challenges.
The second club is AVS, which stands for Association of Veterinary Students. I am a First Year Representative. YAY. Yes, for perhaps the first time in my life, I have actually wanted to be a representative of something important to me so that I can have a say. There are 8 of us selected from first year out of our class of 120. They wanted a diverse group (UKers, those who have completed A levels and/or highers, second degree students, international, male and female. While there are plenty of international students with degrees already (mostly from the US/Canada), I take it to another level with the whole 'mature student' aspect.
The purpose of AVS is to serve as a liasion betweeen our class, the program in general and the staff and faculty. We will meet once a semester (I believe) to discuss any and all matters associated with the program - scheduling, grading, course content, practicals, etc etc. I am excited about being involved and depending on how it goes, may look to become a candidate for a postion with the VSC (Veterinary Student Council). This has much wider ranging implications on our education, as the council is composed of students from many vet schools and is directly involved with the curriculum in the UK.
So, those are my two clubs for now. I also have talked myself into going to soccer practice this week just to 'check it out'. I simply cannot help myself. I need to exercise and team sports seem like a good solution to something you really do not want to do at all, let alone by yourself. I may change my mind again, but I'm pretty certain about this. The team is made up of only vet students, so everyone understands the limitations we have and if we cannot make a practice or game. It is supposed to be a very laid back deal. This could be good or bad for me. Not sure yet. Good in the sense that I do not have to go 110% at it and win the Dick Vet World Cup, bad in the sense that I want the most bang for my buck when I DO decide to exercise and if it is not a serious atmoshpere, I may get bored, take my ball and go home.
We shall see.
Time to get a bite to eat so I can leave in about 30 minutes for the Theology and the Bar night. I am not planning on going to the bar, but that may change too :-)
Tomorrow is an easy, easy day. There are no lectures, as we all have to meet at some point with our Director of Studies (DOS). They ensure we are making good academic process throughout the year and are there for us if we are having any academic and/or personal issues. My meeting is from 9-930am and then I am free. I will get some errands done after my meeting - post office, sign up with a doctor so I can get my free healthcare, find an optometrist (getting some pretty good headaches from eyestrain and no glasses) and some minor grocery shopping. Oh yeah, and soccer practice tomorrow night...wheeeee.
Over-N-Out
No comments:
Post a Comment