Societies Award Ceremony and Ball 2013

This year has been incredible - no other way to describe it really. We have organised so many events, been on so many trips and had so so much fun, we don't feel like it could have been much better and the committee have loved every minute of it. So when we found out that we had been nominated for 5 awards it really was the cherry on top of the icing of a very large cake =]

The awards we were up for were:

Best president
Class Clown (for Emily's amazing antics in Dublin!!)
Most Improved society
Best event (for Race Around Reading)
Best Trip (for Central America last summer)

And we actually won quite a few!!!! First up was Emily's success - we knew she was going to win that one!! Who can beat that Dublin story, it will go down in travel soc history!!! Love the way they read it out to the whole of 360 as well!! Next up was Best trip - we couldn't quite believe that we had won award for going on holiday!! And finally we won Most improved society which is what we were most happy about!!! We have done so much more this year than the previous year and have all worked so hard, we were desperate for this award. But still couldn't believe it when we got it! We went crazy!!

And then finally they announced the Rewards and Recognition points which you basically get every time you do an event or social! And we came second in that (after St John's bloody ambulance who apparently win everything!!), making us a 5* society which will hopefully attract a lot of  people next year!!

We have literally had a ball and loved every minute of organising everything for you!!! Us three who aren't on the committee next year will definitely make sure we come along to everything because we will miss you too much. And we hope that next year is going to be just as fun and that you have enjoyed it as much as we have.

Lots of love, Jade, Jo, Charlotte W, Nicole, Emily and Charlotte C xxxx
 

New Committee

So the other night we had our hustings. The votes have been counted and verified and the new committee for 2013 - 2014 are as follows!

President: Jade Taylor
She did such a good job this year that we just had to have her again!!!

Vice President: Hannah Banks
Her links with Spark*, as she is also the travel editor for 2013-2014, will be so valuable plus she seems to have travelled absolutely everywhere!

Secretary: Connie Chau
Again she seems to have travelled everywhere!!

Treasurer: Nicole Sarahs
Like Jade, we thought we would miss her too much if we didn't have her and her mathematic-y skills on the committee this year

Publicist: Emily Roashan
Taking on a new role this year, we can't wait to have Emily and her antics with the committee again

Social Secretary: Ryan Sweeney
He went on a pub crawl in Dublin dressed up as a duck - this year is going to be fun.

General Committee: Tom Herman
He's been there for literally everything this year. Can not wait to have him join us

And just to say a quick goodbye to our three leaving Jo Healy (VP), Charlotte Woods (Secretary) and Charlotte Coster (General Committee). We will miss it so much but will definitely still come along for events (particularly the Charlottes who are still at uni in Reading!) We could never truly abandon everyone

Stonehenge and Bath (members trip) - 2/3/13

On the 2nd March 2013 the Travel Society at The University of Reading endeavored upon a short pilgrimage to Bath and visited England's very own, "wonder of the world": Stonehenge.
So, you're thinking: cavemen. Ancient rocks. Pagans. Big deal! Well, I initially thought that too when I signed up to go. But after an hours drive to get there I began to see and truly appreciate why these rocks are so special to our culture.
Now, I've passed this famous "wonder of the world" countless times in my past. My parents always slowed down and made my siblings and I marvel at it. Being young and preoccupied with my then Game Boy, I moaned and commented on how: "it's just a bunch of big silly rocks", not truly comprehending the magnificence of them.
However, this recent trip opened my eyes and I couldn't help but wonder what they meant.
Why were they placed in these strange positions and what did it mean to those who created them?
I find it amazing how these rocks were transported hundreds of miles by foot. Or so we are led to believe. Why did they not just choose rocks which originated from the Somerset area?
Wouldn't that have saved time and effort? But why were they moved? And what is so special about those rocks and placing them specifically there? What do they mean?
Myself and fellow Spark* Travel Editor, Emma Reeves, pondered over these questions; finding them fascinating and imagined our own crazy answers.
Next, the Travel Society drove us all into Bath. For me, I have previously visited all the tourist attractions on offer in Bath and was quite looking forward to an afternoon exploring the shops. However, I was pleasantly surprised and quite enjoyed revisiting the Roman Baths and Pump Room; visiting Jane Austen's house; trying the sulfurous water again (which smells like rotten egg), and visiting the Circus and Royal Crescent. It was so nice to walk through the City and imagine I was a tourist, visiting these places for the first time. My friend and I spent hours wandering along the cobbled streets chatting away and having fun.
It made me truly appreciate English culture and history and realise that travelling doesn't have to be exotic and to some faraway place. It can be one hour away from Reading.

Thanks to Hannah Banks, brand new Vice President of the Travel Soc, for this wonderful review of what we got up to in the historic city and Charlotte Coster, present General Committee for photos.