I don’t really do blogging, or talking about my feelings and the likes so as a result this post is going to end up being super gushy and probably OTT, but I don’t really care.
I joined the PIR society in September 2012 in the position of joint Social Convenor with my pal and partner in crime Josh – if I’m honest we decided to run as a laugh. We kept saying things such as ‘it’s so cliquey’, ‘they never have social events’ and in the end someone told us to stop moaning and do something about it. At the AGM (which also happened to be the ball, for those of you who are wondering what happened when alcohol and politics were so blatantly mixed, well lets just say it didn’t end well) Josh and I first had to defend why we wanted to do the job as a pair, which took rather a lot of convincing on our ability to work together, and we were duly voted in.
The regulars, and current PIR Committee members didn’t know what to think of us, and well especially me – I’m loud, and talk a good game, and I don’t think they felt that I could deliver. But nevertheless, they welcomed me with open arms and we began to form a team. We had each others backs, we went big, we did ambitious – it paid off – The US Election All-Nighter, The Iranian Presidential Candidate, The ex-UN Under Secretary General, The Skyball – are but a few of our amazing events that were unprecedented successes. As a committee member I learned so many skills that I did not, and would not, get from my degree – event planning, management, how to deal with university bureaucracy, and how to manage a budget, right down to the small things such as talking to new people and making our new members feel welcome. The best moment of my first year was our amazing trip to the Hague and Amsterdam, the whole committee went and we had a blast with all our members – it probably goes down as one of the best weekends I have ever had in my life (for those of you who were there: Valentine’s Day. The Hague. Enough said.) and it was then that I realised that my fellow committee were not just my colleagues, but they were my friends – and some of the best friends I could have, so, Monique, Veronika, Laura, Bianca, Eva, Jackson, Lili, Mallory, Josh and AShaw – thanks for being awesome. The night we won Society of the Year, for the first time, will always be a treasured memory.
Moving onto year 2013-2014, I decided I would stay and do my Masters at Aberdeen so ran for the position of PR & Social Media, and again, I was duly elected with only one R.O.N (thanks Monique – you’re so funny) and off I went again. I got off to a bit of rocky start this year, not because of the new committee (you guys are also awesome) but I had a few personal things to deal with, so I took a bit of a backseat after Fresher’s Week for the first semester, but came back with a bang just before Christmas. This year has been different, my job is to publicize events, not organize them so it’s a bit different, but with different has come a different skill-set. I can now make a poster for any event in around 10 minutes, I am so good at facebook and twitter is now one of my BFF’s – but again, skills I would not have gained just with my degree alone! Unfortunately, I haven’t made it on any of the trips this year (yey for being grown up) but the Society went to Vienna and Prague , and New York City and Washington D.C – amazing! We also had some pretty badass events, including our Legacy of Nelson Mandela (which won Best Event at the King’s Awards), many a social (yey Amanda), a talk on the Ukraine and Venezuela and a debate around Scotland and the EU. This is where I did something I have never done in my life, was sit on a debate panel – it pushed me way out of my comfort zone but I am so glad that Laura asked (forced) me to do it, as I had never spoken in front of so many people before. We have a few other big events coming up this year, such as the Aberdeen University Mock Independence Referendum and the Black Tie and Diamonds May Ball (always a hoot) – and through planning and participating in all these events with my fellow committee babes, they turned again from colleagues to friends. Veronika, Laura, Jackson, Bianca, Ralu, Dave, Alex, Amanda, Ysabelle, John – you guys are the best. Winning Society of the Year (AGAIN) was the bomb dot com, and I am so glad I got to do it with y’all.
As per the above warning, this sounds like a love in to PIR – but it’s not. There have been downs too, arguments (the loud kind), disagreements (the bitter kind) and disappointments – BUT that is all part of working in a group for a year. You are never going to always get your own way, and learning to compromise and work together is one of the best life lessons PIR can give you. Also learning to give constructive criticism, rather than completely attack your friends idea is a skill that everyone could do with. I’m not even lying, or exaggerating when I say the PIR is the best thing that ever happened to me at Uni – it is the truth. I’m almost welling up here with the realization that I will never be in the committee again – but I have every faith in those who take up the challenge, so to all of you reading this wondering if you should, or should not, run for a position, my advice is: Do it, you have nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain. The fun, the friendships, the accomplishments… oh and you also have the pretty big task of taking home Society of the Year 2014-2015 – let’s make it a hat-trick – Are you up for the challenge?
PIR Love,
Jen x
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