A Fresher in the First Semester 12:24

A Fresher in the First Semester.

By Lewis Hudson New Members Officer

Being a fresher in the first semester 

entails great discoveries of the many 

fascinating and delightful surprises that 

Aberystwyth provides. The first namely 

being the spelling of “Aberystwyth”. The 

number of unruly consonants

that can be forced into a signal place name is just

 staggering to the innocent fresher. The second surprise is

 how flexibly the word “nightclub” can be 

applied to include any establishment which plays stupidly loud music, serves 

alcohol in stupidly large quantities at stupidly early times in the morning.

The third surprise being how enthusiastically fellow Freshers of Penbryn 

BlockFour make use of the fire alarm system. I must say I have found myself 

in a state of joy at the prospect of the screaming, wailing shriek summoning

 me to the wetness of the car park in the early hours of the morning. My 

favourite fire alarm occasion occurred in November (I think…there were so 

many.) where some jolly good chap set the alarm off at about 02.00, 

prompting the miserable exodus outside to the waiting wind and cold, with 

only pyjamas for protection. Then a few hours later, just the right amount of 

time for sleep to begin again, the same or possibly a different jolly good chap

 had another go! 

The car park exodus with the wait occurred again. Then a few hours later the

 fire alarm was set off again. This was about 07:30. Again we all went out to

 the car park. To discover that this was a drill, 

started on the whim of our 

lovely accommodation people. Whom I love. They

 are great. Fantastic. They took the time to 

carefully ensure that everyone evacuated, and 

took the time to find those who had not. Then

 one very nice woman took the time to tell us

 with a loud speaker, (which could barely be

 heard due to the wind) to make sure our pots 

and frying pans were cleaned due to the fire risk 

(We are a catered block.) And to evacuate when 

the fire alarm goes off. (We who had evacuated 

were now in danger of freezing to death in the 

car park.) This was a very thoughtfully conducted procedure.

However my best discovery was the Labour Society. The fact it is worth 

walking up and down a massive hill in the pouring rain to go and sit around a

 table in Harely’s to talk about policies, was the last and biggest surprise of 

the year. I've really enjoyed being a part of the society which has allowed to

 be involved in politics while having a great time with some great people.

 Getting elected as New Members Officer was also a high point and I'm really

 looking forward to representing the New Members at committee meetings and

 across the year. If you've got any problems please feel free to get in touch 

via email at leh23@aber.ac.uk or speak to me at a social! 

Christmas Message! 12:23

And That's a Wrap!
What's Happened and What's Happening in AULS 

So, we've come to the end of a very exciting and successful semester at Aberystwyth University Labour Students! There have been thrills, spills and  some very, very boring meetings along the way but we have made it to Christmas and everyone has now headed back home for the holidays. So now is probably the best time to look back at the time we've had this year (now the Chair's too far away to get me). It began with a crazy Fresher's Week, which included an evening of ice breaking, a.k.a. a pub crawl. Thursday nights have continued in this vein for most of the semester, great evenings that have led to me actually looking forward to going out with AULS (shock, horror!) Of course we're not all about drinking, far from it, we've worked hard in the last semester to have more non-alcohol events than ever including a treasure hunt, two trips to world famous Commodore Cinema and a coffee social held in the cultured surroundings of Aberystwyth Arts Centre. 

I would count our excellent quiz as a non-alcohol event but then it was held above the Cambrian Pub and the Death Stars served there is many things but non-alcoholic they ain't! We also had a member go toe to toe with representatives of the other parties when the Debating Society hosted  a Question Time event with Andrew our resident Scotsman/Norwegian/Dane (apparently he could claim a Dutch passport as well...) giving a gutsy take on Union politics. There was further fraternization as we clubbed together with the International Politics Society and the Lib Dems  to hold a fireworks night on South Beach, an added bonus being the fact that no one got arrested. We were also visited by the AM for Cardiff South and Penarth Vaughan Gething who proves that being Chair of AULS is no bar to achieving things in life (hope for you yet Tom!) Last but not least was our Christmas Meal which was a really nice gathering in The Scholars with good food and good company. We will of course be having another meal at the end of the year! (Providing Tom promises to bring a better speech to this one...) 

So far as campaigning goes we have once again proved ourselves one of the best student groups in Wales for putting our noses to the grindstone of Welsh politics. Loads of people helped in Christine Gwyther's valiant Police and Crime Commissioner Election. In Cardiff South and Penarth we even outnumbered the Cardiff students at times, so well done to all! 

Congratulations to young Lewis Hudson on his elevation to New Members Officer. (Though he still needs to learn how to drink VK's responsibly.) If your a New Member with a problem you can contact Lewis on leh23@aber.ac.uk. Further congratulations to Bridie Sedgebeer for being elected to the Young Labour Welsh Executive Committee. 

Of course so far as the year goes we not even half way there! (Wherever 'there' is.) We've got a wide array of events coming up. There are hoodies to look forward to. (Still time to order...) Hopefully Owen Smith THE Shadow Welsh Secretary will be visiting on the 15th of February. Also Welsh Conference will be opening on the 22nd of March in Llandudno which we will hopefully be looking to send people along to. March will also be the month in which we will be saying bye-bye to poor old Tom and electing a new Chair (or saying hello to him again and re-electing him for another term). This position is open to anyone within the society and it would be great to have as fierce and as well mannered contest as there was last year! On a personal note I'm looking forward to seeing our secretary Andrew Gordon turning up to a social in tartan (dammit that bet still stands!) I'm sure our social sec has got a lot of good socials lined up for the next semester, but feel free to email him any idea's you have at adw6@aber.ac.uk.  

New Members vigorously debate whose round it is...

All in all its been a great semester and its been the New Members (*freshers*) who've made it so! Really looking forward to the New Year and seeing you all more involved in the society next semester! Old hands it has been great to have you back... try not to make too much  trouble! With that it falls to me to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! And to raise a glass to a Labour majority in 2015! 

Matthew Bold 
                                                                                             
Vice-Chair