Hi! I’m Sam. I’m a third year Politics with International Relations student and this is my first blog post for Student Voices. I wanted to tell you a little about an integral and important part of the life of a Politics student at York: York Politics Society (PolSoc)
If you’re a student studying Politics, Politics with International Relations, International Relations or any joint honors course with Politics, you will automatically become a member of the society… There is no membership fee!
The society’s purpose is to enhance the experience of being a student at the School of Politics at the University of York. This means putting on loads of fun and exciting events and socials throughout the year including debates, high profile speakers, formals, nights out, seminars and much more!
PolSoc also has its very own online magazine ‘York Politics Review’ giving Politics students the opportunity to write informative opinion articles on current affairs, or anything else that interests them – you can take a look by clicking here.
I thought I’d tell you about some of the events PolSoc has put on so far this academic year to give you an idea of what to expect in your first term if you decide to come and study at York!
5 events PolSoc has organised this term:
Sharpie Social
PolSoc started the term by organising a sharpie social this was in the second week and gave Politics students the opportunity to meet and socialise with people on their course, something which Fresher’s Week doesn’t always leave time for, as it’s packed full of great college-based events. The evening comprised of a bar crawl finishing in a club – and everyone was encouraged to wear a white and write on each others’ t-shirts.
PolSoc Informal Seminar
Another fantastic event for PolSoc has organised this term was the Informal Seminar. This gave members the opportunity to come along and gain a better insight into the research interests of a member of staff in the department in a more relaxed environment than normal teaching. PolSoc were joined by a PhD student looking at the far right, which also fitted well with the current affairs in the wake of the UK’s vote to leave the European Union. Students, particularly Freshers, really enjoyed this event and there are more planned for the future!
US Election Night
The past few months have been extremely turbulent in the world of politics and these interesting events have given PolSoc the opportunity to organise some great social events! We welcomed in the results of the US election with an all night viewing of CNN in D-Bar located in Derwent on campus. It was a great night (even though some were unhappy with the result) drinking themed cocktails and pitchers of beer as we cheered in each state! Hundreds of people attended and most made it through until 5am!
PolSoc Does Prohibition: Winter Ball
It is a yearly tradition for PolSoc to hold a winter formal. This year the theme was prohibition so everyone was encouraged to come and enjoy a 3 course meal dressed in their best 1920’s style finery. It was held at Revolution, a bar and restaurant in the city, and was PolSoc’s biggest Winter Ball yet with over 100 people attending! It was certainly a great way to see out the term!
An Evening with Hilary Benn MP
The final event of the term this year for PolSoc was an evening with Hilary Benn MP. He spoke about his political career, especially his time as shadow foreign secretary as well as his new role as chair of the select committee for Brexit.
PolSoc is entirely student run. This means if you decide to come to York you’d have the opportunity to get involved and organise events for your fellow students, meet high profile figures and get invaluable experience! Or if that’s not for you, you can just come along to all the amazing events PolSoc puts on throughout the academic year. Having such an active society is definitely a good reason to chose to come and study at York!
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