Intro Week provides an opportunity for all of the University’s students to involve themselves in something novel, stimulating and perhaps most saliently, different. Give it a Go Week embodies the spirit of embracing new and exciting activities, as 48 of the University’s societies are taking part in the Give it a Go programme which will offer students the chance, as VP Activities Liz Ashworth surmised, “to be a part of something”. The scheme, starting from Monday October 1st through to Friday 5th, will be led voluntarily by the society members and will aim to give students a chance to try out a range of different sports and activities.
Give it a Go Week also provides chance for some of the lesser known, but no less prestigious, societies to promote themselves. In 2011, 3,532 people signed up to the University’s 142 societies and this year the number looks set to increase. Ashworth explained her philosophy of what the week should demonstrate: “even if it attracts one new member to each club, then that’s amazing, it’s all about taking part.”
Ashworth also continued by talking about the opportunities available to the societies themselves: “There are so many clubs. People only know about the clubs that get the most coverage so I’d like the lesser known ones to get some more publicity from this week.”
The emergence of some obscure and unique societies in recent years has only helped to broaden the prospects of students involving themselves at Lancaster. The Parkour and Tricking society, LUPATS, for example, is one such society that the Give it a Go Week will help to promote. Publicity Officer for LUPATS, Stephen Jennings, explained: “Parkour is one of the most active and challenging; but also one of the safest and most enjoyable activities on offer. It’s the art of using your body in order to negotiate obstacles getting from point A to B as quickly as possible. It promotes self awareness of your own abilities and encourages you to push yourself”. LUPATS will be available to try from 6pm until 8pm in the Sports Centre on Wednesday, October 5.
Another group that has latterly rocketed in popularity is the Cheerleading society, which will be offering an activity session in County South from 6pm on Monday, October 1. Captain Amanda Dibbo oozed passion for her society: “Cheerleading is a sport that offers something for everyone. We currently have four squads ranging in levels of difficulty and discipline, and each squad competes at national level at least once a year. It’s an excellent place to learn basic cheer skills, with a relaxed atmosphere and a friendly yet diverse group of people. Work hard, play hard is our motto!”
A further popular, physical sport that society member Nash Vracas explains has become a “worldwide phenomenon” is Lacrosse, of which the University has men’s, women’s and mixed sex teams. The Lacrosse society do not hold trials so Give it a Go Week would be an appropriate opportunity to find out more about a small society that boasts a strong team spirit and a vibrant social calendar. The Lacrosse society will be down at the sports pitches next to Lake Carter on Monday, October 1 between 6 and 7pm.
One of the most intriguing modern societies, that although not available for Give it a Go Week still warrants publicity, is the Paintballing society, or LUPS. Established in the 2008/9 academic year, the Paintballing Society is one still in its infancy. President of the LUPS, Andy Long, was full of optimism for the society: “we are a friendly group of members who run a social usually once a month and it’s a great way to enjoy the game or to try something new!” LUPS meet upstairs in Grizedale bar on Wednesdays at 3pm and anybody interested at trying their hand at paintballing is encouraged to go along.
There are an enormous amount of activities available to all students in Give it a Go Week, ranging from netball and cricket, to belly dancing and ultimate frisbee. Ashworth hoped that Give it a Go Week would help to inspire the University’s students to get involved: “At Lancaster there are some people who don’t join clubs or societies, or get involved with their JCRs, and I think this can be a real shame. With the £9000 fees this year, I can understand why students would want to focus on their studies. However, there are so many different clubs that they can dedicate as much or as little time as they want to”.
Give it a Go Week shares the sentiment that activities and sports at University are available for anybody to get involved. To find out more about what activities you might consider participating in, go to activities.lusu.co.uk
