Pull up your socs

By Seamus Toomey

Societies are often the under-appreciated, unloved middle child in the family of two that is Clubs and Societies (C&S). SoUL Arts Fest is us giving them the gratitude they deserve. It is an Ode to Societies (or Socs as most students and staff affectionately call them).

Week 7 then is the week we’ve asked all our societies to hold their biggest event of the year and a handful of other events so that it’s impossible for people to ignore their glory. On Wednesday, for example, we have a collective event to grab as many people’s attention as possible. It runs from 5pm to 7pm when people will be passing through the courtyard, and C&S have laid a trap in the form of soc after soc holding events, as well as a couple of surprises we’re keeping secret for now.

If you’re passing through there’s not a chance you won’t stop for a gawk or turn your head in bewilderment. On the off chance that it’s raining all of this fun will be moved to the SU so you can keep toasty while you enjoy tea, science experiments, music, history and an cúpla focal as gaeilge.

Wednesday is not a day to miss and you can check out all of our events in this very newspaper – in fact pull it out and use it as a map to find our very best events from screenings by several societies in various venues to debates between our political societies and appearances and talks by revered Limerickites, the Rubberbandits.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg but it’s a pretty damn fine titanic slicing tip of an iceberg so make sure you don’t miss these events because it’s likely to be many societies biggest events of the year.

It’s taken a lot of hours and hounding down of our 30+ societies but Michelle Whyte and I are finally reeling this thing in and right now we really think we’ve got it in the bag and it’ll be the best version of SoUL Fest to have graced UL.

It only took us since June to prepare and a couple of hundred e-mails to get this thing organised.  Our societies too have pulled up their socks and bar a few changes and mishaps everything has been planned from Week 5, ready Week 6 and happening this very week.

It’s been stressful but I for one am stoked and ready to see the fruits of our and many others labour so this is my thank you to all involved. Through the frustration of meetings and e-mails, plans gone wrong and a few misunderstandings we’ve got this thing up and running so here’s a big well deserved pat on the back, you can sit back and sigh with relief for a job well done.