In this first of what will be a regular column, Kris Owden, SoR student representative to UK council introduces himself and shares some of his latest experiences.
Hello fellow students, I’m Kris Owden, student representative to UK Council and second year student representative in diagnostic radiography at the University of Liverpool. This is my brand spanking new column where I will share my experiences as a rep and the news and views of students I meet through the SoR.
Much of my time over the past two months has been spent working on events. Student radiographers in Liverpool hosted a charity event to raise money for Children in Need. The event was hosted in the evening in a new nightclub. We had a great night and raised a worthwhile amount.
This event raised our profile within the university and we had an opportunity to let our hair down and have a great time with fellow student radiographers at the end of those painful January exams.
I would highly recommend organising these types of events. As well as being fun and raising money for charity, it is a chance to strengthen the network between students.
Events, whether social or sporting, are great to get students talking and interacting. Organising and participating in events increases communication skills and team building skills, especially multidisciplinary team building skills.
Organising an event isn’t easy but it is definitely worth the effort. This is the basic checklist I use when I first start planning:
1) Venue: Choose somewhere local, where students have easy access to and from by public transport.
2) Main aim: Do you want to raise money for charity, introduce new first year students to other students or celebrate the end of exams or Christmas?
3) Is there a theme? For example fancy dress; beach theme; casino theme.
4) Do you need a band/photographer? University societies may be willing to do it cheaply/free. From experience, some of the bands/photographers are better than the pros!
5) Bookings: Contact the venue in advance and organise a good day and time with the manager. You’ll usually have to put down a post dated cheque as a deposit, so make sure there are a few students helping you out to make the right decisions.
6) Money matters: If you require financing, the first port of call would be to your union/guild as they can either help, or a local company might agree to sponsor you.
7) Market the event using emails and posters. If you’re charging students for tickets, ensure you have someone on the door to collect the money/tickets. This will need to be arranged with the manager of the venue.
The biggest challenge is to choose a venue/theme/time all the students agree on. It’s so hard to please everyone so just go with the majority of what students want.
If you would like more hints and tips on organising events, send me an email. I’m no expert and I’ve made mistakes, but I can hopefully help you to avoid making the same mistakes as me!
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