Pugwash News
Wednesday 14th November 2007
7
Features
Spotlight on the Hug Society
Words: David James Photography: Tom Worman
I’ve been out with the Hug Society before, so I knew what they were all about: drinking, making friends and dressing up. Anyone who thought there was a hidden agenda to Hugs then I’m very sorry to disappoint you, but the Hugs guys are simply people that just want to have fun. When I joined one of the Hug Society’s socials two things were
obvious to me: firstly, they take fancy dress very seriously, (we were sitting around a table with Doctor Who, The Hulk, Elvis, Dr Zoidberg, numerous vampires and Minnie Mouse), and secondly nobody minded that we hadn’t paid the joining fee for the night out as everybody was too friendly to care. At this point I’m sure a lot of you are wondering who dressed up as Dr Zoidberg from Futurama. Do you remember the guy from Freshers' Fayre walking around wearing blue fur? Well, that
was him! His name is Peter Henry, and he is the president of the Hug Society. On the Hug’s webpage the group states “we are there to help, intent on providing a place to meet, a shoulder to cry on and a friendly atmosphere when needed.” The society was set up by Peter after his own experiences of loneliness at another uni found himself longing for home, feeling isolated and lonely, and generally being down. “That was when I needed someone to comfort me, give me a hug and make everything better...no one did, and I ended up moving back home to Portsmouth,” he says. “I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else going through that and maybe even missing out on the fun of uni life!” The Hug Society is not just about hugs though! The aim of the society is simply to provide a place for anybody, somewhere for people who can’t find a society that appeals to them. I really believe that finding a suitable society is important; I met many people at my own societies who I know I can call friends. I can see how people without a society could become lonely, so I find this quite admirable. You could say that they provide a service! If you are interested in joining the Hug Society, simply go to their website - www.upsu.net/getinvolved/ societies/hugs - for more information on upcoming events and socials. I can testify that their socials are very good fun! If you belong to a society and want me to provide a spotlight on it, email me at: features@upsu.net
What makes you S.T.A.N.D. out? Words: Ben Norman
Over a quarter of a million students graduate across the country every year, so what makes you STAND out? The Students’ Union is launching STAND (Student Training and New Development), allowing you to gain tangible and transferable skills making you stand out from the crowd. There are four courses run in the first semester: Media Training, Campaign Coordination, Society Management and Train the Trainer. These are running every Wednesday and Thursday until the 5th of December. However, you don’t have to come to every workshop, you can simply cherry-pick the workshops that are right for you. The Media Training course is for all those who would like to gain an insight into this competitive field from our skilled media team. These sessions will aim to cover all the basics of writing news journalism, features articles and sport journalism as well as offering practical skills in writing press releases, and conducting successful interviews. It also offers opportunities to hone your technical skills with web training and tutorials in desktop publishing programs. You can use these skills to get involved in our various media
outlets, including the award winning Pugwash Magazine or the recently established Pugwash News and Purple Wednesdays paper. The Campaign Coordination course offers you the knowledge needed to coordinate, publicise and plan any campaign, from setting up a charity event to lobbying officials. The workshops aim to cover all the fundamental aspects for running a successful campaign from effective communication, writing press releases and working the room like a politician to lobbying a local MP. The Society Management course aims to train students to become efficient and effective representatives. Whilst the course is initially targeted at society and club members, or those students sitting on committees, the skills are easily transferable into other fields, such as management roles. The course will also cover various life skills such as conducting presentations, public speaking and assertiveness and confidence. There is also be a special training course, Train the Trainer, which will teach you all the tricks of the trade. This offers you the chance to discover how to run your own training courses, thus opening up an entirely new skills base, making you stand out even more. Whilst STAND train-
ing will be led by Union staff in the first semester it is opened up to you in semester two. There are twenty thousand students in this university, each with a unique set of skills to share with others. You pay the fees, it's time you got something more then just a degree. If you’ve got a skill it's time to STAND up and be noticed. To join in go to: www.upsu.net/stand or contact your Student Development Officer, Ben Norman, at Ben.norman@port.ac.uk
Photography: Alex Harries
Trust me, I’m Okay Words: Tiffany Lee Photography: Tom Worman
About a year ago, one of my friends and I decided it was about time we lost our “clinic virginity” and to go and brave “the test”. Luckily, there was no unfortunate event to encourage our visit, other than the fact that we were being suffocated by advertisements from every angle of our lives and we were desperate to silence our consciences. Campaigns were cropping up everywhere as if the powers that be had just decided that the privacy of our sexual health would be the subject for the next fashionable moral panic. But considering that reliable contraception has been available to us for only half a century, why all the fuss now?
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...so “No Nose Clubs” were set up across the country...
According to my housemate’s graphic description over dinner the other night, couples in the eighteenth century had two choices for contraception: either the lining of an animal’s stomach or a washable leather sock. Compared to these options, condoms look pretty appealing. So what was the catalyst to today's heightened awareness of safe sex? In the sixties, love became free, not just free from commitment but free from consequence, as the public celebrated a new social acceptance of sexuality. So I guess, to use a quote that has probably never been linked to STI’s before, “with great power comes great responsibility.” If sex really is now out in the open, it’s probably time to start being proactive. Although the eighteenth century methods were not particularly hygienic, they did have a fool proof system of preventing the further growth of
syphilis. A distinguishable symptom of the disease was that the infected person’s nose would waste away so “No Nose Clubs” were set up across the country only allowing in people affected by the disease. So maybe it is a good idea to notice something and get it checked out before you become irreparable; I don’t think they make antibiotics with the capability to re-grow body parts. So there we were, sat in the waiting room looking around at the other patients, hoping that another woman might be that one in the threatening statistics. We giggled as if it was all a little joke, but at the back of our minds we both knew we needed validation that our noses had no plans to depart from our faces any time soon. Thankfully, we went to a hospital clinic where they had the equipment allowing us to test ourselves and the nurse was extremely welcoming. Our biggest fear when crossing the GUM clinic threshold was that our most feminine parts would be under the harsh scrutiny of some chaste beast with no expression other than disgust at us disgraceful and promiscuous youths. She even had the patience to explain to me what went where as I repetitively tiptoed back to the diagnosis room with the swab in my hand, each time reassuring her that I understood and then returning to double check the routine. Luckily we were both fine. But, what would we have done if the results did not go our way? Being naive teenage girls, we were content in believing that the Pill would prevent us from any harm. Together, with our fear of the potential beast that would test us, we remained blissfully ignorant about one of the most important procedures that every sexually active person should be considering. My only advice is to go to the local hospital where it is very likely you will be able to test yourself. Just make sure you listen to the instructions carefully to avoid making a tit out of yourself!