Freshers Fair-ly Keen

As promised here are the exciting snaps from Freshers' Fair. The idea behind having a stall at the fair was to promote our department amongst both new and returning students. We also wanted to recruit some new blood so that this year we can have a bigger team to call upon if we need help with events and campaigns. The fair was also an opportunity to network with other departments, societies and students.

I arrived at the Fair at around 9.30am to set the stall up. I was told I was on table 155 which was on the raised platform of the Metceno. After half an hour printing off some posters to make the stall visually interesting, I meandered my way through all the other stalls, by the time I had reached our plot I had enough free pens to supply an infinite amount of monkeys, enough free lollipops to de-tooth Janice Street Porter and enough two for one offers to satisfy Victor Meldrew. Alarm bells began to ring in my head as I realised I had nothing free to give the freebie hungry masses, I rooted through my bag and found a half eaten egg Mcmuffin, a toothbrush and a copy of the student newspaper "Leeds On". I decided to finish the calorie laden breakfast bun, brush my teeth and indulge in some light frophy reading. I would rely on my charm and my Lord Kitchener posters to draw in a crowd.

Although the pitch was not the best, there was a steady flow of students and many that were caught by my handy work with Microsoft WordArt. The sign read "Are you Studying Public Relations? Marketing? Events Management?" as although we are formally a P.R unit, it would be nice to involve a broader spectrum of the business courses in the department. Many students were interested in what we had achieved last year so I showed them the work I had put together in my online portfolio.

The Fair didn't really get going until the afternoon, so instead of just sitting on my backside reading the paper and updating my Facebook status with some witty prose I decided to have a chat to the stall next to me. The society on my left was called the "Apologetics Society" and the society on my right seemed to be the "Campaign against everything including having a shower society" and although many of their causes seemed worthy, the fact one of the lads was wearing a beret put me off slightly as i've never got on with freedom fighters much before. So instead I kicked up a convo with this guy.

Now although I do not agree with Carnell's beliefs that Charles Darwin was a fantasist and God made the world in seven work filled days, he was a very interesting guy to chat to, and if anyone is interested in voicing their opinion or belief on how the world was made or any other of the big questions, the Apologetic Society meets the last Friday of every month at the Civic Quarter room CQC515. I won't be buying a t-shirt as I am a follower of the work of Richard Dawkins and Carl Sagan, but I may well just pop along to the little monthly swaray for a healthy debate.

The day was a great success, I got to speak to lots of first year P.R and Marketing students about where I see the department going this year and how they can be apart of it. I also spoke to a few third years who seemed keen to get involved if they can spare the time. I also made contact with the Photography society who told me they would be more than happy to offer their services for future events and campaigns, as well as Jacob from MetAir the new radio show, who was very interested in joining forces with our department to make sure the voice of the Students Union is heard by the Leeds Met Students.

One slightly sore point from the Fair was the presence of an online Poker website who had a stall directly opposite ours. Just look how busy it was!

The rotund gentleman had the fresh faced tax dodgers eating out of his hand, with glamorous promises like "It cost's nothing to enter and you can win up to £25,000" he worked the floor like a slightly better looking John Mcriock. It made me quite uncomfortable to think some students may think their student loan and online poker make easy bedfellows .Who needs to join a society or department that may aid me in getting a first class degree when I can play poker online and get a first class gambling addiction? Don't be taken in by this portly fellow, instead why not sign up with this young gentleman.