Clubs and societies prepare for Refreshers’ Day
Students will have a second chance to join a host of UCD’s clubs and societies this week at the fifth annual Refreshers’ Day, which takes place Wednesday, 3rd February, at the Astra Hall in the Student Centre.
37 clubs and 42 societies will take part in Refreshers’ Day this year, an increase on the last number of years.
Refreshers’ Day is an annual event, initiated in 2006, where the university’s many sports clubs and societies run stalls and hold events in a renewed attempt to gain more members, and to allow students a second chance at becoming members of, and getting involved in, UCD’s extra-curricular life. The event, which is modelled as a miniature version of the events of Fresher’s Week, also presents a “good opportunity for international students or Erasmus students who are only here for a single semester to see what’s on offer,” explained Chair of Societies Council, Stephen Whelan.
Whelan underlined the reason why such events have become regular fixtures in the student calendar, commenting that “UCD has possibly the strongest student life in Ireland in all measurable terms, but unfortunately what we don’t have is a great system to advertise that achievement, and keep the community abreast of everything that’s going on.
“Refreshers’ Day helps serve this purpose, and reminds students of the huge number of opportunities – getting involved, attending events, meeting people, and so on – that are available to them through our clubs and societies.”
Whelan also stressed the particular opportunity that the event presented for UCD’s sports clubs. “Refreshers’ Day is usually more important for the clubs in particular because after the New Year, people have new high hopes about getting involved and getting active, getting fit, so a lot of the clubs tend to pick up on their activity.
“Societies, coming up to election time, perhaps tend to slow down a little – but saying that, there are loads of societies that continue great work right up until the end of the year.”
Whelan concluded by expressing his satisfaction at the renewed interest in the event, which had seen a drop in student interested and participating clubs and societies since its initiation. “It’s good that more people are involved this year, because it means that people are taking it more seriously than maybe they have been in the last two years,” he explained, adding his hope that “it just gets bigger and better. It’s a good thing and it serves a good purpose.”