Weird and wonderful societies at UCL
Anna Vall Navés profiles some of the lesser-known societies running at UCL campus.
With the Freshers’ Fair just around the corner, you might be considering joining one (or several!) of the clubs and societies that UCL has to offer. If so, odds are you’ve already heard of the major sports clubs, cultural societies and – of course – student media outlets that you can join. So instead of providing you with an overview of some of the most popular societies at UCL, we’ve decided to do something a bit more interesting. After a couple afternoons spent poring over the Students’ Union Directory, we’ve compiled a short list of very cool (if slightly niche) societies that you’ve probably never heard of. And if there’s one thing we’ve gathered from this admittedly tedious exercise, it’s that there’s a place at UCL for all sorts of tastes, interests and even hallucinogenic experiments… sort of. See for yourself:
Bubble Tea Society
The first society on our list isn’t so much weird as it is wonderful. The Bubble Tea Soc joins a long list of societies at UCL that bring members together based on their drink preferences, spanning everything from the popular Tea Society to the Brewers and Vintners Society – or as they would prefer to be known, ‘the BevvySoc.’
Since it was approved by the Students’ Union in March, the Society has seen a fair amount of attention crop up (or bubble up, if you will) for its numerous activities and opportunities. Offering workshops, bubble tea crawls and discounts for the notoriously expensive drink, the Bubble Tea Society has already begun to attract the university’s biggest boba addicts. If you’re looking to meet a welcoming group of like-minded boba lovers, a society membership might be for you!
UCL Gliding Club
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Not many universities can boast of literally teaching their students how to fly, but that’s exactly what UCL’s Gliding Club is here to do. With two gliders of its own, professional instructors and a partnership with a nearby airfield, the Gliding Club has all the resources necessary to help even absolute beginners become airborne.
When we asked Dmitry Leyko, President of the UCL Gliding Club, why freshers should join, he told us: “Gliding is an exhilarating sport that allows you to get away from the hassle of London for a day and learn a skill that not many possess. It’s a great opportunity and open to everyone!”
Leyko also told us about the many socials and gliding trips to the Scottish Highlands that they’ve planned for this year. But above all, he wanted to clear up the misconception that gliding is expensive, explaining that any launch (regardless of duration) costs only £8 with a society membership.
Leyko was enthusiastic about meeting new members, emphasising the sense of community that the club provides. So whether you’d just like to try a taster session or are keen on becoming one of the club’s ‘frequent flyers’, you should absolutely get in touch.
Pure Krav Maga Club
University is a time to try new things, but you might not have the time to master a martial art from scratch. According to Meera Pattni, President of the Pure Krav Maga Club, her society is your best bet when it comes to learning genuinely useful self-defence techniques. We’d never heard of Krav Maga, but Pattni explained to us that the sport focuses on ‘realistic self-defence’, emphasising that it’s not only an excellent way to stay in shape, but also great for anyone who wants to feel safer on the streets.
Above all, the Pure Krav Maga Club prides itself on making members feel comfortable. Zsofia Varga, a current member of the society told us: “After joining, I felt like [the society] boosted my self-confidence so much that I applied to be a committee member. Our society creates an atmosphere in which everyone, including women, can feel strong and empowered.”
Harry Potter Society
Still obsessed with Harry Potter? Don’t worry, we’re not judging, and the Harry Potter Society is here to cater to your Potterhead needs. Hosting a variety of events – quiz nights, movie nights, walking tours, and more – the Harry Potter Society is a great place to meet friends with similar interests. The society accepts everyone from novices to wizarding experts, and in the midst of studying and CV-building, it’s an excellent opportunity to relax and have some fun.
Society for the Application of Psychedelics
Although you would be forgiven for thinking otherwise, the UCL Society for the Application of Psychedelics (SAP) is an academic society that aims to promote research on the medical uses of psychedelic substances. It’s a society that aims to challenge the largely political debates around psychedelics and instead encourage the scientific study of substances that, as SAP states on the SU website, we still know shockingly little about.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to look elsewhere for psychedelic trips, but in the meantime SAP offers all kinds of interesting lectures, conferences and journal clubs, as well as a welcoming environment to discuss this increasingly relevant scientific field. SAP is an excellent place for anyone wanting to be at the forefront of scientific research and to challenge pervasive societal prejudices.
So what are you waiting for? Whether you’re into psychedelics or boba, you’re sure to find a society at the Freshers’ Fair where you’ll fit right in. We’ll see you there!