A Space for Swifties

Hello, my name is Ichsani, people call me "Sunny" as a nickname. Currently, I am enrolled in the MSc Diabetes at University of Galway and here I want to share one of my societies I’ve joined so far!

Let me introduce you to... Swiftie Soc! Yes, you didn't misread it; there’s a society for all the Swifties to gather here in Galway. For your information, this society is based on fan clubs of the pop-star Taylor Swift, a singer known worldwide by her hits such as “Love Story”, “Style”, “Fortnight”, and her latest single, “The Fate of Ophelia”.

Swiftie Soc was established in 2021, and it was Ireland’s first society dedicated to Taylor Swift! In fact, Swiftie Soc is the only society dedicated to a global superstar. So, if you are a Swiftie, this is good news for you to join it while enjoying your new life as a student at University of Galway!

The reason I joined this society is, of course, obviously I am a Swiftie! First time I acknowledged her was in my teenage era when she dropped her single “Teardrops on My Guitar” and starred as a cameo to sing “Crazier” in the Hannah Montana series. I followed her career, but I had not been a hardcore Swiftie until the album Midnights came out, and it was a totally great album from her!

There are a lot of exciting activities conducted by the Swiftie Soc. There are movie nights, listening parties, friendship-bracelet workshops, and many more! So far, I have attended two of them.

The first event I attended as a new student here was a friendship-bracelet-making workshop! It was a collaboration with two other societies – Women in Law and Women in Business Society – and held in October. I really enjoyed it, my hands were busy intertwining the bracelets while my ears delightedly listened to my favourite songs. There, I also met a new friend, who was a fellow Swiftie from the Women in Law Society. We sat side by side and exchanged our beads to make our bracelets. That night was festive enough, and I got two bracelets by the end of the event.

The next event was the Reputation Tour movie night. It was held in November and everyone came together to watch the movie in the O’Flaherty Theatre. This time, the event was a collaboration between Swiftie Soc and Music Society. While watching, we could sing together, and free snacks were available, too. Again, I would say I was enchanted to join this event!

Finally, I have concluded that my decision to join Swiftie Soc was absolutely right! There I learned a new skill, met new friends, and relieved my stress while enjoying my leisure night with something beneficial for my social life.

Student life can be so overwhelming, especially when it is far from home, not to mention that as an international student, you have to adapt to unfamiliar weather, culture, or environment. But fret not, here at University of Galway, there are many societies you can join to alleviate your homesickness and broaden your network while finding what makes you excited to enjoy a new milestone of your life!

So, are you ready for it?

To explore all the societies at University of Galway, visit SocsBox

Words and images thanks to Ichsani, MSc Diabetes