Well, well, well. As ever, I was right in my assumption that our socs and their accompanying scum could not be able to contain themselves, yet even I could not have predicted how quickly they would fulfil expectations. Strap in darlings – we have plenty to recap and by the end of it, I doubt that many committees will be making it onto the nice list this year (alas, maybe 2026 will be their year?)
The Left has never been so right
In yet another crushing defeat for democracy, it has emerged that the Labour Society and Liberal Democrat Society share the same president.
Although Labour has not made a committee post this year and the Lib Dem’s Instagram appears to have faded into non-existence, this eagle-eyed bitch has spotted identical signatures of one Joey Mehta in the constitution of both societies.
The two-timing president clearly had some speedy penmanship, as both were signed on the same day.
Whilst The Cheese Grater has reported on this before, and whilst I am loathe to repeat my underlings, this bitch is astounded by the claim on the Liberal Democrats’ Union webpage that the society offers: “a progressive alternative to the same-old tired two-party system” – the alternative seemingly being a bigger party containing anything vaguely left-of-centre (rumour has it they’ll invite left-handers next).
In the UK, the idea of a multi-party system is a fairly battered pinata. Accordingly, it is more than a little disheartening to see it be beaten to a pulp at the level of university societies – leaving the Apathy Party to reign.
Drama reclaims Reclamation from producer
Equally disheartening is the Drama Society’s handling of the Reclamation showcase – or the lack thereof.
Reclamation is an annual BAME showcase, dedicated to uplifting POC voices.
This year was its third year running, and suffice to say, third time was not the charm: Drama’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Officer and main producer of the showcase Sai Sreenivandita was nowhere to be seen when her duties needed to be done. As a result, the festival was delayed; losing its usual spot as first production of the year to A Little Tragedy.
Unfortunately, Drama needn’t have bothered with staging a small tragedy. The impact of the delays and neglect on Reclamation ranks somewhere between a ‘large’ and a ‘colossal’ tragedy, according to calculations made by my miserable gaggle of unpaid STEM interns.
The effect of the delays and lack of promotion was reflected in a dismal turnout of auditions. Many who would have been interested were now occupied with commitments to other shows, or were completely unaware of the showcase’s existence.
Sree eventually stepped down as main producer, although not before sending a document titled ‘Tadaa!’ in defence of her leadership.
My bitchy sources report that ‘Tadaa!’ and any other forms of digitised fanfare did little to secure the producer’s position, with other members of the committee stepping up to ensure Reclamation could still run.
Due to her poor planning, it was not possible to book the Bloomsbury Studio in time, forcing Reclamation to be performed in a lecture theatre and further sidelining the showcase. Understandably, Chadwick G08 is not a place that anyone particularly wants to reclaim.
Following the fallout of Reclamation, members of the Drama committee asked Sree to step down as D&I Officer. For reasons unknown to bitchkind, she said no.
This forced the committee to hold an emergency general meeting (EGM), holding a vote of no confidence on “the appointment of our D&I Officer”. Or rather, it forced the committee to attempt to hold an EGM: a few hours before the scheduled EGM on 6 December, Sree finally stepped down, ending this saga with silence and an inclusion officer who somehow excluded herself.
Even more Drama drama
Wow, one Drama Society feature wasn’t enough? I suppose they felt the need for an encore.
Accusations of cross-casting have been made, with one anonymous student concerned about the same people being cast again and again, bypassing audition procedures.
Hopefully this clique-y atmosphere dissipates fast and is replaced by the much preferred rhythmic clicks and jazz hands that Drama is known for. With three new shows announced for term two, this bitch advises all to watch carefully.
Staying on the performing arts theme, word has reached me that the Musical Theatre Society has had issues with some MT men making women uncomfortable at socials.
Creepy men and handsy dickheads are unfortunately not new to my columns or to UCL in general. I know half of you played animals in Shrek the Musical, but that’s no reason to continue acting like them off-stage. Keep your hands (or paws) to yourselves and learn how to treat women like normal people xoxo.
Ed: The print edition of this article included a misleading image of Shrek the Musical that implied wrongdoing by specific cast members. The Cheese Grater apologises for this oversight.
This article appeared in CG89
