The Big Move

The Big Move TM is an annual event in the art department. First years, having been assessed, move out and away until Autumn brings them back as second years. This leaves lovely empty spaces upstairs for second years, who move out of the mixed seond-and-third-year studios. Thus, the whole ground floor of the department is given over to the third years, who get allocated their final positions for the degree exhibition (that's the whole point of The Big Move afterall.)

The Big Move officially happens tomorrow, but we started early, and so half of my things are in my New Space! So exciting! It's all clean and fresh and it's nice to rearrange my workings for the last three weeks, it's invigorating! Of course The Big Move brings sadness and loss too. Lisa and I haven't been separated for two years, yet now we will be in different areas. Still within shouting distance, but we'll have to edit our conversations now :(. And Jen's right over at the other end...what are we to do? Furthermore, i have grown very fond of my second year Vicky (mine because she's been in my studio working next to me this year) and i won't get to see her anymore...

It's a taster of the sadness to come when we finish and leave for good in a few weeks. The art department is probably the closest-knit on campus, especially within year groups as you work together constantly for three years and put on an exhibition together. I've made some truly wonderful friends, and i don't care what older people say about "it's about time you got into the real world and stopped living in the university bubble!" I still don't want to finish yet.

School Days

I spent an intriguing and rewarding day at Ripley School today. It's an odd one. Literally a minute's walk from my house, i'd never seen it before because i've never walked for a minute in that direction down the road before turning off. There are sheep and other domestic animals in its grounds. Sheep. A minute's walk behind my house. And they "mehr" a lot. Never heard em before! Amazing. Ripley, from certain angles, looks like a miniature Hogwarts. The entrance hall is a scaled-down version, with a grand stone staircase and everything, which only the staff are allowed to use, by the way. I both ascended and decended that staircase today. Oh yes. It felt wonderful.

I was there assisting with Year 10's 'spirituality' PSHE day. I went with a team from the uni chaplaincy centre. We had half a form group for the whole day, and did various activities with them based around the theme of relationships - family, friends, partners, marriage and so on. It was a bit of a culture shock for me, really. I got over it pretty quickly, but at first i wasn't quite used to the politeness and good behaviour from the younguns. I guess it was partly because we weren't regular teachers, and they respond particularly well to uni students, but they actually listened and obeyed and were polite to the class teacher. And they were kind and helpful towards the pupil who had Down's Syndrome. And the 'cool' girls weren't unkind towards the less-cool girls. And the boys were nice to everyone. What was going on??

Others in the team talked about how these young people were 'difficult' in the morning, only properly opening up later on. But to me they were positively 'easy', comparing them to some young people from my (perhaps limited) experience. I felt the activities we did with them were good and i think they benefitted from it, but we really didn't capitalise on the receptivity of the pupils. There was the potential to do so much more and go so much deeper with them...and that's something for the team to learn for next time. This school is actually currently looking for a full-time youth-chaplain-type-person...but the pull toward Luton is so strong...

Holy Spirit

My cell has been running an Alpha course in collaboration with the Chaplaincy Centre, and we held our Holy Spirit away-day today. We tootled down the road out of Lancaster for 10 minutes and found ourselves in an adorable little meeting room belonging to an adorable little church surrounded by cows! Those cows kept us amused for way too long! My excitement about the weekend had really built since we discussed and prayed for the Holy Spirit in cell last week. I wasn't disappointed. Our speaker, Sandra, judged the tone and content just right for the group and even as a host rather than a punter I got loads of of the talks and the discussions. Nearly everyone wanted to be prayed for to receive the Spirit at the end of the day...the atmosphere was simultaneously electric and utterly peaceful. Just a lovely, lovely day.

And the wonderful Ruth of Lancaster/Luton/London wonderness is arriving soon! The day just gets better, and tomorrow's looking dandy too: church, then a student barbecque with the pastor and wife, who are awesome to spend time with, then my friend's birthday sleepover in thirteen-year-old girlie style with make-up and chocolate and all the rest :D

Butter Beans

Hello! I have a draft post about our Roses success waiting to be published...i can't seem to write something that sounds quite good enough...it was such a fantastic day i can't do it justice...i guess soon enough i'll just post what i've got!

In the meantime, my dinner is delicious. It's the second half of a batch of curry i made yesterday so it tastes extra good, having sat and stewed in the tupperware tub overnight. It's just onions, carrots and tomatoes and spices (hurrah to me for not using curry powder but using separate spices) - and also the amazingly inspired addition of butter beans - i've never thought of it before but it was a bare-cupboard day so i put in whatever i had (apart from the tin of tuna which i thought really wouldn't work) but anyway they're just right! I'm gonna put them in every curry! They taste gorgeous plain but in curry they absorb all the flavour but maintain their lovely texture - and reheated after a day of absorbing they're just mmmmm! Also today i remembered to put a bit of butter in the rice after i'd cooked it so it all tastes rather wonderful!

Anyway, busy busy, gotta run

Celebration

I can't believe i didn't blog to celebrate the end of my dissertation! Well, belated congratulations to myself...but really to God who did most of the work. It was due in on the first day back after the Easter hols (a deadline i comfortably met, which was my main prayer!) but although i spent almost the entire holiday working on the thing, i nevertheless don't feel like i need another holiday. This is actually a really big deal. Some people are so knackered they're finding it hard to get back into their art work this term (we don't just have some piddly revision sessions followed by a few exams - we have to belt out our best work ever and put together a brilliant exhibition in just 8 weeks). I'm tired, but raring to go. Current artworks involve door frames covered in water-filled vinyl gloves...watch this space!

Other things to look forward to this term:
Roses! Watch out York dancesport team, our quickstep is gonna blow yours out of the water!
Cell! A new phase begins for Fusion as responsibility moves churches this term - v exciting.
Grad Ball! We'll all be so gorgeous and galamorous we'll forget how much we paid for it.
Graduation! Eek! Officially stepping out of uni and into the real world.