So, bite the bullet time, (I've been putting off writing this blog, or anything really for the past month) Andy and I broke up over a month ago now. This is neither the time nor the place to go into that, but it would be weird to continue blogging and not point that out so voila.
In other news (lol) I've been turning to my faith a lot recently, with the rather awesome effect that God and I are way closer than we have been for years. (Seriously- no exaggeration.) This isn't somewhere I feel comfortable sharing every aspect of how this is going, I'm keeping an actual diary for that, but stand by for choice snippets of the experience of a christian getting back into church!
I've been blessed (<-- see, the happyclappy language is back already) (unfortunately the sarcasm never went anywhere) with some AMAZING people who have literally popped out of the woodwork and been there for me in everyway from hugs and coffee through to prayers and words of encouragement and wisdom. Guys- I don't know if you're reading this, and I'm not up for naming people without their permission but you know who you are- thank you SO much. I love you. x x
I checked out a new church last night. Turns out when the poo hit the fan, I wasn't getting what I needed from my old place, and I've been feeling called to the new one for quite a while (but have been sticking my head in the sand)- so I headed up there for my friend K's baptism. I had the BEST service- and ended up with my knee getting healed! How cool?!
Those of you that know me at all will remember a lot of prayer for healing kicking off during my M.E, and to be absolutely honest I never believed that on-the-spot healing was ever going to happen for me. In fact- I had posted on Mark's blog to this very effect earlier this week. But it happened so praise the Lord for that!!
I will be posting more on this as my brain processes it all- my life has been turned on it's head over the past few weeks, plus the exam period is in full swing, but I've been reading God on Mute and am brewing my first ever mark and carl esque post about something other than the mundane ins and outs of my own life. Stay tuned!
Monday, 26 May 2008
Thursday, 17 April 2008
*Big fat blog full of self pity to follow*
I dislocated my knee yesterday and it really hurts :( I can't believe I did it just from standing up on the sofa! Am now on crutches and have to haul myself back across the whole of Sheffield to go to the fracture clinic by myself as les flatmates are all busy. The crutches feel like they're breaking my shoulders, and I can't hobble as far as the history department, let alone the uni proper. Plus the nearest bus stop is up hill, and I have no idea how I'm going to get around! Factor in 2,500 words in on wednesday which I haven't even started yet, and you have the reasons for my current sitting on the sofa with my leg up, wallowing in self pity. Yarg
Saturday, 5 April 2008
Sorry for the gap!!
I've had a crazy easter break, been up to Scotland to help get my parent's house ready for letting (we live in church acocmodation but they just bought my granny's house from her when she went into care, unfortunately she hasn't redecorated since the sixties!!) Meant to do loads of work but didn't because I caught a bug, so it'll no doubt be a mental month and a half up until exams!
I never did a post on the equality officer properly, basically we got a majority but not of 2/3 so the changes didn't pass. Good news is that there's loads of supporters of an equality officer running in round 2 of the elections which is great, especially Beth running for women's with loads of policies to act as a defacto women's officer. I guess that proves that the saying about God opening windows is true!! (as the right wing christian fascist which I was accused of being during the elections :S)
In other news, I wish I could get to London to protest at the olympic torch being carried, but will be packing ready for my return to Shef on Monday morning. I would go tomorrow, but don't want to be put on busses and have the trains all messed up! I was just watching the news about it, got really angry at some stupid silver medallist from athens going " I'm a sportswoman, not a politician. All I want to do is play sport, and it's a huge shame when politics get in the way of that." I'm sorry mrs. Let's not let the human rights abuses perpetrated against thousands of chinese citizens stop you swimming for a living. Yearg.
I never did a post on the equality officer properly, basically we got a majority but not of 2/3 so the changes didn't pass. Good news is that there's loads of supporters of an equality officer running in round 2 of the elections which is great, especially Beth running for women's with loads of policies to act as a defacto women's officer. I guess that proves that the saying about God opening windows is true!! (as the right wing christian fascist which I was accused of being during the elections :S)
In other news, I wish I could get to London to protest at the olympic torch being carried, but will be packing ready for my return to Shef on Monday morning. I would go tomorrow, but don't want to be put on busses and have the trains all messed up! I was just watching the news about it, got really angry at some stupid silver medallist from athens going " I'm a sportswoman, not a politician. All I want to do is play sport, and it's a huge shame when politics get in the way of that." I'm sorry mrs. Let's not let the human rights abuses perpetrated against thousands of chinese citizens stop you swimming for a living. Yearg.
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
Where I've been for the past 2 weeks:
Promoting this around campus, voting started today:
Union Council (on which I am disabled students councillor) propose OPTION 1- A president, education officer and international officer (getting elected at the moment), plus the following:
-An Equality Officer: When we did the consultation (which was emailed out to all students), they consistently (both men and women) put equality above 'womens issues'. Women currently are one of 4 representative groups in the union, yet the only one with dedicated officer support. LGBT, Black Students and Disabled Students (the committee which I am chair of) get moved around different officers every year depending on who 'fancies' looking after them- a totally unacceptable situation in my eyes. Therefore we propose an officer for all 4 groups, who would be held accountable by all 4 committees, therefore preventing 'favouritism'. I also DO NOT believe that removing the women's officer means we can't guarantee a women sabbatical officer- Reading Uni have just elected an all female sabb team despite having no women's officer. Lastly, just because we have had one for however long does not mean we can continue to discriminate against other groups!
-A Community Officer: As you've probably seen over the past year, there have been huge issues relating to hall food problems. Were you also aware that there has been a 200% rise in burglaries recently in Crookes? The women's safety bus would also be covered by this officer role, as we believe safety is not just a women's issue. Also, a weird anomaly of our consitution means that the President is the public face of the Union but the Welfare Officer deals currently with housing issues. So which one talks to the police, sits on the council and deals with community forums? In our proposal- the community officer would. They could also run more campaigns relating to keeping yourself and your belongings and house safe along the lines of Shhh and Love Where You Live.
-A Welfare Officer: Currently, the Welfare officer is responsible for: disabled, lgbt, part time, local and mature students, student parents, all the community issues highlighted above, mental health and sexual health and financial hardship. Under our proposals, due to the creation of the equality and community officers, this would be reduced to: part time, local and mature students, student parents, mental and sexual health (INCLUDING eating disorders, bizarrely currently under the women's officer, despite affecting men too) and financial hardship. Clearly all 3 officers will have more time for their respective groups than currently.
-A Finance and Services Officer: Has explicit responsibility for environmental issues. The environment is a big deal- so vote for a proposal which couples environmental responisibility with real change.
-A Sports and Activities Officer- pooling 2 jobs, but with 2 guaranteed admin assistants therefore a net increase in staff for both clubs and societies, plus guarunteed funding in a year in which the Union is facing huge budget cuts. Option 1 is the only option to guaruntee this funding.
The campaigning has got incredibly petty and personal, some of my friends have been taking some real abuse just because they are the Sabbs, so are easy targets for groups like socialist students, who seem militant in defending their right to speech, whilst constantly challenging that of the Sabbatical officers. Its all still a bit too fresh to talk about now, I'll let you know more after I know how it's gone- I'm knackered from all the campaigning!
Sarah x x
Union Council (on which I am disabled students councillor) propose OPTION 1- A president, education officer and international officer (getting elected at the moment), plus the following:
-An Equality Officer: When we did the consultation (which was emailed out to all students), they consistently (both men and women) put equality above 'womens issues'. Women currently are one of 4 representative groups in the union, yet the only one with dedicated officer support. LGBT, Black Students and Disabled Students (the committee which I am chair of) get moved around different officers every year depending on who 'fancies' looking after them- a totally unacceptable situation in my eyes. Therefore we propose an officer for all 4 groups, who would be held accountable by all 4 committees, therefore preventing 'favouritism'. I also DO NOT believe that removing the women's officer means we can't guarantee a women sabbatical officer- Reading Uni have just elected an all female sabb team despite having no women's officer. Lastly, just because we have had one for however long does not mean we can continue to discriminate against other groups!
-A Community Officer: As you've probably seen over the past year, there have been huge issues relating to hall food problems. Were you also aware that there has been a 200% rise in burglaries recently in Crookes? The women's safety bus would also be covered by this officer role, as we believe safety is not just a women's issue. Also, a weird anomaly of our consitution means that the President is the public face of the Union but the Welfare Officer deals currently with housing issues. So which one talks to the police, sits on the council and deals with community forums? In our proposal- the community officer would. They could also run more campaigns relating to keeping yourself and your belongings and house safe along the lines of Shhh and Love Where You Live.
-A Welfare Officer: Currently, the Welfare officer is responsible for: disabled, lgbt, part time, local and mature students, student parents, all the community issues highlighted above, mental health and sexual health and financial hardship. Under our proposals, due to the creation of the equality and community officers, this would be reduced to: part time, local and mature students, student parents, mental and sexual health (INCLUDING eating disorders, bizarrely currently under the women's officer, despite affecting men too) and financial hardship. Clearly all 3 officers will have more time for their respective groups than currently.
-A Finance and Services Officer: Has explicit responsibility for environmental issues. The environment is a big deal- so vote for a proposal which couples environmental responisibility with real change.
-A Sports and Activities Officer- pooling 2 jobs, but with 2 guaranteed admin assistants therefore a net increase in staff for both clubs and societies, plus guarunteed funding in a year in which the Union is facing huge budget cuts. Option 1 is the only option to guaruntee this funding.
The campaigning has got incredibly petty and personal, some of my friends have been taking some real abuse just because they are the Sabbs, so are easy targets for groups like socialist students, who seem militant in defending their right to speech, whilst constantly challenging that of the Sabbatical officers. Its all still a bit too fresh to talk about now, I'll let you know more after I know how it's gone- I'm knackered from all the campaigning!
Sarah x x
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Busy Busy Busy
Who would have thought Uni was so much work! I can't believe the workload of my seminars compared to how little I did all last semester, and this is before the essays all hit enmasse. I know that if I start on some of them now then I might get further, but I'm really reluctant to for most of my subjects because I want to have had the seminar on the essay before I write it. Luckily, for Fascism that should be in 2 weeks, and I can get going on the German essay as soon as I have decided what it will be on.
I have another cold. I hate this time of year, it feels like the entire world is grey and sniffly. I also haven't been to visit granny (who moved into a home just down the road from me a few weeks ago, can't remember if I blogged on it) since Saturday, I know I should but I've just been so busy!
I had a great lot of meetings yesterday (my 'day off!') and am now really involved in a project called developing inclusive curricula which is interesting- trying to improve communication between staff and students to discuss their needs. (Quite possibly more interesting than it sounds!!)
Really looking forward to the weekend :D excited excited excitedd
x
I have another cold. I hate this time of year, it feels like the entire world is grey and sniffly. I also haven't been to visit granny (who moved into a home just down the road from me a few weeks ago, can't remember if I blogged on it) since Saturday, I know I should but I've just been so busy!
I had a great lot of meetings yesterday (my 'day off!') and am now really involved in a project called developing inclusive curricula which is interesting- trying to improve communication between staff and students to discuss their needs. (Quite possibly more interesting than it sounds!!)
Really looking forward to the weekend :D excited excited excitedd
x
Saturday, 16 February 2008
Sorry for the delay...
Exams got into full swing so as you can probably imagine, blogging didn't take first priority! Also, I've been thinking a lot lot LOT about the upcoming officer roles reviews but as I was a returning officer, I was pretty much silenced as wasn't allowed to voice a public opinion on the situation. On thursday I stood down, so expect a big ol' blog on that in the next couple of days.
I started all my new modules this week. I love the first lectures of a new module, my mum described a degree to me as 'islands of knowledge' in the cafe at tesco this morning, its so true! There is so much German and History I will never know, and yet these little bits which I know in so so much detail. Odd but cool. Just in case you were wondering this semester I'll be doing; Austria Today (current affairs), history and dialectology of the german language, Fascism (which I still try and leave the first s out of) and Britsh colonialism 1814-1904. I'm excited! (but its fine that you're not, honest, just fake smile at your screen).
I'm off for noodles for tea, I'm worryingly excited!!!!
xx
I started all my new modules this week. I love the first lectures of a new module, my mum described a degree to me as 'islands of knowledge' in the cafe at tesco this morning, its so true! There is so much German and History I will never know, and yet these little bits which I know in so so much detail. Odd but cool. Just in case you were wondering this semester I'll be doing; Austria Today (current affairs), history and dialectology of the german language, Fascism (which I still try and leave the first s out of) and Britsh colonialism 1814-1904. I'm excited! (but its fine that you're not, honest, just fake smile at your screen).
I'm off for noodles for tea, I'm worryingly excited!!!!
xx
Friday, 1 February 2008
One more week...
And exams are completely over! I can't WAIT! I had a meeting today about a widening participation project which I am helping coordinate- introducing dyslexic teenagers to the idea of Uni and helping them to prepare, showing them round building personal relationships etc. I'm really excited about it! Plus, its paid which is a nice change to all the voluntary stuff, so with that and the buzz team work promoting the officer elections hopefully money won't be too tight this semester!! I'm home alone tonight so am sitting watching american idol and trying to decide if I want friery. hmmmmmmm, tricky.
Sarah x x
Sarah x x
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