The heart of De Montfort University Leicester’s (DMU) campus was turned into a huge outdoor festival of sport and culture as thousands of freshers attended the annual Sports and Societies Fair.
Dozens of clubs and societies covering everything from football and DJ-ing to rock climbing and religion set up stalls across The Gateway and along the length of Mill Lane so freshers had the chance to find out how to pursue their passions while studying at DMU.
DMU and De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU) both place huge importance on offering the ultimate student experience and recognise that all students should be able to work hard and play hard.
The fair, which included live music, sports demos, lots of freebies and even a giant climbing wall, created a real buzz as new students got a flavour of DMU’s cultural diversity, creativity, sporting traditions and brilliant sense of fun.
Aashni Shah, president of the Bollywood Dance Society, said: “We offer something different and even people who don’t want to dance are welcome. We are like a big family and really care about everyone who joins. We provide people with an enjoyable break from all the hard work.”
Jake Bosley, secretary of the DJ Society, said: “DJ culture at DMU has really kicked off. It’s great to have like-minded individuals who are into their electronic music coming together, having a good time and learning new skills.”
Azhar Iqbal has set up a FIFA 16 society in which members come together to play one of the world’s best-selling console games.
He said: “There’s a great atmosphere on campus and we’ve signed-up loads of members. FIFA is the biggest craze in the world. S many people play it so I thought we should bring everyone together.
“We’ve found another FIFA 16 society in Warwick so we are planning to play them in a Varsity Match and kick their ass!
“We’re also looking to do something different and organise seminars with top FIFA players from YouTube.”
Nicolle Payne, co-chair of the LGBT Society, said there had been a fantastic reception from freshers.
The second year journalism student added: “It has been cosmic, and the whole event has been as colourful as our rainbow flag.”
Matt Smith, of DMU Music Society, said: “The atmosphere on campus is incredible. It’s great to hear all about the instruments people play and the passion they have for music. There’s a really nice vibe.”
Last month several sports teams benefited from bursaries totalling thousands of pounds, to help make this year one of their most successful ever.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard organised the bursaries, which are in addition to funding from De Montfort Students' Union (DSU), as part of DMU’s continued commitment to ensuring sport plays an important role in student life.
Posted on Friday 2 October 2015