Warwick - Where the 2nd 'W' is Silent.doc

Induction Week.
First, a lesson in vocabulary:
induction - n. a formal entry into an organization or position or office.
frosh week - the week before classes at North American universities when fresh(people) participate in orientation.
freshers week - the week before classes at British universities when fresh(people) participate in orientation.

You may have thought that my induction week would include a variety of awkward events that included peat moss and shaving cream (or as one friend asked, 'do they still tar and feather?') but induction week was a formal series of lectures, group work, and seminars organized by the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. As I included in the post on Wednesday, these took place between the three sites that make up the program. In addition to learning a whole lot about spectatorship, censorship, and performance space, the afternoon sessions were devoted to group work. Now, those of you who studied business (which is a minority reading this blog!) would be use to group work, but those of us in humanities are quite content to sit in front of our laptops and plunk out our thoughts.

The group's task was to take the keywords we had brought to the conference and challenge, reinterpret, and link the words in associational networks on the program blog (Yes, I'm doing double blog duty!) After getting over the initial struggle of three people sitting down and trying to craft sentences and paragraphs together (is there anything more difficult?) we were able to to agree upon some really interesting challenges about works like multicultural, ethnicity, and cosmopolitanism. The term I brought to this week, 'E-dentity', proved to be a catalyst for a lot of really interesting discussion about online, digital, and virtual performance as one of the more pressing issues facing Performance Studies. Four of the nine groups used the term in their associational network. It may prove to be the initial inspiration for the thesis I'll have to write later down the line. It's ironic that I haphazardly decided upon the keyword, while in the midst of moving my life, and it may demand a major focus in the coming months. The induction week ended this Friday afternoon, after each student gave a presentation over video conferencing, and was celebrated with champagne and a lunch spread. It was actually quite an exciting launch to the new program: students and faculty in the UK, Finland, and Holland toasted champagne 'telematically', over video conferencing, and thus we are underway.

Aside from school, which has taken up the bulk of my energy, I've been running all the necessary errands with International studies - setting up a bank account, considering whether or not to get a cellular tellular for t-bomb access, and getting my THIRD university student card. I've meet a really diverse group of really cool people from a variety of countries - Russia, Turkey, Georgia, Australia, Singapore and many others - as part of the International Orientation. It certainly is a different feeling to be experiencing the first year of a program from the double perspective of an International but also as a Postgrad. Not only do the 'fresher' students who've arrived this weekend look terribly young to be thrust on their own in this adult environment, but the look of stomach-churning fear is painted all over their face. As much as I feel more reserved and a little more isolated as an upper year student, I am happy to be settling into living on campus with the wisdom and experience gained with four years in Kingston.

Last night, I hung out with the Canadian girl I met named Andrea. We ventured into the campus hub to check out the final night of the International Orientation which was aptly named 'The Heat'. The bar was extremely similar to Alfies, in that it's in the lower level of the Student Union, however, did not feature the plush couches and very sociable TAPS staff. Andrea and I decided to break free of our North American tendencies and join with the Internationals in embracing a lot of horrid house music which seems to be big over here. We both agreed that it was a bit ironic to be socializing with a fellow Canadian during Internationals week, but the comfortability allowed us meet a lot of people. I already had to save her from the very forward advances of a Warwick Freen. Pints of beer are quite cheap over here which will make for a very sociable year I am sure (Meet you at the QP at midnight?!) I paid 1.90 for a Carlsberg pint which is just less than four Canadian dollars - but the icing on the cake, which I am sure you can guess, is that I don't have to leave any money on the bar. It's an odd feeling to not acknowledge service, after having been tipped for three years as a waiter, but one that I'll gladly embrace over here.

The task for the weekend has been to catch up now that the induction has ended. I already have a stack of readings for class on Monday, which will get some attention tomorrow afternoon, but in the meantime I am content to let everyone know what I'm up to over here. Apologies that the last few days have been a bit boring but socializing was eaten up by school and napping. Please do check out the TWO FOR ONE Saturday post below about our trip to Birmingham. For those who are interested, here is my address over here in the UK:

Keith Bennie
Hb1195
Heronbank
University of Warwick
Coventry
CV4 7AL

Uni Email: K.T.Bennie@warwick.ac.uk

No cell phone yet, but I'll make a decision about that in the coming days.

Doc's Prescription for the Day: Have you SKYPE'd recently? You've heard it mentioned in the blog and for those of you afraid of technology, setup and log on is a breeze. Skype is the prescription for any potential sadness at the loss of my Canadian presence. Once you're set up, search for me. It's easy. Go now...this means you Emma. And Meg, when are you on?!
Love to Canada.