So, for the DPFS February is without a doubt the busiest time of the year. Annual Budgeting for clubs and societies has started and all the projects put on the back burner in the first term need pushing forward if they’re ever going to get done. All in all this would usually make for a pretty stressful and un-fun four weeks. However, there are a few reasons why I love February. February is when the Union really kicks into overdrive. Literally everything happens in 28 short days.

We’re already drawing to the end of RAG week and this weekend is one of my favourite events – Picocon which is organized by Sci-Fi. However, what I’m really happy about is the amount of music and art going on this month. Last night I was lucky enough to find an extra hour out of fiddling with a budgeting spreadsheet to wander round the corner to the Reynolds bar where, with a lot of help from ICSMSU Music, our union commercial services team launched the first round of Battle of the Bands.

It’s great to see more music at our venues and it’s one of the things I really wanted to push for this year so I’m really proud that we’re running the event. The first round had 3 bands performing out of just over a dozen so there are lots of chances to come along and see some great student music still coming up, not to mention the final.  You can find out when and where it’s all happening on the union website or find next week's heat on Facebook

I could only stick around for an hour before having to head back to work but I was really impressed by round winners ‘Wolf Cellar’ who I’d not heard before… though personally, having seen them at MingleLite this year I find Filthy Strings to be really entertaining and an honourable mention should go to the third participant just for their name – Diarrhea Straights. The overall winners will be given £500 and the opportunity to play at the Summer Ball too which I’m getting more and more excited about as we’ve started booking some of our lineup for the night… watch out for the announcement, I hope you’ll all be excited.

Its not like that’s all either! On Monday ArtsFest descends on the college. After being quite involved in organizing and setting up the week last year I’m so eager to see what they’ve done this year. From what I’ve heard I think it’s definitely going to be bigger and better than before! It all kicks off at Midday Monday on the Queen’s Lawn where IC Big Band are going to be livening the place up from the balcony of the queens tower and from then on there is something every lunchtime and evening and lots of times in between: From Juggling on Dalby Court (Wednesday Lunch) to A Cappella and MTSocs ‘Very Vocal Evening’ in the Union Concert hall (Wednesday Night). Check out the full listing and all the other info on their Facebook page

Image Credit to Matthew Murchie

Enjoy all that the rest of this moth brings!

Alex