It is almost already two weeks and no one has apologised about the badly organized trip to Highlands!
Many people had been waiting for it, especially because you had said it to be the best way to celebrate the end of term.
First of all, the info about ticket sales came really late and maybe not everyone could manage to get him/herself a ticket. And this was only informed in the mailing list, it wasnīt updated in the webpage.
On Saturday morning people were waiting in front of the maingate but nothing happened. Finally after 25 minutes someone started to check people in to the busses. During the trip no one seemed to know where we were going, what time we would be back etc. During stops only a few words were said.
I donīt think anybody wanted to pay Ģ45 for just sitting in the bus getting nothing for their money. For example stopping at Loch Ness exhibition the organizers just went out and people didnīt know if they should follow or stay in the bus, could they go to the toilet etc. It would also have been nice that somebody told the paying customers in advance that there will be a chance to go on a boat trip but it is not included in the trip price. It would be good to give some more specific info about the trip in advance so people could prepare.
I donīt know if it was clear to everyone, but I heard this accidentally as a few organizers were talking, that the few people that had cancelled the trip in the last minute were the original organizers and that this trip wasnīt even really organized. Itīs great that somebody started to lead the trip in such short notice, but they could have even tried to do their best and then be angry to the failing people afterwards, now we had to suffer and it wasnīt worth the Ģ45.
Why couldnīt the people admit in the beginning in the busses that the original organizers cancelled their trip and that the people in charge now try to do their best and wish for understanding. Now nobody really knew what was happening and whom to complain about it.
The ceilidh and staying overnight in the castle were great, those kind of saved the trip. But again a really weird thing was, that there was the international society from Edinburgh too, which I think is a great idea, but nobody told about this! I thought they were all from Glasgow or just some random people...
So Iīm really looking forward to getting some explanations why this happened. And I know Iīm not the only one, at least half of the bus were really pissed off with the situation. Luckily we had our great friends with us, but otherwise the trip was a disaster.
I assume people are arranging these things volunteerly so if they feel they have no time then they shouldnīt do that! Itīs not enough to have a great idea if you donīt finish it properly!
If you are able, I'd like to meet with you to get your thoughts in person, you can email me on isocpresident@gla.ac.uk, or if you're busy (as I know everyone is just now), please email me with anything else.
We've all been working really hard to have a good year for the international society and to provide as much as we can, so much has went well, and it really hurts when something doesn't go as planned. We've had a committee meeting to go over this already and went through changes we could make to trips.
We're looking to include volunteer places on trips, so there will be certain number of discounted tickets for members who want to get more involved. Eg, if the price was Ģ45, the ticket might be Ģ20 and this person would help with some of the organising. We'd hope that people can become involved and make the trip their own.
We're working hard on the annual ball just now, so if there is anyone out there who wants to get more involved and help us improve things, just let us know, and we can provide discounts for people who help us out.
I think I agree with most of the complaints of the first post. The trip to Highlands wasn't so organised and we were definitely lacking of information about what was going on (quiting organisers, general program, next direction,...). The slip up in the trip would have been much better understood if we had known since the beginning that some oraganisers were missing and that the Isoc members present were just doing their best in such difficult circumstances.
Anyway I arrived in Glasgow in January and these troubles are the only bad point about the Isoc. It shouldn't eclipsed that for all the rest, (Arran trip, pub nights, movie nights, global village, parties,...) Isoc has just done a great job. Such an organisation is very demanding and require a huge work but it has been carried out very well. Even tough it's volunteering and the members also have a full-time student or professional activity. Organising activities is complex and something can always go wrong. If I had to choose between, on the one hand,having loads of good events and one bad or on the other hand no event at all because all the prospective volunteers would be afraid to fail in organising it, I would definitely choose the first option.
You activities are clearly the best way to meet and get along with other students when a stranger arrive in a city and a university where he knows no one. You're definitely bringing an invaluable asset to any exhange or international program here in Glasgow. I hope you'll go along for next years visiting students.
So thanks a lot for this and see you at the ball !
