Busy, unforgettable, and successful. Three words that sum up my first year as the Welsh Culture Officer and UMCA President. Several people warned as I started the job in July 2023 that time would fly, and here I am in June reminiscing about the year. From the ‘Where’s the Welsh Campaign’ in the NUS UK conference, to organising UMCA 50, by virtue of the job I’ve had amazing experiences, and it would be impossible for me to mention each one in this article, so I’m going to try and summarise it as three highlights that stand out to me.
For me, without a doubt, the Intercollege Eisteddfod in March in Swansea was one of the major highpoints. The standard of competition on the stage was exceptionally high, and UMCA’s home work paid off by taking four of the six main prizes; the Crown, the Chair, the Art Medal and the Science Medal. To top it all off, UMCA managed to win the Intercollege Eisteddfod shield for the first time since 2015! Very timely given that the next Eisteddfod will be in Aberystwyth March 2025.
Another highpoint for me was introducing a policy to the SU AGM to change the name of the Union to a Welsh only name. It had been one of my ambitions since I started in the role, with the intention of breaking the sigma that UMCA is the Welsh Union, and that the rest of the Union is the English Union. We as a Students’ Union take pride in our Welsh nature, and what better way to reflect that than taking a Welsh name.
Finally, celebrating UMCA’s 50th birthday was definitely an unforgettable experience for me as President. The celebration on the 15th of June included lunch for ex-presidents in the Llew Du, guided tours of Pantycelyn, a Q&A session with ex-presidents such as Dyfrig Berry, Aled Siôn, Emyr-Wyn Francis, Meilyr Emrys, a Mared Ifan, and the to conclude the UMCA 50 Festival, there was a performance of bands connected to UMCA, such as Mynediad am Ddim ( who were also marking 50 years), Dros Dro, Cyn Cwsg, and Mei Emrys.
I can’t wait for another successful year with UMCA, and hope to take the Intercollege shield home for a second time running given it’ll be in Aberystwyth.