The Youth of Today

(written for publication in the prestigious journal that is the EMS newsletter)

I’m sitting in the student union computing centre, waiting slightly anxiously as 5.30 comes nearer. I’ve never done anything of the sort before, but fortunately I do have some idea of what to expect, I have after all watched people conduct interviews in the past. My task is simple really, to go along to Tuesday stage band, locate a couple of first-year victims, and to get a whole first-year perspective on the entity we know and love as the Engineering Music Society. It is a bit odd really, searching for this supposedly foreign ‘first-year perspective’ when I am of course a first-year myself, but I don’t doubt that it will be an illuminating experience nonetheless. Now, back to working out what I’m going to ask. This could be the start of the career in journalism that I never realised I wanted to have. I still don’t think want one, but just in case, I don’t want to screw this up.

I arrive at the office, right as everyone is flurrying about getting all the stuff up to room D207 before the start of the rehearsal, it’s a bit difficult to fit any sort of interview in with these activities going on around me, but I find someone. She goes by the name of Anne Moffat, a first-year science student, and saxophonist/flautist for the two stage bands. We find a spot on the tables, I get out my computer, I struggle to open the right file from its virus-addled hard-drive, but eventually we begin.

Anne’s EMS experience began through a school connection, Lara Hueston – our current Thursday stage band manager – and her attended the same high school, and it was through Lara’s encouragement that Anne found herself coming along to rehearsals and rather enjoying them. Although she believes that they could always be better, for example the introduction of real coke instead of no-brand cola at the break would improve things no end. Of course the serious stuff like getting the Bari Sax fixed would help a little too. Anne enjoys the social aspect of the EMS, Beer and Freddos being a very delightful event. Unfortunately Anne has not been able to join us on any camps as yet, with other commitments getting in the way, but hopefully heading into next year she will be able to truly appreciate the unique experience that is an EMS camp.

Thursday now, and it’s interview number two time. Having rehearsed our way through to break time, I whip out the computer amidst the general hubbub of lively snacktime conversation, and get started with Jack Scanlan - Thursday’s trumpet 1. Jack is also studying science, heading towards a major in the field of genetics. Jack happened upon the EMS at the O-week stall, and searching as he was, for a band to play with, he thought “This seems like just the thing!” and signed himself up on the spot.

Jack has had enjoyable year with us, making it along to the first camp, and experience that was “surprising”. I cannot agree more, just a few weeks into uni, the camp really did open my eyes to a whole other side of the EMS. With regards to the hot topic in the EMS, namely the naming of the stage bands for the gig, Jack finds it scandalous that it looks like “Jazz on Your Face” and “Convicted Sax Offenders” are unlikely to avoid ruthless censorship from the undemocratic regime that currently governs the EMS. Reflecting on the year, he struggles to put to words just in what way the EMS is so awesome, but is quick to agree to my suggestion of “general likeability of indeterminate specificity”.

These are the tales of but two of our legions of first-years, unfortunately I was lacking the time to converse with more of them, due to the strict deadline in the publishing world of EMS newsletters. But I’m sure they all have wonderful things to say, so whenever you get the chance just go and have a chat to some of them, make them feel welcome, for they are indeed the future of the EMS.