But I guess we shouldn't complain, we've had it so good for the last few weeks!  Are we heading for some early April showers?  It seems pretty likely. 

But at least it means that I'm not encouraged to go out into the sunshine and enjoy myself!  With less than two weeks to go before my final year project is due in, I could do with staying locked in my room, chained to my desk!  So that means it's just 2 weeks to go until the end of term!  It's pretty weird having Easter so early - it feels like we've only just come back and now we're getting ready for the off again!

But there's still plenty to do before chocolate time comes:  Tomorrow sees the 3rd year of the People and Planet Fairtrade Fashion show, and this year, it's FREE!!!  There's going to be loads of entertainment going on throughout the night, with the Breakdance Society, Street Salsa and Dance Club showing us what they do best.  The cheerleaders and boxing clubs will be strutting their stuff on the catwalk and the Nu-Music Society will be playing an extra special set for the after-party!  So get yourselves along to the Union for 7pm tomorrow and make sure you bring all your mates along!!

So I was up pretty early yesterday - and in the Union by 9am, setting up for Refreshers'!  Once I'd got my society's stall set up, it was a question of getting the Union's publicity boards assembled with Elle.  And boy, are they a nightmare!  I've been told that they cost a rather large amount of money, a sum that you could quite easily go out and buy a reasonable car with, and so on the basis of that, you'd think that they'd go together quite well!  But no, I was wrong - I'd put up the smaller ones before, with relative ease, but the large one that you'd have seen at the right of the stage is one that I won't be volunteering to help put up again in a hurry!!

Anywho, after some re-jigging of tables and a few extension leads later, I went off to my seminar to go and learn about 'Management Futures'.  And I was very happy to learn that my seminar tutor is our lecturer for the unit, and she's extremely knowledgeable on the subject, which always helps!  After that hour, it was a jog (okay, I didn't jog, it was a walk) back to the Union and saw our fantastic new Wall Art Society (of the University of Portsmouth - WASUP) having a few problems with finding something that they could show off their talent with.  So I went and dropped my bag off up in Lux and went out to the yard to raid the bins (ooh the things I have do for this Union!); the society seemed to be pretty happy with my liberation, so I went back upstairs to join the rest of the societies.

Steph and Simon on the 101 Things Stall had been busy making plenty of balloon models, and in the short hour I'd been gone, lux was packed, with said balloon models being found all over the club!  One of my first stops was at the Islamic Society's stall, where I was plied with toffee eclairs (yum) and told about all the things that have been organised for Islamic Awareness Week, including talks by converts to the faith, the purpose of life, and the history and science of Islam.  It looks to be a packed week for them all, and I hope that some of you can find some time to go and have a listen - details of all the events happening can be found on isop.co.uk

Just a few stalls down, Devinder Singh, of the Sikh society was finishing setting up their projecter and next to him, Nick of the Student Respect Society was inviting all students along to a Stop the War Demonstration, which, if you want to take part in, will be taking place tomorrow (Friday 15th Feb), starting out the front of Eldon Building at midday - bring banners and placards!

Opposite all that business, Harri at the Feminist Society was promoting a discussion that will be held in the Union next Monday (18th February) at 4pm: Is sexy always sexist?  As with all these events, all are welcome, so get yourself along there and discover for yourself what the answer to this question is!  Harri is also our Womens' Officer on the Ethics, Equality and Diversity Committee and is part of the International Women's Day Committee, who have organised a rally on Saturday 8th March in Guildhall Square at 1.30pm, with speakers talking about Equal Pay and Abortion Rights, amongst others.

Round the corner from them, we had the Gaming Society, who are organising a 96 player gaming day and further up the stalls, Sean Baker at our all new Politics Society was giving away free cake and taking new sign-ups for "A relaxed, informal umbrella society that promotes free thinking political discussion amongst the student body and the wider University community".  Check out their group on facebook.

And then back round to the other side, where the Campaign Coalition were starting to build the wall of debt - a collage of photos of individual students and how much debt they are in due to the rising top-up fees of Universities.  And next to the Campaign Coalition were the Socialist Students, who championed the recent lobbying of John Denham...

Okay, well not really, but I've made it onto TV twice this week - how's about that eh?!

My debut was on Wednesday, on ITV's Meridian News, where I was interviewed on Tuesday night before the Sleep-out in Ravelin Park.  This was to raise awareness for the homeless sleeping rough in Portsmouth, and raising money for the charity Central Point, who provide advice and support for them.   We've probably all seen them around, but take differing views on their presence: some will say a quick hello, or good morning (I think these may be few and far between), while others choose to pass them by and ignore their very being.  It was really interesting to talk to those that had been homeless and had managed to get themselves off the street - for many this meant overcoming a drug addiction; one of the guys admitted that his income for his habit came from selling the Big Issue:  I reflected on all the times that I'd bought a copy and wandered whether I had inadvertently been feeding someones addiction?  I've since decided that I'm not going to let this stop me buying it, as it's a bloody good read!

A number of years ago, I befriended a homeless couple, who once invited me spend the night with with them in their mocked-up tipi in Shalford Park in Guildford.  It was really interesting to see how they'd adapted to living there, and I had a good nights sleep on a bed fashioned out of a couple of wooden pallettes found nearby and plenty of blankets given to them by their local homeless shelter - but this was in the middle of summer; they said it was certainly a bit different and not nearly so cosy in winter.  And I discovered this myself on Tuesday: With the rain lashing down and the wind ripping the tarpaulin in the middle of the night, I managed to get about 2 hours sleep:  Something I don't want to be doing again in a hurry.  But we're the lucky ones:  We have a choice.  So next time you're walking along and see a homeless person ahead of you; at least give them the courtesy of acknowledging they're there.

My second TV appearance came today, on BBC South Today, which, although I knew was being filmed, I didn't expect to be seeing only a couple of hours later while sitting in the very packed Union between the afternoons Rugby games.  This time, was only a minor screen appearance in the crowd of students from Portsmouth, Southampton and Oxford gathered in Bitterne to lobby John Denham on top-up fees, while Elle Gray and Alex Kimber shone in their interviews.  Alex had the opportunity to speak directly to Denham, who evaded our student's questions on the subject of fees.  During the demonstration, Ben Norman was in his element, with his hard-hitting speech on the state of today's education, as was Adam Sunman with the rallying cry of 'Don't Spend the money on Occupation, Spend it on Education!'.  As Denham walked off much to our disappointment, we continued our protest, then gathered for a meeting, chaired by Toby, a Socialist Student from Oxford University.  We really hope now that Denham will take on board what we presented as a real argument against rising fees - but believe us: This isn't the last he's heard from us!!!

Thanks goes out to all those that signed the petitions for free education - well done for letting Mr Denham know what he can do with his top-up fees!! (by the way; the answer's GET RID OF THEM!)