An Interview with the King of Events: Leon O’Rourke

Meet the man behind your night to remember!

| UPDATED

Leon O’Rourke, the DoES (Directer of Events and Services), aka the head of your nights in the Union, gives us an insight into his favourite parts of the first week of the rest of your lives.  Prepare your livers, ready your party pants, and let Leon get you geared up for what promises to be a spectacular Freshers’ Week 2k14!

Hi Leon!  What are your favourite events this coming Freshers’ week, and what should we keep an eye out for?

Well obviously I’m really excited for all the events, but as a comedy fanatic and stand-up comedian, I am especially excited for Jon Richardson – which was a bit of a coup for us. Other than that, I would have to recommend Afishal as a must-see! It’s part of the Golden Ticket, so I’m hoping as many people as possible can go see him. What he does is absolutely amazing. Having seen the show once before and knowing what he can do, I am genuinely excited to see it again.

How was it planning Freshers’ week? You’ve got some amazing acts this year, how do you do it?!

It’s been pretty much non-stop since I took over from Dan [Palmer, last year’s DoES]. The first week was a really good one where I tied down all the acts very quickly and had a pretty good idea of what was happening. As to how did I do it, I really don’t know – I think it’s a mix of being absurdly lucky and just a little too chatty.

How do you think the development of the Union will affect this year’s FW?

I think this Freshers’ Week is potentially the best time to be a Fresher! The fact that we now have a new Main Bar and Sandy’s bar to add to our massive Venue means that so much is possible, and we can cater to more and more students. The only thing we are missing is the Venue 2 space, which will later this semester become The Beacon Bar and offer cocktails and some slightly more sophisticated options. So there you go, the best Freshers’ ever… hopefully.

What are your plans for after FW?

Well that’s the big question isn’t it? After Freshers’ it’s important to prove to the students that we still offer amazing value and top quality nights out throughout the year. I’m working hard to make Semester 1 action-packed with plenty of events. I’ve subtly rebranded our Friday night, I’m bringing in an external promoter for Saturdays (so watch this space for that), and I’m introducing a number of recurring events like open mics, karaoke, pub quizzes and encouraging more and more sports nights. Alongside all of this, I really want to look into offering something different in terms of the drinks on offer – so look out for fish bowls and pitchers and who knows what other wacky concoctions.

And lastly, what’s your favourite part of the entire Freshers’ Week experience? Any funny stories from when you were a fresher?

My favourite part of Freshers’ was simply – and I know this is just ridiculously cheesy and I’m ashamed to say it – meeting new people. My Freshers’ Week was just a chance to have a good time and see how much better uni was than high school, as well as realise I’d made the right choice in coming to St Andrews. I wish I could remember the nights out during my Freshers’ Week to tell you the funny stories… though I bet the staff remember me, so I might need to ask them. Drink responsibly kids!

Thanks for chatting with us Leon!  We can’t wait to see how this year’s Freshers’ Week goes!