Oh, how I wish November had such a clear-cut theme as October.

But it doesn’t, so:

Happy November everybody! I hope you had a wonderful Spooky Season and did things like attending a Halloween party, eating way too many sweets that you did not give out to trick-or-treaters, visiting a pumpkin patch, or scary maze walk, or that Thorpe Park Spooky Night that everyone talks about going to each year and then never actually going to. I, personally, decorated ginger bread men (spookily) and watched the Academy Award-nominated Monster House with my friends, and then threw a party for the sake of throwing a party, while wearing a skeleton t-shirt that apparently “doesn’t count as a costume, Bethany”.

But all that’s behind us now. We’re into November.

Ah, November.

Deriving from the Latin word for “nine”, as the Romans only had a ten-month calendar and November was the ninth on the list. Although, when I was young, I was told that it came at the end of the year because the months all got together to discuss whatever it is months talk about at their annual meetings, and November was in such a stroppy mood that the rest of the months placed him at the end as a punishment.

But I digress.

This month has two events running that you might know about. One is Movember: a global campaign to raise awareness for men’s health, from suicide prevention to prostate cancer. There’s still time to pledge to growing a moustache, traversing 60km or hosting a men’s event this month – so do get involved if you can!

The other theme is that November is World Vegan Month. Now, we’re probably going to spend more time on this in January – lovingly rebranded as Veganuary by someone who surely was unaware that there was already a Vegan-dedicated month – but World Vegan Month is hosted by The Vegan Society, who will be using the month to focus on their animal campaign, Future Normal.

If you’re interested, other national days coming up are Stress Awareness Day (4/11) (go treat yourself! Have a spa day!), Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night (5/11) (go burn something legally and safely with your friends!), World Toilet Day (19/11) (hilariously named but actually a super interesting and serious topic about the 3.6 billion people currently living with safe and hygienic toilet access) and National Anti-Bullying Week (15/11 – 21/11) (in which we do not bully, which is something we should be doing during the other 51 weeks of the year, too).

As for what’s happening on campus this month:

• DAILY, 3pm: Tea @ 3; Chapel or chaplaincy centre
• Tuesdays, 5 – 7pm: Chooseday Chill – student wellbeing drop-in; Augustine House
• Wednesdays, 4:30 – 6pm: Creative Connections – student wellbeing craft events; Augustine House AH3.21
• Wednesdays, 12 – 4pm: Potter and Prune – taking place between Johnson Wellbeing Garden, the Moore hops gardens and the Dragon Building on Becket Lawn; check the @cccusustainability Instagram for updates
• Wednesdays, from 2pm: Dragon Building on Becket Lawn; Becket Lawn
• Fridays, 1 – 3pm: Lego Connect – student wellbeing activity; Chapel
• Wednesday 2 November, 2 – 4pm: Tips for Anxiety and Sleep – student wellbeing workshop; Laud Lg39
• Thursday 10 November, 10 – 11am: Carbon Literacy Taster Session; Moore Mg19
• Thursday 10 November, 2 – 4pm: Managing Assignment and Exam Stress – student wellbeing workshop; Laud Lg39
• Thursday 10 November, 6 – 7:30pm: BH365: African and Caribbean People in Britain, A History, with Prof. Hakim Adi – open lecture; Augustine House (free, booking required)
• Wednesday 16 November, 2 – 4pm: Mindfulness Workshop – student wellbeing workshop; Laud Lg39
• Thursday 24 November, 1 – 4pm: Refillable Van – selling dried goods and refilling containers of household items; Verena Holmes Plaza

You can access the full Us in The World events programme here for anything I might’ve missed, or you can see events as we advertise them on our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Have a happy and safe November, and we hope to see you at some of our events this month!

By Bethany Climpson, Sustainability Engagement Assistant