Douglas Adams Society
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The Douglas Adams Society, or DougSoc for short, is the name given to a student society formed at various British universities to honour the spirit engendered in Douglas Adams' works. Notable DougSocs exist, or have existed, at Oxford, York and Exeter universities[1][2].
While Adams is known to have disapproved of the establishment of societies in his name (he allegedly referred in conversation to the Oxford University DougSoc as "a bunch of wankers"[3]), in reality the activities of such groups focus very little on the author, and more on getting drunk, writing and performing revues, role playing pub crawls, and other somewhat creative activities[4].
[edit] Oxford DougSoc
The original Douglas Adams Society was founded at Oxford University in 1990, and continued as a university institution until 2000. While the early termly programmes tended to focus on Adams and his works, as the society grew the focus shifted towards more generalised social activities themed around science fiction and comedy[5].
Nevertheless, the Oxford DougSoc maintained a popular image as a specifically Adams-themed society, finding this particularly useful in recruitment of new members. The society became well-known for its presence at Freshers' Fair, where members would typically wear dressing gowns and hand out teabags. Freshers' recruitment events invariably involved home-mixed pan-galactic gargle blasters and two different types of cheese. At its height, the Oxford society boasted some 50 members and enjoyed considerable notoriety among the Oxford student community.
As well as more traditional posts, the DougSoc committee included a Society Poet and a Small Furry Creatures Rep.
Typical DougSoc activities included:
- Vogon Poetry evenings;
- Role-playing pub crawls[6];
- Childhood regression parties;
- Bonfire night celebrations;
- Sketch comedy evenings;
- Findy Things Evenings;
- Fancy dress parties;
- Video evenings (generally oriented around science fiction or comedy);
- Formal dinners.
A termly magazine, Zarking Fardwarks (named after an oath used by Ford Prefect in Life, the Universe and Everything), was published consisting of members' creative writing[7]. Members also formed a successful sketch comedy troupe known as Cruel and Unusual Punishment, later Square Pegs, which performed revues in Oxford and on the Edinburgh Fringe.
Alumni of Oxford DougSoc went on to found the York and Exeter branches of the society. In 2000, the Oxford DougSoc disbanded, to be replaced by a more nebulous network of individuals known as [niddle][8].
[edit] References
- ^ York University DougSoc homepage.
- ^ Archived pages of the now-disbanded Oxford University Douglas Adams Society at the Internet Archive.
- ^ Alleged personal conversation [June 1995] with the original Oxford cast of Dirk, supposedly relayed to members of the Oxford DougSoc by parties of dubious reliability during a period of inebriation for all concerned.
- ^ Current programme of events for York DougSoc.
- ^ Archived termcards from the Oxford DougSoc.
- ^ The Oxford DougSoc role-playing pub crawls.
- ^ Archived issues of Zarking Fardwarks.
- ^ The [niddle] website
