bathimpact vol 12 issue 2

Rural fashion Opinion, page 4

Climbing Kili

Preview-tastic

Features Page 8

Entertainment page 20

bathimpact The University of Bath Students’ Union newspaper Monday 18th October 2010

www.bathimpact.com

Micol Artom

Volume 12 Issue 2

In this week’s bathimpact Student results

survey

The University of Bath has dropped another percentile this year, with average levels of student satisfaction currently standing at 86%, down from 88% and 87% from the 2008 and 2009 surveys respectively. Results were released in August See page 3 for more information on the survey and Bath’s results

Students waiting expectantly for a bus: see page 3 for a full article on your transport troubles

Bath students unite against funding cuts Gina Reay Editor-in-Chief editor@bathimpact.com

S

tudents all around the country are rising up to campaign for the future of universities, fighting against decreases in funding that will have drastic effects on every single Higher Education (HE) student, now and for years to come.

In recent years, students have found little to campaign about. Considering the huge marches over previous decades, we have done almost nothing.

Now, however, we must change that. 10 million votes were cast for candidates who signed the ‘Vote For Students’ pledge, promising to oppose a rise in fees. 150 MPs who signed the pledge were elected. Many of these elected were the Liberal Democrats, who were committed to abolishing fees as a key part of their manifesto. Bath MP, Don Foster, signed the pledge. Nick Clegg, leader of the Lib Dems, is asking his party to abstain from the vote, which

will hand the result to the Conservatives. 21 percent of the population in Bath are students – without our support, Don Foster may never have been elected, and he is threatening to betray us. Across the country, students should be – and are – outraged at the suggestion that funding should be cut.

Recent government announcements have suggested that a 38 percent cut is imminent; such a drastic reduction in HE funding will affect not only future students, but also those currently at university, as staffing cuts are likely to happen this year. Alongside university students, anyone in any area of HE will be affected - including apprenticeships and many other alternatives to university.

Nearly 60 percent of HE spending is on staff. If the cuts go ahead, this is where the axe will fall. Lecturers and tutors will lose their jobs; quality of teaching will fall, and you will be paying more for your studies, while what you receive for your money gets stead-

ily less and less.

Reducing HE funding is not the way to reduce the country’s budget deficit, nor will it help us leave the recession behind. We are the only country in the world that has not ring-fenced spending on HE - every other country has, and understands that the way to improve struggling economies is to get more graduates into work - not to cut funding, and reduce standards, which will only lead to fewer students thinking it is worth the cost to go to university. Many believe that anyone with the ability and the drive to attend university should be able to do so, no matter where they were born, how much money their families earn, if they choose to go, they should receive the high standard of education that has always been a key part of British universities.

If you have any interest at all in your future at university, in the standard of education you and thousands of students all around the country receive, you must stand alongside other stu-

dents in this country to protest. Last time we fought against tuition fees, we lost by just five votes. This time, we cannot afford to lose. On Wednesday 10th November, the National Union of Students will march in London. We will be joined by teaching unions and students from every HE & Further Education institution in Britain. We need to make sure that this is a day that will go down in history as the day that, once again, students rose up to change the political course of this country, holding politicians to their word and fighting for change.

Bath University is joining up with Bath Spa and Bath City College to attend the demonstration. Buses will be provided free of charge and hundreds of students have already signed up (if you haven’t yet, log onto bathstudent. com/fundourfuture). Don’t let the people you voted for betray you – stand up and be counted. Join the campaign to fund our future, and the future of every student in the country.

Fancy a cuppa?

Hannah Raymont discovers the wonderful world of unpaid work in Features this issue. Do unpaid internships undermine and exclude new talent? Read more to find out what our Deputy Editor thinks.

See page 9 for this Features piece and many more

News team assemble!

Will Ferrell fans should enjoy Jack Penrose’s review of The Other Guys in Entertainment this issue.

I love lamp.

See page 24 to read this review and all the other treats Ents has in store

Flying high in the sky Joe Dibben reviews his experience with the University of Bath Gliding Club in Sports this week.

To read our gliding review flick to page 27 and don’t miss out the rest of our packed Sports section

Monday 18th October 2010

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News bathimpact Editor Gina Reay editor@bathimpact.com

Deputy Editor Hannah Raymont deputy@bathimpact.com News Katie Rocker news@bathimpact.com Opinion David James opinion@bathimpact.com Features Rebecca Stagg features@bathimpact.com Entertainments Rowan Emslie ents@bathimpact.com Science Professor Science science@bathimpact.com International Julia Lipowiecka international@bathimpact.com Sport Vacant sport@bathimpact.com Publicity Officer Julia Lipowiecka publicity@bathimpact.com Treasurer Rebecca Stagg treasurer@bathimpact.com Chief Sub-Editor Vacant subeditor@bathimpact.com Advertising Enquires Helen Freeman H.Freeman@bath.ac.uk 01225 386806 VP Communications James Huelin SUcommunications@bath.ac.uk 01225 386679

bathimpact Students’ Union University of Bath Bath BA2 7AY 01225 38 6151 01225 44 4061

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o f

B a t h

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The opinions expressed in bathimpact are not necessarily those of the bathimpact editors nor of the University of Bath Students’ Union.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is correct and accurate at the time of going to print, the publisher cannot accept any liability for information which is later altered or incorrect. bathimpact as a publication adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Conduct.

Please contact them for any information.

University of Bath Students’ Union Printed by Harmsworth Press Ltd.

bathimpact

Massive shake-up of sports facilities A

leaked sports strategy document from the University has several suggestions that are likely to be met with disapproval from students.

The document has still not been finalised, and there are several options being considered. However, it boils down to the fact that the Sports Department - the department that runs the STV - is planning to charge approximately £100 for students to use facilities that are currently free, including courts and the pool.

There is a potential discount for gym members - they would only pay an increase of £50, but this would be on top of high gym costs.

It also suggested that for some students - namely those living in University accommodation - the payment would be compulsory, whether they wanted to use the faculties, once a day, once a month or not at all. Alternatively, there was a suggestion that it would be optional but would have to be paid

to use any of the facilities.

The theory is that this change would enable the Sports Department to prioritise student clubs over external groups, which for many clubs would be a welcome change - several groups have been displaced by external group bookings, many only being informed minutes before their session or even having to find permanent new rooms.

Some proportion of the money would also go towards improving the facilities, as well as being compensation for the loss of earnings they will experience by prioritising student groups.

The proposed changes would also include staff and student exclusive use of the facilities between 12 and 2.

Despite not being finalised, it seems inevitable that there are going to be changes - and, as ever, more costs for students simply wanting to use the facilities on a casual basis, rather than as part of a team.

If you have something to

say on the subject, come to the Sports Forum in Elements this Friday (22nd October) at 1pm.

www.bathimpact.com

News in Brief Local residents have voiced frustration at the problem of students parking outside campus and clogging up roads, often parking on double yellow lines. In some cases, roads are so filled with parked cars, it would be impossible for emergency vehicles to get through. In response, the University has promised to crack down on those who flout parking regulations, which in many cases could involve issuing costly tickets. One University Official claimed that the council, who will undertake ticketing, should be treating students like ‘cash cows’.

The footpath between Claverton Downe and Combe Down is a step closer to being made an official cycle path. A fence, put up in recent years by a property developer, will be removed in the next few weeks unless a last minute appeal by the developer goes through. Once this happens, it is possible that permission will be gained for a bridlepath, which will then allow it to be used (officially) as a cycle path as well.

Bath Rag are planning the Edinburgh Hitch, a hitchhike from Bath to Edinburgh for charity. The event will take place on 11th November.

The Browne Repor t Own goal I at Score D See page 17 for more on Bath Rag, and volunteering events

William Wan News Contributor

n a report that has left students feeling betrayed by the people they voted into government, Lord Browne has suggested a replacement for, and possibly even a removal of, the current £3,290 cap on tuition fees.

The Report claims that Universities are under more pressure because self-governance and increased investment opportunities add further ‘emphasis on quality’.

However, allowing universities to charge what they want for courses would increase the risks of competition, including shut downs and take-overs, both of which remain unheard of in the history of British universities. John Denham, the business spokesman of the Labour Party, claims teaching grants will be cut by 80% if the report is passed at the spending review next week. ‘It would effectively end public funding of most courses and it would put the responsibility for paying for higher education on to students alone,’ says Mr Denham.

Under the proposed reform, universities can charge (in theory) any amount they want, but if the amount rises above £6000, they will receive a decreasing proportion of the fees. The ‘writing off’ period of unpaid student debt is extended from 25 years to 30, mean-

ing that for those on low incomes, fees will be a drain for even longer.

There will also be changes to bursaries.

The report claims that “Everyone who has the potential should be able to benefit from higher education.” With higher debts to pay off, those who are already unsure about University – fearing they will struggle to meet the fees demanded

“

Everyone who has the potential should be able to benefit from higher education

”

The Browne Report of them – will surely be put off, and the poorest in our society will lose out.

However, there is a significant improvement for part-time students. “The current system requires part time students to pay upfront.

This puts people off from studying part time and it stops innovation in courses that combine work and study. In our proposal the upfront costs for part time students will be eliminated, so that a wider range of people can access higher education in a way that is convenient for them.”

The benefits described in the Report also include no tuition

fees until graduates earn at least £21,000, better guidance when choosing courses, and the entitlement to flat-rate maintenance loans of £3,750 per year. There is no interest on the money graduates owe; the debt rises in line with inflation.

Vince Cable, the business secretary in the coalition cabinet, endorses the concept. Cable defends The Browne Report by labelling it as ‘fair and progressive’ in comparison to the ‘no longer feasible’ policy in place.

Comments from students and graduates at the Universities of Nottingham, Oxford, and Bath are less supportive. Laurent Selfe, a Postgraduate at the University of Nottingham, describes the change as “a step back for the country when we should be moving forward.”

Ben Cook, an Undergraduate from Oxford University, claims “The Liberal Democrats have sold out on their supposed beliefs, convictions and promises, whilst the Tory government are trying to recreate the elitist forms of hierarchy.”

Bath Graduate Phil Bloomfield shows his disapproval of higher Tuition Fees, saying, “I have £26,000 worth of debt. I think that’s probably enough, you know?” It is a view shared by many students, and the Browne Report has done little to dispel students’ fears.

ozens of students stood in the cold outside Score last Wednesday, waiting in vain to be allowed inside.

Problems with the new layout of Plug and Elements meant that the number of security personnel brought in for the event were not sufficient to allow everyone in safely. Angry students, many inebriated, demanded to be let in, but bouncers attempted to keep them quiet and reasonably well behaved.

Unfortunately, the majority of students turned away had bought their tickets well in advance, and the night was supposed to be a ‘first social’ for many sports clubs.

Fortunately, the issue was resolved in time for Theory on Friday, which went without a hitch.

Due to the problems experienced, tickets for the second Score of the year were sold at a reduced price of £1.50. These sold out in a record time of only 27 hours, and the event proved a hit.

See page 15 for Joe Dibben’s review of the first Theory of the year.

Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact www.bathimpact.com

Chaos on the buses

Y

However, as bathimpact went to press, SU President Daniel O’Toole claimed that “as I have received no complaints today, I think I can assume that at least some people are happier.”

He also said, “There are still creases to iron out but I think students will see a big improvement in the service in the very near future.” This is after several discussions have been held with the bus companies - it has been agreed that the companies will increase their peak time provision.

It is clear that services need to be improved. In the past week, one student at the Abbey bus stop reported that “I’ve been here 25 minutes and six buses have driven by without stopping.”

Students living at the bottom of Bathwick Hill feel they are getting a particularly raw deal. “I accepted to pay a higher rent than people living in other parts of the town, such as Oldfield Park because I thought it would make it easier for me to access the university campus.” She often waits up to an hour to finally catch a bus.

When all students have to pay the

same amount for bus passes, it seems that many are feeling hard done by, as they are losing out on a service that is supposed to be for everyone, and for which they have paid a significant amount.

News

3

for. Alternatively, some may decide to walk - if enough students decide to do this, perhaps the bus companies will change their behaviour, particularly if those students would otherwise have bought ten journey passes.

However, due to the large number of students having bought term passes, the bus companies surely have little incentive to change their ways. They already have their revenue for this semester, and so will not have to attract people to use their service until at least Christmas. At which time, perhaps students should show them exactly how much they depend on us for their profits.

From the Abbey bus stop to the University is about £6 in a taxi - between friends, this drops to little more than the cost of a bus ticket. If the time for your lecture is approaching, perhaps you should give the bus a miss and just grab a taxi.

If you are having problems with the buses, there is an online forum set up for students to report problems. Go to bathstudent.com/buses, and get your views heard.

buses that is proving the most problematic.

9.15 lectures, in particular, have lead to massive queues. The most significant of these is at the Abbey bus stop, but there are also problems at other stops earlier around the route.

Some students have been forced to arrive at bus stops up to an hour before the bus they should be getting, in the hope of avoiding queues and getting to campus on time.

Lions roar goodbye

Student (dis)satisfaction survey

Darius G

ou wait hours for a bus, then three come along at once. They all promptly drive past, leaving you gazing after them and wondering just how late you will be to your lectures today.

This has become a common story for many students over the last fortnight. New bus timetables and new routes have contributed to the chaos, but in many cases it is the sheer number of students wanting to catch

Gina Reay Editor-in-Chief editor@bathimpact.com

L

ast Sunday saw Bath’s farewell to the wonderful lions that were strewn across Bath this summer. 100 lions were exhibited on the Royal Crescent to be previewed before the auction that look place last weekend.

The ‘Lions of Bath’ all have a unique colourful design; each cat is 6 feet long and individually designed as part of a public art project.

The lions are reminiscent of King Bladud’s pigs which were displayed in a similar fashion across Bath in 2008 and proved a huge hit with students!

The pride of lions were displayed together and tourists and lion-enthusiasts were charged £5 for entrance to see the one-time occasion. Collectors were invited to choose which lion they might bid for. There were also a number of attractions and performances put on for spectators, including live music, arts and cuisine demonstrations.

One student onlooker said of the event: ‘It was such a lovely day, the blue sky and incredible music created a great atmosphere and it was so amazing to see the lions all together and compare my favourites.

I won’t be bidding though!”

All proceeds from the Lions auctions will be donated to local charities Off the Record, the Quartet Community Foundation and the Mayor’s Relief Fund for Bath.

Hannah Raymont Deputy Editor deputy@bathimpact.com Dropping another percentile this year, average levels of student satisfaction at the University of Bath currently stand at 86%, down from 88% and 87% from the 2008 and 2009 surveys respectively. The results, released this August, give a picture of the student

but independent institution University of Buckingham again achieved the best results (95% , dropping from their outstanding 2008 result of 96%), and the Oxbridge institutions still hold their high ratings in the 90s.

As far as Bath students are concerned, however, one major issue that rose time and again across all the departments is the lack of feedback

“

I’ve been here 25 minutes and six buses have driven by without stopping

”

One student spoken to said that the chaos with the buses had lead to another change - she has started walking up North Road instead of waiting for a bus. “It takes me about 50 minutes to walk, and at least an hour if I want to take the bus. It’s faster and cheaper, plus it saves me getting a gym membership.”

For many students with early morning lectures, they will have to make a choice - get to the bus stop an hour before their bus is due, or risk getting caught up in queues and having to pay for a bus they don’t have a term pass

of all Biology and Biochemistry reporting back that they were satisfied (56%). Upon speaking to students, it seems that there is a distinct lack of individual feedback in particular.

Coursework has sometimes been returned with few or no comments regarding what was good and what could have been improved, with only a general comment being passed in a

with 85% of Sports Science students and 88% of Physics students reporting positive feedback. However, students from the Electrical and Electronic Engineering department did not follow this trend, with just of three quarters (77%) of them claiming to be satisfied with their course. Despite the damning verdict on assessment feedback, The University has been stead-

lecture following the marked coursework being returned.

The University of Bath’s strong departments continue to shine, however, with 98% of Architecture students satisfied with teaching and 92% of Modern Languages students overall satisfied with their course. In other departments, satisfaction with courses is around the high 80s mark,

ily climbing the NSS’s League Table as data collated by the BBC, The Guardian and The Times Higher Education Supplement has demonstrated. In the latest Univerity League Tables, the University has dropped 4 places (13th from 9th) according to The Guardian’s University Guide but The Sunday Times kept us in their top 10 in 9th place.

As far as Bath students are concerned, one major issue that arose time and time again is the lack of feedback from assessments and examinations experience at higher education institutions throughout the country, with finalists ploughing through the questionnaire each January to give vital feedback to their vice-chancellors.

Over 250,000 respondents evaluated every aspect of university life at their chosen institution, including questions pertaining to quality of teaching, examinations and support available.

Despite the drop, however, our modestly-sized university still punches slightly above Russell Group rivals Bristol (84%), Liverpool (84%) and Leeds (82%), leaving us comfortably above the average of 82%. In light of recent funding cuts, universities warn that student satisfaction levels are likely to slip further. Many institutions witnessed a drop in the amount of students who are overall pleased with the experience that they offer,

Centre of excellence? from assessments and examinations.

In spite of a pledge to improve quality of feedback from assessments, many satisfaction ratings remain below a disappointing 60%. Less than half (48%) of Economics graduates were satisfied with the feedback they had received during their time here, as were Pharmacy and Pharmacology students (45%), with just over half

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Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

Opinion

www.bathimpact.com

Get ahead of the game - get Henry Hunt Jane Wills Jack’s bored younger sister

S

Henry Hunt’s debut collection last year proved to be a great success sta as well as the country girl next door.

And another thing. Haven’t you ever been walking down the street and caught someone walking the opposite way wearing the exact

www.henryhunt.co.uk

o, have you ever heard of Jack Wills? Well I might as well just admit it now and say that I wear Jack quite regularly and I even have his little handbook back home. But I’ll be honest, after huge price hikes and the frequent prejudice that ‘I wear JW therefore I am a Rah’; the effort in putting on his tracky bums in the morning, or his shirts in the evening, is wearing thin. I might even go as far to say that I won’t even bother to head to his shop because walking away with that iconic pink and blue bag would be more embarrassing than being caught with my pants down in MintyFresh.

So what can I do? I like fashion

but yet I promise to god I am not a Rah. Well I reckon I have found a gem in the midst of crowded student clothing market. Henry Hunt is a new brand of clothing on the block and is the brainchild of twenty one year old fashion student Phoebe Garlick from Somerset, who aims to inspire students to embrace quintessential English country style instead of the tired and haggard JW Rowing Club. Phoebe, who was herself inspired by designers such as Vivienne Westwood and classic British brands such as Burberry, has created a new collection that uses cutting edge design and individually finished pieces. They even use traditional tweed, teamed with luxurious textures such as satin and lace for that sexy look that appeals to the dedicated fashioni-

www.henryhunt.co.uk

Jack Wills is so last season. Now there’s a new kid on the block

Check out the new Autumn/Winter ‘10 collection - they’re so relaxed

same item as you? Well, when I’m wearing a Jack Wills gillet, this happens at least a hundred times a day, if not more, and it’s starting to get frustrating. I mean, I know their clothes are comfy, but wearing JW has become more contagious than swine flu. Yet, with Henry Hunt, you’d better be quick if you want to grab a classic design from their website www.henryhunt.co.uk as Phoebe explains: “Our customers can be reassured that many of our pieces are individually made and exclusive, so you will not find others wearing the same design as you.

“We have a policy of when they are gone they are gone, and we want to continually update and refresh our designs and clothing lines.”

Henry Hunt’s new collection is out soon and at first glance it looks set to be a big hit. The women’s collection introduces chunky winter knits, cotton checked shirts, quilted jackets, chinos, and waxed jackets trimmed with tartan, luxuriously soft faux fur stoles and cute tweed skirts individually finished with satin scooped tulip pockets. For the gents, escape the bored JW Henley’s and check out the soft cotton checked shirts, quilted gillets, and jackets edged with rich coloured cord, as well as the essential winter knits now on offer at Henry Hunt.

So when you next fancy a going-out shirt or a piece of JW knitwear, check out Henry Hunt. I’d chose Henry over Jack any day.

Where will the road take you? bathimpact contributor Olivia Hutchinson dares you to hitchike to Morocco or Prague

H

ave you ever been tempted to hitch a lift?

Have you ever wondered how far you could travel without paying?

Have you ever thought about who might stop?

Then why not join 7,000 other hitchers in the annual LCD charity Hitch during the Easter holidays?

With two destinations to choose from – either sunny Morocco, a 1,200 mile trek across two continents and four countries or scenic Prague, a 700 mile journey across Europe – there is no excuse to say no. The trip will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your lives so do not miss out.

You will pick up lifts from all walks of life, from vineyard owners to dustbin lorries and rich business men – no ride will be the same. You will find out just how

Can you race across the continent for free? Choose between exotic Morocco or cultural Prague generous people are: a fire-fighter (Spanish and yes, he was hot) even let us stay in his apartment and took us out for dinner!

It is not just the hitch that is amazing; it is a cheap holiday in vibrant locations. Prague, famous

for its cheap but good beer boasts a thriving café culture with a deep and fascinating history. In Morocco you can smoke shisha on the rooftops, go camel trekking in the desert and immerse yourself in the bustling markets. It will be

the craziest, most memorable trip ever.

In addition to this incredible experience, your fundraising efforts will go to a very worthwhile charity called Link Community Development who are working

hard in Sub-Saharan Africa to improve the education system; giving needy kids a chance to work themselves to a better future.

I’m not going to lie, it is a huge challenge with so many highs and lows – in one day we went from being stranded by a motorway junction to partying with the locals at night, from living on pot noodles (no change there then) to dining out and sampling new foods, but it will be something you are proud of and can’t wait to do again.

It is set to be the biggest year yet so come along for a friendly drink and more information on Tuesday 19th October at 7pm in Parade bar. If you can’t wait until then, contact your Bath Hitch Reps on bathhitch@gmail.com, visit www.lcdhitch.org or join our Facebook group ‘Bath Hitch to Morocco/Prague’.

Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

5

Opinion

www.bathimpact.com

Oops! Britney’s done it again

And now she’s putting an end to live music as we know it David Jame$ Opinion Editor comment@bathimpact.com

C

an you believe the cheek of it?! ‘Tik Tok’ star Ke$ha has, this week, attacked pop princess Britney Spears for not singing live in concerts, claiming she treats her fans “ like they are stupid.”

Whilst some of you may be gob smacked at how Ke$ha, another irritating celeb who brushes her teeth with Jack Daniels and has the annoying urge to mi$$pell words, can possibly insult pop royalty, she does make an interesting point – just how genuine is live music?

Did anyone see Britney at last year’s MTV awards? She drew ridicule by dressing as a stripper and failed to even lip-sync her not-such-a-big-hit single ‘Gimme More.’ Surely the only emotions that would stir are pain and embarrassment (unless you were Justin Timberlake sitting in the audience, in which case it would just procure an innate smugness).

However it’s not just Britney

that mimes songs on tour. Recent offenders include Take That, Ashlee Simpson and even Madonna, who managed to incur the wrath of Elton John when he publicly announced, “Anyone who lip-syncs on stage, when you pay £75 to see them, should be shot.”

So when you are next watching a concert or listening to a music artist

live on stage, ask yourself, ‘is what I’m actually hearing, live?’

Moreover, why pay an extortionate amount of money to attend a live concert when the recorded radio version is available free online?

Whilst people may argue that music festivals like Glastonbury and Leeds are once in a lifetime opportunities and are fully worth the £185 price

“Hello London!” Britney’s opening line to the crowd at her Manchester concert

tag, I would question, what are you actually buying? The chance to film Jay-Z on your mobile phone from about ninety kilometres away so that you can post it on You Tube?

The opportunity to watch tepid indie bands with drunken 40-year olds wearing Killers t-shirts, Croc shoes and black guy-liner who just won’t stop the continued rock n’ roll head banging? The fun of not washing for 3 days so that when you return to civilisation you smell like rancid meat crossed with Pot Noodle?

Yet others can lie in their beds, relax in their armchairs or sit in their nicely heated cars, turn on the radio and listen to a perfectly edited, perfectly refined and perfectly recorded track without the sweat of 50,000 concert-goers dripping down their backs.

In short then, Britney Spears is actually benefiting the nation. She, along with others, is phasing out live music and replacing it with superior, digitally-enhanced tracks.

Plus of course, when live music be-

comes a thing of the past, the rest of us can live in peace knowing that festival-goers won’t return with mud-filled boots, stupid Sharpie tattoos and drug-addled needles in their backpacks. Recorded music is on the rise whilst live music has joined Ke$ha’s career, heading downhill fast, to the depths of musical history.

Floods at last year’s Glasto festival

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Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

Opinion

www.bathimpact.com

Don’t be a drunken d**khead

Jack Penrose examines the new generation of Bus W**ker freshers that have arrived on campus

Y

ou know the scene. You’re sitting on one of those funsized and uncomfortable sofas in Parade enjoying a few pints with your mates, when midnight rolls around and you realise you’ve been on campus since 8:15am. You suddenly feel shattered and start to head home. So last Friday a few mates and I walked out of Parade towards the bus stop, took a seat on the Orange bus and looked forward to getting home.

However, our night was interrupted by a pair of clearly drunk freshers who proceeded to sneak onto the bus by the back entrance without paying, and then try to (unconvincingly) hide from the bus driver (although I have been guilty in the past of pressing the bus ‘STOP’ button about a hundred times a minute when I am worse for wear). I did admire them for trying – we are all young students after all. I’m just surprised they didn’t do it with a can of Fosters in their hand and a traffic cone on their head. However, these two louts’ next move was not to pay the fare or leave. When the bus driver told them to get off the bus, not only did they stay put, but they obnoxiously argued with him, mocked his East-

Not so funny now: While the popular Inbetweeners’s joke might seem funny, it’s not so humorous when you are on the wrong side of the joke.

ern European accent, and refused to get off.

They wouldn’t move until the bus driver physically shouted at them and literally tried to yank off this pair of idiots. My friend said to them three times in a calm fashion, “Guys, nice try, but please get off the bus; we all just want to go home.”

By now my patience had worn thin

Letters to the OpinionEditor Accommodation Chaos We said...

“31 incoming first-year students have been left temporarily un-housed as the University faced accommodation issues for a second year running. The students are currently staying in temporary shared rooms in university accommodation or staying with friends while they wait for a permanent single room to become available.

The University expects this to take between 2-8 weeks.”

5th October 2010

They said...

“We have already virtually cleared those in temporary shared rooms so it will in fact have taken 2-3 weeks compared to the original estimate of between 2-8 weeks.”

Del Davies Student Accommodation Manager

Verified Theory We said...

“Friday brought the launch night of Theory, the brand new event hitting campus to kick start the weekends.

As ever, Impact was on hand to give the lowdown. And what a night it was!

In the setting of the Elements and newly-renovated Plug Bar, the new year of nightlife on campus started off with a bang, as students packed onto the heaving dancefloors. It was a busy night, but the queues outside were certainly not too long.”

18th October 2010 They said... “[At Theory] All those people in XL are currently smelling of feet and sweat. They just cannot match Elements when Theory is on. The atmosphere, the music, it’s just amazing.

One of the best nights that I’ve ever had in the Student’s Union. I challenge you to find one person in this room without a smile on their face!”

8th October 2010 James Huelin, VP Comms

and we both rose to our feet and proceeded to push ‘Tweedle Dum’ off the bus, only for ‘Tweedle T**t’ to hold onto two poles, rendering my friend’s efforts less useful. After more bullish physicality (by which I mean a man-slap across the face), he finally caved and was pushed off the bus, but that didn’t stop him and his not-so-bright accomplice

making innocuous personal comments about us.

In a desperate attempt to try to annoy us further, he tried to dangle his foot in between the doors so that they wouldn’t close. It was at this point where the more sadistic side of me hoped that the doors would close on his foot, trapping him – so I could shout, “Drive!” to the bus

driver and watch this unsavoury piece of work be dragged down Bathwick Hill on his face. However, I didn’t have to wait too long for the other people on the bus to join our cause and tell them to mash the gas pedal and hit the road. Eventually, all was sorted out and we did get home.

Australia recently had a drivebetter campaign more famously known as their “don’t be a d*ckhead” campaign. I can’t help but wonder that for these two morons you could just add “drunken” to that campaign and we could raise awareness to such astounding stupidity and irritation. These two *insert plural expletive here*, although anonymous, will know who they are. Hopefully they have learned not to behave like five yearold animals and will also apologise for their erratic and unnecessary behaviour. I’m not holding my breath, though. So in the mean time, as the title suggests, I will just call them the “Bus W**kers” who ruined my Friday night.

To those freshers out there who committed this despicable crime, you should know that bathimpact is watching you. Get gone.

Looking for a placement?

Don’t go East. Go Middle East David James Opinion Editor comment@bathimpact.com

D

ubai. Whilst many think this Middle Eastern emirate is now flat-out-broke, I can tell you from a recent trip over there that it is anything but, and could potentially be the perfect location for a work placement.

But why work in the Gulf? Well there are the bog-standard ‘experience a foreign culture’ and ‘better weather’ arguments, but another advantage is that because UAE (United Arab Emirates) traditions dictate there is no income tax at all.

Furthermore, the recent woes and continual construction of houses and high-rise apartments have meant property prices have fallen by over 40% and become more than affordable.

Yet the signs of recession stop there and Dubai residents enjoy a very affluent style of living. The Burj Al Arab, the infamous sailshaped hotel, employs eight (yes that’s eight) staff for every one

room. The Dubai Mall, attached to the world’s tallest tower – the Burj Khalifa, manages to make London’s Bond St. look like Moorland Rd, and islands on the ‘The World’, the archipelago of 300 man-made islands built off the coast, have recently sold for over $250 million USD (£159 million) each.

It couldn’t be a better time to be a graduate working in Dubai but don’t think it just offers work in finance. Vast construction projects, such as Dubai land - a theme park that promises to be twice the size of Disney’s resort in Florida, call for engineers and architects, oil projects call for chemical specialists and the booming tourist indus-

try is in constant need of linguists.

But what about the strict laws they impose? Well it may be illegal to have sex on a beach but I’m sure if you were caught in the middle of Blackpool Sands with your trousers down you’d be locked up too.

In fact the laws are not too strict at all; the only slightly worrying one is that bankruptcy in Dubai is illegal and punishable by years in jail, so those with shopaholic tendencies and an over-inflated overdraft may want to steer clear.

So that’s why I am going to be looking for placements in Dubai next year, to enjoy some sun, experience cosmopolitan city living…

Oh, and make a fast (tax-free) buck.

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Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

Features

www.bathimpact.com

us a cuppa, would you?

Epilogue: student Make Deputy Editor Hannah Raymont dissects the sometimes not-so-saucy world of internships. success Jack Penrose bathimpact contributor

I

f you have been strolling around the Parade in the last couple of weeks, some eager people may have thrown flyers at you asking you to come and see Epilogue: a show written, directed, composed and performed by BUSMS members (both past and present).

Let me elaborate a bit… six months ago, four Bath students (Nick Tyrrell, Tom Lees, Rob Presly and Adam McDonnell) decided to write a musical.

The basis for the musical was that it would be a murder mystery performed

by BUSMS (Bath University Student Musicals Society) in October. Over the following months and during last summer the show started to take shape and was finished in late August. The show was to consist of a first act being set in the greenroom of a London theatre where an actor has been murdered during a performance, and his four costars are the suspects. The second act would be a rewind of the play being performed in real time, culminating in the murder at the end.

Back in May, I had auditioned via video in my room in Madrid (I was on placement in Spain) for a part in this unique show. I have to say I was apprehensive about performing a show that hadn’t been written yet, but that was before I read the script…

The script was so good that I knew it was going to be a success. Now of course this is a slightly biased account of the show, as I performed in it, but I truly think that credit must go to the innovative writing by Tom, Nick, Rob and Adam. I haven’t even started on the music yet…

So, having read the script, I rocked up to rehearsals on 21st September (yes, that’s right, we had just two and a half weeks of rehearsal!), ready to hear some of the music. I was completely blown away, as Tom Lees had clearly had a busy summer writing some excellent songs. He used his undoubted skill with music to compose the show by himself, but did have lyrical help from his other co-writers.

Tom taught us the songs in a week, and then we moved on to acting and blocking the play. Directed by Adam and the bassist-turned-director Caz Ashurst, we set to work. With a supremely talented cast consisting of the wonderful Coralie Eggeling, the angelic vocals of Mel Willis, the dashing debutant Alex Roberts and the rich voice of Tom Lewis, I knew that the acting and singing wouldn’t be an issue (even though Tom spent hours with me re-running my harmonies!).

Between 7th-9th October 2010, Epilogue had its global premiere in the ALT at the University of Bath, to great success. Over 350 people came to see it over three nights (including the Mayor of Bath) and everyone seemed to really enjoy the show, not just for its originality, but for its entertainment too.

I had fun performing in the show and while I don’t know what the future holds, I will always regard Epilogue as one of the best shows I have ever been involved in. It’s a unique and awesome show, and if you missed it – you missed out. I must thank the writers, band, backstage, production team and cast for a wonderful and positive experience that I will never forget. Keep an eye out for our future performances of Encore and The Wedding Singer this year – you’d be crazy to miss out again.

W

ould you work for free? If it were for a good cause, then yes, you might well do. Hell, I don’t get paid for collaborating in the writing and designing of the masterfully inked pages of bathimpact, but I love the paper so I just get on with it. However, would your answer to my first question be the same if you had to struggle living on Sainsbury’s Basics baked beans in central London working every day for a top media company or business consultancy to secure a better career? And should you have to?

Unpaid internships, that is, undergoing a work placement without financial reward in the form of a pay packet, are on the rise. They’ve become a hot topic again after a recent report by think tank The Institute for Public Policy Research condemned the vast majority of such placements as ‘illegal.’

Previously the norm for students wanting to break into the notoriously competitive media and fashion industries, unpaid internships are now becoming more and more commonplace, even within the traditionally well-remunerated science and technology sectors.

The effects of the recession are still plain to see far and wide in the still turbulent labour market, and finalists everywhere are quaking in their boots at the prospect of unemployment after university. Undergraduates up and down the UK are now well aware that

a degree alone is far from enough to reach the upper rungs of the earning ladder. So, should you just bite the bullet and slave away to get an advantage over your peers?

No way, according to Jeremy Dear, general secretary of the NUJ (National Union of Journalists). Unpaid internships ‘exclude new talent’ and undermine ‘the diversity of our profession.’

There is certainly some truth in those words; unpaid work is only really a viable option for students who can afford to go without a regular income for an extended period, aided with either the financial support from their parents or from dipping into their own savings, automatically excluding students from less fortunate backgrounds (or at least making it much more difficult for them). I heartily commend students who have the determination and ambition to gain work experience, getting by with money they have earned and saved up themselves, but far too many times we hear horror stories of students turning up to work, only to be delegated to Coffee-MachineOperator-in-Chief or shackled to the photocopier or kitchen sink, washing up their paid colleagues’ dirty dishes from lunchtime and not really learning anything about their chosen career.

However, many people I have spoken to have had some positive experiences of unpaid work. Some volunteered on projects abroad on gap years, therefore undergoing an unpaid internship of sorts, sometimes even paying fees to a company to do so. It is certainly admirable to volunteer if it is for a good cause, and it can be a life-changing experience. On the other hand, it is often inferred that the occasionally exploitative nature of intern-

ships that we read about is prevalent exclusively within businesses out to make a profit, when in reality this is not always the case. However, above all, it is common sense that if a company wants to take on interns, it must have the resources to pay them a fair wage for their time and effort, as they would with any other employee. It is honest and just, and the money that they invest in their interns will be fed back into the economy.

So, how can you avoid being taken advantage of, while gaining valuable

Lewinsky: The best intern ever?

If you’re Bill Clinton, yes. experience for the future? The answer is all around you. The clubs, societies and even part-time work that you get involved in during your time here at Bath earn you transferable skills that will stand you in good stead for future employment, and even provide you a bit of cash to save up for those allimportant journeys to interviews and, needless to say, some well-deserved nights out on the town. Employers are now above all looking for well-rounded individuals but you needn’t risk financial ruin to get your foot in the door.

To Kilimanjaro and back : Episode 1

Jack Barrett writes the first of three installments documenting the journey of a lifetime taking on the roof of Africa.

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his summer saw the return of two successful groups of Bath students who had foolishly signed up for the daunting task of raising £2300 each and yomping up 5895 metres of malaria infested beauty. As we caught our first excited glimpse of our relieved parents at the arrivals hall in Heathrow I could visibly see the pride beaming from the faces of my group.

All the pressure and stress no longer mattered, this was it...the finish line...we had done it! The yearning to be home to a hot shower and a comfy bed faded rapidly as we ran to our friends and family trying to tell as much as is humanly possible in one breath. But how can anyone really ex-

plain the majestic beauty of the highest point of Africa, or the childish giddiness of seeing your first pride of lions, or begin to start telling the countless stories of nights getting drunk with locals in Zanzibar on the local delicacy of Konyagi (a local spirit a bit like gin)? I

will try my best...

As is an undisputable fact at university, the only way of finding out what is going on is through the medium of Facebook. As I browsed through the usual garbage I receive in my inbox promoting various club nights and invitations to parties of people I’d never heard of, I came across the invitation to ‘Climb Kilimanjaro for Childreach’, words I would later be incessantly repeating to passers-by on shop corners.

Normally I would ignore such an invite, convincing myself I don’t have the time or know-how to undertake such a challenge. This time something stirred within me, perhaps the fact that I knew I’d fallen into the trap of becoming a typical self-serving student, getting

away with doing the bare minimum.

This year, I had to do something I could be proud of.

And so it began! After a few meetings and ticking of various boxes I was officially signed up. The fundraising was set to begin and I would soon find out this would be the toughest challenge of all. It was much like when you are given a month to write a 3000

word essay and believe you can plod away casually until realising the day before it’s due that you have only done half and you have to finish it whilst suffering one of the worst hangovers of your life.

This was the experience of most of my group. Many of those reading this will have no doubt been ‘pestered’ by one of us; forcing a fake smile, but dying on the inside as it’s been 3 hours of practically begging and there is only a fiver to show for it.

For part 2 of this series check out the next issue of bathimpact which comes out on 27th October and will be available in the Student Centre and the Library.

Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

Features

www.bathimpact.com

9

Made in Bath: the world of architecture bathimpact contributor Sîan Barnett interviews one of the architects who brought us our brand new Student Centre for our regular feature on Bath alumni. Andy Battle, a former architecture student fills us in on what he got up to as a student here and his path into the world of work.

Bath whereabouts did you live – on and off campus?

I lived in Eastwood for my first year, room 24/7 - which was highly applicable for an architecture student. Following that, I lived in Southdown, and after a year in Austria I lived in Oldfield Park and finally in the Widcombe area.

What extracurricular activities were you involved with and what did you gain from them?

I was involved in the University Basketball Club, playing for the Firsts in BUSA and also involved in coaching the ladies’ Firsts and Beginners sessions. I was Chairman of the club for a year and enjoyed the responsibility and involvement in the running of the club. I think the friendships made and the inherent necessity of team work in the sport itself were of great benefit.

I was also involved in the Christian Union on campus and whilst I never had a formally recognised role within it, the opportunity to meet regularly with like-minded people and sharing the same faith was a real help to me and many of those friendships have continued long beyond University.

What was your first job after you graduated and how did

Crossword

you find it?

My first and only job since graduating has been with Stubbs Rich.

It has been a great experience to be able to stay in Bath, working not only in the city but in a variety of other locations and on a broad range of projects.

After graduating I prepared my CV and by looking through the employer’s information provided by the Architecture Department, coupled with my own research on the internet. I then contacted a few practices in the Bath/Bristol area in the hope of arranging an interview.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to go into an Architecture – based career?

Architecture is not really a degree to pursue if you are not thinking that it could be your vocational choice. Granted, when you start it’s very difficult to be sure this is definitely what you want to do, but it’s not a route to choose if your primary driver is simply to garner the ‘university experience.’ I won’t claim it is more academically taxing than any other degree, or that indeed you can simply coast through any other degree, far from it, but being able to reflect on the course from both a staff (1st Year Design Tutor) and

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student perspective, the time commitment involved does mean that students need a desire for architecture, rather than an ephemeral interest.

In terms of entering the profession after university, it is a very competitive but highly rewarding industry. Delivering buildings which look good and provide the end-user with the facilities they desire is a great challenge but a thoroughly enjoyable one. I would say: make the most of your university education, taking every opportunity you can to look at different aspects of the profession. But possibly more importantly, utilise placements to implement your learning into the real work environment and vice versa. It’s one of the real assets of the sandwich course model.

What does it mean to you to be a Bath graduate?

Being a Bath graduate carries with it a certain degree of kudos.

Whilst I can only speak from an architectural perspective, I know that holding a degree from the University is attractive to employers. This is manifest in the number of Bath graduates our practice has employed over the past years. The University has an excellent reputa-

tion and this is only reinforced by the continually high standard of graduates.

Why do you think it’s important to stay in touch with your university and be part of the Alumni Community?

I think that alumni will always feel a loyalty to their own university and often feel part of it long after they’ve graduated. Even for graduates, universities offer opportunities whether educational or ancillary, but more so, having a mutual connection with thousands of other alumni can provide various opportunities from both a personal and business perspective.

Our new Student Centre: practical and stylish Daruis G

Name : Andy Battle Year of Graduation: 2005/2007/2009 Subject: BSc General Architecture Studies/ Master of Architecture - March/ Post Graduate in Professional Studies (Chartered Architect) Proudest achievement since graduating from Bath: I think that actually achieving status as a chartered Architect is probably the biggest achievement.

As a student of architecture, you can achieve no more in a vocational sense. However, seeing a completed building in which you have played a part is also a proud moment; so to see the Student Centre completed, with students and staff alike enjoying the new facility is truly satisfying.

Favourite place/thing to do in Bath: Well, that has undoubtedly changed over time, but one thing I have always enjoyed is going to watch Bath play at The Rec. The atmosphere is brilliant and there’s never a dull moment when Bath are involved!

Your time at Bath in 3 words: Enhancing, Entertaining, Illuminating.

During your time studying at

side dish (4) Laughing, dog-like animal (5) Slang for taxi (3) Item of clothing (5) Toilet - informal (3) Test, competition (5) Dispose of (3) First element (8) Tie down (4) Spicy meal; spicy fruit (6)

Down 1.

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Across 2.

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Insanity (6) Trick, swindle (3) Friend (4)

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Smallest chess piece (4) Mythical horse (7) Beach flooring (4) Decay (9) Common Chinese or Indian

10.

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Pub seat (8) Opposite to right (4) Expanse of water (5) Get ready; mathematical term (5) 11-a-side game (8) Accidently making fortunate discoveries (11) Spider’s home (3) Publication (8) Recall (8) Argument; use oars (3) Beat (6) Aid (4) Religious woman (3)

Last week’s answers: Across 1. hypothesis 5. evidence 6. fox 12. papyrus 14. Canberra 15. Vector 16. rotate 17. puzzle 18. digit 19. sweet

Down 2. Helen 3. apex 4. education 7. penultimate 8. transmission 9. phonetic 10. internet 11. previous 13. superficial 14. clone

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Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

International

www.bathimpact.com

Out and about in Bath Paris: the city of love and art

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T

he above quote is particularly true if you are British and it’s the first of many differences that you knew existed on “the Continent” but you were never quite so conscious of them until they suddenly become a matter of life and death. In less dramatic fashion, it is also the first of many culture shocks to come.

So what’s life like in Paris? You would imagine that living in the neighborhood where Picasso and Dali resided, just off the legendary (for the right and the wrong reasons - depending on the time of the day) Monmartre, will be a rich cultural experience. And it is – albeit not in the “today I’m visiting the Louvre, tomorrow Versailles” way.

Actually the two defining features of Parisian life for me so far have been trade union strikes and terrorist warnings – both have a very direct impact on your life when you are spending half of your day in the metro (also, you get to learn the names of all the metro stops on ‘your’ line quite fast). Furthermore,

Global Group Night of the Foreign Tongues

Multicultural Odyssey Scandinavian student, Elias Nosrati gives bathimpact his take on British party culture

A

ll the way from icy Norway, seeking to decipher and comprehend the endless depths of my new cultural destination, I arrived at Bath University with the expectation of facing a whole new reality. Updating a close friend from the other side of the world by e-mail, I instantly described my immediate impression of the city: a beautiful location with mesmerizing nature and astonishing architectural integrity. As to the student life and cultural activities, I

stated that I still did not know too much. Certain I was, nevertheless, that great companionship, hourlong intellectual debates and vibrant academic activity was within the near future, especially with what was commonly known as Freshers’ Week emerging on the horizon. Finally I stepped into this new, foreign and long-awaited social field. My friend expressed his warmest sentiments and wished me good luck.

The next day I wrote to him again, updating him on the latest events. They have really put in the effort around here, I said. Pubs, bars and other suitable venues for alcohol consumption are evenly distributed all over the place, something that appears to appeal to most of the people around me. I expressed the irrepressible sentiment that the expected contrast to my previous life was yet to be discovered. I knew,

you also discover the frustration of having a good idea in class but not being able to express it. Finally, you become very conscious of your own nationality and, with that, of all the preconceived images people have about you.

Ivaylo Iaydjiev Foreign Correspondent

Julia Lipowiecka

n this section, the International Students Association team brings you the latest news and advice on the topics that interest you! This issue, we have decided to dedicate our article to the incredible, diverse and unique GOING OUT culture of the UK! I am sure all of you have already familiarized yourselves with the English “fancy dress” tradition during Fresher’s week – well you’ll be pleased to know that these fun and amusing themed nights will continue throughout the year!

So, we present a short guide of the MUST KNOW things when GOING OUT in Bath.

- The evenings tend to commence with pre-drinking games. Popular games include: ‘Never have I ever,’ the game of ‘21’ and ‘Ring of Fire’ (for more drinking games check out www. studentdrinkinggames.com) - Entry to clubs in sport wear is

NOT acceptable and always remember to bring your ID (something with your date of birth on it, to prove that you are over 18 years - passport or driving licence) and your library cards, for student discounts on certain nights.

- Be careful when having a drink at the bar: there have been some cases of drink spiking. Our advice – always keep your drink in your hand!

- Pubs/bars close at midnight or 1:00 am. Clubs stay open till 2:00 or 3:00, so don´t be surprised!

- England has a wide variety of alcoholic drinks, those include lagers, bitters, stouts and ciders – try them out, but remember to drink responsibly!

Our survey found that Second Bridge (34%), Moles (18%) and Opa (16%) were some of the club favorites among international students. Do participate in the numerous socials organized by your societies and clubs, but remember the importance of study and about your lectures the next morning!

however, that many more events were to take place and that this was only the start. And right I was.

There was more to come.

The next evening people flocked together once again and headed towards the very same location as the night before, only this time everyone had dressed up in various costumes.

“

The first thing that strikes a visitor to Paris is a taxi

”

Fred Allen I have the dubious pleasure (as a politics student) to be right in the centre of a political scene strongly and vocally divided over Sarkozy’s personality, Roma deportations, pension reform and strikes – and when I say strikes, I mean millions of participants (and thousands of students).

As a prudent foreigner you would try to keep your distance from these burning issues but you soon discover how easy it is to insult people without intending to and in turn to be insulted yourself. Consider the following sentence, thrown at my housemate – “You speak very good French…for an Englishman”.

This is also related to your sudden realization that everything your language teachers have been teaching you is far from enough for you to have even a decent conversation with a proper Frenchman, while

Of course, in a city like Paris, you also feel very much like a tourist for a while. Whether walking along the Seine between the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame for a bit of fresh air before your next class or eating a sandwich in the Tuileries Gardens in front of the Louvre it’s very easy to get used to this way of life– I’ve gotten a lot of comments saying that they can feel how hard it must be to be a student in Paris. Furthermore, Paris is also a cosmopolitan city with a very different dynamic to Bath – on the one hand, there is much more going on; but on the other hand, you feel much more insecure (signs posted around university saying “Be careful, we get thefts declared every day” do not help).

All and all, life in Paris is…well, multifaceted. One thing is sure – Paris cannot leave anybody indifferent. That said, I’m off to buy some camembert cheese and a baguette from “my” local ‘boulangerie’.

The essence of the evening, however, remained unaltered: vigorous dancing (frequently reduced to a long series of up-and-down jumps) rendered perilously unstable by the continuous intake of various multicoloured drinks.

Growing increasingly suspicious of this “new” culture, I witnessed once again, the following night, the same procedure. New theme: superhero outfits. Apparently, the clothing somehow redefined the event of the evening, making claims of repetitiveness easily refuted.

My friend asked me whether there were any alternative activities to engage in? Looking around, I vaguely discerned a handful of groups appearing to be in a similar situation as me. Soon I found out that most of them could (without prejudice) be categorized as follows: adherents of some strictly religious sect, some of whom remained recluse and confined to the four walls of their bedrooms, others pleading allegiance to the philosophical movement “give it a try”, a majority of whom, as soon as they first found their way to a bar, never returned.

Otherwise, a growing conformity to the riches of British party culture was ever prevailing. I contemplated how the crowd of people, in which I was presently immersed, altered between shouts and screams in accordance with the DJ’s beats and mini-breaks at the bar.

After the completion of this bizarre opening week, a new idea entered my imagination: maybe the real opportunity to familiarize myself with British culture would start now, after the culmination of Freshers’ Week. Filled with new excitement, I went out the same evening that the semester had officially commenced, seeking to unveil the treasured secrets of the city’s social reality.

When updating my friend afterwards, I explained that there was no surprise waiting for me. Now that Freshers’ Week was over, costumes were superfluous and unnecessary, and people just came as they were.

Now everything was “back to normal”, as a barmaid in one of the local pubs commented Apparently, every road no longer leads to Rome, but to a bar.

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Monday 18th October 2010

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International

www.bathimpact.com

Poor and Sexy: Destination Berlin Jochen Eisenburger Contributor

B

ohemian and artistic like Paris, groovy like London, chaotic and wild like Barcelona, historical like Rome and cheap like Prague. There are many reasons for coming to Berlin. The six million tourists that visit the German capital every year often attempt to gain insight into the bohemian lifestyle that is lived behind the scenes of tourist attractions recommended by Lonely Planet travel guides. This issue bathimpact will give you a glimpse into the multicultural, unique and ever-changing mosaic that is Berlin.

In the past few decades Berlin has attracted diverse and sometimes conflicting lifestyles. The result is a city with different faces

that can be historic and hedonistic, classy and trashy, German and cosmopolitan at once. Various social milieus have emerged in the different quarters: West Berlin vs. East Berlin; the yuppie Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg) vs. the poor and multicultural Berlin (Kreuzberg/ Neukölln); the established bourgeois (Zehlendorf) vs. the bohemian bourgeois (Friedrichshain).

Despite the social milieus that differ between each Kiez (German word for quarter), there is one omnipresent species that has evolved gradually in the midst of bourgeois intellectuals, migrants and artists: “the Hipster”. This sort of Berliner can be identified by a geeky Topshop look and a melancholic face.

He is the symbol for the gentrification of Berlin and the rise of living prices in poor areas.

Concerning food, there are

two components you must not miss: Currywurst (sausage seasoned with curry sauce) and Köfte (meatballs). The history of the Currywurst is meant to have started at Konnopkes Imbiss, an iconic food stall that has existed at Schönhauser Allee since 1930 and is well worth a visit.

For a multicultural culinary experience, Cottbusser Damm in Kreuzberg is the place to go – it is the heart of the Turkish-German community with Köfte, Falafel and Halloumi found in all varieties in the restaurants and shops along the street. Besides these classics, one of the most frequented restaurants in Berlin is Mr. Vuong at the Alte Schönhauser Straße, where you can queue up for the yummiest Vietnamese food in town!

After food, the next step is drinks. The place to go is Weserstraße, packed full of cosy little bars. A special recommendation is the Ä (German Umlaut) - a chill bar with electro sounds in the background and free concerts every Wednesday. Another fun place is Dr. Pong in the Schlesische Straße that, besides drinks

and music, offers a unique indoor table-tennis experience.

Club wise, the big and notorious places are Berghaim, Weekend, Magnet, Suicide Circus - all be found at www.residentadvisor.net. Less conventional, more spacious are the artist communities. Famous and under constant threat of being shut down is Bar 25 in Holzmarktstrasse, a charming spot for music and creative performances on the riverside of the Spree. Another place worth a visit is Wilde Renate, an underground club with incredible decorations including a magic maze and themed dress up nights.

The last advice: come as soon as possible! Berlin changes its face continuously and the direction of

The infamous Dr.Pong’s change - a more established and homogeneous lifestyle with higher housing prices and less free space for the creative sphere – is not necessarily positive. The broke city administration, creator of the slogan “poor, but sexy”, is selling its properties and already most of the cheaper housing is being replaced by more luxurious buildings.

Visit Bar Ä in the Neukölln district for free live music

‘89 problems but a wall ain’t one On the 20th Anniversary of the German Reunification, Wiebke Seemann offers a personal account of what die Wende meant for her

I

was born in Feburary 1989, in Germany. Those knowledgeable about German history might ask now: “in which Germany?” The answer is in the East, or in the former German Democratic Republic (DDR).

Following the end of World War II Germany had been divided into four sectors, occupied by the allied forces of France, Britian, USA and the Soviet Union. While the former decided to reorganise the structure of the country and found the Federal Republic of Germany (BRD), the Soviets established a state with “real socialism” – a term that emphasises the gap between the ideals of communism and the reality within the DDR, which was shaped by an economy of scarcity.

The DDR regime was known for radically suppressive behaviour towards its citizens, especially those brave enough to criticize it, and their oppressive practices consisted of spying, imprisonment, obstruction of justice, exile or even death row. The leading party, the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), continuously attempted to weaken

The author in front of a trabit

Me in front of a trabi - the car the Church’s influence on society.

Although they were successful to an extent, the protest against the DDR in fact started at a church, the St. Niclas Church in Leipzig on 4th September 1989 and led, in combination with other factors, to the Peaceful Revolution, the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the German Reunification in 1990.

As soon as it was possible, my parents moved from East to WestGermany, so I grew up near Hanover. When we talked about German history at school, I always was the only “Ossi” in our class and was asked: What is it like to live with-

out bananas?’ A few years later, when I moved back to Leipzig to study, I was called ‘Wessi’ and teased for my alleged Western behaviour. My personal experiences show that there are still lots of clichés and prejudices towards the ‘others’ ; the wall still survived in some peoples’ minds. Frustration about the way the reunification took place remains. There remains a large gap in household earnings between the East and the West; the East is less prosperous and many young people leave the area for the

affluence of the West, but furthermore lots of people there have the feeling that they were never really taken seriously, but just forced to take over a new system. In the West people often claim that the reunification caused economic damage to the whole of the country, as the structural weaknesses of the DDR needed to be counter-balanced, and they see the reunification as having brought no real advantage to them.

And so the former euphoria of 1990 met the reality of bringing two separated parts of a country together. So, what we are celebrating this month, 20 years after the 3rd October 1990, is somehow a “real Reunification;” one that is not yet completed, but on its way and, in contrast to real socialism, also possible. It would have been foolish to expect forty years of separation to simply disappear without any obstacles or problems. This period of the history has had a strong impact on German culture, society, politics and peoples’ lives and identities.

There are still some who reminisce about the good old times in the

DDR - products like Spreewaldgurken and Rondo Kaffee. A few years ago ‘Ostalgie-Shows’ were very popular on TV. I have seen lots of films, read some books, talked to my parents, but I still cannot imagine what it is like to live without freedom of speech, without freedom to travel... and without bananas. But I know that if the DDR still existed I could not be who and where I am today.

I probably could not have gone to a high school and even less to a university. This is one of the reasons why I am really grateful for the German Reunification and for me, like for millions of other Germans, its 20th anniversary is a reason to celebrate.

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Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

International

www.bathimpact.com

Chinese dissident recieves Bushido - the ancient way of the samurai Nobel Peace Prize William Wan mous with ‘samurai,’ because by that Morgane Heyne-Francisci bathimpact Contributor

C

o-author of Charter 08 which called for a new constitution, political reforms and democratisation in the Peoples’ Republic of China - Liu Xiaobo was convicted on December 8th 2009 by the Chinese government and sentenced to eleven years’ imprisonment for subverting state power.

Ten months later, on 8th October 2010, this political and human rights activist, university professor, author and intellectual was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China. This is the first time since Carl von Ossietzky received the prize in 1935 that the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a prisoner.

The Committee’s choice was made despite the PRC’s opposition, an opposition that is more than understandable, considering that their decision to make an example out of Liu Xiaobo would have probably turned against them.

The Chinese state press dubbed him a ‘radical’ and a ‘separatist’, and the Chinese government attempted to discourage the Nobel

committee from awarding Liu Xiaobo the prize by claiming that it would be against Nobel principles; a claim that Oslo obviously disregarded.

Known for having dissected a wide range of China’s taboo subjects, namely the Republic’s treatment of Tibetans, and China’s one-party political system, the intellectual has been a popular figure outside of his country for two decades, all the while remaining almost unknown in his own country. Being awarded the Nobel Prize is the highest achievement for a man whose lifelong involvement in political activism has undoubtedly shaped the global human rights movement.

bathimpact Contributor

S

ince the break of dawn, the hero of this graphic introduction heard the crying and screaming from the clashing of swords! With his fingers wrapped firmly around the hilt, he gave a sigh that spoke multitudes on the beginning, the end. He touched the crimson hole in his armour plate and gave another deep sigh. He blinked and looked at the sky. The sky was full of clouds and these clouds were mixing themselves with blue and red. He saw in that vision the same motion as milk in seamlessly dark tea. He made a joke but no-one heard him. He was afraid of dying. It was not the time.

There was no time. The finely crafted metal blade, flying outwards with the utmost elegance, shone for an instant before tearing through human flesh, heroic blood.

Seppuku was described by Stephen Turnbull in ‘Samurai: The World of the Warrior’ as ‘a deed of bravery that was admirable in a samurai who knew he was defeated, disgraced, or mortally wounded’. In order words, Seppuku happened when a samurai committed suicide by disembowelment. Sometimes, because the pain was so excruciatingly unbearable, the fallen samu-

rai would ask someone else “to cut off his head at the moment of agony” (Turnbull). Samurai committed Seppuku because they believed in Bushido (The Way of the Warrior). Like most members of the military, they were trained to serve the Japanese version of King and Country. Coincidentally, samurai serving the imperial court were not just great fighters but also highly literate noblemen. In the ‘Heike Monogatari’ or ‘The Tale of the Heike’, a samurai called Taira Tadanori became famous for being ‘a great general, pre-eminent in the arts of both sword and poetry.’

Towards the end of 1200AD, the Bushi’ in ‘Bushido’ became synony-

time, samurai were famous for following the teachings of Bushido. Broadly speaking, Bushido exemplified virtues that were similar to medieval conceptions of chivalry. Courage, honesty, respect, benevolence, honour, loyalty, and righteousness are commonly held to be the ‘Seven virtues of Bushido’.

But to the samurai, these Seven Virtues would have meant nothing more than generalisations, because samurai had different views on Bushido.

The non-existence of a specific code undoubtedly meant each practitioner followed their own interpretations. As a consequence, they carried out their own version of courage, honesty, respect, benevolence, honour, loyalty, and righteousness from their own experiences, conclusions and evaluations of varying scenarios. Bushido gained recognition in Kendo (The Way of The Sword) and everyday life in Japan to this day because the practitioners expanded the code’s significance. They believed in their version of the code so much, they protected it with their lives. Bushido became more than just a means of serving the Government and the Royal Family. Bushido became a popular philosophy; it became an integral part of Japanese culture.

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Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

Sabbs Corner

www.bathimpact.com

Sabbsolutely fabulous

After last week’s introductions from James, Ann and Andy, the other three members of our new sabbatical team, SU President, Dot, VP Education, Matt and VP Welfare & Diversity, David talk directly to bathimpact on what their plans are for this year brought to the University’s attention.

I am also the face of the Students' Union when it comes to the local community and NUS.

“

Freshers’ Week was amaaaaaazing!

H

ey guys! My name is Daniel O’Toole, ‘D’ ‘O’ ‘T’ everybody calls me Dot (my initials) and I’m the current SU President. This is my second year as a Sabb. I graduated from Chemistry last year and during my time at Bath I was involved in several sports clubs and was Chair of a Society for two years. I’m very Welsh and proud, rather short and very competitive. I love of playing my guitar and getting involved in as many outdoor activities as possible.

What do you do?

It is my job to co-ordinate the Sabbatical team, to ensure we are ticking off our top representation team goals for the year and to act as the primary liaison between the students and the University. I sit on Senate and Council which are two of the most important University meetings and meet with the VC to ensure your issues are

A

s it quite possibly says at the top, I'm David (alternatively Daffydd, thanks to our Welsh President), VP Welfare & Diversity. Before being a Sabb I did a Mathematics degree, so I've spent the last four years in Bath, and I'm still loving it. During that time I was involved in a number of things: fencing (from scratch, badly), running the LGBT (equally badly) and generally getting in the way of the Sabbs all the time (not badly enough to foil my own election!).

What do you do?

Welfare really covers a whole host of things, including housing,

”

“Dot” What’ll you be doing this year?

This year I have ensured that the Sabbatical team really acts as a team and that the goals for the year ahead are set in stone and known to all. We have in the past attempted to do and say too much and have failed to focus on what we are really looking to achieve. This year we have collated and prioritised the top ten issues and have focused on several awareness campaigns that will work much better. I will be continuing to work with the bus companies in an attempt to further improve your transport to campus as well as working with you guys to ensure the new Student Centre is everything you want it to be. For more info on what I want to do this year, along with the rest of the Sabbs, check out our manifestos on Bathstudent.com. sexual health advice, and food provision on campus. Basically it covers anything that affects the student experience that isn't related to academic issues or the wonderful activities the Union and the university provide. Diversity is all about representing our diverse student body, particularly postgraduates and international students. In that I work closely with the Union's Advice & Representation Centre, which conveniently is where my office can be found. The less obvious part of my role is a responsibility for ethical & environmental issues and campaigns.

What’ll you be doing this year?

As the role I have is so diverse (and people said VP W&D couldn't be funny?) there are quite a few different things I'll be doing this year.

Picking up from before, I hope to get more students involved in environmentalism and general ethical issues, because the things we do in those areas really need to be more

How was your summer?

This summer was chaotic to say the least! The Student Centre was a massive part of the summer. Fortunately now it is finished and you can go and see what a great new building you have on campus. I worked with local residents and councillors in an attempt to finally fix the cycle path through Rainbow Woods - this project is finally getting to a point where we can see light at the end of the tunnel so hopefully we can resolve it by the end of this year! I have also been working with VP Comms and Bath Spa to set an action plan and rally support for NUS’s National Demo on 10th November. We are offering free coaches to London so that you can get involved and be a part of history.

Did you enjoy Freshers’ Week?

Freshers’ Week was amaaaaaazing!!! I particularly loved a bit of Zane Lowe on Thursday! We were unfortunate this year with the weather, but the show went on and everybody loved it!

I want to take this opportunity to thank the FWEMs for organising such a great week and to thank all the Captains and Crew that made it so successful and memorable for so many students. Cheers guys, you are all stars! student-driven. I also want to work for a better variety of food on campus. I hope to better support the student groups under the Advice & Representation Centre, as well as support the setting up of two new groups for Gender Equality and Exchange & Erasmus students. Finally, though it doesn't fall strictly under my role, I'll be working with the University to look at recruitment numbers and how we can minimise the problems caused to new first year students who might not be living in University accommodation as they have in the past.

How was your summer?

My summer included an NUS training course, which was both fun and helpful. I've done the initial work needed to get the two student groups mentioned previously off the ground, and quite a lot of planning for the next year. I've also done some general work on Student Union governance, cleaning up the constitution regarding Societies and

everything in my manifesto is still being worked on. There’s also the wider list of academic issues, ranging from the ever-present feedback, to the quite-new group coursework.

“

M

att Benka here, VP Education of the Students’ Union. Handshake, smile.

Repeat. If you’re asking for the nonofficial me, I’ve graduated from Bath, and in my spare time, I do Jiu Jitsu, hunt out new places to eat and drink, and make people guess where my accent is from. Those three things are entirely unrelated by the way.

What do you do?

Very broadly, it can be split into two parts. The first is gathering student opinion, be it through Academic Council, surveys, or any other method. The second is taking that student opinion and representing it to the University, hopefully resulting in a positive change in academic provision. I’m making it sound simple, but it really isn’t, at least not in practice.

What’ll you be doing this year?

Well, I can start by saying that

I do miss sleeping a bit, but plenty of time for that in the future.

”

Matt

How was your summer?

NUS training was a big part of it, especially one course called Active Political Leadership, which may very well have been the four most important days of this year.

I’ll reserve judgement until the end of my term. Beyond that, a lot of work around preparing for the start of the academic year, and a lot of work around broader Union strategy.

Did you enjoy Freshers’ Week?

Talking to Freshers during the day and partying with them during the night, what’s not to love? The amazing nights aside, I’m quite of proud of Dot’s speech following the VC’s speech, I wrote it, he delivered it – great Sabb teamwork. I do miss sleeping a little bit, but plenty of time for that in the future.

Matt, David and Ann enjoy ‘amaaaazing’ Freshers’ Week 2010 what we call “sub-groups”. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoy it.

Did you enjoy Freshers’ Week?

Well, Freshers' Week has been fantastic, but at the time of writing it hasn't finished, so unlike my colleagues I'm going to present the options for you to fill in: I think in particular the end was the best

ever/not a total failure/a disaster in every way imaginable in part due to my captaining half the Sabb team to a glorious and unquestioned victory/noble but clearly cheated defeat/ cancelled Sabbatical challenge for URB radio on Sunday night. I have every confidence the first of each statement will be true, but whatever happens, I will say this: Zane Lowe was epic!

Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

17

Arts & Volunteering

www.bathimpact.com

It’s time to get creative: get artsy!

Here’s Arts Officer Simon King with the all-singing and all-dancing latest news. Don’t forget to log onto bathstudent.com for more info! not to mention the Arts and Media Day and the Societies Fair. Thanks to all who attended and who helped out with the day, even though it was the last day of Fresher’s Week and really quite cold!

“What is there to look forward to?” I hear you ask. Well there’s the fantastic Show In A Week, where all the Arts societies come together for a one night only show. From the launch party on Friday, to the performance on Saturday, the week will be filled with writing, rehearsing,

S

o another two weeks have passed, lectures come and gone and many nights forgotten (the sign of a good night out!)

We’ve seen the world premiere of BUSMS’s student written production Epilogue and BUST’s performance of The Importance of Being Earnest,

A message from your Volunteer Exec Officer

H

ey guys, I’m Emma. the Volunteer Exec Officer for this year. We have had an amazing start to the new year especially through numbers signing up to our free student groups RAG and SCA. Hopefully everyone has found an area of volunteering that they are interested in with the SCA induction, the Duke of Edinburgh induction and the RAG raid in Oxford for Breast Cancer Campaign all being done in the past couple of weeks.

If any of this appears to be something you might be interested in or just want to know more about volunteering as a student and what different groups and projects you could get involved in, just go to www. bathstudent.com/volunteer. Come and sign up you’ll get to meet some great people and also it will help to improve your CV.

Show In A Week: reigning ‘Musical Statues’ champions

Country bumpkins: Nothin’ like a good pin’, yaarrrgh filming, editing, backstage-ing and anything else your society decides to do!

But that’s not all! On the 18th October, Backstage are holding their Country Pub Tour, where they visit many country pubs in the outskirts of Bath. If you want to get involved, but aren’t interested in alcohol, nonalcoholic alternatives will be provided! Contact Ian Dunn (ipd21) for more information.

Also our juggling and circus skills society (Gravity Vomit) will be hold-

“Haandbaag?!”: Or The Importance of Being Stylish. Please contact us if you’ve got 175 quid to spare, you know we’re worth it ing a professional diablo workshop for their members as part of their regular Friday session on the 22nd October. For more information, email Scott Burfiend (sb423) or look at the bathstudent page.

And finally, congratulations are in order to our newest Arts Society, the

Fashion Society, which was affiliated in the Arts general meeting last week.

I hope they do very well within both the university and the community.

I think that’s everything for this fortnight, so until next time, have a good fortnight!

Si

Hitch hikes, fireworks, nearly naked calendars and outdoor adventures: inside the world of volunteering RAG: RAG have, as always, lots going on! The first raid held in Oxford on the 9th raised over £1800 for Breast Cancer Campaign, with the two top collectors being freshers! One raising £330 and the other £250. Think you could do better? Come along to RAG’s weekly meetings held at 6.15pm every Tuesday in 1E 3.6 to find out about the next raid.

Now, I’m sure we all remember the drama caused last year by the ash from the Icelandic Volcanoes, no-one more so than the organisers of last year’s Paris Hitch. Just a few days before the Hitch was due to happen it had to be cancelled due to the ash! However all was not lost, thanks to the tireless efforts of the organising committee the Hitch went ahead…to Edinburgh! It was such a success that a new event was born, The Edinburgh Hitch! It will take place on the 11th of November and sign ups are now open! Head over to bathstudent.com/rag to get involved. While you’re there , take a look at how you can play a part in the annual BathRAG fireworks, one of the highlights of the student calendar! Sign up and more information is now available there for Marshalls.

Calling all Societies – get your kit off and get involved! BathRAG and SCA are once again organising

Will the RAG fireworks take on Paris this year? a nearly naked calendar! If you’re society thinks you’ve got what it takes to do your bit for charity then email calendar@bathrag.com and register your interest! The calendar was highly successful last year and makes a fantastic Christmas present for your family and friends (although maybe not the grandparents…!)

SCA: If, like some of us, you’re already dreaming of how you can spend next summer (I realise that it’s only the third week in but I’m sure it can’t just be me dreaming of the sun?) then SCA may be looking for you!

Over the summer, two groups of students headed off to Romania and

Bulgaria to volunteer in orphanages and make a huge difference in the lives of some youngsters. It’s a superb opportunity to really make a difference and guaranteed to be a highly memorable experience with many other like-minded students.

If it’s something that you’re keen to do, or you just want a bit more information, then get in touch with Karen in the Volunteer Centre. The idea of doing something worthwhile in the sun for a few weeks next summer might be just what you need to drag yourself out of bed on these cold winter mornings that have appeared far too soon!

Tutoring: If you would like to gain an insight into what it is like to be a teacher or you enjoy working with kids then this is the project for you! You can volunteer as a general classroom assistant for one morning/afternoon

per week in a local primary school.

Due to the popularity of the scheme and the limited number of spaces we are able to provide, all volunteers will be asked to complete a few short questions explaining why you would like to be involved with the scheme etc. Deadline for applying is 12pm on Friday 19th November. More information and application forms are available from www.bathstudent.com/volunteer/ tutoringscheme/ D of E: Ever fancied challenging yourself alongside your degree? The Duke of Edinburgh award could be just the thing for you! It’s a widely known and highly regarded qualification and could really enhance your university experience. If you fancy getting involved head over to 1W 3.17 on Tuesday s at 6.15 to find out more.

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Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

Societies

www.bathimpact.com

Societies @ Bath: Get Involved The latest and greatest news from the Societies Executive

I

n the first two weeks we’ve had a lot going on with our societies and have some very exciting things to look forward to!

Affiliations Firstly, many of you will know that the societies area has a cap on the number of societies at 85 and there is currently space for a few new societies to be affiliated before we reach that cap. The results are in, as voted on by the committee members of the current societies and your new societies are...Scottish Society and VietBath! Congratulations on becoming affiliated and for those of you that want to join them keep a look out for their society pages that will be appearing on bathstudent.com shortly!

International Tasters International Student Taster Week is happening for the first time in the week beginning 1st November. We have designed this week to encourage international students to attend activities that

Boogie-woogie: International Welcome during Freshers’ Week societies are already doing as part of their programme. It’s a fantastic opportunity for international students to get more involved into a wider range of societies and meet lots of new people. There are many opportunities to get involved with this week so societies need to keep us informed of their meetings so we can enable the international students to know what is available. We also need welcoming volunteers to meet students outside the library and go in groups to the meetings

as well as offer support and advice to students throughout the week – there’s nothing scarier than turning up to a room full of people you don’t know by yourself! If you want to get involved, email me on nm282. If you’re an international student and want to see all the fun things you could be doing look out for more details nearer the time.

Exec News As far as the Exec goes, we have finalised the roles of our three reps:

James is Social and Events Rep, Medha is Equality and Diversity Rep and Gergana is the Publicity Assistant, so now we have more defined roles which should help you know who to look out for!

The more observant among you will have noticed that there is a section of bathimpact dedicated to societies. We want you to use this space. If you’ve got something you want to get in to this section then get in touch with Simon Priestly.

In the pipeline Coming up soon the Pharmacy Students’ Association are having their Labcoat Pub Tour on the 21st and the French Society are currently selling tickets for their Paris trip.

Don’t forget the training sessions this week: Website on 18th and Marketing on the 21st.

Message from the Publicity Officer

H

i, I'm Simon Priestley and I'm the Publicity Officer on the Socs Exec this year. I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in and helping you guys publicise and run some of the great events I know go on in the Societies area and that I'm sure will be happening this year.

These kick off with International Student Taster Week in November, which is not to be missed if you are an International Student!

If any of you need to contact me I'm easy to find with the Person Finder tool on the Uni website, or you can email or drop into the Activities Office and ask for my email address.

Here's to a good year in the Societies World!

Monday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

Media

www.bathimpact.com

STUDENT

U n i v e r s i t y

o f

B a t h

S t u d e n t s ’

U n i o n

ducer. Producers are also the people who ensure everything runs to time and there are no awkward silences – so if you are skilled at organizing, we want you!

m edia

Student Media proved a massive hit at the Activities Fair this year. Here is a recap on why you should get involved! any of you will have seen Student Media at the Activities Fair on the first Tuesday of term! It was a great event to attend and the three Student Media groups, 1449am URB, bathimpact and Ctv loved chatting to students, old and new. So many

1449AM URB tell bathimpact why radio is so much more than just overconfident DJs

Broadcast Journalism News and current affairs are at the forefront of our output for this year. We want URB to be the source of information for students on everything from the latest developments in tuition fees to what the Sabbs are up to, and for that we need researchers and analysts. If you are interested in a career in journalism, or just passionate about providing news, then the broadcast journalism team is the place for you!

Production All professional DJs have producers who are basically the brains behind the show. The producer researches and creates all the features that make shows much more exciting, from competitions to comedy sketches. So if you think you have some great ideas for radio, then get your creative juices flowing as a pro-

Marketing Our marketing team are essential as they provide the best prizes to give to our listeners. Getting involved with marketing gives you the chance to prove your blagging skills and get some experience for a marketing or commerce career. So if you think you’ve got what it takes to persuade companies to donate prizes then we need you!

To get involved in any URB department, firstly join us at http:// www.bathstudent.com/media/ groups/1449amurb.

If you want to find out more about production or broadcast journalism, email Simon at urb-prod@ bath.ac.uk. Contact Jamie at urbadmarket@bath.ac.uk for more information on marketing. If you’re interested in anything else we do, email Steve at urb-manager@bath. ac.uk or just visit us in the Student Centre.

BLURB

Student Media @ Activities Fair 2010 M

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of you were interested in joining Student Media and we hope all who signed up have started contributing!

If you didn’t manage to catch us there and you’re looking at how to get involved, now is your chance.

Whether your interests are in ra-

dio, television or newspapers (or all three!) it is so easy to get involved in Student Media here at Bath and we are always on the lookout for new members. Visit www.bathstudent.com/media for more information on how to get stuck into Bath Student Media!

W

hat comes to mind when you think of radio? DJs rambling on incessantly?

While this may seem like how it works when you listen to many professional DJs, there is a lot more to radio than meets the eye – or ear – and URB is no exception.

People always say to us that they would love to get involved with radio but they are too shy to speak on air or just hate the sound of their own voice. If you are someone who would prefer staying behind the scenes, why not try….:

Ctv Zap

Media bonding: Ctv, bathimpact and 1449am URB entertaining, recruiting and giving out stash at 2010’s Activities Fair.

Ctv’s Station Manager Thomas Reis talk to bathimpact on what’s new in the world of Campus Television in the aftermath of Freshers’ Week and about how you can get involved.

F

reshers’ Week fever is now gone and the Ctv production machine is slowly rebooting. Starting from next week, our student news will be going out on

a weekly basis, providing you with all the news for students and your union.

Also returning from the dead, is our old weekly sport program, Score. This will make its comeback next Wednesday, bringing you an overview of the weeks’ sporting events. We are still looking for field reporters, so if you are interested please contact us. It will then be shown in Plug Bar and in the new Student Centre around 7.00pm. Don’t miss it!

Ever dreamed of appearing on Come Dine With Me? Well, the time has come to make the step and take your chance. Ctv is launching a brand new TV show, which will offer you the opportunity to prove to your friends that you are the best cook. The rules are simple: five candidates will have the opportunity to prepare a meal, with only £20 to spend, and each meal will be evaluated by the other participants. The winner will receive a £25 voucher. If you are interested please send us an email at ctv-manager@bath.ac.uk.

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Tuesday 18th October 2010

bathimpact

Entertainments

www.bathimpact.com

WHAT’S ON: To get you in the know Please let us know about any great things coming up (email: ents@bathimapct.com)

Theatre/Comedy

Molière being more pensive than misanthropic here

L

ucy Prebble, a favourite of Ents, has just had her second play - the acclaimed Enron - performed to a packed Theatre Royal in Bath in the second week of October. Now her first play, The Sugar Syndrome, is to be revived at the Ustinov Theatre in our little town on 21st and 22nd October. This is a play that focuses on much more intimate themes, portraying the difficulties of adolescence in the age of internet-anonymity and fractured homes. It is being brought to Bath as the first step of theatre company Scriptunscript’s ‘Rural Revival’ programme, which aims to bring award winning plays to theatre away from London’s hallowed halls. So have a non-bank breaking pre-show drink and enjoy; remember to take your student cards with you for discounts on tickets.

Molière’s classic play The Mis-

anthrope will be showing at the Bristol Old Vic until October the 23rd. A masterpiece of satire, it showpieces the ridiculousness of etiquette and love by spinning a love story between the (you guessed it) misanthropic Alceste and pretty much every female part in the play. Although he is an intellectual, morally honest man he is consistently spurned by the silly society women he pines for.

Rousseau described it as Molière’s greatest work - high praise indeed - and it remains an absolute classic of French theatre.

If this is all far too serious for you then head down to Komedia on the 24th November for the sneery, shouty Aussie comedian Jim Jeffries. His offensive style has been shocking and amusing people all over the world in the last couple of years; he’s now become one of the biggest names on the comedy circuit.

Exhibitions/Cinema

Ken Loach staying cheerful against all odds

I

f you (like us at Ents) get squealingly, embarrassingly excited at the mention of the name Flying Lotus then prepare to shame your friends: the groundbreaking DJ is coming to Bristol on 27th October. He will be performing in an old church space - the Trinity Centre - with the backing of a full live band. This will surely be an amazing event so you should all get tickets as soon as possible. It’s a very beautiful venue. Flying Lotus is an incredible artist and he’ll be pushed by a couple of onstage musicians to really put on a performance - what more could you want?

Do you feel any 90s pop punk nostalgia? Do you really miss pogo, muddy clothes and sweaty boys flying over your head? If you really want to celebrate your teenage pop punk period you can’t miss the Sum 41 concert at the 02 Academy Bristol on 3rd November. The Canadian four piece are going to perform in the UK for just a few dates, so don’t miss the opportunity of listening once again to their catchy tunes with lively energy: hits like “In Too Deep” or “Still Waiting”.

Drink an energy drink or six, go with a bunch of friends and throw yourself into the fray (literally).

Young Rebel Set are a sevenpiece who oscillate between stadium rock and ‘sing-a-long by the fireside’ type country-pop tunes.

They’ll be performing at Moles on 21st October so it’ll be cheap(ish) entry, cheap(ish) drinks and a cosy

A

n extremely exciting series of films are being shown in Bath and Bristol over the next few weeks (starting on 19th October and ending on 16th November) as part of a festival to raise awareness about human trafficking. A particular highlight is the showing of ‘Ghosts’, Nick Broomfield’s (Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer) look at the infamous Morecambe Bay disaster that is as harrowing as it is moving. Showing at The Forum on 20th October the evening will conclude with a Q & A session with the filmmaker himself - he will either be appearing in person or via Skype as he might be filming in Alaska. If he isn’t a big enough name for you then head to the same venue on 10th November to see ‘It’s a Free World…’ by ac-

Music

evening of pop rock. If you like Mumford & Sons or Animal Collective then this is the kind of evening that you shouldn’t miss. Grab yourself a home-style cider and attempt to follow the choruses - it’s always a pretty cosy concert venue anyway, situated in a warm little cellar with the performers standing just in front of you. They’ll also be in Bristol’s Club Cooler venue on 23rd if you want to properly groupie them up.

Nouvelle Vague are an unbelievably dreamy French jazz-pop group who are most memorable for their remarkable reimagining of punk and post-punk classics (their version of The Clash’s ‘Guns of Brixton’ is a particularly bewitching track) that are held together by the vocal work from various female

singers who only recorded versions of songs that they had never heard.

For a slightly different type of evening don’t hesitate to check out the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra who are performing a selection of classic pieces (including an incredibly aggressive, take-no-prisoners Rachmaninov concerto that should be a particular highlight) in Bristol’s Colston Hall on 27th October.

There will be a pre-concert talk at 6.25pm with the conductor which, if you aren’t a doyen of late 19th century Russian classical music (kidding, obviously, Ents knows everyone is), should give you a bit of an insight into the main event. So go out and have fun, good people.

And all Flying Lotus wanted to be was a tiger... claimed director Ken Loach (Kes, Looking For Eric, The Wind That Shakes The Barley) who will also be available for a Q & A session after the showing. This is a filmmaker who makes the Cannes Film Festival organisers need to have a cold shower and a lie down so it is definitely a major coup for him to appear here: do not miss!

On top of these films there will be a series of art exhibitions featuring displays by human rights activist organisations from all over the world, including the everpresent Amnesty International, at The Forum in Bath, Colston Hall in Bristol and Keele University.

These exhibitions will precede each of the film showings as well as opening the festival. The entire event is free and should be a remarkable event - it’s a good way

to combat the whole ‘lazy, uninterested students’ tag as well.

Down at the Victoria Art Gallery

by Pulteney Bridge (itself something of an interesting site, one of only four bridges in the world with functioning shops across the full span on both sides) there is a fascinating war photography exhibition from the acclaimed Don McCullin, a sort of action man of photography who has braved warzones all over the world; when working in Cambodia in 1970 his camera lens was fractured by a sniper’s bullet just as he raised it to his face. The travails of a war photographer… To see some of these iconic images as well as his later work which focuses on landscapes around Somerset, the more genteel area he now calls his home as you’re unlikely to be shot at taking photos of a rice field.

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A horrific account of intolerance Hannah Raymont takes a look at a book that reminds her just how cruel people can be as well as how quickly people forget it.

A memorial to the victim, Sophie Lancaster.

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edicated to the memory of Sophie Lancaster, weirdo.mosher.freak (if only they’d stopped at name calling) is a book about a Lancashire girl who was set upon by a group of youths whilst walking in the park with her boyfriend simply because of the way she dressed. I say ‘set

upon’ and ‘youths’, but these are in fact gross misrepresentations of what really happened in the early hours of 11th August 2007. An innocent woman, with a promising life ahead of her, was brutally beaten to death by out-of-control yobs, whose behaviour on that night was beneath that of ani-

mals. These may be strong words, but such a tragedy calls for strong opinions. That this tragedy should never be forgotten is at the forefront of Catherine Smyth’s book.

Although the PhotoShopped image of Sophie Lancaster and the overall appearance of the book is distinctly amateurish given the low

profile of the publisher, that old saying “never judge a book by its cover” rings loud and clear. Despite scattered spelling and grammatical mistakes that slipped through the editor’s net leading me to froth at the mouth (no, seriously), weirdo. mosher.freak grips, shocks and horrifies right from when the attack begins up until the conclusion of the painstakingly drawn out trial, with accompanying photographs to put faces to the names mentioned. Smyth becomes utterly absorbed in Sophie’s case and pulls you in with her; you are appalled to the point of tears when the attack is described in intricate detail, then triumphant when justice is doled out to the young men, who, fuelled by alcohol, beat a young couple within an inch of their lives (killing one and leaving the other with serious physical and psychological injuries) just because they were ‘different’.

I knew very little of this terrible incident (it was very much overshadowed in the press by the murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones weeks later) before I picked up this

An innocent woman, with a promising life ahead of her, was brutally beaten to death by out-of-control yobs book but was naturally intrigued from a personal point of view as I used to be picked on for dressing differently in the past. However, I cannot stress enough that this book is relevant to all of us, as surely we have all been targeted at some point for being ‘different’ from the crowd.

The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, backed by bands such as The Damned and prestigious make-up brand Illasmasqua, is a charity set up by her family in response to the attack, so that she did not die in vain. It aims to stamp out these very same prejudices that led to the unnecessary suffering endured

by Sophie, her then boyfriend Rob Maltby, and their families.

To find out more, log on to sophielancasterfoundation.com.

Flickr

Low expectations? Step this way!

Fabiana Giovanetti gets a little nostalgic about Jimmy Eat World. Shame that the new album doesn’t quite live up to it...

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xpectation, you know, can be quite dangerous. Jimmy Eat World’s new album, Invented, has been one of the longedfor moments of this autumn. The rumors about Mark Trombino’s return spread quite fast and were warmly welcomed by most of the fans. He’s the Producer with the capital “P”,

the one who was at the helm of the production of Jimmy’s breakthrough discs.

As I already said expectation can really be misleading. As a matter of fact when the single “My Best Theory” was released in late August people was quite puzzled. It sounds perfect for a teen-movie soundtrack, but

Maybe Jimmy Eat ‘World’ is some sort of code for ‘pies’

I guess this should not be taken as compliment. Then, after the expectation, the frustration sets in. How could you trust anybody after such a big disappointment?

But here there is a surprise – this twelve-track collection works after all. I have to admit that it takes some time to be digest its contents properly and it is a good idea not to try to fool yourself thinking about it as “the event of the year”.

The album begins with “Heart is Hard to Find”, in which the acoustic guitar plays together with some orchestratal accompaniment. This track proves to be indicative of the smooth production sound that underpins the whole album. The next one is “My Best Theory”, and unfortunately in this case I’ve no option but to agree with the “teen-movie soundtrack” theory.

Most of the songs are really trying hard to stand out, but it seems that the good ideas are just running dry.

They provide no new insight, it’s all

John Hughes wishes he could have used this album about the well-known Jimmy pop/ rock, with a touch of sappy romanticism.

Despite that, keep waiting and don’t push the panic button. If you really miss the fuzzy loud sounds you were used to you’ll enjoy “Littlething” and “Cut”. The zenith is reached with “Higher Devotion”, in which some 80’s electronic influences and New Wave contaminations shape the track.

“Action need an Audience” continues this digression, just in time to be back to the title track, the ballad “Invented”. The album ends in a mellowed atmosphere thanks to “Mixtape”, a really good song which closes quite perfectly such a motley album.

Yes, they fooled us with the first single and yes again, this is not the marvellous-prodigious-unbelievable album, but if you don’t raise your expectations you’ll really enjoy it.

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TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek gets his funk on

Linden Watts gets excited about all that musical geeks can get excited about (especially Talking Heads)

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aximum Balloon, aka producer and TV on the Radio member David Andrew Sitek, comes with big expectations. As well as following up TVotR’s ‘Dear Science’ (stop reading and buy it now), he promises a more accessible sound and A-List ‘artistes’ like band-mate Tunde Adebimpe, Karen O, Little Dragon and David ‘TALKING HEADS!’ Byrne. Sounds like a music nerd’s wet dream, but as with most fantasies, the reality has moments of confusion and inappropriate flatulence.

The opening four tracks hint at why Sitek is a ‘big deal’, merging kinetic productions with charismatic collaborators, but never delivering the blast-off that their tension promises. Later, ‘Tiger’ doesn’t explode space-time either, but it does deliver the best distillation of the album’s strengths. When it appears sandwiched amongst weaker tracks, however, it simply overshadows the entire album. Elsewhere, his collaborations come across as pretty but underwhelming, missed opportunities that are more frustrating

than the downright failures – on ‘Shakedown’ and ‘Apartment Wrestling’, the songwriting, production and vocalist grate uncomfortably.

Sure, an artist risking enough to fall hard on his face is certainly not a bad thing in my book, but when an album lacks anything truly killer, you really can’t afford to be inconsistent either As is expected from an album spawned from disparate sessions, it lacks the direction or momentum to cover up the songwriting shortfalls. Not quite nailing the continuity and transcendence of great art, and not quite sucker-punching your heart or hips like great pop, the album resides in an awkward middle ground. It’s truly a producer’s album, with great sound but undeveloped songwriting; disappointing yet promising - fans of the single ‘Tiger’ (complete with cool video), or of Sitek’s other work, should preview the album and download the other songs of merit.

Finally, looking at the album as a kind of hipster mix-tape, make sure you check out the associates of Sitek: it’ll be worth your while.

Dave Sitek: Not even bothered that David Byrne has started doing dance moves

Check out:

Tiger Golden Age Zero Once in a Lifetime

– – – –

Maximum Balloon TV on the Radio Yeah Yeah Yeahs Talking Heads

http://tinyurl.com/mbtgr http://tinyurl.com/tvotrga http://tinyurl.com/yyyszro http://tinyurl.com/thoial

Metalocalypse - short busts of animated funny Dave Langdale takes a look at the weird side of life, death and heavy metal

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etalocalypse Series Two, the latest DVD release from Adult Swim in the UK, is an audiovisual experience like no other. Cramming witty characters, original songs, imaginative stories and hardcore hallucinogenic violence into a highly unique concept and 11 minute episodes is an unbelievable feat and one that should be commended.

The premise of the series centres around a heavy metal group named Dethklok, a band so huge they are

a world institution. The group, consisting of Nathan Explosion, Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Pickles, William Murderface, and Toki Wartooth, have risen to such popularity that leaders all over the world bend over backwards to accommodate them, fans will do anything for them, even if it leads to death, and they live free from trivial prosecutions for such things as heavy drugs use and murder.

The episodes follow a steady pattern; opening with a new problem

for the band detailed by a news report or phone call, followed by the reaction from the band and the reaction from a mysteriously powerful group led by Mr. Selatcia, whose goal is to perpetually monitor and intervene in Dethklok’s activities in an attempt to stave off widespread destruction. Indeed, wherever the heavy metal band goes, maiming and death seem to follow, with the majority of their gigs often ending in the complete annihilation of the audience. Hilarity ensues.

Items you need to keep around in case you find yourself watching endless ‘Friends’ re-runs

Despite my praise, the series isn’t perfect. For episodes of only 11 minutes, writers Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha spend an awful lot of time with the band. This would be fine if exchanges between the members were entertaining and humourous. When they’re filled with brash, unintelligent and frustrating dialogue, however, it almost makes you want to skip past them or, say, stamp on a hamster.

Similarly, the episodes open with such grand promises of conspiracy, intrigue and chaos that it is simply too much to fit in within the allotted time limit. This fact is so blisteringly obvious when, in several of the episodes, the ultimate climax or twist is forcibly squeezed in behind the final credits. Not only is this confusing for the viewer, as both the point of the episode and the lack of a satisfactory conclusion to previously promised events deceive them, but it ends what was otherwise a highly entertaining eleven minutes with disappointment.

Thankfully, however, these set-

backs are forgivable. As well as the more obvious moments of comedy gold, there is also a delightful undercurrent of heavy metal parody.

No one is safe from these witty digs, as the writers mock everyone from music pirating youths, record producers, band managers, the media and rockers themselves (mainly bass players) to relationships, groupies, drug addiction and being ‘metal’. While these jokes may fall on deaf ears to those without a taste for heavy metal music, if you have any notion of the world they describe these elements and exchanges are an absolutely joy to watch.

Overall Metalocalypse is a phenomenally successful creation for Adult Swim, and one of the few almost faultless gems of the nichefriendly meta-series. Whereas with other similar programmes, watching three or four in a row is enough, with the Dethklok boys you will find yourself seamlessly finishing one episode and beginning the next without feeling like it’s probably time to turn it off and put your clothes back on.

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behind the SU’s newest night out

bathimpact’s Joe Dibben takes in the sights and sounds of Elements on a friday night

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packed onto the heaving dance floors. It was a busy night, but the queues outside were thankfully not the issue they’d been at Score.

At the bars, there were drinks offers for every taste at very affordable prices, and thanks to the recently enlarged Plug Bar, the wait for beverages was greatly reduced.

Amongst the offers were double spirits and mixer for £2.50, Jager-

bombs at £2 each, and Coke/Diet Coke/Lemonade at 75p a pint.

Meanwhile in Elements, the new Theory DJs continued to keep the party pounding until 3am.

All in all, at £3 a ticket for University of Bath students when paying in advance, and £4 on the door, bathmpact gives Theory two thumbs up for a great night out!

Initial reaction from those helping

to organise and manage the event has been positive too, with SU Bars manager Rory Frith saying that Theory was ‘the best student night on campus’ that he had seen so far.

And there’s more to come this week, as Theory promises to bring yet more fun and games to campus with a snowboard up for grabs in Friday’s prize draw- just buy a Theory ticket to automatically en-

ter.

Theory continues this Friday night, with tickets on sale from the Plug Bar from 9’o clock on Monday morning- keep an eye out on campus for the Theory promo team too. Or, if you don’t fancy queuing up, advance tickets are available online up to 48 hours beforehandbut be quick, as there’s only 200 of them up for grabs!

Joe Dibben

Joe Dibben

riday brought the launch night of Theory, the brand new event hitting campus to kick start the weekends. As ever, bathimpact was on hand to give the lowdown. And what a night it was!

In the setting of the Elements and newly-renovated Plug Bar, the new year of nightlife on campus started off with a bang, as students

bathimpact contributor Joe Dibben upholding our proud name as he witnesses the hordes that descended on the launch night of Theory

Will Ferrell is back and he’s done more funnies Jack Penrose gets all misty eyed over the man who would be Elf

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o you remember the first time you watched the immortalised film, Anchorman? (The immensely quotable gag reel that may have been Will Ferrell’s finest hour.) Of course you do! It’s a staple part of any student’s film diet. But I think you will agree that since that fateful film, some of his more recent work has been disappointing (unless you are a massive Ferrell fan like myself) - just look at Land of the Lost if you need convincing on that point.

That is, of course, until now.

You should get yourself down to see The Other Guys; it’s the new

Anchorman in my view.

Terry Hoitz’s (Mark Wahlberg) past mistakes in the line of duty and Allen Gamble’s (Will Ferrell) reluctance to take risks have landed them the roles of the “Other Guys”, disgraced New York City police detectives relegated to filling out paperwork for cocky hero cops Danson (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and Highsmith (Samuel L Jackson). The mismatched duo must look past their differences when they take on a high-profile investigation of shady capitalist David Ershon (Steve Coogan) and attempt to fill the shoes of the notoriously reckless officers they

idolise. Also featuring a surprising comic turn from Michael Keaton and Eva Mendes, this is a barrel of laughs from the start.

It’s incredibly funny, whether it is Keaton’s subconscious quoting of TLC, Ferrell’s past as a pimp called “Gator” or Mark Wahlberg’s anger issues - you will have fun watching this. It probably won’t win an Oscar, but it may well become a comic treasure and in years to come maybe the Freshers will be quoting The Other Guys as well as (or even instead of) Anchorman…

The Other Guys is showing at the Bath Odeon.

Films to watch in the coming weeks: The Social Network – The story of how Mark Zuckerberg created a way of interaction that would change the world forever, and a media to distract students from their coursework too.

Wall Street “Greed is Good” – said Gordon Gekko, before his imprisonment. This film takes a look at the style of irresponsible banking that we have all come to loathe.

Red – Based on a cult comic series this film describes the travails of several over-age ex-CIA superagents (including Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren) trying to prove their innocence. The A Team with a better cast effectively.

Will Ferrell: won’t even put his elf suit back on for her

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NBA flashiness versus EuroLeague professionalism Basketball connoisseur Ioannis Costas gives us his view on what makes the two so different

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hat makes the NBA so different from European basketball? Is it the longer playing time? Perhaps the tweaked rules? Regardless of those aspects having a greater or smaller impact, I believe the true dissimilarity lies in the concept of entertainment.

At the end of the day, basketball, like all other sports, was developed to entertain. Instead of having gladiators fight to the death or knights slamming lances into one another, bouncing a ball and putting it into a hoop was deemed a tad less violent (well, maybe until Karl Malone and his elbows showed up in Salt Lake City).

Thus, how can it seem that the gap between the toughest European competition (the EuroLeague) and the American game is more of a chasm than anything else?

When Americans hustle into an arena (far too many carrying a largerthan-life cup with enough Coca Cola for a small army) they have paid for entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, a large part of it is the game itself, but it isn’t the only bit. They expect tshirts to be flung into the crowd, for attractive cheerleaders to dance and

the mascot to pull amusing stunts. In Europe, people pour into an arena to watch a match. It’s that simple.

Another part of the ‘entertainment package’ other than the game itself are the commentators and their delivery. For instance, when a player flushes down an impressive dunk in the EuroLeague, most commentators will exclaim something along the lines of “Ooh, Felipe Reyes with the strong dunk!” On the other side of the spectrum - where American commentators dwell - the reaction is somewhat more emphatic: “LeBron James, with no regard for human life!” (Just in case anyone thought I’ve made that one up, Kevin Harlan said that in Game 4 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals).

All of these commentators and pundit reactions help create an aura around the NBA, which, when combined with the unhealthy amount of light used in a stadium (giant HD screens, advertisements, flashing colours…) make the players and plays seem almost godlike.

Though the root difference is in the concept of entertainment, it would be thoroughly inaccurate to ignore, in my

opinion, the other main factor: physicality. It is a phrase which is often used when discussing a player’s options of playing in America: ‘he’s got to be big and strong’. Muscle power – if you don’t have it, get it. If you can’t get it, hope you’ve got so much talent that you could give some away and still be one of the best in the League.

Steve Nash and John Stockton are clear cut examples of the rare breed of unbelievable players who didn’t bench press 2000 pounds each day.

Physical talent and entertainment are linked, as having a 40 inch vertical jump implies more dunks, more alley-oops and more chase-down blocks - precisely what the majority of the crowd want to see: the parts which make the highlight reel. The EuroLeague isn’t anywhere near as flashy as the American game, it is far more subtle. It looks at technical skill first, then the size of your bicep.

Though obviously the better player on a EuroLeague side will take more shots, the final tally of his attempts in comparison with his teammates isn’t anywhere near as obscene as in the NBA. When watching people like Carmelo Anthony play, I often think there

should be two balls on the court: one for him and one for everyone else.

Then again, even a basketball rookie viewer can figure out what to expect from each type of league by their slogan. FIBA (the organisation that coordinates basketball across practically the whole world - except America) employs a rather tame ‘We Are Basketball’, whereas the NBA adds some

more flair with ‘Where Amazing Happens’.

At the end of the day, it is all down to preference; I’d rather spend my money watching the EuroLeague - I am not particularly thrilled about having to sit through seemingly endless time-outs watching people in the crowd make fools of themselves.

That’s why we have Youtube.

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England united, the world invited Joe Dibben bathimpact Contributor sport@bathimpact.com

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t’s just under two months now until Sepp Blatter and the rest of the FIFA Executive Committee sit down in Zurich and choose the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups.

England, of course, have placed a bid to host the competition in both 2018 and 2022, as the selfproclaimed ‘home of football’ looks to host the event for the first time since 1966, becoming in the process only the fourth nation to have held the tournament twice.

Should England win the right to host the event in 2018 or 2022, it would be a truly nationwide bid- nobody would be too far away from any of the stadia, which will be located from as far south as Plymouth and as far north as Sunderland. There are plans to boost the capacities of some of the already stunning venues that we have in this country, such as the City of Manchester stadium and Stadium:mk in Milton Keynes, as well as plans to incorporate the London’s Olympic Stadium, and even the construction of new stadia in Bristol and Nottingham.

Here, in the West Country, we will have two stadia, in Bristol and Plymouth, and there will of course be several subsequent benefits to the region. It is truly staggering how much the experience of

Our stadia are now amongst the safest and most modern in the world watching football in our stadia has changed for the better in the last 20 years. As a country, it would have been ludicrous to have considered a bid for the World Cup in the 80s or early 90s, when English football was still standing in the shadow of the Hillsborough disaster. Hooliganism was rife, and following the Heysel disaster, when Liverpool fans were blamed for the collapse of a grandstand at the 1985 European Cup final in Brussels, English clubs were

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IT technician Wembley would be the venue for the 2018 World Cup final if England’s bid were to be successful. banned from European competition until 1991.

But we learned from that experience, and in the years to follow, there was a wave of new stadia being built up and down the country, which all adhered to the recommendations of the Taylor inquiry (the report made following the Hillsborough tragedy).

Our stadia are now amongst the safest and most modern in the world, and for that, we should give ourselves a pat on the back.

It is an English tendancy to be one’s own best critic, but we really should be proud of what we have achieved in that respect. I would go as far as saying that we now have the second best set of stadia in Europe after Germany, and we have largely eradicated hooliganism to all intents and purposes. Sometimes you need to go elsewhere to realise how much things have improved realtive to other countries; I experienced this first hand when I went to see two Serie A matches in consecutive weeks in Italy this year.

The Italian bid for Euro 2016 was laughed away by UEFA, and let’s just say that it’s no surprise considering the crumbling venues and crowd trouble that have prevented Italian football from progressing in recent years as much as it has in other countries.

In comparison, going to watch the football in England has never attracted so many families than now: attendances, especially in the Football League, are at an alltime high.

‘Blowing your own trumpet’ is all very well, but do we realistical-

ly have a chance? Will the ‘golden decade of sport’ that former PM Gordon Brown spoke of receive another string to its bow?

I honestly think that we do, and here’s why. FIFA, especially for 2018, will probably be looking for a safe pair of hands after problems with stadia construction and infrastructure in South Africa in 2010, and, most likely, Brazil in 2014 not to mention the fact that it would have been 12 years since Europe had last hosted the event (Germany in 2006). The FA very cunningly played this card recently, claiming an English World Cup could secure a record profit of up £160 million. I reckon that one of 2018 and 2022 will break ‘new ground’ so to speak, and going on the logic that I mention in the previous sentence, that will be in 2022 (where, Australia, in my

£160m

Profit that could be generated from 2018 World Cup hosted by England

view, as part of the last continent to have never hosted the competition, will be clear favourites). The FA also recently hinted that it will solely concentrate on 2018 and scrap their 2022 bid if the USA decides in return to do the opposite- that would guarantee the World Cup returning to European shores in 2018.

It is important to emphasise the positive points in our bid rather than pick holes in those of

our competitiors, but I think we do have the edge of our European rivals in 2018 for various reasons.

The joint bids of Holland/Belgium and Spain/Portugal both appear to be very strong, and both countries boast a selection of fantastic venues - however, Sepp Blatter has said before that he is sceptical about awarding future World Cups to joint bids. Russia is perhaps considered to be England’s biggest European rival for 2018, and it’s safe to say (of course) that the Russian bid has a lot of backing from high places. Their plan is certainly ambitious, but will require a lot of building work, with nine new stadia needed (not something that FIFA will be too comfortable with after the shambolic preparations for Euro 2012 host and fellow ex-communist state, Ukraine). Add to this the massive distances between cities and the awful transport system in Russia, not to mention the continuing problems with racism in the Russian game, and it’s clear to see why that country isn’t an entirely suitable location to celebrate the world’s biggest festival of football.

So, England, it seems to be yours to lose. The signs are certainly looking good for us; for goodness sake, even German legend and chief English football basher Franz Beckenbauer (a man who incidentally seems to have a lot of influence over the FIFA bigwigs) supports us. This article is nothing but speculation though; so let’s keep our fingers crossed that December 2nd 2010 becomes another day to savour for English sport.

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My afternoon with the ‘high flyers’ at UoB Gliding Club Joe Dibben gets his feet off the ground with one of the university’s most up and coming clubs

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he idea of getting into a plane without an engine may seem crazy to some, but there’s a group of students at our university who laugh in the face of petrol and propellers.

Welcome to the University of Bath’s very own gliding club.

And, in the name of sports journalism, I was lucky enough to receive some free tuition recently at their nearby site in Longbridge Deverill, just south of Warminster, which they share with Bath, Wiltshire and North Dorset Gliding Club (BWNDGC).

In glorious sunshine on campus last Wednesday, I arranged to meet the chair of the Gliding Club, Colin Field, before our trip over to the airfield. As we hopped in to the minibus, various special guests hopped out with beaming smiles following the morning session, including SU President Daniel ‘Dot’ O’Toole, who claimed that gliding was “one of the best things I have ever tried out”.

During our ride to the airfield, I was intrigued to find out more about what gliding was all about. A small group of members of the university club competed in the Inter-Universities competition in Bicester at the start of August. Colin and Tim Fletcher also competed in the Junior Nationals at the same location just a few weeks later. Bath have certainly been successful in recent years at a university level too; our pilots have won three out of the last five years in the Inter-University Cross Country event (whereby competitors are awarded points for distance flown in the glider, as well as points for technical difficulty).

“If you can drive a car then you can certainly fly a glider”, Colin told me, to my complete astonishment.

“The conditions today are perfect. The lines that the clouds have formed mean there should be some strong thermals to climb in. There’s a misconception that strong winds are conducive to providing the best gliding conditions, but this isn’t the case. It’s all to do with the thermals, and understanding how to find them, so that you can go higher and thus

stay in the air longer.” he continued.

I trusted his logic - after all, he was a man who had been learning to fly gliders for six years and went solo at 16.

Speaking of preconceptions, it was the largely vague opinion of this humble sports journalist that gliding was something so technical and complicated that it would take a lifetime to master - but, as was to be a theme of the afternoon, I was surprised by just how staggeringly quickly a novice can progress as a glider pilot. Take Tim, who I referred to earlier, for example: he had absolutely no experience of flying at all before he started university just three years ago. It took him about 5 months to go solo and now he is competing at a national level and has completed the Silver Award, the first big internationally-recognised certificate of achievement for experienced flyers. “I just really enjoy what I do and I’m very committed to it,” he said. “Whenever I could, I would be down at the airfield practicing. It took me about 40 flights before I was able to go solo.”

After a brief safety presentation when we arrived, we headed out towards the trailer at the airstrip adjacent to where the gliders had lined up, ready and raring to go. As we arrived, the first flight was being prepared- a cable was being attached to the underside of one of the gliders, as two members of the club helped line the aircraftup for take-off. The glider planes themselves can vary: some are single-seater and others are twoseater; they also tend to nowadays be made of glass or carbon fibre. But generally speaking, and most im-

“

If you can drive a car then you can certainly fly a glider

”

Colin Field

portantly, they DON’T have engines, and, once airborne, the pilot has to rely on nature and physics to keep

GIVE US A WAVE: Intrepid bathimpact reporter Joe Dibben salutes us from the cockpit high up over the Wiltshire countryside the aircraft in the sky.

The take-off was quite incredible to see for the first time. As the cable underneath the glider tightens, the glider is launched at an incredibly steep angle by the winch, a bit like a kite being pulled upwards on a piece of string. Colin had told me that it isn’t uncommon to climb as much as 1500ft in thirty seconds at take-off, with an exertion of up to 3G on the pilots. Once the glider reaches the top of the winch launch, it levels out, and the cable underneath is detached, and you are as free as a bird.

As I patiently waited for my turn, I gazed round at the gliders already in the air. Some pilots attempted some pretty audacious stacks (vertical midair drops) before eventually landing half an hour or so after take off back on the strip. Once they do land, it really is a team effort to retrieve the gliders from halfway down the strip; members of the club and the BWNDGC take it in turns to drive mini trucks to the gliders before towing them back to the launch point, with the help of a couple of individuals behind the wings to help direct. One thing that struck me throughout the afternoon was how proactive the university club was as regards to helping the kind members of the BWNDGC to keep things ticking over, and it was certainly nice to see our students taking on so many responsibilities to help out; although there might be only one person flying at a time, it takes a team of individuals to ensure that things run like clockwork.

And then it was my turn. After attaching my parachute (just in case), Colin showed me the inside of the canopy and the relatively simple-

looking controls that the pilot used to stay airborne.

Strapped up inside and ready to go, Colin went through some final checks before the big take-off. I had barely had chance to register the countdown of ‘THREE...TWO...ONE’ before we were hoisted into the air at a tremendous rate of knots; it was truly fantastic and better than any roller coaster that I’d ever been on.

Once we were airborne I was even able to take the controls! I was completely surprised at just how relatively simple it was to steer the plane; I could certainly see now what Colin meant by his comment when we were in the minibus on the way to the airfield. By the time we had banked round to land, following a flight of around 30 minutes over the beautiful Somerset countryside, Colin had tak-

en me under his wing and had taught me how to turn the glider left and right, as well as how to keep the nose pointing straight, which was much simpler than I thought it would be.

After we landed, I was overcome by a real sense of achievement. I had accomplished a childhood dream of mine to fly an aircraft and that was truly magical.

Overall, it had been a fantastic afternoon, and something that I will never forget.

The University of Bath Gliding club are continuing to offer taster sessions to all students during the next couple of Wednesday afternoons at very affordable prices (as little as £6.50 per flight, which includes tuition from a professional instructor).

For such a marvellous opportunity, it seems excellent value indeed.

READY TO GO: Students’ Union President Daniel O’ Toole familiarises himself with his surroundings with the help of UoB Gliding Club’s Colin Field.

impactsport Monday 18th October 2010

A day out with the university’s Gliding Club page 27

Bath athletes strike gold in Delhi »»Four gold medals for Bath athletes at Commonwealth Games 2010 »»Endacott with gold and silver Adam Winsland bathimpact Contributor sport@bathimpact.com

U

niversity of Bath-based athletes have been in action at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, as Australia once again dominate the medals table.

Welshman Dai Greene took gold in a close 400 metre hurdles final, beating South Africa’s reigning champion Louis Van Zyl to come home in 48.52secs. It has been a highly successful season for Greene, having also taken gold at this summer’s European Championships in Barcelona, and will be a great springboard for one of Great Britain’s brightest medal hopes in London 2012.

He joins womens’ 4x100m relay winner Katherine Endacott, mens’ 4x100m winner Ryan Scott, and Katrina Hart, winner of the T37 100m event, in completing Bath’s gold medal winning elite.

Hart had got the ball rolling for Bath last Thursday, taking her gold medal in British record time University of Bath-based athlete Dai Greene,shown here in GB colours at the World Athletics Championships in Barcelona earlier this year, took gold for Wales in the 400m hurdles in Delhi.

BUCS Home Fixtures Wednesday 20th October 2010 UoB Men’s Basketball 1sts

v

Southampton Solent 1sts

UoB Men’s Football 3rds

v

College of St Mark & St John 1sts

UoB Men’s Golf 1sts

v

Bournemouth University 3rds

UoB Men’s Hockey 3rds

v

Southampton Solent 1sts

UoB Women’s Hockey 2nds

v

UoB 3rds

UoB Women’s Hockey 4ths

v

University of Exeter 5ths

UoB Men’s Lacrosse 1sts

v

University of Southampton 1sts

UoB Netball 1sts

v

University of Gloucestershire 1sts

UoB Netball 4ths

v

University of Bristol 3rds

UoB Men’s Rugby 1sts

v

Swansea University 1sts

UoB Men’s Rugby 2nds

v

UWIC 4ths

UoB Men’s Squash 2nds

v

University of Exeter 1sts

31

Number of athletes based at the University of Bath participating in the Commonwealth Games

of 14.36s. In the process, she took England’s first athletics medal in Delhi 2010. “It’s pretty cool to be called the Commonwealth Games champion. I came to get the gold and that’s what I got. Plus I ran a PB [personal best], which is a world lead this year,” said Hart afterwards. “I’m aiming for the World Championships and for another medal. It will be tougher there, but I think I have a good chance.”

Katherine Endacott had finished fourth in the women’s 100m event, but was promoted to bronze follow-

ing the disqualification of Australian Sally Pearson. She was then instrumental in England’s women’s 4x100m relay victory on Tuesday.

It was an easy win for England’s sprinters, who coasted to gold in 44.19, well ahead of Ghana, who took silver. Sensationally, there was yet another surprise for Endacott on Wednesday following the women’s 100m, after Nigeria’s Oseyemi Oludamola tested positive for a banned substance after her victory- her consequent disqualification promoted Endacott to silver. “I was glad to make the final, to come away with a medal is the icing on the cake,” said the ecstatic Endacott.

Elsewhere, former Bath student Ryan Scott helped the England 4x100m relay team to gold, after a stirring final leg from Mark LewisFrancis reeled in Jamaican Remaldo Rose in a dramatic final few metres.

Scotland’s Michael Jamieson won silver in the pool in the 200m breaststroke, and badminton players Mariana Agathangelou, Carl Baxter and Heather Olver each won bronze for England in the team events. It is excellent news for the university, and demonstrates that Bath has some of the finest sporting facilities in the country.

13th

Where the University of Bath would be in the medals table, if competing as a country in its own right

Australia have once again shown their dominance in the Games, who with 64 gold medals at the time of writing, eclipsing second place India and third place England, with 31 and 28 respectively. The Aussies’ superiority in the pool events will ensure that they will once again finish top of the medals table by

the closing ceremony. England have already surpassed their 2006 medals haul, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can boast fairly impressive totals to complete the Home Nations’ success at this year’s Games.

However, all eyes were on India as Delhi took on the burden of hosting a major international sporting event for the first time in its history.

Although several setbacks threatened to tarnish the quadrennial meeting of the Commonwealth’s finest, India has proved its critics wrong and received praise from athletes and delegates alike. Home support has greatly benefitted the Indian athletes, and an impressive tally of 84 medals has exceeded expectations.

Although several questions are asked over the importance of the Commonwealth Games, the success of British, and more importantly Bath, athletes is a source of great encouragement for Olympic Games in 2012. University of Bath athletes now have four gold medals, two silver medals, and three bronze medals between them so far - if Bath had been competing as a country in its own right, it would currently be in twelfth position in the medals table, just behind New Zealand, and ahead of Wales on gold medals won. It’s a statistic that is certainly impressive by anyone’s standards.

What an achievement, and congratulations to all!