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March 2020 - Edition 87
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3
Introduction
March Issue
This Edition: page 6 March 2020 - Edition 87
We debut our employment festival: STRIVE to help with your employability skills, see page 10 for more!
Water, a flood of problems? Abby Gray explores the 'miracle of life' in this two part article, exploring water, the environemnt and more.
Contributors
page 9
Tao Warburton • Brooke Pilbeam Christina Demetriou • Athena Pickering • Abby Gray Joanna Bouzegzi • Tamsin Grainger •Natasha Neal Tom Featherstone • Zuzanna Majewska Jim Gabriel • Emily West • Julia Crooks Kelly Young • Seana O'Reilly • Zac Saunderson Lilly-Faye Dunhill • Jade Louise Clifford • Jessy Clark
'Kashmere' interview It's almost like you were at the gig! Read the interview and see the photos of the band, Kashmere, by Zuzanna Majewska.
Yezan Amawi • Emma Hatcher • Megan Staples Leo Farrell • Alexi Hickin •Kia Wing • Miriam Manca Travis Hoey • Joe Hampton, • Jamie Stancombe
page 10
Oli Gunson • Charlotte Batterbee Want to see your name in the list above? Want to have your writing or artwork on show to thousands of people? Get involved. Email editor@thebucksstudent.com
Advertising
STRIVE festival Like Festiball, but with less of the music, and more of the employment. Find out what's coming and how it can help you.
page 14
For all advertising and media enquiries please contact the Students’ Union Communications and Marketing department. Simon McDowell - simon.mcdowell@bucks.ac.uk Articles in this newspaper do not necessarily represent the views of Bucks Students’ Union but are that of the specific author. View this edition online at bucksstudentsunion.org/communications.
Valedictorians Fancy yourself a speaker? Want to share your University experience? Why not consider becoming a Valedictorian!
© 2020 Bucks Students’ Union
page 27 If required, this document can be made available in different formats. Please contact Bucks Students' Union for more information.
Men's Football 1st win the cup! Hear all about how our Men's Football 1st team won the cup, as well as their upcoming plans...
4 March Issue
Sabb update
By Christina Demetriou, Tao Warburton, Brooke Pilbeam
Christina Demetriou VPSI
Tao Warburton President
Brooke Pilbeam VPEW
Another crazy elections week has come to an end and term break is just around the corner! Well done to all of the candidates for their hard work and congrats to all of our newly elected leaders! I can’t believe that a whole year has gone by since myself, Tao and Brooke were elected…
Since the last time you heard from me, many different things have happened. My campaign ‘Pres learns to..’ is going very well. If you haven’t heard of it, this is where I am visiting many societies and clubs to try to improve engagement within the student community and to show that anyone can join and try anything for free! Keep an eye out on Bucks Students’ Union’s Instagram where you can vote to see what I do next.
Back again with another update!
You would have noticed that ‘Banter Or Bullying’ has officially launched, with some very powerful artwork created by our amazing comms team. In line with the campaign’s goal, which is to challenge the ‘banter’ culture within university social groups, we had ‘Good Lad Initiative’ carry out a workshop in the monthly AU Council and look forward to welcoming them back. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone that has actively taken the campaign and its messages on board; it is truly moving to see so many of you endorse the mind-set of #dontcrosstheline and I trust that this will create some long-lasting change. In line with celebrating the beauty of diversity, we hosted the first ever ‘HoliFest’ celebration, in collaboration with the Activities Team. While the weather may have put a bit of a dampener on the colour run, we were happy to see a mixture of students take part in the Bhangra and Bollywood Fusion Fitness class. A huge thank you to Tamaya Daly for helping us raise money for RAG by creating some beautiful Henna designs for students and staff. It is really important to us that your voice and needs are taken on board so that we can create the best possible experience for you. You have asked us to celebrate more cultures, religions and traditions, and ‘HoliFest’ was the start. Be sure to look out for the International Globetrotters event that we have coming up…
My time as President is nearly over, so I would like to say a massive congratulations to Tamsin, Natasha and Tom as the incoming Sabbatical Officers. I’m sure you’re going to smash it!
Firstly I would like to congratulate Natasha, Tom and Tamsin on becoming your newly elected officer team! It really is the most exciting and rewarding experience so I hope you are looking forward to it. Even though your new team is in place we are all still your officers until the end of June! With this we still have lots of exciting events and campaigns to come. Tao and I are starting to plan a De-Stress day so keep your eyes peeled for that.
The representation team are running ‘It Starts With You’. This is for us to get feedback on your course, we But whilst I’m still here I am in talks with the university want to find out the positives and any negatives you to improve your student experience, most of it is may be facing so we can help support you and go to confidential so I unfortunately cannot share it with you the University to get any issues resolved. You will see but along-side this I am planning a final few campaigns the comment cards around or come grab one from the which are coming soon, so watch this space.. office if not! I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter break and See you all soon! don’t forget to relax, revise and repeat.
Get in touch: Christina: christina.demetriou@bucks.ac.uk Tao: tao.warburton@bucks.ac.uk Brooke: brooke.pilbeam@bucks.ac.uk
Bucks Vpsi
Bucks SU Pres Bucks Vpew
@BucksSUVPSI @BucksSUPres @BucksSUVPEW
Joanna Bouzegzi
Athena Pickering ↑ Hi I’m Athena, one of your editors. This is the penultimate newspaper for this academic year! A lot has happened in this academic year and we are starting to reach the end. The countdown is now on for Varsity which is only weeks away and I’m looking forward to watching it for the last time and supporting my housemates and friends. There is still a lot to look forward to even with lots of deadlines coming up. For me my focus is now turning to my dissertation, it can be daunting to start this project as it requires a lot of research. As this will be my last performance here at Bucks, I want it to be as good as it can possibly be. Dissertations for most final year students is a really daunting
assignment to know where to start but what I have found helpful as I have other projects due as well, that doing a bit of dissertation work little and often has really helped. Last summer I spent some time deciding what I wanted to explore/ research into, which meant when I came back to start my final year, I already had a starting point and could slowly begin to do some research. The final few months are exciting with so much going on and I plan to try and enjoy as much of it as I can, which I hope you reading this do too. As we reach the end, even though we may be busy don’t forget to take breaks for yourself and try to enjoy the final few months we have left in this academic year.
↑ Hi, I’m Joanna - the second half of this year’s editors. As the 2019-2020 academic year gradually closes to an end, this is the final newspaper of the year! As this is my first year, I have had a wonderful time working on this paper - working alongside great people and reading so many great articles that you have submitted. As you may know, Varsity is soon among us as the countdown has begun! This is my first Varsity, so I am very excited to see it for the first time and support
our team. Although our year is ending, it is important not to lose sight of what is important. Third years will be completing their dissertations, getting ready to graduate and move on to greater things. The rest of us will be continuing to complete our assignments and get ready for exams that are coming up soon. The next few months will surely be whirlwind but it is important to relax and enjoy it as much as possible - especially those who will not be returning next year.
As editors, we have big plans for The Bucks Student, and we need you to achieve them! To encourage you to submit your articles, artwork, stories or anything else you could think of, we are running a competition to reward the creator of the best piece submitted to each edition of the newspaper with £25! If you want to be in with a chance of winning, send an email to editor@thebucksstudent.com and we can get you added to our newsgroup meetings, help you with writing and hopefully get you a winning piece! Or, if you see either of us on campus, please come and say hello and we can help in person. Any piece entered in upcoming newspapers (you can submit any time after reading this really!) will be eligible to win. The final decision for 'the best' piece falls to the editorial team and the winner will be contacted via email within a week of the newspaper releasing.
March Issue
By Joanna Bouzegzi, Athena Pickering
5
Editor update
6 March Issue
Meet the sabb elects!
By Tamsin Grainger, Tom Featherstone, Natasha Neal
Meet the sabb elects! Tamsin Grainger President
Hey, I am so excited to say that I was elected your new President of the Students' Union. I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who took the time to vote for me, a big thank you to my campaign team who worked really hard with me the entire week, and finally thank you to the societies and clubs that backed me in my campaign. I have a wide range of experience in leadership roles from co running a karate club for 10 years, being chair of SnowSoc, club captain of my local swim team and running multiple volunteering opportunities all of which I am hoping will allow me to achieve all my goals and more in this position. I am extremely proud of this University and the Students' Union and can’t wait to carry on the amazing work, to expand it and allow more students to grow and utilise the wide range of resources and activities available at the union. One of my main priorities as president is to provide competition opportunities for the societies in the Union. We have so
Where do I even begin? The campaigning process has taught me a lot about myself first of all. I think its a real challenge to advocate yourself against others and explain why you are the best person for a specific role in a way that isn’t pretentious. In a world where people are called obnoxious for singing their own praises, to go around explaining why I believed that I was best for the role felt strange but I definitely feel more confident for doing so.
Natasha Neal VPEW
Tom Featherstone VPSI
Another important skill that I have developed through this campaigning process is how to manage time. Across the election week, balancing University classes, volunteering, finishing assignments to the deadlines as well as campaigning was quite difficult at
This campaign process wasn’t what I totally expected. The original plan was to run on a slate with someone else but this didn’t work out, therefore running alone wasn’t what I had first anticipated. After the first day of campaigning out on the concourse, Natasha, Tamsin and myself had all decided that we were going to help promote one another although not actually running on a slate together! This worked out for the best as it meant that
many great sports teams who compete on a regular basis and do the Uni proud and I feel this should be extended more to the smaller societies, for example Climbing and Karate (which are now Olympic sports) Snow Sports, Fencing, Boxing and many more. I would like to look into creating these competition opportunities between other universities much like a smaller more spread out version of varsity.
I will also be looking to provide more chilled nights that are not solely focused on partying and drinking in the Student’s Union. For example, film nights, trivia nights, pizza evenings that all allow students to come and enjoy the Students' Union in a more relaxed environment and letting them socialise without the pressures of drinking. These nights will also be connected to some of our fantastic mental health projects letting us talk about important issues in a safe and fun environment. In conjunction with this I would like to create more themed
times. I am so thankful for all those who helped me via online promotion and in person handing out leaflets and generally supporting me. The support from friends throughout the election process helped to make it such an exciting period. In particular I would like to thank Jade, Conor and Lucy for helping me with my campaign. Some of my plans for 2020/2021 are as follows:
• Developing 'TimeToTalk' sessions
beginning during Freshers Fortnight
• where students can meet every
few weeks at alternate campuses to discuss different issues that the students are facing as a way to provide each other with different
we could split our time over the different locations around University. And as the results showed, it was obviously a strategy that worked and I'm really excited to be your new Vice President Student Involvement. The next year is a year that we can hope to push on and really make a difference to this university! Pushing on with new and different facilities to help the issues
nights at the Students' Union that are possibly run my events management students at the university allowing them to get experience and giving students the opportunity to enjoy more nights at the Students' Union. Finally, I would like to improve the university and student experience at the Uxbridge campus by having a member of the sab team work there once a week to keep up to date with the students and what they want us to change, I feel this is crucial as Uxbridge runs very different courses from the High Wycombe campus and I wouldn’t want to presume what the students want or need. I can’t wait for what the next year holds for myself, Tom and Natasha and I’m looking forward to all these goals to be achieved and more. Again thank you so much for voting and If you have any questions feel free to get in contact me on Facebook or email at Tamsingrainger@gmail.com.
tips to maintain Welfare. I think by implementing this during Freshers it can help new students who may not enjoy the nightlife side of University and makes the transition of moving away from home much easier.
• Create an ask the Sabbs anonymous
question section in the Bucks Student Newspaper so that students can ask questions anonymously that they may not want to ask in person that we can answer as graduates.
• I would also like to get the lecturers
to do shoutouts which there currently is on some courses for the reps to extend to all students so that when a student achieves well on their course this is recognised by the staff.
that effect the students most. Hopefully building on the fantastic year the we have this year then just striding forward together.
Water, a flood of problems The miracle of life part 1
While thanks to science we know that water is comprised of two hydrogens (H2) and one oxygen (O) there is more to water than we might be prepared to believe. I completely agree with Loren Eiseley, who said, ‘If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.’ This article aims to outline why we should appreciate it and not take it for granted. We are fast depleting our groundwater – a resource that Viktor Schauberger (see Part 2 in the next edition of the Bucks Student to find out about him) believed was not only protected by treecover, but was also actually produced by trees. With increasing deforestation globally – Mexico, Amazon, Africa, Indonesia, etc, as well as ‘historically’ less tree-cover in Europe and America - we are losing our water, which would otherwise be protected and kept in the soil by the trees’ roots. The tall, leafy trees prevent the water from evaporating, because they shade it from the sun. When the trees are gone, the water evaporates in intense heat and yes, the water will come back through rain and storms, but the loss of tree-cover means that flooding will then occur, and where there is land (e.g. fields) the topsoil, which contains all the nutrients vital for healthy growth of crops washes away, to make its way into the rivers, then into the sea. Viktor Schauberger observed how bodies of water disappeared when huge amounts of forest were cut down following the end of World War II, and how this then led to depletion of the natural wildlife population. He saw this happen in his home country of Austria back in the 1920’s and 30’s, and it is indeed something afflicting the world today and exacerbated by the world’s food trade (Alexandersson, 1990). Therefore, non-organic farmers have heavy use of fertilisers: to make up for the rapidly diminishing topsoil. For example, according to the Soil Association, ‘’our soils are degrading at an alarming rate. We have taken soil for granted and now one-third of the world’s arable soils are degraded [sic]. The situation becomes even more urgent when we consider that it can take a thousand years for just one centimetre of topsoil to form.’ Talking of farming, have you ever wondered where all those artificial fertilisers go? They end up in the ocean, resulting in what are called ‘dead zones’ – where nothing lives, because of the intensity of the algae that grows due to the huge constant supply of
nitrogen and phosphorus which ends up in the sea from fertilisers and poor sewage and industrial waste (National Geographic Society, 2020). Then there is the equally alarming issue regarding antibiotics and how these are accumulating I nthe world’s rivers (e.g. Gilbert 2019). The tanning business is also responsible for contamination of water, due to all the chemicals that are used in the process of tanning leather. The world’s most contaminated river is the Citarum River in Indonesia. The reason why it is so contaminated is because people dump their waste into it – such as lead, mercury and arsenic. Whilst there are undoubtedly other sources, the main reason it is so contaminated is because of the textile industry (e.g. Unreported World, 2014). As Pierce (2018) notes, regarding loss of groundwater, ‘Of the planet’s 37 major aquifer systems, they discovered, 21 were on the verge of collapse. In the Great Plains, farmers had exhausted a third of Ogallala’s potable water in just 30 years. In California, the Central Valley aquifer was showing signs that it could drop beyond human reach by the middle of this century. But the worst declines were in Asia and the Middle East, where some of the planet’s oldest aquifers were already running out of water. “While we are so busy worrying about the water that we can see,” Famiglietti told me, “the water that we can’t see, the groundwater, is quietly disappearing.”’ Now, as Westerners, we have a further issue: fracking. This is where crude oil is drilled out of the ground, resulting in the contamination of groundwater. According to Greenpeace (2020) ‘In order to frack, an enormous amount of water is mixed with various toxic chemical compounds to create frack fluid. This frack fluid is further contaminated by the heavy metals and radioactive elements that exist naturally in the shale. A significant portion of the frack fluid returns to the surface, where it can spill or be dumped into rivers and streams. Underground water supplies can also be contaminated by fracking, through migration of gas and frack fluid underground.’ Indeed, in 2008, as (Vaidyanathan, 2016) states, ‘people in Pavillion, Wyo., living in the middle of a
References and more information: Alexandersson, O. (1990) Living Water. Sweden: Gateway Books. Berndtson, D. (2017) As global groundwater disappears, rice, wheat and other international crops may start to vanish. Accessed from: www.pbs.org/newshour/science/global-groundwater-disappears-rice-wheat-international-crops-may-start-vanish Bridge, M. (2018) Tankers Dump Palm Oil in UK Water. The Times. Accessed from: www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tankers-dump-palm-oil-in-uk-waters-qvhdm9n5r Carrington, D. (2018). Oceans suffocating as huge dead zones quadruple since 1950, scientists warn Accessed from: www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/04/oceans-suffocating-dead-zones-oxygen-starved Gilbert, N. (2019). World’s Rivers Awash With ‘Dangerous Levels of Antibiotics’. The Guardian. Accessed from: www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/27/worlds-rivers-awash-with-dangerous-levels-of-antibiotics
natural gas basin, complained of a bad taste and smell in their drinking water. U.S. EPA launched an inquiry, helmed by DiGiulio, and preliminary testing suggested that the groundwater contained toxic chemicals.’ Then in 2016, DiGiulio, ‘published a comprehensive, peerreviewed study […] in Environmental Science and Technology that suggests that people’s water wells in Pavillion were contaminated with fracking wastes that are typically stored in unlined pits dug into the ground. The study also suggests that the entire groundwater resource in the Wind River Basin is contaminated with chemicals linked to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.’ This sounds like what ships do with palm oil that they use to clean their engines: they dump it in the sea – at least 12 miles off the UK coast (Bridge, 2018). Then there is the issue of bottled water. As many people may be aware, companies like Nestle are directly responsible for diminishing groundwater, because the consumers of their bottled water have been brainwashed to believe that what they are selling is not tapwater but ‘springwater’ and that because of this, it is better for one’s health when in actuality it is still tapwater being sold more expensively than normal tapwater simply because it is attached to a spring (Netflix, 2018). Thus, places in Africa that do not have proper tap water systems in place to the households have to queue up to receive the bottled galleons of water. This then leads to plastic waste in the large part because of all the plastic bottles they go through daily (Ruetenik, 2019). Finally, avocadoes and other thirsty plants are being grown in places like California, Mexico, Peru and Chile, where water supply to these crops is put before the villagers who live in these water-deprived places. To make matters worse, water is privatised in some of these places, thus further diminishing access for those in need to a source of good water. Look out for Part 2 in next month’s edition of the Bucks Student to find out why water is so special, and to discover who Viktor Schauberger is.
Greenpeace (n.d.) Fracking’s Environmental Impacts:Water. Accessed from: www.greenpeace.org/usa/global-warming/issues/fracking/environmental-impacts-water/ Kennedy, L. (2019). The Avocado War. Rotten. Season 2, Episode 1. Netflix. [Online]. Pierce (2018) Where Will You Be for the Aquapocalypse? Esquire.com. Accessed from: www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a22552048/aquifers-collapse-groundwater-shortage-arizona/ Ruetenik, D. (2019). Troubled Water. Rotten. Season 2, Episode 3. Netflix. [Online]. Soil Association. (n.d.) What Is Soil, And Why Does It Need Saving?. Accessed from: www.soilassociation.org/our-campaigns/save-our-soil/. Unreported World (2014). The World’s Dirtiest River. Accessed from: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkSXB-lRAp0 Vaidyanathan, G. (2016) Fracking Can Contaminate Drinking Water. Accessed from: www.scientificamerican.com/article/fracking-can-contaminate-drinking-water/
March Issue
By Abby Gray
7
Water: a flood of problems
8 March Issue
Kashmere interview
It is not just the unique sound, it is Kashmere,
Andy: Lots of people
It is imposible to describe Kashemre in one word. When you are listening to them you feel like this is it. That is something you were looking for in music. Their sound and lyrics are creating together something absoluetly great. If you will ever see that they are playing near to you town just take your friends and go. I am absolutely sure that you will be unable to stay still after their first few guitar riffs. Kashmere are the band full of passion and they are creating an unique atmosphere during the concert which can take you anywhere. Oh , and one more thing, there is no barier between the crowd and the band. When you will go, you will understand.
Joey: And that is why, I think, we have a bit unique sound. We are always being told about that unique sound. I think it is because we all have our individual little things which we can bring to the table and a lot of it is in the way we play and stuff
Here is my talk with them before their concert in London. Zuzanna: How would you describe your sound? Joey: It is very hard. Someone called it, a long time ago, electro-indie doom pop. We like that. It is always some kind of pop music, but with a little alternative such as doomy lyrics or doomy guitar. There is always something dark about it.
Zuzanna: You are from Manchester and you’ve been playing in China in 2018. How would you compare the Chinese crowd to the UK’s? Charlie: It is so different. You go out there and people there couldn't listen to our music legally. So on that point, they are breaking their law to listen to our music. Then you are going to the show to sing and everybody is going mental. Joey: Mental? I don’t know, they were more like... clapping? Andy: Yeah, very still, clapping their hands. And then, in the UK, everybody is f**king jumping around.
Andy: Same in Europe, they are more friendly and hospitable people. Zuzanna: Do you have your dream venue? Joey: For me, it would be O2 Apollo. The first gig I have ever been to was there. Charlie: The same for me, but because of a different reason. On my way to college, I used to pass it and see tour buses. There is a little screen on the other side of it. You need to pass it and turn around to see who is on. I kind of imagine that maybe someone else, going to the college one day, will pass me and see that Kashmere is on. I like to think that could happen one day. Andy: I would say Manchester Arena personally. I went there for my first gig when I was little and I couldn't think about anything bigger in the whole world. I think it even is one of the biggest arenas in the world. I would love to play there. Freddie: For me, it would be Arena or Academy 1. I used to work across the road in Sainsbury and I was thinking 'Oh s**t, one day I will be able to play there and say that I used to work across the road. I used to work in Sainsbury and here I am'.
Joey: I think it is like that since 2018.
Joey: When we were in China, we were playing one song, and in the chords, there was 'stay!'. And whenever we were playing that, the crowd stop clapping. We still don’t know why. I was checking them every time and they always stop clapping.
Charlie: Definitely.
Andy: Maybe they were clapping in Chinese. (laugh)
Joey: In front of the Apollo. (laugh)
Zuzanna: How does your writing process look like? Are you working together or separately?
Charlie: It is like in the old Beatles videos. When you are doing a guitar solo, they all go mental. Even in the middle of the song, when you are going back to the chords, you know they are crazy. Like literally what they have done to the Beatles.
Zuzanna: Do you have anything to add?
Charlie: Something miserable.
Joey: We are tring to write together a lot more, but usually, I write the backbone of the song, structure and chord progression. We are trying to break that a little bit and get a whole picture of it. Zuzanna: Who inspires you? Charlie: We all have somebody different. Each member has different inspirations.
Joey: You know what was the difference? It was how well we were looked after. Their hospitable after was absolutely immaculate and they really looked after us while we were there., so that was amazing.
Charlie: 'And now I am working in Tesco'. (laugh)
Charlie: I think that the main thing is go and check our album! Listen to the tunes! We are on all social media, youtube as well. Check this out, come to the show and you can see what’s it all about. Head to teaindie.com to read the rest of the interview and find out more!
XXX XXX
March Issue
By Zuzanna Majewska
9
Kashmere interview
In our most recent students’ survey, you ranked employability as one of the top priorities in addition to completing your degree. With this in mind, and to support your future career aspirations, your VPSI Christina Demetriou has created STRIVE festival! It is never too early to start thinking about your career so whether you are in your first or final year, there will be something at this festival for you. STRIVE will run over two days from Monday 4 – Tuesday 5 May, with each day containing a different selection of events, all designed to help improve your employability and offering something for everyone, whatever you are studying. Monday 4th May
Tuesday 5th May
Alumni Panel
The first day will include a number of employability sessions run by University and Students’ Union staff. The sessions covered are as follows:
On the second day of our festival we will be holding a networking brunch followed by a successful leaders’ panel in the morning and an alumni panel. The day will finish with a confidence building workshop in the afternoon. Again you are welcome to attend all or any of these sessions and can book places via the event on the “What’s On” page of our website.
Our alumni panel will run in a similar format and tell closer to home success stories from our graduates, again from a range of industries, giving tips and advice on how to succeed after graduating from university. These are people who have been in your position before and so can give real and recent advice on when and how to start applying in a range of professions and ultimately succeed.
Networking brunch
Confidence workshop
We have invited a diverse range of local businesses to attend our networking brunch, so whichever course you are on, there will be someone there who you can speak to about your future career. This will be an ideal opportunity for you to practice your networking skills, create connections with potential future employers and ask all the questions you like in an informal setting. This could be the ‘foot in the door’ you are looking for – and there will be FREE food!
This 2 hour session will be run by one of our most highly rated trainers and will be open to a maximum of 20 students. Build your confidence so you can set some clear goals for your future career. Spaces for this session will sell out quickly so you will need to be quick!
Bucks Award Time Management CV Writing Interview Skills Networking Tips You are welcome to attend as many of these as you like and they will be available to book on our website through the event on the “What’s on” page, or by emailing sutraining@bucks.ac.uk. Please note that space on these courses is limited so you will need to either register your interest or book on via our website as soon as possible.
Successful leaders’ panel Our successful leaders’ panel will be an opportunity for you to hear from local successful leaders who will talk about their experience and career so far as well as giving you tips and advice on how to “make it” in the world after graduation. We are attracting panel members representative of the diversity of our student community to ensure all groups are represented. Attending STRIVE will enhance your employability and networking skills and it would be great to see as many of you there as possible. We will be providing free food and refreshments at our networking brunch and you can sign up for all or any part of the two day event. If you have any questions, would like any further information, or a chat about what sessions may be most relevant to you, please email sutraining@bucks.ac.uk. We hope to see as many of you there as possible, STRIVING for those employability skills!
Business leaders celebrate the launch of Buckinghamshire Innovation Centres Local business leaders joined key figures from Buckinghamshire New University and Oxford Innovation on our High Wycombe campus to celebrate the launch of two brand new ‘Bucks Hubs’ – the Bucks Health Tech Hub and Bucks Digital Hub – on Wednesday, 11 March. Part of an exciting program to encourage innovation and business engagement, the Bucks Hubs provide entrepreneurs in health, technology and digital businesses with a selection of flexible space and support options to help grow their business. Engagement with business is an important part of the strategy of the university, both for students and for industry. Whether that means attracting local business to relocate into the hubs, opening up the university’s assets and facilities for business use, or encouraging new entrepreneurial ventures across the undergraduate and postgraduate student community, the strategy is key to the direction of the university. The Bucks Hubs will help students and alumni to align their curriculum around “live briefs” from industry and keep a pulse on trends in business. Launched with funding from the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Bucks Hubs aim to play a vital community role helping to attract, grow
and retain businesses within the area. By creating a culture of innovation within Buckinghamshire, the goal is to accelerate the economic benefits of business incubation in terms of industry development, increased growth and new employment opportunities. More than just a place to work, both Hubs provide expert in-house support from Entrepreneur in Residence, Jim Gabriel. Split across both hubs Jim will be on-hand to support businesses with strategy development, raising funding, making industry connections and providing valuable advice from his vast experience working with early stage businesses. To kick-start the engagement of the University community with the new Hubs, students and alumni can enjoy up to one month’s use of the space free of charge. Greta Paa-Kerner, Head of Business Engagement at Buckinghamshire New University, said: “The launch of both centres will mark the beginning of a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to be part of a thriving ecosystem, focusing on health, technology and digital business. They will be given the opportunity to work alongside academics at the university as well as our health care partners.
“We hope the new facilities will help to inspire our students and encourage opportunities such as work placements and internships. Through these hubs we have created an ecosystem of innovation for the county of Buckinghamshire based on the relationship between students and industry. We’re providing the facilities to incubate new business and help them on their journey to growth.” Kelly Carter, Commercial Manager at Oxford Innovation, said: “We are thrilled to officially launch these magnificent facilities for Buckinghamshire, which will bolster the county’s credentials and provide the perfect platform from which to grow new ventures and create new jobs. At Oxford Innovation we are proud of our track record of incubating, harnessing and nurturing talent and innovation, enabling start-ups and entrepreneurs to push the boundaries in their field and progress.” Interested in joining the Bucks Hubs community? Find out more at www.bucks-hubs.co.uk.
March Issue
By Jim Gabriel
11
Bucks Hubs launch
12 March Issue
Brexit
By Julia Crooks
What you need to know about BREXIT Although the UK left the EU on Friday 31 January 2020 we are in a transition period during which the UK will still follow all the EU's rules and regulations on trade, travel and business and the UK will remain in the single market and the customs union, and the free movement of people will continue. The transition period is due to end on Friday 1 January 2021 when new rules will take effect if all goes according to the current plans. UK Students Travelling to the EU this year Travel Insurance: The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) allows any EU citizen to access state medical care when they are travelling in another EU country. The UK government has asked all 31 countries to keep valid EHIC cards in use for UK citizens until Thursday 31 December 2020. Travellers in the EU and beyond are advised to have appropriate travel insurance, whether they have an EHIC card or not, as there are limitations to EHIC. Check that it covers your current circumstances, including any medical conditions. The EHIC is valid for up to 5 years. Check your EHIC is still valid before you travel.You can renew an EHIC up to 6 months before the expiry date, but any time left on the card will not be added to your new card. You can apply for or renew your EHIC for free online here: www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/startApplication.do The current coronavirus outbreak is raising extra questions about travel insurance, cancelling and booking holidays and answers about this can be found here: www.moneysavingexpert. com/news/2020/02/coronavirus-travel-help-and-your-rights/ Data Roaming: During the transition period the cost of making calls, sending messages or using the internet on your phone in the EU is the same in the UK. After Brexit, these rules will no longer apply. However, some UK companies have said they may continue to offer this benefit to their customers. Worthwhile checking with your mobile phone provider about their plans if renewing a contract. Driving in Europe If you have a full UK driving licence you won’t need an additional licence to drive in the EU during the transition period. For information on travelling to Europe after Thursday 31 December 2020: www.gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021
EU Students at Bucks EU Settlement Scheme (settled and pre-settled status) All citizens from the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland (who don’t have indefinite leave to enter or remain) who want to continue living in the UK after Wednesday 30 June 2021 must apply for settled or pre-settled status to be able to: • work in the UK • use the NHS • enrol in education or continue studying • access public funds such as benefits and pensions, if you’re eligible for them • travel in and out of the UK The EU Settlement Scheme is open and you can apply now if you meet the criteria. The deadline for applying is Wednesday 30 June 2021 and the application process is free, there is no charge. Irish citizens do not need to apply. You’ll get settled or pre-settled status depending on how long you’ve been living in the UK. This might affect when you choose to apply. All the information you need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme can be found here: www. gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families Tuition Fees for EU Students There will be no change to the tuition fee status of EU students who begin their studies in the 2019/20 or 2020/21 academic years. This means that there will be no change to the tuition fee status of current EU Bucks students, and that fees will continue to be at the applicable home fee rate for the duration of your course. There has been no decision taken on tuition fees for EU students studying in the UK after the academic year 2021. Tuition Fee Loans for EU Students Again there will be no change to the eligibility requirements for EU students to receive loans or grants for the full duration of their course for those who commenced their studies in 2019/20 or who start their studies in 2020/21. There is no information about Student Finance for EU students beyond the academic year 2021.For more information about Student Finance for EU students go to: www.gov.uk/ student-finance/eu-students
Until Friday 1 January 2021, during the transition period, nothing has changed for UK citizens travelling in the rest of Europe. Tuition fees and Student Finance are also unchanged for EU students who start their courses before January 2021. However to stay in the UK to study and work after Wednesday 30 June 2021 EU students will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by Wednesday 30 June 2021. If you need any help or advice about any of the above please contact us in the Students’ Union Advice Centre: suadvice@bucks.ac.uk.
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14 March Issue
Valedictorians
Valedictorians By Kelly Young
Brendan Johnson-Hubbins, who graduated BSc (Hons) Criminological Psychology last year now studying for an MSc in forensic psychology, spoke at his ceremony last year and says it’s a great skill ‘to have under your belt’. They added: “When I was told I would be valedictorian I had a mixture of emotions including happiness, excitement, fear and nerves. However, while some of these emotions were stronger than others, my strongest feeling was that of being honoured to have been chosen. It’s that time of year again when the University is looking for Valedictorians to speak at the next graduation. The best advice and inspiration at graduation doesn't always come from the University staff or honoraries who speak at the ceremony — often it comes from the graduates themselves. Valedictorians have been speaking at Bucks’ graduation ceremonies for the last three years; thanking and praising their lecturers and fellow students, as well as inspiring their fellow graduands to go in the future positivity and excitement. This year there will be ceremonies throughout Graduation Week, 7-11 September, and the University wants to give all those graduating the chance to be one of nine valedictorians. Graduation day encompasses three years of hard work, friendships, laughter, and sometimes tears, to mark and celebrate your massive achievement. Speaking in front of a theatre full of people can be daunting but the University and Bucks Students’ Union will offer you support every step of the way.
The speech couldn’t have gone better! I had multiple people unknown to me approach me to congratulate me on delivering it well. I was glad to know that my words touched and inspired others in the audience.
The University Communications team and Bucks Students’ Union are joining forces to offer all those chosen to be a speaker at their ceremony, support with rehearsals, extra public speaking workshops and speech writing assistance.
Public speaking, presentations, briefs etc. will always be intimidating and scary. However after you have spoken in front of that many people it is rare that you’ll be under that much pressure again. Being valedictorian gave me the opportunity to say to myself before other presentations and public speaking events “come on, you’ve spoken in front of more people than this!”
To nominate yourself for valedictorian please send no more than 150 words describing why you should be considered, along with your name, course and contact telephone number from your student email address to kelly.young@bucks.ac.uk by Friday 1 May.
If you: • are attending graduation • want to share your pride in Bucks, and • are willing to speak confidently and clearly on behalf of your fellow graduates, we want to hear from you.
Nominations will be considered anonymously by a panel of Heads of Schools and Bucks Students’ Union. Good luck! Don’t forget to pick up your copy of The Student next month to find out more about Graduation Week 2020, how to register and everything else you need to know!
15
Film Review.
March Issue
March Issue
16
Recommendation
Festiball makes a triumphant return for 2020, from the Friday 8 to Sunday 10 May here's what you can expect... This year we’re kick-starting your summer in style across three jam-packed areas! Sunday night sees Glitterbomb present UK Drag Race Star Cheryl Hole, bringing some of that Essex shade to High Wycombe! Then, as if Sunday night couldn’t get any better, we’ll be welcoming UK Chart hit Joel Corry to the Main Stage to really get you into the festival-season-spirit! Keep an ear out for his big hits ‘Sorry’, and ‘Lonely’ so you know when it’s time to put your arms ‘round your mates! There’re more exciting announcements lined up for this week, so stay tuned for more as we’ll be bringing you some of the hottest acts right now! We’ll be taking over the car park once again to bring you all an expansive outside area, complete with bars, food, the silent disco dome, and our VIP area/cocktail bar for graduating students! More details are still incoming, so keep an eye out for guest appearances from some seriously tasty brands – as well as big promo offers! Make sure you visit the Silent Disco if you’re in the mood for some sing-along chart classics from some of your regular club-night favourites, and remember: you can sing as loud as you want! The headphones are noise-cancelling! With three nights of big-production, wall-to-wall action lined up, you’d be absolutely mad to miss a single one of them. Grab your friends and come on down for a weekend nobody’s going to forget in a hurry! What if your friends aren’t students!? Doesn’t matter! Non-Student tickets are on sale right now, so pick grab them whilst they’re still there!
March Issue
Rusty's
17
Rusty's recommendation.
March Issue
18
Saving the Planet at what expense? Is going green the growing trend? From going vegan to upcycling clothes, here are some tips for students who want to be green while staying away for university. I spoke to the chairman of Green Society, Kia Wing, to find out if being a sustainable student was an option for those with low income and a tight budget. She says, “So, obviously being sustainable has kind of been dubbed as this thing that’s uncool and kind of hippy but actually we live on this planet and we need to do it to help it stay alive.”“I just think everything we do there's no point doing it if we're not going to have a planet in the future to do it on.” Kia explains how the growing trend of being more environmentally friendly causes brands to up the prices, which is why many students, and consumers in general, are put off by it. “With Green Society, we are trying to educate people on how to do it cheaply as a student.” Just before Christmas, Green Soc contacted Harry's house refills, a refill store that gives customers the opportunity to purchase dried food, household products, toiletries and kitchenware without buying the plastic packaging with it, all you have to do is bring your reusable jars, tubs and containers. This is just one of the ways that the society is helping to educate and introduce students and lecturers alike, on tactics that can make them more sustainable. I chatted to Kia about whether veganism, another growing trend, comes hand-in-hand with being environmentally friendly; “I mean I'm personally not vegan, but I sort of do half the week vegetarian/vegan and half the week normal just for my own personal health reasons. I don't think veganism is the healthiest way to be. But in terms of the environment it definitely is.” Big fast food chains are piggy backing the concept of ‘Veganuary’, which I’m sure you can guess is a month encouraging the public to take up veganism. Burger King, KFC, McDonalds, Greggs and Wagamama, are some of the major brands taking up the challenge and offering fast food vegan options. However, all of these lunch options are meat substitutes which many vegetarians and vegans alike disagree with and encourage curious newcomers to avoid. “I think where people go wrong especially with veganism is, they try and find substitutes, in terms of fake meat and that's actually really bad for you. A lot of them are made out of a lot of chemicals to try and make them taste like meat and obviously it's going to be unnatural if something tastes like something it's not…” “…But if people do it properly and actually like substitute meat with lentils or something like that instead, I feel like it is it is a good way to go but you do miss out on a lot of nutrients that are easier to get from a meat diet.” Veganism plays a huge part in protecting the environment; almost a quarter of greenhouse gases come from agriculture and farming, and a lot of those are from meat and dairy. Cutting out meat is an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and can save you money by not having to buy expensive steaks!
March Issue
By Jessy Clark
19
Saving the planet
The making of a Hit TV Series From development to delivery
FRIDAY 27 MARCH N4.06 11Am-1PM Come along to this FREE Film and TV Q & A session to learn from the experts on how to make a hit TV series! The talk is called ‘The Making of a Hit TV Series – From Development to Delivery’. Featuring the exective producer and editorial staff from the hit TV series, they will cover the creative and commercial sides of making television in current market. They will show some clips, talk through the process and leave plenty of time for Q&A’s.
Student staff recruitment Would you like to work for your Student’s Union? Last year 100% of our student staff recommended us as good place to work so if you want to be a part of our team we have a number of vacancies for student staff - some starting now and some from September 2020 and we are accepting applications now! Please see below a list of opportunities currently available:
One of our freshers’ helpers last year had this to say:
Freshers’ helpers
Events staff
Responsible for helping students integrate into Buckinghamshire New University and the local community and providing a friendly welcome to new students during the first two weeks of term. As part of a team, organising trips and activities for students, providing information about Bucks Students’ Union and local services and socialise with Freshers as well as acting as ambassadors for Bucks New Uni and Bucks Students’ Union.
A varied and interesting role, this opportunity includes stewarding responsibilities as well as that of door entry and running the cloakroom.
Head freshers’ helpers
Event Security Staff
Responsible for supervising freshers’ helpers whilst on duty, including organising and distributing daily briefing sheets, working with the Project Coordinator in the construction and distribution of rotas, managing the rota during staff shortages and motivating and encouraging freshers helpers. You will also be helping with the key task of helping students integrate into Buckinghamshire New Uni and the local community.
Working closely with other security and venue staff ensuring the delivery of our duty of care to all customers and the opportunity for further shifts outside of the Students’ Union.
Events technicians This opportunity includes running the entire production for all live nights within a team of five ensuring you’re a key player in delivering the events programme.
Employability Ambassador (Volunteer)
Bar staff and team leaders Working with the team to ensure the smooth running of the bar within the Venue at our High Wycombe campus and consistently delivering the highest customer service standard.
Responsible for supporting and developing the recreational and skills programme, one of your key responsibilities as an ambassador will be the promotion of all activities to increase participation and enhance membership development. You can apply for any of these roles via our website under ‘Jobs and Skills’ then ‘Union jobs’ page or contact sujobs@bucks.ac.uk for more information.
“The purpose of our role is to make an impact on every freshers’ experience, no matter how big or small. We wanted to ensure that students settle into university life as smoothly as possible, having a support system should they need it and the chance to become involved in clubs and societies, taking advantage of the opportunities our top 3 Union provides. When I first arrived at Bucks, a year ago every Fresher Helper I met was ready to chat and help at any opportunity. My overall fresher experience was great, I went to a range of events in the SU, joined clubs and societies and bonded with my flatmates. I found it beneficial to have Fresher Helpers visit halls to ensure we had met each other and were socialising, they recommended events like Frat on Wednesdays, Quiz night on Sundays and of course, the one and only, Freshers Ball! I would recommend becoming a Fresher's Helper to anyone because you get to know so many students, and the experience is so worthwhile and enjoyable. If you have the opportunity to become a Fresher Helper, then I would strongly urge you to apply and give it a go. It is a paid role which looks good on your CV, it provides you with new skills and abilities but develops the current skills you have. For example, communication, problem solving and teamwork. These skills are important in any workplace, however, doing this role will allow you to become a bigger part of the students’ union exploring other jobs, getting to know your team and meeting new people.
March Issue
By Emily West
21
Student staff recruitment
22 March Issue
Leadership academy update
By Emily West
How are the Academy Leaders doing? Leadership
Each of our Leadership Academy members have signed their development plans which include a combination of skills workshops, online training, networking events and mentoring as well as regular catch ups to see how progress is going and to address any specific needs to help them reach their desired career path. The online modules can offer training in a wide range of areas such as health and safety fundamentals, communication skills, understanding finance and leadership and management. The advantage of these is that they can be done anytime so students can access them when they have a spare half hour in their busy schedules!
We have also just gained access to a personality profiling tool “Strengthscope” which the Leadership Academy cohort will be allowed to access in order to understand their strengths and how to best utilise these in their chosen career paths. This is the world’s most complete and innovative strengths profiling system. It is designed to help employees optimise on their individual strengths to improve performance, engagement and motivation at work.
Some of the students have recently had a chance to attend a “Be your own boss” training day workshop on how to start your own business and the Leadership Workshops will be running in May covering subjects such as: leadership styles, change management and conflict management amongst others. We have sourced 5 mentors, some in collaboration with the university mentoring scheme, and so far the feedback on these has all been positive.
This programme was introduced initially as a response to the Membership Survey which highlighted that employability was rated as one of the most important issues to you. The idea is to provide you with the skills and experience required to successfully and confidently find a role within your desired industry, where a specific career is identified. If you don’t know what you want to do after university, the aim is to provide you with enough general skills to apply to your chosen role once decided and guidance on how to best utilise your key skills in potential career routes.
Training sessions have been arranged for the cohort focusing on things like CV skills and interview skills to improve techniques in communication within interview settings as well as confidence building for those who will be graduating this year and starting their job search!
Members of our Leadership Academy are really engaged with this unique opportunity, and we will be collating feedback on the programme at the end of the academic year and staying in touch with those who complete it over the next few years to see what impact the programme has had on their career path.
We are regularly searching for relevant networking events specific for members’ areas of interest and links to these are sent when available.
We are now taking expressions of interest for the next Leadership Academy starting in October 2020, so if you would like to be part of our 20/21 cohort of future leaders, please email sutraining@bucks.ac.uk.
Creating future leaders
Comp season is over!
BNU Dance at Bucks Comp
Novice Ballet - Choreographed by Claire Barrett
Cleo Kitchener - Best Female
(photo by Yezan Amawi)
As competition season for BNU Dance Club is slowly coming to an end, we would like to reflect and celebrate the achievements we have accomplished so far as a club. With the audition and rehearsal process starting way back in October, every single member has shown strong commitment and determination throughout the past 5 months working up to the competitions. As a club, we have been working extremely hard to be successful and it has definitely paid off in our past three dance competitions – including our very own Bucks Dance Competition 2020. We would like to say a huge thank you to the committee members, choreographers, team members, club members and supporters for believing in us on our journey to comp season and at competitions. After a highly anticipated wait, we were full of excitement and enthusiasm to perform at Southampton for our first comp of the season. As the day came to an end, BNU Dance Club were very successful. We brought back a total of 7 trophies which
(photo by Yezan Amawi)
Novice Contemporary - Choreographed by Justyna Swiderek
included 2 1sts, 3 2nds and 2 3rds. We couldn’t wait to hold our very own competition the following weekend after doing so well and gaining so many trophies. The club, especially the committee members and volunteers, worked so hard to organise the competition and to make sure everything ran smoothly. The atmosphere at Bucks Dance Competition was exhilarating for the club and the other universities and clubs who competed and a reflection of this was shown in our results. On our home grounds, we won a total of 9 trophies which consisted of 4 first places, 3 seconds, 1 third and ‘Best Team Spirit’. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the creation and production of Bucks Dance Competition 2020. After our huge success at our own competition, we were ready to compete at Kingston Dance Competition for the very first time. As we were now half-way through our comp season, the club were determined to show and present our hard work in a new environment.
(photo by Yezan Amawi)
With a variety of outstanding performances, we finished the day with a total of 9 trophies. This included 2 first place finishes, 3 second and 2 thirds. Furthermore, the club also won ‘Best Choreography’ for our Latin Wildcard and our Advanced Tap choreographer, Cleo Kitchener, won ‘Best Female’. These were fantastic results and the club is really looking forward to competing at our final comp of the season in Canterbury. Although comp season is sadly coming to an end, we are super excited to hold our End of Year Show and our BNU Dance Awards. Our End of Year Show gives the club a chance to showcase our comp teams and their choreography and a range of other performances. Our awards night enables the committee members and club members to give other members the recognition they deserve. We hope to see you all there and a big thank you to everyone for all of the support we receive!
March Issue
By Lilly-Faye Dunhill, Jade Louise Clifford, Yezan Amawi
23
BNU Dance club
24 March Issue
LGBT+ society
By Megan Staples, Leo Farrell
LGBT+ society
February is LGBT+ History Month in the UK, and so to celebrate, the SU & LGBT+ Society ran some amazing events and campaigns. With a Progress Pride Flag on top of the university and rainbow paper straws in the SU bar, the month was prepped. Dotted throughout the month, the SU posted a mix of famous and lesser known LGBT influencers on social media. To start the month off in style, on Thursday 6th, there was a movie night for the 2014 Golden Globe nominated film Pride. The film focuses on 1980s Britain during the Miner’s Strike, where a group of LGBT activists raise money for the families of the miners. The following week on the 14th, everyone had a chance to show off their singing talents with the Gleeoke evening. On the 18th, the Drag Cabaret night was an amazing success. Hosted by Crystal P. Enigma, with performances from Cyro and Oedipussi Rex and headlined by the award-winning Crystal Lubrikunt, over 45 people turned up to see the funny, inspiring and sometimes absurd performances from some of the UK’s best drag kings and queens. The night after, the SU turned into a Colourfest with the All Out Rainbows Frat House.
That weekend, it was National Student Pride in London. Featuring performances by the Pussycat Dolls, Baga Chipz and Vinegar Strokes from Drag Race UK, Glamrou and GIRLI, the weekend also had panels about queer topics, live podcasts and therapy dogs. On the Sunday, there was a hilarious Drag Brunch hosted by Poppycock and Dolly Trolley which featured a lot of prosecco and society members falling off of space hoppers! The Monday after there was a casual Post-Pride Party in the SU where attendees relieved moments from the weekend and got over their hangovers. On the 27th, famous non-binary performance artist and poet Travis Alabanza came in to do a Q&A. Some of the topics mentioned included their favourite performances, their life growing up and their show BURGERZ which is about an incident involving a burger being thrown at Travis in a homophobic attack. A few days later, large and in charge Drag Race queen Latrice Royale came to Glitterbomb and took the audience to church to preach a message of self-love. She also did a meet and greet for the few lucky enough to get tickets for an extra sermon!
The final event of the month was Dance and LGBT+ Society’s Takeover (even if it was early March). The event saw lots of glitter face paint, coconut shys, hula hooping and of course lipsync battles! The Takeover saw the end of an amazing month of events done by both the SU and LGBT Society, but it won’t be the end of the pride, as another Drag Cabaret is planned, and more LGBT acts are coming to the SU every Glitterbomb and even during Festiball - don’t forget, pride is more than a month and you should celebrate any way you like. LGBT+ Society is every Tuesday 6-8pm and is an amazing platform to help create campaigns, promote LGBT activities and chat with other students to get to know other like-minded people.
Karate Welcome to the karate society! We practice Shotokan Karate in our society, however, other styles are welcome to join as we are always looking to improve karate as a society. This is split into 3 main areas: kihon (basic techniques), kata (choreographed pattern of movements which is linked to bunkai (real life application)) and kumite (fighting). Alongside this, there is a focus on spirit and discipline which are very important aspects to karate.
A couple of our members did some community volunteering over the last couple of months. This included the Hughenden Garden Litter Pick on the 22nd February and the Brighton Beach Clean on the 29th February. Alongside this volunteering, we have reached our target of 100 volunteering hours in total which is a great achievement for a small society like ours.
During our socials, we can take a step back from the seriousness we show during our sessions (as respect is very important in karate) where we have a laugh and get The session before the Christmas break, 5 of our to know each other more and just have a bit of fun. We members did their grading and all passed. Emma had a social after our gradings in December where we Hatcher, Naomi Hopkins and Rujikan Chawong (Katie) had a drink and some food which we all really enjoyed all succeeded in achieving their purple belts and Jacob and it was a nice end to the term. We are currently Lockett and Mantas Kriťtaponis both completed and planning a movie night as a social for our society. This passed their first grading to a white belt. This was a great will include: karate based movies, pizza, blankets and achievement for these members as prior to university, board games. they had zero experience in karate. For the next academic year, we have elected our new On Friday 28th February, we did a bake sale to raise committee. Yazmin Pelling will be Captain, Chair and money for RAG (Thames Valley Air Ambulance and Treasurer and Jacob Lockett will be Secretary and Hillingdon Autism Care and Support). All of our Welfare Liaison. The society has great faith that these members got together and made cakes, cookies and members can take over the roles and run a successful other sweet treats. We set up a stand at Beats, where society. we sold our baked goods and in total raised £55.50 for the chosen charities. This was a great team effort where Anyone is welcome to join at any time throughout the everyone got involved and nearly all members were able year. We train on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 18.00 – to come out and help bake and sell everything we made. 19.30 in the dance studios next to Beats. If you would This was also a great experience for some members as like to join, just show up to a session and you will be they had not taken part in a fundraiser before. Overall it welcomed. Any questions, feel free to ask any one of was a successful sale and we sold 90% of everything our members or join our Facebook group BNU karate we made. club 2019-2020.
March Issue
By Emma Hatcher
25
BNU Karate
26 March Issue
Men's Rugby
Men's Rugby First off, what a year! First off, what a year! With a sluggish return from the Christmas festivities, we finally adjusted back into routine and started a positive training regime. The boys really pushed themselves to get the best out of the time they had with Russel at the wheel, leading us through drills, fitness and pushing us to our max. The committee, here at Bucks men’s rugby, would like to thank Russel for his commitment to the club and his expertise that he has imposed on us, it’s shown a great improvement in the squad and has helped the team tenfold. Unfortunately due to many injuries, clashes with courses, and many other limiting factors, we weren’t able to field full squads on many occasions. This didn’t knock us, the team stayed strong, numbers at training were high, and morale was even higher, so when it came to roehampton, we were ready. We started well, going 21 points up, with tries from Alexi (2) and Fin (1) the game looked like it was ours, however we were too relaxed. In the second half, Roehampton came at us, scoring three tries and converting to make it 21-21, and at this point we were very worried. However, the boys carried on fighting, after stern words from senior players and Russel, they picked up their game and held Roehampton off till the 76th minute, until Roehampton got a penalty in front of the posts. The wind was strong and the kicker was new to the field, he sliced it and went wide, Alexi took the ball and kicked it far, with a strong chase from the players the ball was turned over and the fight back began. Jack leading the push, taking the ball in multiple times, with other players replicating until we got to the 5 metre line. Roehampton were defending well, but they couldn’t contain us, the ball was span wide to Tom Featherstone who dived over the line to secure the win. The boys celebrated in the win in true fashion and had a good day in the office. Away from the pitch, the boys were doing their part not only for the club, but for RAG and the community as-well, running tuck shops on Frat nights, cutting down trees for the Chilterns rangers, and going down to Brighton to clean the beach. We hosted a takeover in the Student Union alongside acappella, running games, performances and competitions, with prizes being won left right and centre. The theme was ‘A Night with Queen’. Everyone dressed up as Freddie Mercury, a sight you needed to see. The performances were “I want to break free” and “we will rock you” two classics. Overall the night was a good laugh and everyone enjoyed it. The tuck shop was also very successful, raising £100 which was split between the club and RAG, thanks to Danny and Tom, who organised the event. We now move onto varsity, which the boys are already preparing for, training three times a week, and currently are on a drinking ban to be at optimal performance. We would really appreciate any support we can get, so get your tickets and come down on the Wednesday 1 April to Marlow RFC!
By Alexi Hickin
Football 1 : double winners! st
Bucks FC: Bucks New University 1st teamvs. Greenwich 1st team Cup final report Within 15 minutes we were 1-0 up from a low driven free kick from centre back and free kick specialist Callum Mapley. Within 10 minutes Greenwich punished a mistake and equalised, the rest of the first half was extremely close and nothing could separate the teams going into the break 1-1. The conditions had a big impact with extremely strong winds blowing in our direction resulting in any aerial balls coming straight back in our direction. Second half with the wind in our favour we immediately had Greenwich on the back foot and applied a lot of pressure, eventually after many chances were created a penalty was awarded to us. Winning the penalty by using his pace and being brought down by the opposition just inside the penalty area Jethro Odumosu stepped up and calmly slotted it away, 2-1 Bucks. The second half was a contrast to the first, the game was much more one sided and Bucks started to gain control.
Once again getting involved in the action Jethro Odumosu broke free and passed the ball across the box for Osei Hayford to tap home from close range, 3-1 to the boys in the red. Greenwich did have a few opportunities but with some solid defending and great Goalkeeping from Ross Groves the cup win was secured! Jamie Stancombe had to say; "The season I am having with Bucks FC first team has been one of the best I have had, never did I think we would be saying we are ‘champions’ after losing the first game of the season 3-1 away to Sussex. It is credit to how well the lads have bonded and played as a team, something I praise captain Joe Hampton for. It was especially great to win the cup and celebrate with all the travelling fans and the boys in the bus on the way back, memories I will hold with me forever and I will definitely miss playing for Bucks FC.”
Meet the team Ross Groves, Goalkeeper: Number 1, superb shot stopper that has kept us in many games and allowed us to win the league and cup this season.
Ryan McCarron, Centre Mid/Left wing: Enjoys bullying oppositions defenders, strong with good feet and a lethal left foot.
Jack Cummins, Right Back/Linesman: His gloves are questionable but great technique and can whip in a deadly ball.
Jethro Odumosu, Striker/Right wing: Enjoys scoring hard chances, hates 1 on 1’s. Fast and strong gives the opposition nightmares.
Callum Mapley, Centre Back: solid centre back who has ability to win matches, has never lost a header, can smash a ball 300 yards and scores freekicks for fun. Tom Banks, Centre Back: Never been out paced, jogs faster than most strikers. Jamie Stancombe, Left Back: Passionate player and ultra-competitive, enjoys getting stuck into Right wingers. Shouts “Jamie’s ball” if the balls in a 10 metre radius of him. Denis Pepelyasrski, Centre Mid: Great on the ball, after a tough game you will find him in the gym. Joe Hampton, Centre Mid: Someone you would hate to play against, gives 110% every week and throws himself into tackles that even Roy Keane would shy away from. Osei Hayford, Centre attacking midfield: Enjoys putting players on their backside with his tricky feet, small in stature but big in fight.
Phillipe Schone, Centre Mid/Right wing: February intake student from Barcelona who’s a great dribbler, hair like Pep Guardiola, ball control like Iniesta. Fyaa Sefa, Right Wing: Enjoys humiliating the opposition with his skills and will go back to do it again and again. Harry Jones, Right Wing: So fast he gives the opposition a 10 yard head start but still gets to the ball first. Charlie Hickey, Centre Midfield: Been injured for a large part of season but uses his big mouth to be our biggest supporter. Edward Lorenz, Right Back: Can play anywhere and also score from anywhere, screamers only, Mr Consistent. Fraser Garden, Centre Back: Sadly missed the final through injury. Solid centre back who always gets stuck in, closes his eyes but still somehow wins every header.
March Issue
By Travis Hoey, Joe Hampton, Jamie Stancombe
27
Bucks FC
28 March Issue
BNU Swans
By Kia Wing
BNU SWANS Success is a long and bumpy road Barrier after barrier, Cheer have had a TOUGH season this year. With people falling too ill to compete, injuries and more, we have had at least 4 dropouts since Christmas. We had a 75% fresher team who had never Cheered before. Throwing a fresher into flying 2 months before our first competition (Shout out to Amy who smashed it after learning to fly in such a short amount of time!), bringing back alumni (S/o to Jade and Sophie for stepping in) and roping in our very own Social Sec (S/o to Tash) meant that we have been… challenged. But when we took to the mat in Essex at our final comp, we were ready to kill it. “5, 6, 7, 8, BNU SWANS!” We all shouted as we jumped into our starting positions. The jerking music starts blaring from the speakers and lights blind us as we jolt into the routine, toe touches being thrown in the first 15 seconds. The first stunts get thrown, and THEY ALL HIT. We then run into jumps, with legs being thrown up by our ears and fierce facials fill the mat. The second stunts load in, and THEY ALL HIT. One of the stunt groups has been together for one training session. One. That’s 2 and a half hours. Another for two sessions. We quickly jump into our pyramid section, and IT HITS. We cannot believe it. We finally sprint into our dance positions, and for the last 30 seconds we throw some seriously sharp movements, finishing with a huge sigh of relief. We sit in silence for a second, and then the entire team erupts into screams. Everything felt like slow motion… we
had just hit the entire routine. For the first time ever. ON THE MAT AT COMP. Athletes rolling on the floor, everyone running at each other. It was euphoria. After 2 wins from the dance teams (Pom & Jazz) in the morning who absolutely killed the routines, we felt like we had finally achieved what we trained so hard for. Triple fouetté turns to die for, split leaps, and fierce facials from the dance lot. Basket tosses that hit the legal height limit, jump after jump, and an incredible team spirit from our Cheer squad. We give up our Sundays for this team as well as our entire Thursday evening, and it was finally paying off. We are so proud of our team this year, who have worked so hard to get to this point. We train long hours and it’s a huge commitment to be on the Swans, and in the end 18 of us took to the Dance and Cheer mats and showed a hall full of Cheerleaders including Salford Sirens; Roehampton Rascals; Unity Allstars and more, what Bucks is made of. As Captain (and step-in Chair) this year I couldn’t have asked for a better finish to competition season. And a huge thank you to my Co-Captain (basically Captain no.2) Josh Creber for the support and his endless hard work. Our Showcase is booked in for Thursday 14th May at 7pm – so get that date in your diary and come and see for yourself what the BNU Swans can do. Let’s celebrate this incredible Uni and Student’s Union together.
Basketball What a year it has been!
This year started off with some concerns for both the men’s and women’s teams. There were low numbers of players for the women’s team, but especially the men’s team was concerning due to the majority of the team having graduated at the end of the scholastic year in 2019. However, that is not the case anymore! After Fresher’s Fair in October, there were more than 30 people that had signed on to try out basketball for both the men and women’s team. From those, we had more than 20 people trying out for the men’s first ever practice and 15 people trying out for the women’s team. The year for the men started off without a captain or a team in place. After the first practice, first-year student Gustas Bardauskas, stood out. After we proposed his position as captain to both him and his team, they both accepted, and the men’s team was officially put in place. After the high turnout of the first practice, a solid six players came quite consistently to practices and showed commitment to basketball and their team. Even with a low number of players and difficulties during games, the men fought against each challenge placed on them and worked hard no matter the score or the exhaustion of the team. Next year, the men will be playing in the BUCS
South-eastern Tier 4 basketball. However, considering the various injuries throughout the season, hardships and the fact of starting with a fresh new team, the men in our eyes won through their vigorous motivation and commitment. We hope to increase the number of players for next year, and hope the hard work and dedication keeps up! GO BOYS! On the other hand, even though not all of the people who initially tried out ended up remaining, the girls managed to get a solid eight consistent players for their season. Some players were new, and some had been on the team the prior year/s. They unfortunately started the season off with a loss and, throughout the season, endured some tough weeks as various players became injured and were not able to play. However, regardless of all of these hardships, the women, with the help of their coach Antonio Acuña, committed themselves to basketball and their team. Each of these eight girls consistently worked hard and showed up to practices, developing their playing and bond with the team. Towards the end, this team became almost like a family and played immensely well in their last few games with a high team cohesion, making it to second place in BUCS Women’s South-
eastern Tier 1 league! We are super proud of the girls for being able to defend their position in the 1st division. Unfortunately, some third-year players, master students and Erasmus students will be leaving at the end of this year, and we would like to recognise these players as they have made a huge difference to women’s basketball this year. Shout out to Ilaria Francolini (third year and this year’s captain), Miriam Manca (third year and this year’s chair), Lucia Serrano (master student) and Célia Larribeau (Erasmus student). Thank you so much ladies and we are sure we will see great things in the next season! #dontlosefocus As seen, basketball has had its difficulties, however both the men’s and women’s teams have worked immensely hard this season and never gave up no matter what came along their paths. We hope to see many more amazing things from both teams next season and wish all the best to the players leaving us. Thank you to the teams and shout out to the support system behind them. The dedication and encouragement for this club has been phenomenal, so thank you!
February Issue
By Miriam Manca
29
Basketball
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