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CITY Voice Students’ Association Magazine 1
Sep-Dec 2016
Meet the Editors;
Gavin McHendry
Kirsty McGlashan
My childhood ambition of being the first martian was what my sixth year guidance teacher called "unrealistic". So following a quiet word after class, I decided to seek my fortune as a writer. Yeah... I'm currently in my second year studying Journalism at CoGC, and working on this magazine has been the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the course so far. I got to meet and work with some great people, and while I'll never give up hope that NASA will one day reply to my emails, I feel much more assured in pursuing a career in journalism having worked at the SA.
I am in my second year of Practical Journalism. I wanted to improve my writing skills and I didn’t like my last course which was Hospitality Management, it just wasn’t the course for me. I really like my course now because I am learning new, useful skills as well as developing my writings skills which was exactly what I wanted to achieve with this course
Photo Credits:
Aiden MacKinnon 2
Contents 4-7
Freshers First Impressions
8
Q&A Student President
10-11 Autumn Elections Student Executives 12-13 City Talks 14-15 City Launch Gala 16-17 ESOL Awards Ceremony 18
Black History Month
19
Entrepreneur Network Event
20-23 Inspire You Said, We Did 24-25 Sports Update
3
26
Step Count Challenge
27
Dr Bike
28
Mental Wellbeing Society
29-31
International
32-33
Graduation
Freshers For students attending City of Glasgow college this year, Fresher’s Fair was undoubtedly special, not only was there a wave of new students this year, but an entirely new campus. On display in the City campus were a range of stalls for students to interact with.
on transport but the stall also a prize draw to win £500. One of the stall attendees said. “We were chatting to students about how they get to college and some pay 4,5 or £6 on the train, but we know our prices are a lot cheaper.”
On the second floor students could visit the Mandarin stall where they could learn how to write a bit of Chinese. If students were interested they could also register at the stall onto a free mandarin course in the college. One of the stall attendees said that they had already signed up 16 students onto the course.
This stall seemed to attract the most attention with its travel deals which interested the students. The stall attendee also shared a funny moment while at freshers.
The chaplaincy stall displayed leaflets and new testaments. The college has a number of chaplains that represent different faiths but working on the stall was Christian chaplain Kenny, who has been to five freshers events so far.
“We were filling out these free prize draw cards, there are no strings attached. One guy asked if it was free and I said ‘yes this is free’ and as a joke when he started to fill it out I said ‘I mean in the terms and conditions it says that I can name your firstborn child. It’s not a great joke, most people laugh and move on but this guy was shocked and confused. I had to tell him that I was joking and the sigh of relief from this guy was hilarious.”
He said. “Some students will stop to look and ask what it is. If they are looking curious, I say hello and try to explain what the chaplaincy is.” “Some people take the leaflets, some of the meditation leaflets, the new testaments are quite popular.”
Many students who went to freshers said that the best part was the free pizza and that the deals and prizes on offer was a fantastic feature in freshers. Students also praised the way in which freshers was advertised to them. One student said. “We were told in the induction about freshers, we were told when it started and loads of people have been going. It has been advertised quite well, even by the lecturers.”
Kenny said that his favourite thing about freshers was the free pizza, which is very understandable. Another stall promoted First bus as an easier transport method for students. At the stall they were offering a deal for travel all over Glasgow for only £1.10. There had been a lot of interest from students as not only was there an amazing deal to help them save money 4
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First Impressions 2016 was an exciting year for the students and staff at City of Glasgow with the construction of our new City campus. Here are a few thoughts on the new building by some of our students. “It’s amazing the way it looks and what’s inside. The accessibility is great too, I can get a bus right to the front door. I think it caters for everyone.” “We have new kits, we are doing gents barbering and it’s top of the range stuff and we get to use it for nothing. So far we haven’t gotten lost, our lecturers get lost more than we do. I do think they should put in a designated smoking area.” “I absolutely love it, its easy access and it looks amazing.” “It’s very modern and busy but I like it, It’s nice to be part of something so new and innovative in the city but I get lost all the time, right now I’m lost. I don’t know where I am.” “I really like it, everything is updated and new. Everything is modern and the classrooms are great. I’ve gotten lost before but I’ve managed to work my way around the college now. It’s night and day compared to the old campus.” “Compared to the last campus it's surreal, it’s so modern and the technology is amazing. It reaches everyone's expectations.” “This is my first year at City of Glasgow college and it’s really nice, the facilities are amazing.” 6
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Q&A with Ian Gilmour Student President
Q: How are you helping out with the Fresher’s Fair? A: The Vice Presidents take the lead on the organisation of it but they’re also students. So when it comes to the Fair itself, I’m running about mad, making sure everything’s in place and making any changes that need to happen, organising all the events students and the photographers. Basically, I’ve got a roaming role, where I walk around in circles for the full day, making sure everything’s going okay. We’ve not had any major problems yet and it’s been really fun! It’s the role I prefer, walking around, chatting to students and visiting the different exhibits.
On the week of Fresher’s Fair 2016, we spoke to Student President Ian Gilmour about his plans for the coming year, his thoughts on the new campus, and the secret toilets in the new campus: Q: What are your thoughts on the new campus? A: It’s an amazing facility, you’re in awe when you see it. The size of the building and the amount of students passing through it is unreal. There are a few teething problems but we are working to fix them. We’ve had a lot of students come to us with the issues they have, but I think the Students’ Association is more visible this year and we’re better placed to help students with these issues.
Q: What kind of problems have you had to face so far? We’ve had a few issues with crowd control. We’ve had to rearrange the events students’ rota to figure out where the best place to put those students was. The Students’ Association is quite a tight space and we’ve had something like a thousand students come through before lunch, so we’ve just been trying to figure out what works best.
Q: Have you gotten lost yet? A: Shamefully, yes! I’ve been trying to find shortcuts and hidden lifts and I’ve been quite successful, but there was a lift on the ground floor that I went into once and when I pressed floor two, the doors opened in the middle of the canteen’s kitchen!
Q: As Student President, do you have any big plans for this year? A: It’s my second year as Student President. Last year was about operational activity but this year I’m thinking bigger picture, thinking of a strategy for the Students’ Association. We’re thinking about where it’ll be in five years’ time, we want to have that consistency. We want to have a Students’ Association that grows year on year. So we’re thinking about how we can do that, how we can get students to engage with the Association. For me, this year is about how do I implement change? How do we make it more accountable to students? It’s all about the big picture.
Q: Have you found any secret areas? A: I found the Principle’s toilet hidden up on the sixth floor. There are no golden seats or anything but it is quite well hidden. The fourth floor garden is really nice, too. It’s the job of some of the students to look after and maintain it. It’s quite quiet and it’s a nice place to sit when it’s sunny. There’s another garden on the seventh floor next to the Red Dot Café, which is really nice and quiet, too. And if you’re trying to avoid the queues, the Work Wear café on the second floor is amazing! 8
Day
What’s on
Time
Location
Monday
Gamers Society
16:30-18:00
SA, 2nd Floor, City
Tuesday
Collaborative Arts Society
16:30-18:30
SA, 2nd Floor, City
Wednesday
LGBT+ Society
16:30 – 17:30
SA, 2nd Floor, City
Thursday
International Society
17:00 – 18:00
SA, Ground Floor, Riverside
“Ever looked at the new Students’ Association Space and thought it looked a bit dull? WELL THINK NO LONGER! The Students’ Association, with the help of our illustration students are planning to create a mural which will change the whole dynamic and feel of the space. We don’t quite have a design yet but students will be competing to offer us something special and a crack team of students will judge what artwork will be used.” Ian Gilmour, Student President 9
Exec Bio
Exec Elections
David-Rhys Dunn Charities and Fundraising Officer Studying: HND Professional Cookery First project as Student Exec Officer: Set up a food bank and hold a fundraiser leading up to Christmas.
The voting has closed and the results are in for the Autumn Elections! Thank you to all the candidates who ran in this election, and to all the students that voted.
Fun Fact: “I used to be a drummer and can double pedal.�
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Matthew MacKenzie Equalities Officer Studying: NC Ladies Hairdressing First project as Student Exec Officer: Currently working with other Exec. members for a fundraising and information day on 1st of December in remembrance of World Aids Day. As well as working towards the implementation of Trans Awareness Training within the college. Fun Fact: “I am able to touch my nose with my tongue, as well as do the splits.”
Megan Cartwright, Vice President Diversity & Wellbeing with Joanna McGillivray, Vice Principal Student Experience Golnar Mattot Clubs & Societies Officer Andrew Shaw Sports Officer
Studying: HND Interior Design First project as Student Exec Officer: Get to know the existing clubs better, go to them, see what students want to improve and be part of. Thereafter, set up polls to make sure students know they can create clubs and have help from the SA.
Studying: HND Coaching and Development of Sport First project as Student Exec Officer: Raise awareness of sports clubs within the college. Fun Fact: “Previously studied Genetics at university, but left to pursue sports since it is something I love.”
Fun Fact: “My favourite music is French Rap/ RnB.”
Exec training & teambuilding weekend 11
CITY Talks with Mark Thomas At the City campus’ inaugural City Talks event, journalist and political satirist Mark Thomas sat down to discuss his childhood, inspirations, and social media. The interview happened on the 7th of October and took place in the college’s new lecture theatre.
Thomas went on to discuss how he grew out of his father’s religious teachings, but the morales inherent in the Bible’s parables stuck. Fairness and rightness formed the basis of his comedy routine, where he used his satirical sensibilities to criticise and hold to account those he thought deserving of critique, particularly corrupt and right of centre politicians. Thomas saw himself as someone who stuck up for the little guy, someone who represented the voice of the angry and oppressed.
Thomas started his career as a comic in 1985, where he found inspiration in his peers. He explained how his own brand of comedy was particularly influenced by 60s comedian Dave Allen and classic comedy shows like Steptoe and Son. He reminisced about wanting to get a gig on radio for no other reason than his friends being on radio. When someone from Radio 1 saw his act, he got his big break.
As his career progressed, Thomas found himself entering the world of journalism. Even today he is a proud member of the National Union of Journalists, but believes the media is failing us in its responsibility to hold the corrupt and dishonest to account; mostly because the media is predominantly run by their like.
When questioned on his complicated relationship with his religious father Thomas recounted how, in hindsight, he admires his father for his individuality and how he challenged stereotypes -- being a butch Carpenter who would sing along to operatic music while working on site. Thomas described his late father as “draconian” (meaning he was very strict), saying that he sought his approval through humour.
As the interview wound down, the mood shifted to something more light hearted. Thomas was asked about his three biggest pet peeves: Piers Morgan, Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who, and “tw*ts” retweeting him on Twitter. His disdain for Morgan relates back to the press not holding the correct people to account and, in this case, not being itself accountable. 12
Thomas said he believed Capaldi simply didn’t have the right kind of passion to play Doctor Who. And with regards to Twitter, he used an occasion in which he tweeted something sarcastic about liberal beliefs and was retweeted by a Tory as an example. He finished by saying that he likes Twitter and social media in general for opening up dialogues, but that they don’t compare to communities getting together. Thomas then took questions from the audience. When asked about how to get the Government to take notice of you, he reiterated his previous point about community spirit.
Dress Loud
He was keen to stress that significant change is rarely caused by a single activist; like-minded people need to band together and stand up for the things that they believe in. Politically, Thomas leans to the left, going as far to say that the Tories are the enemy. With regards to his political beliefs, then, Thomas is very left of centre, going so far as to say that tories are the “enemy”. Human beings are naturally empathetic, he claimed, but tory politics destroys that. Having inspired more than a few very sincere laughs from the audience, there’s no doubt that Thomas is a genuinely funny man, but beneath the surface, his humour is laced with real contempt.
HNC Radio students joined by Heart FM’s Robin Galloway and Adele Cunningham for Global’s Dress Loud Day
When asked about the then unelected US president Donald Trump, Thomas said the idea was “too f*cking mad!”. He agreed that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton was no angel herself, but Trump was worse for his compounded capacity to instill, seemingly without effort, anger and fear into not just electoral Americans, but the whole world.
On the 7th of October, Global Radio, who own stations like Heart, Smooth, Classic FM, and Radio X, had their annual fundraising day. John Clarke, a multimedia lecturer, was leading the college’s charity drive in support of Global Radio. “We’re dressing loud for the Make Some Noise Charity Initiative,” he said. “All the money is going to two [Glasgow-based] children’s charities: Move On, and With Kids.”
After roughly two hours, the Talk ended with a round of earnest applause. Having openly discussed some very intimate parts of his life, Thomas seemed keen to provide the kind of transparency that he sought in others. The takeaway messages of the afternoon were: being the change you want to see, having the tenacity to stand up for what you believe in, and Capaldi was miscast.
The City campus’ HNC Radio students were also involved in the fundraising. “Global Radio are partners with the college, and our radio students work with them quite a lot, so every year we support them with this charity drive.” John was hopeful that the new college super campus would help raise more money than previous years, when the college faculties were divided into several individual buildings. “We’re in a new, bigger building now, so it’s a lot easier to get to people, there’s a lot more traffic, so I’m hoping that we’re going to do a bit better than we’ve done in previous years.” 13
CITY Campus Launch Gala On Thursday the 27th of October, the City Campus was officially opened. A Launch Gala was held in the building that evening, and honoured guests were treated to live performances and displays from some of the college’s best and brightest students. Principal and Chief Executive Officer Paul Little accompanied by Deputy First Minister John Swinney kicked off the event with a speech praising the new building’s modern architecture and “future-proof” technological capabilities. The theme for the evening was “college on the world stage”, and the Deputy First Minister was vehement in his speech that, by offering a wide range of courses that teach students practical skills, the £228m campus was an investment in the next generation of workers. In a spectacular conclusion to the speech, a light show was projected onto the parapets of the balconies above the main entrance. In exemplification of the diverse array of subjects on offer at the college, a number of student and staff run displays were present on the 2nd and ground floors throughout the night. Set up at the top end of the staircase in the main atrium was a small stage where live music hooked up to a speaker system was played by students. Just before that were two rows of resplendent flag bearers, forming a walkway for guests to pass through as they came into the Gala. From there, visitors could join the (very long) queue for a free
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massage or join the (also very long) queue for a glass of free wine.
Throughout the evening, Scottish and American students were busy competing in a cook off competition. Towards the back of the hall, the students cooked through the event, and the Scottish team was crowned the winner at the end of the night.
Showing off virtual reality’s potential to impact the classroom were two Engineering lecturers from the Riverside campus. In their demonstration, the wearer of a VR headset was tasked with safely scaling a wind turbine. In the nacelle, participants were rewarded with a somewhat anticlimactic quiz testing their knowledge on the various components of the turbine.
On top of all that excitement, there were musical performances courtesy of a Live Lounge in the second floor Students’ Association, a green screen for visitors to have themselves digitally inserted in front of famous landmarks, and free cupcakes being given out at the bakery.
Elsewhere on the 2nd floor, visual artist and winner of the Innovation & Enterprise competition Luke Hubbard, was showing off his welded art display. The most prominent fixture was a series of raised steel hands bolted to the wall, as an analogy for the ongoing refugee crisis. Funded by the John Mather Charitable Trust, the grant will allow Hubbard to take his creative workshops further, introducing more aspiring artists to welding.
All in all the night was a fantastic success, hopefully foreshadowing what will become of the thousands of students that are currently studying at the City of Glasgow College.
Just to the right of the main entrance on the ground floor, the Social & Professional Services department were offering free haircuts and beauty treatments. Above that on the mezzanine, air hostesses in training were showing off the model aircraft cabin that is used to simulate real-life flying conditions and hazardous scenarios. 15
ESOL Awards Ceremony The ESOL Awards Ceremony took place on October 28th in Theatre 1 of City of City campus. The ceremony, which was organised by 6 events students studying at the college, was created to celebrate the best, most hard-working students studying ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages).
talk about who they had nominated from their class and why. One student Adrianna Kurowska despite serious health issues managed to jump two levels from Elementary level to Intermediate. Another student in the same level Luay Ithawi who was not able to attend the ceremony was awarded for his positive and hardworking personality.
The event is an annual celebration for those who have faced many hardships while studying, working and living in the UK. The Awards Ceremony was set up as a way to show special appreciation to those who have struggled with their own personal hardships whether that be family matters, political unrest in their home countries, fleeing war, or simply their struggle to live in a completely foreign country. Many ESOL students studying at City of Glasgow come from difficult situations and some haven’t even been taught how to read or write and have to start from square one on their arrival to City.
Juliano Martins, Intermediate level, was awarded for his hard work with not only his own studies but also the runnings of the college Language Cafe and his caring support towards other students. The student nominated for advanced level English was Barbara Lorusso who was awarded for her ‘real thirst for knowledge’ and ‘inquisitive mind.’ Barbara also looked after her fellow students and ended up being dubbed ‘Aunty Barbara’ for her care and consideration towards her peers.
The students who were nominated for an ESOL Award have shown particular determination towards their studies and learning English. These students have risen above their hardships and proven themselves as hardworking and capable individuals.
After the event food and drinks were served on the second floor just across from the theatre where the ceremony was held. Mary McManus said, ‘It went as well as I could have expected. With these kinds of events there are always some who couldn’t make it, which is a shame.’ When asked who had made her feel
Mary McManus, one of the ESOL Curriculum Heads, introduced the lecturers who in turn took the time to 16
the proudest Mary said ‘That would be unfair of me to choose. Every ESOL student has my admiration.’
ceremony turned out. Many students are now thinking towards their future and improving their English further. The Upper Intermediate award winner Pedram Hosseini said, ‘When I came here, language was a barrier for me but not anymore.’ He is now studying IT at City of Glasgow college, and Adrianna Kurowska said. ‘I would like to become a child carer.’
Alam Gebru who was nominated for Elementary level said, ‘I am so happy. It is better than I thought. My teacher surprised me.’ Gui Qui Hu who won ESOL Student of the Year award said, ‘It was a surprise. I feel really happy today.’
The Students’ Association would like to wish the ESOL students the very best for the future. We are so proud of all that they have achieved so far and wish them the best of luck with their studies.
All of the students, family members and lecturers couldn’t have been happier with how the awards 17
Boards as part of the SA Black History Exhibition
Black History Month City of Glasgow college hopes that the promotion of Black history month in November will inspire students of all nationalities, races and cultures to work hard and succeed in their goals.
Steven K. Amos Marley Dias
By showing students historical and present day icons of black culture City of Glasgow wants its students to know that success doesn’t just mean finishing college and going to university or getting a full-time job, it is becoming the best person you can, regardless of your race, gender, nationality or sexual preferences, and we believe that all of our students at City are able to achieve this goal. An event at City of Glasgow showcased influential black people from history as well as from the modern day. City hopes that it’s students will take inspiration from these incredible people and rise up above discrimination and racism. There are many new black influential people taking a stand against racism and discrimination. Well-known comedian Stephen K.Amos is also known for his ‘Batty man’ documentary that follows Stephen through prejudice, violence, as well as other homosexual issues. Stephens documentary was broadcast on Channel 4 won a Royal Television Society Award and was nominated for a BAFTA.
One of the most recent and influential campaigns to be created was by 11 year old Marley Dias. She started her project ‘1000 Black Girl Books’ in November 2015 and has since seen immense interest in her personal search for literature that features young black girls as the main character in the story. To show support for Dias’ project you can follow her #1000blackgirlbooks campaign on Twitter.
Black Pride has been gaining momentum these past few years and The UK Black Pride organisation has greatly helped with its friendly and educational annual celebration, as well as a host of different events and activities that take place all across the UK. The organisation aim is to support the black LGBT community and promote understanding and acceptance to those outwith this community.
Inspired by these influential people and their campaigns, projects and events, the Students’ Association hope that our students will continue to do their best to contribute and work together to make the world a better place. 18
Entrepreneurship Network Event
An event aiming to help students interested in starting their own businesses was held in the mezzanine of the City of Glasgow College, City Campus on November 18th. The event was set up to give aspiring entrepreneurs business advice and answer any questions that they might have. One of the agencies present at the event was the Prince’s Trust, there to target people between the ages of 18-30 who are interested in becoming selfemployed. Students can become enrolled in their fourday long Explore Enterprise course, which is run by business owners and covers everything from personal money management to writing an effective business plan.
At the end of the course you will be awarded a qualification and may even be matched with a Business Mentor to help develop your business further. Grants and low cost business loans are also on offer to anyone who has completed the course. Also present at the event was the Scottish Institute for Enterprise. The focus with SIE is encouraging fresh ideas and innovation. As well as offering free advice and workshops to help aspiring entrepreneurs develop their ideas, SIE also offer a wide range of competitions for cash prizes. Currently running is the Fresh Ideas competition. Every month between the start of October and the end of January, contestants enter their business ideas to be in for the chance of winning £150. Even people who don’t know the first thing about business are encouraged to enter -- SIE is happy to help with picking up the slack. Students who missed out on Friday’s Entrepreneurship Event can find out more about the opportunities available to them by going to the Prince’s Trust and SIE’s respective websites. 19
Jatinder Singh VP Learning and Teaching
Ian Gilmour Student President
Inspire 2016 Every year, Class Representatives are treated to a series of talks and presentations to inspire them for their coming term. This year at Inspire, which took place on the 1st of December, a self styled “forensic mind reader”, Colin Cloud, encouraged students to chase their dreams. He performed for 30 minutes, exemplifying how his years of hard work have paid off for him.
Last to speak was Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree. Nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, Obree’s accomplishments in his sport are numerous. In a conversational format, Obree, who was interviewed by STV’s Laura Brannan, discussed his struggles with depression and mental health. Without sounding gloomy, Obree put a positive spin on his dark past, saying that without the adversity he once faced, he would not be the happy, positive person he is today.
During his performance, Cloud got Class Reps involved by reading their minds, telling them what word they were thinking of or what their job was. As cliche as it sounds, Cloud’s confidence and charismatic delivery carried the act, often being laugh out loud funny. His finale, meanwhile, was too good to spoil.
Student president Ian Gilmour closed the event, thanking the guest speakers and announcing which reps had won a prize in the raffle. Despite some technical hitches here and there, you need only to have sat in the college’s theatre hall of captivated class reps to know that, in its aim to inspire, the event was a resounding success.
Following Cloud was Lord Apetsi, NUS Scotland’s Refugees and Asylum Seekers Officer, who has himself faced deportation. During his presentation, Apetsi shared with reps what he believes makes a strong leader. Using a number of quotes from famous figures and philosophers, he touched upon the importance of having integrity, good communication skills, and a drive to put yourself forward. 20
Jack McAllister Riverside Campus Officer
Elena Semple SA Associate Trainer
Colin Cloud Scottish stage mentalist, speaker, comedian and writer who describes himself as a forensic mind reader.
You Said We Said Students suggested new clubs and societies that they were interested in during Freshers. The SA has a new Gaming Club on a Monday evening and a Contemporary Arts Society on Tuesday evenings. After a full week of voting during the Class Rep Welcome Meetings, Class Reps selected the Scottish Association of Mental Health (SAMH) as their mental health charity for the year. This means that throughout the year the Students’ Association will be fundraising for this charity by hosting a series of activities and events. £173.03 has been raised so far for SAMH. 21
Lord Apetsi NUS Scotland’s Refugees and Asylum Seekers Officer
Graeme Obree Laura Brannan
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Supported Education students have raised ÂŁ264.72 so far for City Missions! There are also donation boxes for the 12 Days of Christmas appeal throughout the college.
Our Charities & Fundraising Officer DavidRhys Dunn received a massive thank you from PoppyScotland! 23
Sport Update
“Glasgow’s three college Students’ Associations (City, Kelvin & Clyde) are making good progress in organising a multi-college sports event which will take place on the 15th March. We’re still very much in the planning stage but the competition will include Football, Basketball, Badminton and Rugby sevens. Stay tuned to find out how you can get involved.” Ian Gilmour, Student President
Andrew Shaw, Sports Coach and SA Sports Officer with Ian Gilmour, Student President
This term, City of Glasgow College sports have made a massive impact on many students studying across a range of different departments and courses. Our on campus clubs have been running since September 2016 in basketball, football and badminton (open to males and females). We now have qualified coaches who lead on these sports and provide a service for participants of all abilities. In collaboration with the Royal Conservatoire Scotland (RCS), Netball will be introduced in January. More sports such as rugby, volleyball and running will hopefully be opened up in February 2017. Our sports clubs, which take place predominately from 5-7pm Monday to Thursday, are never too late to join. They provide a great opportunity to keep fit, meet new people and develop new skills in your chosen sport. Whether male or female, older or young, we encourage you to get involved.
March, April and May. Trials for this competition will run in February in order to select the best possible teams for these tournaments. Last term we managed to get six different teams to the finals in May 2016, and we are looking to build on this due to the massive influx of students we now have. Whilst many of our competitions take place on Wednesday afternoons, if your course attendance and performance is satisfactory then it is possible you may be able to miss class now and again, upon request from your CH or senior lecturer. It is not too late to get involved with any of the above opportunities. Best thing about it, we only charge £10 for unlimited use of training nights and match days. If you would like to get more information or would like to participate, please contact our sports co-ordinator at Andrew.Kirk@cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk
There will be a whole host of competitions to be held in various sports after the New Year, with the inaugural Scottish Student Sport Nationals taking place across 24
Our City of Glasgow College Men’s Football team before their 6-6 draw away to Dumfries and Galloway College on the 7th of December. Great effort from both teams!!
City of Glasgow College Basketball Team Two vs Strathclyde Uni - final score 52-42 on the 7th of December. City Team Two are the official winners of the Scottish Student Sport regionals. Well done to both our teams!!
If you have snapchat you can follow COGC_Sports for updates regarding our clubs and teams!!
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Step Count Challenge Health has always been a hot topic in the news and on social media, it is one of the most talked about issues nowadays with more and more people becoming obese and living unhealthy lifestyles. Student Engagement decided to join forces with our fitness students in a bid to help our students and staff to become more healthy, so we started the Step Count Challenge, all students and lecturers were invited to participate in the challenge to help improve their health and get them up and moving.
five days. This is a challenge and I am determined to meet it. I am glad I am taking part in the challenge and hope to continue after the step challenge is completed." Sandra McDowall, Creative Industries Lecturer On the 28th of October was the announcement of the winners. Collectively all participants had taken 23,124,894 steps, meaning the group could have walked from Glasgow to Melbourne.
The challenge took place over 4 weeks in October and was adapted to fit each individual's fitness level and pushed their limits as much as they could.
The winning team dubbed the Road Runners managed to just overtake the City Foot Soldiers by a mere 13,362 steps.
"The step challenge has been a great experience so far. I believe it has brought a great sense of college team spirit, which is much needed, now that we are in a new building. It's been a great incentive to stay active and promote a healthy lifestyle."Elena Semple, Business Student
Kirsty Graham and Eleanor McCormick who were on the winning team said that they were very happy and proud of themselves. “I couldn’t believe how quickly the steps added up.” said Graham.
"I, and two members of my team have been taking part in the walking club on a Tuesday and Thursday. The other two members are doing their own activities to improve their health and increase their step count. We are thoroughly enjoying it and it's great to be out in the fresh air. We feel good afterwards and are generally feeling much healthier, the whole point of the challenge. If possible, can you pass on our thanks to the fitness staff and students for their continued support.
Winning student David Rhys Dunn said. “The Step Count Challenge has been a great experience for me and has made me aware of how much walking people do. Without this challenge I would not be motivated to walk this much and would never have realized how much fun walking could be.” Many involved in the challenge have been motivated to continue their walks and further improve their health through walking. The Step Count has been so successful with the students and staff that another challenge is being planned for early next year.
My challenge for this week is 14000 steps each day for
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Dr Bike Is Back
Students at City and Riverside Campus took the fantastic opportunity to give their bikes a new lease of life by getting them serviced for absolutely no charge courtesy of Uni-Cycle’s very own ‘Dr Bike’. Glasgow Bike Station is a charity that promotes cycling and recycling. Their volunteers recycle bikes for the community and their fully qualified instructors provide cycle training and maintenance skills. There will be more sessions to come in the new year and the Students’ Association will be inviting Police Scotland to return and carry out bike marking in both campuses. You can find The Bike Station at 65 Haugh Road, Glasgow G3 8TX, call them on 0141 248 5409 or visit their website at http://www.thebikestation. org.uk 27
Mental Wellbeing Society Whether it be through stress, trauma, depression, or some other form of ailment, as many as one in four people suffer from mental illness. Despite such horrible statistics and a push in recent years towards more openness about mental illness, there’s arguably still a stigma associated with the condition, particularly among young people. Given that attending college or university can be among the most stressful experience a young person can face, it is disheartening to think that mental illness can still be such a taboo.
lot of people that had really bad post-traumatic stress disorder. “A lot of these men were in the army and I could hear them at night crying, and in the morning they sat stone faced, where they stare right through you in the lunch hall. That’s where, as a young man, I started to wonder why these grown men who’ve done so much and are very intelligent have become crippled under this invisible illness. And it’s because the services just aren’t there to help people. The whole point of this society is to address that. I don’t feel that my condition is an inhibitor or something that I should be afraid of. The stigma is something that we create in our own heads and allow other people to create for us.”
Conor McAllister, the founder of the City of Glasgow’s new Mental Wellbeing society, spoke to us about how he hopes the society will help raise mental health awareness. “Everyone is touched by mental illness or mental conditions,” he said. “We’re helping people with all kinds of conditions, from developmental conditions to secondary conditions like stress, which is a symptom of, for example, work, exams, meeting deadlines, or falling behind. There’s other sorts of mental illness that you're born with like schizophrenia, ADHD, or severe anxiety, which could be due to environmental reasons, or it could be genetic.”
The only way to combat the stigma associated with mental health, then, is to talk about it, to normalise it. While we’re not quite there yet as a society, students can feel reassured knowing that their college is taking steps to help them, that people like Conor are ready and willing to lend an ear. The Mental Wellbeing Society will be hosting various events throughout the year, and students can get involved by attending their weekly meetings on the second floor.
Of course, stress affects people in every walk of life, but Conor highlights his experience in the Royal Navy as his inspiration for wanting to help people with mental illness. “I was medically discharged from the Royal Navy two years ago. From that I have wanted to raise awareness, and when I started to understand my own conditions, I felt a lot better in myself. It’s not holding me back, and I’m no longer embarrassed to talk about it. When I was with the Navy I was with a
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International Welcome to Glasgow Geo said. “I’m enjoying the city, I’ve been here for about a month and my course is pretty interesting. I like Glasgow because there is a lot happening.”
Raja said. “I really like Glasgow, my favourite part is the city centre because everyone there is friendly and it’s very beautiful.”
Swapnil said. “I’ve been to Edinburgh and I want to visit london this Christmas. I like college, the facilities are really good and the students association have been really helpful.” 29
International Student Events
International students visit Riverside Museum
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International Meet & Greet Orientation
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Winter Graduation
City of Glasgow College celebrated the graduation of over 1,000 students at a ceremony held in Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on Monday 21st November. Graduating students from across the college’s six faculties were congratulated by City of Glasgow College Principal and Chief Executive, Paul Little. A big congratulations from the Students’ Association to all the graduates!
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