7EDNESDAY ST *ANUARY 5%!gS )NDEPENDENT .EWSPAPER )SSUE
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2ECENTLY AMONG 5%! STUDENTS THERE HAS BEEN GROWING CONCERN ABOUT THE STATE OF THE LOCAL BUS SERVICE RUN BY &IRST "USES 4HERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT RISES IN PRICE THE DIFl CULTY AND EXPENSE OF REPLACING LOST BUS PASSES AND THE INFREQUENCY OF BUSES )N ADDITION MANY STUDENTS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE ACTUAL SERVICE A RECENT EVENT WHICH LEFT A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS STRANDED ON CAMPUS LATE AT NIGHT .ORMALLY ONE DOUBLE DECKER RUNS TO TAKE THE LATE NIGHT REVEL LERS HOME (OWEVER AFTER THE #LUB 2ETRO ,#2 ON 3ATURDAY TH *ANU ARY THE LAST BUS LEFT MOSTLY EMPTY AFTER THE BUS DRIVER GOT ANGRY AT ONE STUDENT WHO HAD DASHED ON WITHOUT PAYING (ETTY +AYE ()3 WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY FEW ON THE BUS AT THE TIME AND WAS ABLE TO EXPLAIN FOR #ONCRETE h4HERE WERE A FEW OF US UPSTAIRS WHEN SOMEONE ELSE CAME UP ASKING FOR A GUY WHO HAD SNEAKED ON TO COME DOWNSTAIRS AND PAY 4HERE WERE FOUR GUYS BUT NONE OF THEM MOVED %VENTUALLY THE BUS DRIVER CAME UP VISIBLY ANGRY AND DE MANDING HE PAY 7HEN THIS DIDN T HAPPEN WE JUST DROVE OFF )T SEEMED REALLY POINTLESS AS THE GUY WHO GOT ON STILL WENT HOME FOR FREE AND THERE CAN T HAVE BEEN MORE THAN PEOPLE ON THE BUS %VERYONE ELSE WAS JUST LEFT BEHIND v 3HE ADDED THAT hTHERE S ALWAYS A MASSIVE CRUSH TO GET ON AS SO MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING HOME ! FEW PEOPLE MUST SNEAK ON ALL THE TIME SO ) M SURPRISED THAT THEY AREN T PREPARED FOR THIS KIND OF THING OR READY TO DEAL WITH IT v
&,!3(-/"").' #/-%3 4/ 5%! *OHN -UTCH 4HE INTERNET ALREADY AN ESSENTIAL ACADEMIC RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS IS NOW BEGINNING TO FEATURE MORE IN THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF UNIVERSITY LIFE 0EOPLE ARE GETTING TOGETHER IN A WAY NEVER SEEN BEFORE &ACEBOOK IS ONE SITE THAT IS LEADING THE WAY 4HE LAST YEAR HAS SEEN A SURGE IN ACTIVITY FROM STUDENTS ON COMMUNI TY BASED WEBSITES SUCH AS &ACEBOOK AND -YSPACE )T IS EASY TO SEE THE APPEAL STUDENTS CAN KEEP UP WITH FRIENDS ACTIVITIES REMINISCE JOIN TOPICAL GROUPS AND SHARE PICTURES OF NIGHTS OUT THEY OFFER AN ATTRACTIVE
0HIL "ANKS
ALTERNATIVE TO WORKING &OR SOME STUDENTS CHECKING &ACEBOOK IS THE l RST THING THEY DO WHEN THEY COME TO A COMPUTER INDEED IT SERVES AS A USEFUL SOCIAL TOOL KEEPING TABS ON FUTURE NIGHTS OUT AND BIRTHDAYS ,AST YEAR THE BIG &ACEBOOK SOCI ETY WAS THE 5%! (UMAN 0YRAMID ,EAGUE THIS YEAR IT IS 5%! &LASHMOB )NSPIRED BY WACKY ACTIVITIES FROM STUDENTS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY THE CONCEPT IS SIMPLE PICK A LOCATION AND ACTIVITY TO PERFORM THEN GO OUT AND DO IT )MAN 3ID THE LEADER OF 5%! &LASHMOB TOLD #ONCRETE hIT IS DESIGNED TO BE FUN RANDOM AND AN INOFFENSIVE WAY OF CONFUSING THE PUBLICv &ACEBOOK AND OTHER COM MUNITY BASED WEBSITES PROVIDE THE PERFECT PLATFORM FOR ORGANIZING SUCH
EVENTS !NYONE INTERESTED IS MES SAGED WITH A TIME PLACE AND ACTIV ITY SO THE PLANS ARE KEPT RELATIVELY SECRET ,AST MONTH m ASHMOBBING STUDENTS AT ,OUGHBOROUGH 5NIVER SITY HAD A PIECE ON )4. 3OME STUDENTS GATHERED AROUND ,OUGH BOROUGH S FAMOUS 3OCKMAN STATUE AND WORSHIPPED IT FOR ONE MINUTE 4HE 5%! &LASHMOB SOCIETY S l RST PUBLIC SPECTACLE OCCURRED ON CAMPUS ON -ONDAY ND )N A MUCH HYPED EVENT SOME &LASH MOBBERS CONGREGATED IN THE SQUARE AND AFTER MINUTES OF STANDING AROUND PROCEEDED TO SHOOT EACH OTHER WITH IMAGINARY GUNS IN A LESS THAN DRAMATIC PORTRAYAL OF THE 8"OX TELEVISION COMMERCIAL
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