Source Newspaper Autumn 2014 by CUSU

October/November 2014

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER

East Winds Film Festival Returns to Coventry By Charlotte Dyett

The red carpet has been dusted off and rolled out once again for the biggest celebration of East Asian film, not only in the West Midlands, but also outside of London. Coventry University’s Square One was transformed to host the East Winds film festival over the Halloween weekend (31st October – 2nd November) and showcased the biggest releases from Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Thailand and Japan. With all the glitz and glamour of any film festival, students and members of the public were given the chance to rub shoulders with star guests, without the bank-breaking price tag. The guest list consisted of South Korean actress Kim Kko-bbi, renowned Thai directors Sophon Sakdaphist and Nithiwat Tharatorn and established director from Hong Kong, Clifton Ko. Audiences were also given the unique opportunity to pick the brains of the star guests in Q&A sessions following the screening of their films. The Halloween weekend was also matched with equally scary horror films for the first two days. According to Spencer Murphy, who is not only the festival director but also a lecturer at the university, “we have worked hard to put together a very exciting and varied programme, with a focus on high school horror in all its many forms”. On the Friday, audiences watched the disturbing Japanese black comedy ‘Grateful Dead’ while Saturday saw the spine-chilling

Image: From L-R (Holding T-shirts): Spencer Murphy with Thai director Sophon Sakdaphist.

Thai horror based on a true story, ‘Laddaland’. Saturday also presented the international festival premiere of ‘The Swimmers’, another Thai horror. But the festival ended with a much gentler tone, with Sunday playing rom-coms and family dramas, the most notable being the last film of the festival, and the European Premiere of, ‘The Teachers Diary’, which has also been nominated at the Oscars.

My thoughts: I went to see The Teachers Diary and thought the film was absolutely great! As I know n othing about East Asian cinema, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, or if I’d even get it, but I can safely say that the film was not only hilarious, but also captivating! Despite the film being in Thai, you still really connect with the characters. From a Continued inside page 4

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE OF SOURCE:

Campus News, Sabb Updates, Winter Music and Fashion Trends, Celebrity Interviews, Sports Stories and much more!

NEWS

Source Editorial Sheereen Nabi Editor

The Source News Team Sheereen Nabi Editor in Chief

Jessica Bilimoria News and Views Editor

Hi everyone! So that time is upon us again where we cling to our summer clothing but sadly have to put it away and reach for our coats and scarves. Winter’s officially here and with that comes a new year of University. I’m Sheereen, the new Chief Editor of the Source newspaper, very proud to be working with a fantastic team to bring you the news on what’s been happening around campus.

Ellis Ajoku World Updates Editor

We will be keeping you informed on the latest happenings from some great achievements by our sports teams and societies, to upcoming opportunities just for you. Not to mention a few debates brewing amongst the Source writers for you deep thinkers out there! Especially for this year’s new freshers we have included a few guides to help you make the most of your time here, both at University and in the heart of England (we really are in the centre of the England which means the furthest city from a beach, sigh!)

Kyle Knappett Entertainment Editor

By this point some of you may be living on pot noodles and beans on toast having spent your term’s budget, am I right? Fear not, we know how it feels and like anyone else are keen to make our money last. So have put together a few pieces on how to enjoy student life without breaking the bank, or continuously having to borrow off your family! Hope you enjoy reading this first issue of Source as much as we enjoyed creating it. We look forward to bringing you the latest updates on Varsity coming up in January so look out for our special sports programme coming your way soon. For now embrace the best part of the year that is the Crimbo Hols! Don’t work too hard and eat too much turkey, have some rest before the dreaded January exams arrive. So why not grab a latte, put your feet up and get stuck in. For now that’s all until our next issue celebrating 25 years of Varsity! Ps. if you fancy yourself as a budding writer or want to share something with your fellow students, we would love to hear from you. Feel free to get in touch with your weird and wonderful stories. Who knows you might find yourself on the front page of our next issue!

Sourcenewspaper@outlook.com

Charlotte Dyett Sports and Societies Editor

NEWS

A Glorious Night of Jazz & Blues By Kay David Organised by Culturae Mundi, and supported by Coventry University Students’ Union (CUSU); Coventry University recently held its own Jazz & Blues Live Music Night – or what we call the Jazz Festival. The event was held at Square One on the 22nd of October. This event joyously celebrated Black History Month, and we were treated to six performances that night. The event kicked off with an inspiring speech by Hillary Chindodo, followed by an amazing debut performance by Ocean Arda. A little bit about Ocean Arda: they’re a Jazz Fusion band consisting of Music Composition students in their second year and feature Roshan Gunga on the e lectric guitar, Dom Waldock on the piano, Adam Ferguson on bass guitar, and Ben S iemaszko on drums. The talented four came together as a group whilst performing a task for their coursework. They i mmediately sensed great chemistry – or should we say ‘rhythm’ (get it!) between them, deciding to perform live around Coventry. They’ve managed to nail down their first ever set-list, which they performed for this very event. The band has also

announced the release of their first track ‘From the Depths’ in the upcoming weeks. How exciting for them! You can support them on Facebook: just type in ‘Ocean Arda’. The night also highlighted performances by Fog (a religious band with a twist of blues), Elusive Lions, Kirk & the Meteorites along with solo artists Heather Vient and Joe Beale.

Sadly, the night had to end, the dancing had to be stopped and let’s not talk about the drinks! Overall, the evening held such enthusiasm, music, fun and dance. I did also have a cheeky ‘dancing with the stars’ moment with Heather Vient at the end. She thoughtfully saved the last dance for me. Wink-Wink!

Join sports and societies to find a better kind of love By Christine Ong In my first year, I was sure I only wanted to join two clubs, Swimming and Ice Hockey. I didn’t bother signing up for other sports. The thing is I couldn’t be more wrong with this mentality - so I want to tell you about my experience... I was an ok swimmer but wanted to be amazing, which was mainly why I joined. Only I couldn’t commit to training and wasn’t fully involved throughout the year. It was the same with Ice Hockey! Both didn’t work out because I didn’t have fun and the only way to do that is to find something that suits you! If you don’t really know yourself, then expand your horizons – this is more than easy to do whilst at University, given all the opportunities! Try as many things you can in the first couple weeks because why not? They are all free and you have the most spare time during the first months of University (before the dreaded assignments start to kick in!) So this year I had a fresh approach. I signed up for so many different sports, from Field Hockey to Kung Fu, Trampolining to R ugby, just to name a few. It sounds crazy but learning from last year I tried to be more adventurous. I couldn’t go to every single

one but I did find what I was looking for by doing this - I found Boxing. The first session left me with sore arms, sore legs and sore everything else. I n ever in the world imagined myself boxing because the idea of getting hit, sweaty people or smelly gloves isn’t exactly what one would a ssociate as ‘fun’. But you know what? I couldn’t be more wrong again! Your hard work at training gives you a sense of accomplishment, so you feel great about everything after. Joining turned out to be the best decision I have ever made and a well spent £55. My point is, don’t let the idea of something put you off. Try it! As boxing allows more interaction with your team than expected, you quickly make friends without even trying. During training you have to spar with different people, and hitting someone after just meeting them isn’t ideal, but it works. Only in boxing can you hit people and become friends! The first person I sparred with is now my best boxing buddy. As most fitness challenges require teamwork, this builds an instant bond with others as you have fun and share accomplishments. So, if you’re like me, and don’t like to start conversations, boxing or anything similar is the one to make

you some friends! It’s only been a month now since I joined but there have been some dramatic changes to my mood and productivity. I am so much more alive and energetic. I feel good all the time and because of that, I have been getting a lot of things done every day. So if you suffer from severe procrastination, definitely join something that will keep you fit physically and mentally. I feel satisfied being a part of something I genuinely enjoy and it makes a massive difference to my life right now. I am much happier, having something to look f orward to outside of studies, something I love (which I think is better than a love life).We often just go for things we’re familiar with and I think that we should ditch this annoying habit and embrace doing things out of the ordinary. Discover yourself by surprising yourself. Be adventurous because this is when something truly amazing happens, University or life in general is more exciting that way. P.S. If you would like to join Boxing too, then training is on Mondays from 8pm-10pm and Thursday from 6pm-7.30pm in Priory Sports Hall. See you there!

NEWS

Film Festival

Enjoying music on a student budget By Daisy Johnson

If you’re a huge music fan, chances are you want to attend as many concerts as possible, and expand your collection of music. However, you may find yourself thinking that everything is expensive. It’s easy to get discouraged from enjoying the best experiences in music when you see how much it all costs. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to spend tons of money on concert or f estival tickets and then scrimp on Pot Noodles for the rest of the academic year! Don’t let big prices turn you away from enjoying music. These are some of the many (legal) ways to improve your University music experience while living on a student budget. 1. Podcasts/Radio - Podcasts are such a great way to find out about new artists and new sounds. Plus, you can listen to them on the go. There are so many music podcasts featuring great interviews with amazing bands and solo artists. Whether you’re into Rock, Pop, RnB, Rap, World Music + more, you can find great podcasts and radio stations to cater to your interests. Why not check out BBC Radio 6 Music, Absolute Radio, Mixcloud, KEXP and WTF with Marc Maron? Lauren Laverne on BBC 6 Music even gives her listeners a free download four times a week on her show! 2. Charity shops - Have a look at some usic charity shops and local independent m shops. There’s more than just HMV; C oventry has some incredible independent music stalls with a wide range of music, just waiting to be discovered by you! Pay a visit to Vinyl Destination in the Coventry Market, where there’s a wide selection of CDs and records at cheap prices. 3. Vinyl - If you’re getting into vinyl, see if your parents would be willing to give you their old record player. In the past year, we’ve seen a rise in vinyl sales across the UK, and people are constantly singing vinyl’s praises because of the high quality sound produces. If you’d like to buy your own it record player, you can find good-quality models on Amazon for £30-40. No need to buy any of the £100 Crosely Turntables from Urban Outfitters. Save your money!

4. Spotify Premium - If you always use Spotify Free, that’s great. But Spotify Premium allows you to stream unlimited music on all your devices, with no adverts, for only £4.99 a month if you’ve got an NUS card! 5. The Unsigned - See as many unsigned artists and bands as you can. There are many venues around Coventry and Birmingham that support local artists, and it’s a lot of fun. The Dog, on Hertford Street, always has some great local artists performing live. 6. Shazam and Soundhound - Ever been in a shop or at a gig and wonder what song is playing? These two free apps allow you to easily identify the song that’s playing, before you forget. 7. Cheaper concert tickets - You can find cheaper concert tickets on many sites, but be wary of ones that sound too good to be true. There can be a lot of people who try to scam you into buying tickets that you’ll never receive. Use trusted sites like Getmein, Viagogo, and Livenation. If you’re an O2 customer, you can sign up to O2 Priority and get discounts on the best concerts and access to presale tickets before anyone else. 8. Songkick and Bandsintown - These apps work based on your personal music library and create a personalised calendar of upcoming gigs, so you can see who’s c oming to the nearest city. 9. Headphones - Get some good (but ffordable) headphones. There’s no need to a spend £200+ on the new Beats headphones. You can find cheaper ones online and in shops such as Argos that work just as well. (Check out Sennheiser headphones which sound just as great as Dre Beats but for a fraction of the price!) 10. Local shows - Find out what’s happening here in Coventry, and in your home city. Some of the music societies will know when the next open mic nights and Battle of The Bands events are. If you know exactly where to look, you can find out where the best free concerts will be. For example, livebrum.co.uk features listings of upcoming free gigs and events in Birmingham.

Hong Kong director Clifton Ko on the red carpet

Continued from page 1 media’s student point of view, it’s was really interesting to see the different styles of shots used and how they differ from Hollywood. To be h onest, I think I preferred it to most Hollywood rom-coms, as I really enjoyed the innocence of it. My advice for next year is don’t hesitate, go and see it because it’s not everyday you get to go to a film festival at your own u niversity! Plus, you may discover a new interest. After watching ‘The Teachers Diary’, I will definitely look into more East Asian film. A big well done to Coventry University’s East Asian Film Society (CUEAFS) who made all this happen. This fantastic event follows on from a successful win of ‘Best Student Cinema in the UK’ at the Cinema for All Film Society of the Year Awards in September at the Showroom Workstation in Sheffield, their second win in three years. We have no doubt that CUEAFS will continue to make us all proud.

NEWS

Sabb Update Jo

Jo Ah Yow Sport & Wellbeing

Email: joanna.ahyow@coventry.ac.uk www.facebook.com/cusu.sportwellbeing @CUSUSportSabb

Enobong Inyang Student Activities

Email: enobong.inyang@coventry.ac.uk www.facebook.com/cusu.activitiesofficer @CUSU_Activities

Ephraim Enoidem Representation & Welfare

Email: ephraim.enoidem2@coventry.ac.uk www.facebook.com/cusu.representation @CUSURepsSabb

Jen Smith Communications & Commercial

Email: jennifer.smith@coventry.ac.uk www.facebook.com/cusucommandengage @CUSUCommsSabb

Marvin Nkemdirim Democracy & Campaigns

It’s so good to have all the students back. There’s always so much going on and it n ever seems to stop. We had a great freshers’ week with the highlight of the week being the Sports fair where we had 54 stalls and hundreds of students signing up to our sports clubs throughout the day. I also worked closely with Jen to rebrand our Wednesday night at Hush which is now called Extra Time and it has been really successful so far. The BUCS season started on Wednesday 15th October with some great results from our men’s football and men’s basketball teams winning all of their games. In 2015, we will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the famous Varsity series against the University of Warwick. Our new Sports committee made up of representatives from 6 different clubs including American Football, Cycling, Golf, Netball, Snow Sports and Tennis have been heavily involved in the planning of Varsity and we are all e xcited for our biggest event of the year! More information will be released soon so make sure you keep an eye on our website and s ocial media.

Jen

What a great start to the Sabb life! I have been crazy busy with freshers’ plans and preparation. It went really well and we received some great feedback. Now freshers’ is over; the whole three months of planning and two weeks of events, as Coventry University College members are now included in all of our events! The next points of call are the marketing plans for Varsity and progressing ‘the app’ for the University. We’ve had some great interest from the press which has kept me busy also. Source have responded brilliantly, with two members obtaining a wicked interview with the Little Comets band, backstage entry and everything – how cool is that! Very proud. The rebranding of Hush’s Wednesday night has gone down a treat, now known as ‘Extra Time’, sports teams have been bopping away to the music being played by popular resident house DJ, Craig Gordon. Keep your ears open and your eyes peeled for the new nights coming your way in November. Also hope you have a wicked night for Halloween, don’t be a ghoul, get down to Hush!

Marvin

Email: marvin.nkemdirim@coventry.ac.uk www.facebook.com/CUSUDemocracy @CUSUDemSabb

I had a “This Is What Democracy Looks Like” themed day as part of this year’s Freshers’ Week, with the aim of encouraging students’ participation in democracy through games such as wheels of democracy and voting to change and improve University services. We also had a raffle where students were given

a chance to win an iPod shuffle. A debate was organised with the Employability department and the City Council, where students could debate with councillors. Kristian, a student councillor, and I represented CUSU and the debate was streamed online. This year’s by-election was a great success, recording the highest number of nominations (88) and had little or no complaints! This election also represents the first participation of Coventry University College in the Students’ Union elections – and we now have a CUC Faculty Chair. The All Student Meeting happened on Tuesday 11th November involving guest speakers, Shreya Paudel (NUS International Students’ Officer) and from the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Ian Dunn. Seven motions were passionately debated by students. Black History Month is an annual event which promotes and celebrates Black History. I organised a successful screening of “12 Years A Slave”, with guest speaker Josephine Kwhali and Culturae Mundi organised a Jazz and Blues night. The finale for this campaign was an organised trip to Liverpool International Slavery Museum which enabled students to reflect on the events and history of the black race. I’ve been working with Warwick SU to improve transport, by lobbying the local council and private companies to improve services for students. Please look out for the ‘Safer Taxi Travel’ leaflets around the HUB.

Ephraim

Representation and welfare covers the following areas; students’ academic representation, IT concerns to halls, community and catering services to the students’ Advice Centre, the students’ and staff nursery amongst other welfare concerns. This year, my focus has been to increase visibility of reps through the introduction of Senior Reps banners in every University building to bring the Sabbatical Officer, Faculty Chair and Senior Reps more closer and visible to students. Halls Rep posters for the specific halls will also be put in place shortly. I have also proposed to the University an accommodation guarantor scheme to help students’ living in the private sector to a ccess quality accommodation easily and reduce costs, particularly useful to International s tudents. Again community related, I have also introduced Community Reps which I hope to develop before leaving. These Reps would be the faces and voices of students’ in the wider, local community; their duties will include attending local community m eetings and working with the local community to better the image of students.

NEWS

Why do university students not get enough sleep? watch hours of Friends episodes instead. The reason for this is because we University students’ fall into the trap of the dreaded word – PROCRASTINATION. Familiar with it? It’s essentially when you find yourself watching endless amounts of new shows on Netflix when you should be doing your essay, or when you spend too much time socialising with your friends instead of working on an assignment because the deadlines far off.

By Maariyah Zaheer Are you yawning whilst reading this? Have you got yourself a strong cup of coffee next to you? Are you resisting the urge to spend your whole day in bed? If the answer is yes, then I have to say you are yet another student on campus who hasn’t slept very well. We’ve pretty much all experienced this lack of sleep, irritability and envisioning your bed whilst you try and focus in your lecture. But the question is - do you always feel like this or is it a one off? Well, according to r ecent news, it’s been found that many s tudents suffer from insomnia or in my words ‘stressing about everything and anything’ during deadline week and examination times. For you first years reading this, I’ll just summarise for you what you will probably face in your University years. Here goes... You’ll have a long to-do list next to your laptop, your Word document will have the essay question written in the middle of the page, ‘all-nighters’ will become your best friend but most importantly all your social network websites will be full of your stressed/frustrated thoughts about the work load you have. No matter how organised you try to be, no matter how many books you loan out from the library, it’s pretty much inevitable that you may want to quit University and just

So, here comes the lack of sleep. Now why is it that we make ourselves suffer in this way? Well, not all of us do it for the same reason. Some of us students are night owls and prefer to work when the owls are out. We are more productive at night. Some of us don’t even spend the night b eing productive, but stressing out about all the work that needs to be done. Hands up if you have found yourself lying in your bed and wondering how you managed to land y ourself in this situation and you hate yourself for doing it? However, let’s not forget, lack of sleep is not always down to deadlines and the exam seasons. Yes, I am looking at you, party a nimals! Are you thinking about how awesome last night’s adventure was? Let’s be honest, being sociable and partying is part of the ‘University experience’, right? However, the late nights and hangovers aren’t really going to help you with your sleeping problems when you can’t c oncentrate in your seminar the next day. So, maybe we don’t get enough sleep because it actually is a part of being a University student. And, let’s not forget that you can’t generalise this. Maybe there are a few University students who have e xcellent sleep cycles and can live with out this addiction to coffee and, on top of that, have excellent grades. Okay - let’s not be jealous of these individuals, but applaud them! So how do we combat this? Well first of all, try not to do an essay in one night. Try and do maybe a couple of hundred words a day and you won’t be feeling so stressed when the deadline approaches. Also, try getting one of those post diaries and plan your days so you know what days you will be out partying (or having a sophisticated coffee meeting with a pal) and try and get some work done when you are free. Sleep is important, not only for your beauty, but for your health, so try and get a few good hours in! We don’t want the world’s supply of coffee to run out so soon, no offence!

Purr-fect turn out for Bob’s signing

Picture from Coventry telegraph

By Olivia Williams The 24th October saw hundreds of keen cat lovers from across the country queue to meet the real life ‘Dick Whittington’ and his cat, Bob in Coventry City Centre. Author of the best seller ‘A Street Cat Named Bob’, James Bowen arrived to a huge crowd at the city’s Waterstones bookstore. Many had been waiting hours - some had even travelled from as far away as Hertfordshire. The story of how ex-drug addict James and stray cat Bob rescued each other has captured the heart of many. The book is one of triumph, love and hope. For many, it gives an insight into life on the streets, a life ruled by drug addiction and how one cat changed all that! Lisa, a fan in the queue, said, “I am so excited to finally meet James and Bob after reading their books. I feel like I know them already. It’s such a nice story.” The pair were in Coventry to sign their newest book ‘A Gift from Bob’ and fans were thrilled to meet Bob & James.

NEWS

A New Perspective on Legal Highs

By Ellen Smith To some the phrase ‘Legal High’ is a ontradiction in itself. With the news heavily c orientated around illegal drug trafficking and stories of teenagers taking illegal substances, many people may not be aware of legal highs and where they fit into our society and our laws. The question is ‘What are legal highs?!’ Legal highs are recreational drugs which use loopholes to get around most of the drug laws. However, they can be just as dangerous as illegal drugs. A lot of people are fighting to get the legality of them changed to help protect everyone. Legal highs often get around the law by writing ‘Not for Human Consumption’ on packaging or by, for example, being disguised as bath salts. There is no testing for consumption, so the danger and side effects are relatively u nknown. This means there are no laws p rohibiting the sale of these product A great way to learn about the d angers of legal highs and about the campaign that has been running since 2012 is the ‘Legal Highs, Lethal Lows’ campaign. This is an organisation that supports p eople with legal highs and also gives all the important information about them. You can find out more about the campaign here: http://www.legalhighslethallows.co.uk

As I was researching the legal high campaigns, I came across an interview between R ussell Brand and Jon Snow on Channel 4 news. Incidents in this interview lead to a fight on air. Even though many people are trying to d iscredit Russell Brand by trying to say he has an ulterior motive, a majority of the public is b acking him with his campaign to make certain drugs easily accessible as has happened in America. During an interview, Russell Brand mentioned “Addiction is an illness” and follows with a claim that making drugs easier to access and distributing clean drugs, rather than drugs that make you unsure of what is contained within them, will make it easier for people to get off them. He states that we should be helping people with this ‘illness’, rather than getting them into trouble and making them more likely to use them. The long-dated drug laws can now be brought into parliament again as Russell Brands’ petition for the campaign got over 100,000 signatures which makes this topic a lot harder to ignore. Many raise the argument that Russell Brand is correct to campaign as “people do care about making the streets a safer place, especially drugs within clubs.” The video Legal Highs: A Losing Game by Fixers UK on YouTube hits the spot - this is

another legal high campaign focusing on the effects of taking these. Made by a young teacher, this video is mainly aimed at a younger audience, which helps get the point across about the danger of legal highs to those people who are potentially at risk due to being less informed. YouTube is helping the cause to fight legal highs because more people are now talking about their personal experiences on video. They’re talking about the dangers which in turn makes more people aware of them - the deaths and the amount of people who are being taken into the hospital because of this are making more people conscious not to take them. However easy access, especially when out drinking, could be tempting; so making these legal highs illegal could help everybody by making this a safer place! The legal high campaign is still on-going and many people are known to be signing all of them and helping make this place a safer place. If you need help with any type of drugs there are lots of people you can contact, for example ‘Talk to Frank’. Anyone can get help. The most important message from every campaign is to stop the distribution and also to help anyone who is addicted or hurt by these drugs. Join the campaign and join the fight.

NEWS

The Big Debate

Does social media help or hinder your career?

Help

By Keiran Raza

Social media is particularly vital for those that work in the music or entertainment industry. Social media provides a mean of connection between artists and their audience. The easy interaction with fans builds up good promotion for artists and gives them the o pportunity to get to know their demographic audience. Taylor Swift, for example, is very active in connecting with her fans across all social media platforms. She tweets photographs of fans with her albums that have been sent to her, replies to messages that she receives and forms a friend-like bond with her fanbase. Social media provides an easy and fast medium that influential people can access and utilise for this purpose, and it would be extremely difficult without it. The instantaneous aspect of social media is vital in career development too. How often does a video or song that goes global come from an unknown artist? Artists are discovered frequently through material that they put out on Soundcloud, which is a free and easy platform that anyone can distribute their work on. It in turn means more people can get into the music industry. Songs can quickly go viral and people write

It is no doubt that social media sites have transformed every inch of our lives, but is this change always good? Whilst there are many benefits for using social media such as enhancing your career, there are also a number of downsides, which I assume many people are unaware of. First and foremost, the main problem with social networking is that we have become so used to communicating online, that it deters us from real life interactions with people. We have become lazy, as sadly we would rather message someone online than to see them physically. Interpersonal skills do not fully develop, so it can be hard to interpret this same level of communication online. Think back to an ambiguous message or text you received. ‘Were they being rude or am I reading into it?’ Body language is so important and makes up over 50 percent of communication so I guess it’s true actions do speak louder than words. Also many users of social networking sites may be reluctant to know that what we post online stays online forever. W hether that is photos, videos or tweets, we are inadvertently all over the online world. Lets face it, we have all probably been tagged in an unflattering photo and been ridiculed about it by our friends! We are in a culture of continuously

posting what we are doing, where we are and of course endless selfies! But, this of course, can have effects on careers later on, as nowadays employers are finding out more about their potential employees via social networking sites. Also, companies now have a set of ‘social media policies’ that employees must comply with. Perhaps you think that your F acebook/ Twitter is ‘privacy protected’ and you have nothing to worry about - but how do you know all of your ‘friends’ are who they say they are? Creating a false identity online has never been so easy. No legitimate proof is needed to simply set up an account and lead people on. This acts as a catalyst for cyber-bullying and Internet trolls. The recent iCloud hacking, leading to private photos of high profile celebrities being released, is a prime example of how the concept of online privacy isn’t what we think it is. In addition, these photos were distributed at lightning speed thanks to websites such as Twitter and Facebook, causing irrevocable damage to the lives of the people involved. One of the main questions we can draw upon from this debate and focus on - Is the line between our private and professional life now blurred because of social media? If so, egative this can affect our careers in many n ways.

about bands and singers on blogs and websites, leading to fast recognition from a wider audience and faster success. Examples of recent bands that have found recognition through their online presence are Chvrches, London Grammar, Disclosure and many more that have all found success in the charts. Other professionals can use website like LinkedIn in a similar fashion. Social media is an important tool we can all use to represent ourselves in whatever way we want. This allows us to portray ourselves through more creative means than just a standard cover letter and CV, to showcase what we can offer to prospective employees. Social Media acts as something we can use to represent our identities to anyone in any form or manner. When it comes to the direct method of communication, it is instantaneous and acts as a way that people can interact with fans. The level of i nteraction forms a sort of connection that celebrities value as important. In conclusion using social media for professional purposes can really benefit your career (if used in the proper way of course!) opportunities and lead to many fantastic that simply would not be possible if we didn’t have the social networking we do now.

Hinder

By Mandeep Sagoo

NEWS

Is it that hard University! A place for experiences, opportunities for a graduate to get a job? and… discrimination?

By Kieran Raza Starting university is an exciting time for everyone. For many people, it’s their first taste of independent adult life, the o pportunity to start of fresh and be the person that you really want to be. Meeting people from all walks of life is fantastic opportunity to make new friends, even if it is a little intimidating at first. I was incredibly nervous for Freshers’ Week. I had no idea what to expect, Would a nyone like me? How should I present m yself? My friends at home were very open and accepting of anyone, with a positive attitude towards equality in genders, sexualities and race. I consider myself to be a feminist, and believe in equal rights of all individuals and that everyone deserves respect. While I’ve met many kind and like-minded people, unfortunately I have found that many people around me don’t have the same positive mind set. I’ve come across many examples of people participating in misogynistic behaviour and casual racism, not to mention homophobia. While I fi rmly believe this isn’t ok, sometimes I feel uncomfortable confronting people. H owever, calling people out is the only way they’ll learn and I need to be better at it. Misogyny is the act of expressing dominance over women and treating them as objects rather than people. I’ve overheard conversations between guys talking many about how they’ve “almost gotten girls back to their rooms”, and making fun of them for their weight or appearance. This attitude is completely unacceptable in my opinion, and it’s disheartening that people don’t see wnership what’s wrong with it. Men have no o over women, and no right to dehumanise and disrespect them. But it’s not just men re-affirming this attitude. While I’ve had conversations with some girls who agree that this is an issue, they still ridicule other women for how they dress and for how many people they have slept with. This is often referred to as “slut attitudes. shaming”, and it affirms sexist “You girls need to stop calling each other sluts and whores, it only makes it okay for

guys to call us sluts and whores”. The famous quote from ‘Mean Girls’ still applies today. A person’s sexual history in no way defines what they are like as a person, and we can’t make progress if we continue judging people based on it. People should never be made to feel guilty for what they choose to wear, either. If guys feel that a girl is inviting a ttention based on how much they’re revealing and that somehow makes it ok for them to harass them, that is disgusting and wrong. Another issue, which seems to be getting more widespread each week, is the negative attitude towards feminism. This simply re fers to wanting women to have the same rights as men, nothing more. So why are many people against this idea? A feminist doesn’t campaign for women to be treated as a superior, just as equals. Something less extreme than blatant misogyny that I’ve experienced, but still feel uncomfortable with is how many people use the term“gay”. I’ve come to the u nderstanding that it may be down to a regional context. This doesn’t make it any less derogatory. If I had a pound for every time I heard “that’s so gay” or “this is going to sound a bit gay”, I’d be a millionaire. I understand that it isn’t meant to convey disrespect, but if someone was to start saying “that’s so straight” or “you look really straight”, it would sound absurd. If there is to be equality in s exualities people need to grow up and stop using gay as a derogatory word. I think it’s incredible to be around people from so many different cultures and parts of the world. Just standing in the street you can hear people speaking 5 different languages all around you. While I’ve embraced this, there still seems to be a divide when it comes to race. It is all done very casually, but I still don’t feel comfortable about it. People tend to group people of a certain race together. I’ve heard multiple times things like “there’s always black people there” when speaking to other white people, as if they’re separated or different because of their skin tone. I’ve found all these experiences of discrimination and judgements on these topics very alienating, as none of my friends would ever act like this, and have actively spoken out against others. It’s a challenge making igger new friends at university, but an even b challenge making friends that I consider unproblematic. The best thing to do is if you see anyone acting in a manner you deem unacceptable or wrong, is to speak out. You can be a good influence, and make people realise they’re in the wrong and change for the better. I hope in my time at university, I’ll influence others to act as better individuals and meet people that are likeminded and passionate in the fight for equality.

By Maariyah Zaheer

Did the title of this article make your s tomach tighten? (I hope so otherwise this is embarrassing for me). Put your hands up if this is on your mind right now? Okay - stop gloating freshers, we know the party has just begun for you. However, one day, every one of us will be thinking about this dreaded question. (Yes, I was dramatic on purpose). We’ve heard it all before, “Oh, the e conomy is so bad”, “Worst recession in years…” not to mention the “Oh, it will be a miracle for you to get a job in this day and age” cliché. We are all drenched with this negativity, whether it’s a news channel with the latest statistics on a fancy graph or whether you are casually eating your dinner and your mother strolls in, telling you that so and so was telling her how hard the job market is. But my question is - is it that hard to get a job? Before you roll your eyes and shout ‘duh’ at me, let me explain. Of course we all know that it’s difficult. Employers are not particularly keen on graduates whom, in their eyes, do not have much experience with the outside world. However, a recent article by The G uardian actually announced that graduates have seen a massive drop in unemployment, over the past 15 years. Yes, soon to be graduates, keep your fingers and toes crossed! This drop shows us that maybe, just maybe, the world isn’t that harsh of a place. Of course, I’m not saying that the first application you send off will mean you’ve gotten the job straightaway. Despite this drop in unemployment suggests that things aren’t as tough for newbie graduates anymore, this news does give hope that the job market is slowly but surely growing for us all. However, the most annoying problem for newbie graduates is the long wait... Waiting to find new jobs, waiting until the deadline closes and sitting impatiently by your phone to see whether or not you have gotten the job, I think, this is what puts most people off and why many assume jobs are tough, because of this long wait (Just like Frodo making his way to Mordor – I could not help but slip a Lord of The Rings Reference in). It can take weeks, months even, for a company to hire you and so it is very easy to feel put off and lose all hope in this world (Again, with the dramatic emphasis!). So, ‘soon to be graduates’, keep up with the optimism, keep perfecting that good old CV, practise those interview skills and just be glad you aren’t in a boardroom with Lord Alan Sugar pointing a finger at you and telling you to get out of his lavish room.

POLITICS

The CUSU Student Politics Column By Sara Lloyd-Knibbs By-Elections 2014

Student Councillor Candidates at by-election hustings in Square One (coverage by Source TV) L-R: Aidan O’Toole, Sara Lloyd-Knibbs, Ethan Shi, Sam Kempster

For those of you new to student p olitics, the by-election is when Coventry University Students’ Union (CUSU) elects students to fill vacant seats on our Student C ouncil, alongside Delegates for the N ational Conference. With over 80 c andidates competing for fifteen different roles (some roles having more than one seat) it was a substantial undertaking indeed. However as a candidate myself, for the 7th CUSU elections running, I am pleased to say that Lauren McCleary (the new CUSU Student Leadership and Engagement Co-ordinator) and the rest of the team did a fantastic job of running things smoothly. Part of the reason there were so many vacancies to fill was that back in Stu dent Council Meeting (1), the Council voted to bring into effect a restructure of Student Council designed last academic year by Ryan Beasley (last year’s Democracy & Campaigns Officer) and myself with help from other C ouncillors and otion Ordinary Members (Students). This m greatly increased the number of seats on Council, including increasing the ‘Liberation’ positions (such as Women’s and Disabled) to two for each area, and the number of International Councillors from one to four (each representing a g eographic

area: EU, Asia, Africa and America/Restof-World, reflecting the demographics of Coventry University). Also, notably, the restructure removes the right of S abbactical Officers to vote in Council m eetings, giving the C ouncillors a significantly greater voice. All of these changes should make Student Council louder, stronger and more representative of the students. Another important note is that as Coventry University College (CUC) Students are now part of CUSU, the by-elections included the first ever elections of CUC representatives. David Sandy, who was successfully elected at CUC Councillor says “Firstly I ran b ecause I felt as a disabled student particularly (autism) there could be gaps in support available. Secondly I want to challenge the issue of accessibility especially from CUC.” Putting policy where his mouth is, he is bringing a motion to the All Student Meeting (ASM) on the 11th November, arguing that CUC Students should be granted equal access to the Hub. This is a policy I wholeheartedly support and, if you agree, please attend the meeting and vote ‘yes’ to see it passed. Despite the number and quality of candidates, engagement in the b y-elections was as usual comparatively lower than it t ypically is for the ‘main’ elections in the spring when

full-time Sabbatical Officers are elected. This was evident in turnout both o nline for the ballot, and in person at ‘Hustings’ (a.k.a. ‘Question Time’) and the results announcement at Hush. Some candidates suggested that cancelling l ectures on the day of Hustings to make it easier for students to attend would be beneficial. If you yourself were unable to a ttend in person, go to www.cusu.org/news/source-tv-post for edited highlights by our very own Source TV. Nevertheless, a number of exceedingly enthusiastic and passionate new faces (plus myself) have joined Student Council, which I look forward to working with. Come along to Meeting Room 2 on 25th November to see us in action debating policy that affects you, and hold those who have been in post longer to account on their progress. Congratulations and Commiserations as appropriate to ALL by-election candidates. Lots of good, clean campaigning was had, and it’s a shame we didn’t have space to elect everyone! For full details of the e lection results, and all your Officers and Councillors old and new, please see: www.cusu.org/democracy

POLITICS

National Student Demo A National Student Demo is fast approaching. The demonstration will take place under the banner of ‘Free Education: No fees. No cuts. No debt’. It will take place on Wednesday 19th November in central London. The Coalition of groups involved in calling the demonstration includes the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC), the Student Assembly Against Austerity (the student wing of the People’s Assembly) and the Young Greens. This comes only months after the National Union of Students (NUS) voted to support free education at all levels, funded by taxation of the rich, at its last National conference in April.

arents, and education workers are being p squeezed, sacked and out-sourced. We are calling this demonstration to take the fight to the government and to demand a public education system that serves society and is free and accessible to everyone.” Kirsty Haigh, NUS Scotland Vice President, said: “With a general election in May, we will be putting free education onto the p olitical agenda, not by softening our p osition but by making our ideas impossible to ignore,”whilst Aaron Kiely, from the Student Assembly Against Austerity, points out: “Germany has proved only this year that there is an alternative – if they can scrap tuition fees and so can our government.”

The move marks an escalation of opposition to the government’s programme of fees and privatisation in education and will p rovide a spark for further action. Students are planning a wave of occupations and localised direct action alongside the demonstration in autumn term, and are also mobilising for a trade union demonstration on S aturday October 18th. Beth Redmond, from the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, said “Four years on from the election of the Coalition, it is clear that fees have failed. Whole areas of higher and further education are now off limits to anyone without rich

CUSU is looking to provide subsidised transport to this event (provisionally £5 per person) to allow all interested students to attend, The Facebook event for the demonstration is here: www.facebook.com/ events/1438512509748733/. Any Coventry Students (CU or CUC) wishing to be involved should contact Marvin Nkemdirin by him by visiting the Sabbatical office on the first floor or asking for him at the Hub Reception.

Local Democracy Event

L-R: Councillor Sawdon, Kristian O’Sullivan (CUSU Student Councillor), Marvin Nkemdirin (CUSU Democracy & Campaigns Officer)

CUSU Representatives including c urrent Democracy and Campaigns Officer, Marvin Nkemdirin, collaborated with Coventry City Council to host this debate about engagement in local democracy in the City Council Chamber. With a panel comprised of local elected officials, local press and student representatives, topics such as lowering the age of voting, the Scottish Referendum and the ever divisive EU were discussed. There are no plans as of yet confirmed for similar upcoming events, but I will let you know if that changes.

Student Housing

Student Council

By far the most visible campaign taking place on and around campus is the C oventry Socialist Students Society’s ‘SU Responsible Housing Motion’. Inspired by their S ocialist Student counterparts at York University, the Society has drawn together a list of d emands related to student housing, and have been actively canvassing for student support on campus. Kristian O’Sullivan, P resident of the Society explained to me that this issue is a matter of basic rights, as “Every student deserves a roof over their head, one that is not overpriced and leaking.” With this in mind they intend to raise the motion officially at the All Student Meeting to give it maximum exposure. All students are eligible to attend and vote on whether to support this scheme (alongside various other issues).

Unfortunately, the second Student Council meeting of the academic year had a lower turnout than one would hope, meaning it did not meet ‘quorum’ (having the m inimum number of voting members present to hold a vote). Nevertheless, Officers, Councillors and Observers present were able to discuss progress on issues as far ranging as Varsity 2015, non-alcoholic social events, water provision, gender-neutral toilets, and of course the fast-approaching All Student Meeting. ALL LECTURES ARE CANCELLED, so I hope to see every student there at what is your chance to give your opinion on issues that count alongside hundreds of your peers.

L-R: Coventry Socialist Students President Kristian O’Sullivan, Aidan O’Toole & Sam Kempster campaigning in the Hub)

For the next issue I will be interviewing your NUS Delegates. For any comments or questions relating to this or any other aspect of CUSU Student Politics please contact me on Twitter (@SaraLloydKnibbs) or Facebook (Facebook.com/VoteSara). Dates for your diary: •

Tuesday 11th November – All Student Meeting, Priory Sports Hall 1-3pm

•

Tuesday 25th November – Student Council (3), Meeting Room 2 (location TBC) 5-7pm

Coming-up in the next Column: • News: All Student Meeting 2014 (11/11/14) • NUS National Conference 2015: Introduction • Profile: Meet your NUS Delegate • Hot Campaign: CUC Student Access to the Hub Policy Focus: Gender Neutral • Toilets • Report: Student Council (3) (25/11/14)

INTERNATIONAL

World Update By Ellis Ajoku

India Plans Second Mars Mission in 2018

Oxfam: Inequality Keeps Poor Down

Bitcoin: The Future Money in Developing Countries?

Bitcoin is a digital currency, internet-based money using cryptography to manage and secure it. It is not controlled by one authority, like central banks administer traditional currencies. At the moment it is considered to be a “legitimate financial service” by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee of the United States Senate. It was created in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto, thought to be a person or a group of people on the metzdowd.com cryptography mailing list. Regulation in emerging markets has made its reception in such economies, a mixed one. In Brazil, it is seen as an investment by most buyers- mainly because of standard currency fluctuations and the possibility of circumventing controls. The Brazilian tax authority taxes holders of R$1,000 or more in bitcoin while there is a 15% capital gain charge for those with over R$35,000 in bitcoin accounts. Some outlets have already begun to accept it as a form of exchange. Corruption, inflation and drops in the value of the Brazilian real have helped the country’s Bitcoin brokerages drum up buyers for the virtual currency. Fernando Ulrich, the director of the Mises Institute Brazil is of the view that the Bitcoin could help solve the international financial crisis. In his book ‘Bitcoin - a moeda na era digital’ (Bitcoin the currency in the digital age), he stated that “Its fully decentralized nature; sharing a public, single and universal registration of all users; the ability to transfer funds instantaneously to any part of the globe; and the fact that you forgo a third trustee to transact, do the Bitcoin a feat of civilization”. Bitcoins began to be used in Brazil in 2012 and there is currently a Bitcoin ATM in Sao Paulo.

The international confederation Oxfam has reported that the number of billionaires has doubled to 1,645 since the start of the 2008 financial crisis. Oxfam’s Even it Up (Time to End Extreme Inequality) report stated that poverty has increased in South Africa ever since the end of apartheid, and alongside the 16 billionaires in Sub-Saharan Africa are 358 million people who live in penury. At a rate of $1m a day, it would take Mexico’s Carlos Slim 220 years to spend his $80bn fortune. Furthermore, the report goes on to state that “inequality is somehow inevitable, or is a necessary c onsequence of globalization and technological progress. countries But the experiences of different throughout history have shown that, in fact, deliberate political and economic choices can lead to greater inequality”.

Mark Goldring, Oxfam’s Chief Executive, said: “Inequality is one of the defining problems of our age. In a world where hundreds of millions of people are living without access to clean drinking water and without enough food to feed their families, small elite have more money than they could spend in several lifetimes”. The gap between the wealthy countries and the poor has continued to increase with the wealthy countries moving even further ahead, despite the fact that conditions are improving generally w orldwide. The report advised governments to listen to the people and not the plutocrats, and has called for action to address this widening divide, taking into consideration the attendant instability that comes with it.

An Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) official recently revealed India’s plans to revisit Mars in 2018. Motivated by the success of its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) which launched on September 24 from its spaceport at Andhra Pradesh, India plans the revisit to the planet to carry out more experiments for which they have to develop new technologies, said ISRO Director S Shiva Kumar. MOM’s main mission was to look for life-sustaining elements on Mars. “We will be able to take the Mars-2 m ission after launching the second mission to the moon (Chandrayaan-2) in 2016 with our own lander and rover, which will help us develop a separate lander and rover for the red p lanet,” Kumar said, ahead of a t hree-day ‘Engineers Conclave-2014’ by the space agency with the Indian National Academy of Engineering. “We hope to have fully o perational heavy rockets over the next two-three years for carrying communication satellites weighting two-three tons into the g eo-stationary orbits around the earth,” Kumar said. On the midnight of October 19, ISRO had repositioned its Mars Orbiter satellite to avoid collision with the comet called Siding Spring (C/2013 A1), after a close encounter. In other related news, a crew of three ussian cosmonauts on the International R Space Station recently revealed the red and blue logo for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

FASHION

Joint Russian-Chinese International University to Be Created An agreement has been signed between Moscow State University (MSU) and B eijing Polytechnic University (BPU) to establish a joint Russian-Chinese International University. Construction is already u nderway with China bearing all the construction and equipment costs. MSU contributions will mainly be in research and development as well as copyrights, patents, and trademarks. The new University graduates will receive diplomas of both MSU and Beijing Polytechnic University, and the study will be conducted in Russian, Chinese, and English. Rector of MGU, Viktor Sadovnichy at the ceremonial function, said “This is a historic day for us now. For the first time in the 260-year history of the MGU, a joint university is being established in China”. The memorandum for its formation was signed in September 2013. The bulk of s tudents will come from China while the rest will be from Russia and other parts of Central Asia. They are expected to have practical training in the largest corporations in both countries. Enrolment will begin in September 2015.

Hot Right Now! Turtle necks By Olivia Williams StyleSpotter.blogspot.co.uk Turtle necks. Roll necks. Polo necks. This is the style you need this Autumn/Winter. Pair this cosy style with a relaxed style jean for laid back fashion perfection, or dress it up with a cute A-line skirt! The 90’s trend I used to loathe as a child has come back, and I’m loving them now! How will you be wearing the trend?

Kenyan Teenager Develops Motion Sensor to Alert Park Officials of Elephant Poachers

Miss Guided

Environmental sensors that alert officials of game reserves and parks of wildfires and poachers have recently been developed by nineteen-year old Kenyan, Mercy Sigey. In May of this year, an over 45-year-old elephant was killed by a poacher’s poisoned arrow. She was moved by its death and went ahead to devise a means to notify park officials when poachers trespass reserves. With support from the Innovate Kenya p rogram which assists youths with ideas on how they can solve some of the most challenging issues within their communities. The sensors, made of Adruino microcontroller boards, are placed around the parks to help detect the presence of wildfires and poachers. At the United Nations Social Good Summit in New York, she talked about her plan to fight poaching in Kenya’s animal reserves and around the world. “I’m sure all of you here sitting in this hall would want to see an elephant standing magnificently and not lying down dead on the ground,” said Sigey, who was wearing a zebra decorated shirt. C onservationists say that the rapidly growing e conomies of Asia, particularly China and Thailand are fuelling the demand for ivory and organized criminal gangs are illegally trafficking huge quantities of tusks to cash in on soaring demand for ivory in Asia.

Top Left and bottom Left: ASOS

Topshop

FASHION

Autumn/Winter 2014 By Olivia Williams StyleSpotter.blogspot.co.uk

I’m really excited for the cold weather to rrive! I love this time of year purely because a it’s cosy & I get to dress accordingly.

THE HOTTEST TRENDS

Here are my favourite picks for this seasons’ trends:

1. Swinging Sixties Retro shift dresses, pastel princess coats & a rain mac for sure. *Think Twiggy inspired* Shift Dress, ASOS - £38, Rain Mac, Asos £45, Two piece, Miss Guided - £28, Heeled Sandal, Asos - £40

2. Victoriana A modern twist to the classic Victorian style. We’re talking excessive beading, lots of lace, feathers & chokers! Team with heavy footwear, dark lippy & metallic eyes for a gothic vibe. Chokers, ASOS - £10, Blouse, Paul & Joe Sister - £165, Chocker, Rock N Roses - £21, Dress, Miss Selfridge - £39.99, Lipstick, Revlon Black Cherry - £7.49

3. 70’s Luxe

A/W means party season, and what better era to take inspiration from than the 70’s! Faux fur teamed with slinky slip dresses. Or for a more relaxed hippy feel, think flares & fringing. Dress, Motel Rocks - £42, Bag, La moda -£18, Fur coat, ASOS - £65, Hat, Dorothy Perkins - £14

4. Colour Block Brighten up winter with bright primary colours. Stand out in the dark & dull weather. Skirt, ASOS - £18, Essie Ruffles & Feathers, SuperDrug - £7.99, Back Pack, Grafea - £180, Jumper, Matalan - £16.

*Save the Date! The Clothes Show live is at the NEC Birmingham from 5-9th December 2014. University Students get tickets for just £26! It’s a great day out, with everything from vintage clothes stalls to discount makeup! See you there?

FASHION

Acessories Trends for Autumn 2014

By Veronika Belevic If you still have no idea about upcoming autumn trends here you can find the most fashionable 2014 trends that you have to wear right now! Faux fur collar It’s time to forget and leave your simple scarves and wear collars instead! It could simply create an incredible classical outlook or make your daily look, more alive. Rucksack The classic rucksacks was again reinterpreted on the runway! Search for bright ones or eye-catching patterns if you want to try something different. You can also wear your old rucksack instead of buying a new one. Just don’t forget to use your imagination to refresh it. Necklace Want to create a charming silhouette to your look? Then pick the diamante or neon necklace! The trendy ladylike appearance guaranteed!

Coventry Students Autumn Street style By Veronika Belevic Want to be caught on camera and find your look in the newspaper?! Then put your best outfit on and see YOU in streets, full of fashion!

FASHION

Dress to your best everyday - the easy way By Brenda Bonuke Models: Kekeli Doe – Williams, Dakore, Oneal Oliver and Brenda Bonuke Photos: Ko Ko Zin and Anuroop Sobanon Casual wear does not have to be boring, you can hang out with your friends over a boring movie and still have a ‘boom pow’ look. Below are the rules I suggest, so as to never get it wrong...

RULE NO. 1

RULE NO. 3 RULE NO. 5 Chill out glamorous Be confident Just because you are a couch potato for the day doesn’t mean you spend the whole time in pajamas, what if the sexy neighbour comes to borrow your wifi password? It’s a nightmare waiting to happen.

Walk tall and don’t drag your feet while sashaying, just because you are enjoying the looks from onlookers, doesn’t mean you forget to watch your steps… Or you’ll definitely trip up! Awkward. Trust me I know, after trying Naomi Campbell’s walk and tripping myself up!

Pair your denim pencil skirt or jeans with a smile

Trust me it always works wonders so go ahead and flash them grinders. Who knows, maybe that cutie right next to you is anxiously waiting for you to do so!

RULE NO. 6 Act like a boss RULE NO. 2 RULE NO. 4 The brighter the colours Show some skin the better

Whoever said pink is for babies was afraid of looking glamorous! Pair your jeans with your favourite colours, but ensure they work with your skin tone or else you might end up looking like traffic lights and confuse people!

Take advantage of the weather and flaunt your legs, they do say ‘if you know you have great assets flash it. That goes for all you men out there too – bulking and gaining, whatever it is be daring and go for it!

Even if you are waiting for the train or just counting the seconds away as the day passes by, do so like a boss, as you might just be lucky and that start by helping someone find the right platform for the train, and end up with their number! Keep focused, in style.

More fashion stuff next issue and feel free to leave reviews and views and any requests. Till next time, LOOK GLAM

FASHION

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ENTERTAINMENT

The Powerhouse that is Ed Sheeran taking on the LG arena:

By Courtney Heron With the talent to use his folk and roll acoustics to turn a crowd into his very own “gospel choir” as rapping skills even the likes of Jay Z would be impressed by Ed Sheeran. He is a powerhouse of music! The One-man band hit up the LG Arena in Birmingham three nights in a row from the 18th-20th of October. I was lucky enough to see him on his final Monday night appearance. The night kicked off with the first of two opening acts Jamie Lawson, a relatively unknown Irish singer-song writer. His stripped down acoustics and love related lyrics match those of Ed Sheeran’s, even managing to get the crowd to sing along to the chorus of one of his songs ‘Dig A Little Deeper’. As the night went on the highly anticipated Saint Raymond aka Callum Burrows and his band took centre stage. His indie pop-rock sound mixed with catchy lyrics immediately won the crowd over, having them singing along within minutes. This might have something to do with Saint Raymond

earlier coming down to greet and entertain queuing fans while acoustically singing a few songs. The spangled guitar sounds and ringing, tingling drums in the catchy chorus of the song ‘I Want You’ had the crowd thoroughly warmed up, just like a support act should. When Ed Sheeran promptly appeared on stage, casual as ever, he immediately started playing ‘I’m A Mess’. Without any build up or overly compacted entrance Ed Sheeran continues to be his humble self. He later went on to say how privileged he felt to have played three nights at the LG arena. Ed’s impressive mash up of his hit single ‘Don’t’, Chris Browns ‘Loyal’ and RnB c lassic ‘No Diggity’ were some of the b iggest highlights of the show. During his p erformance managed to of ‘Bloodstream’ Ed even convince the huge crowd to put an arm in the air and bounce a hand up and down because it’s “like the rappers do” and will “look really cool” which too his credit, it did. A sea of phone lights filled the arena during A Team’ (undoubtedly his most famous

‘song). This made all 14,000 of us look like little twinkling dots. Ed’s eyes misted over and a smile graced his face letting e veryone know how much of a special moment it was for him. Before continuing on to play his last song, adding ‘technically its not my last song, I have two more but pretend it is’. Referencing the inevitable encore that would follow. A stamping of feet and screaming girls lead to Ed’s reappearance, strolling on to centre stage with ‘You Need Me I Don’t Need You’. Showing off not only his rapping prowess but the crowds as well as they impressively matched him word for word! The night ended with Ed Sheeran’s first number one ‘Sing’ where he instructed the crowd “do not stop singing” and to “scream it out”, which they did. The infectious chorus had people singing long after the show ended proving that Ed Sheeran, even though seemingly plain on the exterior can really put on a spectacular show with just his raw talent.

ENTERTAINMENT

Interview with Little Comets’ Lead Singer – Robert Coles By Kay David Little Comets are an Indie Rock trio from Newcastle. They’ve been together for seven years now, and are on their 3rd album. The band consists of brothers Robert ‘Rob’ Coles – the lead singer and guitarist; and Michael ‘Mickey’ Coles – the lead guitarist, bassist Matt Hall, and touring drummer David ‘Greenie’ Green. To make it easier for you to remember them – they’re Rob, Mickey, Matt, and Greenie. They sound fun, don’t they? Earlier this month, I had the privilege to speak to Rob. He’s absolutely fantastic! He didn’t even mind me getting too excited about speaking to him, given that they’re one of my favourite bands. I’ve listed down a few questions from the telephone interview. Enjoy! Q: What was the inspiration behind L ittle Comets? Why did you decide to start a band together? A: Mickey and I are brothers; and we’ve written songs together since we were 12 and 13 years old; just for fun. It’s something we just used to do, like my dad used to write songs simply because he liked to. I suppose that’s why we initially started to write songs; we just copied what my dad was doing. As we kind of got older, we then wanted to be in a band. When we were first in school; Oasis were just taking over the world. They were the first band we looked up to and thought ittle “That looks like really good fun!” so the L Comets have always been a way Mickey and I expressed ourselves by playing and writing songs together. When we finished university, we decided that we’d like to make this our career, and that’s pretty much what we’ve been doing for the past seven years. We were pportunities fortunate enough to be given o to do what we love the most! Q: What degrees did you and Mickey do at university? A: Mickey graduated with a degree in hysics and Maths from the University of P Warwick; which is really helpful because he’s got a very inquiring mind, and he can apply a lot of the logic that he picked up over the years to the recordings. So Matt and Mickey sort of engineer everything, and produce our music. I did Land Economy; that had absolutely no bearing on music at all. We’re kind of on this linear progression of: You go to school, and then you finish school; then you go on to university, then you graduate from university; and then you have a job – that was great till the age of 21 for me. I then realised that I didn’t love that. So I decided to try and write songs instead. Q: Why the name ‘Little Comets’? A: You know loads of bands have reasons as to why they came up with their names,

L-R: Me with the band - Rob Coles, Matt Hall, Mickey Coles

and it’s really romantic; but Little Comets were pretty bad at coming up with a band name. The name came from my friend at uni, and her name on MSN messenger was Le Petite Comète, and I thought ‘oh I w onder what that means’; but I studied French in my GCSEs so I kind of knew what ‘Petite’ meant but the ‘Comète’ part, I was reasonably confused maybe because of the extra E at the end. So I put that into translate and it came down to being ‘Comet’, and I was pretty embarrassed about not knowing that. Well, the idea of someone describing themselves as a little comet, I really liked that image. There was a band from America called the Little Ones, and I liked their idea of using the word ‘Little’. I guess I just liked how it all sounded. Q: Who would Little Comets compare themselves to? A: I don’t know honestly. I like to think we’re quite unique. We don’t have a named producer who has his own sound. We have Mickey in his garage doing it for us which helps because none else sounds like us. Our process is very different; I suppose every band has their own approach to their music. There might be bands that talk about the same subject as us but in terms of other similarities, I’m not so sure. We don’t listen to a lot of modern music because we like the sound of old albums. We want to be original; I guess that’s what we totally aim for. Q: What’s the hardest part of being in a band? A: Mickey and I have got our young f amilies so being away from little ones, that’s the hardest part. When we’re doing music, we want to spend 24 hours a day on it. It’s not like going to work in the morning and then you’re done by the evening, you can’t switch ither we’re it off; because it’s what we do. So e constantly worried, or constantly e xcited about it. We find that quite hard to deal

with because with little families we have to treat it in terms of hours. We have to be very regiment when we work and when we don’t, and that can be tough; especially when you miss out on spending time with your babies. Q: How do you handle errors made on stage during a live performance? A: If it’s a little mistake, we just kind of look at each other and smile because only we would notice. So if I miss or switch a word, I look at Matt because Matt often sings a lot of the harmonies. He’ll look at me as if he sang the wrong word, but it’s actually me who went wrong; so we just smile at each other. M ickey’s sort of notorious; we would be about to start a song and he’ll be like “what key is this one in?” ‘Cause he’s not very good at multitasking, and at a lot of the times he’s working on songs that we’re recording, so the live side of things – he relies on m uscle memory in the last minute, but he’s very good at getting his way out of a mistake. If it was a big mistake, I think you’d just have to stop and start again, or just laugh it off. Q: What advice would you give to aspiring artists out there? A: Over the years, we realised that we kept doing this because we loved it, and that we weren’t chasing anything. The reason we do this is because we love making music, and we try and make every decision that’s led by the heart, and what feels right for the music. Stay true to yourself; follow your heart and not your head when it comes to music. Do it for the right reasons! How great does he sound! What are you waiting for? – Get listening! Some of my favourite songs are: One Night in October, Worry, Creeping up Appearances, Salt, Adultery, A little Opus, Bridge Burn, and The Blur the Line and the Thickest of Onions.

ENTERTAINMENT

Top 5 things to do in Birmingham By Mandeep Sagoo What with Birmingham being a fifteen minute train journey away, it is the ideal place to experience the culture and diversity of the West Midlands. As the festive season approaches, we are all probably asking where this year has gone. But, why not top this year off with a visit to Birmingham, the UK’s s econd biggest city and enjoy what is has to offer.

Bullring Shopping Centre – p rovides a stylish and lively atmosphere for shopping. They have a great mix of shops that include S elfridges Debenhams, Superdry and Forever 21. Bullring also has great places to eat or snack, such as Five Guys, Handmade Burger Co and Krispy Kreme doughnuts to name a few.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery – holds inspiring art, paintings and exhibitions. The Museum also has various modern and contemporary collections. Located on Chamberlain Square, the Museum makes for a great day out whatever the weather.

Frankfurt Christmas Market 2014 – This is largest German market outside of Germany, attracting millions of people every year. There are a number of stalls selling everything from handcrafted goods to amazing food, I recommend their chocolate crêpes they are a must! The ovember market officially opens on the 13 N and will remain there until 22 December, 10am-9pm. It’s only a short two minute walk from Birmingham New Street station, so why not see what’s on offer and soak up the Christmas spirit; you’d be a fool to miss out.

Broad Street – looking for a great night out? Broad Street has number of nightclubs, bars and pubs with a vibrant atmosphere. Popular student venues include Gatecrasher, Mooch and Risa.

The Library of Birmingham – Discover the £188m newly built library, located at Centenary Square. See the Shakespeare memorial room or enjoy the view out on the roof garden. Only a short walk from Birmingham New Street station.

Coventry Clubbers Inc. By Jack Finnan With the closure of The Warehouse in oventry earlier this year, it appears there is C no alternative for ravers, clubbers, steppers etc. Once a venue that attracted big names like: Pete Tong, MK, Zane Lowe and Eats Everything just to name a few. It appears that the team behind Rehab have moved home just down the road to The Old Fire Station for a brand new night and destination called Society. The launch night is the 8th of N ovember and brings Bontan to Coventry, with r eleases on esteemed labels Defected and Toolroom Records, he is sure to bring a fresh, clean house vibe to the night. Bontan’s latest release is the single ‘Move On Out’, an infectious deep house hitter, with soft

i nfectious deep house hitter, with soft rounded synth stabs and hi-hats to keep you moving from dusk ‘til dawn. Support comes from Disciples who has just released ‘They Don’t Know’ on Pete Tong’s FFRR label, a slow burning banger that just captures the mood of the setting sun on a white beach in Ibiza, warming you up for the night ahead. But the good news hasn’t ended there for Coventry clubbers, unless you’ve been living with your head in the sand, you will know that the October Outbreak festival has returned to Ricoh Arena. With a stellar line-up that featured: Gorgon City, Sigma, Flashmob, Kidnap Kid, Seth Troxler, Skream, Route 94, Heidi and Lee Foss this was a sure fire success and no doubt will be returning to Coventry in the upcoming year!

ENTERTAINMENT

A Fresher’s Guide to Coventry Pubs, Clubs and Restaurants By Tristan Gotch When I arrived in Coventry for my first year, I had no idea what the city was like. There was a great fresher’s fair and of course a pub crawl complete with coloured t-shirts but soon we were left to become ‘independent’. (Wondering around after lectures, thinking about where to eat, drink and generally indulge in student life… on a tight budget) We learnt , and spend, a lot in that first year, so I’ve decided to write this article with the hopes of helping some of you learn the ‘ins and outs’ of a few places, what to expect and how much to pay for a good meal or a night of clubbing.

and it’s popularity with locals makes for an interesting mix with the students.

CLUBS

Relatively new, Hush took over a few years ago as the Coventry University Students’ Union (CUSU) nightclub, run by the same people who look after all student affairs within the University. Only a few hundred meters from the Engineering and Computing (EC) building and surrounded by take away shops on all sides. Hush is a conveniently located, deeply student oriented nightclub that works well within the events of CUSU. Many sports and societies have their social nights out here, so it’s a fairly safe bet that you’ll bump into course-mates on the dance floor, or see Domino’s handing out free slices of pizza during fresher’s week. Packed with people most nights, they’re known for whacky events and the occasional free entrance night so it’s worth a look no matter what your tastes are.

If you’re the type who likes to unwind by getting drunk, dancing till it’s light outside and debating whether to stagger to your 9am lectures the next day, these are for you. For a fairly small city Coventry has a good choice of clubs, ranging from the huge and popular to the more hidden, special o ccasion types, there’s something for everyone.

KASBAH

HUSH

JJ’s

Known by locals as the Colly (for its location in the old Coventry Coliseum), Kasbah is one of the largest and most readily a ttended clubs around. Having had such legendary acts as Enter Shikari, Calvin Harris and La Roux playing live, its popularity among the students here is hardly surprising. The, drinks ranging from 80p a shot on certain events to £1.50 with a mixer, and entrance at around £5, all mean it’s a fairly cheap night out that’s usually loud, packed with people and a lot of fun. Keep in mind how busy it gets, if you plan on queuing for less than half an hour, make sure to get there in good time (around 10pm normally, as early as 8pm on the big nights). However, there have been complaints over the years of discrimination by the staff; refusing entry to people based on ethnicity and background, as well as accusations of homophobia and transphobia by some societies and students, so while nothing serious has ever occurred, it’s worth mentioning. Just down the road from halls of residence, Singer Hall, it’s a good choice if you live there and don’t feel like a long trek, and it’s popularity with locals makes for an

Formerly known as Jumping Jack’s, this far off night club is quite a walk from the town centre (found nestled with the Coventry Skydome along with the Odeon cinema) but worth the trip if there’s something good on. Perhaps due to its location, JJ’s is often slightly quieter than Hush and Kasbah weeknights but makes up for it fully whenever there’s something special on. Halloween, New Year, Christmas, even regular Saturday nights are worth a go as the effort they put in to make it special really shows (the decorations alone give it a great atmosphere). If you plan of getting really drunk, consider splitting a fiver with some friends for a taxi back, unless you’re in the nearby halls of residence, Apollo House.

PUBS AND RESTAURANTS If you prefer a more quiet night out, or a good meal before your next lecture then these are the places for you. Also useful for taking visiting relatives, friend’s birthday atmosphere). If you plan of getting really drunk, consider splitting a fiver with some friends for a taxi back, unless you’re in the nearby halls of residence, Apollo House.

WETHERSPOONS

Where there are hungry people, there is likely to be a Wetherspoons around the corner. With at least five locations within or near the City Center, you’re never far from a fairly expensive pint and a cheap, huge meal. Catering to both the middle aged drinking crowd and students looking for a good lunch, this pub chain offers very cheap, large portions of food with mixed reviews and good, but costly booze. A shot of Jack Daniels for £3.05 seems like a lot compared with the more student focused places but when you’re biting into one of their massive, 1600 calorie burger meals for roughly £6 (with a drink included) it’s all worth it, albeit regretful when you try to stand up after. If you’re looking for somewhere fun to go with friends on a budget, this is a good choice but it won’t be the classiest night out!

COSMO

If you want to celebrate something s pecial however, I’d recommend Cosmo. A few minutes’ walk from the town centre, Cosmo is known as the place to go for an all you can eat spectacular. It’s quite costly (£7 for the buffet at lunch or £12-£13 at dinner) but with so many rows of freshly cooked Chinese food with a chocolate fountain in the evenings and ice cream bar to back it up, it’ll leave you stuffed and totally satisfied. Holiday events including Christmas and New Years are even more fun but expect to see it filled with students and families alike, so getting the exact combination of food you want could take some (gentle) shoving.

NOODLE BAR

This little known restaurant, simply called Noodle Bar, is tucked away out of sight but definitely worth a visit. Found overlooking the square in Bull Yard (by the Litten Tree pub, near Coventry Market), this small place offers good value, huge portions of well-cooked Cantonese food. Be warned, the meals are authentic and cooked as they would be in the Guangdong province of China (or so I hear) hence when they say something’s spicy, don’t underestimate that! The same goes with the greasiness of the duck and the vastness of the rice meals, so it can be a change for those used to western food.

Now this is only a very brief look at a handful of places around Coventry, to find the one perfect for you get out there and explore. Don’t forget to take age ID and your student card on a night out but most importantly have some fun!

SPORTS AND SOCIETIES

HIPSOC : ‘Our generation has it harder’ ifferent university experience which is very d to what it was previously; students are offered so many opportunities nowadays. Although we had a lot to say on that topic too. Q: Tuition fees?

By Sheereen Nabi After a big win against the Conservative ociety at this years ‘Give it a go’ debate, S we sat down with History, International Relations, Politics and Sociology Society (HIPSOC)’s president George Bose and member Naomi Bridge, both third year students, to discuss their recent success and the truth behind living as a young adult in the twenty-first century: Q: Congratulations on the big win, what was the debate about?: George: The topic was ‘Has our generation ever had it so good?’ The Conservative Society was arguing that this is the best anyone has ever lived. Whereas we were arguing that previous generations have had a better life. Q: You won, so must have presented a good argument? Naomi: We covered a range of topics from the current job market to how difficult it is to purchase a house for first time buyers. We tried to keep it varied as they could argue that we haven’t experienced things like war… George: And life expectancy, we can’t deny that our generation has better healthcare, women have more rights than ever. However economically we do face many difficulties. Q: How did they respond? George: They argued that we have better technology, increased life expectancy, and other things you would expect. Naomi: They talked about the modern day

Naomi: Yes that was a big point of our rgument, we even had some of the p a olitics lecturers come in and agree with us. One brought up the fact that many students have to take part time jobs to help maintain even a basic standard of living. This c ompromises our education if we have to balance both work and study at the same time. It was interesting to hear from someone in the previous generation who could relate to what we said having experienced both sides of the debate. In fact I attended a question time debate in the Council Chambers where one of the panel members also mentioned this. It really stuck in people’s minds and gave them something to think about later. Q: How was the debate judged? George: It was down to an audience vote, on the basis of who persuaded them more. A lot of people could relate to the points we made about the cost of university fees but many others agreed with the Conservative Society. In the end it was close but we won. Naomi: We had many a lot of other points to persuade the audience but were not asked many questions. We would love more people ebates. attend and get involved in the d Q: Besides debates what else has HIPSOC been up to? George: The society was invited to New York with John Grimmer, a Politics Lecturer. We spent three days touring, seeing everything there is to see. Naomi: It was a very hectic few days. Adding up all the miles we walked it must have been something ridiculous, but it was a brilliant experience. We also went to W ashington DC to see the Whitehouse and got to sit in the Supreme Court. There was also an exclusive tour of the Pentagon. [laughs] The security guards would not take their eyes off us, they were trained to walk around backwards throughout the whole tour, including going up and down the escalators due to being in a high security area. It was amusing to see, if not a little intimidating! Source: What’s next for the society? George: We are trying to organise another

trip to Westminster. Last year we were shown around by the House of Lords and sat in on their question time. We also got to visit the Houses of P arliament. Hopefully this year we can attend the Prime Ministers Question Time and looking into visiting the Foreign office. Naomi: Definitely more debates as these are very popular. That way we can also collaborate with different societies and become more involved with other students. We are also looking to have more trips related to the other subjects like History and Sociology; we would like more people on these courses to join the HIPSOC committee so they can suggest trips and opportunities related to their studies. George: This year we are working closely with the faculty as well, including lecturers and employment tutors who are running workshops such as ‘How to get into Parliament’ to coincide with our trip to parliament. Naomi: HIPSOC represents the student base of the faculty, giving them a good academic support and also a nice social side. We have a lot of pub quizzes which are also very popular, after our debates we tend to visit the pub for a debrief and often end up having another debate! Q: How can students join the society? George: Go on www.cusu.org and look for HIPSOC under the societies page, you can also find us on Facebook by s earching HIPSOC and twitter @CU_HIPSOC

SPORTS AND SOCIETIES

Gospel Rhythms Blaze off to an Ricoh Has Seen sings hearts out average start A Disappointing Start Of Season live on the BBC For Sky Blues By Ben Craig Last year if you wanted to see Coventry City’s finest play football, you’d have to take the tedious trip to Northampton’s Sixfields Stadium to watch them play somewhat averagely. Gospel Rhythms performing at the Gospel Choir of the Year 2014

By Charlotte Dyett Coventry University’s very own gospel choir, better known as Gospel Rhythms, appeared live on the BBC last month. The group, who also calls themselves ‘The Family’, sang their way to the final, which was filmed at London’s iconic Hackney Empire. Competing against five other choirs from across the county, Gospel Rhythms went into the competition being the only student group. Naturally falling into the place of the underdog, this didn’t discourage the group from giving it their all! They sang their souls out during their two chances to impress the expert judge panel. Performing “Here I am” and “Every Praise”, Gospel Rhythms wowed the judges, who were soul singer Mica Prince, award winning vocal coach Carrie Grant and gospel artist Muyiwa Olarewaju. They received glowing comments from the judges, such as “they deserve a 21 gun salute” (Muyiwa Olarewaju). Despite not winning the competition, the choir made us proud and showed the rest of the UK what it like is to be a part of Coventry University! Well done to everyone involved and please check their performances out online, they’re amazing.

By Ben Craig Like Coventry City, the city’s premier ice hockey team, the Coventry Blaze, are not having the greatest of seasons. Fans were given hope with some big name signings at the start of the season, including the likes of play-off winning captain Steven Goertzen, ex-NHL forward Ryan O’Marra, monster goalie Brian Stewart. This combined with proven stars Rory Rawlyk and Jereme Tendler the team looked like a winner. And indeed the Blaze had a red hot start to the campaign, they won 5 out of the first 6 league games and looked too many that they were ready to compete for the title after several years in the mid-table wilderness. However, their failure to beat fellow Erhadt Conference teams and only 1 win in 6 in the Challenge Cup, has left the Blaze scrambling to save their season. Despite the statistics, Coventry lie in 4th in the league standings, but a continued f ailure to beat their Conference rivals will leave them out of the play-off picture come the end of the season.

Sporting Spotlight: Men’s Cricket By Charlotte Dyett It’s a sport we may not hear a lot about, but it’s one that has been consistently getting good results for the past few years. Now the Mens XI is the highest competing team at the University! Last year both teams enjoyed double s uccess, with them topping both their indoor and outdoor leagues. Now with fresher’s reinforcing their teams, the cricket lads are looking forward to doing the same again. According to club president, Tom Revell, the club is “aiming high” to try top those tables again, and it seems to be working as Tom said both teams have had a good start

to the season. But winning the league isn’t the only thing on these lad’s minds. Of course it’s important, but so is beating our arch n emesis… Warwick! Although Varsity isn’t until next year, Tom says “it’s never far from our thoughts and the amount of indoor training we are doing as a club should stand us in good stead against Warwick”. The team is now also looking to making a 3rd XI or at least having more friendly games so everyone can get involved! This is a team not to be missed at Varsity 2015.

Thankfully, this season Coventry City Football Club (CCFC) announced their long awaited return to the Ricoh Arena, and with it a return to the near 10,000 attendance mark. Unfortunately, on the pitch, things haven’t improved. Inspiring home wins against the likes of Sheffield United and Yeovil have been coupled with a terrible away record. Out of 8 league games away from home this year, Coventry have failed to win any, and drawn only 2, a run of form that has left them languishing only a few places above the relegation zone. However, a win against Peterborough last time out gave a boost to the City faithful and it is definitely worth going down to the magnificent Ricoh Arena to find out

Ring Road to Race Track By Charlotte Dyett Coventry’s long love affair with motors ontinues, as thousands of car crazy fans c will be flocking to the streets of Coventry this May. Forget Silverston, this city has earned the right to host Motofest for the second consecutive year running, with a history with cars that extends back to the 19th century. In fact, Motofest was designed to celebrate Coventry’s extensive history with cars. According to the events website, the festival will celebrate “both heritage, the current endeavours and an amazing and exciting future for personal transport”. (Coventry.motofest.com 2014) Spectators can enjoy adrenaline charged speeds of 170mph as British Formula 3 cars will be whizzing around the ring road. The infamous architecture, which has just turned 40, will be closed to the public and instead used for competitive time trails. Other cars planned to make an appearance include British Touring cars. If you fancy yourself a petrol head, and May just seems too far away then be sure to check out the Coventry Speedway. Tickets start from just £10.

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION

SPORTS AND SOCIETIES

What’s going on in YOUR Student Union By Jennifer Smith Communications and Commercial Officer

December –

Broaden that CV of yours, come along and support the various events, have YOUR say today... Nothing you fancy? Put on your own event or campaign, come and see me in the Sabb Office (first floor of the hub) or email me at jennifer.smith@coventry.ac.uk Have a great Christmas, don’t work too hard!

November 3rd

11th

– 7th Deputy Faculty Chair elections – AGM 1pm-3pm

AIDS Awareness/Sexual Health

January – – – –

NSS opens Exam Conduct Housing campaign Plagiarism campaign

1st

– World Aids Day/Sexual Health campaign

9th – Student Volunteer Tea Christmas Event

February

– LGBT Month – Go Green week campaign – Give It A Go – Chinese New year

12th – Election Nominations Open

6th

19th – Refreshers

10th – 7th March National Student Money Month

26th – 30th One World Week

– Election Nominations Close

27th – Student Council

22nd – 22nd (December) UK Disability History month

13th – Confirmation of Candidates for Elections

27th – University Mental Health Day

19th – Chinese New Year

25th – Student Council

27th – 10th February Give It a Go 2

20th – 22nd NUCS Nationals

25th – Your Ideas

28th – Housing Fair

23rd – 27th Student Voluteering Week

25th – Don’t Panic Housing Campaign

24th – Student Council