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VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
INSIDE INTERVIEW DAVID BECKHAM PG10 OPINION GREENPEACE PG21
BACK TO BLACK // THE XX
SUPPLEMENT BLACK HISTORY PG13 ENTERTAINMENT SPOT LIGHT PG25 LIFESTYLE & PG27 HEALTH TIPS FOR STUDENT SURVIVAL CLASSIFIED ADVERTS PG28 UNIVERSITY SPORT NEWS PG30 INTRODUCING SPOTIFY
NEWS
THE XX REVIEW British record labels have offered us a steady stream of tepid indie rock, The XX look the part but have they got what it takes to reign supreme? See the review on page 24.
Conservatives to offer graduate loan discount
One in four students expect 20 years of debt
Met Office warns polar ice is passing “tipping point”
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INSTITUTE OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERING This 5 star rated Postgraduate Institute is pleased to announce the following taught courses: EDINBURGH • MSc Petroleum Engineering (also available as Distance Learning) • MSc Reservoir Evaluation and Management • MSc Geoscience for Subsurface Exploration Appraisal & Development (GeoSEAD) DUBAI • MSc Petroleum Engineering ORKNEY • MSc Renewable Energy Development • MSc Marine Resource Management For more information on these MSc courses visit: www.pet.hw.ac.uk/courses/masters Enquiries: Anne Mathers (EDINBURGH) Tel: +44 131 451 3567 Fax: +44 131 451 3127 Email: anne.mathers@pet.hw.ac.uk Eileen Mackay (ORKNEY) Tel: +44 1856 850 605 Fax: +44 1856 851 349 Email: E.Mackay@hw.ac.uk Recruitment and Admissions Department (DUBAI) Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus Dubai Academic City, Dubai, UAE Tel +971 4 3616999 Fax: +971 4 3604800 Email: dubaienquiries@hw.ac.uk
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BELOW: The Beatles, 1964 By Robert Whitaker Robert Whitaker Archive © Robert Whitaker
WATCH OUT FOR... 15 October 2009 – 24 January 2010
BEATLES TO BOWIE
THE 60s EXPOSED
WELCOME
EDITOR’S LETTER IAN THOMAS
We’re back! Welcome to the latest issue of Student Times. In this issue we have an interview with David Beckham with whom Student Times writer James Davies spent the day with, in Los Angeles. We also have John Sauven’s article “We need a rescue package for the planet” which is a ‘must’ read in this issue. I would ask all Students who care about what is happening to our planet to join Greenpeace and help them in their important campaigning work for the environment. If you are interested in looking at a Gap year, then why not consider Oz Bus the experience of a lifetime on page 22. We have our Days in Black History on the centre pages, which is part of Student Times celebration of Black History Month 2009. Also we have a £500 grant available to a Student society who would like to put on a student event next year, please apply. Get in quick with your ideas, as we only have one! We are always looking for new writer and columnists so it you are interested please email me.
Enjoy! Student Times
150 photographs of the 1960s including rare portraits of The Beatles, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones – over 100 exhibited for the first time. A major photographic exhibition Beatles to Bowie: the 60s exposed opens at the National Portrait Gallery, to herald the fiftieth anniversary of the start of the 1960s in 2010. Celebrating the leading pop music personalities and groups who helped create “Swinging London” in the 1960s, the exhibition will show how The Beatles and rivals such as the Rolling Stones and The Kinks set the musical agenda. Bringing together 150 photographs and 150 items of ephemera including record sleeves, illustrated sheet music and magazines, the exhibition will be arranged chronologically in ten sections covering each year of the decade. The exhibition includes classic images – as well as over 100 previously unseen or un-exhibited ones – of groups such as The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Who, and early portraits of singers such as Cliff Richard, Billy Fury, Marianne Faithfull, Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie. Beatles to Bowie: the 60s exposed will illustrate how image, music, fashion and performance combined to make these musicians the leading icons of their time and London the world’s most important cultural capital. National Portrait Gallery Wolfson and Ground floor Lerner Galleries St Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE Admission: £11 Concessions: £10/£9 Free for Gallery Supporters Sponsored by BNY Mellon
THIS ISSUE
AUTUMN VOLUME 6 - ISSUE 1
NEWS & FEATURES
STUDENT NEWS FROM AROUND THE UK PG 2 – 9 DAVID BECKHAM INTERVIEW PG 10 VOTE LIB DEM NOT LABOUR PG 12 RESCUE PACKAGE FOR THE PLANET PG 21
ENTERTAINMENT
SPOT LIGHT - INTRODUCING SPOTIFY PG 25 BACK TO BLACK - THE XX PG 24 ONE MAN BAND - THE SOLOIST REVIEW PG 25
SUPPLEMENT:
Black History
STUDENT TIMES LOOKS BACK TO CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH PG 12 – 18
LIFESTYLE & HEALTH
GAP YEAR: GOING DOWN UNDER PG 22 TACTICAL GAP YEARS PG 23 OUTSTANDING PHOTOS PG 26 10 TOP TIPS FOR STUDENT SURVIVAL PG 27
SPORT
STUDENT SPORTS NEWS FROM AROUND THE UK PG 30
CLASSIFIED & LETTERS PG 28-29
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NEWS
STUDENT TIMES VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
Graduates should be positive Tories to offer graduate loan despite Gordon Brown’s Discount “Boom and Bust” policies Despite all the headlines about increased unemployment and record numbers of jobless young people and the general mess in the economy caused by Gordon Browns “Boom and Bust” Labour government, graduates should feel positive about securing a position in the public sector. Unemployment figures may make gloomy reading if you are one of the 300,000 young people who have just graduated from university. With another 46,000 of 18- to 24-year-olds joining the ranks of the jobless in the past three months to the end of June, pushing the unemployment rate in this age group up to 17.2%. With 722,000 young people now out of
work, the figure will rise further in the following months when the number of 2009 graduates looking for work is taken into account. But if you look behind these headline figures, there is some good news if you are thinking about launching a career in the public sector Here the number of jobs in the last quarter increased by almost 9%, according to the latest reports from graduate recruiters. However, they also suggest the number of graduate vacancies in some parts of the private sector have dropped by up to 40% over the same period. “The public sector has held up pretty well. We also know that when the market tightens up and
ST NIBS LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS ‘ARE THE LOUDEST IN THE LAND’ Hard-partying students in Loughborough are the loudest in the land, according to levels of noise complaints made to British universities. Fed-up residents made 436 complaints about students wrecking their peace and quiet with loud music, drunken shouting and screaming and other disturbances between August last year and July this year. That’s one complaint for every 40 of the university’s 17,650 students – the highest ratio of noise-related grievances in the country. Nationally, the average is one complaint for every 557 students. Loughborough Students’ Union president Rob Hulme said: “It doesn’t look good but I’m not sure it’s entirely representative to single us out like this. “Obviously, students are never
going to be the quietest people to have as neighbours because they do want to enjoy themselves, but we try to make sure we get the message across that they should find a balance between fun and respect and not be too noisy. “Last year, there were a lot of noise complaints but they were mainly related to two outdoor music events – our freshers’ ball and Freefest – which upset quite a few people. “We listened to them and this year we had our freshers’ ball indoors and I haven’t had any complaints.” Mr Hulme said the union had also paid for street marshals to keep the peace on two specific nights when up to 2,000 students headed from the campus to town centre pubs and clubs.
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goes into economic downturn, the public sector becomes a more attractive option,” says Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), which represents about 800 recruiters in the public and private sectors. Graduate schemes across the public services, such as the civil service fast stream that offers about 500 places every year, have continued to recruit, and some have even increased their intake. A new graduate programme for those wishing to work in the charity sector launches this month, while the well-established NHS graduate schemes are offering 20 more places this year. At the same time, the local government’s national graduate development programme (NGDP) - traditionally seen as the launch pad for tomorrow’s council chief executives has increased its intake by 14.
The Conservatives have announced that university leavers who pay off their graduate loans early will receive a ten per cent discount if the party takes power. Former students in graduate jobs paying more than £15,000 a year currently get any owed fees automatically taken out of their account. However, they could end up paying less if early payments over £500 are made to clear the debt. David Willetts, shadow universities secretary, announced the deal would go towards the £300 million funding needed to provide more university places next year. He said: “Our plan to give graduates a discount for repaying loans ahead of schedule will give thousands more young
ABOVE: David Willetts, shadow universities secretary
people the opportunity to go to university, rather than staying on the dole.”
NUS condemns “offensive” CBI recommendations The National Union of Students has condemned the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) for recommending cuts to student support and an increase in tuition fees in a report by its Higher Education Task Force. The CBI report said that students should pay thousands more pounds for degrees to offset the decline in government spending on universities. The report also suggests that students should face increased loan interest, fewer grants and higher tuition fees. NUS President Wes Streeting slammed the report. “At a time of economic crisis, when many hard working families are struggling to support their offspring through university, I am astonished that
the CBI should be making such offensive recommendations,” he said. “Students are already leaving university with record levels of debt, while graduate job prospects are at an all time low. Instead of recommending that students are fleeced even more than they already are, the CBI should start looking at how they might put something back into the system themselves.” NUS also criticised the “hypocrisy” of the CBI’s suggestion that the Government’s widening participation agenda should be relaxed. Wes Streeting said “When the fat cats at the CBI recommend that we abandon targets for widening participation from poorer students, they are talking about restricting the opportunities of
ANGRY: Wes Streeting.
other people’s children rather than their own. This is gross hypocrisy. “They claim that ‘the UK compares pretty well with other countries’, but this simply does not stand up to scrutiny. Only last week, an OECD report showed that we are tumbling down the international league table of graduation rates, and send a smaller proportion of school leavers to university than the Slovak republic, Ireland or Portugal.”
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STUDENT NEWS FROM AROUND THE UK
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Students hit out at One in four students the cost of a degree expect 20 years of debt
Following the Confederation of British Industries’ claims the government should cut its support to students and debt levels set to hit £23,500 for this year’s freshers, graduate recruitment website Milkround.com asked its users for their views on the cost of a degree. More than 100 students replied and nearly two thirds argued degrees are not worth £23,500 of student debt. A near unanimous nine out of 10 students lashed out at the introduction of top-up fees, stating the potential cost of £5,000 per year was too expensive. One respondent said: “It all depends on how you spend your time at uni. If all you do is study, then your degree isn’t worth it but if you get into extra-curricular activities like student politics then it definitely is worth it.” Another added: “Most probably aren’t [worth it]; the selection of a good course which is valued by employers is vital.” However, students accept that as much as they’d rather not pay for a degree, it is vital to find work in today’s economic climate. Nearly two third feel a degree is crucial for starting a career and will do what they can to afford it. Some 63 percent vow to keep to a strict budget and 61 percent claim they will restrict nights out. Working part time is suited by 55 percent and 36 percent saved before university so they could afford the expenditure. The NUS slammed the CBI for suggesting students be given less support from the government to save on Higher Education spending. The student body has called for a Graduate Tax to replace tu-
ition fees, which students paying money towards Higher Education based on their earnings. However, students are split 50/50 on the idea according to Milkround. com’s survey. Students do not think much of the way universities spend their cash: nearly three quarters say tuition fees aren’t spent well. Milkround.com spokesman Mike Barnard said: “The cost of Higher Education has been creeping up steadily since the government abolished grants, but they have taken a leap with top-up fees and it’s understandable that students are becoming increasingly concerned by how much debt they will find themselves in after three years of study. With the recession biting this year’s graduates hard as they struggle to find jobs, the sweetener of a high starting wage in a first graduate job is no longer considered a certainty. “While students can help themselves by doing all they can to work and study to offset costs, the majority are going to find themselves in considerable debt at the end of their course. Now more than ever it is vital for students to go some way to exploring employment opportunities when they are at university through internships and placements to add to their CV and build up contacts. This could be the difference between having a job prior to graduating or being jobless six months later. Students will be far more comfortable with a job to go to at the end of their studies: their friends who have done nothing to prepare themselves for the world of work may well kick themselves for not doing the same.”
A quarter of students now expect their university debts to take as long as 20 years to clear. Some 38 per cent expect to have cleared student loans ten years after graduation. One in 25 think they will never clear their debts. A poll of students by Endsleigh Insurance finds 56 per cent of students expected to graduate with £15,000 of debt, with a third predicting borrowing over £20,000. NUS president Wes Streeting said the high levels of student debt showed an overhaul of university funding is needed. “We are in danger of condemning an entire generation to a lifetime of debt. “With graduate debt at an all time high, and employment opportunities at an all-time low, we find it astonishing that universities continue to demand ever higher fees,” he said. “More than half of vice chan-
cellors surveyed by the BBC this year said they wanted to charge students even higher fees of at least £5,000 a year.” He added: “The forthcoming review of university funding must look at alternatives to the disastrous current system of top up fees.” However, there is evidence to suggest university is worth the investment. Universities UK found the average lifetime earnings of a graduate was £160,000 more than those of a non-graduate with two A-levels. James Crocker at Endsleigh said: “The results of the survey point to the increasing financial strain that today’s student is under. “In the short term students need to manage their finances as carefully as possible by creating a budget and sticking to it so as not to get into even more debt.”
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NEWS
ST NIBS RAPE ALERT AT UNI CAMPUS Officers investigating two rapes at a university said today the latest incident involved up to three men the victim met earlier in the evening. A second woman was raped at the University of Glamorgan, in Pontypridd, south Wales, on the same day as the first victim, South Wales Police revealed last night. Superintendent Tony Smith, of Pontypridd police station, said there was no evidence to suggest the same person was involved in both attacks. “We haven’t released descriptions in relation to the second incident because we have positive lines of inquiry and are hoping to be able to trace those people quite soon,” he said. The second rape, involving a 20-year-old woman, was reported to police on Monday. It follows an investigation into the rape of an 18-year-old student in the early hours of September 26. Since the rape of the teenager last month, police have launched a series of high visibility patrols at the university. Officers were approached by the 20-year-old victim during a patrol when she reported that she had been raped. Mr Smith said: “On the same night as the original incident, another rape took place involving two or three men at her room on the campus. “They weren’t previously known to the victim, but she had met them earlier in the evening. “Without going into the circumstances, more than two men were present and the inquiry is into how many were involved in the offence. “We are treating it very seriously. We have no reason to believe at this stage the investigation is linked to the original incident, but we are keeping an open mind. “The descriptions don’t tie in at this stage.” Mr Smith said around 60 officers were working fulltime on the investigation and more than 100 statements have already been taken from people living on campus.
STUDENT TIMES VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
Good news for university graduates After two years’ of decreasing vacancies for university-leavers, there are signs that the graduate job market may be improving. According to the new edition of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers, which is published by High Fliers Research, Britain’s leading employers are expecting to increase places on their graduate programmes by 5 per cent in the coming year, the first time that vacancies have grown since 2007. Welcome news, yes, but it restores only about a quarter of the vacancies lost during the previous two recruitment seasons. Together, the employers in this year’s Top 100 are advertising 15,884 jobs for those leaving university in 2010, compared with the 15,057 graduates hired in 2009. The financial sector was, inevitably, one of the employment areas hit hardest at the start of the credit crunch, but it is among the first to show early signs of recovery. City investment banks expect to recruit a fifth more graduates next year, compared with the numbers hired in 2009. Other banking and financial groups are set to increase their intake by 8 per cent and accountancy firms are offering 5 per cent more vacancies. Other sectors are similarly, if cautiously, optimistic. Leading engineering and industrial companies are set to recruit about 10 per cent more graduates in the coming year and similar growth is expected in the public sector. The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers is based on research with more than 16,000 graduates who left university this summer, who were asked: “Which employer do you think offers the best opportunities for graduates?” The results show that – again
– PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the accountancy and professional services firm, has retained the No 1 spot. “To be voted the top graduate employer in the UK for six years running by students is a fantastic recognition of our continued investment in universities, students and graduates,” James Chalmers, PwC’s head of strategy and talent, said. “We held our nerve in the market, maintaining our graduate recruitment levels and expanding our intern programmes, because no matter what the current economic conditions, we know graduates today can be tomorrow’s business leaders.” The firm expects to recruit at least 1,000 graduates in 2010. Aldi, the discount retailer, more than doubled its vote in this year’s Top 100 and has jumped five places to No 3. “We’re absolutely delighted to have pulled ahead of so many longestablished graduate recruiters and to have made the top three for the first time,” Dan Ronald, managing director of Aldi, said. “Aldi may be well-known for its eye-catching starting salary, but the real reason people work here is for the responsibility, challenges, the rapid career progression and the chance to drive a growing business forward.” Aldi’s package for graduates joining its trainee area manager programme includes a £40,000 starting salary and an Audi A4 company car. Another employer that continues to capture the imagination of graduates is Teach First, which has climbed to eighth place, its sixth consecutive rise in the rankings since entering the Top 100 in 63rd place in 2003. “Teach First is all about getting the best graduates into the country’s most challenging schools,” James Darley, director
of graduate recruitment for Teach First, said. “We recruited 485 graduates for the scheme this year but are looking for up to 700 new recruits to join us in 2010. To cope with this huge expansion of the programme, we will be targeting over 50 key universities across the UK during our recruitment campaign. Our applications in 2009 increased by 63 per cent, but we’re hoping to attract even more outstanding graduates to Teach First in the coming year.” The City’s disastrous year in the wake of the credit crunch, the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the resulting global financial meltdown has had a dramatic impact on the rankings of banks and financial institutions in the Top 100. Goldman Sachs has dropped to No 19, the Royal Bank of Scotland group has slipped out of the top 30 and UBS, Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley have each fallen more than 20 places in the rankings. The only bank that improved its position is Lloyds-TSB – now a part of the enlarged Lloyds Banking Group – which has climbed 15 places to 39th. The highest new entries in the new Top 100 are BDO Stoy Hayward, the accountancy firm, and Nuclear Graduates, an innovative scheme launched by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to recruit graduates to work in more than 20 organisations across the British nuclear industry.
Confidence growing in graduate fashion job market Fashion students who are now trying to find themselves a graduate job are facing a tough time at the moment, but prospects are improving, according to one industry figure. British Fashion Council chief executive Simon Ward spoke to the Guardian about the current state of the graduate job market within the creative industries and claimed that firms are expanding again. He added that even if fashion graduates find themselves in a more technical job than they would prefer then they must look at it as vital experience which can be implemented in the future. “Because there has been a lack of opportunities, many design graduates have been forced to take technical jobs, like pattern-cutting ... [but] every great designer is either a pattern-cutter or needs a great pattern-cutter,” he told the newspaper. Many young designers tried to get noticed with the aim of getting a graduate job at the New Designers creative fair in London recently, the Independent reported.
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STUDENT NEWS FROM AROUND THE UK
BWIN and The Independent Unveil Next Star Sports Writer A Masters student at Oxford University is set to spend the next four weeks in the company of some of the biggest clubs in world football, after winning a sports writer competition sponsored by bwin, the leading online gaming provider and shirt sponsor of AC Milan and Real Madrid, in association with The Independent newspaper. 24 year-old John McManus of Leicester was announced as the winner of the much-coveted prize and will travel across the continent reporting on theindependent.co.uk news site from some of the biggest events in European sport. After an extensive search through hundreds of strong en-
tries, Leicester City fan McManus? report on Turkish football was deemed the worthy winner of the ‘dream job’. John will report on home matches at AC Milan, Bayern Münich and Real Madrid, with all expenses covered by bwin. Before sampling the delights of top flight European football, roving reporter McManus will begin his journalistic experience by exclusively covering the Estoril Moto GP, also sponsored by bwin, for The Independent on October 4th. The competition was launched in The Independent in September 2009, and required sports fans and budding reporters to submit a 400 word article on a sporting
ST NIBS
Right: John McManus
event of their choice. All entries were judged by The Independent’s award winning sports team and a shortlist was produced, from which McManus’ entry was selected. The five short-listed candidates and McManus’ entry can be found online: John McManus, winner of the competition, said: “I can’t believe I am being given this fantastic opportunity by bwin and The Independent and can’t wait to get a glimpse into the life of a sports reporter.” Jimmy Leach, Editorial Director for Digital at The Independent said: “Over four fantastic weekends, John will blog and tweet
FACEBOOK AND TWITTER NOT THE PLACE FOR GRADUATE RECRUITMENT for The Independent and take his first steps into sports journalism, a once in a lifetime opportunity for any budding reporter.” “Congratulations to John - this competition represents a once in a lifetime opportunity for a young writer to make his mark in the world of sports journalism, covering top class football from some of Europe’s greatest stadiums and experiencing the thrill of the Moto GP. We are sure he will grab the opportunity with both hands and produce some fantastic articles” said Kevin O’Neal, Press Officer at bwin.
Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter should not be used by employers to recruit graduates, the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) has warned. A survey of more than 1,400 graduates conducted by jobs board Target Jobs and the AGR revealed 70% do not want businesses to use social networking sites to “sell” graduate vacancies. A further 73% of respondents felt graduate employers should keep their recruitment sites separate from their social networking sites.
Brighter school careers. Career Opportunities in Schools Teaching and Support Staff If you are looking to begin a career in a school, or look for a new challenge, our high standards in education make Essex one of Britain’s brightest places to start. With over 570 schools in the County, we can offer superb opportunities for everyone from teaching assistant to Headteacher, from catering staff to school Bursar. Visit essexschoolsjobs.co.uk or call 01245 436252 to find out more.
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NEWS
ST NIBS UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL LANCASHIRE LAUNCHES IPHONE APP The University of Central Lancashire has launched a specialised iPhone application for its students. It said this is the first of its kind and will provide users with information from the student union, entertainment listings, maps of the university campus and Preston city centre. A spokesperson for UCLan said the application was developed during the summer recess by a technological co-ordinator certified by Apple, supplier of the iphone. It can be downloaded by anybody, and makes use of a number of existing UCLan services including webmail access, a library catalogue, a staff directory, a list of campus facilities and the option for students to top up their printing accounts. It also enables them to book a meeting room in any of the university libraries. UCLan’s director of learning and information services, Michael Ahern, said: “The new iPhone application illustrates our commitment to provide information and services to our students in a way that is convenient for them. “Students today lead very busy lives — balancing study, part-time work and social activities. The iPhone application demonstrates how UCLan is increasingly able to support its students in a way that recognises their busy lifestyles, and ensures they are able to get the most from the latest advancements in technology.” Plans for future development include adding a Google GPS Maps function, a service-locator section, floor plans for university buildings, a notifications function and a ‘My UCLan’ section. The university said it did not have any estimates on how many students would download the application, but that it had a “strong uptake” before term begins. Overall it has 32,000 students.
STUDENT TIMES VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
Brighton University student Young Rossendale local to launches the fashion bag work in Whitsunday Islands with a conscience after winning competition As every girl knows, a handbag is more than just a fashion accessory it’s a survival kit that holds all the little necessities you need to get through the day. Now Chica Chick has taken this concept a step further with its brand new two-in-one designer bag, which comes complete with a pack of lifestyle essentials that, like the handbag itself, will make sure you’re ready to go anywhere, anytime. But that’s not all. As well as secret pockets containing the essentials pack three Fusion condoms, panty pad, tampon, mini toothbrush and toothpaste and deodorant. the Chica Chick Fashion bag conceals another useful innovation. Our unique patentpending design means that it converts from a generous tote day bag to a cute, scrunchie grab-bag for the evening at the pull of a cord, making it two bags for the price of one. Keith Murphy, managing director of Chica Chick, says he came up with the idea for a bag that encourages social awareness when he was recuperating in hospital after a kidney transplant. The donor was a woman. “I was reading a newspaper and, among all the stories about
the credit crunch, I noticed a headline about the rise of sexually transmitted infections among 15 to 25-year-olds. It got me thinking that, if you could come up with a fashionable and practical product that would appeal to young women, you might also be able to empower them to make responsible decisions, encourage safe sex and help prevent STIs,” he explains. “My wife Cathy has experience in the fashion trade and she took this idea and converted it into a design for the Chica Chick fashion bag. We wanted it to be an ethical product, so we sourced a supply chain with a properly audited manufacturer and only use a faux leather material that is biodegradable in 10 years. We think it shows that fashion doesn’t just have to be about looking good, it can tackle important social issues too.” The Chica Chick fashion bag will be launched officially on 5 October 2009 and is lovingly designed in the UK on the Sussex coast. Featuring a funky signature patchwork style, it will initially be available in three colourways pink mix, blue mix and multi. RRP is £35. For more details, go to www.chicachick.com.
Twenty-two year old Jenny Lyon will go from the village of Water, Rossendale to work as a deck hand on a 107 year old tall ship in the Great Barrier Reef later this month, having won an amazing working holiday with Tourism Australia Jenny came across the competition on social networking page myspace.com/workinoz and entered to win a working holiday to Australia which included return flights and a guaranteed four-week paid work placement at one of six incredible jobs across the country. The rest is history and after winning the competition, Jenny heads to Australia on 19 September with a Working Holiday Visa* to work in her “dream job” – as a deck hand on the tall ship Solway Lass, sailing the stunning Whitsunday Islands in the Great Barrier Reef. “I entered the competition on the basis it was too good an opportunity to miss out on as I had always wanted to travel to Australia,” an excitable Jenny said. “Out of the six different options to choose from, I selected the Sailing Whitsundays prize because it sounded like the best way to see paradise. “Sailing on a tall ship as part
of the crew is something you wouldn’t normally get a chance to do and it is a once in a lifetime opportunity that would challenge me. Following the month’s work sailing the Whitsunday Islands, Jenny will travel down the east coast of Australia ending up in Sydney to celebrate New Year’s Eve. “I plan to stay in Australia for at least a year with the possibility of extending my visa to two years** upon completion of three months seasonal work in a regional area,” she said. Tourism Australia General Manager (UK and Europe), Rodney Harrex said the 12 month Working Holiday Visa gives 18-30 year olds the chance to live the Aussie lifestyle as well as the flexibility to earn money while they travel throughout the country and particularly regional areas.
Hundreds of De Montfort University students are put up at hotels Hundreds of university students are being put up in hotels after applications for accommodation reached “unprecedented levels”. About 300 first-year undergraduates who started this week at De Montfort University, in Leicester, have been placed in various hotels across the city. A university spokesman said arrangements to move the students out of the hotels as soon as possible was now being given “top priority”. The university has had a very high rate of applications this year and has been suffered problems with accommodation
as a result. A De Montfort University spokeswoman said: “Applications for student accommodation have been at an unprecedented level nationally and this has also been the case at De Montfort University. “We have been able to place the majority of our students into either student halls or private accommodation in and around the campus. “However, due to the very high level of applications for accommodation this year, we have had to place a small proportion of students, around 300, into hotel accommodation in and
around the city.” The university, which refused to say which hotels were being used, said it was doing its best to make sure students were well looked after. The spokeswoman added: “It is important to stress that we have placed people in groups so no-one is on their own and we are regularly visiting each hotel to ensure they are able to partake fully in student life. “The hotel accommodation is temporary until we are able to place our students in alternative accommodation and this is something we are working on as a top priority.”
One 18-year-old student, from Warwickshire, who did not wish to be named, said it was an unsettling start to his university life. He said: “I’d been told all summer that I’d got a place in university accommodation then I was told last week that I’d been put in a hotel. “They couldn’t tell us which hotel until we got here at the weekend. I am disappointed as I wanted to be with everyone else.” This is not the first accommodation problem to affect the university at the start of the new academic year.
NEWS
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STUDENT NEWS FROM AROUND THE UK
Met Office warns polar ice melt is passing “tipping point” Scientists at the UK Met Office have warned global warming could melt the vast Greenland ice sheet beyond ‘tipping points’ from which it would only partially recover even if global carbon dioxide concentrations returned to levels prior to the industrial revolution. Previous studies have already shown that the ice sheet, covering an area of about 1.7 million km², could melt completely over a few thousand years if global temperatures rise unchecked. This would raise sea levels by up to seven metres.
This latest study used a sophisticated climate model coupled to a 3D simulation of the ice sheet to predict changes over thousands of years — a method pioneered by the Met Office Hadley Centre. Scientists found there were ‘tipping points’ in the melting of the ice sheet which, when crossed, meant that the ice sheet may only recover to certain levels even when temperatures returned to pre-industrial levels. If the ice sheet shrinks by more than 15% (which could occur within 300 years) it would be locked into a decline from which
Flooding: A common occurrence.
it could only recover to 80% of its current size. This would cause a 1.3 metre sea level rise. If the ice sheet reduces to about 50% of its current size it would be locked into further reduction, only stabilising again at
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20% of its current size – creating a sea-level rise of 5 metres. This damage could only be undone if the global temperatures plunged back into an ice age — where temperatures would be cool enough for the ice to rebuild.
Current predictions estimate this is unlikely to happen for tens of thousands of years. Jeff Ridley, a Met Office Climate Scientist specialising in Polar Regions, said: “The effects of the greenhouse gases we emit today will still be felt long into the future so we will need to start taking action now to stop temperature rises that will still be happening at the end of this century. Only by tackling warming temperatures now can we prevent the ice sheet melting past these tipping points, and prevent irreversible sea-level rise.” The Met Office is now assessing how global warming could impact the world’s biggest ice sheet, in the Antarctic. Covering an area of about 14 million km², it contains about 60% of all the fresh water on Earth and any melting could have a significant effect on sea-levels.
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INTERVIEW
STUDENT TIMES VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
DAVID BECKHAM DV8’s James Davies chats to the former England captain and footballs biggest star at The Home Depot Center – home of the Los Angeles Galaxy – as he prepares for the World Cup and limbers up for, potentially, the season of his life...
Having spent the last five weeks travelling much of the United States and visiting the likes of New York, Hollywood, New Orleans, Las Vegas and San Diego, to name but a few stop-off points, with three of my best friends, I didn’t think life could get much better, particularly after hearing I had graduated from university with the grade I had slaved away all year to achieve, and was about to start the latest chapter in my life. That illusion, however, was smashed to smithereens after discovering what the next twenty four hours had in store for me. As I sat sunning myself on one of California’s finest shores, eating a beautiful piece of fresh swordfish in the glamorous and highly affluent Newport Beach, I took a well-deserved sip of my cocktail and checked my email-as I so often did- much to the annoyance of those I was travelling with- to find my request to spend the morning with the Los Angeles Galaxy, and their star player David Beckham, had been accepted. “Can you come out to our training session at 11am on Thursday, at The Home Depot Center?” read the email. “David should be available to the media after training.” As I sat in my sun lounger punching the air in delight, having secured a meeting with the game’s most famous son, I unsurprisingly sent my response at a speed Usain Bolt would have been proud of. “Thanks Patrick, that’s great. I really look forward to seeing you and the team tomorrow.” Although our meeting wouldn’t be the one to one sit down interview I had really wanted, it was a starting point and an opportunity to meet and question, in my opinion, England’s finest number seven and, more importantly, my footballing hero, along with a handful of other journalists from around the world, ahead of the Galaxy’s game
...he’s
Beck to his best
“My drive has come from my parents, my family and the clubs that I’ve played for and the managers I played under. When you play under some of the managers I’ve played under, if you don’t have that drive then you don’t get in the team.”
against the European champions, Barcelona. Preparing for the day ahead, I placed my alarm clock within an inch of my ear. I wasn’t leaving anything to chance. As my alarm screeched, waking half the campsite, I crawled out of my tent, dragging myself to the shower to try and gain some sense of consciousness. As the cold water dripped momentarily onto my forehead, I began to run through what I would ask the world’s most famous ‘soccer’ player. For some, David Beckham has been, for most of his career, one of the best footballers on the planet and let’s face it, someone who has worked his socks off to achieve all he has throughout his illustrious career. For others, he is a global sex symbol, fashion icon, multimillionaire and one half of the world’s most famous and readily talked about celebrity couples. For me, however, David is quite simply, as anyone who knows me will tell you, the footballer I wanted to be as a child. As a little boy, I grew up awe-struck by his ability on the field and despite his sending off against Argentina during the World Cup in 1998, I
remembered his performance days earlier against Columbia in which he scored a magnificently marvellous trade-mark free kick. Despite that fauxpas, I stuck by the world’s most exciting player. My earliest memory of the soccer superstar, however, came in 1995 against Wimbledon as I witnessed him caress the ball into the net from the halfway line. Although that was a spectacular moment and, for any other professional player, a careerdefining couple of seconds, it was merely a highlight in David’s career. My true appreciation for the player nicknamed ‘Golden Balls’ came during the nail-biting stalemate against Greece. David was extraordinary that day, singlehandedly guiding the national team to the World Cup Finals. For a 13-year old boy, there was no greater role model. Living through moments like that Greece goal and the penalty against Argentina are irreplaceable moments I will cherish for the rest of my life. From the modest parks of Leytonstone to the glamorous show-biz setting of Los Angeles, David Beckham has made it through his sheer hard work and determination.
INTERVIEW
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Having spent the best part of a week in sunny California, I was only too aware of the relentless heat. Although I usually enjoy dressing smartly for occasions such as this, the Californian sun was unbearable and made me think twice about sporting a suit. Nevertheless, I excitedly buttoned up my slightly creased white shirt and put on my favourite tie. Hopping into the Jeep we had been driving throughout the course of our trip, I placed my sunglasses on the top of my head to complete the L.A. look, and made my way down the highway in search of the American dream. Driving across wasn’t so much a chore as I was incredibly excited about the prospect of the day’s events. The hot West coast sun thumped down on to my already sun-burnt face. Once I had arrived in Carson – the home of the L.A Galaxy and England’s David Beckham – I was ushered passed some of the strictest security I have ever come across, to one of the clubs exclusive parking spaces. Having arrived about two hours before the team were due to train, I was able to soak up the atmosphere and walk around the place that has, in recent years, been at the forefront of a tsunami of press attention, since David’s arrival two summers ago. The anticipation was enormous as I explored the fascinating surroundings while I waited. Soon, Patrick, the affable Director of Communications, collected me and took me through yet more security on our way over to the training field. As the players began to emerge, a smile grew on my face. Like a school team on games day, the players walked out with bags slung over their shoulders and shirts un-tucked and with the background noise of chatter and joking. What struck me the most was their dedication and skill. Although the standard in Major League Soccer has been criticised, the players made the people’s sport look so easy, yet stylish, composed and clinical. Players flung themselves around all morning, chasing the ball during games that featured three-a-side and one-touch passing. The sheer competitiveness was overwhelming. None of the squad was content with passing the ball round the opposition. They all felt the need to try new and inventive tricks to embarrass their colleagues, creating a monumental amount of banter amongst the side. But the professional side of what they were doing shone through. It wasn’t a simple game or a half-hearted training session they were taking part in, but a gruelling practise monitored by Bruce Arena. Before the team even kicked a ball, they were led around the pitch several times to warm up. They then stretched off at every corner and, once they were well prepared, gathered together for a team talk. Having watched the entire training session, Patrick took me deep into the stadium, away from prying eyes, where I would get my opportunity to speak to David. With endless newspaper column inches devoted to one of the most talked about men in the world, it seems that we know everything there is to know about David Beckham. Or do we?
JAMES DAVIES CHATS TO DAVID BECKHAM
Set beneath the ground, the venue for our meeting was fascinating. It was a labyrinthine maze full of staircases, corridors and rooms. Holding tightly to his three boys, David slowly came into sight. Ushering his children through to one of the many rooms, he disappeared for a minute or two, only to re-appear with a broad smile emblazoned across his instantly recognisable face. As David headed towards the media scrum that had converged at the end of the long passageway, I must admit I was rather taken aback with the rather casual and laid back way he sauntered down the dimly-lit corridor. He didn’t, as many might have cynically expected, traipse in with an entourage, or turn up decked-out in designer gear. Instead, in stark contrast, he was accompanied solely by his three children where he was, from what I could see, performing his fatherly duties. Wearing a tightly-fitted grey t-shirt, jeans and a smashing pair of glittery blue shoes and with his hair all immaculately in place, David greeted everyone with a smile. Although he was a little smaller and a little leaner than I had anticipated, he seemed to be perfectly at ease with himself. After shaking hands and quickly exchanging pleasantries with him I, along with the handful of other media present, began questioning him. I just stood there, transfixed, staring at him, studying his every move and listening to every word he spoke. Say what you will about Beckham – and a lot has been made over the years by members of the media – although not by me – that he isn’t the brightest or most articulate guy in the world – he spoke intelligently, thoughtfully, openly and frankly. Never once did he waver or decline to answer a question, or try to skirt an issue. When answering a question about the recent reaction by L.A Galaxy fans over his decision to play in Europe, which has caused a minor ruckus, David just charmingly said: “I’m just trying to ignore it as much as I can. I think that’s the way you have to deal with these things. I’ve had it a lot worse than I’ve had here. After ’98 it was at its worst- but I’ve had it bad in a number of different places I’ve played- it’s just part of the game. When it happens, it can sometimes become a distraction not just for myself but for the team,” he mused. “The team have done well to deal with the situation. I’ve got the support of the players, the management and the owners and for me that’s the most important thing. I’m happy to be back and I’m happy to be playing with these players and with this team. I’m enjoying it,” he added philosophically. With all media outlets firing at all cylinders in a media scrum that seemed to suffocate David for space, I waited for my chance to fire a couple of questions of my own. Amongst the crowd of American twangs came my English accent. Immediately David looked up and smiled at me- I think he had found it rather comforting to hear the tones of a ‘Brit’. With his attention fixed firmly on me, I began to explain to the superstar that I was in the States on a road trip, to which the affable midfielder smiled. “What would you advise me do while I’m here in L.A?” I asked. Without a hint of hesitation, David
“I’m happy to be back and I’m happy to be playing with these players and with this team. I’m enjoying it.”
enthusiastically retorted, “Go to the beaches.” Adding: “There are quite a few nice beaches out there. L.A life is great. The weather’s great and people are always good to you. You’ll have a good time while you’re here.” I was impressed with the genuine niceness of the man who is, at times, all too easily and unfairly criticised. Having played for Manchester United, Real Madrid and A.C Milan-three of the biggest clubs in the world, as well as captaining his country, where does this insatiable drive that seems to be instilled in our finest football icon come from? “My drive has come from my parents, my family and the clubs that I’ve played for and the managers I played under. When you play under some of the managers I’ve played under, if you don’t have that drive then you don’t get in the team, so I have been brought up on it from an early age. My drive to succeed will always be insatiable. It was the way I was brought up and it’s the way I’ve always played. Every club that I’ve been at has driven me to success. Once it’s in you, I don’t think it will change.” Having reached the pinnacle of sporting success himself, what advice would he give the next generation of footballers who wished
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to become the next David Beckham and, if possible, achieve all he has accomplished throughout his illustrious career? “I’ve been lucky with my career but I’ve worked hard to achieve what I have. Kids out there, if they want to become a professional footballer then you have to work hard and enjoy it. I’ve enjoyed my whole career and I’ll be very honoured to enjoy it until it finishes.” Asked about his plans after retirement, he said he wanted to make up for lost time with his family. You could tell from the way he lovingly talked about his wife and kids that he is a devoted family man and that he hates to be away from them for any length of time. It was refreshing to meet an athlete who keeps things in perspective. David Beckham is the most famous sports star in the world but, instead of puffing his chest out, he remembers what’s most important in this world: his family. But for all the fuss and humdrum that goes with being the most famous footballer in the world, David is a down to earth man who is unquestionably more approachable than others who have less talent than he does in his little toe, the one on the left foot! Although he is proud of his admirable success and he is proud of his wife and children he is, beneath all that star-like veneer, an ordinary person, which was refreshing to find. A first-rate footballer? Yes. A first-rate person? Without question. Having waited many years to meet my hero, I was not disappointed and he was just the way I hoped he would be. Thank you David. It was only on the way home, though, that I was able to reflect on a wonderful day. Not only had I spoken to and met a great ambassador of the game but the player who has mesmerised, influenced and inspired me and countless millions around the world. The day also confirmed what I had been thinking for a long time. ‘Becks’ is back to his best and the World Cup is on its way home!
ST COMPETITON: Rough Guides and STA Travel launch student writing competition in search for two new travel writers Rough Guides and STA Travel have today announced the launch of a new travel writing competition for students, giving two budding writers the chance to research and write for the Rough Guides On a Budget series. Students across the UK and Ireland are being invited to write 500 words about a place they know well, whether it’s their hometown, University town, or a favourite place they’ve travelled to. Submissions are via www.roughguides.com/onabudgetwriter. The entries will be narrowed down to a shortlist of 50 by a judging panel, including Rough Guides founder and author Martin Dunford, and two winners will be selected. Both winners will be given the ‘money can’t buy’ prize of an all-expenses-paid trip and formal commission to write and update a section of two student favourite
guides – The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget and The Rough Guide to Central America on a Budget. The competition will be promoted in STA Travel retail stores and by Rough Guides’ team of 20 Student Brand Navigators, employed across campuses in the UK and Ireland. The partnership with STA Travel is exciting addition to Rough Guides’ student marketing strategy, as this is the fourth year Rough Guides has run its Student Brand Navigator scheme. Rough Guides Marketing & PR Director Liz Statham said: “We know students love to travel. Partnering with STA Travel is the perfect opportunity for Rough Guides to offer students the chance to have a go at travel writing for our On a Budget series – they are expert budget travellers after all.”
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OPINION
STUDENT TIMES VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
ELAINE BAGSHAW CHAIR OF LIBERAL YOUTH
POLITICS VOTE LIB DEM NOT LABOUR Elaine Bagshaw Chair of Liberal Youth the youth and student wing of the Liberal Democrats, Gives us 10 reasons why Students should vote Lib Dem at the next election after 12 awful years of let downs the Labour government.
1
We deserve better
Students have been let down time and time again by Labour. We’re talking about more than just tuition fees and the Iraq war. If you’re in your final year, it’s likely you will end up joining the ranks of the thousands of unemployed graduates we now have. Labour’s mismanagement of the economy means that graduates now have far fewer opportunities than you would have 12 years ago when Labour first came to power. It is an utter outrage that 60% of all those unemployed are aged under 25 - Labour has created a lost generation, We will not let young people and students down. Our policies will ensure that you have a future. We will invest in a sustainable, green economy; invest in your education and make getting on the property ladder an achievable dream.
2
We are the only party to oppose tuition fees
Tuition fees have led to the commercialisation of education and put talented young people off pursuing higher education due to the debt burden they would incur. You will leave University with a debt of around £20,000 - for the simple reason that you wanted to pursue your education and talent. We will scrap tuition fees and reinstate your right to a free education. Ensuring that every young person who is talented enough to go to University, has the opportunity.
3
We will act now to prevent climate change and secure our future
Massive environmental change is a reality. Whilst you’re reading this, ice caps are melting, species are dying out and people are suffering due to extreme changes in climate. Unless we act now, changes to our climate will hit the world’s pooerest hard. We would invest in a green road out of the recession, investing in clean technologies and swapping income taxes for environmental taxes. We’ve had enough of excuses, and if you have too, then it’s time to join us in our fight for action: www.liberalyouth.org/climate
4
We oppose, and always have opposed, ID cards
I.D. cards are a terrible infringement on our civil liberties, and an extension of Labour’s continually authoritarian regime. ID Cards work on the premise that the goverment has a right to all your personal details. Government ministers have admitted that the scheme will not cut crime and will not protect the country against terrorism. Yet they still pressed on with the costly project. The government tries to argue that the scheme is not compulsory, yet they will be forcing anyone who gets a passport to also get an identity card. The Liberal Democrats would scrap the costly ID Card Scheme and would instead reinvest in measures to cut crime. This would include hiring another 10,000 bobbies on the beat - to protect your and many other local areas. Whilst the government dithers on ID Cards, the Liberal Democrats are proposing real solutions to cut crime.
5
We believe in free speech
At the moment, it is illegal to protest within half a mile of Parliament without the prior consent of the police. In exactly the place where voters concerns should be heard, the government are silencing them. It is an absolute disgrace that people have been arrested in the UK for the act of protesting against the government - this is not a sign of a healthy democracy. One of the first actions of a Liberal Democrat government would be to role back these laws and give people back their right to protest. In a democracy, everyone should be allowed their voice - whether it agrees with the government or not.
6
We opposed the Iraq war
We were the only main party to oppose the Iraq war, and we have consistently called for an independent inquiry into the war. When Tony Blair and the Labour government were engaged in sabre-rattling and the politics of fear, the Conservatives stood on the sidelines and cheered with them. Only the Liberal Democrats had the courage and conviction to say no. To stand on
the side of international law and justice and say that there was no just cause for the war. We will ensure that international law is respected, strengthen the United Nations and continue to promote development in the Third World.
7 9 6
Vince. Was. Right.
8 9 6
We’d lower the voting age to 16
Now, I know this sounds like bragging, but then again we have reason to brag! For over two years before the economic crisis really hit home with the collapse of Northern Rock, Vince was challenging the Government, and being slated for arguing that the debt bubble would eventually burst and that banks were being reckless with their lending. But Vince wasn’t just right in seeing it coming. He’s the only leading politician to have set out a plan for recovery, including proposals to ensure that such a crisis does not happen again. Nick is also the only leader of a major political party to have set out his plans to ensure that the economy recovers but that people on low incomes are still supported. This includes our plans to move the tax bands so that everyone will have an extra £700 in their pocket, and 4 million people will be taken out of tax altogether.
When you’re 16, the government says you’re responsible enough to bring a child into the world, but not responsible enough to vote. When you’re 16, the government demands that you pay taxation, yet gives you no say over the level of that taxation. When you’re 16, the government says you’re old enough to die for your country in war, but not old enough to have an influence over our foreign policy. The Liberal Democrats would give young people the trust and respect they deserve and lower the voting age to 16.
9 6
We’d make votes count
At the last General Election, 19 million votes (70%!) made absolutely no difference to who ended up being elected. The decision of who became government was left in the hands of
850,000 voters in swing seats. This means that although labour only won 37% of the vote, they gained 55% of the representation in Parliament. The Liberal Democrats would put an end to this lunacy, and ensure that every vote cast would have an impact. This would end the culture of ‘safe seats’ which allowed MPs to think they could get away with extortionate expenses claims. This would remove the incentive for politicians to chace the votes of the middle class few in marginal seats. This would give you a real say on our next Prime Minister.
10 9 6
We’re the only ones who can get us out of this mess
The Liberal Democrats are the only party with a real plan for the economy. Labour have dithered and the Tories are too scared to say what they will do. The Liberal Democrats have a clear way out of the financial mess Britain finds itself in. We will find the unemployed productive work. There is no shortage of socially useful tasks – improving homes, environmental projects, care work – which can be undertaken on the basis of voluntary sector and local government initiatives. There are also some imaginative private sector schemes like the plan to create half a million IT jobs. There must also be more apprenticeships to ensure that our generation learns skills and trades. We will invest our way out of the economic crisis through green technology. Thiswill mean investment in tidal power, high speed rail, carbon capture and storage, telecommunications infrastructure. These measures will create jobs and stimulate the economy, whilst protecting our environment. We provide a green route out of the economic mess that ensures there is an economy and environment for our generation to enjoy.
Conclusion We know there are people who agree with a lot of what we’ve got to say but who still don’t vote Liberal Democrat. You don’t think we’re contenders - we urge you to think again. If you don’t agree with our policies. If you don’t want big change in Britain. Then don’t vote for us. But if you like what you hear. If you share our vision for a different kind of future. Then go with your instincts; vote Liberal Democrat. Elections are decided by your cross on the ballot paper. Power is not any party’s to be inherited. Power is yours to give to whoever you choose. So don’t turn away, don’t stay at home, don’t vote Conservative just because you think it’s the only option. If you want things to be different, really different, choose the party that is different. Choose the Liberal Democrats.
SUPPLEMENT
Black History
Black History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated annually in the United States and Canada in February and the United Kingdom in the month of October.
STUDENT TIMES LOOKS BACK TO HONOUR THE BRITISH BLACK COMMUNITY
Black History Month
T
he remembrance originated in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson as “Negro History Week”. Woodson chose the second week of February because it marked the birthdays of two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and social condition of African Americans: former President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass. Woodson also founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. When the tradition of Black History Month was started in the US, many in mainstream academia had barely begun to explore black history. At that point, most representation of blacks in history books was only in reference to the low social position they held as slaves and their descendants, with infrequent exceptions
such as that of George Washington Carver. Black History Month is also referred to as AfricanAmerican History Month. W.E.B. DuBois’ 1935 work “Black Reconstruction” was an early work in history that pointed to black contributions. Here in the United Kingdom, Black History Month is celebrated in October. Various guides are printed detailing listings of Black History Month events held throughout the UK both locally and national level. Black History Month is a time when we highlight and celebrate the achievements of the black community and uncover hidden history about our communities. As part of this Student Times supplement celebrating Black History Month we at Student Times are looking at some to the memorial events that have shaped Black history over the last thirty odd years.4
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Black History
STUDENT TIMES VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
Days in History 18th September 1970 Rock legend Hendrix dies after party
G
uitarist Jimi Hendrix has died after collapsing at a party in London. Police say there was no question of foul play. A number of sleeping pills were found at the house in Notting Hill Gate and they have been taken away for analysis. Hendrix, 27, was born in Seattle, Washington, but rose to fame in Britain with his band the Jimi Hendrix Experience. He will be remembered as a key figure in the music world who transformed electric guitarplaying using distortion, feedback and sheer volume to create a revolutionary new sound.
Flamboyant
“The Jimi Hendrix Experience became one of the most popular and successful touring acts in the world.” er Interested in a care in Media Sales? Why not get some experience while at r University and sell fo rg www.studenttimes.o mmission Excellent rates of co and expenses. Email rg sales@studenttimes.o
Hendrix had been staying in London since cutting short a European tour with his band after bass player Billy Cox fell ill with stress and exhaustion. They were among the headline acts at the three-day Love and Peace Festival at Insel Fehrmarn in Germany. The concert was not an entire success. A torrential downpour meant Hendrix postponed his performance by a day and the audience was disrupted by fighting and gunfire between rival German motorcycle gangs who eventually burned the stage to the ground. It was after this performance the group returned to London and Hendrix sent Cox back to the United States to convalesce. James Hendrix was part black, part Cherokee Indian and part Mexican. He left school early, having developed a keen interest in music but unable to read it. He joined the army as a paratrooper but was discharged due to injury and took up work as a session musician. He was spotted by former Animals’ bass player turned manager Chas Chandler who persuaded him to move to London in the autumn of 1966. He changed Hendrix’s stage name to “Jimi”, and introduced him to drummer Mitch Mitchell and bass player Noel Redding to form the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The band’s first single ‘Hey Joe’ spent 10 weeks
in the UK charts, reaching number six in early 1967. They enhanced their reputation with flamboyant stage performances. With his long wiry hair and colourful clothes Hendrix kept audiences enthralled with his improvised solos often playing the guitar behind his back or between his legs. Their performance of ‘Wild Thing’ at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967, in which Hendrix played the guitar with his teeth, confirmed their success in the US. The Jimi Hendrix Experience became one of the most popular and successful touring acts in the world. After the Hendrix Experience disbanded he continued performing with a range of musicians including a memorable rendition of Star Spangled Banner at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. In 1970 the Jimi Hendrix Experience re-formed and were in the process of recording a new LP when he died. His final public performance in Britain was with American band War at Ronnie Scott’s club in London last week. Jimi Hendrix created a revolutionary new sound for electric guitar music.
In Context A coroner recorded an open verdict on the death of Jimi Hendrix. The inquest heard he had taken nine sleeping pills but there was no evidence of drug addiction. The guitarist’s father, Al Hendrix, a landscape gardener, was the sole beneficiary of the will, estimated to be worth in the region of $500,000. He set up a company, Experience Hendrix, with the aim of preserving his son’s musical legacy. On his death in 2002, the company was inherited by his step-daughter Janie. But Jimi’s brother Leon claimed he had been unfairly written out of the will and launched a lawsuit in 2004 to try to overturn it. In 2003 a survey by the Rolling Stone magazine named Jimi Hendrix the greatest guitarist in rock history.
Black History
GO ONLINE WWW.STUDENTTIMES.ORG
11th April 1981 Brixton ablaze after riot “A school and two pubs have been set alight and firefighters have been unable to reach some other fires due to the threat of attacks.”
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
T
he arrest of a black man has led to hundreds of youths rampaging through the streets of Brixton in south London. They hurled petrol bombs at police, burnt cars and looted shops in an outbreak of violence which started in the early evening. A school and two pubs have been set alight and firefighters have been unable to reach some other fires due to the threat of attacks. More than 50 police officers have been injured and at least 20 people have been arrested. The rioting broke out in the area of Railton Road and Atlantic Road in central Brixton, where police and black youths had already clashed on Friday night. That disturbance was soon stamped out but the trouble on Saturday evening - which began after the arrest of a young black man - quickly spiralled out of control. When other officers arrived and tried to make more arrests the ever-increasing crowd started throwing bottles and bricks.
Missiles Reinforcements from other police areas were called in but in the 30 minutes it took for them to arrive the violence had escalated sharply. A charge by about 200 officers with riot shields and batons down Atlantic Road misfired when they were forced to retreat under a hail of missiles. Many local people are blaming a
The CPS is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
15
special police operation carried out last week for helping spark unrest. During Operation Swamp, police stopped and questioned people supposedly at random in an attempt to crack down on street crime. However, many young black men felt they were being unjustly singled out by officers, causing widespread resentment. Two months ago the local council published a report about the state of police/community relations in Brixton - it said many black people believed they were targeted by the police purely on racial lines.
In Context Nearly 300 police officers and 65 civilians were injured during three days of rioting in Brixton. After an inquiry headed by Lord Scarman, major changes were implemented in policing. They included an end to the hated “sus” law which allowed officers to arrest anyone they suspected of loitering with intent - black men said officers used it to target them unfairly. The Scarman report also led to the setting up of the Police Complaints Authority. In 1985 there were further riots in Brixton after a black woman was accidentally shot and wounded during a police raid on her home. More serious disturbances occurred 10 years later after a young black man died in police custody.
Black History
16
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ast April’s riots in Brixton, south London were caused by serious social and economic problems affecting Britain’s inner cities, a report has said. Lord Scarman’s inquiry into what he called the worst outbreak of disorder in the UK this century also blamed “racial disadvantage that is a fact of British life”. The report criticised police and the government, but it said there was no excuse for the violence and praised officers for their conduct during the disorder.
Hostile crowd The investigation found the rioting was caused by a spontaneous crowd reaction to police action – rightly or wrongly believed to be harassment of black people – and had not been planned. On the night of 10 April two police officers were attempting to help a black youth who was bleeding from a suspected stab wound when they
STUDENT TIMES VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
were approached by a hostile crowd. The local community was already aggravated by “Operation Swamp” – during which large numbers of black youths were stopped and searched – and the confrontation quickly escalated. Over 300 people were injured, 83 premises and 23 vehicles were damaged during the disturbances, at an estimated cost of £7.5m.
Community policing Lord Scarman called for a new emphasis on community policing and said more people from ethnic minorities should be recruited to the force. He also advised the government to end racial disadvantage and tackle the disproportionately high level of unemployment among young black men – as high as 50% in Brixton. The report has been widely welcomed by senior policeman and government ministers.
25th November 1981 Brixton riots report blames racial tension 44
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In Context The findings of the Scarman report led to the introduction of many measures to improve trust and understanding between the police and ethnic minority communities. But racial tensions – particularly with the police – continued to spark public disorder in the UK. In 1985 there were further riots in Brixton after an officer accidentally shot and wounded a black woman during a police raid, and again 10 years later when a young black man died in custody. Sir William Macpherson’s inquiry into the handling of the Stephen Lawrence murder, published in 2000, said the Metropolitan Police still suffered from “institutional racism”.
11th February 1990 Freedom for Nelson Mandela
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eading anti-apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela freed from prison in South Africa after 27 years. His release followed the relaxation of apartheid laws including lifting the ban on leading black rights party the African National Congress (ANC) - by South African President FW de Klerk. M rMandela appeared at the gates of Victor-Verster Prison in Paarl at 1614 local time - an hour late - with his wife Winnie. Holding her hand and dressed in a light brown suit and tie he smiled at the ecstatic crowds and punched the air in a victory salute before taking a silver BMW sedan to Cape Town, 40 miles away. People danced in the streets across the country and thousands clamoured to see him at a rally in Cape Town. Doctors treated over a hundred people as police clashed with youths looting shops in various cities and townships and several people were reported shot dead. Mr Mandela, the deputy-president of the ANC, appeared on the balcony of Cape Town’s City Hall to speak to the 50,000 people assembled outside at 2000 local time. He acknowledged Mr de Klerk was a man of integrity, but said: “Our struggle has reached a decisive moment. Our march to freedom is irreversible.” “Now is the time to intensify the struggle on all fronts. To relax now would be a mistake which future generations would not forgive,” he continued. As he addressed the crowd South African state television broadcast a profile of Mr Mandela - including a BBC interview from 1961 which was the first time he had been shown speaking on TV. The lawyer from the Transkei homeland was convicted of treason and sabotage in June 1964 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He spent most of his sentence on Robben Island, off Cape Town, doing hard labour. Since the 1980s he had refused numerous offers for early release from the government in Pretoria because of the conditions attached.
In Context PHOTO: Colin Patterson
Community left fuming over deputy mayor’s media ‘hounding’
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Nelson Mandela succeeded Oliver Tambo as president of the ANC later in 1991. He divorced Winnie the next year following her convictions for kidnapping and being accessory to an assault. Mr Mandela and FW de Klerk shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for their efforts to transform South African society. In the first multi-racial elections in the country’s history he was elected president and the ANC gained 252 of the 400 seats in the national assembly. He was succeeded as ANC president by Thabo Mbeki in 1997 and stepped down in favour of Mr Mbeki as national president after the 1999 elections. Mr Mandela re-married in 1998 and was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001, aged 83.
Black History
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH
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“I do hereby swear to be faithful to the Republic of South Africa and do solemnly and sincerely promise to promote that which will advance and to oppose all that may harm the republic.”
e saw our country tear itself apart in terrible conflict... The time for healing of wounds has come... Never, never again will this beautiful land experience the oppression of one by another.” Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela has become South Africa’s first black president after more than three centuries of white rule. Mr Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC) party won 252 of the 400 seats in the first democratic elections of South Africa’s history. The inauguration ceremony took place in the Union Buildings amphitheatre in Pretoria today, attended by politicians and dignitaries from more than 140 countries around the world. Never, never again will this beautiful land experience the oppression of one by another As part of the ceremony he pledged his allegiance to South Africa and his determination to continue his work for reconciliation. “I do hereby swear to be faithful to the Republic of South Africa and
do solemnly and sincerely promise to promote that which will advance and to oppose all that may harm the republic... and to devote myself to the well-being of the republic and all its people.” Jubilant scenes on the streets of Pretoria followed the ceremony with blacks, whites and coloureds celebrating together. When the new president, flanked by First Deputy President Thabo Mbeki and Second Deputy President FW de Klerk, appeared on the Botha Lawn beneath the Union Buildings the crowd went wild. More than 100,000 South African men, women and children of all races sang and danced with joy. Addressing the crowd President Mandela paid tribute to outgoing president Mr FW de Klerk: “He has made for himself a niche in history. “He has turned out to be one of the greatest reformers, one of the greatest sons of South Africa.” He also spoke of the “human disaster” of apartheid. “We saw our country tear itself apart in terrible conflict... The time for healing
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of wounds has come... Never, never again will this beautiful land experience the oppression of one by another.” And urging forgiveness he said in Africaans: “Wat is verby verby” – “What is past is past”
In Context Following the inauguration ceremony, President Mandela entrusted his deputy, Thabo Mbeki, with the dayto-day business of the government. Mandela himself concentrated on the ceremonial duties of a leader, building a new international image for South Africa. Mandela stepped down as South Africa’s president after the ANC’s landslide victory in the national elections in the summer of 1999, in favour of Mr Mbeki. Since his retirement he has continued travelling the world, meeting leaders, attending conferences and collecting awards.
10th May 1994 Mandela becomes SA’s first black president
UNISON
campaigning for a fairer society UNISON, the UK’s leading union, is at the forefront of the campaign for better public services. We want to see a fair society, based on good jobs, quality public services and a stronger, more tolerant society. We are continuing to campaign for equality and to challenge racism. To find out more, or to join, call 0845 355 0845 or go to www.unison.org.uk/million
18594_AMV_NUS_Student_handbook.indd 1
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Black History
STUDENT TIMES VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
24th February 1999 Lawrence report blasts ‘racist’ police
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“Stephen’s mother Doreen Lawrence said the report only “scratched the surface”. She added: “Black people are still dying on the streets and in the back of police vans.” In Context In March 2001 a Law Commission inquiry concluded it should be possible to quash acquittals in murder trials where there is “reliable and compelling new evidence of guilt”. In September 2002, two of the former suspects in the Stephen Lawrence murder investigation - Norris and Acourt - were jailed for 18 months for a racist attack on a police officer. The Metropolitan police force has tried to improve its reputation since the report and has set up an Understanding and Responding to Hate Crime project which analyses and reviews data. But three years on, the force had just 1,205 ethnic minority officers, 4.42% of the total. The Home Office has set a target of 5,662 black and Asian officers by 2009. As a result of the Macpherson inquiry, every London borough has a community safety unit that records and investigates allegations of racism and other hate crime.
lack people are still dying on the streets and in the back of police vans.” Doreen Lawrence The report into the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence has labelled London’s police force “institutionally racist” and condemned officers for “fundamental errors”. Home Secretary Jack Straw welcomed the long-awaited findings and promised sweeping judicial reforms - but he said Metropolitan Police chief Sir Paul Condon should not resign. Black people are still dying on the streets and in the back of police vans Stephen’s mother Doreen Lawrence said the report only “scratched the surface”. She added: “Black people are still dying on the streets and in the back of police vans.” Sir Paul admitted the report had brought “shame” on his force - but he refused to step down. He said he would respond to the report with a crackdown on any form of racism in the force, a rapid response murder inquiry force and a research programme looking at how to improve policing. He also said he would continue to try to prosecute Stephen’s killers. But Stephen’s friend who was with him during the attack, Duwayne Brooks, demanded Sir Paul do the “honourable thing” and quit. Stephen, 18, was fatally stabbed by white youths at a bus stop in south-east London in 1993. Stephen Lawrence’s parents brought a private prosecution against Neil Acourt, Gary Dobson and Luke Knight after charges against Jamie Acourt and David Norris were dropped due to lack of evidence. But the three men were acquitted in April 1996 after the judge ruled identification evidence from Duwayne Brooks was inadmissible. Under the rule of “double jeopardy” the three cannot be tried for the same crime twice. The Macpherson Report has recommended the Law Commission consider giving the Court of Appeal powers to permit prosecution after acquittal if new, viable evidence were presented. The home secretary said the Race Relations Act would be extended to cover the police – one of the report’s 70 recommendations. Mr Straw’s response to the report followed Tony Blair’s promise during Prime Minister’s Questions of a “fundamental shift in the way British society deals with racism”. “The publication of today’s report on the killing of Stephen Lawrence is a very important day in the history of our country,” Mr Blair said. “It will certainly lead to new laws but more than that it will bring a new era of race relations.”
2004 Second gold for Kelly Holmes
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onight was her night and she was just amazing” Pam Thomson, Holmes’ mother. British athlete Kelly Holmes has secured a place in Olympic history by winning the 1500m gold in Athens. The runner won the 800m on Monday and is the first Briton in 84 years to achieve the Olympic middle-distance double. Holmes set a new British record for the race with a time of 3 minutes 57.90 seconds, finishing three metres ahead of Russian rival Tatyana Tomashova. Third place in the 1500m was taken by Romania’s Maria Cioncin. Holmes said after the race: “I can’t believe it - I’m gobsmacked. “After the 800m I had a lot of confidence and I was feeling good going through the rounds, but these girls are really good and I had to focus more than ever in that race.” The athlete - who was 100-1 to do the double before the 2004 Olympics began continued with her tactic of anging back in the field until the closing stages of the race. At the start of the final lap she was eighth out of 12, but moved to third place with 150m to go. In the final straight Holmes even had time to look over her shoulder to check where her nearest rivals were. She smiled and raised her arms in triumph as she crossed the line. The Olympic double at 800m and 1500m eluded Steve Ovett, Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram. The only other British athlete to achieve the feat is Albert Hill, in Antwerp in 1920. Holmes’ mother, Pam Thomson, told reporters she was overjoyed at her daughter’s second gold. “Words are simply not enough at a time like this,” she said. “Kelly has had a lot of downs in her career and has always thought that something will go wrong when she’s at the top.
In Context Kelly Holmes was born in Kent in 1970. She joined Tonbridge Athletics Club at the age of 12 and won the national schools’ 1500 metres in only her second season of running. Holmes began competing at an international level in 1992 while she was in the army. She became a full-time athlete in 1997. Her early career was dogged by injury trouble - in 1996 she suffered a stress fracture and she ruptured an Achilles tendon in 1997. The Athens Olympics was almost the first major competition Holmes had started without injury problems. Since her triumph at the 2004 Olympics she has won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and in May 2005 was crowned Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year in Portugal.
Black History
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Events Timeline 1980
In London, the first ever black music radio station, Dread Broadcasting Corporation, began. Initially set up as a reggae station on a medium wave transmitter, it quickly grew and became an FM station playing music like soca, soul, funk and African flavours. The team of DJs included the likes of Neneh Cherry and BBC London’s Ranking Miss P.
1981
Moira Stuart became the BBC’s first black woman newsreader. RIGHT: Moira Stewart
1982
UK veteran artist and producer Eddy Grant released his most popular album Killer on the Rampage which became a hit on both sides off the Atlantic. His release I Don’t Wanna Dance also hit No 1 in the UK charts. It was a big year for reggae, with the release of Gregory Isaac’s classic Night Nurse. The British reggae scene reached new heights with Birmingham’s new teenage group Musical Youth. They released their debut single Pass the Dutchie which hit No 1 in the UK charts, selling more than four million copies. Val McCalla Started the weekly newspaper The Voice, The newspaper went on to become the mouthpiece of Britain’s black community and made him a multi-millionaire
1983
No Problem! begins on Channel Four. As well as being Channel Four’s first UK black sitcom it was also their first British-made sitcom. Its cast were members of the Black Theatre Co-operative which staged plays and included Judith Jacob and Victor Romero Evans. Set in Willesden Green, it was about the grown up Powell children after their parents had returned to Jamaica. The comedy dealt with their lives and ambitions from modelling to running a pirate radio station.
1984
Bishop Desmond Tutu won the Nobel peace prize. The South African Anglican General-Secretary was awarded it in recognition of his non-violent opposition to the oppressive apartheid regime. Daley Thompson became only the second competitor in history to wim the decathlon ast the Olympic Games, wimming gold medals in the 1980 and 1984. Thompson was awarded the MBE in 1982 and advanced to CBE in 2000. He was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1982.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH TIMELINE
RIGHT: Val McCalla of The Voice
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Black History
STUDENT TIMES VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
BLACK HISTORY MONTH TIMELINE
1985
Muhammad Ajeeb became the UK’s first black Lord Mayor. He was installed as Lord Mayor of Bradford.
Paul Ince becomes the first black Captain of the England football team. He captained the squad for a total of seven games. Sol Campbell is the other black player who was captain (’98)
1986
The Oprah Winfrey Show launched. It was the first US chat show to be presented by a black woman. It quickly built into a phenomenon, becoming the highest-rated talk show in US history. US national holiday Martin Luther King day was observed for the first time. The black civil rights leader was only the third person to have a US holiday dedicated to him after Christopher Columbus and George Washington. Dr King was a peaceful campaigner for civil rights in the US and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. A date near his birthday on the 15th of January is chosen each year to celebrate his life.
1987
Bernie Grant and Diane Abbott become the first Black MP’s in Parliament. They won seats for Labour. The charismatic Grant made his make by wearing a traditional Ghanainan robe. He almost trebled his majority in the ’92 election, and stood for Deputy leader. He was widely mourned when he died in 2000. Diane Abbott was active in many political areas eg Trade Unions and racial equality. She’s still the MP for Hackney North and stoke Newington and i one of the most respesped MPS in Parliament
a campaign to shame the authorities into finding the culprits. To date no-one has been convicted, but through Stephen’s death the racial attitudes of Britain’s organisations were re-evaluated.
Diane Abbott
1988
At age 18 Naomi Campbell became the first black female to grace the cover of French Vogue. It helped catapult her to supermodel status.
1989
Channel 4 broadcast Desmond’s. This comedy about a black British family appealed to a mainstream audience and was also popular in the Caribbean and US where it was broadcast on Black Entertainment Television.
1990
1994
Brian Lara set a new world record for test innings, while playing against England. The West Indian batsman set a new world record scoring 375 runs in one test match. South Africa’s white minority Parliament met in Cape Town to vote itself out of power. The new government was led by the black majority who’d been excluded from the political process since European settlers arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. Nelson Mandela was elected South Africa’s first black president.
1995
Gangsta rap pioneer Eazy-E died of an Aids related illness. His death further reinforces the prevalence of HIV/Aids in all communities. Riots broke out in Brixton after Wayne Douglas died in police custody. Cars were set on fire and around £1m worth of damage was done by looters who petrol-bombed and stoned shops. Several people were injured and others arrested.
1996
Britain’s record on race relations was harshly criticised by the UN. They condemned the number of non-whites who suffered police brutality, high black unemployment, under-representation of ethnic minorities in politics, the army, the police, and the large number of black children expelled from schools. The government later signed up to a common EU plan to combat racism after negotiating an opt-out that freed it from an obligation to criminalise certain forms of racist behaviour. TV programme Black Britain was screened on the BBC. It reflected the lives and experiences of the UK’s black population and was billed as the BBC’s first programme specifically for black viewers. The MOBOs launch and are shown on Channel 4. The awards (for Music of Black Origin) brought a much-needed emphasis to the achievements of black music and artists. In the first year Goldie won two, the Fugees won two and Jazzie B received one for Outstanding Contribution to black music.
The British runner Diane Modahl wins the 800m gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. She was the British 800m champion six times. Mariah Carey released her eponymous debut album. It spawns four US No.1 singles. She goes on to be the biggest selling female singer of the 1990s.
John Taylor became the first black Tory life peer. This 43 year old lawyer took his seat in the House of Lords as Lord Taylor of Warwick.
1991
Tiger Woods made golf history at the US Masters by becoming the youngest champion and first black player to win a major tournament. He finished at 18 under par, the lowest ever total in the Masters and the biggest winning margin.
Bill Morris was elected the first black leader of a British trade union. Morris took up the post of General Secretary of the Transport & General Workers’ Union. Basketball star Magic Johnson announced that he is HIV positive. It highlights that HIV can be contracted by heterosexual sex. “I’m here saying that it can happen to anybody, even me, Magic Johnson.”
1992
Dr. Mae Carol Jemison became the first black female astronaut in space. She carried out experiments with the rest of the crew, in preparation for the construction of the International Space Station. Linford Christie wins the sought-after 100m gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
1993
A level student Stephen Lawrence was murdered by a group of white men while waiting for a bus in Eltham, South-East London. The failure to capture his killers provoked his parents to begin
1997
INSERT: Eddie Grant
1998
A task force published the first report on racism in UK football. The inquiry found that racism was deeply entrenched in the game. At a time when black footballers were succeeding at the highest level, the number of black spectators was decreasing.
1999
Sir William Macpherson’s report into the police handling of the murder of black Stephen Lawrence contained a withering attack on racist attitudes within the Metropolitan Police force. It introduced the expression ‘institutional racism’ and sparked the most profound reappraisal of race relations and the justice system since the Brixton riots in 1981.
OPINION
GO ONLINE WWW.STUDENTTIMES.ORG
JOHN SAUVAN, GREENPEACE UK
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ENVIRONMENT
We need a rescue package for the planet John Sauven, Executive Director of Greenpeace explains the economic crisis Although the global extent, length and depth may be in dispute, everyone agrees the world is suffering a serious financial and economic crisis. The financial sector in a number of countries, including the US, is close to being technically bankrupt. Beyond the financial sector a number of industries in the UK and elsewhere are teetering on the edge. These include sectors responsible for infrastructure such as transport and telecommunications. The debts being ratcheted up by some countries will take generations to pay off and in the coming decade will lead to both tax rises and heavy cuts in public expenditure. It’s a dramatically changed landscape that will impact hugely on Greenpeace’s work along with many other organisations and companies. Every time we talk about ‘the global economic downturn’, or the need to kick start the economy, what we are doing is urging more expenditure, more motion. Economic growth is a means to an end, not an end in itself. But society has forgotten this. To measure the health of our society, our world, we need to know what this economic growth has helped us accomplish, and at what cost, not just how much motion it has generated and money it has spent. There’s another component to the economy: What it does not value. Our economic model, cham-
pioned these past few decades, has put the value of our joint home, planet earth, at precisely zero. There is no economic value put on our forests, our water, our soil, our oceans or our biosphere - all of which are vital to sustaining life on this planet, and all of which are limited. And as a consequence, we have been looting our home with impunity. Just as a credit crunch was inevitable, so is a climate crunch if business as usual continues. And a fisheries collapse, and the destruction of rainforests - and a whole host of other environmental breakdowns. Our leaders are still consumed by the rather naïve belief that we can have infinite economic growth on a finite planet. On the plus side to this crisis, such respectable public figures such as the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former World Bank economist Sir Nicholas Stern, and former UK Chief Scientist Sir David King recognise the link between the economy and climate change. Our economics have created the environmental problem. How we tackle that problem must be the solution to our economics. In that context the concept of a ‘Green New Deal’ is gaining credibility. President Obama is embracing the rhetoric. And, to give credit where it is due, his financial vision for kick-starting America does include a green agenda and some green spending. He has also
LEFT: John Sauven, Greenpeace UK. ABOVE: Devastating effects on the planet.
“The challenge is to close the massive gap between rhetoric and reality, and provide a narrative for a greener future.” DAN RONALD, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ALDI
proposed to China that they both agree together to emissions limits. Even Gordon Brown gets it in principle, although he is failing to provide a radical new leadership. The challenge is to close the massive gap between rhetoric and reality, and provide a narrative for a greener future which must include wider issues such as consumption, population, economic growth, transfer of resources from North to South and tackling the big ticket expenditure items like military spending ($1.2 trillion per year) which need redirecting into renewable energy, energy ef-
ficiency and protection of natural resources. Politics in general is good at the short-term solutions to boost consumerism, GDP, or the cycling of money through the system. These are tried and tested methods that make governments look busy whether they work or not. Yet when the rhetoric of a Green New Deal is put to the test, the UK government is backing a third runway at Heathrow, possibly new coal fired power stations, and cuts in VAT to boost short term consumer spending. To be successful the Green New Deal needs to be translated into specific policies plotted against an economic and carbon roadmap. This must get us from the immediate (2 year) economic challenge, to the short-term (5 year/political cycle) recovery strategy based on green jobs, mid-term (decade) infrastructural foundations, and a longer-term decarbonisation strategy that sees national and international emissions peak within a decade and en route for zero carbon by 2050. This vision affects all sectors of society and international relations. From agriculture and food production, through transport,
energy and other services, manufacturing, land use and urban planning. It’s an active agenda to build security through efficient and just use of resources including energy. The economic pattern of the next decade will be set in the coming months. A ten year delay in serious climate action will lock in a new generation of dirty power stations and long-lived infrastructure, which will squander 50% of the CO2 emission reduction opportunities. This would make a three to four degree rise in temperature almost certain. What we need is not just a shift to green investments and a push for efficiency but a change in the way we value natural resources. The ongoing clearing of rainforests in Brazil and Indonesia for cheap agricultural commodities needs to be stopped. Investment needs to flow into these countries to support sustainable farming that leaves the forest standing. Similarly corporate moves by BP and Shell into tar sands and other unconventional sources of oil need to be blocked. Recent crises have thrown many certainties into the air. Where they land is up to us.
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friends for life too. Hungary, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia … the itinerary reads like a World Atlas but it really is
elephant safari in Nepal, or crocs in the Northern Territory. The world is, quite literally, your oyster and Oz-Bus will make it happen. Oz-Bus provides clean, comfortable
accommodation in prime locations all the way to Australia, ranging from beach cottages in Thailand to the caves of xxx, and camping in the great Australian Outback. We set you up with a decent breakfast every day. We work with local, quality bus operators and experienced guides in each country to make sure that we get as much immersion in the local culture as possible. Our passengers’ safety is paramount from the moment anyone sets a foot on OzBus until the day our passengers leave us in Sydney. But make no mistake – this isn’t a trip for the faint-heated. We ask you to expect the unexpected, and that’s what makes it so special. Perhaps you have always wanted to spend more time in Bali – or you want to hook up with some friends in Thailand. No problem! From February, Oz-Bus is offering a hop-on, hop-off service to let our passengers do just that … and catch the next bus as it passes through four or five weeks later. Call us – the Oz-Bus team will help plan your trip before you leave. The only thing we can’t help you with is what to do when you get to Australia. But let’s face it – after a journey like the one we’ve just taken you on, you’re not exactly going to be short of ideas and inspiration. Or friends. Book your ticket to the greatest adventure bus ride on earth, and prepare to see the world. Oz-Bus style. n
GAP YEAR
FOR THE LASTEST IN GAP YEAR TRAVEL GO TO WWW.WWW.STUDENTTIMES.ORG
Tactical CV enhancing career breaks
GET THE BEST FROM YOUR BREAK
23
GAP YEARS
As this year’s new intake of university students gets ready for the days ahead, thousands of disappointed applicants are having to rethink how they spend the next year. A recession-fuelled surge of interest saw record numbers apply for university this year, but a government cap on places means an estimated 130,000 applicants have failed to find a degree place.
N
ow facing an unplanned gap year, many would-be students are thinking how they can use the time to improve their chances of securing a university place next year. Here Student Times presents 10 ways to get the most out of a gap year or career break by gaining work experience, life skills, language skills and maybe even some money in the bank. “Spending a year drifting around the beaches of South East Asia is a fantasy for many, but it’s a luxury you can only justify if you have a guaranteed university place or job waiting when you come back,” said Barry Smith, Skyscanner co-founder and director. “We’re seeing more of a trend now for tactical gappers who are combining travelling with specialist work experience guaranteed to boost their CVs. Some professions like hospitality, teaching and medicine are more geared up than others to offer easy access gap year opportunities, but there’s scope to find something to enhance your chances for most courses. And if you want to escape the UK but still need to earn money, there are plenty of paid opportunities overseas. Australia, for example, the most popular gap year destination – has not been as affected by the recession.”
10
ways to combine a gap year with work experience
1. Medforce – medicine is one of the most competitive degree choices and spending a year getting relevant experience will do a great deal to improve the chances of getting a place. www.medforce. info organises volunteer placements in medical centres and clinics around the world, including Ecuador, Cambodia, South Africa and India. 2. TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) – native speakers of English are incredibly fortunate because they come hardwired with a skill that can take them around the world as English teachers. Simply by helping others learn your mother tongue, you’ll be able to find employment in almost any non-English speaking country of the world, from Japan to Jordan, China to Chile. Great for valuable work experience and you can even learn a new language yourself. A TEFL qualification will help open doors to jobs, although it’s not always necessary – often native English ability and an enthusiastic attitude alone will suffice. 3. Work a Ski Season – there are many jobs available in ski resorts, most of which come with benefits such as cheap or free accommodation, discounted food and that all important season lift pass. Jobs can vary from ski instructors (which will require an instruction certificate), to dish washers (which will require endurance) and everything in between. Each job has its pros and cons in regards to pay, perks and how much time you get to spend on the slopes. Those with a British passport can work anywhere in the EU, and it’s also possible to arrange visas for ski resorts in
Canada, the USA or Japan. www. natives.co.uk is a great resource for snow jobs. 4. Camp America – the USA has a strong culture of summer camps whereby kids spend anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of months, learning arts and crafts, developing sporting skills and taking part in new activities. Generally camps have an outdoor emphasis with campers living communally in cabins. There are a number of different jobs available in camps: activity leaders, who spend the majority of their time running popular activities; support staff, who help out behind the scenes in the office, the kitchen and the grounds, and camp counsellors who mentor the kids on a day to day basis. For more information check out www. campamerica.co.uk 5. VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) – this is an international development charity that recruits volunteers to work on projects in some of the poorest regions of the world. Volunteers come from range of backgrounds; there are positions for both young, unskilled people, as well as experienced professionals. You’ll get to put your skills to good use and work within a local community in return for a living allowance, accommodation, insurance, flights and training. A great choice for a longer term career break, gap year or a shorter term trip (assignments of 1-6 months are available) - if you really want to make a difference, VSO is an ideal way to do it. For more information see www.vso. org.uk 6. WWOOFing – short for ‘World Wide Opportunities on Organic
Farms’, WWOOFers devote their time to working on organic farms, gardens or small holdings, in exchange for food and accommodation – no money changes hands. You don’t have to be a tree-hugging vegan to apply – as long as you’re willing to learn and eager to get your hands dirty – you will be welcomed. As a global network – opportunities for WWOOFing can be found around the world, whether that be picking organic grapes in Italy, harvesting organic coffee in Brazil or building a new strawberry greenhouse in Devon. Check www.wwoof.org to find an organic farm that takes your fancy. 7. Activity Holiday Worker – companies like PGL (www.pgl.co.uk) who provide summer camps and adventure holidays for kids employ large numbers of seasonal and year round staff who help run their activity camps and holidays. Locations vary from the Brecon Beacons to the South of France, and jobs range from kayak instructing to campfire cooking. PGL is popular with ‘gappers’, university students and recent graduates. Staff are provided with accommodation, access to training as well as a monthly wage. Beats stacking shelves, that’s for sure. 8. Learn a language – coming back from your travels with a reasonable grasp of a foreign language is definitely a CV enhancer. The best way to learn a new language is to go and live in that country and take lessons. There are language courses on offer in most countries; some of the most valuable and popular at the moment are Spanish and Chinese. Living aboard will also allow you to absorb the cultural aspects of your host coun-
try, meet the locals and try the food. Check out for information on visas and work permits. A language course will obviously cost you, but language learning is definitely a case of having to spend it to make it. Some of the other options suggested here will allow you to learn some of the local lingo and get paid too. 9. Yacht Crew – if you fancy yourself as a sailor of the seven seas (or even just one) then a job on a yacht is the gap year for you. Onboard you’ll learn the basics of how to sail, cook and keep everything ship shape. For longer voyages, work is normally divided into watches, so you’ll have to be fine with shift work. You’ll also have to get used to living in close, often cramped quarters, but when your day’s work involves weighing anchor and sailing to the next white sandy bay in the island chain – who cares! Find jobs with companies such as Sunsail and Neilson hire seasonal staff for to man their flotillas. The more sailing qualifications and experience you have, the better choice of roles you’ll get. 10. Work in a Kibbutz – these Israeli communes have long been part of the gap year trail. You’ll need to be fit, in good health and willing to muck in. Roles vary from cooking and farming to teaching and tourism. Though you will be expected to work hard, there are also ample opportunities to explore the area, get to know locals, fraternise with other volunteers from around the world, and learn Hebrew. Accommodation, food and some pocket money is all part of the deal. Find out more about Kibbutz life.
ST Extra ENTERTAINMENT
STUDENT TIMES BRINGS YOU THE HERE AND NOW OF THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD
ALBUM REVIEW
BACK TO BLACK The XX - XX Words: Charlie Baylis, Photo: Owen Richards
T
he British music scene hasn’t had any answers for a while, at least the parts easily accessed by the mainstream, instead it has been churning out saleable rubbish for the past few years. Can anyone please tell me which of La Roux, Little Boots or Kate Nash will be mentioned in ten years time? As for the ‘soul’ singers Duffy and Adele, surely it could only be in disgust. Meanwhile when not signing up and spitting out worryingly underdeveloped female artists on mass, record labels have offered us a steady stream of tepid indie rock, which refuses to budge an inch from matching the ambition of Razorlight’s first album, hello Noah and the Whale, and no, no-one wanted to jingle Joe Lean’s jong. Therefore it is such a great relief to hear a debut album so unconcerned with being anything other than what it is. That is, to be more precise, a
carefully made and structured album with rewarding attention to detail, which grows with each listen. xx is fortyish minutes of unfathomably mature, striking and understated brilliance. The austere and confident sound brings to mind the premature musical peak of Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm whilst the haunting, claustrophobic atmosphere recalls Joy Division’s bleak, uncompromising soundscapes. One of The xx’s biggest selling points is their originality, which makes reference points rather difficult to fathom, and it is interesting that the influences they themselves list, Missy Eliot, Aaliyah, Rihanna etc, have so little bearing on their sound, beyond the prominence of the bass and copulation centred lyrics. Furthermore there is none of the celebratory lightness of the 90s RnB that they adore, instead xx is intimate, inward looking and dark at the edges. The complimentary voices of the girl/boy leads are an essential element of what makes such a captivating listen, it comes at no surprise that Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim
practically learned to speak together, having been best friends since the age of five. The lightness of Romy’s expressive whispers fit Oliver’s impassive, ugly muttering like a Saville row suit. Further intricate layers of well woven texture are added to their music by the wobbly and emotive guitar of Baria Qureshi, which recalls Interpol’s quieter moments, held together by the drum sequences and programming wizardry of Jamie Smith. Though I don’t want to rock the boat by calling them the new Radiohead, it is interesting to wonder how similar Thom Yorke and co would sound, swapping leafy Oxford for The xx’s gritty South London and their dominant adolescent genres of early nineties grunge, to early naughties grime. However that is mere speculation, what is apparent is that this remarkable debut is head and shoulders above their contemporaries, and for the first time in a while the British music scene has produced what sounds like an answer, now if only we knew the question. n
ST EXTRA
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REVIEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
25
SP T LIGHT
Words by Alex Thornber Spotify probably the best music site in the world
W
GREENDAY: Find your favourite bands for £9.99.
FILM REVIEW
hen I was asked to investigate the new social music software Spotify, I had no idea what to expect. The premise Spotify is that you can listen to music, make playlists and share them with friends as much as you want, for absolutely nothing. In return for unlimited free listening you are subjected to a radio style advert every half an hour. There are various tariffs within the Spotify program; the free plan which I’ll be exploring, the day pass which allows uninterrupted streaming for 24 hours at a small price and the Premium plan which removes all adverts entirely for £9.99 a month. I have tested the free edition and this is my walk through from the very first moment... So, I have gone to www.spotify.com, filled in a brief sign up form and downloaded the software to my computer. On opening it looks very much like the iTunes interface, which I guess is not a bad thing as it is both stylish and familiar to many people. Now, I am presented with an introduction page; it is both very clear and brief, yet informs me perfectly of everything I need to know. After that I am surprised to find I am ready to go. For the case of experimentation I chose to search a band I know a lot about, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I typed the name into the search bar and I’m immediately onto the main YYY’s page, where I can see three tabs at the top: Overview, Biography and Artist Radio. Under these tabs is a small image with an excerpt from the bands bio and the entire list of available tracks, organised into albums, descending from most recent. The first thing that strikes me is how extensive the collection is: all three studio albums, eight singles/EP’s and a variety of compilations which they have appeared on. The only thing missing is their debut, mostly unknown, EP which can be easily forgiven. The Biography page has been constructed with care; it has an inset white background with crisp black font and blue for links which makes it easy to read off the screen. The biography itself if taken from www.allmusic.com which is a highly reputable music website and therefore it is both well
researched and extensive. The Artist Radio segment is wonderful and deserves special mention; a “station” comprised of music from the band in question and their similar artists. This idea has previously been done by a website called Pandora. Unlike Pandora however, Spotify has no limits on how many songs you can skip or how long you listen for, which is brilliant and what web based radio should be. This kind of application is great for music lovers as it can introduce you to bands and songs you would love and maybe wouldn’t have heard of elsewhere. Now to the adverts. Initially the idea of being interrupted in the middle of a great album would instil dread in any music lover, however when it came to the moment it passed perfectly, almost without notice. The people at Spotify have been cautious and caring to place the adverts at the end of songs. And the adverts are brief like those found on commercial radio, and they’re only one at a time. Obviously there are many more tools and functions than I am able to describe but I can honestly say, this program is a wonderful invention and sure to be a great success. With illegal downloading being in the press more and more lately, now is the perfect time for this social, music sharing program which is most importantly legal. I could not recommend Spotify enough, it is simple to use, made by people who know what they are talking about and, contrary to my initial worries, possesses an extensive collection of music, both mainstream and niche. n
ONE MAN BAND The Soloist Words: Joe Cole
B
roken down into its various parts, The Soloist would appear to be a wellcrafted movie. The cast are excellent, with the dynamic pairing of Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx taking lead roles. The classical soundtrack, composed by Dario Marianelli, complements the drama agreeably, filling the room with sad yet triumphant strings. And Joe Wright’s cinematography is oh-so-beautiful, though at times too showy for the nature of the film. None of this, however, helps elevate the movie beyond middleof-the-road status. Where it fails is in its lack of ambition and originality.
The plot, based on a true story, centres on L.A. columnist Steve Lopez (Downey Jr.) and his developing relationship with Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless, possibly schizophrenic musician, played by Foxx. Following Lopez’s first encounter with Nathaniel, he decides that the two-stringed violinist, who brings music to the streets of Los Angeles, would be an ideal subject for his columns, and immediately entangles himself in his life. Lopez learns that there is a fuzzy line between helping the musician and profiteering from him, and as the forces of popularity blur that line further, the tension builds. Unfortunately, though the journalist’s aspirations for Ayers are sometimes misplaced, his motives are never questionable enough to prevent a predictable ending. Meanwhile, ‘problem guy’
Nathaniel, struggles with his own demons. Foxx handles the role with great maturity, successfully managing the balance between the character’s prevailing kindness and his inner rage and paranoia. Joe Wright’s previous two films, Atonement and Pride and Prejudice, won multiple awards: the former securing a medal at the Oscars and the latter snagging four nominations. The Soloist seems an unabashed attempt to continue in the same vein, following what we have come to recognise as the Oscar blueprint, safely and without passion. Effectively, what they have created is merely a tamer Rainman: a formulaic piece with few surprises. Despite the splendid performances and the sweeping camera shots, this film will be instantly forgotten amidst the ranks of mediocrity. n
26
LIFESTYLE & HEALTH
STUDENT TIMES VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1
ENVIRONMENT
WINNER
Outstanding
PHOTOS
Moldovan photographer, Bolucevschi Vitali, has won the prestigious title of CIWEM’s Environmental Photographer of the Year 2009, whilst CIWEM’s Young Environmental Photographer of the Year is now 19 year old Jordan Mary from Kent, England. TOP LEFT: Winner Bolucevschi Vitali Nicolai Talking about stars. TOP RIGHT: Nick Moir Microburst and Duststorm. BOTTOM RIGHT: Khaled Hasan Living Stone, A community losing it’s life.
In just its 3rd year, the Environmental Photographer of the Year is one of the fastest growing photographic competitions in the world, with pictures entered from over 60 countries including Serbia, Jamaica, Belarus, Zimbabwe, Turkey, Romania, India, South Africa, Australia, Israel, USA, China, Belgium, Vietnam and the UK. It is an international showcase for the very best in environmental photography, honouring amateur and professional photographers who use their ability to raise awareness of environmental and social issues. The categories are Mott MacDonald’s Changing Climates; Black & Veatch’s World of Difference; Quality of Life; The Natural World; and the Young Environmental Photographer of the Year (Under 21). Black & Veatch, an engineering consulting and construction company specialising in water and environmental work, has been a sponsor of the competition since its inception. And Mott MacDonald, an engineering and development consultancy, joined the EPOTY team in 2009. Only 24 years old, amateur photographer Bolucevschi Vitali described how he was able to take his winning image, Talking About Stars: “On a sunny day I took a camera and set out to photograph something of the life of ants. At first I was no good as the ants moved very quickly and I was easily distracted. But gradually I was drawn to a group which was climbing up a nearby dandelion. They would each pull out one seed and then parachute to the ground. Unfortunately I could not photograph these moments well, but I did manage to get this one shot of the last few ants before they flew down.” “Since childhood I have loved to observe the life of wildlife, particularly the complex and dramatic life of insects. There is still so much to discover in natural photography so it is very exciting to think you might create something new and special each time you take your camera out. I am overwhelmed that
I am the Environmental Photographer of the Year 2009. This victory is very important for me and for my creativity and I hope to keep taking such interesting pictures.” Jordan Mary’s image Train Station Arrival was taken when his train ground to a halt just outside Pune station in India to be greeted by a young school boy. On hearing the news, Jordan responded “I am absolutely delighted – I am currently in India yelling my head off after receiving the news of my first ever photography award. To win this award is an honor as I have only been photographing the beauty of the world, its people and places for two years. I am full of excitement! This will be my first photo ever exhibited – I hope it will inspire others to experience new places, people and cultures.” The panel of judges spent all of August going through nearly 2,500 entries, looking for images that were contemporary, creative, resonant, original and beautiful. Bolucevschi Vitali became CIWEM’s Environmental Photographer of the Year after Talk About Stars won the Natural World category and was then selected by judge and Chairman of the Environment Agency, Lord Smith, as the overall winner. Talking about the winning image, Lord Smith said “This is a compelling image that conveys the beauty, the fragility, and the
delicacy of nature in an extraordinary way. It reminds us that the environment, in its smallest detail as well as its grandest sweep, needs care and stewardship from us all.” Vitali and Jordan share the prize fund of £3,500 with the other category winners. Mott MacDonald’s Changing Climates category was won by Australian Nick Moir, who specialises in storm chasing and bush fire coverage for his image of the Victorian bushfires, Microburst and Dust Storm. Khaled Hasan, from Bangladesh, won the Quality of Life category with his photograph of 26 year old Kalam Ali working at a stone crushing machine in Living Stone, A Community Losing Its Life. And Indian photographer Asis Kumar Sanyal won Black & Veatch’s World of Difference with his image Polio Day, which shows mothers taking their babies to a nearby health centre to get vaccinated against Polio. Winning photographers will have their images showcased in a free international exhibition, which launches at 3 Bedfordbury Gallery, Covent Garden from 7th October until 18th October. Limited edition prints of some of the winning and highly commended entries will be available for sale during this exhibition only. n For more information on the competition and exhibition, please go to www.ciwem.org/arts/photographer
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10
Top tips for
STUDENT SURVIVAL Being a student in the UK has never been more expensive. Shockingly the average student will leave university with a whopping £20,000 debt, something that can take years to clear, especially when you consider that the average starting salary for graduates is calculated at £16,000. Free money is hard to come by, especially in a recession, that’s why Savers have come up with ten top tips to show you how to get the most out of your university experience without talking it out on your bank balance!
LIFESTYLE & HEALTH
TOP TEN FOR STUDENT SURVIVAL
27
1. Fail to plan, plan to fail It can be all too tempting to splurge when your first loan instalment is burning a hole in your pocket. A great way of taking control is to develop a budget. Simply subtract your overhead costs including rent, bills, books, food and travel to see how much money you have left over. You should then divide what’s left into a daily amount to see just how much you can afford. Following a realistic budget can free up spare cash so you can use your money on the things that really matter to you. 2. Discount demon Being a student entitles you to a wealth of discounts. Many pub, bars, shops and restaurants offer 10% student discounts when a valid NUS card is shown. Whilst 10% may not seem a lot, it can really mount up. Choosing establishments that value student custom is an easy way to curb your spending without inhibiting your lifestyle. 3. Shop savvy Where you shop is just as important as what you buy. Choose stores that are competitively priced. Savers stores have all the must have student essentials from the latest toiletries to household goods, all at great discount prices. Some great savings include; Anadin Extra x16 £1.69 RRP £1.75 – for the morning after the night before, Batiste Dry Shampoo £1.69 RRP £2.10 – for those in between hair washing days, Bold 2in1 Liqiutabs x20 £2.24 RRP £6.74 – the easy way to get your washing done and CK In 2U for Her and Him 50ml £18.99 each RRP £30 each – keeping you smelling irresistible. 4. Can’t cook, won’t cook Fast food and ready meals may seem like a time saver but they won’t save your finances… or your waist line. Learning to cook some basic meals from scratch will not only keep you healthy it will save you money. Try cooking and eating together as a group, you can buy more at the supermarket allowing you to take advantage of multibuy savings. Why not try taking it in turns to host a ‘Come Dine With Me’ style soiree, you can split the costs across the week and more importantly you’ll have great fun doing it. 5. Swap-o-rama You’ve met lots on new people and your social life is on fire, but this poses a new dilemma – what to wear on yet another night out. Why not host ‘swap party’ for you and your friends, bring along any clothes, hair care and make up you don’t want anymore and swap them for something amazing. You can develop a whole new image,
whilst keeping your bank balance looking great. If you don’t have anything to swap you can pick up some great products at Savers, TREsemme 24-Hour Body Root Boosting Spray £4.79 RRP £5.28 or St Ives Firming Body Lotion £1.99 RRP £3.98 would be ideal to add to the mix. 6. Join in Fresher’s Week provides a great opportunity for you to meet new people, questions like ‘which halls are you in?’ and ‘what are you studying?’ will soon become second nature. But the week also allows you to join new societies. Consider which ones you join carefully as you often pay a joining fee, but the rewards to your bank account will be seen later on. Many societies offer discounted trips – taking you everywhere from the theatre to the nightclub, all at a reduced cost. 7. Book worm Most student libraries will stock course texts but with the whole class fighting over a few copies, most will want to skip the race by purchasing their own. However, buying university textbooks from the campus bookstore can be expensive, and selling them on once you have completed your course rarely yields as much as one would expect. To save money try buying your books from past students or browse online for the best deals. 8. Freshen Up Most universities will host Fresher’s Fairs. Not only is the Fair a great way to get your social life into swing helping you to meet new people and join societies, it’s a regular haven for picking up freebies. Take advantage of these deals, whether it’s a book of vouchers or a free bag of food from the local supermarket. 9. Designated driver We’ve all had that feeling you’ve been out all night and all you want is to get yourself home. Taxi’s might be your shining light but they can cost a fortune. Most universities put on a specialised service that will take you from student hotspots to your home at a reduced fare. You may have to queue but your wallet will thank you in the morning, even if your banging head doesn’t. 10. Working 9 til 5 well not exactly, but there are plenty of part time jobs you can take on during term time that will fit happily around your lifestyle and study commitments. Most universities employ students to work at the union bars, shops and restaurants. It might not be glamorous, but a few hours work a week will provide you with your Friday night spending money. n
If you need your favourite brands but don’t want to pay top dollar visit your local Savers. “Shop where the smart shopper shops!” For a full store list visit www.savers.co.uk or call 0800 107 8495 Illustrations by Jon-Paul Daly jp@entwurf.co.uk
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Accommodation
Need Student Accommodation? Find student housing and student accommodation throughout the UK quickly and easily. www.homesforstudents.co.uk Student Housing Houses Flats Homes Here you will find details of Private rented accommodation offered by private landlords/letting agents in London including; student houses. www.accommodationforstudents.com
Gap Year Travel
Camps International Camps International runs award winning volunteer Gap years to Africa & Asia. Visit www.campsinternational.com, give us a call on 0844 800 1127 or email: info@campsinternational.com Life Changing Travel Looking for ideas to make your gap year the best ever? How about surfing in Brazil? Trekking through the Himalayas? Or setting off for the ultimate Thailand tour? You can do all this and more with an i-to-i gap year! www.i-to-i.com Call us free on 0800 011 1156 Gap year Thailand We are the specialists in volunteer gap year programmes teaching English
in schools in Thailand. We organise and support gap year (usually less than a year) placements for volunteer teachers abroad to help Thai children and schools in an area of great need in Asia – as voluntary teaching assistants for English language teaching for Thai schools and universities. If you’d like to discuss, we’d be pleased to hear from you. For a UK phone call cost please phone David on 07899 887276 or by email to david@gapyearthailand.org.uk
Help
Chinese Information and Advice Centre (CIAC) The Chinese Women Domestic Violence Project at the Chinese Information & Advice Centre (CIAC) in Central London is developing its Outreach Project to support Chinese sufferers of DV. Email: teng@ciac.co.uk Tel: 020 7692 3697 Everyman Project Counselling, support and advice to men who are violent or concerned about their violence, and anyone affected by that violence. Tel: 020 7737 6747
Kiran Asian Women’s AidAdvice, support, refuge for Asian women, and women from other cultures e.g. Turkey, Iran, Morocco, Malaysia etc. Tel: 020 8558 1986
UK Insolvency Helpline Free & confidential advice on finance and debts. Monday to Saturday 9am – 9pm (Sundays 9.30am – 1pm & 24 hour answerphone) Tel: 0800 074 6918
man2man Abuse Help Line For male victims only, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Emergencies only after 10 pm. Tel: 0208 698 9649
Victim Supportline Nationwide lo-call service, 9am9pm Mon-Fri, 9am-7pm weekends and bank holidays from 9am-5pm; Provides information and support to victims of all reported and unreported crime, including sexual crimes, racial harassment and domestic violence Tel: 0845 30 30 900
Men’s Aid Providing support and advice for men experiencing domestic violence. Tel: 0871 223 9986 Panahghar Help for Asian women experiencing Domestic Violence Tel: 01203 228952 Rape/Indecent Assault Crisis Counselling Tel: 0800 735 0567 Samaritans Tel: 08457 909090 The Pink Practice A counselling and psychotherapy practice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Leeds and London. Lines open Mon-Thur 9am-7pm. Tel: 07005 968 111
Whatever you have to say, say it on ST Classifieds Whether you have accomadation to rent, jobs to advertise or you’re just looking for love, ST Classified is here to help. It’s simple, all you have to do is submit your text by email to classified@studenttimes.org.
jobs and summer jobs with www.Student-Jobs.co.uk www.cashback.co.uk Earn £80 A Day on Surveys. Earn £2400 a month with surveys. Earn good money with paid surveys. www.cashback.co.uk
Personnals
Gaydar The largest selection of gay personals on the web. With thousands of members it’s even easier to hook up with guys around the corner or around the globe. www.gaydar.co.uk
Victim Support’s Male Helpline Freephone number for men, 12 noon to 2 pm, Mon to Fri. Tel: 0800 328 3623 Women’s Aid National Domestic Violence Helpline Nationwide, 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, also weekends from July 1999. Advice and telephone support provided by highly trained staff and volunteers backed up by a wide range of leaflets and other resources Tel: 0345 023 468
Jobs
www.Student-Jobs.co.uk The one-stop student job shop for holiday jobs, part time jobs, student
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Travel
Cheap Student Flights University Based travel agency specialising in travel for students and young people – offering special deals on flights. www.studentflights.co.uk STA Cheap Student Flights & Worldwide Flight Tickets, STA Travel have some amazing flight deals to worldwide destinations; student and youth travellers can benefit from the cheapest airline tickets. www.statravel.co.uk
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29
Loughborough Students “areStudent theCase Study loudest in the land”
Abigail Payne
BA (Hons) Conductive Education Graduated July 2008
Background
and I provide a group session for them both. Now based made. The provisions at the institute where most of am deeply thatinour effortswhere to encourage complain Mauritius a small CEresidents centre hastobeen set up, the training takes place are I really good. disappointed We always am refutes working the as article the conductor there research alongside receivedand constant feedback, everyone yourus. LSUI fully I have always enjoyed anddown always Students should feel travelling, thoughly let bywanted the Gordon Brown his rotton is being usedknew against and the quasi teachers and assistants. The contacts I built at NICE name and you became part of the team. I had good to be a teacher. One year I went to America to teach goverment. Afterfor11 yearsneeds. of “New Labour” I would likecontacts to ask “What has at the university behind it.as We believe, and students wereencouraging excellent and Iresidents thank them all so much foralike getting and friends I stayed onby actively at summer camp special After that, I knew me where I am today. campus the first year, whichto is complain, good to meet that a career withinfor special Labour ever done us?” needs or in that field of thatpeople we can resolve the problems at hand, better our service to from a range of areas, who can support you and work was what I wanted to do. I started to introduce Labour relied on the Student for ayears andyou, timeas I can them. students whilst and also its strengthening relationships with the local community. It advise The library myself into has the special needs sector, byVote getting job and time resources were also good for as CE can be in a mainstream school working as aninLSA a little againLabour has kicked Students the for Teeth. is studies this proactive approach that has in the most part led to the apparently high categorised in many areas. girl with cerebral palsy. Here is where I was The latesttoinConductive the expenses scandle(CE) is just example of how out of levels of complaints, a point made to me personally this week by a member of introduced Education asanother she attended CE centre once a week.many I hadof also touch thisa government is. Whilst us been still haven’t recieved our Student one of the local residents groups. working part-time with care for adults with learning Whilst doingMP’s the course, I have gained contacts within Loans and Iare harder and harder to live we have Labour This year LSU has far surpassed the efforts of previous years in building disabilities. wasfinding keen toit get a degree in the ‘special CE and worked alongside my studies. Whilst studying needs’ field, and the University Wolverhampton complaining for having to returnofmoney they should never had. Poor these links with the local community and we are very proud of not only for have my degree I assisted the running of summer was the only university to have such a course. programmes and the New Forest. little things. Maybe they the should start living in the real world like the for restchildren of us! in London the avenues for complaint in place but our general relationship with our Alongside that I spotted Conductive Education During my third year I worked for a few children from course. for it, me went interview, got it,parties, the Labour party WhatI applied realy upsets is for thatanunlike the other neighbours. An example The National Institute of Conductive Education (NICE) of new initiatives championed by LSU include our and absolutely loved it from day one. providing based and generalHandbook babysitting – a well received guide given to our community are suposed to be socialists, where everyone is supposed to be CE equal, fairsessionsCommunity and care. One little boy who was 2 had travelled from distribution of wealth etc, well this lot are more like champayne if NICE. students thatofenlightens Ireland tosocialists have CE at The mother the child them on responsibility, community etiquette and how me on? to goWhen and work withtoher up The course intense, can because relationships you ask me.was Whatever theyofbethe spending their largeasked salaires beinaIreland good training neighbours. We are not naïve in acknowledging that there are her carers and helpers, and providing a more intense that you build with conductors and service users. everything seems that need to be resolved, but, we are making every effort to better the programme for her son. issues This being a success The social life is a expensible? bit different compared to some I went to Ireland school students, as the hours from the firstEducation day involved Remember Education Education and Whiter than white?several times during lives ofthenot onlyholidays students but also the long term residents within the town of whilst still studying for my degree. I have since travelled practical placement and theory, so our hours are Well we say now” “Go aquickly” cannot you to any longer. Loughborough. Ireland to not only work with this little boy but very different, so“Go it does require certain we amount of affordback another who travels to Birmingham also. The staff at discipline. Everyone on the course had such a Ryan Thomas NICE and I have arranged forRob the boys to get Union together President, Loughborough Students Union passion for what we did, that friends for life were Hulme,
What next?
The course and resources
Change your future and theirs If you feel that you could make a difference to the lives of future generations, as well as changing the course of your life for the better, then come to a University of Wolverhampton Open Day to find out how. The University of Wolverhampton is one of Britain’s largest and most established teacher training and education providers, with high national ranking and a record of continuing excellence: ■
Grade 1 in OfSTED inspections for primary and secondary Initial Teacher Training for Management and Quality Assurance and Teaching
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In 2007 CEER ranked us 2nd out of 76 UK Universities for teacher trainee employment success
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Excellent undergraduate specialist and joint degrees: QAA assessment score of 23 out of 24
Teacher Training BEd (Hons) Early Primary Education BEd (Hons) Primary Education BEd (Hons) Primary Education with languages
Specialist and Combined Awards BA (Hons) Childhood & Family Studies* (can also be combined with another subject) BA (Hons) Education Studies (can only be studied with another subject) BA (Hons) Special Needs and Inclusion Studies (can also be combined with another subject) BA (Hons) Conductive Education BA (Hons) Education Studies and English *To be verified
www.wlv.ac.uk/sed For more information on our courses visit us on our Open Days: 18 February 2009, 12 March 2009 and 1 April 2009. Book your place by emailing us at sed@wlv.ac.uk
Sport UNIVERSITY
STUDENT TIMES AND BUSA BRING YOU THE SPORTS NEWS FROM AROUND THE UK
BUCS seeks new host city for UK student games The British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships is the pinnacle of the national sporting calendar for university students and is seeking a new host city for 2011 – 2013. Following two successful years in Sheffield, the BUCS Championships will return to the city for its final year in March 2010. As the third largest multisport event in Europe, behind the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, the BUCS Championships is a test-bed for current and future international athletes – many set to be household names by London 2012. BUCS is now looking for a new partner to become the home of the Championships for three years from 2011. With over 5,500 student athletes competing in 24 sports, the event can bring significant economic value to a region as well as promote the area as a ‘must-visit’ location with real sporting legacy. Karen Rothery, Chief Executive of British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) said: “A host city can take
real advantage of the BUCS Championships taking place during the best decade for sport in this country. The event may be the final opportunity for our aspiring athletes to experience a multi-sport event before the Olympic or Commonwealth Games in London and Glasgow. “Building on the experience and success of working with Sheffield City Council and its local partners, we are looking for a host city to become the home of the event by integrating our aspirations for sporting legacy and community involvement over the five days.” Since its inception in 2008, the event has grown rapidly; gaining significant profile and coverage in the wider sporting landscape. Last year, the BUCS Championships: • Saw 5,500 student athletes (majority aged between 18-21 years) compete in 24 sports across 14 venues in the county over five days • Generated an economic impact of £589,000 in Sheffield (SIRC, May 2009) • Enlisted the help of 150
sporting officials and 250 Sheffield-based volunteers • Attracted 2,600 paying spectators • Generated media value of £190,000 with online and newspaper coverage and airtime on Channel 4, Sky Sports, BBC Radio Sheffield, Radio 5 Live, Look North and Yorkshire TV • Recorded over 2.5 million page views on www. thebucschampionships.co.uk • Increased the economic impact on the 2008 event by 64% Interested host cities and regions are invited to tender for this event by 30 November 2009. All bidders will be asked to outline their ability to host the event, including a minimum of 24 sports, paying particular attention to availability of high-quality venues, facilities, accommodation and partnership working. The new host city will be announced in January 2010. The BUCS Championships tender document is available from www.bucs.org.uk or www. thebucschampionships.co.uk
ST NIBS
BUCS SURF CHAMPS GROWS TO SECOND-LARGEST SURF COMPETITION IN THE WORLD The BUCS Surfing Championships, in association with Ticket To Ride Worldwide Surfing Adventures, had an incredible 340 surfers compete over three days at Fistral Beach, Cornwall last weekend (16 – 18 October 2009). British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) who runs the competition for student surfers partnered with surf adventure company Ticket To Ride, south west legacy trust RELAYS, University College Falmouth, Outgoing.co.uk and the British Surfing Association to offer a weekend of professional surfing and surf culture for competitors and spectators. The Championships included men’s and women’s individual and team competitions. Swansea University’s women’s team retained its team title and University of Plymouth took the men’s team Championships.
Mark Brian, Head of Sports Programmes at BUCS said: “The BUCS Surfing Championships kicked off the sporting season for BUCS and this year’s event exceeded all our expectations. We had a record number of entries for the event and thanks to smooth organisation from the British Surfing Association we were able to get 340 surfers in the water over the three days. “Conditions were perfect with great waves and weather which really enhanced the surf festival atmosphere for the 750 spectators who came out to watch our best student surfers in Cornwall this year.” Will Hayler, Co-founder of Ticket To Ride said: “All the elements came together for us this weekend. The sun shone, the waves were classic and the standard of surfing was at its highest. The whole weekend had a festival feel to it and we felt privileged to be a part of it.”
Tall and Talented Britons are wanted to try out for the 2016 Olympic Games A nationwide talent search is calling for 15 - 22 year old athletic men over 6’3” and women over 5’11” to apply to represent Great Britain in Rio de Janeiro. Following the announcement on 3 October that Rio will host the next Olympics after London, UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport have joined forces to find athletes capable of representing and winning medals for Great Britain in Brazil in 2016 Tall and Talented, is looking for exceptionally tall men and woman who could find success in sports where height can give an athlete a real advantage, such as rowing and basketball. Applicants are invited to sign up and test for a number of sports to see whether they have the potential. The opportunities to students are genuine and we’d encourage you to grasp this opportunity and
who knows, you could be standing on the podium at Rio in 2016. If this is you or someone you know... • Aged between 15 and 22 years old • Exceptionally tall (men over 190cm and women over 180cm) • Competing in any sport at a MINIMUM of county/regional level • Quick, agile and skilful AND/OR fit, powerful and strong • Mentally tough and competitive • Up for a once in a lifetime opportunity to become part of Britain’s sporting elite …then we’d urge you to sign up now! To sign up for Talent 2016: Tall and Talented, or to register interest in future Talent 2016 campaigns, applicants should submit their details before 16 November 2009 at www.uksport.gov.uk/talent
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Are you interested in training to teach at Are you interested in training to teach at a top-ranked School of Education? a top-ranked School of Education? Ranked as one of the top 15 Schools of Education in England and based on the £120m purpose de Havilland we provide state-of-the-art teaching Ranked as one ofbuilt the top 15 Schoolscampus, of Education in England and based on the and learning facilities well as some of the best university-based £120m purpose built deas Havilland campus, we provide state-of-the-artsporting teachingand fitness facilities in theascountry. and learning facilities well as some of the best university-based sporting and fitness facilities in the country. We offer a range of full-time and part-time We also offer Primary PGCE full-time PGCE including: Weand byoffer distance learning. We offerSecondary a range of programmes full-time and part-time also Primary PGCE full-time PGCE Secondary programmes including: and by distance learning. • Modern Foreign Languages The University encourages applications (French, Foreign French with Spanish, • Modern Languages The University encourages applications from under-represented groups. (French, French with Spanish, French with German from under-represented groups. French with German and German with French) For more information on courses, German with French) • and Science Forplease more visit information on courses, •• Science Maths please visit go.herts.ac.uk/education •• Maths Art and Design go.herts.ac.uk/education • Art and Design T: 01707 285732 • English T: 01707 285732 • English E: admissions@herts.ac.uk • Business Education E: admissions@herts.ac.uk • Business Education
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