University of Cardiff edition
Student Cardiff A paper for all students studying in the City of Cardiff Editor’s Note Well I would like to welcome you to the first issue of Student Cardiff, a student paper which is breaking down to those petty differences like which university we go to to give you your comprehensive of Cardiff. Each university will have their own edition to ensure you can find out what’s happening in your university. What we aim here for at Student Cardiff is readabilty and if there’s something you want to see please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Train strike. How will you make it back for Christmas? R
ail bosses have pledged to ensure trains keep running after signal workers walked out yesterday on the first day of a six-day strike.
“Robust” anti-strike measures kept disruption to a minimum during the action’s first 24 hours, said Network Rail, the company responsible for the UK’s track and signalling systems. It has drafted in signal workers from across the country until the strike is due to officially end on Saturday. A spokeswoman said 95% of yesterday’s trains arrived on time, but would not specify which were late. Notices at Cardiff Central Station said rail services from Cardiff to Bridgend, from Radyr to Coryton and from Penarth to Bargoed would be affected. Full Story on Pg 3
Tarantino’s Inglourious reviewed! T
arantino provides us with the must watch film of the year with the historically incorrect but yet immensely satisfying Inglourious Basterds. After the 2007 box office flop; Death Proof, which was nothing more than a private joke between Tarantino and fellow director Robert Rodriguez, Tarantino has put himself back on top with Inglourious Basterds. The 7th film in Tarantino’s short but very hit and miss career was prepped, shot and cut in under a year, this brings back the hasty almost rushed feel that Tarantino’s films have been lacking since pulp fiction, this movie feels like old school Tarantino. Aside from Brad Pitt as the hill-billy talking, Nazi scalping Lt Aldo Raine and relatively unknown but noticeably brilliant Michael Fassbender as Lt
Archie Hicox who is a film critic come commando spy the best performance of the film though goes to Tarantino’s secret weapon: Christophe Waltz as SS Col Hans Landers who at long last breaks out of the pantomime role that all Hollywood Nazis are played as. Waltz’s character is charming and friendly and you find yourself at times liking him while all the time the cold contempt of the “Jew Hunter” is lurking just beneath the surface but not completely hidden. Full review is on page 6
Also in the review section is Student Cardiff’s predictions for 2010’s Christmas number one and the BBC series Life is reviewed.
Like FREE stuff? Here at Student Cardiff we’re students and we love freebies so we are offering the chance for you to get yout hands on some free goodies by entering any of our competitions on page 7. From quizzes to photo competitions have a go and you could earn up to £50 in HMV or ASDA vouchers. We even give away prizes for good writing or good stories.
Uni News
Page 2
Computing excellence A
new £44m High Performance Computing (HPC) institute for Wales has been announced by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). HPC Wales, which will be delivered by Cardiff and Swansea Universities, will be funded by £10m from BIS’s Strategic Investment Fund (SIF), together with contributions from European funds, Higher Education in Wales and the private sector. The HPC institute will be based in two hubs at Cardiff and Swansea Universities, with additional centres at Aberystwyth, Bangor and Glamorgan universities. It will provide
Fees Update
vs the Higher Education funding review will only report after the general election, it would appear that Labour and the Conservatives are trying to hide behind the review during the general election. It is important that students and the general public know the boundaries of the debate when deciding who to vote for in the general election next year. Students and Students’ Unions across the UK have been asking MPs and PPCs to come clean on whether, if elected, they would vote against any increase in tuition fees in the next Parliament. Since the Higher Education funding review was announced on 9th November, I have met with all 4 Cardiff MPs to discuss this issue. I have also contacted the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Plaid Cymru and The Green Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs) for the 4 Parliamentary seats in Cardiff. I will be publishing updates on which Cardiff MPs and PPCs have signed the NUS pledge and closer to the general election, NUS will be publishing a list of MPs and PPCs who have signed the NUS pledge, and those who have not.
Who have signed so far in Cardiff? Julie Morgan MP, Cardiff North, The Labour Party Jenny Willott MP, Cardiff Central, Liberal Democrat Jenny Rathbone, PPC (Prospective Parliamentary Candidate) for Cardiff Central, The Labour Party Sam Coates, PPC for Cardiff Central, The Green Party Dominic Hannigan, PPC Cardiff South and Penarth, Liberal Democrat Kevin Brennan MP for Cardiff West sent this comment: “As a Minister and a member of the Government parliamentary protocol prevents my signing the pledge”. As yet, Alun Michael, MP for Cardiff South and Penarth is the only Cardiff MP able to sign the pledge who has not.
companies with access to supercomputing resources, and is expected to create more than 400 new jobs. HPC Wales is designed to create new opportunities for users in Welsh universities and businesses, and has been developed as a strategic component of the Government’s Building Britain’s Future policy. Committed to a ten year development programme, HPC Wales promises to establish strong foundations for the future, providing flexible ways to adapt to changing technologies and skills requirements. It will also enhance collaborative research across a range of sectors including engineering, health and biosciences, manufacturing and low carbon innovation. The successful bid follows considerable preparation and planning by the Welsh
Assembly Government and a number of Wales’ higher education institutions. Cardiff University’s Advanced Research Computing @ Cardiff (ARCCA) division played a central role throughout the bidding process - in the development, distribution and subsequent analysis of the initial HPC survey, designed to inform the development of a strategy for the future of HPC in Wales, and then, together with colleagues from the partner HEIs, in crafting the bid itself. The initiative will offer a range of opportunities, including skills-development activities, internships, training packages and consultancy services – all designed to enhance workforce skills and to strengthen links between HPC Wales and Welsh industry.
Cardiff Condor Pool shows its true power
T
he University recently showcased the power of its Condor Pool for research computing in front of a host of international visitors.
A big ‘Thank You’ C
ombined service of 1,570 years by 55 members of staff was honoured at the University’s recent Recognition of Service ceremony. Some 13 members of staff received awards for achieving 40 years of service, and a further 42 for completing 25 years, as part of the University’s Positive Working Environment scheme. The staff were honoured with a special reception organised by the Human Resources Directorate in the Glamorgan Building. They were entertained by two singers from the University’s Cardiff International Academy of Voice, MaryJean O’Doherty and Claire Egan, who performed a number of operatic arias and duets. Staff members were congratulated and
thanked for their service by the ViceChancellor Dr David Grant and by the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Staff, Professor Terry Threadgold. Professor Threadgold said: “The success of any university depends entirely on the quality, hard work and commitment of its staff. We are very fortunate at Cardiff to have staff of the highest quality working in all of the diverse areas and functions which it takes to run a large university like this one.” Each member of staff received a certificate signed by the Vice-Chancellor and a choice of Waterford Crystal gifts, Amazon vouchers or vouchers for a donation to the charity of their nomination. Further such recognition events are planned.
Hosted by Advanced Research Computing @ Cardiff (ARCCA), the event welcomed 40 high-profile delegates and international experts. Along with representatives of more than a dozen UK universities and several commercial companies and research laboratories, they learned how to make the best use of Condor to support research computing. Condor is a specialized workload management system for high-throughput computing jobs. Users submit their jobs to Condor which places them into a queue, chooses where and when to run them, carefully monitors their progress, and informs the users upon completion. Cardiff’s Condor Pool has been in use since January 2006 and is one of the largest in the UK. During the event, delegates heard from
Mr Greg Thain, one of the principal Condor developers from the University of Wisconsin, about the Pool’s ability to harness power of unused computers across the campus to carry out complex research calculations. This was followed by various talks on aspects of service monitoring and provision. Dr James Osborne, application support engineer for the Advanced Research Computing division said: “The workshop was a great success in bringing the community together to share best practice and to discuss improvements to Condor with both developers and national service providers. We also heard about the kinds of research that Condor is enabling in a wide range of fields which in turn gives us ideas on how best to engage with the Cardiff research community.” Eleven schools currently use Condor including the Welsh School of Architecture, Biosciences, Medicine, Optometry and Vision Sciences and Social Sciences. Cardiff University’s pool is also used by a number of other institutions including English Heritage, Velindre Hospital and The National Grid Service.
Ship starts to take shape with University’s support
A
n accurate model replica of one of the most precious maritime finds of recent times in Wales will soon be complete - thanks to an innovative manufacturing process perfected at the University’s Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC). The Newport Medieval Ship, which dates back to the 15th century, was discovered in the banks of the River Usk in June 2002. Excavated by a team of archaeologists and lifted from the ground timber by timber, international specialists have been cleaning and digitally recording all 1700 ship timbers for
the last six years to produce a digital record of the ship’s structural elements, specifically the hull. These three-dimensional digital recordings are now being used by MEC to build an accurate virtual solid model of each timber, as part of a four-year project to reconstruct the ship’s original hull. The ShipShape project is being led by the University of Wales Lampeter in conjunction with Newport City Council, and is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The project will see the Ship produced in a precise 1:10 scale model format, using the timbers and MEC’s Selective Laser Sintering expertise.
Cardiff News
Page 3
Trains keep running on first day of strike
R
ail bosses have pledged to ensure trains keep running after signal workers walked out yesterday on the first day of a six-day strike.
“Robust” anti-strike measures kept disruption to a minimum during the action’s first 24 hours, said Network Rail, the company responsible for the UK’s track and signalling systems. It has drafted in signal workers from across the country until the strike is due to officially end on Saturday. A spokeswoman said 95% of yesterday’s trains arrived on time, but would not specify which were late. Notices at Cardiff Central Station said rail services from Cardiff to Bridgend, from Radyr to Coryton and from Penarth to Bargoed would be affected. The action by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) has erupted over working hour changes. Phil Bialyk, RMT’s regional organiser, said managers at the new South Wales Control Centre in Cardiff wanted to change shift duration from 12 to eight
Shops need X-mas surge
S
hours from January 4, resulting in a five-day instead of a three-day week. He said: “The company is using the argument of fatigue but we say it’s to save money. This has been going on for a number of months now and we’ve had no real substantial negotiations. We’ve had to strike to make a point.” Simon Pickering, of watchdog Passenger Focus Wales, said his organisation would monitor the situation. He added: “With industrial action the concern is the passenger is going to suffer. Contingency plans put in place so far have allowed services to run as normal. “It’s unsettling for passengers to know there’s a strike in progress.” Paul Williams, Cardiff’s city centre manager, said the strike could have an impact on the capital’s shoppers. But he added: “There is strong momentum at the moment regarding choosing Cardiff as the destination for Christmas shopping. “There are alternatives available: there are still trains running plus there are the buses and park and ride and sufficient car parking.” Chris Rayner, route director for Network Rail, said: “We are determined
Cardiff City wind up order dismissed
hopping records could be broken in the capital this weekend as thousands of people descend for a last-minute Christmas bonanza.
The winding up order brought by the Inland Revenue against Cardiff City last month has been dismissed in the High Court.
Retail bosses have told the Echo many people have left buying their gifts until almost the last possible moment, creating the possibility of Cardiff city centre’s biggest ever “footfall” figure. Steven Madeley, centre director for the £675m St David’s shopping centre, which welcomed 1.1 million customers last week, said he was fully expecting “a record-breaker”. And David Hughes-Lewis, chairman of the Cardiff Retail Partnership, said as long as the rain holds off, this weekend “will be absolutely manic”. “I think the real crunch will come this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which should be a bumper weekend,” he said.
The original order was sought because of an unpaid tax bill of £1.2m, and the Bluebirds were given 70 days to settle the debt. But the winding up order has today been dismissed following discussions between the two parties. The football club have already paid around half of that sum and agreed a payment schedule which will see the rest paid off by the end of this year. A Cardiff City statement today said: “We can confirm that the High Court today formally dismissed the winding up order that had previously been brought by HMRC. This was as a result of amicable discussions between the Club and HMRC.”
that passengers won’t have to pay the price for this futile strike. We will continue to work hard to make the trains run. We will also be providing support for any signallers who want to work as normal.” The strike involves members operating the new South Wales Control Centre, Newport panel, Vale of Glamorgan (Barry Box, Barry Relief, Aberthaw Box, Cowbridge Road Box), Rhymney Valley (Heath Junction, Ystrad Mynach, Bargoed), Cardiff panel and Port Talbot panel. Theresa Bannister, a 49-year-old receptionist clerk from Port Talbot, said she might be affected by disruption on the Cardiff to Bridgend route. “I’ve been Christmas shopping and didn’t have a clue about it,” she told the Echo last night. “When I came earlier it was running on time. There were no signs saying otherwise. It’s usually quite a regular service to Port Talbot. But I’ll have to find out how I can get home now.”
L-driver threat to roads in test centre protest D
isgruntled driving instructors are threatening to take drastic action in their attempt to stop a test centre from being shut down.
They are planning to take their learners to the busiest parts of Cardiff at rush hour or do a “go-slow” through the city centre to get themselves heard. Despite admitting their protests could cause mayhem, the instructors believe they need to make test centre bosses sit up and listen. The row is over the planned closure of the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) test centre in Barry from January. Driving teachers in the Vale say they would be forced to use the test centre in Cardiff, costing them more in time and fuel. Added costs would have to
Christmas cards? A No thanks I’ll send green greetings
mum-of-two from Cardiff has come up with an environmentally-friendly alternative to the traditional sending of Christmas cards. Louise Bright, 37, established nocardsthanks.com in a bid to promote green greetings. The online business sends e-cards over the internet to cut down on clutter and raise money for charity. “When my daughter Martha was born three years ago, we received a total of 61 congratulations cards,” said Mrs Bright. “It struck me that although I appreciated
be passed on to pupils and the instructors fear this could mean a loss of trade at a time when conditions are already difficult. Barry instructor Lyndon Davies said the drivers were discussing taking their learners to Culverhouse Cross at 4.30pm – when rush hour traffic is fast approaching its busiest. He said: “We know it would be mayhem down there but we feel we’ve been left with few alternatives. “Of course the last thing we want is to cause an accident, the safety of our learners is top priority. “But if we felt we could disrupt the busiest part of Cardiff in a safe way then it is something we will look at.” A group of instructors were meeting at the Barry Conservative Club tonight at 8pm to discuss the plans. Vale MP John Smith and Vale AM Jane Hutt have already backed the campaign everyone’s good wishes, ultimately the cards would just be recycled. I was sure that the money could have been better spent on something else.” Louise, a researcher at the University of Glamorgan, won a £15,000 grant from Finance Wales to launch her brainchild at home in Whitchurch. She has since raised more than £10,000 for 25 charities, from Cancer Research to Bobath Children’s Therapy Centre Wales. “I’ve got no desire to be a business person, but there’s so much profit made on cards and so little goes to charity,” said Louise.
to keep the centre in Barry. Jim Stokes, who teaches for the PAL School for Driving in Barry, added: “We are looking at a number of measures. “We’re hoping as many instructors as possible turn up for the meeting to talk about how we go forward. “It has got to the point where the DSA just put the phone down when we ring up.” Barry Council has offered the DSA two possible sites for relocation but they have been rejected. The DSA has said the Barry centre is unsuitable and inadequate, and centres in Cardiff and Bridgend have the capacity to cope with the extra workload. A spokesman for the DSA said: “The centre at Barry does not offer the services we would wish to offer our customers and the premises do not have the benefit of off-street parking for our customers.”
Pages 4&5
Good night last night? Make sure sure you get the most out of Cardiff with this pull out guide Being in uni is all about having as many nights out as you can for as little as you can. To get the most most out of Cardiff’s pub and club scene make sure you keep this handy pull out guide which offers the honest opinions of Cardiff’s night time hotspots. This guide has it all whether you want alternate or a mainstream blow out, either way our guide has it all, with a student friendly angle.
Top night top tip Always say yes to a random night out, the unplanned ones are always the best ones.
Features
Buffalo
Travel to the bottom of Queens Street and take a turn onto Windsor lane. Venture a little further past a bustle of cheap end pubs and nice restaurants and you will find yourself in London. Well it looks as if you were in London (the mixture of rows of trees, lawyers and solicitors offices make it look that way). To your left you will find a converted town house right on the edge of this lane known as Buffalo bar. Walk inside and prepare for a festival of the senses, gothic wallpaper, antique aviaries suspended from the ceiling, retro phones stuck to the walls. The three story building includes a lounge/bar/dining area on the ground floor, tables and chairs set out to comfort the clientele in style. Step outside and down to the ‘secret garden’ where people can mingle, eat, chat and smoke... The garden itself is again designed to invite, wallpaper tattooed on the walls, benches and tables all covered by comforting garden parasols. Move on up to the top floor nicknamed the ‘Beatbox Ballroom’ introducing you to another level of the Buffalo brand. Another trendy bar area, this time with retro televisions and old Marantz stacked on top of each other, a picture of a sexy lady and her beau sprayed on the side of the wall, well in tune to Buffalo thematic. A welcoming sign states ‘What the Fuck?’ zeitgeist imagery to feast on whilst relaxing/ dancing with one of the many cocktails on offer. Yes, cocktails. Buffalo is ‘known’ to offer some of the best cocktails around town. From Long Island iced tea to a more sophisticated Martini cooler, this bar caters for the more demur style of drinker. But if that’s not tempting enough, many drink/food offers given every week really do reflect Buffalo’s drinker ethos. Manage 2 4 1 deals on the ‘favourite’ cocktails, £2 bottles of Stella, and a specialised array of spirits and organic beverages to satisfy a wide range of customer. Add to that a shake of the name DJ’s from around Cardiff from Killer Tomato (GLC tour DJ) to Tom Bentley and on special occasions playing host to both the C-Y-N-T DJ’s and the Aperture family. Don’t be surprised either, if you bump into the likes of Radio 1 DJ Bethan Elfyn, spinning tunes with her’Vinyl Vendetta’ to mix you up a treat, and brushing shoulders with some well known celebrities too... By Cheriton Lee
Top night top tip At the end of the night the best place for food is Chippy Alley (Caroline Street) with the best selection of burgers, pizzas and kebabs in Cardiff.
Oceana
The biggest and hottest (literally sometimes) night club in Cardiff is Oceana. It may not be your ‘typical’ student place, it’s not boho, it’s not really very cool, but you won’t fail to have a good time. Billed as ‘the world in one night’ because of its many themed rooms, it’s certainly a new experience for those who have never ventured through its doors before. Oceana’s student nights take place on a Monday and Wednesday, offering reduced entry for NUS card holders and cheap drink prices, with bottles of VK
around £1.80 and not much more for other drinks. The main room in the vast expanse that is known as Oceana is the Ice House, ironically named as it is the hottest place in Cardiff. Sean Kingston, Rhianna and Kayne West are the flavour of the night but don’t worry if R‘n’B isn’t your thing, Oceana caters for most. Just next door is the New York Disco and it’s exactly what it says on the tin. With a multi-coloured light-up dance floor and choons from the 80’s and 90’s, it grants those of us who want to return to our childhood to dance the night away to the likes of S Club, Baywatch and the song that blighted every primary school disco: The Macaraena. Downstairs houses the chill out rooms which provide seating areas and bars to the sounds of relaxing, elevator-type music. Villa Tahiti even has sun loungers to chillax on! The most ‘interesting’ room shall we say is the Parisian Boudoir, and if you’ve been there, you’ll know why but if you’ve yet to experience the plush red crush velvet sofas and curtains and the walls adorned with pictures of naked ladies, you’re going to be somewhat astonished. But no doubt in Fresher’s week it will be the one room where you will see the most revealing look of Cardiff city’s new students. It’s a boudoir after all... By Emily Cole
Top night top tip
Nos Da
Nos Da is a youth hostel located on the banks of the River Taff right by Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on its ground floor there is the Tavern Taff which is open to the public and offers the opportunity for all night drinking if you get on well with the staff, which isn’t difficult as most of the staff tend to be students or young twenty something who enjoy a bit of banter. Tavern Taff great place to go for a swift pint or a long session of drinking with friends offering the chance of nice relaxed surroundings and the rare privilege of not having to shout over loud music, with its comfy sofas and wireless internet it’s difficult not to spend the entire day there. Food is available at good prices offering everything from sandwiches to hot cheesy nachos. But if you feel the need for some alternative music and the opportunity to dance away your worries until the early hours of the morning Nos Da has a club attached to it as well although it is run separately from the Tavern Taf, only open a few nights a week it puts on drum and bass nights as well as the occasional dub-step night. But for more or less all your needs look no further than Nos Da. By Gareth Jones
If you live in TPH or The Bakery you really have no need what so ever for a taxi as it is quicker to walk every where...
Barfly
If you’re new to the city of Cardiff and have a penchant for all things alternative then look no further than barfly. The venue holds a plethora of events from club nights to gigs with something to fit the music taste of almost everybody. If you are one of the lucky individuals who can remember a far gone era where The Spice Girls topped the charts and aluminous clothes were socially acceptable and wish to relive that beautiful time then barfly’s weekly 90’s disco “Hammertime” is the palace to be. It is as close as you can get to a children’s disco without being a teacher. The only discernable difference is that instead of an endless mountain of hotdogs for 50p you are offered pretty much any bottle of alcohol for the bargain price of £1. What I will say is if you want a guaranteed spot inside then start cueing early because when it gets busy it adopts a “one in one out” policy which can leave you in the queue for a long, long time. Although recently renovated it is still smaller than your average venue so if you’re not a fan of close contact with complete strangers then Barfly definitely isn’t for you. Its close proximity often leads to gigs being much more special there than anywhere else. So if a night of sweaty, drunken debauchery is your bag then head on down to Barfly where you’re sure to be obliged. Highlight: When everybody in the club is chanting along to “Cotton Eyed Joe” like it’s 1995. Student budget friendly: Dependant on which night you go . Tuesdays offer bottles at £1 so if you’re after a cheap messy night out Tuesday is your best bet! Atmosphere: Brilliant most nights, the more people in attendance the better as emptier nights can seem a bit stale... By Ross Jones
Revolution
Do you enjoy a venue where the playlist consists of classic hip-hop, rap and modern day chart toppers? A club that goes beyond the simplicity of only one flavour of vodka shot and instead offers an extensive ranger from chocolate to bubblegum? And finally, do you believe the best nights out offer a place to chat with your friends as well as a large dance floor to show off your disco moves? If your answer was yes to these questions then I believe Revolution is the place for you. ‘Revs’ sits near Cardiff castle and can cater for almost everyone’s perfect night out. Downstairs features remixes of old school hip-hop to modern day hits with large seating areas available inside and outside the building; perfect for socialising. While upstairs hosts a massive dance floor with club remixes played throughout the night fuelling the adrenaline of the clubber within you. However it’s not a ‘revolution’ as the name suggests. It is an ordinary club featuring the glamour that most clubs have and the same type of music that music most Cardiff clubs play. However the edge ‘Revs’ has over the competition is the massive scale of different flavour vodkas available. You won’t like all of them but you have to marvel at the variety available and challenge yourself to try each flavour throughout the term. If it’s a night socialising with new and old university friends you’re after or a classic night out dancing the academic blues away then Revs is the place to be. Also I suggest buying your friends chilli flavoured vodka and convince them it’s Strawberry and see their faces cringe. By Adam Cheung
Top night top tip Queue jump tickets are a must for some clubs, go a couple of hours before you get ready to ensure you don’t spend most of your night queuning.
Clwb Ifor Bach
Clwb Ifor Bach, or ‘Welsh Club’ to non-welsh speakers is, in my opinion, Cardiff best night out. For the alternative it is one of the best nights in Cardiff I have ever had, if you are like me and dislike most big chain clubs like Oceana, Walkabout and Tiger Tiger then give Ifor Bach ago. Since it first opened in the 70’s it has relaxed its welsh speaking policy but all the staff are bilingual and any any-welsh sentiments would earn you more than just a swift removal. The club has 3 different rooms on 3 different floors and when all 3 are open each room is usually covered in your admission, the format of having 3 rooms means that you can find something to listen at any point of the night, DJ’s try harder to keep people in their room by putting on better performances. The best Nights to go to ‘Welsh Club’ is either Tuesdays where they put on a 90’s/classic songs night to rival Barfly’s Hammertime night, better yet entry is free before 11 and drinks are just as cheap, the best night in Clwb though tends to be the C-Y-N-T nights which features the best drum and bass talent around, entry is only £3 and bottles £1, at that price it should at least be tried. By Gareth Jones
Top night top tip
Metros
Where is there to go on a night out in Cardiff? There’s the obvious... Oceana, Walkabout, Tiger Tiger etc, but where is there if you want to rock it out? There’s just one answer... Metros. It’s one of Cardiff’s only specialised rock/ metal clubs and with student friendly Wednesday night’s mixing cheap drinks (bottles often from 99p!!!) and hard fast rock, you can’t really ask for a better night out! It’s also conveniently located on Baker’s Row, near Howells. The basement club draws in the crowds with a mixture of music from heavy metal and punk to alternative and a touch of indie, be prepared to mosh throughout the night! Wednesday’s ‘Cheapskates’ student night offers ‘alternative mayhem’ and some ‘old skool cheese’, something you definitely don’t want to miss. To find out more about Metros and the drink offers, competitions and flyer savings add Metros Cardiff as a friend on Facebook. The club is also looking for flyer distributers so it’s a great chance to make you a few quid so take a look at the job section of their website www. metroscardiff.com /jobs plus when you register on their site you can give your name and e-mail to the doorman on Friday or Saturday and get a free drink!! But be quick, the offer only stands for one month after you sign up. All in all, Metros is a great place to go for an eventful and often crazy student night out that won’t break the bank! One word to describe this basement venue... Smashing! Sometimes quite literally! But let’s get serious for a second, this alternative club will be the highlight of your many evenings out on the razz. By Jade Kinsey
Do not buy the Ocena hotdogs, no matter how drunk you get, the repercussions the next day are not worth the £3 they rip you off.
Walkabout
Walkabout is the all rounder in the club world, by day they offer well priced food and drinks and a good place to relax with friends or watch some sports from Football to The Ashes and even the Superbowl is shown there. But by night the prices get even better and the place turns into one of the best places in town for main stream clubbing. Thursday nights are what attracts the students with Walkabout’s weekly term time student night; Bounce. Bounce is where every university comes to party on a Thursday night and offers a great way to meet other students from Cardiff’s other universities. Drinks are at a student friendly price which means you never have an excuse not to go, Jager bombs are £2 and £10-£15 can cover your drinking for the entire night. Queue jumps or arriving early are always advised in term time as the queue can stretch out a bit. If you arrive early enough then you will find out why it is called bounce; the bouncy castle they keep inflated until 9:30 usually gives it away... If for whatever reason you get bored of Walkabout you can leave and walk straight across the road to Mill Lane Which offers a Range of smaller and diverse clubs such as Soda bar, which is members only unless it’s Tuesday where ‘Save the Rave’ (a free entry weekly rave) takes place. Or if it’s the end of
the night then it’s a stone’s throw away from the famous ‘Chippy Alley’ which is home to the best late night takeaways in Cardiff. By Gareth Jones
Top night top tip Don’t nick cones and road signs on the way home they are thr devil to get rid off at the end of the year.
Live Lounge
So your night club of choice has just kicked you out, because they are closing I hope, where to go if you want to keep the night out going? None other than Live Lounge, open until 4:00am this is where most nights end up if you can keep going. Early on in the evening Live Lounge lives up to its name by having live music on most days of the week, but by the time most people arrive it plays a good mix of dance tunes to help you finish off the night in style. The alcohol is student friendly as well, which is just as well because you tend to be down to pound coins by this stage. Live Lounge is the best place to round off your night and find friends who were out in different clubs as well. By Gareth Jones
Reviews
Page 6
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS T arantino provides us with the must watch film of the year with the historically incorrect but yet immensely satisfying Inglourious Basterds.
Life: BBC T
he BBC has always been the go to place for nature documentaries, not only do they have excellent footage from there award winning film crew but they have narration from national treasure; David Attenborough. Life is the latest nature documentary from the BBC, showing at 9:00pm on a Monday night and covers all aspects of life on planet earth from plants to primates. Settle down on your sofa or favourite chair and get ready for another sterling performance from Sir David Attenborough as he talks you through the
changes of life happening everyday on earth, to accompany the excellent narration there is the spectacular footage obtained by the diehard team of camera men who brave the freezing Arctic waters to show you migrating whales or travel across sulphuric marshes to film breeding pink flamingos. Where life stands out from all previous David Attenborough documentaries is the fact it doesn’t and how can it when most if not all David Attenborough documentaries are award nominated and Life looks like it will go down the same path. But there’s something for the geek in all of us to sit down and enjoy the relaxing tones of Sir David’s voice as he tells us about dolphin’s hunting habits, if not it’s always fun to get a group of friends together and put funny voices on the animals or just get some shut eye to it. By Gareth Jones
After the 2007 box office flop; Death Proof, which was nothing more than a private joke between Tarantino and fellow director Robert Rodriguez, Tarantino has put himself back on top with Inglourious Basterds. The 7th film in Tarantino’s short but very hit and miss career was prepped, shot and cut in under a year, this brings back the hasty almost rushed feel that Tarantino’s films have been lacking since pulp fiction, this movie feels like old school Tarantino.
Aside from Brad Pitt as the hill-billy talking, Nazi scalping Lt Aldo Raine and relatively unknown but noticeably brilliant Michael Fassbender as Lt Archie Hicox who is a film critic come
“This movie feels like old school Tarantino.”
commando spy the best performance of the film though goes to Tarantino’s secret weapon: Christophe Waltz as SS Col Hans Landers who at long last breaks out of the pantomime role that all Hollywood Nazis are played as. Waltz’s character is charming and friendly and you find yourself at times liking him while all the time the cold contempt of the “Jew Hunter” is lurking just beneath
the surface but not completely hidden. The film follows Tarantino’s usual directive style with flash backs and extreme violence and with the obligatory cameo from Samuel L. Jackson. As well as the blisteringly fast action which tends to be over faster than you can see there is the tension building dialogue which preludes the action bringing the tension to an un-bearable fever pitch which makes the action a welcome relief. Inglourious Basterds is the must see film of the year and with the DVD and Blu Ray release now is the time to buy it. Tarantino has at last reinstated himself as the cinema icon of our time with this epic Tarantino action film. By Gareth Jones
Rage Against the X-factor A
s the battle for Christmas #1 starts to up we decided to have a look at other considerations for the anti X-factor contender. Kenny Loggins- Danger Zone: Well ‘Killing in the name of’ doesn’t say Christmas to us so why not re-live some 80’s classic soft rock for the next Christmas #1? Plus Top Gun was a classic film. Five- Keep on Movin’ With all that Christmas shopping stress and bad weather we all need a musical pick-me-up and what could be better than ‘Keep on Movin’? Relive more 90’s classics next Christmas with the real sound of the 90’s Jay-Z- 99 problems Well everyone has problems at Christmas, unwanted family members coming to stay, finding those all important presents and finding out on Christmas morning that your turkey won’t fit in the oven. What better way to show your annoyance at someone else’s relationship problems next Christmas than with Jay-Z’s ’99 problems’ Lil Jon and The Ying Yang Twins- Get Low Is there anything more Christmassy than hard hitting crunk? Well yes alot really but this would be very funny if it did make. The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl- Fairytale of New York This is a classic and my only real suggestion for 2010’s Christmas #1 and would be fitting for the decade anniversary of Kirsty MacColl’s death.
Competitions
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Just for fun Your weekly dose of insanely hard general knowledge questions, answers in next week’s issue. (1)
What Roman god is January named for?
Cardiff Competition
(2) Name the 5 of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World?
If your a fresher still needing to get to know Cardiff then try doing this simple quiz and be in with a chance of winning £50 worth of HMV vouchers.
(3)
What TV series featured Emma Peel?
How much is a 1/4 pounder burger and chips from The Red Onion take away?
(4)
What is fastest mammal on earth?
How much is 2 shots of Jagermeister and a VK Blue in Bar Fly’s Hammertime?
(5)
What is 20% of 850?
In which arcade will you find Argos and Hawkins Bazaar?
(6) Who was the Prime Minister in the Faulklands War? (7)
What 2 Cities did the Flying Scotsman Join?
(8)
What is the capital of Taiwan?
(9)
What date was the Bomb dropped on Hiroshima?
(10)
What were the surnames of Bonnie and Clyde?
(11) What does the word Buddha mean literally translated? (12)
What is situated next to the hot dog vendor in Oceana? How many Burger Kings are in Cardiff City centre? What is the name of the music shop on St Mary’s St? How much is it for a student to go to Cardiff Castle? What is the name of the local personality who drums on the Queen St bins? What is Chippy Alley’s real name?
How many feet are there in 1/2 mile?
(13) Which French port was the evacuation from on June 4th 1940? (14)
Womanby St is home to which Wetherspoons?
Who wrote Around the World in Eighty days?
Feel you know them? Then right your answers on the back of a post card and sent to Student Cardiff Pendyris St CF11 6YY
(15) How many years have you been married for your diamond anniversary? (16) When was Monty Python’s Flying Circus first screened on TV and how many programmes were made? (17)
Which is the longest river in Britain?
(18) Which Company has grown more in 15 years than any other? (19)
Who set to sea in a beautiful pea green boat?
(20)
What sport is called the sport of Kings?
(21)
What was the lost and regained by John Milton?
(22)
What Star sign are you if born November 11th?
(23) When was William the Conqueror King of England?
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Photo Cardiff
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