Editor... A note from the Deputy
Contents.
2
My Christmas Epiphany.
4
How Hotpot is Warm in More Ways Than One.
5
‘Tis the Season to be... Sceptical.
6
Dilemma of the Twenty-Something.
7
Capturing Winter in Sound.
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Mood:Crazed.
10 Auto-Suggestion: New Chancellor Time. 11 Student Fashion: Looks For Winter! 12 Missing the Point - A Response to Poppy Burning and it’s Facebook backlash. 14 Found on Facebook! 16 I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself! 17 Giving up on Luke. 18 A Keele Student’s Guide to Hitchhiking. 19 High Times! 20 Ask Fay. 22 Society Focus. 23 Procrastination On Demand. 23 The Top Ten Facial Fuzz. 24 Concourse Sports. 28 YouTube Hall of Fame. 29 Concourse Player Profile.
Hi Guys. This issue comes at a time when the cold of winter is making us all wrap up nice and toasty, possibly sat in Barista with a copy of concourse, holding a nice hazelnut latte in one hand, and a turkey with stuffing sandwich in the other. We've already seen a bit of snow, lets hope it continues to brighten our days - but in the meantime we hope you enjoy this jam packed issue, and the Concourse team and I all wish you a happy holiday for Christmas and New years: have a wicked winter everyone!
The Concourse Team! Chief Editor Fadi Dada Deputy Editor Brendan Rodgers Sports Editor Dan Casey Chief Writers Nicola Hale Andy Johnson Writers Alison Jane Carter Andy Irwin Evelynne Lam Gwen Smith Samuel Fidler Kim Buttery Michael E. Turner II Thomas Norris Nicola Hobbs Frederike Dammé Jack Mills Davidson Sam Higham Proofreaders Lauren Mason Kim Buttery Cartoonist Liam Eddleston
Dates for your diary... Student Council 25th January 22nd February 10th May Union General Meeting 14th December 8th February 8th March 31st May
My Christmas Epiphany
Andy Irwin
As I write, the snow is already making a half-hearted attempt to invade Keele, sifting gently onto the football field outside my little Barnes hovel. People are beginning to hysterically inform me that it’s minus two outside (!), as they check their reliable Generic © weather apps on their new-fangled phones. Radio playlists are being hijacked by the usual fare, the nice biscuits are on offer in Select & Save. I’ve started to put a little splash of Ireland’s Finest in my coffee in the evening like the wannabe old fart that I am. I haven’t got a problem don’t worry – I live next door to Sam Higham... go figure. Christmas is coming, I’ve seen the Generic © fizzy drink advert on TV, so it must be true. I’m even panicking about my Christmas shopping - being the wannabe old fart that I am, it is normally done in the middle of October. That way I usually manage to avoid people, which is a win in my book. However, this year I have had essays, presentations, synopses and novels coming at me like Mary on a donkey and as I said, I’m starting to panic. So I went online to a Generic © internet shopping site and sold my soul to the vision of a globalized corporate nightmare as I bought my mum a heavily discounted bracelet (which is also a watch: two in one = result) and the autobiography of a Generic © television meerkat. I like to show her that I care. I also bought my uncle a brilliant flying monkey for under £10, when you pull his legs (the monkey’s, not my uncle’s) he shoots through the air in a blaze of glory making wacky monkey sounds and…that’s pretty much all he does (the monkey, not my uncle).
“Most importantly, be nice to your mum” I was starting to get pretty bored, sipping the last of my boozy coffee I decided that it would be much more fun to shop for myself. By the time I’d finished, my little virtual basket had £120 worth of stuff in it (my entire budget for this year’s buy-your-familycrap-athon). Grand total spent on family: £45, grand total spent on Andy: £60, grand total spent on postage and packaging (A.K.A legal daylight robbery): £15. This was not good, and to make matters worse I was out of Ireland’s Finest. Then I had an epiphany. Christmas isn’t supposed to be a time when we all sit down and crap ourselves about what to buy and how much money we don’t have and how much we hate our distant great aunties and uncles
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who smell of sherry and wee. In our little Barnes hovel, me and my flatmates are going to have Christmas dinner a-la-Andy with crackers provided by Sam Higham. We’re actually all going to sit down together with a few other people and have a good old chat and booze-up. We’re actually all going to drop everything for more than half an hour and embrace each other’s company. We’re actually not going to worry about buying each other presents – we’ll do Secret Santa (always a laugh) with a £10 limit and then we’ll eat, drink and be merry. I’m really looking forward to it. That’s what Christmas time is really all about - for those of us who aren’t religious, it’s easy to use it as an excuse simply to over-indulge. We get stressed out about buying stuff and we try too hard to make it ‘special’. In the end, it’s the little things that we do for each other and which we do together that make this the best time of year. Give your money to the Salvation Army instead, buy your mate a drink, sit down and talk to each other properly, and not just for five minutes. Most importantly, be nice to your mum - mine is a little star and I don’t get to see her very often so I’m going to spoil her with the meerkat autobiography and discount watch. Seriously though, do it. Look after the people in your lives that you never appreciate enough, look after the people who make your year special, work hard at your Christmas temp jobs and don’t spend all of your minimum wage up town on New Years Eve. Make an effort, and try to keep it going into January.
hany... Andy having his epip
Tony Polden (KUSU’s Commercial Services Manager)
One in More Ways Than m ar W is t po ot H How By Evelynne Lam Having entered November, deadlines for essays and many other kinds of assignments have crept up on us. Working from dawn to dusk is a hardship affecting more and more of us. Worse still, the weather is fluctuating and by the time we raise our heads to see the sky from the library windows, Keele is already coated by dense and potentially depressing darkness. At this moment, especially if hunger strikes, one thing should spring into your mind: hotpot! Hotpot is a traditional Chinese cooking method tiny meat balls, are available. Seafood can consist dating back more than a thousand years. Hotpot of fish, squid, crab, lobster, sea cucumber, geoconsists of a simmering metal pot of stock at the duck, (a large saltwater clam - sashimi of geoduck centre of a dining table and is surrounded by is probably even more delicious), and so on. Vegmany dishes full of different ingredients. While etables can be seasonal ones including tofu, the hotpot is simmering, ingredients are put into spinach, garland chrysanthemum, mushrooms and the pot and are cooked and served at the table. more. If the above still do not fill you up, you can The freshly cooked food can be transferred into always go for the starches such as Chinese noobowls right away. By the Qing Dynasty, the hot pot dles or udon; there are more but these two are became popular throughout most of China. Today the most popular ones. Last but not least, condiin many modern homes, particularly in the big ments bring out the essence of hot pot cooking as cities or provinces, the traditional coal-heated different sauces can stimulate our senses and hot pot has been replaced by electric, gas or in- make food tastier. For instance garlic, sesame oil, chili, pickled tofu, raw egg, vinegar and spring duction cooker versions. onion can greatly enhance the fresh taste of the I couldn’t introduce the idea of the hotpot to you food. without talking about the delicious ingredients which make the whole experience what it is. What makes hotpot special is that it is something From region to region and throughout history, more than just a way of cooking and eating. At hotpot techniques differ, so many different ingre- this time of the year, given that we are facing dients can be used. Typically, ingredients are di- stress in our daily lives, being surrounded by vided into a few categories: basic stock, meat, dilemmas and choices, and having our minds foseafood, vegetables, starches and condiments. cused obstacles ahead, what we need is Basic stock usually means water, sometimes with ‘warmth’. Having family or groups of friends tosalt, and the soup base ( a concentrated flavour- gether to chat and laugh, we can gain encourageing compound used in place of stock.) Today, soup ment from that joy that brightens up our day. bases of tomato with prawns, simmered pork Sometimes just this little comfort can mean a lot, bone, chicken in Chinese wine or even vegetarian so this winter why not try hotpot with the people ones are creatively promoted to the market. As we care for and who care for us, and we might far as meat is concerned, thin-sliced pork, discover that we can enjoy heart-warming mochicken, beef and goat, potentially in the form of ments despite the freezing cold weather.
Keele Nightline is a independent confidential and anonymous information and listening service run BY students FOR students. Need a takeaway or a taxi? Ring Nightline! Need to get hold of campus security? Ring Nightline! Or just need someone to listen to you? RING NIGHTLINE! Open 9pm - 3pm EVERY night of the semester! Internal: 34999 External: 01782 733999 4
‘Tis the Season to be... Sceptical By Sam Higham When I was set the task of writing about SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) I instantly suffered from a severe case of HAPPY (Hatred Against Pathetic Psychological Yabberings). Call me sceptical but I think SAD and HAPPY have an awful lot in common, principally they are both made up by whinging idiots, Norman E. Rosenthal in the case of SAD, Samuel B. Higham in the case of HAPPY. I understand that over the winter months, with the decline in temperature and a lack of sunlight, people may feel a little less ‘up-and-at-em’ than usual, but to suggest this as a psychological affect is surely a little farfetched. This would imply that colder places were full of miserable psychologically damaged citizens, and hotter countries were populated by amazingly excitable children’s TV hosts. This is wrong. Case point; Sweden produced ABBA, a happy vibrant pop band; Australia produced Russell Crowe, an angry and generally dreary actor. Alright, I admit that November makes me un- fake Christmas parties, you might just smash your happy, but not because it’s cold. It makes me un- 32” plasma TV that you are still paying off from happy because come November 1st the good old the Christmas before, and burn your pine tree in global marketing directors decide we are accept- protest, right there in the living room whilst the ably close to Christmas to start playing ‘Santa Queen’s speech is abusing your ears. Ah ChristClause is Coming To Town’ or any other number of mas, what a joyous time. monotonous reindeer-based nonsense. It seems every year it’s getting further and further away Snow; that on its own proves that SAD does not from the 25th of December, soon we’ll start hear- exist. It doesn’t matter what age you are, when ing ‘Jingle Bells’ on March 1st, if that happens, you see that first snow settle on the ground you feel happy. Last year I was walking down my local I’m bombing Lapland. High Street when I was attacked by a barrage of Another reason I get upset around this time of snowballs; expecting to see a bunch of youths, I year; spending money on useless presents. Ooh was pleasantly shocked to see that a couple of Grandma here’s a wind up torch you can use so OAP’s had thrown down their walking sticks and you don’t have to change those fiddly batteries, started going hell for leather. I joined in, and that but due to your arthritic wrist you won’t be able fact that one of my snowballs caught the old dear to power it. What do you mean you don’t want square in the face, causing her to fall and shatter Sunday dinner now Mum? My book on ‘How to get a hip is wholly irrelevant; we both had a jolly your 21 year old figure back’ was only a joke. spiffing time, in what is meant to be prime SAD What Dad? My brother thinks that buying a seven- time. teen year old JLS’s new album isn’t a very good gift. Well screw you all, I was only trying to be Do you want to know the main reason why I don’t suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder? Because nice. I buy a coat, with a hood, and I turn on my radiOf course people are going to feel bleak in De- ator, and I drink tea or coffee or warmed up cember! They have to work double shifts at work Ribena. I then stop blaming mother nature for my to buy presents for people they don’t really care foul mood and begin to realise that come spring, for, and spend time with a family that always summer or autumn, I’m still going to be a sceptiends up fighting, whilst watching movies they’ve cal-nit-picking git who’s only solace lies in the already seen and eating chocolate they don’t fact that one day, I’ll be too old and senile to need. Student loans are gone, and you know that care. if you see one more Iceland advert with their
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ty-Something Dilemma of the Twen Charles Dickens once said “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. He could so easily have been referring to the twenty-something years. People are constantly telling us that the time between twenty and thirty is the best time of your life. The daunting, hormone-fuelled years of puberty are finally over and you can start enjoying being young, full of energy and crucially, doing whatever you want. So, the pressure is really on: it is now or never. Parents especially have strong opinions about how much fun it is to be a twenty something. Many of us have heard the obligatory stories about our parents’ wild and crazy years. However, wild and crazy was definitely over by the time you appeared on the scene. Maybe because those times are gone for our parents, they find themselves looking back through rose-tinted glasses. It is like being on a diet, remembering how good a rich cheesecake is, forgetting that when you had cheesecake all the time, it was not actually as great as you like to think you remember. Leaving the parents aside though, what is it about the twenties? Is it the time of sex, drugs and whatever music you like or is it the time when we really cannot and should not escape adulthood anymore? If puberty is all about becoming an adult, the twenties are all about what kind of adult you want to be. Suddenly, we have to worry about jobs, money and all the other responsibilities that come with being a proper grown up. Moreover, when it comes to love, heartbreak and relationships the twenties are basically a emotional rollercoaster mixing everything that is out there into one big melting pot - and because you are, well, only twenty something you lack the experience to spot what you want and even more so, what you don’t want. The twenties are the time when you break free but along the way you might break someone’s heart and or get your own broken. That’s not fun. By the time you finished your degree, you are back on mummy and daddy’s couch, whining
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about the misery of your life and all you hear is how young you are, that you should not commit to anything too early and focus on your career. OK, so we are supposed to commit to jobs and careers but we should not commit to other people in great depth because we would compromise our youth by doing so and committing to your twenties is basically ensuring that you have the time of your life. I am confused and generally that is my primary emotion when I think about being twenty something. Of course, it is not all daunting; being in your twenties is good. You are not under the watchful eye of your parents anymore, you can make your own choices and generally enjoy the freedom that comes with that. The world is your oyster... and all that stuff. In recent years, the media and society in general have implied that twenty something people are a fun driven, irresponsible crowd that don’t want to grow up. I disagree. We are aware of what is coming towards us but in many respects we are just postponing some of it to our thirties. I personally do not see what is wrong with that. The ‘real world’ does not make it so easy for us either. There are no jobs for us, we are in huge debts by the time we leave university and alcohol, cigarettes and Class A drugs get more expensive by the minute. Thanks, world. So we do what anyone would do, we try to make the best of it. We try to have the best time of our lives and when we are drunkenly dancing along to Lady Gaga, aged 24, we are thinking that actually, we are doing not a bad job at all.
By Frederike Dammé
Capturing Winter in Sound By Andy Johnson I'll always admire musicians for attempting to capture abstract concepts in their music. When it comes to trying to paint for us a picture of something as subjective and emotive as a season, that admiration has got to be even greater. Given the winter theme for this issue, I took the opportunity to celebrate a few attempts to use that season as a musical theme. Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, "L'inverno" (1725) As unwieldy and unrecognisable as its proper title may be, the fourth and final instalment in Venetian composer Vivaldi's legendary set of baroque violin concertos The Four Seasons is possibly the ultimate invocation of winter in the classical canon. In particular, the first movement is a staggering achievement, Vivaldi using blisteringly fast staccato to bring to mind winter's icy rain. Happily, the sheer age of many recordings of The Four Seasons means that there are many that can easily be found for free download online. Once downloaded - given the seasonal nature of the work - it just begs to be listened to at least four times a year, each listen revealing new layers as the weather shifts outside. For the ultimate effect, read the sonnets Vivaldi wrote to accompany the pieces as you listen – I can't comment on how much better they are in the original Italian, mind you... Simon & Garfunkel - “A Hazy Shade of Winter” (1968) It seems to me that not enough people appreciate Newcastle folkrockers Lindisfarne, who formed in 1968 and named themselves after the “Holy Island” off the coast of Northumberland. They deserve to be enormous legends purely on the basis of “Winter Song”, the gorgeous and intelligent winter ballad they presented on their debut LP Nicely Out of Tune in 1971. Based around Alan Hull's phenomenal acoustic guitar playing and plaintive vocals, “Winter Song” is a socially- and religiously-conscious take on the onset of winter, suggesting that listeners “spare a thought” for the homeless and for gypsies as the weather turns bleak. Hull even has sympathy for another season – summer – whose “passage is complete” much to the singer's dismay. Although Lindisfarne are better known for their happier, more upbeat material, I know of no more beautiful winter tune than their “Winter Song”. Lindisfarne - “Winter Song” (1971) If you're looking for a consistent '60s folk rock act, we all know that you need look no further than the great Simon & Garfunkel. Across their five records, they released quite a few songs with natural and seasonal themes, but the most explicitly wintery is the upbeat “A Hazy Shade of Winter” from 1968's Bookends. The song's insistent beat contrasts with many of its lyrics, which point out the darkness and gloom of a winter's day. In familiar Simon & Garfunkel style, however, the duo work in some optimism. “Hang on to your hopes, my friend”, begins the third verse, “that's an easy thing to say, but if your hope should pass away / then simply pretend / that you can build them again.” Appropriately, the pair's previous album Sounds of Silence featured songs about both spring and autumn. Inconveniently though, they appeared in the wrong order! 7
Is it just me or are the deadlines this year seemingly more pressing? I mean, WOW I’m stressed – and this is largely due to my coursework deadlines. Do you feel the same way? Perhaps it’s a weather thing – it is after all getting colder and bleaker as we approach the beauty that is a Keele winter. But you know that phrase “beginnings are always messy”...? Well, here we are at the beginning of another winter, and already the freezing weather is driving me nuts! Then again in what sense do I mean messy? I mean my room isn’t in great shape these days, but neither was the NUS Demo in London! It’s this time of year when everyone starts to crash. It’s not October anymore, so the start of year parties are over, our November deadlines have hopefully been and gone and we are approaching the end of the first semester and the Christmas holidays. That’s just it though – we are “stuck in the middle” at the moment, and that’s causing most of us to lead pretty disorganized lifestyles. For the lucky ones, they are stuck in the middle with a partner – for the less lucky of us we are traversing the rough and tumble of December, just trying to keep up with the rest as we go. This article feels like a good representation of its title. It’s something I try to do; keep the “Mood” in with the article and title - but even the first draft of this article feels wayward and confused, which I suppose is appropriate...
“Call it psychological disposition if you will but I’m strangely happier in the winter...!” – Thomas Norris Mystique is right – Keele does acquire a mysterious feel this time of year. Of course, most of the time we are lucky and it turns to snow, which from my perspective is great! It always lifts my spirits a bit to look out my window and see a white blanket draped over the mundane surroundings of Keele’s student accommodation. In addition to which, it makes room for the more bizarre student activities... “I might shower less be cause it's cold” – Dan Casey yellow snow of “I like eating snow (but not course)” – Sam Higham
These are only a couple of the shortcuts I have known students to take during winter. My primary winter shortcuts are based more around socializing – I find that winter can be a really exciting time but perhaps also a slightly depressing one. So I try to keep myself busy – but then that just leads me back to my original point on keeping in line with deadlines, social commitments, extra commitments (like say the Concourse press team… love you really guys!) It can drive me crazy! I guess that would explain the drink I made last night - coffee with Relentless and a shot of dark rum. To quote an alumni: “that sounds fucking disgusting!” - but actually it wasn’t that bad. If nothing else, it definitely got me in the zone for my essay.
The thing that I’ve noticed about this time of year is that nobody seems to have a set direction. By this I mean, I know roughly what my plan is post-Keele. I know what my plan was for this semester, somehow life just takes a grip and throws enough “curve balls” (pardon the Americanism) to keep you jumping through hoops. All you can really do is try to keep your own direction in mind as you do. Some people thrive on this – for instance, our own Chief Writer,Andy Johnson pointed out some alternative opinions on the cold:
As I look around though, I definitely get the impression that I’m not the only one suffering from the messy beginnings of winter. Just think though: soon we will all be on holiday, and the Christmas parties are just around the corner. In the meantime I hope this article tallies somewhat with your unique experiences of winter at Keele.
“People always talk about how Keele is at its best in the summer, but I like the mystique of campus when it's cold and dark” - Andy Johnson
Remember that @MoodKeele wants to hear your views! Tweet to me on Twitter with your winter tales!
By Brendan Rodgers 9
cellor Time Auto-Suggestion: New Chan By Thomas Norris
Those of you who check your webmail and actually read all of the emails, instead of just reading the ones from lecturers, will have noticed a certain email at the beginning of November and hopefully responded to it. If you have not, well unfortunately, by the time this article appears in print, it will be too late to reply. However that doesn’t mean I cannot voice my opinion on it. Consider this less an article, more an open letter to Keele University. The email in question was sent about our soon to be departing Chancellor; Prof. Sir David Weatherall – and whether students had recommendations on who should replace him. We must, however, wait to see if the university actually takes into consideration the opinion of its students on this matter. I believe it is invaluable for the university to consider the appointment of a new chancellor very carefully.
writer, historian, etc is not enough. Maybe the university would not be making a big enough statement with an Iain Banks, a Will Self, or an Eric Hobsbawn.
The university should go even further and appoint the likes of Tony Benn, who is renowned for his openly anti-Con-Dem ideas. The university could show support for its students, not only through its Students’ Union supporting the movement against fee increases, but also through the appointment of In a time when the arts and humanities sectors of education are having their funding slashed dramati- an anti-government chancellor. cally, the university has the perfect chance to make a protest against the government. Many universities The appointment of the likes of one of these indihave members of the scientific or business commu- viduals may not seem like a large protest, after all nity or royalty acting as their chancellors. Therefore, Keele is not the largest university in the country. I suggest that Keele make a stand against the gov- However, it would still be a statement, and the uniernment and appoint someone who belongs to none versity would be sending out a message that it was of the categories previously mentioned as all our for- prepared to support it’s under-fire departments by appointing a humanities based and/or anti-governmer chancellors have. ment Chancellor. The appointment of another sciWho do I suggest? I suggest a controversial figure, ence, law or monarchical chancellor would be someone who represents the humanities and arts another nail in the coffin for humanities, it’s time and is known to be against the current government. for Keele to show support for their students and staff Someone such as fiction writer Iain Banks, known for who are going to be affected by government action. novels such as Wasp Factory and Consider Phlebas, who is known to be left wing and signed up in sup- And if not the university should at least appoint someone like Jeff Stelling, I mean if we cannot make port to Tony Benn’s Coalition of Resistance. a statement with the choice of chancellor then But wait, maybe the appointment of a controversial maybe we should have some fun with it.
Tony Benn (left) and Iain Banks (right) - Thomas’ revol Tony outionary candidates.
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Well…Winter is finally here and in full force despite the calendar still saying November! The weather is… ok let’s just say it… CRAP! But just because the weather has gone down the crapper, doesn’t give an excuse for you to forget the winter fashion essentials, which will make you look amazing amongst the mush of leaves that has taken over the Keele campus! Tis the season for opulence! Its all about glitz and glamour this Winter, especially when you look at the powerhouse fashion brand Balmain, who show just how to pull of the gold sequined trouser this Winter! Seriously, no joke here, just take a gander at Balmain’s A/W 2010 collection and you will be wowed!
And it’s not just for the ladies either…For the fashion forward lads out there go for minimal gold, such as cufflinks, or even gold buttons on a fitted blazer for the season. What’s great about pulling looks off of the catwalk is that you can steal the ideas, without breaking the bank! All my favourite looks in Next and New look I have seen on the catwalk only one season ago. One of the front runners for a wonderful Winter though, is the good old faithful, black… I know, it seems like a bit of a cliche` to say that black is hot in winter and I feel like a bit of a hypocrite when I’ve just said that opulence is your way forward. But trust me! Mix the two and you’ll be the right on track for a shiny star from me! What you want to do is grab a black velvet jacket, (available from New Look online) mix with a frilly shirt that spills over the jacket collar (also from New look Online) and then bring out the gold! Team the shirt and jacket with gold, silver or black jeans for that catwalk to closet look!
By Nicol a Hobbs
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se to PoppyMissing the Point - A Respon cklash Burning and Its Facebook Ba By Andy Irwin
I was rushing around in a bit of a panic one Wednesday afternoon because I hadn’t bought my poppy and t’ was running out before Remembrance Day. So it was with relief that I sauntered out of the Union with my little paper flower pinned precariously close to my left nipple. I deposited my usual obligatory quid in the little jar (which was chained to a pole in the KUSU reception, sad times) and it jangled merrily and I thought, as I do every year, I’ve done my bit for our lads. On Thursday at eleven o’clock I stopped what I was doing, and then I got on with what I was doing. Later on, in a fit of procrastination, I checked the old Facebook and saw the terrible, irresistible beginnings of a bandwagon gaining momentum. Now, the poppy is the symbol we chose to commemorate, celebrate and mourn the sacrifices our troops have made every year for the past ninety years. It’s not a political symbol, it’s their symbol. We all know that symbols and signs matter, they create meaning that can be positive and negative. So nobody will dispute that burning a symbol such as this is vicious and malevolent. Nor would anyone doubt that it would anger people (I think that’s the effect the symbol’s arsonists’ are going for).
friends joined) ranging from the quaint: ‘I think poppyburners should fuck out of my country’ to the positively Shakespearean: ‘Fug Muslim poppy-burners should have their fucking houses burnt down.’ Nice, that’ll teach ‘em guys. The second of these groups had more than 50,000 members the last time I checked. The trouble with Facebook is that everyone is encouraged to share opinions with the rest of the cyberworld; opinions that they didn’t even hold half an hour beforehand. Facebook has brought mobilising the ignorant Daily Mail Squad down to a fine art. I’m not cool with poppy burning and I’m not down with all this Hatred on Demand either. Half the people on Facebook probably didn’t know that it was Remembrance Day and even fewer actually cared until there was something to get angry and bloated and hysterical about, that’s the truly sad thing.
One of my fellow writers did a great piece in the second issue of Concourse about the power of Facebook and the explosion of social networking. The internet is accelerating events up to a scary speed. Before we’ve had time to process information logically the idMost of us can see such an act for what it is, and then iots have taken hold and ran full pelt towards the we shrug and move on. This is where Facebook comes crazy line. If you joined one of those groups advocatin and has its wicked way. In a few short hours we had ing counter-hate, maybe you should stop and think: a delightful assortment of groups (some of which my ‘Am I just as bad as the poppy burners?’ 13
Submit any photos you deem worthy enough of this Facebook hall of fame/shame to: vp.comms@kusu.keele.ac.uk, make sure the title of your email is ‘found on facebook’... Union club night guestlist places available to winning entries! Pictures will be marked on humor, originality or ridiculousness.
(She wins)
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Winning Photo! 15
Do with Myself! I Just Don’t Know What to As a finalist the issue of post-university plans start to seep into your consciousness, whirling around your brain until you become confused about which is the best path to take. The need to prepare for your future often leads to feeling a lack of direction and can result in mass weeping sessions and uncertain internet trawling to try and ascertain courses to pursue.
one’s guess - individuals often pursue extra courses in order to look more attractive to employers. Vocational courses (such as Diploma’s, Masters) seem to me a brilliant compromise of further study and directional learning. Students can apply for varying courses allowing them to specialise in specific fields of interest which will in turn help to create ideas about jobs they would be most suited for.
The notion that by the end of university a student is meant to feel confident enough to choose the path the rest of their life is going to follow is not only daunting but also extremely stressful. In my opinion there are three options available; travelling (which seems infinitely appealing when stuck inside a freezing flat in Keele in the dead of November), further study or the dreaded four letter word: WORK! The prospect of going into the real world seems rather removed from my current university lifestyle consisting of; having two lectures a week, getting up at noon and working on dissertations into the evening and then heading to student bars and getting a wee bit inebriated. The change from this aforementioned lifestyle to one in which you have to work a ninetill-five week – every week - must fill many students with fear. The worry of having to prove yourself dayin-day-out in a foreign environment is enough to encourage any finalist to pursue other avenues.
The stress attached to further study and finding a job makes the idea of travelling very appealing indeed. Putting aside the minor issue of saving enough money to put these vague delusions into action, the concept of travelling from exotic country to exotic country seems highly attractive. The world has so many awe-inspiring sights (The Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Taj Mahal, The Great Wall of China – just to name a few) that the thought of seeing even a handful is something that must be experienced by as many people as possible.
The crossroads that all students in their final year of university face is both extremely scary and tremendously exhilarating. The idea that the decisions we make at this time in our lives are the ones that will shape the rest of our experiences is something that makes me want to run around campus screaming manically. On further thought maybe I’ll just book some tickets to the Caribbean and ponder my future The idea of further study is one that many students whilst reclining on a hammock and casually sipping appear to be exploring more and more. Due to a de- a ‘sex on the beach’. Yes, that definitely sounds like gree being a qualification undertaken by many - al- a plan! though for how long this will be affordable is any-
By Alison Carter
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e Giv ing up on Luk Attending all of my lectures like a good little geek, I’ve started to notice a few things. Firstly, it’s insanely warm in the rooms compared to the sub-zero temperatures outside; the smell of despair hangs around the lecture theatre and as the weeks pass less people turn up to each lecture I grace my presence with. Fortunately, I don’t think the lack of students is my fault, or that of the reek, but if we were to place the blame, it should be with the weather. Now, I don’t know about all of you, but to me, there’s something about this time of year when I just feel like giving up. I’ve stopped going to the clubs I joined in Fresher’s week and the essays I have to write about are not making a quanta of sense. My lecture notes are turning into (pretty awesome) illustrations of Tyrannosaurus Rex, and in some way, I’m as frustrated as the giant lizards I’m drawing, albeit for different reasons. It’s not because my arms are so small that I can’t scratch my chin, and it’s not because I’m about to be wiped out by a meteor, but because I want to throw in the towel early. Thinking about it, God knows how I managed to survive secondary school where we used to have lessons from 9 till 4 without a single “study period” and the lack of alcohol, I mean coffee, during lunch. We even started in early Septem-
ber and worked for 4 months solid with only a week off somewhere in October. n the contrary, we break up in less than a month for the holidays. So it’s not even that long before I lie down and have turkey funnelled down my throat for 2 weeks. So, much like Han Solo on the ice planet of Hoth, I shall not give up on the search for Luke Skywalker; much like Yoda on the swamp planet of Dagobah, I shall not give up on teaching Luke the ways of the force, even if he is a bit naff, but much like T-Rex, I’m going to carry on doing my work and soldiering on so I don’t have to resort to eating some form of disease ridden, pre-chewed sorry excuse for a dinner, because in the end, I’ll get my degree*. Care to disagree with me? Have a nerd-rage brewing up inside that can’t be stopped by even the most powerful of warlock spells? Think that what I write is complete load of Jackson’s, or more than likely, you can’t understand a word of what’s going on? Tell me on twitter @samuelfidler and I’ll more than likely address it next time. *Even though in this case, the dinosaur won’t get a degree, he’ll get a fresh meal if he works hard, because dinosaurs didn’t have universities, duh.
By Sam Fidler
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ing A Keele Student’s Guide to Hitchhik Sitting beside a pool with a few mates from Keele in a villa on the west coast of Portugal in Figueira da Foz, with a bottle of the local brew in one hand and a cigarette in the other, I was uncomfortably reminded by Leigh I had a flight to catch so I could begin another week of Spanish lessons in Madrid. Despite needing to leave soon, thoughts of catching three trains, a plane and a tube didn’t really cut the mustard in comparison to enjoying the rest of the afternoon’s sun, a few more beers and a diving contest followed by home cooked spag bol. Besides, after having a few Frank Turner lyrics quoted to me by Sam - ‘I may be going to hell but I’ll have all the best stories to tell’ - missing the plane and worrying about hitching a ride in the morning, seemed the most logical decision, especially after a taxi driver earlier giving the impression 700 km might not take that long after all. So I set my phone alarm for 8am and working out a rough route to hitch to Madrid, we decided remembering East as the best direction should be adequate! Waking at 11 to find my phone battery dead was not a great start. Despite excessive vocal planning, drunken cluedo till 2am seemed more important than constructing a sign to hitch with. So grabbing my rucksack, scribbling Madrid on the back of an empty crate I bid everyone farewell and headed down the drive way. I couldn’t believe my luck, within a minute, two local builders picked me up and in spite of their lack of optimism regarding the trip, they were only too happy to drop me at the seafront. Only a five minute lift but nonetheless a good start!! After two hours walking along the coast in search of a good spot to hitch I couldn’t help but think my early stroke of luck had worn thin and the evening may find me returning to Mike’s place; sunburnt, fed up and in risk of being struck off the Spanish course. Looking ahead, and noticing a mini pulling up, a feeling of relief struck me - students driving to the next town Coimbra, brilliant! I jumped in and was finally leaving the coast. Following a heated discussion in Portuguese, none of which I understood, they explained that not only was Sunday the worst day to be hitching but Coimbra was a dreadful place to hitch from as there would be no one driving towards Madrid. After offering me a lift back to Figuera, Bea received a call from her parents to let her know that she had left her wallet at theirs and they would soon be round to drop it off on the way to Alveiro, a town 18
further east. So hopping from one lift to the next I was on the road to Alveiro with a lovely middle aged couple, taking it upon themselves to teach me some basic Portuguese and instruct me on what route would be best to take from the petrol station they dropped me at out side Alveiro. After hours speaking with various people having been offered a delicious lunch of cheese and ham sandwiches, with grapes by a Norwegian couple, being offered beer, pastry and interestingly flavored cigarettes plus a lift up to Porto, where my flight would have left earlier, I still remained just a fraction of the way east of Figuera. Finally my third lift arrived: a van with three African Portuguese and an Algerian on their way to Galicia in the North. After a muddled conversation, I realized they were suggesting they drop me off past the border. I was tired and the sun was baking, so not feeling in the mood to turn down a lift even if it wasn’t quite in the right direction, I jumped in and finding myself waking up on my new friends shoulder a couple of hours later I was told we had crossed the border and had driven some distance further north. After dropping me off at another petrol station in the middle of nowhere, I waved good bye to my new friends. At 7 in the evening the sun was beginning to call it a day and still 300km away from Madrid I wandered around asking drivers whether they were headed to Madrid, the majority of whom were headed to Northern Spain or France. I was just wondering how late the station cafe stayed opened till, and how cold it would be in the middle of the fields surrounding, if were to have to set up camp, when a car pulled up. I jumped in and soon found out the driver was heading for Madrid after spending the weekend in Portugal. He dropped me off outside my apartment, as he happened to live in the neighborhood next to mine. Was a great chance to practice my Spanish and see Madrid from the top of a mountain by night. So 11 hours and five lifts later, whilst having a beer in the local café with a south Korean friend from school, feeling wonderfully elated, I realized just how nonsensical and tedious planes and trains are. So what are you waiting for? Grab your nearest piece of cardboard and felt tip pen, find a rucksack and passport and head on down to your nearest ring road, motorway or service station! You’ll save money, meet some interesting people along the way, see more of the country and have a hell of an adventure!
By Jack Mills Davidson
High Times! Man may have taken the first steps on the moon, but on Saturday 13th November it was the fairer sex who took the first leap (or rather reluctant shuffle) of faith! The woman in question? Keele Women’s Rugby’s very own Sam Pearson; followed closely by an eager Kiara L’Herpiniere and a less than impressed Caz Towler. And their challenge? A 200ft bungee jump in aid of Cancer Research UK. The jump took place at the Fox Inn Haslington, where over 15 volunteers took the plunge. The fundraising effort was a success and the girls raised £350. You may well have seen the girls on campus in the days leading up to the jump; and if you thought we were nervous then, imagine our faces when the woman harnessing one of the girls up revealed that no, she had not done the jump because it was “too dangerous.” So following a glance at Crewe from 200ft up and a few choice words which I can’t repeat here, it was 3-2-1 BUNGEE! And yes we all survived to tell the tale, but would I do it again? Not a chance! Thanks to all who donated and to the Keele Women’s Rugby Team for the hours spent in the cold raising money and awareness. If you still want to donate contact one of the rugby girls. Watch the videos of the jump on Youtube; search “keele women’s rugby bungee jump.” Well done girls!
Fay manages KUSU ’s Independant Ad vice Unit (IAU) which prov ides FREE, confid en ti al and impartial advice on academic, pe rsonal and financial issues. Drop in between 1-4pm to arrange an appointment! You can fi nd the IAU on th e to p floor of the students unio n. Alternatively em ail your queries to : independent.ad vice.unit@keele. ac.uk In this regular se ction we publish a selection of the frequent ques tions that Fay an d her team deal with around the time of public ation.
know over the Christmas vacation. The landlord will I share a house off campus and we will all be away ? this and pop in and look after the house won’t they
Not necessarily, no. You should check your insurance policy to see if there are any clauses in there about how long you can leave the property vacant and still be covered, also the it should tell you what you need to do e.g. to prevent freezing pipes etc. Be careful about security particularly post Christmas is always a bad time for burglaries, if you need advice on security you can have a look at staffordshire.police.uk/advice_zone/burglary but you will need to discuss any improvements / modifications to be made with your landlord/landlady. my essays and I as I am spending so much time on n atio par pre m exa ut abo g ssin break I I am stre going to have much time over the not am I so as istm Chr r ove job e have a part tim it is all getting to me. drive home every other week and
OK. Lets have a look at a few things: In reality, if you are keeping up with the course and doing your reading and essays, in effect this is exam preparation; however you can get some extra help with exam technique / revision planning etc. from the Academic Advisor in the Centre for Learning and Student Support. Why are you driving home every week? Can we help with this? You can check http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/seasonal/winter_motoring.html for advice about winter motoring. If things are getting to you, you could consider counselling from the Counselling Service on campus and you may want to submit Extenuating Circumstances to the University if you feel you need to.
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store cards for presents. I am going to A friend of mine plans to fund Christmas by taking out going to be able to pay for presents this struggle to pay for Christmas, is this the only way I am year? This is where, as an advisor I feel tempted to go into legal overdrive and tell you all about the rules of store cards and how they can be expensive and info about the Consumer Credit Act 1974 blah blah blah. However, you need practical info: what interest rates are they offering? What discount are they offering on your initial purchase, are you able to pay the balance off and therefore benefit from the discount, or are you going to pay over a number of months in which case are you prepared to pay the interest rate? Do you have a job which will pay off the monthly bill? It may be right for you, as you may be able to benefit, but my advice is if you would like a credit/store car, don’t get one on impulse in the shop, shop around to see what deals you can get, (don’t forget to use your NUS card while Christmas shopping), but if you need a credit/store card, the get advice as you probably could do with some financial advice tailored to you and your financial situation. At this point I could mention that if you are practically minded home made presents can be cheaper and more appreciated, but maybe I shouldn’t…
break, but I have applied I want to go home over the Christmas ask for my passport back? for an extension to my visa. Can I just It is only normally in exceptional circumstances the UKBA will allow this. Before you decide to do it, my advice is to either see the Unit or International Student Support; we can look at your situation in detail, but it probably means that you won’t be able to travel until your visa application has been processed. I downloaded an application form from the UKBA a couple pf weeks ago, I’ve filled it in and want it checking – can I bring it into you to look at it?
am not albut they have told me I I have applied for a job king for international student loo lowed to work. I am an s I am say ort vacation. My passp work over the Christmas I do? able to work. What can
Usually, yes, however the UKBA changed most of their forms on Monday 22nd November, so before you bring it in check their website to see if it is still the right form.
There are a few employers in the area who aren’t sure about the rules regarding employing international students. We can write and explain what the rules are. Let us know your particular details and who you have applied to and we will give you a letter.
policy of taking into account ty which says “Keele University has a I have read an email from the Universi e had problems during ents’ academic study and results”. I hav stud cted affe e hav ch whi es, tanc ums circ I just wait to see tell the University about them. Should to t wan I that feel ’t don I but r, este the first sem what my marks are like? This email is basically telling students that, if you want the University to take into account your personal circumstances you have to tell them if you have ‘missed an assessment or you become aware that circumstances are affecting you’, so really they are looking for you to tell them now (actually, if you read on further in the email it says you must not wait for your results then ask for your circumstances to be taken into account). It isn't easy telling the University sensitive information, if you have already told a professional person, they may be able to verify that you have had problems without divulging exactly what. For detailed help with this you can see the IAU or CLASS. 21
Symphonia Symphonia Orchestra is an entirely student-run organization specializing in the musical expressions of Keele's up-and-coming composers. They pride themselves on being exclusively run for and by students, and having just the two years of history behind them means they can only get bigger and better. The freedom and flexibility of having a student committee means Symphonia can welcome all kinds of instruments and their players with no auditions required, and will consider for rehearsal and performance any musical composition submitted to them. Their summer concert specializes in these pieces, and the committee is looking to integrate even more into their future performances, so take action and submit your work because it will be considered. Aside from debuting composers and performing popular classics, Symphonia enjoy playing works of opera and ballet, plus film and even video game scores. The orchestra's president Dan Hines assures Concourse that the atmosphere is always light-hearted and cheerful during their rehearsals, at least “until the last few hours before a gig of course.” Until the establishment of a social secretary no big nights out have been planned, but after Monday night rehearsals the orchestra is guaranteed to migrate to Lindsay bar next door. Their next performance is on the 11th of December at Lindsay Studio 2 and being the Christmas concert, will feature in particular a festive musical medley of such film scores as 'Nightmare Before Christmas' and 'Miracle on 34th Street', with tickets soon going on sale for students at £4 - if you want to get in touch with the society, just search for their name on Facebook.
By Gwen Smith Dance Society Dance society, at around 150 members strong, is one of Keele’s most popular societies. We run weekly classes in ballet, tap, modern and hip-hop at varying levels of ability, so there really is something for everyone! Whether you’re a complete beginner or have been dancing since you can remember, the weekly classes on offer are a brilliant way to keep fit whilst having fun at the same time. Throughout the year members will build on things learnt in class and feel, by the end of it that they’ve achieved something and realised a skill they never knew they had! Dance provides the opportunity to make friends outside of your course and accommodation. The regular socials are always a great way to get to know each other, whether it’s helping each other up after ‘stopping, dropping and rolling’ on army night, or something a little quieter, like chatting over pizza and a movie. One of the highlights of the dance society calendar is the show in March, which those of you who have been at Keele for longer will undoubtedly have heard about and if you haven’t been before, you definitely should! It always promises to be a brilliant night showcasing the amazing talents of each and every member and tickets are always in high demand. The show also raises money for charity, which over the past few years has been the Donna Louise Trust based in Cheshire. The trust provides an environment where children with life threatening illnesses can receive care and counselling in a place that feels friendly and safe. So by coming to see it you’d be supporting a very good cause! This year dance society is bigger and better than ever, with more socials, opportunities to take part in dance competitions and most importantly to dance while doing some good for others, making friends and having fun. Remember, LOVE:KEELE, LOVE:DANCE, LOVE:LIFE.
By Jessica Hutchings
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By Shaun Dooley With the days growing shorter there’s never been a better time for warm evenings in front of the… um, laptop. Thankfully there are now more ways than ever before for an aspiring student to put off an essay until the last minute, with BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand Five all offering their latest shows for free. Here are the ones to look out for (or to avoid) in the coming weeks.
PhoneShop mFresh from the Channel 4 ‘Co a g stin edy Showcase’ and boa is, rva script edited by Ricky Ge great a be to ed PhoneShop promis lows fol w new comedy. The sho rsity Christopher, fresh from Unive ence with a degree in Sports Sci his and , ent and Hotel Managem a it, d colleagues in… you guesse ls fai phone shop. Sadly the show ld. cou it as ll to deliver as we sim be to Many characters appear and it ply annoying for the sake of types reo ste s lou based on ridicu ents. acc t’ with their put on ‘stree key t The show fails to obey tha that rule of comedy; it’s just not r you nd spe funny. I’d suggest you e. her HallsNet allowance elsew
Peep Show The BAFTA award winn ing sitcom returns for a seventh serie s this month and continues the ongo ing predicaments of Mark and Je z, the classic odd-couple. The first episode sees Mark getting to grips with fatherhood while there is a ne w love interest for Jeremy, with hil arious results for both of course. Th e show has been consistently of a high standard so here’s hoping that they don’t let up on it any time soon. Every episode from the prev ious six seasons is available on 4od and Youtube, so if you ha ven’t done so already, there’s never been a better time to get yourself ac quainted with the El Dude Brothers.
Pete VersuS Lif e Pete is a twenty-so mething sports journalist, loo king for a shot at the big time an d always failing miserably. Soun ds familiar, but what sets th is apart from the rest is self pr oclaimed loser Pete and the two commentators that an alyse his every move, complet e with instudio guest speakers, Match of the Day-style highlig hts and even the odd Hawkey e action replay. Sharp and mode rn, Pete Versus Life is the ul timate in feel-good entertain ment because quite simply Pe te unwillingly sabotages his personal and professional life to such an extent that you can only sit back and feel good ab out your own.
Top Ten: Facial Fuzz November is the manliest month, particularly because of the no-shave November tradition of recent years, which sees men across the world grow manly facial hair. This has resulted in this writer developing a Captain Birdseye style beard and has left at least one friend with a less than impressive attempt at facial hair. Therefore surely it is time to celebrate facial fuzz through the ages? Here’s my ten best bearded or mustachioed figures throughout history: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky Friedrich Nietzsche Leon Trotsky Leo Tolstoy Ernest Hemingway Che Guevara Karl Marx Fidel Castro Salvador Dali Groucho Marx
By Tom Norris 23
BUCS REVIEW THE SEASON SO FAR
Keele University playNow the BUCS season is well underway, we can have an accurate look at how the teams are measuring up to their pre-season expectations. Men’s Football are having a strong start to the season, with the 1st Team in particular picking up impressive wins that got their new season after promotion off to a flying start. A 21st birthday hat-trick away at University of Chester for Sean Szabo was a particular highlight of October. Men’s Rugby 1st Team at the time of writing have scored an impressive 203 points in just five games, showing their determination to win promotion this year. A very tight 14-17 loss to University of Cumbria was the only blip in a faultless start to the season, winning 4 of their first 5 games. The 2nd team also started strongly with two big wins which have kept them near the top of their respective BUCS league. Men’s Squash have won two of their first three games at a new level, and with the women still raring to go with the late start to their season they are another club bouncing off the walls. Men’s Badminton 1sts have won three of their first four games which is another impressive record to add to the list of successful teams so far this semester. The Men’s 2nds and the Women’s 1sts have also had strong starts with a lot to look forward to in the coming months. Hockey is a club who have come through the first few games exceptionally well. The Men’s 1sts have a 100% record, winning their opening fixture against
University of Central Lancashire 8-1 and never looking back as they have won their first five games. The Men’s 2nds have also put in some solid performances and they are proud of their victories so far that have also propelled them to the top of their BUCS league. The Women’s Hockey teams have performed modestly, with both teams notching up a victory amongst a smattering of disappointing hiccups as they look to push for promotion. Men’s Fencing have performed to a consistently high standard, and in the dizzy heights of the Northern Conference they got promoted to this season, they have continued to outfox top university sides on their way to a 75% win ratio this season. There’s a long way to go but it certainly looks like they could improve on their fantastic results last season! Men’s Cricket have started the new season as a new club in the BUCS scene, and have performed reasonably well with two wins and two losses. They will be pleased with their performances as they look to find their feet in their new surroundings. Maybe the match practice over the season will help them to claim victory at Varsity this year! Finally, Men’s and Women’s Basketball have had good starts to the season as well. The men have a 50% win ratio after some high intensity performances, and the women have won two of their first three games. Sports Development Officer Mike Huss has said that “Keele have produced some promising results early in the new season, although there is always room for improvement across the board.”
Photo by Alex Clifford
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The Athletics Track at Keele
I’ve always been a keen sports enthusiast. Paramount to every sport is pride and commitment – you get out of sport everything that you put into it.
the agenda. I definitely heard that it was no longer a car park – even though cars still park all over it.
With that sentiment in mind, something as core to the ethos of sport in general as an athletics track, the representative symbol of sport at Keele is the pot-holed derelict athletics track pictured.
The cost estimate of building a new athletics track is around £100,000. I hear you ask how? It’s simply not a case of laying down tarmac (as I had believed before investigating), but also of readjusting the dimensions of the track, landscaping, planning and everything else associated with a large building project.
The phrase “a picture paints a thousand words” cannot be truer than the athletics track we have at Keele. This is an embarrassing representative symbol of sport at Keele. The university has the cheek to call our facilities “excellent and extensive” In all three of my years at Keele, I have run around that track with the football team for fitness training, timing the runs round. I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve laughed at one us falling over, or got our feet soaked in the water filling the numerous holes across the track. At the end of it all though, it's not funny. VP Sport & Fitness Sonia said in her election campaign speech that the state of the Athletics Track was "disgusting", and has since expressed her dissatisfaction with the situation. The Keele Athletics and Cross Country have no base at Keele, even though we had a 4th place for the 800m in Emma Jackson at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India this summer. I was under the impression over the summer that there was a development plan in place for the Athletics Track, or it was at the very least high on
It has also surfaced, from talking to certain individuals who don’t want to be named, that “due to the lack of student demand” that it is about “as realistic to hope for a re-laid athletics track as it is to hope for a swimming pool”. Based on the fact that a swimming pool could cost almost seven figures to build, the fact that there is no obvious site and that the annual maintenance of a pool around £100,000 a year I think this is a ludicrous comparison. This is, however, apparently the consensus of the Keele hierarchy. I am of the belief that a good sporting institution is critical to the health of a vibrant, progressive university that the Keele hierarchy are obviously aspiring to, with their pursuit of becoming the “Ultimate 21st Century Campus”. With an Athletics Track in this state, sport at Keele will never be able to have the confidence to aspire to anything beyond mediocrity in the national sporting scene. That to me, is heartbreaking. By Dan Casey
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Interview with Sonia Douz, VP Sport & Fitness
Sonia is the Vice President for Sports and Fitness. This year she has a lot of work to do to try and define this new role which is only in its second year of existence. She has undoubtedly succeeded in this key aim, as there is no doubt now that the role is based on two main objectives. Firstly on improving and cultivating recreational sport – specifically trying to increase participation of those who wouldn’t normally get involved. Secondly, there is also an emphasis on supporting the Athletic Union, encouraging students to participate competitively, helping to improve sports facilities and the progression of sports at Keele. Sonia is also working on evaluating the university’s sports strategy, evolving an elite athlete programme and a physio drop-in session for Athletic Union members every week. She is a very busy woman with all the work she is doing, but she found the time to let us know more about what she gets up to!
Hi Sonia! You are the second person elected to the role of VP Sports & Fitness. In your election speeches, you made it clear that you felt this year was crucial to the future of the role, where it needed definition and direction. Do you feel that you’ve settled in and provided this so far? Yes most definitely! I know a lot of people thought I would be AU focused because of my background. However, through what I have done so far I think I have focused on participation, therefore showing people what my role is all about. It is an ongoing debate over whether or not the roles of VP Sport & Fitness and AU President should be merged. What do you think now you’ve been in both roles? I think the two roles should still be merged as the workload of the AU President is far too much for a full time student. I have done a lot so far but a lot more could be done. The problem is that students who do not want to participate competitively but recreationally, will do so only every so often. There is a danger of alienating recreationally-minded participants and actually putting
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them off by overloading them with activities. For example, I had to cancel the Bench ball tournament because the only interest was from AU Clubs. I feel I can safely say this having previously been the AU President and now being VP Sport & Fitness. The Power Lunches between 12-2 on a Tuesday have proved quite popular, with attendance of over 80 people on a recent one. This sounds particularly good, anything you want to say about it? I have to say I am very proud of it. When I went to NUS Training a few other universities even wanted to replicate the idea! I did meet some criticism to be fair, but I’m fine with that - I think it was because people didn’t understand my role. Most of them thought I was here to support the AU when actually I’m not. Keele is a quirky place – it’s different. The Power Lunch for me was something that I believe fitted in. So far I have had up to 80 people through the doors. Not all at once, but I’m still happy! Even if people only pop in for five minutes and play ping-pong they are still participating and that’s a start. I am looking to innovate the Power Lunches and to run them across the year, and I hope they are a permanent fixture long after I have gone! The Friday at 5 tournaments: dodge ball, the planned netball tournament. Pleased with how they have gone, and any future plans? Loads more tournaments, including rounders, rugby, football and volleyball... the sky is the limit really! There is a bid with Sport England that I am tied to that means I can’t run any Intra-mural leagues which is why I’m really pushing the one off tournaments. Another promising fact about the dodge ball was that of the 12 teams, only 4 were AU clubs – meaning that over 70 students were participating from a new group of students new to sport at Keele which I’m delighted with! With these tournaments, not only have you raised significant amounts for charity but you’ve also pulled in a significant number of students! I’m just glad that students have participated and that they have enjoyed them. Just going through the dodge ball tournament photos you can see that people really did have a lot of fun. It was so positive that I will now be running a dodge ball league in the New Year and that was the request of students! This participation level has given me a lot of confidence about future tournaments and about introducing new sports to Keele! Inter-hall sports competition was something else you wanted to promote this year. Has there been any interest from the students to get involved with this in key sports? I’m currently working on this with the Residential Managers and Tutors. This for me is key as I believe this can also be used to combat a lot of the problems within halls. I’ve seen several suggestions of off-campus trips for students – have any of these come to fruition? They look exciting! I will continue to develop these ideas. I know I need to adopt a different strategy for these, for example to advertise them when people have money! I’m determined to take students to Aerial Extreme, Roller World and to an Outdoor Pursuit Weekend. Have you got any other plans that I haven’t covered? Big thing for me this year is to also look at increasing volunteering within sports at Keele. I would like to encourage and reward more students to do so through recognised programmes. Not just students from sports backgrounds but those who want to help even if they do not want to play sports. 27
OK Go - Rube Goldberg Machine Remember the dancing treadmill boys? (Just incase you don’t, you should probably Youtube ‘Ok Go - Treadmill’ first... Where have you been?!) They’re back and they’ve put together a giant Rube Goldberg machine for the music video of their song ‘This Too Shall Pass’! In fact, watch all of their music videos! They never failed to entertain! The music isn’t really for me, but the origonality of the videoes alone mean that they well and truely command my respect!
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Stephen Piggott
BIO... Piggott has spent three years at the football club, playing his 1st season in the 4th team as part of a formidable partnership with Jake Hickinbottom in the centre of defence where he received Captain’s Player of the Season. Last season he went on to become the 3rd Team Captain and shaped a fantastic squad with easily the best banter in Keele – personal highlights include Joe Watson using a flannel for a towel every week and James ‘Shaggy’ O’Keeffe being an all round tramp. The team lost only one game in the City Traders League on the way to a sensational title-winning season. This year, Piggott continues to play for the 3rd Team as he moves on to become the Club Secretary. With his no-nonsense approach to his coaching sessions, on the pitch style and leadership qualities he feels safe to proclaim himself “the true unsung hero of K.U.F.C., the best club at Keele.”
QUESTIONS... Who is your biggest sporting influence? Manchester United and Republic of Ireland full-back Dennis Irwin – he played his entire career without receiving a single yellow card. He is a true model professional. I can tell you’ve had quite an epic three years here at Keele! Any particular memory at the football club you can single out as the best? It has to be leading the 3rd Team to the City Traders League Championship last season. It was the clubs first season in the league and we had a lot of adapting to do to. I was very proud of the lads. Any goals on the field this season? I want to help to win the CTL again this season in tribute to injured skipper Andy Inwood. After a shaky start to the season and being on the receiving end of some fantastic football we couldn’t deal with early on, the 3rds are performing a lot better in recent weeks with a steady winning streak in the CTL. We are looking to carry this good form through to BUCS to try and pick up our first victory!
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