KUBE RADIO WINNERS
Issue Number 5 : November 19th 2007
Matt Bowling
KUBE Radio, Keele University’s very own radio station, has been awarded yet another hugely prestigious award. On Monday 5th November, 8 Keele students received the award for ‘Best Internet Only Radio Station’ at the European Radio Awards, held at the Ritz Hotel Arts in Barcelona.
kusu.net/concourse
The award signifies that the station, although run by student volunteers, has what it takes to be awarded what is deemed to be one of the highest accolades in the whole industry. KUBE saw off privately owned and funded Internet station ASFM for the award that saw the biggest applause of the night at the ceremony.
This is not just the first award for KUBE in the past year. In June, the station picked up ‘Best Online Radio’ for an international station at the New York Radio Awards. Now coupled with the European Radio Award, KUBE Radio is now the highest awarded Internet station this year in the UK. And it doesn’t stop there; KUBE’s listening figures have seen a dramatic increase in the past month through their brand new website.
So what next? Well keep tuning in, this year is set to be one of the best years ever for KUBE programming with more interviews, new music and competitions than ever before. KUBE has already given away over £600 worth of Alton Tower tickets to listeners from across the country as well as in Keele. Expect even more from the country’s best online radio
Naz President
station in the coming year with broadcasting ability planned in the Union and Laundrettes expected to be ready by January 2008.
So for the best in Keele news (available EVERY hour) and the best in music and radio talk set your browser to www.kuberadio.com , YOUR STUDENT STATION.
We’ve Won Baby!
First the Monopoly Board and now the O2 Party, what next? Independence for Keele!
A big thank you to all the students who got involved in helping Keele win the O2 battle for the UK’s favourite university on facebook. The wheels are already in motion to organise a massive bonanza here at the Students’ Union. The event will be on a first come first serve basis with free entrance, drink coupons and free food.
The event will take place on Saturday 8th December, so keep your diaries clear and make sure not to go home. I have been in contact with O2 and had a meeting on Monday to discuss the details of the events. They were particu
larly impressed with the dedication and commitment with which Keele students fended off a late surge from Hertfordshire University. There will be a lot of fun and frolics to be had with party inflatables and fantastic entertainments. It is good to see that student have not been swallowed up by apathy. The Keele spirit and sense of community lives on. Overall, I feel quite comfortable in saying our banter outstripped that of all the other Universities demonstrating your pride for Keele!
In Concourse Issue 5 Keele Car Parking > Page 3
Re-Opening of the Sports Pitches > Page 4
Oxjam Update > Page 8
Concourse
19th November 2007
The Duke : ‘The job behind the title.’
Jack “The Duke” Corrigan (VP Education & Welfare)
The last few weeks have been a veritable smorgasbord of activity for the Duke. The variety of under-takings that the Duke has endeavoured to complete since the start of term has left this pinnacle of human perseverance tested but not defeated. Relying on his infamous bouncebackability, for which he so often been lionized, the Duke managed to strive against all odds to emerge victorious from the boiling pot of challenges and pit-falls that is freshers’ week. Forming one of the sides of the KUSU sabbatical quadrilateral, the Duke and the other gladiators of the quadruped beast have strove to ensure that Keele 07/08 will be committed to the pages of history. The desire is that in years to come new Keele students will be regaled with legendary myths and folk stories about such a quintessence that was Keele 07/08. Recently the Duke has adorned himself in the hypothetical sorcerers’ attire to orchestrate the annual safety week campaign. The dissemination of this event through excessive discursive meandering evaluation from interested third suggested it to have been palpable triumph. Currently holding a number of different projects in the proverbial fire, the Duke tackles the quotidian tasks of protecting and serving the constituents who elevated him into this role. Routinely skirmishing the killjoys and the disingenuous, the Duke continues to safeguard education and welfare issues here at Keele. In bringing his own eccentricities and idiosyncrasies to the table the Duke ensures that all salient issues that are pertinent to the student body will be suitably represented to the University and requests that if you have any queries that you don’t hesitate to contact him at: vp.edwel@kusu.keele.ac.uk You stay classy Keele.
Shakur Ahmed Racial Diversity Officer
Nikki Cooper Disabled Students Officer
What have I been up to?
Hey lovelies, So, the big question on everyone’s mind is, of course, what has our representative for Disabled Students been up to lately, well here goes...
* Show Case Show Down – I and a few others are planning a major event to be held in March 2008 showcasing talent throughout Keele from various societies to show the diversity of Keele.
1) I’ve helped to get Keele University Disability Organisation for Students (KUDOS) off the ground and into action. We’ve had fortnightly committee meetings, decided on some goals for the year, and have a sexy forum, found at www.kudosonline.tk.
What am I going to do?
* NUS Black Campaign Conference (17th & 18th Nov) I will be attending this conference, to pick up skills and ideas on ways of raising awareness of diversity through 2) You may have noticed my concourse articles, keeping events and workshops you up to date with current awareness days/weeks and in* NUS Anti Racism Conference (28th Nov) – This conformed about how different disabilities can affect people. ference will guidance of tackling racism on campus. 3) Coming out soon, is a questionnaire I have put together, which I urge all students who con- * Continue with Show Case Show Down - I need all the support I can get from societies sider themselves to have a disability to fill in. It should be available on the KUSU website, within Keele to help contribute to this event; I intend to make it a memorable event that is both meaningful and continued in further years. and also be emailed out to all students.
4) I’m putting forward a motion to SRC to ensure an Access Audit is carried out on our SU If you wish to help out for the Show Case Show Down through talent or extras then please building. Currently our building fails to comply with the Disability Discrimination act, and this e-mail keele_showcaseshowdown@hotmail.com ASAP. Any issue big or small regarding racial diversity come and see me or drop me an email. needs to be rectified as soon as possible (what ever the cost). For more information check out my blog at www.kusudisability.wordpress.com
Racial Diversity – Office Hour (WEDS 1-2pm Top Floor SU) E-mail – sta57@kusu.keele.ac.uk
You can contact me by emailing me at STA54@kusu.keele.ac.uk or visiting me in my of- *** fice hour on Mondays at 12pm in the Union Committee Office.
Jonny Craig Non-Portfolio Officer
Hello all hope you have all settled into university life by now (or back into university life if you’re a returning student). I have been asked to give you an update on what I have been up to in KUSU.
1. I have been doing plenty of work for my society including working with Matt (VP Comms) to sort out a photography workshop more details are coming soon 2. I have been getting information about getting life saving equipment onto campus and the training associated with it (watch this space for more information)
HAPPY DIWALI – To all our students celebrating this festival.
***
Ben Powell Male Gender Officer
Since taking the role of KUSU Male Gender officer I have busied myself attending meetings and have been getting to grips with the duties and responsibilities that the role entails, as I was elected to this position following the absence of an active predecessor in recent years.
In addition to my duties as a member of Union Committee, I have recently been communicating with people from various charities and organisations about the possibility of running an awareness campaign on testicular cancer next semester.
3. I have also been doing some other research on something else I have a strong interest in If you have any ideas for campaigns or any concerns about gender discrimination either in KUSU or the university at large; please email me at STA52@keele.ac.uk or attend my of(also watch this space for more information) fice hour, Monday 2-3 in the Union Committee office. 4. I have been asked to take part as a student representative on a student conduct panel which is part of the university’s new disciplinary procedure.
5. I have been assisting the other officers with their roles
6. Finally I have been carrying on my work as a Student Academic Representative for forensic science.
If you feel like you want to get involved in any of my activities or want to speak to me feel free to e-mail me at sta55@kusu.keele.ac.uk, visit me in my office hour between 11-12 on Fridays or if you see me around/on facebook feel free to speak to me then.
Concourse
19th November 2007
Keele Moves Forward - The Big Debate
Travel Planning for the 21st Century Campus
Wednesday 21st November 1.45 – 4.00 pm in the Exhibition Suite, Chancellor’s Building
How do you travel to, from and around the University? Could it be better, greener, safer, more accessible?
Come and discuss the big issues at the 1st Travel Planning Forum
You are invited to a meeting to discuss your ideas about travel to, from and around the University campus.
Keele University wants to make travel in and around the campus and hospital site better for everyone who is involved in the life of the University, whether you are a student, work at the University, live locally or have an interest in local travel issues. The discussion and the ideas generated will help the University understand everyone’s needs in relation to travel. The University can then explore how it can change, influence and provide things like: §
more convenient bus routes and frequencies
§
a strategy for car use and car parking
§
Ending world hunger in a click?
Ok so maybe we won’t end world hunger with one click, but recently a fair few websites have appeared which offer to donate food/books/medicine for every time you click a button.
It’s a scam I hear you cry! They just want us to sign up and then take our money!Well that’s not true.
Here’s how it works:
* You click on the button. * The sponsors of the site have already agreed with the site that when a person clicks a certain amount of money is given to the site. (Why? you ask. Because they assume you’ve seen their ads on the website and therefore they will be gaining business) * This money is then used to pay for food etc - You get the message ‘You have given the value of 1.1 cups of food to the hungry.’ Or something similar. If everyone on Campus just clicked this button once, it would probably donate around 4,000+ cups of food.
better options and facilities for walking and cycling
……………and perhaps even think about how we can reduce the need to travel.
An independent organisation, Icarus, with extensive experience in helping people to participate in planning and decision making will facilitate the forum session to make sure all voices get heard and you can do your best, most creative thinking. This is the first meeting of the Travel Planning Forum and there will be a number of similar events over the coming months as the ideas are developed.
Do come along it will be a great chance to talk about what you would like to see happen.
If you’re interested, the web address is www.thehungersite.com you can give food, give mammograms (to check for breast cancer), give healthcare to one child, give a book, protect 11.4 square feet of rainforest or give .6 bowls of food to rescued animals (not sure if that’s meant to be 0.6 or 6) all by going through the 6 tabs and clicking the ‘click here’ button YOU DON’T HAVE TO SIGN UP TO ANYTHING AND IT’S FREE
More information about the process is available in the projects area of the Planning and Secretariat web-pages. If you would like to come to the forum or need more information please contact Jen Paddison at j.a.paddison@keele.ac.uk or on 01782 (58)3655 to confirm your place.
Farah Halime
KUSU President Pushes for a Greener Campus
In the wake of environmental issues concerning global warming, KUSU President, Nadeem Patel speaks out about reducing cars on campus: ‘I think we need to be looking at a more environmental, green, moral stance and saying lets try and phase out cars off our campus, especially when we’re in the middle of such beauty and such heritage’. This comes as a response to the University’s forthcoming change in parking regulations whereby fines would be administered by an external company, Liberty Services who specialise in parking enforcement. Nadeem explains how this proposed Car Parking Management Scheme will work: ‘[The University] do not at the moment have the capability to track cars. With employing an outside company such as Liberty Services that have a direct link with the DVLA, it means they have details of the owner and
are able to receive payments’. But Nadeem believes this is only a short term solution which is ‘not looking towards reducing cars on campus.’ Instead the KUSU President is pushing the Public Dialogue approach which involves ‘travel planning for the 21st Century campus [and] looking towards a greener, safer, more accessible travel plan.’ This considers alternatives to the more conventional one person per vehicle approach seen on campus, such as car sharing, bicycle sharing and public transport initiatives. As well as wanting to safe guard students from being charged over inflated prices for travel (fines administered of £50 by Liberty Services could potentially rise if no payment is made, but halved if paid within a fortnight), Nadeem feels that ‘issues of the environment have come to the forefront’. He goes on to stress the importance of attending the Public Dialogue focus groups because as he states: ‘students as stakeholders really need to be involved. I
Concourse Editor : Matt Alexander Concourse Issue 5 contained articles from;
Matt Bowling, Naz, Farah Halime, Sarah Hill, Jack Corrigan,Sophia Baker, Michael Barnett, Samantha Denby, Jonny Craig, Nikki Cooper, Lizzie Leeson, Sarah Gawn, Catie Dear, Katie Ryan, AJ, Oli Cotterill, Alex Belcher, Tom Street, Asir Ayaz, Philip Slann, Andy Hodder, Fay Harris, James Appleby, Manpreet Manku, Simi Sehgal, Jamie Barker, Lydia Medler, James Lavender,Mike Fryatt, Roxana Rudzik, Lauren Fuzi, Barry Riley, Rich Hill and Stephen Johns
think that is key, getting students to put across to the University that this is the type of travel we want.’ But such alternatives have not always been successful. For example, a proposed bus service was set to run regularly for all students along popular routes but could only be financed by a compulsory annual payment of £200 by all students, whether they used the service or not. Thus, a solution has been sought via the current Public Dialogue which is headed by Icarus; a company who have designed a consultation process that enables key stakeholders (such as students) to enter discussions and debates regarding a greener travel around the campus. In addition, Nadeem states that students are currently facing inequality in comparison to staff, who have unrestricted parking at a discounted price: ‘if there came a point where a student is restricted from parking and unable to park in certain areas which they are allowed to do so – is there a form of compen-
Want to write for Concourse? You can submit articles and adverts to Matt Alexander in the VP Comms office on the top floor of the Students’ Union, or at; vp.comms@kusu.keele.ac.uk
sation for that student?’ Currently, there isn’t and so Nadeem stresses the need to be involved in the consultation process of greener and cheaper travel. He adds however, that ‘it’s absolutely imperative that all students know about the change in regulations’ as the financial effects would be ‘detrimental’ if fines were left unpaid. For Nadeem, the biggest challenge posed is about changing the mind set. He says that ‘it is not about leaving cars [at home] as such but ingraining into people that if every single person brings a car on campus, it has a detrimental effect on the environment.’ In taking a moral decision not to drive, Nadeem promotes a greener lifestyle that does not cut out much needed transport. He believes ‘car sharing is a fantastic idea’ but is adamant that ‘these things aren’t impossible’ and can be achieved. The solution does not rest in serving penalties to those who haven’t got a permit or are parked illegally; it resides in a different way of thinking about travel.
Next Edition of Concourse: Monday 3rd December
Please submit articles for this edition by 12pm on Sunday the 25th of November to VP Comms
Concourse Keele alumni speaks of her media success
Keele alumni Elizabeth Udall’s career has spanned from breakfast with Elizabeth Hurley to swimming with sharks to interviewing Roger Cooper, who suffered five years chained to a radiator as a hostage in Iran. Looking back at her University years Elizabeth states it was the ‘power of writing to transform’ that inspired her to become a journalist. She has written for newspapers such as The Times and The Guardian, magazines including Cosmopolitan, Grazia and Glamour, in addition to appearing as a guest expert on Channel Four’s Richard and Judy. ‘Positive all the way’ is how Elizabeth remembers her time at Keele. Like many students here today, what drew Elizabeth to the University was the sense of community; she describes the campus atmosphere as similar to ‘a village’. While at Keele, Elizabeth studied English Literature and American Studies and saw the subject as modern and vibrant, supporting her view of Keele as a ‘fantastic place to be’. The multicultural aspect of Keele was central to Elizabeth’s experience of University and played a large part in her desire to become a journalist. She talks of using her experiences and combining them with her love of writing. When discussing the image of journalism, Elizabeth admits it is seen as a dishonest profession. Typically considered to be hard-nosed and untrustworthy, people are often “on guard” around journalists. However, as Elizabeth states this image is beginning to fade; ‘generally we’re moving towards a more trusting field of journalism’. She adds that there is more glamour in the industry, which also contributes to its changing image.
A current debate on journalism questions whether academic qualifications such as those accredited by the NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) are more beneficial to upcoming journalists than practical work experience. Although Elizabeth recognises the value of academic qualifications, she highlights that ‘you can’t beat getting into a job’. She adds that some of the dramatic situations she has experienced during her career have taught her skills that could not ‘be reproduced in the classroom’. For example, Elizabeth emphasizes the importance of not becoming ‘hardened’ by the job, expressing the strength of valuing ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Following her graduation, a job advertisement in the Daily Telegraph led to her initial break working at the prestigious Fleet Street. Her success has continued to include the publication of her own book, Rape: Your Survival Guide, which was approved by the Home Secretary of the time David Blunkett. Furthermore, she has achieved an independent role as a freelance writer and also works as the media officer for the East Midlands MP Glenis Willmott. Elizabeth Udall can be seen as an inspiration for budding journalists at Keele University and offers this advice: ‘get as much life experience as possible’ and put yourself into both ‘interesting and challenging situations’. Finally, when asking Elizabeth about the celebrities she has interviewed she admits some have been difficult. Yet, despite our efforts to get Elizabeth to “dish the dirt”, she maintained her professional manner!
By Sarah Hill, English and American Studies student and Farah Halime, Human Geography and Media Communications and Culture student.
19th November 2007
Calculated Risk: Important Information Surrounding Exams
Jack Corrigan Vice President Education & Welfare
Pending it’s almost certain success at both University Senate and Council the regulations surrounding the use of electronic equipment in examinations is being amended. Currently regulation 9.1 reads; unless otherwise stated in the rubric of the paper, any type of calculator may be used provided that the calculator is hand held, battery operated or solar-powered, noiseless and has no facility for the storage of alphabetical information other than hexadecimal numbers. This means that mobile phones, iphones etcetera can be used as calculators during examinations. The amended regulation will change this and restrict the variety of electronic equipment that can be used. The new proposal reads; unless otherwise stated in the rubric of the paper, permitted calculators shall be hand held, battery operated or solar powered, noiseless and have no facility for the storage of alphabetical information other than hexadecimal numbers and no communications facility. This new regulation prohibits the use of all electronic equipment unless stated specifically in the rubric of the paper so no iPods, mobile phones, battery operated sex toys.........obviously unless specified! The regulation has to pass through Council in December but will, if successful, be in place come the January round of examinations. So be careful, make sure that if you need a calculator for your exam that you have the correct appliance, and not a prohibited electronic device that you will be restricted from using.
The Grand Opening…… Well re-opening
Jack Corrigan Vice-President Education & Welfare
After enduring months of disgruntled students, staff and residents the leisure finally re-opened the artificial sports pitches on Friday 9th November. The commitment from the University to sort the debacle that was the astro-turf pitches shows the growing commitment to and recognition of sport here at Keele. Keele has a great sporting history, and is often feared for its prowess across the country. Many people would suggest that the smaller size of Keele University would hinder
its chances in sporting domain. The truth however is the complete opposite. The Keele community spirit galvanises the commitment of our sports people and you will find every Keelite who pulls on a Keele jersey is willing to give 100% week in week out for their University. When the astro-turf was condemned last year, the negative repercussions could be seen through-out all the sports teams that rely on the astro-turf for training purposes. Not only did they lose the physical aspect that training provides, but the essential social aspect that also comes with regular training sessions was lost. It can certainly be argued that the only reason Keele lost the annual varsity event against Staffs last year was due to the fact that training regimes where seriously hit. The astro-turf does not just provide facilities for our sports clubs. A wide-range of the Keele community uses the pitches for recreational purposes. The leisure centre run 6 aside leagues are always popular with students and it can be said that the return of these leagues have been very popular amongst the student body.In today’s society the importance of regular exercise is rammed down our throats every single day and many find it impossible to ignore. The restoration of these pitches only facilitates a healthy active student body here at Keele. At the ceremony to unveil the pitches, local
celebrity Nick Hancock said a few words about the importance of sport in connecting Keele to the local community. The jovial Hancock posed for pictures with children from Madeley High School who will be encouraged to use the new pitches. During the ceremony he also took the time to meet the club captains’ from both men’s and women’s football and hockey. It was thought essential that these engaged student representatives be at the ceremony so that student voices can heard not only in the negative, scrutinising stories involving the university but in the positive success stories. The astro-turf pitches are know open for use by all.
19th November 2007
Concourse
‘HAVE YOU HEARD…?’
Sophia Baker
…two women die every week in the UK as a result of domestic violence? …that domestic violence accounts for 15% of all recorded violent crime? …up to 20,000 women in North Staffordshire alone, are being abused in their own home!?
Domestic Violence is a serious problem and has a devastating impact on women, children and families yet no one ever talks about it. Very few women admit to others if it has or is happening to them and children don’t tell their friends about when Mummy and Daddy fight. This form of abuse, as with all others, relies on the victims keeping quiet and as long as they do the perpetrators get away with it.
Arch North Staffs is a charity dedicated to helping the most deprived people in the local area. They aim to help those who are homeless, at risk of homelessness and victims of domestic violence. In 2000 they merged with the existing domestic violence charity, The Elizabeth Trust, and now offer a comprehensive range of domestic violence services which include one-to-one and group support in the community, a domestic violence helpline, a learning centre and two women’s refuges. Sunday 25th November 2007 marks ‘Domestic Violence Awareness Day’ or ‘White Ribbon Day’. This is a day dedicated to highlighting the problem of domestic violence and its impact upon victims and the wider community. In order to mark this year’s event Arch have launched the ‘Have You Heard…?’ campaign!
This campaign has been designed to destroy the silent nature and the ‘behind closed doors’ taboo of domestic violence by asking people to make as much noise as possible! The events planned include a series of live music events, talks about the issues and a sponsored sing. Gigs have been organised across the region and it all kicks of in Keele at the Pig and Rat on 23rd November. MAKE SURE YOU ARE THERE AND GIVE THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE A VOICE!
Don’t look back in Angers, Part quatre Double Dutch
Michael Barnett
The following exchange took place a few weeks ago, in French obviously so I have translated it to save you all the bother of typing it into BabelFish. Some names have been changed to protect the innocent:
Me: Hello ‘x’ what are you doing She: I’m preparing for my Dutch lesson. Me: Oh Dutch eh? (Michael twiddles his moustache rakishly and wonders whether to try and impress her with his intricate knowledge of the Dutch language which stretches to two words of which one is ’ball’) So how long have you been studying Dutch for? Are you any good at it? She: Actually I’m the teacher. Me: Oh………(Michael exits quickly, from offstage the sound of a head being beaten repetitively against a wall can be heard) The End.
Yes studying abroad affords you many opportunities most of all however, it gives you the opportunity to make a complete prat of yourself. It’s a steep learning curve and it is inevitable that when you don’t know the culture and the system not to mention only partly understanding the language you are going to make embarrassing mistakes. However, if the worse that happens to me this year is that I occasionally look a bit silly its hardly the end of the world, a point that was brought home very uncomfortably with the news that an ERASMUS student from Leeds University had been murdered in Italy. At this point I would like to talk about the vulnerability of being an international student but I have neither the time nor the mental capacity at the moment to do the subject justice, hopefully I will in another edition because it is a subject that has struck me quite forcefully since I’ve been here. Exam season is upon us, well to be precise the first round of exams. I would be lying if I said they were a lot of fun however the ones I have sat so far weren’t too bad, I wouldn’t say I was happy with what I wrote but I wouldn’t say I was unhappy either. Fortunately the marks don’t count as these exams are just ‘Examen Blancs’ they’re just a practice run, the marks don’t count for anything unless for some reason you can’t sit the exam in January, whether you are ill or you have two exams at the same time or there is a lecturers strike and so no exams are set, this is a bit of a culture shock, I’ve never had midterm exams at Keele, but then again the idea of lecturers at Keele striking is just ridiculo…….oh.
Concourse
Keele: we’ve got the power!
Samantha Denby
Has it occurred to anyone else, or is it just me, the immense power the Keele student body possesses? I mean, just think of the things we have achieved for our lil’ bubble in the past year; we’ve motivated ourselves, over the summer break, to vote and get ourselves on the Monopoly board and in recent weeks have spammed facebook to ruin on the O2’s battle for the UK’s favourite university group. Does anyone else think perhaps we should use our powers for good? I’m not going to start on with all the “every two minutes a cat gets stuck up a tree, £3 a month will help put an end to this” malarkey but there are simple things we could do, that require less effort than a facebook race, to help our fellow man. If every one of us visited www.thehungersite.com every day and ‘clicked to give’ the site sponsors will donate food to starving nations and help to end world hunger. Is this not the thing we, as a student body should be looking to do? Don’t get me wrong the Monopoly board and the facebook race are great ways to show how much our university means to us all, but perhaps now is the time to procrastinate for our fellow man. Hopefully Children in Need and the efforts of all our brilliant sports teams will have motivated us into doing this. Come on Keele: we’ve got the power!
19th November 2007
Study Abroad…The Next Steps!
Well, the first UGM is out the way, Halloween is over and it’s getting dark and rainy at like 3pm. This can only mean that one thing is on its way… THE END OF THE STUDY ABROAD INFORMATION SESSIONS!
Yes, congratulations if you attended the Study Abroad Fair on 30th October. It was a very successful event; well attended and dead useful, I reckon. But if you didn’t, it’s still not too late to study abroad next year (in your second year)!
Admittedly, the application process is a bit long and confusing. So I have constructed the following hi-tech diagram to map out the path to studying abroad for you. Yep, the good people of the Resource Room (CIEL Peer Advisers) are here to guide, assist and help you in the application.
Remember, if you want to study abroad (and why wouldn’t you…) you MUST register for the Intercultural Communication (for Study Abroad) CSP, which takes place in the Spring Semester. All you need to do to register is see Derry Hodgkins, CSP Director, in the Computer Science building. It’s as simple as that!
If you have not yet signed up for a COMPULSORY Information Session…do it NOW in WM0.03. There are just three remaining sessions: Tuesday 20 November, 12-1pm – CBA0.061 Tuesday 27 November, 1-2pm – CBA0.061 Thursday 29 November, 2-3pm – CBA1.098 You will not be able to proceed with Study Abroad if you haven’t attended one of the 8 sessions on offer. You can’t say you didn’t have lots of opportunities!!
And for those of you that are a little more prepared… once you have attended an Information Session, do a little research into your potential study abroad experience (come and visit the peer advisors in the resource room…we get lonely and like to chat!) and make sure you sign up for an Individual Meeting with Erica Arthur! Again, you can do this by visiting a Peer Advisor in WMO.03. Cheers, CIEL Peer Advisors!
19th November 2007
Concourse
Today’s Program is Sponsored by E
Jonny Craig Non-portfolio Officer
Well sorry to excite you, but this article is not about Sesame Street, it’s about drugs. It’s estimated that more than a third of all people in the UK will try illegal drugs (and this include prescription drugs that are not prescribe to you) in their life time. So this could mean that someone you know might have taken something, if you haven’t taken any drugs yourself. You have probably also had the drug education when you were at high school so you probably were told not to take drugs and (quoting Mr Mackey from south park) “drugs are bad, mmmkay”, but people still take them declaring they are safe. So there is no point in me going on about why you shouldn’t take drugs. First I have to dispel the myth that some drugs are safe. The two common ones people believe are “safe” are cannabis and Ecstasy. The truth is neither of these drugs is safe, they just haven’t had that much research done into the side effects of these drugs. To be honest no drug is safe not even the legal ones that’s why the doctor will only prescribe you them on certain restrictions (such as set doses and only using it for a set period of time) so why will the illegal ones be safe? Well there not. In the case of Ecstasy you never know what is in the tablet and two similar looking tablets might not actually be the same. So you might take it once and have been fine and the next time you might have a bad reaction. The other drug that is often thought of as safe is cannabis which has been known to cause mental problems (known as cannabis psychosis) this has featured in one of my local newspapers back home where a young woman committed suicide as well as killing her son in a moment of paranoia caused by long term cannabis abuse. Some of you will just ignore what I have said. So if you don’t want to take the safest option and not take drugs full stop here are some tips on how to stay safe.
1. When you go out make sure that one of your mates stays sober (doesn’t take any drugs) and knows what you have taken, including a description of any tablets etc.
2. If you think or feel something is wrong after you have taken the drug seek medical help, this could be your GP, local A & E or The First Aid team in KUSU and tell them what you have taken don’t worry about them telling the police and you getting in trouble as they can’t give them your name without your permission and their there to help you.
3. If you think your mate isn’t well or collapses get help urgently either by calling 999 or if you’re in the union get a steward or a member of door staff to contact first aid and if possible tell them what your mate might have taken.
Finally if you think you have a problem with drugs or want more information there are many places you can go to get help. The IAU has plenty of information on drugs, your GP will be able to give you options on how to deal with a drug problem and there are also plenty of websites out there such as www.talktofrank.com which also has plenty of information on drugs and their slang names. As well as these channels you can also get information from some of your elected officers in KUSU for example the disabled student’s officer who will have information on mental health. Also remember the only way to stay safe with drugs is not to take any at all.
Does what we say really matter?
Nikki Cooper Disabled Students Officer
These days, all I see is PC this, and PC that. What is PC? Political Correctness. We know this much. What is correct PC terminology though? We don’t know this. We’re living in an age of walking on egg shells but we seem to all be equipped with hiking boots. We worry about offending people, but end up doing it anyways. So why should we be bothered to remain PC when usually our intentions are good anyway?
Well language is, after all, just an arrangement of symbols that create meaning, so the words you choose to use have a very large effect on the message you give out. Language used to refer to disabilities has come on a long journey, and most of the old terminology (that some people still think is acceptable) sprang from ignorance of what having a disability means. But what does having a disability mean? Well, rather than being victims of their impairments or conditions people are disabled by barriers in society. For example a wheelchair user is disabled if the counter in a bank is too high for them to use. Making changes to how we think and the words we use is an important part of creating a society where everybody has equal opportunities. The following terms are those disabled people’s organisations prefer and are empowering rather than passive. If in doubt, ask people themselves how they want to be described.
Lizzie’s Update
Sarah Gawn
I want to firstly congratulate all of Keele and share my excitment about the O2 party!! The Keele Spirt once again was out in force; we actually rock!! So now we can all leave our rooms, log out of facebook and wait for the party of the year!! so watch this space.
I hope you are all enjoying the semester, I cant believe how quickly its gone! But dont panic it’s not over yet and we still have some awesome events for you. Our third fancy dress, Pimps and Ho’s is coming up this fornight as well as your favourite weekly ents. so keep on partying keele because we certainly are.
Also this fornight we have Oxjam returning for a second year next and the lineup is amazing. i will let the oxjam coordinatior, Catie Dear explain more so read on...
Catie Dear Oxjam Coordinator
So far this year Keele has made it onto the monopoly board and looks set to win the O2 best UK University party and all because of you. Now here’s your chance to make a real difference! Thousands of Oxjam events have taken place this October and November and now you and your friends can help make Keele Oxjam the best yet! So what is Oxjam? Oxfam’s music festival enters its second year in 2007 and will again be held at Keele after the massive success of last years gig. The biggest musical festival in the UK, nationally over 3000 events will be taking place with 40,000 musicians playing to 400,000 people to try and raise over £1 million. If this figure is reached it could provide safe water for 1.4 million people, 20,000 emergency shelters or essential medicines for 10,000 villages. So by coming to the union to watch a few bands and have a couple of drinks, you can help to save someone’s life.
PIMPs and HOs!
If there is one thing I know Keele succeeds at . . . . it’s dressing up for a Flirt night out at the Union! Wednesday 28th November sees the return of Pimp’s and Ho’s to the Student Union. With Entertainments new Décor Reps on the case the Union will have never looked better! The Ballroom will be transformed into a Pimp’s heaven; bright and furry with a giant inflatable pimp-mobile! All of this mixed with the cheesy classics you know and love from Flirt! In K2, a totally different vibe will see a Jazz Club theme, mixed with Keele’s finest student DJ’s playing at the uDisco. So get thinking about you costumes now! If you are getting a little stuck for ideas, then here are some handy hints. . . . . . * Think Leopard Skin, Sexy Ties and Stockings and Suspenders, * Think Fur, Medallions and Bling, * Think Zebra Print, Canes and Massive Pimp Daddy Hats!
Hope to see you all there in your finest costumes yet and with a beverage in your hand Other Oxjam’s have been held so aged to convince lead singer Rou to do an exfar this year at Glasgow and Bristol clusive DJ set. Here! At Keele University! We kid Universities, with Watford’s rock ori- you not! This might be your only chance to ever ented show raising an incredible see this NME favourite and two time Kerrang £1800. Acts playing have ranged award winning artist live in the flesh in Stoke, so from traditional rock and RnB acts, not one to be missed! to a didgeridoo player and a flaRounding off the night will be your favourite menco artist in Surrey. We won’t be having any- Union DJ Jayne Winstanley, to help you party thing as exotic as a didgeridoo player at Keele, against poverty into the early hours. but we will have an incredible 6 bands and a couAs mentioned earlier tickets will be at the barple of DJ’s for the bargain price of £5!! We’re gain basement price of only £5. There will also going to try and carry on the tradition of Keele be lots of lovely cheap drinks available, including being number 1 at whatever we try by raising a specially created Oxjam cocktail, as well as £2000 and being the best Oxjam in the country! giveaways and competitions on the night. As this We need your help to do this. event is open to anyone over 14 you must have Bands confirmed are our local favourites Radio ID if you want to be able to sample any of the Free Europe; Rock Sounds hotly tipped Blast cheap drinks. The date is Saturday the 24th NoStereos Loud; Simply Luke Leighfield of the Get vember, doors open at 7.30 and last entrance is Cape, Wear Cape, Fly collective; at 12.30am, so anyone going to the AU ball can Data.Select.Party who played the Levi’s One To have fun there then come for some cheap drinks Watch tour; JBM who have supported at the union. Tickets are available from the Enter Shikari; This City who were finalists on Union box office. Channel 4’s Mobile Act Unsigned and toured with So come, have fun and drinks for a good cause the likes of Biffy Clyro. whilst helping Keele to party against poverty and Talking of Enter Shikari, we have somehow man- making our Oxjam the best of the year!
Fri 23rd November
BLAST STEREOS LOUD
By Katie Ryan
On first impression of BLAST STEREOS LOUD I found it remarkable how grounded and completely non-egotistical the band are considering that they have a signed record deal (with LockJaw Records) and have just released their first album. As of the 26th October 2007, Burn was put on sale in HMVs around the country and it is safe to say that Jay Hawkins (Vocals/Guitar), Glyn Mellor (Drummer), Craig Davies (Backing vocals/Guitar) and Craig Swift (Bassist) were pretty proud of themselves. Thankfully though, they were more than happy to still play at Keele Uni for the Halloween Party in K2. Their Post Hardcore sound, often compared to Funeral For A Friend was something that didn’t iimmediately draw me in but their performance and energy on stage that night entirely changed my mind. The band has had plenty of practice playing venues around their hometown Stoke, from selling out The Sugarmill to performing live at the Victoria Hall to a crowd of 1700 in Hanley, to assure me that this was nonetheless one of their
‘best gigs yet. It has been an interesting and jam-packed year for BLAST STEREOS LOUD not only on account of their UK Tour but on playing with and meeting bands they admire (Sugarcult and Yellowcard to name a few) but also
those who rival them. The UK Tour catapulted the band into a wild roadtrip whereby they had to perform in 17 cities in the space of 3 weeks. It started with having to create an extra fourth seat in their van…which meant going to some hellhole scrapyard and ripping out a seat from a Ford Fiesta and ‘No More Nails-ing it to the floor of the van!’ Plus also sleeping on lilos every night in the freezing cold! Admittedly, there were some gigs venues that were just plain crazy too such as when they performed in ‘the basement of a vegetarian bar’ in Glasgow but then there were some legendary ones that made it all worthwhile such as the Barfly in Camden Town, London…During this time it became apparent that competition is rife between bands and of course, always has been. But to BLAST STEREOS LOUD it is a compliment if another band sees them as rivals because it shows that they are affecting the music scene. Love them or hate them, they are creeping up the charts and stirring up the Emo/Post Hardcore music scene. Web: www.blaststereosloud.com Myspace: www.myspace.com/blaststereosloud
Concourse
19th November 2007
MARTIN2SMOOVE Vs. JUS:J
AJ
The night everyone had been waiting for came on Friday November 2nd, when JUS:J went head to head with Martin 2Smoove. People could clearly sense the tension between the two top Djs, as Dj Tijanuna warmed up the anticipating crowd. When the epic battle between Jus:J and Martin 2Smoove began we were all ears.
The beef between Jus:J and 2Smoove has been escalating for years dating right back to September 2004, when Martin2Smoove was a Keele student. They were actually good friends at one point. MARTIN 2SMOOVE is the man responsible for teaching Jus:J the basics of becoming a DJ. However their friendship fell apart when they had a massive argument and the beef continued when Martin2Smoove got signed to Atlantic Records and Jus:J to a rival label, Def Jam UK. They hadn’t spoken in over a year when a brawl between the two of them and their rival crews broke out earlier this year, in a London hotspot. The rivalry continued when both Djs anounnced the release date of their mixtapes was to be on the same day. As a result, Keele entertainments agreed to host a joint album launch party and have them up against each other. It was risky but very much talked about.
When they finally went head to head the crowd went wild. Martin2Smoove played some big tunes and JUS:J consistently fought back with heavy hit after heavy hit. The battle was close and then Martin2Smoove went and dropped Will Smith’s ‘Fresh Prince of Bell Air’. As much as everyone sang along, people began to worry that this Def Jam UK battle was going to turn into a massive cheese fest! Luckily, Jus:J brought it back to reality, staying focused throughout and steering well clear of the cheese lane. The showdown was concluded as a draw, even though many may beg to differ. Martin2Smoove made a lot of mistakes and despite slipping out of the Hip Hop and RnB genre he did bring it back….a little. Jus:J kept his cool throughout and never let his negative feelings towards Martin get the better of him. The fact that it was a battle created a real buzz and to top it off, this night marked the release of Jus:J’s mixtape, “All On My J’s Volume 2”. As always you can check out the photos on the DEF JAM UK and BBC 1XTRA @ KEELE facebook group and don’t forget to ‘Rep Ur Endz’ in K2 on Friday 16th November.
A note from Jus:J This battle goes showed a lot of people that I’m good enough to compete with some of the best dj’s around, but round two is coming soon. Def Jam UK, ACCEPT NO IMMITATION.
Keele’s Got Talent!
Oli Cotterill Vice President Finance & Activities
It is getting closer now….Tuesday 27th November…with a wide range of student acts already signed up to perform, it promises to be a fantastic night of entertainment! We have comedians, we have singers, we have bands…all ready to perform on the ballroom stage for your viewing pleasure!
This year’s event will be hosted by little me and judged by a panel of not-so-scary judges giving you their pearls of wisdom! The top three contestants will receive prizes including bottles of wine, a brand new monopoly board and even the odd KUSU Christmas party ticket! It is not too late to take part in Keele’s Got Talent, pop up and see me in my office or drop me an email to vp.finance@kusu.keele.ac.uk or alternatively call 01782583704. An application form is available online at www.kusu.net, click onto Keele’s Got Talent link and download a form. Closing date for entrants is Friday 23rd November. A full rehearsal will take place during the week before the competition. Thank you very much to the students who have put their names down already…keep them coming!
If you want to come and watch the contest, doors open at 7.30pm and the show will start at 8.00pm. Prices to get in are only £2 and you can buy tickets on the door. Visit the facebook event and invite your friends…http://keele.facebook.com/event.php?eid=5518379203. Come on down, support your friends and enjoy a nights worth of the best talent that Keele has to offer! Hope to see you all there!
Concourse
19th November 2007
There ARE principles at stake here!
Alex Belcher
With reference to the article written in the last edition of Concourse by Owen Meredith, there are indeed principles (not principals, Owen) at stake, but not the ones he seems to think. Perhaps more important than the dull procedural problems with the recent KUSU by-elections he has taken such serious issue with is the fact that too few students at Keele are actively involved in their Union. Indeed, it seems to be the case that most students see the Union solely as a place to go and get drunk on certain nights of the week, and I hardly think that pedantic bickering and long-winded articles of complaint are going to reverse this trend.
To make the point in this newspaper (which is supposed to be something that everyone can enjoy) that something is “against the constitutional regulation prescribed by Article 30.5” is surely enough to put anybody off from becoming more actively involved. I was also amused to
In Bed with tyrants
hear that earlier in the year Mr Meredith himself suggested that not enough had been done to attract newcomers to the Student Representative Council, which appears to have been slightly hypocritical to say the Asir Ayaz least!
Meredith’s article also states that “we had a choice to uphold democracy and re-run the election or completely disregard it”, although of course going through the whole process again so that the one hundred or so people who bother with these things can produce the same results again isn’t something which seems absolutely vital to preserving the rule of democracy as an ideal.
1st Year Pharmacy
The visit by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to London has proven to be controversial. The Liberal Democrats and several newspapers have criticised the visit, highlighting the appalling human rights record of the regime. However, a point seems to have been overlooked as regards foreign policy.
While Gordon Brown and David Cameron justify regime change of the tyrant Saddam and talk tough on Burma and Zimbabwe, they have no There do appear to have been problems with the elecqualms in embracing King Abdullah, the tyrant ruler of Saudi Arabia. tions, as Matt Alexander himself freely admits in his responding article. However, getting so worked up about The Saudi royal family - a creation of Britain - has long enjoyed close rean issue which most ordinary students really don’t care lations with British governments: Winston Churchill’s gift of a Rolls about probably isn’t the best way of encouraging them Royce to King Abdullah’s father, Tony Blair’s cancellation of a long- runto engage more with KUSU – something which, I might ning fraud investigation into the £40bn Al-Yamamah BAE arms deal and add, is far more important than any election. now Brown’s red carpet welcome for King Abdullah. All of this from a government which 10 years ago promised to introduce an ‘ethical dimension’ into foreign policy.
Colonial Bigotry has no Place at Keele
Tom Street
And this is the point - Capitalism is inextricably linked to colonialism ? I was shocked, saddened and appalled to read Owen Meredith’s article in the last edition of Concourse. His use there is no ethics in British foreign policy. Successive British governof the phrase ‘banana republic’ was both derogatory and insulting. Does Owen Meredith believe that anywhere in ments have supported the likes of King Abdullah, General Musharraf, the world where bananas are grown is automatically going to produce an undemocratic system? Colonel Gadaffi and other unaccountable and unelected despots who oppress and torture their people, provided they serve the economic, poHis attitude reflects that of colonial bigotry more appropriate in right wing 19th century newspapers than a 21st cenlitical and military interests of the West. tury student publication. His views are both outdated and completely wrong. To suggest that the nations of the world who produce bananas are incapable of understanding democracy is similar in tone to the men and women As students we must be aware of this fact. It may be unpatriotic to critwho used to say that black people or women were incapable of understanding democracy. icise foreign policy, however, when serious crimes against basic human This old fashioned little Englander attitude to the world is something I do not wish to see expressed in this newslife are being committed on a daily basis, how can one stand back and paper. Students should not be subjected to this kind of archaic intolerance. I hope Owen Meredith will issue a full allow it, just because contracts are being signed? apology.
Transparency for Transparency’s Sake Just Isn’t Worth It
Phillip Slann
I write this article in response to VP Democracy and Communications Matt Alexander’s answer to Owen Meredith in Concourse Issue 4 (November 5th 2007) in relation to voting discrepancies during the 22nd October by-elections. The issue which concerns me most is the computer error over voting. As Owen Meredith pointed out and as was admitted by Matt Alexander, the first day’s votes were lost yet the election continued. Surely, the loss of an entire day’s votes, which accounts to half the total voting time, should result in a postponement. If this had been a political election, the entire vote would have been annulled by such an error. Furthermore, the allegation that the deputy returning officer encouraged people to vote for a second time is deeply disturbing. By trying to persuade people to vote once again, the system verges on corruptive. The question has to be asked as to what safeguards were in place to ensure that only those whose votes had been lost were allowed to vote again.
Though constitutionally the decision may have been arguably acceptable, I am shocked that the sabbatical team then failed to adequately inform the student body. As an apparently democratic Student Union, the least that should have been would be to inform the general student body immediately of the gaffe, rather than at a Union General Meeting a week later and through the Concourse a week after that, hidden in the centre pages and following on from no less than three Tesco adverts. Matt Alexander finishes his article by claiming that during the entire process, the sabbatical team were transparent. If that were to be the case, how is it that the majority of the student body only learnt about the discrepancies through the Concourse two weeks after the election? All that can be hoped is that the sabbatical team learns from the mistakes of the last few weeks so that they can prevented from occurring again.
Bye-Bye ByElections!
Andy Hodder
I am writing this in response to Phillip Slann’s article on the voting discrepancies that occurred during the October By-Elections.
In the previous issue of Concourse, it was made clear that many errors occurred throughout the election process. Matt Alexander (VP Democracy and Communications) has admitted responsibility for the errors several times, at a meeting of the Student Representative Council (SRC), a Union General Meeting (UGM), and in the last edition of Concourse. Phillip makes a valid point in suggesting the results should have been annulled and also quite rightly raises the issue that no safeguards were put in place to prevent students voting twice in the elections. Having reviewed the results, it is clear that each candidate was elected by a clear majority. One may rightly argue that some students were able to vote twice, making it possible to increase the number of votes for each candidate. However in comparing the number of voters in the October 2007 By-Elections to the number of voters in previous By-Elections, it is clear that the number of voters in these elections was no higher than in the By-Elections throughout 2006/2007.
Furthermore, as there was only one candidate for each position, I believe the errors made, although serious, did not affect the results of the elections. As stated in the previous issue of Concourse, the Constitutional Affairs Committee (CAC) was consulted throughout the entire process, and no decisions were made regarding the matter without it first being approved by CAC. In stating that ‘the system verges on corruptive’, the suggestion is being made that the errors were intentional and that the sabbatical team and CAC did not act in the best interests of KUSU. However the mistakes were not deliberate, and as already stated by Martin Harris (CAC Speaker of the House) ‘the decisions made by the Constitutional Affairs Committee during the By-Elections were aimed at preserving the constitution in nature whilst leaving the Returning Officer with a practical way to resolve the issue’.
With regards to the transparency of the sabbatical team, any member of KUSU is entitled to attend meetings of the SRC and UGM. Nobody was trying to hide anything throughout the process otherwise the discrepancies in question would not have received so much publicity and the discussions would not still be continuing! As Concourse is a fortnightly newspaper, the details of the By-Elections could not have been printed any earlier. Issue three came out on Monday 22nd October, the first day of polling, and so the results and other details were therefore printed at the first available
opportunity. Having questioned Matt Alexander about the Tesco adverts, he responded by saying ‘the Tesco adverts were included in Concourse as a way to finance the move to a larger newspaper, not only for the issue gone but future editions of the paper. This has also been a means of securing more money for the publicity budget next year. The presentation and positioning of the adverts was unfortunate, but unavoidable due to the nature of the advertising agreement’.
Having spoken to the sabbatical team at length about the situation, it is clear that lessons have been learnt from the mistakes made during the election process. At the UGM, Matt Alexander proposed changing the constitution in order to prevent similar problemes occuring in the future.
Perhaps the debate around this issue should now come to an end? Surely we can put these issues behind us and move forward, supporting our sabbatical officers in the work they do for KUSU. It has been acknowledged that mistakes were made, and steps have now been taken to ensure they don’t happen again. Nothing more can be done and nothing more can be gained from further discussions on this subject. Hopefully all the hype surrounding these elections won’t put people off voting in future By-Elections – it might even encourage more people to be involved in the politics of KUSU which can only be a good thing!
Concourse How would you spend £1,000? TV Licensing is reminding students in Keele to get licensed or risk blowing up to £1,000 on a fine
A grand is a lot of money to any student – but that’s how much you could get fined if you are caught watching TV without a TV licence. As students in Keele move into their second month back at university after the summer holidays, TV Licensing is reminding them to ensure that they are correctly licensed to watch television.
TV Licensing will be cranking up its detection activity with enquiry officers visiting universities across the UK from early November. For the 1,900 freshers who started university in Keele this year, it really isn’t worth trying to evade the licence fee and it couldn’t be easier to pay either. All it takes is a quick phone call to 0844 800 6734 or a few clicks of a mouse – www.tvlicensing.co.uk/students2007 - to find out how to make a payment. TV Licensing is taking this opportunity to remind students in Keele of the ways that they might rather spend their cash, rather than squandering it all on a large fine, which could be as much as £1,000.
* The party animal If you spend more time in the student bar than in the library, then you might need to curb your party-going ways. You risk losing out on up to 1000 pints of lager, or 250 bottles of wine, if you’re caught watching TV without a licence.
* The studious student If you’re playing it safe with your studies, you’d be wise to do the same with your TV licence. £1,000 could buy you all the text books you need to get yourself that top grade - or perhaps you’d prefer a top notch laptop and wireless broadband so you can work wherever you need to!
* The couch potato Before you and your friends consider switching on EastEnders without a licence, think what you might be risking. With a £1,000 fine you could have bought a top of the range 50 inch HD ready TV and DVD home cinema system! Or perhaps you’d spend the money on a regular stream of takeaway meals for the ultimate night in?
* The traveller Save your money for a round the world ticket, rather than a trip to court. And if you’re totally broke when you come back from your travels, £1,000 would be enough to keep you in baked beans – in fact you could eat at least one tin a day for nearly ten years!
* The fashionista Don’t deny yourself your regular fix of couture clothing - £1,000 could buy you a pair of 7 For All Mankind jeans each month for a year. Or you could see all the latest bands by purchasing a different gig ticket each month, for a whole year.
* The house proud And finally, if you’re fed up with always being the one left to clean your student digs, just think how nice it would be to have a cleaner to do it all for you every week. £1,000 could cover this cost for as much as 2 years! But not if you’ve already blown the money on a hefty court fine…
Mark Whitehouse, spokesperson for TV Licensing in the West Midlands said: “Now that students have been back at university for over a month, there really is no excuse for not having a TV licence and risking prosecution and a hefty fine. Let’s face it, there are so many better ways to spend £1,000! To put it further into perspective, it could take a student well over 200 hours of part-time work to pay off a £1,000 fine.”
A TV licence currently costs £135.50 and a black and white licence is £45.50.
Fay Harris IAU
The Advice Unit makes condoms available, free, to Keele students. Condoms provide protection from unwanted pregnancy. However, they can also provide protection from sexually transmitted diseases (STIs), which are passed on through intimate sexual contact which includes vaginal, anal and oral sexual intercourse, as well as through genital contact with an infected partner. According to the NHS encyclopaedia, the ‘highest increase in STIs has been among the 16 to 24 age group’. This is obviously a concern for the university population, the majority of which are in the age group. To find out more information, see http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleID=436, call into the Advice Unit, speak to you GP. Genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics GUM Stoke-on-Trent (North Staffordshire Hospital) Address
When You Need More Than Alcohol To Sustain You
James Appleby, Manpreet Manku and Simi Sehgal
When coming to Keele, one of the first things many students notice about the general area is that in Staffordshire, there’s no such thing as Starbucks. This understandably comes as a great shock to a lot of people, and this surprise is only made more intense when they realize that there aren’t any Costa Coffee establishments that are easily reached using public transport.
Popular culture has made it so that most students simply can’t live without coffee. But with no Starbucks, no Costa Coffee, and only one small Café Nero in the whole of Hanley, what are you meant to do if you don’t particularly want to stay on campus? Barista is all well and good, but let’s face it, sometimes, you need to escape from the confines of campus. And we have just the place for you to go.
Set in the heart of Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Gios is easy to find. From the bus-station, just go towards Natwest bank and go across the road to the right of you. Gios is on that street, not a million miles away from Superdrug.
Fire Safety???
James says: “As soon as I saw the lack of selec-
Anonymous Hawthorns Resident
The University, as I’m sure all on-campus students are aware, have introduced a new disciplinary points system for all forms of problems, including tampering with fire safety equipment. Here comes the problem: I currently live in a flat in Hawthorns. All of these flats have their own fire escape, accessed from the back of the buiding through a door in the corridor, the lever for which is covered with a glass plate. A hammer has been supplied to break the glass, as one would expect. However, in 7 of the 9 flats in my block, this hammer is missing. So I ask the University, how are myself and my flat
19th November 2007 Hartshill Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 7PA Telephone 01782 554205 Opening times Please telephone the clinic for information on opening times and special services.
Have you been ill this academic year? Have you been experiencing problems which have had an impact on your course? If you have, you should tell your school, formally, using the Extenuating Circumstances form. You can download a form from the Keele website. If you would like help completing the form, please contact the Unit, as we can help. IAU advice clinics will be taking place at the Clinical Education Centre on 28th November and 5th December 2.30-4.30. You don’t need to book, just turn up.
tion on the menu, I thought I was in for a rough ride. However, I was proven wrong by the fact that they got the bacon right. When it comes to customizing your meal, the staff were helpful and willing. So my sausage, bacon and cheese wrap had the wonderfully crispy bacon that I was accustomed to getting, only in my wildest dreams.”
Manny says: “On entering Gios, I was really impressed with the atmosphere and the staff were really friendly. It’s bigger inside than it looks from the outside. The variety of the menu was good for a café - options such as ciabatta’s, panini’s and wraps with various fillings so you can pick what you like. They come with chips or curly fries and a side salad so it is well worth the money. Oh and also an all day brunch which I have to say sounded lush! My panini (ham, cheese and tomato) was very nice – the ham was particularly nice being that it was from local produce and the meal was filling and satisfying.”
Simi says: “In my opinion, Gios is excellent value for money, unless you’re after a burger, in which case it might perhaps seem a little steep. However, what I ordered was not very pricey, and it was of excellent standard. My one criticism is that the menu is not as extensive as it could be, for example, when I asked whether it was possible to order garlic bread on its own, I was told that it was. However, when I looked on the menu there was no mention. It’s a nice surprise that the staff are so willing to cater to your needs, but at the same time, I can’t help but wonder what else I might be missing out on. As for the coffees, I tried a vanilla latte and let me just say that I was very impressed – and not just by the free cookie that comes with it!”
mates supposed to exit the block in case of a fire? Head towards the fire and pick up something from the kitchen area to smash the glass? This problem has been reported in both the repair book, and to the flat inspectors, yet after 8 weeks of being at Keele, nothing has yet been done about it. I would have expected that during the refurbishment, all of this would have been changed and rectified, however, this appears not to be the case. Please could we have some means of escape?
19th November 2007 Jamie Barker
Concourse
Gig Reviews
We Are Scientists – Keele University The first gig I went to after moving to Keele just over 2 years ago was We Are Scientists at The Underground for £2. Things have obviously moved on for the band since then and singles ‘The Great Escape’ and set-opener ‘Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt’ seem to have taken on something of a life of their own amongst the British public. Tonight, their stage banter is, as always, amusing and often bewildering as they give a flawless performance aided by Max, a new touring member on keyboards, guitars and various backing vocals. Old favourites such as ‘Cashcow’ and ‘Inaction’ go down a storm. The new material from the next album obviously gets something of a lukewarm response in comparison but it’s sounding like We Are Scientists have finally got round to taking their ADD medication, taken a breath and slowed it all down, leading to a fuller and more mature sound. Overall it’s a night of breakneck classics and mellowed out anthems-in-waiting, We Are Scientists never fail to impress.
Pigeon Detectives – Keele University ‘Wait For Me’, the debut album from The Pigeon Detectives, is a brash, beer-soaked stomp through the in’s and out’s of the laddish Yorkshire lifestyle. The live experience is pretty much the exact same thing… only with extra beer. It’s rare that a band can provide so many gems on their first record that they keep the crowd on their toes throughout every track, but the only lulls in atmosphere tonight come in the shape of b-sides and new track ‘This Is An Emergency’ and nobody can blame the band for such a blatant case of unfamiliarity. Vocalist Matt seems subdued throughout, compared to his usual livewire approach, but he later reveals this is due to a leg injury picked up a few tracks into the set. Despite almost every track aired to night being a blinder the best reactions are obviously reserved for the singles with closing romp ‘I’m Not Sorry’ well and truly bringing the Ballroom roof down.
Kate Nash – Liverpool Carling Academy 2 2007 has been a crazy year for Kate Nash. The past few months have seen her quirky cockney melodies lift her from total obscurity to indie-pop superstar. This tour was booked before ‘Foundations’ had done its worst and as a result she should have outgrown venues this size a long time ago. But in a move that demands respect she refused to upgrade any of the shows, so the lucky few who were quick enough on the uptake to grab themselves tickets are gifted with one last chance to catch her in an intimate setting. It’s the intimacy which really sets the night on fire tonight. These are tracks that Nash recorded alone in her bedroom and while the production team may have added an epicness she may never have thought possible, tracks such as ‘Mariella’ and ‘Merry Happy’ still feel like inside jokes meant to be shared amongst friends in rooms even smaller than this. Her performance may well be explosive tonight, but it’ll be interesting to see how these ditties come across in the cavernous venues Nash is booked to play in March. Only time will tell.
Film Reviews
James Lavender
30 Days of Night If it’s one thing I don’t like about horror films, especially recent ones, it’s not the fact that they are scary; it’s just that they are not original. We seem to get the same number of gore-fests (Hostel Parts I & II) or remakes (The Omen). The latest offering is 30 Days of Night. Having already topped the US Box Office, now it is unleashed on these shores. The story revolves around the efforts of the surviving population of Barrow, Alaska, led by Sheriff Eben (Josh Hartnett) and his estranged wife Stella (Melissa George), having to survive an attack by a vampire gang led by Danny Huston. Worse than that, they are cut off from any chance of rescue for 30 days of constant night in the Alaskan winter. Sound familiar? That’s because it is! The whole idea of humans versus the undead goes back to Night of the Living Dead in 1969 and can also be seen soon in upcoming Alien Vs Predator: Requiem, in which Aliens and a Predator run amok in a US town and humans have to survive. Many of the scenes in the film aren’t even that terrifying. The vampires themselves do give off an air of creepiness with their scream, but that’s about your lot. There is nothing really wrong with the performances. Josh Hartnett is a good leading man, if a little weak at times. Melissa George and Danny Huston provide vital support. The action in the film is good, but anyone who doesn’t like the sight of blood might find it painful to watch. If the film suffers from anything, it is the lack of originality and also a real scare factor. Elizabeth: The Golden Age For those of you who liked, or loved the 1998 film Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett as the Virgin Queen herself, it has since become a classic, with its visual splendour, good central performance from
Blanchett and ingenious casting (Eric Cantona as a French ambassador!). So almost nine years later, here’s the sequel, aptly titled “The Golden Age”. It is 1585, King Phillip II of Spain is looking for an excuse to invade England and depose ‘that heretic queen’. Meanwhile in merry old England, Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen) returns from the Americas with tales of daring-do that completely entrances the queen, which she probably does need at a time when Catholics are constantly threatening to kill her and put her cousin, Mary Stuart (Samantha Morton) on the throne. Like the previous film, The Golden Age is a visual feast, full of colour, pomp and splendour, just like Elizabethan England. The director, Shekhar Kapur has got the feel of Elizabethan England right, but not historical fact. This film might actually get up the nose of people who like their historical films to be historically accurate. To confess, I am actually a history student, but I didn’t mind some of the inaccuracies. However, I was extremely disappointed when the famous “I have the heart and stomach of a king speech” Elizabeth gives to her troops was completely scraped. Having said that, the story’s tension does build up nicely to the battle of the Spanish Armada, which is also quite impressive to look at. As for Blanchett herself, she again delivers a brilliant portrayal of Elizabeth, older and wiser, yet just as vulnerable at times. This latest performance once again proves why Cate Blanchett is one of the best actresses around at the moment. Also reprising his role as Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’s spy master and chief adviser is Geoffrey Rush, who delivers another excellent performance. Credit should also go to Clive Owen as the dandyish and cavalier Walter Raleigh. What the previous Elizabeth film had that this one doesn’t is the same type of ingenious casting (Where’s Alan Rickman as King Phillip of Spain!). Overall, Elizabeth: The Golden Age is successful piece of film-making that probably doesn’t come close to rivalling the success of its predecessor, but it comes pretty close.
Lydia Medler
Robyn – Robyn
Although Robyn may only have just burst onto the UK music scene in 2007, her most recent self-titled album is actually her third world release. Her style is very contemporary, with a clever mix of all modern pop genres including dance, hip-hop and r&b. For me, the album opens fairly weakly with ‘Curriculum Vitae’, which doesn’t match the atmosphere of the rest of the album. However, after ‘Handle Me’ – the current single -, you are faced with a strong succession of catchy tunes that will have you humming along in no time. Particular strength lies in the singles ‘Handle Me’ and ‘With Every Heartbeat’, which is no real surprise, but there are some gems that deserve a good listen. My personal favourites are ‘Who’s That Girl’, a track co-written with the Swedish brother-sister ensemble, The Kills, which gives it an original sound, but one that really makes Robyn shine. Another track to listen out for is ‘Bum Like You’ as the bass line is really catchy and the sultry lyrics match it perfectly. However, as mentioned, tracks to avoid are the first three, which for many, will basically mean that the rest of the album is ignored, but skip straight to track 4, and see the difference! Just in case you’re not really that aware of her music, Robyn was born in Stockholm and she notably holds the accent within her vocals. For me, this adds a further depth, but an originality that separates her from her contemporary rivals. Although it could be suggested that she is following in the aftermath of Madonna’s ‘Confessions on a Dancefloor’, by incorporating the increasing popularity of dance and electro music to the album, this is a far stronger record in terms of production, but also of writing.
Keele University Motorsport – British University Karting Championship
Mike Fryatt President
On the 7th November Keele University Motorsport travelled the long journey to Rye House for the first round of testing with the BUKC. Ben Phillips and Captain Mike Fryatt joined the best of Staffordshire University in the four hour endurance test. Finishing the day 9th fastest, it was a successful day for the only team with no club100 kart experience, especially when competing with some of the best karters in the country including British Karting Champion. This was the first of two sessions before the start of the season in February and we’re hoping to develop a strong team between now and the New Year. I’ve been in touch with the President of Staffordshire University Motorsport Society recently and it m Keele may also be entering into the Staffordshire University karting Championship (SUKC). This is for individual driver’s to drive for themselves as well as the team. If you are interested in the SUKC, or you have any racing or karting experience and feel like competing in the BUKC contact: Mike Fryatt (President) keeleuniversitymotorsport@hotmail.co.uk
Concourse
Society Updates
MUSICIANS’ SOCIETY WORKSHOP
Roxana Rudzik Musicians’ Society President
Oliver Cotterill Vice President Finance & Activities
Have you got a stage presence??? Want to develop your confidence to perform in front of a live audience? Need a few techniques to overcome stage fright or cover-up any blips in your performance? THEN… Sign up now to the ‘Confidence Building Workshop’ on Fri 23rd Nov in Horwood Bar at 4.30pm!! FREE to Musicians’ Society members (£2.50 for other Keele students). Please note, there are limited spaces available, so BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment for what promises to be a fun afternoon. To book your place before 22nd Nov, e-mail Hannah (Musicians’ secretary) who will be happy to add you to our list: ms.secretary@hotmail.co.uk The workshop itself is going to be run by me, Roxy (Musicians’ Society President). With a background in Psychology (BSc hons) and currently studying at Keele for the MSc in Counselling Psychology degree, I have experience of one-to-one work helping individuals develop their confidence, explore the impact of irrational fear, work on reducing stressful-inducing stimuli, etc. This workshop will be co-facilitated by Hannah (Secretary) who draws on her personal experience to look at ‘what to do’ and ‘what not to do’ in the event that anything goes wrong when performing live, sharing a few really useful techniques with you, including various breathing techniques. On a final note, we hope this is going to be a fun workshop for you all in which you will learn something new, get to know us a bit more and get to know other society members. There will also be live music during the interval and refreshments will be available (tea/coffee approx. £1, FREE treats and biscuits provided by us!).
Keele Amnesty International Society Officially Launched!
Lauren Fuzi Secretary
Keele Amnesty International Society had their official launch meeting last Thursday (8th November) in the KPA Clubhouse. The turnout was fantastic proving that Keele students truly do have warm hearts (and a gift for sniffing out freebies – the committee put on a free buffet!). Eating the free buffet was obviously the priority, so after that the meeting was underway. The room was filled with aspiring human rights campaigners and activists; you could almost see the sparks of excitement and enthusiasm flying around the cozy corner of the KPA as they discussed future plans for the group. It’s set to be a successful society! So, watch out! Keele campus is about to become the scene of some high-class human rights activism!
Amnesty International has been going for over 40 years and is a powerful voice in the fight for social justice. Famous for their letter writing campaigns, Amnesty International has been responsible for the emancipation of prisoners of conscience from all over the World. But, Amnesty International does not just write letters! They also organise campaigns against issues such as violence against women, the death penalty, terrorism, to name but a few.
If you’re interested in taking a stand against human rights abuses and joining us in our fight for social justice please contact the Secretary Lauren Fuzi at u7g00@students.keele.ac.uk or turn up to a meeting which are on Tuesdays at 7pm in the KPA. There will be a warm reception awaiting you. Alternatively, you can check out Amnesty’s website at www.amnesty.org.uk
19th November 2007
Finally I am back at work after a nice relaxing ten days of pure nothingness, feel completely recharged now and ready to conquer all! Firstly, let me say a huge thank you to each society that attended the society training sessions a couple of weeks ago. There were nine sessions in total during the week, some were more attended than others but on the whole the majority of societies attended. Now that I am back from holiday I will be attaching the society training manual onto the societies section of the KUSU website for you all to download. To improve things next year I would appreciate any comments about this years training sessions.
I have noticed that many societies have already started organising events, socials and debates. I’m sure these have run very smoothly, but if you do have any issues or problems, please feel free to get in touch. The main issue that I would like to address this year is publicising society events. As discussed at society training, I have put up a banner by the reception that says “Societies weekly news and events…” the space above the yellow and green stickers where you get your post is dedicated to societies. If you have an event coming up during the week then please feel free to put up posters an flyers in this space. You will also find additional society boards on the top floor of KUSU near the elected officers corridor and the Independent Advice Unit; feel free to publicise your events here by putting up posters (please make sure they are signed by a Sabbatical Officer and you have a maximum of three at any one time in the building). We have put a SubTV screen by our catering outlets on the bottom floor of KUSU, please send in any JPEG images (856x480pixels) and we will put them up for you. This is a fantastic way to publicise your society events. Finally, Matt Alexander (VP Comms) has dedicated a whole page of each edition of Concourse, just to societies. I have sent out a deadline timetable for articles so get sending in articles to vp.comms@kusu.keele.ac.uk , with a readership of thousands, it really is a fantastic way to publicise not just your events but your society in general!
As you may have all seen through facebook, emails and posters around the building, on Tuesday November 27th I will be hosting Keele’s Got Talent. I have already had several acts already sign up to perform but I am asking you all to spread the word to all of your members, ticket price is only £2 and if anybody would like to take part then please tell them to get in touch with me for an application form. The event will take place in the Ballroom and is a fantastic way to get more publicity for your society; and also a chance to win some prizes!!
Hope everything is going swimmingly for you all and if you have an problems don’t hesitate to get in touch. Take it easy!
Keele Law Society
Barry Riley
Another extremely busy few weeks from the Law Society has seen a lot of events and goings on across campus for its members. On the 31st October, we had the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice (OXILP) come down and talk to our members about the LPC course and Postgraduate options that they offer. This last week we also had ILEX - the Institute of Legal Executives come down and run through the process of becoming a legal executive and the work in which it involves. Both talks were a huge success!
On the Social front, on the 8th November, we held our quiz night in the Ballroom of the Students’ Union which was a huge success and was attended by in excess of 200 people in total. It was a big event, and we would just like to thank Nottingham Law School for giving us the £1000 to put on the event and free bar, the Union for letting us use the ballroom and most importantly, Oli for all his help in running the quiz, and organising everything so that it went off well! Hopefully we will be running another one of these events next semester, so watch this space! Next week we head off to Knight and Sons for our Law Society exclusive Tour and lunch with the firm, if you managed to book a place on the trip in spite of demand being through the roof, we look forward to seeing you there. The following evening we head off to Birmingham to Wragge and Co, a huge city based firm where we will be going for their presentation evening. If that wasnt enough, on the Saturday we then head to the College of Law Open Day in the morning, taking about 50 of our members. As you read this we will probably all be recovering from our weekend in Amsterdam, so there will be plenty more about that next time in Concourse, along with some pictures im sure! If you are still to join the Society email u5l94@ugl.keele.ac.uk and sort out your membership today with our Membership Secretary Emma - just £4 for the entire year www.kusu.net/keelelawsociety
A Christmas Celebration from Keele Concert Band
Keele Concert Band Committee
As the nights start drawing in, and everything starts to get colder, everyone’s minds are turning towards Christmas. This year, Keele Concert Band is holding it’s annual Christmas Concert on Sunday 9th December at 3.30pm in Lindsay Studio 2. Tickets are £5, £4 for concessions, and are available either from band members, or on the door. The programme includes Alfred Reed’s Russian Christmas Music, in amongst the usual Christmas favourites and carols. We look forward to seeing you there!
19th November 2007 Rich Hill AU Deputy President
Hi all. Here is the latest compilation of match reports and latest information for your Athletic Union. The season is now well on track and hopefully you are all getting the results that you need. Good luck once again and see you next Wednesday.
Team of the Week Firstly I would like to say congratulations to our first two ‘team of the week’ winners. Our first winner went to Women’s Hockey First’s and our second to Men’s Basketball.
Astro Turf Opening Although you have been playing on it for some time, the Astro turf was officially opened last week. Celebrity Nick Hancock led the ceremony and took the time to speak to our captains of men’s and women’s football/hockey teams (see page 4 of this issue).
Any future articles please forward to au_dep_president@hotmail.co.uk
Fixtures : November 21st Badminton Men 2nd Bolton 2nd New Sports Hall 2:00 PM Badminton Women Bolton 1st New Sports Hall 2:00 PM Football Men 3rd Bangor 3rd Pitches 2:00 PM
Football Men 4th MMU Cheshire 6th Pitches 2:00 PM
Football Women Lancaster 1st Pitches 2:00 PM
Golf Northumbria Newcastle GC 11:00 AM
Hockey Men 1st Edge Hill 1st Astro 2:00 PM
Hockey Women 2nd Bangor 2nd Astro 3:30 PM Netball 1st Lancaster 1st Old Sports Hall 2:00 PM
Netball 3rd MMU Cheshire 3rd Old Sports Hall 3:30 PM
Rugby Men 1st Manchester 3rd Pitches 2:00 PM
Rugby Men 2nd NEWI 1st Pitches 2:00 PM
Concourse Keele Women’s Basketball Match Report Bangor 42- 40 Keele
After a long and winding journey to the depths of Wales, the Women’s Basketball Team arrived at Bangor, only getting a little lost along the way! The first half was tough with both teams on equal points at quarter time, 11 all, and finishing 18-19 at half time. Keele knew this was going to continue to be a tough game. Throughout the game the ref provided entertainment, a little man with big character! In the 3rd quarter, Keele’s number 5, Fi, fouled with a push. The ref told the score table, “Number 5, black, push…(waving his finger) and she shouldn’t have.” Oh, the comedy! The 4th quarter was tense with both teams starting on equal points, 29 all! With only one real shooter Bangor kept pushing their shots, allowing Keele to edge ahead, 34-37, creating the biggest points gap in the game! Unfortunately Bangor’s shooter found her way through the incredible defence Keele had demonstrated throughout the game. 2 minutes from time the score sat at 42-40 to Bangor and unfortunately Keele could not find the inside of the hoop again. We would like to thank all the girls for coming and playing an amazing match. Thanks to Bex, Steph, Nat, Amy, Vee, Fi, Sky, Fresher Steph and Eleanor. We look forward to seeing Bangor on our home turf!
Keele University Athletics and Cross-Country Club Race Report
Teggs Nose Trail Race, Near Macclesfield, Cheshire Saturday 10th November 2007 6 members of the club ventured up to Macclesfield for the second race of the year at the scenic Teggs Nose Park on the edge of the Peak District. Runners experienced plenty of undulations on the twisty, muddy course, and were not helped by the strong winds and low cloud that also featured. It was the first race for 3 of them (Duncan, Robert and Adam) and the club captain is hoping he hasn’t put them off entering further races. Although only 68 people finished the event, the standard of runners was high and the winning time was a very rapid 15:59. The highest placed Keele runner, in 19th was club captain David Limmer who was slightly disappointed with his time of 19:57, closely followed by an impressive performance from debutant Robert Yarham in 20:24 (22nd overall). Former social secretary Antony Sarno was the 3rd Keele runner home in 29th with a time of 21:20 and in 36th
Tennis 1st Keele 2nd Warrington TC 2:00 PM the ball around the goal, it came to Shez who wound up and cranked the ball from about 15yd and flew into Aberystwyth’s net. With so much as stake the game was very physical and Keele were not afraid to put in SOUTH ENGLAND LACROSSE some big hits with Thomas Kelly putting in a crunching hit on an Aberystwyth midfielder. MIDLANDS LEAGUE Many chances arouse for both teams but Stephen Johns some great defending by both teams especially Liam Gannon for Keele managed to ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY 5 keep the ball mainly around the halfway line. KEELE LACROSSE TIGERS 12 Even so Keele seemed to have the upper Keele men’s lacrosse racked up a fine vic- hand and eventually Keele men’s Captain tory after a three hour journey to Aberyst- Max van Praag managed to find a gap in the wyth. Playing on a glorious day on the Aberystwyth defence to score. While Vicarage Fields Keele were looking for a Aberystwyth’s defence was re-organising quick start but unfortunately this did not hap- Keele took full advantage with Doug Oakpen. Instead Aberystwyth won the face off man and Oli Quick slotting the ball past Rhys and quickly sent the ball down field and with Evans, Aberystwyth’s keeper. a series of accurate passes the ball ended Going into half time Keele were leading comup with Mark Jarman who coolly slotted the fortably 5-2 but needed to keep the pressure ball past Keele’s goalkeeper Stephen Johns. on the Aberystwyth defence. Soon after this score Aberystwyth received Keele started as half time had never been. the ball and Johnny Burke put the ball in the The Tigers broke away with Oli Quick taking back of the net, even though it was a poor a fast shot but finely saved by Evans. Meansave by Johns. while Aberyswyth’s attack were taking a few Keele’s defence was obviously shaken and it random shots but were having a physical enlooked like Aberystwyth had control of the counter against the defensive combinations game but they failed to keep turning the of James Goodchild, Rupert Day, Liam Ganscrew. These two goals seemed to wake non, Jack Richards and Stephen Johns. Keele and they swiftly dispatched the ball up Soon Aberystwyth were back in defence batfield to Oli Quick to score. Soon after Keele tling for their lives when out of nowhere Toby were back on the attack and as they worked Pochron comes bursting through to feed Oli
MEN’S LACROSSE
place was a very happy Pippa Hicks (22:24) who was the 3rd woman to finish, closely followed in 37th by Duncan Keeling (22:32). Adam Hussain another debutant, finished 50th with a time of 25:29. The event raised £350 for the East Cheshire Hospice. The club would like to thank Steve Banham who gave up his time to drive us to and from the event. Happy Runners post race. From left to right; Pippa Hicks, Adam Hussain, Robert Yarham, Antony Sarno, David Limmer, Duncan Keeling (Photo taken by Steve Banham) That evening the club had a great time ten pin bowling and the club captain would like to thank everyone who came especially social secretary Kathryn Ambrose for her help organizing the evening. The club’s next competition is the flat, fast Audley 10km road race on Sunday 18th November
Quick to score his hat-trick and soon after Quick added another. Pochron had to wait a while but after much unselfish play added his own name to the score sheet. It seemed like Keele were having an easy ride but this was shattered when Aberystwyth received the ball deep in their own half. The ball was launched 50yds up field where Burke collects the ball and dodges two Keele defenders to slot the ball past Keele’s replacement keeper Daniel Richards. The Tigers’ defence needed to regroup and Anthony Jones made them pay when they failed to mark up their men. Jones was left wide open and when received the ball he fired it into the goal. As the fourth quarter drew to a close Aberystwyth with only 11 men (10 on the field, and role on role off substitutions) started to look increasingly tired with Keele using their superior number of substitutes to their advantage.. This lead to three quick goals in succession with Quick,(to take his match day tally to 5 goals) Shez and van Praag the scorers. Although there was to be one last flourish by both teams. Jones weaved his way through Keele’s defence to make the score more respectable but Liam Gannon cancelled this out in the final seconds with his first of the season. Keele were delighted with their first win of the season and never looked like losing the
game. They dominated for most of the match and will take this win as a confidence booster and will build on this for the season. Aberystwyth’s men’s Captain Rob Rowe was disappointed with the score line but took heart from his team’s spirited performance. He said “we are obviously disappointed with the score line especially as it was our first game of the season and a win would have been great but Keele were the better team on the day and we look forward to the return game later in the season.” Keele’s men’s Captain Max van Praag was delighted with the win and his team’s performance. He said “we are delighted with today’s win especially after taking heavy defeats against Birmingham and Loughborough and a three hour minibus ride. The team really enjoyed the game today and we always like visiting Aberystwyth and we are also looking forward to the return game.” Squad: Max van Praag (Captain), Stephen Johns, Daniel Richards, James Goodchild, Rupert Day, Jack Richards, Liam Gannon, Thomas Kelly, Oli Quick, Shez, Toby Pochron, Doug Oakman, Alex Curley, Ed Hincks, Max Hastings. The club would like to take Manni (AU President) for driving the minibus and to Kate Hodgkinson for driving some of the team as well. The club would also like to thank Gareth Johns, Hannah Boyes, Chris Griffiths and any other Keele supporter who came to watch us.
Concourse
Sudoku
19th November 2007
Keele Photo Challenge
Win yourself a smashing prize by entering the Keele Photo Challenge. All you have to do is take a photo of the word ‘Keele’ spelt out in the most extravagant way possible. Be as creative as you can! Try spelling it out with some chips form the Kiln on a night out, or get your mates to make themselves into the letters and pose outside Keele Hall! Send entries to Matt Alexander at vp.comms@kusu.keele.ac.uk before the 7th of December for a chance of winning. The best entries will be posted online and winners will be notified by e-mail.
The Winning Photos for the Concourse Art Contest can be found at kusu.net/concourse
The views and opinions contained in Concourse do not necessarily represent those of KUSU