Concourse Issue Three by Keele University Students Union

CONCOURSE M

Issue Three

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Good morning! (or afternoon – whichever it happens to be when you pick up the magazine, i’m assuming it’s the latter!) For those of you who don’t know me, my name’s Hannah Goddard, i’m 21 and from Cambridge, I guess for the purposes of Concourse i’m what you’d call Nick’s second hand (wo)man, and he has tastefully nick-named me ‘Number 2’. Cheers Nick.... By now I’m sure everyone is settled into university life, and if you’re anything like me kitchen cupboards are starting to look a little bare, I think it’s Kiln food until Christmas! I can hardly believe we have been here for a month now, surely it’s time to take a step back from the nights out, drunken antics and waking up in stranger’s beds!? Hell no! Once again KUSU have provided us with another two weeks full of high class entertainments. Whether you got your fake tan out and high heels on and celebrated this year’s first flirt! night, or donned the UV paint and glow sticks to celebrate MASSIVE Monday UV ravers party or maybe even rocked out at the Rocky Horror meets Hogwarts Halloween celebrations it has certainly been fun times all round! Don’t forget if you have anything you want to appear in your Concourse magazine get in touch with the team through the facebook groups, email ... or simply come and bang on Nick’s door!! I hope you enjoy this issue of Concourse! Hannah x

Produced and Edited by Nick Heath Vice President Advertising KUSUMarketing sta65@kusu.keele.ac.uk 01782733712

Editorial/Submissions NickHeathVPComms vp.comms@kusu.keele.ac.uk 01782733702

Communication & Democracy Any views expressed are not necessarily the views of Keele University or Keele University Students’ Union. No part of the this publication may be reproduced without the explicit permission of the editor

features

06 .....................................Vent 07 ................................Politik 10 ..................Drugs @ Keele 13 ....................Music ReviewS 15 .......................Film Reviews 18 ..................Societies news

News

04..............F*ck That Hurts!! 05...Union General Meeting 12 ................................IAU & VE

Entertainment

08 .............Whats on at the SU 16 ..............Found on Facebook 17 ....................Games & Puzzles

Sport

19 ......................Match reports 20 ................InDoor Triathlon

unt! o c s i d g i b a r NOW fo n (11am-4pm) and get it for justr k o o b r a e Y r u io te et a FREE pos Order Yo k online or from our Thursday stealorldinerthinegUnfrom the stall you g arboo Plus, if you’r Order your Ye ng of twelve! vi sa a s d n deposit! fourteen pou a five pounds ay p to e av h AND you only

Congratulations Captain America! Andrew Thompson wins the October leg of the Yearbook competition for the best photo representing ‘Life at University’, with this naturalistic phots of Captain America about his daily chores. Make sure you submit your photos via email to keele@theyearbookpeople.com or via facebook to the group ‘Keele Yearbook 2009-10 - Life at University’! The best photos each month will take pride of place in that section, and will automatically make it through to the final judging stage, the winner of which takes home a grand, if currently undefined, prize!

Want a job in the Media? Members of Keele Team Yearbook have gone on to write for the Sunday Mirror and appear on The Gadget Show, amongst other media-related things! Plus as a few thousand photos smothering facebook will attest, we’re the hardest-partying bunch of students at Keele! If you like taking photos, writing stuff, or encouraging other people to take photos and write stuff, or just like meeting people and wearing a well-cool polo shirt, get in touch! Email us at keele@theyearbookpeople.com or join the facebook group ‘Keele Team Yearbook - 2009-10’

Keele take huge lead in National Competition! The awesome students of Keele have taken a massive lead in the Student Scramble compatition on Facebook. This national competition between British universities involves lots of challenges, and the first was to spell as long a word as possible using people! Keele students, organised by Team Yearbook, immediately rose to the challenge and spelled the LONGEST word - Antidisestablishmentarianism! Needless to say they scooped first place and a whacking thousand points! Seek out Student Scramble on facebook and keep the ball rolling!

Make sure YOU are in your yearbook! Join these Facebook groups to make sure youíre in the Yearbook as much as possible!

Keele Yearbook 2009-10 - Special Events All the big stuff that doesnít fit anywhere else! Elections, Talent Shows, Showcase Showdown.... Keele Yearbook 2009-10 - Legends Of Keele Soon the vote to find Keeleís most legendary students will take place. Join this group and you can suggest categories, and be the first to vote! Keele Yearbook 2009-10 - Entertainments Got any great photos of live acts at Keele please post them on our Facebook pages Keele Yearbook 2009-10 - Societies Every society gets their own section in the Yearbook, upload your best photos of society events and socials - you could be our Society of the Year!

Keele Yearbook 2009-10 - Faces Of Keele Upload your choice of headshot, and have a look at others! Add your name, course, residence, catchphrase and a 3 word personal description.

Out 09-10 - Flirt Nights Keele Yearbook 20 rt! Fli s lou os at every fabu We take group phot in em th d done, then fin Night. Get your shot this group!

CONCOURSE

NEWS CALLING KEELE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS! CHANCE TO WIN A MAJOR AWARD! If you are an international student enjoying life in the UK you are eligible to enter a prestigious award together with £2,000 in prize money. The International Student Awards 2010 is a major competition run by the British Council – the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. Now in its eighth year, the competition aims to celebrate international students and the contributions they make to communities across the UK. Unlike other student competitions, it doesn’t focus just on your academic achievements – it’s your chance to share your stories about your activities outside the classroom and your exciting new life in the UK.

public recognition for your achievements, and will also look good on your CV! To enter the competition, all you have to do is write a ‘letter home’, in English, explaining how you believe a UK education is preparing you for a brighter future. The letter should be written as if you were sending it to a family member, or a former teacher or professor. The competition is entirely web-based, so you can enter on-line at www.educationuk.org/shine. Entries must be in by Monday 18 January 2010. There are some great prizes on offer, and with more than 30 individual awards to be spread across the country, you stand a real chance of success.

Do you play an active role in University life? Involved in your local community, perhaps through volunteering? Has your new life in the UK changed your outlook and the way you think? Have you developed new interests since settling here? Overcome personal challenges or achieved any long-held ambitions or goals? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions, then why not enter? It could earn you some well-deserved

If you want more information about the competition and how it works, you can get a leaflet with further information from the Centre for Learning and Student Support in the Walter Moberly building, or you could speak to John Morris the International Student Support Officer. You can also find more on the Shine! website at www.educationuk.org/shine.

F*ck that Hurts!

New York Times, Scientific American, and Time Magazine. Dr Stephens gave live radio interviews across the world including BBC Radio 4’s The Today Programme. The paper remains the most viewed and most e-mailed article on the NeuroReport website.

Its alright, the Doctor said I could swear... A Keele University psychologist will discuss his research into swearing as a response to pain at a public lecture next month. Dr Richard Stephens and his colleagues John Atkins and Andrew Kingston found that swearing can increase pain tolerance. Sixty-four undergraduate volunteers were asked to submerge their hand in a tub of ice water for as long as possible while repeating a swear word of their choice; they were then asked to repeat the experiment, this time using a more commonplace word that they would use to describe a table. The researchers found that the volunteers were able to keep their hands submerged in Dr. Richard Stephens the ice water for a longer period of time when repeating the swear word, establishing a link between swearing and an increase in pain tolerance. The research, published in the journal Neuroreport, generated international media attention and was covered in major outlets worldwide including: CBS television news, ABC television, CNN,

Dr Stephens said: “Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon. It taps into emotional brain centres and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain. Our research shows one potential reason why swearing developed and why it persists.” This event is part of a series of public lectures is organised by the School of Psychology to increase public understanding of the relevance of psychology in the modern world. The lecture will take place at 4.30pm on Wednesday, November 11, in Lecture Theatre 1 (DH0.21) in the Dorothy Hodgkin Building at Keele University. There will be a reception after the lecture. Admission is free. For further information please contact 01782 733736 or psyenquiries@psy.keele.ac.uk

NUS calls for resignation of Student Loans Chief

Issue Three

NEWS

The National Union of Students (NUS) called for the chief executive of the Student Loans Company (SLC), Ralph Seymour-Jackson, to resign as new figures revealed that as of 18 October, 146,000 students had still not received funds despite their applications having been approved. NUS President Wes Streeting said: “This year, hundreds of thousands of students have been affected by late payments or lost documents and have endured a miserable start to term.

“The Student Loans Company has given students a string of broken promises about when they should expect to receive some or all of their loan payments. SLC bosses have failed to acknowledge the distress they have caused to students, and have sought to apportion blame anywhere other than their own doorstep. “If they had been open about the extent of the problems, universities would have been able to plan contingency funding more effectively. It is time for Ralph Seymour-Jackson to NUS President - Wes Streeting take full responsibility for this shambles and resign immediately.”

Union General Meeting - 20th October Nick Heath - Vice President For all who don’t know at the end of last month the Union held its first UGM of the year, it’s where any student has the ability to question both full and part time officers, vote on the direction the SU is taking and be given the opportunity to raise issues they feel are being ignored. It is KUSU’s highest and most powerful body. UGM’s have always always suffered with a problem of low attendance and unfortunately this most recent one was no exception, it seems without fail the Union is still disappointing its membership by not developing a platform appealing enough to get the bodies through the door. Yet despite this initial problem the first UGM was still a success. A couple constitutional amendments made it though, some with greater adjustments than others, The greatest change to our constitution was the introduction of electronic voting; a long held ambition for the SU. So look out next March for some big changes in how you vote in you next executive. A few other motions where introduced to the UGM, most of which gained little attention or scrutiny, but Jason Davies ‘What Disgusting: Union Busting’ motion caused a great and unforeseen debate. The motion was to boycott the clothing company Fruit of the Loom after

a group of employees lost their jobs after trying to Unionize at their factory in Honduras, presented as a sign of solidarity and widely accepted in principle. Problems came about when it is presented much of the AU purchases Fruit of the Loom hoodies and other sporting products, and would be unable to afford higher end products with their already stretched budgets. So instead of a total boycott it was decided to let students decide for themselves and only impose the ban in the Union Shop. A representative from the Students for a Sensible Drugs Policy also took the floor, bringing up the annual debate over where the Union should stand on the use of illegal drugs. Unfortunately the presentation seemed to bypass what students could do with in Keele to help bring about a sensible drugs policy on campus, but never the less the presentation was topical enough to at least stir up this ongoing debate, about what role drugs have in our society. So all in all, while not the most exciting UGM, this was the first of the year and already talks are underway to work on a more student friendly format to entice a greater turnout, So keep an eye out for what topic are going to grace the next UGM and how you can get your opinion heard. The next UGM is on Thursday 10th December

Student Scramble! Keele lead in online Competition Have you joined the Carphone Warehouse Student Scramble on Facebook yet? If not.... GO DO IT NOW!! Keele is already in the lead but we have four more Challenges to battle over.If we win The Carphone Warehouse will install lots of goodies including a free wireless area, flatscreen TV’s, a new sound system and computer consoles. To celebrate there’ll also be a big party at the union, with lots of extras thrown in. All that for just joining a Facebook page? What’s stopping you?!? Come on Keele! Also a big thank you to Mark Holtz and his Yearbook Team and anyone who came down to help, for winning the first challenge with thier human interpretation of ‘Antidisestablishmentarianism’ and ‘Keele University.’

CONCOURSE

Vent

Vent is an opportunity for students to have a rant, it can be about anything you want, from Student Fees to the new Topshop clothes line, all the articles will be posted on Facebook on the KUSU Concourse Group waiting for your rebuttal. Remember, this is one persons opinion, not Concourse, KUSU’s or the University, it’s here to inspire debate!!

Social Spaces - Common Rooms - & Silly names like 'The Sty' Anonymous

It doesn't matter what you call them, they're still a bunch of poorly designed corporate sheds. The title of this may be a little misleading, I actually quite like the name 'The Sty'- but there definitely won't be enough students actually going through the doors of the Barnes Hall Social Space to actually make it into a sty. In discussion down the pub (as you do) one of my mates said they'd heard the social spaces cost over £300,000 to set up. What can I say... what a waste of money! What they needed to do was make one big one some-

where in the middle of campus and kit it out with video games and computers so people can actually go there to socialise. Don't forget TVs that actually work, that would be a big improvement. Instead, everyone goes to the library and chats loudly about X-Factor or Gossip Girl in the Group *Study* bits. Keele really needs to start finding out what students actually want, instead of just spending money on what they think students want. And whatever happened to Union Square? It was there in my first year, now its boarded up. Bring that back so people actually have somewhere to go hang out when they're on a break.

The Invisible (Hospital) Campus Paul Murse

The thing that attracts most students to Keele is beautiful campus and the “bubble”. What most people don’t realise is that Keele University covers two campuses: one which is referred to as main campus and then there is the hospital campus which is based at the City General Hospital, on the A34 close to Tesco’s where the Clinical Education Centre and the Medical School is located. However it appears the Students Union has forgotten about the hospital campus and they are the ones that are meant to represent students. One question that someone from the main campus might ask is why does it matter if the hospital campus gets left out? Well firstly is it houses a large number of students with 3 years worth of medical students, 4 groups of student ODP’s, and 6 groups of student Nurse’s and Midwives (due to two entry points in each academic year with at least 150 students nurses starting each year) coming from a wide range of backgrounds; either straight from college, work or after having a family (the average age of a student nurse is 32) and that’s just on the undergraduate courses. A large percentage of student nurses are from Stoke and the surrounding areas, the majority choose to live at home (some having no alternatives due to family commitments) so don’t actually have to come onto campus except for two exams, one practical lab and a few trips to occupational health in the first year and in 2nd and 3rd year there are not many more compulsory activities on main campus. These students don’t actually feel the “bubble” and don’t know what activities are taking place on the main campus.

It is the job of the sabbaticals to actively represent students. As a nursing student on the Hospital Campus I feel that they are failing me at this and it’s not just this year’s sabbatical team that have done so. Last academic year (08/09) there was out of date information about who the sabbatical team were (including one leaflet that was from the academic year 06/07). The notice board for students union was covered in advertisements for private lets near the hospital and other events unrelated to the students union. Also last year during the main elections they held a voting day on a Wednesday which is the day most nursing students have off for private study time. I have also spoken to the sabbatical team and they do not seem to realise what goes on at the hospital campus, so how can they represent the student population there? So let’s see a change in attitudes before the next sabbatical team take over.

Issue Three

The International Palantír

Obama And Nobel Michael Pickles This is not the first time the awarding of a Nobel Peace prize provoked some level of objection from some groups of people. The decision on who is given the Nobel Peace prize is taken by a committee appointed by Norway’s Parliament as willed by Alfred Nobel. The committee consists of five elected individuals and the outcome is to reflect the composition of the party division of Parliament. It will therefore be totally acceptable, but perhaps very unpopular to question the transparency of the decisions making process since it composes of active or inactive politicians. Who gets selected and awarded for a Nobel Peace prize would then be evaluated on not just because it is the committee’s decision, but also the circumstances around it. For some reason President Obama being the recipient of this year’s award is provoking some public objection both in the United States and abroad. The mainstream of objections seems to be based on the lacking of actual achievements on Obama’s part in well, pursuing world peace. There may be a lacking of achievements at the moment, but to argue that therefore Obama is not deserving of the award is missing the big picture. The Committee that awarded President Obama with the Nobel Peace prized based their final decision on several important factors. The root argument for awarding Obama was, "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen interna-

Politik tional diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” According to the committee the Nobel Peace prize is an endorsement for Obama’s call that, "now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges." The global challenges include promoting human rights, democracy, and nuclear disarmament. Furthermore, the committee reminds us that Obama is pursuing a foreign policy that is greatly different from his predecessor George W. Bush. Obama is pursuing his foreign policy based on the same principles that the Nobel Peace Prize Committee promotes which are multi-lateralism and involvement of international institutions specifically the United Nations. The Nobel Peace Prize, in this case, is an endorsement of international initiatives not an acknowledgement of done deeds. The Peace Prize is both for achievements and initiative. This intention of the Committee is not lost on Obama. In his press conference following the event Obama said in a straightforward fashion that he was, “surprised” and, “deeply humbled.” He went on and outlined that he, “[did] not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.” The prize was an encouraging endorsement on his foreign policies for the United States of America. The presidency of the US is perhaps the only office in the world where its decisions could have the greatest impact on world affairs. The US president can meet with any world leader, anywhere, and anytime if he or she so pursues. US presidents have the means to carry out on their promises and on their threats. For such a powerful position to be in the hands of Obama, along with a Nobel Peace Prize, would surely give the world a sigh of relief that the next three years could see more successes in international humanitarian initiatives and constructive talks rather than more pre-emptive strikes, unilateral ‘you’re with us or against us’ posturing, and ignoring the UN and allies. The British journalist Simon Jenkins on an Intelligence Squared debate on YouTube said that the expectations placed on Obama were unrealistic. However, Jenkins argued that this was so not because of more Obama-mania, but because people both Americans and the international community were fed up with the results of the past eight years of US leadership under Bush. Obama has no illusions. He set out what he wanted to pursue in his foreign policies and got recognized for it by the Nobel Committee. Now it is a matter of translating all that into practice. Obama knows that he cannot achieve “world peace” overnight, but he knows what to do to get things moving and to break with the past.

Whats On! We welcome to K2

The Secret Record Club A bunch of groovy folk that like to provide their patrons with a special party vibe experience. Taking you on a cosmic musical journey through decades of underground disco, soul, leftfield, indie, acoustic and all things electronica from around the world. It's a place for open minded music lovers to gather and dance to all kinds of records surrounded by beautiful lights, decor, vintage selling stalls and other lovely people.

Wednesday Night Project A new night in the Ents calendar where we give you a different style every week. We’ve got monthly live indie bands in K2 brought to you by uDisco, as well as the addition of a monthly dance night. Monthly urban DJs in the lounge to shake your booty to and on the remaining week we’ve got sports stage games brought to you by VP Sports & Fitness Roger Weston so expect some mayhem in the Ballroom on that night.

BrassiC A new addition to the Ents programme , BrassiC is a night for those crazy cats who want to extend the weekend into next week . Cheap as chips drinks offers and an anything goes music policy.. minus the cheese... because we all know cheese before bedtime gives you nightmares!

News Flash Last night a bit of a heavy one? Still trying to remember who you where talking to in the outback? Why not log on to the KeeleSU Ents page on Facebook and take a look at all the photos from the last few big nights to jog your memory. But beware of the ents photographers, remember, what happens at the Union stays on Facebok

Hey Everyone!! Well we are officially halfway through the first semester and we hope you are all settling into life at Keele. It's been an awesome start to the year and we would like to thank you all for coming out and supporting the nights at the SU and making them so special. The new wall planner is out on Monday 9th Nov so make sure you come down to the SU to pick one up. We will also be hijacking the safety bus and turning it into the Keele Love Bus to help us deliver some Entertainments Lovliness in the form of new wallplanners & publicity, there will be free guestlist places, goodies, giveaways up from grabs for some lucky peeps that come out to meet us...we want to be like the Ice Cream Van of Keele minus the Ice Cream although we maybe able to pass a few free Ice pops if you're lucky. Favourite Photos We would like to compile a special 1st Semester album of all your photos from this year. Please upload your entries to the Fan Photos on our Keele SU Entertainments Fan Page on Facebook. The 5 entries that make the Entertainments Team laugh the most will all receive a guestlist place to this years Christmas Party and I am reliably informed that Santa will be making an appearance. A special present for the Ballroom at the party wil be Radio 1 Legend & DJ SCOTT MILLS who will be rocking the Ballroom...lets show Scott how well we can party at Keele. Entertainments meetings Every Friday at 3pm in K2 Jayne from the Ents Dept and Allie your Elected Entertainments Officer meet with students so they can give their feedback and ideas about nights out at the Union. It's also a chance for anyone wanting to get involved in the Entertainments Dept, there are loads of ways you can help out and we have a lot of fun...the Ents staff parties as you can imagine are the stuff of

Are you in these photo’s?

FOUFSUBJONFOUT OUFSSUUBJONF OU NFOUT

If so your on the Guest List for our new Wednesday Night Project just go up to the ents office to get you name down!

legends! We hope you can take the time out to come and pay us a visit...we can't wait to meet you! The next main decor themes we need help with this year are The Flirt Wild West Night, The Flirt Chav vs Emo night and last but by no means least...The Winter Wonderland Christmas Party! So if you fancy helping us turn cardboard into the set of the Wild West or Santa's Grotto then come along to the meetings. Jayne W x x

Live Lounge Allie Coombs - Ents Officer The first Live Lounge went down a storm, hosted by a charismatic JJ Stubbs and myself, with over 10 performers and nearly 200 people enjoying the live music. We had everything from a Tenacious D cover to some 8bit chiptune (that’s Gameboy music to you and me) which went down a treat. It was a fantastic night with a brilliant turn out. The Ents dept are working alongside Kube Radio to make Live Lounge a little bit different this year. Kube will be recording the live performances to play on the fortnightly radio show. Alongside the recordings the radio show will host live bands in the studio performing covers and their own material. Hosted by Allie Coombs and a special guest presenter, the show airs every other Sunday at 4pm. The next Live Lounge will be on Sunday 15th November from 9pm, entry is free so come down with your instruments and your voices and sign up. If you don’t want to perform come and enjoy some live music and pitcher deals

y e v r u S s g u r D e l e e K e h T Last week saw the Home Secretary Alan Johnson ask for the resignation of Prof David Nutt, Head of the Governmental Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs. Prof Nutt suggested that some illegal drugs, especially Cannabis are less harmful than â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;taxableâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; alcohol and nicotine. This got me thinking about if his ideas were well grounded, or just the comments of an advisor who wanted to step over into the land of politics. The questions that arose where, what would the average Keele student think about this, and further more, what presence do illegal drugs have on Keele Campus? So I went about asking around 180 students what their personal perception and experiences of drugs were whilst on campus. I hoped that the survey would reveal if Keele is a campus plagued with hard core regular drug users, or if Keele was just like any other part of the UK, with a few curious students all with a little too much time and money. Understandably, when ever it comes to recreational drug use, there is no clear answer, so instead of attempting to provide a misguided interpretation of the figures I will just share them with you and and hope that each reader will come to their own decision on the matter, and get involved with a long overdue debate about what role drugs play in our society as a whole.

I asked: Have you used any of the following whilst being on Keele Campus?

Cannabis - 47.3% Ketamine - 11% Cocaine - 15.7% Magic Mushrooms - 10% Ecstasy - 13.5% None - 52.7%

20.3% of students asked have never se

Do you get the impression there is alot of drug use at Keele?

Yes - 41.1% No - 58.9

I asked: Do you have any worries about taking illegal drugs?

Preception by Friends and Family - 14% Effects on my Metal Health - 38% Effects on my Physical Health - 8% Addiction - 14% None - 26% Should any of the following be legalised?

Ecstasy - 8.8% Heroin - 3.7% Cocaine - 6.1% Magic Mushrooms - 10.4% Cannabis - 40.9% Ketamine - 4.3% Have you had enough education about drug use and its hazards since being here at Keele?

Yes - 45.5%

No - 54.5%

83% of Keele Students think it is easy to aquire drugs on Campus

een or used any illegal drugs whilst on campus If you or any friends are having problems with drug abuse there are alot of services close to home which can help you, both for advice and how to stop. On campus there is the IAU who are there to answer any question you may have, (found on the top floor of the Union) Nightline also provides an anonymous confidential phone serivce, just call 34999 between 9pm till 3am every night of the week. If you would like to speak to someone off campus you can contact: Addicition Dependency Solutions Staffordshire

If you have taken illegal drugs, do you regret it? Yes - 4.2% No - 95.8%

ADS Staffordshire is a charity which provides a free confidential service to anyone who is 18 years and over who lives in the Staffordshire area and has a problem with drug or alcohol misuse. They provide: - One to one support from your dedicated keyworker - Structured motivational workshops - Drop in support - Support for employment, training and education - Partner and family support - Social and leisure activities - Volunteering opportunities Just - Referrals to other specialist services

call 01785 270 080

Also just a little reminder of what the drug policy in the SU is; Keele University Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union do not tolerate the use, transfer or possession of illegal drugs on the premises. Anyone found using, transferring or in possession of any non-prescribed illegal drug will be ejected, face disciplinary action and may be handed over to the police.

Frank Drug Information Helpline: Tel: 0800 77 6600

The IAU is a ‘Free, Impartial, Non Judgemental Independent Advice Unit’ found on the top floor of the Students’ Union. It is here to help all Keele students with any problems you may have or at least point you in the right direction. Here are a few things which the IAU had been focusing on over the past few weeks.

Loan Moans…

Council Tax

As you are already aware, this year has been particularly difficult for delays in payments of student finance. Many students have just been given the basic amount, pending a more full assessment at a later date. If your loan application has been delayed, or has not been fully assessed, we can help. You can use the phone in the Unit to call them, you can talk to the team in the IAU about resolving the problem, and where necessary, we can liaise on your behalf. If you have bills that need to be paid while you are waiting for your loan, or need financial help, we can help you access this as well. In the meantime, it is worth checking the amount of money you have been awarded, if you aren’t sure it is the correct amount, come and talk to us and we can go through it with you.

Most full time students living with other full time students won’t have to pay council tax. However, the situation can get tricky as soon as you are unable to prove you are full time. A while ago we asked a Valuation Tribunal to consider the matter of module repeat students and their position regarding council tax. The tribunal agreed with the IAU, and our interpretation of the regulations surrounding student status. However, we are concerned that some students are still being asked to pay council tax while they are repeating on a modular basis. It will depend where you are living, as this problem doesn’t happen everywhere. If you are repeating modules, i.e. not studying full time /and/ waiting to rejoin your full time course next year, /and/ have been charged council tax, please contact the Advice Unit.

Don’t just stand there - Stand out! Voluntary Experience @ Keele Ever thought about volunteering? VE @ Keele works with over 150 volunteer and not-for-profit organisations, all looking for volunteers – just like you! By giving up just a couple of hours of your time a week you could gain new skills, experience new challenges, make friends, help others and gain a VE Award! If you would like to find out more about how you can get involved in volunteering contact Becky at VE @ Keele – now! VE @ Keele provides Bitesize training sessions that are open to all Keele students. However, as places are limited, priority will be given to VE registered volunteers. See timetable below for details and contact Becky if you would like to attend any sessions.

Course

Date

Time

Provider

Trainer

Location

VE Bronze Award

Wed 4 November

1230 - 1330

VE @ Keele

Becky Wardell

SU Meeting Room

VE Silver Award

Wed 4 November

1400 - 1500

VE @ Keele

Becky Wardell

SU Meeting Room

VE Gold Award

Wed 11 November 1230 - 1330

VE @ Keele

Becky Wardell

SU Meeting Room

VE Platinum Award

Wed 11 November 1400 - 1500

VE @ Keele

Becky Wardell

SU Meeting Room

Organising an Event

Wed 18 November 1300 - 1400 Newcastle CVS

Sue Whalley

SU Meeting Room

Assertiveness Skills

Wed 25th November 1300 - 1400 Newcastle CVS

Sue Whalley

SU Meeting Room

th th

th th th

Child Protection/CRB Disclosures Wed 2 December nd

Health & Safty (TBC)

Wed 9 December th

Becky Wardell, VE @ Keele, Keele University Students’ Union, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 5BY/ve

1300 - 1400 Keele University Denise Wolstenholme SU Meeting Room 1300 - 1400

KUSU

Ian Jenkinson

Tel: 01782 733626 Email: volunteering@kusu.keele.ac.ukw.

SU Meeting Room

Issue Three

M U SI C

Re- views In This Light and On This Evening

Editors

Following the fashionable path followed also by Bloc Party last year, Stafford-formed Editors have moved dramatically towards an electronic sound on their third record. In This Light and On This Evening also looks immediately a bit different by having only nine tracks, common for the likes of Led Zeppelin but less so for today's bands. Single “Papillon” is a bit of an odd one out here – the rest of the songs are much darker, longer, and less anthemic. Cases in point are the slow build but cathartic climax of the title track, and the six minutes it takes “Bricks and Mortar” to unfold. All in all this is a pretty solid record, even if Tom Smith's voice can still be annoying at times!

“I Cut Like A Buffalo”

The Dead Weather Jack White – a busy man, eh? The sudden appearance and debut performance of his new band The Dead Weather was a publicity coup for him and his fellow band members, but they've got to keep their momentum, and so emerges “I Cut Like A Buffalo”. The third single taken from the band's debut album Horehound, the song is made vaguely gothic by the addition of some ominous organ work by Dean Fertita. Combine that with White's still-distinctive vocals and some curious lyrics and you have an eerie outing for the band, albeit not quite a gripping one.

Feature Live Music At Keele – A Heads-Up Last night (21st October) I caught some of the live music in K2 that formed part of KUSU's Wednesday Night Project event; tonight in Lindsay Bar I bore witness to another great performance by Keele Big Band at the jazz night. These two events reminded me of what live music is capable of at Keele. When I started at Keele two years ago it sometimes felt that I was studying in something of a musical black hole – lacking in decent venues and bands. As time has gone on though, I've become more and more aware of not only the potential the uni itself has for gripping live performances, but also of the richness of the wider region's scene. Besides reviewing some of the latest records, it makes sense to also draw some attention to future musical events on and around campus as well – there's nothing quite like the thrill of a good gig, but it's no good if you don't know where to be and when! First up, a reminder of regular events – every other Sunday sees the Live Lounge in the Union. Also packed with quality Keele-based musicians is the Folk Club at the KPA on Thursday nights and Open Mic Night at Horwood on Saturdays. The aforementioned Wednesday Night Project in K2 is the event to be at live music-wise at the union, whilst fur-

Andy Johnson - Music Editor “Little Secrets”

Passion Pit Massachusetts band Passion Pit were a hot tip long before their debut record Manners was released back in May, and this new third single from the album continues to justify that. An infectious fusion of propulsive beats, slightly retro synths, glockenspiel, and high-pitched vocals, this is a fun, carefree-free sounding cut. The child choir on the chorus reinforces the song's joyous feel – there's no doom and gloom to be found here. Instead, Passion Pit create a party atmosphere just as they claim to be keeping things quiet - “they don't need to know we're feeling / higher and higher and higher”.

ther afield there's plenty more on offer! The Old Brown Jug in Newcastle frequently has gigs in the evenings with an entry price that's easy on the pocket. For the bigger off-campus shows, the place to be is in Stoke – the three main venues being the The Underground, The Sugarmill and the Victoria Hall, which recently played host to an epic gig by Bloc Party and which hosts none other than Status Quo on November 15th! In the meantime, here's some upcoming performances by Keele's brilliant bands:

List of concert bookings for 2009/2010 7 November 2009 28 November 2009 5 December 2009 12 December 2009 13 December 2009 18 December 2009 19 December 2009 13 March 2010 15 March 2010 20 March 2010 27 March 2010 22 May 2010 5 June 2010 5 June 2010 12 June 2010

Keele Concert Band Keele Bach Choir Keele Chapel Singers Revolution Rock Gospel Choir Keele Concert Band Keele Philharmonic Choir Keele Philharmonic Orchestra Keele Chapel Singers Revolution Rock Gospel Choir Keele Concert Band Keele Bach Choir Keele Chapel Singers Keele Bach Choir Keele Concert Band Keele Philharmonic Orchestra

Lindsay 2 Chapel Chapel Chapel Lindsay 2 Chapel Chapel Chapel Chapel Lindsay 2 Chapel Chapel Chapel Lindsay 2 Chapel

thirty seConD interview ConCourse AsKeD: Anything embArrAssing hAppeneD to you sinCe being Keele? Katharine Craddock

Waking up from the night before fully dressed (including heels), covered in mud and bruises and with no recollection of the journey home.

Kari Rittoo

Managing to get drunk enough on cocktails in the first week back to ring my mother at 3am informing her she was, I quote, "the most tiptop mother the world has ever seen"

Hall of Fame

Ollie Good

Getting drunk and doing hey angels at your cowboy birthday party whilst half naked

Hannah Goddard Falling down a hill and slicing my foot open with my heels (I still have the scar a year on) then phoning my housemate Bertie demanding he come and help me with my ‘ouchie’.

Aaron Webster

Mike Fryatt

I went to football training on Friday for the Neil Baldwin Appreciation FC (4pm - 6pm) and managed to break my wrist putting me out of action for about two months before the season has even begun.

Forgetting to close my curtains and waking up to have someone looking in the window when I'd decided it was a bit too warm to sleep with clothes on.

Hand picked gems from the best procrastination site on the planet

Michael Jackson Remix – A disturbingly catchy remix of some of Michael Jackson’s hits. I counted 8 but I’m sure there’s more!

Best of the Rest

Evolution of Dance Almost 130 million hits to date, Judson Laipply “performs” 5 decades of music in 6 minutes.

Daft Hands I attempted this ... ultimate fail

Narcoleptic goats!

It’s all in the title... don’t forget the Goat Fainting Festival next spring

It is not easy to explain what message or story this film tries to bring across. The audience is quickly thrown into the weird and maybe even disturbing world of Dr. Parnassus (an impressive performance by Christopher Plummer), who travels through London with his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole), adventurer Anton (Andrew Garfield) and long term companion Percy (Verne Troyer). The show they put on every night is from another century with opulent customs and outrageous state setups. The centre of the show is, however, a plastic mirror, which promises to show beautiful fantasies to everyone who walks through. Already in the beginning the audience gets a glimpse of what these fantasies look like. It is Charlie and the Chocolate factory meets Alice in Wonderland.

Film

Frederike Dammé - Film Editor

s u s s a n r a P . r D f o The Imaginarium

Obviously there is a twist. A long time ago, Dr. Parnassus made a deal with the devil (Tom Waits) who regularly appears in the Doctor’s imaginative world, tempting the people to cross to the dark side. Then, out of the blue, Tony (Heath Ledger/Johnny Depp/Jude Law/Colin Farrell) appears. He is a bit of a dodgy character but tries to update Dr. Parnassus show and is soon caught up in his world.

If you are already confused by the storyline, there is more to come and that is the problem with the film. Terry Gillian focuses on great cinematography but less on the storyline. Half way through the film you forgot what happened in the beginning. This can often be a good sign; in this case, it is not. Gillian’s story of good versus evil is only half-hearted and it looks like he was more interested in creating a pretty film rather than a thought through story. It took a long time until this film was finally hitting cinemas. After Heath Ledger’s death in January 2008, Director Terry Gilliam was uncertain if he would carry on filming.

Classic Quote

Clint Eastwood: “If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster”

Film Editors

Notes On A dal Scan

Issue Three

On a positive note, all actors give a good performance. Model turned actress Lily Cole is not only beautiful but also brings variety into her performance without slipping into clichés. Heath Ledger is good as always but not outstanding. After his Oscar crowned performance as the Joker, I expected more. Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, who continued playing Tony, after Ledger’s death, try to copy him but cannot get out of their settled way of performing. I personally don’t think it was a good choice to let three well known actors continue the part. It disturbs the total picture and especially Jude Law and Colin Farrell are rather dull. There was one effect this film had on me. Afterwards I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not. People, who have seen Terry Gilliam Films before, can imagine what to expect as his style of directing is very settled. Anyone who did not enjoy his films will probably dislike this movie as it is his wildest fantasies put on a screen. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is a film, which is more than anything a matter of taste. I enjoyed some parts of the film but it is certainly not a movie which I will watch again anytime soon.

Did You Know...

Alan Rickman failed his California driving test at one point for "driving too cautiously through a green light"

This film of the year 2007 did not get half as much attention as it deserved. In some respect the story is quite predictable. Art teacher Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) starts an affair with one of her students and gets emotionally blackmailed by the older History teacher (Judi Dench). This might be the major outline but there is much more to the story. Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett both give remarkable performances and prove that they are superb actresses with an endless range of emotions to chose from. Director Richard Eyre connects the story on all levels. The film is a ménage a trios, even though you sometimes don’t realize who is in it. I absolutely recommend this film to everyone. It is definitely an all time must see movie.

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Yoursourceofrandomknowledge supply is the cornea in the eye. It takes in oxygen directly from the air. atKeeleUniversity

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural cause. Colgate faced big obstacle marketing toothpaste in Spanish speaking countries as Colgate translates into the command “go hang yourself. Approximately sixty circus performers have been shot from cannons. At last report, thirty-one of these have been killed.

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The cashew is part of a fruit called 'a cashew apple' that grows in tropical regions. After harvesting, the cashew apple keeps for only 24 hours before the soft fruit deteriorates. The cashew apple is not commercially important since it spoils quickly, but local people love the fruit.

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CONCOURSE

Societies ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY! Stephen Johns Want to play a sport where nerves of steel are a must and the difference between victory and defeat is a matter of millimetres, and that you can play it in a pub then darts is for you! Keele Darts Club has been created this year and is constantly looking for extra members. Numerous friendlies have been arranged and the Universities league will be starting in the second semester which will see the Keele side take on the likes of Manchester, Liverpool and Lancaster University. We throw every Tuesday night 7.30pm-11pm in Sam’s bar. So come along, grab a pint and step up to the oche. It doesn't matter if you're a budding Phil the Power or a complete beginner, darts is a game that can be enjoyed by all, and the only way to get better is to play more!!

Keele Concert Band’s First Concert of the 2009/2010 Season Lee Bell - Chair - KCB 09/10 Firstly I’d like to thank last year’s committee for working so hard and this year’s new committee for collectively agreeing to do the fantastic job of organising all of this year’s KCB events. KCB are presenting four concerts this season and we are opening our programme with our Last Night of the Proms extravaganza. Our Musical Director has selected some challenging repertoire for this season; a challenge to which the band has responded with great enthusiasm. For the first years it is only just over a month since they arrived at Keele and it is a testament to their musical abilities and the Band’s hard work that such a quality programme can be presented in such a short space of time. Student concessions put ticket prices at only £4, so we hope to see as many students there as possible supporting their house/block/best mates and enjoying the live music!

TEAM : KEELE

Keele Women’s Lacrosse Start the Year on a High! Naomi Passmore - Club Captin On 14th October, Keele Women’s Lacrosse team faced our first challenge of the new season against Northumbria. A lot of our good players graduated at the end of last year but following a successful AU fair we had a full team with a good mix of experienced players and complete beginners. Playing our first match at home gave us confidence because we know our pitch, and having our old lacrosse team captain, Anna Jenkyns, back to referee was great! Northumbria had a lot of freshers in their team too, so we started with a line-up of both beginners and old players. It was our first chance to play together as a team and our game started off pretty scrappily, with possession changing hands constantly and plenty of ground balls. However Keele managed to dominate the game, eventually winning 14-1. This put us 2nd out of 10 in the BUCS scoreboard.

Netball Match Report 1st Team Kelly Richardson After a slow start to the season, and getting to grips with settling into our new teams, the 1st have turned up a win for Keele beating Edge Hill 52 – 30. After a great first quarter the first’s finally begun to play their own game and bring their individual notable netball skills together as a team. With our very own team captain Rachel Mobberley getting player of the match the first’s will hopefully continue this success in their next game against Manchester 2nd’s next Wednesday 4th November (away). Thanks for all the support we have received and to all of you who ventured down to watch us kick some bum last Wednesday!!!

Fresher of the match went to Hannah McDonald, player of the match went to Caitlin Marshall, and d*ck of the day went to Katie Baxter, for breaking Northumbria’s captain’s thumb in a well aimed (or not so well aimed!) tackle!

"Keele University Motorsport KMC Formula Silverstone Mike Fryatt - Vice President

On 21st October, we travelled to Sheffield for our first away match. We were aware that this match would be a lot more challenging than our first had been. 5 of our players had lectures until midday so had to leave Keele late and drive up separately to the rest of the team. This meant that we played the first quarter of the match with 9 players per side, except Keele had no subs whereas Sheffield had 5. At the end of the first quarter Keele were trailing 4-2. Our 5 reinforcements arrived partway through the second quarter and Keele started to fight back. By half time the score was 9-6 and when play resumed, we swapped ends and Keele were shooting downhill. Despite some excellent goals and defending from the whole team, the final score was 14-11. Player of the match went to goal keeper Naomi Passmore. This puts us 4th overall in the BUCS scoreboard. Our next match will be 4th November against Leeds, currently top of the leader board.

The first round of the KMC Formula Silverstone Championship took place on Thursday 23rd October. Two members of KUM headed down to Silverstone to set their lap times early in the season; Treasurer Scott Waldron enjoyed a successful first outing in single seaters. Current Vice President Mike Fryatt set the fastest time of the day of 43.90 secs; leaving him leading the championship at this early stage of the season. The championship is open to anyone provided they have held a full licence for a year by the time of their drive; competitors have until March to set their fastest lap times. To be considered for championship points you need only attend once. All of us at Keele University Motorsport hope to see more of you on track soon. For more information go to the facebook group: KMC Formula Silverstone Championship 2010.

TEAM : KEELE Barton - 2 Keele Mens Football 1st XI - 0 Sean Szabo

After Keele’s impressive start to the season, tabletopping Barton were next in line for the students. The visitors came into the game having won all 9 of their previous league games, but were stifled early on as they struggled to exert any authority on the game. Keele were playing the better football without creating too many clear cut chances, however it was the visitor’s who took the lead against the run of play. After some scrappy build-up play, the ball fell kindly on the edge of the box, for a Barton player to volley home. The ball took a slight deflection on its way in, leaving keeper Craig Patterson with no chance as it sailed into the top corner. Keele endeavoured to strike back immediately with captain Dom Randle’s 25 yard effort going narrowly over. Moments later, Sean Szabo seemed to get fouled in the penalty area as the keeper rushed out and caught the striker, but the referee waved away the penalty appeals. The rest of the half meandered out, with Charlie Fotheringham’s snap-shot the only flicker of light in a largely uneventful period. The second half continued in the same vein with the two evenly balanced teams jostling for a stranglehold in the game as the lively crowd started to find their voice. With Keele pushing for the equaliser, the game opened up more allowing both teams more space to exploit. Barton started showing why they are unbeaten this year as their defence held firm against the increasing pressure. Joe Norton’s deflected shot was well saved by the Barton keeper before the visitors got the killer second goal. A deep cross from the half way line found the striker who headed back powerfully across the goal. Keele continued huffing and puffing but couldn’t break down the Barton door despite playing some neat football at times. Little other incident occurred as Barton proceeded to grind out a hard fought win and leave Keele just off the top pack in the league with games in hand

Indoor Triathlon Roger Weston - VP Sport Whether you are uber competitive or just looking to improve your fitness at your own pace, the Keele Indoor Triathlon is for you. Held in the Sports Centre Fitness Suite, it will involve:

1km Row 5km Cycle 2km Run There will be a second Triathlon in February/March time so you can gauge your improvements easily and have a target to train towards!!! Book your free place at kususport.net/indoor-triathlon

Athletic Union : Ball Tickets Now On Sale!! Ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention. I've just been handed a urgent and horrifying news story, and I need all of you to stop what you're doing and listen!

AU BAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!

Oh yes! Its ticket time! Now available from the AU office in the Sports Centre for £35, it guarantees you a 3 course meal, disco and incredible women in outrageous ball gowns. Its definitely one of the best nights of the year!

Saturday 21st November 2009 @ Keele Hall; Put it in the diary! *Quick tip for guys, Primark will kit you out in a full tux for just over £30, it’s a steal!