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“Yacht Club.. On the world championships” SPORTS & SOCIETIES | page 24

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september 2009 | the knowledge

CONTENTS

union news

2-3

“Welcome back from the president”

Sabbatical Welcome

7

Security for Students

8

Hits of the summer

10

Do you know what you‘ll be doing next year?

The new sabbatical team

Image courtesy of David Hedges

12-13

UPSU Entertainment UPSU is exactly what it says on

15

Competitions

18-19

Global Issues

20-24

Sports & Societies

Editor James Redfearn Design & Layout Oli Horne Dannii Newman

Editor Says Hello and welcome (back!) to Plymouth, for what looks set to be another exciting year! Welcome also to what is not only the first issue of the Knowledge for this academic year, but the first in this new handy size and re-vamped style. We hope you like it!

This will be an exciting year for the Knowledge, as a motion passed recently by Student Parliament means

the tin, and more importantly, it is run FOR students, BY students. Every year 5 sabbatical officers are elected to run your SU, and to represent the student voice within the organisation, University and the wider community.

There are a few big changes in UPSU this year, starting off with our formal charity registration towards the end of this year. We are also taking part in a process called SUEI (Students’ Union Evaluation Initiative), which will be looking at how we run as a student led organisation to improve how we work and audits us. Over half of all Students’ Unions have now undergone the SUIE process and many have been accredited and won awards for students’ union excellence, so fingers crossed!

This year is also the first year for the UPSU Training Academy. The UPSU Training Academy is a new initiative that coordinates the formal and informal learning of our students.

that this is the last issue that I will be editing! In October we will be electing a Student Editor for the paper, making it more independent and student-led.

As is traditional for the first edition of the year, this paper is packed full of information on events coming up in the next couple of weeks. You’ll also find articles introducing you to your team of full time (sabbatical) officers, who run the Union day-to-day on your behalf.

These roles are a year long, and teach you a huge range of skills, so have a read and seriously think about getting involved with the Union and running in the elections for next year.

Sports, Societies and Volunteering are

It is a way of bringing the skills and knowledge they have gained during their time here at the University of Plymouth together, and help them to present these valuable transferable skills in an attractive way to future employers. A good example of this is the UPSU Award which has been designed to help students extend their skills and gain experiences, showcasing their achievements and demonstrating what makes them stand out from other graduate job applicants. For details see the trainingacademy@upsu.com website or come along to the Volunteer Induction Evening on 14th October in the Main Hall for an informal chat on this and all the other training opportunities available to students.

We already have some big campaigns planned, such as the annual One World week to celebrate cultures and anti-racism, and Green Week to focus on sustainability and the environment.

This year we will also be running a massive Higher Education funding campaign to tie in with the NUS

the best ways to get actively involved in student life here at Plymouth, all of which are run by Students’ Union, and funded jointly by the University (1/3rd) and the UPSU Bars, U:Shop and Partner Nightclubs (2/3rds). There are articles near the back of the paper that tell you a bit more about some of our Sports Clubs and Societies, but the best way to find out about them all is to come along to the Sports and Societies Fair on the 27th September at the Union and Roland Levinsky Building. Like I said, these activities, along with our free Advice Centre, Course Reps and much more, are funded by your use of the UPSU bars, shop and official partner nightclubs –

(National Union of Students) campaign for a fairer funding system. So if you are worried about your student loan, student debts, tuition fees, finding part-time or future employment... please get involved in this campaign so we can make a difference to the funding system and tuition fees here at the University of Plymouth.

If you want to campaign on something please let us know, whether it is timetabling of exams, 24 hour library access, increasing opening hours of the Freshlings Nursery on campus, tuition fees, climate change or human rights, you can make a difference.

We will be seeking your opinions on campaigns via the Student Portal, www.upsu.com, and in person all of this year. Students are a huge demographic both locally and nationally, and we can make a huge difference. Now is your chance to get involved in something new, stand up for what you believe in and change things for the better. You’ve got the power!

So whether you want to chose from our 100 sports clubs or societies, volunteer or raise money for charity, organise a campaign, join Student Parliament, become a course rep, write articles for our newspaper (the Knowledge), become a presenter on UPSU radio, need some advice or guidance, want a job in the bar or shop or as a placement student, want some training with the UPSU Training Academy...or just enjoy a coffee, a beer or a good night out, then UPSU is here for you!

See you soon, Aleshia UPSU President president@upsu.com

so make sure you support them...to support yourselves!!

Have a great year guys – Myself and the other Sabbatical Officers look forward to chatting to you about anything Union or University related that might come up over the year – we work here full time for YOU, so come and say hi!

James Redfearn VP Activities & Communications

september 2009 | the knowledge

page 3

union news Here are a few quick needto-know facts about Your Students’ Union: • The University of Plymouth has approximately 33,000 students...so UPSU has 33,000 members, as every student is automatically a member of UPSU. • UPSU is a charity. Most Students’ Unions are becoming ‘educational charities’ registered with the charity commission (this year, we are working to formalise this) • Every year UPSU is given a Block Grant from the University to fund essential services such as the Advice Centre (01752 588373), Volunteering and Course reps.

• We are a democratic body, with members voting in sabbatical officers and part-time officers (Parliamentarians).

We also have meetings where everyone can vote on important UPSU issues and policies (General Meetings).

• Student Parliament meets once and month. Come along and have your say.

• We Campaign on student rights and fight for what you believe in.

• We run the University’s course rep system, and provide support and training throughout the year.

• The University of Plymouth has over 18 Partner Colleges across the South West (where you can study a UoP course, at a local HE/FE college). 1/3 of our members are studying at a Partner College.

• Each Sabbatical officer is responsible for representing a Faculty in the University. We attend meetings with the elected Faculty Reps to ensure your concerns are raised in the university.

• Sabbatical Officers represent you in academic appeals, complaints and disciplinaries, to ensure fair decisions are made.

• Sabbatical officers are Trustees of the Charity, alongside 2 Students Trustees, and 3 Independent Trustees. The Board of Trustees make the major decisions affecting the organisation. They do not have a say on UPSU policies and campaigns.

• The President and the Chair of Student Parliament sit are members of the University Board of Governors to ensure the student voice is heard at the highest level in the institution.

Hi everyone, welcome to the University of Plymouth Students’ Union!

Come and check out the Students’ Union as soon as you can to find out how to get involved over the coming year.

You can find us next to the University Library and if you’re quick you may just miss the crowds!

I’d also like to welcome back those of you who passed your exams this summer and look forward to a very successful year at UPSU with your continued support.

That feeling of excitement is about to grow ever stronger as you begin your University experience, make friends for life and get a great degree in such a wonderful part of the world.

This year we want more

students than ever to get involved in our campaigns, events and anything to do with UPSU, after all we are more than just a bar…

are automatically a member of UPSU and are of course welcome to join any of our sports or societies clubs, student parliament etc.

So, you’re not sure what we do, but want to get involved.

Well, check out our website www.upsu.com for details or alternatively carry on reading.

Here at UPSU, we offer over 100 different sports clubs and societies, student parliament, events, support for course reps, volunteering, representation and much much more. We also offer free advice through our advice centre situated on the first floor of the SU.

Alternatively you can contact me if you would like help with setting up your own club or society at your college. Here at UPSU we understand it is very difficult to join and become heavily involved in our clubs and societies on Plymouth campus when your on a different site and that’s why we will do our best to help support your needs, after all that’s what we’re here for!

My role also involves the running of Student Parliament, in which many students meet up with UPSU once a month to discuss issues that surround all students every day. If you would like to get involved with Student Parliament, please feel free to get in touch with me as it really is important you tell us what you think about the Union, how its run and what matters to you! It’s your chance to hold us to account and to ensure we are doing a good job of running your Students’ Union.

If you’re one of our 10,000+ partner college students from one of our 19 partner colleges across the South West, you too

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As Deputy President, my role involves primarily looking after the needs of our Partner College students, international students and post graduates.

However, I am here to support all students so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you do need support.

So, once again it’s a new year and a fresh start for all of us. I wish you all the best over the coming year and I hope you become involved and make UPSU a part of your university experience.

See you all soon, Tom deputypresident@upsu.com

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september 2009 | the knowledge

university news

Student Services Survey Anita Jellings, Dean of Students During this year a group of Social Research students have been carrying out a survey to find out about usage of some of the student services, namely the Careers Service, Disability Assist, Learning Development, Chaplaincy, Students Counselling, Student Funding and the International Student Advisory Service. These services come under the heading of ODS (Office of the Dean of Students) services.

were easy to access and professional.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this survey. From the 450+ entries, prizes have been given to the three randomly selected winners. The Heads of Services have read all your comments and will use your comments and suggestions when improving our services.

• In September we will be moving the Careers Service from its ‘hidden’ place in Portland Mews to the ground floor of the Roland Levinsky building – one of the most prominent sites on campus!

• Learning Development will continue to offer drop-in sessions in the library. Stop and ask an advisor whenever you see one.

Learning Development will help you if you are struggling to pass but will also help you accomplish excellence if you are achieving well.

One of the key findings from this survey was that nearly 40% of respondents hadn’t used any of the ODS services. Most students who had used these services were satisfied with their experience and said that the services

If you haven’t used any of the ODS services and are interested to find out about the support available, please have a look at our websites and see if there is anything we can do to help you www.plymouth.ac.uk/ods.

After listening to your comments there are some things we are going to improve:

We received lots of comments about the fact that we don’t book careers appointments in advance. This is due to the long waiting lists that we would quickly have for appointments and difficulties caused when students book appointments in advance and then don’t turn up. While we recognise that our on-the-day booking policy can be difficult for some people, we feel it is the best way to make the most of the appointment time we can offer.

However, if there is a reason that you need to book an appointment in advance, such as travelling a long distance to see an adviser, please discuss this with the Careers Information Staff and where possible we will be flexible.

Beatbullying comes to UPSU! ‘CyberMentors’ is a groundbreaking way of tackling online or ‘cyber’ bullying. It uses the proven concept of peer to peer mentoring, a key component of Beatbullying’s award winning bullying prevention work, and applies it online. CyberMentors takes peer mentoring to another level, where students are trained to mentor young people online as well as in their schools and communities. Thousands of CyberMentors are being trained and tooled up to spread the cyber safe word. They are trained both on and off line to have the credentials, skills and the confidence to act as mentors and guides to other young people they meet online when chatting, surfing and just generally having fun.

Designed by young people for young people, the emphasis as always is on peer-to-peer support and assistance and not adults or authority figures policing the net, although strict child safety mechanisms are embedded in the process to ensure that inappropriate, bullying or predatory behaviour is safely reported.

Since its launch in March 2009, the CyberMentors website has helped over 176,000 young people with bullying and cyberbullying.

UPSU Volunteer Department is delighted to announce that Plymouth will be the first University in the South West to train Cyberbullying mentors. Beatbullying training starts in October, so come along to the Volunteer Induction evening in the Main Hall on 14th October 6.30-9 to sign up or find out more.

More info about Beatbullying at www.beatbullying.org.uk

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september 2009 | the knowledge

Get Involved!

Hello, and welcome (or welcome back!) to the University of Plymouth – I’m James, your VP Activities & Communications for a second and final year.

In this article I want to introduce you to some of the areas of the University of Plymouth Students’ Union (UPSU) that my role covers, and tell you how to get involved. The role of VP Activities and Communications covers several areas of the Union, most of which rely on student involvement for their success. So make sure you enjoy your year, and I look forward to seeing you getting involved in one of the following opportunities over the year.

Volunteering Volunteering at UPSU has become increasingly successful over the past few years. Last year we had over 1000 students signed up to join in with one or more of the many and varied volunteering opportunities on offer. Our student volunteering society, ViP* (Volunteering in Plymouth) is led by a committee of students who coordinate around 16 different projects throughout the year – from environmental work to working with older people.

This year you will also be able to gain academic credits for the learning you achieve through volunteering – keep an eye open for more information on this over the first term!

union news James Redfearn ranging from the Big Band to RAG (Raise and Give), Climate Change to Poker – there’s bound to be something you’re interested in! Societies (like Sports Clubs) are a great way to meet like-minded people, and can really enhance your University experience no end. What’s more, if you have an idea for a society that doesn’t already exist, and you can find others who share your enthusiasm for the idea, it’s really easy to start up your own society. We have three full time staff plus myself to support societies – so please get in touch if you want to know more about this.

At UPSU we have over 40 student-led societies,

put forward by many officers in the past, and we’ve finally got there! Over the summer I have co-ordinated the set-up of a basic student radio station. This is very much in the early stages, and will be starting small with downloadable podcast shows. Please get in touch if you are interested in getting involved with this – it should be a great way to reach loads of students, build skills, and of course have a good laugh along the way!

1000 students signed up to volunteering last year

The best way to find out about Societies (or Sports Clubs) is to come along to the Sports and Societies Fair on the 27th September on the Plymouth Campus. You can also find out more at www.upsu. com Media My role as VP Activities & Communications also includes (rather obviously) responsibility for Union communications, which means I work closely with the permanent Communications staff within the Union, but also am responsible for Student Media. When I started in this role in July 2008, involvement in media was fairly minimal. Over the year I have been laying the foundations for an increasingly active student media movement. The Knowledge has had a complete overhaul for this academic year, including the creation of the position of Student Editor (see elsewhere in the paper!). I have also purchased a Digital SLR camera to re-start “Cam:cru” (a student-led photography society), which again you can find out about at the Sports and Societies Fair, or online.

Over 40 studentled societies

If you want to find out more about the projects you can get involved with, have a look at www.upsu.com/volunteering and make sure you don’t miss the Volunteer Induction evening, in the Main Hall on the 14th October. See you there!

Societies

page 5

Representation You’ve probably read elsewhere about the representative role that the Union plays in University life (and to be fair, it’s why Students’ Unions exist!) but I feel that the message can never be repeated enough! My primary role really is the representation of students – whether that be representing the voice of all students at meetings like the University’s Teaching and Learning Committee, or on an individual basis at disciplinary hearings. So if you do have an issue you’d like to raise, or a meeting you’d like some moral support at, please get in touch – that’s why I’m here!

Overall, this keeps me fairly busy, but it’s a really enjoyable and worthwhile job. What’s more, I have to retire at the end of the year...so if all of the above interests you, then get in touch and we can talk about how YOU can run for election to this position!

Thanks for reading – I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible over the year.

Have a great time!

James vpactivities@upsu.com

Finally, the idea of Student Radio has been

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september 2009 | the knowledge

september 2009 | the knowledge

page 7

local issues works in a community where she has to balance the high spirits of student life and the concerns of long-term residents in the community.

By PCSO Sarah Nicholson

PCSO Sarah Nicholson is the Police Community Support Officer for the University and the Greenbank area. Sarah has been in this role working for Devon and Cornwall Constabulary since June 2006. In September 2007 she became responsible for her current area.

During Welcome Week, Sarah and her colleagues give out practical crime prevention advice to new students, along with various leaflets and UV marking pens, which are used to security mark property, this is invisible to the eye but can be seen using an ultra-violet light. This helps the Police to return the item if lost or stolen to the rightful owner. This type of work is continued throughout the year with a crime prevention stand that is placed outside Portland Square.

Sarah and her colleagues will security mark bikes and laptops using a chemical solution, which

is aimed at acting as a deterrent to potential thieves and again helps to return the item to the owner. Personal attack alarms are also available on request.

Sarah has strong links with the University Accommodation Office, UPP, Wardens, and Security. Occasionally throughout the year, Sarah will work with the Wardens carrying out crime prevention checks, ensuring that the work of the Wardens is supported by the Police and that all students have a safe and crime-free experience whilst living in Plymouth.

Sarah has also built a good working relationship with the Students’ Union. She has worked with them on the current ‘Sshh’ (Silent Students Happy Homes) campaign in order to promote the campaign via posters and to pay for lollipops to be given out to students for free when they are leaving the SU. Noise nuisance issues are quite high on Sarah’s priorities, as she

One of Sarah’s main priorities is to engage with students and inform them of forth-coming events, crime trends or ask for witnesses to come forward if an incident has occurred on or near the university campus. To do this Sarah has a Police notice board just outside of the Hive in the SU and also produces a monthly community newsletter for students and staff, which is placed around the University, in the SU, and library. Additionally, the Neighbourhood Policing Website for the Greenbank/Mutley area is updated with news of current meetings and events.

Sarah has also set up a monthly drop in, whereby she would be at a specific location at the University at a specific time and day every month. This allows students to voice any concerns, issues or pass on any information that they wish on an informal basis. In addition to this, Sarah also conducts foot patrol around the University, so feel free to stop her for a chat if which to discuss any issues.

By PS Mike Giarchi-Faulkner

a bike marking campaign in the near future and will keep you up to date with the details. If you need any further information, please contact either PCSO Sarah Nicholson or myself via email, or stop us and chat when we are on campus.

If for some reason things go too far on a night out, and you the police have reason to stop you, we have a number of options open to us depending mainly on the offence and also any previous criminal record you may have. For most drink related matters, we tend to use the Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) which is an £80 ‘on the spot’ fine that is NOT an admission or guilt, neither is it a criminal conviction. However there are times when we need to consider other options, the most basic being a ‘Police

ME I’M FREE

Sarah’s contact details are: PCSO 30126 Sarah Nicholso General Enquiries: 08452 777 444 Email: sarah.nicholson@plymouth.ac.uk

Security for students As the new term starts, the last thing on your minds no doubt is security, safety and crime. However for the Mutley-Greenbank Policing Team, this is one of our busiest times, mainly due to the new arrivals. Although Plymouth is a very safe city, some of our local criminal fraternity know that when students arrive, they bring with them mobile phones, laptops and iPods. If they can get into a student house, they will expect to steal a few of each. Please consider carefully how you secure you room, or house, and make sure ground floor windows are closed. Also consider effective property marking, and registering your property on a recognised website. We can provide UV Pens for free, and can give advice on how to mark your property. We will also be doing

TAKE

Caution’. A Police Caution is not a conviction either, and you will not need to go to court, BUT it could be a bar to some employment, especially those that may require a CRB check.

The most concerning factor about a Caution is that the list of foreign countries that will refuse access or visas for those who have been cautioned is growing. Most noticeable is the USA. They will not permit any person to enter the country who has a UK caution, either as a visitor, student or worker.

So it is important to remember when things are starting to go too far, you may be stopped from travelling to some major locations, or gaining certain jobs for the rest of your life.

PS 5335 Mike GIARCHI-FAULKNER mgiarchi-faulkner@plymouth.ac.uk PCSO Sarah NICHOLSON sarah.nicholson@plymouth.ac.uk

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page 8

september 2009 | the knowledge

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Hits of the summer!

Although summer is officially over and it’s back to hard work, the sounds of this summer will live on. There were plenty of great bands and artists topping the charts, appearing at festivals and a number of old artists re-emerging as well as new.

Most appearance at festivals… …would have to be between Lily Allen and The Prodigy. Both acts kicked start the festival season by performing at Radio 1’s Big Weekend on the 10th of May. Lily then appeared at Glastonbury, T in the Park and V Festival. Lily is due to appear at Plymouth Pavilions on the 21st of November.

While The Prodigy performed at the Download Festival, headlining the 2nd Stage, as well as appearing at Glastonbury and the Reading and Leeds Festivals.

Biggest No 1’s… …to spread across the nation varied from the Black Eyed Peas, David Guetta, JLS, La Roux, Cascada and Dizzee Rascal being a few of the successful chart topping tunes of the summer.

The radio loved playing… …many songs to set us in the mood for the day whatever genre you may enjoy.

You couldn’t escape Little Boots, the radio loved playing her new record ‘Remedy’,

The ultimate 10 songs to sum up summer 2009:

By Georgina Luton

neither could you not hear Calvin Harris’s is now back with Arctic Monkeys. Arctic song ‘Ready For The Weekend’, which was Monkeys released a new album, ‘Humbug’, JOB NAME: 000550_StudAcct_105x105 CLIENT: Lloyds SIZE: 105 x 105 m expected to hit the number 1 spot, but still PAGE: 1 which reached the #1 in the album charts; DATE: 28.07.09 CREATOR: Willis PROOF: 01.FINAL made it to #3 in the charts. shortly afterTALENT: the release they CREATIVE TEAM: TBA nguyen of their album SENT: 28.07.09 For rockers there were LOCATION: new songs from headlined the Reading and Leeds Festivals.

Pictures / Lloyds / 000550 AGENCY NO.: XXX PUBLICATION(S): Plymouth UNI Madina Lake, The Blackout and Enter Muse are also on the way back and released SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Shikari. their new album on the 14th of September, ‘The Resistance’, including the new single Another song around all summer was ‘Uprising.’

Florence + the Machine’s ’Rabbit Heart’, this was another act who also appeared It was surprising to hear from… at festivals, they particularly got a great Bloc Party and Friendly Fires. Both bands response from Glastonbury and the Reading released unexpected new singles over the and Leeds Festivals. summer, Bloc Party released ‘One More Chance’ and Friendly Fires released ‘Kiss Old artists to make a comeback this Of Life’. Both bands performed at festivals summer… throughout summer, and both have new …were Blur and Arctic Monkeys. Blur versions of their albums ’Intimacy’ (Bloc performed a great set at Glastonbury on the Party) and ‘Friendly Fires’ with their new Sunday night, though it was thought that the tracks included. band didn’t want to leak out too much and instead wanted to save some of their sound For Bloc Party fanatics; they are performing for their gigs at Hyde Park in July. As well as down at Plymouth Pavilions on the 23rd of Glastonbury, Blur also made an appearance October. at T in the Park alongside Snow Patrol.

Alex Turner returned from working with The Last Shadow Puppets and

1. Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling 2. Calvin Harris - Ready For the Weekend 3. Florence + the Machine - Rabbit Heart 4. Arctic Monkeys - Crying Lightning 5. Bloc Party - One More Chance

6. Biffy Clyro - That Golden Rule 7. David Guetta & Akon - Sexy Chic’ 8. Dizzee Rascal Feat. Calvin Harris - Holiday 9. Lily Allen - 22 10. The Prodigy - Take Me To The Hospital

september 2009 | the knowledge

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september 2009 | the knowledge

union news

Do you know what you’ll be doing next year?

It’s hard not to be inspired by Barack Obama just look at some of his credits:

• He is the first African-American man to be elected President of the United States • When elected President, he won the battleground states of Florida, Virginia and Colorado - all of which had voted Republican in 2004.

• Chosen as one of “10 people who would change the world” by New Statesman magazine (2005).

and training that will give you real opportunity to fully develop your skills. With the support of the UPSU management team and National Union of Students we will ensure you get the maximum benefit from your time with us.

In this day and age when just getting a piece of paper at the end of University life does not guarantee you a career, can you afford not try and grasp this opportunity with both hands?

Represent the views of over 30,000 students

• Time magazine named him “one of the world’s most influential people,” calling him “one of the most admired politicians in America.”

The recent American elections were one of the most publicised events in the world. In fact the BBC received complaints that the coverage was excessive and directed too much focus away from UK and European issues.

Whatever your view there can is no doubt that these elections have raised the interest in politics.

So why, therefore, do we (The University of Plymouth Students’ Union - UPSU) meet such apathy when we start to talk about student elections? Is it because as students you think you have little or no involvement with student elected officers? Is it because you have no interest in student (or any) politics? Do you care?

Well, Ok. But just for a minute ignore the political aspects and look at what we are offering….

How about a year’s management training or the ability to develop leadership skills?

What about developing key business skills like time management, chairing meetings, presentation skills or negotiation? In fact we could go on to list a whole range of personal skills that you will learn. But think for yourself just for a minute…where else would put you in charge of a business with £3M turnover and lead a team of over 40 permanent staff and over 200 student staff. Where else gives you the opportunity to represent the views of over 30,000 students, representing these directly at the highest management levels within the University?

Challenging? Daunting? Intimidated? This post comes with a massive range of support

Even better still you will get paid over £16K per year and don’t even have to sit an interview. You can either do this as a placement (sabbatical) year or as your first graduate position.

International, Post-grad or part-time? Studying at a Partner College?

We welcome every application and understand that UPC students might face different challenges to those of a Plymouth student. Without sufficient representation from you, international, part-time, post-grad students we can never truly understand the issues you face. Only by getting you involved can we hope to make changes.

So what’s the catch?

Well we are looking for dynamic individuals, studying a University of Plymouth course, who are inspired to make us the best students’ union in the country.

You have to persuade as many students as possible that you are that person and deserve this opportunity; above all you have to smash student political apathy – because (just like Barack) you have to inspire students to actually vote. If you can do that then the job is yours!

Want more?

Visit www.upsu.com to find out what roles are available and which one would suit you the best, email elections@upsu. com and we’ll try and answer any questions or pop into the students’ union and speak to any member of staff.

To apply you need to fill out a nomination form. These can be downloaded at www. upsu.com from January 2010. Voting starts in February.

Get involved now!

If you have been inspired to get involved

with the Students’ Union as a full time elected officer, why not get involved straight away and build some experience on a parttime basis? Within the up-coming bi-elections, we have a range of part time officer positions available.

Look out for more information elsewhere in this edition of the Knowledge, or online, on posters and in Fly magazine over the next few weeks.

Email elections@upsu.com with any queries.

september 2009 | the knowledge

page 11

union news

Part Time officers

By Aleshia Sampson President

Are you passionate about journalism and the student movement?

Do you have the drive and skill to make the Knowledge, your student paper, more successful?

Do you want to build on your skills and enhance your CV? If you’ve answered yes to the questions above, then we may just have the job for you! For the first time ever, we are looking to recruit a student editor for the Knowledge. The creation of the role follows a motion that was submitted to Student Parliament at the end of the last academic year. The intention of the motion was to bring “increased vibrancy and pro-activity into the Knowledge” and to signal the birth of a Student Media which can hold your full-time (Sabbatical) officers to account, report independently, and is directly accountable to the student body through Student Parliament.

The role of the editor would be much the same as any newspaper editor; recruiting writers, pro-actively seeking stories and ensuring a high quality paper is produced. As editor you will be responsible for ensuring that both design and print deadlines are met, and will work closely with the UPSU Communications Department.

You will also hold a position on Student Parliament, where you will help shape the political direction of the Union, and make real differences to the lives of students.

This is a great opportunity to build on your existing skills, enhance your CV, and see real results on paper – literally!

So why not get involved?

If you’re interested, just email theknowledge@upsu.com for more information.

Democracy is defined as ‘the government of a country by its people, usually by a parliament or representatives elected by them.’ Well...although UPSU is not a country, we do have a Parliament (made up of elected part-time student officers, representatives and faculty reps), elected Full-Time “Sabbatical” officers, and of course we also have people – You, the students!

As a Union, we rely on students to lead our organisation. The Sabbatical Officers, along with other students and external members, make up the board of trustees of the UPSU Charity. In turn, the Part-Time Officers, through monthly meetings of Student Parliament, set the political (small ‘p,’ don’t worry!) direction of the Union.

It’s at this point that I will ask for your help! As a student body we need to elect a number of part-time officers, to sit on Student Parliament and represent the views of different groups of students to get the best outcome for all students.

If only one group of students is represented, then we can’t hope to successfully make decisions that benefit all our students!

interesting to you, then please email elections@upsu.com to find out more!

Officers are provided with training by UPSU, and will develop skills that look great on the CV in a world where you need more strings to your bow in order to get ahead in the employment market!

What’s more it means you will genuinely make changes to the lives of Students in Plymouth, and have a laugh along the way!

Look out online and around the Union for details on how to stand for election – details will also follow in Fly! Magazine.

Our elections are always a highlight in the UPSU: calendar, you’ll find lots of random candidates approaching you trying to persuade you to vote for them!

By-elections for vacant Part Time Officer positions: 16th – 23rd October

By-elections for vacant Part Time Officer positions: 16th – 23rd October

The positions available are: Postgraduate Campaigns Chair Mature Students Campaigns Chair Racial and Ethnic Campaigns Chair Environmental and Ethics Campaigns Chair Welfare Campaigns Chair Education Campaigns Chair Women’s Campaigns Chair Students with Disabilities Campaigns Chair Halls and Private Accommodation Rep x 3 LGBT Rep Independent (“Non-Portfolio”) Representatives 5 Faculty reps Student Editor of the Knowledge

These elections will be taking place in mid-October (voting opens on the 16th), where every student will be eligible to vote. The roles of these Officers are explained in full on our website (www.upsu.com), so if the list below sounds

Dyslexia or other disability…?

(Induction week) Do you have a disability e.g. dyslexia, other Specific Learning Difficulty, a mental health issue, a sensory impairment, or medical condition?

Induction drop-in sessions are being run by Disability ASSIST Services staff during induction week. Ask us any questions or just come and say ‘hello’

Where: 007 Babbage Building (bottom floor) When: Induction week Monday 21st - Friday 25th September Time: 9.30am – 4.00pm (no appointments necessary)

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september 2009 | the knowledge

entertainment news

OPEN ALL WEEK THIS IS YOUR WEEKLY LINEUP FOR WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR STUDENTS’ UNION BARS

Monday 11am - Midnight

WATCH THE DRINKS PRICES RISE AND FALL AS THE MARKET CRASHES start in the students’ union for the exchange (stock exchange)A great way to start a night and you can also buy advance tickets for oceana – tickets are cheaper than on the door and allow you SEPTEMBER 14TH WARM UP WEEK 21ST ARMY FANCY DRESS

28TH FOAM & DUNK TANK PARTY

to jump the queue!

Voted as one of your favourite student nights we take a visit down to oceana in a free bus from just outside the su.

OCTOBER 5TH SMURF PARTY 12TH GEEK NIGHT

19TH PIRATE FANCY DRESS NIGHT 26TH BAYWATCH BEACH PARTY

officially plymouths biggest venue & last year’s student night. The only venue in town to hold 7 rooms & a total capacity of 2600. Free bus from north hill

NOVEMBER 2ND BUILDERS & BABES 9TH UV GLOW PARTY

16TH THE BUCKING BRONCO 23RD CLUB GOLF FANCY DRESS 30TH TOGA PARTY

DECEMBER 7TH BLACK BAG FANCY DRESS 14TH XMAS FANCY DRESS PARTY

Tuesday 11am - Midnight

Start in the students' union for your Tuesday night out. We offer you a weekly choice of comedy/salsa/ karaoke/ film. check out upsu.com each week to find out what's on.

Then if you fancy a night out… each week we bring you a selection of SEPTEMBER 22ND OCEANA

29ND OCEANA - FRESHERS BALL.

the finest clubs in Plymouth. Their remit is to run a special, one-off night that will bring variety and entertainment to a dull Tuesday. Some of these clubs may open on a Tuesday but we have selected just these nights as our official student night. each one will donate money back to upsu

OCTOBER 6TH TOKYO BRONX @

REVOLUTIONS - SOUL OF MAN 13TH WHITE RABBIT - “DUBSTEP VS DRUM AND BASS” 20TH FLARES - FANCY DRESS 27TH TOKYO BRONX

and our charitable aims. By supporting just these nights you are helping to improve the services we offer to all students. Not only that but we work with them to ensure a safe and student only environment on just these nights.

NOVEMBER 3RD WHITE RABBIT - “DUBSTEP VS DRUM AND BASS” 10TH FLARES- FANCY DRESS 17TH OCEANA 24TH TOKYO BRONX

DECEMBER 1ST FLARES- FANCY DRESS

8TH WHITE RABBIT - “DUBSTEP VS

DRUM AND BASS” 15TH OCEANA – IT’S THE FINAL ONE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Wednesday 11am - Midnight

Wednesday is Score! Meet in the students’ union to find out how your club performed and help them celebrate a victory or commiserate defeat. after that you can only go to one place on a Wednesday….the legendary C103. C103 SEPTEMBER 23RD FRESHERS SCHOOL DISCO 30TH ANGELS (CLUB OF THE MONTH)

OCT 7TH 14TH 21ST 28TH

is one of plymouths national treasures and has been supporting our sports & societies night for the past 7 years. Each year it delivers a range of entertainment that only c103 can do in style. We recommend it, we love it and you tell

TOP SECRET NIGHT SPORTS NIGHT. AUSSIE NIGHT. HALLOWEEN THRILLER.

us that you do too! Boogie nights is the name of the night and sports clubs & societies would be much poorer without their weekly donations so please support the night.

NOVEMBER 4TH YO HO PIRATES AHOY. 11TH CLUB OF THE MONTH. 18TH TOP SECRET. 25TH FARMERS ARVEST FEST.

DECEMBER 2ND SMELL THE MICE PIES. 9TH UV CHRISTMAS PARTY 16TH MERRY CHRISTMAS

september 2009 | the knowledge

page 13

entertainment news

Thursday 11am - Midnight

Are you up for a challenge as we bring out the bingo, raffles and lots of silly games. The if you fancy a late night head to Revolution in a free taxi (see Sinsation flyers for details).

Joining forces - Revolution & Sinsation have done it again smashing out the biggest parties in the South West every Thursday!

Upcoming Fresher Parties:

INCLUDING RESIDENT DJ’S: The South West’s biggest R’n’B and hiphop DJ JONEZY tearing up the decks and giving

SEPTEMBER 24th OLD SCHOOL HIP HOP WITH JAGUAR SKILLS- RADIO 1.

you the latest funky fresh sounds from RnB to Hip-Hop to those Funky House sounds that you all demand.

Also featuring DJ ROB FREEJACK for all the student classics including party, chart and mash ups.

Check out: www.sinsation.co.uk

OCT 1ST LOST PROPHETS FRONT IAN WATKINS

Friday

11am - Midnight Every Friday night we bring you one night with two themes. In Sub:lime bar we have The Big Cheese and in Illusion we present Bit Jam.

The Big Cheese is the only place to be on a Friday night. Sub:lime bar brings you the biggest and best cheesy tunes that Plymouth has to offer

Bit Jam in Illusion offers you the best Dance, Drum and Bass, and Electro.

and best rock and Indie music we can get hold of. Every 2 weeks we have live bands perfroming, check upsu.com for line-ups.

Ultimate Saturdays has the greatest commercial dance and R’n’B, all in the Sub:lime bar.

THESE NIGHTS ARE RAMMED SO MAKE SURE YOU GET IN EARLY OR BETTER STILL – BUY AN ADVANCED TICKET FROM U:SHOP OR THE BAR DURING THE WEEK! FREE BEFORE 10PM, AFTER 10PM £2 WITH NUS EXTRA, £3 OTHER.

Saturday 11am - Midnight

Every Saturday we present U:Disco and Ultimate Saturdays.

U:Disco in Illusion, we bring you the biggest

THESE NIGHTS ARE RAMMED SO MAKE SURE YOU GET IN EARLY OR BETTER STILL – BUY AN ADVANCED TICKET FROM U:SHOP OR THE BAR DURING THE WEEK! FREE BEFORE 10PM, AFTER 10PM £2 WITH NUS EXTRA, £3 OTHER.

Sunday 11am - Midnight

Finally it is the end of the week and what a ride it has been so to help you relax and refuel for the following week we offer you

The Great UPSU Bar Quiz From 8pm.

Great CASH prizes to be won.

Only £1 per person to enter, with teams of up to 6 people.

RRIS A H N I V L A C

(DJ SET)

THE HYPE

MASTER SHORTIE

TICKETS £18, ON SALE FROM M, U:SHOP WWW.UPSU.CO SU BAR & THE MAIN UP 14TH SEPTEMBER FROM MONDAY

GIRLS CAN

PLUS A CASINO

, MAGICIANS

TUESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER

’T CATCH

AND LOADS M

MINISTRY OF SOUND

CLUBBERS GUIDE TOUR

ORE....

page 14

september 2009 | the knowledge

Make the most of your money.

Make the most of student life.

Up to

£1,500 interes t-f overdr ree aft

Say hello to the Lloyds TSB Student Account.

Up to £1,500 interest-free tiered Planned Overdraft in your first year, to help you stay in control. You can apply for £500 in the first 6 months, up to £1,000 in months 7-9, then up to £1,500 after that. And all sorts of other ways to help make the most of your money.

How you make the most of student life is of course, up to you.

Visit us in branch, call 0800 085 9175 or go to lloydstsb.com/student

Account opening is subject to our assessment of your circumstances. You must be 17 or over and a UK resident to apply for the account. Overdrafts require you to be 18 or over. Overdrafts are repayable in full on demand and the amount we lend depends on our review of your personal circumstances. Telephone lines open 8am to 10pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday. Calls may be recorded.

WIN

september 2009 | the knowledge

page 15

Following the announcement that Basement Jaxx will perform at Plymouth Pavilions on Monday 14 December, the wait is almost over for their brand new album, ‘Scars’ due for release on 21 September.

The tour which will showcase songs from the new album alongside classic Jaxx anthems promises to be the dance event of the year!

BASEMENT

The winner will be chosen at random for the prize of two tickets to see Basement Jaxx at Plymouth Pavilions on Monday 14 December 2009.

JAXX TICKETS

Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.

name............................................................................................................................ phone number..............................................................................................................

Hand into the reception in the Hive by 6 November 2009

page 16

september 2009 | the knowledge

september 2009 | the knowledge

page 17

union news

Get involved with sport at UPSU My name is Chris Rees your Vice President Sports, this basically means that I am an elected officer of the Students’ Union and I am voted in by you to work for you.

“What does that mean?” well, if you have any problems or questions relating to sport and there is something that you feel should be done better, then please get in touch; we can then look at ways in which we can take your concerns forward. At the end of the day, you pay fee’s and are a customer to the University and if you feel that something is not being delivered, whether that is on your course or extra curriculum activities and it is effecting your experience at Plymouth, then let us (the Union) know and we, ‘TEAM UPSU,’ will go forth and act appropriately and professionally with you on board!!

I believe sport and/or fitness should be implemented in people’s lives in some way or

another. The problem is that so many people are put off because the cost of joining a gym or the thought of not being good enough will stop them getting involved. That is why with over 50 clubs to choose from there really is something for everyone, if there is something you have always wanted to try and we offer it then what are you waiting for….get involved!

Every one of our Clubs is available to all students!

Joining a sports club was how I managed to get involved with my current role as VP Sports and the more I was involved the better I found it was for career and life development. If you would like any information on getting involved within a committee or even running for a Sabbatical Officer position (which is what I currently do), then just come and have a chat. It is an experience of a life time.

The past few years have been really exciting for Plymouth with many sporting achievements, and it is down to the commitment of each student, past and present, that has been involved. You can all get involved and together we can make a difference! Through sport you can: volunteer, play in a team, raise money for charity, organise an event, gain qualifications or support your team...and much more. So don’t wait, remember to get your Sports Card from The Hive in the Students’ Union for £10 or an NUS & Sports Card together for £18 - ask at reception for more information.

You need a Sports Card to join any Club, so why wait until Sports and Societies Fair, buy one now!

Well, that is about enough from me for now.

I’ll be sending an update in every edition of the Knowledge. However, if you want to write something about sport at the University, your Club, or in the wider community then please contact theknowledge@upsu.com and remember to make yourselves available for the sports and societies fair on Sunday 27th of September!

I’ll see you there.

Bye bye for now!

Chris vpsports@upsu.com

Don’t trust me, I’m a Sabb!

My name is Ed Marshall and I have a request of you over the coming year. It’s a strange one coming from someone who is tasked with representing you in the area of your education and welfare. Don’t ever take for granted what you hear from me.

Let me explain. Your Students’ Union is there to represent you, voice your concerns and change the University. But ask yourself- are these changes in your name? Don’t trust that they are- make sure they are.

You have five student staff full time employed (Sabbatical Officers) to trust or mistrust; as one of them I want every change the Students’ Union makes, to come from the mouth of every student. It’s why I’m asking you to mistrust us- so you engage in representation in your Students’ Union.

When we talk about representation and politics, I don’t fool myself about what

most people think. It’s a widespread view that politicians are self-serving liars; so why would you believe Students’ Union Sabbatical Officers are any different? I’d like to say it’s because we are saintly and pure.

It’s not. It’s because we know you wouldn’t let us get away with it.

Students out there like you are who the Students’ Union democracy relies on. If you stop playing sport, complaining, voting, attending societies; if you stop engaging, then call us self serving liars. Because the moment students stop coming into the Students’ Union expecting us to improve their welfare, expecting us to improve their education- engaging, is the moment we would cease to be a Students’ Union.

Don’t take what you see in print as the truthdemand we represent you. Ensure we have addressed your problem - It’s how we got the university to invest in a purpose built area for mothers expressing breast milk. It’s how we got the resources for a member of staff and training to improve Course Reps - so that problems on your course can be solved by the University. This year I want you to interrogate me and make sure I am tackling your issues.

Representation is how, along with the National Union of Students, Plymouth brought the House of Commons vote to raise fees within a margin of five votes. At the start of this year, to stop the further increase in Student Fees our Students’ Union is running a ‘Town Takeover’ of Plymouth. If you don’t trust that enough is being done to stop you getting into unmanageable debt, get involved- it’s the only way you can get the truth.

In the name of students, I’m planning to run a sexual health campaign with the Eddystone Trust and further developing the course rep network with better training. If this isn’t what you want, I want to hear from you.

So, I’d rather you mistrust us and engage, than trust us and think that everything is alright. Because to be honest, it isn’t!

Students are getting done over and the only way to bring change is for you to unite with other students. Trust us, it’s why we’re called a Students’ Union.

Ed vpedandwelfare@upsu.com

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september 2009 | the knowledge

global issues

HUMAN WRITES

Written by Eni Timi-Biu Amnesty International Society

Human rights apply to everyone, everywhere.

However abuses arising from the war on terror, the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and a crackdown by certain governments on freedom of expression through the internet, to name a few, prevent this from being a reality.

Thich Quang Do, a Buddhist monk from Viet Nam stated, “Just to know that the ‘outside’ world had not forgotten me and was continuing to work for my release was an immense source of encouragement during those dark days. I know that Amnesty International played a leading role in these efforts...I owe you my freedom.”

Thousands of miles away from some of these occurrences, a group of students get together at the Ride Cafe every fortnight to eat lunch and write a letter.

Our second mission is to oppose these abuses – as the famous saying goes ‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.’

By being active, we’re showing solidarity to victims all around the world, using our freedoms to gain theirs. We’re letting the perpetrators know that the world is watching them.

Rehab Abdel Bagi Mohamed Ali, an X-ray technician from Sudan stated, “I was beaten and verbally abused in detention. After a few days, the guards asked me: ‘do you know that your name is all over the internet?’

After that, I was treated better by the guards before being released. The appeals sent by Amnesty members definitely had an affect on my case.”

Can a letter really make a difference?

One letter can be ignored, but Amnesty draws on its 1.8 million members in over 150 countries and territories in every region of the world to create an avalanche of letters to put cases in the spotlight. The simple act of licking a stamp and writing a letter to those who abuse human rights, if carried out by thousands of people, add up to massive international pressure. Together we have the power to change regimes; we just need your saliva and a stamp!

The Amnesty International Society is an important part of the University – a place where tuning in to the 6 o’clock news isn’t a big part of the average student’s day. One of our main missions as a group is to promote awareness of human rights and make sure people know about the abuses taking place around the world.

been released. Death sentences have been commuted. Torturers have been brought to justice. Governments have been persuaded to change their laws and practices.

Amina Lawal, a woman in Northern Nigeria had been sentenced to death by stoning

by Sharia Law for alleged adultery. Human rights groups in Nigeria appealed the decision. Contestants of the ‘Miss World’ Beauty contest due to have been held in Nigeria pulled out in protest. The Oprah Winfrey show had a special report on Amina Lawal and in collaboration with Amnesty International U.S.A, encouraged viewers to send protest emails to the Nigerian Ambassador in the US- over 1.2 million emails ensued! Her conviction has since been overturned and she has remarried.

There are many people who would like to live in a just, fair world where people have their rights and freedoms and are encouraged to do so, but believe they cannot do anything to effect change because they are ‘just one person’. This is not true. Collectively, we can be powerful and effect change. We must campaign until the Declaration of Human Rights is a reality for the world’s people’ and never, ever underestimate the power of the pen.

Can a letter really make a difference?

We believe it can.

Our campaigns depend on ordinary people writing letters to put pressure on those that can help stop human rights abuses. And it works. Prisoners of conscience have

For more info about our letter-writing lunches, spectacular fundraising events and more of what we do around the Uni visit www.amnesty-plymouth.co.uk

september 2009 | the knowledge

page 19

global issues

The Climate Change Society

By Emma Wilson

The Climate Change Society brings together students within the University of Plymouth to enhance their understanding of environmental issues, encourage community action and empower a change of attitude amongst individuals. Our agenda is varied and open to everyone, regardless of the level of knowledge you have on climate change and other environmental concerns.

been well received and stimulated interesting debates. Last term campaigns including the ‘Give Coal the Boot’ were executed on and around campus with great participation from members and non members alike. Here we were able to represent the students’ opposition to new coal fire power stations being built, when we sent over three hundred boot-prints to the local constituent MP Linda Gilroy and requested that The society organises “Encourage community she represent our views in numerous presentations by parliament. With the help action and empower a of the Students’ Union, researchers, representatives from environmental groups we have managed to change of attitude” and businesses. These attend both the 2008 and cover a wide range of issues focussing 2009 international “Stop Climate Chaos” on adaptations and solutions, not just the campaigns in London. The rallies are always problems! Visits to places of interest are also good fun, uniting the voices of students planned as well as campaigns within the and other campaingers, who wish to make university, the surrounding community and at a stand against the many governments and a national level. co-orporations who seemingly prefer to adopt the business as usual approach and Now in its third year of existence, the society ignore the science behind anthropogenic has had a lot of success on which it hopes climate change. to build upon. Talks from Transition Towns Totnes, The National Trust, Friends of the This year sees one of the most important Earth and researchers such as Geoffrey years in climate history as world leaders will Haggis (author of The Energy Challenge) and meet in Copenhagen in December to decide local polar explorer Antony Jinman have all on a new agreement to replace Kyoto with

the goal of lowering global carbon emissions.

The Copenhagen Climate Sumit will be a main focus of our campaigns this year. We join many others keen to apply pressure on governments to reach a global treaty leading to cuts in carbon emmisions before the warming point of no return is reached.

We really hope that you will join us in what promises to be a very exciting year.

Membership of the society costs just £2 and lasts until the end of each academic year.

We will be holding a stall at the Sports and Societies Fayre on the 27th September. So please do come along and say hello or email benjamin.middleton@students.plymouth.ac.uk to find out more and join in on the fun!

page 20

september 2009 | the knowledge

sports & societies

RIDE HARD, PLAY DIRTY

By Laurie-Ann Ward and Amy Dewick

Ride Hard, Play Dirty! A motto widely known and especially lived up to by the University of Plymouth Riding and Polo Club where riding and socializing are equally important.

We hope to welcome many new faces to the club this year! From complete beginners to advanced competitors, we accommodate all

levels. This year we can even offer polo after great demand! So learning a new sport or continuing a hobby could never be more fun or easy at the University of Plymouth.

teams, having three BUCS (British University and College Sports) and friendly teams.

These ride at St Leonards in Launceston and are trained by Andy Reeve who has taught Olympic medalists. This yard is where we hold all of our competitions and it also offers a range of different taught disciplines such as x-country and show jumping. We are extremely proud of our BUCS teams who are of the highest standard and have reached regional and national level competitions for the past five years. Teams are chosen at the start of term. Why don’t you come along and try out?

If you are interested in learning a new sport as well as riding, we now also offer polo, which will be held at Vaux Park, situated in the beautiful surroundings of Wigborough Manor, in Somerset. Although a slight distance from Plymouth, a member of UPRPC will take the group there once a week to train. Groups will be selected depending on ability at the beginning of term. Vaux Park includes boarded grounds, practice areas and an arena. We are also lucky enough to be allowed access to the clubhouse where we can have social drinks and chill out before/after matches. This is an exciting new opportunity the club can now offer.

Apart from the riding side of our club we also love our socials!

These range from nights out in Plymouth, to visits to the races or demonstrations from horse riders such as Monty Roberts. Our social secretaries work hard to ensure that everyone feels welcome and has amazing nights out. You can always expect a lively night with the Riding and Polo Club enjoying yourself to the fullest with our themed socials.

Olympic medalists

Our club ensures that you get the most out of the experience of riding. At the start of term you will be sorted into riding groups and will have lessons at one of our three yards.

Each yard is suited to the level and sport at which you are learning. Lesson riders will be riding at Penewin Stables in Saltash, which accommodate all standards of riders with experienced instructors and a range of different activities from riding in the school to hacking in the beautiful Devon countryside.

All of our yards offer discount prices, as they understand that taking up a new sport is expensive for students.

As well as lessons we also have competitive

Our first big social is on Monday 5th October where we will be hosting a charity booze cruise. When fellow UPSU employee Oliver Marsden died tragically last year from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, myself and the chairman felt there was no better way

than to raise money and awareness for his charity by holding a boat trip for this years’ freshers and uni-goers alike. Employing acclaimed DJ (and dear friend) Mr Richard Birch to get the night started, we plan to party on the water for 3 hours before hitting Oceana to end the nights antics. There will be a champagne reception on board and lots of games organised so it should be a great night! We are due to set sail at 7pm, and we are meeting in the SU at the Sub:Lime bar for pre drinks and a chance to meet your fellow cruisers! Everyone from UPRPC looks forward to seeing you! Tickets are limited, first come first served. Go on www.upsu. com/riding for information on ticket prices and how to get them. It will be the perfect way to start the year with the University of Plymouth Riding and Polo Club!

Therefore we hope to welcome many new members as well as welcome back old members to the UPRPC. As a club we can guarantee an amazing year learning an exciting sport and enjoying making new friends. You will always feel welcome! If you have any further questions about us or would like to join, please email us at upsuridingclub@hotmail.com

september 2009 | the knowledge

page 21

sports & societies

The University Of Plymouth Jitsu Club, 30 years in the making

By Robert Lecomber

The current style of jiu jitsu practiced by The Jitsu Foundation can be traced back to a shihan Matthew Komp 8th degree black belt.

Originally from Cologne, Germany, Komp studied aikido, karate and judo as well as jiu jitsu from a variety of instructors. In the early 1950s Komp emigrated to Australia where he set up a school in Footscray, near Melbourne. At this time jiu jitsu was not a legally recognised form of self defence so jiu jitsu was taught alongside judo; the students wore their judo grades as coloured belts and their jiu jitsu grades as a colour flash on their sleeves.

One of Komp’s students, Brian Graham, emigrated to Australia in the early sixties and was one of his first students to achieve, shodan, 1st dan black belt. On his return to the UK, Graham established his first jiu jitsu club in Keighley, West Yorkshire in 1970 and renamed the style Shorinji Kan. In 1971 shihan Komp awarded Graham 2nd dan, 3rd dan in 1975, 4th dan in 1979 and 5th Dan in 1983. In 1997 shihan Komp visited the UK and graded Brian Graham to

6th Dan and the title of shihan. Sadly shihan Graham died of a heart attack in 2005.

One of shihan Graham’s earlier students, Peter Farrar, started training in 1969 at the age of 9. In 1979 Peter Farrar moved to Plymouth to study at the Polytechnic and started his own club; the venues varied for a while but the club ended up being hosted at the Polytechnic, now the University of Plymouth. His earlier students were extremely dedicated and when they started to move around the country the style spread.

Amongst his students were individuals like Dave Walker, Andy MacDonnell, Steve Alison and John Joseph Hamer (The current chairman of the tertiary board), the majority of the leading instructors in the The Jitsu Foundation (TJF) today.

To cope with organisational demands of the new clubs, Peter Farrar formed the National Samurai Jiu Jitsu Association (NSJJA) with shihan Graham as Head of Style. The NSJJA organised and ran many national events, courses and gradings. In 1990, the NSJJA was reorganised and The Jitsu Foundation was born; it was led and directed by Tertiary Fellow Peter Farrar and the Tertiary Board. In 1998 Peter Farrar sadly died of cancer; Peter was a key individual in The Jitsu Foundation and is largely responsible for what it is today, in his legacy he has left one of the finest and most respected jiu jitsu associations in the UK. Because the Plymouth Polytechnic club was Peter Farrar’s first club Plymouth is now considered the ‘mother’ club of the Jitsu Foundation and over the years the club has been successfully led by many instructors, these include Dave Walker, Simon Lehane (co-founder of Aiuchi Jiu Jitsu), Randhir Tindal, Andy Dobie (the founder of Jitsu Canada), Greg Regan, Lorne Roberts (co-founder of Jitsu Australasia), John Hamer and Tim Parker, most renowned for taking two coach loads of jitsuka to a TJF nationals and achieved the TJF national shield for ‘club of the year’.

More latterly Mark Browne led the club and his excellent quality of jitsu produced many top students and instructors. During this time the club was opened

to both students and Royal Marine Reserves training at the university and under Mark’s guidance the University of Plymouth once again achieved the TJF national shield for ‘club of the year’ in 2002.

One of Marks female students Alexandra Sumner created Plymouth Town club at Brickfields Leisure centre which was then continued by Kevin Brooker, the significance of this is that this club offered jitsu to members of the public both adults and children.

When Mark Browne had completed his PhD another of his students Dan Banks took up the mantle and continued to drive it forward.

Dan managed to train four students to instructors in three years, a phenomenal achievement.

I started training as a junior in Crowborough, East Sussex and achieved junior black belt, aged 15. In 2006 I moved to Plymouth to study at the university where I continued my jiu jitsu training under the tutelage of Mark and more latterly Dan. I achieved top grade at my instructor grading and in 2007 became the first martial artist at the University of Plymouth to gain a sports scholarship. In 2009, at the age of 21, I am the youngest person in the TJF to achieve shodan, 1st degree black belt.

The club is now run by Chris Gregory assisted by me and we plan to continue this grand legacy that is The University of Plymouth Jitsu club.

For More information on The TJF visit: www.jitsufoundation.org For More information on The University of Plymouth Jitsu club visit: www.jitsufoundation.org For More information on Plymouth Town club visit: www.jitsufoundation.org/jujitsu.asp?page=jujitsu_ club&clubid=Plymouth_Jitsu_Club

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BREAKDANCE SOCEITY Sick steps, fresh freezes and slamming beats that will keep your top rocking.

Get ready for a Jam packed year ahead with Master classes taught by great Breakers to keep you on your toes, Socials, Jams on the Hoe, BBQs and just when you think it couldn’t get better, Battles.

Every month breakdancers battle each other at an event called Battle Stations, where you can also see beat-boxers and Dj’s, a real Hip Hop experience. Not only that, but when you have gained the confidence, you can even join in and start shifting some shapes on the dance floor.

So do want to join the Breakdance soceity? Membership will only cost you £9 and then you can start representing Plymouth Uni Breakers!

Training sessions will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

All ages and abilities welcome!

Come to the Sports and Societies Fair on the 27th September for more information

september 2009 | the knowledge

september 2009 | the knowledge

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sports & societies

The University of Plymouth Mountain Bike Club

By Tom Morris

The University of Plymouth Mountain Bike Club (UPMC) caters for all mountain biking disciplines, from downhill to cross country, trials and street.

After a good year in 2009 with the BUCS student championships with all of our DownHill riders finishing in the top half of the group and X-Country (XC) guys also doing well, the club is looking to build on this with more trips to Tavi Woods to ‘Race for Cake’, Gawton uplift days, The Track Portreath and cross country racing at the Soggy Bottom series and Mountain Mayhem 2010.

New for the 2009 / 2010 year the club will have its own Mini Downhill (DH) series open to all club members, Downhill specific bike not necessary, just come and see what racing is like in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

The Club meets for rides every Sunday for DH and XC rides all day at our local riding spots around Plymouth, with similar shorter rides on Wednesday afternoons. Thursday evenings are street night at the Central Park Skate Park and Plymouth Hoe.

Adventure and Expo

By Guy Robertson

Welcome to Adventure and Expedition, the University of Plymouth club for climbing, caving, camping, hill walking and mountaineering. So what’s it about? Why? Where? Who?....

Whether you’re experienced or a complete novice in climbing, caving or mountaineering, Adventure and Expo will try to accommodate you with our fortnightly trips to places like North Devon, Wales, Lake District and the Peak District. At the end of the year there is always a trip to somewhere in Europe for a bit of Alpine climbing and walking. The University of Plymouth is also on the doorstep to some of the best climbing and walking in the country, where many of our members will organise their own trips to Dartmoor on a regular basis, and often trips to further afield; Morroco, Mongolia and Vietnam to name a few!

The club will also try to organise trips up to Dartmoor on Wednesday afternoons and weekends we are not away on our fortnightly trips.

If you want to be involved in these trips come along to the socials at

The Seymour Arms, or get on the web forum and see who else will be up for it!

We offer weekly socials at the the Seymour Arms, with some themed nights out causing havoc on the streets of Plymouth and some chilled, quieter nights down the pub with an ale or two. There are also two more formal gettogethers each year, the Christmas and summer meals, where our members get the chance to dress up a bit and (hangovers permitting) still get out for a bit of climbing.

Either way is a good chance to meet like-minded folk, who love the outdoors and plan your next crazy adventure.

For further information please go to www.plymouthane.com

where all our club info is available, and you can register to get access to our forums where you will find other members looking to get out and do stuff.

Come find us at the Sports and Societies Fair on Sunday 27th in The RLB + UPSU to find out more or email Tom (chairman) tom-morris@hotmail.co.uk and he will be happy to help.

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september 2009 | the knowledge

sports & societies

UoP Euro success, set sail for Worlds!

By Mark Yeabsley

The University of Plymouth Yacht Club has had a hugely successful year this year, after winning numerous awards, the UPSU Sports Awards, and also the European Student Sailing Championship in Cherbourg, France during March. The team, consisting of Tom Phipps, James Hopson, Mark Yeabsley, Amy Patch & Paddy Adams overcame stiff competition from rival Universities Southampton and Bath as well as other European counterparts to win the Euros.

The team put their win down to hard work, dedication and teamwork, After this many of the team moved on to the BUSA/ BUCS Yacht Nationals where in a very tough competition they came second. The best result for the University in over 10 years.

Following their success, they decided they were ready to take on the World! Tom, Mark and Paddy were joined by Richard Glover and Kelvin Matthews and after some hard campaigning set off to firstly attend the J80 Nationals in Southampton, where they came 5th, the team looked in good shape. Then after more rigorous training and many days of boat preparation the team went to the J80 World Championships in Santander, Spain.

They made Gold Fleet and ended up 63rd, out of 138 entries this was still a good result.

They had come up against fierce competition including many professional teams, especially from the Spanish.

Although the team contributed towards the cost of taking part, they would not have been able to make it without the support of UPSU and the University. UoP contributed £4000 for the team to take part in this prestigious competition. Although huge congratulations must be given to the team for their determination and dedication. Through the invaluable skills learnt they are now looking to the future to continue their sailing and hopefully their success. Good luck for next year!

Keep up to date with further developments with the UoP Yacht Club check out www.upyc.org.uk or www.gbrj80.squarespace.com

The University of Plymouth Karate Club The University of Plymouth Karate Club is the oldest surviving club at the university.

We have training sessions three times a week, with our 3rd Dan instructor: Sensei Steve. Steve has been training the club for 15 years, and has a 100% pass rate at gradings. We grade and train three times a year, with Sensei Ohta (6th Dan) who is the chief instructor for JKA England.

All abilities and styles are welcomed to join, from beginner to black belt, making it an interesting mix of folk!

Last year saw the most successful year to date for the club, especially at the BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) championships. With only seven members

competing we achieved 7th place for the university, out of the 64 universities attending.

The results were: Women’s Kata: Gold (Hollie Stallworthy) Men’s Kata: Silver (Rick Burnett) Team Kata: Bronze (Edmond Woodford, Hus sain Saberi & Hollie Stallworthy) Women’s Kumite: Bronze (Hollie Stallworthy)

This year at BUCS, we are planning a massive weekend away to Sheffield for the tournament. Spectators as well as competitors will be encouraged to come along, making it a big social event for the whole club.

2

Speaking of socials, we have elected two

CHAPPERS & DAVE

For further info contact:

hollie.stallworthy@students.plymouth.ac.uk

Men’s Kumite: Bronze (Simon O’Hare)

social secretaries, one male and one female, to organise lots of amazing socials for the upcoming year. Our sponsor, the Woodside pub, is a perfect place to chill out after every training session and provides a great starting place for most of our socials. So, bring on 2009/10! We’ve got loads planned so watch this space.

OCTOBER 2009

FROM 10 PM

IN SUB:LIM E