Reform Magazine - Issue 15 - November 2009 by RGU:Union

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>> CONTENTS

november INSIDE ISSUE #15 4

Update

Free condoms, head shaving and a load of people prancing around in their underwear! Find out what’s been going out at the Union this month...

Campaign For Cheap Bus Travel

Freshers Week Round-Up

Music

You pay an extortionate £2.60 every day to get to Uni, find out what the Union is doing to try and change that.

Now that you’ve recovered from the hangovers, take a look at some of the highlights of the week.

We grab an exclusive interview with Alphabeat, review Bloc Party live, plus take a look at new albums from Editors, Saving Aimee and Hed Kandi

The Ripple Effect

What kind of effect do video games have on our society?

Coming Back For More

Ready For Change

Would you ever decide to come back and work towards a second degree?

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A look at this year’s Conservative Party Conference, held in Manchester

NOVEMBER EDITORIAL: BACK TO REALITY So here we are, the first proper edition of Reform for the new year. It’s been a while since the Freshers Week special was released, and my God a lot has happened since then. By now, whether you are a first year or a returning student, I’m sure Freshers Week will be nothing more than a distant, blurry, confused memory that’s still being pieced together with the NOVEMBER 09

help of stories from your flatmates and being tagged in random people’s photos on Facebook. The truth is, though, you won’t really experience anything like your Freshers Week again. Sure, you will party hard through another three or more during your time at University, but you will always remember YOUR week as being the best. Even though all the

clubs are so busy that you find yourself literally fighting your way through the crowds just to get to the toilet, or that it takes you over half an hour to queue for chips & cheese at the end of the night, you put up with it because its’ Freshers Week. So try to keep hold of the stories, and don’t untag yourself from those Facebook pictures (no matter how

embarassing they are!), because all too soon you will find yourself hidden under piles of textbooks and mountains of lecture notes studying for that vital exam, or trying to finish that last piece of coursework at 4am on deadline day. And when it all gets too much, and you need that all-too-helpful distraction, log on and take a look back at what you got up to in your first week at RGU. 003

UPDATE... UPDATE <<

keeping you in the loop

RAG SOCIETY GET THEIR KIT OFF FOR CHARITY Joe Folan RGU RAG has raised over £800 in their latest event for charity, their annual underwear fashion show. The event, held in Tiger Tiger on Saturday the 17th, involved students stripping off to raise cash for Breakthrough and Everyman, two cancer charities based in Aberdeen. 24 students stripped down for the catwalk to the bare essentials, which were kindly donated by Bustifull and Slaters Menswear. The night was a great success, with a huge crowd coming to cheer on the semi-naked students. This is the second in a series of events for RGU RAG, 004

a charity society dedicated to two things; raising money and having fun. Last month, RAG president Nora Flannagan shaved her head for CHAS, raising over £2000. “We’re only two events in and already we have raised nearly £3000 for charity, it’s fantastic”.

RoGUES MJ COMPETITION WINNERS

“I want to thank absolutely everyone who was involved in the fashion show, it was an amazing night”.

Congratulations to the following people who won prizes at the RoGUES Michael Jackson themed fundraiser, held at the Union in September. In total, over £150 was raised. Many thanks go out to everybody who attended, bought raffle tickets and of course, the prize sponsors.

The next event for RGU RAG will be held on the 13th November, and all the money raised from the as-yet undecided event will be donated to Children In Need. For more information this, and all other events through the year, log on to the RGU RAG Facebook page.

iPOD: Ally Skene MP3 PLAYER: Jon Nicholson MEAL FOR 2 AT ENIGMA: Daniel Buda BOTTLE OF SOURZ: Horse Riding FREE ENTRY TO LIQUID: Craig Gerrard VIP AT PEARL LOUNGE: Alastair Samuals REFORM MAGAZINE

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>> UPDATE

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CAMPUS NEWS

BITS & BOBS FROM AROUND THE UNIVERSITY

RGU KARATE CLUB ARE RECRUITING! The RGU Karate club are looking for new members. All levels of experience are welcome, from first-timers to black belts! Training takes place on Tuesdays from 7-8pm and Thursdays from 7-8:30pm in Studio 3 at RGU:SPORT. Come along and try, your first session is free! For more details give Ruari Mcphee a ring on 07875 207 179, send an e-mail to karate@rgu.ac.uk or visit the club’s website at www.GNKA.co.uk

ABERDEEN BUSINESS SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL WEEK: 9th-13th NOV The University’s International Week will be commencing on Monday 9th of November 2009 and will run continually for the week, ending on Friday 13th November 2009. During the week ABS will be bustling with a diverse range of events celebrating the mix of culture we have here, including the International Celebration of Culture and Fashion Show, International Ceilidh and the International Opportunities Fair.There will also be the opportunity to attend professional lectures delivered by guest academic colleagues from international partners, providing an insight into what it is really like to study abroad. To find out more about International Week and to view the programme of events visit www.tinyurl.com/rgu-int-week To help make the event a success, come along and join in to see what’s on offer! To have a news item included in next month’s issue, simply get in touch! e-mail reform@rguunion.co.uk NOVEMBER 09

FRESHERS WEEK SHAVING SHENANIGANS! People do some weird and wonderful things in the name of charity; from sky dives and absailing, to sitting in a bath of baked beans or running 6k dressed as santa. But this Freshers Week saw Nóra Ní Fhlannagáin, President of our charities society RGU:RAG, go that little bit further and shave her head!

RGU:RAG record for the most money raised for one event!”

3rd year Nutrition & Dietetics student Nóra was delighted to have raised over £1900 for CHAS (Children’s Hostice Association of Scotland);“We were amazed at the response and may have set a new

You can find a video of the headshave by searching for RGU HEAD SHAVE on YouTube.

The event took place at RGU:Union Sat 26th September at 10.45 where it was estimated nearly 400 people saw top stylists from Profile Hairdressers on Union St ‘do the deed’.

Well done Nóra!

WRAP IT UP - FOR FREE! Planning on having some safe sex? Can’t be arsed going to Asda and being oggled by the checkout assistant? Don’t want to spend £12 on a box of condoms? Well we’ve got tonnes of them! So play it safe and save your money for the Union. E-mail the Union’s

Condom Fairy with your address, and we’ll send some out to you completely FREE OF CHARGE! All requests will be treated with confidentiality, and your details will not be shared with anybody. CondomFairy@rguunion.co.uk 005

FEATURE <<

THE RGU:UNION CAMPAIGN FOR

CHEAP BUS TRAVEL

HIT THEM WHERE IT HURTS

UNION UNION SHUTTLE SHUTTLE BUS BUS COSTS COSTS FIRST FIRST OVER OVER £1000 £1000 IN IN PROFITS PROFITS Tuesday 27th Of October saw the introduction of the first major campaign that the students of RGU have supported in a number of years – and what a success! A bus was hired by the Students’ Association to shuttle students between the city centre and Garthdee from the hours of 8.30am and 4.30pm. We expected a good turn out, but what we received was fantastic! The first busload at 8.30am, leaving from the Woolmanhill Halls of Residence, was absolutely jam packed. The seats were long gone but those stand ing were more than happy about receiving a free bus trip straight up to Garth dee. The time differ ence between the free shuttle bus and a regular First Bus (which stops at all stops on the route to University) was as tounding! At peak times students were still making it to classes within 15 minutes!

Over 400 students took advantage of the Union’s free shuttle bus service

So what was the pur pose of all this? Well, as you will know by now, the people of Aberdeen have never seen eye to eye with First Bus…actually, I take that back. First Bus originated in Aberdeen and as stated on their website:“Twenty years ago no-one would have forecast that a small municipally-owned bus company in the north east of Scotland would go on to become the transport giant that FirstGroup is today.” And quite right, back then the people of Aberdeen were proud of such a company. But , would that same Aberdeen community have used the service that much if they knew they would treat their original customers

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the way they do now? First Group plc is currently the UK’s largest surface Transport Company, with revenue of over £5.0 billion per annum and is a world wide organisation – with their global headquarters right here in Aberdeen! It does make you wonder why they don’t bother to treat the community that little bit fairer. There are over 60,000 students studying in institutions across Aberdeen and that is a huge part of their customer base.

paign. Aberdeen University and Aberdeen College instigated their own simultaneous campaigns providing free buses to their students. With the 400 students we took on our single 40-seater bus we decimated First Bus daily takings by over £1000 and put an extra £2.60 in the pockets of RGU students – so with Aberdeen University and Aberdeen College on board as well, it goes to show that students in Aberdeen really can make a difference.

So, what was the point of running this free bus? Well ultimately it was to show the students that it doesn’t have to be this way – that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The feedback gained from students who rode the free shuttle bus was fantastic. One student wrote “£2.60 for such a slow, unreliable, dirty and cramped service…I have missed classes before because of First Bus”. A second student went on to comment “The other day I only had £3.00 and the driver wouldn’t let me on at 7:30am because the off-peak starts at 9:30am so I had to miss my 9:00am lecture”. So it is now clear that it has come to the point where students would rather miss a class – or worse, have no option but to miss a class – instead of paying the price that First Bus demands. But with this feedback, the Students’ Association will be delivering it to First Bus, if for nothing else than to show them how the students really feel.

Through this campaign, RGU Student Association has forged a strong alliance with student representatives from Aberdeen College, the Scottish Agricultural College and Aberdeen University, forming the Aberdeen Students Forum. The aim of the ASF this year is to help improve student transport across Aberdeen. The top priority is to lower the price of the student day ticket, significantly reducing the impact of financial hardship inflicted by First Bus.

Secondly, however, we aimed to promote the First Bus ‘Meet the Managers’ day which was being held on University Street underneath RGU:Sport. Hopefully many students got a chance to go along and voice their concerns, but your Association also understands that many people aren’t comfortable with confronting those at First Bus face to face.That’s why there was a one day petition against the extortionate First Bus prices carried out and in just a matter of 6 hours we had collected 622 student signatures including the 400 students who rode the free shuttle bus! RGU:Union were not alone in this cam-

Although there are several problems with city wide transport that First Bus cannot easily resolve, and often it’s certainly not their fault (such as congested streets resulting in buses not always running on time), it is clear that students and the rest of the general public would be happy with the service if only it was priced fairly. Right now students get a poor service which First Bus admit they can’t improve due to road conditions, traffic etc. So, this stagnant service is grossly overpriced and hopefully by working together, and even working with First Bus, ASF and the rest of the students can get First Bus to come to their senses and make a change where they can. No-one is asking the impossible – just lower the prices. A big thank you goes to all the students who took part in riding the free shuttle bus and delivering your feedback – this has made a huge difference. On behalf of the Student Association and the students we would like to thank Bain’s Coaches and particularly our bus driver Bob. This would not have been possible without their contribution! REFORM MAGAZINE

WHAT IS THE STUDENTS’

CAPTAIN’S BLOG <<

ASSOCIATION& SHOULD I CARE?

WHY No two student unions are identical. Even the titles are different – in England, they are often referred to as Students Guilds (daft, I know)! In Scotland however, they are traditionally known as Students’ Associations – at RGU, we call ourselves the RGU:Union. Some Unions are big, some are small, some are nationally focused, some are locally focused, some are political, many aren’t. The list goes on. The point is that a Students’ Union exists to incorporate the views of the students and to improve the student experience at that particular university or college. How do we achieve this? By making sure that the Union is run by students. All of this can sound like complete horse sh*t to your every day student – so lets give you an example! The purpose of the Robert Gordon University is to provide a high standard of education and learning. But as students, we all know that there is much more to University life than simply attending lectures and staying up all night in an attempt to pass an exam you know nothing about. For instance, all those class nights out? Or getting a chance to play for your favourite RGU sports team – and winning! Or starting up your own society and organising the fundraiser that everyone speaks about for the rest of the year? What about sneaking off from Liquid with the girl or guy you’ve been eyeing up since the start of the semester? Or about waking up, hungover, beside a half eaten cheese toastie, already half an hour late for your first class, whilst you pull on a creased pair of trackie bottoms and make your way to the closest bus stop, coffee in hand? Being a student is a way of life. That is where the RGU:Union steps in. The best way to illustrate my point is by taking sport as a hobby– although the University has some fantastic facilities allowing students to enjoy sport and exercise, it is largely the Union that deals with the ins-and-outs of our sports clubs. This year David Hegarty was elected to help manage the sports teams as well as encourage students to get involved with sport and fitness. He represents all RGU students in an effort to make sure your sporting and fitness needs are catered for during your time here.

But here is the bit that many people don’t know – the University very kindly donates a financial grant to the Students’ Union each year! This money is put towards serving the needs of the student population, and obviously facilitating sporting needs is a big part of this.Who do you think pays my wages? That’s right – it comes straight out of your grant, so make sure I’m doing my job! Of course, there are other avenues of financial support. Last Wednesday, when you guys were all out spending your student loan on a cheeky pint in the Union bar or getting a bite to eat at the café, the profits went straight back to you. In fact, all Union profits are invested directly into the student body, helping support you as best we can.

ROSS MURCHISON STUDENT PRESIDENT

You can start small - you may be a class rep, maybe you’re the captain of the football team, or maybe the President of a society. Perhaps you want to run for a position as a Student Officer? Elections take place every March, so start thinking about it now! Maybe you want to be an Executive Officer – this would make you one of 6 Executive Officers who, together, compile the Executive Committee – the highest power of the Students’ Union - where REAL decisions get made. Or maybe you’re so interested in taking the reigns that you want to be a Sabbatical Officer. This involves taking a year out, either between studies or at the end of them, to work in a full time paid position, helping represent the students of RGU. The point is that this is your Union – it’s up to you to take control of it, otherwise someone else will. The benefits are endless - ultimately your future may well depend on the positive experiences you have had out with your studies and not the studies themselves.

But seriously, what’s my point? Well, many of you might think of the Union as just a night out – I know this because during the past four years of my degree, I thought the exact same – until of course I really became involved. I graduated in July 2008 after being elected as President, and I kick myself that I didn’t bother my arse to get involved sooner, because when I finish in July 2010, I’ll not be a student, and these opportunities will no longer be available to me. I have to go out and get a job, and I guarantee they wont encourage me to build my CV so I can further my career – why would they?! So why not make the most of your student life, and ask how you can get involved with the Union.

For a final thought, imagine your graduation day: hundreds of students, all of you proud to have finally completed your degree, sharing the occassion with family and friends – one of the best days of your life. The next day, despite the hangover, you and your classmates, all with the same degree, read the same job section from the same newspaper, and you all apply for the same job. Only 10 of you get an interview. When you go in glowing because you got a 2:1 in your degree, what sets you apart from the other 9 people that got that same job interview? Your degree only gets you as far as the door – it’s the experience in other parts of life that get you the rest of the way. For more information email getinvolved@rguunion. co.uk Don’t miss part 2 of this article in next months Reform, which will explain the internal workings of your Union, and how you can get be part of it!

I love the atmosphere during Freshers Week. Everyone is out to meet new people and have fun whilst doing it. This was never more apparent than on the theme nights. My favourite night of the week was the Toga Party. I can’t think of anything more enjoyable to do in a bed sheet! Catherine, 4th year Diagnostic Radiography

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FEATURE <<

Photo by Martin Parker (The Gatehouse)

WALL OF FAME

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>> FEATURE

Photos by Alasdair Johnstone unless otherwise specified NOVEMBER 09

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1. Knowing you have hundreds of other bright

Right well that’s my Freshers Week hangover nearly away, time to write about the wonderfulness that is the week before Uni starts up.

of like joining the army, except instead of a gun it’s a drink you’re holding, you’re also less likely to die, and you don’t need to march everywhere, although in some circumstances you may be asked to walk long distances.

given for not coming to that conclusion, no not because you’re a nurse or sport scientist, but because there are quite a few, let’s say, more mature students who are so addicted to the student life they have seen more Freshers Weeks than cooked dinners.

It’s all too easy to make Freshers Week about yourself and go nuts, pulling anything with a pulse and leaving a path of destruction and tears behind you. While that may be good for the week, you are then left with a whole new group of people who have no respect for you, and this number will grow like bacteria on a toilet seat once everyone starts meeting new people throughout the year. So make it about them, because, well, it is.

dreds of impression able girls that make their way into halls each year, nor do I mean the cheap drink, because the government is trying to take away anything that may be considered fun, but the sheer amount of people you meet is astounding. You meet people who may be your best friend or partner, some one who will open your eyes to new experiences in the next few months. Meeting all these new people almost gives you the motivation for Uni, as you know these people will cheer you up when you’re down and will be responsible for the most entertaining nights in the next few years.

nearly everything. Whether it’s dressing up like a roman in a toga, or staining t-shirts with glow stick insides, the dress up nights are the most fun.You get to look like an idiot and literally no one will care.Then there’s the Freshers Fayre, which is the single biggest freebie give away of the year. Which if you play it right, means you never need to buy a pen or a bottle opener ever again.

eht uoy evig lliw ew yraid enilno ”?knirD I oD hcuM woH“ eht hguorhT doirep a revo noitpmusnoc ylkeewWith rume oynowdbeing rocinemy ry ae ot ytinutroppo euqinu 4thlis year, I feel I’m in a good position to reflect on my ex,noitamrofni htiw kcabdeef laitn edifItnshouldn’t oc dtake eliaarocket tedscientist eviec eraredresponsible na skfor eeyour wFresher’s 4 foexperiences. 2. You to figure out that would have been my 4th perience. It is completely up to you whether .ecthey ivdwillaenjoy dnitasosusepyour it ,s tniwisely. h Freshers Week, however you would be forpower

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lohocla trevnoc lliw yraiTo d beehonest, nilnIocan”see knmeirgoing D I oD hcuM woH“ ehT thensame If this era uoy fi tuo dnif uoy pleh os la lliw d a uway. oy roisftosbetinu otni noitpmusnoc my last Freshers Week, I will elytsefil dna secnanif ,thgiew ,htlae h ruoy nhave o slostaahhuge loresource. hocla tceffe eht fo erawa Before you start judging, I 3. There is loads to do during Freshers Week do not mean the hun- and you get to help get first .eout loand hw a sdibsaon amenic gnidulcni sezirp citsatnaf niw osla nac uoy skeew 4 eht tuohguorhT yletaidemmi ecalp gnikat ward ezirp a eb lliw erehT .koob-ten a dna stekcit hguorht ecalp gnikat sward ezirp ylkeew eb lliw ereht dna noitartsiger retfa .yraid eht fo noitarud eht

Even though Freshers Week can be the biggest drain on your bank balance, and you will be ill for about a month after, it is the best week of the year. There’s no other time where you can get so drunk and meet so many people. Being on the Freshers Team amplifies all the good times you have and makes the large investment and health deterioration worth it. It also ensures that you will never have a “quiet night” or a “few drinks” in the Union. So now all my memories of all the Freshers Weeks I’ve been involved in live on, in the form of drink, blood, sweat, graffiti and glow stick juice all over my bright coloured t-shirts, I dare not wash them in case, when I’m old and grey, I have forgotten how to have fun and I’m stuck in an office all day.

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ta woN retsigeR – rebotcO ht5 eht no snepo yraid ehT !ward ezirp ruo otni deretne eb dna moc.knirdiodhcumwoh.www I would also recommend that anyone who agrees with anything I’ve just said to join the Freshers Team.Yes you get into clubs for free and yes you will probably get free drinks from people and that’s great, but there are several factors that make being on the Freshers Team so rewarding. 010

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>> PROMOTION

During Alcohol Awareness Week 2008, a Grampian-wide Survey on Alcohol attitudes and behaviours (the “Usual Suspects”), engaged with over 1500 respondents and clearly demonstrated that regardless of the amount of alcohol we consume as a whole across Grampian that: • Over 95% of the survey respondents were aware of sensible drinking guidelines. • We consistently underestimate our own drinking, and at the same time we overestimate the drinking behaviour of other people.

So how do I really know how much I drink? Through the “How Much Do I Drink?” online diary we will give you the unique opportunity to easily record your weekly consumption over a period of 4 weeks and receive detailed confidential feedback with information, hints, tips and advice.

So what’s in it for me? The “How Much Do I Drink” online diary will convert alcohol consumption into units for you and will also help you find out if you are aware of the effect alcohol has on your health, weight, finances and lifestyle as a whole. Throughout the 4 weeks you can also win fantastic prizes including cinema tickets and a net-book. There will be a prize draw taking place immediately after registration and there will be weekly prize draws taking place through the duration of the diary.

When and where does it start? The diary opens on the 5th October – Register Now at www.howmuchdoidrink.com and be entered into our prize draw! The highlight of my Freshers Week for me was being impressed by the blacklights at the UV night and seeing the vandalism on everyone’s face and arms revealed as they walked across the dancefloor! Chris, 4th year AI & Computer Engineering

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MUSIC <<

FASCIN ATION! The Kings (and Queen) of no nonsense feel good pop music are back! We caught up with Alphabeat at the Glasgow date of their latest tour. ALPHABEAT Classic Grand, Glasgow 26th October 2009 Jennifer Macleod Upon my arrival at the Classic Grand Venue in Glasgow’s city centre I was greeted by a swarm of Alphabeat fans. The hall was packed wall to wall, everyone pushing for the best view of the stage. The support band ‘Out Est Le Swimming Pool’ wowed the crowd with their enthusiasm. Their last song of the night was a cover of Mini Vivi’s ‘Left my heart in Tokyo’ an indie rock version of the dance hit. Then Alphabeat took centre stage with their hit ‘Go-Go’. On the floor fans were going wild. Not just the young folk either. It was refreshing to see the middle-aged business man in front of me bopping his head and tapping his foot to the music. The forty minute set saw great reactions to all of the songs played including, ‘What’s Happening’, ’10,000 Nights Of Thunder’, ‘ boyfriend’ and their latest single from their second album ‘the spell’. The Danish pop group also surprised us with a cover of the single ‘Aunt nobody’ originally performed by Rufus and Chaka Khan in 1983. The band were cheered off the stage and returned for a predictable encore of their biggest hit ‘Fascination’ with optimum audience participation. Throughout the entire performance the energy from all six members was amazing, particularly of one of the lead vocalists, Anders SG. His enthusiasm was second to none involving tambourine tossing, head banging and even a brief spell of climbing, something for everyone. Even for those not too keen on their music, one thing is for sure, they know how to put on an attention grabbing show. Before the gig I had a chance to talk to singer Anders SG, bassist Anders and master of the keyboard Rasmus. They told me all about their biggest influences, their time in Scotland, and their favourite cakes: >>

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>> MUSIC

SO HOW ARE YOU ENJOYING TOURING SO FAR? Anders SG: “This is the first night of our tour its very different going from the time we spent making our record to this, its weird.” Anders: “It’s just a totally other life” Rasmus: “We have just heard that it’s sold out tonight, so that’s pretty good.”

A: “Yeah he’s actually really sweet and kind, he’s not a nutcase, just a really big fan”

HOW DID YOU ALL MEET AND GET STARTED? ASG: “We met about seven or eight years ago, I knew the drummer troels and we started the band and we both knew Rasmus. It’s a very small city where we’re from, everybody knew each other.”

HAVE YOU EVER MET ANYONE WHO MADE YOU EOMPLETELY STARSTRUCK? R: “Not met, but we did play a show in Dublin where Rihanna was playing, but I couldn’t just walk on stage and say hey Rihanna I’m Rasmus, nice to meet you.” WHERE HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE VENUE TO PLAY? ASG: “On our last tour we played here in Glasgow at ABC, the further north you go, the better. The people really remind us of the Danish people, really relaxed and laid back A: “You also like to party!”

DID YOU EVER ENTICIPATE THE KIND OF SUCCESS YOU WOULD ACHIEVE OVER HERE? A: “Well, our first album was very big over in Denmark, so we knew some people liked it.We hoped for it, but obviously never expected it.” R: “When the album was released here we moved to London to be at the centre of the whole campaign and give it 100%.”

IF YOU COULD PLAY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE? A: “Definitely Madison Square Garden, or even in Tokyo, somewhere big. We played In the Faroe Islands standing between mountains and it was beautiful.” R: “Maybe we could play and Grand Canyon just to top that” A: “Yeah, we are playing in Dubai soon, which will be amazing”

WHO WOULD YOU SAY YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES ARE? ASG: “It’s completely different, our new album is like early 90s dance music like, Corona and Black Box. I would say pretty much all main pop acts from the last 30- 40 years. R: “Everyone grew up listening to Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, but obviously as a band we have different tastes. A: “We love everything from Crazy electro, to hip hop, to R n’ B.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SCOTLAND? ASG: “We think it’s beautiful, we haven’t really had a chance to walk around and see the sights, but it’s very green, reminds us of Denmark in a way.”

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FINALLY,WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE KIND OF CAKE? A: “Carrot cake definitely!” ASG: “Cheesecake!” R: “yeah I like cheesecake too!” A: “I hate cheesecake”

We think scotland is beautiful

WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO WRK WITH, AND WHY? ASG: “We really like some of the pop stuff that a guy called Max Martin did in the early 90s with the likes of Britney and N Sync. He is madly, madly talented, but we don’t think that will ever happen. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SHOWS LIKE THE X FACTOR? A: “We actually watched that last night, we saw them playing our song, Fascination, it was weird. I think that the product at the end was good. ASG: “In Denmark we have a similar thing; the winners had a single but didn’t have the money to back it up” R: “You can see in Britain how much they influence the charts.” WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST THING A FAN HAS EVER DONE? A: “We have a fan in Denmark who goes to places where we have done photos or shot videos and he makes DVDs of him at that place dancing around to our music. Then he comes to our gigs and throws them on stage attached to teddy bears. R: “We watch them on the bus going home”

NOVEMBER 09

BLOC ROCKING BEATS BLOC PARTY Music Hall, Aberdeen 6th October 2009

“We are here to slay!” exclaims Kele, the band obviously ready to put their last visit to Aberdeen (which featured the now imfamous coin throwing incident) well behind them. Having seen this band a couple of times before, I knew roughly what to expect, but I soon learnt that there was a massive difference between a Bloc Party festival set and a Bloc Party headline show. It’s only when standing at the back, quietly surveying the packed hall that you get a chance to see how much Okereke has the crowd eating out of his hand, telling stories about overhearing fans at the gym and and taking his cap off to reveal a new dreadlock-less haircut (to which you could hear an audable gasp from the crowd;“Oh my God he’s cut his hair!”). Stories and haircuts aside though, Bloc Party know exactly how to put on a good live show. Mixing tracks from latest album ‘Intimacy’ in with what are now classics from both ‘Silent Alarm’ and ‘Weekend In The City’. ‘So Here We Are’ and ‘This Modern Love’ have the crowd swaying, while ‘Flux’ and ‘One More Chance’ make you feel like you’re in the middle of a packed nightclub dancefloor. The shift in pace feels somewhat jolted from time to time, but it is to only be expected from a band with such a diverse back catalogue.

‘The Spell’, the first single from Alphabeat’s new album is available to download now. The album its self is released in the new year.

They finished, as is becoming the norm for a Bloc Party gig, with TWO encores, the second of which featuring Kele scaling the balcony and doing a circut of the entire hall - the kids up top screaming and grabbing for him, just so they could say that they touched the lead singer. A frenzied way to finish a frantic gig. It seemed quite fitting.

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MUSIC <<

WHAT’S ON WHERE IN NOVEMBER

EDITORS

In This Light And On This Evening Album - Available NOW “If we’d tried to make another more traditional guitar record, I don’t think we’d have got through it....for our own sanity, we had to do something we hadn’t done before”, explains Tom Smith. If only that ‘thing’ was letting somebody else sing! In This Light And On This Evening sees a complete shift in direction for Editors, throwing

the guitars out of the window and experimenting with electronics and synths. It almost sounds interesting until the introduction of Smith’s somewhat monotonous lead vocals. Lead single ‘Pappillon’s infectious synth hook will stick in your mind for days, while ‘Bricks and Mortar’ sounds as if the Birmingham quartet are trying to create their own version of the Terminator theme. Interesting? Yes. Does it work? A few more listens are needed I think...

SAVING AIMEE

DESTROY THE DISCO

All-American Rejects, Boys Like Girls, Metro Station, 3Oh!3...I could spend the rest of the day naming all the happy-go-lucky pop punk bands doing the rounds at the moment. London six-piece Saving Aimee’s debut release tries its best to add them to the list, but falls slightly short. Yes there are power chords and sing-a-long chorus’ galore, and they’ve even thrown in a synth for good measure, but there just seems to be something lacking. It’s pop-punk by numbers, and skinny-jeaned schoolkids will no doubt love them, but there’s nothing original to set them apart from all the others in the same category.

Hed Kandi take a bit of a shift from the norm with Destroy The Disco. Gone are the smooth funky house beats that the label is synonymous for, and in come filthy basslines and dirty remixes of indie-darlings such as Gossip, Bloc Party and The Noisettes. Alex Metric’s reworking of Okereke & Co’s ‘One More Chance’ is a definate stand-out, making the track even more dancefloor worthy, if that were possible. Another welcome surprise for me was the discovery of ‘Kidsos’ by Sebastian Ingrosso, which takes the riff from MGMT’s ‘Kids’ and turns it into a monster in a way only one of the Swedish House Mafia could.

We’re The Good Guys Album - Available 30th November

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Hed Kandi: Vatious Artists Album - Available NOW

3rd - MUSIC KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES Warehouse, Windmill Brae. £10 4th - COMEDY EDDIE IZZARD AECC, Bridge Of Don. £30 4th - COMEDY JIM JEFFERIES Lemon Tree, W/North St. £14 6th - COMEDY JULIAN CLARY Music Hall, Union St. £20 6th - MUSIC IDLEWILD Warehouse, Windmill Brae. 7th - MUSIC THE PROCLAIMERS AECC, Bridge Of Don. £25 8th - MUSIC THE HOLLOWAYS Warehouse, Windmill Brae. £8.50 9th - MUSIC SCOTT MATTHEWS Lemon Tree, W/North St. £12.50 9th - COMEDY GRUMPY OLD WOMEN Music Hall, Union St. £20 10th - COMEDY STEWART LEE Music Hall, Union St. £15 11th - MUSIC KASABIAN AECC, Bridge Of Don. 13th - MUSIC WILL YOUNG Music Hall, Union St. £32.50 15th - COMEDY AL MURRAY - THE PUB LANDLORD Music Hall, Union St. £25 15th - MUSIC ALABAMA 3 Warehouse, Windmill Brae. £16 20th - MUSIC AN EVENING WITH CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND Lemon Tree, W/North St. £15 21st - MUSIC NEW BEAUTIFUL SOUTH and SANDI THOM Lemon Tree, W/North St. 24th - MUSIC CALVIN HARRIS DJ SET Liquid, Bridge Place £10 26th - MUSIC ELLIOT MINOR Warehouse, Windmill Brae. £12 27th - MUSIC CLUBLAND LIVE 3 (NDUBZ, CASCADA, DARREN STYLES & AGNES) AECC, Bridge Of Don. £26.50 27th - MUSIC EDDY GRANT & THE FRONTLINE ORCHESTRA Warehouse, Windmill Brae. £20 29th - MUSIC GALLOWS Warehouse, Windmill Brae. £12 30th - COMEDY ROY CHUBBY BROWN Music Hall, Union St. £20

GET LISTED

E-Mail reform@rguunion.co.uk for more details. REFORM MAGAZINE

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. e l p rip ... >> MUSIC

the

effect

video o d t c e f f of e ty? d e i n c i o k s t s ’ a y h a w n tod o e v a h s e gam

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Matilda-Clare Blaauw Video games have long been the subject of controversial debates. In spite of the debate, the role of violence in videogames is an extremely worthwhile topic for scrutiny.

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Surprisingly, the most popular games are sports and driving games which continually top the list of NDP Playworld TM. But, it has to be noted that violence can be also found in these specific sports games alongside action and fantasy games. Despite this, it is wrong to assume that violence is an inherent aspect of every videogame, with the sports package offered with the Nintendo Wii having no reference to gross, indecent and gruesome violence. It is plainly suitable to any age of any computer competent gender.

vulnerable audiences, such as children, need protection from content they may passively retain, especially intensely graphic representations.

As the demographics of the videogames industry changes, signified poignantly by the average player age of twenty-

able and impressionable individuals.

Apart form the obvious issues concerning children there is a portion of society that is also affected by video gaming. This is woman. Far from being detrimental to development , gaming has empowered woman to go forth into areas that were out of the question for a lot before. Video games have allowed people to enjoy themselves alone or with friends, however, for many years video games have been seen as a man or boys world.

Vulnerable audiences need protection from content they may passively retain

With the Nintendo Wii aside, critics of videogames suggest there are definite links between exposure and behavioral dysfunctions held in people that partake in violent video gaming. With this, The Office of Film and Literature has attracted much criticism for the absence of a Restricted 18+ category for games. This means that

nine years, the censorship situation is criticised for not fulfilling its perceived role of protecting the vulnerable but also allowing adults to freely choose the material they consume. More efforts need to be put in place both by The Office of Film and Literature and the governing bodies in hand to lay out clear and defined laws to protect these vener-

Video games are a form of cultural stimulation. When women play video games they are able to feel a much stronger sense of self because they are no being judged by their appearance. They can play freely and be who they are.

This new aspect of video gaming will long be a supporting case for the gaming world as a whole, and will continue to develop over the next coming decades. Bringing with it question of debate of itself. But as long as caution is made parentally and lawfully with full knowledge of what the purchaser is buying, then children can remain safe and woman can feel empowered.

I thought Freshers Week this year was brilliant! The Freshers Team were up to there usual tricks making sure everyone was enjoying themselves! The Freshers Fayre was huge this year and I still have lots of freebee’s that I managed to pick up! The highlight for me though, as a returning student, was the changes to the Union! It was completely different from when we left and it we got served alot quicker! Roll on 2010! John, 2nd year Business Studies

NOVEMBER 09

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FEATURE <<

I WENT TO UNIVERSITY AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY PIECE OF PAPER Melissa Cadger Somehow it seemed I had reached a point in my late twenties where my career path had not only lost direction but had ceased to even exist.The trail of breadcrumbs I had been following into the media had long been replaced by remnants of doughy gruel and I knew that I had to take a giant leap of faith, start from near scratch and go back to study for a degree that could actually get me job I wanted. I was a typical case study of many people my age who on achieving good grades at school, had been encouraged to go on to study for an academic degree in the subject they were best at. Knowing what job it was I wanted at the end of it had never really come into it for me. Interviews with career advisors were always a fruitless exercise and I remember emerging from one feeling even more confused than before after being advised that a landscape gardener would be the best possible career choice for me, given that I was creative and liked the outdoors. My passion at school was art having spent most of my sixth year nestled away in the top floor art department with paint spattered shoes and inky hands. The head of department harped on about hard it was to actually get into art school and spurned on by compliments on my work and the buzz of doing something I appeared to be quite good at, with not too much effort, it became my goal to get into art school. The getting in part was all I really focused on. How much I would actually enjoy art school, how I would deal with competitiveness when it came down to something as personal as my creativity and what sort of job I could get at the end of it never really crossed my mind. As it happened Art school wasn’t for me and I discovered that as much as I loved art it was more of a hobby than a vocation and so I did the next best thing and switched to an academic degree, as I had always been encouraged to do, and packed myself off to study English and Art History. This 016

seemed the perfect option, I could combine my love of Art and writing and I was sucked into the now outdated belief that as long as you have a degree, you can pretty much get any job. It was only as graduation crept closer I began for the first time to think seriously about what sort of job I wanted. By this point I had aspirations to work in the media or in journalism and I reasoned that it would be easy enough to start at the bottom doing work experience here and there and, excuse the pun, work my way up. It was only when I found myself actually in the market for a job that I realised it wasn’t going to be quite that easy. Most twenty something’s now have degrees and I realised that more often than not, especially when it comes to jobs in the media, what gives you the edge is the experience you have and the extra curriculars you did at university, such as setting up the creative writing society, voluntary work at weekends and the summers you spent working as an intern in a publishing house. Of course I hadn’t known this when I was actually at university and summers for me were spent holidaying and making the most of student loans and overdrafts. All I really had to show when I returned home a fully fledged graduate was a degree. I went to ‘uni’, and all I got was this lousy bit of paper. And so after a few years of false starts and numerous career changes I decided to take action and do what arguably, I should have done in the first place; go and study a vocational degree that would provide me with both the business and practical skills I was going to need in today’s job market. I chose a degree that would give me a good comprehensive learning of the skills needed in the media industry and made sure it included placements. And when deciding which university to study at it was the stats and figures of employed graduates that attracted me, not the quality of the student union. This time round at least I know what I want to achieve, and armed with a bit of maturity and a little common sense, I should be in good stead. REFORM MAGAZINE

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FEATURE <<

Politics – what connotations can you think of? Dullness, deceptions, delusions. Need you go on? Well its not always like that. Early in October, I took a trip for a day, representing the new RGU Conservative Association, to be a part of the closing hours of the Conservative Party Conference, which was held in Manchester for the first time.

hotel of the conference. A wide mix of people were present – from activists to parliamentary candidates to MP’s to celebrities and well known faces. I got the chance to speak to many people, particularly activists and parliamentary candidates and engage with their feelings – there was certainly a “feel good” factor across the conference, yet complacency was an absolute no. There was only one word to sum up the atmosphere – electric. It was so good that I boycotted sleeping for the night and relied on the Red

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totally different story – I think the media and television portrays them in a certain way that inhibits the connection between them and the voter, or in Neil’s case the viewer. And when you add the hilarity of “Uncle” Pickles trying to sing, it would be very fair to say that not all politicians are deluded machines.

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Anas Hassan

Its one thing watching political conferences on television, but it’s another being there – where all the action is happening – from members of the shadow cabinet being present at fringe events to the massive number of journalists be ing present every where. A good f r i e n d of mine was lucky enough to have been picked by Dragons Den host, Evan Davis, to feature on The Today Pro gramme on BBC Radio 4.

Who said politics was irrelevant amongst students?

As soon as I arrived in Manchester late on the Wednesday evening of the conference, and went through the essential, yet unexciting part of the night checking in to my hostel room, it was straight to Pure Nightclub in Manchester City Centre where Conservative Future, the youth wing of the party, staged their “Party For Change” night. A unique night out with features such as a roller disco and a room with plenty of Xboxes available, it was least to say, different from your usual experience in a nightclub. It was unbelievably relaxing in the Xbox room, well apart from when Conservative Party Chairman, Eric Pickles MP (also known as “Uncle” Eric), took a shot on Rock Band, singing.

It was then time to move on to the Midland Hotel – significant, because it was the officially designated

Bull so that I could sample the atmosphere – I have to thank GMTV for that. As soon as they began setting up, I knew where I wanted to really be.

During my adventures in Manchester, I bumped into the likes of George Osborne MP, the Shadow Chancellor, Andrew Neil from BBC Two’s The Daily Politics and Grant Shapps MP, the Shadow Housing Minister. What struck me most was that those people, were human after all! Its fair to say that on television they sound and look like fantasy. But in real life, it’s a

Many of you reading this will have a variety of political opinions – whether you are Conservative (I personally hope!), Labour, Liberal Democrat, SNP, UKIP or whether you detest the lot of them. But one of the things that I found rather refreshing from the conference was the high number of fellow students from up and down the UK who were present and involved – who said politics was irrelevant amongst all students?

Freshers Week 2009 was a marathon for me. A great marathon to run! A marathon of fun. And albeit I tired out towards the end, team spirit and the fun kept me going to the end! I really loved the week! Anas, 3rd year Pharmacy

OCTOBER 09

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THE LAST BIT <<

EDITORIAL Editor

Gregor Mailer Contributors

Matilda-Claire Blaauw Melissa Cadger Joe Folan Anas Hassan Alasdair Johnstone Chris Kennedy Ross Murchison Jennifer Macleod

This month I was invited by the President of Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh to attend the launch of their Volunteer Recognition Programme – a brilliant scheme which gets all their students who participate in volunteering a number of benefits such as cheaper print credit, cheaper gym membership – and a free breakfast every month! To name but a few. Whenever we hear the word volunteering, we all get the same glazed over effect, and the eyes roll. Interestingly enough however, this was a fantastic day that gave me some fantastic ideas.The launch was a full day event, with free breakfasts, some live bands, a number of charities promoting their cause and how students can help them, as well as a competition in the evening and some guest speakers – all tied in with the election of their Executive Officers. The entire event however, revolved around one poignant question: “In the current economic climate, is volunteering a luxury that students cannot afford?” The question is intriguing but I would personally have asked, “in the current economic climate, is volunteering a luxury that students cant do without?”

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What is setting you apart from all the others with the same degree?

The point is, and this also ties in nicely with another article in this months ‘Reform’, that these days your degree is often just the starting point. Everyday we hear about more and more jobs being cut and people finding it harder and harder to get employment.What is setting you apart from all the other people that will graduate alongside you with the same degree? Well, the easy answer is volunteering will. Only whilst you are a student will you benefit from such easy access to volunteering hours in almost anything you want – the RGU:Union can provide volunteering opportunities to suit anyone’s needs!

First of all however, the rumours need to be dispelled and the stigma dispersed! Volunteering does not require you work in a charity shop at the weekend, or sit on the phone for the Samaritans – although these are examples! If you are a Captain of the Football Team, or the President of Horse Riding Club – the work you are doing, the hours you are putting in – that’s volunteering! If you are the Treasurer of the Law Society or the Events Coordinator for the Pharmacy Society – that’s volunteering! If you are a Student Union Officer or a Class Rep, if you have attended any University Committees or even gone sky diving in the name of charity, 018

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Ross Murchison

or even to be a member of the Fresher’s Team –THAT’S ALL VOLUNTEERING! So let’s make sure that is clear in our minds – to volunteer doesn’t mean you don’t have to enjoy it, it just means that you have been willing to do something out with your required duties (which in the case of students would be your academic work), and not getting paid for it! Volunteering can be anything. For example, at the launch party at QMU, they announced the introduction of a cycling scheme. They had purchased 6 bikes that allowed students to hire them out for the day free of charge. It was a great benefit to students as they lived a 10 minute train ride outside Edinburgh, but the campus was next to a cycle lane and so they could cycle into to town for the day free of charge. Where does volunteering come into this? Well the Student Union got in touch with some cycling enthusiasts, four guys who really enjoyed cycling and new a bit out fixing a bike up – those 4 guys agreed to do a minimum of 4 hours a month volunteering, keeping the bikes in top working order. Some simple stuff - cleaning the chain, pumping up a tire, tighten ing some brakes. They knew how to do it, and would train up others so there were al ways plenty bike mechanics to keep the bikes in working order – plus those who were being trained could learn a new skill! It was literally that simple, and these people got to add X amount of volunteering hours to their CV. But why is volunteering so important, and are employers really that interested? One of the speakers at QMU made the comment, “fitting in volunteering with your studies, social life and perhaps a part time job can be difficult”. I thought, he’s right it can be difficult, but doesn’t that speak volumes of a person’s character? If you ask who I would rather employ, the person who has a first class degree, or the person who has a 2:1 but has gone out of their way, receiving no financial benefit, to help others – I know who I would employ. Volunteering signifies that a person is keen, thoughtful, selfless, hard working and doesn’t just care about getting paid and so I genuinely believe that volunteering is something a luxury that students in this day and age cannot do without. The bottom line is, that volunteering can be almost anything, and you can tie it in with the course you study, or one of the hobbies you take part in. Whatever you might be interested in, the RGU:Union can help point you in the right direction and get your volunteer hours signed up – if you do 50,100

CONTACT US Reform Magazine RGU:Union 60 Schoolhill Aberdeen AB10 1JQ tel: 01224 262 263 fax: 01224 262 268 reform@rguunion.co.uk

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Gregor Mailer ext.mailer@rgu.ac.uk 01224 262 295

THE SMALL PRINT This magazine may contain personal views which are not the views or opinions of The Robert Gordon University or The Robert Gordon University Student Association. We’re always looking for new writers and photographers. Whether you fancy doing gig reviews, news articles, one-off features or covering RGU sports matches get in touch! We are single-handedly saving the trees and rainforests by printing this magazine on recycled paper. Isn’t that nice? RGU Student Association - Registered Scottish Charity No: SC0 16639

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