Seren - 189 - 2006-2007 - December 2006

Christmas Issue 2006

UWBEEN AND GONE...

THE END OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WALES, BANGOR

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or the majority of students, the first they will have heard about the University of Wales, Bangor possibly changing its name will have been the email sent from the Registrar during November. The Registrar outlined the situation and encouraged comments and questions from the staff and students alike.

The University has been considering a name change for a couple of years now. The last academic year saw the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) assessing the University in its policies and procedures; a routine procedure which every university has to have undertaken. As a result of a successful investigation, the University’s application to award Taught and Research degrees has been approved. This is not strictly official until the Privy Council approves the amendments required in the University’s charter.

This process will not be complete before August 2007.

Subject to final approval of DAPs (Degree Awarding Powers), the

The preferred name within the University is “Bangor University” University has decided to progress with a name change. The preferred name within the University is “Bangor University”; one which the Registrar, in his email, highlights has been the colloquial term for several years. Though, another suggestion has been “University of North Wales, Bangor”. I believe it is safe for me to say that many students are unaware that the current(!) correct title for the University is the University of Wales, Bangor! This name change is part of a restructuring of the University of Wales’ federal college system. The proposals project that by September 2007, the federal University of Wales will become a “confederal, non-membership organisation” Dr. David Roberts It is important that the change of name does not cause confusion and conflict with other bodies and organisations.

The application for Taught and Research Degree Awarding Powers can be viewed online at http://www.bangor.ac.uk/ar/ro/Docs1/DAPdocFinal.doc. It is highlighted in the Application for Taught and Research Degree Awarding Powers that Bangor has operated as an autonomous body as far as teaching, learning and research is concerned. The University of Wales’ institutional review by the QAA in 2004 resulted in a decision that “full responsibility for quality and standards should be devolved to the individual institutions”.

The University was one of the three “founding colleges” of the University of Wales, and we were in agreement with the Sir David Williams Report in 2002 which suggested that the federal college system be expanded and include all the institutions in Wales. However, due to the Cardiff University and the University of Wales College of Medicine merge, and subsequent withdrawal from the federal University of Wales, the “One Nation, One University” philosophy went out the window.

So far, the Registrar has received a fair number of responses from staff and students regarding the change of name. The Vice-Chancellor of UWB has said that the approval of Degree Awarding Powers ‘marks another very significant milestone in our history’. All in all, this is quite an exciting time for UWB, whatever the outcome.

Lexi Hindley

IN

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The Malibu winner

WIN A COPY OF THE END OF THE QUESTION MARK, THE ANY QUESTIONS ANSWERED BOOK. TO ENTER GO TO www.seren.bangor.ac.uk

In This Issue.....

The Blugeoner

Tales From The Queer Side

News From Bangor To Bangor The Rant Travel New Year’s Nights

The Great Orme

Music

The Adventures of Stuart Dent

Film

One Minute Welsh

Adventures From Across The Pond

Puzzles

Sport

Video Games

Books

Vox Pops Doc Spot

Competition

Features

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Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

CONTRIBUTORS Editor: Emma Dodd Rebecca Hussey Caroline Alvarez Jennifer Stanley Dr Rashesh Mehta Sophie de l’Orme Mark Hawkins Sarah Donnelly Chris Thomson Caroline Alvarez Lizzie Joyce Siobhan Catherine Holt Cat Prince Claire Mann Rachel Eales Lucy Digney Amy Garrett Spencer George Jack Peat Ross Butler Lexi Hindley Will Varley John Jackson Sean Miller Luke Wilsher James Woolley Joe Penketh Stephen Clifford Loran Perkins Ian Davies David Eykelestam Natalie Pierce-Jones Phil Rhymes Amy Briscoe Megan Tapper Kelly Timmins Sean Clement James Honess Dave Moreton Sam Mager Sean Clement Richard Bunn Dion Jones Emma Dixon Alex Farley Matt Williams Sarah Allen Robert Mann Kevin Smith Phil England Thomas Hecht

Proof readers: Sam Mager Carolan Goggin Production Consultant: Dan Turner

Dear Reader, Welcome to the Christmas edition of SEREN. I can’t believe it’s this time of year already. The days are getting shorter and SEREN is already on its third issue.

In anticipation of Christmas, we’ve an extra page of reviews, this time its video games. There are also our regular review sections to help you decide what to spend your money on this Christmas. There’s also a special feature on New Year’s Eve nights out across the UK. So, in a month when girls in Bangor have been voted the ugliest in Britain, cheer up with SEREN. There won’t be another issue of SEREN until February, but keep up to date on our website at www.seren.bangor.ac.uk.

You can still send me your comments and submit articles to editor@seren.bangor.ac.uk Good luck to everyone in their exams and have a very merry Christmas.

Emma

www.seren.bangor.ac.uk LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor

I was taken aback by the flagrant asininity of both these articles when I had read them. Let us take a look at ‘The Bludgeoner’ article first.

In the second paragraph he asserts that we live in a victim blame/culture.

To back this up, he concocts a bizarre and abjectly fallacious example of bumping into someone in the street. All he achieves by this is subversion of his own point, since his proof of his assertion is simply absurd. In the following paragraph ‘The Bludgeoner’ asserts that we lack identity, then complains that we do not respect authority any more, his implication being that we lack identity because we lack respect for authority. This is directly contradictory to his following paragraph, in which he belabours people for being bland and lacking individuality.

Surely this IS conformism and the word ‘conformism’ implies adherence and acquiescence to some sort of authority? Authority is the antithesis of individuality, be it the social authority of cliques, or the more explicit authority of the government. The extremely indolent explanation for this, which is consonant with the anonymous author’s misanthropy is that it is simply human nature: a familiar excuse many counter-revolutionaries have taken in the past in order to justify their exploitation and oppression of people. It also appears to be a variation on the naturalistic fallacy propounded by the philosopher G.E. Moore. I do concede though, that many humans DO lack individuality, but this is simply symptomatic of authority. The sad truth is that people are unable to take responsibility for themselves when they are being controlled by other people and are part of a hierarchy. Hierarchy, by definition, puts the onus on those in power to answer for problems in society. This appears to be a far more congenial and rational approach to take, rather than whining misanthropy and lazy conclusions.

In the second paragraph of ‘The Rant’ Spencer George attempts a witty trope by saying the Lib Dems’ policies are ‘wishy washy’ because their conference was held by the sea. I’m sure Spencer could just hear the cachinnations from the readers when he wrote that line, but all it really reveals is how shallow his analysis is. This is predictably followed up with a lazy comment on Charles Kennedy’s speech, where Spencer ignores the actual content and in a markedly tabloidesque way, comments on the emotion the speech aroused in him - boredom.

Hitler was a good orator, would he be a good choice for Prime Minister were he British and alive now? I suppose so, if we go by the criteria Spencer goes by. Things appear to get a bit better when we see that Spencer actually had the requisite concentration span to actully listen to the Labour Party conference. However, one cannot avoid wincing with the conspicuous piece of sophistry when Spencer accuses Tony Blair of mendacity in Blair’s boasting of cutting crime, when Spencer confutes this with evidence that in his home constituency crime has actually risen. It does not take a genius to figure out that Blair was actually not referring to Spencer’s home constituency but overall U.K statistics. There’s more infantile missing of the point in Spencer’s paragraph about the Conservative Conference, so let us direct our attention to the summative paragraphs of the article. What Spencer bizarrely deduces from all this sloppy analysis is that we the people have to take responsibilities for ourselves. What he appears to expound is a lack of government intervention, which is ghoulishly redolent of what Margaret Thatcher expounded and put into practise and with such egregious consequences. Similar to ‘The Bludgeoner’, Spencer moans at people for not tackling problems. The problem is that the very presence of the government, the state, or capitalism takes power from the people. They destroy the chance at autonomy by fostering reliance and subservience. I can wholly sympathise with wanting to get rid of the government and make people more autonomous and responsible, but really, this can only come about when people finally come to the senses and see what is the problem - the state, capitalism, and authority that perforce creates oppression and erodes away the possibilities of self-sufficient human beings.

James Woolley, first year music student.

PS There was a rather mortifying erratum in your interview with Anna Morris in the music section of the paper. ‘Bird’ is actually meant to be spelt ‘Byrd’, as in the Renaissance composer William Byrd, a contemporary of Thomas Tallis. May I suggest that you get someone who actually knows about music to conduct your music interviews.

Printed through www.quotemeprint.com 0845 1300 667

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Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

DID THEY JUMP OR WERE THEY PUSHED?

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n the 6th of November, Jamie McIndo became the third NUS Wales President to have resigned from the post without completing a full year in office. This position entails being the public face of NUS Wales.

They are responsible for the promotion and upholding of NUS policy as well as representing Welsh students to the assembly and parliament. In a statement released by the NUS website personal reasons were cited as being behind his resignation, but there is a lot of speculation that this may not be the full story. This resignation ensures that for the third year in succession the NUS movement in Wales has been rendered leaderless and the Deputy President, Becky Church has to do the jobs of two people.

Jamie McIndo’s presidency began with controversy, as his only opponent in the election stood down less than a week beforehand. McIndo who was the former President of UWIC’s Students’ Union and was elected by just 22 votes out of the 34 cast. Despite running unopposed he managed to gain 12 votes against him.

Prior to Jamie’s resignation, previous NUS Wales president James Knight also resigned and was replaced by Dylan Williams. However Knight was a lot more vocal about his reasons for leaving than McIndo has been. His reasons for leaving included accusations of bullying and victimisation because of his political standpoint. Jamie McIndo is quoted as saying that “Politics does not have a place in a job like this” This could be considered true, national politics should not really play a part in NUS politics. A person’s political standpoint should not be used against them.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE DRIFTS TO BANGOR

W As it is stated in the constitution NUS Wales is supposed to ensure that they promote a culture and an environment that is safe and welcoming for all their members and guests. It also states that every student and student officer should have an equal chance to be involved in the social and campaigning activities, based and most importantly in this context democratic aspect of NUS Wales. Therefore if Knight’s allegations are true then his bullying and victimisation are directly breaking the constitution.

It is currently unclear as to who will be running as the successor to Jamie McIndo, mainly due to the constitution, which prevents sabbatical officers from leaving their positions in order to take part in the forthcoming elections. However it is clear that whoever takes over the position will need to work in order to benefit NUS Wales, rather than personal gain. The next President must take heed from what has happened three times now in order to prevent such things happening for a fourth time.

Cat Prince

VICTORY FOR DISABLED STUDENTS

hile working to clean the beach in Porth Nigel (commonly known as Hell’s Mouth) a group of fourteen student volunteers from Bangor found something other than empty beer cans. Volunteer Becky Morris came across a message in a bottle that had washed up on the shore. When the bottle was opened the message was revealed as a poem and drawing by a nine year old girl from Cambridge. It may not have been a heart-warming love story involving Kevin Costner, but Miss Morris was none the less touched by the message. She said that- “…it was sweet that a child had put the effort into writing such a nice message and sending it out to sea.”

Volunteers sought to contact the girl who wrote the message, Lucy Schmidt, to give her the good news that her bottle had been found. Though they were unable to speak with her directly, her father, Mr Atkinson, said she would be thrilled at the news. Mr Atkinson asked that the bottle be thrown back into sea. Whilst the family comes from Cambridge, the bottle was only thrown into the sea at Porthmadog, a mere five miles along the coast from where it was found.

Student Volunteering Bangor Manager, Andrew Wilson, obligingly threw the bottle back into the Menai Straights. The question now is how far will it go before it is washed up on another beach?

Student Volunteering Bangor are carrying out a series of beach cleans every three weeks in an effort to tidy the stunning coastline. Any further volunteers would be welcome, and are encouraged to sign up in the SVB office in the Students’ Union.

Who knows what else could wash up on our shores?

Rachel Eales

SVB volunteer Becky Morris with the found message

YULE TIDINGS E

ver heard the common phrase ‘Yule Tidings’? It refers to the pagan Sabbat of Yule. This festival is traditionally celebrated on the 21st of December (usually the day of the Winter Solstice), and hails the rebirth of the sun; the darkness of winter is at its peak but this is the turning point when the days start becoming longer. Many Wiccans wake to greet the rising sun on this day, bringing evergreen decorations into the home to remind them of the continuance of life even through the darkest periods, and to look forward to the renewal of life in the coming spring months. From this has sprung the idea of the Christmas tree and decorations.

Mistletoe was also commonly gathered at this time; it was seen as a magickal plant as it grows between the ground and sky, with

no roots in the earth. On a much more basic level, just as the red berries of the holly tree are seen as symbolic of the fertility of the Goddess, the white berries of the mistletoe are, quite graphically and literally, associated with that of the God. It is seen as lucky for lovers to kiss beneath this symbolic plant of fertility, but beware if it isn’t fertility that you’re after!

The pagan concept of a ‘Yule log’ has also become quite widespread. It was traditionally a log burned in honour of the gods and to echo the brightness of the returning sun, with the ashes scattered in the fields to ensure good crops in the forthcoming year. However, few people in modern times have a fireplace in which to burn a log, so many Wiccans now make cake representations, with each person in

the Coven or family, lighting a candle in the log to represent the increasing light, making a wish for the forthcoming season and eating the cake afterwards. Definitely a tastier option!

This is traditionally a time to be spent with family and loved ones, and most religions have celebrations around this time: Yule, Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa, to name but a few. It appears to be a natural part of human experience, regardless of religion, to use this time to remember and be thankful for those that we most cherish in life; the people who provide the light and warmth in the depth of our winter.

Yule Tidings!

Rebecca E. Hussey

BANGOR BONFIRE NIGHT BLAZE

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ost of us have probably never thought about it, but there are several ways to gain access to the Students’ Union building. For years these have involved negotiating steps or one of the two sets of railings next to the Amser/Time nightclub. How then are any wheelchair bound students supposed to enter the building? Through the basement and up in the lift – hardly ideal.

After campaigning and petitioning,

Students with Disabilities Officer, Joe Butler has achieved the aim of removing one set of railings from outside of Amser/Time. Thus providing far more convenient access for wheelchair bound students and visitors.

The work was carried out by Estates, but the Students’ Union was forced to finish the job off with an angle grinder, since sharp and dangerous edges were left.

Caroline Alvarez

t has been revealed that a blaze which swept across St. Deiniol golf course in Bangor this Guy Fawkes’ night was not the result of official festivities but is thought to have been deliberately started.

At 5:25pm on Sunday, 5th November, fire crews were called to attend a fire which rapidly consumed one hundred square metres of gorse. It could be seen prominently throughout Bangor in the dark, with there being many sightings from the Ffriddoeddside of Bangor valley. However, many who saw the flames were likely to have thought it to be a controlled event given the time and date at which the blaze occurred.

Fire-fighters battled the blaze for approximately three quarters of an hour and were eventually able to extinguish the flames

using one jet hose reel as well as beaters. It is thought by the fire service that it was started by youths playing with matches. No-one is thought to have been injured as a result of the blaze due to its remote location.

According to a golf course employee, the fire occurred close to the 12th fairway, but no damage was caused to the course itself.

Much of the gorse destroyed was thought to have been scheduled for removal in the near future. This area of the golf course is very close to the Bryn Eithin student halls of residence.

In a separate unrelated incident, the fire brigade were called out to another fire at Bryn Eithin halls of residence at 3am the following Sunday. Two blocks of students had to be evacuated as the fire was put out.

The cause of the fire according to the fire service was food packaging having been left too close to a gas cooker hob, though it has been alleged by residents of the halls that a label may have been stuck on one of the hobs by two of the residents there which later caught fire. The door to the kitchen was then left open causing the smoke detectors outside of the kitchen to be set off. Those responsible were identified at the time by fire fighters and halls security. The university is unable to comment on the incident as disciplinary action is currently being taken.

The event was a rarity for the residents of the halls, where reportedly no false alarms have occurred in over a year.

Ross Butler

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Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

THE BLUDGEONER

It frightens the Bludgeoner that it’s acceptable in Students’ Unions to ban whoever doesn’t agree with whichever hacks are in power this week. Christians are against equal opportunities, or the BNP are out to kill us all, so we’ll simply not let them into the building. Maybe Students’ Union-types aren’t grown up enough to be in charge of these things, that when a problem comes along they

N

oam Chomsky said that ‘freedom of speech is worthless without freedom of offensive speech’, and the Bludgeoner heartily agrees, or he’d be without a job. This country prides itself on a special sort of freedom, but whilst people are busy harping on about it they turn their backs whilst those very freedoms are being eroded away.

We live in a world where you’re free to say whatever you like, as long as it doesn’t upset anyone.

We live in a world where you’re free to say whatever you like, as long as it doesn’t upset anyone. We sit under the illusion of tolerance and practice anything but. Selfcensorship is rife, people lose their jobs in France for blogging, get locked up in Austria for denying the Holocaust, or get sent to Guantanamo for being religious.

This country prides itself on a special sort of freedom, whilst even student newspaper columnists hide behind trite noms-de-plume.

It happens on our very own campuses – we live in a time where the Government publishes guidelines advising Universities to monitor Islamic groups for terrorist activity, where Christian Unions are banned from their Unions for being too Christian.

This country prides itself on a special sort of freedom, whilst even student newspaper columnists hide behind trite noms-de-plume. simply shut the door, close their eyes and hope it goes away.

In many ways the Bludgeoner is glad he resides in Bangor, where the religious types still walk the streets and people from the Israeli and Palestinian governments are allowed to pop along and have a little chat. This is a luxury, don’t underestimate it - it might not be around for too long.

Bludge’s challenge to everyone, though, is to live out what Chomsky said. There’s no way we as apparently right-thinking folk can possibly be proud of ourselves or our quaint traditions of free speech when we can’t abide to listen to people who express that which we would spend our whole lives fighting against. How can you even have an opinion when it hasn’t been moulded in the furnace and put to the test? How can you stand up and pretend to be free when others aren’t?

You may think that this is hyperbole, ballyhoo or prevarication, but when you allow something small to happen you’re sowing the seeds for something big.

The Bludgeoner graduated from Oxford in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in whining misanthropy and lazy conclusions and enjoys classic Audrey Hepburn films.

UWB ON THE WEB

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hat does UWB look like on the web? Just a quick search for ‘University of Wales Bangor’ on Google reveals the usual web sites you’d be expecting; the main university web site, the Students Union web site and various departmental ones. We all know what it’s like to be a student in Bangor, but what do prospective students and the rest of the world see of Bangor and the student way of life here?

www.bangor.ac.uk, or more commonly known to us as where we can look at course details and all that jazz.

This web site however is a great resource for any prospective student: come here to do anything from ordering a prospectus to a virtual tour of Bangor and a diary of Welcome week. Probably used more by web visitors and prospective students, this site should be of great use to current students too. The schools have their own area on the site where they have general course information as well as guidance as to how to complete your course well and do your best. This can be used as a good reference for what is expected of current students.

Prospective students are given happy sunny shots of the university and Bangor as well as an idyllic and very summery clue to what student life can be like in Bangor.

www.bangoronline.net is a site that if used by the student population of Bangor could be a rival to the intranet’s debate board. I get the impression though that Facebook and Myspace will still win outright. Relatively new, and what appears to still be used mainly by the IT staff that created the site, it hosts message boards for discussions of any type and the availability to post reviews on the Internet. It does however seem to be a case of a web site that the designers are desperate for people to use.

As it explains on the home page, points are rewarded for those who set up discussions or post reviews which can be exchanged for a prize of some kind if you have the most points when a designer wants to give a prize.

Strange, huh? Get the impression someone really wants you to use it? This site could be a real asset to university life at Bangor, if people wanted it to use it. Students love community sites like this, but sadly I don’t know of a single person who has ever heard of it.

www.undeb.bangor.ac.uk, or more commonly known to us as the place where you enter the Seren competitions.

This sight is clearly intended to inform the outside onlooker or the current student on who the Students’ Union is run by, why they help run it and what they can give you.

Each area is covered, with a note from the relevant member of the Executive (head shot included) and any more information, for example a list of clubs and societies are available in the ‘Societies’ page. Standing committees are given precedence on the home page.

It is however, a shame that this website is not updated more often. The news that it displays is often out of date and not changed regularly. Despite that, it is still a useful resource.

The case with UWB on the Internet is the case with most universities; they show you unrealistic pictures taken on the only sunny day of the year. The sites are more than just informative, and even though they are probably aimed more at prospective students, they

Jennifer Stanley

should be of great value to the current ones.

LLYS TRYFAN TO BITE THE DUST

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t has been announced that the Llys Tryfan hall of residence is to be vacated for demolition by the end of the current academic year.

University halls of residences like Llys Tryfan were built in the 1960’s and 70’s when the University experienced a sharp rise in the amount of students coming to Bangor to study. The building, situated on the Ffriddoedd site, will be knocked down over the course of 2007 to make way for the building of a brand new hall, which is due for completion by 2009. The demolition is set to pose a potential problem for students intending to return to halls, as there will now be 135 less rooms up for grabs for the 2007/08 academic year. The drop in

available rooms in halls will worse affect returning second year students, as they are the lowest priority candidates.

The demolition of the Llys Tryfan building is part of the University’s two phase Estates Strategy which will see all standard University accommodation phased out by 2010. Other University accommodation scheduled to be demolished or sold off in the estates strategy include Rathbone, JMJ, Emrys Evans, St Mary’s and the George Site. The proposed developments to the University’s accommodation mean that there will be around 500 new rooms ready for occupation by the beginning of the academic year in 2008. Work has already begun on the first phase of the strategy,

with a turf cutting ceremony taking place on the 6th of November at the Rugby pitches situated behind the Ffriddoedd site. The

...there will now be 135 less rooms up for grabs for the 2007/08 academic year rugby pitches will be home to the first new halls of residence in the University’s new accommodation plan. Phase two of the strategy, which is the phasing out of all standard University accommodation, will begin with the demolition of Llys Tryfan next year.

Llys Tryfan on the Ffriddoedd Site; set to be demolished at the end of this academic year

Despite the evident optimism surrounding these proposed developments, numerous parties connected to the University are mildly concerned about some aspects of the new residences. Students’ Union President, Sam Burnett has written a letter on behalf of the SU to the Senior Management team of the University in response to the University Estates Strategy.

"Whilst it's very exciting that the University are investing in halls of residence in order to keep Bangor competitive, we do have concerns about the lack of communal spaces outlined in the blueprints for the new buildings as this could have a very prominent social impact on new students."

Sam has expressed these concerns in person

during a meeting with the Deputy vice Chancellor of the University, along with the Director of University Estates, Mike Goodwin. As well as concerns expressed by the SU, the building of the new halls has also been met with some low level opposition from other groups. Local residents have forced through changes to the plans because of the worries they had about the local area.

One of the halls has had to be moved back 4 metres, because someone was worried about the noise levels. Whatever the plans for new buildings, Bangor is certainly going to look very different in 10 years' time.

Dion Jones

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Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

TALES FROM THE QUEER SIDE T 1 Dec was World Aids Day. There’s been a bit of a debate on whether or not I should be writing about this topic in this column. Why? I hear you ask.

It’s about World Aids Day and Aids is a gay disease isn’t it? Actually, no it’s not.

It is estimated that there are now around 63,500 people living with HIV in the UK. Around a third of these do not know their condition. Despite everything that we think we know about it, new cases are still rising.

In Wales, since 2000 there has been a 3 fold increase in new HIV+ diagnoses in men who have sex with men.

Across the UK, 54% of new diagnoses of HIV+ were in heterosexual people. There are cases of girls in Wales as young as 15 now living with HIV. This is a disease which is spread by unprotected sex. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight.

And HIV isn’t just a health issue; it’s also a social issue. A third of people in the UK living with HIV have lived in poverty.

Crusaid, a charity which can provide some financial support for HIV people, has reported a 33% rise in applications to their hardship fund because people living with HIV face difficulties in supporting themselves. It’s also an economic issue. Since 1992, 1.3million new jobs worldwide every year have been lost because of the virus.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that UWBPride ignored World Aids Day. With our support, a service was held in Bangor Cathedral in remembrance of everyone affected by HIV and Aids. With our prompting, Red Ribbons were on sale in the Students’ Union and we raised money for the Terrence Higgins Trust, one of the leading HIV+ support organisations in the country with events marking World Aids Day. And what’s the message behind all this?

Sex is fun – but it’s also dangerous. So please, play safe and keep healthy. st

here are many things in life that annoy me. People who park in disabled spaces despite not having a disabled parking badge, Scottish MPs being able to vote on legislation that only effects England and arriving at the supermarket to find the chicken deli counter has closed.

All of these things annoy me, but nothing annoys me more than the Christmas period. That’s not to say I don’t like Christmas itself. I enjoy nothing more than sitting around the family table and tucking into a succulent turkey with all the trimmings accompanied by a glass of cheap white wine.

It’s more the weeks running up to the big day that really get on my nerves. When you were younger Christmas was such an enjoyable time of the year. The Christmas period started on the day you first opened your advent calendar and ended on the day you returned to school after the New Year. There was the frenzied card giving at school, the singing of Christmas carols in assembly and the mass hysteria amongst youngsters about the new Wallace and Gromit film being premiered on Christmas Eve. Christmas used to be exciting and

The Rant

Christmas? B’ah Humbug!

enjoyable and a time for the family to relax and spend time together. Nowadays nothing could be further from the truth.

Because of businesses vying for our well earned cash, Christmas appears on our high streets earlier each year. In my first year in Bangor I remember complaining that one supermarket was playing Christmas music in November. This year, my third in Bangor, I was devastated to see one high street shop displaying Christmas decorations before Halloween. What’s worse, some shops have started their sales before Christmas instead of after.

Then of course there’s the mass panic

This year, my third in Bangor, I was devastated to see one high street shop displaying Christmas decorations before Halloween. of Christmas shopping. Parents ramming into you with their prams; kids screaming at the top of their voices; and elderly people queue jumping in an attempt to get in and out of town as quickly as possible. If this wasn’t bad enough, many products you

want to purchase as gifts are either out of stock or ridiculously over priced. DVDs that you know will be sold at £1.99 in the New Year sales are £20 in the run up to Christmas.

Then of course we have the Christmas music. Noddy Holder yelling “IT’S CHRISTMAS!” may have been fun ten years ago, but hearing it on the radio everyday is enough to drive you mad.

There’s only one Christmas song that’s worth listening to and it’s not played nearly often enough! Driving home for Christmas

by Chris Rea is an excellent song no matter what my housemates tell me! (The editor would like to comment that Fairytale of New York is in fact the only Christmas song worth playing.)

We can’t even open our presents on Christmas day without being hounded to recycle every last bit of wrapping paper, minus the cello tape of course. Even those of you reading this article that do enjoy Christmas find it hard to find time to do so with the horrendous amount of deadlines we have to adhere to.

Despite all my opinions of Christmas, there was always one thing about this time

of year that brought a smile to my face. The whispering of “Holidays are coming” as the infamous Coca-Cola advert hit my TV screen always seemed to spark into life what little festive spirit was left inside of me.

However, this year the advert is no more. I was horrified to read on a Bangor Blogger website that the advert is to be replaced.

That’s it. For me this is the straw that has broke the camel’s (or should that be

Then of course there’s the mass panic of Christmas shopping. reindeer’s?) back. I’ll be glad when the country returns to something resembling normality after the New Year and we can all get on with our lives without the hassle of buying presents, sending cards to people you really don’t want to send cards to and eating too much Christmas pudding.

Christmas, B’ah humbug!

Spencer George

Stephen Clifford

STROBE FREE TIME AND ACADEMI

I

f you frequent the University’s Intranet debate board, you might have noticed recently some discussion about strobe lights used at Amser/Time and Academi.

Several people pointed out that strobes are sometimes overused, which apart from being quite annoying, is potentially dangerous for anyone who suffers from epilepsy, as strobe lighting can sometimes trigger a seizure.

Only 3-5% of epileptics have what is known as ‘photosensitive’ epilepsy, but it is more common in children and adolescents, which puts Bangor students amongst those most likely to suffer from this particular type of epilepsy.

The Students’ Union Executive seemed to have taken notice of the potential health risk, and although they haven’t banned strobe lighting altogether, they have brought

in a series of ‘Strobe-free’ nights to ensure epileptic students can enjoy the same nights out as everyone else, without worrying that they could suffer from a seizure. The first strobe-free Trash happened on November 29th, and we’re assured that many more strobe-free nights in both Time and Academi will follow.

Loran Perkins

The following nights will be strobe-free from the New Year: First Monday night in Time of the month Second Wednesday in Academi Third Saturday in Academi Fourth Friday in Time.

That’s one night a week somewhere in the two venues.

6

Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

New Year’s Nights T

St Ives

Decided what to do this new years eve? Well we’re here to help.

Seren have put together a compilation of students favourite places to go to make sure you see in 2007 with a bang!

Weymouth

I

f you like dressing up in fancy dress and standing around getting drunk in the rain then Weymouth is the place for you. Hundreds of thousands of people of all ages descend upon the small seaside town from Bristol, London, Oxford and Southampton for high capers and shenanigans.

Live bands, street performers and stalls line the streets and countless bars and pubs have beer tents, and classic pub grub and roasts are offered. The best part for me is the fancy dress. My friends and I have gone as Jedi, Knights from Monty Python’s Holy Grail and as a brides maid, which was by far the best for free drinks, “You’re a very lovely looking Lady!” The fancy dress gives the whole night a surreal atmosphere and gives people even more of an excuse to be silly; not that you need one on New Year’s, my friend dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi chasing a confused and slightly scared guy dressed as Darth Maul. Hope Square, the opposite side of the Harbour to the main town or the Jubilee Clock on the Sea front are the places to be come the count-down where you can welcome in the New Year with more famous people than you’d ever normally meet, even if they are just extremely drunken Southerners in costume.

he New Year’s Eve celebrations at St Ives happen every year and have a national reputation for being one of the places to see in the New Year. The Millennium in St Ives was probably one of the best new years parties I have ever attended. Walking down from the top of the high street in my Grandpa Womble suit along with other family members, also dressed as Wombles, I realised that this was no ordinary fancy dress party. The night was a long pub-crawl through the town passing Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs and avoiding the evil Darth Vader, it was clear that everyone was out for a good night. Stopping off at every other pub we made our way down to the harbour where live bands entertained the masses and fireworks illuminated the sky. With a crowd of around 15,000 we danced until mid-night, everyone was then united in song, and Old Lang Syne echoed through the streets, what a way to spend New Year! The whole experience was fantastic. We stayed in St Ives for 5 days and topped it off with a massive fancy dress street party. Anyone who enjoys a good night out and likes fancy dress; this is the only way for you to see in the New Year!

Dave Moreton

Luke Wilsher Chester

W

hilst it may not be anywhere near the size of other cities such as Manchester or Birmingham, Chester has a lot to offer, boasting in excess of 50 pubs, clubs and bars. This is extremely impressive considering the size of Chester’s city centre, and also means you have less distance to stumble before reaching your next destination. However you like to spend your New Year’s Eve, Chester has it all.

If you like to just sit with a few friends and have a quiet chat, then pubs such as The Custom House and The Shropshire Arms will provide that level of intimacy to see in the new year. However, if you are wanting a livelier night then trendy bars Amber Lounge and Revolution are a must, just don’t expect to have much money left for takeaway afterwards. And finally, if you like your skirts short and your bouncers patience even shorter, then Brannigans or RB’s, Chester’s only proper club, should be your priority. RB’s in particular is known for putting on several themed nights, and also has hosted guest DJs and celebrity appearances, so just as long as you’ve had enough to drink beforehand, chances are you’ll have a pretty good night.

So it may not be massive, but it is perfectly formed. The fact that Chester has so many places crammed into such a small space just means less time out in the cold and more time partying.

Liverpool

L

iverpool is an awesome city for a night out any night of the year, but give it an excuse for a party and you’ll probably get one of the best nights out of your life. If you’re one for open air new years eve celebrations, then Liverpool might not be the best place for it. At the moment the majority of the city centre is rocking the whole building site look. However this year New Year's Eve fireworks will highlight Liverpool’s historic Town Hall as an opener for Liverpool's 800th birthday year, and the fireworks are always a spectacular sight. If a night out on the tiles is more your thing though then whatever you’re into there’s something for you. Chibuku has its annual fancy dress extravaganza and the music is basically anything that you can dance to. If you like your nights out extravagant, camp and crazy then one word should sort your new years: Garlands. If you spend your Wednesday nights in Trash, then hit either the Krazyhouse or Le Bateau. The Krazyhouse has the cities most hardcore all-nighter (9pm-5am) and has 3 floors of alternative/indie/metal. If you don’t want a club then there’s a wealth of bars, from over-priced meat markets of Concert Square, to the super-cool but very hard to get into Heebie Jeebies, to the Tequila based messiness of Bar CaVa. Whatever you do, wherever you go, Liverpool will offer you an awesome night out, so if you’re up for it, mines a tequila in CaVa cheers…

Sean Clement

Birmingham

A

s Britain’s second largest city, Birmingham is often overlooked. Many think of it only in terms of the N.E.C, Balti curries and confused rock star Ozzy Osbourne. In reality, Birmingham has more canals than Venice and boasts just as many cafes, restaurants and fashionable bars. With the growing reputation of the city’s university, Birmingham has to suit the needs of all its residents – and that it does! The bar of the moment is said to be ‘Sobar’, located in the Arcadian Centre.

Actually a noodle bar with a late licence, its popularity stems from the dimly lit, ‘cave-like’ atmosphere. This, accompanied, with the chilled Jazz the resident DJs, makes it popular with both student and older generations alike.

If you wish to swap ‘chilled-out’ for ‘absolutely bloody mental’, then the N.E.C is the place to be come December 31st. The almighty venue is hosting a 6pm til 8am party, featuring Rave-Head DJs ‘Slammin’ Vinyl’. Don’t forget the Glow Sticks.

Tickets cost £35. For more information call 020 8363 5566.

Alternatively, dye your hair black, wear a frilly shirt, rustle up a bit of eye makeup, pierce your lip, and go and watch Ramshackle vs ‘Panic! and Resurrection vs.

Revolution at Birmingham Bar Academy, the best indie and alternative anthems . In room 2 there will be the best rock n’ roll & electro sleaze with dj’s from death at the disco & revolution & Coldrice vs. Bang! Bang! . Tickets cost £10 in advance.

James Honess

Chris Thomson Edinburgh Hogmanay

T

he ultimate way to celebrate New Year is at the Royal Bank Street Party in Edinburgh city centre. Live music is performed every year in open air from 10pm through to 1am, with an eclectic choice ranging from pop to rock and indie to traditional folk, making this event suitable for most. This year’s live performers include the Pet Shop Boys, Paulo Nutini, The Fratellis, Capercaillie and many more. I found the atmosphere to be friendly yet electric as the music brought Edinburgh’s streets alive with a mixture of traditional and contemporary dance.

Being a tourist in this city gave the enthusiastic locals an opportunity to display their traditional dances and to teach those that were willing how it is done properly.

At midnight the streets quieten for the official count down to the New Year, spectacularly displayed with the 7 Hills Fireworks. No matter where you are standing the view of this spectacle can be seen for miles as fireworks are launched from Edinburgh castle and 6 other hills surrounding the city. Edinburgh’s street party was certainly an exhilarating way to celebrate the final night of the year a definite recommendation if you are stuck for ideas

Kelly Timmins Nottingham If you can get past its (undeserved!) reputation for gun crime and violence, Nottingham city centre is a great place for you to celebrate New Year’s Eve. There’s definitely something for everyone.

For those fancying something a bit different to your standard New Year’s Eve, head to Rock City on Talbot Street, for its New Year’s Eve special version of it’s popular ‘Distortion’ night, playing the best ska, punk, hip hop, drum’n’bass, metal, emo & indie.

If you prefer to celebrate in style, try any of the smart bars in the Lace Market area, or the beautiful (but slightly overpriced!) Tantra on Victoria Street. For everything under one roof, try the Corner House on Forman Street, or Oceana on Lower Parliament Street. Just steer clear of the chav-tastic nightclubs Ocean and The Works! For a bit of retro fun, Flares (Upper Parliament Street) and Reflex (Market Street) will transport you back to the 70s or 80s, just beware of the people of your parents’ ages!

Whatever you’re looking for this New Year, Nottingham will have it!

Loran Perkins

Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

I FEEL FAT W

e all have our off days. I look in the mirror sometimes and I feel that burdensome feeling in the pit of my stomach. It is the “I feel fat” feeling and as women we all feel it once in a while.

Magazines tell us it is our hormones and this is true to an extent, but have women and indeed men always felt inadequate about their appearance? Is it a modern phenomenon spawned by the pressures of modern living and living up to social expectation?

If you look in any tabloid you will read the normal showbiz speculation of who’s got with whom and who’s getting married. The whiff of scandal exudes from between the leaves and so we read on and chances are you will come to a page detailing who is the new “fat” celebrity and who is ideally thin. For the past few months you may have noticed that Wales’ own Charlotte Church has been the object of much criticism and praise. At size twelve she is considered fat by some and

curvaceous and beautiful by others. Why is it that stick thin and emaciated seems to equal success, whilst voluptuous and womanly is a failure?

In a society where the retail industry dominated image is important. A man has to be tall and lean, a woman tall and slender. If you don’t tick all the boxes in some way you feel socially constricted. This is where the pangs of inadequacy come in, the paranoia about your figure, which is perfectly OK but you refuse to believe it. Variety is indeed the spice of life and prejudice and discrimination is everywhere. As human beings we have an innate need to be accepted by our peers but at the same time we have to step back, stop being paranoid and remember that thinking outside the box is what future generations will remember us for.

Amy Briscoe

THE GREAT ORME Sophie talks health and beauty tips

O

nly a few weeks of term left, crazy how quick this term has gone. The festive season is almost upon us which means over-spending of what we have left, excessive eating and drinking, as well as an overload of family time. All of this on top of having to revise as well.

What’s in this season. Biker jackets keep them short and sweet, no long leather coats.

Accessorise with metallic’s. Keep it sparkly matched with quilted bags in ghetto gold.

If you’re lucky enough to have a social circuit of fabulous Christmas parties, the LBD (little black dress) is a timeless classic.

Spaghetti straps, chiffon layers or the latest strapless, teamed with glittery accessories and shoes.

Party season make-up. Smoky metallic eyes, inky blacks, greys and blues all add a wide-eyed sparkle to your look, team with lashings of mascara to finish off your sexy smouldering gaze.

There is a new shimmer eye range from collection 2000, called ‘dazzle me’ they come in a rainbow range of nine colours try a neutral sparkle or dare for a shot of colour.

At £2.99 a pot they are a bargain and could make a nice stocking filler.

For casual wear hats are back. I am gladly

embracing this trend, try cute 60’s black berets put at an angle. They are stylish, practical and hide a multitude of hair sins.

Purple bags are hot right now. As they add a splash of colour to your outfit and fit the winter colour spectrum. If you want to add an air of sophistication to your look why not ditch the low cut tops and wear a sexy chiffon blouse. They’re cool, classy and with a hint of transparency. Making it a sexy alternative. ‘Less is more’.

Hair this season is grungey with a centre parting. You want to look casually rumpled, not bed hair. Blow-dry then put in some jumbo rollers, leave then tip your head upside down and brush through. The result gorgeous tresses.

Or try a Bardot style this is half hair up and down. Tease some hair up, secure it with a band, then wind some hair around the band and fix with kirby grips. Then bring the rest of the hair round your shoulders and pull a few strands loose around your face. Simple, easy and sexy.

Don’t try too hard though. You don’t want to look like you spend an extensive amount of hours in the salon. Hair colour should be rich, caramelised, it should blend into your hair colour. Whether you are blonde, brunette or auburn. And remember dyed hair gets dry easily and can loose its shine. So invest in a deep cream conditioner, there are plenty on the market. Use it every few weeks to keep your hair looking shiny and luscious.

Finally I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas, enjoy your holidays and mistletoe kisses. Not forgetting to wish you all a happy new year. party hard New Years Eve and lets hope that 2007 is a fabulous year. X x

Sophie de l’Orme

7

Health

WHY SO S.A.D.?

M

ost people appreciate the extra hour they get in bed when the clocks are put back in October, but for many people it may not be so welcome. Between September and April it starts to get darker much earlier and there are several less hours of daylight, which can affect people and lead to the winter blues.

Many people are aware of the term ‘winter blues’ but may not be aware that around 30% of the population of Britain suffer from this, medically known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD usually affects people between 20 and 40 and women are generally more vulnerable, however it is not uncommon for children and adolescents to suffer. Even people that do not suffer from SAD usually find that they eat and sleep more during the winter months and feel unhappy during the duller weather.

People find during the winter months that they struggle to wake up and get motivated in the mornings and find themselves shattered in the evenings, yet have problems getting to sleep. Having an unsettled body clock and sleeping problems are key symptoms of SAD alongside other symptoms, such as having low self-esteem, lack of concentration, decreased libido and lowered resistance to illnesses. Around 2% of SAD sufferers find they have much stronger symptoms, which can be as extreme as turning to drug or alcohol abuse or feeling suicidal.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is caused by the lack of light people are exposed to which changes the amount of chemicals that are released within the brain. Light is important to all living things, which is why many animals hibernate during this time.

During a bright summer’s day the intensity of light that people are exposed to can be up to 100,000 Lux whereas artificial lighting indoors only emits an intensity of 250-500 Lux. One way that SAD can be treated is by using light therapy. This involves the sufferer sitting in front of a specially designed light box for 1 or 2 hours a day which can emit up to 10,000 Lux, giving the body the greater amount of light that it needs to release the necessary chemicals.

Light boxes are not available on the NHS and cost between £75 and £200, however many companies do offer a home trial service. Other that the use of a light box you can reduce the effects of SAD in many natural ways.

Even if you do not feel motivated to, it is always beneficial to wake up at a reasonable hour and get as much daylight as possible. It is also important to eat well during the winter months and many people find that supplementing their diet with vitamins (B12) also helps.

The only true way to cure SAD

would be to move within 30 degrees of the equator, around Southern Spain or Africa!

However, that’s not always entirely practical and wouldn’t you miss Bangor just a little bit?

Phil Rhymes

DOC SPOT M

isunderstandings and conflicts are a part of life. The problem is most of us avoid resolving them and consequently they turn into an ego battle. In the process we miss the precious moments of love. Life is uncertain and there is not time to waste on ego battle. Focus on a problem troubling you at this point. Try to recollect every incident with details; don’t hold back any emotions. Close your eyes and ask yourself whether you want to resolve it.

Consider three things § Do you desire to solve the problem? § Do you need to let go of your ego? § Do you need to communicate freely and openly with the person you have a problem with?

Three techniques can help people to resolve their conflicts.

Talk face to face – this is the simplest, yet hardest step and you have to take the initiative. Be prepared to solve things, be positive in your mind and approach.

Initiate the talk by telling the person- “I have a problem and the only person who can help me is you”. Beware and do not say “I have a problem with you and I want to discuss it”. The latter sets a pace for more arguments. Speak your heart out with this person. Focus on problems rather than actions, avoid getting personal and stay committed to the fact that you want to solve this. Ensure you allow the other person to speak, and empathetically listen. If there is criticism take it with an open mind. Keep telling them you want to be friends again and that he/she is important. More often than not this will solve the problem. Even if you are not successful, at least you gave it your best shot.

Make that call If you don’t find enough courage to talk face to face, find out whether he/she has little time. Repeat what has been described in the first technique. I share this heart touching experience of a 38 year old professional. He came to me with tears in his eyes. Initially, I had no clue about what had happened, but then he told me he had not spoken to his mum for 5 years as he had married against his parents’ wishes. He got settled in another city and had not met them since then. The previous night he called his mum and spoke.

After an emotion filled conversation his mum told him she loves him and wants him

back. The suppressed love on both sides got them back together.

Write a letter If speaking seems difficult, try writing a letter. This is perhaps the most difficult of all.

This is because your mind tells you that you are right and the other person is wrong, thus it is he/she who should actually apologise.

However, you have decided to take the first step, so you have to write this letter. While you do so you will notice spelling errors or grammatical mistakes, else handwriting goes haywire. This happens because of conflict in the mind, which says it wasn’t your fault and the heart, which says let’s solve this problem.

But continue and ensure the letter reaches the person. Remember to write positive things and communicate your desire to get back to the person. This act of will break the barriers.

Finally, a message to all my readers is let’s find a reason to smile rather than finding a reason to fight. Let’s understand that getting into problems is very natural and to do nothing about it is quite common.

However, to get the maximum out of your life you have to grow out of your false ego and live with zeal and joy. Last advice; learn to forgive and to forget.

For queries mail: health4u_ 78@yahoo.com.

Dr. Rashesh Mehta

8

Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

Travel

Dublin’s Intoxicating Charm

Love In A Cold Climate D

ublin: a sure place to find students on an ‘academic’ budget break, students still hung over from a ferry trip they can’t remember and Germans who manage to be a journalist, salesman and linguist all at the same time. Dublin is a city full of alcohol and alcohol-related surprises. I was incredibly wary of how much money I was spending on this trip; my loan depleting by the very second. However,

there’s plenty of budget accommodation in Dublin. We stayed at the centrally located Marlborough Hostel (70 for 3 nights) and with a combined train-ferry fare (£36 return), the initial blow was a small one.

The hostel served its function; the rooms weren’t anything special and neither was the breakfast. It’s after the initial costs though that your money tends to disappear and you find yourself scouring the streets for a bank.

I recommend that you either take all your euros with you or that you use AIB banks in the daytime in case anything goes wrong. The Irish National Bank won’t give money at an ATM if you have an ‘English card’. Daytime; well there are the usual places to visit, most popular probably being the Guinness storehouse. This was quite expensive, even with the student discount it was still 9.50.

However, it was really well done compared to some rip-off places and you did get a free pint at the end of it. The best part by far was definitely the view from the top. It was dark by the time we got up there but the view was still great. Dublin Writers Museum makes an interesting morning. They give you those silly telephone-like speaking guides that did nothing but make me want to laugh, but the displays are more factual and in-depth.

I myself, not being the biggest literature fan, found a first edition of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the early twentieth century

theatre posters of interest. Nights; well all our nights were spent around Temple Bar. On our first night we were recommended by a waiter to visit The Globe. If you ask the locals, it gets you a bit out of the touristy spots and they may point out places you wouldn’t normally see. It was quite trendy and on our first visit it was fairly busy and filled with students, so going on a Thursday is quite a recommendation rather than at weekends. The weekend meant being squashed like a sardine and being come onto by a lot of older German men (one looking remarkably like an older Sam Burnett Union President). The Temple Bar is lovely (was necessary to take a beer mat or two) but it’s good to go somewhere the locals recommend. Dublin is a great student getaway weekend. It is perhaps a little more affordable if you have a job or perhaps when your loan has just come in. It is very cold at the moment too, in fact a massive temperature drop compared to Bangor, but as long as your wrap up warm you can admire the pretty Christmas lights. The only real downside to Dublin is that it’s more of an experience than a photo-fest.

Jen Stanley

Santas, saunas and spirits at Christmas

S

ituated 20km inside the Arctic Circle, in the small village of Jukkasjarvi, in Northern Lapland lies the ICE HOTEL. Getting here in the heart of winter, is to say the least, troublesome with buses and trains coming once every blue moon. Though I was one of the lucky ones who made it and lived to tell the tale! I started my travels from Harnosand and travelled to Lulea. From Lulea, I took a train to Kiruna. In the North of Sweden, darkness falls for approximately 18 hours of the day. Thus most Swedes live their lives in complete darkness for the majority of winter. The train was meant to take 5 hours; in reality it took 10, due to snow and various suicide attempts (darkness can do silly things to people!). It was bitterly cold onboard the train. Struggling to wipe the condensation off the windows, all one could see for miles and miles, were endless rows of pine trees. But this journey, merely built up my anticipation about the Ice Hotel which would be the culmination of my trip. When we finally arrived, the sight was simply mesmerising. Never before have I seen anything so beautiful and full of grandeur. It was an architectural wonder.

The Ice Hotel is a unique place, as unlike any other ordinary hotel, this one melts every spring and a new one is built. Once we were suited and booted in full snow mobile outfits, Tor (my Swedish boyfriend) and I were free to walk around the hotel.

Most people see the Ice Hotel as simply a hotel, but in fact within this ice complex, there is also an Ice Bar, an Ice Theatre and an Ice Chapel. I chose to visit the ice bar,

with a range of vodka cocktails available I couldn’t really say no. Even the glasses were made of ice and once finished it would be thrown away and another one carved. It surely did warm me up inside! Many of the rooms have been designed by international artists and their ideas have been sculptured into ice. One of the ice suites was themed around the solar system, with coloured lights shining through holes in the ice. This is where the King and Queen of Sweden slept when they visited. There were also rooms with reindeers and guitars coming out of the walls. In another room there was a sheet of ice, with a jagged hole cut through it, which you had to jump through in order to land safely on your ice block. That was pretty awesome! However, for the poor students that we were, we slept in a simple ice room with a domed ceiling. There was an ice block on the floor, with a reindeer hide placed over the top. This would be our bed for the night. Thank god for sleeping bags I thought. It was -5C that night. This is not a place for the faint hearted. It was super to be woken up with hot Lingonberry juice and I have never enjoyed a Sauna so much.

Though sitting around with naked girls – I didn’t know where to look! This is where English and Swedish character differs… The Ice Hotel was like something out of Narnia, it was truly out of this world. So if you want to gain an Ice Hotel ‘diploma’ and a chance to travel to the ends of the earth then this is the place for you. But the question remains, are you man enough?

Lizzie Joyce

L

apland or Lappi is Finland’s northern most province with Rovaniemi, home of ‘Santa Claus’ being the administrative centre.

Rovaniemi is currently under development and as a result it is somewhat unremarkable as a town, following a common format of towns throughout Finland. There are the typical Finnish characteristics of a developed region in the form of shopping centres and coffee shops. Just a few km. north out of the centre is the Santa Claus village and the only place in the world where you can cross the artic circle on a bus. The Santa Claus village is very much like Alton Towers without the rides. If the cheesy music doesn’t drive you mad then the extortionate prices in the gift shops will. A combination of the

16 charge to visit ‘Santa’ and the overcommercialisation really put me off and killed my image of Santa as a generous and gentle old man. The saving grace was the post office which straddles the artic circle and sells a range of tasteful postcards that, once posted will be stamped with the special artic circle post mark. There was even a special post box to guarantee delivery for Christmas which was a thoughtful touch.

After an hour there, most of which was spent calling family while stood on the artic circle, it really was enough and time to move on. I later found out the actual real Finnish Santa known as Joulupukki lives on the Finnish/ Russian border on a hill called Korvatunturi.

Rovaniemi is purely to keep tourists away from the Russian border. A more satisfying

town to visit is definitely Inari. It has everything that you would associate with Finland despite being in what feels like the middle of nowhere. The gift shops are stocked by the native Sami and are far more authentic than those found in Rovaniemi despite still being exspensive. Inari is also home to Europe’s 6th largest lake and has a diverse history that is interesting to explore, especially in the summer months when the sun barely sets. Christmas in Finland is a time of celebration and there is plenty of time for it as the official season begins on the 19th of November. Joensuu (my place of study) saw song and dance in the Market square by the local school children and a special visit from the real Santa from Korvatunturi hill. So after having secretly photographed the Rovaniemi Santa despite the signs forbidding it, the genuine Santa made a special trip to Joensuu. This type of event is national and is refreshing to see, especially when the amount of light in the day is limited and getting motivated is difficult. Currently the northern most areas of Finland are being plunged in to a time known as Kaamos when the sun fails to rise.

This time is made especially hard if like now the snow hasn’t come. The snow provides a boost in light levels that really makes an impact on your mood through the day.

Failing the presence of snow, Finland has a safety net in the form of saunas and alcohol.

Indeed saunas are such a way of life that they have even been mobilised with troops in Finland’s military history. Finally the coffee culture of the day time soon evolves in the evening to alcohol consumption in copious amounts. It is at these times when Finns really shine as they transform into the most sociable culture I have encounted.

Sean Miller

Catch up with Lucy and Amy on Page 9

Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

FROM BANGOR TO BANGOR

W

ell I have become somewhat of an ice hockey fan since coming to Maine. Our team ‘Black Bears’ are top of the University League in America which results in having a serious hardcore fan base here at the Uni. Last weekend we played our biggest rivals and had to camp out overnight to get a seat! It was FREEZING!! We ended up having ten people in a six man tent and were still shivering! The game was worth the wait, the atmosphere amongst the fans is amazing to see and they are so vicious with their chants it’s hard not to get into it. Talking of cold weather its meant to snow here soon, but us Brits have been repeatedly told that and still no snow has come! It’s bitterly cold- and windy which as a girl is fretful when wearing hair down and lip-gloss. I’ve had to trade lip-gloss for Chap Stick and don a rather fetching hat, glamour Maine is not! The Americans were not lying when we arrived and they asked if we had packed our thermal undies! It’s set to reach -20C in the depths of winter, suddenly makes Wales look like a tropical paradise!

Amy, who’s in Oregon for her exchange is coming to Maine for Thanksgiving; I’m really excited to see a familiar face. We’re hiring a car and going skiing as well as going to experience ‘Black Friday’- it’s the biggest shopping day of the year here, basically most stores slash their prices by huge amounts on the Friday after thanksgiving and they open at 2am, apparently it’s chaos, quite frankly after experiencing the Next shoe sale I’m ready for anything, the women there are pure vicious! Off to Boston Christmas shopping at the beginning of December - can’t wait and I’ve been told to track down the cheese cake factory, they supposedly make the best cheese cake in the world, so looking forward to that trip!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Lucy x x x

COSMIC KERRIE

Your horoscopes for December

Sagittarius (23rd November – 21st December)

H

appy birthday Saggy-hairyarse! Most of you are born in December, so I hope you have (or had) a wonderful time. Righto, now down to the forecast. It looks like there will be a lot of changes for you this month, but you’ll probably find that all very exciting! Keep your mind open, put your best foot forward (try not to trip!) and you’ll be okay. Make some time for your family too. They miss you more than you realise. Surprise them all by going home or phoning up, it’ll be much appreciated.

Aries (21st March – 20th April)

I

t’s all looking good for you Aries, you lucky sheep, if you keep your head up and plan for the future. Long journeys are coming your way this December (and I’m not just talking about the weekly trek to Octagon!) so be prepared to have to sit on your arse for a bit and watch the world roll by. Try and keep the peace with your roomies and family by remaining calm and optimistic, because if you do, your Christmas will turn out all white! (Ooh! Excuse the pun there, couldn’t resist!)

Capricorn (22nd December – 20th January)

S

trangely, whilst Christmas time is usually associated with the family, it seems that Capricorns need a good time alone this December. It’s probably because they’ve been working so hard during the build up to Christmas, that they’ve knackered themselves out! So take a break from it all! Otherwise, your health will suffer. However, if a dreaded student bug has already got to, try to stay positive, it’ll be the best way to get rid of it. And let’s face it, with all those presents to look forward to at the end of the month, there’s a lot to be happy about!

ADVENTURES FROM ACROSS THE POND

I

t is sunny! Oh the joy. Finally, the sun has appeared in this god-forsaken state. Unfortunately for me, I am stuck in the library, where I have been for the past 5 hours, trying to write an essay on dead whales. Yes, you did read that right. This is the kind of thing that interests me, but apparently it is still not interesting enough to keep me from being horribly distracted every five minutes. That is the problem with the library; lots of people for me to gawk at. I specifically chose a table which would mean I was facing away from everyone, but still. There is a guy in front of me who is wearing skin tight leggings. So I will distract myself from the Lycra wonder, by recounting the rather thrilling story of … yeah I don’t actually have any thrilling stories.

Very little is actually going on here. It is quiet. I am gloriously flouting the ‘no eating in the library rule’ by munching on an apple muffin. Muffins are one of the most dangerous foods to eat in a library, and probably the worst offender of the ‘no eating’ rule. Since you are allowed to bring in coffee (as long is it is in a covered container, and not in the computer area) it seems fairly mean to me to ban food. Coffee without food is like sex without foreplay, still fun, but it doesn’t completely fill the need. Well, that depends on the person I suppose… heh. Ok! Getting a little dirty here, so I will step away from the euphemism.

So, I have a food danger scale for the library. At the bottom end of the scale, which I like to call, the Sneak n’ Safe foods, are boiled sweets. As long as no loud wrapper action is involved, then you should be fine. Almost impossible to detect, and leave no discernable trace, the litter is also easy to remove. Muffins are near the top of the scale, in the ban worthy food section. Muffins, are not only cumbersome to carry as they are prone to squashing, but also have the curse of requiring a small tablecloth covering the surrounding 3 feet to prevent crumb dispersal. So yes, I am living on the wild side, eating a muffin. And that, my friends, is as about as exciting as it is going to get today. Something interesting better happen tomorrow, or I may have to start talking about plugs and sockets.

Amy Garrett

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Leo (24th July – 23rd August)

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ou are a good leader Leo, so use that ability this December. Now I’m not suggesting that you strut into Time and order everybody to do the Macarena (although I bet you’d like to!) but just that you make sure things run smoothly this December. A little authority goes a long way, so stand your ground and make sure things are done properly. Spend some time with your parents too, if you can, and any children in your family, for both will benefit from your sunny disposition.

Virgo (24th August – 23rd September)

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oh Virgo! Have I got some good news for you! If you’ve been fretting about your future career, then December is the month to sort it out. A connection will be made with an influential somebody, who can help you get where you want to be.

Sound good? Then make sure you make the most of the meeting! Don’t shy away from the opportunity; embrace it head on! You have the capacity to be very successful in life, so perhaps this Saturday, instead of drinking one to many pound pints in Paddies, keep your wits about you, you never know who you might meet…

Taurus (21st April – 21st May)

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oney, money, money, must be funny Right? Well, perhaps if you’re rich. But, if you’re not careful Taurus, you might end up with only chocolate money this Christmas.

You’ll feel like splashing out on pub meals, new clothes and bottles of wine, especially if it’s to impress a certain somebody. But just make sure you don’t go overboard!

And if you really can’t face the idea of not eating out, then try Varsity; you get two meals for a fiver. (Hey, it beats beans on toast!)

Scorpio (24th October – 22 November)

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eep an eye on your valuables. I know that doesn’t sound very festive, but just be sure that whilst you’re out having a good time you know where your wallet is. Don’t burn yourself out either. I know you’ve got a lot of passion and probably love a good dance, but don’t over do it and end up passing out on the dance floor. Believe me, it’s not a good look! Especially if you happen to be wearing a revealing elf outfit! Imagine everybody in Academi seeing your floozy or your tom-tom, especially if you’re wearing tights guys! It’s all about moderation this December (or, depending on your outlook, wearing a more flattering outfit!)

Libra (24th September – 23rd October)

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isits and short trips make an appearance for you in December, so make sure you’ve got your bags packed. It’s also time for you to get closer to the people you care about. Stop being indecisive about it and do it! Trust me; you’ll be glad you did. New friendships and even relationships may come from your actions, which will make your Christmas right proper cosy indeed! Also, keep up with Christmas social events, and go to as many as you can. Dress up and have fun, for: “t’is the season to be jolly, tra-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-lah!” (Karaoke, anyone? Nah, didn’t think so!)

Gemini (22nd May – 21st June)

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eace out man! It seems your mission this December is to spread the love Gemini, and make group activities as harmonious as possible. It will be up to you to prevent arguments, and add a slice of humour in every gin and tonic you serve. Reckon you’re up for the challenge? Well of course you are.

With your innate charm, you could even calm down a raging hippopotamus; although I’m not suggesting you go to Africa to do it! Just make sure you spend your time with your friends and family, and watch how their faces beam.

Aquarius (21st January – 19th February)

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ntertainment and recreation makes a big appearance for you this month Aquarius, which is nice, being as it’s so near to Christmas hey?! Hosting parties and social functions will make you feel very happy indeed, especially if you designed some of the decorations in your own quirky way! They might even lead to a romantic attachment, you never know! Educational matters are also important, so whilst you’re busy enjoying the merriments, make sure you don’t neglect your work. Any kind deeds you do will be well remembered this month, so be generous and reap the rewards!

Cancer (22nd June – 23rd July)

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ou’ve always been a good listener Cancer, and it’s just as well, because a lot of your friends are going to need a shoulder to cry on this December. As for you, make sure your life remains as stable as possible. If you do have a job, hold on to it, for now is not the time to be short of cash. (And we all know how hard it is to find a job in Bangor!) Make sure everything is in order; your work, your love life and your finances, and that way Christmas 2006 will be as merry as can be.

Pisces (20th February – 20th March)

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mm, an interesting month this will be for you Pisces. Steps towards your career goals will be important, as will be your popularity. But that’s okay!

Just buy your mates a few drinks down the pub that should sort out that matter straight away! As for your career, try not to burn your bridges. Also, try to avoid confrontations.

There are likely to be a few around you, but be as friendly and as understanding as you can be, and any tensions are sure to diffuse. Failing that, go and have a scone and cup of tea on the pier. Just because the people around you are stressed out, doesn’t mean you have to be too!

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Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

VENEZIA IS THE NEW MILAN

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any would describe Milan, Paris or London as THE places to go and buy stylish clothes designed from scratch, but you don’t have to travel that far. Even here in North Wales, Deganwy to be precise, we have our own fashion designer, Marion Kennedy. Marion’s designs are stunningly beautiful. As you enter her boutique, Venezia on Station Road, you are bombarded with elegant gowns, accessories and amazing jewellery.

She specialises in stunning evening and wedding dresses and colourful corsets. Her jewellery is made in Ireland and starts at around £10. She also provides student rates for her dresses and has both evening and party wear –so there is something for any occasion. Marion will design her dresses to your specifications and tastes and she truly believes in catering for the client.

“I try to get inside people and work out what makes them rock. Everyone is different and it’s their clothes that say who they are.” Marion sees clothes as a way of expressing the inner you better than you actually can and it is this that she tries to capture when she is designing dresses for her clients.

Her passion for clothes began at a young age. She used to make dresses for her Sindy doll and sell them to the other girls in her class. Marion’s family also ran a bridal shop in Kilkenny which provided valuable experience for Marion. It was through her family’s business that she was able to include her own designs into the collection. She then went on to study Fashion at the Cork College of Design which she loved immensely. There she was allowed free reign to experiment with different colours and textures.

Marion however has not only studied fashion but also history. She took a course here at University of Wales, Bangor in Medieval History. She believes it is her love of both that has inspired her, “my love of history has spilled out into my love of fashion.” This love and mixture of history and fashion has enabled her to design some stunning medieval wedding wear as well.

Marion uses her own knowledge of running a business to help inspire many young hopefuls. She even runs her own modelling agency as well as her shop in Deganwy. Marion helps to organise charity events and visits local schools as part of a programme run by Career Wales. She teaches children around the age of eleven interview techniques that will help them in years to come. Marion believes that through this programme she is teaching the children “how to work with people and not against them.”

I asked Marion what top tips she would give any students at University of Wales, Bangor, who are interested in a career in fashion. Her advice is “to never restrict your imagination-break the rules. Don’t listen to anyone who says you can’t put certain colours together because with design everything goes. Remember that the only person who ever stops you is you and always be true to yourself no matter what. “

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WORLD AIDS DAY 2006

he 1st of December was World Aids Day. In Bangor Cathedral at 2pm they held the World Aids Day service, which was presided over by The Very Reverend Alun Hawkins, Dean of Bangor. The majority of the service was done by Bangor University’s very own Dafydd Morris. Also present from the church was Helen Lincoln, the Cathedral Verger.

The purpose of the service was to remember all those that are suffering from HIV and Aids as well as all the people across the world that have died as a result of HIV or Aids. The service, although a Christian service, was open to anyone who wanted to come no matter their sexuality, creed or religion.

I must admit that I was pleased to see such a wide variety of people in the cathedral for the service. There were members of UWB Pride showing their support. Some of the staff of The Three Crowns were also present to show their support. As well as several members of the Students’ Union including the President, Sam Burnett. This goes to show that not only the University community, but the wider Bangor community holds this issue close to their heart.

The service was very poignant, there were several readings, some from the bible and a poem by Myra Brooks Welch. All to show that we should have compassion and should not be intolerant or prejudiced against any person just because they are suffering from HIV or Aids.

Every person attending the service was given a small candle before the service started. Which half way through the service we were asked to go down in small groups and light from a main candle and given a chance to reflect on the people suffering from this disease as we placed our candles on the altar.

The Cathedral was silent as every person attending went down and in silent reflection lit their candle and placed it down, before returning to their seats.

The Dean gave us the Blessing and Sending Out. This concluded the formal part of the service. However, that wasn’t the end of it. There was at the back of the Cathedral near the main entrance several alms bowls for donations to the Tyddyn Bach Trust, which is a respite centre for HIV/AIDS suffers that is located in Penmaenmawr. As well as another chance to get a red World Aids Day Ribbon.

In summary the service was very moving and saddening. Because you had no option but to think off all the people across the world that are suffering or have suffered and perished as a result of this horrific disease. However it goes to show that people do care and will stand against this disease.

If you are interested in becoming a fashion designer then Marion suggests joining the Welsh Clothing and Textile Association. Call Adrian Clarke on 01286 830 102.

Sam Mager

Siobhan Holt

Specialists in party dresses & ball gowns

For a look that speaks louder than words

Fashion designers 141 Station Road Deganwy Conwy Tel. 07919676186 marion.venezia@gmail.com Appointments at university can be arranged

ONE MINUTE WELSH

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Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE In conversation with Mark and Sarah

‘Hey Mark, what are the things that get you in the mood… for CHRISTMAS?!’

‘Well Sarah… Where should I begin? Mince pies, tinsel, Christmas trees, fairy lights, reindeer, Santa hats, stockings, snow, wrapping paper…’

‘Haven’t you forgotten something?’

‘Oh yeah! Carols!’

‘I don’t know about you, Mark, but singing carols really puts me in the mood… for CHRISTMAS!’ ‘So, Sarah, where can we sing carols in anticipation of this year’s Christmas?’

‘Really? What? When? Where? Who? How? Why?’ ‘Well, Mark, haven’t you heard? The Christian Union are putting on a fabulous carol service at the Cathedral this year!’

‘Really, Mark! And it’s going to b even better than last year, when 450 people turned up and we watched the Simpsons!

It’s on Monday 11th December at 7:30 in Bangor Cathedral. It’ll be bilingual, of course, followed by a lovely spread of mince pies!’

‘Anything else I should know?’

‘Well, I’m glad you asked, Mark, because there will be a number of performances on top of the excitement of carol singing. We will hear from Revelation Rock Gospel Choir, JMJ Girl’s Choir and a harp duet.

Is that enough for you?’

‘Hmmm… it seems like something’s missing…’

‘You’re right, Mark! The renowned public speaker, John Thomas, will be talking to us about the meaning of Christmas.’

‘The meaning of Christmas? What’s that, Sarah?’

‘Ah! Well, you’ll have to come along to find out. Remember, Monday 11th December, 7:30 at the Cathedral. See you there!’

Mark Hawkins and Sarah Donnelly

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Features

Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

Want a member of the Seren team to come All I want for along to your society and write a piece about it? Christmas is... a goat? email: features@seren.bangor.ac.uk tuck for what to buy that special

Amnesty party for women’s rights!

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n the 14th November Bangor Student Amnesty hosted a party in Jocks bar to raise money for the Dignity. Period! Campaign, to provide Zimbabwean women with affordable sanitary products.

In the UK women buy more than three billion disposable sanitary products every year.

It’s something we take for granted. But millions of women in Zimbabwe go without these basic products. As a result many are suffering from infection, depression and, in some serious cases, infertility. There have also been examples of women being beaten by their husbands who wrongly attribute their infection to infidelity. As Robert Mugabe’s leadership plunges Zimbabwe deeper into crisis basic goods like sanitary products are becoming a luxury item only available to the rich.

Thabita Khumalo, general secretary

‘A lack of affordable hygienic sanitary products translates directly into issues of women’s rights as well as women’s dignity.’ of the Women’s Advisory Council of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, and a mother of two, is a women’s right campaigner. She began to campaign against a critical shortage of tampons and sanitary towels in Zimbabwe, one of the least talked about and most severe side-effects for women of the country’s economic crisis.

Her campaign has led to her being severely mistreated in Zimbabwe. Now her cause has been taken up in Britain by celebrities

Bangor amnesty student group: Jade Mutyora (sec), Rikia Fayne (treasurer), Louis Kitchen (Chair), David Lau (publicity), Alice Neal(pub), Sophie (events organiser), Emma (social sec), Hayley Liston, Sarah Peploe, Hannah. including the actors Anna Chancellor, Gillian Anderson, Prunella Scales and Jeremy Irons. The campaign has been named Dignity. Period!.

Zimbabwe already has the world’s lowest life expectancy for women, just 34, and Khumalo believes these unhygienic practices could make it drop to as low as 20 because infections will make them more vulnerable to HIV. The crisis began in 1999 when Johnson & Johnson, the healthcare manufacturer, pulled out of the country because of the worsening economic situation. Zimbabwe then had to import products from neighbouring South Africa. But the collapse of the currency and

Have a go!

Fencing

Seren’s reporters have been out and about sampling the Union’s more unusual sporting clubs

Women’s Rugby

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knew I’d identified the UWB Women’s Rugby lasses when I spotted a pair of knee-length stripy socks combined with shorts. In Bangor. In November. It was a sure bet that it wasn’t just a whacky fashion statement. After some friendly banter, the distribution of the club’s November newsletter (very impressive) and an introduction outside the Belle Vue, we commandeered a few of the girls’ cars and traveled en mass to the pitch on Anglesey. I was going on my first rugby taster session.

Well, it was cold, and I know nothing whatsoever about rugby, so it all seemed somewhat daunting! We started with some basic ball training (in my case, mostly

the world’s highest inflation, now more than 1,000%, have made the products unaffordable to all but the elite. In a country where the minimum wage is Z$6m (£17.14) a month, the cost of a box of 20 tampons is Z$3m; no woman is going to spend half their earnings on tampons, especially when most people can only afford to eat once a day. Women are being forced to choose between their own health and the survival of their family.

It’s an issue which raises questions of whether a woman is forced to stay away from work or school; whether she is putting her health at risk by picking up infections or, if she is HIV positive, whether those infections

dropping said ball) followed by tactical and fitness training, and I found myself warming up and unexpectedly having a great time. The team were very patient with the novice in their midst, and took the time to explain strange and alien terms like “wing” and “forward” before putting me to play in the aforesaid ‘wing’ position (which I discovered involved running up and down the pitch all night!).

The team really took the time and effort to include me and another new member. They were friendly, approachable girls who created a welcoming atmosphere and made it very easy for even someone such as me to attempt rugby! I’d thoroughly recommend rugby for the exercise, as well as the social element; as it was certainly a good workout (especially if you’re a ‘wing’!).

If you’re interested in joining the UWB Women’s Rugby team, they train every Tuesday and Friday evenings. Meet outside the Belle Vue pub in Upper Bangor at 6.20: the session finishes at roughly 9pm. They usually have matches on Sundays. You can contact the team via email if you have any more questions at womensrugby@undeb.b angor.ac.uk

Rebecca E. Hussey

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ould you like to write an article on fencing? say the features editors… “SWORDS!” says I, (translation: Yes, yes I would) so off I trot to Normal Site (8-10 on Tuesdays & Wednesdays and 2-4 on a Saturday) all ready to swashbuckle the night away.

How was it I hear you cry? Well reader, it was great fun. Not only that, but it is very easy to pick up. To start with you have to get the posture, which leads to the enguarde stance, which theoretically, you can start fencing from. However, it’s never that simple, as fencing is not just wildly flailing with a sword and hoping you hit something, as that would be more than a little dangerous. To begin with, the ‘attacks’ you use are fairly subtle and are no more than a thrust or a lunge or a flick of the sword to parry, but as you go up through the different sword classes (there are three classes: foil, epee and sabre, each bigger than the last) the attacks become quicker and more aggressive. Fencing is an all-round work out, as the kit you wear is pretty thick and heavy (but what do you expect? You’re playing with swords!) And it’s pretty mentally taxing as well, as you have to focus totally on your opponent’s move, for any slight shift that might signal an attack or for any drop in their guard that leaves them open. As this was my first time, I got destroyed… sure I could dodge some (being 6’ 3 gives you legs long enough to dodge pretty much anything) but everything else didn’t come as easily, but give it a few weeks and maybe it will. Fencing takes place in Normal site gym 1 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8-10 and on Saturdays from 2-4.

Sean Clement

will literally shorten her life span. In short, a lack of affordable hygienic sanitary products translates directly into issues of women’s rights as well as women’s dignity.

The open mike night organised by Amnesty International was a big success.

All the musicians that braved the stage had fantastic voices and were wonderful to listen to. Alice, Frankie, Anna, Sian and Louis were amongst that talent that graced us with their songs which included their own material and acoustic covers from Norah Jones to Muse. DJ Mouse also provided music entertainment between artists.

Jade Mutyora, the Amnesty International student group secretary spoke of her delight at the outcome of the night.

“We raised loads of money for ACTSA (the coordinators of the Dignity.Period! campaign). As a Zimbabwean myself I was especially touched by the amount of people who came and donated, especially every one of the incredibly talented performers who made it such a special night” Bangor Amnesty Student Group is a new amnesty group that has been running for about year at the University. They aim to promote the general awareness of human rights by trying our best to keep you inform of what’s going on in the world. In their own words they are ‘ordinary people from across the world standing up for humanity and human rights, our purpose is to protect individuals wherever justice, fairness, freedom and truth are denied’.

If you would like to know more about Amnesty International, check out www.amnesty.org.uk or to learn about the student group go to w w w. u n d e b . b a n g o r. a c . u k / amnesty.

They also have a ‘myspace’ page for you myspacers out there!

Claire Mann

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someone this Christmas? How about a flock of sheep?

This year we’ll be splashing out more than £8bn on Christmas presents - many of which will be buried at the back of the wardrobe or abandoned in charity shops a few months later. But the pressure to buy for the sake of buying is driving more people to charity gift websites selling unusual presents to benefit the needy.

Oxfam hit the headlines last year with their innovative Christmas present scheme that enabled people to send a goat, sheep or pig to Africa as a gift on someone else’s behalf. This year it has extended, with you now being able to buy a whole flock of sheep or a herd of goats. Through Oxfam, one of the many charities that has launched an ‘ethical gifts’ campaign, you can buy amongst many things a goat for £24, kit out a teacher for £25 or train a health worker for £38.

This growing trend has been boosted by celebrity endorsements from everyone from Alan Titchmarsh, who wants an acre of protected rainforest (£25), to the actress Emilia Fox, who has told ‘Good Gifts’ that she quite fancies a village library (£1,200).

New research by Oxfam predicts that the amount spent on ‘ethical shopping’ this Christmas is likely to rise to £361 million, growing by more than a third in one year This morning agony aunt Denise Robertson gave the BBC some of her most valuable advice yet. “If you’re giving a present to impress someone, like a man in ardent pursuit of a woman, you’re more likely to give them Chanel No 5,” she says.

“But if it’s someone you love very much, give her a goat.”

“If they don’t appreciate it, they’re probably not worth giving a gift to anyway.”

If you fancy the idea of purchasing an ethical gift this Christmas, visit The Good Gifts catalogue,a website which will link you to charities which run such schemes.

Claire Mann

Canoe Polo

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anoe Polo is a fast paced and difficult sport that combines canoeing with elements of various other sports including rugby and netball.

The objective of the game is to paddle the length of pool, passing a ball between your team mates and scoring in your opponent’s goal at the other end of the pool. One Thursday I went along to the Canoe Polo practice session to see what it was all about. As soon as we arrived at the pool we were separated into two groups, the beginners and more experienced. The instructors quickly ushered us into our canoes and into the water running us through the various safety procedures and assuring me since I hadn’t been in a canoe in years that it was just like riding a bike.

After this brief re-introduction to canoeing it was time for my first game of Canoe Polo. I quickly realized I was out of my depth. The two teams sprung into action passing the ball between one another whilst paddling up the pool at speed. I was left floundering at the other end of the pool desperately attempting to paddle toward the action. Eventually I managed get over to where the action was going on. I was thrown the ball a few times and attempted to paddle and play throw but found for the most part that I ended up capsizing.

After the beginner’s session had finished the more experienced members of the club had a game. The ball quickly flew from one end of the pool to the other, canoes violently

clashed against one another as the canoeists capsized one another in their attempts to get the ball. This was a far more exciting match than the one I had participated in and I was impressed at how skilled the canoeists had become at such an unknown sport.

When I joined in with the game I found Canoe Polo to be an extremely fun if disorientating sport and the skill and commitment of the members of the club was very impressive. Canoe Polo at this stage however is still quite unknown but interest is growing every year. Bangor’s Canoe Polo club for example didn’t even have their own team last year; they trained with another team in Holyhead. This year however because of the growing interest in the sport Bangor was able to form its own team and took out a loan in order to provide equipment. The Bangor Canoe Polo team would like to extend an invitation to their fellow students to come to their training sessions and get involved. The sessions leave from the Students’ Union every Thursday at 6 o’clock.

Richard Bunn

Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

Casino Royale

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asino Royale has been the subject of much criticism since it was announced that actor Daniel Craig would be the new 007. I was one of those who were opposed to his casting and I was expecting this film to be a bitter disappointment. But, rather than letting the Bond series down he in fact turns out to be one of the best things that ever happened to it.

First of all I will say that ‘Casino Royale’ is very different to all the James Bond movies that have preceded it. Unlike previous entries it isn’t just a popcorn action blockbuster, it is extremely classy. The action scenes are exhilarating just like in previous Bond movies but they are also extremely stylish, gritty and believable. The girls, whilst gorgeous are also intelligent and are more than mere eye candy. And the one-liners are both inventive and stylish too.

The film opens with a black-and-white sequence which shows Bond earning his 00 status by carrying out an assassination on a double agent who has been selling MI6 secrets. This sequence alone shows that this

Bond is different to all the others. This leads into the classy opening credits sequence which do away with the usual dancing girls.

After this, Bond goes from Madagascar, to the Bahamas and Miami, and onto Casino Royale in Montenegro where he faces Le Chiffre Mads Mikkelsen, a banker working for a terrorist organisation. Accompanied by the beautiful and watchful Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) he must defeat Le Chiffre in a series of tense poker games. Meanwhile, Bond falls in love with Vesper. Eventually, Bond ends up in Venice where he has a run in with Le Chiffre’s employers.

Everything in this movie works. The performances are superb throughout with Daniel Craig standing out by a mile. He doesn’t just play James Bond, he is James Bond, albeit in a way he has never been seen before. This Bond is brutal and tough but he is also very human. In this film we see him bleed and in one scene he gets hospitalised.

We even see him cry. Daniel Craig does all this in a manner that is completely believable and at times moving. Other great performances include Eva Green as

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any of us considered ‘Jackass’ to be well and truly over with the release of ‘Jackass The Movie’, some four years ago. Johnny Knoxville had moved into acting, Bam Margera and some of the regulars had ‘Viva La Bam’, whilst Steve-O and Chris Pontius had their own brand of wildlife study in ‘Wildboyz’.

But here they are again, ready to put their safety and well-being on the line in exchange for our raucous laughter.

To put it bluntly, if you hated the TV show, or the first film that took their stunts to extremes, stay well away from this follow up. Time has not mellowed the ‘Jackass’ crew one bit, and you will want to look away from the screen on numerous occasions!

Highlights include a mechanical rodeo, a puppet show, and a terrorist sketch that just gets funnier and funnier the longer it goes on. And that is all the detail about the film that you are getting out of me.

I suppose we could criticise the film for a lack of originality, some of the stunts do feel like rehashes from earlier years. But when your chest is caving in from laughing so hard, sometimes it isn’t always such a bad thing. Some others have criticised the film for being more of a ‘best of ’ from all of the shows that have since come out of ‘Jackass’, but I feel that this keeps the format fresh.

The guys have ‘matured’ in some sense from the start of the millennium, and the film is all the better for it. It is not the funniest film of the year (that goes to ‘Borat’ or ‘Talladega Nights’) but the humour never fails to miss the mark.

Ian Davies

Borat

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agshemash! Here a come film review to you! Ok, let us leave the comedy mimicking of a central-Asian nitwit to the man who does it best: Sacha Baron Cohen. In his second feature outing following the regrettable ‘Ali G Indahouse’, Baron Cohen brings another of his comic creations to the screen in ‘Borat’. A riotously funny mixture of bigotry, buffoonery and bad taste.

Where Ali G failed back in 2002 by taking the Staines legend out of his usual chat show set-up, Borat succeeds by retaining the formula that made the show so ridiculously hilarious: making real people look silly.

What little plot the movie has (Borat sent to the ‘US and A’ to learn cultural lessons for Kazakhstan government) is made up for by the amount of gut-busting laughs. As Borat, a naive journalist with tremendously backward views on matters of sex, religion and race, makes his way across the US, his confrontations with the American public, cannot help but entertain.

We get anti-semitic jokes, naked men wrestling, a bear in an ice cream van and so much more it would be rude to spoil your fun. Some conservatives have decried the film as offensive and crude, but Baron Cohen is revealing that racial bigotry and deep-rooted sexist beliefs can still be found not only in Borat’s fictional portrayal ‘Kazakhstan’ but in the very real United States of America.

David Eykelestam

Film

Vesper, and Mads Mikkelsen, who proves to be one of the best Bond villains ever as Le Chiffre. Good performances come from Judi Dench as M, Caterina Murino as the ill fated Solange and Jeffrey Wright as CIA operative Felix Leiter.

Of course, it’s not just the actors that make this movie. The film is exceptionally well scripted with Bond veterans Neil Purvis and Robert Wade joined by Oscar winner Paul Haggis. And the action scenes are extremely well done, both eye-popping and realistic without any use of visual effects like in previous movies. The highlight is an attempt to stop a terrorist bombing at Miami airport. Even the poker scenes in this film are tense and suspense filled. ‘Casino Royale’ is definitely the best James Bond film ever and Daniel Craig does the most original and interesting portrayal of James Bond ever. As someone who was opposed to this film it should really mean something when I tell you that you MUST see this movie. You won’t be disappointed.

Robert Mann

Flushed Away

Jackass Number Two

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‘Flushed Away’ is the eleventh computeranimated film to be released in the UK this year but it is the first and only one to be made in the UK by a British animation company, in this case, Aardman, best know for their clay-mation characters, Wallace & Gromit. This is Aardman’s first foray into computer animation and it manages to keep everything great about clay-mation, whilst being a much bigger scale project.

For anyone who doubted whether Aardman could work their magic with computer animation this film proves them wrong, maintaining Aardman’s high standards and keeping their trademark snappy humour and good scripting.

‘Flushed Away’ tells the story of Roddy (Hugh Jackman), a lonely pet rat living in luxury whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of sewer-rat Sid (Shane Richie) in his home. Roddy’s scheme to rid himself of Sid leads to him being flushed down the toilet and into the sewer world beneath. In his attempt to get home he meets Rita (Kate Winslet), captain of the boat The Jammy Dodger and gets involved in a plot by The Toad (Ian McKellen) to wipe out the rat population. While all this is going on his outlook on life changes and he begins to feel more at home in the sewer than at his luxury home.

The animation is superb capturing the trademark Aardman clay-mation look but on a much larger scale than in their previous animation efforts. With the exception of the opening which moves far too quickly to really get to know Roddy prior to being flushed away, the script is excellent, packed full of witty humour. The same can be said for the voice cast which, in addition to the aforementioned names, also features Jean Reno, Bill Nighy and Andy Serkis.

The film is extremely clever and inventive with the entire rat city and everything in it being made up of day to day items, e.g. food whisks as motor vehicles. The film also has some very entertaining musical numbers, and lots of clever pop culture references. Despite this being a kids’ film there is also some subtle adult humour. Of all the computer-animated movies released this year ‘Flushed Away’ is definitely one of the most entertaining and best made, and I definitely recommend this for viewing.

Robert Mann

Make the Torture Stop

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aw was a well-crafted horror mystery, Saw II’s MTV too-many-cameramenspoil-the-editing-process undermined any hint of plot, and if ‘Saw III’ serves any purpose, let it be a warning: make the torture pornography stop. Horror shouldn’t be about how many gallons of blood you can fit into every shot; it’s about what you don’t see. Implication over exposition, if you like. There are no less than three further ‘Saw’ sequels planned for every Halloween, which means that by 2010, if the public keep showing their money at the box office, cinemagoers will simply not be satisfied with the horror genre unless there is a glorified shot of a jaw being ripped off every few minutes or some such like. Moreover, the horror genre will be redefined for generations to come as ‘revulsion’ not ‘fear’.

John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’ is a masterclass in implied terror and gave birth to the modern “slasher movie”; spawning the ‘Friday The 13th’ series and acting as the bible of ‘Scream’. Even supposing the former is now a tacky irrelevance (though there was a certain ethereal presence to Jason) and the latter is a black comedy (though there was a certain ethereal presence to Ghostface plus the added thrill of guessing whodunit), both have a sense of fun and their own absurdity as well as cheap but effective jump scares.

By now, the ‘Saw’ series is neither fun nor scary (and there is no appealing presence

whatsoever to a hypocritical old pervert with a pathetic, flawed desire for selfpreservation).

To put it briefly, the Jigsaw killer should not become the bogeyman of the 21st century. He has neither the charm nor the identity to become a pop culture icon.

Indeed, maybe horror has eaten itself, its smile both gleaming and desensitised as it feasts on its body, no longer caring about how it’s perceived as long as, at worst, it manages to repel.

This year’s ‘Hostel’ is allegedly based on a true story of a now-obsolete website where life has a price and no value, but the execution of the films chilling concept is not exactly an exercise in subtlety. The fact that it has been banned in certain countries merely highlights its unsavoury amount of explicit violence rather than any intellectual or indeed fear-inducing merit. With every popular horror film now seemingly upping its on-screen violence quota, will we now see every entry into the genre veer towards an exploitative cop-out, favouring sensational display over artistic value? With ‘Hostel: Part 2’ scheduled for release in Spring 2007, here’s hoping for twitching curtains instead of yet more actors in an abattoir.

Kevin Smith

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Music

Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

Ten Second Rule; Mephs; Nuggie and the Lawbreakers; 20ft Ninja @ Academi 14/11/06

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o, it’s not just the thing of legend, it really does exist! Live music does exist in Bangor! Deprived of such a necessity/luxury (delete as appropriate) for so long, the crowd slowly begins to swell, and the atmosphere in Academi is surprisingly bustling considering that three quarters of the line-up are Bangorbased acts. This could, in part, be due to the excellent planning and organisation of BIFSA (Bangor International Forestry Students’ Association) whom the event was run by.

First up on the bill is Ten Second Rule.

Their pack of faithful cheerleaders at the front are soon joined by several others who seem genuinely interested in their indie-punk mix. Think Nine Black Alps fronted by Johnny Rotten and you’re in the right ballpark. TSR perform a solid set and frontman James Duffy seems in his element strutting about the stage with all the pomp and attitude of someone who’s already been there and done it all.

The second band up is Mephs, who raise the evening’s proverbial bar even higher.

Their energetic brand of punk rock really hits home with the ever-growing crowd, and the end of each song is met with increasing amounts of whistles and cheers. This is more than a simple punk band, however, as lead guitarist Gwyn lays down lick after lick over rhythm guitarist and lead singer Jess’ tight guitar work. Mephs are a warning to the headliners; they’re going to have to go some way to top this.

The penultimate band on the night are Sheffield indie rockers Nuggie and the Lawbreakers. Maybe it’s the thick Yorkshire accent but an Arctic Monkeys influence is more than evident here as the band plays their first couple of songs to a dubious audience. However, like the bands before them, NATL soon win over any doubters and everyone seems to welcome a slight change of pace from the previous frenetic punk offerings. This is short-lived however, as they break into a spot-on cover of The

Hives’ ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ that whips the crowd into a frenzy and leads to the evening’s first mosh pit. By the end of the set, everyone knows they have seen much more than they bargained for and are suitably appreciative of the band’s efforts.

After an evening packed with top-notch music, Bangor’s hottest property takes to the stage. After a ubiquitous ‘What Is Punk?’ poster campaign, 20ft Ninja have ensured that even if you haven’t heard their music, you at least know who they are. Fortunately, the band has the substance to accompany the style and prove a fitting climax to the night’s proceedings. If Mephs were the slightly more commercial side of punk, then 20ft Ninja are the edgier, more traditional side. Influences from bands such as Bad Religion and Pennywise are rife, with James Barnes’ unpolished vocals complementing his frantic punk riffs perfectly. Martyn Griffith and Adam Crowe, on bass and drums respectively, are also on hand to make sure that the group’s rhythm section remains tight while not losing any of its rawness. It is Barnes’ exuberance as a frontman, however, that really makes the band stand out, “I’m getting sweaty!” he screams just before launching into another frenzied number.

And so is the crowd. Watching 20ft Ninja is a tiring experience; the energy of the band is projected straight onto all those watching, and they lap up every second of it. The band rattles through tracks such as ‘Change’ and ‘So Much More’ before coming to, what must be said, a rather premature end.

Despite this, they, along with all the bands tonight have put on an excellent display of proper live music for people to have a good time to. Well done BIFSA; here’s to many more nights of this calibre in the future, and this is proof that live music in Bangor does exist, you just have to be prepared to look for it.

Chris Thomson

20ft Ninja: (l-r) James Barnes, Adam Crowe, Martyn Griffith

Music Editor - Chris Thomson. music@seren.bangor.ac.uk

The Long Blondes - Someone to Drive You Home

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hose of you who are previously aware of The Long Blondes’ talents might know that ‘Someone To Drive You Home’, the debut long player from the Sheffield boy-girl quintet, has taken three years to arrive - a very long time in the fickle world of music (just imagine how many Steel City nightclubs those Arctic Monkeys scamps could get thrown out of in that time!) By showing patience and meticulousness that is uncharacteristic for modern times, The Long Blondes have chosen quality over prolificacy and produced an album that is sure to inspire a generation of lovelorn girls whilst filling the dance floors at your local indie shindig.

Indeed, it is rejection of modern characteristics that make The Long Blondes so unique – they hark back to times when actresses were true heroines – voluptuous and sexy yet ever the victim to the dangerously handsome hero, as encapsulated in the opening track, ‘Lust In The Movies’- ‘Edie Sedgwick/Anna Karina/

Arlene Dahl/I just want to be your sweetheart’.

This is also reflected in the style of the band, particularly the leading lady Kate Jackson who is surely a star in the making as she is the one responsible for the luminous leggings and leopard-print neck scarves filling girlies’ stockings this Christmas.

Musically, she demonstrates all the cocksure swagger of Jarvis (‘Giddy Stratospheres’) combined with the big-sister-knows-best maturity of Morrissey (‘Heaven Help The New Girl’). Add a dash of Debbie Harry sex appeal (‘Weekend Without Makeup’) and even the boys may find her charms too much to resist.

The Long Blondes are a band sure to warm the cold, lonely nights. Young indie scenesters and old romantics alike will find ‘Someone To Drive You Home’ the perfect winter companion.

Emma Dixon and Alex Farley

The Long Blondes - Photo taken by Stephen Burch. stephenjburch@gmail.com

Oasis - Stop The Clocks

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t’s love them/loathe them time again – Oasis have a new CD out. They’ve finally released their greatest hits and on it are 18 songs spanning two discs, which springs forth the question: does including 18 songs stretch Oasis’ back catalogue, or is that not enough to do it credit? Of course as is usual with Oasis, the answer depends entirely on your view of the Gallagher brothers and whether they’re worth the fuss that has been impossible to avoid since ‘Definitely Maybe’, arguably the best album to come out of British music in the 90s.

It also depends on whether you’re willing to ignore the fact that Noel Gallagher is (by his own admission) a 100% non-original songwriter (try listening to The La’s ‘Clean Prophet’ after ‘The Importance of Being Idle’ - you’ll think it’s on repeat), are more concerned about listening to songs that don’t push the envelope but still sound great after all that inevitable airplay, and don’t mind daft lyrics.

‘Definitely Maybe’ and ‘(What’s the Story?) Morning Glory’ are well represented, and the best of the rest (probably less than one whole album’s worth if truth be told) is unfortunately also included to remind us how almost every band has to fall from grace eventually. It isn’t Shhhiiite, as Liam would say, but perhaps if the clocks were to stop, people might think ‘Whatever went wrong?’

Joe Penketh

The Who - Endless Wire

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his year has undoubtedly been the year of The Who. They headlined T in the park, toured sold out venues across the UK and were the top billing at the BBC Electric Proms. All of this has culminated in the release of their first album in 24 years, ‘Endless wire’. This “Mini rock opera” (Pete Townsend) offers everything you would expect from a ‘Who’ album.

There are risqué lyrics, excellent guitar solos and there is raw emotion throughout.

Roger Daltrey’s voice has aged like a fine wine and he has adapted his voice to fit the style of the album perfectly. Pete Townsend mirrors Daltrey’s voice with some understated yet excellent guitar solos.

The pace and tempo of the album is excellent and the blend of the songs makes for great listening. For example the album kicks off with a quirky little number called ‘Fragments’, is followed by a slow acoustic song, ‘A man in a purple dress’ which is then proceeded by the much faster ‘Mike post theme’.

In an era where the music scene is dominated by generic and repetitive rock bands, ‘Endless Wire’ comes as a breath of fresh air and further proves why The Who will go down in history as one of the greatest rock bands ever.

Buy this album now or at the very least make sure you’ve put it on your list to Santa!

Spencer George

Damien Rice - 9

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t has now been three years since the endearingly raw sound of Rice’s 2 million selling debut album, ‘O’, was unleashed upon the world. Obviously, ‘9’ has a lot to live up to, and I was somewhat worried when I realised that the first single from the album, ‘9 crimes’, happened also to be the first track (usually the sign of an album with only one or two decent songs on it). Thankfully, this couldn’t be further from the truth with ‘9’.

In fact, ‘9 crimes’, isn’t even the best track on the album. Track 3, ‘Elephant’, is reminiscent of Radiohead at their best, whilst you can probably expect to hear ‘Rootless Tree’ on the OC soundtrack in the near future; this latter track being a good candidate for a future single despite the expletive-laden chorus with its repetitive use of Gordon Ramsay’s favourite word beginning with ‘f ’. Before you ask, no, it’s not a song about food.

The ballads are still here, though I wouldn’t say that the melodies are as haunting and melancholy as they were on O, but that’s not to say that the quality isn’t still there. ‘Grey Room’ is an example of such a ballad, sounding as if it belongs somewhere on a David Gray album (I’m sure there’s a pun on the word grey in there somewhere).

Rice is a refreshingly honest lyricist as well as a keen observationalist, able to capture the emotions common to us all, though the overall feel of this album does seem to capture a rather different emotion to the lugubriousness of ‘O’. ‘9’ has an altogether more upbeat attitude about it and as a result the choruses are catchier, the lyrics are more confident and the album is more likely to experience mainstream success.

It’s evident that Rice has thought long and hard about this album and hasn’t just rattled off a clone of his previous, there being signs that he has pushed his boundaries here, as shown by the unrefined grunge-rock sound of ‘Me, My Yoke & I’, a departure from his usual softness. It’s also worth noting that the raw sound here is the intentional creation of atmosphere rather than the sound of a debut artist on a shoestring budget in a basement recording studio, marking the difference between the two albums. If ‘O’ was an unrefined ore of talent, then ‘9’ is a polished gemstone of sonorous quality.

Ross Butler

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Eragon

ate November sees the release of the-game-of-the-film-of-the-book Eragon on all consoles as well as the PC approximately one month ahead of the release of the film. Fans of the book

by Christopher Paolini will be eager to get their hands on the game in the hopes of getting some insight into the forthcoming film no doubt, not to mention getting to take the role of the lead character. For those unfamiliar with the story, Eragon is a fifteen year old boy who discovers a dragon’s egg and is subsequently taken under the wing of a former dragon-rider, named Brom, disguised as a storyteller. He teaches Eragon the ways of the dragon-rider and raises him to become a worthy opponent to Galbortrix’s regime and his minions. He accompanies Eragon through the game as an artificially-controlled character, helping you to dispatch the dragon-rider’s numerous foes. Complete the game and you’ll unlock a co-operative mode which will allow one player to play as Eragon and the other to play as Brom. Though key events from the film are captured in the game, largely knowledge of the storyline seems to be assumed here. The game feels somewhat similar to the last major fantasy film tiein, the Chronicles of Narnia, as you roam through medieval styled castles, villages and rugged scenery. Similarly to Narnia and Lord of the Rings, you battle for the freedom of the people of Alagaësia, a land ruled by a tyrannical wizard known as Galbortrix.

Along the way you will need to make use of your skills in hand-to hand combat, both to block as well as to deliver attacks, along with your trusty bow. Additionally however, as a dragon rider you have certain magical powers at your disposal such as a Jedi-style force push, magical arrows (useful for obliterating crowds of enemies) as well as the ability to throw fireballs. “Yes” you say, “but what about the dragons? Isn’t Eragon supposed to be a dragon rider?”

Don’t worry, this hasn’t been forgotten. At strategic points throughout various levels you can summon Eragon’s dragon Sephira to devastate armies, destroy bridges and smash through towers. In other levels you take flight, riding on Sephira’s back raining down arrows on your enemies and using Sephira’s tail as a whip. The gameplay feels natural, taking very little time to pick up whilst you are helped through the earlier levels of the game by tips and subtle hints from your companion, Brom. For fans of fantasy fiction such as the LotR series or the Chronicles of Narnia this game is likely to appeal, allowing you to immerse yourself in a magical make-believe world which is likely to keep your mind occupied and your thumbs limber over the Christmas period in the absence of essays.

Ross Butler

Tony Hawk’s Project 8

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llie. Fakie. Stalefish. Impossible. Do these words mean anything to you?

Impossible applies to everyone I guess, but if you know what the rest mean, odds are you are either a skater, or a fan of the long running Tony Hawk’s game series. It has been a constant best seller on most platforms and led the way in terms of extreme sports games, not to mention a rash of imitations since. Tony still prevails however, and he’s back to sign you up to Project 8.

What is Project 8? In the context of the game, it’s a new crew Tony is putting together to impress the skating world with their skills.

You choose your skater and make your way through the game, impressing people with your tricks, earning sponsors, getting your name known and making your way through the ranking in order to secure your place on Project 8. Along the way, various in-game characters will ask you to help them out with their problems (a guy dressed as a bear needs you to rip down posters using your wallride trick so he can make money to go to dance school.... right). Your sponsors will be keeping an eye on your progress, so you have to earn Stokens along the way in order to buy new equipment in the store and as per usual, you pick up skater points to increase your skills. The game also boasts a STELLAR supporting cast with the likes of Rodney Mullen, Bam Margera and the god that is Jason Lee (he was a professional skater before Mallrats y’know.)

I might as well say that I’m not a huge fan of the Tony Hawk’s games, this is the first one I’ve played since Tony Hawk’s 2 on my old, beloved Sega Dreamcast. As that was a fair few years ago, I was interested to see how the series had evolved. A demo on the XBox

360 suggested a fresher, more fluid approach to the genre that looked promising. The version I played on the PS2 however has barely evolved from the game I played five years ago. The game looks very similar to previous editions of Tony Hawk’s and the old skating through solid objects bugs and clipping problems are still evident. A quick glance at the features lost compared to the 360 version (namely online multiplayer, create a skater and you can only choose from THREE characters) suggests that this was rushed out of the door for the Christmas market, rather than offer a great experience for those who have stuck by the franchise all this time.

On a positive note, it doesn’t take long to immerse yourself in the game and you will be attempting some of the challenges for however long it takes to get that Professional rating! The brand new feature Project 8 introduces is the “Nail the Trick” mode.

By performing an Ollie and clicking on the analogue sticks, you will go into slow motion and control the angle of the board, performing as many tricks as possible with maximum precision. The added layer of control enhances the pure addictive nature of going after that high score combo. For fans of skating, there are plenty of extra skating videos to unlock featuring the skater’s reallife counterparts. The soundtracks in Tony Hawk’s games are always excellent, and this is no exception with tracks from Nine Inch Nails, Joy Division, Sonic Youth and the Klaxons all providing a great background to your mad skills.

Ian Davies

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Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

Video Games

Canis Canem Edit

C Pro Evolution Soccer 6

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any self-professed football fanatics would confess to the sport being the single most important thing in their lives. Often it can have an unparalleled ability to bring out both emotion and energy. Football can be intoxicating, having the power to dominate the proceedings of every day life. Think about it, if they aren’t watching football, they’re playing it and if they’re not playing it they’re talking about it. If they aren’t engaged in any the above then they’re playing a simulated version of it on a console.

That said, how does PES6 justify its thirty-pound price tag? Well, on the pitch, the details have been refined, creating a game with a very different feel to PES5.

Never before has the beautiful game been simulated with such fluidity as in PES6.

Improvements in passing mean that weighty passes and crosses can now be accomplished with ease, turning long-passing into an art form. The depth of ability to manipulate and control the ball here is unrivalled by any of PES6’s competitors. With the addition of lay-offs and flick-ons the movement of the ball feels natural whilst you have an array of tricks at your disposal in order to prevent the ball from being intercepted including shimmies, stop-overs, drag-backs and backheels.

Shooting has also been improved and similar to moves made in PES3, PES6 has looked again at the technique adopted when handling shots. Gone is the irritable first touch or awkwardness that plagued PES6’s predecessors. Greater consideration must be given prior to striking the ball since the distance of the ball from the player’s foot, the approach angle and preferred foot of the player will all alter the effectiveness of your shot. Noticeable improvements include taking into account players’ physiques.

Winning the ball is no longer just the placement of a well-timed tackle but a battle of strength and tenacity ensuring the value of stronger players such as Hargreaves, Guttso or Heinze as well as defensive players such as Vieira, Terry or Ferdinand. Importantly, such contests of strength are no longer under such frustrating referee scrutiny as in PES5 which mean that tackles can begin to fly at a heart-pounding rate though be aware that whilst referees might be lenient to the odd nudge, the carding system is much more consistent. Flying dangerous tackles will result in a red card as well as taking the last man, eliminating the most annoying bug in previous instalments.

Overall PES6 is a fantastic game though not without disappointment. The on-pitch features provide a beautifully smooth simulation of football whilst the off-pitch features can be found somewhat lacking.

Why release PES Management when they all be included in one package? Such a move could bury the PES’s rival FIFA series, creating the perfect football game.

Unfortunately for this reason, the best football game on the market can’t help but leave a bittersweet aftertaste.

Phil England

anis Canem Edit is the latest, highly controversial, release from Rockstar Games, the company who brought us such games the Grand Theft Auto series and Manhunt. Unsuccessful attempts have been made both in the UK and the US to ban the game from the shelves, though it should be noted that these attempts were in both cases made prior to the release of the game, and are probably due to the fact that the game was released with the title Bully in the US, and thus, has been assumed to glamorise bullying. To the contrary, you play the role of 15 year-old Jimmy Hopkins, a schoolboy sent to board in the grandiose Bullworth Academy, a school where the term “survival of fittest” very much applies and in which it is not only the goings on of the students but those of the teachers which might be described as questionable. Whilst Jimmy’s moral compass may not quite point north, a large part of the game will depend on how the gamer chooses to play, and missions will often involve standing up to the school bullies or protecting the Nerds (one of six factions along with the Preppies, Bullies, Jocks, Greasers and Townies) of the school. Depending on the choices you make in the game, you are likely to fall into one the afore-mentioned cliques and you are

very much given the feeling of climbing the social ladder as Jimmy attempts to earn the respect of the various groups around the school, though beware – an action which gains Jimmy popularity with one faction will often have an impact on his credibility with the others!

The elegant feel and scale of the school environment give you the feeling that you are a non-magical Harry Potter with attitude as you navigate the trials and tribulations of modern school life whilst the attention to detail is superb - from the individually named pupils around the school, each with their own personality, to the Halloween decorations which go up around the school in October. Best of all is probably the humour which is present in almost every aspect of the game whether it be in the script, or the tasks you carry out, Canis Canem Edit is a game with its tongue firmly in its cheek. Bored back home over the Christmas holidays? Go back to class with Canis Canem Edit, this time it’s your turn to rule the school.

Ross Butler

Gears Of War

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Sony exec said in the run up to the PS3’s launch this month that “the next generation doesn’t start until we say it does.” Epic Games, with Gears of War have delivered the biggest “f*** you” imaginable to said executive.

Okay, maybe not the biggest imaginable, but Gears just feels so great to play, and so much fun that you will wonder why the hell this had not come out far sooner.

The story is not the most original, you are Marcus Fenix (voiced by John DiMaggio, Futurama’s Bender), mankind’s last hope from being wiped out by the Locust hordes who emerged from underground on the planet Sera some seventeen years ago on “Emergence Day”. Leading a group of ragtag, incredibly masculine military men, you must deploy the “Resonator” that maps the Locust’s tunnels in order to wipe them out once and for all.

I want to get my problems with the game out of the way. The story is pretty inconsequential, you learn most of it from the manual and the website! Some elements are completely devoid of originality (some night time creatures are heavily influenced

by Pitch Black’s aliens) and it is too short.

That said, Gears of War is still the best game of the year by a bloody mile.

Not since a little played game called Panzer Dragoon Saga on the Sega Saturn

have I felt so completely immersed into a game world. It’s frightening, it’s grand, you can die at pretty much every corner, but you wouldn’t want to miss the experience for anything! The one button cover system can be the difference between life and death, especially on the harder modes. This is NOT a game where you can expect to stand still and blast everything in sight. Within minutes of your first play, you will be desperately scanning for that piece of cover that will give you the advantage. It also heavily promotes playing with friends. I have played through the single player campaign with my housemate, and a friend 70 miles away over Xbox Live, and it really does enhance the gameplay. The multiplayer mode of four on four squad based deathmatches also proves to be highly addictive. There’s nothing more satisfying in the game than taking down that final opponent with a precise headshot. Or perhaps slicing them in half with the chainsaw that is attached to your gun. Oh. Yes. With these elements, we have had our first real glimpse of what the next generation of consoles should be all about. Stuff BluRay, it is all about gameplay, which Gears of War provides by the barrel load.

Ian Davies

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Seren - Christmas Issue 2006 Books Editor Loran Perkins books@seren.bangor.ac.uk

I

Mick Foley Tietam Brown

T Peter Kay - The Sound of Laughter

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rom various conversations with people, it seems that Peter Kay’s stand-up comedy is something of an acquired taste (my lovely Northern friend still maintains that Southerners ‘just don’t get it, Loran’.)

As a Peter Kay fan, I’m perhaps a little biased, but I can honestly say that “The Sound of Laughter” is the single most hilarious book I’ve read so far this year.

Beginning with Peter’s first driving lesson, the book looks back on key events in his childhood, such as playing the Cowardly Lion in a school production of the Wizard Of Oz, but focuses mainly on his teenage years, and the many jobs he had before he finally found his vocation in stand-up comedy. Take it from me, the man has worked literally everywhere. From a factory, to a petrol station, to a wholesalers (where he was caught up in an armed siege, believe it or not!)

Whether or not you like his stand-up might impact on whether or not you enjoy this book, as most of his stand-up material is based on his life experiences and the antics of his mad mother and ‘nana’.

Whilst Kay’s writing might not be JK Rowling standard, it’s an essential read for fans of his, and I’d highly recommend it to people who aren’t so keen. There’s an anecdote in this book for every occasion, and everyone will be able to find something in it to relate to. Give it a go, it might just surprise you.

And now dear reader, please excuse me, it’s spittiiiiiiiiiing!

hose of you who are, or have been, wrestling fans will recognise the name of the author immediately. No it isn’t mistake, the man sometimes known as Cactus Jack has written a novel, although you certainly don’t have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy this book. “Tietam Brown” is a touching tale of growth at the age of seventeen, written in first person through the eyes of Andy (short for Antietam) Brown. The story begins when Andy’s father, also called Antietam, lends Andy his car to take a beautiful girl on a date.

As the story progresses we learn more and more about Andy’s troubled childhood, his estranged and slightly eccentric father and his interesting past, and the turbulence of young love.

I was quite surprised that a man who wears a leotard and entertains the world by jumping off cages could come up with a story quite like this. Although some parts of this book are not for lovers of violence, most parts are written with a sly smile, a good sense of humour and a clever way of touching raw emotion. This book will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it is almost certain to make you grimace, but then I doubt you’ll read another book quite like it. I was shocked in a pleasant way after finishing this book, that such a good writer could come out of an industry like wrestling. It just goes to show that you really can’t judge a book by its cover.

Sarah Allen

Loran Perkins

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TOP AUTHOR LECTURES AT THE UNIVERSITY

Bremner, Bird and Fortune You Are Here

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f you’re of the opinion that your iPod Shuffle is more reliable at making decisions than some of today’s senior government ministers, then I’ve got just the book for you. Written as a joint effort by the stars of the satirical TV show, Bremner, Bird and Fortune, this witty and informative book exposes many of the facts that various authorities would rather not share with the voting public. It’s all about being able to trust people, you see, and reading books like this tends to diminish confidence in the powers-that-be.

A series of topical chapters interspersed with facts, figures spoof interviews and cartoons, this book manages to be both entertaining and educational. From the “Iraq Quiz” to the connections between Tony Blair’s inner circle, from foreign Premier League players to a profile of Kyrgyzstan, you’ll be amused and shocked at the revelations from three of the most famous faces in political satire. What really adds value to this book is the knowledge that the material is not made up but instead has been collected from conversations with politicians, academics, journalists and supported by a team of researchers.

With so many sources of information available to us today, it’s books like this which help us to remain cautious about what we are presented with from the authorities and the media. Instantly appealing to fans of Private Eye or Have I Got News For You, this book reminds us that we are very rarely given the chance to obtain a balanced perspective on events. You are Here allows the reader a broader outlook; did you know, for example, that since the end of the Second World War, the US has spent over $19 trillion (that’s right, trillion) on defence?

It’s all about trust.

t was with some enthusiasm that a wideage range of people congregated in Bangor University’s Main Arts Lecture Theatre to listen to a special guest lecture on both the art and science of writing by children’s author and honorary fellow of the university, Philip Pullman. I was twelve when I was given a copy of Northern Lights

by Philip Pullman. It instantly became one of my favourites, and I could tell from the size of the gathering that there were plenty of others who felt similarly. Some sat reading copies of the afore-mentioned book whilst waiting for the lecture to begin. Such was the extent of the crowd that an overflow room had to be commandeered in order that those who could not fit into the lecture theatre could watch via a projector.

In the succeeding years after Northern Lights was released, the second and third part of the His Dark Materials trilogy would follow, catapulting Pullman to a level of success experienced by relatively few children’s authors. A number of his works, including the famous trilogy, have been adapted for the stage, and the first film from the His Dark Materials trilogy, Northern Lights (or The Golden Compass as it is known the States), is scheduled for release at some point in 2007, featuring such stars of the silver-screen as Nicole Kidman.

The title chosen for the lecture was ‘Strangeness and Charm’ in a doubleentendre, referring not only to two qualities present in Pullman’s writing, but to two flavours of quarks - quarks being one of the types of subatomic particle found within the nucleus of an atom, for all the non-particle physicists out there. Before you begin to wonder why a children’s author might lecture on subatomic particles, I should explain that he was speaking metaphorically in reference to the fundamental particles of narrative, beyond the level of the sentencing and language. He was referring to a level of concepts which one must first have a grasp of before being able to understand certain abstractions in language at all. As an example, the author gave the question; “how far have you got with your work”?

Now, the work being referred to here need not necessarily involve travelling any distance, however we still understand what it means to get “far” with it. This is because we have an instinctive understanding of motion and associate progress as regards motion with travelling a certain distance.

If we can associate travelling a distance with progress then when we speak of progress as regards work, we can understand the concept of “getting somewhere” with our work. He went on to explain how, on a larger scale, these associations could be leveraged to convey meaning to the reader through thematic double-entendres and the use of motifs which he likes to commence with and then pick up on later just when

they’ve almost been forgotten about, so that the reader gets the feeling that events have come full circle.

Such narrative devices are deeply engrained throughout Pullman’s novels - for example in Lord Asriel’s battle against The Authority which represents (amongst other things) the struggle for knowledge (notice how Lord Asriel’s army consists largely of scholars and scientists), so that they may become free-thinkers, in charge of their own actions rather than remaining ignorant in blindly following the rules set down by the church of Pullman’s story.

The lecture was punctuated by a number of artworks used as aids to help convey the points made by the author along with a breadth of knowledge which can only come from someone who is an enthusiastic reader themselves. The author was certainly generous with his time, not only allowing a Q & A session at the end of the lecture but taking the time to sign books which fans had brought along with them.

One audience member asked about the significance of Dust (sic) in the His Dark Materials trilogy to which Pullman replied that initially Dust was something he thought of to instil wonderment in the reader, but which then became a metaphor for something which was rich enough for him to draw upon throughout the rest of the trilogy. In the trilogy, Dust is the term used to describe fictional subatomic particles which have developed consciousness over time. It is attracted to adults because they have life experience, and it is this which builds the consciousness and character of a human being. It has been speculated that more will be learnt about this mysterious substance in Pullman’s forthcoming book entitled, The Book of Dust.

Fans of His Dark Materials will be glad to hear that the character of Lyra will return in the book which is intended as a collection of short stories about the secondary characters from the trilogy. Pullman has stated in the past that Lyra and Will will not appear together in any story from the Book of Dust, though he hasn’t mentioned whether or not Will shall reappear at all. Lyra’s story is thought to be a continuation of her life after the events of the trilogy, a story which began in the book Lyra’s Oxford.

Overall, the event was a great success with those in attendance gaining an interesting insight into the method behind Pullman’s craft as well as the strangeness and charm of Pullman’s writing, not to mention the inspiration to write. That’s one article down, now to make a start on that novel…

Ross Butler

Matt Williams

An Interview with Kit Downes

angor’s very own Kit Downes, a 2nd year English student has secured himself a two-book publishing deal with Walker Books. Seren’s Loran Perkins met him to find out how he got the deal, what inspires him, and how he manages to fit his writing in around his coursework!

Loran: So Kit, first of all, tell us what made you decide to try and get your book published?

Kit: Mostly, my parents encouraged me.

I finished the book 9 months ago, and they kept badgering me to try and find an agent.

So eventually, I gave in and surfed the net. I found an article advising aspiring authors, and followed the tips on there. I found Rosemary Canter at Peter Frazer Dunlop, and she negotiated me a two-book deal with Walker Books.

Loran: Excellent! So, what inspired you to write in the first place?

Kit: Well, it’s been my hobby since I was about 7, although my parents have said I was writing things before that. My first story was one I ripped off from a cowboy film I’d seen the week before, and I’ve just kept it up from there really!

Loran: Can you describe the book for our readers?

Kit: At the moment, it’s called “The Rainbow Carpet”, but we think that’s going to change before the book is actually published. It’s a children’s book, set in the magical city of Azamed. Each year, the city holds the greatest magic carpet race in the world, and the story follows two contestants who get their magic carpet sabotaged by their rivals. Then, Arabian Nights style, they have a day and a night to get a new carpet, and get back in the race.

Loran: Sounds exciting! When can we expect to see it in the shops?

Kit: It’s looking like August 2008, but even now, my priority is writing the sequel, but I’m still waiting for inspiration to strike!

Loran: Don’t you find it hard to fit your writing in with your Uni work?

Kit: It’s not a problem really, writing is fun, so I don’t really connect it with Uni work. In fact, it motivates me to finish my assignments, I always think ‘come on, if you finish this, you can write a few pages before you go to bed.’

Loran: Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Kit: Firstly, write what comes naturally, don’t try and force it. When it comes to publishing, keep trying. Don’t take rejection personally, most successful authors have drawers of unpublished material. Finally, make every word count!

Philip Pullman lectured at the University in November

17

Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS The Mayor of Bangor has put forward the idea that each student at the university should pay £1 towards the upkeep of Bangor City’s Christmas lights. We went out and asked you what you thought.

Becca Barrow Business Studies

“That’s ridiculous. I don’t really care if we have Christmas lights or not. Were there even any up last year?”

Adam Prescott – Environmental Planning and Management

“That’s bull. Why should the students pay for lights that the Mayor wants? We won’t even be here over Christmas”

Emily Marsh Criminology

“I don’t mind, as long as it’s everyone who’s paying, it’s ok. We live here, and work here, so I think we should pay. It’s only a pound.”

PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD

J

.M. Synge’s Playboy of the Western World has always been a controversial play. Upon it first production it even caused a riot. This was because its content was considered to be derogatory to the Irish people, depicting them as harbourers of criminals. These days Playboy has become known as Synge’s masterpiece, showing us a population that due to their repetitive lifestyles are desperately interested in another style of living. On Wednesday 25th of October the Love/Madness theatre company brought their own Version of Playboy to Theatr Gwynedd, only the reaction was quite different to that of the first production.

One of the first things that the audience has to deal with is Playboy being a colloquially Irish play. Synge’s intent when he was writing the play was to show the Irish people in their entire down to earth, bawdy, actuality. This meant that each character in the play spoke with a broad Irish accent. At the beginning of the play this was a difficult thing to deal with. This is because your average person hasn’t heard such strong Irish accents before, so for the first ten minutes of the play the audience are trying to adjust themselves to this foreign accent and as a consequence anyone who is unfamiliar with the play beforehand may struggle to follow it in these crucial early scenes. This said you have to respect a company that produce something as authentic to the original as this production is. Speaking to Jack McGaeshann (the actor who played Chrissy Mahon) after the play he commented that apparently this had been a very pressing concern, with the actors going as far as toning down their accent for the run of the play in Wales.

The company do however try to bring the play into a more modern context. Taking it from its original setting of early nineteen

hundreds and setting it in the sixties. This made the play more relatable to a modern audience: something that many directors have been doing in recent years (the most famous example being Baz Lurhman’s Romeo and Juliet).

Love/Madness themselves had a lot of variation in their quality acting. Jack McGaeshann’s performance of Chrissy was well rounded, entering the play as a nervous young man frightened to tell his story to the people of the village. He creates this image nicely. Upon his first entrance into the pub (that is the set throughout the play) he is nervous, deliberately avoiding eye contact with the locals and curling up next to the fire in an effort to make himself small enough to not be noticed. It is this nervousness that the villagers are first intrigued by, since they have never seen anyone act like this before being in a small village where crime would be virtually unknown. However as the play progresses Chrissy realises that his deeds have turned him into something of a celebrity and works this to his advantage, elaborating on his deeds more and more.

The best scene in the play being Chrissy’s re-telling of his tale to Widow Quinn and two other local women. He uses exaggerated movements and speaks with a prolific authority even getting up onto a chair (giving him a higher status than the rest of the cast) to show how he delivered his final blow, while Widow Quinn and the others swoon at his feet.

In contrast to Jack McGaeshann’s performance there was Lucia McAnespie’s Widow Quinn, which I found to be the largest downfall of the play. Her performance was very loud and obnoxious. Widow Quinn and Margaret Flaherty are supposed to be the two major temptations to Chrissy in the play. Placing him in a dilemma between whether he should choose one or the other.

McAnespie’s performance didn’t have an element of temptation to it hence a major point in the storyline was missed due to the over exaggeration that McAnespie brought to the part. This was made most prevalent when Chrissy is literally being fought over by the two women. I found it hard to believe that Widow Quinn was any temptation to Chrissy.

Chrissy’s supposed victim, Old Mahon was also well acted. Ben Gaule was convincing in his portrayal of the seedy, eccentric Old Mahon. Even though his part is fairly minor his entrance throws the villagers world into disarray and the audience can’t help but feel empathy for him since he is turned upon by every character in the play even though we never really know if he has done anything wrong (since we are only told of him by Chrissy an extremely unreliable character). When he enters the play he seems genuinely angry and shocked at his son’s betrayal, throwing his arms into the air as though he is beseeching God as to why he has done this to him. Even at the end of the play when he has been “killed” twice

by Chrissy his desire to protect his son from these now disillusioned people is obvious and his welcoming Chrissy to come home with him is very heart warming.

Playboy of the Western World is an interesting play and Love/Madness do an intriguing, fairly accurate version of the Synge masterwork. The issues that it raises of a people obsessed with celebrity are more relevant than ever today and with some slight alterations in the cast, Love/Madness will have an excellent play on their hands.

A sterling effort, one which is well worth a viewing.

Matt Smith Molecular Biology

“I think it’s stupid. Will the locals get charged too, or is it just the students? I didn’t notice the lights last year.”

SHE’S STILL DIRTY...

S

he celebrates her first wedding anniversary this week, but last Thursday night’s Back to Basics concert at the MEN proved Christina Aguilera is still as sexy, outrageous and downright Dirrty as ever.

At the concert Christina wowed fans with tracks from her latest album, Back to Basics, along with deliciously revamped performances of her old hits such as a reggae inspired version of “What a Girl Wants” and a riotous, brassy, jazz performance of “Dirrty”.

Her fabulously tight, revealing and glamorous costumes, designed by Roberto Cavalli, were perfect for the Christina Aguilera we all know and love – risqué and daring. The stage set changed as many times as her outfits, from a 1920s-style jazz bar with Christina lay across a piano to an awe-inspiring retro circus with fire breathers, clowns, trapeze artists and even a man on stilts.

Christina made breath taking entrances to each performance, whether she was rising from below stage on a Carousel horse, strutting down white steps in death-defying heels or tied to a glittering sword throwers board. Her show-stopping vocals were incredible live, this along with her amazing band and dance routines made for a night her adoring fans, I being one, would never forget.

Raucously seductive performances of “Moulin Rouge” and “Nasty Naughty Boy” entertained the audience with sexy, colourful outfits as tantalising as the lyrics themselves.

Such ballads as her new release “Hurt”, the touching song dedicated to her Mom, “Oh Mother” and the Christina classic “Beautiful” were all reminders of the bombshell’s more vulnerable, softer side.

She may be a happily married woman, but Christina defied the media accusations that she has gone from “Dirrty to Demure”, her power drenched and soulful voice belting out the lyrics: “I still got the nasty in me, still got that Dirrty degree, If you want some more sexy, still got that freak in me!”

The concert was unlike anything I have ever seen before; undeniable proof that the platinum blonde sexpot is here to stay and boy, does she know how to deliver!

Richard Bunn Megan Tapper

18

Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

inQUIZitive CHESS 1. The robin is a member of which family of birds?

2. In which ocean is Christmas Island?

3. What is a manger?

4. Who is Doctor Who’s companion in this year’s Christmas special?

5. In which year was Queen Elizabeth II’s Christmas speech first broadcast on TV? 6. The Christmas rose can be either of which 2 colours?

7. Which screen comedian died on Christmas Day in 1977?

8. Who controlled Jerusalem from 1099AD to 1187AD? 9. Who had consecutive Christmas No.1s in the UK chart in 1996, 1997 & 1998?

10. In which year were the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures the No.1 selling Christmas toy?

Black to play and checkmate in 3 moves.

Taken from an actual game between Jim Grange & Richard Morrow from Bangor Chess Club Championship.

Contact Jim - psp48d@bangor.ac.uk

3

4

5

3

A teleost fish (3)

4

Folding under, stitching down (3)

6

Thirty Romans over 18! (3)

8

Command logical arrangement (5)

9

Put one in to interrupt (3)

KID NOT TWITCHING SOME HOT OGRE HA BOVINELY BATTIER FATHEADS FEW WITHDRAWN HEAVEN SENT SODS SAD ACHING ILL PAID MAD MAN

e v i t a n i E IMAG

A.

B.

Wordoku “CHRISTMAS” M

H

S H

A

R

I

E.

F.

S

I

S

C

13 TESSA & PEP’s replacement (3) 14 Newton’s fruity revelation and 15 down’s downfall (5) 16 Revenue in a large container (3) 17 Remove the entrails (3)

2

Ostentatious (11)

3

On the outside (3)

4

Exclusively believe in ancestral genetic transmission (11)

5

US undertaker (9)

7

Putting uphill (9)

18 A lyric poem not outstanding (3)

11 Very mature person (3)

19 A needle pulling thread (3)

15 The day before (3)

1

2

3

4

6 7

7 8

9 10

11

12 13 14

15 16

17

18

19

5

A M

M

T I

C

A

C

H S

I

Same rules as number Sudoku, but the letters from “CHRISTMAS” are in place of the numbers 1 to 9.

Note though that there are 2 ‘S’s!

EXPOSEitive

H.

G.

last issue:-

Wordoku “Halloween” answers

FACTive

The standard litter for a female armadillo is quadruplets of the same sex. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ David Cameron MP, the leader of the British Conservative Party, is a descendent (through his paternal grandmother) of King William IV. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Adam Hargreaves, the son of the children’s author Roger Hargreaves, was the inspiration for the Mr Men series of books after having asked his father what a tickle looked like. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The maternal grandfather of Neighbours actress & singer Holly Valance was the first cousin of the late comedian Benny Hill.

R

C

10 US protected (7)

DOWN:-

S

T

D.

12 JFK New York or CDG Paris (7)

I

M

A

C.

ACROSS:Archaic affirmation (3)

1 2

PRIZE CROSSWORD 1

Panto Anagrams

K. J.

H O W L E

L N E H L

A E L N W

O L H E N

L A E O H

W E N E A

E L L W E

N H O A L

E W A L O

E N A L

A E W O

O L E H

W A L E

L W N E

L O H L

N H O A

E L E W

H E L N

C O N T R O L S O E E O T A P R E S A F T E R B S S P U U S T A B A S K S E T I T C H T I M E L H S S G E E V I C T T I L L S D L A A O L E O N A R D O

PRIZECROSSWORD answers

this issue:-

Xmas No.1s

Which artist(es) had the following Xmas No.1 hits?

1. Mad World in 2003?

2. Mull of Kintyre in 1977?

3. Stay Another Day in 1994?

4. Earth Song in 1995?

5. Somethin’ Stupid in 2001?

6. Merry Xmas Everybody in 1973?

7. Mistletoe & Wine in 1988?

8. Merry Christmas Everyone in 1985?

9. Sound of the Underground in 2002?

10. Mary’s Boy Child in 1978?

11. Two Little Boys in 1969?

12. The Christmas Alphabet in 1955?!

inQUIZitive: 1. Thrush; 2. Indian & Pacific - there are 2; 3.

Animal feeding trough; 4. Catherine Tate; 5.

1957; 6. Pink & white; 7. Charlie Chaplin; 8.

Christian knights of the Crusades; 9. Spice Girls - “2 Become 1”, “Too Much” & “Goodbye”; 10.

1990.

IMAGEinative: A. Eeyore; B. Snagglepuss; C. Spongebob Squarepants; D. Pepe le Pew; E. Oscar the Grouch; F. Pingu; G. Santa’s Little Helper; H. Super Grover; J. Tony the Tiger (Kellogg’s Frosties); K. Sylvester.

Panto Anagrams: 1. Dick Whittington; 2. Mother Goose; 3. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves; 4. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves; 5. Aladdin and his Magic Lamp.

Xmas No.1s__: 1. Michael Andrews/Gary Jules; 2. Paul McCartney/Wings; 3. East 17; 4. Michael Jackson; 5. Robbie Williams/Nicole Kidman; 6.

Slade; 7. Cliff Richard; 8. Shakin’ Stevens; 9.

Girls Aloud; 10. Boney M; 11. Rolf Harris; 12.

Dickie Valentine.

CHESS: The 3 moves are: Black#1 = Qxa2!!

White = Kxa2 Black#2 = Ra5+!

White = Kb1 Black#3 = Ra1 Checkmate!

P

The prize puzzles this issue are the Christmas Wordoku and the Crossword (bottom-left).

E-mail your answers to editor@seren.bangor.ac.uk or cut them out and hand them in at the Students’ Union reception, marked “Seren”.

Don’t forget to put your name, tel no. and Uni e-mail address with your completed entry! Winners will be selected at random from the correct entries and prizes will be awarded by 31/01/07.

UZZLEs, osers & roblems

Compiled by John Jackson

Seren - Christmas Issue 2006

ut n”. your ect

A

M

C

I

ve

B

angor University rugby league team narrowly lost 32-20 after playing their hearts out against Manchester

Met. In an emphatic match, Bangor, having been unable to field a team the previous week, were desperately unlucky not to have won after controlling for large periods of the game showing aggression in attack and N E H determination in defence.

H L E From the kick-off Bangor used their strong O E L running forwards to drive up field, with A W N Danny Wright and Richard Smith providing the charges. Sleek handling set up John for a deserved try, but two tries from IZE- Wilkins Manchester put Bangor behind at half time.

SWORD In a see-saw match in which either team wers could have won, Bangor scored further tries with excellent solo efforts by Captain, James Fleming, and centre Tom Bradfield.

A delicate kick by centre Will Varley set up winger, Ben, for Bangor’s fourth score before two late tries by Manchester sealed victory after some rare miss-tackles by Bangor.

"It was an excellent team performance by the lads today with the new players taking well to the game," said Fleming afterwards.

Bangor showed throughout the game why they were deserved champions last year, with some hard hitting defence. Man of the Match, Charlie Parker led the tackle count and Brett Chandler’s covering tackle after a 95 metre chase were the highlights as Bangor refused to let the game slip. The influx of new players has enabled the team to continue with Ian Skinner, Ben Richards, Tom Bradfield, Tom Hughes, Danny Wright, Matt Davies, Phil Holland and Josh Cutting all playing well.

Club Captain Michael Bailey was encouraged by the team performance, "It’s great to see the number of new players enjoying playing the sport."

With MMU Cheshire visiting next, Bangor will be looking for the win that their teamwork deserves. If anyone is interested in joining the team, then all are welcome.

Training is on a Sunday at Maes Glas football pitch at 2-4pm and Tuesdays at Bangor Rugby club (meeting outside the Students’ Union at 6:15pm). For any other details please ring 07984110974.

Bangor University 38-6 MMU Cheshire Bangor recorded an excellent first win to the on season against a spirited MMU Cheshire.

E L L W E

N H O A L

E W A L O

Sport

Rugby League Night Training Deserves Floodlights Heroes Brave T in Defeat raining on a muddy, waterlogged, unlit and almost unplayable sports pitch is an obvious hindrance to any sports team, but this is exactly what key University teams have had to deal with from the beginning of the semester. The ever decaying conditions at the Treborth site have been an inconvenience that the sports teams have had to put up with ever since the closure of the Ffridd site pitch. The Ffridd pitch was a decent pitch, equipped with floodlights and a comfortable distance from the University. The new pitch has none of these characteristics, and is not only encumbering our teams, but it is also shouting a nonchalant and naïve attitude from what should be a concerned university and local council.

From the start of the semester, Bangor University sports teams have been hampered by the distinct lack of athletic facilities in and around the Bangor area. The teams mainly affected are the Rugby Union clubs and the Rugby League club, as well as the Football Clubs, as they relied on the Ffridd site for training purposes and as a host to other regional universities. The pitch conditions at the Treborth site seem trivial compared to its inconvenient distance from Bangor, which relies on the assumption that there is enough transport within the clubs, and makes it extremely difficult for anybody

S

19

The visitors simply had no answer to Bangor’s forward power; continuing the hard work from the Man Met game. Tries came from Joe Smith-2, Rich Smith-2, Ian Skinner-1, Charlie Parker-1, plus a memorable individual effort from Chris Hilderbrand in which the winger evaded three defenders to score under the posts.

Unfortunately the game was called to a halt with 15 minutes to play, due to an injury, with Bangor looking likely to hit a half century. Cheshire’s only try came in the first half after Bangor defended against a sequence of 16 tackles.

Captain James Fleming called for his players to "stand and be counted" and he was not disappointed.

Bangor University 24-28 Manchester University.

Bangor failed to recover from a disastrous start in which they conceded two tries in the opening minutes.

However once composed, Bangor showed the grit and determination that was expected of them. They out muscled the Manchester players but the visitor’s skill out wide was superb, with experienced half backs and centres linking up well; making up for their forwards’ failure to do so in the middle of the pitch.

Yet again Bangor were unlucky not to have won the game; with ill discipline costing Manchester late on as they battled hard to keep their lead. With more new players taking to the game, the rugby league team has strength in numbers, which was looking unlikely only a few weeks ago.

After Manchester’s opening tries, Bangor came into their own with Man of the Match Welshman Tom Hughes scoring the first hat-trick in Bangor’s rugby league history, and in only his second game for the club!

Ian Skinner scored Bangor’s other try, racing under the posts from 50 metres after a perfect training ground move involving Danny Wright.

Andy Skinner, Mark Burrett, Olly Rowley and Ben Richards played well in their first games for the club, with the team feeling confident going into the last few matches before Christmas.

Match Reports by Will Varley

wanting to see certain games to get there.

The lack of facilities also has an unbarring effect on the team’s performance so far, both the BUSA league and the local leagues show a decline in standards, and upon other reasons, a lack of adequate training facilities seems to be at blame for the slip.

The Water sports teams are also struggling with a lack of facilities. The development of this area is certainly a long- term goal, however with the increase in water sports teams within Bangor this may become a pressing issue before long.

It is encouraging however to see some action taking place, which, although in its early stages, shows signs of improvement in sports facilities around Bangor. Innovative plans to upgrade the facilities at the Treborth Athletics track were discussed during a visit on 22nd September with the Welsh Assembly Government’s Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sports, Alun Pugh AM. “We want to provide a prestige facility that will raise confidence and aspiration, not only of our elite athletes, but for all the community who could benefit from greater participation in sport” said Meri Huws, ProVice-Chancellor at the University of Wales, Bangor. The University Estates department is also aware that we have fallen behind in our prevision for sport, and are developing a talk group that will look into the areas that

need to be improved, with the help of the Athletic Union president and other bodies of the university.

It is also encouraging to see the community yearn for the facilities also, they have benefited from the facilities at Treborth already, but an expansion in the area would make a great difference to the sporting activities and the yield of talented athletes.

Assembly Minister Alan Pugh said that he was pleased to see this level of cooperation between local authorities, the sports council for Wales and other stakeholders on a project that encourages increased participation in sport and physical activity through the provision of improved athletic facilities: in line with the aims of climbing higher.

Hopefully the combination of community authorities and the university will increase the chances of new development in and around Bangor.

The prospect of improving sporting ability in Bangor, assisting University sporting success, and increasing opportunities for all who are interested in sport will surely be a key impetus behind the proposed developments. But as the rainiest months yet to come, the Bangor teams will surely suffer as the local administration delegates chat over what might be done.

Encouraging signs from the C Athletics team

Sports teams raise cash for Children In Need

D

espite recent criticism of the Treborth training facilities, it does seem to be excelling in one area.

The Athletics pitch at Treborth boasts some of the best facilities around, and this has been subsequently rubbing off on our Athletics team, and more to the point, our athletics members.

Rob Samuel is part of the Athletics team that uses the Treborth site to train on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But only after running seriously for 1 to 2 years. Rob has begun to build up a very impressive record in the North Wales region, achieving some very brilliant results in various recent local races. He has achieved the 1st position in the Anglesey 10k race, coming in at 33 minutes and 34 seconds, and achieving another 1st in the David Lloyd 10k in Ellesmere Port, showing an impressively consistent time of 33 minutes and 27 seconds. He has also run many local marathons, doing the

Snowdonia marathon in 2 hours and 51 minutes, finishing an overall 5th (3rd senior male), and ran a series of 5 races over the summer where he came first in the overall standings.

Most impressively however is the University team’s involvement in all these races. Most of the events were done with a team of runners from the Uni, who are all also achieving notable results. In the North Wales cross country league the women’s team are doing especially well. They are 3rd in their respective cross country league, and the male’s team are 8th in theirs. It is also rather inspiring to see how the team is actively encouraging all ranges of athlete, and are taking teams to many races no matter how they do. The club caters for all abilities and has recruited and created a vibrant athletic team because of their enthusiastic outlook. Congratulations to both Rob and the Athletics team for their recent performances.

Sports Editor: Jack Peat

hildren in Need has for many years boasted original and barmy cash raising techniques. This year, once again, Bangor became one of many centres involved in the fundraising effort. For many sports teams around Bangor this became an opportunity to help the cause, and have a great time doing it.

The Trampoline squad decided that they would play their part by bouncing from 9 in the morning to 9 at night. They had two trampolines out, one was a ‘normal’ bed and the other was a ‘continuous’ bed, as in the trampoline never stopped moving all day as before one person could stop bouncing and get off the next person had to get on and start. The vast majority of the clubs members joined the effort, already raising £200 and counting. The money came from sponsorship and also from donations made by people using the Maes Glas sports centre.

Congratulations to them on their original and productive fundraising appeal.

Another charity appeal taking place in a short while is the Sub Aqua team’s swim across the Menai Straights. The swim has been delayed until the 3rd December due to bad weather, and will be safely supervised as the team has rafts and other such facilities that will be monitoring the swim closely.

They will attempt to swim from St. Georges Pier in Menai Bridge across to Normal Site, there a 12 people swimming and so they hope to raise a fair bit of money.

The Archery club was 1 of many more clubs and societies assisting the Children in Need foundation, participating in a 12 hour shoot.

Congratulations to all clubs involved in the fundraising activities.

The men’s Football 2nd team are doing remarkably well, with the other two teams winning only one game between them. The second team have won 5 games out of six, and hold a comfortable position at the top of the table. The first team has been subject to many injuries, and as they take priority over the other two teams, if they are in need of players, it is to the 2nd and the 3rd teams that they look. Fortunately this doesn’t seem to have disturbed their season thus far, and they are looking to be the team with the biggest chance of winning a medal as the first half of the season comes to a close.

inQUIZ 1. Thrus Animal 1957; 6.

Christia - “2 Bec 1990.

IMAGE A. Eeyo Squarep Grouch; Super G Frosties) Panto A 1. Dick Baba an the Seve Lamp.

Xmas N 1. Micha McCartn Jackson; Slade; 7.

Girls Al Dickie CHESS: The 3 m Black#1 White = Black#2 White = Black#3 Checkm

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