Seren - 194 - 2007-2008 - September 2007 by Seren

Freshers’ Issue 2007

OUT FOR CRIES SPORT INVESTMENT

8,000 STUDENTS TO:

urrent students in Bangor will already be aware of how stretched the University’s facilities are when it comes to sports. Many University clubs are being constrained by the poor facilities we are provided with, and the BUSA league tables often tell a disappointing story regarding Bangor University’s successes. Many traditional sports within the Athletic Union have suffered a streak of disappointing

FLOODLIT GRASS PITCH

seasons, with relegations and underachievement being prominent throughout the leagues. It is easy to blame this on the lack of talent within the University, and lay the responsibility at the hands of the club. But the results of a recent survey has indicated that the lack of facilities in the University is having a detrimental effect on our teams and their performances.

ASTRO TURF PITCH

Better facilities

The campaign for better sports facilities around the University has been a central issue over the last few years. The results of this year’s Bangor Student Satisfaction Survey show that student satisfaction with sports facilities is down 14.2% compared with last year. It is the largest decrease of any area in the survey, and it is quite obvious why. There are currently only two floodlit pitches, and teams such as rugby and football often have to travel out of town to find suitable facilities. The rugby team in particular have to travel to every training session and every game. Potential team players that would make all the difference to some teams are being held back by the overly demanding commitment they have to make. Football teams fare slightly better, as they have priori-

n Limited sports halls

ty over the floodlit grass pitch. However, this pitch can only be used for match games and training sessions therefore have to be held on the Astroturf – ironic really considering most match games are played in daylight.

Spectators

This also creates a big problem for those that might want to watch these games. The lengthy trip out of town often becomes too much of a hassle for all but the most committed spectators, which almost categorically guarantees empty sidelines as our teams play. In total, supporting just one of our field teams would mean a round trip of nearly 40 miles each season, and taking part in a team would mean travelling double the distance. The Astroturf pitch on the Ffriddoedd Site is floodlit, and (although in need of some maintenance) is a good facility to use. But this means that it is jam packed at training times throughout the week. The three football teams, two hockey teams, lacrosse team and many more who practise there (including the public groups entitled to use the facility) mean that usage of the pitch is extremely limited. New leagues (such as the 7-a-side league) are proving to be a huge

NEW SUPPLEMENT

!! N I W

n Limited Gym

facilties

success, but are again limited, with new teams unable to break through due to shortages of space. The Ffriddoedd Site expansion has lead to a perfectly placed rugby field being sacrificed for new halls of residence, and anybody wishing to play tennis in Bangor will struggle due to the temporary loss of the tennis courts. The watersports clubs also fare rather miserably, and while the construction of new, modern residential accommodation is taking place elsewhere on campus, they have to struggle on with a decrepit storage shed, with just one working lightbulb and a few pieces of rope that span the room. This is hardly the kind of facilities we would expect from a university that is attracting increasing numbers of students based on its “ideal location for canoeing and kayaking” in “adventure capital of the UK” to quote its own website.

Some Progress

The University has begun to make some progress however.

Turn to page 3

N!! GO! TEAM

TICKETS

e d i s n I SOUNDCLASH RETURNS This PUB GUIDE Issue

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007 indeed from the double-sided single page that the students in the 1980s came to expect. Further to this, the real developments within the newspaper only seem to have gained pace in the last few years. The paper is now recognized as an essential medium for the communication of University and local news to the students. More than this, it is the primary resource of experience for all students hoping to follow a career in journalism, the media, or even just wanting to include some extra curricular activities on their CV. In light of this, there could not be a better time to write for the paper.

CONTRIBUTORS Editor: Jack Peat Emma Dodd Emma Dixon Spencer George Sophie D Lorme Dr Rashesh Mehta Rachel Eales Ian Davies John Jackson Lee John Howson Alice Weston Tom Hulme Alex Farley Pete Banks Laim Watson Kev Arloft Caroline Alverez Will Varley Rebecca Hussey Amy Briscoe Nathan Lee Proof reader: Carolan Goggin Production Consultant: Dan Turner; Emma Dodd

Introducing Seren

ear Reader.

Could I start by saying hello and welcome to the new academic year from myself and all of the members of the newspaper. This year is slightly special in terms of the history of Seren, as it is our 25th year as the official English-language Newspaper of the Students’ Union. Looking through the archives at the original newspaper it really projects a sense of achievement. I write today in a 20-page spread, full colour newspaper, with a new supplement and a great team of sub-editors. This is a stark difference

! d e v l o v t in

To all the new students at the University, let me take the time to introduce myself and our work at Seren. My name is Jack Peat, I am the current editor of Seren for the forthcoming year. The newspaper publication is distributed six times in the academic year: once in Freshers’ Week, then Hallowe’en, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, after Easter and at the end of the year. You can pick up a copy of each issue in various places, including all Libraries and most Halls of Residence. Inside the newspaper you can find topics such as all the latest news, sport, fashion, health, music and film, as well as a new supplement with puzzles and

features. The Freshers’ Issue in particular has a lot of information for first timers at the University. For those interested in becoming part of a club or society, we have a comprehensive guide to taster sessions and trials. In terms of drinking (which is the fundamental cornerstone of any good Freshers Week) we have a pub guide to the good places to drink in Bangor, and for those who want something a bit more fancy, we have a restaurant guide as well. If you turn to sections such as music, film and sports, there are also introductions to what is available in Bangor. Student Recruitment As well as reporting the news however, we do serve as a key medium for all students wishing to write and be involved in the central media production. We encourage all students with a slight interest in getting their name in the paper to join our team and become part of an exciting publication. Doing this could not be easier. We will have a stall at Serendipity, Bangor’s freshers’ fair and we also hold weekly meetings on a Wednesday at 5:15 in the Students’ Union. We have sub-editors that are contactable on the email addresses below, and you can contact them or myself at any time if you have any queries about the newspaper and how to get involved in it. But for now, all that I have to say is enjoy the paper and have a wonderful Freshers’ Week.

NEWS & GENERAL

If you have any other enquiries, questions or newspaper submissions, such as news and all other categories, please do not hesitate to contact me on the details below.

Editor: Jack Peat . n e editor@seren.bangor.ac.uk ser . w ww join o r t o n o k Log or.ac.u ebook g TRAVEL WEB Fac ban n e Any stories from recent gap years, holidays or just weekends away r For those interested in the more technical/ web based side e S p will always be suitable for our pages. Travel is an exciting team of being in media, the website is certainly the place for you. u e th where you can swap stories, reminisce over your own times and With a newly developed website, being part of this team ofGro most importantly, write about your experiences in the paper. fers a unique opportunity to develop Seren’s web profile.

FILM

Travel: Rachel Eales travel@seren.bangor.ac.uk

Any stories from recent films you have been to see, DVD’s you have watched or old classics you have recovered will be used in the film section. The chance to meet with other film enthusiasts is also possible as part of the film team

Film: Ian Davies film@seren.bangor.ac.uk

Web: Phil Rhymes web@seren.bangor.ac.uk

FEATURES The Features section offers the chance to write about what you want to write. If you are unhappy about the way something is run locally or nationally, features is where you can voice your opinion.

Features: Siobhan Holt features@seren.bangor.ac.uk

SPORT MUSIC If you are interested in Sport, this gives you the opportunity to report on both the University teams and the local scene. Being part of this team enables you to watch selected teams and even participate in different sports.

Sport: Will Varley sport@seren.bangor.ac.uk

Any stories from recent bands you have seen or recent records you have bought will fit perfectly into this section. Being part of the music team also gives you a chance to discuss views and opinions with other music enthusiasts.

Music: Emma Dixon music@seren.bangor.ac.uk

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

TREBORTH CENTURY PLANT GROWS SIX FOOT IN TWO DAYS

(From front page) Amuch-needed revamp of the rowing shed took place this summer, with the University investing £30-40,000 on replacing the decking to make the shed suitable for the club. Plans are also showing signs of progress in the watersports storage shed. The University has recognized that the facilities are below par, and have agreed to relocate the shed. In terms of the other facilities, a new group has been set up to develop a far-reaching Sports Strategy for the University. Meeting on a regular basis, the group consists of members of the Estates department, as well as the Maes Glas manager and our very own Athletic Union President, Frodo. Although there are no concrete plans thus far, the creation of the group can be seen as a step in the right direction. It is to the floodlight situation that we must approach first however. The distinct lack of floodlit pitches is leading to considerable difficulties, and the issue needs to be resolved soon. Temporary floodlights are

Jack Peat

The University’s name has now changed from the University of Wales, Bangor to Bangor University. The name change is part of a restructuring of the University of Wales’ federal college system, and the name change shouldn’t have any direct effect on students at all.

Prince Charles visits Uni

Prince Charles recently made a visit to the University to mark the100th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Main Arts building. The Prince said: “This is a university which is proud of its history and has a long and distinguished academic record. “I am very pleased to be present here today as this particular milestone for this splendid building is reached.”

Earthquake

An earthquake hit Bangor over the summer. Measuring around 1.5 on the Richter scale and causing minimal damage, no-one was hurt from the tremble, but reports later suggested that the shake could have been the result of a fighter jet reaching super speeds off the coast. A bag filled with wires was found in the phonebox directly outside Amser/ Time. The bag was apparently holding a detonator and was left lying outside the Union. Police were called and a bomb detonator squad were called in to deal with what transpired to be a hoax. The area around

days here at Bangor. “I was completely dumbfounded when I came back on Monday and saw it,” Dr Brown, curator of the Bangor University botanical gardens, said yesterday. “It had grown 6ft [1.8m] in the two days I was away, smashing straight through the glass, which after 28 years watching over it seemed a bit of a shock.” The news also sends a strong message to the University, as the site was almost completely shut down after concerns about rising maintenance and heating costs. Saved only by public outcry, the garden is now understaffed and the site was almost doomed to slip into disrepair. However, the plant that spends most of its life merely saving its energy couldn’t have picked a better time to awake. Its extremely rare appearance has brought media attention from around the country, and specialist interest from even further. The plant (even though it doesn’t stick around for long) also attracts new species of wildlife to the gardens, adding and fuelling its already considerable nature reserves. The new animals scatter the

seeds, and the plant fulfils its short but sweet destiny. “It is rather sad. Already the leaves have started to shrivel, and eventually they will die completely, leaving only the flower stalk - which is now as thick as my calf - which could last for a few years but will eventually rot too,” he said. “We will of course be saving the seed, and we have a few small plants ready, so we will obviously be replacing it - but this time a little further from the glass.” This is joyful news for the gardens. Often secluded and hidden away, it has brought the attention of people for miles around, who will surely praise the site on its beautifully preserved concentration of nature. Our congratulations go out to all those who have battled in the face of adversity, and really worked hard to make the gardens what they are.

Nathan Lee

BALL AND BUST I

t was quite a coup for the Summer Ball to replace the standard burger vans and be catered for by Java Restaurant, offering a more up market alternative to previous years. But four months on, Java restaurant is no more. The area upstairs from Java Industries is no longer occupied and neither is the special place that it held in our hearts. Bangor has a few good restaurants, but

SUMMER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

University name change

Phonebox bomb

a possibility, but again needed to be funded from somewhere, and cannot be considered a long-term solution. Let’s just hope the results of the Student Satisfaction Survey will not just make the University realise that investment in sport is long overdue, but spur them into taking action quickly. Watch this space.

reborth Gardens have been part of Bangor University for many years. Located a short walk away from the main campus itself, it has been a key resource for decades of students associated with forestry, and it has been equally important as a place of peace and relaxation for all those wanting to get away from the city centre. Above this however, the gardens themselves hold many wonders, and one recent phenomenon has really emphasised the treasures the gardens hold. Agave Americana is rarely found in this neck of the woods (excuse the pun!). Known by most as the ‘Century plant’, it was once believed to only flower once every one hundred years. When the plant does decide to grace the land with its presence however, it does so with an almighty push. In the case of the Treborth gardens, it grew over six feet tall in just two days. Dr Brown personally transplanted the then kitchen window sill sized baby, probably about five years old, into the university’s new display of cacti and succulents in his student

Glanrafon hill was cordoned off for several minutes before access was restored.

Glyn no longer coming to Bangor

2006 Big Brother star Glyn looks like his plans to come to university are no longer going ahead. He received his A-level results whilst in the house, and once he was out he made plans to study at our University after taking a year out. Sources now report that he will no longer be coming to Bangor, although we don’t have a reason why he has changed his mind.

Teaching on a high

Recent national teaching surveys show that Bangor is in the ‘Top Ten’ bracket for teaching levels, with 85% of students being satisfied with teaching standards. Seven subject areas score satisfaction ratings between 93-100%, scoring well above average for satisfaction ratings across the survey. Particular areas of satisfaction were Music (scoring 100%), Sports Science, Modern Languages, History, Law and Theology.

Minority language struggle

Apparently it is difficult for an author who writes in a minority language to concentrate solely on his or her writing, as he or she is constantly conscious that writing in itself is a political act, according to Xurxo Borrazás, a Galician novelist. According to the author, instead of concentrating on the literature, the author is constantly asking how his or her work contributes towards their culture and the struggle

few were as unique as Java, offering dishes for worldly wise taste buds. Centrally located, Java always seemed to pull in a crowd during the day and it begs the question, that if Java, who seemed to have such a winning combination of quality food and relaxed atmosphere, couldn’t make it, then who can? Noodle bars seem to be the new thing in Bangor, but with two opening in one sum-

mer, is there enough custom for them both. So the business no longer going to Java will be heading towards the other restaurants in Bangor and bar meals, which have always thrived amongst the student population, but for many the chance to have something different will be missed.

Caroline Alvarez

BANGOR SCIENTISTS SET TO BATTLE GLOBAL WARMING

for its survival.

Holy Peace not holy War

We need to encourage Holy peace, not Holy war claims Dr Robert Pope, Senior Lecturer at the School of Theology & Religious Studies at Bangor University. His book, entitled Thoughts On Religion claims that, “We will not get to grips with religious extremists through demonising as unreasonable and backward,” says Dr Pope. “Instead, we must promote the idea of holy peace which appears in all religion and try to ensure that those who profess the teaching on peace have a wider influence on the world stage.”

ceanographers from Bangor University are ready to set sail to the Arctic in a world wide attempt to learn more about the causes and effects of global warming. Funded by the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council, they will meet with scientists from UK, USA, Canada and Russia and plan to make the journey to the Arctic on a Russian nuclear-powered ice breaker which is set to cross the North Pole this month.

the amount of freshwater entering the Arctic Ocean. We know that the extent of the polar ice cover has shrunk dramatically in the past 30 years.” “The question is how will this affect the Atlantic circulation, which is a key determinate of our climate here in the UK.” The rate of change in the Arctic has been very well publicized in the last few years, and the trip made by our own scienitists, as well as scientists from University College

Bangor Team Leader Dr Tom Rippeth commented on how “the Arctic is being hit hard by global warming. Whilst average temperatures globally have risen by less than 1 degree Celcius, in the Arctic average temperatures have risen by 3 degrees Celcius, in the past few decades.” He continued to describe that “Whilst the Arctic Ocean is in nobody’s backyard it plays a major role in determining our climate through its influence on major ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream.” “Climate changes occurring there will have a huge, but as yet unknown, impact on

London, Cambridge and Southampton, will contribute to the new series of ship based measurements, taken across the Arctic Ocean, with satellite data to help improve complex computer models and help identify the key processes which influence the Arctic Ocean and thus North Atlantic circulation. The full body of work involved in the project actually involves people spanning over 60 nations, and will take over three years to complete.

Rhys Ifans receives honorary fellowship

Rhys Ifans (from hits such as Notting Hill) received a fellowship from the University this summer for services to the film industry. Honorary Fellowships are the highest honour that the University can bestow and are awarded to people who have links with Wales or the University who have made a significant mark in their chosen field.

Valley airport sights far

sets

The newly constructed Valley airport in Anglesey is looking to new routs after their initial success. Highland Airways started operating flights to Cardiff a few months ago, and the success of the North Wales airport has opened up opportunities for routes to Dublin also.

Nathan Lee

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

THE BLUDGEONER

t strikes the Bludgeoner as very strange, having the New Year start nine months after everyone else, but then again, they’ve only just reached the millennium in Ethiopia and things definitely aren’t that bad here. No wonder no-one has any food if they can’t even get the basics right, like what year it is.

Anyway, here we are, plodding on into another fun-packed session at Hogwarts. That’s plain old Hogwarts, mind, not the University of Wales, Hogwarts as in days gone by. It makes the Bludgeoner chuckle to hear on the grapevine of a student who complained about the University’s name change, saying that the current name had been there for 120 years, why change it now? At which moment, it was pointed out to said classroom dunce that UCNW morphed into UWB in the deepest mists of 1997. Ah, 1997 – how civilisation has bloomed since Maggie’s boys in blue were booted out of unlucky-for-some-Number-

10 closely followed Humphrey the cat. The trains run less late, you’re marginally less likely to die at the hands of breathtaking NHS bureaucracy and there’s at last peace in the Middle East. Not to mention that Labour promised to squeeze 50% of young people into higher education, higher education, higher education. Quite whether this means half of everyone leaving school, or that you’ll get sawn in two upon arrival no-one knows, but lecture theatres have undeniably swelled over the past decade with media studies luvvies, David Beckham researchers and in our case at Bangor, psychologists. Woody Allen once said that he didn’t want to be a member of a club that let him join, but the Bludge is rather more discerning in his tastes; he doesn’t want to be a member of a club that lets everyone else join. Has it worked, though? Was it a good idea? That’s anyone’s educated guess, but it’s definitely safe to say that there’s no such thing as a graduate premium any longer, somewhat akin to McDonalds trying to flog posh nosh, the Bludgeoner surmises. Astonishingly, though, it’s almost time once again to mouth the words to Auld Lang Syne and make some ribald resolution that takes fully three weeks to go tits up, like “I will not fail this year”, or “perhaps I’ll cut down on the drinking”. Maybe the Bludgeoner would have been better off going to Hogwarts University – the independent sector is flourishing and they don’t just let anyone in, you do have to have a certain magic…

GIRL POWER IN THE MIDDLE AGES

f there’s one thing that ‘Sex and the City’ has taught me, it’s that us girls are on top. The twentieth century was packed with feminist crusaders – opening with the Pankhursts and their militant suffrage campaigns and closing with the Spice Girls flaunting their short skirts and ‘Girl Power’ proclamations. From Betty Friedan, Germaine Greer and bra-burning, to Margaret Thatcher, Sarah Jessica Parker and lipstick lesbians, you could be excused for thinking that feminism was largely a twentieth-century invention. Before then women were chained to the cooker/stove/cooking pot/fire for centuries, right? Not according to Dr Sue Niebrzydowski, of Bangor University’s School of English. She proposes that middle aged women in medieval times actually exercised huge amounts of independence and power, making feminism a lot older than many of us think. The history of the middle ages is traditionally preoccupied with the kings of that time and their wars. Historians of this period generally dismiss medieval women as having trivial historical importance and there is little mention of them in medieval history books. A.R. Myers, who is a prominent historian of England in the late middle ages, claims that: “Women of the upper classes who failed to find husbands were prevented by the conventions of the time from seeking ‘gainful employment’, and there was often nothing for them to do but to enter a nunnery”. However, Dr Niebrzydowski’s research has uncovered information on the contrary. “We assume that women in the past had little economic independence or social power and that they were reliant on fathers or hus-

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bands for most of their lives - but we should be wary of holding too many misconcep-

tions about women’s lives in the past. “It’s true that most of the information we have is drawn from examples, whether in art, literature or historical records, relating to wealthier women, but women in their ‘middle age’ have far more power and independence than we might imagine,” says Dr Niebrzydowski. Her research has received massive scholarly interest and is being funded by the Royal Historical Society and the British Academy. It has been drawn together from looking at art, literature, legal records and songs in order to build up a comprehensive view of middle aged women’s lives in medieval times. “We find middle aged women running priories, commissioning books, taking early package tours to visit the Holy Land on pilgrimage and defending their property and property rights. By their middle age they often had far greater freedom to speak their minds. They could be more sexually liberated as there would be no child as evidence of their fornication or adultery and if wealthy, they could enter the marriage market on their own terms - and for their own reasons,

THE RANT

oris Johnson is a Marmite politician. You either love him or hate him. Many people love his endearing, bumbling charm. Others hate him because he represents an Etonian pomposity associated with the upper classes. Whether you love or hate Boris Johnson, one thing is for sure. He

brightens up politics. This summer, Boris Johnson declared himself a conservative candidate for the esteemed position of London Mayor and I for one hope that the people of London give Boris a chance to shine. I do not live in London and rarely visit England’s capital city so why should I care which candidate is victorious? The answer is that the outcome mightn’t just affect London, this mayoral election might affect the whole of Britain. Think about it for a second. Britain is sad. Britain is depressed. You only have to pick up a paper or watch the news to understand why Britain seems resigned to do nothing about this depression in which it finds itself. Over the summer months we’ve been overloaded with nothing but depressing and frightening news stories. We’ve had the re-emergence of foot and mouth, the murder of a young school boy in Liverpool, mass flooding across most of the country, attempted terrorist at-

whether economic, for love, companionship or pleasure. And, going by the cosmetic advice that existed in this period, middle aged women need not have been grey!” We only have to look at Chaucer’s Wife of Bath for a prime example of Dr Niebrzydowski’s powerful middle aged women, who despite having had five husbands, embarks on one of the aforementioned ‘package tours’ on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. Women in medieval times have been overlooked for too long, which is why Dr Niebrzydowski organised a three-day conference at Bangor entitled ‘Medieval Women in their Third Age: Middle Age in the Middle Ages’, from 12th-14th September 2007. The conference intended to “pose radical and provocative questions about the way in which the middle-aged woman perceived herself and how she was perceived by others”. “I was bowled over by the positive response from contributors to the conference - this is certainly a growing area of interest - we have archaeologists, art historians, historians, legal historians and literary critics taking part - looking at everything from some very bawdy women’s poetry, evidence concerning middle aged women and their sex lives, to the representation of middle aged women in law and their funeral customs.” Dr Niebrzydowski’s research will be a valuable contribution to the study of women’s history and will hopefully go some way in helping to change the perception of medieval women.

Emma Dixon

Spencer George

tacks in London and Glasgow and further loss of British lives in Iraq. If you’re an elderly person then you have to deal with the news of a potential pensions crisis. If you’re a young person you’re either being told that you’re the cause of anarchy on our streets or that your successful exam results are the consequence of taking easier exams. And if you’re a customer of Northern Rock, well the less said about that the better. What we need, even if momentarily, is to be freed from the shackles of melancholy and instead be reminded that life isn’t all doom and gloom. We need to be reminded that we aren’t going to be mugged by a youth in a hoodie every time we walk down a high street after dark, that we can eat a hamburger without needing to embark on a carb free diet as recompense and that we can express our views freely without being censored by nonsensical political correctness. Boris Johnson, the “Blonde Bombshell” of the political world, could be the person to emancipate us from this depression. Theatrical and clumsy he may be, but Boris has a deft way of communicating with people on a level that they both understand and enjoy. His hap hazard and yet entertaining brand of politics endears him to those from both the left and the right. The man who once persuaded his Henley Constituents to vote Tory because it would “cause your wife to have bigger breasts” might just be able to make London smile again. And we all know that smiling, like laughing, is contagious. If London starts to smile then Britain will start to smile. And after the last few years of despair I for one will be glad to smile again. It’s not just London that needs Boris Johnson. Britain

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

NEED EXTRA CURRICULAR? Jamboree shows exactly why students should be looking to the Scouts T

o most, being a Scout conjures up many rudimentary stereotypes of tying ropes, erecting tents and being eventually littered with badges. The naïve general opinion isn’t completely misguided, but if scouting was ever to be stereotyped, it should be under the friendly, well being good natured fun that they create, and the powerful positive guide that it induces over the children that rely on this source every week. Scouting is a global movement, active in more than two hundred and sixteen countries and territories and has more than twenty eight million members worldwide. There could certainly not be any event that expresses and promotes this more than the International Scouts Jamboree. Opened by Prince William and the Duke of Kent on Saturday 28th July in Hylands Park Chelmsford, it spans five hundred and seventy four acres of woodland, grassland, lakes, ponds and gardens surrounded by 9.5 km of fencing. The park is six times the size of the Museum of Welsh life; five and a half times the size

CSO CAROLAN GOGGIN

of the Welsh Mountain Zoo, and eight times the size of Disneyland in California. There were 40,000 scouts from nearly two hundred countries attending the jamboree, the equivalent of placing a temporary town the size of Durham or Merthyr Tydfil in Essex. The influx of people on the site meant that over a 10 day period, over 1.2 million meals were eaten and scouts consumed vast quantities of food, such as 100,000 lbs of chicken, 16,000 bottles of ketchup and 800,000 eggs! Equipment numbers also rocket, using 9,600 tables, 31,200 cooking utensils and 1,350 fiesta tents complete with 30,000 poles and two million tent pegs! This may be all well and good, but why you may ask is there an article on Scouts in a student newspaper? In recent years the number of children wanting to become Scouts has increased significantly. However, the increasing numbers of scouts has not been paralleled by an increase in Scout leaders and Scout volunteers. To be a part of the Scouts as an adult does however provide opportunities just a great as experiencing the journey as a child. The opportunities it presents in terms of travel are significant, and the skills it provides you with as an adult are endless, it is also an invaluable addition on your curriculum vitae. In recent years more and more students have begun to recognize the value of having some life experience on their CVs. The results of a 2003 survey by Student Volunteering England shows the sheer scale of volunteering undertaken by students. Every year students put 3,459,653 hours of effort, worth around £42 million into the economy, into the

ur current Communications and Societies Officer, Carolan Goggin, is one busy bee! She seems to be always on the go, and if you wait outside her office for a while you will see exactly what we mean. Carolan constantly has people flying in and out of her room! She kindly took time out to explain to Seren why her job is so hectic. It seems to be because she has so many different roles to fill. “My job entails looking after societies and the communication of both Storm FM and Seren, creating the SU website and also the newsletter, as well as sorting out the Union activities for Welcome Week. I also act as the deputy president which basically means I do the jobs that no one else wants to do! Then any

voluntary sector. The most popular projects they volunteer to work on are those involving young people and children, with 35% of

about an experience they could never forget, about taking part in a global phenomenon restricted to only the privileged few. Al-

and key contributors to the volunteering programme.

Jack Peat

Jamboree facts

More than 12,000 volunteers will attend the Jamboree to make these opportunities happen.

student volunteers involved in activities with young people and 17.5% involved in activities with children. Scouting is one of the longest traditions in the UK, and it is one that we all may have done, or at least been given the opportunity to do. It is easy to assume that scouting is simply about outdoor skills and games, and as a youngster it may be these exact incentives that enrol you into the scouting life. Today however, I write to you as an adult, and I will explain what scouting is about as a national and international movement. While I spent time at the International Scout Jamboree, I was inspired by the spirit and warmth that was characteristic of every single group and nation that was there. Standing in the centre of a global gathering, the feeling that you were part of something good was overwhelming and in many ways humbling. Each group I approached talked enthusiastically about the projects they were doing, the activities they took part in and the people they had met. To them it was all

though deep down, each activity promoted a well being and character building theme. Each game was centred on team building and cooperating, each exercise taught invaluable life insights and appreciation. For one hundred years scouting has been changing the world for the better, with projects occurring all over the globe that tackle local issues and make a difference in local communities. Examples include communicating with children about the dangers of HIV, re-educating child soldiers in Africa and raising money for homeless children around the world. If you ever see young yobs on the street, and wonder how you can change a child’s life in so many ways, think about applying to become a leader. The opportunity to shape a child’s life, to be a leader and a figure for so many to look up to is surely an exalted opportunity. But benefits and ‘do-gooding’ aside, being part of the scouts is really all about fun, and no matter what age you are, this is an aspect anyone can enjoy! Student candidates are seen as perfect candidates

spare time is given to people who may come in with problems they may be having.” Yet it would seem that Carolan is no stranger to having a hectic and busy schedule. She was a member of the Music Society, treasurer for the Sailing Club and a member of Storm FM when she studied at Bangor University. Now that she has graduated she is helping and encouraging others to do as she did and join in with as much as possible as well as encouraging new societies. “We currently have thirty-five societies” she explains, “but if anyone wants to start up a new one, they are more than welcome to. I will always try to help. It only takes fifteen members to create a new society. That is what happened with the Photography Society. They have just re-

started and have been given SU funding and now have a dark room in the SU basement.” Carolan not only enjoys her role, but it appears as though she loves Bangor too, “some may say Bangor is claustrophobic but it’s not for me. I like the way you can walk down the street and know everyone. I enjoy the small-town feel that Bangor has.” Carolan really wants others to love UWB as much as she does, and along with the rest of the SU team has created lots of events for everyone to take part in during freshers week. So keep listening out for any events that are run because, as Carolan suggests, “it all helps to keep you busy and to make the most of what the University has to offer. Getting stuck in and trying to get involved will also

Over 1.2 million meals will be eaten over a 10day period, including: • 60 tons of apples • 133,334 heads of lettuce • 567,812 litres of milk • 33,333 loaves of bread • 100,000 lbs of chicken • 16,000 bottles of ketchup • 800,000 carrots Equipment: • 9,600 tables and benches • 2,200 gas burners • 31,200 cooking utensils • 5,600 mixing bowls • 1,350 fiesta tents complete with 30,000 poles and 2 million tent pegs Bangor Scouts and Guides club (BUGS) will be at Serendipity with information on how to join a Scouts/ Guides group. www.undeb.bangor.ac.uk/ bugs

help with any homesickness!” One way to really see what clubs and societies the SU has on offer is to fly on down to Serendipity. There you can not only pick up freebies from local businesses but also browse and sign up to any societies that may take your fancy. “Also,” Carolan adds, “going along is the best way, because you get to chat to the club organisers face to face.” The day is usually a really good one, but mayhem for the CSO as she has to organise all the clubs and societies. She has a difficult task ahead of her being in charge of the whole event; but she does enjoy being in the hive of activity when it all works. “It’s fantastic and I get a really nice feeling to see it all.”

Siobhan Holt

Features

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

ello everyone, my name is Siobhan Catherine Holt and I am your new Features Editor. I am currently a third year studying English Literature with English Language. I hope to do my best for you this year and show you how there is in fact lots to do in little Bangor, as well as highlighting important issues that will affect us all. If you are in a club or society and would like to write a feature on what you have been up to, or have an opinion you want to express on local or national issues, please feel free to email me on the Features address. Anyway, have a great Freshers’ Week and if you see me out and about – mine is a dry Martini and lemonade!

Seren investigates the effects of the smoking ban

LANGUAGE DEATH

AFTER THE BAN ntering a pub, club or bar in Bangor is now a completely different experience to a few months ago. Now instead of pure smoke you are bombarded with the smell of pure sweat. Yet most seem to prefer this, as you can’t catch cancer, just a bad stench instead! Smoking has been a big part of our society for decades and it seems that the ban may be altering how we smoke; Seren thought it was about time to investigate and see if this was true. The government originally brought in the smoking ban because the public seemed not to care about the effects of passive smoking. Many ignored the warning that second hand smoke contains 4,000 chemicals, including sixty-nine cancer-causing chemicals such as arsenic, benzene and formaldehyde. They felt that facts like these were too important to be simply ignored. The act was introduced and has banned smoking from virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces in Wales and now England. When Seren began to research this topic Seren made some startling discovers and found facts that aren’t mentioned that often. Smoking not only causes cancer and heart disease it can also affect your sex life. Many students don’t realise how much of an effect smoking can have on your ability to pull on a Friday night! For women, smoking can affect your skin, as any NHS smoking leaflet will tell you; it “ages and dulls the skin, causing wrinkles. It also makes women store weight around their waists and can increase the risk of cellulite. Smoking also causes stains on your teeth, smelly breath and lifeless, brittle hair.” As if women haven’t got enough body hang-ups, smoking results in a few more. For the guys, smoking can affect your performance in the bedroom department. According to the NHS, “this is because when you smoke, any erection you get is smaller, softer and less impressive than when you’re smoke free. In the long run this can eventu-

ally result in impotence.” So it seems that to be on ‘top form’ the fags have got to go. It’s now six months on and many are still braving the cold outdoors and enjoying their quick smoke. In Bangor many of the local bars and pub owners haven’t noticed a real change as yet. According to Dean Ibbetson, the licensee of the Tap and Spile on Garth Road, “The smoking ban hasn’t had a major affect but the weather could change all that. The true outcome will be after Christmas when it turns colder.” However, Morag Pirie, a third year student, says that even as an occasional smoker she prefers the ban, “I think it’s great - even

I’m still just about a smoker, I’m certainly not at my previous 30-a-day habit, which I definitely wouldn’t have achieved without the smoking ban.” The government still has the problem however that many smokers are reducing the amount they smoke but not actually cutting it out of their lives completely. So the NHS has introduced initiatives to help people who want to stop entirely. They have created various support services that are open for anyone who wants to quit. Such as a stop smoking service where you are able to work with a trained specialist or you can opt to join a group for moral support. Another way is to take part in the together programme. This programme means that you can receive emails, text messages, mail packs or even phone calls on the best ways to fight your addiction. The best bit is that it is all free! Another method of quitting is to use nicotine gums or patches which are now available on prescription. It seems as thought the government, with the help of the NHS, are determined to reduce the amount of smokers. Whether people quit smoking or not, the ban seems to have been welcomed with open arms by both smokers and non-smokers. As Joanne Cornes, a third year psychology student explained, “I think it is definitely a positive move, as a non smoker it makes sitting in small bars a lot more comfortable.”

ur University is a melting pot of culture. People from over seventy countries study in Bangor every year. Can you imagine the sheer amount of languages that are spoken as well as English and Welsh? I ask you another question, how many of these do you think are endangered? The concept of language death has probably never crossed your mind, indeed it only sprung to mine when I attended a lecture on it by David Crystal. Did you know that Welsh would be a potential endangered language if it wasn’t for the recent Welsh Language Act introduced in 1993? It is only because of this that English and Welsh are treated on equal terms. We have all heard of endangered animals and now is the time for language to be highlighted. This may seem like the passionate rant of a Linguistics Student but I hope I have made it clear that this issue is closer to home than you think. Firstly, language holds the key to understanding culture. Can you imagine living in Britain with no records of English or the history of English left for people to know about us and how we lived? It may seem unrealistic and an unreal possibility but it is a possibility all the same.

Three thousand of the worlds six to seven thousand languages are about to be lost. To put the issue into a bigger context great literature of the world could be lost. Cynics may argue, what is the value of a few books? My retaliation would be writing in any form is the preservation of language itself. Even tales passed down through centuries orally could hold new facts about science and medicines on a practical level. Languages also hold information about human history. However, the simple fact is most of these endangered languages are written and can only be passed on orally. I hope I have enriched your mind today and made you think outside your cultural ‘box’. At the moment it stands that hundreds of languages will not be passed onto the next generation of speakers. Language interweaves the scientific and the technological. Without retaining information about languages that are “dying” the world would be a very different place and that’s why I argue for preservation. Tell your friends and family about ‘Language Death’ because it is awareness that will make people think, even if it is only for a while.

The Fat Cat

Noodle One

The Boatyard Inn

Royal Tandoori

Ristorante Pulcinella

166 High Street, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL59 5HB

Garth Road, BANGOR, Gwynedd, LL57 2SF

Tel: 01248 354418

Tel: 01248 362462

111 High St, Bangor. Gwynedd. LL57 1NS. 01248 352519

Mon-Fr-12:30-15:00 18:00- 22:00 Sat- 12:00-15:00 17:30-22:30

11am-11pm

Restaurant Pier Promenade, Garth Rd, Bangor. Gwynedd. LL57 2SW. 01248 362807 (not open Mondays)

here are two noodle bars in Bangor. One is situated in Upper Bangor and one on the High Street in Lower Bangor. Although they are slightly different, they do have many similarities: At first glance the menu looks too cheap to be any good. You can expect to enjoy a starter, main course and a drink for around ten pounds. However despite its rather modest prices, the food itself is actually really good. It is all served fresh and the service is quick and helpful. If you ever need to enjoy a quick, but tasty lunch, these are the places to go. There are screens around the rooms and it is certainly a place where you could eat something hot, by yourself in a short period of time. In the same manner though, the two places also make great evening dining for all us students who like to eat good food for less.

he Boatyard Inn is situated within the traditional pubs by the pier. The place itself gives the impression that it should be an overly traditional, pie and chips kind of venue. It is actually really quite stylish and classy. All the food is prepared from a well thought through menu and takes the traditional approach, but done well. The place itself is warm and homely and its ‘ship’ theme is in keeping with its location. It is also out of the way so you don’t get the bustle and noise from the centre of town. The prices are far more like restaurant prices, rather than pub prices. You can expect to buy a starter, main, desert and a drink for around £20-£25. In the same light, don’t expect traditional pub portions, it is a restaurant and will therefore abide by the quality, not quantity motto. Anyone who enjoys a good pint of real ale will also be in for a treat; the bar has a good selection of beers that fit nicely with the homely/ traditional sense of the restaurant.

01248370445 161 High Street, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 1NU 10 am- 10 pm

he Fat Cat is a student restaurant/ bar to a tee. It radiates intellectual sophistication at a price that is affordable but fair. The bar itself is surrounded by bookshelves and lined with wooden flooring. The drinks range from good cold lagers to a great cocktail list. The spirit shelf is also more than adequate and the bar staff are friendly and professional. The restaurant has a good range of traditionally British cuisine, as well as some average variants, such as curry and stir fries. The menu itself is quite basic as far as upper class restaurants go, and is more than suitable for lunch time snacks and meals. But if you are interested in dining in the evening, they often have a good list of special courses. The mains can range from good selections of local meats to fish dishes, each prepared with delicate authenticity. Even though The Fat Cat is a chain restaurant, there is a personal feel to it. The specials menu is prepared in keeping with the district and is therefore unique and extremely tasty.

Amy Briscoe

though I have smoked in the past, I never liked to smoke indoors and much preferred to smoke outside so it suits me down to a tee.” Caroline Holmes, a second year student studying English Literature believes that “the smoking ban is definitely a good thing, it’s only fair on the non-smokers as they’ve been putting up with our smoke for so long now. I know my friends are glad about it because it means I no longer burn them with my cigarettes when drunkenly dancing!” She also explained to Seren how the smoking ban has helped her personally, “ It’s also really helped me cut down, which I’ve been wanting to do for ages but always gave in when I was out and drunk. I never personally buy cigarettes now and I only smoke if one of my friends gives me a cigarette. So while

5:30pm- 11:30pm

he Indian restaurant is situated towards Weatherspoons in Lower Bangor. It is quite small but you aren’t cramped in any way. There are a few rows of booths that are quite personal, and there are bigger tables depending on the amount of people eating. The food is brought in a traditional Indian way, each dish served separately and placed around the table. The food is really quite good and the service is very personal. The price is modest and there is no etiquette in terms of dress or attitude. You can expect to eat well for around £15, and this includes all the side dishes and appetisers. It is relaxed, but not sloppy, and is therefore a good place to be with groups of friends. There is a bar with reasonably priced draught beer and other cold drinks. The Restaurant also offers a take away service, which is useful if your own attempt at Indian doesn’t quite work out.

For more information or advice, call the NHS smoking helpline on0800 169 0169 7am-11pm daily or visit www.gosmokefree.co.uk All facts taken from NHS smokefree booklets, Jan 2007. Produced by the Dept. of Healt

Siobhan Holt

ituated down by the pier, Ristorante Pulcinella is that rarity in Bangor: an upmarket restaurant perfect for special occasions. Serving up hearty Italian fare, Pulcinella are certainly not mean with their portions. The restaurant has an extensive menu with all the familiar classics you’d expect from an Italian and they certainly don’t disappoint. Their dishes are well executed and satisfying. If you manage to finish your main course, the desserts are to die for. The restaurant itself is light and airy with a good atmosphere. You are asked to order in advance if you are part of a big group, but Pulcinella cater for all group sizes. A slightly more expensive option, Pulcinella is worth the extra pounds. Great for friends birthdays or when the parentals have come to visit and want to treat you.

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

Do’s and Dont’s of eating healthily

here are a lot of misconceptions around food, especially with all the ‘new phase’ diets that hit our magazine stands weekly. So with a nutritionist in the family I thought I would pick her brains and reveal her wisdom to you. The first thing she wanted to go through was the ten golden rules of food and healthy living:

1 2

A lot of variety, and not too much of one thing (this mainly applies to unhealthier food choices)

Limit products with a lot of fat: cream, mayonnaise, chips, chocolate and icecream. No-one is saying to cut out completely; life would be no fun with no treats, but all in moderation. Fat gives you double the calories compared to protein and carbohydrates. You need fat in your diet but less of the saturated fats.

3 4

With seasoning you can use as many herbs as you like but be sparing with your salt. Too much salt is not good for your body. Eat fewer sweet things- if you eat too many sweet foods you usually ignore foods that your body needs. Also sweet foods are particularly damaging to your teeth: after sweets chew sugar-free gum.

Consume more wholemeal- eat more wholemeal bread, pasta, muesli (not the sugar or chocolate kind), rolled oats like porridge and eat less white bread, rolls and pasta. Wholemeal foods are rich in fibre, which is important for the body for the following reasons: keeps you full for longer, helps your digestion, cleans your intestines, keeps your cholesterol down and has no calories.

A lot of vegetables, potatoes and fruit. Fresh fruit and raw vegetables are the best. -Choose pulses more often like lentils, use these in the same way as other fibre products but these have more vitamins and minerals. - Eat what’s in season, and not strawberries in January that come from far away. - Frozen veg is also really good and sometimes has more vitamins than fresh as

we don’t know how long fruit or veg has been sitting there.

Eat more valuable protein products like fish, milk and other low fat milk products. Eat less animal protein like eggs and sausage meat which has a lot of fat and cholesterol. Lean meat is good. Eat meat two or three times a week and fish once or twice.

Drink water and no alcohol. That’s a textbook answer and laughable for us students, I won’t preach about alcohol*. Everyday our body needs 1 ½ -2 litres of fluid: water, unsweetened tea, veg juice and diluted fruit juice.

Small meals and snacks are better than three big meals. Large meals make you tired and are too much work for your digestion. Big gaps between meals are also not a good idea as your performance level drops. The weak feeling can then make you crave a sugar fix. It really doesn’t pay to starve yourself. Between meals snack on yoghurt, fruit, raw veg, milk and wholemeal cookies or wholemeal bread with a light topping. These snacks will help balance your sugar level.

To create tasty cooking that keeps the nutrients in: don’t over-cook your vegetables, also cook them in little water, the more water you use washes the nutrients away. Keep your vegetables chunky rather than too fine. And buy your vegetables the nearer you are to cooking them. There you go folks the ten golden rules of healthy eating. I know at university it’s hard to make the effort to cook proper meals, I too favour fast meals. But bear these points in mind and of course nobody follows these to a tee. Also with the guaranteed increase of alcohol consumption it pays to feed your body the vitamins and minerals it needs.

Ingredients

tomatoes 12 large tomatoes/ 2 tins squashed c 2 cloves Garli 2 onions Seasoning One large fish- e.g. mullet Fresh king prawns Orange

called awareness, which begins with the ability to observe oneself. Observe how you are feeling and what makes you feel that way. Go existentially a little deeper than the surface. Explore the spring of your emotions. It was once said, “When you are aware of your pain and suffering, it helps you to develop your capacity which allows you to relate to other people’s feelings and sufferings.” External sensitivity is the ability to relate to other people’s feelings and sufferings. Can sensitivity be acquired? First, you have to get to know your internal organism and the rainbow of emotions within you. Once you acquire the ability to watch your emotions, not only will you sharpen your instincts, you will benefit in myriad ways. External sensitivity also cannot be acquired directly. There is something else, which if we allow to grow within us, often brings sensitivity as a by-product: that is kindness, the mother of several virtues. Once you cultivate kindness, many other virtues follow like humility and sensitivity.

The Great Orme

Preparation

using fresh garlic into small pieces. For those Start by chopping the onions and in threes into boiling hot them g tippin by skins the g tomatoes, start by peelin seeds, and them in half and scoop out the water. Once they are peeled, cut nts. segme small chop the remaining tomatoes into ring the may need to spend more time prepa Depending on the fish monger you off, and then chop it first bones of free and d skinne fish. Make sure it is fully into small segments.

Method

of oil. m sized pan on the stove with a drop Once you have prepared, heat a mediu Then add the to. brown n golde until toss and When hot, add the onions and garlic a little more as basil, thyme or saffron if you have matoes, and season with herbs such grate some and e orang the take this is all in, money, as well as salt and pepper. Once 0 minutes. 25-3 d aroun for r simme to it e peel over the pan. Leav the time to mix with the seasoning, add As soon as the tomatoes have had . bread fresh with serve and es, minut d 5 fish. Leave them in the pan for aroun

Jack Peat

Ingredients

Versatile savoury meal

Two cups of rice Vegetables Bacon/ prawns/ tuna Flour Milk Butter Cheese

Preparation

There is very little preparation involv ed. Depending on what ingredients you have chosen to use, you may need to chop things such as bacon and vegetables etc…

Method

Start by boiling the rice. While the rice is boiling you can prepare the cont ents. When the rice is around 5 minutes from being done, start making a white sauce. Melt around 2 table spoons of butter in a pan, when it is fully liquefied, add small amounts of flower until quite dry. Then star t adding the milk until a thick sauc e develops. If you would prefer to use a cheese sauce, simply just add cheese towa rds the end. When the rice and white sauce is finish ed, take a small dish and spread the rice over the bottom. Then layer the rest of the chosen ingredients over the rice, topped with the white/ cheese sauce. Then sprink le cheese over the top, or even crush ed crisps. Bake in the oven until golden brown .

Jack Peat

Sophie de l’Orme

Doc Spot

elcome to all existing and newly arrived students. Today we shall learn the art of maintaining relationships. A relationship can be called stable once it is accurate. The word ‘accurate’ is derived from the Latin word curare which means ‘to care for’. It follows that you strive for accuracy in relationships with those you care about. Accurate relationships are caring relationships. When you really care for someone, you are concerned about his/her feelings and you behave, not in the most expedient way, but in a way that your behaviour doesn’t distress them. The first step is to realise that the disturbance stems from the imbalance created in your relationship with your dear one. Cultivating sensitivity to recognize there is an imbalance means you need to stand in his/her shoes. You need to feel their heart beat. To build accurate relationships, sensitivity is essential. Sensitivity has two aspects: internal and external. Internal sensitivity can also be

Healthy, Mediterranean Fish Soup

Health

with Dr. Rashesh Mehta If you have not been appreciative enough of someone who deserved appreciation and that person felt his/her efforts had gone unsung, you should wait for the next right moment to express support. If you have been unduly harsh to someone and that has brought an imbalance in a relationship, you restore balance by making amends. An appropriate word or even a gesture can help you do the necessary. Actions, in fact speak louder than words. Tensions get diffused and this is where patience comes to play. Sometimes when the wound is fresh and you try to heal it, you end up doing more harm than good. Very often you will find that the wounded like to be left alone. So, patiently, you wait for your loved one to get ready for the healing process. You withdraw a little from the scene for you realise that any overenthusiasm on your part could turn out to be counter-productive. When the right moment clicks itself, you make your move; you apply the balm of soothing words or act in a manner that aids healing.

Remember, you are not in search of a perfect relationship. You are merely striving for that sustained relationship, bringing bliss and stability. When circumstances disrupt the balance, you go to work once again to restore the balance. You work hard at relationships because you love and you care.

’d like to start this year with a warm welcome to all the new students. Hopefully you will have got over the initial shock of being left to fend for yourself, and the best years of your lives begin here. Even though Bangor is small, fashion counts wherever you are and it doesn’t pay to always follow the crowd. Denim is a trend that will forever be with us, so why not give your legs a splash of colour and try coloured denim. Skinnies are here to stay for a little longer, so why not get a coloured pair? Team this with an oversized top and with a cute button detail for example. If you’ve got the legs for skinny jeans, a tight top isn’t essential, and baggy tops hide a multitude of sins. Or skinny jeans with a cute dress on top: casual but can be glamorised up for the night. On the note of dresses, ‘the bandeau’ made of linen and lace is gorgeous. If you’ve got toned arms, this dress will only enhance features of your upper half. Draw attention with a large pendant necklace - the high street shops are full of pretty choices. Pieces of fruit from strawberry to apple are very popular, but perhaps pick a more neutral style for the autumn. The shirt dress is a nice day-wear that can be worn on a night out with a belt to clinch your waist in and boost those womanly curves. White is summer’s freshest and most flattering colour, but white shoes are a no-no unless it’s fancy dress. Till the warmth fades wear white, and if you’ve managed to bag a tan this summer it will make you look great. Hair after summer can become dry and lacking in vibrancy. Get a trim or complete new style to start the term. Use a hair mask every now and again: wash your hair over the bath, put the mask on, wrap a towel round and leave the mask on for longer for extra silky locks. Why not try Scwarzkopf ’s new Supersoft Smoothie range. They are offering some almost edible combinations: [their Yogurt and Peach Smoothies and Aloe Vera Smoothies are just £2.09 each.] For a quick-to-go face, why not try a bright red lip colour, curl your eyelashes, little mascara, ruffle hair and that should look hot. For a lazy afternoon drink, avoid full black smoky eyes (reserved for Trash nights only). Use a shimmer eye-shadow to open up your eyes, then use black mascara to frame for Bambi gaze. For nights out try a dark black, dark blue or even purple, plenty of kohl and mascara are essential for that vampy ‘London look’ as Kate Moss calls it. That should be enough tips for now and I look forward to future nights out where I can suss out the new eye-candy and lovely ladies.

Sophie de l ‘Orme

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

Travel

ONION DOMES AND OVERNIGHT TRAINS Two Girls, Nine Countries and Five Weeks

n the map it was a simple plan: draw a circle from Prague to Moscow, via Budapest and Bucharest and back to Prague via the Baltics and Poland. In practice, it was ambitious: nine countries in five weeks on a students’ budget and travelling solely by public transport. For two third year Bangor students, this year’s summer trip away wasn’t relaxing, but it was certainly an exciting experience.

Another day, another country and we moved on to Budapest. Prague is a very accessible city and a great introduction to Eastern Europe. It has fairytale spires, cheap beer and budget airline flights. What else could a student ask for?! Basing ourselves in Stare Mesto, the area around the Old Town Square, we explored all the classic sights, from the chiming of the Astrological Clock, to Charles Bridge, complete with its imposing statues and resident

St Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow

buskers, to Prague’s magnificent gothic Castle, the oldest in Europe. But Prague is also known for its night life and the self respecting students that we are, we sampled a bit of that too. At fifty pence a pint, you can’t go wrong with world class lager, which the Czechs themselves invented. Situated near Charles Bridge is the Karlovy Lazne nightclub, complete with neon sign claiming it to be “The Biggest Nightclub in Middle Europe”. Notice the inclusion of the word ‘Middle’! Five floors of banging music, each with a different theme, ranging from classic seventies and eighties, through to house. Moving south, our next main stop was Vienna: a grandiose city with beautiful architecture and the Austrian atmosphere of squeaky clean efficiency. Vienna sports a wonderful café culture, coffee served on small silver trays and enough cakes to keep even the sweetest of teeth happy for several weeks. Austria’s capital also has a large number of museums on offer, but the ultimate has to be the fantastic Belvedere. The collection is housed in an old palace, which is beautiful, before you even look at the artwork and is set in manicured gardens. The highlight for any art lover must be Gustav Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’. Bigger and more passionate in real life than any picture postcard can do credit to, ‘The Kiss’ is a must see in Vienna. Another day, another country and we moved on to Budapest. Hungary’s capital city was once two cities, with Buda and Pest divided by the mighty Danube River. The two are now counted as one and views offered from the connecting bridges are world class. Budapest even has its own parliament building modelled on Westminster in London, but being Eastern Europe, there are a few more gothic spires added on for good measure. Our first night train took us through Transylvania and onto

Bucharest. As capital cities go, Bucharest is not the most exciting and sadly dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu knocked down some of the city’s most beautiful architecture in the 1980s to make way for his huge Communist edifices. Many of the streets were being dug up and a decision was reached to try and find some of the real Romania. Another night train took us to the very north of the country, up near the Ukrainian border, to an area called Maramures. Everyone else on the train seemed to be locals and farmers and we made friends with the fellow travellers in our compartment, despite the obvious language barrier, but got very little sleep. We stayed on a small farm set in agricultural countryside, with a backdrop of the Carpathian Mountains and local people using horse drawn vehicles for their everyday transportation. Our quest to find the real Romania achieved, our next task was to find our way to Kiev. Travelling from capital city to capital city is relatively easy, but finding our way from Maramures onto the direct line to Kiev was slightly more complicated. We took a small local train over the border, where I was taken into a side room and interrogated, whilst my travelling companion, Rebecca, was waived through. Then we took a hot three hour bus journey, which stopped at the worst toilet in Europe, to Mukacheve, from where we could catch the overnight train to Kiev. On this train we had a private compartment with beds, and were brought clean sheets and soap. This felt like luxury, but Rebecca came down with a dose of food poisoning and spent most of the night being sick. Kiev is a large and interesting city, but a difficult destination for travellers. The infrastructure for tourists isn’t really set up, with hostels few and far between. People don’t seem to speak much English and even when you make an effort with the language, customer service is hard to come by. On top of this is the added complication of the Cyrillic alphabet. Street signs and shop signs are in Cyrillic and my guide book map was in the Western alphabet. Trying to make the two correlate was a nightmare. Despite this, the

A Capital Time In Estonia

nyone who has been, or knows anyone who might have been to Estonia 10 years ago would speak one unanimous piece of advice- don’t go there. The picture many would paint is an Eastern European country still struggling from its communist past times and economic hardship. A truth that for many post war years may have been accurate, today, it is almost the polar opposite . It is a phenomenon many contemporary historians choose to indulge their time in. What happens after communism? Which countries fair better than others? All of which have different outcomes. However if you want to experience the living outcome of a country that has boomed, boomed and boomed once more after communism within the last decade, visit Estonia. To all those geographical Jade Goodies out there Estonia is located at the very Eastern edge of Europe bordering Russia. Tallinn (its capital) is located in the north facing Finnish capital Helsinki, and this was to be where I resided in my week’s visit. To describe the city of Tallinn in a nutshell, I would make comparisons with other European cities such as Prague, Krakow or Amsterdam. The city has a beautiful Old Town, still in wonderful condition that borders new multi-storey office blocks and trendy bars. Drink is certainly the word of the day when you’re in the centre, and

Tallinn is often enjoyed by visitors from Helsinki or Stockholm, who come here to enjoy the cheap beer and the lively atmosphere. There are old traditional bars in the Old town, all that offer good atmosphere and a friendly environment. The beer house is a particularly enjoyable place to go, with its own brewery attached to it, you can experiment home-made ale in their overly large sized mugs/ pitchers! The New Town is directly adjacent to the historic centre and this offers more trendy, modern bars. Eating is cheap also. You can eat well for around five to ten pounds. The cuisine varies like in the UK, and is not really centred around a national eating culture. Getting to and from the capital is tricky, with direct flights only departing from London Gatwick. Easy Jet now operates daily routs, but at rather awkward times. My advice is to fly with Estonian Air, you can get a return to Estonia from around £150. As for accommodation, hotels are plentiful. Hostels are harder to come by, but certainly not impossible. Try to book in advance to save any hassle.

Jack Peat

area around the Shevchenko University is really nicely laid out and the decadent golden domes of St Michael’s Monaster y are a fantastic Route taken by Emma Dodd and Rebecca Hussey sight to see. ent local spirits and a Lithuanian beer called Travelling overland is a completely dif- ‘Horn’. ferent experience to taking a flight and even Poland was our last new country and though we’ve both travelled further away, it we spent time in both Warsaw and Krakow. was in the Ukraine that we began to feel a The Old Town in Warsaw was completely very long way away from home. flattened in the Second World War, but has Another thirteen hour train ride took us been painstakingly rebuilt to look exactly as to Moscow. We passed over border control at it did before. Warsaw’s new town is in stark four in the morning and we were sleeping in contrast with this, as it is home to some huge a carriage full of people on narrow shelves. skyscrapers and ultra modern buildings. We Our bunks were about five feet off the floor. used Krakow as a base to go on day trips to We stood in Red Square with the famous on- the Wieliczka Salt Mines and Auschwitz. The ion domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral in front of Salt Mines, one hundred and thirty metres us and Lenin’s Mausoleum to the right, not below the ground, are a warren of passagebelieving that we’d made it this far. After a ways with many sculptures created by the three month process to obtain our visas and miners themselves and even a huge chapel, endless hours of travelling, we’d made it to complete with salt chandeliers and salt relief Russia. paintings on the wall. The most surprising Both Moscow and St Petersburg are huge thing was that you can still get mobile phone and have large metro systems, decorated un- signal down there! Our trip encompassed one of the most Kiev is a large and interesting important sights in recent European history, city, but a difficult destination Auschwitz or Oswiercim, as it is known to the Poles. We took a bus to the site, which for travellers. lies an hour and a half away from Krakow. Preserved in order that we might learn lesder Stalin in elaborate styles, from chande- sons from history, Auschwitz is the most liers to mosaics. This makes for a cheap and haunted place I’ve ever visited and the camp relatively easy way to explore Europe’s largest has been maintained as a museum and meand fourth largest cities. Once again, a work- morial to those who died. Having travelled ing knowledge of Cyrillic comes in handy. around Eastern Europe, Auschwitz was a After the huge cities of Russia, Latvia and fitting place to contemplate the history and Lithuania’s capitals, Riga and Vilnius respec- fates of so many of the people and countries tively, were lovely little retreats. Both sported we visited. pretty Old Towns with lots of little bars and Our final night train took us back to restaurants. We even headed to Majori, a Prague, where we relaxed for a few days, bebeach town near Riga to try and top up our fore flying home. tans. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t so good by the end of August, but Majori is a Emma Dodd nice day trip from Riga. In our two nights in Lithuania we managed to try six differ-

Venice On A Budget

This is also a good way of finding cheap and easy travel insurance; ten quid extra and it’s all included. A half an hour bus ride out of Venice took us to Rachel Eales in Venice a charming s a student, you are bound by tradilittle camption to do everything (or as much as site where we rented a cabin for the week. you can) on the cheap. To some this It was little more than a soulless box, commeans holidaying in main land Europe is out plete with two beds and walls that were not of the question. As long as you can rough it, sound proofed! But a fourteen euros a night you can travel I say. per person, I wasn’t expecting much more. Without padlocking my wallet, I man- A point to note would be that taking your aged a week in Venice for about four hun- own tent would knock the price of accomdred pounds in total (and this involved eat- modation down also. But as it stood a week ing out every night-not the cheapest way to in a cabin cost about a hundred pounds for do things). The basic, unavoidable expenses the two of us. for my holiday came to about two hundred There are more than enough places to pounds, not a lot really. Everything else was visit in Venice, though a liking of renaisan extra. sance art is useful if you don’t want to spend Searching through budget airlines can a fortune. bring a variety of good deals your way. The The Grand Canal is Venice’s equivalent of prices vary according to supply and demand; Oxford Street. A single trip on a Vaporetto even a matter of days can make a difference.

(A water boat) cost six euros, and though it does get crowded, you can see a lot of the city if you perch yourself at the edge. Beyond wandering the city, Venice has a wide collection of churches, ranging from the enormous St Marks Basilica to the little unknown church off the shopping street. All of these can be visited free of charge and each shows a unique part of Venice’s religious and artistic history. The construction of St Marks Basilica is a unique and awe-inspiring story, but equally enchanting is the experience of finding a Titian masterpiece in a small church in the middle of the city. It’s not all art in Venice. For a change of scenery, we headed to Lido for the day, where the main attraction is the beaches. Having not come prepared for this, half an hours sunbathing in my shorts had me covered in sand (not to mention sunburnt). Venice has the climate for a relaxing holiday (and the beaches if you come prepared) and churches, art galleries and historical buildings to satisfy the sightseer in you. Don’t eat out every night and avoid the expensive tourist traps (A gondola ride will set you back eighty euros, and they’re not even used by Venetians!) and Venice can become an enchanting cheap break.

Rachel Eales

Star 2007

elcome to THE Bangor page as to which numeric order to Pub Crawl. To all those take depending on your destination. new to the place, this is Once you have decided where you your chance to expeRascals rience what Bangor has to offer on a night out. Along the way you will encounter different styles, traditions and altitudes, leading you to one of the two main nightclubs in Bangor. Each pub is numbered and there are explanations at the bottom of the

Belle Vue

The Belle Vue is a traditional pub, located in Upper Bangor. It has two rooms, the first equipped with a pool table and TVs, and the second with chairs and food. There is also a nice beer garden, and good ales served at the bar.

Varsity

are going, simply follow the numbers around. The pubs have been chosen strategically, enabling you to experience the main drinking parts of the city. The Crawl should take around two hours depending on your own drinking times. Please remember to drink responsibly and above all have a great night! www.drinkaware. co.uk/

Rascals is a three levelled Bar, with a pool table and table football. The beer is extra cold and there are a good selection of cocktail-esque drinks. There is also a large screen for most sporting events.

Newly refurbished, the Waterloo Inn is perfectly positioned halfway between the Octagon nightclub and Amser /Time. This pub is on a side street off the high street next to the Deiniol Centre.

Varsity is a trendy bar located near the centre of town. It has two floors and two levels on the ground floor. It serves food, drinks deals and Varsity cards are available for extra discount. It also has a new pool table.

Three Crowns

North Wales’ unique and only full time pub for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and anyone who is ‘attitude free’ Everyone welcome, now in our fifth successful year!

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1 1

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Harp Inn

The Harp Inn is a more traditional, quieter pub. It serves good ale, as well as superb food. There is a seperate games room upstairs, and it is a comfortable walk away from the centre of town.

Waterloo Inn

KEY Numbers in italics indicate the principal location: ACADEMIC Agricultural and Forest Sciences 37 Biological Sciences 31, 32, 35, 35A Business and Regional Development 45, 48 Chemistry 34

ST 6 R ST 4ST R5 R ST 3 R

Fancy the challenge? Join the Seren Team on Wednesday 26th September at the Belle Vue at 7.00pm and we’ll all do THE Pub Crawl together! Then check the photos out in Seren and on our Facebook group.

Octagon Nightclub

Crawl to Octagon

tart at the Belle Vue and then walk down to Rascals. Continue walking down the same road past the train station. Turn left before the railway bridge. Have a drink in The Harp (on your right), the Black Bull (on your left) and then Varsity (on your right). Take the same road and veer to the right onto the highstreet. Once at the Deniol Centre, take a right and enter The Waterloo Inn outside the entrance. Then head LIBRARIES back onto Archive Service 42 the high street, take the left to Octagon, but turn left into the Deiniol Library 39 Three Crowns for the last pre-nightMain Library 42 club drink.

Normal Site Library 11 Wolfson Library A Numeric:

1234567

OTHER SERVICES AND FACILITIES

Black Bull (Lloyds)

Crawl to Time

Time/ Amser Nightclub

tart at the Three Crowns pub near to the Octagon nightclub. After the first drink, head up to the High Street and call in at the Waterloo Inn. Then head to the end of the road and take a left, hitting Varsity on your left. Continue up the road to The Black Bull (right) and The Harp (left). Walk further down the road up to the railway bridge. Take a right there and up the hill. At the top go RESIDENCES to the Belle Vue, and then head back on yourself to Rascals for the last drink. Amser/Time College Road nightclub is two minutes walk from there, Neuadd John Morris-Jones 57 straight down the hill.

Neuadd Rathbone 56

Numeric: 7 6 5 4 3 1 2 Ffriddoedd Site Bryn Dinas 23

The local Lloyds bar is located in an old chapel. With a good selection of drinks at a more than reasonable price, and a full menu, the Black Bull is typical of most Lloyds bars.

Star 2007

The Life Machine

sk any student what they think life would be like without the Internet and their answer will be similar to asking what life would be like without their mobile phone, or right hand. In truth, life without the Internet is now simply unimaginable – we use it to keep in touch with our friends (both real and virtual), for work, coursework, banking, shopping, downloading music, watching television programmes…the Internet is our portal to the rest of the world, making it possible for a student from the tiny city of Bangor beat a Las Vegas millionaire at poker or slay a Japanese whiz-kid on World of Warcraft. It is now a vital component in our lives and the proclivity of internet access around Bangor – broadband in nearly every student home, wireless internet in most halls of residence and University computer rooms all over the city – clearly reinforces this fact. A life without Internet is a life without Google. Imagine not being able to type in your desired word and receive thousands of results to choose from! Instead you’d be faced with the task of trawling through books to find out what you want. Google is now our Yellow Pages, our thesauruses, dictionaries and encyclopaedias. When was the last time you decided to rummage through the phone book for a number instead of quickly Googling it? Or chose to use a dictionary rather than spell checking your word? I bet it was quite a long time ago. Internet search engines such as Google have replaced manual searches, saving an infinite amount of time and effort. What about all those social networking sites? Websites such as mySpace, Facebook and Bebo provide us all with the chance to socialise with minimum effort while being subtly bombarded with countless amounts of advertisements and band promotions. A quick look on mySpace and Facebook shows 3,266 members of the Bangor University mySpace network and 3,774 members of the Bangor University Facebook network, which demonstrates just how integral the Internet is to Bangor students’ social lives. I’m sure many of you would have found it very difficult keeping in touch with each other over the long summer without the aid of such websites and I can only

imagine how comforting Facebook has been to freshers worrying about making friends in the new semester. The ‘Off to Bangor Sept 07!’ Facebook group is currently up to 400 members and Tom Potter, one of the officers of the group, has found it very helpful: “The group’s definitely reassured me. It’s pure excitement, I’m nowhere near as daunted as I was in April when I had to choose the Uni”. Fellow officer, Elizabeth Mullins, believes that Facebook is great for new students because “you realise everyone else is worrying about the same things as you are, from them discussing on the wall and discussion boards”. The group has even organised a night of drinking on the Saturday night of freshers’ week, which I’m sure will be an excellent introduction to Bangor life. Facebook has its other uses as well; as why waste phone credit to organise a night out when you can just leave a quick message on someone’s wall instead? And what about the morning after, laughing at the photos documenting the drunken antics of the night

before? At the end of last term I was faced with the difficult task of helping to organise a surprise party for a friend’s 21st and this would have been im-

possible without Facebook. Invitations were secretly sent out to everyone on his friends list and the party was a huge success, with the birthday boy completely clueless about the whole event. But the Internet is not just useful for students’ playtime, it is also an essential work tool. Wikipedia has become a fundamental resource for anyone wanting to know anything about, well, anything. As a history student, the internet is vital for my research as it provides access to primary sources which would otherwise be near impossible to locate, and journal databases such as JSTOR supply thousands of online essays on almost every subject. However, it is extremely important when using the internet to assist your work to avoid plagiarism. Submitting online essays or copying and pasting paragraphs into your work and passing it off as your own will lead to severe consequences, from receiving a zero for that module and having to re-sit it, to having your whole degree taken off you. Lecturers are well trained in knowing whether or not work is original and certainly take no prisoners on this matter. The Bangor library website is also a favourite for all students as it not only offers a comprehensive catalogue of all its material but also the chance to reserve and renew items without leaving the comfort of your bedroom (or having to tackle that hill). I’m sure I’m not the only one who has narrowly avoided hefty fines by renewing soon-to-be-overdue books online. There is also Bangor Blackboard, which lecturers use to display lecture notes. This makes it handy to catch up on any lectures you may have missed or not quite focused your full attention on. It’s important to remember, though, that Blackboard is not a replacement for attending lectures, and I’m certainly not advising you to miss them in place of catching up on notes online, especially as Blackboard is nowhere near used by all lecturers. That brings us to every girl’s favourite pastime: shopping. We used to be confined to trailing round our local stores, trying to get that perfect outfit, that essential textbook or our weekly groceries whilst being seriously limited to the choice available in our area. Anyone who has spent long enough in Bangor will know that its small selection of shops doesn’t exactly offer the widest choice and we all know what that brings: hitting a club in your newly-purchased togs only to discover that someone else is wearing it. Or finding that the last available copy of your course book is being sold at some extortionate price. Luckily, the Internet has massively broadened our shopping horizons: Amazon is the saviour of students’ reading list budgets as it offers an immense selection of textbooks at cut prices. Plus, when you’ve finished your course the website provides the chance to sell the books on and make back a bit of your cash. The auction site and internet super-giant eBay offers us even further opportunities to shelter our overdrafts from too much of a battering as it gives

the chance to buy everything for next to nothing. It is a haven for vintage and designer junkies alike and you can even find this season’s high street wardrobes for a fraction of the price. I’m not ashamed to admit that the dress I wore to last year’s Summer Ball was an eBay find and a serious bargain at only £14! Furthermore, Internet shopping doesn’t just save your purses; it also saves your feet. I’d recommend Tesco’s online service to anyone who will listen to me for long enough as not only does it avoid walking from Morrisons laden down with heavy shopping bags cutting your hands to ribbons, but it’s also much cheaper. It gives you the chance to carefully review your weekly purchases rather than just making impulse buys and lets you avoid the cake aisle – a saviour for dieters too! I personally choose Internet grocery shopping though because it allows me to argue with my boyfriend in the privacy of my own home, rather than publicly shout at each other in the aisles over whether Hovis is better than Warburton’s. Probably saved our relationship. But be warned as it is easy to get carried away with Internet shopping – simply clicking the mouse to buy goods is much more pain free than actually handing over hard cash and this can lead to you buying much more than you usually would. An old housemate of mine was nicknamed ‘Circuits’ because of the abundance of electrical gadgets in his room purchased over the Internet. Although I’m sure he found many uses for his spare monitors and DJ decks he was still quite upset when he totalled up his online spending after three university years and it reached well over £1400. You have been warned. Then there are the hordes of multimedia entertainment available on the world wide web as access to games, music, films and television programmes are now at our fingertips. Although it is a controversial issue, downloading music is undoubtedly cheaper and easier than buying CDs. It also gives us access to music that would have been extremely difficult to find down the local record store. Online television is the perfect solution to us students who would never dream of being able to afford those costly Sky subscriptions, I even hear that there is some Japanese website that screens all of the English Premiership games live (although this is without the English commentary). The Internet even gives us the chance to be media stars – YouTube makes the dreams of those who always wanted to be on television reality as a new online celebrity is born everyday with the a simple video upload. The Internet offers us everything and more. It is the antidote to students’ boredom, the answer to coursework difficulties, the key to monetary issues, the resolution to social problems to the point where there doesn’t seem to be anything a quick click of the mouse can’t solve. Technology saves us time and effort, making the Internet essential to us lazy students.

Emma Dixon

BANGOR UNIVERSITY - GREENThe UP YOUR ACT! top 10 ‘Green House’ facts on

reen issues seem to be the top of everyone’s agenda these days. We’re all encouraged to recycle, use less electricity, open a green bank account, throw green parties, and generally lead greener lives. UCAS announced findings earlier this year that suggested that students who graduated with the top degrees ended up working for companies with the best policies on green issues. So what about universities? If students are becoming more conscious of the environment and making decisions about their careers with this in mind, surely A-level students applying to universities will also take this into consideration. For the first time, The Green League – a league table of one hundred and twenty universities throughout the UK - has been published by People and Planet in order to provide a transparent way to compare individual institutions on their green practices. Easily available to prospective students, The Green League is a way that universities can impress and attract new students,.So how does Bangor fair? Other offshoots of the University of Wales are up near the top, with Newport at number twenty two and Swansea at twenty seven. Bangor University shares position sixty with five other institutions. Exactly halfway down the list of one hundred and twenty universities. “So we’re mediocre, at least we’re not right at the bottom”, you could say and there are a few stars next to our name. Most notable is the star for ‘full time environmental staff ’. Let’s hope that those staff are given the support of the University in order to implement environmental changes to move us further up the table. After all, who aims for mediocrity in their university career? It’s up to current and future students to demand better environmental standards from our University. So, as usual, it’s all about league tables. And surely this is one that Bangor should be trying to climb to the top of. After all, we offer Conservation degrees and are set in rural North Wales with plenty of worthy countryside to conserve right on our doorstep.

Emma Dodd

recycling and the environment:

(Source: The Green parent website). Each year in Britain, we throw away 28 million tonnes of rubbish from our homes. This weighs the same as three and a half million double decker buses. A queue of buses that long would go around the world one and a half times. You can make 20 cans out of recycled material with the same amount of energy it takes to make one new one.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The UK produces 420 million tonnes of solid waste every year. That’s the weight of 5 cars for each person every year. We only recycle 11% of it. Incinerating 10,000 tonnes of waste creates 1 job, landfill the same amount of waste creates 6 jobs, but recycling the same 10,000 tonnes creates 36 jobs. In just over a week, we produce enough rubbish to fill Wembley stadium. Over half of that waste can be recycled. (Source: DETR). Every tonne of paper recycled saves 17 trees. Every year in the UK we use 13 billion steel cans which if you placed them end to end, would stretch to the moon - three times! (Source: Steel Can Recycling Information Bureau). The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle is enough to power a light bulb for four hours. (Source www.practicalhelp.org.uk). Recycling one plastic bottle can save the same amount of energy needed to power a 60-watt lightbulb for six hours. (Source: Recoup). We use over six billion glass bottles and jars each year. It would take you over three and a half thousand years to sing “Six Billion Green Bottles”!

Star 2007 Win yourself a fantastic SEREN PINT GLASS (or 3!)!!!

PUZZLES, POSERS + PROBLEMS

Compiled by John Jackson

ACROSS

1. Seren’s audience. 6. ___mail,___smoker,___letter? 7. Deviant sexual practices! 8. Time Lord’s favourite flower. 9. “Do, or do not, there is no try”. 10. Silent swan. 12. Cipher. 16. Dark brown pigment. 17. Plunder a firearm. 18. Swimming.

enCRYPTive X-Word 1

5 6

9 Across

11 14

YOUR ANSWERS

1. 2. 3. 5.

11 10

inQUIZitive

DOWN

1. English Serens. 2. Sounds like one should work for a dead vase. 3. Moose. 4. Latin American ‘pop’ dance. 5. Helicopter maple. 6. Hard grey metal. 11. Indian percussion. 13. Like Legolas. 14. Killer whale. 15. Star Trek’s Deanna, not the wooden horse venue.

7. 8. 9.

10. 11.

12.

Name:..............................Bangor Uni E-mail:.............................

Seren’s Radio Times

Storm

1. What name is given to a strip of land surrounded on 3 sides by water? 2. What type of vehicle is a Chinese junk? 3. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non-violent resistance to China? 4. The larvae of which beetle feed on the excrement of mammals? 5. Which Scottish football club is known as the ‘Accies’? 6. Which actor/comedian/broadcaster wrote the novel “Making History”? 7. What is the oppposite of the medical condition alkalosis? 8. Which actress played Cindy Beale in EastEnders? 9. Which Danish singer had a UK No1 with “Saturday Night” in 1994? 10. What word describes the change in state of a substance from a gas to a liquid? 11. What does a bibliophile collect? 12. Who didn’t begin life on Sesame Street, a)Big Bird, b)Kermit the Frog, c) Cookie Monster, or d) Gonzo?

to protein, highly indigestible and toxic most other animals. rate Koalas have a very low metabolic ately oxim appr for ss onle moti rest and 20 hours every day.

3 SERENoku

9 7 2 1 4 5 2 6 2 8 3 6 9 2 4 7 1 1 5 1 6 8 7 6 5 4 8 5 7

Forecast

studio@stormfm.com MONDAY

FACTive

Both the Greek sa First, the hard part. Complete the X-Word, the Sudoku, or lad “Ta answer the questions - or you can do all three! Next, fill in foo ramasalata” and the Turkish tball clu your name and Bangor Uni e-mail address and hand this the letter b “Galatasaray” have “a” as every other letter page in to reception at the Students’ Union. Alternatively, of their names. you can e-mail your answers to editor@seren.bangor. ac.uk. Winners, selected at random from correct entries, Koalas live almost entirely on in will be awarded by 30/10/07. eucalyptus leaves which are low

Bangor’s Student Sound 87.7FM

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

t at the lo s io d a r Want a weekend? he Storm Contact t team...

7am: Storm In A Tea Cup Storm’s morning mainstream mix, with various hosts.

RESERVED for new shows 11am: Storm Bites - Varying presenters with a mid-morning mix of music, including ‘The Votes’ on Mondays & Thursdays, and Ryan & Jack on Tuesdays. 1pm: The S.U. Show - All the latest news, chat & happenings from your Students’ Union, hosted daily by various members of the Union’s Executive Committee.

RESERVED for new shows

2pm: The Big Mix Up

RESERVED for new shows

1pm: Chart Show 2pm: Plektrum

4pm: Homeward Bound... Various presenting teams throughout the week, including “Geek Chic” with Jack & Isa, and the “Out Loud & Proud” show. 6pm: The Time Tunnel - Warm-up for Time/Amser, with Spencer, Alex & Tom.

8pm: The Forum John Jackson hosts the debating panel show, with ‘Your Forum’.

6pm: The Text Session Your txt requests with DJPJ and the Facebook group riddle of the week.

RESERVED for new shows Could yours be one of them? Get in touch...

RESERVED for new shows

6pm: Something Borrowed, Something Blue - Eclectic mix of old and brand spanking new.

7pm: Society Slot A different society presents each week.

8pm: with Kiera Ring

If you’re interested in radio - as a presenter, as part of the news or marketing teams, or as a technician in the IT team - there are places for you to fill. Ask at the Students’ Union or get in touch >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

7pm: Ultrasound New, classic & obscure Indie

4pm: The Classical Show

RESERVED for new shows

6pm: The News In Review

7pm: The Sound of the AU A different club presents each week.

RESERVED for new shows 7pm: The Motel

RESERVED for new shows 9pm: The Jazz Show

SUNDAY

8pm: Sin Roc Gymraeg - mainstream music & entertainment

9pm: No Added Sugar

10pm: The Underground Colonel Kirkham’s LIVE dance mix.

12midnight: The Saturday Sessions

www.stormfm.com E-mail studio@stormfm.com Txt “Storm” + msg to 60300 or phone (01248) 38 8048

Compiled by John Jackson

5 8 4 7

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

FILM IN BANGOR

ello to all the new students, and welcome back everyone else! Here on the film side of things, we’re carrying on with what seems to be a pretty decent formula (well, I never had any complaints last year). So, our aim is to continue to bring you a variety of film and DVD reviews, along with some editorial views on the film landscape of today. Now, I realise that films are probably the last thing on your mind, freshers. But as is the case with any new place you go to, it is worth having a bit of knowledge on your side in case of a boring/free/wasteful evening or day that you have at your disposal! Bangor is not exactly a huge, bustling metropolis of artful exuberance, but there are simple ways of catching up on the latest films.

CINEMA

Alas, Bangor’s only “proper” cinema was knocked down just over a year ago, so if a night at the pictures is your plan for the evening, find someone who drives, or hop on a train to Llandudno Junction. There you will find the Cineworld multiplex, which is about a three minute walk from the station. Parking is usually worry free, and you will find a selection of the latest major films for your viewing pleasure. NUS price is £4.90, with tickets on Bargain Tuesday a decent £4. If you are likely to be an avid cinema goer, it is worth getting an Unlimited Card, priced at £11.99 per month. And when I say unlimited, I mean UNLIMITED! Unfortunately, that might mean a trip to Chester to actually apply for one, but check if your local Cineworld sells them next time you are home.

However, Theatr Gwynedd (next to the Students’ Union) do show the occasional film. If you are more of a foreign film buff (and more power to you), they tend to show a wide variety of arthouse and the more commercial film. Student price is £4.50 and early booking is encouraged, especially since you save about 50p.

DVD

But the cinema is not for everyone; sometimes a DVD can be the perfect solution to a free couple of hours, or just a fun night in with your mates. The JCR at your halls of residence should have a decent range of films which can be booked out after a deposit for the night. But if their range just isn’t enough, Blockbuster on Caernarfon Road has all the latest films in to rent. It is free to join, but the prices can be a bit expensive especially to

those on a budget. Make sure you check out the latest deals so you can get the most for your money. Independent DVD rental is a bit of a tricky one. Situated at the end of the high street are Bargain Booze and Dominic’s. Both rent DVDs out at affordable prices, and may well be worth a trip out, especially if you just fancy stretching your legs! As for purchasing, you can go to HMV, Woolworths and WHSmiths. Cob Records and Summit Games have a fairly decent selection of second hand discs, so be sure to look around! Have a great Freshers’ Week, and a successful year!

! IN

Film Ci Ti ne ck m et a s

Ian Davies

n addition to our feature on entertainment in and around Bangor, Cineworld Llandudno Junction have kindly donated a pair of passes for you to enjoy any film you wish. To win the pair, all you have to do is answer this tricksy question: Who plays Seth Rogen’s father in the summer hit Knocked Up? (Hint: Intelligent

Ghostbuster.) Email your answer to film@seren.bangor. ac.uk. The closing date is 5th October, with the winner being announced on the website and contacted via email. Good luck!

THE APATOW EFFECT T SUMMER ROUNDUP I ’m not sure what to make of this year’s summer season. On the one hand, there was plenty to see, perhaps too much. But how much of it was actually worth seeing in the end? I saw just about every major release, thanks to too much free time and a general weakness to anything that the marketing experts managed to make look remotely enjoyable. So here are the five films that made this silly season bearable:

5 Surf’s Up

Most of us balked at the prospect of a wisecracking, surfing penguin, and in many respects another animated talking animal movie full stop. That’s a shame, because this was a witty, smart and incredibly funny film, thanks mainly to the documentary approach used. We will all probably get a little sick of Shia Lebouef before long (he appears twice on this list), so enjoy one of his funnier moments voicing Cody.

4 Ocean’s 13

For my sins, I do not think there has been one bad film in this trilogy. For a fun, jovial and just plain cool caper, you cannot beat the Ocean films. Whilst the disguises prob-

ably reached new levels of absurdity, the chemistry between the cast kept things flowing along smoothly, and created one of the more fun experiences at the multiplex this summer.

dislike this even more, there was plenty for those of us who have enjoyed Bourne’s search for his identity thus far. Easily the best trilogy closer of the year.

Knocked Up 3 Transformers 1

Not h i ng about this film should have worked. From toy license, to casting, to direction to the bloody script! But when a film just plainly revels in its own idiocy, how can you not help but be entertained? Oh, and robots fighting is a pretty awesome sight in any scenario.

Bourne 2 The Ultimatum There were far too many threequels this year for my liking. And although this is the second one to appear on the list, it fully deserves its place on there. Paul Greengrass’ direction is nothing but confident, exciting and assured, and Matt Damon has never looked better in the role that has made him an action superstar. Whilst those who disliked the non-stop camera motion of Supremacy will probably

I can’t think of another film of recent times which has managed to pack as much heart, warmth and good feeling into a film, whilst simultaneously grossing us out and having us falling about on the floor laughing. Apatow’s follow-up to The 40 Year Old Virgin cements his status as your go to man for comedy today (check out the feature nearby on his career so far) and has created a film for the ages. Compiling the list, I just couldn’t help but think how disappointing a lot of the rest of the films were. Of course, we should know better seeing as it’s, well, summer. But I would rather have a year just showing Knocked Up repeatedly rather than having to endure dross like Evan Almighty or Rush Hour 3 again. But awards season is just around the corner, and it looks to be a promising crop. My tip for awards glory next year? Eastern Promises, which re-teams Viggo Mortensen and the always fascinating David Cronenberg. Email me with what you are looking forward to over the coming year, and I’ll try to put up a chart. And as always, e-mail me with your cinema and DVD reviews!

Ian Davies

he odds are that most of you will have seen the sublime Knocked Up by now, which is probably my favourite film of the year so far. And as I stated in my Summer Roundup, I honestly feel that the film cements Apatow’s status as a genuine talent, and any projects with his name attached are sure to be, at the very least, entertaining. A cursory look at his filmography highlights some of the fantastic projects he has been involved with, almost a grail of pop culture excellence. But where should you start with his output? Freaks and Geeks is one of those oft-lamented cancelled-before-its-time television shows from the turn of the century. And that is not an over-statement in any way, shape or form. Freaks is one of the smartest high school comedies of recent times, and as is the case with a lot of Apatow’s writing, full of believable characters, camaraderie and heart. The show focuses on the Weir family, and their respective children’s experiences in school amongst the titular freaks and geeks. Its 1980s setting is captured remarkably well, and never descends into parody at any time. The show only lasted 18 episodes, but it is probably one of the most well-developed canons in recent times. Smarting from the failure of the show, Apatow followed it up with Undeclared, taking some of the cast members from Freaks and placing them in a modern day college situation. The show fared even worse than Freaks, with only 15 out of the 17 produced episodes making it on air in America. So, despite television treating the Apatow produced shows like a disease, the film world has been far kinder to him so far. We can thank him for the brilliance that is Anchorman and Talladega Nights, having played an active part in getting those films made. And of course, in no way can you ignore The 40 Year Old Virgin, which I honestly feel gets funnier with every viewing. He has a knack for developing talent, as we’ve seen with Steve Carell (who was best known before then for his Daily Show appearances and the only funny 90 seconds of Bruce Almighty) and now Seth Rogen, who is set to be huge. To date, his only real misfire both creatively and commercially is his screenplay for Fun With Dick and Jane, the 2005 Jim Carrey remake

which was quite frankly terrible. Next year however, we get to see Seth Rogen and James Franco (both Freaks and Geeks alumni) team up for the stoner comedy The Pineapple Express which sees a dealer and his main customer go on the run after witnessing a murder. Apatow is producing that, along with romantic comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall (starring Russell Brand! Eek!) That was an all-too-brief run through, granted. But hopefully you have some idea just how crucial Judd Apatow is to film comedy at this moment in time. I honestly do think he has yet to make his masterpiece, but after Knocked Up, I don’t think it will be that long a wait.

Ian Davies

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Music

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

Behind the scenes: With DJ Grimlock

’m the Head DJ at Bangor’s premier (well, only) indie night, Trash, in Academi, which is held at the Students’ Union bar on Wednesday nights. I play anything that will make you dance: indie to emo, new rave to grunge - you name it, we’ll probably play it. I would like to think that I keep all the indie people in Bangor dancing, and counting down to the next Trash. I’d like to think I play some things that people haven’t heard before that they really enjoy, as often after songs I get people coming to me asking for the band and name of the song. I’m into all sorts, I’m just a music fan. I enjoy indie and electro primarily but I do listen to a fair bit of hip hop, drum and bass and metal! On my mp3 player right now I’ve got things like Dr. Dre, Klaxons, Stone Roses, Pendulum, Deftones, and a whole lot more besides! I come from Manchester where there is a huge music scene so it’s not really fair to compare it to Bangor. Despite its size, there is a very lively and varied music scene here

with Time and Academi covering a wide range of music in clubs. Trash is obviously my favourite, but apart from that I do enjoy the raves organised by French Mike at Hendre Hall and Time is always good fun on a Monday; nice and cheap with cheesy music aplenty. There’s something quite satisfying about hearing 500 people all chanting along to the Baywatch theme... It’s a shame we don’t get many live acts here. I think the main problem is money. In my first year I went to see Goldie Lookin’ Chain which was well worth watching as it was such a cross between a comedy act and a fairly competent hip hop group! And anyone who went couldn’t forget the time Towers of London came on stage and five minutes in, the lead singer broke his leg by climbing on the scaffolding. A little known secret is that despite all of the band’s bravado, it was still his mum who came to pick him up.... This year I’m looking forward to playing to a new crowd of people, to getting my degree (hopefully) and some more summer

The Go! Team: Proof of Youth

T festivals! I’m rather e nj o y i n g the electro at the moment so this year I promise to play lots of bass with beat. You can also expect to hear the great lyrics of The Cure, Stone Roses, Rolling stones, Oasis and other oldies besides, songs that you’ll drunkenly sway along to leaning against your mates shoulder! My new music recommendations have to be Crystal Castles, you should also be on the look out for Late of the Pier, I saw them at Leeds and they just blew me away. The Bumblebeez are good for a bit of funk electro as is Chromeo. But I think the biggest recommendation I can give is The Teenagers, their remix of Simian Mobile Disco’s ‘It’s The Beat’ has been my biggest summer song.

Emma Dixon

Kanye West – Graduation

anye West is no chump. An accomplished producer before he became an artist, Kanye achieved his current status as ‘the face of hip-hop’ through a knowledge and awareness of the music industry which is second to none. And a televised rant about the shortcomings of the American president. But mostly it’s the music thing. Graduation, West’s third album, is riddled with futuristic synthesizers and retro 80s flamboyance, and fits in nicely with what is considered ‘cool’ these days. New single ‘Stronger’ epitomises this new brand of ‘synth-hop’, sampling electro-Godfathers Daft Punk. Sure, Busta Rhymes first sampled the French duo in 2006 on ‘Touch It’, but it would appear that anything Busta can do, Kanye can do quite a lot better. Graduation is blessed with a whole host of releasable material, and the ‘skits’ which have irritatingly blighted Kanye’s previous records have been omitted this time around. ‘Champion’ and ‘Good Life’ are at once classical and original songs. ‘Barry Bonds’ is a dark delight and features the filthiest (and therefore the best) bass line on the album.

But the highlight may be ‘Flashing Lights’, a laid back, stripped back, synth and strings call and response, over which West and guest vocalist Dwele’s vocal styles are contrasted just as effectively. Even an unwelcome intrusion by a yodelling Chris Martin can’t detract from the quality of this album. The Coldplay frontman’s tinkling of the ivories in ‘Homecoming’ sounds like the closing number of

a school musical and, dare I say it, smacks of Live8. You can’t help but cringe as Martin croons “Baby do you remember when / Fireworks at Lake Michigan / Maybe we could start again.” Or perhaps just forget the whole idea, eh guys? Lyrically, it seems the same things are continuing to get Kanye’s goat. Both ‘Stronger’ and ‘Everything I Am’ are sticks-and-stones retorts to West’s “haters”. The album’s more poignant moments include ‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing’, which revisits the subject of West’s faith, and the unwholesome distractions that compromise that faith. No prizes for guessing the inspiration of ‘Drunk’ and ‘Hot Girls’, which finds Kanye at his scornful best. “This is my dissertation” exclaims Kanye in opener ‘Good Morning’. If this is the case, he might have made an excellent Bangor Peer Guide, because once again Kanye has passed with flying colours. With ‘College Dropout’, ‘Late Registration’, and ‘Graduation’ out of the way, we now eagerly await ‘Unemployment’. Sorry, couldn’t resist that one.

Alex Farley

Newton Faulkner - Hand Built By Robots

his summer’s most-played hit is the fifth track on the long haired guitarist, Newton Faulkner’s new album, Hand Built By Robots. Finally, something has replaced Maroon 5 and the Kooks as the sound of summer! Faulkner seemed to appear on the scene just after this year’s awesome, exceptionally muddy Glastonbury festival. And rightly so: at first sight you would expect some ‘hippified’ tunes, but his playing really is outstanding. I was lucky enough to see him play live a few years ago at an acoustic gig. When I saw the album was out I have to admit I did go out and buy it straight away. At first listening I did find it fairly appealing. However, the original charm that attracted me to the music of Faulkner and the magic of his acoustic gigs doesn’t really follow through onto disc. Newton Faulkner is an incredibly talented musician, and one of the really exciting things is his acoustic material. It just blows the mind away and doesn’t sound feasible from one single musician. If you are ever lucky enough to hear ‘Teardrop’ live then you really are in for a treat, but unfortunately this just doesn’t seem to carry through onto the album. It’s a shame that Brightside Records and the producer decided to put some truly awful computerised drum beat over the top of almost every track. I am the

first to admit that sequencers and digital reverb plugins have got so much better recently, however, they really don’t need to be used on mellow tracks such as this. In my opinion artists such as Newton Faulkner shouldn’t need any ‘extra bits’ such as drum machines to make an album stand out. Sadly, maybe it says something about today’s pop culture that these tools, along with nauseating reverb and phasing effects, are needed in order to make an artist successful and able to compete in the mainstream. However, as an album it really is pulled together by the formidable talent of Faulkner and that does (all said and done) shine through. With an exceptional album of well tied-together tunes what can we expect from Newton Faulkner in the future?

Pete Banks

he Go! Team certainly have a busy month this September as not only is the band releasing their new album, Proof Of Youth, but they are also set to rock universities down to their foundations by headlining this year’s NME Freshers’ Tour which hits Bangor on Tuesday 2nd October. The Go! Team are notorious for making irresistible music that you simply cannot refuse to dance to and as their last album, Thunder Lightning Strike, heavily featured in the soundtrack of my first year, I am intrigued as to whether Proof Of Youth can do the same in my third. By simply looking at the track listing it is clear that Proof Of Youth is much more politicised than the band’s previous offerings. Opening track and first single from the album Grip Like a Vice has clear feminist sentiments, with lyrics proclaiming: “It’s a woman’s world…girls are you with us?” which make the inevitable Le Tigre comparisons overtly obvious. Second track Doing It Right (the Ladyflash of the album) is a perfect display of what The Go! Team do best: celebrating for no reason whilst having the utmost of confidence in themselves. Proof Of Youth is an album of an assertive and established band – The Go!

Team have reached their goal and the album is a celebration of this. In political terms, Thunder Lighting Strike was their electoral campaign whereas Proof Of Youth is their first political broadcast in power. This clearly makes Universal Speech the band’s inaugural address and with it’s principle message being “shake your body to the ground” then someone should definitely make Ninja president. Quickly. However, The Go! Team also demonstrate a more tender side on this album, with songs such as ‘My World’ and ‘I Never Needed It Now So Much’ showing the fragility of the band and the sensitivity that is present after all the fanfares and handclaps die down. The latter is juxtaposed with the explosive ‘Flashlight Fight’ which aggressively commands you to get up now and displays the bands ferocity. This makes Proof Of Youth a very varied album. Although it is undeniable that The Go! Team’s main aim is to make us dance, this album has proven that there is more to them than just a quick stint in the disco. Despite wishing to prove to us their youth, The Go! Team have actually shown us their maturity whilst still maintaining their original charm.

Emma Dixon

Wheatus Take Bangor By Storm

very year the organisers of the Summer Ball face the difficult task of finding acts that are within the budget, likely to please, and willing to play the modest venue of Bangor University, which, let’s face it, hardly has the coolest of reputations. This summer’s Ball in particular had a lot to make up for as 2006 left a shameful legacy in the form of a no-show from Fatman Scoop and a performance from one-hit wonders Bodyrockers, and instead needed to matchup to two years ago when the mighty Supergrass left the University reeling with wonder over their extensive catalogue of crowdfriendly hits. So what was the organisers’ answer? The once credible mod/ska/indie group who are now more likely to ‘grace’ the cover of OK magazine than NME, The Ordinary Boys; Green Dayz, a wittily named Green Day tribute band; and Wheatus. Yes, that’s right, that band who did that song about that film and then they did that cover of that song from the 80’s which wasn’t as good. Bet you thought they’d long gone. But no, this summer they came back and played the Bangor Summer Ball, ready to once again turn us all into Teenage Dirtbags. Not only was I lucky enough to catch them play at the ball, but also to sit in on an interview and live acoustic performance from Brendan B Brown, the lead singer of the band, for Bangor’s Storm FM. One of the most memorable features of Wheatus has to be their eccentric appearance, from the lead singer’s trademark yel-

low sunglasses, to the ‘percussionist’ with his weird hair and pineapple-playing antics. The banter he provided us with had just as little sanity as his appearance, as Brendan informed us that he had degrees and PhDs in almost any subject that you could name; and that he had a lot in common with us Welsh, as he had Irish relatives. He performed for us a very random B-side from long ago, and regularly requested whisky throughout the session, all of which made me think that Brendan had, well, kind of lost it. Despite this he was very funny and friendly, speaking to everyone in the room individually with a distinct lack of ‘celebrity’ air about him. He spoke about the band with a certain sense of pride in his voice, and was particularly enthusiastic to talk about the current line-up, which includes females and, unfortunately, no longer features that man who plays the pineapple. Wheatus delivered a great set. They were fully aware that everyone was there to hear them play ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, as they teased the crowd several times with the opening bars of the song. Despite not being given the headline slot, Wheatus gave a memorable show and certainly earned their huge applause. I’m sure that anyone who hears ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ will now instantly think of the Summer Ball and be flooded with great Bangor memories, so well done to the organisers of 2007, you have been forgiven for Fatman Scoop!

Emma Dixon

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

! D A E D T O N S I E N E Live music C S E TH returns to the Union this year Do you remember the days when you had to travel a few hours away to places like Manchester and Birmingham just to be able to see a few decent live bands once in a while? This was the case for students in Bangor for the most part of the last academic year, with the only exceptions being the strong Summer Ball line-up of Wheatus and The Ordinary Boys. Years before that, the only sniff we got off any real music was national stars Goldie Lookin Chain’ and pop solo revival Rachel Stevens... many would have just gone without thanks all the same! It has been speculated that the reason for this lack of bands coming our way was largely due to the failings of ‘Trash Live’ the year before last. This was a fortnightly event where up-and-coming bands just starting to make a name for themselves would play at Bangor’s TIME venue. Even with the

m a e T ! o G e Th

Leo from The Streets

We Are Scientists

And if you’re not satisfied with bagging two of the best British bands around today, the Ents team have truly outdone themselves with the booking of none other than the American indie darlings We Are Scientists (Nov 29th). Imagine someone telling you a year ago that they would play Bangor. You’d say that they were completely mad and you couldn’t be friends with them anymore, nothing personal. Maybe you’d still say that today, but you just need to go to www.wearescientists.com to see for yourself that it’s absolutely true. These giants of rock n roll will undoubtedly be able to leave their mark on the Bangor scene for quite some time, and are a sure sign of big things to

there was a great drum and bass tent which me and my mates went to for a bit of a rave up one night. Whilst we were happily raving away the power cut out across the red campsite, cutting the music. Disaster? Never! Some ingenious person inspiringly bought out a game of ‘Twister’, but after only two minutes we realised we were all too drunk for it, so instead out came the drink shocking game. You know the ones where it shocks you if

Sziget Festival ust imagine the scene: a world class music festival held annually on an island on the Danube with bands such as The Killers and The Chemical Brothers headlining. This is Budapest’s very own Sziget festival. A week long festival, Sziget plays host to top international acts as well as world music greats such as Tinariwen and Manu Chau. My friend and I came upon the festival almost accidentally, whilst travelling around Eastern Europe, but found that many of our fellow travellers were making their way there. So we decided to treat ourselves to a day ticket. Being British, the concept of a sunny festival on the continent, away from Blighty where the rain is often a major factor, was appealing and we donned our bi-

kinis and shorts and lots of suntan cream. Within minutes of entering the festival site the heavens opened and we were blessed with good old festival weather. We managed to get some free rain ponchos, which we put on over our bikinis and continued partying. We saw some great music throughout the day, including Tinariwen and Ska Cubano on the World Music Stage. My friend was really pleased to see some Roma Gypsy music at the stage dedicated completely to this genre. The evening, however culminated in performances by Damon Albarn’s latest venture, The Good, The Bad and The Queen, as well as the Chemical Brothers. The latter put on an amazing performance and light show - well worth the twenty pounds we spent on a day ticket. Sziget has a really relaxed atmosphere and manages to draw in great acts. The perfect festival for anyone who fancies a summer festival away from home, the tickets are cheaper and easier to get hold of than most British festivals and camping tickets are also available.

Emma Dodd

you reactions are too slow? Well we invented new, more manly ways of playing, the details of which I can’t quite go into here. After we got bored of that we ended singing the obligatory drunk version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, which actually prompted a crowd. We craved more music so some bright spark started playing ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ theme tune – Huzzah! A karaoke was born! This prompted us to enlighten others with

Lee John Howson

S r M

Pigeon Detectives

the Fresh Prince by crawling into their tents and doing them a rendition. To my dying day I will always remember one guy passed out in his tent waking up to a bunch of 20 people crowded round him singing Fresh Prince, with him obviously recovering from something screaming, “Get away, arghhh, stop it!” The randomness didn’t stop there as on the last day, while clearing my tent, I looked

Godiva Festival Coventry

hose of you who are familiar with such grand festivals as Glastonbury may believe a small, simple town like Coventry could hardly compete with its glory, but you’d be wrong. Sort of. With free entry and bands such as The Human League and The Cribs headlining you can see why us Cov locals rush to Godiva Festival every summer. Clutching my Sainsbury’s bag full of alcohol (mostly Lambrini as I’m a classy girl) I made my way through the commotion: emo kids putting tents up, chavs watching the emos and waiting patiently for a fight, a sofa, a shoe, a topless aged raver guy who would later be giving me a piggy back whilst with every step I sank a little deeper into the mud. My sister being a big fan of The Enemy made sure we got a good position in their tent. But when they started playing our friend Heidi, who had been late meeting us, sent a text demanding that we should come and meet her by the skate park. When we got there she was no where to be seen, but by then we had recieved another text telling us to meet her by the ice cream van. So it went

come This is the year live music in Bangor, nay the whole of North Wales, gets a rugby distance kick in the right direction. Just remember, if you want it to keep this way then we all need to support these gigs and buy the tickets. I can confidently say on behalf of past and present students, these opportunities don’t come often, and if we want them back, we had better make the most of it. Besides, how often are you going to get quality bands right on your own doorstep?

f u r c

THIS YEAR’S FESTIVALS

erformance-wise, the highlight of the festival for me was Interpol. They opened with ‘Pioneer to the Falls’ which actually made me shed a tear. I like to think it was due to the beauty of Paul Banks’ voice but it might just have been the copious amounts of alcohol I had consumed by that time. Outside the main arena there was much more fun to be had as in the red campsite

we have the NME Freshers’ Tour visiting Bangor University on October 2nd, just a week into the new term. Indie fans with lots of dancing energy will be grateful that comes in the form of The Go! Team and Operator Please. The prospect of a tour as big as NME is really quite exciting, and Bangor seems to be a rather strange choice amongst the other, more high profile, universities. So how do they top that one off? Radio 1 favourites The Pigeon Detectives play Bangor November 9th, just a month apart. The Leeds lads have charmed us all with their high profile album Wait for me. Described as being one of the best crowd pleasers of the 21st Century they a renowned for literally blowing the roof off any venue they enter.

prospect of decent bands coming to humble Bangor for only £5 a ticket there was a distinct lack of actual people turning up to watch them. The gigs failed to break even and the future of live music in Bangor became a bleak prospect. As much as we always want to blame the University for these Shortcomings though, it was often down to the student’s interest and it was by all means our own fault. The scope of interest, however, does seem to have taken a turn for the best. Nights such as Trash have become a huge hit over the last year, and the general sweep of interest towards indie has also seemed to blow our way. Although, as those with their ears to the ground will know, this year is about to become a very different story altogether. To start proceedings off in style

on - us looking for Heidi in different locations until when we did finally discover her at the beer stand The Enemy had stopped playing. We had more luck watching the Super Furry Animals and this is where the aged raver comes into the story. The crowd was getting a bit rough so he offered to hoist me onto his back out of harm’s way. As I was struggling to grip his sweaty, heavily tattooed shoulders my bag fell off my shoulder and somehow attached itself to a passing hippy who was quickly disappearing into the crowd, you can imagine the stress I was in. To sum up though, I did get my bag back, the raver got more sweaty, I weed behind a tree, it was still daylight, a guy saw me and laughed at me, he was carrying a bag of oranges...? I got called a ‘lambrini girl’ by some sleazy men and then a ‘slag’ when I ignored them, and I didn’t get to see The Human League or The Cribs because we went on the wrong day.

Alice Weston

up and a person was pulling a sledge quite casually that seemed to be filled with toilet paper....On closer inspection we realised it was a guy totally mummified in toilet paper, singing muffled songs to himself....An interesting weekend to say the least.

Tom Hulme

WIN!!! 2 tickets to The GO Team! Just answer the following question: What is the Welsh name for Time Club? Email answers to: music@seren.bangor. ac.uk

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

SOUNDCLASH RETURNS WITH PROMISES OF A BIGGER AND BETTER SHOW

This time the team are armed with experience, know-how, and enough quirky extras to make you feel drunk and happy before the set even starts. The UK summer has been by all means, terrible. With barely a weeks worth of sunshine, I know I certainly feel like we have missed the whole season out. This night radiates summer, and along with it brings the feel-good atmosphere that we all associate with a good summer party. Above this, it is something different. The night may have a lot to live up to, but in my experience, with what it has to offer, you cannot really go far wrong. On the night, the only itinerary that is required is a summery outfit and a positive attitude. With all this on top of what the night itself has to offer, you really are in for a great night.

n a town such as Bangor, nights out can easily slip into a rather monotonous and predictable pattern. The few clubs that are on offer often feature similar DJ’s, who play similar music, and on the big nights throughout the week you can guarantee what kind of music will be played before you get out. The people at Malibu Soundclash have ingeniously thought of a way of curving this problem. The music is not autonomously dictated by the DJ’s as we’ve come to expect in the clubs of Bangor, the music is dictated by us, the audience.

History The concept of a Soundclash was invented in Jamaica, and originally clashed different Reggae sounds, placing one DJ on one side of the room and the another on the opposite side. The DJ that won was the one who could stir up the most noise. Today, you expect a similar concept, where there will be two sets of decks on the stage, at the east and west side. East will compete against West, playing Indie and alternative music up against

it over crushed ice. My previous perceptions of it being a rather childish drink really got shot out of the window. The new promotion is sophisticated, refreshing and really 21st century. It certainly isn’t a drink you would use to get silly drunk, but a drink that is perfect for relaxing and drinking responsibly.

Soundclash I have been lucky enough to experience the Soundclash on twice over the last year or so. The first was at our own University last year, on the Soundclash’s initial tour of UK universities. Reflecting with the DJ’s recently, they described their night at Bangor as ‘the best on the tour’ and were ready to express their enthusiasm for their night here this time round. On the night, I was unsure of what the event entailed, and entered the club expecting an average night. I was soon enmusic genres such as Hip Hop and R n B. DJ DUB and DJ Rob Breezy represent each side, and play only the music that the crowd is respondent to. Malibu’s involvement stems from a six million pounds investment into NUS activity, and is part of a big push to promote Malibu as a drink to be enjoyed by young adults. The Caribbean white rum with coconut is served really well over ice with a mixer. Personally, I was never a big Malibu drinker, but after two days of experimenting with mixers, the drink really opened my eyes and educated me in the real ways to drink the Caribbean delicacy. Mixers such as cranberry over ice, with a squeeze of fresh lime is incredibly refreshing and easy to drink. Pineapple juice is also a great way to drink

ticed however, the need for such crowd participation in the Clash really adds to the personal experience of the night. If you hear a song you like, it really feels like your duty and obligation to absolutely nuts, just so the DJ’s can respond to your reaction. The

St. David’s Retail Park Tel: 01248 361 071

Malibu team was also around, and the fact that I walked home at the end of the night, wearing a red straw hat and feeling my pockets bustling with free merchandise really sums up what you can come to expect. My second experience was a few weeks ago in the birthplace of every infamous club ever, Ibiza. The previous tour had long since finished, giving the DJ’s and organisers time to recover and reflect over the pros and cons. This time the tour is heading out with a years experience, certain tweaks and a lot of additions. The private party was based in the hills of Ibiza, behind the pool of the Malibu mansion looking over the scenic towns of the Spanish island. Having already spent the day sat by the pool, relaxing and drinking cool cocktails, I was ready for a night of energetic partying! The two DJ’s lined up with sets that soon divided the group, with MC Kosha overlooking and entertaining. The team of three have history spanning over 5 years, but the recent tour really seemed to have solidified the group and it showed as the set ran smoothly through the night. They played the now slightly dated (but ever still popular) classics such as ‘Mr Brightside’ on the alternative side, and ‘Put your hands up

prospect ‘Irish riverdance’..

This year

Jack Peat

Cocktail recipes

From my Ibiza experience I was certainly encouraged by what we are set to see. The

Malibu and Cranberry:

Take a slim glass and fill with ice. Pour a generous portion of Malibu over the ice, add the cranberry and squeeze in a fresh lime. Garnish with lime on the side.

for Detroit’ on the other. The new hits were displayed also, including a much praised

first tour was good, but in many ways it was an experiment, a tester, to taste the water.

CATCH IT THIS YEAR: 05/10/2007 AMSER/ TIME

DJ ROB BREEZY NEW EXTREME SPORTS IN BANGOR A

fter DJing for years around Newcastle and then Leeds, Rob’s move to London saw him taking up a position in the vanguard of the legendary Fat Lace collective. Alongside holding down nights at The End, The Elbow Room and others, Rob was also a chief contributor to the notorious Fat periLace fanxtras zine. Then e the a longside DJ Yoda eans, and James sunLebens, have Rob was ht ramade a s the resident ciate at classic , it is midweek ave a club Spread with Love. o far that posiat the n for

After a residency at Southern Hospitality he became a founding member of now infamous Hip Hop Karaoke London, a night which remains one of the capital’s most entertaining and critically acclaimed events.

MC KOSHA MC

worked from the crowd’s reaction, and had authority over which DJ played when. He also MCed over some songs, adding quirky extras where he could. In the same breath however, he was extremely professional, and years of experience have taught him how to do the job well. We soon started to see what a big presence he had on stage once the night got going. Charismatic and cool, he really was the icing on the cake.

KOSHA started as a dancer in his early youth, but went into MCing at around the age of fourteen. He released his first CD aged fifteen and performed at his first nightclub at nineteen in Camden. He is now part of the company, Southern Hospitality, which hosts club nights and has its own radio station. At Soundclash he was the man keeping the DJs in order and the crowd entertained. As the presenter, he

DJ DUB

ailing from deepest, darkest South fill London, Dub has us the been on the London DJ and scene for over a decade, rocking venues all over . he the big smoke, the rest of the UK and beyond. He also heads up at Ruby Lo W1- whilst also a resident at Off da Rocks, London’s premier old skool hip hop night. Having worked alongside DJ luminaries such as DJ Skully, DJ Pogo and DJ Yoda, his sets are a dizzying blend of musical styles. A classic hip hop DJ in every sense, Dub’s sets weave their way from Stevie Wonder to The Neptunes, Prince to Timberland and Dizzee Rascal to Louis Armstrong - a roller coaster ride through every genre of music, all mixed up in his own inimitable style.

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

o I’m sat on MSN one day and one of my friends came on and told me she wants to set up a kite sports club. Now I’ve seen pictures of this new extreme sport and I was really keen to try it out and she informed me we were going to have a meeting in the next few days and from that Bangor University Kite Club was born. Somewhere in between there and now I managed to be appointed acting secretary and then at the first AGM got voted in as secretary. The infamous ‘kiting bug’ had well and truly bitten me. “So what is kiting?” I hear you cry. Well, traction kite sports have seen a rapid growth over the last few years, and Bangor is one of the best places to be if you’re interested in getting into it, or are already heavily involved. With so many good locations within a short travelling distance, such as Llanddona and Rhosneigr on Anglesey, alongside the mainland spots such as Penmaenmawr and Black Rock Sands down near Porthmadog, every wind direction and kite sport is catered for. Traction Kites vary in size between 1m² and 16m² of surface area, they can therefore

produce huge amounts of power which can be used to propel participants along at high speed, or lift them into the air. There are five main disciplines: Recreational: usually being pulled along the beach on your feet (and occasionally face!) by using the power of the kite, and jumping using the lift of the kite to get floaty jumps. Kite buggying: using a ‘buggy’ with three wheels and steered with the flyers feet, buggies can be used to go as fast as 40mph, or do big jumps and tricks both on the ground and in the air such as 360s. Kite land boarding: In land boarding a flyer stands on an all terrain board (think skateboard with huge wheels!) and the user is able to pull off various tricks and jumps including board offs, grabs and rotations such as 360s. Kite surfing: combining the concepts of a variety of water sports and kite sports. Kite surfing involves using a wake board sized board with fins, using the power of the kite to propel the flyer along in a way similar to that of a windsurfer. Experienced kite surfers can jump up to 30ft in the air and land smoothly afterwards, kicking up spray from their board, due of their speed. Snow kiting: using the power of a kite and skis or a snowboard, flyers can use a traction kite to ride to the backcountry slopes and access the ‘off the trail areas’, or use the kite to float off mountains and hills for hang times of more than a minute, not for the faint hearted or inexperienced flyers and snowboarders. So what about the club? Well we are already quite a large club, considering the

amount of time we have been set up and we have a range of kiters from all disciplines and levels. We normally have a weekly social and this year we are hoping to have a few sessions where we have guest speakers coming to talk to us. The club at the moment has one qualified instructor with another two of us hoping to become instructors over the summer. We also have links with Turbulence Kite Shop in Llandudno Junction who can provide us with instructors and kit both for the club and for members. We are hoping to be able to organise club kiting at least once a week, but hopefully this will become more frequent. This does however depend on weather conditions. We have had two taster sessions so far, which have gone very well and have both been in fantastic weather. We have our instructor here as well as a few more being currently trained up and he will teach people the basics of how to fly a kite and it’s a chance for prospective members to talk to other kiters and see kiting in action. It is also a chance for current kiters to meet and talk and try each others kit as well as helping each other out. Now all that’s left to say is if you like the sound of this new extreme sport come and see us at Serendipity or email us and we will do our best to get you out on the beach and flying.

Liam Watson and Kev Arlott

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGED

n Friday 15th June 2007, a motley gang of travelling trivia-searchers left the summer-filled environs of Bangor for the sunnier climes of Manchester! After weeks of swotting up on the names of the natural satellites of Uranus, the life and times of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and the candidates for the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, Bangor’s University Challenge team were ready and rearing to go; “Bangor Saville” (team captain), “Bangor Dodd” (the esteemed former editor of this publication), “Bangor Gilbert” and “Bangor Ryan” were a train journey away from their ‘Starter For Ten’. A battle against Edinburgh ensued with Bangor losing out on King Midas, albedo (look it up!) and ‘Thatcher: The Musical’, but successfully answering on Freudian slips, electric light bulbs and Michael Owen. However, it all went spectacularly pearshaped when whichever member of the production team controlling the music round played the tracks in the wrong order! The faux pas might have been overlooked had it not been for all four of Edinburgh’s team not having the foggiest idea about the replacement round’s starter - Bernard Hermann’s

unmistakeable soundtrack to Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’! But the worst thing was that they TOLD THEM THE ANSWER so that it would fit in with the editing! Bangor continued to throw in the odd starter answer, post-cock-up, but lost their flow again when Jeremy Paxman decided to complain about his spotlight flashing. Unfortunately, even astronomical conjunctions and Oscar Wilde’s cigarette-smoking habits couldn’t save the day for our team. The contest ended on a respectable 105 vs 130, but Scotland had out-answered Wales. As Mr Paxman rightly said, “Bad luck, Bangor. You never really got the chance to show us what you were made of, I think.” Maybe if the Granada production team had pulled their finger out (and not tried to claim

that the theme tune to the 1990s sci-fi series Quantum Leap was the 1970s detective drama The Rockford Files) they would have had that chance! The guys did well though – the first time Bangor has reached the TV stages since 2004 and only the third time in the history of the show. But I still believe that the most disappointing thing about the whole adventure was that the team’s reserve member was not actually required! Not that I was for a single second wishing any illness upon the other four, but to hear the fantastic tones of voiceover man Roger Tilling exclaiming “Bangor Hussey!” was an opportunity missed. Hours of endless amusement in my head! God bless your family surname, Rebecca…x

John Jackson

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

BOOKS

Atonement: Ian McEwan

ere we go again – yet another book that has received the Hollywood treatment. The film adaptation of Atonement looms, setting critics’ tongues wagging with praise and Oscar nomination rumours for Keira Knightley circulating. It is no secret that McEwan’s Atonement is a masterpiece with its vivid descriptions, interesting characters and an extremely engaging plot; although this doesn’t make it an obvious choice for the silver screen. Many aspects of the book are Hollywood friendly – pictures of Knightley in Cecilia’s green dress have already been circulated, prompting nods of approval from fashionistas everywhere. Also the breathtaking descriptions of Robbie Turner on the battlefield are begging for an adaptation: there were hundreds in the field now, all making for the woods on the far side. At the shrill whine of the bomb everyone cowered on the ground. However, it is McEwan’s use of language that makes this book special, which will be lost in the film. Through Briony Tallis, the book’s protagonist, McEwan explores the theme of writing and what it takes to be successful in this field. Briony’s ambition is to write, particularly in the style of her idol Virginia Woolf whom McEwan is clearly inspired by. It is this insight into Briony’s mind that makes the book so engaging – her whole life is lived out on Atonement’s pages which is haunted by the events of one summer’s day in 1934. McEwan perfectly encapsulates Briony’s thoughts with fascinating accuracy – from a curious thirteen-year-old to a reflective seventy-seven-year-old. For me, Atonement is at its most interesting when describing Briony’s Woolf-esque musings on life: “She raised one hand and flexed its fingers and wondered, as she had sometimes before, how this thing, this machine for gripping, this fleshy spider on the end of her arm, came to be hers, entirely at her command.”

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: J K Rowling

his summer saw the publication of the much anticipated final volume in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The usual media frenzy which we have come to expect in connection with the Harry Potter series ensued, as children and die-hard fans alike queued outside bookshops, eagerly awaiting their copies. Those readers who have stuck with the boy wizard from the beginning have seen the ways in which he has grown and matured throughout the series. Rowling’s audience has grown older, as Harry Potter has grown and the final book is far more adult in comparison to the first instalment, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, which was very much a children’s book. The ending has always been a closely guarded secret, though suggestions from

Atonement’s plot, however, is so engaging that it is bound to keep cinema audiences gripped. McEwan weaves disaster and sorrow into the story at every page, but as this is often shown through the innocent eyes of Briony he maintains a degree of subtlety, ensuring a light and sometimes amusing read. Rape, war, death, guilt and depression are so liberal that there isn’t one character who doesn’t receive a heavy dose of suffering, but McEwan manipulates this to demonstrate the strength of the human character. Ian McEwan lacks the pretension of many of his contemporaries and rightly deserves his place amongst the great modern writers. As a book, Atonement is a faultless piece of work which is now unfortunately doomed to be overshadowed by the film. Hopefully enough people will not choose to ignore the book in place of the film and it will get the recognition it deserves.

Emma Dixon

Joanne Rowling hinted at in television interviews had everybody speculating. I personally believe that her hints were slightly misleading and found the ending on the disappointing side. And as for the epilogue, it was completely unnecessary. Sometimes it is better for an author to leave things unsaid, allowing her audience to complete the picture themselves. Rowling instead hammered home the point in a highly predictable fashion. In this way, the final instalment reverted to the children’s book style of the first. It was incongruous to the rest of the book and undermined her evolved style. On the other hand, many fans of Harry Potter are more than happy with the series, which has been the biggest event in publishing history since…well ever!

Caroline Alvarez

Half of a Yellow Sun: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

himamanda Ngozi Adichie’s latest novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, has just won the Orange Broadband Prize for fiction and quite deservedly so. Adichie follows in a long tradition of Nigerian writers, most notable of which is Chinua Achebe, who set his 1958 novel, Things Fall Apart in Nsukka, also one of the settings utilised by Adichie in Half of a Yellow Sun. Set during the fight for Biafran independence from Nigeria, Adichie draws her individual characters vividly and carefully weaves their lives around each other. And what different characters they are: from Ugwu, a young houseboy; to his master, the professor; Olanna, the professor’s mistress; and Richard, an Englishman who becomes entangled with the family. Adichie shows remarkable insight into their lives at a time of

great political change. The book is incredibly clever in the way that the events slowly change the characters until they are almost unrecognisable from those introduced at the beginning. Written with such subtlety that the eventual tragedy comes upon you unexpectedly. The title, Half of a Yellow Sun, refers to the symbol at the centre of the Biafran flag and Adichie looks carefully at the idea of being Biafran and at being Nigerian and the difference between the two. Other themes include class, race, love and war. Half of a Yellow Sun is a good read for anyone interested in politics, history or simply a fascinating novel. It deserves any accolade you wish to throw at it.

Emma Dodd

the muse Academic books Second hand books New books CDs DVDs

43 Holyhead Rd Bangor, LL57 2EU 01248 362072

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

AU TASTER SESSIONS CLUB

DAY + DATE

Archery

Wednesday 26/9 Friday 28/9 Sunday 30/9

TIME

VENUE

8 – 10pm 8 – 10pm 9am – 12pm

8 – 10pm 8 – 10pm 10– 12pm

Normal Gym 2 Normal Gym 2 Normal Gym 2

Lacrosse

Thursday 27/9 Saturday 29/9

5 – 7pm 10 -12pm

Synthetic Synthetic

Mountain Walking (UMWC)

Saturday 29/9 Sunday 30/9

9.30 5.30pm

Netball

Friday 28/9

2 – 4pm

Main Hall

Octopush

Sunday 30/9

7 - 9pm

Bangor Swimming Pool

Riding

Saturday 29/9

10 - 2pm

Snowdonia Equestrian Centre

Rowing

Friday 28/9

11 - 12.30 2 - 3.30pm 11 -12.30 2 - 3.30pm 11 - 12.30 2 - 3.30pm

Nantporth Rowing Sheds

Thursday 27/9

6 – 7:30pm

Treborth Track

2 - 4pm 2 – 5pm

Normal Sp. Hall Main Hall

Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball

Saturday 29/9 Saturday 29/9

1 – 3pm 3 - 5pm

Main Hall Main Hall

BUMS (Climbing)

Sunday 30/9

10am - 5pm

Meet at S.U 30 mins before, as transport is provided

Canoe

Saturday 29/9

Meet at S.U at start time

Saturday 29/9 Sunday 30/9

Fencing

Tuesday 25/9 Wednesday 26/9 Saturday 29/9

8 – 10pm 8 – 10pm 2 – 4pm

Football Men

TBC

Football Women

VENUE

Wednesday 26/9 Friday 28/9 Sunday 30/9

Saturday 29/9 Sunday 30/9

Canoe Polo

TIME

Ki-Aikido

Athletics

Sunday 30/9

DAY + DATE

Normal Sp. Hall Normal Sp. Hall Normal Sp. Hall

Badminton

9am - 11.30am 12am - 2.30pm 3pm - 5pm 9am - 11.30 12 - 2.30pm 3 - 5.30pm 11am onwards 11am onwards

CLUB

Saturday 29/9 Sunday 30/9

– Meet at S.U 30 mins before

Rugby League

Sunday 30/9

4 - 6pm

Treborth

Men’s Rugby

2 – 4pm 12 - 2pm

Treborth

Normal Gym 1 Normal Gym 1 Normal Gym 1

Friday 28/9 Sunday 30/9

Women’s Rugby

TBC

12 - 2pm 1 - 5om

Treborth

TBC

Friday 28/9 Saturday 29/9

Saturday 29/9

12 – 2pm

Synthetic

Sailing

Saturday 29/9 Sunday 30/9

12 onwards

Meet at Morrisons 30 mins before

Golf

Friday 28/9

3 - 4pm

Treborth Driving Range

Snooker and Pool

Sunday 30/9

7 onwards

The Menai Pub

Gymnastics

Monday 24/9 Thursday 27/9 Saturday 29/9

8 – 10pm 6 – 8pm 3 – 5pm

Gymnastics Hall Gymnastics Hall Gymnastics Hall

Sub Aqua

Thursday 27/9

TBC

Surf

Sunday 30/9

10 - 5pm

Meet at S.U 30 mins before

Thursday 27/9 Friday28/9

1 - 3pm 2 - 4pm

Synthetic Synthetic

Swimming

Sunday 30/9

7 - 8pm

Bangor Pool

Hockey Women

Friday 28/9 Saturday 29/9 Sunday 30/9

12 -2pm 2 -5pm 12 -2pm

Synthetic Synthetic Synthetic

Touch Rugby

Wednesday 26/9 Friday 28/9

3 - 5pm 9 - 10pm

Synthetic

Trampolining

Tuesday 2/9 Thursday 27/9

8 – 10pm 8 – 10pm

Normal Gym 2 Normal Gym 2

8 - 10pm 2 - 4pm 2 - 5pm

New Hall

Judo

Wednesday 26/9 Thursday 27/9 Sunday 30/9

Ultimate Frisbee

Friday 28/9 Sunday 30/9

2 -4pm 2 -5pm

Syntheitc

Hockey Men

th Thursday 4 October ions:

er Sess Welsh Tast Free

y g Welsh a whirl? Tr Thought about givin in ss cla er st ta a free before you buy with e School of Lifelong basic Welsh from th ng it the semester- lo Learning. If you like n! ai rg ba er nn course is only a te Hen Goleg 6:00 pm

Monday 22n October d Climbing

: £2 A qualified inst ructor will teac h you basics and give you the confide the nce to climb to dizzy heights. Maes Glas: 8pm

Sunday 18th r Novembe:e£3 Self defenc

ly what it says on This session does exact by Gaz Stalman the tin! This class, lead erience in martial (who has 20 years exp ss on how to arts) will be an active cla elf from attack. protect and defend yours ness levels and This session is for all fit genders. Amser/ Time 1- 3 pm

Meet at S.U 30 mins before

Saturday 13th October Study skills: Fr ee

Get off to a good start this year with this study skills session which includes such classics as how to write an essay, taking effective notes and other things you thought you knew bu t you don’t. SU Committee room- 11 :00am

Sunday 28th October Gar-

anical Trebor th Bot dens: free

eous botanic Help to keep our gorg by joining in with gardens in good nick ing a guided tour this work party. Includ curator Nigel Brown of the gardens with ge, the day ends and a mushroom fora the lawn with a nice picnic on Coban Coffi: 6pm

Monday 5th November

British sign langu age: £5

Carol Fielding leads an introdu ction to the basics of this fascinating language. Learn the BSL alphabet and how to make basic initial contact with other BSL users. SU committee Room 2;30- 4:3 0

Monday 15th October e: £2

nc Contemporary Da

and dance the Put on your dancing shoes nce club. contemporary with the Da ion 5:00pm Meet outside Students’ Un

Sunday 3rd November Fencing: £3

Try your hand at having a sword about with last years AU club of the year, the swashbuckling fencing club. Plan ahead, start growing your penc il moustache atleast a fortnight in ad vance. Meet outside SU: 12:45 pm

Tuesday 16 October th Pe rsonal sa fe

ty: free More than your average ‘Don’t w alk home in the dark ’ lecture, this se ss ion offers practica l information an d tips on keeping you an d your property safe whilst at Uni an d involves tons of ha ndy information you never knew. Students Union Committee Roo m 6pm

12th Monday ber Novedm ance: £2 Street

Sunday 11th November ay-

d Rolepl Wargames an £2 g: in

earth wargames Ever wondered what on about? A and roleplaying were all y and imagination, combination of strateg d roleplaying table- top wargames an t hand. If you are best experienced firs h for wargames at haven’t got the stomac nday lunch in the least stay for some Su curved lounge. Curved lounge 12 pm

booty and shake your Spin your head club. with the Dance 5pm U S e Meet outsid

Friday 30th November

Bangor City FC: tbc

Show a bit of support for our local lads by going to watch them play against Llangefni. Scarves, pies and air hor n recommended but not compulsor y. Post- match rioting is distinctly frown ed upon. Bangor City ground, Farrar Road

Seren - Freshers’ Issue 2007

Comprehensive guide to sports and sports facilities in Bangor

MAES GLAS Tel: (01248) 382571. pes803@bangor.ac.uk

The new sports hall has four badminton courts; a volleyball court; a netball court; a basketball court and five-a-side courts; indoor bowls facilities; and cricket. A balcony is available for spectators.

Weights Room

Facilities in Maes Glas include the following:

Main Sports Hall

The main sports hall contains six badminton courts; two volleyball courts; basketball courts; one netball court; a indoor hockey court; and a five-a-side court. There is also provision for table tennis; archery; and trampolining. This hall has a sprung floor and a balcony is available for spectators.

New Sports Hall

With a great view of the mountains and more than 100,000 worth of new equipment Maes Glas offers you fitness training second to none. Maes Glas now has two fitness rooms for weights and cardiovascular training. The weights room has a large selection of the latest Powersport equipment including two multigyms. There is also a large free weights section including a ‘Smiths’ machine. The room has air conditioning and large screen MTV.

Cardio Vascular Room

The CV Room has a large selection of equipment including rowers, cycles and steppers. The room has air conditioning

and large screen MTV; six treadmills; eight concept 2 rowers; two recumberant bikes; six upright bikes; four steppers; six cross trainers; squash courts: The Sports Centre has four squash courts, one of which has a glass back wall with a seated viewing gallery.

Climbing Wall

A Livingstone wall; ten top ropes give access to over 30 routes from ‘DIFF’ to 7C, on panelled walls from off vertical to super steep. Well featured bouldering wall provides endless scope for problems of all

Sport THE GREAT OUTDOORS Although Bangor provides many outdoor activities, it really takes pride in and advantage of, its beautifully scenic location. Many clubs in the AU are centred around outdoor activities, and often take a more relaxed view on the competitive side of been a club. Their efforts are by no means constrained by the local surroundings however. You will find that most of the initial tours are to the Welsh surroundings, but as time passes by, trips further away are commonplace in these types of teams. BUMS (the Mountaineering club) often takes (at least) an annual excursion, and this is true of the Mountain

walking club, sailing club and others. Our location near water also provides useful resources to up and coming clubs such as Canoe polo, Canoe club and rowing clubs. The nearby beaches also play a vital role in some club activities. The highly popular surf team and newly formed kite team both use the beach facilities for their clubs. As well as this, there is a windsurfing club and Ultimate Frisbee club, that are known to make full use of the great outdoors. All the outdoor sports available will be at Serendipity and details of how to join can be found at these stalls.

difficulty above crash mats.

Multi Purpose Gymnastics Hall

Maes Glas has a purpose built gymnasium, with sprung floor and foam pits. It is an ideal training area for the sport with equipment of a high standard.

TREBORTH

he University’s Treborth site is located next to the Menai Straits on the outskirts of Bangor. The site has the following facilities:

Sport Fields

Four full size football pitches; and two rugby

NORMAL SITE

pitches. The pitches are of a high standard and can be adapted to junior pitches.

ards with facilities and equipment available for all events. It is suitable for practice and competition for all levels of

Pavillion

abilities. The main site is around fifteen minutes walk from Bangor. Head towards the Menai Bridge along Holyhead Road and it is on your right around half way down.

The pavillion offers large changing facilities and an enclosed viewing area.

Athletics track

Situated at the Treborth playing fields, it is a joint use facility with the Gwynedd local authority and opened in 1996. It has an eight lane track, built to the highest stand-

Bangor sports teams use this site for the training purposes listed below.

Sports Hall

Four badminton courts; volleyball; netball; basketball; and five-a-side courts; cricket, These outstanding facilities are used by the School of Education from 9.00am to 6.00pm each day and available for recreation each evening and at weekends. Many

or current students at Bangor University, the name Frodo does not conjure up images of a hobbit running barefoot around Mordor. However for those new to Bangor University, Frodo is not a hobbit but the nickname of our current Athletic Union President, Andrew Redfearn. As Frodo embarks on his second year as AU President, Seren felt it was time to ask what direction he was hoping to take this year, “I’m looking forward to working with the University to develop a sports strategy to really take us forward!” He explains, “as well as working more closely with BUSA now that I am one of their student directors.” Like many students, Frodo has joined

ultimate frisbee; and archery.

2 Gymnasia

Used for martial arts clubs, including Ki-

teams during his spare time, “I was a member of the canoe club in my first year and part of the men’s rugby union for three years.” Seren wanted to know what his top tips would be to new students joining this September. “Get involved and try something new. Sports clubs are a great way to meet new people, keep fit and enjoy a healthy social life. There will probably be no other time in your life that you have so many sports to choose from at such a cheap price, so make the most of what we have to offer!” he explains. It seems as though Frodo will be on a quest this academic year and one that he is passionate about, “after years of playing university sport, I wanted to make a difference for those who took the time to play as

Aikido, Judo, Karate, Fencing, Thai Kick boxing and Tae-Kwon-Do. Treborth is around 20-30 minutes walk outside Bangor. Walk to the Menia Bridge along Holyhead Road. Once at the bridge, take the left turn immediately before it and continue along the road for around five minutes.

Will Varley

well” he adds. So maybe there is an element of truth in his nickname… he will go that extra mile for the little people!

Siobhan Holt

UNORTHODOX MATCHDAYS

any of you who like your football may have been rather disappointed when your course led you to the bleak wilderness of North Wales. The closest premiership sides being Liverpool, Everton and Manchester United, an average game will take at least 2 hours to get to. But from past experience, I can personally tell you that you should not be despondent to hopes of live football this year. Imagine it’s a Saturday afternoon. You have had a hard week at university, and topped it off with a heavy night on the Friday. As you rouse from your bed in the early hours of the afternoon, your head still fuzzy and your room clogged with smells of lager, cigarettes and kebabs, you long for the refreshing country breeze. As you set off with a group of friends, you talk and laugh about last nights events. The fresh air is soothing, and the walk is short as you enter the stadium to be greeted with traditional match day smells of burgers and cheap cigarettes. You take a seat on the wooden benched terrace, and await for the match to start as you read through the cheap match day programme. As the players enter the field, you hear the cheering and jostling of the 300 spectators around you. The first half is a flurry of half decent moves and the odd piece of trickery. The crowd responds to the plays every move, always pinpointing one individual from the start. As the usually chants are blasted from the regulars ‘Hey, Donkey!!’, or ‘Gypo, get your hair cut!!’ the lads around you start to

chime in, insulting every opposition player that comes within twenty feet. As the first goal is scored, an uproar from the spectators, and suddenly you’re the biggest fan in the ground. Each move from then on is an agonising letdown or a gleeful relief. Your bum rests on the edge of your seat each time they reach the oppositions penalty area. As the first half comes to a close, you take a breath, and leave for the terrace bar to enjoy a half time beer and discuss events so far. After a good 15 minutes Banta, your take your seats for the second half, yet it is not like the first as you are suddenly involved. Your seats are so close to the playing field that you feel a part of the game, you’ve become the twelfth man and you’re shouting and screaming to urge you’re team on. As the players get tired and the tackles become sloppy, more cards are brandished, until the referee snaps, and sends a player for an early bath. To the local fans this is like meat being thrown into the tigers den, as abuse is hurled down the tunnel. You’ve been lucky enough to place yourself next to the real mouth of the crowd, and every so often he pops a corker of a line. The whole terrace goes up in laughter and applaud, and the jokes go up in quality from there on. The game finishes half an hour earlier than the English fixtures, giving you enough time to get back into the pub and watch the full time scores come in.

Jack Peat