Student Times 5.4

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Volume 5 - Issue 3

For Students By Students

StudentTimes.org

ESSEX

BOYS Going from Gavin’s best friend to vampire fighter.

NEWS | ENTERTAINMENT | CAREERS | COURSES | FASHION

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CONTENTS 4-12 News 6 Kev’s Kingdom Farewell to Jade

Kevin wonders if Jade Goody was our generation’s answer to Marilyn Monroe.

7 Competitions

Give-away Central!

8 Holly’s House

Hit me Baby, One more Time!

Holly reminisces about cheesiness past. Starring: Britney Spears.

10 Jack’s World

Money makes the world go round Is product placement the way forward? Jack imagines the Rover’s Return as a JD Wetherspoons.

11 Grad Job Shop

Stand out from the Crowd Chris Eccles gives you a few pointers on how you go from busking to jobbing.

Published by Sugar Media Ltd, Studio 4 Hiltongrove, 14 Southgate Road, London N1 3LY Tel: 020 7407 7747 Fax: 020 7407 6800 Email: info@sugarmedia.co.uk www.sugarmedia.co.uk © Copyright Sugar Media Ltd Publishers: Isabel Appio & Adam Hayes

14 Feature

DID YOU KNOW...

The “Sixth Sick Sheik’s Sixth Sheep’s Sick” is the hardest tongue-twister.

Hiking from Hadrian’s Wall to Holborn

right, Marcel Theroux talks about writing and having some very famous family members.

Exams are approaching!

Why would two Edinburgh students walk all the way to London?

20 Fashion

It’s probably all you can think about at the moment, those exams that are looming.

15 Feature

Hearing the voice of Iraq We talk to a group of students who trained a fledging news agency in Iraq.

Charitable Changes

30 Cover2Cover Boy Racer’s

ST EXTRA

Lesbian Vampires. Welsh Love. Sketch shows. James Corden and Mat Horne are everywhere. We talk about all of it.

Spirited Away

CAREERS

16 Music

Delta Spirit’s lead singer tells all about experimenting with music and lots of drum solos.

18 DVD

Super High Me After spending thirty days getting stoned and making a movie about it, comedian Doug Benson tells all.

19 Books

13 Future Skills

The diversity offered by careers in Business Intelligence are vast.

ST discovers the possibilities.

21 Teach UK Ever thought about the rewards of a career in teaching?

27 Actuary Should you apply to be an actuary?

The Brother, the Cousin, the Son

28 Computer & IT

A successful writer in his own

How is IT done?

Well, why not take a break for a moment and think about something else – and not Facebook.

There’s plenty in this issue of Student Times to keep you busy for a while, such as our features on students helping set up a news agency in a war zone or those brave, brave Edinburgh students trekking all the way to London for charity.

If that’s a bit too close to reality, then maybe it’s better you flip right to our cover story on page 30 and let James Corden tell you what it’s like to fight vampires – and not any vampires, but lesbian vampires. And if you want less fighting and a bit more fashion, then you could always read about the Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show.

Of course, if the exam stress is getting to you and you just need to unwind with a silly movie, then give Super High Me a try. We talk to star Doug Benson on page 18 about everything from Obama to the best food to have when you’ve got the munchies.

Last but not least, we have our usual excellent career guides full of all the advice you need once you graduate, this time giving you a glimpse of four areas.

All the best and until next time, Jonathan, Editor

PG16

ON THE NEW & IMPROVED STUDENTTIMES.ORG THIS MONTH...

Win a Virgin+ Box! Win six months of free TV thanks to Virgin Media Shorts!

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Pride & Prejudice and Zombies? Find out in our review if it should be universally acknowledged that Elizabeth Bennet is the new Buffy.

Stay in the Loop

Read our interview with the stars of Iraq War satire In The Loop!

STUDENT TIMES // 3

ST NEWS Tuition fees could double under new proposal University fees might become as high as £7,000 if a new report by the ViceChancellors leading body is to be believed.

-----------------------------------------------Universities UK state in their report Changing Landscapes: future scenarios for variable tuition fees that students were not put off by the initial introduction of tuition fees and would not be deterred by this raise.

However, a survey by the

BBC indicated that some institutions believed they should be able to ask for as much as £20,000 per year.

“Poorer students would be priced out of the more ‘prestigious’ institutions, and this must be avoided at all cost,” warned NUS President Wes Streeting.

The NUS cautioned against the move to even £7,000, as it could see student debt skyrocket as high as £32,000, a move he branded “extremely arrogant” in light of the recession.

Students rallied outside Parliament in late March to protest, with the NUS launching their own proposal under the title Five foundations for an alternative higher education funding system for England.

David Blunkett also criticised the the possible hike. “Whilst it’s clear that no government is going to pull the financial plug on the university sector by simply abolishing fees, it would at this time of global financial downturn, be unacceptable to

lift the cap and have a free-for-all across universities.” The MP for Sheffield, Brightside went on to caution against the unregulated market abolishing the cap would create.

Professor Les Ebdon, chair of the University think thank million+ agreed with Blunkett, noting that abolishing the cap would lead to “a market system in higher education”. “We need to increase participation by students from poorer backgrounds, not price them out of going to

university at all.”

But Professor Rick Trainor, President of Universities UK, defended the report. “UK higher education requires further injections of resource, from whatever source, particularly for teaching and learning,” adding that it was “a time of deep economic uncertainty for all of us”.

The issue of fees is set to remain a troubling one for the Government, as their initial introduction five years ago saw a large backbench rebellion.

Fun nie s

Tales from around the world.

--------------------------------------------Battery-driven fun: An Australian MP lodged a formal complaint after a fellow MP put forward a motion to buy her a sex toy.

Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge was asked to “stop screwing with the people of Strathfield and screw herself instead” by councillor Danny Lim. Holy Hand Grenades: Parts of East London were evacuated after water company engineers spotted a suspicious grenade-like object.

But after nearly an hour, bomb experts confirmed that the grenade was in fact a prop grenade used in by Eric Idle to slaughter the dangerous killer rabbit in Monty Python and The Holy Grail. That effing parrot: A Brighton mum complained after she bought a talking toy parrot, only for it to squawk “Oi! What are you looking at ****hole.” However, it appears she bought in by accident thinking it was a

4 // STUDENT TIMES

children’s toy, when it was in fact a novelty toy for adults.

The Twin Trap: German twins, who were arrested under suspicion of stealing over £5mio worth of jewellery from Berlin’s largest department store, had to be released after the court could not determine which one committed the heist. Battling litterbugs: A shopkeeper has successfully reduced littering in her village in Gloucestershire after she began writing the buyers names on the wrappers. One of the children affected said: “I have to put the packet in the bin because it has my name on it.” The shopkeeper said she would consider doing this with adults if she caught them littering. Safe Safety announcement: An American flight attendant has been livening up the pre-flight safety announcement by wrapping for his passengers.

Lines include “We won’t take your cash, you gotta pay with plastic - if you have a coupon then that’s fantastic.”

News Brief

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Library misplaces 9,000 books The British Library has admitted that over 9,000 of their manuscripts are missing and some have been for as long as 50 years, reports the Guardian.

First editions by Ezra Pound and Oscar Wilde, as well as texts by a 12th-century scholar. Jennifer Perkins are among the misplaced items. The head of records at

the British Library told the newspaper that there could be many reasons besides theft that account for the loss. “They may have been misplaced on the shelves, the shelf mark label may have become detached from the spine and the item is being checked and reshelved, or the catalogue record may not have been altered to reflect a changed shelf mark,” Jennifer Perkins explained.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“It was quite a big deal really. I sort of turned the phone off and made sure I could read it straight through without too much interruption.” – Doctor Who star David Tennant on reading the last scripts starring him as the Timelord.

DID YOU KNOW...

It takes about 63,000 trees to make the newsprint for the average Sunday edition of The New York Times.

Students given chance to work for TV

World Brief

--------------------------------------------

Bush: Shoe-T

IRAQ: The Iraqi man who threw his shoe at former President Bush during a press conference has been jailed for three years.

Muntadar al-Zaidi, a journalist, pleaded not guilty during his trial in Baghdad, defending his shoe-throwing as a natural reaction for any Iraqi.

The incident occurred on 15 December during Bush’s final news conference in the capital.

Al-Zaidi stood at one point, calling the former president “a dog” and hurling his shoe at the podium. While Bush was not hurt in the incident, hitting someone with a shoe is an insult in many Arabic cultures and al-Zaidi could have been jailed for up to 15 years.

Who’s that?: David Tennant on the set of Doctor Who in Dubai. Could this be you?

If you’ve sat at home watching a soap thinking “I can do better than that” or always wanted to be one of the young writers on Skins, then now is your chance to get your foot in the door.

As part of the Media Guardian’s International Television Festival in Edinburgh, people over 18 can apply to take part in several days of free television masterclasses and lectures. Successful applicants will be able to attend lectures by leading TV personalities, with previous speakers at The Network being as diverse as legendary newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald and Russell T Davies,

writer of the new Doctor Who. “I think The Network is really important so young people can see how there are ways to get into the TV industry, because so many young people want to be in TV but don’t quite know how to get a break or what area they really want to work in,” argued Sharon Osbourne.

The festival this year takes place from 27 to 30 August, with applications due 17 April. The 150 successful applicants will also be offered the chance to apply for six months worth of paid work experience in the industry.

-----------------------------------------------To apply, go to www.mgeitf. co.uk/home/thenetwork.aspx

Teaching becomes the new career of choice With the recession looming, it seems many are considering a career in teaching as a solution to their job woes.

So far this year, applications for teacher training courses have risen by 10%, the Training and Development Agency (TDA) announced. Many of the applications were for science and maths courses, usually an area suffering from a lack of applications.

While this may seem like a

steep rise in applications, here are still plenty of vacancies to compensate for the growth.

Last year alone, vacancies in primary and secondary schools

rose by almost a quarter.

The recent surge in applications is thought to be the result of the TDA targeting current and former City employees with recruitment drives aimed at them. BBC News also spoke to a science teacher who had left the research field to pursue teaching, filling one of the estimated 6 000 science teacher vacancies.

Learn more about being a teacher from PAGE 21.

STUDENT TIMES // 5

ST NEWS Lib Dems call for £7,000 minimum income for students In an effort to grant students across Scotland better cash flow, members of the Scottish Parliament have called for a guaranteed income of £7,000 for everyone at University.

Margaret Smith, Liberal Democrat spokesperson on educational issues, called for this move following what they saw as the Government backing away from their promise to alleviate student debt.

The minimum income guar-

antee would be made up of contributions from grants, loans as well as parental contributions.

The move comes after the Government did not allocate the amount of money originally proposed, opting for a £30m pot to start the transition from loans to grants.

The President of NUS Scotland was happy about the debate being started. “While the scrapping of the graduate endowment was welcomed by

President of NUS Scotland: Gurjit Singh

students across Scotland as a step forward, that change will have little impact on the day-today life of students and does

STUDENT TIMES COLUMN

nothing to tackle the issue of financial hardship students face while studying,” Gurjit Singh commented.

KEV’S KINGDOM

World Brief

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AUSTRALIA: After an oil spill of more than 30 tonnes, officials in Australia declared parts of their east coast a disaster zone.

The oil, which was thought to have come from a cargo ship registered in Hong Kong, has washed up on parts of the Sunshine Coast, with Queensland’s Premier Anna Bligh warning that the operators would be liable for the clean up costs.

In addition to parts of the Sunshine Coast being affected, Moreton and Bribie Islands were hit, an area which is not only a national park, but also the same to some endangered species.

Kevin Guyan is in his second year at Aberdeen University & is the roving reporter for both the Gaudie and The Journal.

Jade Goody: Too Soon to End her Fifteen Minutes of Fame Fifteen minutes of fame is usually all everyone gets.

Jade Goody, star of Big Brother, probably got a bit longer than that. But, as we mourn for her, Kevin Guyan wonders if she wasn’t our generation’s Marilyn Monroe.

-----------------------------------------------------------Penned-out beautifully by Andy Warhol, the idea that everyone will have their fifteen minutes of fame strikes hard this month after the passing of Jade Goody.

For a long while, it was clear that Jade was no longer considering “if”, but rather when the cancer would end her life.

This sucker punch to the gut reminded students of life’s fragility and has sparked a boom in young women visiting their GPs to undergo a cervical

6 // STUDENT TIMES

smear test. The level of publicity for Jade’s plight has meant some hospitals reported increases of over 20% in tests, the one positive in this grim tale.

The day after she died, her face was everywhere. On every front page, on every home page. Even stories unrelated to her were somehow related to her.

Wendy Richard, a famous face in her own right as well as suffering from cancer, was not even allowed her own front pages when she passed away shortly beforehand. Instead, Richard’s obits were shared with the news that she sent Jade messages of support.

Speaking to The News of the World, Jade described how she screamed “Can’t anyone do anything to help me?” after being told the grave news in mid-February.

The following evening – Valentine’s

Day – Jade’s boyfriend Jack Tweedy proposed, telling his soon-to-be wife, “You’re a special woman, I love you and I would be honoured to call you my wife. And I don’t care if it’s just for a few weeks.”

The tragic – and unfairly cruel – twist in the life of Jade Goody offered a horrendously stark tale of contemporary stardom. From her nude birthing on British television’s Big Brother, through her numerous televisual pursuits and serving-up of tabloid fodder for the daily reds; to her recent return to our screens, flagrant bullying and nationwide backlash, Jade’s life has

“Goody was symbolic of our generation: today’s answer to our grandparents’ Marilyn Monroe.”

“modern celebrity” written all over.

She emerged from Big Brother’s third series as one of its largest characters.

So large, in fact, that Jade (plus mother and partner) were asked back to the show for an ill-fated Celebrity version.

Although her relationship with the public was often through the tube of hideously banal trash-TV, Jade often served as a sweet gumdrop to the complexity of modern life.

Goody was symbolic of our generation: today’s answer to our grandparents’ Marilyn Monroe. The painful end to this media charade throws salt in the eyes of today’s youth: a reminder of the potluck nature of life. I will not attempt to offer support to the friends and family of Jade, only dish-up a reminder that Jade, like many others, was too young to leave us.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Jade Goody has her own place in the history of television and, while it’s significant, it’s nothing to be proud of.” – Parky is not a fan of the late reality TV star.

DID YOU KNOW...

There are about 6,800 languages in the world.

WIN WIN WIN W E! TIMWIN TITION MPEWIN CO WIN WIN WIN WIN Win iTunesWIN vouchers, DVDs and heapsWIN of books!

WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN W WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN W WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN You can win: WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN W WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN W WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN W WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN W WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN THE NANO WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN W STATS WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN …has a top speed of 65 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We’re approaching the end of the year, the student loan is running out and, let’s face it, the credit cards have been maxed since last summer.

But you still want some freebies, right? Best thing to do in this case is to log on to our website and enter all of the great competitions up there.

Music: Well, not quite. You can win one of five £20 iTunes vouchers thanks to the guys at the Futureworks Media School in Manchester.

World’s cheapest car goes on sale India the first country able to buy the Tata Nano -----------------------------------------------The world’s cheapest car has now gone on sale in India, costing just under £1,400. The Tata Nano is a tiny 3 metres long, 1.5 metres wide (same size as a double bed) but still has space for five people.

Coming with very few frills (no airbags, air conditioning, radio, or power steering), the car is aimed at people who would otherwise not be able to afford their own four wheels. But due to the expected high demand, people might have to wait a while until they can lay their hands on the Nano’s steering wheel.

With only 100,000 orders due to be filled before further facto-

ries open around India, all current orders will be subject to a lottery to decide who will get to drive away with one first. Tata motors hopes to be able to produce 350,000 annually by 2010.

DVDs: You know you’ve been lapping up the show, don’t be embarrassed. You think of them each time you sign a text XOXO and even your boyfriend watches it with you because, lets face it, Serena van der Woodsen is just that hot. I’m talking of course of Gossip Girl and you can win a DVD set of Series Two thanks to the good people at Warner Bros.

If you want less scheming and more romance, then maybe The Baxter, starring Michael Showalter and Michelle Williams is something for you. Or if you’re in the mood for dancing, how about winning one of five copies of Stomp – Live.

mph. …is hiding 35 PS under its bonnet. …is only on sale in India for now. …will go on sale with a more luxurious model in Europe in 2011. …should break even in about six years.

Books: We have five copies of Alchemist author Paulo Coelho’s latest novel The Winner Stands Alone, set during 24 hours of the Cannes Film Festival. If you’re after some more actual food, rather than food for the soul, then maybe Cooking Basics For Dummies would be the better win for you.

Check out a delicious recipe and read our review online.

News Brief

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wales phases out top-up fees grant Welsh students will no longer automatically be offered a grant to offset the top up fees, it was announced by the Labour party.

From 2010 onwards, the money no longer spent on the £1,940 grant will go towards other educational initiatives, including the meansassessed grants for living expenses.

But the move has attracted some criticism from Plaid Cymru party members, with Bethan Jenkins saying she was “deeply disappointed” by the Governments’ move. Addressing the chamber, she said: “Most people in this room have had free education and I think it’s very hypocritical for you now to be saying that something should be made different.”

STUDENT TIMES // 7

ST NEWS World Brief

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TIBET: Campaigners worldwide marked the 50th anniversary of the failed uprising in Tibet on 10 March. Amnesty International’s Director Kate Allen took the opportunity to condemn China’s human rights record in Tibet. “Basic human rights are being routinely abused in Tibet. Reports from the region depict an increasing crackdown on free speech and the right to protest,” she said.

Allen also noted that many, possibly 1,400, of the protesters arrested back in March 2008 during unrest leading up to the Beijing Olympics, have not been released.details on how to apply.

‘Enders star supports pub quizzes EastEnders star Kara Tointon is rallying support for charity Christian Aid’s fundraising week in May. This year’s goal is to raise £225,000 - £40,000 more than collected in 2008.

The Charity is asking students to help towards this goal by organising as many quiz nights as possible between 10 – 16 May and asking for a £2 donation for every contestant. Under the banner QuizAid, brainy Brenda’s and smart Alec’s the country over will compete to answer the most questions about sport, music,

geography and other topics.

To make the whole deal more attractive, anyone who organises a quiz is entered into a draw to win a year’s supply of Divine Chocolate. Kara Tointon, known as Albert Square’s Dawn, is trying to rally the troops behind the charity. “Having seen some of Christian Aid’s work myself in Zambia, where I saw children who have been orphaned by HIV given homes and care, I know how vital this money is,” she said.

To request a free quiz pack, log on to www.christianaid.org.uk/ quizaid or call 0808 000 5005.

STUDENT TIMES COLUMN

HOLLY’S HOUSE

Holly Wilson is a English Literature student at Brunel University and lives in a double house share with over a dozen other boys and girls and a trampoline in the garden.

Hit me baby, one more time!

Holly Wilson talks about the mockery that’s associated with not taking yourself too seriously and reminisces about cheesiness past.

-----------------------------------------------------------I am going to see Britney Spears live in June. You wouldn’t believe the confusion this has caused people.

My younger sister Emma foolishly thought the notion would impress her friends, ‘How old is she?’ they asked.

‘Twenty.’ Emma replied.

‘Twelve?’ they stuttered.

‘No twenty.’

When Emma recounted this back to me, I insisted she remind them I am doing this with tongue firmly in cheek and with a heavy emphasis on irony. I will “ironically” be enjoying a concert by Britney, with the dance

8 // STUDENT TIMES

moves. And the circus theme. And those good old classics from my childhood, like ‘Baby One More Time’.

There is a general surge of nostalgia for childhood when you become a student, I think. Why else would having a trampoline in the garden seem, to my housemates and I, like the best idea ever? Why else would old TV presenters earn their living from guest appearances at Student Unions? And why else would we go to Nineties-themed nights? Let’s face it, the music was shit, all we really want is to have a second chance at the Primary School end-of-year disco, but this time put less gel in our hair and

“I even hand-wrote the lyrics to entire Britney songs and distributed them to my classmates.”

wear heels instead of chunky trainers.

When I was younger, I bought every single Britney released on tape (Remember them? Have you even seen one of those in, like, a decade?). I even hand-wrote the lyrics to entire songs and distributed them to my classmates.

Then she lost me. But once you reach your early twenties, appreciating things “ironically” gives you free reign to admit proudly to guilty pleasures. In buying a ticket to see Britney Spears, I am fighting the system by making the man believe I am a simple consumerist, when in actual fact I believe that this singular event encompasses entirely the cause of mankind’s inevitable downfall: capitalism; celebrity. I am celebrating our species’ impending doom to the tune of Womanizer. You say I’m crazy... I got your crazy.

FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN SERVICE

A Gap Year can be a once in a lifetime experience but forgetting to take travel insurance could soon turn the smiles to tears.

Travel Insurance: Your gap year could be over before it starts without it Thinking about taking a break from your studies this year? Many students decide to take a gapyear to explore the world, work for a charitable organisation or get some work experience in a foreign country. Whether you plan to hike along the Inca trail or help build a school in Africa, knowing that you have travel insurance in place can make your trip of a lifetime much less stressful.

If you are working to a tight budget, it’s tempting to make savings when planning your trip. Insurance might not be at the top of your list of priorities – as you’re not planning for things to go wrong. But far away from home, for months at a time, a good insurance policy might be just the reassurance you need.

Travel insurance can provide cover for a wide range of things - subject to limits and exclusions. Sold either on a single-trip or annual multi-trip basis, travel insurance policies vary significantly, in terms of both price and cover. So check that your policy meets your needs, rather than automatically going for the cheapest policy.

An annual travel insurance policy can be the most cost-effective option for frequent travellers. But, if you are going

away for an extended period it might be worth checking the policy terms – many policies have a limit on the number of days you’re covered abroad.

It’s often a good idea to have insurance in place from the day you book your travel. An important part of travel insurance is the cover it provides you in the lead-up to going away. So if you break your leg before you set off cycling around Asia, you can at least be comforted by the thought of having the cash to re-book when you’re back on your feet!

Every year the Financial Ombudsman Service – the free service set up by law to settle complaints between consumers and financial firms – deals with around 2,000 travel insurance disputes.

Travel insurance disputes referred

to the ombudsman often centre on whether a particular event is covered by the insurance policy and whether relevant information was ‘disclosed’ to the insurance company before the policy was taken out. When you purchase your policy, try to answer the insurance company’s questions in as much detail as you can. If you’re unsure what the policy will cover you for, ask the insurance company to explain.

If you are planning on taking part in any ‘white-knuckle’ activities, while abroad check your insurance policy to see what you are covered for. Some activities that you may think are fairly standard – such as bungee jumping or quad-biking– might not be covered.

If you do need to make an insurance claim, you should find that your insurance company is able to deal with things quickly and efficiently. But if things don’t go smoothly, and you’re unhappy with the way your insurance company has handled things, the Financial Ombudsman Service may be able to help. To find out more about the ombudsman and its work in settling financial complaints: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk Wherever you decide to go… enjoy your trip!

Case study Paul Neal was sitting on a bench at a subway station in New York when the person next to him started up a conversation. Paul was quite suspicious to find such a friendly stranger in the Big Apple. He looked down to discover that his rucksack – containing more than £2,000 of personal possessions – had been taken.

Paul made a claim on his insurance policy but was told that his claim would not be paid as he had left his bag “unattended”. Paul wasn’t happy and brought his complaint to the ombudsman service. The ombudsman looked into what had happened and decided the bag had not been “unattended” as Paul was next to it at the time the bag was taken. The ombudsman told the insurance company to pay the claim in full.

Find out more at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk or call 0845 080 1800.

STUDENT TIMES // 9

ST NEWS

DID YOU KNOW...

All babies are colour-blind when they are born.

Young people through the ages Youth culture is constantly evolving and this evolution will soon be subject to an exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall. Unordinary People, Exploring British Youth Culture 1960 – 2009 Some of the photographers featured in the exhibition include Dave Swindells, who made a name for himself as one of the first to bring Raves to mainstream attention for Time Out in the early 1980s and Gavin Watson, who has documented the Skinhead culture since his teens.

-----------------------------------------------Tickets can be booked either on 020 7589 8212 or online on royalalberthall.com.

STUDENT TIMES COLUMN

JACK’S WORLD

World Brief

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CUBA: Relations between the US and Cuba have finally begun to thaw – at least when it came to saving some important literary treasures. Ernest Hemingway, best known as the prolific voice of World War I’s lost generation, lived near Havana for over two decades, where over 3,000 of his documents stayed following his death. In an effort to preserve them, the Bush Administration in 2002 allowed all of them to be scanned, allowing them to go on display in an American library. “Politics is not important,” Gladys Rodriguez, the project’s co-ordinator told the BBC. “We are working to preserve a legacy which belongs to both peoples. So we can work together.”

Jack Heal, Maths graduate from Warwick University and Stand-up comedian of the year, Edinburgh Festival 2008 lets rip!

Money makes the world go round Is product placement the future of advertising? Jack Heal has a bad taste in his mouth.

-----------------------------------------------------------“Pour out the candies, get ready, get set; This counting book is the tastiest yet” So begins the M&M’s counting book. I love maths and I love rhyming couplets but this isn’t the sort of opening that makes me happy at all. If M&M’s aren’t your thing then there’s the more advanced option of the Skittles Math Riddles Book but this looks similarly revolting. What’s Next? Toblerone Book Of Topology?

Product placement has been around since by Golden Days of Hollywood, when Cowboys smoked that brand to calm their nerves. But with advertising revenue drying up and ITV losing money

10 // STUDENT TIMES

like leaky old pipes, we might be soon faced with a brave new television Britain.

So, is the solution product placement? After all, it’s disrespectful to presume that UK audiences can’t distinguish brands and storylines, and product placement will allow more money to make the programmes in the first place. Besides, they’ve been doing it successfully in The States for years. I don’t think I’m alone in not caring what the budget of say, American Idol, is: All I know is that seeing each of the judges relaxing at their tables in front of a well-placed and obviously-labelled Coca-Cola

Converse Allstars Vintage 2004 – ‘A thing of beauty’. Will Smith cup is enough to make my stomach churn with unusual violence.

This is, mind you, with my knowing full well the difference here between brand and ‘storyline’.

If product placement is granted now, then it won’t come quietly. Instead, it will announce

itself like a drunken first year leaving the pub during freshers. Just look at the movies. Was anyone ever unlucky enough to see You’ve Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, AOL and Starbucks? Or Will Smith in I, Robot where his character receives a pair of ‘Converse Allstars Vintage 2004’ (namechecked in the film by Smith) which he describes as a ‘Thing of beauty’. This is how bad it can get! In the TV world, how long will it be before the Rover’s Return becomes a JD Wetherspoons?

Accepting or declining product placement is a choice that we will have to make. But as I write that, I can’t help but think of Mike Myers in Wayne’s World, with a can of Pepsi held up to the camera and a glint of playful irony is his eyes saying: “Yes, and it’s the choice of a new generation.”

STUDENT TIMES COLUMN

GRAD JOB SHOP

Chris Eccles, Managing Director of www.e4s.co.uk Employment4Students

Stand out from the Crowd Chris Eccles Talks Graduate Jobs -----------------------------------------------------------There have been numerous gloomy headlines recently about the job prospects of students graduating in the coming years. But what does this mean for you? Abandon your studies and start busking on the street? Use your student loan to pay for singing lessons and pin your hopes on X-factor glory? There is another option…

While some companies are cutting back their graduate intake, there are still plenty of graduate entry jobs around. They will be more competitive though, so you need to stand out from the crowd by showing employers that you have skills they want.

A degree is one thing (essential for any graduate job!), and a good

degree will help you stand more than others. However, the really eye catching candidates will be those who can demonstrate practical skills gained through work and life experiences, in addition to their academic achievements.

If an employer has a choice between one candidate with a 2.1 degree, and another candidate with a 2.1 degree and 6 months work experience in a similar sector, or life experiences that demonstrate initiative and adaptability, most employers will hire the second candidate.

So how do you get these experiences while battling with your studies? There are still plenty of companies recruiting part time, temp and seasonal staff, so working during term time, over the holidays, or on a Gap Year are still

51044 Student Times Business Advert:Layout 1

9/3/09

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Page 1

viable options. The key to maximising the value of this experience is to work in jobs where you will learn new skills relevant to your future career.

Wesser are currently looking for university students, Gappers, and graduates for charity fundraising roles throughout the UK. It is well paid work, but they also offer training to develop core skills such as sales, team work and

customer facing experience, which will impress most graduate employers. So while graduate jobs will be competitive in the coming years, you can stand out from the crowd by developing your core skills.

Employment4Students is a leading student website providing job opportunities, career advice and student deals. Visit www.E4S.co.uk

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Find out more at www.derby.ac.uk/studenttimes

Come and see us at an open day on Saturday 4 April. Book your place at www.derby.ac.uk/opendays

www.derby.ac.uk/studenttimes The Derbyshire Business School

ST SPORTS Cool Runnings Will Golder, a first-year BA Sport and Fitness Management student at the University of Chichester, has recently returned from Switzerland and Italy, having been selected to represent Great Britain in two international Europa Cup bobsleigh events held at St Moritz and Cesana.

He hopes to graduate from Chichester in 2011 and the University has been very flexible towards his studies as the bobsleigh competing season is from November to February so he was granted a late return for the Spring Term in order to accept the invitation to represent Great Britain in the Europa Cup. Originally from Luton but having moved to Jersey in 1997, Will has only been competing in the bobsleigh for three years and is a member of the NatWest Jersey Bobsleigh Team. He is the driver of the two-man bobsleigh team and his role is to steer the bobsleigh down the one mile course at over 80mph.

At the age of just 20, Will is very unusual in having achieved international selection in a sport where competitors normally only start bobsleighing in their early 20s, and where, because of the experience needed, a driver rarely reaches a peak

Report: BUCS Championships Emma Bird reports back from the recent BUCS championships in Sheffield

Insert: Will in action. Above: Will knee deep in snow.

until his mid to late 30s.

Will is aiming for selection for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver to gain experience of competing at Olympic level, with the ambition of being a medal hope in the 2014 Games in Russia.

Doncaster student makes it to the top of modelling The Dance student will compete at competition in London in late March ---------------------------------------A student from the University Centre Doncaster has made it into the finalists of a national modelling competition, only a year after she had a lifethreatening operation.

Carlotta De Rosa beat off 6,000 other competitors to make the top 30 of the Miss Top Model UK. Currently studying a Dance Practice and Digital Performance Degree at Doncaster, the 21-year-old had to have a mass removed from her stomach last year.

12 // STUDENT TIMES

DID YOU KNOW...

Children laugh about 400 times a day, while adults laugh on average only 15 times a day.

“I was given a 40 per cent chance of survival so I am extremely thankful to be

here today and taking these opportunities,” the student said.

“Now I’m back healthy and receiving a lot of support from my family and friends and my studies are going great.”

De Rosa will compete on March 27 for a one-year contract with the agency Impact Model Management.

She said: “I’m really nervous about the final but whatever happens I will continue with my education. I used to model as a child but then my mother stopped me doing it for me to get an education and I’m thankful that she did. You need qualifications to get jobs and that’s what I intend to get.”

---------------------------------------------5,500 student athletes descended on Sheffield in mid-March with the arrival of the BUCS Championships. It was the culmination of a long year of training for many young sports men and women taking part in 24 different events.

The English Institute of Sport (EIS) was the venue for several of the events, including athletics, badminton, boxing and basketball.

The final day of the Championships was full of talented athletes; many of whom are hopefuls for the 2012 Olympics in London.

The 400m men’s final was a race that saw John Kelley from Sheffield Hallam take the gold medal, with a time of 48.37. Patrick Swan of Loughborough took silver with 48.44 and Rhys Smith bagged the bronze with 48.79.

The women’s 400m final was another exciting event with Tara Bird of Brunel setting a new CBP with her time of 54.24. UWIC’s Nadine Okyere finished second in 55.36, with a time of 57.25 giving Marie Thomas of Dundee the bronze. The Brunel women also took the gold in the 60m and 200m. Joey Duck ran the 60m in 7.43, beating Annabelle Lewis of Hull by a tenth of a second. Lucy Sergant won the 200m with a time of 24.63.

St. Mary’s dominated the 800m men’s final. Rick Ward triumphed after a hard battle on the home straight, just beating Dean Goodman of UWIC with a time of 1.51.04. Michael Cole then grabbed the bronze medal after his run of 1.53.19.

UWIC’s Francis Baker won the men’s long jump final with a winning jump of 7.28m. David Cook of Exeter (7.20m) along with Nonso Okolo from Brunel (7.11m) also won podium positions.

Amy Hill from Sheffield Hallam was the women’s shot put champion with a throwing distance of 14.12m. Leeds Met Carnegie had Alice Simpson finish second with 13.08m, followed by Serita Shone from Bath throwing 12.52m to win bronze.

Brunel also finished in the top three for both the men and women’s 4x200m relay finals.

They won the women’s event, in a time of 1.37.82, setting a new CBP. Silver went to Bath and bronze to Sheffield Hallam.

Brunel’s men came third, just losing silver to Loughborough, whilst Bath took the championship title with 1.27.65.

Both students and spectators alike enjoyed the event, with the finals day highly anticipated throughout the qualifying heats.

With 13 events within the athletics alone, the EIS was a great place to be to see all the emerging young talent at British Universities. Keep your eyes open as many names are sure to appear, leading up to the 2012 games.

In Badminton news, the men’s squad from Leeds Met went on to secure the Championship, beating Bath 7-1 in the final.

In the women’s competition, Leeds Met grabbed a place in the final after securing a 5-3 win over Bath in the semi’s. They then went on to meet London Met who had beaten Loughborough in the previous day’s tournament.

London Met couldn’t quite hold on in the final though, with Leeds Met winning 5-3.

www.studenttimes.org/futureskills/

FUTURE SKILLS

Courses & Careers Guide

Why study business intelligence?

Previously only a skill associated with insurance, business intelligence (BI) is fast finding many uses beyond the risk assessment sector. From its use in marketing to predicting the next economic downturn, BI is used everywhere. Student Times tells you more.

B

------------------------------------------------------------usiness intelligence is fast becoming an important strategic tool for business management.

Business intelligence software offerings can help companies gain insight into their

business, make better decisions and ultimately improve performance As a skill, it is putting the raw information to use every company has gathered on their customers such as age, occupation, family status and shopping habits.

Companies with store cards, for example, will collect the data to help them decide how best to attract the attention of both Jane, the stay at home mum with two kids, and Jack, the carnivorous 19 year old student who only shops when there are BOGOFs for chicken.

But, when it comes to employees with business intelligence skills, many small to medium-sized companies are often at a 3593 ad final:Layout 1 13/3/09 15:51 disadvantage. Compared to larger compa-

nies, they can lack the resources to train and the appropriate systems and software to process their data and turn it into meaningful business insight. And this can limit their ability to optimize performance and compete effectively.

The goal of BI is not only to help with marketing, but also help predict future market trends and economic developments. Aided by a well-designed system, a trader can be made aware of, say, an upsurge in flag sales only a few hours after the 9/11 attacks, allowing them to place flag orders days ahead of their competitors and cornering the market.

But don’t take our word for it, instead Page 1 read more in our case study.

Case Study - Carole Hook British Airways How did you come to understand the need for analytics in your career?

After I completed my undergraduate degree I did quite a lot of research into the types of careers that would make use of my mathematics skills.

Operational Research appealed, as it required the application of mathematical techniques to solve real business problems. The fact that it has applications across many industries seemed to offer a range of career opportunities. I did the Masters course to develop my knowledge of operational research techniques, but at the time I started the course I had not decided which industry I wanted to go into.

Do you have any advice for people looking to get into your particular sector? What should they study and what skills should they get before they leave university or college?

I think a degree with significant mathematical or operational research content is most useful for someone wishing to get into operational research.

Softer skills are also important, particularly in a consultancy, so my advice would be to also develop skills such as team working, communication, presenting, challenging & influencing etc. whilst at university. I think getting some work experience is also an advantage.

What is your current Title and Role?

I currently work as an Operational Research

Consultant for British Airways. The Operational Research department is an internal consultancy within British Airways and provides analytical support and consultancy to managers across the business. We work on a range of projects across many areas including revenue management, operations, scheduling, airport planning, engineering and commercial.

Can you tell us a little bit about your academic background?

I graduated from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology with an honours degree in Mathematics and German. After a period of traveling in South America and some teaching in Austria, I returned to university and gained a Masters in Operational Research from Southampton University.

Did you have any analytics skills/training before you got your current job?

I took mathematics and statistics modules during my undergraduate degree. As part of my Masters course, where I developed my analytical skills, I completed an MSc project where I had the opportunity to practically apply some of the techniques I had learnt on the course. The project was the biggest learning experience for me on the course, as it required not only knowledge of operational research techniques, but also an understanding of the business area.

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STUDENT TIMES // 13

FEATURE SPOTLIGHT: Charity Walk

ST: What kind of training are you putting in to guarantee you are fit enough?

I&R: We have been trying to strike a balance between long-distance training and more intensive exercise routines. Concentrating on distance, we have walked to St. Andrew’s (after sleeping for two hours under a picnic table, over 50 miles from Edinburgh) and have hiked around Loch Lomond and other areas surrounding Edinburgh.

Another (quite bizarre) exercise we have taken to is walking up and down the stairs of various university buildings with back-packs full of food, textbooks, pots, pans and anything else we can find that can weigh us down whilst doing push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups in between flights of stairs.

ST: Do you think you’ll need a vacation from each other after spending over three weeks together without a break?

“It’s become the norm to jet across the world for holidays when the best adventures are always the ones right in front of your doorstep.” dren. When you think about how fortunate we are to have grown up in such stable, peaceful times, it really hits you.

It is a cause that everyone can feel strongly about as it is simply unnaceptable that children are involved in conflict that they can neither control nor comprehend.

ST: Do you think it will be liberating to be without modern communications tech for the whole time?

I&R: It’ll be amazing to get away from all the noise and clutter involved with

HIKING FROM HADRIAN’S WALL TO HOLBORN Walking from lectures to the local is usually as far as students will venture, so what drove two second years to hike all the way from Edinburgh to London?

F

riendships are forged over mutual interests.

Sometimes music, sometimes sport. So when Edinburgh University student Ian Parks decided to walk to the airport to catch a plane home to the US, he was joined on the four hour walk by Robin Lewis.

Needless to say, a friendship was born.

So when the two decided to raise money for charity, they set aside three weeks for a gruelling 450 mile hike from Edinburgh to London. They explain to Jonathan Williams what drove them to do so.

14 // STUDENT TIMES

Student Times: What made you decide to walk from Edinburgh to London?

Ian and Robin: We both loved the idea of leaving home and just walking – no planes, no buses and none of the complications that come with modern day travel. It’s become the norm to jet across the world for holidays when the best adventures are always the ones right in front of your doorstep.

ST: How did your families react?

I&R: At first they just shrugged us off but when they realised how serious we were about the walk and how important the cause is, they became incredibly supportive.

I&R: We’ve spent a lot of time together training and fundraising for the project, and so far we haven’t had any problems. Walking on two hours sleep and little food to St. Andrew’s, we were grumpy, knackered and generally rather gloomy but we kept team morale high with renditions of “Country Road” by John Denver and keeping each other’s minds off the pain.

In terms of a holiday, there’ll be no let-up as we have exams less than two weeks after we finish!

ST: Why did you choose War Child?

I&R: After coming up with the idea of walking to London, we looked into many different charities and were immediately drawn to War Child. The charity provides numerous statistics that are mindblowing – for instance, 66% of casualties in conflict are chil-

being a student. Having some time to think to ourselves, turning our phones off and neglecting Facebook will be refreshing, to say the least.

It’s a very liberating thing to only have the most basic problems (food, water and shelter) to worry about and to be able to forget about everything else.

ST: Have friends agreed to rally you as you approach London?

I&R: Hopefully, our friends will give us a small reception when we arrive at Big Ben, as a lot of our friends from up here live down south.

To donate money towards Ian and Robin’s goal, go to www.justgiving.com/ lewisparkscharityexpedition and for more information on War Child, go to WarChild.org.uk.

FEATURE INSIGHT: Journalism

HEARING THE VOICE OF IRAQ

L

ife as a student can be hard. Cramped into tiny, rundown accommodation, sharing a bathroom with complete strangers, you are bound to be in for some surprises. For Chris Green, such a situation would have been paradise.

“Our first night was spent gathered around a table in a safe house,” he recalls.

In this case, Green was in Kurdistan, Iraq in late 2008, not on campus, and about to lend a hand with training at local news agency Aswat al-Iraq (Voice of Iraq), along with several other photography and journalism students. As part of an exchange set up by Green’s company Crossfire Media, the students had travelled to the former conflict zone to help improve the fledging agency’s English and Photography skills.

Crossfire Media was set up early in 2008 as a student project and Green was soon planning his cooperation with the Voice of Iraq. On that first night in the safe house, he met one of the local reporters from the city of Mosul, northwest of their base in Erbil. “Ali had reported for the New York Times during the severe fighting between US soldiers and insurgents and had been the target

War reporting in books:

© Crossfire Media

Most people would not dream of visiting Iraq. A former warzone, insurgents everywhere, it is seen as dangerous, but especially for foreigners. Yet Chris Green decided, along with several fellow Journalism students, to visit the country and help train the staff of a fledging news agency. Student Times finds out why.

of assassination attempts and constant death threats for writing the truth. His stories and the equally disturbing stories of other young journalists that night cemented our motivation to help the agency as much as we could.”

While Kurdistan may be a former conflict zone, it is in fact relatively safe compared to other areas in the country. In fact, Green is quick to point out that Kurdistan is even considered safe for tourism. “As students we might be inexperienced in life, but two of us had worked in the country before,” Chris explained, so advice was easy to come by.

Once settled in, the team went about helping Aswat al-Iraq as best they could.

“What we, as students, found was a family spirit at the agency. A sense of a desire to learn and self develop and a lust for support from the wider media world. The agency is self-developing as best it can and refuses assistance from politically motivated organisations or funds.”

Green’s time there remained very productive. “We had doubts about how we could achieve small but positive change whilst so many larger organisations are trying with massive budgets to do similar but on a much larger commercial scale.”

But the journalist remained positive throughout the entire trip. “The most important lesson learnt is that if you truly want to make a change and really want to help then more often than not all those around you both in Iraq and back in the UK will be willing to help you achieve your goals.”

To this end, Green is now looking for the next batch of volunteers for the 2009-2010 year. “The type of person required is passionate, compassionate, sensitive, loaded with common sense and prepared to work/live in sometimes rough conditions. Above all else, they must be prepared to stand back from the perceived views of Iraq and realise, quickly, that all you read in a newspaper is not the whole picture.”

Those concerned about their security should not worry, as anyone taking part in the trip will be put through the same training as any war correspondent with help of the Journalism Hostile Environment course run by the University of Falmouth at Penhale Military Camp.

Chris is eager to return to Kurdistan, saying he “had no doubts” about his hosts the first time around. Barring any problems, Chris Green and his team of brave students will continue to support Aswat al-Iraq for years to come.

War Reporting For Cowards – Chris Ayres: Ayres account of his time in Iraq during the invasion in 2003 is nothing if not honest.

During his time watching the US Marines advance he is terrified, concerned he will “scream like a girl” – in short, it is a very human account from someone not prepared for the reality of war.

Into Danger – Kate Adie: As one of the UK’s leading journalists, Adie has witnessed events from the Iranian embassy siege in 1980 to the Tiananmen Square massacre, where she says she was nicked by a bullet while fighting to get the footage she wanted.

Into Danger is her most recent of the many books in which she talks about her experiences. All are worth a read, all will make you realise the inherent risks that sometimes come along with journalism.

Absurdistan – Eric Campbell: The opening pages of Absurdistan see Campbell critically injured and his cameraman killed in an explosion – it is a turning point in the new father’s life. But the book isn’t about his epiphany, rather his experiences as a correspondent in war-torn former Yugoslavia, glasnost Moscow and Afghanistan. Full of very funny stories, with a good dose of realism showing how hard war reporting can be.

STUDENT TIMES // 15

REVIEW: ALBUM

MUSIC: Delta Spirit

Prodigy: Invaders Must Die

After five years absence, Braintree bad-boys The Prodigy, who throttled techno into the mainstream, return from the wild with Invaders Must Die. The incendiary trio rose to titanic heights during the 90’s to stand above the shoulders of the Chemical Brothers et al. But the furnace of free parties and electronic revolution has long been extinguished.

Some embers still smoulder, however. Faithful acolytes Pendulum fan the receding flames of that zeitgeist, and in a way have kept it smoking. But things will never be the same again.

On their last outing, the innovating fire-starters found a dead-end with Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned. Hitting rock bottom, their family bonds were smashed to pieces. Stability looked ominous, yet they pulled through their own personal hells, scrounging like wolves to do so.

But the 46 minutes run-time of Invaders sounds more like Liam Howlett and Co. have nourished their sound on scraps of the past. Not a whiff of fresh meat here, just regurgitations of a back catalogue heaved out in dry, lumpy coughs.

The tracks here sound like anything Pendulum have done, but weaker, more anaemic. They contain the same cartoony motifs that bounce inanely against walls which here are blunt and weedy.

Howlett is a man driven by innovation and integrity, so it comes as a surprise that he nostalgically gazes into the past for inspiration.

Smack bang in the middle and the album picks up. Take me to the hospital features a happy hardcore-staccato riff with the future apocalypse churning underneath. Warrior’s Dance is a credible wiring of past and present. A helium rave starlet croons about the rush of the dance-floor, placing you in a fog of lasers and slack jawed ecstasy.

Legendary tub-thumper Dave Grohl appears with a percussive assault on Run with the Wolves, a track spoilt by Flint’s vocal buffoonery. His vocal snarls were once truly invigorating, but now are just tired old slogans.

In days past, the Prodigy were revolutionary.

Now approaching their 40’s, it appears that they have to move to pastures new. Jamie Skey Invaders Must Die is out now.

16 // STUDENT TIMES

Spiritedaway On the eve of their headline show at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds Alex Thornber had the chance to speak to Matt Vasquez, lead singer of Californian rock band Delta Spirit about the tour, his influences and the next album.

American Trilogy, which Elvis Presley sang and made popular. He never made it big though.

------------------------------------------------------------Alex Thornber: I received your album a few days ago and when I put it into my computer, Windows tagged it as Country Music. Would you say that was accurate?

Matt Vasquez: Oh I love country music.

AT: You have been compared to bands like The Walkmen and The Spinto Band.

Would you say they are an influence?

MV: I really like the new Walkmen album, I really relate to it. Y’know, it’s just about being in love and a lot of other beautiful things. I really like The Spinto Band and The Walkmen for the way they are just themselves and there not afraid of it, they just make their sound. They’re great.

AT: Would you say it was an influence?

MV: Yeah, American Country Western music is a big influence. Hank Williams obviously is the Godfather of the whole thing, he’s really great and guys like Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. We have all been listening to this guy named Mickey Newbery a lot who is really cool; he was buddies with all those guys. He wrote An

AT: On your record there are a lot of different styles and different, perhaps odd, instruments like trashcan lids.

It sounds like a band that really likes having fun and making different music.

MV: Well, there are four drummers in the band so everyone wants to play drums and when recording, and writing especially, we all have an open mind

about instrumentation.

AT: Do you ever feel like you have to restrict the experimentation?

MV: No, not really. When we write a song we sort of have an unwritten rule of having five to ten different influences before we can say ‘OK that’s our song’. Like in blues you have E A B, and everyone does that, but it’s the stuff surrounding it that makes it interesting, production and arrangement ideas.

AT: I found six copies of your latest album on Amazon.com selling for between £40 and £60.

MV: Wow! HW: Are they particularly special?

MV: Well we put it out once ourselves, if there is a tornado on the front of it then that’s the first pressing we did of the record. The cover photo is actually the first photo ever taken of a tornado,

ST EXTRA REVIEW: GAME Resident Evil 5 - PS3 & XBOX 360

“Well, there are four drummers in the band so everyone wants to play drums and when recording, and writing especially, we all have an open mind about instrumentation.”

basically that pressing was mixed different and mastered different and it had one less song on it. That one we paid for with our own money, it was $2500 to make that record.

MV: Right now it’s going pretty great.

There was kinda no promotion with it, not none at all but very little but our London show was insane. Robert Plant showed up and I got to meet him, it was awesome.

AT: There is a video of an acoustic performance of ‘Parade’ on YouTube, I was wondering what the story behind that video is?

MV: Oh the one in my grandmas yard?

That was recorded the last day I saw my grandma, we were just kinda hanging out and we thought it might be fun ‘cause we didn’t have any music videos, we thought we’d just make one. It’s a really a beautiful butterfly garden with these really weird statues of an owl and stuff, I did a lot of writing there.

AT: So where are you off to next?

MV: Well we’re off to Europe for a while and then back home to make another record! Woo!

AT: The shows of yours I have seen videos of seem to be very energetic and like you’re all having a lot of fun, how is the tour going at the moment?

AT: Are you going to have much of a break before doing the next record or going straight in?

MV: We are already like 25 songs into the new record so it’s just a case of sitting down and going through them.

This is the fun part now, we’re going to record it ourselves again I think which is pretty exciting.

Delta Spirit’s debut album Ode To Sunshine is out now. To listen to their songs, go to myspace.com/deltaspirit.

It’s one of the oldest introductory gambits in t he book, but Resident Evil 5 is a game you’ll either love or hate. There’s not much middle ground to be uncovered in this tweaked, tropical, co-operative remix of Resident Evil 4, with its fixed inventories, imposing but predictable level and boss design, and occasionally wooden controls.

I was confident that the evil-virus-on-the-loose storyline at least would be a decided negative, but Capcom has thrown some shine in with the rain.

Suffice to say that if you can stomach the fact that a hefty percentage of the cut scenes consist of melon-biceped protagonist Chris Redfield and svelte accomplice Sheva Alomar pointing their guns at the camera, please consider this top dollar entertainment. The voice-acting is pleasingly exaggerated, the facial animation top of its class and the cut scene direction tight.

You might, however, demand a little more sophistication - post Far Cry 2, post Call of Duty 4 – of an action game which draws on such themes as regional unrest and xenophobia in its opening dialogue. While the first few scenes recall Black Hawk Down, the plot soon breaks free of the smouldering, coarse-grained African townscape which dominates the trailers and dives face-first into B-movie tropes like bio-weapon research laboratories and sunken temples.

Nostalgic players will lap up the familiar, sedate but gripping combat rhythm: take a few shots at an advancing threat, pull back on the stick and hit X for a quick turn, retreat a few metres, quick turn again, reload or fiddle with your inventory, take another few shots.

The Majini, virally mutated natives who make up the bulk of the game’s enemies, are hardly light years from the previous game’s Ganados.

Run-of-the-mill infected townsfolk will attack you with spades, pitchforks, primitive crossbows, sticks of dynamite, sickles and, if necessary, their bare hands.

Some players may wince when they run into “special forces” in the final two chapters, indis-

tinguishable from Syphon Filter’s paramilitaries behind their riot shields, and slam the developer for betraying Resident Evil’s’ survival horror roots.

But it’s hard not to admire the way Resident Evil 5 sneaks into Tom Clancy’s backyard without sacrificing its integrity.

Boss battles and inhuman hordes aside, there are rail-shooting sequences, a dash of powerboat driving and some environmental challenges to round out the 8-10 hour story, Some of these, the series of Tomb Raider-ish light beam puzzles halfway through being first and foremost, are miserably derivative, but muddle through and you’ll discover some delightful set pieces towards the finale.

Perhaps most importantly, though, you’re going to have to work out how you feel about Sheva, on whose digital brains Resident Evil’s current gen credibility might be said to hinge. The girl’s not short on positives. She’s probably the highlight of the game’s many visual and audible highlights for one, with her fluttering eyelashes, faux-ethnic fashion sense and diamond-polished South African English. She’s a damn good shot, for another – sometimes embarrassingly so, picking off distant Majini with her pistol before you can fumble your rifle up to your eye. While the player has ultimate control over her inventory, Sheva will restock it with ammo and health sprays on her own - not only that, she’ll bring you ammo for your weapons unasked.

Had Resident Evil 5 been released a year or two ago, it might have met huge acclaim. Sadly, Capcom has been beaten to the punch on several fronts. In terms of paying homage to Resident Evil 4, Dead Space has whipped the carpet out from under the fifth iteration’s feet; in terms of raw scares, Siren has it bang to rights; in terms of co-operative play, Left 4 Dead, Fable II and Gears of War 2 are comfortably ahead. As it is, Chris Redfield’s return to the stage should be on your shopping list, but make sure you’ve squeezed the juice out of those Christmas purchases first.

Edwin Evans-Thirlwell, kikizo.com

STUDENT TIMES // 17

REVIEW: BOOK Hunter S Thompson: An Insider’s View of Deranged, Depraved, Drugged Out Brilliance by Jay Cowan

DVD: Super High Me Doug Benson likes pot. In time for the release of his new film “Super High Me”, in which he gets stoned for thirty consecutive days, the American comedian tells Holly Wilson about all things weed-related, his thoughts on the UK’s ban and the best food for aiding the munchies.

------------------------------------------------------------Holly Wilson: In the documentary, you mention the worst movie to watch stoned. Which is the best?

Doug Benson: Too many to mention!

HW: Which celebrity could most benefit from smoking a doobie?

DB: Name an uptight celebrity and you have your answer!

Yet another book about the weird and wonderful Hunter S Thompson is upon us, only this time it’s not just some random journalist aspiring to be like the legend himself. The author, Jay Cowan, was in fact caretaker of Hunter S Thompson’s ranch in Aspen.

I recall from reading Johnny Depp’s preface to Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S Thompson (2007) that it was a very familiar place to those who were close friends of the writer. After reading quite a few books about Thompson, my impression was that nothing could quite compete with the insights offered in Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S Thompson (2007). Before you make any assumptions – I am not saying An Insider’s View totally wins me over, yet it left me feeling it had immensely added to my picture of Thompson as a person.

Take this as a continuation of Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S Thompson. It is fitting and it fills in the gap that you are left with after reading so much about the eccentric writer’s life. This is metaphorically of course; let’s not assume the author’s aim was exactly that. As an avid fellow fan I found Cowan’s book spellbinding. The photograph on the front cover of the book, a classic shot of Thompson, just compels you to open up and have a read.

The layout and typeface are excellent, an easy to follow structure that aids with painting a picture of Jay Cowan’s experiences. The personal touches add to the success of a great read – for example Cowen talks about his personal view, rather than speculating on others – “Though there are many views of Hunter, and while he may cast a long and mutant shadow, I like to think of him as he liked to think of himself: ‘Just a nice guy and an athlete’ he used to say smiling wickedly” (p.185).

It feels inspiring to read personal passages, from someone who especially saw Hunter S Thompson for who he was – a great journalist and a human being. Emma Robins

18 // STUDENT TIMES

HW: What are the bad effects for you?

DB: I discovered while making the movie that the two major side effects from smoking weed constantly for 30 days are weight gaining and fun having.

HW: Does the movie have a serious point to make?

DB: Yes, that no one should be ashamed about smoking pot, especially those who treat medical conditions with it. If there is a person alive who thinks an AIDS patient shouldn’t be allowed to consume medical marijuana in their hospital bed...well, that person seriously needs to smoke a bowl and chill.

HW: Have you been in contact with Morgan Spurlock at all since making the movie?

DB: I haven’t spoken to him personally, and I don’t know if he’s seen it, but I hear he was amused that I got it made, because I had pitched the idea to him initially and then never heard back. Thankfully, a filmmaker friend of mine named Michael Blieden was able to get the project off the

ground and I didn’t need Spurlock’s help.

Or something like that.

HW: What do you think about marijuana being illegal over here in the UK? DB: It’s one of the few reasons I wouldn’t live there. Because I love the UK!

HW: What would you say to people who might think that the movie’s overt bias towards getting stoned undermines its promotion of marijuana as a safe drug?

DB: You see me leading a happy and productive life while getting seriously high on weed for 30 days. People can take from that whatever they want. Ok, semi-productive. (Laughs)

HW: Did you know President Obama used to smoke pot?

DB: Yes, and after just a few weeks in office, he told the Feds to stop raiding medical marijuana dispensaries in the States where the voters made it legal. That is a big step for pot, and a giant leap for potkind.

Green, Green Grass

HW: Taking a question from your own Questionnaire: Do you think marijuana is addictive? Is it dangerous?

DB: I’m not addicted to it. That’s why I decided to quit for thirty days in the movie.

A month is a long time to not do something if you’re addicted to it, and it wasn’t that difficult for me. As far as danger goes, it’s not worse than alcohol, and driving under the influence is driving under the influence, not matter what the drug. And as my friend Tony says in our play The Marijuana-logues, it’s impossible to overdose from marijuana.

What kills you is all that delicious cookie dough.

HW: What do you say to Californians who think regular users jeopardise ease of access to the drug for people with serious conditions who may need it (according to state law)?

DB: They don’t know what they’re talking about. Governor Schwarzenegger wants to bail out the Cali economy with tax money from weed, and I think it just might work!

HW: What is the best food to have when you’ve got the munchies?

DB: All of it. And then have seconds!

Super High Me is released 6 April, priced £7.99.

ST EXTRA REVIEW: THEATRE

INTERVIEW: Marcel Theroux

Spring Awakening

Being in the shadow of a famous father, an acclaimed brother and successful cousin might be tough for some, but author Marcel Theroux has carved out a niche to call his own, as Holly Wilson discovers.

------------------------------------------------------------If the name ‘Theroux’ does nothing for you then you may as well have lived under a rock in this last decade. First and foremost there is Louis Theroux, our amusingly awkward documentarymaker, best known for his time spent up close and personal with such dazzling celebs as the Hamilton’s and Chris Eubank, as well as his investigations into the strangest of sub-cultures across America (Nazis, Jesusfreaks, that sort of thing). Then there’s Justin Theroux, cousin of Louis, the gorgeous Hollywood actor-part-director-part-writer. And of course Paul Theroux, father of Louis, a legend in the literary world. Is it even possible that this family could have produced any more such talent?

Well, yes actually. Brother, cousin and son to them all respectively is Marcel Theroux. One whom you may well think has been hiding under that metaphoric rock, having always lurked in the shadow of his younger brother Louis – a position in which it seems Marcel is happy to be situated, “There has always been a rivalry between us, but most of it is good-natured.”

He has in the past alluded to the relationship he shares with his brother and father. His successful second novel The Paperchase is a distinct portrayal of sibling rivalry and father-son conflicts. Though in his more recent novels, in particular A Blow to the Heart, it is clear that Theroux wishes to step away from the inevitable baggage that comes with having a famous bloodline.

Theroux has also taken an interest in serious documentary-making. Death of a Nation (available on YouTube) is a stark depiction of modern-day Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. “Russia was an ominous presence to the east with a strange alphabet. I found that very romantic and started taking an interest in it from about the age of 13.”

In the film, Theroux shows an insightful fascination with his surroundings, he is charmingly empathetic and sensitive towards the people he meets. In one terrifying instance he is confronted with several extremely aggressive, armed and uniformed men who threaten to kidnap the camera crew. “On camera, it looks less scary I think

“The two big differences between now and when I was a student are that students now leave burdened with debt and there are more drugs around.”

The brother, the cousin, the son than it actually was, because it went on for days – in a way that made us anxious and paranoid. It started off very scary indeed and then unravelled into farce. They were basically drunken louts, who oscillated scarily between friendly and bullying.” In one hilarious moment Theroux is seen drinking with the scariest of them, taking his time, and subtly mocking the man’s drunken state with the rest of the crew.

Theroux gives the impression of a very reserved and modest character, perhaps less inclined to spark controversy than his brother. In asking whether he was a wild student, he responds: “Well, one person’s ‘wild’ is another person’s cococa and biscuits.” And as you would expect he describes himself as a pretty serious academic during his time at Cambridge, adding “The two big differences between now and when I was a student (from 1986-89) are that students now leave burdened with debt and there are more drugs around.”

His new novel Far North is the story of keeping your humanity in the harshest of conditions. “It’s quite strange and dark, but I think it’s about what it means to be human, to have humanity. It draws on experiences I had in some very strange places, like Chechnya and Chernobyl and Northern Siberia. When I got back from those places, it always occurred to me that our lives here in the UK and other rich countries are a weird aberration from the mass of human lives that are so hard and insecure.”

Travelled and experienced, Theroux has tackled a new kind of story on an epic scale: “It’s not in the style of a welleducated person but of a very smart, resourceful person.” It will be interesting to see how this is unveiled as Theroux depicts a character and a life very different from his own.

Marcel Theroux’s new book, Far North is out now, published by Faber and Faber.

Take a play written some one hundred years ago, littered with suicide, sex, abuse and painful innocence, add a cast of emotionally charged teenagers and a soundtrack of brash rock music, and Spring Awakening is born. And what a success it has proved to be, more than meriting its recent West End transfer.

Michael Mayer’s new adaptation of Frank Wedekind’s contentious 1891 shocker is an original, if not daring, leap in musical theatre terms. Set in a late-19th-century world, we follow the lives of three teens, troubled with their own adolescent struggles.

There is the rebellious Moritz (an impressively bold performance from Iwan Rheon) who battles with his Latin due to certain ‘dark phantasms’ of ‘the legs of some woman’. Charlotte Wakefield plays the young and naïve Wendla, unknowingly impregnated by cool-kid Melchior, (Aneurin Barnard) while suspended on a giant swing.

Indeed there are moments when one feels a little bemused by what the evening might have in store, but the story flows with ease and the musical numbers are so full of aching passion, tender poignancy and youthful anger that the audience cannot help but be blown away.

A clever gym-style set gives a few lucky audience members the chance to sit onstage for the show, while really adding to the intimate and involving atmosphere. Kevin Adams’ lighting perfectly illuminates the most moving moments with bulbs suspended from above, while shocking neon strip lights shine throughout the theatre for the more lively numbers, such as the fantastic Totally F***ed.

The plot may not be nail-biting stuff, but the cast is excellent, the music remarkably hummable and the overall experience like nothing else on offer in the West End at the moment. The production will undoubtedly draw in a new range of young theatre-goers, while older members of the audience are reminded just what joyous hell it is to be young. Written by Lucy Powell Spring Awakening is currently playing at the Novello Theatre, London. Students can buy seats on the day (with ID) for £25.00 (£20.00 Wednesday matinees).

STUDENT TIMES // 19

ST EXTRA

CHARITABLE CHOICES Fashion week in London has come of and gone. There’s always some kind t catwalk show on in Italy, but the nex hion big show is Edinburgh Charity Fas Show, as Rory J. Crew finds out.

If you go to Edinburgh on the 21st of March, be sure of a very big surprise. Cutting a swathe through the discarded Greg’s wrappers and Iron Bru cans, the glitterati will burgh descend for the 6th Annual Edin r’s yea This w.

Sho ion Charity Fash burgh show, a collective effort by Edin and rs students, big name designe the national charities, promises to be yet. ting most exhilara Under the direction of their efy fervescent creative director, Poll a just than e mor Bennett, it’s much ing sing from h fres y, Poll . runaway show ing Beij the at em Anth l ona Nati the Olympics, is more than passionate this, about the project: “We should do y man Too . ents stud e we’r because people sit back and say we can’t make a difference.” In a lesson for k-shy every Neighbours-watching, wor mitcom r’s yea this e, ther student out tee, headed by the captivating Joni have Mackay, a 2nd year Law student, of er Jaig s, Dak secured outfits from excan we and i Farh le Nico London, . son Jack y Bett ce oun ann y ivel clus is ion, olut This year’s theme, Rev brought to you with the help of 30 models, 15 dancers acting as “sigirls lent story tellers” and popcorn idea is The s. dressed as drummer boy olt “rev of ney jour a to take people on oatm the ting crea s”, elve against ours hes. clot of ice cho the by only ere sph d of Whatever this means, Jessie, hea a be will it sts insi women’s fashion, ”. show iting “very exc Amazingly, it was at least four ed minutes before someone mention une imm ing noth e ther credit crunch. Is al glob ome tires ngly easi incr from the the of economic meltdown? The aim we show is to revolutionise the way

20 // STUDENT TIMES

give, although it probably still involves putting your hand in your pocket and breaking into Mum and Dad’s account.

Keen to include Edinburgh as a city, ECFS has collaborated with the networking website Artists Springboard, which provides a platform for aspiring Versaces and Gaultiers. Promising to provide the wackier end of the show, some of the outfits resulting from this collaboration include mother of pearl leggings and a Georgian/ Moroccan fusion. Think buxom lady eating couscous. Worry not though, there’s not a 400lb man called Hamish or kilt in sight.

Last years Chairman Eliza Ellerby suffered an angioma, a type of blood cluster. In thanks for their support the Cavernoma Alliance is one of the beneficiary charities this year.

Fortunately Eliza made a full recovery and is still involved this year passing on her experience. Other charities being supported include Motor Neurone Disease Scotland and Maggies’s cancer centres. The fundraising target this year is £50,000 and to achieve it, organisers have looked beyond the skin-flint student population and invited celebrities and other ‘real’ people.

This year’s auction includes a day on a yacht, not in Scotland we hope, and celebrity doodle cards. Fantastically, The Kooks have renewed their support, the after show party will see two members of the Brighton based rock outfit performing a set.

This wouldn’t be a fashion show without goody bags and we’re assured they will include clothes, gym passes (apparently Scotland does have gyms ever since caber tossing was banned by the EU) and a drink weirdly called Pussy natural energy. No joke needed.

All this has been achieved not only by students willing to be interviewed at 10 in the morning, (although who was worse for wear was debateable) but also by students of all disciplines. Rumour has it there was even a bespectacled maths student milling around in the sea of humanities and social sciences majors. Due to time-conflicts no students from the Edinburgh College of Art could take part. But this hasn’t affected the zeal with which these enthusiastic amateurs have attacked such a massive project. Next time you’re complaining about having those two essays to write by next year and how it will affect your plan to watch every episode of Charmed remember what has been done here. Obviously, the non sizezero lady isn’t singing yet, but with so much talent this will be a show to remember and an even harder one to top.

The Essential Guide to Teaching Courses and Careers in the UK

T TEACH UK

How to get your first Teaching job?

The rewards of teaching Teaching – which school?

www.studenttimes.org/st_teach

TEACH UK

How to get your first Teaching job?

Wanda Marshall from educate. org.uk tells you what to expect from your first interview.

------------------------------------------------------------Before the interview If you are short listed for interview, do some further research about the school.

One place you can do this is in Schoolsnet Schools Guide. Another good idea is to visit the school (also to check the journey time) and you can get a good impression of the school by looking at the bus stops around the school at 3.30pm and see how the pupils are acting.

You should start to think of questions to ask at the interview - think about what you want from the school, as well as what you can offer.

Sample questions might include: • What kind of induction programme does the school run?

• What can the school offer in terms of

professional development?

•W ill I have my own form right from the start?

• Will I have my own classroom?

Training Opportunities in Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes The Grand Union Training Partnership is a school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) consortium centred on a group of 11 – 18 comprehensive schools situated in villages and small towns West of Northampton and in Milton Keynes.

We provide Secondary PGCE courses validated by The University of Leicester in: English, History, French, German, Science, Mathematics and Business Studies We aim to give trainees, whom we refer to as Associate Teachers, as much practical experience of working in the partnership schools as possible. Each Associate Teacher’s work and programme of study is supervised by a Mentor who will take a close interest in their development as a subject teacher and colleague. This part of the course is complemented by a general professional studies programme provided in co-operation with The University of Leicester.

Our overall aim is to produce reflective professionals, confident in applying for and starting their first jobs as secondary school teachers. Over half of our Associate Teachers take up their first teaching posts in the scheme’s partnership schools.

Promoting excellence in teaching The Grand Union Training Partnership is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Contact details The Grand Union Training Partnership, Sponne School (Lead School), Towcester. NN12 6DJ Telephone: 01327 350284 e-mail: training@gutp.org.uk

22 // STUDENT TIMES

Another good idea is to practice answering questions you might be asked. These could include the following: •W hy do you want this job?

•D escribe a successful lesson - why was it successful?

•D escribe an unsuccessful lesson - why was it unsuccessful?

•W hat could you do to motivate reluctant learners, particularly boys?

•W hat aspects of your teaching practice have you particularly enjoyed/disliked?

•W here do you see yourself in three/five/ ten year’s time?

You might also be asked to teach a lesson, or part of one. In this case the school should provide you with copying facilities or an overhead projector, but obviously you should check first to see exactly what’s available.

On the day itself leave with masses of time to spare, take an umbrella and the contact details of the school in case of emergencies. It is advisable to wear a suit, or at least some sort of jacket/skirt/trouser/tie combination (as you see fit).

The interview It has been long acknowledged that getting a teaching job is one of the most daunting and old-fashioned procedures.

Generally the day (and it is often a whole school day) will include a tour of the school by some pupils, lunch or coffee with the department you are applying to and an informal chat with the head of the department. You need to remember that you are probably being assessed the whole time and even the pupils who show you round might report back on the kind

of questions you asked and your attitude to what you were being shown.

The main, full-blown interview is generally in the afternoon, with the head, one or all of the deputies, the head of department and sometimes also a governor. On rare occasions you might have more than one governor and other senior staff present, but that is unlikely for a first teaching post.

The main feature of the day is usually the waiting around. After all the candidates (usually there will be about five of you) have had their interviews, the panel will retire for anything up to an hour and a half to reach their decision. All the candidates have to sit in the staffroom and wait during this time. Sometimes you will be sent home and telephoned later that day or the next, but the most common occurrence is that the head will come into the staff room and summon one of the candidates (the person being offered the job) back to the interview room. At this point, the unsuccessful candidates still can’t leave, as the chosen one might not accept the job. You may also get feedback at this stage.

Accepting or rejecting the job If you have been offered the job, don’t take it if you have any doubt about the school or what you will be required to take on or teach. Even if your rationale is “it’s only for a year”, if you’ve taken an immediate dislike to your head of department, it can be a very long year.

Obviously if you’re teaching in certain subject areas you may not be able to be too picky, but if you’ve applied to teach English and you are suddenly being asked to teach four periods a week of year 8 history (which you did do at A-level, but to teach it would require an enormous amount of extra work), you would have decent grounds for turning the job down.

It is at this stage that you can try to bargain for better position in terms of salary. Again, depending on your subject area schools may be prepared to throw in all sorts of “perks” if they really want to recruit you. They may offer you an extra point for retention and recruitment, or offer you a few weeks work in July and then pay you through your August holiday.

After accepting Make sure you read through the contract and to check that it’s what you agreed at the interview, as it’s far more difficult to change things after signing.

Are you interested in training to teach at a top-ranked School of Education?

Ranked as one of the top 15 Schools of Education in England and based on the £120m purpose built de Havilland campus, we provide state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities as well as some of the best university-based sporting and fitness facilities in the country.

We offer a range of full-time and part-time PGCE Secondary programmes including: • Modern Foreign Languages (French, French with Spanish, French with German and German with French) • Science • Maths • Art and Design • English • Business Education

We also offer Primary PGCE full-time and by distance learning.

The University encourages applications from under-represented groups.

For more information on courses, please visit

go.herts.ac.uk/education T: 01707 285732 E: admissions@herts.ac.uk

TEACH UK

Teaching – which school?

Once you’re at the stage of gaining hands-on experience teaching, it will be time to pick a school. Not only will the choice of school affect your daily life, it will also affect how much you enjoy your job. Choose carefully and see below for a breakdown of schools.

T

------------------------------------------------------------here is no such thing as a typical school. The kind of school you choose to work in will make a significant difference to the kind of experiences you will face as a teacher.

Mainstream schools In England and Wales, 90 per cent of children are educated in state-maintained schools, of which the majority are what you might refer to as mainstream or ‘ordinary’ schools. Their prominence means that there are more teaching positions available in such schools than in any other kind.

Mainstream schools share a lot in common – for instance, they all receive public funding and are required to teach the Na-

Can you keep your head and teach with us?

An LA with clear direction, working well together with our schools High achieving pupils who are keen to learn and want to get on Real support for your professional training and development

Are you a qualified teacher?

Come and teach in a Local Authority where Ofsted have found that ‘Levels of attainment at all Key Stages are above the national average and no schools achieve below the government floor targets’. Contact us for details of our vacancies and ‘brokerage system’ for filling these.

Are you a graduate looking to change to a career in teaching?

Contact us for details of our very successful Graduate Teacher Programme for graduates wanting to gain Qualified Teacher Status.

Contact us Website: Phone: Email: Post:

www.rbwm.gov.uk 01628 796628 ian.skelton@rbwm.gov.uk Recruitment & GTTP Manager Children’s Services, Town Hall, St Ives Road, Maidenhead SL6 1RF

24 // STUDENT TIMES

tional Curriculum but you will find that each school has its own individual characteristics and emphasis.

Most visible are the variations in size, location, age group and gender of pupils, presenting both subtly and completely different teaching challenges. Just as significant though is the school’s ethos. Different kinds of schools are run in different ways, implementing different policies and serving different educational needs.

For instance, grammar schools select all or most of their pupils according to academic ability – with the intention of catering for relatively high achievers – whereas comprehensive schools are open to children of all abilities.

Although rare now, secondary modern schools tend to emphasise practical, vocational skills over academic skills, while church and faith schools incorporate more religious and spiritual elements into the schooling of their children.

However, perhaps the biggest single influence on how a particular school is run is its headteacher. Individual personalities and visions vary from head to head, but they always set the tone for what happens both in the staffroom and in the classroom.

Other state schools In addition to ordinary mainstream schools, you may be interested in the varied challenges available at other kinds of state schools. These include: • Special schools, which cater mainly or

wholly for children with statutory statements of special educational needs.

• Specialist schools, which teach the whole curriculum but with a focus on a particular subject area.

•C ity technology colleges (CTCs), which focus on science, mathematics and technology and offer a wide range of vocational qualifications alongside A-levels and equivalent qualifications.

• City academies, which are set up as part of a wider school reorganisation or where there is an unmet demand for school places And • Pupil referral units (PRUs), which cater for children of compulsory school age who may otherwise not receive suitable education, focusing on getting them back into a mainstream school.

Independent schools The remaining 10 per cent of children attend independent schools, usually paying fees set by the individual school.

Independent schools are not required to teach the National Curriculum and only some are approved by the DfES to cater for pupils with special educational needs.

You do not require qualified teacher status (QTS) to be employed by an independent school, but QTS is well regarded and gives you the flexibility of working in either state-maintained or independent schools.

TEACH UK

Case Study - Amira Devenney (age 25) Amira graduated in English but moved into a career in banking.

After 2 years in the role she felt unvalued and frustrated by the profession and explored the opportunity of retraining to teach. Now she teaches Maths and loves the rewards and fun of the challenge of teaching.

----------------------------------------------------------“After graduating from university in 2004 in English Literature I started working for Lloyds TSB as a personal account manager with no real career direction.

After working for Lloyds TSB for 2 years I decided that although I was successful in the role I felt that I was not valued enough and did not like such a sales orientated career.

Many old school friends were training as teachers at the time and I decided to look at a career in teaching. The main reason I was attracted to teaching was to

make a difference. I have always loved working with children and wanted to be able to teach them tools that they could use for life.

I did not just want to be one of a number but become involved in a profession that was recognised as valuable to the next generation and society.

I got in touch with a PGCE (Postgraduate certificate in education) lecturer at St Mary’s University after enquiring about training as a secondary school teacher in maths. He provided me with the guidance and encouraged me to train as a mathematics teacher.

As I did not have a maths-related degree, I did a TDA-funded Mathematics Enhancement Course that lasted 6 months and was part of SWELTEC (South West London Teachers Education Consortium). I found this invaluable and

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the future is a long standing ethos at Bath Spa University Are you thinking of becoming Teaching is an important and increasingly train to teach.

If this is a shortage subject you a teacher the future popular choice of career and whatever your mayof also be eligible to?receive a ‘golden hello’ circumstances – whether you’re about to bonus of between £2,500 and £5,000 once At Bath Spa University we offer teacher training PGCE courses in a wide graduate or looking for a change of direction you’ve completed your first year of teaching. choice of subjects for both Secondary and Key Stage 2/3.

– now is the perfect time to start a new and You will receive excellent support from dynamic and highly committed truly rewarding career.

PGCE events course tutors, a tax free training bursary of up to £9,000 Teaching is a job where you can inspire Bath Spa University regularly holds PGCE plus a golden hello bonus in some subjects at the inquisitive minds by bringing your own events for those wanting to find out more about end of your first year of teaching. knowledge and creativity to your subject. It becoming a teacher and the full range of PGCE If you feel you can turncourses your talent to teaching offers job security and a structured career on offer.

The next one is an open please join us for a coffee to find out more. path, particularly important in the current morning at the Francis Hotel in Bath on 25 April.

We have a PGCE Open Morning in Bath on economic climate.

Spa also recognises the importance 25 April 2009 – see websiteBath for full details. of building a teaching profession that reflects applications Wide choice of subjects We particularly welcome society’s wide from range of ethnic and social groups under-represented in teaching, Bath Spa University has a long tradition groups and will be running a free taster course notably black and minority ethnic candidates. of Initial Teacher Training and each year a for candidates from a black and minority ethnic Tel: 01225 diverse group of trainees are recruited to 875624 background from 18-20 May. There will also teaching@bathspa.ac.uk PGCE programmes in a rangeEmail: of subjects. be a free taster course for men interested in These include art and design, www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/teaching design and becoming a primary teacher from 8-10 June. technology, English, ICT, mathematics, music, In addition there will be specific events in modern languages, PE, RE and science.

May and July for those interested in teaching one of the priority subjects such as maths, Financial incentives science, ICT, music, modern languages and You will also receive generous funding while you design and technology. For further information train, in the form of a tax-free training bursary of visit www.bathspa.ac.uk, email teaching@ up to £9,000, depending on the subject you bathspa.ac.uk or telephone 01225 875624.

“The main reason I was attracted to teaching was to make a difference.”

would recommend it to anyone.

It was great to get back into mathematics, which I hadn’t done since A-level.

The course also provided me with great tools for my PGCE years as it hinted at

pedagogy and we had to prepare for frequent presentations to the rest of the cohort.

Teaching mathematics is great fun and rewarding but can be challenging at times, as it is a difficult subject for many children. I have worked with children with special educational needs in my training and my NQT year and its been interesting to adapt your teaching style to different children’s needs. There are so many opportunities for continuing professional development with teaching which is great – you just keep on learning and developing yourself as well as pupils.

Make a difference

Teach.

Are you thinking of becoming a teacher of the future?

At Bath Spa University we offer teacher training PGCE courses in a wide choice of subjects for both Secondary and Key Stage 2/3.

You will receive excellent support from dynamic and highly committed course tutors, a tax free training bursary of up to £9,000 plus a golden hello bonus in some subjects at the end of your first year of teaching.

If you feel you can turn your talent to teaching please join us for a coffee to find out more.

We have a PGCE Open Morning in Bath on 25 April 2009 – see website for full details.

We particularly welcome applications from groups under-represented in teaching, notably black and minority ethnic candidates.

Tel:

01225 875624

teaching@bathspa.ac.uk www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/teaching Email:

STUDENT TIMES // 25

TEACH UK

The rewards of teaching Teaching has many rewards, not only the joy of seeing a pupils’ face light up when they understand a complicated subject. It also offers competitive wages, as well as the chance to access to key worker housing.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Pay and benefits

You may be surprised by how rewarding a teaching career can be. With starting salaries matching what you’d receive in many other professions, your experience and performance can see you achieve rapid progression, and enjoy the financial rewards to match.

All qualified teachers are paid according to pay scales, updated each September by the Government. You will start on the ‘main’ pay scale and each year, subject to performance, you will move up a step until you reach the maximum level or move on to a scale associated with a different position or level of experience.

Starting salary

location, as well as on your individual school. Compare pay scales.

Once you have completed your initial teacher training and achieved qualified teacher status (QTS), from September 2008 you can expect to start as a newly qualified teacher in England and Wales on £20,627 a year (or £25,000 if you work in inner London).

Teaching benefits In addition to your basic salary, you will also receive a range of benefits, including: • teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payments – additional money if you take on additional responsibilities • teachers’ pension – the second largest public sector pension scheme in the country, and • holidays – more days than many people in other professions, although don’t be fooled into thinking you’ll have long hot summers in which to enjoy putting your feet up. Teachers work for 195 days per year in school, and do work during their holidays.

Main pay scale including NQTs • London fringe: £21,619 to £31,138 • Outer London: £24,000 to £33,544 • Inner London: £25,000 to £34,768 • Rest of England and Wales: £20,627 to £30,148

Leadership and headship pay scales For the first few years of your career, you might find yourself progressing to a leadership pay scale, or even a headship pay scale. These pay scales apply include:

Housing and home ownership • headteacher pay scale.

• advanced skills teacher pay scale • excellent teacher pay scheme • leadership group pay scale, and

Where you fit into these scales will depend on your position, experience and

As key workers, teachers may be eligible to join home ownership schemes for help buying a home. Find out more on Direct.Gov.uk.

Brighter Brighter school careers. school careers.

Career Opportunities in Schools Career Opportunities in Schools Teaching and Support Staff Teaching and Support Staff

If you are looking to begin a career in a school, or look for a new challenge, standards education make oneoroflook Britain’s places If our youhigh are looking to in begin a career in aEssex school, for a brightest new challenge, to high start.standards in education make Essex one of Britain’s brightest places our toWith start.over 570 schools in the County, we can offer superb opportunities for everyone teaching fromopportunities catering staff With over 570from schools in theassistant County, to weHeadteacher, can offer superb toeveryone school Bursar. for from teaching assistant to Headteacher, from catering staff

toVisit school Bursar. essexschoolsjobs.co.uk or call 01245 436252 to find out more.

Visit essexschoolsjobs.co.uk or call 01245 436252 to find out more.

26 // STUDENT TIMES

www.essexschoolsjobs.co.uk

ACTUARIES

The Essential Courses and Careers Guide to Engineering

Who should apply to be an actuary?

All about what it means being an actuary and which personalities are best suited for the career.

T

------------------------------------------------------------he future is always uncertain, but as an actuary, you will help make financial sense of it. Maths will be a big part of the job so ideally you should be studying for a degree with significant mathematical content – statistics, maths, engineering, science and economics are all ideal subjects.

Actuaries often need to explain complex technical information to non-technical audiences, so words are just as important as numbers here. Because your own future will be wide open, you will also be the kind of person who’s ready for anything.

We all encounter risk in some shape

or form every day. But for businesses like oil refineries, these risks are bigger than most. For example, when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the energy industry faced damage totalling tens of millions of dollars. By assessing and recommending risk management strategies, actuaries help to make sure organisations are ready for anything – something you’ll need to be too. Because anything can happen.

Most people will know something about the professions of accountants, doctors and lawyers. Tell someone you’re an actuary and more than likely they will look at you blankly – never having heard of an actuary.

If, however, they are aware of the work that actuaries do, they are likely to be impressed; being an actuary carries quite a reputation. This is partly due to the difficult exams, but mostly due to the fact

that actuaries are experts in a field that is renowned for its complexity and mathematical prowess.

What working as an actuary can offer you?

Variety Actuaries work across diverse industries, from insurance, pensions and benefits, investment and asset management through to banking, healthcare and capital projects.

Intellectual satisfaction Actuaries are problem solvers. They use their training to analyse and interpret data, to create models of the future, and to assess risks and estimate outcomes.

A good work/life balance With variety comes flexibility. You could

have the opportunity to work part-time, abroad, or from home, allowing you to adapt your work pattern to suit your lifestyle.

A competitive salary Responsibility brings rewards. Salary and benefits packages are excellent – even for those starting out in their career. In fact, this is one of the highest paid professions wherever you go in the world. That’s what you need.

Forecast your future MSc in Actuarial Science MSc in Actuarial Management

As one of the world’s leading academic centres in the actuarial and insurance fields, it’s no surprise that gaining a qualification with us can lead to exemption from many of your professional exams.

• Both courses are accredited by the Actuarial Profession • MSc in Actuarial Science offers exemptions in Subjects CT1 to CT8 • MSc in Actuarial Management offers exemptions in Subjects CA1 and ST1 to ST6 (and students may also complete outstanding CT subjects) • In addition, elective modules give students exposure to topics in wider fields, such as insurance, finance, investment and IT • Both courses are available on either a full-time basis (over one year) or a part-time basis (over two years) • Part-time students are required to attend lectures for one day per week over 20 weeks per year, which fits in well with the study leave package offered by most actuarial employers.

Forecast your future by attending one of our regular information sessions.

Contact us on +44 (0)20 7040 8468 or visit www.cass.city.ac.uk/masters to book your place.

www.cass.city.ac.uk/masters

COMPUTING & IT UK How is IT done?

IT is a relatively young discipline and has not really developed a single recognised career route in the way that, for example, medicine and law have. There are several entry points and opportunities to progress your career, either by fulltime study, or, if in employment, by part-time education and training.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The graduate route

You do not have to have studied IT or computer science for your first degree.

Development of business awareness is at least as important as acquisition of technical skills, and employers will employ non-IT graduates if they show strong potential and aptitude. Furthermore there are full-time, part-time and distance learning postgraduate courses in IT open to you, including Open University degrees. If you have chosen the subjects that you feel happy about, you are most likely to be successful. It will nevertheless be an advantage to provide evidence of some numeracy, for example economics, mathematics, statistics or certain management modules.

Employers are increasingly interested in a well-rounded graduate, with understanding of the environment in which a computer system will operate. If you are interested in a job in the client-facing end of IT, a theoretical IT degree is a poorer preparation than one with finance, management, or another engineering subject.

With one of these degrees, you will have an understanding of the problems your clients are facing, their attitudes and the language they are using and you will be well placed to act as translator between the client and your in-house team. No longer can the elite IT specialist who shuns the rest of an organisation be a prime job candidate.

Most degrees have a substantial IT content these days and you can consider taking some optional computing modules.

IT is becoming pan-European, so a second language is nowadays a positive discriminator with large employers;

28 // STUDENT TIMES

your options in a single honours degree could include another language and European studies. The main function of your employer is likely to be other than an IT-producer but IT skills will be valuable in any area.

Your primary aim should be to get the best degree you can. Surveys have shown, however, that employers are as concerned with work experience and extra-curricular activities as with degree content, so make sure you have a good spread of interests to offer.

The training route This is a popular way to enter IT. A specific training course in a skill which is currently in demand is a quick way to satisfy the ever growing need for trained staff and to enter the industry. The expansion in the internet has generated

“Employers are increasingly interested in a wellrounded graduate, with understanding of the environment in which a computer system will operate.” the need for staff who can specify, design and implement web pages for a wide variety of businesses and organisations, whilst enterprise resource planning (ERP) skills are in demand not only in manufacturing but also in the financial and human resources sectors.

Organisations such as Microsoft (for Windows), Novell (for networking) and Oracle (for databases) offer certification courses. The Information Systems Examination Board (ISEB) – a BCS subsidiary – offers qualifications in systems analysis and design and project management, among others. You can attend classes, but cheaper options are computer-based training or distance learning.

Employers will be reluctant to recruit

you unless you can prove that you are competent; it is not sufficient to have attended a course and passed at the end of it.

Other routes Large organisations sometimes offer opportunities for their employees to transfer to an IT division within the company. Training, education, and experience will come with the package.

There are advantages for both employer and employee in this route, so it pays to watch for these chances. A gap year before starting Higher Education may be well spent on a Year in Industry placement, which can give you a clearer picture of working in the industry and an idea of which particular direction will suit

you best.

The European computer driving license (ECDL) is a BCS users’ qualification but offers a starting point, and evidence that you are prepared to train. It can be built upon with further study. It has the advantage that it is recognised across the EU and elsewhere in the world if you decide to travel.

Conclusion The routes into a career in IT are various.

Despite gloomy predictions in the media of loss of jobs due to offshoring, there is still a shortage of people in the UK both with skills in developing IT and soft skills such as business awareness, communication, and teamwork. The opportunities are there.

ADVERTORIAL: Kingston University

A step in the right direction The problem with making decisions is that, sometimes, you have second thoughts. Bad enough when you realise that those orange trainers really aren’t as nice as they looked in the shop; hopefully you can take them back to exchange for something else and, if not, you can hide them in the back of the cupboard. But what about when you’re making the really big decisions, like which course to take at Uni? Get that wrong and it can really mess up your life.

Luckily that’s something they recognise at Kingston University. Applying for one of their Computing degrees is about one of the most flexible things you can do, with options to move up or down levels and across courses right up to the end of your first year.

“Most of our computing and information systems courses benefit from having a shared first year”, says Dr Peter Soan, Admissions Tutor for the Faculty. “This

means that you can find out what you enjoy and change direction to focus on the areas you really want to for the rest of your degree.”

Many students apply for the ‘classic’ Computer Science degree, but then opt to concentrate on areas such as multimedia, network communications or digital imaging.

“With so many courses and universities to choose from, we know it can sometimes be difficult to find what’s right for you. So if you’re thinking about university, come and talk to us first to see how we can help.”

“We find that students really appreciate the flexibility of our first year, because it gives them the confidence to make informed choices about the final direction they want to take”, he added.

That flexibility also applies to levels of study. The faculty offers a ‘tiered entry’, allowing you to come in at foundation, non-honours, honours and even integrated masters (MComp) level and there is flexibility to move up or down as your course progresses. “Sometimes students are late developers and find they thrive in the university atmosphere. We want them to reach their true potential so will always help them to find their own level. And if a student doesn’t quite reach their projected grades at A Level, we’ll try to give them a way in and the opportunity to catch up.”

The approach at Kingston is very student focused. Whilst they won’t compromise on

Whatever direction you want to take, we can help you find your way There’s no better way to find a hugely rewarding career in computing than through one of the excellent courses available at Kingston.

Every course we offer is aimed at helping you find the direction you want to take, to make the most of your skills and abilities and, ultimately, get you ready for the world of work as a graduate.

You’ll find we’re very flexible, too. We’ll help you find the study level that’s right for you and, with many courses having a shared first year, you can explore different areas before choosing to specialise.

So whichever direction you choose to take, we’ve got the facilities, flexibility, experience and expertise to get you where you want to go.

Find out how we can help you find your way.

Get in touch today by emailing cism@kingston.ac.uk or call 020 8417 2234.

Undergraduate courses in computing at Kingston University cism@kingston.ac.uk

020 8417 2234

www.kingston.ac.uk/cism/st

academic standards (which would affect their excellent reputation with employers and the quality of your final degree), they do seem to be concerned that each student is helped to find the best path for them as an individual.

“With so many courses and universities to choose from, we know it can sometimes be difficult to find what’s right for you. So if you’re thinking about university, come and talk to us first to see how we can help.”

For more information contact Dr Soan at cismtutor@kingston.ac.uk or go to www.kingston.ac.uk/cism/st

ST EXTRA COVER2COVER: Horne & Corden

Everyone knows James Corden now as the best friend in Gavin & Stacey and the other half of the comedic duo completed by Mat Horne. Corden tells Student Times about success, vampires and naming his new sketch show.

----------------------------------------------------------They are Essex most famous wideboys thanks to playing best buds Gavin and Smithy on the BBC hit show Gavin & Stacey. But success didn’t simply come overnight, as Mat Horne and James Corden will be able to tell you.

Corden has been a working actor for years, starting off on Hollyoaks, a time which he remembers as “hell on earth” and would “rather die” than revisit.

Horne had a bit more luck and was one of the main background characters on The Catherine Tate Show, playing both Nan’s embarrassed Grandson and Lauren’s best friend.

Corden admits that he counts himself lucky for finally having some success. “‘A lot of the time we still have to pinch ourselves because we’ve been so lucky,” he reasons. One of the perks of his new fame was recently getting to host the Brit Awards with pint-sized pop star Kylie Minogue, a job that had other perks besides meeting one of Australia’s most famous exports.

“Imagine if someone said to you, ‘Here’s two tickets to watch Kings of Leon, Coldplay, U2 and the Pet Shop Boys in Earls Court but it will just be you in the audience.’ How can you not enjoy that? There’s no bit of us walking round and thinking that this is how life is,” the Smithy actor recalls.

And it gets better. Corden most enjoyed not Kylie or Coldplay, but Take That. ““I absolutely love them! It was the greatest moment of my life when we did the Brits and getting to meet Howard and Jason and them saying how much they love the show – I couldn’t breathe,” the 30 year old remembers. The confessions get even worse. “I learnt the first 35 minutes of the Live in Berlin DVD. In my heart I always thought one day, they’d need me.” It takes a real man to be brave enough to admit that.

Of course, it doesn’t stop with the

30 // STUDENT TIMES

Boy Racers

Brits and Gavin & Stacey (a third series of which is on the way). The guys also have a sketch show and a Vampire movie on the horizon, aptly titled Lesbian Vampire Killers. Not really much you need to know, besides the obvious. “We kill lesbian vampires,” Corden says, adding, “It’s 88 minutes of good fun, simple as that.”

And what about Horne & Corden, their upcoming BBC Three sketch show?

Full of larger-than-life characters, swearing, parodies, a Ricky Gervais joke (Heresy, surely?) and maybe the odd ‘Allo, ‘Allo reference, it’s set to be a departure from the half hour sitcom that made the pair famous.

“We were originally going to call it Horne And Corden Have Come. Just because we wanted to tour it one day live and we thought the tour could be called ‘Horne And Corden Have Come Everywhere’. But then we realised, we’d have to say that to our mums and friends, so we decided to avoid it,” the actor explains.

But how did the now legendary chemistry come about in the first place? Surely the guys are old friends, dating back to pre-kindergarden times? No? “‘We didn’t know each other before Gavin & Stacey,” Coden explains. “Ruth [Joes, co-creator and Nessa actress] sat in on the auditions for the show and she phoned me really excited to say that we’d found our Gavin.” Things spiraled out of control from there.

“So I got Mat’s number off a mutual friend and sent him a text telling him I was so pleased he could do it. He then rang back straight away and we chatted for about an hour. We only talked about the show for six minutes or so, after that we just chatted about football and comedy and discovered we liked the same things,” the actor explains.

Aware, however, that thanks to the movie and the sketch show they have been everwhere on magazines and advertising, they do make one promise. “We promise we’ll go away once the film’s out!” Lets hope they don’t stay away for too long.

Horne & Corden airs Tuesday’s on BBC Three and Lesbian Vampire Killers is in cinemas now.

Publications for everyone To see the full range of publications and websites visit www.sugarmedia.co.uk

ALSO Ever wanted to get your CV in front of top recruiters? Visit careerresponse.com Need help in Choosing the right course? Visit educationresponse.com

Day one Start as you mean to go on Ernst & Young graduate opportunities From the very first day you’ll be working to help our clients achieve their potential. We’re here to help you achieve yours.

What’s next for your future? www.ey.com/uk/careers

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