Latitude Lookout February 2014 by Greenwich Students' Union

february 2014

2014

what to live for how to make your student house a home what is rape culture motion? the best of greenwich's drinking holes

society profiles music reviews interviews spring fashion & plenty more

index

Editorial It’s that time of the year again, the time of year when everyone is trying to stick to their New Resolutions. Some of you are dieting, joined the gym or started an exciting new hobby. Or if you’re like me, you’ve shamefully given up on the resolutions you promised to make at the start of 2014. To all suckers replacing a Big Mac for a salad, I applaud you. The Latitude team have been excited to publish our next issue after the success of the Christmas edition. You lovely people of Greenwich can look forward to another issue packed with stimulating content. In this edition we tell you about the top 5 things you should know about UoG, how to make your student house a home, and a debate about Lily Allen’s controversial ‘Hard Out Here’ video. This is also the Elections issue, so flip the magazine and find out all you need to about all candidates running. Have a wonderful term, and if you haven’t already, get involved in student activities. It’s not too late for you to join societies and make these next few months of uni worth your while. You never know what benefits come from writing for Lookout, broadcasting your own show with Latitude Radio, planning occasions with the Event society, etc. Until next time!

Chenae

(Editor in Chief )

THANK YOU!

4 words from the president 5 'la belle vie' 6 L ong Distance Relationships 7 society profiles 8 Real New Year Resoulutions 9 follow your dreams 10 tinkering talent 10 spring fashion 11 pancake day 12 what to live for in 2014

We’d like to thank the following students and staff for their contribution to this edition of Latitude Lookout:

13 the happy movie

Assistant Editor: Alexandra Sims Layout Designer: Mahesh Subramaniam Creative/Entertainment Editor: Sophie Hall Music Editor: Lucy Cave PR: Jade Burnett Writers: Holly Ambrose, Kavell Dennis, Lauren Cadogan, Stephanie Gonzalez, Amanda HinkinPage, Tonje Lyseng, Sara O’Brien, Mohammeed Omar, Nilsu Öztürk, Rüya Yönak, Professor Patrick Ainley, Beyrl Kandemir, Olivia Sandwell, Lucy Weller, Sam Obigbesan, Louise Mahony, Scarlett Dempsey, Natalie King-Barnard, Cameron Holt, Claudia Winter, Lewis J. Parrin.

14 How to make your house a home 14 Greenwich pub reviews

Join the team! Are you a budding journalist, photographer, or designer?

Gain experience and show off your skills here. Anyone interested can email: rc116@greenwich.ac.uk

15 make time for your daily boost 17 What is the rape culture motion? 18 uog - 5 thing to know 18 we are augustines 21 mad moon Riot 22 Writers Showcase 24 What the faq!

Words From The President University to consider the thousands of students who make use of the multi-faith facilities on campus, but suffer from small pokey rooms, a lack of suitable washing facilities, and nowhere to store bags and shoes. As a team of officers we also spent a lot of the first term working on student safety, we’ve made progress at and had discussions about all three campuses but the focus came down to Avery Hill primarily. We’ve worked with campus management to improve lighting, have trees and bushes cut back on footpaths, and install more CCTV. We’ve also run awareness campaigns around anti-homophobia, and will run more around racism, sexism, ageism, and so on to make sure that campus and Union premises feel safe to students of all backgrounds.

The last time we met I promised another article jam packed with sandwich based puns but perhaps more importantly back towards the end of last term I laid out the basics for how your Students ‘ Union works and particularly what the elected officers get up to. This time I’m going to talk about some of the amazing progress that has been made over the academic year so far. Some of our most outwardly facing activity comes via our sports clubs and societies. So far this year memberships are soaring, with more than 1,000 students involved in over 65 societies and nearly 400 students playing sport week to week. The impact on each and every one of these students’ university experience is immeasurable, not to mention their skills development leading to greater employability—it’s not too late for you to get involved! Another important aspect of what the Union does for you is improving your university

experience without you necessarily knowing about it. We’re not the greatest at shouting from the rooftops about our progress on campaigns so I absolutely relish (get it!?) the opportunity to tell you about them right here. Have you seen our inter-campus bus campaign? It’s certainly our biggest at the moment with simple aims; we want the Medway bus service to be considerably cheaper, to run more frequently, for the Avery Hill bus to run later than 6.15pm, and for all the buses to be more accessible to disabled students. What about 24 hour libraries? Well what you’ve had so far this year is down to a great partnership between the elected officers and the University, we’re working to make sure it’s the perfect service for you and that it becomes the norm for future years. In Medway we’re pushing for the Drill Hall library to open past 3am, we’ll keep you updated on this one. For students of faith we’ve got a petition running on our website to encourage the

But that’s not all, we’ve also been pushing hard for academic improvements too. We’ve been working with senior management at the University ensure that as many pieces of coursework and exam scripts are marked anonymously, and that feedback is given in a clear, structured, and timely fashion. Oh and by the way there’s now a network of more than 750 elected and trained student reps across the University, they do an incredible job of feeding your voice up through the structures of the institution (for reference there were less than 100 last year!). So that’s me for another issue, I wish I could tell you more about the amazing things we’re doing for you. Remember to keep up with our adventures on Facebook and Twitter (@ sugreenwich), and you can follow me on Twitter at @PresGreenwich. Alex Brooks President Watch the Inter Campus Bus Campaign video on YouTube now! http://bit.ly/1mraRkb

'La Belle Vie': From A Student In France

After Application: What's Next? When the boring Erasmus application process has finished, it is a signal that the best part of your experience is going to start so you should start planning your travel! Before you go you should try to book you flights in advance because normally they get more expensive. In addition, it is really important to get the European Health Insurance Card as in my own experience you will need it for any emergency. It’s highly recommended to start looking for accommodation as soon as your application gets accepted because in my experience it was a bit difficult to find a flat to rent especially if you are a foreign student in that country.

What people normally do is start looking for accommodation online and try to get in contact with people to share apartments. My university in Nice didn’t offer halls of residence so a friend and I decided to live together, so it’s a good idea to call your university as they will give you information about accommodation. In the end we found a really nice flat and for a good price. Once people arrive in the country, the first thing we always did was to stay in a hostel as not everyone had accommodation on arrival, I know it can sound scary but in my

opinion the beginning is the best part of the experience because you start meeting new people and discovering new places. I recommend not to being shy and trying to make friends as much as you can because it is an amazing experience to share for the rest of your life!

Girl Meets Dress wants a UoG Ambassador By Nilsu Ozturk

GMD is a designer dress rental destination that offers a great opportunity for entrepreneurial undergraduates to gain work experience and have fun in the process. They can be found by searching for ‘Student Ambassadors’ at university campuses nation wide- UoG included! The GMD Student Ambassador program is designed for undergraduates with an interest in business, fashion and becoming an ambassador. Their task is to generate buzz and excitement about the GMD brand - whether it’s through handing out flyers, starting social media campaigns, or hosting a mini catwalk in their house.

The experience as a whole will enable the ambassador to learn different aspects of business such as marketing, social media, event planning and PR. Moreover, GMD encourages ambassadors to think outside of the box and get creative with the freedom to come up with possible events/ campaigns to promote the brand. Overall, it is an amazing opportunity in terms of CV-building and gaining work experience not to mention the potential for earning free dresses and other fashion perks. There can be more than one ambassador at a university, so any UoG students interested please fill in an application found at: http://www.girlmeetsdress.com/uni-ambassador.html

Long Distance Relationships

Make Them Work!

The term ‘long distance relationship’ is often met with negativity, and it seems to be the common view that they don’t and simply can’t work. I, however, disagree. While the distance does make a relationship A LOT harder than an ordinary one, it does not make it impossible. It’s up to the people in the relationship to make it work, and if they do then it can work just as well as any other relationship, if not, better! I’ve come up with 5 steps to help you make a long distance relationship work. By: Olivia Sandwell

1.Make sure it’s what you want. Is it just the idea of having a relationship that you like, or is it really the person? Of course you have to think about this in all relationships, but in long distance it’s more important, due to the fact you are so far away from each other, and if you don’t really like them, there’s a higher chance of cheating, or arguments, leading to the other person to getting hurt.

3.Do it cheap. One of the main problems with long distance relationships is the cost of trains or petrol to go and see each other, but there is always an alternative method! Have you ever considered a coach? You can get a coach to the other side of the country for as little as £5. It does take a lot longer, but take your uni work, iPod and some snacks and it goes quicker than you think.

2.Always make the effort. It can’t just be one-sided. Make sure that you make equal effort with each other – take it in turns on who goes and visits the other. Effort is always important in a relationship, but in long distance ones it is vital. If you don’t make the effort to see each other as much as possible, the relationship will fail. Have a phone call every day if you can, and Skype too! Make sure that the amount of effort you make with each other never decreases.

4.Make the most of it. Don’t make it a routine. You only have a limited amount of time together so make it count! Don’t just sit around watching the television, and eating pizza. Sure, do that sometimes, but not every time you see each other, or you’ll get bored, not just of doing nothing, but of each other. Go out - to the cinema, for a meal, to a museum, to the beach, shopping - anything, just as long as it’s something different! Value the time you have together.

5.Don’t give up! No matter what sort of relationships you’re in, there will always be arguments, no matter what. There will be feelings of jealousy, anger, annoyance, everything. With a long distance relationship, it is often a lot harder to solve these problems as you’re not with each other – you have to do it over the phone. Sometimes it may seem too hard and you just feel like giving up. But don’t do it. If you truly want to be together, you can make it work, no matter how hard it seems. Good Luck!

Society Profiles

English Society Who runs the society? Four second year students, Heather Scott as chairwoman, Paige Wilson as Secretary, Jade Burnett as Social secretary and Amanda Renwick as Treasurer. Who is eligible to join? Anyone! Absolutely anyone from first year to graduates who have an interest in books and exploring literature! Even if English is not your main subject of study you are welcome to join. The English Society will provide you with connections to English students with different levels of experience. We also aim to give some coursework related advice. If you love to read, write or study English then join us!

Latitude Radio

How much is it to join? It costs as little as £5 to join the English Society.

What events are you running this year? First of all, we hope to start up a book club! The English Society Book Club will let you enjoy reading away from academic studies. We also are hoping to introduce an icebreaker Harry Potter month in February where every week a different Potter related event would be taking place! Along with this, we will be providing monthly coursework help sessions, guest speaker talks, and meet ups in the local student bar to discuss the future of the society and any suggestions you may have! How can you benefit? Not only does it looks fantastic on your CV, but it’s also a great chance to be able to meet and socialise with other engaging individuals in a fun and relaxed environment. The English Society wants you to broaden and enhance your experience at university and learn new and exciting skills in a fun environment, as well as making lasting memories of your university life.

How can students get involved? Facebook page – www.facebook.com/ UoGEnglishSociety, and the Twitter page – www.twitter.com/UogEnglish for more information, and of course we’re on the SUUG website! - www.suug.co.uk/societies/ english

Who runs the society? Jon Rodney-Jones Ben Collins Jones aka Captain Pugwash, Jamie Kennett & Michael Heron Who is eligible to join? Anyone from students and staff How much is it to join? The membership fee is £10. How can you benefit? Students gain excellent media skills and also something that differentiates them from other students. What events are you going to run this year? As well as broadcasting daily in term time, We will be entering the I Love Student Radio Awards at the annual Student Radio Conference in Newcastle.

Find Out More: We Broadcast 24/7 on www.suug.co.uk, or download the UniGreenwich app for phones and tablets. Also Like us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/latituderadio Follow us on Twitter - www.twitter.com/LatitudeRadio

New Year, Same Me? By Sara O’Brien

New Years Resolutions, something we all feel a bit hesitant towards once the New Years Eve celebrations end and the inevitable New Years Day hangover begins. Personally, I believe most resolutions to be rather cliché and unrealistic. Many people seem to be under the impression that during the elapsed time between the countdown to midnight and the first moments of the New Year, the world undergoes some sort of transformation where anything is possible. Under said impression, conclusions are made that even the wildest changes can be made, simply because it is a new year. I’ve come to realise that the phrase “new year, new me” is not only cliché, but has become a go to way of attempting to cover up past mistakes and misfortunes, of both lifestyle and behaviour.

Let’s be frank, the year didn’t end in 2012 and 2013 pretty much followed suit, so unless Tupac really does come back, I’m going to have to say, 2014 won’t be too different in the grand scheme of things. With all sincerity and without discrediting any overly optimistic New Years Eve partygoers, it is time to realise that not everyone is going to follow through with the drastic changes they’ve set out to make with the quickly approaching midnight hour. Setting goals and aiming to make adjustments to one’s lifestyle is certainly encouraged, but keeping them is essential. The common feelings of reluctance towards change is often instilled in us from immense over thinking on the subject. It is best to not overdramatise change as if it only comes in large portions.

Small changes add up over time and without even realising it, they progress into the beginnings of a new part of you. The key thing to remember is moderation in change and starting small. Make reminders to keep focused and don’t discredit yourself if improvements aren’t seen straight away. The more personal your resolution is, the better the results will feel. Remembering that allowing time to build the real changes you want to make with yourself, will make them last throughout the year and not be forgotten and discarded come March. All kidding aside, let us forget the evasive promises we may have made with ourselves for the New Year and truly start fresh with some new resolutions reflecting a realistic version of an improved you.

Please forward any problems, questions, stories, or late night wonderings or discoveries you’d wish to share to our Latitude Lookout’s “Ask Sara” advice column. To submit questions anonymously, simply go to the website http://ask.fm/UoGMagazine.

New Year's Resolutions That Are Worth Something By Lauren Cadogan

For the first few months of a new year, people can be heard muttering in hallways and whispering in corners about resolutions. Some will try to quit smoking, some will try to lose weight, and some will try to stop sleeping with people who won’t call them back. Others might attempt to find a job, complete their essays long before deadlines and some might think aboutactually attending their lectures.

experience, something that you will remember doing.

2) Learn that you don’t have to make excuses for the things that make you happy. 1) Many of us vow You don’t have to to read more books seek validation from a variety of from others. genres. Although Ultimately, there this method has its will always be uses, you might be strapped for time. people who don’t agree with some In this case, you should aim to read a part of your lifestyle, but the chances book that has a lasting effect on you. are that the people who have a While the above resolutions It doesn’t have to be what everyone problem with those things probably obviously come with lasting benefits else is reading. Perhaps it provides a aren’t members of the ‘IMPORTANT (better health / better grades), they’re small commentary on life, or makes PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE’ circle. the same resolutions everyone else you snort with laughter on a train. is making, and they don’t necessarily Either way, find a book that moves 3) “Social Network Anxiety” is a thing. improve a person’s character or you in some way. Read it, enjoy it. As great as Facebook, Twitter and outlook. Making a resolution should Instagram are, a lot of people use be about a new and achievable them as platforms to show off. Leave

social networks alone, have your photograph taken in several new / interesting places, and DON’T upload them. Print them off and stick them in a scrapbook. 4) Stop hanging around people you dislike. There are 6 billion people on this planet. Make new friends. 5) Learn how to live in the moment. When you’re having a good time, modern instinct is to tell everyone you’re connected to that you’re having a good time. Don’t reach for you phone to ‘share’ it - let the desire to tell everyone pass, and stay in the moment. Feeling the moment is better than missing it because you Whatsapped a picture of your smile to your ‘jelly’ mates.

Follow your dreams

and attend university if possible By Professor Patrick Ainley Education and Health

With students everywhere complaining they are paying too much for too little, why do they keep applying? I decided to find out, using my privileged position to set an assignment asking students to read an article in November’s New Statesman, ‘The defrauding of young Britain’ by Danny Dorling. These final-year undergraduates were then to write a letter or email to a younger friend or relative advising them whether to apply for uni or not. The results were very revealing. Of course, as final-year students, they are signed up – though the youngsters they were writing to will have to pay three times as much. Nevertheless, “Don’t worry about the fees too much.” “If you are earning less than £25,000, you will only have to pay £360 a year. That’s what you spend a year on cocktails!” ”And if you earn less than £21k, you don’t have to pay it back at all!” Of course, “most graduates aim to become young professionals”, earning more than this. However, national surveys show many lowering their expectations, leading to an attitude of “why put much in if you’re getting so little out?” Studying then becomes something you just have to get through – “like school”. So people emphasize the social aspects

of uni instead. But then ‘“you will be faced with trying to juggle an academic life alongside a social lifestyle and sometimes when the two aren’t balanced the outcome isn’t too positive.” Others advised living at home as London rents are “extortionate”. Other sensible advice included getting a parttime job and even “putting something aside for your pension.” “Why not apply for uni up North? It’s much cheaper.” Or even go abroad: “I had a friend from France who only paid 5€ a year university fees!” No-one advised the young people they were writing to not to go; just told them to be careful in their choice. “Just imagine if you chose not to go to university, then what would you do? Work full-time or even two part-time jobs, both for minimum wage, where you will just scrape-by and become trapped in a dead-end, demeaning job? Even then, there’s no guarantee to get work so you might have to sign-on, getting a measly £56.80-a-week, forced to work any job no matter how dirty, embarrassing or dangerous, in fear of losing the benefits.” The lack of any other alternative seems the main reason to go.

Tinkering Talent By Alexandra Sims

*May not apply to residents of the UK

My intention was to compile a list of alternate holidays and ways to celebrate them, but when Google served me ‘chocolate covered peanuts day’ and ‘what if cats and dogs had opposable thumbs day?’ I decided that I don't need any more 'holidays'. After all, I'm the kid who turned up in uniform when you could wear your own clothes, so why am I looking to add more to my calendar? Instead, let's put this space to use and let it lead us to learning something that sparks mild interest from peers, or makes the day a little easier because we're still just about at that time of year where we're trying to better ourselves.

manipulation. Learning to yo-yo and juggle have been proven to improve creativity, hand/eye coordination, confidence, and problem-solving abilities. If you take that idea a step further, introducing object manipulation into even the most basic and casual aspects of your life can lead to greater confidence, a positive mental attitude, and improved problem solving skills in everyday life.’

A site based on the idea that everyday life can be made better with constant casual object

Source for tips to help improve all aspects of your life.

Reddit.com/r/LearnUselessTalents

A catalogue of tricks, demonstrated simply with videos and pictures.

Lifehack.org

365cooltricks.com

Spring Fashion By Lucy Weller

Spring is on its way and will bring with it, hopefully, some warm weather. This means that new styles are out and ready to be purchased! One item in particular can be found in many shops at the moment: the oversized wool coat. These come in many different colours such as black and beige so they can be worn with any type of outfit, and other colours more suited to spring such as pastel pinks and blues. These are a good choice for the transition from winter to spring as they go well with a nice scarf but because of their low neckline can be worn open loose in the warmer weather. The price may seem

Necklace: Judy’s Affordable Vintage Market, Old Spitalfields Market

a bit much for a student but can be justified because a coat can be a good investment for many winters. It’s also a good idea to look out for student deals in shops as many of them have offers all year round with percentages off increasing at certain times of the year. This can be easily done simple by asking in stores or by using the website myunidays. com which is free to sign up to and always provides information on the latest offers for students. It can also be easy to be stylish without shopping in the

Coat: Topshop

stores that may be slightly above a student price range. Taking a trip to Brick Lane or just down to Greenwich Market can be a great way to find vintage pieces that will ensure that you have unique items and are in no danger of turning up to a lecture or going on a night out to find that someone is wearing the same outfit as you. There are bargains to be found in these places, with everything from necklaces to jumpers and it is always nice to have something that cannot be found in the high street stores.

Bracelet: Judy’s affordable Vintage Market, Old Spitalfields Market

Pancake Day On March 14th is Pancake Day and what better time than to invite round some friends for a pre-Lent meal and drinks. After looking and trying out various recipes for pancakes I compiled this quick and easy recipe for fluffy American pancakes. A great alternative to crepes, these cost about the same to make and are more filling, able to accommodate even the smallest shopping budget or a few pounds. By Kavell Dennis

Ingredients: Makes 10 pancakes

270g plain flour 2 table spoons baking powder ½ tea spoon salt 3tbsp caster sugar 260ml milk 2 large eggs 2tbsp melted butter or oil

Instructions: 1. Sift and mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Seperately mix together egg milk and butter/oil. 2. Fold egg mixture into dry mixture with a fork until it is thick and smooth. 3. Preheat a non-stick pan, then add a thin layer of oil to the pan and once hot, pour a reasonable amount of batter into the middle of the pan. Let cook, until pancake can be lifted easily with a spatula. Flip over and leave to cook until batter in the middle is not raw. This can be checked by stabbing the middle of the pancake with a fork.

Possible Serving tips: To make pancakes more fluffy use self-raising flour instead of plain flour, but also use baking powder. You could also add chocolate chips or blueberries to the mixture just before cooking in the pan. When making these pancakes I can up with three ideas instead of the classic maple syrup or lemon and sugar. Blueberries and Ice Cream Chocolate Chips and Chopped Strawberries Chopped Peaches and Crushed Meringue

Pancakes Out on the Town: If you don’t want to make your own pancakes, why not go out for a great meal at My Old Dutch pancake house in Holborn and High Street Kensington. They have decent prices, ranging from £5.95 to £10.75, and generous portions to match. On a Monday pancakes are a fiver and every other day student discounts are available. The menu ranges from savoury to sweet pancakes that will definitely cater to any appetite.

2014: what to live for By Lucy Cave, Mahesh Subramaniam, Sam Obigbesan and Sophie Hall

Top Musician of 2013

Shows To Watch 2014

The 1975

Mad Men

iTunes named them one of the bands to break in 2013. The Manchester based band have topped the UK Albums Chart with their debut self-titled album and supported The Rolling Stones at Hyde Park last summer. They also ended the year topping Zane Lowe’s hottest records of 2013 with their debut single ‘Chocolate’.

Ones To Watch 2014

On paper this show turned me off, it's all about upper class men lavishing away and cheating on their wives. While that is a big part of Mad Men, the show goes much deeper than that, it depicts a generation where patriarchy defined an entire society. Mad Men shows the lives of employers of an advertising firm, giving insights to a time where racism and sexism was prevalent. The final season will premiere this year.

Sam Smith After contributing killer vocals to Disclosure’s ‘Latch’ and winning 2014 BRITs Critics’ Choice Award, he is set to release his first solo effort In The Lonely Hour this May. Listen to: ‘Make It To Me’.

Dan Croll The guy whose song ‘From Nowhere’ is the soundtrack to a Toshiba advert and supports Imagine Dragons on tour. Croll is releasing his debut album Sweet Disarray in March. Listen to: ‘From Nowhere’.

Game of Thrones

Not a fantasy person? That's fine. Game of Thrones is a political drama, just set in a fantasy world. Sure there's a few dragons and dire wolves but most of it’s drama is realistic and inspired by historic events. It's described as the most shocking show in television. Season four premieres in April.

Signed at 16 to a major label, and short listed for the 2014 BRITs Critics’ Choice Award and the BBC Sound of 2014. Chole is supporting Ellie Goulding this year on tour and her debut self-titled album is due out this year. Listen to: ‘Rumour’.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Imagine a dystopian world where a group of normal people gain super powers, but instead of using them for the greater good, they use them for personal gain. The government can’t do anything about them and has declared them as natural disasters. Now imagine a group of people as normal as can be fighting those super-villains called ‘epics’. Now put them in a book. That is Steelheart. If you are into comics or superhero movies, this book is going to most certainly twist everything around. With a cast of distinctly compelling characters and a convincing world, I was drawn in, turning page after page just to see what they were going to do next.

Anticipated books 2014 Untitled sequel to The Cuckoo’s Calling by J.K Rowling (or Robert Galbraith) The first foray into the crime genre was a commercial success and Rowling is having another go at writing a series, which follow the private detective Cormoran Strike as he solves crimes in London.

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd Orange is the New Black

Chloe Howl

Favourite Read of 2013

Inspired by real events, it shows the story of Piper Kierman, a woman who admits herself into prison for a crime she committed when she was younger. She quickly adapts to life in prison and has to deal with stalking inmates, queen bees and religious zealots who are convinced she’s the antichrist. It’s funny and deep, perfectly balancing light and dark. Orange is the New Black will begin its second season this spring.

With the film 12 Years a Slave shining a light on the brutality of slavery, Kidd offers her own take on it. The novel focuses on the relationship between two women, one the daughter of a plantation owner and the other a slave, both of whom are fighting for the cause to end slavery in nineteenth century America.

The Winds of Winter by George R. R. Martin… maybe

The release date has not been set, but I choose to believe there is a slight possibility we could get the penultimate installment to the A Song of Ice and Fire series this year, despite the fact that the author is notorious for taking his time writing the books. I guess we’ll have to wait to discover what actually happens when ‘winter comes’.

The Happy Movie A Documentary By Beryl Kandemir

Have you ever thought what is happiness? We all have problems; family problems, financial problems, love life problems… but why let them make you unhappy when you can find happiness in the littlest things? Happy is a 2011 documentary directed by Academy Award nominated director Roko Belic, which explores happiness through interviews with people from 14 different countries. It also gives us some clues of what positive psychology is. Happy takes us on a journey of searching what really makes people happy. Including real life stories. When you look at the people who were being interviewed, you can tell that there is something tragic about them. Their happiness is so powerful that it surprises you. Melissa Moody was run over by a truck and her face has completely changed after the accident, but she still manages to be happy and continues to live her life happily ever after with her family. This is only one out of many stories, others include Hiroko Uchino, who discusses her husband’s tragic death and the effects of focusing on work too much; tribe members from Kalahari Desert, Namibia; a Cajun fisherman, a family living in a co-housing community in Denmark,

a rickshaw driver in Kolkata, and Michael Pritchard, a motivational speaker, who uses humour to educate students on empathy, compassion, and happiness. There are also interviews with top psychologists around the world such as, Ed Diener, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois; Richard Davidson, a professor at the University of Wisconsin’s Lab of Affective Neuroscience; and Sonja Lyumbomirsky, a professor at the University of California, Riverside and, author of ‘The How of Happiness’. They all agreed that there are some key points to happiness: strong relationships with friends, family, and community make people happier; generosity increases happiness; people who are healthy also tend to be happier and live longer, and breaking out of routine makes individuals happier. We may not be able to change our genes but why not change how we treat ourselves? There are some little tricks that we can apply to ourselves. Positive psychology is all about how to make yourself and others happier.

So, why not go with the flow? Flow, in a nutshell, is reaching the state of effortless concentration and enjoyment. It is all about focused motivation, and, what can make you even more focused are the feelings of personal control over the situation and the outcome. It can occur even in process of daily-life-activities such as, singing, dancing, reading a good book, social interaction, or whatever makes you happy. It is the feeling you get when you are involved in what makes you happy. So why not get involved? Flow has benefits for everyone. For example, it can lead to improve performance, further learning and skill development. Okay, so how will you find the flow? Simply, it is in every little thing that needs your skills to be fully involved in an overcoming challenge that is manageable. You can also find an answer to this question which may help you in the future to find your “main” source of happiness and success: “Do you ever get involved in something deeply that nothing else matters and you lose track of time?” Make sure you have a goal! If you would like to watch Happy, you can rent it for 72 hours on http://www. thehappymovie.com/ and it is only $2.99, which is around £2.20!

Make Your Student House A Home By Jade Burnett

Although it may seem an unnecessary cost, flowers and potted plants are a great way to brighten up and oxygenate the house. We often find reduced or inexpensive flowers around Greenwich, and you can make cost free and quirky flower vases out of empty glass bottles. A calendar is a great way for you to keep in sync and update your housemates on key dates they should remember. Take time to fill out birthdays, work schedules, nights out, coursework deadlines and exams timetables for an easy reference point when you need it. Also jot down or print off your university schedules so you know when each other will be in and out of the house. Posters are a great way to brighten up walls and cover up the bad paint jobs of a student house!

Alternatively further the light-hearted rivalry between counties and countries by hanging flags around the house. Word association magnets on the fridge are a fun way of leaving messages to your housemates and to fiddle with when you’re cooking. You can leave combinations to make your housemates and guests laugh when they check into the kitchen. Leave a chalk board or whiteboard to scribble quick messages down or reminders about rent and bills or memos about food. By simply placing a radio in a communal area, it makes the atmosphere around the house much more vibrant and homely. When cooking, studying or just relaxing, music is a great way to bring energy to the house.

Greenwich Pub Reviews By Sara O’Brien

The Vanbrugh

91 Colomb Street, Greenwich, SE10 9EZ (Near Maze Hill Station) If you’re in the mood for a quiet night out with a few friends, the Vanbrugh is the perfect choice. It consists of three rooms, including a very cosy sheltered decking kept warm by patio heaters and joined with cute décor and sets of couches. Quaint and reasonably priced, the Vanbrugh offers a wide variety of beers, ciders, and mixed drinks. Though not the cheapest, the food menu includes many delicious, unique options, all half off on Tuesdays. The pub holds a pub quiz every Monday night, only one pound entry for students. Prizes are rewarded to teams smart enough to win first, second or third places. First place receives the entry pot, while second place receives a dinner voucher and third place receives wine. A reward is also given out to the team who comes up with the best team name in relation to the topic given at the beginning of the quiz. Whether you’re up just for a few drinks or are in the mood for a nice dinner, the Vanbrugh is certainly worth considering.

Belushi’s

189 Greenwich High Road Greenwich, SE10 8JA (Next to Greenwich Station) Though everyone knows Greenwich’s Wetherspoons is known for its cheap drinks and food, Belushi’s is a nice change of scenery. Belushi’s is the perfect pub for watching sports as they frequently stream live games. Venturing even further from that, the cheap drinks and open dance floor on most weekends offers a nice atmosphere for students looking for a cheap night out. Despite its status as a chain pub, for those wishing to save some money, it is well worth a chance.

EXTRA!

Vodka Revolutions

140-144 Leadenhall Street London, EC3V 4QT (Nearest station: Bank) When venturing outside of Greenwich I highly recommend going to Vodka Revolutions. If you’re planning an evening with friends, booking a table in advance is advisable because it then allows a 50% off food offer to be put into place. What’s even better than the food, of course, is the cocktails. Though normally expensive, during happy hour, between 5 and 9pm, they offer two for one cocktails.

Make Time For Your Daily Boost! By Tonje Lyseng

We’re now in the second term of this year, and the months ahead are going to be tough with hand-ins, revision and exams. A lot of people (especially students) tend to tell themselves ‘I don’t have time for working out right now’, and ‘I need all the time I have to study’, but I am telling you know; you are so wrong! Using an hour of your day, maybe even just 15 minutes, to work out can help so much, especially in those periods where you feel like you have too much else to do. Taking some time off everyday for some exercise only sharpens your mind for more studying. It helps you stay healthy and alert on all of your allnighters, and most importantly, it boosts your confidence and makes you believe that you can actually get through this period of hard work.

We all know, however, that we do not have all day to spend at the gym, so we might as well make the most of it while we are there, and that is exactly why we have intervals! Intervals are a type of cardio that changes between high and low intensity. You can make them as short as only ten minutes, but still work up a sweat to make everyone believe you’ve been running a marathon. Even better, they are said to be the best way to burn fat! So what are we waiting for? Here are some examples of different intervals you can try out. Anyone of them can be performed running, bicycling, swimming or however you want, as long as you have a watch to tell you the time. Good luck!

The Classic aka 4x4 (30 mins)

The Pyramid (20 mins)

The Quicky (10 mins)

4 minutes high intensity 3 minutes low intensity Repeat 4 times It is important that you push yourself, but not exaggerate it. 4 minutes of high intensity is a lot, so don’t think you can do maximum. Rather start off more slowly and build on for every minute of the interval, you will soon find out what intensity or speed you can be on throughout the whole interval.

1 minute high intensity -1 minute low intensity 2 minutes high intensity -2 minutes low intensity 3 minutes high intensity -3 minutes low intensity 2 minutes high intensity -2 minutes low intensity 1 minute high intensity -1 minute low intensity Yes, the 3-minute one is awful, but afterward you’re rewarded with a minute less for each interval!

20 seconds high intensity 10 seconds low intensity Repeat 8 times 1 minute break Repeat another 8 times This one is meant to take out the rest of your energy, and the intervals are so short that intensity should be at maximum. Give it all you’ve got!

There's Something You Should Know... By Mohameed Omar What could YOU, possibly need to know from me? I’m here to deliver to you something completely different, something more of a serious nature. This ‘something’ is which I and others have to live with and not many are aware of this. February is usually known for Valentine’s Day, which is related to hearts but is certainly not the only one with that relation. February is Marfan Syndrome Awareness month, Marfan Syndrome is a genetic disorder that occurs in 1 out of 5000 of the population and causes the connective tissue to stretch. Just for your information, I have no idea what that it is. However, what I DO know it affects the eyes, bones and mainly the heart. The extent of which varies with the individual. People with Marfans tend to be really tall (though not always the case) as well as very slim and if you’re like me, you tend to be devilishly handsome (so far this feature has yet to be found in others, FACT). Now as a result of being a Marf, it has its implications on what you can physically do. You shouldn’t play sports, lift heavy items or anything really that stresses the heart or place your heart in danger. The reason being, the aortic root (part of the heart) stretches yearly and grows weaker the longer it gets. Equivalent to an elastic band, it has its limits before it snaps (known as aortic dissection). This is where awareness is needed, as anyone can have Marfans without showing any of the physical abnormalities, not being treated eventually means aortic dissection (which leads to death) and trust me on this, this is more common than you think. When treated however, life expectancy is an average of 70 years. On the account of myself, I’m 19 years old (not 21!) and just started my first year. I’m 6 ft. 6 and I’ve been so since I was 14. I wear glasses that practically magnify my eyes and I’ve had 3 surgeries so far. Now with that, you can guess that I’ve had some pretty ‘interesting’ experiences over the years, which is most certainly true. As ignorance of Marfan Syndrome exists, I’ve always had people come to give me much needed career advice like “You should play Basketball!” which is pretty twisted. Since we’re dealing with stereotypes, it’s like telling an African with a broken leg they should run a marathon, it just can’t happen! On another note, I’ve had people laugh at me, take pictures, joke about how big my bed must be and insult me all right in front of my face as if I were non-existent. This has had a psychological effect on me though I hate to admit. The fact is, I know that part of the problem is Marfans and the other half is the world around us. I know people can change their attitudes to the way they treat others who look different. Empathy and sympathy are two very different things and by writing this article, I want the former. Pity is not needed in this world, to be aware and informed is.

For or against?

LILY ALLEN

FOR

AGAINST By Sophie Hall

By Holly Ambrose Featuring crude language, suggestive dance moves and young, scantily clad women vulgarly gyrating on the bonnet of a car, Lily Allen’s latest music video for “Hard Out Here” is definitely not one for the faint-hearted. Now banned from both television and radio, the song sparked criticism for its controversial lyrics regarding the portrayal of women in the modern music industry.

It’s obvious that Lily Allen intended her video to her new single “Hard Out Here” to be satirical of how women are treated in pop culture. However in doing this, she is throwing other women under the bus, specifically women of colour and contributing to ‘white feminism’. This ‘parody’ video features Lily fully clothed whilst several of her backing dancers, who are black and barely clothed, twerk against Lily, when in most music videos today… the dancers do just that. If the video were meant to be a parody of how women are treated in music videos, why not have the black women fully dressed whilst others danced half naked around them, therefore switching the superior vs. accessories roles? Because whether it’s in Lily’s video here or any other artists, it’s degrading all the same.

Despite receiving thousands of complaints, I think Lily Allen should in fact be praised for her attempts to challenge the media industry and taking a stand for those who are fed up of seeing Miley Cyrus twerking in her underwear. It has been long over-due for a woman to finally hit back at the magazines and music videos that brainwash the minds of both young girls and boys into believing the concept of the “perfect woman.” Lily Allen takes on this duty by imitating scenes from Robin Thicke’s infamous “Blurred Lines.” The singer brings to light how women are utilised as sex objects in a pursuit for YouTube hits and record sales. The tongue-in-cheek video mocks contemporary pop culture with over-exaggerated provocative choreography and glamorising drugs and alcohol. At the start of the video we see Lily Allen lying on a plastic surgery table as her publicist asks, “Jesus, how did you let yourself get like this?” To which she sarcastically remarks, “er, I had two babies.” Further on throughout the video, lyrics such as “if you’re not a size 6 then you’re not good looking” and “you should probably lose weight because we can’t see your bones” all make reference to the pressure forced upon the 21st Century woman by both the media and society to stay thin. Admittedly I am not surprised by the backlash to this video, however I believe we should be celebrating women like Lily Allen who are willing to defy societies definition of “ideal” instead of admiring those who make up for their lack of any real talent by taking their clothes off.

Yes there is also a white and Asian backing dancer, but they are 1) barely focused on, 2) are wearing more clothing than the black women and 3) don’t have champagne poured over their tits. Miley Cyrus is also guilty of this, having black women dance around her in her “We Can’t Stop” music video to show her ‘rebellious’ side (because having women of colour dance around you supposedly earns you cool points). Also, she sings the line, “don’t need to shake my arse for you ‘cos I’ve got a brain”, near the beginning of the song and then, what do you know, has black women shake their arses around Lily, which doesn’t exactly scream equality. That line is questionable in general, as is the same with the lyrics, “you’ll find me in the studio and not in the kitchen”; why shame women who choose to earn a living or live their lives in their own way? For a video about sexism, Lily should target solely the oppressors and not the oppressed.

Girls Review By Chenae Rodrigues Like many other people I gave my opinion about Girls before ever watching an episode. I refused to watch it because a show revolving around four friends living in NYC had already been done before. My loyalty towards Sex and the City wouldn’t allow me to watch Girls. After a little more convincing I gave the show a chance- best TV decision of my life!This is a plea that if you have yet to watch Girls, do it now! Going on its 3rd season opener Girls promises to be just as wince-inducing, audacious and refreshing as the previous seasons.. It’s fantastic, in some ways almost touching. The season picks up where

season two left off. Hannah and Adam seem to have settled as a couple. They’re living together, Adam still calls b.s on Hannah, but he’s also there for her (making sure she takes her meds) just like he proved he would be in the season two finale. If there can be one reason alone to watch Girls, it’ll be because of Adam. But what’s brilliant about Girls is Hannah. She’s not model thin, probably 20 pounds overweight (her words not mine) and

accepting of it, so is Adam. There is a scene in the second episode of this season when Hannah comes back to sit in a restaurant and Adam greets her by reaching over and stumblingly strokes her stomach while Hannah reads the menu. This is classic Lena. She excels at being totally comfortable with her body. So much so that she isn’t afraid to expose it, as we’ve seen since season 1. This opens up a whole discussion about women accepting

the skin they’re in- but I won’t go there. The third season looks like the start of another excellent season. Hannah and the other characters lives are meanly authentic and relatable. It can be occasionally superficial- an emotionally gripping scene is not complete without a clever comedic punch line. But the lightness of Girls is the show’s strength. To ask questions about love, independence, friendship, etc in an indirect approach is why people love it and why it successful. Watch it and you’ll understand.

The rape culture motion By Louise Mahony There’s been some controversy over the recent rape culture motion passed by the Union Council. At the AMM (Annual Members Meeting), students queried the term ‘rape culture’. Well, what does it mean? It is an environment in which rape culture is common. In which sexual violence against women is normalised and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorisation of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety. This motion means that the SU will not tolerate the “normalisation of rape related behaviours and language”. Students can become offended and mentally or physically affected. The SU are also taking steps to prevent any media, events, or material that falls into a derogative, offensive, sexist category.

Other universities have banned this song mainly due to the language. The lyrics are similar to that of the language of rapists. Such as ‘I know you want it’ and ‘you’re a good girl’. Rape victims have come forward on the internet and expressed their concerns about this wording of the lyrics. I’ll agree that it’s a catchy tune however when you listen carefully the lyrics aren’t so charming.

Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines ‘could be banned from Sparrows and Bar Lat due to the offensive use of language in the song. The song has already been banned from over 20 Universities in the UK. I don’t know about you, but I definitely don’t want listen to a song that insists as a woman I should be ‘domesticated’ or ‘liberated’, regardless of how many VKs I’ve had. (the tropical flavour is sensational)

Personally, as a woman, encountering sexism daily and also as a feminist I believe this motion is excellent for our university community. Women, and men too, should not have to feel objectified or threatened in any way, especially in an establishment of learning. You wouldn’t want racism to be present on campus so why is sexism any different? Tweets @LouiseeeeM Feminism Society Tweets @UoGFeminists

Diversity By Sophie Hall Upon the recent Oscar nominations, I couldn’t help but note the lack of diversity in the nine films nominated for Best Picture. Two of them had women as the protagonists and one of them was led by a man of colour.

It just also seems that TV in general has made an improvement to have female inclusion in their shows, as Hannibal and Elementary have both gender-bent originally male characters into female roles.

But if you were to round up the best TV shows of 2013? We’d get a whole host of diverse characters filling our small screens. One of these shows is Orphan Black, about a woman named Sarah who discovers that there are various clones of her. The show passes the Bechdel test in every episode and has great multi-layered characters that are women and from the LGBT+ community. The same can be said about the Netflix show Orange Is The New Black, about a woman who is sent to a prison for a year. It even has a transgendered actress playing a transgendered character, where the same can’t be said for the upcoming film Dallas Buyers

Even male-lead shows have greatly written supporting female characters, for example Skyler White from Breaking Bad and Claire Underwood and Zoe Barnes from House of Cards. The same couldn’t be said for the recent blockbuster Star Trek Into Darkness. Club, where a transgendered character is played by actor/musician Jared Leto. TV has also seen an improvement of the treatment of race. Scandal features an excellent female lead that is a woman of colour, and the comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine has leading characters that are Latino and whose race is not treated as the butt of the joke.

That being said, last winter saw the rare successes of not one but three female led films; Gravity, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Frozen. We can now only hope that Hollywood will realise that diversity does in fact have a place in entertainment.

UoG- 5 Things to Know Heather Scott

You come to uni, you go to your lectures, you do some studying and then you go home. Yeah it kind of looks like your walking round the set of a Harry Potter movie and that’s about as interesting as. The University of Greenwich gets right? WRONG. There’s a lot more to your Uni then you think… 1. THE GREENWICH CAMPUS has gone through a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean from the residence of a Duke to a Royal Palace to a seamen’s hospital to naval training base to a university... a lot. The place has had a lot of transformations. So just remember, next time your dreading your two hour long lecture dragging your feet across the old looking castle floor... you’re walking in the same steps as as a duke, or a dying seaman, whichever way you want to look at it. 2. CONSIDER YOURSELF A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY! Well… not exactly. Greenwich became a Royal Borough on 3 February 2012, the year Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. It’s the first borough to be awarded Royal status in more than 80 years! So technically, we are all royal students. Take that Oxford! 3. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE CAMPUS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH! So go and explore! Avery Hill campus is the social hub of the university, so take the free inter-campus bus sometime and go have a look around. Sometimes around the campus you can see bright green parrots flying around from where they escaped from Mansion Site years ago… I’m not kidding, look it up! There’s a really great bar there too, Sparrows… anyone heard of it? 4. WE HAVE SEVENTY STUDENT GROUPS. If you’re one of the lucky ones and can run around for more than ten minutes without suffering from a slight heart attack, then there is great range of sports clubs you can join. From American Football to Cheerleading to Snowsports, there literally is something for everyone and you can run around and cheer as much as you like without anybody calling you crazy, hooray! 5. IF YOU’RE MORE ACADEMIC, OR JUST WANT TO HAVE A REASON TO SOCIALISE A BIT MORE, THEN THERE’S ALSO A GREAT RANGE OF SOCIETIES YOU CAN JOIN TOO. It looks great on your CV to be part of an organisation, and it’s fun! Some of my personal favourite societies at the minute include the Edible Garden Society and the Jammin’ Society… it’s just a coincidence they both incorporate food okay! If you can’t find a society you’re looking for, make your own one, and you’ll be getting a lot more out of your experience at university. Have a look on SUUG.co.uk and sign up! I heard the English Society is pretty great…

Society Sponsorship? Women's Football Did It! By Scarlett Dempsey

How can you go about getting sponsorship for your club or society? It is important to remember that a company may have the resources to help your team but they will need to get something out of it as well and you can provide them with the marketing and support they might ask of you without spending a penny! Here are a few tips on how to approach companies for sponsorship:

This year saw the revival of the University Of Greenwich Women’s Football Club and with almost 20 members signed up by the end of September it was clear our brand new team would need all the support we could get to ensure we would have a great first year. With constant support from the Students’ Union and particularly Vice President Tony Whitehead we were able to establish ourselves amongst other sports teams and students on campus and this gave us the confidence to also reach out to local businesses for support. Sponsorship is more than just money to help with resources it’s a great opportunity to build a relationship with a business and mutually support each other to meet objectives. When looking for a sponsor I looked into what businesses targeted students through discounts and offers as it was clear they would have an interest in reaching out to the student market. This is how I found Chiquitos!

Chiquitos restaurants offer students 25% off meals with their very own student card that any student can access on their website. This excellent discount reflects their support and understanding of students and with a restaurant at O2 (a short bus ride away), I set out to see if they would like to form a partnership with us. After meeting with Jess, a Senior Marketing Coordinator it was clear that they could offer the support and funding we needed to get our team resources that would her promote the team amongst other students and boost moral within team members. We have used the funding to acquire personalised Women’s Football hoodies giving ourselves an identity and something we can wear alongside our kits when representing the University.

• Make sure you address it to the right person • Make it personal, generic emails can be off putting • Be professional and sell your team, club or group as much as you can • Remember your group is more influential than you might think! • Explain exactly how you can promote and support the company • Set out what you would like to gain from the sponsorship • REMEMBER…. The worst that can happen is they say no it is always worth trying! If you do get the sponsorship you were searching for remember to keep your end of the deal. Make sure what you do what you have promised, keep regular contact and update them with any developments within your club that may be appropriate.

Review

AugUstines By Rüya Yönak

Lately, I was introduced to a successful American indie band known as Augustines. I had the chance to listen to their selftitled new album Augustines before its release. Their last album Rise Ye Sunken Ships was released in 2011 and was performed on numerous live shows, including David Letterman and Jay Leno. Their simple, soothing rhythms and clever lyrics, combined with Billy McCarthy’s crisp voice, is very easy to get addicted to. The album begins with a calm intro that gets you ready for their first song “Cruel City” which is a very catchy and fun track that gets you singing along. “Nothing to Lose But Your Head” is a more up-beat song with fast drums and I must say I really like the lyrics. “Weary Eyes” is a soft song but it especially draws the attention to McCarthy’s unusual voice. “Don’t You Look Back” is another catchy song of the album with louder guitar riffs and lyrics.

Though, just when you think the band sticks with drums and guitar, “Walkabout” comes on and it shows just how capable the band is of writing a good ballad. Half way through “Walkabout”, they pick their usual pace up and rock out again.

“Kid You’re On Your Own” doesn’t surprise as they have a fixed sound that I think they could have colourised with diversified sounds. “This Ain’t Me” is one of my favorites because it sounds more natural and is different to the others. “Now You Are Free” is much slower and has a chill sound. Another ballad in the album is “The Avenue” which is the calmest song of the album. They also have an instrumental, kind of experimental track called “Highway 1 Interlude” and the album terminates with “Hold Onto Anything”, another fun song with military drum beat. All of their songs have character and unusual aspects accompanying their indie/alternative sound. “Cruel City”, “Nothing to Lose But Your Head” and “This Ain’t Me” are successful tracks that everyone should listen to, especially if they like Imagine Dragons, The Gaslight Anthem or Kings of Leon. So don’t miss the chance to listen their album which was released on the 3rd February. They are touring the UK in April and May. London is already sold out!

Interview

Mad Moon Riot By Lucy Cave

If there is one thing you have got to know about LA based Mad Moon Riot, is that they’re a wild bunch. We talk to the band about rock legends, live shows and the nitty gritty about the biz. Do you think the good old fashion rock bands are making a come back? Or did they never go away? MATT: “I think rock ‘n’ roll will always be hugely popular as you only have to look at how many of the biggest acts in music history are rock n roll bands. That being said, I think there’s a huge gap for a unique powerful rock n roll to do something big, and hopefully that’s going to be us. “ For some of us that live all the way across the pond, what is the live Mad Moon Riot experience like? MIA: “A one-night stand. Violent and sexual and sweet at times. A lot of skin, a lot of hair, leaves you completely satisfied, but yet still you always want more.” Have you started on an album yet? What can we expect from the new MMR material? MIA: “Soon soon! It takes a LOT of work and a long time to make a GREAT album, so you

don’t want us to rush it, do you?! It will be an incredibly fat, rockin album, produced by one of the top dogs in the world of producers of rock.” So what’s next for you guys? RU: “Full length debut album soon, with the legendary Bob Marlette producing (I’ll get you a dustpan and brush so you can clear up that name we just dropped!!). The guy is a total legend and a wicked bloke - the record is going to be huge!” As a student publication we have to ask the compulsory “advice for musicians” question. What would be your advice to people starting out? RU: “First up find people who will do whatever it takes to make it happen - if anyone is holding you back just get rid of them. I can’t stress that enough - if you want it you will find a way to make it happen. You may not like what you have to do initially (for

instance Ru and Matt shared a room for 6 months then lived on a sofa to get ourselves into the position we’re in now), however it will be temporary and the results will totally be worth it. You have to be a business person in charge of your own affairs. Get off your arse and do as much as possible for yourself, be it writing, management, booking, tours or getting on the phone to industry people. With the internet you can get in touch with whoever you want these days. So many people rock up to LA, pound the blow and the booze all night every night and just expect people to do s**t for them. They behave like they’re f*****g Axl Rose, even though they don’t have a gig to play!” Read the whole interview at the Latitude Lookout website www.suug.co.uk/ latitudelookout

writer's showcase Hey guys! Thanks to all who submitted their work this past winter and to those of you who didn’t, the next issue is your last chance (for this year anyway)! If you want your work, whether it’s poetry, a short story (500 words max!) or art to be featured in the magazine, send it to me at LLcreativesubmissions@gmail.com. Sophie Hall, Creative and Entertainment Editor.

ORIGIN Snowflakes still dominated the landscape, coating everything in little specks of blinding white. She had waited patiently. The creeping of the shadow was constantly in her thoughts… and now it had just struck noon – time enough for the realisation to hit. Not now. She couldn’t. Still too cold; too dangerous. Flashes of red dripping from rusted metal. She was compelled to run, to escape, but from the maw of the cavern she could not even force herself to stand. The flakes posed too much of a threat. To sprint for so many miles, with ice melting through her skin… not even her brother would be able to accomplish such a feat. A shiver. The wolf’s pelt had lost its novelty, and now she was feeling the pain. More flashes. Screams. She looked at her hands – pale as death. “I am Mina.” The comfort of a name. It felt good to believe that she still existed, even if the opposite was true. “Mina.” She scurried on hands and knees towards the cavern entrance. The snow was falling heavier. She reached out into the wild, feeling the patter on her palms. Instantly, she withdrew. It was too much. Perhaps they would understand. And then she laughed. Her fate was sealed. All the men in the city would see to that. She tried to think of a new name. A new identity, so that she may start again. Her thoughts flitted across fragmented memories; childhood stories, campfire tales, and her own creative endeavours. Then it came to her. A perfect fit. The snow growled ferociously. In her mind’s eye, she could see them racing for her. It would not be long before they stumbled across the same path, following her distinct scent… one she would not choose to bathe in again. She had to run. Battered, disfigured, it would not matter. She deserved another chance! It was only fair! Standing up, holding the pelt tight around her shoulders, she emerged from the cavern into the deadly storm. A crack of lightning struck a nearby tree, setting leaves aflame for the briefest second. She ran. No thoughts – just action. A need to escape. And as she ascended that mountain path, her chosen name kept her legs pumping and her heart racing. The name that would allow her to start again. Medusa.

By Cameron Holt

FOR FEAR OF DROWNING I’ve never felt safe in the ocean; never let its arms caress and hold me, The transient tide chops only broken lines, I’d sink into an abyss if I ever went inside. Buoyancy mocking the ever-weighted movement that gravity has yet to deceive. The sun and you Waltz on a fickle breeze, capturing my eye line inside your seas. Splashing your feet, kicking at me with your white fleet, you draw nearer to my heavy-headed heart. As this line of sand decreases to a spec of untouched gold, I have seconds till this golf of wasteland swallows me whole. It held me on my back; showing my pink to the sun, in moments I wondered if gravity was the deceitful one. Then came the winds that soaked my dry skin, They say that the best way to die is drowning.

By Natalie King-Barnerd

HOURS

GOD OF THE NIGHT

Our ghosts came at night, circling the deep valleys and fragile peaks of our bed sheets. They brought sleeplessness; our dreams chased into thin films by the winds, the thoughts, the black troughs of my memory. If you slept, the betrayal of our joint infliction ruined me. My anger like a swollen gorge caused avalanches in my put away things, washing even the most fixed of them away. Your body would sigh, turn, I wished that it would speak each word I could not find, that it would rise, arch out, pinch the colossus of my night into a figurine, keep me from myself. But if you woke I knew that you would grope into the blackness for my shoulder, squeeze, half-groan, half-whisper Get some sleep, return to yours.

By Claudia Winter

From ancient prophecies read in holy bong water can be found the meaning of what it is to be one of Satan’s slaves and I’m not talking about the biker gang no I’m talking about the agnostic stargazers peering thru lens-less telescopes I mean, look at us as we heathenspeak about things we don’t really know I sucked the chemical element out of a neon light bulb and watched as my veins lit up beautiful angelarmed I flew above the cityscape and laughed hysterical at illuminati conspiracy theorists I’m guilty as charged with splinters in my arse cheeks from sitting on the fence for far too long I now believe in the one true god Apep: god of the night.

By Lewis J. Parrin

23 23

what the faq? Frequently Asked Questions answered by your own Students’ Union Advice Service About that essay I need to hand in tomorrow. The dog ate it last night. But seriously, I left it until now because I’d been sick as a parrot for the last 2 weeks. I really struggled to write anything. Nothing I do now will be good enough to pass. What do I do now? The dog ate it? Seriously?! Forget it. But the University might give you more time to do the assignment because of your illness. The University has a procedure to deal with Extenuating Circumstances, but different departments have different systems for managing this. Get the form from the University Portal (if in doubt, look on the Student Services A-Z). Or contact your campus Student Centre, or visit the Students’ Union. The form is short (2 pages), and if you need help filling it in, we can help you fill it in. Get supporting evidence. We’d suggest a doctor’s letter rather than your dog. You’ll need to submit the form and supporting evidence to your Campus Student Centre unless advised to do otherwise by your tutor. It’s then up to the University whether to accept your claim for extenuation. If you submit the due assignment within 10 working days of the deadline, and your extenuation is accepted, your assignment will be marked without penalty. If you couldn’t submit within that time, but your extenuation is accepted, you get the chance to submit the next time round. But you can’t do both. If you submit the assignment and you’re given a pass, however low, it’s too bad. You don’t get the chance to improve it. Confusing? It certainly is! It’s not a clear process, and it’s not well understood or applied consistently across the University. In general, we’d advise students to keep their personal tutors informed about any issues that affect their studies. If your tutor knows what’s going on at the time, they’ll be better-able to support you when you do have difficulties. But if in doubt, get advice. And keep your work away from your dog.

I was a little short on money when I was buying Christmas presents, and I saw some old grannies on the TV promising me speedy cash. Only problem is, I have to pay it back from my part time wages. Every penny I have coming in goes straight out to repay it. I’ve been Wonga’d. Get an appointment to speak to one of our advisers, ASAP! We will help you prepare a budget, look at your regular income and spending, and make a realistic and affordable offer of repayment to the people you owe money to, ensuring that you’ve got enough left over to cover your basic needs. We are used to dealing with creditors, and we won’t get intimidated into offering more than you can afford. We are licensed to provide free debt advice, and we can advise you on taking action.

got any questions of your own? If you need more help than we can give ourselves, we can refer you to free specialist money advice services in your local area. We would NEVER advise students to use a Payday Lender. If you are already in debt, it will make a bad problem worse (and quickly). Speak to us, or speak to the University’s Student Finance team, to check you are getting all the financial support you are entitled to.

Got a question of your own?

Email the Students’ Union in confidence at: suugadvice@gre.ac.uk

For further information, see:

www.suug.co.uk/welfare (Avery Hill & Greenwich-based students) www.gkunions.co.uk/advice (Medway students)