The Bucks Student - Edition 37 by The Bucks Student

37 February

Mary May Yateem

Naomi Franco

Daisy May Bodewes

The candidates for President Guy Humphrey

Jack Badu

The candidates for Vice President Education and Welfare Joseph McCrudden

Matt Gilbert

The candidates for Vice President Student Involvement

The candidates for President

Mary May Yateem King, Jr. once said “the time is always right to do what is right.” After spending five years at Bucks New University, achieving an undergraduate degree in criminological psychology and now finishing the final year of my master’s degree in community psychology, I realised it is now my time to do what is right. I want to give back by helping improve the experience of current and future students at the same university and student union that I have had the privilege of being a member of by running for President of the Student Union. Past Achievements: - Helped in establishing the society VITA, which is aimed at raising awareness about domestic violence and runs a sign-posting service for students by students. - Campaigned for a study room for postgraduates, resulting in room G3.07 being given priority to post-graduates. - Campaigned for student parking. - Involved myself in volunteering outside of the university - Campaigned against the tuition fees being raised outside of

university - Student Rep of Msc Community Psychology. - Faculty Officer of Society and Health. If elected as your president I WILL: 1) Ensure students at all levels get their voices heard. 2) Continue campaigning for Student Parking until the issue is completely resolved. 3) Campaign for improvements in Work Experience/placements throughout all courses. 4) Campaign for improved facilities in Uxbridge Campus. 5) Campaign for more learning resources in both Libraries. 6) Campaign for more positions within the Student Union, such as woman’s officer, ethnic- diversity officer, and mature officer.

Naomi Franco The President needs to be the main student voice, able to communicate effectively and hold student’s best interests at heart. I know I can be that person. Being a sabbatical officer for the last year has allowed me to gain a greater understanding of how our Union and University are run. I have seen what great work the SU can do but also things that still need to be improved. Visiting universities around the country and meeting other elected officers has allowed me to expand my knowledge of student unions and new ideas which could be used at Bucks to ensure we are always ahead of the competition. I am extremely passionate about this organisation and see the potential it has to be great. I am very determined and dedicated, with the drive and enthusiasm to achieve what is best for you. Manifesto: • I will campaign for services to be open later and some extended to 24 hours including workshops and the library. – Students need time and space! • Ensuring electronic submission and three week turn around for

feedback are implemented effectively - Let’s make it easier for our students to succeed! • Continue to improve the Union’s impact at partner colleges – ALL students deserve a voice and an equal quality experience. • Keep expanding the profile of RAG making it student led – RAG helps students and the community. • Create a system for sabbaticals to be held accountable – making sure we are doing what you elected us to do! • Increase the size of our Employability Unit - ensuring that students get the best possible chance of improving their future. • Refurbish the SU facilities at both campuses’ including a new outside terrace, refurbished bar and improved catering facility at Uxbridge to allow variety on the menu. Vote Due to the candidate exceeding the word limit, this manifesto has been cut.

Daisy May Bodewes Coming to the end of three years at Bucks I realise how huge a role the Student Union has had in making every part welcoming, interesting and opportunistic. I love that our SU listens to the voices that give our university life, the students; we have the ability to change and improve Bucks. I want to be part of enhancing this for future students to make sure their needs and ideas are fulfilled. Voted as President I would focus on: • Hidden Costs to be included within tuition fees - students should know precisely how much the course costs from day one and not need to delve into their pockets throughout. • Updating our library books. • Usable work areas for practical courses during weekends. • Stricter ruling for no lectures on Wednesday afternoon; Not just for sports teams but also for making the most of free activities from Bucks‘ Big Deal. • More Uxbridge specific activities - If there are activities worth

traveling to High Wycombe for, there should be activities worth traveling to Uxbridge for. • Art Shop to become SU run again. • More efficient and reassuring communication from the SU - whether it be closure of a building or news stories affecting students from around Wycombe, your SU is where you should hear it first. • An Entrepreneur help area - The University has help with employability, but what if you want to do it yourself? • A shop to sell student creations. • Rose Garden multi use area - Incorporating the need for a theatre space, exhibition areas and outside seating. • Grass area for local training - With work on the Hughenden Halls area in the pipeline; look at the possibility of grassing an area. • Team BNU common room - Meetings, memorabilia, a Vote Due to the candidate exceeding the word limit, this manifesto has been cut.

The candidates for Vice President Education and Welfare

Guy Humphrey The Students’ Union has helped me, and others, in many ways. What’s the point of having a Students’ Union if it isn’t a friendly, approachable and exciting place to be? If elected, this is what I will achieve: 1) Timetabling. The timetabling issue was one that affected almost every student. I will make sure that timetabling be in place before you come back to university by overseeing the process. 2) Work experience and guest speakers within all courses. Lecturers should be giving and helping students with contacts. The Students’ Union and the Careers/Employability run training sessions on CV writing, which could be expanded covering all areas. 3) Push for Performance Space. Focused mainly on performance based courses with rehearsals as well as putting on shows. The new performance space could also help practical courses, to showcase their work as well as event venues. The possibilities are endless. 4) To integrate with courses. I propose that integration with other courses will help, not only socially, but also academically. It may open your eyes to what you want to do in the future. 5) To integrate with Uxbridge by campaigning for

a shuttle bus. This has been an issue that has been on-going for a while now and I can campaign for. 6) Library Books. Up-to-date library books and journals paramount. I will make sure this is done with the use of student feedback and the Library Forum. 7) Advice Centre. It’s a great place to go to get help with accommodation, money woes and any legal and personal issues that you may have. I will help to promote campaigns and promote the services as much as possible. If elected I will insure that I will campaign to get what students want and deserve from BNU!

Jack Badu Hi Guys, Over the last nine months in office I have had the opportunity to really understand what the students need in terms of a university and students union. We have achieved some fantastic things this year and given the opportunity I would like to carry on pushing for a student led university. Both the university and the students union really struggle with its methods of communication to students. Having spoken to a lot of students this year, I have found that you are often left feeling unheard. Although as a students union we have made great progress towards being more student facing, we still have a long way to go. I feel that if I was given a second term in office I could resolve the issues that I have come across this year. If re-elected as Vice President of Education and Welfare this will all change. Proposed Projects For 13/14 -24 hour Library (March 13) - Student space for creative group study in south wing. (In progress)

- More social activities/travel to H/W campus for Uxbridge students -Extended access to workshops and studio giving students a better learning experience. (In progress) -A Bucks student website showcasing student work. (In progress) -The creation of a student led business giving students the opportunity to collaborate with other courses putting theory into practice. -More student artwork in and around campus. (In progress) -Student and Staff Garden (outside rusty buck in progress) -More work based volunteering opportunities for students -The opportunity to sit in additional modules in other courses Given the opportunity I would really like to represent you as your Vice President of Education and Welfare Much Love, Badu

The candidates for Vice President Student Involvement

Joseph McCrudden Hello, My University experience has been centred around my Union involvement, being an member of several societies and a passionate volunteer; across all age ranges, inside and outside the University. I should be elected Vice President Student Involvement because I believe I have the core values, skills and importantly the incentive to invest the time; effort and support in most cases, to develop and ‘make life better for students’ at Bucks with a ‘positive impact’. During my time here at Bucks; I have so far gained the status of Student Rep, Senior Rep, Student Ambassador, Chairperson of the Union Council and your Student Trustee working behind the scenes. However next year in order to make more of an impact; I would like to become the face and voice of Bucks Students’ Union as one of your Sabbatical Officers. I am motivated by success, especially when working with passionate and dedicated teams or individuals. This desire to achieve will be my driving force if elected VPSI

My intentions aren’t to ‘fix things that aren’t broken’ within the Students’ Union, but to broaden our horizon and prospects throughout our time here at Bucks both at High Wycombe and Uxbridge Campuses. If I am elected VPSI, this is my achievable threestep-campaign to do it! Step 1 - Further improve upon nonacademic experiences, equally for all students of Bucks. Then support this with efficient advertising. #besupportive Step 2 – Raise publicity and student involvement in ‘RAG’ by engaging societies, courses and the public in our ‘RAG’ events, this potentially will be one of the largest and enjoyable student led charitable activities. Step 3 - Improve employability by initiating better links between the Union’s career staff and that of each department. I will be implementing the nationally recognised Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Matt Gilbert As Vice President Student Involvement I want to ensure that every student within the University is able to make the most of their short time here at Bucks. During my time here I have been an active member within the University. I am currently a member of the Union Council, the Student Rep for my course and I was also a fresher’s helper. From a sporting aspect I am the 1st XV Captain and have been the Social Secretary for the Rugby team. By having these roles it has helped me develop my leadership, management and understanding of what is achievable within the University. The points in my manifesto will be realistic and beneficial for all students within the university, including Uxbridge students. I believe I have the drive and determination to help make Bucks a better place for students to achieve the success that they deserve. My Manifesto: •Lobby to turn the university campus where applicable into a 24 hour facility and give the

students the opportunity to work within that to help facilitate it. • Help improve the sports teams and also support the societies to become more competitive. • Raise the awareness of the charities RAG supports • Increase the amount of volunteering opportunities linked to academic courses to improve student’s employability and offering you the work experience you deserve. • Continue to strengthen links with partner colleges and the Uxbridge campus and increase the ever expanding social and development programme • To improve the employability and enhance the CV of all students through opportunities such as sporting qualifications and other qualifications such as first aid and sign language courses that the SU Provide. • Lobby the institution to implement electronic feedback following on from the successful implementation of electronic submission. Vote Matt Gilbert #1

37 February

24 Hour Library Opening! Thanks to the persistant work from the student body, the library will trial an extension of its opening hours. The trial will take place from 7am 4 March to 10pm 2 June and is expected to cost an addition of approximately £18,000. The trial will not include 4 days in Easter Break, from 10pm 28 March till 7am 2 April where the trial will resume. The push came after Pro Vice Chancellor Ruth Farwell attended a recent Union Council Meeting which saw an almost unanimous plea from students to extend the library opening hours. Professor Shan Wareing, Pro Vice Chancellor of Teaching and Learning at Bucks, says that this has been a student concern for a long time; “We are keen to use this trial period to establish whether 24/7 opening is a good use

of money – if it does enhance the student experience that, as a University, is something we take very seriously and we will prioritise spending on extended opening as a result.” Urusla Crow, the Library Services Manager, said that the Library is “very excited to do it” as “any footfall data and feedback we get is valuable.” The 24/7 library hours trial success means that it could happen elsewhere in the University. The three month trial will see the open access computers being available 24/7 with security and cleaners patrolling the library with the self-service still operating outside library desk hours. There was a previous trial for extended opening hours in the library which did not get off the ground, something which is hoped not to be repeated. The trial will lead to the University and the Students’ Union assessing the footfall and student satisfaction. This will be measured through SurveyMonkey, an online survey generator, which both the University

Bucks Students’ Union has a positive impact on your time at Bucks in so many different ways. In each edition of The Bucks Student this column will showcase recent work that we have undertaken to continue having a positive impact on your time.

and the Students’ Union are pushing, in order to get accurate results and to ensure that students are engaging with the extended library opening hours. Joseph McCrudden, the Union Council Student Chair, said that “The library being open 24/7 is a great opportunity for students to potentially achieve better grades. I feel it will also help reduce stress levels for those writing dissertations, as they know the facilities they need will always be available. This will therefore ‘Make life better for students at Bucks.” So what do you think? Laurie Hall, a third year Journalism student, said that “it would be really useful for students with a lot of work or part time jobs, who can only do their work at certain times. Plus, the library can get very busy so it will help with that problem. All positives I think.” Student Editor If you have any other feedback let us know!

- Publishing candidate manifestos in this edition so you can clearly see what your fellow students will do on your behalf if you choose to elect them.

Guy Humphrey

- Opening nominations for the Union Awards, our showpiece event, where engaged students can pick up trophies and prizes for their hard work over the year. Check out the nomination form at bucksstudent.com/unionawards

2 Bucks Student February 2013

Contributors

Highlights

Editor - Ash Coles ash.coles@bucks.ac.uk Student Editor - Guy Humphrey student.editor@thebucksstudent.com Deputy Student Editor - MJ Mahmood student.editor@thebucksstudent.com Must Read Editor - Donique Lindsey mustread@thebucksstudent.com Student Essentials Editor - Harmeet Singh Anand studentessentials@thebucksstudent.com

Take a seat

Genre 6 : Duos

Life as a percieved lesbian

Green Impact week

After Hours Editor - Yael Rivniker afterhours@thebucksstudent.com

Get involved!

Introducing...

If you want to get involved in the paper it’s very easy! If you have a passion for writing, feel you want to get your voice heard, or want to cover something that we may be missing from our current paper, then get in touch: Email: student.editor@thebucksstudent.com search: Bucks Student Newsgroup

Advertising For all advertising and media enquiries please contact the Students’ Union Communications and Marketing department. Simon McDowell simon.mcdowell@bucks.ac.uk Articles in this newspaper do not necessarily represent the views of Bucks Students’ Union but are that of the specific author. View this edition online at bucksstudent.com/ communications. If required, this document can be made available in different formats. Please contact the Students’ Union for more information.

Student Editor Guy Humphrey

Editor Ash Coles

HI guys and welcome to issue 37 of the Bucks Student. As you may have guessed it is elections time, for this one week the campus cannot hide from the fact that a number of candidates are effectively campaigning to run your union for a year. All that I want to do is echo the key message that all of these candidates are working extremely hard for you to hear their voice and in return your votes do really matter. You don’t have to rush to vote you have all week however please in that time either vote at a polling station or log onto bucksstudent.com/elections to find out more. The more student’s that vote in our election make us a more represented body and that is only ever a good thing! Secondly as I mentioned in my previous article the university is trialling twenty four hour opening hours in the library which I hope will prove to be useful for the entire student body and again I want to echo what a huge campaigning win this is for us. We are in talks with the university about increasing the campus opening times on other facilities which include performing arts spaces and workshops. To also compliment the new twenty four hour campus we are in talks with the University about allowing students to park on site after 5pm week days and all over the weekend for free. I believe that this is a very important next stage and hope to have this implemented in the near future as I don’t believe students should have to pay to use parking facilities in the town centre when there are over 100 unused spaces on campus. I hope you enjoy the last few weeks of term and please vote - it really will make a difference. Cheers, Ash

Elections are upon us! Make sure you vote for your sabbs for next year! Presidency, Vice President Education and Welfare and Vice President Student Involvement are all hotly contested and there is definitely a buzz around! Make sure you cast your vote and support your favourite! In this edition we have a few press releases from Performing Arts and Dance students so look out for those as well as a round up of RAG week and a plea from a Hitch team. The usual soaps, film and sport are all there too, as well as Player Profile and 60 Seconds. That’s it from me, make sure you cast your vote! I know I will. Regards, Guy

Sabb chat... As your Sabbatical Officers we are the voice of the students and are here to make sure your time at Bucks is a positive one. We want you guys to be making the most out of your time here and getting involved with as much as possible, so that when you graduate you have lots of different experiences, qualifications and additional skills to put on that CV of yours. Make sure you vote in the elections this week! And third years fill out the NSS please!

Ash Coles, President ash.coles@bucks.ac.uk Naomi Franco, Vice President Student Involvement naomi.franco@bucks.ac.uk Jack Badu, Vice President Education and Welfare jack.badu@bucks.ac.uk

February 2013 Bucks Student 3

All the latest goings-on around the High Wycombe and Uxbridge Campuses. Union news

Make the world your own at the annual Jobs, Careers and Volunteers Fair! The Jobs, Careers and Volunteers Fair returns to Buckinghamshire New University, to help students explore the world of work and get acquainted with a range of industries exhibiting in the Gateway building at the University, where Professor Ruth Farwell, Vice Chancellor of the University, will be officially opening the event, from 11am - 3pm on Tuesday 12 March. This year’s theme ‘Around the World’ intends to inspire students to think outside the box and introduce them to a variety of employment opportunities. Attending students will have exclusive access to over 65 top organisations recruiting for work-based placements, part-time and volunteering work, including Virgin Atlantic Airways, Lodestar and Thorpe Park to name a few! Second-year students from the University’s BA (Hons) Corporate Events and Conference Management degree are helping to coordinate the fair, our biggest of the year, with its Careers and Employability department. Students will pass through the continents of the world, exploring the different industries on offer, check-out how they can apply their degree skillset, and takeoff to their ideal career destination. The day will feature a ‘Duty-Free’ raffle,

where students who attend and those who complete a survey have the chance to win top prizes. Student Charlotte Bennett, studying Corporate Events and Conference Management, said: “We are excited to be assisting with the organisation of this event and hope the ‘Around the World’ theme will encourage students to attend and use this great opportunity to interact with different employers, and learn more about their potential and make contacts for work placements and future careers.” Louise Wicks, organiser of the Jobs, Careers and Volunteers Fair at Bucks New University asks: How many opportunities do you get to speak to 70 recruiters under one roof? “This year’s fair aims to encourage all Bucks students to explore opportunities available to them by speaking to as many employers and voluntary organisations as possible. When considering who to approach try think outside the box... most organisations have HR, Advertising and Graphics, IT, Media, Finance and Customer Liaison departments and you can never make too many contacts!” For more details visit facebook.com/careers.employability, follow #buckscareersfair on Twitter or go to bucks.ac.uk.

Bucks Students’ Union follows NUS in saying NO to Big Brother To coincide with David Cameron’s trip to India aimed at developing enhanced trade links between the countries, the UKBA have clarified their position on the monitoring of international students. The UKBA have stated for the first time that the monitoring procedures of international students should be no more onerous than those of domestic students. The clarification comes in a letter sent to major sector bodies following confusion over the necessary levels of monitoring which led to some universities introducing checkpoints and biometric monitoring for international students. Last year London Metropolitan University lost its licence to recruit international students and other universities have been worried about ambiguity in UKBAs rules on attendance monitoring. The UKBA have confirmed that they “no longer require [institutions] to report… when a student has missed 10 expected contacts.” A students’ sponsorship should only be withdrawn if the student stops being a student, i.e. course of study is terminated or they graduate. Here at Bucks New University there has been a growing call from the faculties for more stringent attendance monitoring procedures of all students. There is currently a team of University staff looking into the electronic attendance monitoring of all students for both lectures and seminars. The University believe by bringing in these rigorous procedures students will be more inclined to attend and that retention will be supported. Bucks Students’ Union believes the best way for a student to progress through University is by attending all lectures, seminars and any other course related activity that the University provide. We also believe however that whilst students are paying huge sums of money for their

courses, they have the right to choose whether or not they attend and should be able to do so without fear of reprisal. President Ash Coles said; “We have a growingly diverse population of students, many commute to University, some have children to look after, others are carers for family members and some simply have to hold down a job alongside their study to be able to afford to be here. These students have a legitimate reason why they choose to miss some aspects of their course and we should accept a students right to choose when it comes to how they receive their provision especially as they are paying through the nose for it! Arguably just as important are the group of students who choose not to attend classes because they find them uninteresting or irrelevant. Although we believe this group to be a minority we think they are an important minority. We therefore challenge the University to make courses more engaging rather than pressuring students into attending with these draconian measures.” Coles also stated that “the likely start up cost for an electronic attendance monitoring system is likely to exceed £30,000. When students are crying out for improved learning resources, better facilities, free graduation, more space at Uxbridge and lower degree show costs are we seriously saying this is the best spend of our tuition fees. Simply put, no it isn’t.” In light of this recent announcement Bucks Students’ Union will be reaffirming its stance, opposing electronic attendance monitoring, when the University and Union senior management teams meet on Monday 25 February. Student Editor Guy Humphrey

4 Bucks Student February 2013

News in Tweets @buckssu @BucksSU_UXB

Jane Bower @bower0518 @buckssu Green Impact Week in numbers: 61 Volunteers. 184 Volunteering Hours. £1687.53 raised for RAG. Thanks to everyone for taking part! Nathan Baker @Nathan_Bakes Great laugh at Netball vs Football today raising money for RAG another opportunity given to us by @buckssu #buckssumorethanabar #footballwin Tom Castle @CastleCreativ_ Mmmm tasty crepe from the global food market on campus today #buckssumorethanabar Abstrkt @AbstrktTW Wow, what an unbelievable launch party that was! Sold out and at maximum capacity before midnight! #DefiningMusicwithStyle @buckssu

60 seconds with Bucks Students’ Union Societies and Volunteering Coordinator Alice Dewsnap > What made you want to be a member of staff at the Student Union? When I was a student, I worked closely with my Students’ Union and the Volunteer Coordinator there. I loved it, so when I got this job, I was over the moon! > What are your aims for the Students Union in the near future? Well I’m off! So in the very near future, I would have to say, making sure I get the chance to say goodbye to all the societies and volunteers. And also making sure I have the opportunity to have a drink with everyone before I go. > How is this University different to others? The Big Deal! I spent a fortune at my university, it cost me £3.50 to get into Flirt! each week! Also the staff, especially the Students’ Union staff. Everyone’s so supportive, and it’s nice to see every day that someone goes out of their way to help a student.

Rebecca Gooch @goochyy Free tickets to spice girls viva forever musical :D I love @buckssu! #buckssumorethanabar Natalie Harmony @ngharmony Who would think the SU could be this good?! VIP booth with the girls, personal waiter, freebies, etc... @AbstrktTW #DefiningMusicwithStyle Naomi Johnson @NaomiDanielleJ At Union council meeting @laurentroiano @abigail_watson @DancinLauren15 #buckssumorethanabar getting our opinions heard! Emily Ward @emilyaward Thanks @buckssu for getting a 24 hour library trial #buckssumorethanabar

> What were you like as a university student? I loved university! I was a pretty good student, never missed a deadline! Bath Spa is known for its music courses so we spent a lot of time at local gigs which I loved. > If you could give any advice to a student, what would it be? Get involved with the Students’ Union. I couldn’t stress that enough! So many people have degrees now, so you need to make yourself stand out. I wouldn’t have got my job here, if it wasn’t for the voluntary work I did with my Students’ Union. Also, go to the Union Awards, my favourite night of the year. It’s amazing

to see all the students’ the Students’ Union work so closely with, get recognised for what they’ve done. > What film did you last watch? Flight - it did not help my fear of flying. > Where would your ideal place to go on holiday be? I’d love to travel around Europe to see all the different cities. Croatia, I think would be on my list next, I’ve heard Dubrovnik is an incredible place to visit. > What’s your idea of a perfect night in/out? Perfect night out, would have to be a really long meal at a nice restaurant with my twin sister and an obscene amount of red wine. Night in, pretty much the same! You can’t beat good food, good company and good wine.

Uxbridge news

Andy Davies @andygd93 @HollieSipple is doing a Hitchhike to Croatia for Charity with @buckssu help raise some money for an amazing charity http://dft.ba/-hitch2013 Jack Badu @jack_badu What time is it? I think it’s time for Crafternoon tea @buckssu #buckssumorethanabar food drink and knitting what more could you need!

> Where did you study and what degree did you do? I went to Bath Spa University, and did a joint honours degree in (wait for it) Study of Religion, and Contemporary Dance (two separate courses obviously, but feel free to make fun of it). I loved it though, it meant I got to be creative on one side, but also study something I have a real interest in.

/BucksSUuxb

@BucksSU_UXB

Get fit for Summer NOW at Uxbridge! This term we’re helping students at the Uxbridge campus get fit for summer. The Students’ Union is running a number of sport and fitness activities aimed at any level of fitness or experience. Every Monday night we will be running Zumba from 5pm - 5.45pm in the Park Room. Zumba is a Latin inspired, easy to follow, calorie burning dance session and is a really fun way to get fit. Venue: Park Room, 3rd Floor, Uxbridge Time: 5pm - 5.45pm Cost: FREE Fitness Pilates will run every Tuesday from 5.10pm-5.55pm. Fitness Pilates incorporates Pilates and gentle exercise to help target deep posture muscles of the body, building strength from the inside out and rebalancing your muscles. Come along to our weekly session to feel the benefits. Mats are provided but feel free to bring your own! Venue: Park Room, 3rd Floor, Uxbridge Time: 5.10pm - 5.55pm Cost: FREE

Played Netball? Loved it? Haven’t managed to get out on the court in a while? Back to Netball is for those who want a gentle introduction back into playing Netball. Sessions are coach led and cover basic skill development and court play. The emphasis of these sessions is on learning new skills and having fun playing Netball with friends. Whether it is about rediscovering sporting abilities you forgot you had or about getting active again, these sessions cater for all abilities. Venue: Stockley Academy, free return transport provided from the Uxbridge campus Date: First session Tuesday 26 February continuing on a weekly basis during term time Session start Time: 7pm - 8.30pm, transport leaving Uxbridge at 6.40pm

Want to brush up on your front crawl or have you never had the opportunity to learn to swim but always wanted to? Swimming is a healthy activity that can be enjoyed by everyone. We are offering a set of 10 swimming lessons for those who want to learn the basics of swimming and improve their strokes. No previous experience required. Date: Starting Monday 18 Feb for 10 weeks (term time only) Time: 3pm - 3.30pm Venue: Hillingdon Leisure Centre, return transport provided If you are interested in any of these activities, book on to a course or find out more about recreational activities at the Uxbridge campus contact: jade.buckingham@bucks.ac.uk

Whats on in Uxbridge

Wine Tasting March 6, 5.45am - 9.30pm

Awaken your taste buds and release your inner wine connoisseur! Appreciate and compare classic wines from France against versatile, alternative wines from New Zealand and South Africa. You will be taught how to professionally taste wines through demonstrations and then give it a go yourself with the option to try a minimum of 6 wines. A great way to also learn how to compliment wine with the correct foods. Return transport provided.

bucksstudent.com/ facebookuxb

Tuesdays during term time Tuesdays during term time FREE sessions FREE sessions FREE transport provided FREE transport provided Run by Pink Ladies Netball Club Run by Pink Ladies Netball Club

7.00 – 8.30pm at Stockley Academy 7.00 – 8.30pm at Stockley Academy For more information contact: For more information contact: Jade Buckingham - 01494 605180 Jade Buckingham - 01494 605180 Email - jade.buckingham@bucks.ac.uk Email - jade.buckingham@bucks.ac.uk

for more information contact:

jade.buckingham@bucks.ac.uk

bucksstudent.com/ recreation

For more information email jade.buckingham@bucks.ac.uk or visit bucksstudent.com/events

6 Bucks Student February 2013

University news

Student Buzz

Oh my goodNSS! Never before, and probably never again, have you had such an opportunity to influence the lives of so many students! The National Student Survey (NSS) is your opportunity to have your say on a huge number of aspects of your University experience. Your feedback affects the quality of experience for every future student on your course. We need every final year student to get online at studentsurvey.com and fill in the survey. You could even win yourself £1000!

SPEAK

Only a month in to the survey,100% of Sports Management and Rugby Studies have already filled in the NSS. More than 40% of students in five departments have had their say on the future of the University and their peers. So what are you waiting for? Make your voice count! In 2012 we achieved a 65% response rate but this year we want to hear from every single one of you. Your opinions matter and can lead to real change. So get out your laptop, grab hold of your smartphone or find an NSS helper around campus and go to studentsurvey.com and have your say now.

Helen Dug deep Alumna Helen Dugdale, who graduated in BA (Hons) Textiles and Surface Design last year, won the Surfaces category of the New Design Britain awards at the recent Interiors UK 2013 at The NEC in Birmingham for her collection, Paper Knotwood. It is a material Helen has developed from coloured paper and which she has used to make pieces and coverings and believes could be used as an alternative to wood. Fellow Textiles and Surface Design graduate Ceri Stephenson was also shortlisted in the Surfaces category. Course leader Andie Robertson said: “Another graduate was shortlisted for this highly sought-after award last year so we feel it reflects the wealth of talent displayed by the students studying at Bucks. We are so pleased for Helen and Ceri.”

The Cisco kids Staff from communications provider Cisco passed on interviewing tips and advice to Bucks students at a workshop. Final-year students taking part in this year’s six-month-long Cisco mentorship programme enjoyed activities including ‘speed interviewing’ and role-play interviews. Paul Wilcock, Career Development Advisor, said: “We thank the Cisco staff for volunteering to pass on their experience to students. This is an important part of the mentorship programme and helps students develop their skills.” Business and Advertising Management student Brent McDonald said: “It opened my eyes to ways of improving my CV structure and interview technique.”

Brighton breezy Gloria Moss, Research Reader in Human Resources, has given a guest lecture to Business Studies students at Brighton Business School at the University of Brighton, who are taking an elective in Retail Marketing. Gloria has also been invited to give the expert session at the sixth annual Diversity and Inclusion Seminar in Barcelona next Thursday and Friday where she will be speaking on marketing and diversity. She joins speakers from Cisco, L’Oreal, Shell, and Unilever and attendees include heads of HR and Diversity from leading FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies. Gloria said: “These are two great opportunities to pass on new ways of thinking on marketing and diversity to differing audiences.” Read more on the seminar at: icongroupltd.com/services/barcelona-21-22-feb.

Panel beaters An industry panel for Performing Arts (Film, TV and Stage) students was held recently. The panellists were Isolte Avila, Artistic Director at Bucks’s theatre company-in-residence, Signdance Collective; Laura Ford, Joint Artistic Director of theatre company Fifth Word; actor Raji James, who is an associate lecturer and has appeared in EastEnders and starred in the film East is East; theatre producer Paul Jellis and Wycombe Swan Theatre’s Richard Matthews. Course leader Nicholas Fryer said:”Students were able to hear from and ask questions of professionals working in the performing arts industry. Many of the students commented on how valuable and inspiring it was to have a clearer understanding of what is possible in this field.”

Bach to basics Renowned musician, producer and composer Nitin Sawhney has delivered a two-hour guest lecture to third-year Audio and Music Production students. Nitin produced the music for the BBC series, The Human Planet, and has worked with Sting and Paul McCartney, among many others. He said afterwards: “I spoke about audio engineering and equipment as well as my career and was impressed by the facilities here and the enthusiasm of the students.” Student Jim Morgan said: “Nitin’s lecture was inspiring and gave a different perspective on the work we’re doing.” Warren Bassett, course leader, Audio and Music Production, said: “Nitin is one of a number of industry professionals who have given up their time to come and speak to our students.” The talk was arranged through Sarah White, DMM Enterprise Manager.

Student Buzz is brought to you by the University Communications team. We hope you enjoy reading the latest news. Plus remember to follow Bucks on Twitter at @bucksnewuni and on Facebook at bucks.ac.uk/facebook

February 2013 Bucks Student 7

You said... We did Here’s another selection of the actions that University departments have been taking to make things even better at Bucks. Psychology You said: “Third year students need increased support for employability issues.” We did: We offered one-to-one coaching for vocational choice, CV writing, application letters, references and anything related, while in the final year and after. You said: “We need further support on dissertation-related work.” We did: “We provided an additional weekly seminar for third year students in semester 2 for coaching on datacollection, analysis and write-up skills. Piers Worth, Head of Academic Department - Psychology A University employability framework is being put in place to support courses building enterprise and employability opportunities into the curriculum. Our Employability Project Manager Doug Cole is leading on this important development. Advanced Practice You said: “More copies of key texts please.” We did: We ordered them from the extra book allowance. You said: “Prescribing students would like to take the maths exam earlier on.” We did: On revalidation of the programme, we moved the maths exam to early in the programme. Front-loading the teaching and support and feedback has been really positive. You said: “Masters students need more help in essay writing.“ We did: We organised for the LDU to do three one-hour lectures on essay writing at level 7 and feedback indicates that the sessions were excellent. Lesley Bridges, Head of Academic Department – Advanced Practice Education

You said: “Submitting two assignments on the same day creates too much pressure.” We did: We have now separated the hand-in of these to two separate dates.

library.

You said: “More text books are needed in the library.” We did: We have invested £6,000 in new updated books in the

You said: “Part time mature students don’t find it as easy to get involved in Uni life.” We did: The Students’ Union now run sessions and clubs for the more mature students. Sue Leddington, Head of Academic Department – Applied Education CPPD

You said: “We need newer and more books for clinical courses.” We did: We secured more funds for the purchase of e-books and learning resources. These are now available in the Learning Resource Centre.

You said: “As part time students we don’t feel part of the university culture over at Uxbridge.” We did: We ensured more communication, with the Students’ Union now speaking at every induction session and every enrolment session. You said: “Why can’t we all submit assessments by e-submission?” We did: We support all staff to set up submission points online for all appropriate assessments within ACP. Every piece of work that is able to be submitted electronically can be. Juliet Anderson, Head of Academic Department – CPPD Pre-Qualifying Nursing You said: “We want changing rooms at Uxbridge.” We did: We have installed a Portacabin with lockers for students to use for changing You said: “We are concerned about student support in practice.” We did: We arranged meetings with the Students’ Union to clarify the range of resources available to students. You said: “There are delays in getting marks and feedback from assessments.” We did: We are collecting data to see how many students are experiencing a delay. You said: “We want more books in the library.” We did: We secured additional funding for books and other learning resources. You said: “We want problems to resolved faster.” We did: We established regular meetings with the Students’ Union, Student Support Services and senior members of the PQN team. Nicola Martyn-Beck, Head of Academic Department – Adult and Child Nursing (PQN) Primary Care and Public Health You said: “We need more guidance for dissertations.” We did: We have increased the support for dissertation through the involvement of the library services to deliver further assistance with literature searching supported with tutorials. You said: “We want to pursue our studies in Social Innovation.” We did: We have developed an MSc Social Innovation You said: “We want more copies of particular books in the library.” We did: We secured funding and more copies of relevant books have been ordered for the library. Agnes Fanning, Head of Academic Department – Primary Care and Public Health Criminal Justice and Social Studies You said: “We want to see better

management and organisation.” We did: We improved the communication links with students via Blackboard to communicate changes to timetabling within a day, worked with the Students’ Union and the Head of School to ensure engagement of academics in the Research challenge for a positive impact on the student experience. We have encouraged students to use the Programme Committee structure effectively and to report issues sooner rather than later. We have offered students opportunities for blogging and direct contact to the Head of Department to facilitate an open relationship. You said: “Marking and feedback is inconsistent.” We did: We introduced crossmodule moderation and all assessments are scrutinised to ensure consistency. You said: “The Open Day did not tell the true story.” We did: We made changes to the presentations for open day and increased the relevance to the actual experience. We have also involved more staff from the department to enable more interaction for visitors who can ask questions of academics. You said: “Why are there no trips to support learning?” We did: We have supported a trip to Poland this February to ensure the students get a chance to reflect their learning in a real environment. Pat Mahon-Daly, Head of Academic Department – Criminal Justice and Social Studies Social Work You said: “We want more input from employers in the final year linked to securing a job as a social worker.” We did: We arranged for four senior officers from Hillingdon Local Authority to visit and address final year students on what they look for in recruits and how graduates can best prepare themselves for success when looking for a social work job. As a result Hillingdon changed the way it recruits adult social workers. This is now an annual event. Other local authorities are being also being approached to contribute to the day. You said: “There is not enough substance misuse presence on the curriculum.” We did: As a team we have agreed and made plans to significantly increase substance misuse in relevant modules.

Dance competition puts Bucks on the map More than 300 students from nine universities took part in a dance competition at Bucks in front of a panel including one of the judges from Sky 1 show, Got To Dance.

(L-R) Emma Kirkpatrick, India Owen, and Chelsea Balfour. The Dance Competition, organised by The Dance Society, took place in the Gateway Events Hall and featured dancers performing a range of dance styles including ballet, tap, freestyle, contemporary, jazz, Latin, ballroom and street. The judging panel comprised choreographer Del Mak, Creative Director of Got To Dance; Luke Sabatini, who has appeared in the West End show, Thriller!, and Bruno Perrier, who was a choreographer and dance captain at the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Bucks finished first in the Contemporary and Street dance categories and second in Jazz and Latin. A proportion of the money generated from ticket sales was also donated to Bucks Students’ Union’s Raise and Give (RAG) charities, The Pepper Foundation and Rafe’s Place. Students from Bucks, and the universities of Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Kingston, Imperial College London, Southampton and West of England, took part. Dance Society member Laura Winnan, studying BA (Hons) Dance and Fitness, said: “The event went fantastically well. The calibre of dancing was extremely high and we were very pleased to attract such well-respected judges. “We held it to raise money for Bucks Students’ Union’s RAG charities, to promote dance at the University and to give our dancers an opportunity to compete and perform. “Thank you to everyone involved. Bucks placed higher than the best and most well-known dance crews and teams in the country. We feel the event has really put Bucks on the map!” Take a look at students performing in the ‘freestyle battle’ which ended the competition, at: youtube.com/watch?v=5SiLOCml5Yc.

You said: “There was a lack of material and outdated stock in the library.” We did: We immediately secured £7,000 to increase resources in the area and in addition secured subscription to Community Care INFORM database to which students said they would like to have access. You said: “Please standardise the way we receive assessment results.” We did: All results are now returned online. Sinclair Coward, Head of Academic Department - Social Work

The Dance Society students.

8 Bucks Student February 2013

Students rose to the challenge Student designs for the Rose Garden space are now on display by the spiral staircase on East Wing floor 2. The BA (Hons) Spatial Design students were given suggestions from the University community as a source of inspiration for their designs. In all, the second years presented a baker’s dozen of proposals. Impressed with the range and quality of innovative ideas, the University’s Senior Management Team is keen to incorporate elements from several of the designs. Deputy Vice Chancellor, Derek Godfrey, said “These professional proposals demonstrated the wonderful creativity and expertise of our students. With their help, the redeveloped rose garden will make a big impact on the University environment.”

Suggestions included a bar and covered seating area, an exhibition and performance space, foliage and waterways and even cinemas. One concept even proposes a rural railway station with a cafe and tranquil seating. Students and staff are invited to provide direct feedback at the displays via post-it notes. Alternatively you can go to Facebook and search for Spatial Design Rose Garden Competition and vote for your favourite design by ‘liking’ it. The University is hiring a professional architect to work up the final design, but the brief will be based on feedback from the University community. If you would like to provide some more detailed feedback, please email askSMT@bucks. ac.uk.

Take a seat

Bucks has lent its support to a new event called Westminster to Wycombe, designed and led by Wycombe MP, Steve Baker, encouraging sixth-form students to find out more about political debate. MP Steve Baker (centre) with sixth-formers at the Westminster to Wycombe event.

The event, at Highcrest Academy in High Wycombe, involved sixth-form pupils from the school debating current topics, as well as others from John Hampden Grammar School; The Royal Grammar School; Wycombe Abbey School; and Wycombe High School. The main hall at Highcrest Academy was transformed into a mock House of Commons and the sixth-form pupils took part in a simulation of Parliament, with Mr Baker acting as the Speaker, and the students as front benches and divisions. The Schools and Colleges Liaison Team at Bucks New University, which works with Highcrest Academy, helped the Parliament Outreach team, which spreads awareness

of the work, processes and relevance of the institution of Parliament, with the initiative. In preparation for the event, Bucks Senior Lecturers in Law, Peter Coe and Lars Mosesson, and LLB (Hons) Law students who are members of the student Mooting Society, gave a debating class to the Highcrest Academy pupils, arranged through Davina Lacey, of Schools and Colleges Liaison. Mr Baker also presided as Speaker on a historical chair which had been restored and upholstered by Gregory Cupitt-Jones, who is an associate furniture lecturer and part of the National School of Furniture, based at Bucks New University and Oxford and Cherwell Valley College.

The chair was presented to Wycombe County Magistrates in 1927 and also bears the name, Major Coningsby Disraeli, a Conservative politician whose father, Isaac Disraeli, was Benjamin Disraeli’s brother. Mrs Lacey said: “We are pleased our partnerships with local schools enable us to use the University’s expertise to enrich students’ experiences during these important activities. A film of the event was captured by Sam Grimwade, senior promotional filmmaker at Bucks New University, for use by Highcrest Academy and other bodies involved in the event.

Timetable update New software available The disruption to timetables in the autumn term 2012 was a cause of great concern to the University. We are committed to ensuring that this does not happen again. After a thorough review, we’ve worked very hard to make sure your timetables will be available in good time for you in future.

Timetables for next year

For continuing and new students, basic timetables for September 2013 will be made available online by 31 July 2013 in most cases. We will provide a link as soon as they are ready. A more detailed timetable will be available by 9 September 2013. Late staff changes or student number changes may cause alterations to timetables after this date but we will ensure that these are kept to a minimum.

Addressing what went wrong

We realise how important it is to have your timetable in advance so you can plan personal and work commitments. It is a priority for us to provide this information in a timely way. We made improvements in staffing, in training and in project management. We will continue to make improvements to our planning and systems so that the disruption we experienced last year cannot happen again.

in the libraries

The open access computers at the High Wycombe and Uxbridge campuses now have two extra pieces of software to help any of our students study through their preferred learning styles. Balabolka provides the ability to convert text to speech, for those who like to listen not just read; personalise the background colour and appearance of text and generate sound files from text. Students will need earphones to use the software in public areas. XMind is a MindMap/concept mapping programme for personal use. Instructions for using these can be found on Blackboard by selecting IT, then “available software” from the toolbar on Blackboard.

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Benefits of Balabolka include: allowing students to listen to their own work as an aid to proof-reading, listening to journal articles as a support to reading comprehension and building sound into the exam revision process. X-Mind not only enables a visual planning or revision process, but also the collation of research, whether it be texts or pictures. These programmes are available for use on personal computers too (Windows Operating systems only). If any student would like details of how to download them for personal use, then please email me at: henri.court@bucks.ac.uk and I will be happy to send the details.

@Buckssu

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10 Bucks Student February 2013

the results Some of our favourite tweets: Buzzing to take Futsal training tonight and the Squad game! Improvement, Development and Progression #buckssumorethanabar #BNUFutsal Thanks @buckssu for getting a 24 hour library trial #buckssumorethanabar Ray doesn’t play music, he plays vibes. #buckssumorethanabar Here’s to the paid experiences that are filling up my CV and the friends for life that I’ve made because of them. #buckssumorethanabar

Congratulations to our winner Ohio Orumen Won a massive £155.30 And is very happy!

I got loads of industry experience working as an engineer with some big bands at @buckssu! #buckssumorethanabar Should probs try to reframe from screaming/crying/skipping at uni when 1D start to play in the lounge #buckssumorethanabar #cheeky #1D Nice fry up for brekkie with @ xlaurasmith_ and @abigail_watson #buckssumorethanabar

Stats at a glance > 1553 total > 1233 via Twitter > 314 via card > 6 via facebook

The winning tweet: Bucks New Uni 54-5 University of West London #buckssumorethanabar #buckssumorethanabar #buckssumorethanabar #buckssumorethanabar Wed Jan 30 16:02:37

Averaged about 50 tweets a day with the first Thursday peeking at 123 tweets.

7 3 n o i t i d e . photos

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flight review

soun s w e n c i s u m

poetry corner

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12 Bucks Student February 2013

After Hours

A round-up of SU nightlife plus entertainment news and reviews. Submit your articles to Section Editor Yael afterhours@thebucksstudent.com

Genre Genre 6 6 :: Duos By Sorcha Collister

THERE are many partnerships that form the centres of successful bands - Jagger and Richards, Lennon and McCartney and Morrissey and Marr - but they rarely retain the simplicity or intimacy that is exposed in the strengths and weaknesses, black and white, salt and pepper, yin and yang or chalk and cheese of a duo.

“It takes two to make a thing go right, it takes two to make it outta sight” -Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock

Rhye

White Stripes

OutKast

This pair make Mary Poppins music, practically perfect in every way. Oh so delicate strings, the lightest of funky beats and creative intimacy, which can be found enhanced within a viral video where Robin plays “Open” to his wife in his living room, with a candle, and a whole lot of romance. Somewhat elusive, and hidden behind the internet, they offer the chance to listen with no preconceptions, but let me change one perception, the only women in this music are the subject or object in their lyrics. Robin and Mike explain their influences as African-American music genres in all shapes; Funk, Disco, RnB, Jazz, and Blues. They work on everything together and it shows, hardly even a duo, they are so tightly combined they are practically a single entity.

By chance or contrived, the attention on this duo was at times focused on the nature of what became one of the most discussed and rumour rife musical personal relationships, rather than on many flowers that grew. The facts, married in 1996, siblings in 1999, divorced in 2000, confirmed marriage in 2001, ex band members 2011. White Stripes don’t just have sibling, production, and relationship chemistry, they put on a live show which the audience would take to heart in a way that a big band line up might never be treated. Watch out for this in past videos of Glastonbury 2005. A heightened awareness of what we had has come with seeing what the Whites have created post-White Stripes. The golden duo formula has gone. Jack carries his garage guitar on with him, but the colour left with Meg.

André and Antwan’ s albums are ageless and award winning, combining the perfect quantities of Funk, Soul and Hip-Hop. They broke the chemistry jar however, with the album(s) Speakerboxx/The Love Below, two solo albums released under the OutKast banner, so as not to disrupt or worry the fans and to keep the cash flow healthy. All was back to extraordinary however for the film Idlewild (film made for the soundtrack, OutKast’s 4th album) which plays totally off André and Antwan’s extreme differences; differences which are the creator and the breaker, the positive and negative, of the crackling energy of the strongest duos.

February 2013 Bucks Student 13

Music

Soundbites

A round-up of the latest music news By Stefan Miller

The Noughties and Nineties Comeback!

Bingo Players Reclaim Reading and Leeds Their Number 1 Spot Festival 2013

2013 seems to mark the return of many music stars of the 2000’s and 1990’s, which may come as a treat for nostalgic music lovers! As if recent comebacks from David Bowie, Destiny’s Child and Justin Timberlake weren’t enough, 90s Hip-hop and RandB hitmakers Lil Kim, Missy Elliott, Eve and Gabrielle are all planning to release new albums this year. It doesn’t just stop there, prepare for the resurrection of 90s pop bands from childhood as the original line-up of the Sugababes, now called MKS are to release new songs and The Big Reunion – a new reality show on ITV2 - will see the likes of 5ive, Liberty X, Atomic Kitten, 911, B*Witched and The Honeyz reuniting for a huge comeback performance. Don’t worry, you have not gone back in time…

The Dutch House DJ’s raided the chart last week with their single ‘Get Up (Rattle)’ featuring Far East Movement, entering straight at the top spot, knocking the previous No.1 ‘Scream and Shout’ by Will.I.am and Britney Spears to No.2. Now, the Dutch DJ duo have clung on to the top spot, staying No1 for another week as catchy new entry ‘Thrift Shop’ by US rapper Macklemore settles for No.2. The upbeat dance track with its catchy horn synths marks the DJ’s first number one hit. Taylor Swift keeps her hold on the chart moving down one place to with ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ at No.4 after 17 weeks in the chart while ‘Clown’ by Emeli Sande is stays at No.8. There were new entries from Devlin who entered at No.10 with ‘Rewind’ and Disclosure with their catchy collaboration with AlunaGeorge ‘White Noise’ entering at No.28.

Gig Review

Plan B’s Alternative Strategy By Sam Whitehead SINCE he last played the O2 Arena almost two years ago, Plan B has fulfilled his ambition to be involved in the film industry. However, he returned to his roots in more ways than one at his hometown gig on 9 February. His interest in film was evident in his set, as he began by re-creating the story of his second album The Defamation of Strickland Banks. Appearing on stage in a sharp suit, Plan B – real name Ben Drew – opened his act with some well-known hits, including Love Goes Down, She Said and Prayin’. The big screen behind him and his band displayed the music videos that Drew directed to match the story of the album. With the audience well engaged, Drew disappeared from stage and was replaced by his incredibly talented beat-boxing friend Faith SFX. After five minutes of crowd interaction, the curtain fell on the second act. Drew returned to the stage and the tone of the gig completely changed. Now dressed in a more casual manner, Plan B performed tracks from his latest album,

ill Manors, the soundtrack to his directorial debut in feature film. A much darker and more meaningful track list to its predecessor, his latest album sees him combine hip-hop and rap with the soul sound that dominated the last. With the stage now flanked with street lights, Drew gave the audience an insight into what it is like to grow up in a rough environment. He used clips from his film to fill the narrative between his songs, and British artists Kano and Labrinth, the latter his support act for the tour, made brief cameo appearances on stage. His encore included two collaborative tracks he made with Chase and Status, one being the soundtrack to the film Harry Brown, in which Drew appeared. He performed Stay Too Long, another song from his second album, before a second performance of the track ill Manors, perhaps to emphasise his point. No matter where the film industry takes him, the gifted Plan B should never forget his musical origin.

The line-up for the upcoming Reading and Leeds Festivals this summer has been revealed, with Eminem and Biffy Clyro announced as headliners. The festivals which take place from August 23 - 25, will also see indie band Foals and metal bands System Of A Down and Bring Me The Horizon on the main stage. Fall Out Boy have also been announced as performers after recent news of their reformation with Mercury Award winners Alt-J, Deftones, Jake Bugg and drum’n’bass producer Sub Focus being confirmed acts. This year’s Reading and Leeds festivals see a new change from previous events with the addition of two new stages; a Radio 1 Dance stage and a Radio 1Xtra stage in which Grime collective Boy Better Know will perform.

14 Bucks Student February 2013

Song of the Week

By Stefan Miller

Disclosure feat. AlunaGeorge - White Noise HEY everyone. My song of the week today comes from two equally cool emerging new talents, house DJ’s Disclosure and alternative RandB duo AlunaGeorge. Disclosure, made up of brothers Guy

and Howard Lawrence, have been creating a stir in recent months with their intriguingly fresh sound, drawing from UK garage, post-dubstep and deep house. Likewise AlunaGeorge has interested many with their quirky twist on R’n’B, becoming the most blogged about band in 2012. It was inevitable that this collaboration would make people to take note. White Noise sees Aluna give a tuneful rant about her annoying, controlling partner over a catchy bleepy synth riff and up tempo robotic-sounding house beat, reminiscent of 80’s Detroit techno. Towards the chorus, Aluna lets everyone know that she’s had enough as she sings ‘I don’t need you’ as the song builds with sweeping electronic synths. The song then erupts into an earworm of a chorus, with Aluna giving her partner a soulful dressing-down likening him to ‘White Noise’. The song is definitely one of the catchiest anti-valentines songs out there and with it currently soaring up the midweek chart to No.2, it’s safe to say that this may mark the start of Disclosure and AlunaGeorge’s chart success.

Poetry Corner

A Night in the 50s! GET on down to the Students’ Union Lounge on March 11 for a rock and rollin’ time, with singing and dancing, followed by the blue rinse DJs seeing us into the early hours! Free for all Bucks students, but if you’re a VIP kinda guy or gal why not upgrade for the small fee of £3? This gives you unlimited access to your own bar, free popcorn, free shot on arrival and a chance to win top prizes including a meal for two Nandos voucher! ALL proceeds from the events will go to Shelburn Lodge Retirement Home! IT’S A NIGHT NOT TO BE MISSED! To purchase tickets or for more information, please email emmaoshea28@gmail.com

Soap round-up

Kerouac Skies By Sam Minett Under Hemmingway,s bleeding typewriter we dance in the shadows of Holden, Sal, Dean and DeLarge for the young will never be understood except by the young. The world,s minute hand clicking tick tock away as we drag against the waters of the wise old clock for we all have minutes to live under the setting sun of Kerouac skies. The dawning stars and questions are ahead but beers in hand, smiles and cheers drown out the sound, for we are all young, and we are all united in that.

Madmen’s Veins By Sam Minett Glug glug goes the beer down into the tobacco black tar filled snap jack lungs surging through the veins of madmen that stretch through the seams of their lucid flesh and erupt through their skin and into the barrier of the crying dying world. Madmen,s veins entwine line fine with each others, roaring raging into the sky into the crashing of the raging seas saving seamen consuming and destructing through the dying, crying embers of the earth. Up and down up and down pulsing against the dirt raging against humanity, strangling the pathetic masked girls of the earths wrangled necks, crushing the voices of the idiot men who choke on their non garble jibber jabber. The mad laughter of youthful madmen and the beat beat beat drain out the tired noise of yawns and sighs as they marvel at their oblivious creation as it rings jumps bops across the grey night they run through their delirious streets, their streets, with small pretty big brown excited eyed girls, in brown, black, cobbled beer breath madness, as they,re finding sketching writing their way through the darkness scratch scratch goes the pen as it rushes, chases, burns through the blindness of the pages.

Deputy Student Editor MJ Mahmood

SO another crazy fortnight has passed in the land of Soap! As usual, I’m here to bring you the latest gossip from Walford’s Albert Square! The gorgeous and highly talented actress Nina Wadia (Zainab Masood) recently bowed out of EastEnders after five spectacular years! Zainab has been central to many major plots such as Syed’s battle with his sexuality, accepting Christian and Syed, leaving Masood for Yusef, the BandB fire (which eventually was the demise of the doctor), and giving birth in the Masala Queen to Kamil. Nina is one of the few actresses who can have you in fits of laughter in one moment and reaching for the tissues as she tugs on your heart-strings minutes later. I’ve always personally been a huge fan of her and I’m sorry to see her leave! I’m just glad that

the door has been left open for the fierce, opinionated, comedic and family orientated Zainab Masood. Best of luck to Nina for her future projects! Moving on, we’ve recently seen Bianca unable to cope since coming out of prison, both with her (lack of) job and children (specifically Liam); Kat and Roxy rolling around on the Vic floor having a catfight, which of course was totally unrelated to Alfie’s decision to have a divorce, the night before! Also, Lola has been struggling with Phil having a massive influence in daughter Lexi’s life which will have some upcoming repercussions... Coming up over the next few weeks, there is plenty to see! First up, Kat gets her own back on Alfie by sleeping with Michael, now the last time she did that Kat ended up pregnant with Tommy and her marriage on the rocks so it probably isn’t the smartest idea. Tanya returns to Walford and Max is straight over begging for another chance. Lola decides to take matters into her own hands and disappears with baby Lexi... Meanwhile, the Phil/Jack/Sharon triangle continues as Phil meddles in Sharon and Jack’s relationship. Unable to see Jack and Sharon happy, Phil tries his hardest to split them up, which partially works but also backfires in his face too. Stay tuned to find out what happens.

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25 Feb to 12 M plus a special viewing of the film “Milk” at 5pm in OH1 Large Glass House Wine (175ml) - £2.70 | Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

Monday 25

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2013

Carlsberg Draft / Carling Draft / VK & WKD / Vodka & Relentless / Relentless Can - all £2 Large Glass House Wine (175ml) - £2.50 (until midnight) Bottle of Champagne - £20 Firebombs - £2 / Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

Friday 1

Computer Geeks Carlsberg Draft / Carling Draft / VK & WKD / Vodka & Relentless / Relentless Can - all £2 | Large Glass House Wine (175ml) - £2.50 (until midnight) Firebombs - £2 Corky’s £1 A Shot // Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

Friday 8

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Jakwob Coors Light Draft / Red Stripe Can / Strongbow (Original + Pear) Draft / Jim Beam flavours & Mixer - all £2 (until midnight) Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

Saturday 9

bruary March BROTHER & BONES Plus guests...

Hockey Takeover (Wild West Theme) 4 Pint Pitcher of Carlsberg / Gaymers / Snakebite & Black - £8 | Range of Barefoot Wines - £7 | Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

Snakebite & Black - £1.80 | 175ml Glass of House Wine - £2.50 (until midnight) Corky’s £1 A Shot | Double Up On Any Shot £1 | Pint Of Coke/Lemonade £1 (all night)

Gaymers Original Draft / Strongbow Pear Draft / Tuborg Cans / Vodka & Relentless / Range of Bombs’ - all £2 Large Glass House Wine (175ml) - £2.50 Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot - £1 (all night)

Tuesday 26

Wednesday 27

Thursday 28

The Oscars // Decades

Tottenham vs Arsenal@4pm

+ Quiz @8pm

Featuring The Official Doritos Mariachi Band

Coors Light Draft / Red Stripe Can / Strongbow (Original + Pear) Draft / Jim Beam flavours & Mixer - all £2 (until midnight) Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

4 Pint Pitcher of Carlsberg / Gaymers / Snakebite & Black - £8 | Range of Barefoot Wines - £7 | Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

Large Glass House Wine (175ml) - £2.70 | Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

Saturday 2

Sunday 3

Monday 4

Basketball Takeover

Plus Blacksands, Coastal Cities & Omega Charlie

(Wild West Theme)

The Best of Wycombe Bands

4 Pint Pitcher of Carlsberg / Gaymers / Snakebite & Black - £8 | Range of Barefoot Wines - £7 | Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

Snakebite & Black - £1.80 | 175ml Glass of House Wine - £2.50 (until midnight) Corky’s £1 A Shot | Double Up On Any Shot £1 | Pint Of Coke/Lemonade £1 (all night)

Tuesday 5

Wednesday 6

Thursday 7

Fulham vs Chelsea @ 1pm Liverpool vs Tottenham @ 4pm

+ Quiz @8pm

A night in the 50s

4 Pint Pitcher of Carlsberg / Gaymers / Snakebite & Black - £8 | Range of Barefoot Wines - £7 | Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

Large Glass House Wine (175ml) - £2.70 | Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

4 Pint Pitcher of Carlsberg / Gaymers / Snakebite & Black - £8 | Range of Barefoot Wines - £7 | Corky’s £1 A Shot / Double Up On Any Shot £1 (all night)

Sunday 10

Monday 11

Tuesday 12

find more photos of events

Bucks SU Photoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2012 - 2013

Your Nig

High Wycombe Venu

ghts Out

ue WED 6th - SUN 24th

FRI 1 MARCH | 8PM

£5

MARCUS BRIGSTOKE

STUDENT STANDBY! 30MINS BEFORE

‘Dazzling, inspired, perfectly observed. I’ve yet to see anything funnier’

By Cath Prackownik

AS Easter draws near, loans start to wither away and the work begins to mount up. We selected the top ten films you need to catch up on for an entertaining free night in.

Daily Telegraph

SUN 3 MARCH | 7PM

‘I am telling secrets to the one guy you don’t tell secrets to.’ A high-school boy, who lies about his age, is given the opportunity to write a story for Rolling Stone Magazine. Accompanying a rock band on tour, he’s introduced to a world of sex, drugs and music.

RUTHIE HENSHALL Spend an intimate evening with one of the world’s best loved and most captivating performers.

The top ten films everyone must see

‘I’m just an ordinary guy with nothing to lose.’ Lester Burnham, decides to make changes to his life as he hits a mid-life crisis. As he starts making sudden changes to his and his family’s lives, the depressed husband and father begins to develop a fascination with his teenage daughter’s best friend.

£5

STUDENT STANDBY! 30MINS BEFORE

‘Though passions may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.’ A neo-nazi who is sent to prison for murder returns home a changed man. Only to find his brother heading down the same road he did. Can he prevent his brother from making the same mistakes?

EVERY THUR FROM 7 MARCH ‘Time rules over us without mercy. Not caring if we’re healthy or ill. FedEx executive, Chuck Nowland finds he is stranded on a deserted island as his plane crashes, killing everyone else on board. He must discover how to adjust physically and emotionally as he tries to survive on the island alone.

7 MARCH Charlie Baker / Roger Monkhouse / Mickey Sharma

‘Creating chaos and uproar wherever she went. Divorced as many times as she married, she leaves only good wishes behind.’ Factory Girl is an American biographical film based on the rise and fall of socialite Edie Sedgwick. The film centres on her relationships with artist Andy Warhol and folk singer Bob Dylan.

14 MARCH Ivo Graham / Rich Morton / Junior Simpson

£5 ENTRY OR £9 WITH FOOD SAT 9 MARCH | 7.30PM

PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS

£5

STUDENT STANDBY! 30MINS BEFORE

‘Hysterical, the audience scream and squeal.’

‘Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.’ Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, the film follows an insomniac office worker and deviant soap maker as they create an underground fight club.

‘How am I supposed to heal… If I can’t feel time?’ Adapted from Jonathan Nolan’s short story ‘Memento Mori’, the thriller follows a man who suffers from short-term memory loss. Using notes and tattoos he attempts to track down the man he believes is responsible for murdering his wife.

‘You know what the monty pythons used to say?’ Sliding doors shows two versions of a London woman’s life when she is fired from her job. Her love life and career both alter, depending on if she catches her train or not.

Mail on Sunday

WYCOMBE

SWAN THEATRE wycombeswan.co.uk

‘Well I’ve always believed that if done properly, armed robbery doesn’t have to be an unpleasant experience.’ Best friends Thelma and Louise decide to take a weekend break from their lives as a waitress and a housewife. When they stop off at a bar on their drive they have an encounter with a rapist, which leads to his death. The pair leave the scene in a ’66 Thunderbird, but it’s not long before the police are after them.

‘The itsy-bitsy spider dropped acid at the park.’ When thirteen-year-old honour student, Tracey, becomes best friends with the school’s most popular girl, Evie, her life is turned upside down. Descending into a world of drugs, alcohol, sex, self-harm and stealing, it puts her relationship with her mother through the ultimate test.

February 2013 Bucks Student 21

Movie Reviews

F L I G H T Flight (15) Released 1/2/2013 Running time: 138 mins

DENZEL Washington’s Oscar-nominated performance in Flight, explores an American pilot’s struggle with addiction to cocaine and alcohol. His battle to confront his problem is heightened when he is confronted with an investigation into his plane crash, resulting in the deaths of his crewmembers. The film opens with Captain Whitaker (Denzel Washington) groggily waking at 7am. The dark filter adds to the seedy effect the director seems to be aiming for. As he argues with his ex-wife on the phone, he casually drinks a beer whilst a naked woman leaves his bed. Once off the phone he has breakfast, takes a hit of coke and heads to work as a pilot. When seated in the cockpit he takes a couple of breaths through his oxygen mask, leaving his co-pilot looking understandably anxious. After hitting panicking turbulence Whitaker drinks three vodkas and takes a nap, leaving his co-pilot to fly the plane alone. When something goes wrong with the plane’s mechanisms Whitaker awakes to find himself uncontrollably falling. Whilst the aircrew and passengers are in a state of panic, Whitaker remains calm and reassuring. Taking control of the situation, he

By Cath Prackownik

lands the plane with almost everyone surviving. Before waking up in hospital authorities take blood samples as part of an investigation into the accident, showing that he was intoxicated during the flight. As part of the investigation the crash is reenacted with various other pilots using a simulator, not one of them was able to land the plane safely, confirming Whitaker in fact saved many lives that day. During the film, recovering drug addict Nicole (Kelly Reilly), along with his colleague Charlie (Bruce Greenwood), attempt to help the deflated pilot sober up and quit drink and drugs. The movie explores the realms of a broken family, depression, addiction and heartache. It allows the viewer to connect with the main character and sympathize with his struggle with recreational dependence. Flight tests the boundaries of the audiences own emotions of morals, justice and sympathy. Many may find themselves willing Whitaker to walk free without charges even though he risked the lives of his colleagues and passengers. Although the film drags towards the end it is a gripping and emotional story as viewers see someone attempt to do the right thing, but fail time and time again due to a strong addiction to a substance. This film will have you questioning what you would have done, even after it is over.

By Cath Prackownik Parental Guidance (U) Released 25/12/2012 Running time: 105 mins

BILLY Crystal and Bette Midler star as out of touch grandparents in their mild family comedy, Parental Guidance. Milder and Crystal are called upon for family duties as their estranged daughter (Marisa Tomeri) plans to accompany her husband (Tom Everett Scott) to his business awards. The pair, who are asked as a desperate last resort, take the opportunity to bond with their three grandchildren during a week of babysitting. The brood, who at first are cautious of their new found sitters, slowly warm to them when they begin learning life lessons from the duo. In a house where sugar isn’t consumed, the children have psychiatrists and phrases like ‘use your words’ are used in a modern day parenting technique, the grandparents show them how to have fun, stand up for themselves

and even kill an imaginary kangaroo (the last one doesn’t seem so strange once you have watched the film). As expected, the film includes a number of clichéd scenes ranging from a 1950’s musical number to a family game of baseball in the rain. Certain aspects of the film are a little dramatised in order to get a few more laughs from the crowd, but will undoubtedly leave many asking ‘when would this ever happen?’ Although the comical film comes with its fails, it is not one many could dislike. Towards the end of the movie the audience grow to love the dysfunctional relationships within the family dynamics and witness bonds develop, not only with the grandchildren and their grandparents, but also with their parents as they’re opened up to a wider aspect of life. With a few one hit jokes and a decent family moral at the end, viewers will be left feeling reasonably satisfied, like many U rated Sunday afternoon movies. It is a perfect fit for an easy watch.

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February 2013 Bucks Student 23

From food to fashion and everything in between! Submit your articles to Section Editor Harmeet studentessentials@thebucksstudent.com

Life as a perceived lesbian I’d like to preface this with saying I have no problem with being automatically considered a lesbian, as the Chairman of the LGBT society I am totally OK with how people judge me. OK, now that’s over with - let’s start. all, not even a little bit. I asked him if he thought this because of my hair, long story short – it was. I’m totally OK with this, but it’s made me think a lot about the way people in the LGBT community are perceived. It’s common for people who reside under the umbrella-term of LGBT to fully subscribe to their LGBT/Queer identity, they wear the tropes and customs of it like a badge of honour and I am proud of them for it. When my friends transition I am proud of them for being able to express who they are inside. When my best friend Topher is having an exceptionally fabulous day I’m proud he’s so happy and that we live in a society where he isn’t repressed for who he is. I’m not proud, however, when people take what they see these conventions of identity and apply it to everyone they meet. Stereotyping and labelling is something we can all fall into, a lot of people do it accidentally but it’s really not cool. Just because a girl is feminine or a guy is an all-star athlete doesn’t mean they’re straight. A guy with an interest in fashion or who appears camp isn’t necessarily gay. Androgyny is not a signifier that someone is queer or transgendered. Similarly, just because you find that same-sexed person behind the bar exceedingly attractive doesn’t mean that you are a full blown devil worshipping homosexual - they’re just fit. I’m not saying we should get rid of all labels (more so the inherent need to label and catalogue ourselves) but sexuality and gender can be a little less black and white than that. I think what I’m trying to get at

here is an abolishment of stereotypes. I’m not demonising the people who contribute to the self-fulfilling circlejerk of LGBT pigeonholing and categorisation, they can do whatever they want. What needs to be changed however is people feeling they should use one perception they have of a type of person and then ctrl+v it onto everyone else they meet. Equally the need for people to feel they HAVE to act or appear a certain way to be accepted by a community is a dangerous practice. The public forum is often cruel and unkind and I can understand why people will try their hardest to be accepted by people that correlate to such a large part of what defines who they are as a person. For me, my sexuality is not a defining quality. Same with Topher, he’s not fabulous because he’s gay, he’s just fabulous. What we need to alter is the way we educate ourselves. You can’t see a girl in the street and call her a dyke just because she has her nose pierced and her hair cropped short, that’s almost as stupid as my 11 year old brother being called gay because he has an ear pierced. Some people think that because things don’t directly apply to them they don’t have to understand them. A handful even refuse to tolerate them. Sometimes the LGBT language can get a bit confusing and since it’s LGBT History Month, I’ve included a little list of definitions to make life easier for everyone. This is a really big topic though, so I’d encourage you to look into it yourselves.

LGBT Fellowship

I used to have really long hair. Super long. Some even went so far as to describe it as ‘Disney’ length. Frankly, it was obscene, way more effort than it was worth and a lot of the time I looked a bit silly. I wasn’t just doing it for shiggles though, I grew my hair with the intention of one day cutting it off to raise money for Cancer Research UK and donate the hair to a charity that made wigs for kids with cancer. The longer the hair, the longer the wig. It made sense. The big day came the day of Freshbook 2012. I put my hair up into a long plait, sat down and my housemates took turns chopping and shaving. I didn’t cry, I felt proud and my ears were very cold. I had a moment of madness a few weeks earlier and bought a wig for fear I’d hate it but I felt wonderful. People were shocked, it was weird to see me so different. My friends would do double takes when they saw me on nights out. It was hilarious and I managed to raise over £700 both online and offline. What I didn’t expect however, was that strangers and some of my friends would completely re-work their thoughts about me just because I had a new haircut. New people I’d meet would just make the assumption, guys stopped paying attention and some girls started noticing and talking to me more. I still dressed the same, I still talked the same. My opinions and thought patterns weren’t altered with my hairstyle, so what was different? Whilst in the queue for Flirt! one night, one course-mate straight up said I didn’t swing towards guys at

LGBTerminology Sexual identity What you’re attracted to. Gender identity How you perceive yourself, male/female/anything inbetween. Homosexual A person who is predominantly attracted to their own gender. Bisexual A person who is attracted to both genders in varying degrees. Pansexual A person who is attracted to people of all genders, regardless of how they identify. This includes transsexual, transvestite, genderqueer etc. Asexual A person who has little to no attraction to anyone at all, or has no interest in sexual activities. Girlfag / Guydyke This one is a little more complicated. A man or

woman who identifies as or is attracted to a homosexual person of the opposite gender. For example: a woman identifying as or being attracted to gay or bisexual men. Queer An umbrella term for sexual/ gender minorities which is inclusive but not limited to what you’ll find in this list. Gender Queer A catch-all for anything other than a man or a woman. This can be identifying as genderless, moving between genders or having more than one gender. Heteronormative Having distinct ‘normal’ views regarding sexuality, gender identity and gender roles. Think a man and a woman, married, 2 kids, the wife stays home and the man works. It’s totally OK if this is how you live your life, it isn’t a bad thing. Transsexual Someone who identifies

with a gender that isn’t how they were born. Some cultures have no problem with people who change gender roles. Gender binary The categorisation of sex and gender into two opposite sides, male or female. No in-betweens. It can also represent the discourage mixing gender roles (for example, stay at home dads), identifying as anything but male/ female and practices which stigmatize transgender/ intersex people. Linked to cisnormativity, which is too complicated to explain. Kinsey Scale An attempt to explain the varying degrees of sexuality. It’s a chart that ranges from ‘exclusively straight’ to ‘exclusively gay’. It’s a little more confused than that though, with varying factors like that scene in Donnie Darko when he’s asked to put a mark where a scenario between good and evil.

Watford Methodist Circuit For lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people and friends, families and allies. Welcome whether you’re a Methodist, Christian of another denomination, or have little/no/undecided faith. We meet on the first Sunday of the month, 2.30pm-4pm, at Berry Lane Methodist Church, Mill End, WD3 7HJ. They are not meeting on 10th March. Instead, the group is joining the Soho Masses at 5pm on Sunday 17 March (in London). This was decided as part of our networking with other groups, in particular because of the recent publicity they have faced see for example sohomasses.com In April we will be meeting on the second Sunday of the month as usual. For more info contact Rachel and Sarah e: lgbchristianbook@tiscali.co.uk w:berrylanemethodistchurch.wordpress.com If you would like a lift to the event in Watford, please contact the University Multi-faith Chaplain Karen Johnstone on 07544 750 793 or email karen.johnstone@bucks.ac.uk

Look out for the next edition of the Newspaper for our House Hunting Guide to help you find the right house for you for next year. We’ll also be running a competition and to enter we’d like your photos. There will be two categories; one for the best student accommodation and one for the worst, so you can start taking your photos now. Details of how to enter will also be in the next edition of the paper.

Mother’s Day - 10 March Sunday 10 March 2013 is Mother’s Day. Don’t worry if you’re stuck for ideas because this handy little guide will have you prepared in no time, regardless of your budget! 1.) A bouquet of flowers - What mother doesn’t love flowers? With the opportunity to present them to your darling mum yourself or the option to purchase them online and have them hand-delivered home, there’s no excuse for not purchasing a bunch of flowers! Websites like serenataflowers.com do deliveries on Sunday, and have 30% off deals too. 2.) Health related (Spa weekend, massage, head massage etc ) - Depending on your budget, why not splash out and treat your mum to a spa day or a massage. If you shop around early enough, you may be able to bag a bargain! Keep an eye out on websites like groupon.co.uk (who currently have spa weekends with 70% off) as they’re updated daily with attractive deals. 3.) Bath products - Let’s face it, which woman doesn’t love a good soak? Head down to Lush and pick up some gorgeous smelling products that are bound to put a smile on your mum’s face! 4.) A homemade gift basket - If you’re feeling a tad arty and want to give her a little something special, then this is bound to be the perfect idea! Get a small/large box or basket and decorate it. You can then fill it with all of her favourite stuff like chocolates, lotions, and photographs of all of her favourite people! It’s something that she’s bound to treasure and definitely a sentimental gift!

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5.) Perfume - A woman can never have too much perfume. Find out your mum’s favourite smells, like whether she prefers to smell sweet, fruity, or woody and purchase the appropriate perfume. If you’re not sure, keep the receipt and your mum can always change it. Either way, The Perfume Shop currently has a sale on, so head on down and find the right smell. 6.) Jewellery - This can be a tricky as women are very particular on jewellery, so unless you know there is something very specific that your mother wants, I suggest you handle with care. Also, this can also be very expensive, so make sure you pick the perfect item. 7.) Home comforts - If you’re looking for something cheap and cheerful, how about an apron (possibly personalised), hot water bottle, slippers, robe, or anything else home-y. 8.) A surprise visit home! - If you’re living away, why don’t you pop home and surprise your mother! I’m pretty sure they’ll greatly appreciate it, and even if you don’t have a gift - the sight of their beloved son or daughter ought to be enough of a present! So there you have it! Best of luck with the present hunting and don’t forget - Sunday 10 March! Deputy Student Editor MJ Mahmood

Keep up-to-date with the latest information and campaigns from NUS, the national voice of students.

Freshers: your first term in numbers Student stereotypes are all well and good but what should you really expect when it comes to your first term at uni? Our friends over at Which? University have been finding out… Which? University (the free and impartial guide to choosing degree courses and universities) have asked this year’s freshers cohort how they’ve been settling in to life on campus - and how their experiences, from academic to social to financial, have measured up against what they were expecting. Encouragingly, more than half the students spoken to were enjoying their degree course more than they actually thought they would – with 44% of students finding lectures more interesting than expected and 55% saying their university’s facilities had exceeded expectations. Having said that, nearly four in 10 students didn’t agree that the tuition fees they pay offer value for money (while 6% had missed at least half of their lectures!). Worryingly, the findings revealed that four in 10 first-year university students are finding managing their money harder than expected - and almost a

fifth are worried about being able to afford to stay at uni. 19% have already gone into their student bank account overdraft, while 3% had used a bank loan to help pay for some aspect of university. Socially, more than half of freshers said they’d joined a society, club or sports group, though 28% said they’d struggled to find any extra-curricular activity that appealed to them. And about a third of students said they’d also felt pressurised at some stage to go out socialising. Read the full freshers’ first-term report over on Which? University: university.which.co.uk/advice/ freshers-what-to-expect-in-your-first-universityterm and check out this student infographic: university.which.co.uk/advice/freshers-your-firstterm-in-numbers-infographic - any of these stats sound familiar..?

February 2013 Bucks Student 25

Old News New Life

Green

The International Blog

Let’s get political

Each edition of the Bucks Student, we will be teaching you different ways to recycle your newspaper. Send us pictures of any creations you make to union@bucks.ac.uk, and you may feature in one of the editions!

Back home (Israel), I would never really get into the local political issues or government decisions. I’ve always felt that I don’t know enough about it, and that if I expressed my opinion people would think I’m stupid. This all changed when I moved to the UK. About 4 months after I began my studies at Bucks, a war broken out in my country, and I couldn’t focus on anything but that war. I would sit all day staring at my laptop, looking for the latest news and updates. I was afraid, but not only for my family and friends’ lives, but also for the way my country is portrayed in the news. I felt so angry when one channel showed only one side of the fence, and was proud when another channel showed my side of the fence. I was a roller-coaster of emotions, probably not the best person to be hanging around with. This war has changed me. From a quiet and reserved person, I became someone who will spoke her mind, who wasn’t afraid to talk politics. I started defending the decisions of my country, something I never used to do. My Facebook friends could testify that the only posts I made that time were about the war, and injustice in my country. I realised that my opinion does matter, because people supported me, and started getting involved in this campaign for justice. I had more energy back then than I had all year, I felt great! I guess what I’m trying to say here is that even if you think you have no influence on anything, or that your opinion is not strong enough, don’t let it stop you from taking action. This is election week at bucks, now is the time to make your voice heard. Anything you feel that could be done better at this university, tweet about it. Talk to someone. Join the Union Council (yes, everyone can). Vote! The worst thing is to not do anything, and then complain about it. It’s all up to you.

Recycle your newspaper this week by… Making coasters! > Fold one newspaper sheet in half several times to create a long strip > Begin coiling the strip round, gluing as you go > continue to wrap the newspaper around in a circle until you reach the desired size and seal the edge with glue > To make the coaster waterproof use a sealant of your choice and wait to dry.

By Yola Rivniker

Research - feed me

Curb your cravings with cardio!

feed me!

Keep reading this column to find out how to feedback to the Students’ Union with your thoughts and opinions. There is everything from filling out surveys to attending focus groups and you can contribute as much or as little as you like!

- a quick guide to look great for summer!

National student survey This is your chance to feedback on everything to do with your course. It only takes 5 minutes, and as a Bucks student you have the chance to win an ipad mini! Look out for our NSS helpers around campus to fill it in or visit thestudentsurvey.com

A change of space Are you interested in having your say on the location of University services across campus? Come along to a focus group on Monday

11 March at 2pm is N2.03 to discuss relocation proposals. Email gemma.heath@bucks.ac.uk to book a place!

A quick assessment Let us know if you have been receiving your assessment feedback on time, or whether it was late, via the assessment feedback survey at bucksstudent.com/surveys. There is a chance to win £50 if you complete the survey!

The winner of Bucks Buddying Survey £50 prize was Hollie Sipple. A first year Police Studies student! If you want a chance to win £50, just fill in our surveys at bucksstudent.com/surveys

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New Years resolutions gone astray? Dominoes catching up with you? If you are having a serious case of the mid winter munchies, then don’t panic. It’s perfectly normal to want more comforting, ahem, junk foods this time of year. The weather is cold and all you want to do is warm up with a carb attack! Before you blow your diet and New Years efforts completely, think about what you want more, that pizza washed down with full fat coke, or to be healthier and happier come summertime on the BEACH (Oh yes I used the B word in February!). Head to the gym, or just go outdoors. There is no such thing as excuses, so head out and pound the pavement, because research has found that an hour of exercise will dampen your desire for that Krispy Kreme moment mid lecture, and reduce how much you eat the next time you chow down on dinner. And that means no more guilt, no more surprises when reading the scales and more money to spend on that bikini ;-). Health and Fitness Facts > Bananas reduce your risk of blood clots, combat stress and anxiety and help to maintain healthy kidneys.

Did you know it is University policy for students to receive feedback within 3 weeks?* of a standard that This feedback should also be helps students to progress. *on written assessments

> Can’t sleep? Dim down the lights and turn off Facebook well before bed time (difficult I know!) It turns out the light from computers ups your stress hormone cortisol, reducing the amount you sleep.

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> Apples are a secret super food – they up your levels of muscle mass while suppressing appetite to help keep hunger at bay. > Popcorn packs twice as many antioxidants as any fruit or vegetable and has fewer calories than a banana. However not all popcorn is created equal so beware – cinema buckets of popcorn can be up to 1000 calories a pop! Old School Workout Rules you can forget! > Do crunches for a flatter tummy – not necessarily! Pilates abdominal moves are far better for sculpting your midsection, firing up more of our abs than straightforward crunches. > Cardio is the only way to burn calories – 30 minutes of mid to high intensity weight training can torch as many calories as a medium intensity run for the same amount of time. Weights’ training has also been shown to boost metabolism for up to 39 hours after your last rep. > Breaking between sets - less rest ups your calorie burn and add a cardio component to your workout. Back to back exercises are a great way to up your endurance! By Aimee Martin

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February 2013 Bucks Student 27

An insight into everything the Students’ Union offers and how you can get involved. Best of all it’s free!

THIS MEANS IT’S FREE!

Raise and Give

Green Impact Week a round up of charitable fun. From 11 - 16 February, Bucks hosted Green Impact Week. Raising money for Rafe’s Place, Coppafeel and the Pepper Foundation, students and staff alike had the chance to join in, either volunteering or giving to a good cause. Throughout the week there were plenty of things to do, from catching a bite to eat at the Global Food Market to bungee jumping. Here’s a run-through of what happened: Global Food Market

With a variety of stalls selling Polish Sausage, Crepes, Kebabs and Jerk Chicken, there was plenty of food to be had! This was a chance for students to see that buying fresh ingredients from markets and independent shops is the way forward. Better for you and your bank balance, the aroma was mouthwatering and left you wanting more. Many had seconds and even thirds.

RAG Fair

#HikingVikings The Hitch is said to be like “a gap year in two weeks” which is about to begin this Easter holidays through the Raise and Give (RAG) society. There are many small groups of up to three sponsored Bucks students travelling to either Croatia or Morocco for the Link Community Development charity; who aim to improve the quality of education in Africa within all the established schools. All the Hitch participants like Sophie Homan, Joseph McCrudden and Hollie Sipple (or the Hiking Vikings as they like to be called), have got a target to fundraise £375 each before commencing their Hitch journey. The Hiking Vikings are very keen to make a difference

in the lives of Africa’s younger generation, because as Nelson Mandela once said; “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.” They have been promoting their hitchhike as a way to make the Link Community Development known around Bucks to gain donations, sponsors and importantly to share their vision of change by all means of support. Please find the Hiking Vikings on Facebook and follow them to show your support, especially throughout their journey as they update everyone on where they are and what they are doing!

Bad weather pursued! With a stall held in the Students’ Union cakes were on offer from Coppafeel, as well as Maoam and other sweet treats from RAG. There was an opportunity to sign up to be a volunteer as well as give feedback on volunteering that the Union provides. Football boys and Netball girls played a match which saw half an hour of football and forty minutes of netball. The combined match scores ended up being 30 - 27 to the boys but the girls fought and tackled their way just as good as the boys! Spectators had to pay £1 which went to the RAG charities.

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Rusty’s Tin Challenge

Gathering tins and other home products from halls and various areas around the University, the RAG team made a love heart on the Concourse outside the Gateway. Rusty and Busty joined in the fun too! All the tins will be given to the One Can Trust.

Environmental Centre

Two groups of students visited the local environment centre this week. The first group started to build a puppet theatre for children to use when visiting, and the second group started to create an orchard ready for the summer.

Keepy Up-y

Let’s talk balls. People from Uxbridge and members of the RAG team had to keep a football up in the air passing person to person as often as possible on video, for the Oxfam campaign ‘Don’t Drop the Ball on Aid’.

come and see us opposite tesco in eden centre

Bungee Jump

This gave 10 very brave people the chance to raise some money (an amazing £686) and for some to conquer their fear of heights. Those jumping said the day was a great deal of fun and they had no regrets.

0845 519 5846 www.spicepeople.co.uk

Library Fines

All week, students could also pay back their library fines, with all the money being donated to RAG. By the end of the week the total raised from this alone was an astonishing £810.28!

*25% discount excludes existing offers and meal deals

Student Editor Guy Humphrey

28 Bucks Student February 2013

Volunteering Opportunities with Bucks Students’ Union

Volunteering is not only doing something for free that benefits others but it is also a great way to get to know people, learn new things, gain experience in what interests you and get involved in something you care about. There are a number of volunteering roles at Bucks Students’ Union so there’s bound to be something that interests you. These roles include; volunteering as a committee member for a sports team or society, becoming a Union Councillor, Student Trustee, writing for the Bucks Student newspaper, going out in the community to volunteer, or working the events team. All of the hours you put into volunteering can be recorded with the Bucks Student log book, and once you’ve clocked up some hours, we’ll present you with a certificate for your hard work. We can also provide you with references, mentoring, training and support.

LGBT History Month T-shirt design competition at Amersham and Wycombe College

by Georgie Price

Community Volunteering and RAG Calendar - Volunteers needed!

22 November Cultural Awareness training session 29 November Christmas shopping with the elderly 30 November ‘Organising a fundraiser’ training session 3 December Christmas RAG fair in Uxbridge 4 December Christmas RAG fair in High Wycombe 5 December Christmas dinner with the elderly 7 December CLIC Sargent collection. Bucket collectors needed at a local supermarket to support CLIC Sargent, a charity that supports children with cancer. The top 3 t-shirts as chosen by Georgie.

Opportunities of the fortnight

Youth Club Volunteer - An opportunity to work with young people ages 11-16 within the youth club and on outings. Two sessions a month that last for three hours. Gain a full CRB certificate and free training! Sport Coaches - Coaches are needed all over Buckinghamshire for all different sports! Gain excellent experience, working with qualified coaches, once a week, with young people in High Wycombe. You could even be offered paid work, and it’s a great chance to network with local organisations! ChildLine Services Volunteer - Work in local schools, talking to children about the dangers of abuse and bullying. Learn vital presentation skills whilst working with the NSPCC, attend free training, and be entitled to expenses. Rafe’s Place - One of our RAG charities this year, Rafe’s Place, are looking for volunteers for various opportunities. If you’re interested in running youth workshops, helping at festivals, fundraising, or have a particular skill that you could teach others, then email claire@rafesplace.com for more information. If you like the sound of any of these opportunities, please email volunteering@bucks.ac.uk or visit us at the Students’ Union office, ground floor, north block.

LGBT History Month is well underway and as the chairman of BNU LGBT I was invited along to one of our partner colleges, Amersham and Wycombe College, to give a talk and judge a t-shirt design competition that was created to raise LGBT awareness and educate students. I tell you, they’re a talented bunch and it was really hard to pick a winner! The college had been nice enough to print the designs onto t-shirts and it was really interesting to see how they transformed from paper onto fabric. In the end I

whittled it down to three, and then put them in order. Then changed my mind. Multiple times. One really stuck out to me though, and despite the finished product looking different to how it was on paper, the cohesion between the idea and LGBT History Month was incredibly clear and it worked out perfectly. Finally we got somewhere and the winners were announced and presented with a total of £85 in High Street vouchers! I feel incredibly honoured and thankful to have been invited along and want to thank everyone who

entered the competition, I could see that people worked hard on their designs and I wish I could have had more finalists. It’s really great to see people having an interest in such a broad topic! LGBT awareness is a tricky thing to consider approaching, let alone talk about! If you’ve got any questions or would like to know more about us and what we do feel free to find us on Facebook (BNU LGBT), attend an event or come see us at Milk! We’d love to see you and you definitely don’t have to be gay to come along!

February 2013 Bucks Student 29

Societies

VITA

Violence isn’t the Answer

VITA is a small student service available for students at Bucks who may be experiencing difficulties within their relationships. We provide a service for anyone wishing to find out more about domestic abuse. Whether you’re experiencing isolation, psychological abuse, physical abuse, or even if you just feel intimidated, no problem

is too big or small to come and speak with us about. Even if you are worried about a friend becoming withdrawn or you suspect that something may be happening to someone you know, we are here to help. We are also looking for help and inspiration from other societies and people looking to get involved and help. So what are we looking for? Anyone

who is interested in helping with: fundraising, advertising, awareness raising, volunteering etc. There are positions and opportunities for whatever your skill sets so please get in touch if you are interested. Our email address is: vita10group@gmail. com and our Facebook page is: facebook.com/Violence.Isnt. The.Answer so please follow

us or contact us for further information. We also provide training and experience for those interested in helping others who may be experiencing control and problems within their relationships. Please feel free to come in and discuss things with us at our drop-ins on Wednesdays from 12noon - 1pm in N1:04.

Black Gold Vinyl Record Club Black Gold – Vinyl Record Club came into life to promote vinyl culture in the digital era. The idea behind our activity is to introduce students to the first physical format in music - vinyl record which in terms of sound quality is unbeatable. Come join the new exclusive Bucks Student Society - Black Gold Vinyl Record Club and enjoy a wide range of benefits such as: desk DJ’ing workshops with DJ Dark Logic, fancy dress parties related to a specific era in music, guest speakers including such vinyl junkies like some of our dear lecturers including: Simon Poole, Paul Martin, Rich Chamberlain to name a few, screenings, trips and in the future even buying vinyl records with special discount for Bucks Students

Black Gold Record Club Members. And last but not least: share the experience of listening to your favourite records in the company other students - vinyl record record lovers. “We been thinkin’ ‘bout starting up a club that shows some class and style” ... Beach Boys, 1963. Please feel free to follow us on: facebook.com/groups/blackgoldrecordclub/ @BlackGoldRC instagram.com/bucksblackgold blackgoldrecordclub.tumblr.com/ pinterest.com/blackgoldrc/ by Marcin Majewski

Student Reps

Student Rep Elections 2013 Could you represent the views of your peers to the University? Get involved to make change happen and earn up to £100 reward payment! Also get unique access to the Students’ Union’s Bonus Bucks and additional training schemes.

Uxbridge Voting opens Monday 25 February - Friday 1 March High Wycombe Nominations close Friday 8 March 12noon High Wycombe Voting opens Monday 11 - Friday 15 March Complete a nominations form online at bucksstudent.com/representation or visit your nearest Students’ Union office.

Sports

Your Varsity Captains - as chosen by you. Name - Matthew Gilbert Age - 21 Course - Sport Management and Rugby Studies Sport - Rugby (barely)

Name - Chelsea Balfour Age - 20 Course - Dance Performance Sport - Cheerleading and Dance

Matthew has represented the University rugby team for the last three years, captaining the team this season. Matt lists his inspirations as Joey from friends, for his style and charisma with females, Dean Gaffney, for his persistence to stay in the public eye and children’s TV favourite Arthur for being odd looking but still being cool. Matt has promised to inspire all the sports teams and lead us all to victory!

Chelsea is a 1st year student who has fully embraced the Students’ Union and all it has to offer. She has been a huge part of the cheer and dance teams this year competing for the dance team in the recent BNU Dance competition and is looking forward to her upcoming cheer competition. Chelsea has an unhealthy obsession with Jessica Ennis (don’t we all) and lists her determination, athleticism, toned torso, perfect hair, gorgeous smile and irresistible bum as key components to the obsession. Nevertheless Chelsea is excited and passionate to be varsity captain!

February 2013 Bucks Student 31

Lets be Franc...o!

TOTES

Take Opportunity To Elect Sabbaticals

ELECTIONS! Make sure you’re getting involved and vote, read though the manifestos, watch the candidate videos and help shape your Union. You can either vote online or on campus during 25 Feb - 1 March, every vote counts! Please don’t miss this opportunity. Well done to all the candidates nominating themselves to run the Union and congratulations on two successful Question Times at both Uxbridge and High Wycombe campus’. Look out for everyone during this week of campaigning. Varsity is fast approaching and the AU members have just elected their new Varsity Captains for this year, congratulations Matt Gilbert and Chelsea Balfour. We have several meetings coming up and other organisational things before the big day, so look out Varsity is coming! #Buckstowin Just wanted to take the chance to also congratulate our very own BNU dance students for holding our very first dance competition, which I must say was a great

Graduate Jobs in Sport launches GJS LIVE Graduate Jobs in Sport, the recruitment service that matches the best in graduate talent with the latest job opportunities from the country’s leading sport and leisure employers, will be running its inaugural careers event, Graduate Jobs in Sport Live (GJS LIVE), on Thursday 14 March 2013. The one day event will take place at leading sports institute Buckinghamshire New University,

Fixtures and results Results Saturday 9 February 2013

High Wycombe. It will bring together up to 40 top employers from the sports sector with an anticipated audience of more than 600 students and graduates, all of whom will be focused on finding their ideal job in the sport and leisure industry. Employers will include national governing bodies, national gym chains, sports recruitment agencies, training and coaching companies and commercial

Men’s Squash Royal Holloway 2nd 4-0 Bucks 1st

Men’s Indoor Cricket Bucks 1st 62-63 Southampton 2nd Bucks 1st 87-116 Surrey 1st

Fixtures

Sunday 10 February 2013 American Football Brighton 1st 12-14 Bucks 1st

Woman’s Badminton Bucks 1st vs Roehampton 1st Men’s Badminton Bucks 1st vs Surrey 2nd Men’s Basketball Imperial 2nd vs Bucks 1st Men’s Football Brighton 3rd vs Bucks 1st Bucks 2nd vs Brighton 4th St Mary’s 4th vs Bucks 3rd Portsmouth 6th vs Bucks 4th LSE 3rd vs Bucks 5th Bucks 6th vs Surrey 4th Bucks 7th vs Creative Arts 2nd Woman’s Football Bucks 1st vs East London 1st Mixed Golf Kingston 1st vs Bucks 2nd Netball Bucks 1st vs Chichester 2nd St Mary’s 3rd vs Bucks 2nd Roehampton 4th vs Bucks 3rd Men’s Tennis Roehampton 2nd vs Bucks 1st Men’s Hockey Bucks 1st vs Portsmouth 2nd Woman’s Hockey Bucks 1st vs Portsmouth 2nd Men’s Volleyball Bucks 1st vs Portsmouth 1st Men’s Squash Bucks 1st vs Surrey 2nd

Wednesday 13 February 2013 Men’s Basketball Bucks 1st 63-47 Kingston 2nd Men’s Volleyball Bucks 1st 1-3 Chichester 1st Netball Bucks 2nd 16-12 Roehampton 2nd Bucks 3rd 28-15 Imperial College 5th Woman’s Badminton Bucks 1st 4-4 City Uni 1st Men’s Badminton Bucks 1st 5-3 Roehampton 1st Rugby Union Surrey 1st 39-7 Bucks 1st Men’s Football Bucks 1st 1-1 Brunel Bucks 2nd 2-3 Kingston 1st Brunel 5th 0-1 Bucks 6th Woman’s Hockey Bucks 1st 5-4 Reading 3rd Men’s Hockey Reading 3rd 4-5 Bucks 1st Men’s Tennis Bucks 1st 2-10 Brunel 2nd Mixed Golf Northumbria 1st 6-0 Bucks 1st Bournemouth 3rd 3-3 Bucks 2nd

Sunday 27 February 2013

When thursday 14th march 2013 Where Bucks new uni

hosting partner

600 university students & graduates

by Naomi Franco VP Student Involvement

The only graduate careers event dedicated solely to sport and leisure

sports organisations. Delegates will also be offered exclusive access to industry experts including Sky Sports News presenter Vicky Gomersall, West Bromwich Albion’s peak performance coach Tom Bates and Premiership Rugby’s communications director Paul Morgan, in a series of key note sessions designed to provide information, opportunities and advice for delegates to further

W:7 D:3 L:8

success, such high quality dancing and some amazing judges too. Fantastic atmosphere, thank you to all the supporters and volunteers for the day and well done to BNU dance for placing so well! Fairtrade fortnight begins (25 Feb - 10 March) look out for lots of goodies. Also #bucksfairtrade and ‘#insertsport/socname’ with a picture of you and a Fairtrade good for the chance to win £30! Another thing to be aware of is that International Women’s Day is coming up 8 March, we are organising a vintage tea party. We will be inviting inspirational and powerful women to talk to us and tell us about their life and career. Not to be missed! Good luck to all the sports teams with their fixtures this fortnight! And thank you to all the students that have been contributing to Union Council, great success and great fun!

their graduate employment prospects. Delegate tickets start from just £6 – visit the website graduatejobsinsport.co.uk/live for more information and to buy your ticket online. For further information on attending GJS LIVE as a delegate or exhibitor, please contact Tom Davies at tom.davies@graduatejobsinsport.co.uk or on +44 (0) 7793 275351.

Claim your free tiCket for the only graduate Careers event for sport. Bringing together the most talented young graduates and proactive employers in the biggest event of its kind ever held in the uk.

40 8 top-level employers

high profile speakers

event

Claim your free tiCket noW www.graduatejobsinsport.co.uk/Bucksnewuni

32 Bucks Student February 2013

Player Profile Name: Umar Siddiqui Course: Airline and Airport Management Sport: Karate Position: Captain

> How was last year’s club performance? Last year the karate club was re developing itself so myself and our instructor were working hard in re building the club. > Why should students join your sport? Karate is not about kicking and punching and doing Jackie Chan moves. It’s about patience, dedication and will power and primarily self-defense. Students should join our club as we are continuously developing, we have a fantastic instructor who knows his stuff, we compete in one student championships, bucs nationals each year and other competitions, and grade every 3 months, students could leave potentially with black belt if they start from scratch. Other than that training is a good way to keep fit, and learn the art of Shotokan karate which is one of the most popular styles taught today. > How often do you meet? We meet three times week, Tuesday 8-10pm in the event hall, Wednesday, 6-8pm in dance studio 101, Sunday 2-4pm in dance studio 101 > Do players need to provide their own kit? This year we had support from sport England on helping us provide the uniform if members trained for 6 training lessons they get there uniform free. So ideally yes they have to provide their own unless they train for 6 lessons then they get a free uniform.

> Do you have to pass any tests to join the team? No, the only thing you have to pass is your grading to get to your next belt. > What are the socials like? Karate along with, Taekwondo, MMA and Boxing we now under one umbrella called Bucks Martial Arts so every month we have a big social, where all the martial arts at bucks join and have fun. > What’s your funniest memory from your sport last year? The funniest moment is when the instructor calls me out to do demonstrations and I am normally the target and every time he does move I end up on the ground every time, I tend to step away so don’t end up on the ground. > What is tour like? Again Bucks Martial Arts are going on tour for the first time this year with a very strong number, and this includes all the martial going, so fingers crossed it will be a success. > What’s your sport looking to achieve this year? My sporting moment last year is when I competed in the GKR National Titles which is the style I train in. In November I won the national titles with 2 gold medals and became UK National Champion 2012 and ranked up from UK number 2 to UK number 1, a moment I will never forget.

It’s that time of year again… competition time! The Swans Cheerleading Squad are off to Loughborough to compete against over 50 Universities in competitive cheerleading. We are taking 5 teams along with us - Main cheer, an all girl stunt group, a co-ed stunt group and dance teams Pom and Jazz. So what’s a cheerleading competition like I hear you say? Well, if you’ve ever seen any of the Bring it On films then you’ll have some idea. Imagine an entire sports hall filled with cheerleaders, judges, poms, bows and plenty of action packed routines. We’ve been training really hard since September, getting our new squad together, complete with AMAZING fresher swans who have really picked up the skills, focus and determination it takes to compete with us. As well as all the stunting - we’ll also be taking good ol’ Rusty and Busty along for the ride to help us out at the mascot competition. Thanks to our absolute babe of a coach Franco for putting up with us and for coming up with amazing routines that’ll wow the judges at competition. Absolutely astounded by our two beautiful captains Naomi Huggins and Emily Ralph too as well as an extremely supportive committee working hard with all the behind the scenes stress! Huge thank you also, to Natalie Maclean - our dance captain. Our circus routine is certainly shaping up to be worthy of winning! Wish us luck and hopefully we’ll be returning with plenty of shiny trophies!

Cheer!

by Lauren Troiano

Cricket report The day started at 7:30am when the cricket team left High Wycombe for Southampton to play the last two must win games of the cricket indoor league. > The first game was played against Surrey 1st team; the statistics are as follows; > The lead wicket taker was Haroon Naseer Khan with 2-30. > The lead run scorers for Surrey 1st were Wendra and White who both retired on 27 runs. The second innings started well with the captain Haroon opening the batting, chasing down a total of 116/2. Unfortunately BNU could not chase down the total scoring only 87 all out.

> The highest scoring batsmen for BNU was Sajid Ali who scored 30 not out as last man standing. > The lead wicket takers for Surrey 1st were Wendra; 2-25, White; 2-33 and Ramsar; 2-22. The second game was played against Southampton 2nd. BNU started off batting and posted a score of 62 all out. > The lead run scorer was the captain Haroon Naseer Khan, who led from the front and scored 17 runs. > The lead wicket takers for Southampton 2nd were Cartwrite; 4-18 and Baker 2-14 > In reply BNU failed to get any wickets and Southampton won the match with 63/0. > The lead run scorers for Southampton 2nd

were Nickles with 27 runs, Baker with 25 runs and Pearson with 6 runs. Unfortunately all the hard work put in by BNU in the early stages of the indoor league came undone and BNU were unable to advance to later stages of the league after losing these two vital games. Thanks must be given to the captain Haroon Naseer Khan who lead the squad and to the President Jay Vaidya for keeping score. Thanks must also be given to all the BNU cricket players for taking part.

by Suhail Motala

The candidates for NUS Delegate

Naomi Franco I have the experience and the confidence to represent the Bucks students on a national level and attend the NUS conference, getting involved with debates and vote on the future policies and campaigns for NUS and what they should be working towards in the upcoming year. Not only have I been a student for three years but also a sabbatical officer and have had the chance to meet a range of different students up and down the country and share views and values. I know I am the perfect candidate for this job.

Matt Gilbert I am a third year student currently studying Sports Management. I would like to go to the National NUS conference to gain a better understanding of what NUS does and how if benefits students. I want to help improve the transparency between the Union, the University and the students. Hopefully from being a part of the conference and meeting other delegates and sabbaticals I can use the experience in a positive way back here at Bucks.

create the change

How to Vote

Online

Online voting will run non-stop between:

Mon 25 Feb, 10am Fri 1 Mar, 12noon

buckstudent.com/elections

Ballot

Voting at manual ba llot boxes will take place :

Mon 25 Feb - Fri 1 M

10am - 4pm

10am - 12noon

- Boxes situated at th e Venue Foyer (HW ) and Pulse (UXB) - Boxes will also visit Halls of Residence 5pm - 8pm Wed.

Every registered student is entitled to vote. You can only vote ONCE. Anyone found to have voted more than once will have ALL of their votes nullified. All our elections use the single transferable vote system (STV) so you can rank all the candidates in order of preference as shown here. If your first choice is ranked last Candidate A in the first count, your 2 second choice is counted. This continues Candidate B 3 until one candidate Candidate C recieves more than 1 50% of the vote and R.O.N. wins the election! 4

Who is R .O.N ?

R.O.N. or Re-Open Nominations appears on all ballot papers as a candidate that you can vote for. A vote for R.O.N. is a vote for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;none of the above. If R.O.N. wins the elections, the Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union will start the elections process again.

The Union Awards are fast approaching The Union Awards celebrate all of the extracurricular achievements of Bucks students, from sports, societies, campaigning and helping the local community we celebrate everything that is great about Bucks students. The Union Awards are the show piece event in the Union’s calendar. This year’s ceremony will once again be taking place from High Wycombe’s prestigious Town Hall. Key dates for your diary: Nominations open: Monday 25 February Nominations close: Friday 15 March Please RSVP by: Friday 5 April Union Awards Ceremony: Wednesday 24 April

Nominations are open, and the award categories are as follows: • Society Committee member of the Year • Fundraiser of the Year • Volunteer of the Year • Journalist of the Year • Society of the Year • Campaigner of the Year • Student Rep of the Year • Student staff member of the Year • Professional Service Employee of the Year • Academic of the Year • Leadership Award Other special awards given out by the Students’ Union on the night are:

• •

Union Fellowship Honorary Life Membership

Short listing for the awards will be conducted by the Union Awards Short Listing Committee which comprises of; a lay Bucks Students’ Union trustee, a student trustee, the 3 Sabbatical officers, the Membership Services Manager Matthew Kitching and the Chief Executive Officer Tristan Tipping. Short listing will take place on Monday 18 March and successful nominees will be published on bucksstudent.com by 5pm the next day. If you know somebody deserving of an award go to bucksstudent.com/unionawards for more information and to download a nomination form! Also taking place on the night!

The Excellence in Learning and Teaching Awards These awards are handed out to members of University staff who have been responsible for delivering excellent learning and teaching or student support throughout the year. Just like the Union Awards a shortlist will be drawn from all

the student and staff nominations we receive and this determination will be made by a distinguished panel including the University’s new Pro Vice Chancellor Learning and Teaching Shân Wareing.

I nominate: Department: …because (in 250 words, or less):

Nominated by: Department:

If you know someone who deserves it go to bucksstudent.com/ unionawards and fill in the ELT Nomination Form. Full award criteria can also be found on the website. Alternatively complete a nomination from and hand it in to the Students’

Union Office. Who do you think makes an excellent contribution to Learning and Teaching at Bucks? FIll out the form below, it takes 3 minutes to say who – and why!