The Bucks Student - Edition 40

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edition 40 New plan unveiled

Activities Week

GTA V review

iPhone 5S/C. worth it?

Red Shed Society

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page 8

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page 26

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Bucks Students’ Union Community Guide helps promote friendly neighbourhoods Bucks Students’ Union has produced its third Community Guide to help students live safely in High Wycombe, with support from Wycombe District Council and Thames Valley Police.

You can check out the guide online at bucksstudentsunion.org/pulications

Jack Badu (VPEW) joined by a team of helpers delivering the guides to the community. The comprehensive 40-page guide includes: >> fire safety tips >> community advice >> personal safety tips, and >> details of how to get involved in volunteering in the area. More than 1,500 guides have gone through the doors of residents in High Wycombe and 1,000 to student flats and homes. In total, 4,000 will be delivered. The booklet also highlights the importance of recycling, with contact details for recycling centres, as well as providing details of where to go for medical assistance and how students can keep their accommodation safe from crime and free of fire risks. The guide was launched at the University with

guests including Superintendent Gilbert Houalla of Thames Valley Police, and Frances Alexander, Chair of the Wycombe Environment Centre. Matt Gilbert, Vice President Student Involvement at Bucks Students’ Union, said the guide was an excellent example of community partners working together. He said: “We are keen to build on our good relations with our neighbours in High Wycombe and this guide contains a wealth of information that is useful for our students to stay safe and appreciate what is going on around them in High Wycombe. It is key for residents to feel reassured that we take our relationship with them seriously too. “Student welfare is extremely important and something we take very seriously. University is about studying towards a qualification but also enjoying the

experience, and this guide is designed to help ensure that experience is as enjoyable as possible for our students and the community as a whole.” The guide has been produced and will be available at the University’s Campus in Queen Alexandra Road, as well as at libraries, council offices and police stations. Students also received goody bags as part of Bucks Students’ Union’s Silent Students Happy Homes (SSHH) campaign. The campaign aims to encourage students to respect their neighbours by keeping silent while walking through residential areas in High Wycombe during the evening. Sgt James Benfield of Thames Valley Police, who also attended the launch, added: “Thames Valley Police and the University work closely together to address any issues which may arise and we enjoy an

excellent relationship. This latest Community Guide is building on that relationship. “We are keen to support Bucks Students’ Union’s message that anti-social behaviour is unacceptable, that we all want to live and work together enjoyably and safely, and that we want students coming to the town to have a great experience. This Guide can only help to achieve that.” Ian Plover, Faculty Director - Design, Media & Management, said: “I think it is absolutely critical that the University works with the community and we thank everyone who has contributed to this Guide and we hope it is once again beneficial for everyone.” A first Community Guide for Uxbridge, Middlesex, where the University has a Campus in Oxford Road, will be launched in the New Year.


2 The Bucks Student October 2013

contributers

introducing

Editor - Naomi Franco naomi.franco@bucks.ac.uk Student Editor - Tom Badger student.editor@thebucksstudent.com Deputy Student Editor - Hameet Singh Anand student.editor@thebucksstudent.com Must Read Editor mustread@thebucksstudent.com Student Essentials Editor studentessentials@thebucksstudent.com After Hours Editor afterhours@thebucksstudent.com

get involved 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 bucksstudentsunion.org/communications. If required, this document can be made available in different formats. Please contact the Students’ Union for more information. © 2013 Bucks Students’ Union

Editor Naomi Franco

Student Editor Tom Badger

Well, what a two weeks it’s been! The buzz on both campuses was fantastic, filled with lots of different activities and things to try. I hope everyone enjoyed it and signed up to as much as they could. I wonder how many of you managed to make it out to every single one of our night time events. Us sabbs tried to make as many as poss but I won on that competition woop! I must say the highlight for me, from the two weeks has to be the Welcome talk at the Swan Theatre. It was a great way to kick start the beginning of a journey and an exciting adventure. Like I said in my speech, these next three years will fly by and it’s so important you make the most of your time here, and that’s where we come in. Every student at Bucks is automatically a member of the Students’ Union. People often think that the Students’ Union is just a bar or a club. In actual fact we are so much more than a bar. We run the advice centre on campus and represent your interests. We deliver sporting, volunteering and extra curricular activities, we produce a fortnightly student newspaper, raise money for charity and run the catering on campus. And yes... we also run the award winning bar, night club and entertainment at Bucks. Simply put, we exist to make life better for students, whatever that entails. We are unique in the University sector in that the Big Deal makes all of this FREE for our students and our Student Reps are paid for their contribution. No other University just let’s you turn up and try so many things for free and I can’t stress the importance of that enough. And if you’re not sold already, this year the Students’ Union was ranked top 17th in the UK in the national student survey, just saying. Yes university is about getting a qualification. But the jobs market is tough and there a lots of graduates. So getting that 2:1, or even better a first, isn’t enough. You have to do something to stand out and we offer you the opportunity to do that. If you are a third year it’s still not too late for you to get involved. Find your passion now. Whether that is sport or art, languages, or volunteering, writing, cooking or something else don’t leave any stone unturned in that quest! If you have any questions or need help please don’t hesitate to ask; either visit our website, offices or speak to my staff or I and we will do anything we can to help. Thanks, happy reading.

Hi and welcome to this second edition of the year of the Bucks Student. I hope the hangovers have been kind and the nights have been heavy! Freshers is and always has been a favourite time of the year for everyone here at bucks, and this year didn’t disappoint! I should probably take this opportunity get more of you interested in writing for the paper, so... If you would like to write for the paper, please do! I don’t bite! (much)

Naomi Franco @NaomiFrancoPres

sabb chat

Everything we do as an organisation will work towards a vision for our members. A future where all members, regardless of background, can come together to create new communities based on shared interests and ideas. Where members are inspired to embrace educational opportunities, to discover and control their own destiny. Where members both create and exploit opportunities for each other in equal measure. Where the collective strength of the membership is recognised, valued and respected. Where members are trained, equipped and supported to lead their communities in shaping the University experience. Where opportunity is never defeated by circumstance.

making life better for students at bucks

Hello! And welcome to the latest edition of the Bucks Student. We are now fully rocking and rolling into this academic year. At the Students’ Union we have spent the last year or so working on a new strategic plan and are now in the first phase of implementation. We love to hearing from our members - whether it’s positive feedback about food or live music in our bar or alternatively something you feel we can improve on, we want to hear from you.

Naomi Franco, President naomi.franco@bucks.ac.uk Matt Gilbert, Vice President Student Involvement matt.gilbert@bucks.ac.uk Jack Badu, Vice President Education and Welfare jack.badu@bucks.ac.uk

Tom

Deputy Student Editor Harmeet Singh Anand

Salutations my fellow students. It is I, your humble deputy editor reporting in for another edition of the Bucks Student. This edition of the Bucks Students, like always, boasts an excellent array of content. There is a fantastic review of GTA V for all you gamers out there by Matthew Jaques, and for you film critics, Scott Mathewson has written a very detailed film review on the movie Rush. As a society, we are still looking for active members to help contribute articles for the newspaper. We’ve received an ample amount of response, but if you are still interested do not fret! There is still time to express your interest by emailing me at harmeetanand93@gmail.com Strength and honour.


October 2013 The Bucks Student 3

Campus Chat

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

Union news

Bucks Students’ Union unveils its vision for the future ON Wednesday 18 September, Bucks Students’ Union officially launched their new Strategic Plan at an event held in the Venue. The new plan, titled ‘Making life better for students at Bucks’ outlines the key priorities for the Students’ Union over the next three years. The plan was produced in close consultation with students, staff and stakeholders with over 1,000 responses to an in depth survey. A number of focus groups were also held. Naomi Franco, President at Bucks Students’ Union, said: “It’s such an exciting time and I believe our vision will move us further forward as an organisation, continuing to deliver a great experience for our members.

“This plan not only gives us focus for the next three years but also enables us to clearly communicate our intent, which we hope will inspire an even greater level of engagement from the people around us.” Tristan Tipping, Chief Executive Officer at Bucks Students’ Union, added: “This is perhaps the first time we have expressed our ideas with genuine clarity, and defined the ‘character’ of the Union in a way that can easily be shared with our member, the staff team and the wider community.” The main themes of the new plan are outlined below and you can read the full plan online – bucksstudentsunion.org/strategicplan

Bucks Students’ Union is an independent, dynamic and thriving membership organisation. Our primary purpose is to make life better for students at Bucks. This strategic plan captures and communicates our key organisational objectives, providing a clear outline of the future activities we will undertake to enhance our members’ experience over the next three years. It has been developed in close consultation with staff, members, prospective students and partners over a period of several months.

Our mission Making life better for students at Bucks To achieve our vision, Bucks Students’ Union is wholly committed to the ongoing support and development of our members. We will equip our organisation with the technology and tools it needs to perform effectively and provide our staff with the knowledge and skills to thrive in their role and progress their careers. We will diversify our income to provide a stable financial base for our operations. We will build and demonstrate our credibility with partners and other stakeholders in order to more effectively support our members. We will reach out to our diverse membership to encourage broader participation so that we can better understand and represent them. We will work hard to show members the value of deeper engagement with Bucks Students’ Union through the scope of our activities and leadership opportunities. We will identify valuable new opportunities for all our members and provide a robust platform on which they can create more opportunities for each other. We will make life better for students at Bucks.

Strategic themes and goals Creating opportunity Improving stability Broadening participation Enabling potential Building reputation

The strategic themes and goals represent the key elements of our mission and provide the best opportunities to deliver the vision we have for our members. Our Trustee Board and management team will take responsibility for overseeing our performance and will communicate our progress. For a more in depth look into the whole plan, check out our online version at bucksstudentsunion.org/strategicplan.

A vision for our members

Our core values

Where opportunity is never defeated by circumstance

These core values lie at the heart of our identity:

Everything we do as an organisation will work towards achieving the vision for our members. An environment where all members, regardless of background, can come together to create new communities based on shared interests and ideas. Where members are inspired to embrace and explore a broad variety of educational and social opportunities to help discover and influence their own destiny. Where members both create and exploit opportunities for each other in equal measure. Where the collective strength of the membership is recognised, respected and valued for its unique contribution. Where members are provided with essential training and support to lead their communities effectively, helping to positively shape and enrich their university experience.

Dynamic We are a fast moving, progressive and nimble organisation that pro-actively meets our members’ needs. Tenacious We are a committed, determined and respected campaigner consistently delivering success for our members.

Inspiring Our work will inspire our members to actively participate in the broad range of Union services, including opportunities to help and motivate others, making their time at university a valuable developmental experience.

Cornerstones of our work These are the foundations on which our organisation will grow and develop. They are the everyday values we will embody to ensure we go from strength to strength. Coherency Communication with our members will be relevant, accurate and timely. We will ensure that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of our work, its purpose and what steps they can take to influence it.

Collectivism We will channel and represent our members’ collective views effectively. We will ensure members are involved in shaping our work, taking collective responsibility for decisions and ensuring we are member-led at all times.

Friendliness Our culture will support an inclusive, friendly environment and build a strong University community where all members can find their place to participate, develop and thrive.

Passion We will harness the passion and interests of our members and staff, carrying out all our activities with drive and enthusiasm.

Professionalism We will take pride in doing things the right way, challenging and developing ourselves while building respectful and productive relationships with our stakeholders.

Innovation We will be ambitious when planning for the future and seek creative solutions to fulfil our members’ needs.


4 The Bucks Student October 2013

news in tweets

Why is the library so loud?

@BucksSU @BucksSU_UXB Kerri Watt @kerriwatt ‫‏‬ And another brilliant day of @ CoffeeHouseTour at @buckssu and @RUSUtweets today! Thanks for the hot chocolate :) Adam Trevaskis @AdamTrevaskis I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much, comedy night at @buckssu was fantastic! Turin Brakes @turinbrakes #wewerehere Coming to a Town near you in Oct/Nov http://www. turinbrakes.com/live :) Naomi Franco @SammyNazzy Using the free Uxbridge bus service to Wycombe thanks @ buckssu @BucksSU_UXB Sports Development @wycombedcsport If you live in the Wycombe District, you can get a FREE Leisure Card if you sign up in Oct Bucks New University @bucksnewuni Our next postgraduate and professional open evening is at our High Wycombe Campus from 5-7pm on 6 November. Matt Gilbert @MattyGilbert10 @buckssu we love rusty pic.twitter. com/d551uy4f0G

As mentioned in the article, the furniture may not encourage people to be quiet. Even though the library has a variety of very useful resources, the amount of noise in the library makes it almost useless. This topic has been brought up many times in many different meetings involving many different people, but no matter what course of action is taken the noise still remains. Here is a list of reasons why there is so much noise in the library. 3: The design of the building The library has the unfortunate disadvantage of being located in the gateway building. The ground floor and the first floor of the building can be busy at times of the day, and it would be unreasonable to try and quiet the students down as they are trying to grab a coffee or are going into class. This is made worse by the fact that there are huge gaps in the floor leading all the way down to the first floor, thus allowing sound to travel all the way to the top of the building. 2: The library is not presented as a place to do work When we enter the library, we see many signs asking us to not eat or drink anything, but very little is said about our expected behaviour. Furthermore, the tables in the library are more suited to a cafe or a canteen rather than a library. Most of the tables in the library are very

large, colorful, and allow for more than one person per desk. This encourages students to sit and talk, rather than sit and study. 1: Lack of enforcement There is simply a lack of staff present at all times to enforce a quiet library. When there is noise, students who feel bothered have very little they can do. The only real thing a student can do is go to the front desk and complain. For one, this requires unnecessary effort, especially for a student who is actively trying to concentrate. Furthermore, it will be slightly obvious to the students who is making the complaint, which in turn might cause some unnecessary friction. We must also consider the fact that complaining to the front desk is a delayed and more importantly a temporary solution. It will take some time for the person dealing with the complaint to go to the source of noise, and once the situation is taken care of there is very little to guarantee that another source of noise will not emerge.

Deputy Student Editor Harmeet Singh Anand

Do we need healthier snacks across our University’s Cafés? IT’S not uncommon for a hard working and dedicated student at Bucks to get hungry when they are on campus. In fact, I would suggest that it is expected that they do get hungry. Assuming that they haven’t brought their own snack, when hunger strikes a busy student they have one of two options. They can go to one of the cafes on campus, such as Beats or Pulse, or they can use one of the various vending machines located around campus. In my opinion, if they choose to use one of the vending machines on campus, they have the choice of eating unhealthy or staying hungry. The vending machines are filled to the brim with chocolates, sweets, and crisps. I believe, they should contain some sort of fruit option or at the very least a healthy snack like a yogurt break. Furthermore, I feel that if a student is stranded in an area of campus which is far away from a cafe, such as the Owen Harris building, they are essentially forced to choose something unhealthy to eat from the vending machine. If the student chooses to use one of the cafes, they have a wider variety of healthier options to pick from. All cafes have a good variety of fruit available in a basket in front of the till, as well as a small variety of other healthy snacks. However, even with a slightly larger variety it is clear that the number of un-healthy options greatly outnumber the healthy options which are available. In conclusion, I feel that the Students’ Union and University would be wise to take into consideration adding healthier options to the cafes on campus and the vending machines. After all, what better way is there to make the life of the students at Bucks better than by encouraging a healthier dietary lifestyle? Do you agree or disagree? Get in touch with us – student.editor@ thebucksstudent.com.

The University has just launched a healthy eating campaign across both campuses.


October 2013 The Bucks Student 5

University news

Bucks marks graduation with a week of celebrations Bucks had mortar be proud of when we held our annual graduation ceremonies this year, with around 1,700 graduates donning their gowns for their big day and a host of distinguished individuals recognised with honorary awards.

Bucks introduces signs for smokers The University promotes a safe and healthy working environment for students, staff and visitors. Smoking is prohibited in all buildings at the University, which includes the use of electronic cigarettes. The smoking zones at High Wycombe Campus are as follows: >> outside The Gateway opposite Staples near the willow tree >> outside North Wing near the underpass >> car park C adjacent to Alexandra House car park next to the green shed >> grass area between Owen Harris and Red Shed.

BA (Hons) Furniture: Conservation, Restoration and Decorative Arts graduates. The Wycombe Swan Theatre in High Wycombe hosted the ceremonies as the town centre was turned into a sea of mortarboards with celebrating graduates marking the completion of their studies. Serene Lewis gained a degree in BA (Hons) Event and Festival Management and husband Kuda Nembawere also collected his degree in BA (Hons) Sports Management and Coaching Studies. Kuda Nembaware and Serene Lewis with daughter Eden.

She said: “The atmosphere was amazing and it was an exciting day. Following all the hard work it made everything real and it was fantastic to be able to look at my degree certificate and reflect on what I have achieved. I feel very proud.” Sapphire Stottor achieved a first in BA (Hons) Human Resource Management. Sapphire said: “Once you got up on stage it was actually quite scary. I tried to walk slowly across but I was quite excited and it was all pretty overwhelming. It was lovely to see my teachers there and my parents thoroughly enjoyed themselves.” Graduate Sapphire Stottor.

Among the honorary awardees, High Wycombe music legend, Peter Goodwin, 87, was bestowed with the status of Honorary Fellow, in recognition of his enthusiasm for and dedication to the music scene locally and further afield over many years. He has been involved in the musical life of High Wycombe for more than sixty years. In the early 1960s he was appointed as Director of Music at what-was-then High Wycombe College of Further Education, now Bucks New University. Peter said of his award: “I am very flattered,

At Uxbridge Campus the smoking zone is near the exit barrier under the covered area. These zones are located away from open windows and doors. In the interests of everyone’s wellbeing it is important to comply with the University’s Smoking Policy. In the event that a student or member of staff does not comply with this policy, disciplinary action may be taken.

and I am in a way thrilled that now, in my 88th year, the work I did simply because I wanted to do, has been so unexpectedly recognised.” The honorary awardees also included Pauline Odulinski OBE, the recently-retired Principal and Chief Executive of Aylesbury College, the University’s federal partner, who will receive an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her role at the College and her strong commitment to the University’s Council. Wycombe District Councillor, Rachel Knight, gained a first in LLB (Hons) Law.

Awarded an OBE for services to Further Education in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, Pauline has very recently retired as Principle and Chief Executive of Aylesbury College. Paul Whiting, President of Global Sales for audio equipment manufacturer Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co, which has its UK offices in Marlow, was among other figures recognised, receiving an Honorary Doctorate. The award was made in recognition of the huge contribution Paul personally and Sennheiser UK Ltd have made to the University’s School of Applied Production & New Media. The graduation ceremonies took place between Monday 9 September and Friday 13 September. Go to bucks.ac.uk/news to read a number of inspiring stories from graduates and find out about honorary graduates.

Graduates celebrating outside the Gateway.

Please look out for the signs around campus so you can look out for the wellbeing of others.


6 The Bucks Student October 2013

student buzz

Digital age

Students volunteer to clear land at High Wycombe community organisation

Prof Paul Springer, Head of Research and Special Projects, has given a 30-minute breakfast briefing to leaders of the UK digital advertising, marketing and social media industries for the business events organisers Like Minds at the offices of Telefónica Digital in London. Paul said: “Like Minds organise the annual Social Media Week, which I spoke at last year, so it was nice to be invited back. My talk was on ‘five lessons that can be learnt from today’s digital pioneers.’” Paul co-authored the book Pioneers of Digital, discussing success stories from advertising, marketing and social media leaders, with profiles of the 20 top digital innovators and the inspiration behind their success.

Engineering opportunity Lyndon Buck, Principal Lecturer - Engineering & Product, has been profiled in the September issue of the Institution of Engineering Designers’ (iED) Engineering Designer magazine after being elected to its Council. Lyndon was also awarded a medal of appreciation for his work with the iED at its July AGM. The IED accredit the Engineering and Product Design courses at Bucks and are the UK’s only professional body representing those working in the field of engineering design. Lyndon said: “It was a great honour to be awarded a medal of appreciation. I look forward to working more closely with my professional body and having more influence in the future direction of the Institution.”

Bloomin’ marvellous! People with learning disabilities will be able to gain confidence and develop new skills at a garden centre opened at Missenden Abbey Conference Centre and run by Buckinghamshire County Council. The garden centre will not only grow plants and produce for sale to the public, but also supply the Abbey kitchens with fresh vegetables. Eva Neupauer-Jones, General Manager, said: “It is lovely to see the historic walled garden come to life again for the benefit of the local community and restored to its original purpose. We are looking forward to seeing it flourish.”

Brush strokes Customer Service Advisors David Tinsley and Laura Willey spent a Saturday painting an office at Wycombe Homeless Connection, the Facilities & Services Directorate’s nominated charity for the year. Laura said it met the Directorate’s “giving something back” aims. The volunteering was arranged through Jane Bower of Bucks Students’ Union. Laura said: “We vacuumed and dusted the office and painted the walls and were both very glad that we took part in the task and gained a big sense of achievement from being able to contribute to such a deserving cause.”

Double vision Third-year BA (Hons) Performing Arts students used the Internet to film a performance with fellow students from the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama in London. The students used live streaming to film themselves in tandem in front of audiences in The Gateway at Bucks and at the School in London. Jem Kelly, Course Leader, MA Performing Arts, said: “This was a groundbreaking research performance testing out new technologies that bring together two groups of performers who are located remotely. We worked with a company called Station House Opera for three weeks to produce this unusual performance. The students now have first-hand practical insights to a unique way of working in this burgeoning field.” The students were supported by the technical wizardry of colleagues Gary McConville and Jenny Horwood.

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

Students are joined by members of Thames Valley Police after completing the clear-up. Policing students at Bucks have put their backs into clearing a stretch of overgrown land at a High Wycombe community organisation. The students, studying Foundation Degree (Arts) Policing, spent a day pulling up weeds and foliage and painting walls of the space at SV2G, near Lily’s Walk, High Wycombe, for it to be used by young people. SV2G raises awareness of African and Caribbean culture through the arts and its chair, Jacqueline Roberts, said she was ‘hugely impressed’ with the students’ efforts. Jacqueline said: “In just a few hours this area was unrecognisable to the overgrown space it was and that’s all thanks to the great work by the students.

“They all worked extremely hard and we are extremely appreciative of their efforts. This area can now be used for young people to perform and benefit from.” The volunteering work was arranged through Bucks New University’s Students’ Union and the students were in their first week of studying at the University. Stuart Norton, Director of the Institute of Professional Policing at Bucks New University, said their efforts were ‘phenomenal’. He said: “This is a really great example of teamwork and the University getting involved in the community.” Paul Bowen, Community and Diversity Officer in High Wycombe for Thames Valley Police,

said: “I work closely with SV2G in my role and, having seen this space a few months ago, it is now completely different. “I am amazed by the work the students have done and would like to congratulate them on giving up their time to benefit the community.” Matt Gilbert, Vice President Student Involvement at Bucks Students’ Union, said: “Our students did an amazing job clearing up an area just a stone’s throw from our Campus. “They did all this in their week and considering they had only just started at Bucks I think it is great credit to them that they were prepared to put in some hard graft to assist our neighbours at SV2G.”

Bucks New University welcomes new students Bucks arranged a full week of activities to welcome freshers in a new-styled Bucks Welcome. The Bucks Welcome was designed to give students a rounded introduction to university life. It included special opening ceremonies at the Wycombe Swan Theatre on the students’ first day, where they were addressed by figures including Vice Chancellor, Professor Ruth Farwell. Naomi Franco, President of Bucks Students’ Union, and successful graduate Stuart Outhwaite, Creative Director and co-founder of advertising, design, and strategy agency, Creature, also spoke to students. Elsewhere during the week, there were performances from Ignition Circus, based in Marlow, and the University’s theatre company-in-residence, Signdance Collective. Bucks Students’ Union also held its annual Freshers’ Fair at the High Wycombe and Uxbridge Campuses. A Health & Wellbeing Fair, with taster sessions in sports, exercise and relaxation, as well as information stands, also took place. Ruth Gunstone, Director of Student Services, said: “The Bucks Welcome was designed with feedback from first-year students to ramp up the package of support that’s available for newcomers. “We have a huge celebration around our recent graduation ceremonies and we wanted to replicate that sense of celebration during our welcome week. “It has been an immediate opportunity for new students to settle and start making friends, both those who will be living in High Wycombe and those who will be living at home while studying. “We hope that all of our new students are already enjoying life at Bucks and settling in well.” Vicky Harris, who is studying BSc (Hons) Psychology, said: “It’s scary but exciting to be starting university and meeting so many new people. It’s quite crazy really but I am loving it. It’s such a difference to my life but I am already settling in and making friends.”

New students Vicky Harris, James Ellacott and Emma Kiy have started at Buckinghamshire New University this week.


October 2013 The Bucks Student 7

Free link bus and other travel benefits The University is now running a free link bus for students and staff between High Wycombe and Uxbridge campuses. This is being operated by Bucks Students’ Union on a three-month trial period until Christmas. The service runs from 8.15am to 9.30pm on Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 5.30pm on Saturday. It starts in High Wycombe and travels between the campuses throughout the day. The bus stops opposite the hospital on Queen Alexandra Road, High Wycombe and on the pavement by the entrance to the Uxbridge Campus car park. Just show your Bucks access card. Lots of positive feedback has already been received. Deputy Vice Chancellor Derek Godfrey said: “I’m so pleased to hear that that the shuttle bus is building the links between our campuses in more ways than one. The University’s commitment to fund this and the excellent quality of service delivered by Bucks Students’ Union are already making a positive difference to the student and staff experience.” “We are very happy about the bus service. I’ve used it once and found it to be very good, the journey time was about 25 minutes and the bus was clean and modern” – member of staff at Uxbridge Campus.

HIGH WYCOMBE

UXBRIDGE

Picking up from Queen Alexandra Road opposite the hospital entrance.

Picking up on the pavement by the entrance into the carpark.

Carousel Bus discounts Students can also use the A40/740 Carousel bus service between Uxbridge and High Wycombe. It runs half-hourly for most of the day between 05.30 and 18.20 from High Wycombe to Uxbridge and between 06.53 and 19.47 from Uxbridge to High Wycombe. It takes around 40-50 minutes and also runs to Heathrow. Students can get a 25% discount on single day and return fares on most Carousel routes with student ID. Free bus from Hughenden Avenue car park The Arriva Green Route 31 service is free for students between Hughenden Avenue car park and High Wycombe town centre if you show the driver your current Bucks access card. It runs every 15 minutes.

8.15am*

3.30pm

9am*

4pm

9.30am

4.30pm

10am

5pm

10.30am 5.30pm

11am

6pm*

11.30am 6.30pm*

Noon

7pm*

12.30pm 7.30pm*

1pm

8pm*

1.30pm

8.30pm*

2pm

9pm*

2.30pm

9.30pm*

3pm

Park & Ride at Cressex Do you drive to High Wycombe and want to save on car park costs? Try the Park & Ride at Cressex. It’s free to park, just pay on the bus. It take 20 minutes and stops right outside the University. First bus in is 06.30 and last one back is 19.18. It’s signposted from Junction 4 of the M40 (Handy Cross) and the postcode is HP11 1UA.

The The Gateway Gateway library library is is now now

*Mon-Fri only

Follow the Bucks libraries on Twitter @BucksLib

• For the latest news • Discover new resources • Give us your feedback View our live feed on LibrarySearch, the library organisation on Blackboard, and the library web pages - bucks.ac.uk/library

24 hour opening for Autumn 2013 24 hour opening for Autumn 2013 Monday 7 October to Friday 20 December Monday 7 October to Friday 20 December


8 The Bucks Student October 2013

Must Read

The need to read section of the newspaper. Don’t miss out on the main features! Submit your articles to mustread@thebucksstudent.com

activities week 18-22 November sees Activities Week come around for the first time this academic year and there are loads of interesting session that you can sign up to now.

Win £500

What is it? Now all students are paying higher fees than previously and with the increased competition for jobs currently, Bucks New University in collaboration with Bucks Students’ Union has made the decision to offer you an ambitious programme of activities twice a year to not only add value to your course but also to support you in terms of both employability and enterprise. The first Activities Week which will run from 18-22 November will see an enormous range of activities on offer on a scale never previously offered to students, so are you ready? The week will be packed with a wide range of activities so no matter what year you are in there will be something for you. From sessions to support you in planning for your future, applying for jobs and practicing those interview skills this is too good an opportunity to miss. Guest lecturers, industry panels, alumni talks and even the opportunity to try some classes on courses you may not have even known we had, plus a wide range of sports taster sessions and a social programme in the evenings its guaranteed to be a unforgettable week! A few of the highlights of the week have been outlined opposite, but there is so much more. Visit bucksstudentsunion.org/events for a full list of activities on offer and for details of how to sign up. Most sessions you will need to book a place in advance so make sure you book early through the Students’ Union website to avoid disappointment.

Why it is awesome. Activities Week is fast becoming a major event in the Bucks calendar adding value to the Bucks offer, according to Professor Shân Wareing “Activities Week is designed to provide an exciting range of opportunities for you” with so many activities running throughout the week you are sure to find something to do if you don’t why not try something new. Activities Week is and will be “part of what makes Bucks graduates special”.

The Student who attends the most sessions during activites week will win £500 cash *Winners will be decided by the judging panel

ACTIVITIES WEEK ACTIVITIES Week programmes will be available from early November at either Students’ Union reception or from one of the friendly helpers. The Activities Week helpers will be on hand before and during the week to answer any of your questions, and help you get the most out of the week.

During Activities Week, there will be a help desk next to the main reception inside the Gateway, one in the Students’ Union reception and another outside the Rose Garden. Help desks will be staffed by highly visible Activities Week helpers who will be able to help you find your session and point you in the right direction.

Course specific

ember

Wednesday 20 Nov

Performing Arts

sessions:

Studio 2: 9am-6pm - Drama

Year 2

If there is no course

in this specific sessions

timetable for your

Play in a day

course please ask

your tutors what

your department

is putting on for

union.org/events

s visit bucksstudents

To book your session

The Lounge Current Issues in Global Furniture Conference

Enterprise Working Conference

Skills Recognise Your d) (incl. JobSavviGra

Pack Types (Hugh Mannerings)

Room TBC 11am

C10 (20)

G3.03

Training: Meeting Skills

Circus

G3.03

C1 (20)

Furniture Conservation Compo mould making workshop

11am

Dome

C7 (20) N2.03

Culture

F3 (20) Recreational Activity: Legs, Bums & Tums B14 (20) DS1

network

N2.15

you.

10am

G2

Global Food Market 10am - 3pm

Using social media to job search and

Personality type

12pm

C6 (20)

Sports for Fun: Swim for £1

Blackboard Collaborate F5 (15) G3.03

W11

Dome

G8 (12)

Salsa Volunteering: RAG Raid in HW Town Centre (off site)

Dome Red Shed

12pm

Another chance to

1pm

2pm

Dome

1pm Guest speaker: Will Murray

Arts4Every1

Furniture Conservation Compo mould making

A7

workshop

2pm

W11 room TBC

Concourse

Recreational Activity: African Drumming

G4

Afternoon Tea with the Sabbs G3 Beats

Training: Questionnaires & Focus Groups: Hints

A9 A8(200)

room TBC

E5 (20) 4pm

& Tips

N2.03

3pm

Concourse Dome

G8 (12)

A16 (80) Arts4Every1

4pm

Social Profile & Bb Mobile F6 (15) G3.03 Blackboard IM session F4 (15) G3.03

Women in Business Seminar 3pm

D5 (14)

5pm

F7 (20)

Film Screening

6pm

D5

5pm

African Drumming Learn to play the drums the African Free Film way with this great What’s happening Pop along to our introduction. Screening screening area at the back of Beats available. See daily at the Swan Theatre for a free film screening, schedule for details. Swan Theatre evening cultural will andpopcorn also be What’s happening D6 talk and cultural Beats at the Swan Theatre over the next few evening months and a few cultural activities Introduction Learn the basics to British Sign of British Sign Language D7 in this half day crash The Lounge Language Course course. D9 Hatha Yoga Hatha Yoga is a Frathouse preparatory stage D10 Classic film of physical purification and Come along to the that the body practices (until late) talk from Simon Lounge and see for higher a classic film with meditation a talk from Simon Poole Poole E1 Volunteering with Spend some time Woodland Service in the community felling trees and local wildlife and clearing woodland environment. E2 Old news, new areas while learning life Learn how to make about The Venue things out of old E3 Helping hand newspaper to jazz Wycombe Environment up your student at Wycombe home! to give young people Centre is a local charity who - amongst Environment the opportunity to other things - works your hands dirty, conserve and learn Centre or help prepare teaching about their environment. with local schools aids. Come along to get E4 Fairtrade Crafts Bucks is proud to be a Fairtrade Uni, but how difficult throughout the afternoon is it to live a Fairtrade E5 to see how you can RAG Raid in High lifestyle? Pop along craft with Fairtrade Do your good deed products. Wycombe Town for the day and join Whether you can our collections team Centre give just an hour supporting this years of your time or join for your contribution. RAG charities. us for the whole E6 Christmas day, our charities will be grateful Help residents from Shopping with the a local elderly home around High Wycombe. to do their Christmas Elderly shopping in the Eden Centre and E7 Recycled Art Ever wondered what happens with all the bits you put in can recycle them the into art. Perfect for E8 Volunteering with anyone who is creative recycling bin? Try out some ways One Can Trust is that you One Can Trust a local community and always charity providing free food bank facilities F1 need help packing Organising up their food parcels. to needy people in the local That’s right, you Fundraising Events This session will cover all you need can shop for charity! to know about organising of running a successful a event fundraising and examples event: the do’s and chance to organise of events that have don’ts your own charity worked well. You event and meet so bring your ideas will also have the other students to with you! F2 So you want to discuss potential run Interested collaborations in becoming an elected the Union? Sabbatical Officer really works? If so or just want to know then this session F3 Meeting Skills how the Students’ for you. Gain a better understandin Union g of meeting needed to make the most of meetings, protocols, learn some of the lingo, F4 Blackboard Instant and develop the whatever your role. skills Video and Text chat Messenger with your friends and other students and work on projects on your course. together totally online. Share desktops, key support areas applications like the Library, Careers How to contact your tutor and F5 Blackboard how to use Bb IM and the Learning Join lectures online to contact Development Unit. Collaborate from anywhere or anytime. View recordings missed or would like to see again. of lectures or tutorials Join lectures from view white board that you’ve your smartphone and share applications F6 Social media & or laptop /PC. Share or documents. desktops, Learn about how Blackboard Mobile social profiles work. Learn how to set and set up Spaces up your own profile, or send messages follow others, create to journals and the calendar in Blackboard. others in your network. Learn about posts F7 Questionnaires the notifications the and Focus Groups: Interested in conducting some research Coordinator, will during your time Hints and Tips pass on at Uni? Gemma Heath, Research questions and conductingher expertise in a practical session covering the basics G1 Enterprise focus groups. Festival Charity of writing survey Challenge launch Charity Challenge and showcase. How and 4 days? Are much can the participants you ready? G2 Networking raise for charity with Come to the Lounge just £10 Breakfast and enjoy special offers on hot drink, breakfast, then network G3 Afternoon Tea with Come away!! to Beats and join the Sabbatical the President, Vice-President Education Student Involvement Officers for cream tea to & Welfare, and Vice share your thoughts Activities Week, President what would you and experiences: G4 Global Food do if you ran the what do you think Market Come Students’ Union, of to the Gateway concourse how is your course going? to try out a range doorstep. of international cuisines G5 Thank you right here on your The culmination of the weeks activities: activities week sucesses. a chance to thank all the contributors and celebrate all the D6

D7

6pm

Frequently asked que stio 7pm

D8

7pm

8pm

9pm

8

18

We have three brand new iPads to give away for this competition. Write between 400-500 words about The sessions that you are most looking forward to attend during Activities Week. Deadline Friday 1 November 5pm. Entries e-mailed as a word document to william.hoskin@bucks.ac.uk The top entries will be published in the Bucks student newspaper published on 11 November.

9am

Networking Breakfast

9am

10am

According to Bucks Students’ Union President, Naomi Franco “the more you read the more you’ll want it to be Activities Week now! It’s like another Freshers’ week.” with such an exciting range of sessions and evening events I don’t know how students are going to fit everything in. “Activities Week really is going to be a great time so no one is going to want to miss out!“ With some great prizes on offer, including iPads and £500 cash, before during and after Activities Week there’s never been a better time to get involved.

Win an iPad

NOVEMBER 18 - 22

8pm

When is activities week? Monday 18 November to Friday 22 November.

ns

9pm

What is activities week? A week of interactive, engaging and fun extra alongside the activities supporting planned academic students’ employabilit B15 programme, combining full programme of social activities. subject 9 specific and y and enterprise, providing something We hope this ambitious help make it so with cross-university event becomes a your support. opportunities, plus valuable addition a to the Bucks offer – please Why are we having activities week? Bucks is strongly committed to developing of-the-ordinary activities students’ for courses, departments employability and enterprise, developed so far and this week offers , schools, and across through consultation a chance for outthe whole university. with students and The programme staff. has been How do I book a ticket for an event? Visit bucksstude ntsunion.org once you have logged “what’s on” and then in either click on use the drop down the news article ticket for. Click on menu to select “Activities about activities week the ticket symbol week” and then select or click on and then check out the event you want and follow the process to book a How do I log into through. the bucksstude ntsunion.org website? Go to bucksstude ntsunion.org and click login in the can create your own top right corner and login but you must then register, a new process. have a valid e-mail page will load where address that you can view in order you to complete the login Why do I need to put in a credit card? Although none of the events for activities fee so a credit card week require payments is needed, your card some of the events details will not be that we do at other shared with anyone. times require a The session I want to Look at the programme book has no tickets left what should I do? hoskin@bucks.ac.uk for similar coloured sessions and see if any of those to find out if there take your fancy. are any other similar Then contact william. sessions that are Why aren’t there going on throughout any course specific the year. Ask your tutor and sessions for my they should be able course? to tell you what they are running during There are two sessions activities week. that I want to attend Look at the rest both going on at of the timetable as the same time how some sessions are on once book a ticket can I do both? on multiple times for one of the sessions sessions you are and contact william.hos throughout the week. If both interested in as there sessions are only kin@bucks.ac.uk may be other sessions letting us know which that have two been planned since I have a lecture the programme was at the same time as one of the sessions printed. Check the timetable as I william.hoskin@buckssome sessions are on multiple times want to attend what should I do? throughout the week, .ac.uk letting us have been planned know which session if that is the only since the programme session contact you are interested go to your lecture. in as was printed. Speak to your lecturer about there may be more sessions that the clash but in the end you should Why is there no session on that interests me? There are lots of sessions that you could try but hoskin@bucks.ac.uk. We are always looking if there is nothing that you want we are planning to do, for make more session ideas a at the moment. and we have another suggestion to william. activities week in March that I’ve booked a ticket for a session but Contact william.hos I now can’t go what kin@bucks.ac.uk should I do? and we will sort it out for you.

Off site

19

Win an iPad We have another three brand new iPads to give away for this competition. Write between 400-500 words A reflection on the sessions that you attended during Activities Week. The top entries will be published in the Bucks student newspaper published Deadline Monday 2 December 5pm. Entries e-mailed as a word document to william.hoskin@bucks.ac.uk Winners will be decided by the judging panel.

Don’t forget to visit bucksstudentsunion.org/events to book your session.


October 2013 The Bucks Student 9

Guest Speaker: Amber Atherton Thursday 21 November 6pm-7.30pm Owen Harris 1 Amber’s passion for building brands began at the age of 9, when she set up a website selling books and CD’s- receiving her first cheque in the post for a NO DOUBT album the day before her 10th birthday. A self-proclaimed tech kid ‘I would spend my weekend making Flash animations or writing code!’ Amber’s pre-teen years saw her dabble in everything from starting an e-cards websites, cuddly toy companies, a trucker hat label, personalised apparel business and a teen magazine, until age 16 MYFLASHTRASH was born out of the amateur import export business she was running out of her dorm at boarding school. In 2010 Amber began to study

New Secularism III Tuesday 19 November 9am-2pm Old Board Room The title ‘New Secularism’ refers to the disappearance of many of the traditional boundaries in the media/communications world. The conference brings together top-flight speakers from across the communications industry. They will discuss and debate the impact of media convergence, key trends and the changing career opportunities. This year guest speakers include:

at London College of Fashion for a BA degree in Fashion Management. Continuing to develop MYFLASHTRASH. COM alongside her studies, it was a year later that Venture Capital Firms started to become interested in the brand and its community of loyal fans including The Duchess of Cambridge, Rita Ora and Kelly Brooke. A recognised name in the Fashion and Tech scene, Amber regularly speaks at conferences and schools on enterprise, social branding and marketing. amberatherton.com

Live Act: Turin Brakes

Andrew Baiden, 15 years at and until recently Group MD of The Red Consultancy, one of the UK’s most successful firms in the 1990s and 2000s, he has overseen its corporate and technology practices and headed up its lifestyle and leisure consumer offering Play, which includes drinks, sport, travel, home entertainment and telecoms.

Supported by Kevin Pearce and performing songs from their new album We Were Here.

Jonathan Jordan, ex UK MD of Burson Marsteller, now Senior Partner and Founder of Sermelo. He has over fifteen years of experience in helping companies anticipate and respond to changing market dynamics, be they driven by technology, digital, shifts in consumer attitudes and behaviours, or new regulations or globalisation.

Tuesday 19 November 8pm-2am The Venue So what happens to an optimist when they have to face up to the realities of modern life? What to do when experience turns to weary pragmatism and - with it - wistful daydreams of escape? A decade and a half into a career that’s inspired artists as diverse as the Staves and Flux Pavilion, these are the questions posed by the sublime sixth album from Turin Brakes. From the majestic opening swoop and swirl of Time and Money through to the elegiac campfire slide of the album closer, Goodbye, We Were Here finds the band - Olly Knights

and Gale Paridjanian along with long time collaborators Rob Allum and Eddie Myer at their most assertive and consistent with a hypnotic collection of songs that nods to classic releases of the ‘70s and also to the triggers of existential dread that sit right at the heart of the information age. As a celebration of the tenth anniversary of the release of their critically lauded, award nominated debut - the Optimist LP - Turin Brakes took to the road in 2011 to play a series of shows where the album was performed in its entirety. For the band, this meant a process

of relearning the songs, some of which hadn’t been explored since back in 2001. That reassessment process proved a necessary spur in the creative process behind We Were Here. Arriving as it does after a timely re-evaluation of some of their earliest recordings, Turin Brakes’ superlative sixth album is something of a confident fresh chapter: a wide open door to the band’s next decade. As the title says, We Were Here. Time, then, to join them here. turinbrakes.com

Careers Fair

Charity Challenge

Thursday sees the return of the Careers Fair. This once a year opportunity will bring over sixty different companies into one room and provide you with the opportunity to network and learn from a wide range of industries. In addition now this year we are providing you with the opportunity to practice your interview skills in our ‘speed interview’ session straight after the careers fair where you will have five minutes to practice making a good first impression, get some instant feedback and then practice again! So sign up for these interviews on the day, don’t miss out!

Thinking about starting your own business? Want to work for yourself? Got lots of ideas but are not sure how to make them a reality? Enterprise month kicks off in November and provides students with the opportunity to answer these questions. Challenges, competitions,

Thursday 21 November 11am-3pm Events Hall

The legendary near-90 something, Bob Leaf, who as international CEO of Bursons built much of the business he is regularly credited with introducing the US discipline of Public Relations to the rest of the world.

Monday 19 November 9am-4.30pm Link Bridge showcases there are a number of opportunities to learn from local business owners and entrepreneurs. It is never too early to start planning for your future so visit the link bridge on Monday between 9am-4.30pm. Visit enterprisebucks.com for more details.

Mike Clare, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a winner of numerous entrepreneurial awards. He is also the founder of “Dreams”, helping them to grow from 1 store to over 200 in his 20 years with his company.


UP TO

30 OFF %

DATE

MONDAY 21ST OCTOBER TIME

6:30PM - 9:00PM Simply show your student ID on the night to receive money off at your favourite Eden stores including:

HOUSE OF FRASER • M&S • SUPERDRY • TOPSHOP • OFFICE • MONSOON F HINDS • TWO SEASONS • O2 • VIRGIN MEDIA • RUSH • ADORN BEAUTY MI-SHAKE • PIZZA EXPRESS • MR SIMMS • THORNTONS • AMF BOWLING and many more!

For more information visit www.edenshopping.co.uk/studentlock-in


After Hours

GTA V review King Charles review Song of the fortnight Rush review

Freshers’ Festival 26 September 2013 Picture by Michael Lockheart


12 The Bucks Student October 2013

After Hours

A round-up of Students’ Union nightlife plus entertainment news and reviews. Submit your articles to afterhours@thebucksstudent.com

game review

Grand Theft Auto V (18) Xbox 360 / PS3 Rockstar Games The chopper rises above the Blaine County mountain ranges as the sun sets, a glorious spectacle of lens flare combined with sweeping hills etched with fog, dynamic clouds breaking away above, birds flocking past the tail rotor and giving way to the outline of the sprawling city’s haze in the distance, all backed by Queen’s Radio GaGa. This is GTA V. For the few gamers safely hidden under a rock since its release, GTA V is an old dog with plenty of new tricks, and it’s interwoven three-character story is the strongest of the series to date. Gone is Niko Bellic’s bleak world view of a beige and grey Liberty City, and in its place we find

Michael’s Glitzy mid-life crisis, Franklin’s sun-soaked gangster’s paradise, and Trevor’s psychopathic meth-peddling Sandy Shores shack. The story breaks new ground, combining serious humour and serious storytelling into a cohesive whole which fans will love. Like the reboot of Liberty City in GTA IV, GTA V’s reboot of Los Santos is a different beast from the Los Santos we grew to know in the past. The first time you rise above the city, it dawns on you that GTA V isn’t the largest game you’ll ever play. But it’s the sense of scale and immense detail (down to coffee cups and the sound of your car engine cooling off) that really makes this game awe inspiring. The game has a host of new and improved features: extensive car customization; player owned cars for each main character; a more detailed character customization;

stock trading (both online real-time and offline); customizable weapons; and countless other nifty improvements. GTA V’s mechanics draw inspiration from previous Rockstar’s games; bringing in the driving of Midnight Club: Los Angeles, the shooting and bullet time of Max Payne 3, and the sheer world scale and animal interaction of Red Dead Redemption. Switching characters never gets old; the camera takes to the sky, flits across the map, and picks up on whatever the other two characters may be doing: Michael may awaken screaming in bed over his marriage being in ruin; Trevor might be in his underwear somewhere dodging the law; and Franklin could be washing his car- it’s never the same switch. Aside from the three main characters, there is a fourth character too - your online persona.

GTA Online came out last week, and despite some serious issues getting on its feet due to bugs and server strain, it is a truly great online component. Sticking up stores, buying cars, wearing crew colours, racing, robbing, parachuting and exploring - GTA Online really is GTA V, but with far more missions, far more (16 to be precise) players, and even a content creator to boot. It’s not flawless, and those who dislike mature themes and tasteless humour such as interactive torture, frequent sexism (R* have made a tale of masculinity, and don’t shy from pushing the point), nudity in every shape and form, drug use, and staples such as senseless violence and every swear word known to man should stay away: it’s 18 rated for a better reason than any previous series entry. by Mathew J



14 The Bucks Student October 2013

gig review

King Charles, the moustache-bearing musician from West London, took the Students’ Union by storm on the first Thursday of Fresher’s Fortnight. Playing tracks from his debut 2012 album LoveBlood and backed by a tight band, Charles let forth a slew of his signature upbeat songs including the crowd favourites Love Lust, Bam Bam, Ivory Road, and Mississippi Isabel. The unique blend of surf and folk rock, reggae and indie influences made for a great performance led by melodic guitar solo’s and backed by a solid rhythm section and a subtle synth player, with each musician harmonising chorus vocals that really brought together a set that many musicians would strip back for a live performance. Despite a slightly loud mix the whole gig was near flawless, with Charles himself masterfully leading the proceedings with effortless showmanship in tapping solo’s, whilst addressing the crowd and in his engagement with the crowd too. The whole act left everyone with feel good vibes to go home with, and to everyone with any musical knowledge in the room with a sense of awe at the sheer tightness and grace showed throughout from an individually wellexperienced, but relatively new band. The whole act left everyone with feel good vibes to go home with, and a sense of awe to aspiring musicians in the room as to just how tight the band was, considering the album is but one year old. The performance came to a crescendo of soloing, with Charles really giving his all, hair flying about, and relentlessly building the excitement before dropping back to a finish prior to a similarly extended encore, which drew the crowd back around for one more tune. One anonymous student however, felt the need to dampen Charles’ thunder by reminding him loudly above the crowd, that, in fact, “Bastille were better”; which was responded to by a dead serious look into the said students soul during a closing solo, followed by a slew of likes on the follow up FB status.


October 2013 The Bucks Student 15

television

Tabloid TV - Jezza The Jeremy Kyle show - Britains favourite TV tabloid talk show since it began airing on ITV in July 2005 as a perminent replacement of the Jerry Springer Show. They focus the topics mainly on DNA , and Lie detectors as well as confrontational argument in which the guests try to solve the problem on what is happening in their significant lives, whether it is about the family, relationship, sex and drinking problems. Because this is a reality situation the guest often display strong emotions, things like anger and distress and also strong language that maybe offensive for the viewers. On the other hand Jeremy Kyle urgently helps people that desperately need it so they can turn their life around from problems such as cocaine, drug addiction etc. It allows the guest to have a chance to open up what their problem is and what they need to deal with in order to clear away their problem by going to the GP or going to medical rehab. Suprisingly this show not only features ordinary guests but celebrities as well because this show is all about tackling human problems in their every day life, and the celebrity, just like the ordinary guests, talk about their lifestyle and family relationships. In my opinion, I say it is the best show that has ever existed and I would urge anyone to watch that show because it of

the things it has and it reminds the people at home watching the TV of the things that they should not do. Things like comparing themselves to the people on stage on a national television, things like cheating with another person whilst in a current relationship, pretending to be good dad whilst their baby isn’t his and coming on stage with anger to prove himself that he is a father to the child. `If you thought you really wanted to appear on the show and needed Jeremy’s help then that would be no problem whatsoever, otherwise just think carefully about the things you want to say before you even appear on the show. If you rush into it then it could even make it even worse for you than any of the previous guests – it is best that you don’t unless you really feel like you want help from the guy himself, Jeremy Kyle. With only just two years away until the 10 year anniversary of the Jeremy Kyle Show, we should celebrate the past decade of the good , the bad and most importantly the show itself – by then it is going to be a memorable show - programmes that you would never forget.

Event is for over 16s only - No refunds will be issued for under 16s

We all love going out to the Students’ Union bar, getting mortal and waking up the next morning with no recollection of the night’s events, until of course those awkward photos show up on Facebook… But every Sunday night at the Venue there is an alternative(However not to the drinking part). The Big Quiz launched during Fresher’s - and this year, we’re launching The Big Quiz League! We’re giving away a holiday for six for the team who comes top overall at the end of the year. So even if you don’t win the weekly cash prizes, you’re still in with a chance of being

a winner. And we’ll be playing rock and roll bingo every week too - increasing the odds of you going home richer even more. Last year we gave away over £5000 – And it’s completely free to enter! So make sure you come down to the big quiz for a chance of winning that money, a holiday for you and your mates, and a great night out! Every Sunday at 9pm, The Venue.

by Abdul Esse

19 November, 8pm, The venue aftershow until 2am ADV public Tickets £20

Why the Quiz is the Best Night out ever. (I’m not biased, honest!)

SUPPORT FROM

Student Editor Tom Badger


WHAT S ON AT BU Monday 14

Tuesday 15

Wednesday 16

THE VENUE FROM 7.30PM ENGLAND v POLAND WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

DOORS AT 8PM All night: Large glass of house wine (175ml) - £2.70 | Corky’s £1 a shot / Double up on any spirit £1

SPORTS INITIAT

THE LOUNGE FROM 8PM

All night: 4 pint pitcher of Carlsberg / Amstel / Gaymers / Snakebite & Black - £8 | Bottle of Barefoot wine - £7 | Corky’s £1 a shot / Double up on any spirit £1

Saturday 19

Until midnight: Snakebite & Black - £1.80 | 1 house wine - £2.50 All night: Corky’s £1 a sho any spirit £1 | Pint of draft soft drink £1

Sunday 20

Mond

BLACK HISTO HOSTED BY THE CULTURAL SOCIETY

FROM 12PM

#DEFININGMUSICWITHSTYLE DOORS AT 9PM Until midnight: Selected Spirits & Mixer - £1.80 All night: Selected bottles x 4 - £6 | Barefoot Wine - £7 | Faustino Cava - £20

Thursday 24

BRING YOUR OWN FOOD LEEDS UTD v TOTTENHAM ASTON VILLA v BIRMINGHAM

CARRIBEAN FOO

All night: 4 pint pitcher of Carlsberg / Amstel / Gaymers / Snakebite & Black - £8 | Bottle of Barefoot wine - £7 | Corky’s £1 a shot / Double up on any spirit £1

All night: Large glass of house wi a shot / Double up on any spirit £1

Friday 25

PRESENTS

WITH DJ LLOYD JONES

PLUS GUESTS DOORS AT 8PM All night: Gaymers Original and Pear draft / Tuborg draft / Vodka & Relentless / Range of ‘Bombs’ - all £2 | Doombar draft / Large glass of house wine (175ml) - £2.50 | Corky’s £1 a shot / Double up on any spirit - £1

#DEFININGMUSICWITHSTYLE

BOOBIE NIGHTS COPPAFEEL! - BREAST CANCER AWARENESS Until midnight: Carlsberg / Amstel draft / VK / Vodka & Relentless / Vodka & lemonade - all £2 | Kopperberg Pear bottle - £3 All night: Firebombs - £2 | Large glass of house wine (175ml) £2.50 | Corky’s £1 a shot / Double up on any spirit £1 | Turbo Shandy - £2.20 | Fireball Cocktails - £3.50

D

Until midnight: Carlsb Red Stripe can - all £2 a shot / Double up on


BUCKS - OCTOBER

6

Thursday 17

Friday 18

WITH DJ RYAN ARNOLD

TIONS

175ml glass of ot / double up on

CLOTHES SWAP

BATTLE OF THE HALLS

All night: Gaymers Original and Pear draft / Tuborg draft / Vodka & Relentless / Range of ‘Bombs’ - all £2 | Doombar draft / Large glass of house wine (175ml) - £2.50 | Corky’s £1 a shot / Double up on any spirit - £1

Until midnight: Carlsberg / Amstel draft / VK / Vodka & Relentless / Vodka & lemonade - all £2 | Kopperberg Pear bottle - £3 All night: Firebombs - £2 | Large glass of house wine (175ml) - £2.50 | Corky’s £1 a shot / Double up on any spirit £1 | Turbo Shandy - £2.20 | Fireball Cocktails - £3.50

day 21

Tuesday 22

Wednesday 23

ORY MONTH

FROM 8PM THE VENUE

FROM 12.30PM THE LOUNGE

OD AVAILABLE

ine (175ml) - £2.70 | Corky’s £1 1

All night: 4 pint pitcher of Carlsberg / Amstel / Gaymers / Snakebite & Black - £8 | Bottle of Barefoot wine - £7 | Corky’s £1 a shot / Double up on any spirit £1

Saturday 26

DOORS AT 10PM

berg / Amstel draft / WKD / Vodka & Relentless / All night: Range of ‘Bombs’ - £2 | Corky’s £1 any spirit £1

Sunday 27

FRAT PARTY Until midnight: Snakebite & Black - £1.80 | 175ml glass of house wine - £2.50 All night: Corky’s £1 a shot / double up on any spirit £1 | Pint of draft soft drink £1

KEEP IN TOUCH Bucks Students’ Union

FROM 12PM BRING YOUR OWN FOOD

@BucksSU

SUNDERLAND v NEWCASTLE CHELSEA v MAN CITY

All night: 4 pint pitcher of Carlsberg / Amstel / Gaymers / Snakebite & Black - £8 | Bottle of Barefoot wine - £7 | Corky’s £1 a shot / Double up on any spirit £1

Bucks Students’ Union

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October 2013 The Bucks Student 21

book review

track of the fortnight

Eliza and the Bear, Friends

The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss Published by DAW Books

The Name of the Wind is a fantasy novel published in 2007, and written by Patrick Rothfuss. The Name of the Wind follows the tale of the distinctly red haired protagonist Kvothe, as he embarks upon a long personal journey. The Name of the Wind is Patrick Rothfuss’ first major publication, and it is the first of a trilogy that has been dubbed the Kingkiller’s Chronicals. Rothfuss proved through The Name of the Wind that he is a master of storytelling. In a lot of fantasy books, it is easy for the readers to lose interest in the story because of the seemingly endless details that authors needlessly include. However, Rothfus somehow manages to strike the perfect balance between simplicity and detail; the characters, settings, and various plots of the story are easy to follow and easy to relate to, and at the same time Rothfuss manages to still achieve a remarkable level of depth. It’s clear from reading Rothfuss’ books that his greatest strength is his ability to set the atmosphere of the scene. He paints a very vivid picture which immerses the reader in a variety of different scenes. Using this and more to his advantage, Rothfuss evokes a vast spectrum of emotions from the readers while conveying a number of different themes. No matter what the genre of fiction books you like The Name of the Wind is a must read.

We were so sad to hear that Eliza and the Bear were unable to make their gig during fresher’s (get well soon by the way!), but that doesn’t stop them from being one of our favourite bands! Their new track, “Friends” is as high spirited as their usual sound, and with its catchy chorus make it an anthem for the incoming frosty winter! Check it out at elizaandthebear.com

video of the fortnight

Deputy Student Editor Harmeet Singh Anand

Okay, so this isn’t new. In fact you’ve probably seen it before, but we’ve been slow on the uptake with this one and it’s pure genius. Our bad. The stay drenched hamster band are potentially one of the greatest advertising creations ever. The best bit about it is that absolutely no CGI is used in the making of it! Have you ever seen four hamsters all play in a band together? No? Then go check out this video at: youtube.com/ watch?v=AxBJlxb3NAQ Student Editor Tom Badger

movie review

Rush lives up to what its namesake suggests it to be. Based on the true story of racing rivals James Hunt and Nicki Lauda, the film follows their distinctly different personal styles on and off the track during the astonishing 1976 Formula 1 season in which both drivers were willing to risk everything to become world champion in a sport with no margin for error. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anything about Formula 1, hell it doesn’t even matter if you don’t like cars as it does what every great movie should do, it brings you into its world and entertains you. Comparisons could be made between Rush and another Ron Howard film Apollo 13. Both films take an already well known event, but then adds so much high-octane intensity to the story that the viewer is left on the edge of your seat despite knowing the outcome of the story. Warrior is another film which shares similar attributes with Rush. The stories in both Rush and Warrior revolve around a fairly technical sport, but what draws you into both movies is not necessarily the sport, but the fascinating characters that participate in it. Chris Hemsworth proves that he can be more than just Thor by brilliantly portraying the brash playboy James Hunt. But it is Daniel Bruhl’s portrayal of Niki Lauda that completely steals the show with his analytical approach to the sport. Bruhl’s portrayal of Lauda is deserving of any awards that are bound to come his way. Director Ron Howard does an excellent job in bringing the story to life in great fashion by creating a unique sense of sexiness and danger to surround the film. This paired with the wonderful cinematography from Anthony Dod Mantle and an excellent score provided by Hans Zimmer excellently sets the tone for a movie set in the 1970s, and brings constant exhilaration to the action. The polar opposite philosophies and lifestyles of James Hunt and Niki Lauda is what really drives the film. There is such an immense focus on the two characters that at times it feels as if the supporting cast is left a little too undermined with not much substance. Overall though Rush is among this year’s best so far. It’s thrilling, it’s engaging and damn well entertaining. You won’t want to miss this. Rush (15) Released 13/09/2013 Running time: 123 mins

by Scott Matthewson



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24 The Bucks Student October 2013

Student Essentials

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

international blog

Am I British? I did a fair bit of traveling as a child, but most of it consisted of me just following my parents to the newest tourist attraction they wanted to see that day. This was not the case when I came to England. I was, for the most part, completely on my own, and I knew nothing of this country. In order to survive, I was forced to immerse myself in the English culture. Fast forward to present day, where it has been two years since my transit flight from Paris landed in Heathrow. At this point, I probably am no longer thought of as “new” to this country, but at no point have I ever considered myself part of the British culture. I’ve always thought of myself as an outsider, silently taking notes and making observations and occasional friendly quips about what you Brits do in your day to day life. Not too long ago, I was having a conversation via Skype with some

of my loved ones from back home and they commented on the fact that they had noticed me becoming increasingly English as time went by. While I didn’t object or take offence to this comment, I was still slightly taken aback. I am constantly reminded on a daily basis in subtle and sometimes unsubtle ways that I am not from here. My use of the proper version of the English language (American) alone attracts a mind numbingly vast amount of questions. However, the idea that I was myself changing didn’t occur to my waking mind. I wish I could go into more specifics, but when I pressed my family for examples they couldn’t point to a specific one thing I did. They simply said the way that I present myself was completely different from how I did two years ago. I was aware that I might be picking up some habits, especially when it came to oral communication, but it’s

slightly jarring to think that my mannerisms overall would be affected. I tried being more conscious of my mannerisms in the last couple of days, and I did notice some little changes. For example, I used to walk slightly slouched and my head looking slightly downwards, as is the norm in Japan, but now I walk with my head facing forwards. I should reiterate something I mentioned earlier: By no means do I object or take offence to these changes, it’s just that these changes are unexpected. I’m fairly certain this is how a victim of a Zombie bite would feel after they discover the first signs of infection.

Deputy Student Editor Harmeet Singh Anand

in the know

How can a government shutdown?

Library Film Competition Create an engaging, dynamic two to three minute film guide to the Uxbridge Library 

Closing date 18th November 2013

£300 Amazon voucher prize

Winner announced at the Enterprise Festival Awards Evening on Thursday 28th November

Full competition details and entry forms available on my.bucks.ac.uk/ Library organisation and from the Library Service Desks

On Tuesday, the 1 October, the United States began shutting down the non-essential services provided by its government. In order to fully understand why, a short summary of how the US government works is in order. The budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year is determined through legislation, this type of legislation is commonly known as a “spending bill”. Congress, the legislative body of the US government, is bicameral; it is made up of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Democrats, one of two main political parties in the US, have the majority in the Senate, and the other major political party, the Republicans, have the majority in the House of representatives. In order for a proposed piece of legislation to become law, it must be approved by the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the president. In 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) was passed into law. The Republicans had very little say in the matter because the Democrats had the majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate as well as the presidency. In both the 2011 and 2013 elections, the Republican party were able to

gain a majority in the House of Representatives. In 2014, the major provisions of Obamacare are expected to be phased in. The Republican party, who now have some say in the matter, have stalled passing the 2013-2014 spending bill. The Republicans are stalling the bill because they want to control government spending, which they believe is the major factor behind the recent decline in the US economy. Obamacare is an expensive bill, which will require an increase in government spending for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. The Republicans of the House are not willing to increase government spending, and are demanding cuts to Obamacare and the Democrats in the Senate are not willing to back down. Due to this stalemate, the deadline for the spending bill has passed with no legislation in place, and thus there is no money for the Government to run its non-essential services. The Government is now expected to enter into further negotiations in order to finally pass the spending bill. Deputy Student Editor Harmeet Singh Anand


October 2013 The Bucks Student 25

5 Things to Do In Wycombe It’s your day off. You’ve seen everything that the cinema has to offer, the pub is unimaginable after last night, but you’re feeling too active for a lazy day. Feel familiar? Probably not, but if you ever fancy doing something different we’ve found five things for you to consider in and around Wycombe: Adams Park Stadium Home to Wycombe Wanderers and London Wasps FC, a visit to Adams Park on matchday can be exciting and a great alternative to watching sport on TV. Wycombe Wanderers FC play in League Two, but past friendlies have included matches against QPR, Fulham and Chelsea. Who knows who might be at the club if the FA Cup selection go their way! London Wasps are one of the biggest clubs in English Rugby, and are both former champions of The Premiership (the top flight of English Rugby), and also European Champions in the Heineken Cup. Although they’ve had a few rough seasons of late, they are still a big force and as such regular fixtures against the biggest European clubs are a regular occurrence at Adams Park. The Hell-Fire Caves Situated in West Wycombe, The hellfire caves are a network of man-made underground caves and passages dug hundreds of years ago. The rock excavated was used to build West Wycombe Road, but the caves themselves have a much raunchier past! A former “Gentleman Club”, some of the most influential men in history, including Kings, Prime Ministers and Benjamin Franklin himself have visited the caves to wine, dine and, well, y’know! Skirmish Paintball Skirmish Paintball are based just on the outside of Wycombe, (if you don’t drive there, a taxi will cost only a few pounds between friends). As well as traditional paintball, they also offer mini paintball, Airsoft sessions and Laser Tag in their woodland arena. And they have plenty of offers available so it isn’t always as expensive as expected! Marlow Only fifteen minutes from Wycombe by bus, the picturesque town of Marlow is sat on the River Thames. There are a few shops for the ladies, but the beautiful Higginson Park in the town centre is always bustling. There’s boat rides, hire, a rowing club and a great riverside walk pathway! Wycombe Museum Set in an 18th Century House, Wycombe Museum is full of memorabilia of the local area throughout the years. Learn a little bit about what the new town in your life is like, with loads of events and days, it’s completely free and within walking distance, right behind the train station!

feed me

We are always hungry for your feedback!

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!

78% of the time, it works every time! Students are asked the following question as part of the National Student Survey, which all final year students’ are asked to complete between January and April: “I am satisfied with the Students’ Union (Association or Guild) at my institution”

Def’ Disagree 29 - 3%

Mostly Disagree 37 - 4%

Neither 162 - 15%

Mostly Agree 431 - 41%

Definitely Agree 382 - 37%

NUS news

nus.org.uk

Johnson Cleaners launch GreenEarth This month Johnson Cleaners, the UK’s No. 1 Dry Cleaners, celebrates the national launch of a revolutionary new environmentally-friendly dry cleaning solvent called GreenEarth®. Replacing the industry standard solvent, Perc, GreenEarth paves the way for greener dry cleaning with better results for your clothes. Celebrate GreenEarth dry cleaning with 20% off all services with NUS extra! What’s the science behind GreenEarth? The process uses pure liquid silicone, a safe natural by-product of sand, this means it is completely non-toxic, has no harsh chemicals and has zero risk to the air, water or soil. Liquid silicone safely breaks down into sand, trace amounts of water and carbon dioxide and is in fact the same base ingredient in many everyday shampoos and cosmetics. What’s more, it still dry cleans your clothes, but won’t wear the fabric like the more conventional and harmful solvent. This week marks the culmination of a 10 year and £10million investment programme to rollout GreenEarth cleaning to 100% of the 325 Johnson Cleaners stores nationwide. All of which now offer an exclusive 20% student discount off all services with an NUS extra card, buy yours now at the Students’ Union Offices or at nus.org.uk.


26 The Bucks Student October 2013

technology

Should I buy a new iPhone? In an unprecedented move, Apple has released two updates to their new iPhone line with the release of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.

The iPhone 5c is essentially the old iPhone 5 in five new colors and a new material surrounding the screen. Apple is also selling a new line of cases with the iPhone 5c (which strongly resemble crocs sandals), and marketing it as the iPhone “for the colorful”. The iPhone 5s feels a bit more like a premium product. There are a number of different hardware and software updates to the iPhone 5s from the iPhone 5. On the hardware side the iPhone 5s has a fancy new camera and fingerprint reader on the home screen. In regards to Software, the iPhone 5s has the new A7 chip, which apparently makes the phone a lot faster than its predecessor. What’s interesting about the iPhone 5s, is that there seems to be a lot less fanfare from the release of the

phone. If you recall back to the release of previous iPhones and even iPads, the hype surrounding the release of the devices were unlike anything any nongaming consumer product had received. But now, the market is saturated with so many smartphones, that it is hard to look at the iPhone as anything more than just another phone. In the past if you had the money, it was strongly recommended that you buy an iPhone. But now the answer is not so simple. I would still recommend an iPhone, to a heavy Apple user, because of how easily it syncs with your device, but to anyone else I would strongly recommend taking the time to see what else is on the market. As an Apple user, even I have to admit that android phones are looking more and more attractive as the days goes by.

Should you buy it? Well that depends.

Google celebrates its 15th Birthday

food

Chicken Stir Fry serves 3-4 Ingredients 4 Chicken Breasts (strips) 300g Beansprouts 500g Egg Noodles 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil Soy Sauce 200g Mushrooms (thinly sliced) 1 Medium-sized Onion (diced) 6 Spring Onions (thinly sliced)

Optional Broccoli florets Baby Sweetcorn Cabbage Carrots Chorizo Bacon

Google crossed a pretty big milestone in late September, when their search engine celebrated its fifteenth consecutive year of being active. Their search functionality at the time was revolutionary: it was fast, accurate, attractive, and most importantly it was simple to use. Because of this, Google was often considered miles ahead of its competition and put many a search engine permanently to rest. Fast forward to 2013, and we see that is still in good form. They’ve kept innovating by introducing features which have yet to be

incorporated by any other search engine. Google has even grown to be a part of pop culture, so much so that the word “Google” is even used in regular conversations as a verb for searching something. Arguably the most impressive thing about Google is not its success in search, but that it used its success in search to branch out into many different areas. Yes there have been some hiccups along the way, but we have Google to thank for many of the best services available in technology. To name just a few,

we have Google to thank for: Gmail; Google Drive; and Google maps, and the world’s most popular mobile operating system: Android. With Google seemingly on top of the tech industry food chain, one has to wonder what we can expect from it in the near future. We’ve already been granted glimpses of things like Google Glass, and the fifth installment of the Android operating system Key Lime Pie. One thing that is for certain is that Google has shown no signs of diverging from its pattern of innovation and customer satisfaction.

>> Heat the oil on a high temperature in a wok >> Add the chicken (and chorizo and bacon if using) >> Stir fry for 3 minutes (or until chicken is cooked) >> Add half the diced onion. Stir fry for 1 minute. >> Add a splash of soy sauce, mushrooms and spring onion. >> Stir fry for 3-4 minutes (until the vegetables soften). >> Add the bean sprouts (and any other optional ingredients) and another splash of soy sauce. >> Stir fry for 2 minutes. >> Add egg noodles. >> Stir fry for 2 minutes. >> Serve.

student shout-out Got something to sell? Need a flatmate? Just fancy telling someone how much they mean to you? To place an advert or shout-out here, email sucommunications@bucks.ac.uk (no more than 100 characters).

“As new - two leather bound books Readers Digest (condensed) each 4 stories. £3 each ono. 01494 446 232”

“Scooter (silver metal, foldable) measures H-33½” L-27” from front wheel to rear. £6 ono. 01494 446 232”


ADVICE CENTRE

advice

National Personal Safety Day 14 October 2013

e r ’ We

e r heo

p l he with t

National Personal Safety Day, which is organised by Suzy Lamplugh Trust, is an annual event aimed at highlighting some of the simple, practical solutions that everyone can use to help avoid violence and aggression in today’s society. It’s about helping people live safer, more confident lives. Go to the web site nationalpersonalsafetyday.co.uk/ for more details. During your time at Bucks the chances of you being a victim of crime are, thankfully, statistically very low. According to crime statistics we are the 7th safest University thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/crime-inuniversity-cities/. However we are aware that every year a few students do have crimes committed against them, so it is important to be aware of this and to take reasonable precautions. Take a few minutes to read the following, much of which you will probably already be aware of, then IF the unthinkable does happen, at least you will be prepared as to what you can do to help yourself. Out And About >> Try not to be out alone, particularly at night. If you do have to travel alone at night, ask someone to meet you, or tell a friend that you will call them when you arrive. >> Avoid taking shortcuts through dark alleys, parks or wasteland. >> Do not walk around with your mobile phone to your ear; it makes it very easy for someone to steal it. >> Park your car or bike in a well lit area and make sure it is securely locked when you leave it. >> Ask for directions at the University, in a shop or in a garage - don’t stop passers-by. Walk confidently and as if you know where you are going. >> Get a personal attack alarm available from D.I.Y stores. Make sure it is of the type which continues to sound even if you drop it. Keep it in an easily accessible place. >> If you think you’re being followed: Check by crossing the street and see if they follow, if they do then cross back again to check. If you are still worried, then get to the nearest public place, a shop, pub or anywhere with lights on and call the police on 999. >> Try not to use cash-points at night, but if you have to be aware of people hanging around, and have your friends with you. >> If a stranger approaches you, don’t get involved, don’t give any personal information and keep walking, say that you are in a hurry. This may be unfriendly, but better safe than sorry. It is best to avoid eye contact with strangers in the street. It is not normal for a stranger to start talking to you, so if someone does then be very suspicious of their intentions. >> Never ever get into a car with people you do not know. (I know this sounds obvious, but it is worth pointing out that once you have got into the car the person driving has total control of where they take you) >> If someone attempts to steal something from you, don’t resist. >> Your safety comes first. You can help by noting what they look like. Ring the police immediately, pass on their description and the direction they went off in.

If the worst happens and you are attacked: >> Scream and shout. >> If you have one, set off your personal attack alarm. >> Get away as quickly as possible. >> Always ring the police immediately after getting away, don’t leave it until you get home. >> It’s a lot to ask, but if there is a vehicle involved try to make a mental note of the registration. Write it down as quickly as possible and hand it to the police on their arrival. At Home >> When moving in to your student accommodation (particularly if it is not halls) do not openly display all your expensive computers, TVs etc. Someone watching you move in may decide that your house would be worth breaking into. >> At home, ensure that all doors and windows can be securely locked at night or when the property is vacant. A safety chain and a “spy glass” on the front door are desirable: in all events, you should identify your caller before opening the door. >> Don’t leave keys in your door, even for a short time and don’t put your name or address on your key ring in case it gets lost or stolen. >> If you are in any doubt that other people have keys to your house, flat, or room then change your lock. You will need to get your landlords approval for this. >> Use time switches, available from DIY shops, to turn on lights, radios etc. when you are out. This will make it look as if your house is occupied. >> Don’t let your TV, video, computer etc. be visible from a window. >> Draw your curtains when you go out at night. >> Mark portable, high value items with your postcode and house or flat number, kits for these are available from DIY shops. >> Make sure you have adequate contents insurance, and keep a list of the serial numbers of your TV etc. for insurance claims.

More advice on crime prevention and securing your accommodation can be found here: thamesvalley.police.uk/crprev.htm If you are unfortunate, and become a victim of crime, please do not hesitate to come and see us in the Students’ Union Advice Centre.

u o y sues

any

isuding:

incl

ACCOMMODATION

COURSES

MONEY

YOUR PERSONAL LIFE

THE LAW

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ISSUES

High Wycombe Campus Ground floor, North Block 01494 603 016

Uxbridge Campus Room 1.03, first floor 01494 605 180

suadvice@bucks.ac.uk

bucksstudentsunion.org/advice


28 The Bucks Student October 2013

Extra Curricular

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

societies

Market stalls, Swap Shops, and lots and lots of cake! If you were out and about in High Wycombe on Saturday 5 October you may have seen The Red Shed Textiles Society market stall overflowing with oodles of charming and delicious treats! From cup cakes and hand-painted greetings cards to stunning jewellery and juicy jams, everything was hand made by the students from The Red Shed Textiles Society. In total we raised £137.50 on the day, with plenty of extra postal orders still coming in on our societies Facebook page (facebook.com/ redshedtextilessociety). All the earnings go towards the Textiles and Surface Design degree fund, for which we need to raise £32,000 in order to showcase our third year work at design shows in London and Paris. Don’t panic if you missed us, we have tons of beautiful items still to sell! Check out our Facebook page and take a look at all of our lovely handmade items, all of which are available to purchase online through the page! Coming up this term we are also planning a Swap

Shop – for those of you that may not already know, for just £2 you can bag yourself a whole new wardrobe! Swap Shops are already proving to be a huge success in London, mainly due to the prices in “vintage” shops being ludicrous! We’re bringing the first ever Swap Shop to High Wycombe! Keep an eye out for the dates of all of our upcoming events on our Facebook Page. We’re also launching our very own Bucks Uni Street Style section! We’ll be on the look out for the fashionistas of Bucks Uni - all of which will be featured on our Facebook page every week, and if you’re really just that damn dazzling we’ll also feature you right here in the Bucks Student Newspaper! So what are you waiting for? Get your glad rags on and we could be snapping you up in and around the Uni, it’s never been so easy to become the next big trendsetter! Like us: facebook.com/ redshedtextilessociety

What is Rotaract? Rotaract is an international organization that aims to help the local and global community. Unlike most opportunities, Rotaract encourages, and provides ways for its members to socialise, network, and take on their own projects. Rotaract clubs around the country are constantly raising money for various charities by in uniquely different ways. To name just a few examples, previous Rotaract clubs have: hosted boat-rowing races and created and sold their own unique products (such as calenders, key chains, etcetera) in the name of charity. A few of us at Bucks are

looking to start a Rotaract club, for the University, and while we have received ample support from the Student’s Union and the Rotaract clubs around the nation, we are still in need of more members. We want to be a vehicle for student’s to express their creativity, and apply the knowledge they gain from their university course to practical use. If you are interested in being part of a global organization; helping people; and putting valuable skills onto your CV for future employment, please contact our Chair Harmeet at harmeetanand93@gmail.com

Welcome back! The Law Society in the academic year of 2013 – 2014 aims to boost itself to new heights. Fundamental aims of the society are: to host various large-scale social events – on a monthly basis, to increase participation from other disciplines within the University, and provide workshops to assist students with curriculum-vitae writing and interviewing skills. Events confirmed for this term: Life at the Criminal Bar. 30 Oct - Old Board Room – 6pm-8.30pm. Visit to Houses of Parliament and Supreme Court. 25 Nov. How to obtain work experience? (Workshop). 5 Dec. Coming Soon: Visit to Brussels, EU Institution. Jan 2014. Law Society is open to all students. If you have any enquiries, please email us at buckslawsociety@gmail.com - we endeavor to answer all queries within forty-eight hours. by Zeshan (Chair)

The Red Shed Society girls tend their stall packed with cake, jams and all kind of homemade goodies.

rec activities

A Free Cooking Lesson On Thursday 3rd October, 13 people went to Chalfont Cuisine in Amersham as part of Recreational Activities and the Big Deal to take part in a FREE hand’s on cooking experience where they got to eat what they made. I received some really positive feedback so thought I would share it with the rest of Bucks! “What I enjoyed about my cooking experience was, I was able to meet new people especially being a fresher; everyone was nice and friendly and easy to get along with, thanks guys! The two chefs that catered to us were Jason and Jill, and they were nothing short of excellent hosts, they demonstrated how to make our pizza first, which was exciting to see before letting us off to attempt it ourselves. Our kitchen experience was thrilling, I believe it is so vital, as us students should learn how to cook at this age and plus it saves a lot of money!” Tuesent Simon “The cooking session was an amazing experience, not only for me but everyone that attended. It was like being at a live cooking show watching the chef work his magic, and us following his instructions and making our own homemade pizza from scratch. It’s a useful life skill, to know how to cook meals from scratch rather than buying takeaways or microwave meals. I’m glad I went to the cooking session, I feel privileged to have that opportunity to learn new recipes.” Nadia Hussain


October 2013 The Bucks Student 29

Free Recreational Activities In Uxbridge This year the Uxbridge Campus hosted a range of free activities for students during Fresher’s Fortnight. On Tuesday 1 October we gave students the opportunity to go bowling for free, those who attended enjoyed friendly competitive games of bowling. The night was a great chance for students to network and break the ice with each other. The highlight of the week for Uxbridge students was going to watch the smash hit theatre production of We Will Rock You. Students who went enjoyed the glamour, music and flamboyant work inspired by Ben Elton and Queen! As we all know this Fresher’s Fortnight has been quite frantic, with the late nights, early registrations and hangovers, which is why for our last free recreational activity we gave students in Uxbridge the chance to go on a relaxing boat trip along the Grand Union Canal. Students got to see and experience the tranquillity and peacefulness of the Uxbridge canals.

Nightingale had such a huge impact on today’s nurses. On Wednesday 20 November we thought we would break the week up with a cocktail making master class! This will be taking place in Pulse Cafe. Ever wanted to know a bit more about British Sign Language- then look no further we have 12 spaces to fill for a taster session on Thursday 21 November. We will be ending Activities Week at the Uxbridge Campus by hosting a latin american drumming workshop. Relax, let your stress out and have great fun in this energetic, feel good, samba workshop! If any of you have any suggestions about the activities we host at the Uxbridge Campus please does not hesitate to let me know. We want events and activities to be chosen by you! For more details about any of these events/activities please contact me on kia.brown@bucks.ac.uk.

Upcoming events This term in Uxbridge we will be holding free Italian lessons starting from 8 October; these lessons will be every Tuesday from 5.30pm-7pm. All course materials will be included. This is the perfect opportunity for those who have always fancied learning a new language or for those who wish to brush up on any italian they may already know. Also on Tuesday’s we will be having free bootcamp sessions for those of you who wish to keep fit and want to do something energetic after your lectures! Bootcamp will be based in Park room from 5pm-6pm starting from 8 October. This term Uxbridge students will have the chance to have swimming lessons! These swimming lessons will be for beginners and for those who wish to improve on their swimming skills. The lessons will be taking place every Wednesday 2.30pm-3pm at Hillingdon Sport and Leisure complex.

Recreational Activity Ambassadors We are looking for 5 Recreational Activities Ambassadors to join our team at Uxbridge. Recreational Activity Ambassadors help to promote, organise and run our recreational activities programme. Benefits: You will get priority access to all of our Recreational Activities, a free hoody and have all your expenses covered while volunteering. You will also be given full training and support. Skills: By volunteering for this position you will gain Leadership, Networking and Organisational skills that you will be able to demonstrate to future employers. All we ask is that you are enthusiastic, confident and up for a laugh!

Don’t miss out As the autumn/winter approaches keep an eye out for all of the great activities we’ve got coming up! After the popularity of the seated massage event we did last year, again this year we will be allowing students to get a 20 minute free seated massage. Halloween is drawing upon us, so why not experience Fright Night at Thorpe Park! We have 24 free tickets (including transport) to Thorpe Park Fright Night on 27 October from 11.30am until 9pm. For the first ever time there will be Activities Week from Monday 19 November until Friday 22 November. At the Uxbridge Campus we hosting and arranging a range of exciting and useful activities for you to participate in! On Monday 18 November we will be hosting an emergency first aid at work session; on completion of this course students will receive a first aid certificate. On Tuesday 19 November you will have the chance to visit the Florence Nightingale Museum, as here at the Students’ Union we have 35 free tickets to give away. At this museum you will learn how and why Florence

For more information email either: tom.foy@bucks.ac.uk or kia.brown@bucks.ac.uk To view our current range of activities, visit our website: bucksstudentsunion.org/events

representation

To be a Student Trustee - Connor Baker At Bucks Student’ Union we are a proud non profit charitable organisation and as such have a board of Trustees that keep the Union on track towards our goals and targets. The Trustee Board is a mixture of Students’ Union Sabbatical officers, external industry professionals with relevant knowledge and students. Student Trustees inherit all the same responsibility as the other members of

the board and provide essential student experience. Being a Student Trustee has certain little benefits, invitations to both the AU and Union Awards ceremonies, invitation to Varsity to watch Bucks go head to head with Roehampton and endless training opportunities and other CV boosters. My experience as a trustee has been a great one and as a trustee you will get a

deeper understanding of how the Union works and with that the power to make decisions on its projects. In my short time as a trustee I have my opinion regarding, the Wycombe to Uxbridge shuttle bus, Festiball and Varsity so having a full cohort of Student Trustees is very important. To be a student trustee you are elected by a cross campus election by the

whole Students’ Union membership, which means running an election campaign to best increase your chances of the prestigious position. So lets talk campaigns. At Bucks a campaign can mean anything. It could mean a poster of your face plastered everywhere on campus in the Students’ Union notice boards, it could mean starting a viral video of you covering a well known song,

and slipping in the phase “are you gonna vote though”, maybe a condom giveaway. Whatever you think will be effective. So don’t forget to use your vote wisely, the person elected is an important decision, with great power comes great responsibility. There is also a referendum on our constitution so take the time to have a look and make your voice heard.


30 The Bucks Student October 2013

Representation

have your say At Bucks we are in a unique position thanks to The Big Deal, but just because, we don’t have to pay to be in a society or sports club, we get award winning events with FREE entry and we get some great recreational activities for FREE, doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. If you’re course requires you to use some machinery that you have to pay to use, you have other hidden course costs, your lecturer has been off sick, your feedback has been longer than three weeks, there aren’t enough books in the library, the library isn’t open long enough, your lecturer is really enthusiastic about their subject, your module feedback was very informative and helped you plan for your next assignment or your lecturer went out of their way to help you, than Bucks Students’ Union would like to know about it. As we can’t be in every lecture all the time, the best way for us to find out about all these things and more is for a student to tell us, so that we don’t miss out on any good practice or challenges that you‘re facing on your course we need to have a student representative (student rep) on each course. The Big Deal allows us to reward our reps for the effort that they put in over the year so we have decided to reward student reps with up to £100. In order to earn this reward there are a few things that our student reps need to do. >> Attend a training session put on by the Students’ Union – this will include everything you need to know about the role as well as making you more effective as a rep it will help you understand

how being a rep can increase your employability and increase your chances of getting the job that you want. >> Get feedback from your class >> Attend two Programme Committee Meetings (PCMs) that are set by your department. These meetings involve all student reps from your department and all the academics having a meeting and giving feedback about everything course related. >> Feedback what happened in the PCM to your class >> Fill in two online feedback forms with details from the two PCMs so that we have a record of what happen from your point of view and you can add your own comments to this as well so we know what you have said. Lots of you, our members, have already applied to become a student rep for your class and for that we thank you but there are still some spaces left. If representation is your passion, you can be trained up to attend higher level meetings, representing the whole student body. If you would like to find out more about becoming a student rep or about getting involved in other opportunities like attending Union Council, becoming a Student Trustee or even running to be a Sabbatical Officer in March please contact: For Design, Media & Management Will Hoskin william.hoskin@bucks.ac.uk For Society & Health Tom Foy tom.foy@bucks.ac.uk

volunteering

Volunteering Opportunities Thank you to everyone who has got involved with volunteering already this term, it’s great to see so many people interested! We aim to have at least one project per week this year, so look out for projects advertised on the website and through our mailing list. 15 Oct 16 Oct 21-25 Oct 25 Oct 30 Oct

Hughenden pathway clean up Gardening with Booker Common Boob week Boobie nights Environment centre

To sign up to any of these projects, please email volunteering@bucks.ac.uk.

RAG

RAG Charities chosen A huge thanks also to everyone who voted for our RAG charities. We are very pleased to announce that our two top charities are Macmillan Cancer Trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital. Keep an eye out for RAG events coming soon...

Macmillan coffee morning We joined in with the world’s biggest coffee morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Trust. Thanks to you, we raised a joint total of £47.57 which will go towards the charity.


October 2013 The Bucks Student 31

union Jack

fixtures

Tools. Intention. Planning.

FIXTURES WED 16 OCT

We are very fortunate to live in a time where almost all the information we could possibly imagine is at a push of a button or a swipe of a screen. As students we no longer have to travel to a library to read a book. We can find it on Amazon or even read an online PDF of it. Our tablets travel around with us as we virtually poke our friends, tweet hashtags and insta our dinners.* We have apps for almost everything yet how many do we use to help us study? My favourite word at the moment is the word Intent.

Mens Badminton Reading 2nd vs Bucks 1st Womens Football Middlesex 1st vs Bucks 1st Mens Squash Bucks 1st vs SOAS 1st Womens Squash Reading vs 1st Bucks 1st Womens Table Tennis Bucks 1st vs Queen Mary’s 1st Mens Table Tennis Bucks 1st vs St Mary’s 1st Womens Netball Bucks 1st vs Surrey 2nd St Mary’s 3rd vs Bucks 2nd Imperial Medics 8th vs Bucks 3rd Womens Tennis Bucks 1st vs University of Sussex 2nd Womens Badminton Bucks 1st vs University of Westminster 1st Mens Football Bucks 1st vs Roehampton 1st Bucks 2nd vs Portsmouth 3rd Bucks 5th vs Portsmouth 6th Bucks 6th vs SOAS 2nd Roehampton 2nd vs Bucks 4th University of Westminster 3rd vs Bucks 7th

> in·tent noun \in-tent\ the thing that you plan to do or achieve : an aim or purpose The reason I like this word is shown it these two statements. > I’m going to try and have lunch at 1 so I... > I’m intent on having lunch at 1 so I... In conclusion I want you to focus on the tools you have at your disposal. Please download an app that helps with your course. Use your virtual calendar to help you remember when you’re planning on doing specific work. I personally struggle to keep on top of all the things I want do. I get things done when I use my tools to plan to do what I’m intent on achieving Top tip. Take a photo with your camera and eat your meal. Do not use the app to take the photo because enjoying your meal is far more important than finding the right filter #JustSayin Jack Badu Vice President Education and Welfare

what Matt-ers Hello there! Well that’s it, Fresher’s Fortnight is over! Once again it has not failed to amaze, with Nick Grimshaw closing off the two weeks in a jam packed venue, and it has hopefully left everyone wanting more. On a personal note Oktoberfest again was a favourite night of the week. For people that didn’t make it this year, make sure you go along next year! Now the academic year has started, your time is becoming more valuable than ever. But that shouldn’t stop you from getting involved in all things Bucks. The Big Deal was created for you to get involved in EVERYTHING. Sport for Fun have produced a timetable with all of the sports you are able to get involved in, with minimal commitment. So come down to the Student Activities office and have a chat with them about how you can get involved. But the big question is… Have YOU got the balls to play for your halls? On Friday 18th October between 12-4 you have the opportunity to represent your halls in Battle of the Halls. Drop into the events hall and come and help your halls be crowned champions. You can also buy a T-shirt, Pint glass and key ring for £10 but if you come and play a sport you get £5 back… BARGAIN! But the fun doesn’t stop there. In the evening wear your T-shirt out and take part in some of the games on stage. This is open to all years so if you were in Brook Street in 1st year, get involved and give them a hand to secure the win. If that’s not enough, Monday 21st October marks the start of Boob week! The whole week will be dedicated to raising awareness of breast cancer. Each day will have different events running to encourage people to check themselves regularly. But remember this event is just for girls, boys also need to be aware of this as well. So keep an eye out over the week for all things boob! Over and out! by Matt Gilbert Vice President Student Involvement

Mens Rugby Union Bucks 1st vs St George’s 1st Bucks 2nd vs Royal Holloway 2nd Mens Hockey Bucks 1st vs Brunel 2nd Mens Volleyball Royal Holloway vs 1st Bucks 1st Womens Basketball Bucks 1st vs Roehampton 1st Mens Basketball Bucks 1st vs Roehampton 1st FIXTURES WED 23 OCT Womens Netball Brunel 4th Bucks 1st Bucks 3rd University of Westminster 2nd Womens Squash Bucks 1st Royal Holloway 1st Mens Squash Surrey 3rd Bucks 1st Womens Table Tennis Royal Holloway 1st Bucks 1st Mens Table Tennis Royal Holloway 1st Bucks 1st Womens Volleyball Surrey Womens 2nd Bucks 1st

Mens Badminton Bucks 1st King’s College Medics London 3rd Womens Tennis Bucks 1st Queen Mary’s 2nd Womens Football Bucks 1st Canterbury Christ Church 1st Mens Football Bucks 3rd Kingston 1st Bucks 4th Kingston 2nd Bucks 7th LSE 3rd Portsmouth 2nd Bucks 1st University of Sussex 2nd Bucks 2nd Imperial 4th Bucks 5th Mens Hockey Royal Holloway 1st Bucks 1st Womens Netball Bucks 2nd Kingston 2nd Mens Rugby Union University of the Arts 1st Bucks 2nd Chichester 1st Bucks 1st Mens Volleyball Bucks 1st Portsmouth 1st Womens Badminton Goldsmiths 1st Bucks 1st Womens Basketball Bucks 1st Reading 1st Mens Basketball Bucks 1st Brunel 2nd


32 The Bucks Student October 2013

sports

Snowsports at Bucks Bucks New University Ski and Snowboard club, otherwise known as UCKSNOWSOC; was founded in 2007 and brings you the opportunity to ski or snowboard whilst you’re at Uni. The club is just like every other sports team at Bucks and competes in various competitions throughout the year. However Bucksnowsoc are not just about competing. If you are pretty good on the slopes or even if you have never touched a set of skis or a snowboard in your life, Bucksnowsoc is your gateway to snow sports for the duration of your time at Bucks. Here in High Wycombe we are very lucky to have an indoor SnowCentre only 45 minutes away from us. Bucksnowsoc run regular trips to the SnowCentre in Hemel Hempstead offering both recreational slope time and lessons for both skiing and snowboarding at all levels. We are even looking at running freestyle coaching sessions this year. We understand that skiing and snowboarding can be quite an expensive sport, which is why we bring it to you at student prices. Hemel sessions are only £25 for 2 hours slope time or a 1.5 hour lesson. This price includes travel there and back and your ski or snowboard hire. If you are interested then our next session will be on the

31 October and payment must be received 1 week in advance. You can contact Jake Vernum on 07834 082 947 for more info. Further to Hemel sessions Snowsoc run some amazing trips throughout the year. The first being the British University’s Dry Slope (BUDS) championships in Edinburgh. This is by far the highlight of the Snowsoc calendar with over 2000 students taking over Edinburgh for 4 days. The Midlothian Snow Sports Centre in Edinburgh is the largest dry slope in Europe. The event follows the format of a 2-day competition, which 10 people will be competing in from Bucks. This is followed by 3 massive nights out. No competition would be fun without spectators, which is why we like to bump the numbers up to 50 by taking a coach load of spectators. If you’re interested in supporting your club it will be one the best weekends you ever have. And only for the cost of £150. This includes your travel, accommodation, and your nights out. Booking for this is now open and the trip runs from the 7 to the 11 November. To book head to the Students’ Union Reception. The final event of the Snowsoc calendar is a week skiing or snowboarding in the French resort

of Val Thorens. Again this is an amazing event with over 2000 students taking over the French resort. More information about the trip can be found at offthepiste. com. The trip runs from the 11th till the 19 April. Finally the club meets socially every week. So get your selves down to the Antelope pub on a Wednesday 8pm sharp. There will always be a theme so make sure you get in touch to find out what’s going on. You can add us on Facebook Buck Snowsoc or you can get in touch with Jake Vernum on 07834 082 947. See you on the slopes.

Friday 18 October - Events Hall bucksstudentsunion.org


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