Edition 66 - The Bucks Student by The Bucks Student

March 2017 - Edition 66

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Introduction.

March Issue

This Edition: page 10

Democracy is served! Visit page 4 to learn more about your new Sabbatical Officers.

The Big Deal Turns 10 Find out more about the history of The Big Deal and how it has impacted other students' lives as we celebrate its tenth year!

page 13

Contributors Will Hoskin • Ben Parmar • Lauren O'Shea • Jimi Adeyinka Georgina Ledwith • Jenny Wade • Joanna Chidgey Simi Hickey • The Academic Registry • Shannon Weller James Taylor • Roxi Cox • Chloe Kimber • Hesham Saghir Becky Hamer • Ellena Monaghan • Hufriya Mehta

Student Parking Vice President Education & Welfare, Jenny Wade talkes about the issues surrounding parking as a student.

Sean McKean • Lewis Newton • Julie Botwood

page 21

Catherine Lymer • Zoe Moorton Sian Lipscomb • Greg Pike Want to see your name in the list above? Want to have your writing or artwork on show to thousands of people? Get involved. Email editor@thebucksstudent.com

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.

Rusty's Radio It's Jenny Wade again, only this time she's sharing her experience with the Students' Union radio and encourages you to get involved too!

page 23

A-Z of Societies Societies & Volunteering Assistant, Becky Hamer runs through all the societies we currently have to offer - there really is something for everyone!

If required, this document can be made available in different formats. Please contact Bucks Students' Union for more information.

page 31

A.U. Dinner 2017 Sports Development Manager, Catherine Lymer explains the importance of the A.U. Dinner, as well as why you should get involved!

4 March Issue

New Sabbatical Officers.

By Will Hoskin, Ben Parmar, Lauren O'Shea and Jimi Adeyinka

YOUR NEW SABBS

New Sabbatical Officers.

March Issue After almost two years of strong leadership from Joe Collins, Jenny Wade and Ohio Orumen a new Sabbatical team have been elected. Ben Parmar, Lauren O’Shea and Jimi Adeyinka were elected to fill the Sabbatical roles and lead the Students’ Union into the 2017/18 academic year. Reading through the incoming Sabbs manifestos there are some points that jump out and grab you, could this how they inspired the electorate to vote for them?

• • • • • • •

Lobbying to keep the 24 hour library Push for all courses to have relevant work experience Improve IT services and support Evaluate how group work is structured and marked Increase cross course collaboration Freshers’ Helpers, not just for Freshers’ More engaging social Media

The new Sabb team have some big shoes to fill as the dynamic Joe Collins, Inspiring Jenny Wade and tenacious Ohio Orumen are still hungry for the role and making sure that they are ‘Making life better for students at Bucks’ whenever possible. Here is a brief intro from each of the sabbatical elects, no doubt you will hear lots from them in the future.

Ben Parmar President

The thought of running for a Sabbatical Position had been at the back of my mind ever since my first year at Bucks and many people have told me they saw this coming. However there were points when I was adamantly not going to run for various reasons but after

Lauren O'Shea

Vice President Education & Welfare

Being involved with the Students’ Union through

I'm full of confidence, however nominating myself for

American football and Rugby throughout my time at

VPEW was the scariest thing I've ever done. It was

Bucks has meant so much to me and I want to make

difficult to put myself out there for everyone to see

sure that the positive student experience is shared

and perhaps judge. Although Elections Week was

with every student at Bucks. If you want to talk about

difficult and extremely tiring, the support that I received

and feedback I received from students, I can honestly

and the new friends I made was a win in itself, before

say that running for President of our Students’ Union

even receiving your votes! I have had an amazing

has been one of the best decisions of my entire life!

time studying here at Bucks and I cannot wait to get

I can’t wait to get started and do everything I can to improve your time at Bucks!

Vice President Student Involvement

As a Performing Arts student, you may assume that

the whirlwind of elections week and the insane support

I cannot thank everybody enough for the support and

Jimi Adeyinka

started in my new role to give you the best university experience that I possibly can!

societies, RAG, Volunteering or sport please give me a shout or drop me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks to all my slate, my campaign team, my opponents and anyone who voted for me.

6 March Issue

New Part Time Officers.

By Will Hoskin

NEW PART TIME OFFICERS

Over the last couple of weeks you may have noticed that there were a couple of This year NUS National Conference will be held in Brighton and Bucks can send three elections going on. What you may not have noticed is that 14 students ran for our eight delegates to represent the voice of students at Bucks, The Delegation is traditionally part time officer positions, five students ran to be NUS Delegates and represent Bucks lead by the current President and we then elect two delegates to go with the President. at the NUS Conference in Brighton and seven students ran to fill the four Student Trustee positions that will be vacated by our current trustees at the end of June. Over the Summer of 2016 the current Sabb team along with various members of Students’ Union staff identified eight student groups who we didn’t represent as well as we could. After looking at a number of different options and discussing various actions, it was felt that a part time officer position was the best way to increase our engagement with those groups. The first four part time officer roles are our self-defining roles. Students decide themselves if they are part of this community and any deciding they are, can stand or vote in these elections.

Ben Parmar

Emilee Platts

Congratulations go to our newly elected part time officers:

NUS Delegate

Ben Parmar and Emilee Platts were both elected in the first round of the election meeting the quota. All four of our Student Trustees are coming to the end of their time here as students which means they will no longer be eligible to be student trustees. We elected four new Student Trustees to take over from the start of July.

NO PICTURE

Usmaan Ahmed BME Students’ Officer

Tom Mepham LGBT+ Officer

Jaylen Burrows Student Trustee

Shax

Gass

Disabled Students’ Officer

Women’s Officer

Emilee Platts Student Trustee

The next four part time officer roles are based on your details when you started your course here at Bucks:

Patricia Garcia Feiteira

Jacek Wardzala

International Students’ Officer

Postgraduate Students’ Officer

VACANT

Hattie Hornblow

Position Vacant

Part Time Students’ Officer

Mature Students’ Officer

Emily Nurden

Jake Scott

Student Trustee

In the first round of the Student Trustee election Jaylen Burrows, Emilee Platts and Emily Nurden were elected and then shortly after in the second round Jake Scott was elected. These Students will be representing your voice at the highest level with in the Students’ Union having their say on the biggest issues and being involved in the most important discussions that we, as a students’ union, have. Each of the candidates have been sent the breakdown of votes for their election but if you would like to find out more about this election season or think you might be interested in running in next years’ elections then keep your eyes glued to the paper and website where information will be posted regularly. Sport, Society and student rep election results will be sent out by the specific department over the next few weeks please be patient as there are lots to count and check.

If you are interested in becoming the Mature Students’ officer, representing students who started their course at Bucks when they were 22 or older, please come into the Students’ Union Office and speak to us, or contact surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk.

REPRESENTATION FOR 2017/18 D N O Y E B AND For the 2017/18 academic year there are going to be a few changes in what we ask student reps to do, we have done a soft roll out this year but are going ahead full steam.

The Biggest change will be the rep recognition scheme, in the scheme student reps can earn points for participating in different activities. The first and arguably the most important section is ‘Representation 101’ this includes all of the basic rep functions and once each of those is complete reps should have 100 points, which is enough for Bronze accreditation. Other sections include ‘University community’ where

reps can earn up to 100 points for getting involved in a number of different meetings in different areas of the University. ‘Social Responsibility’ includes registering to vote with the local council, completing volunteering hours and raising money for charity. All in all there are nine different sub headings of areas that reps can get rewarded for enabling reps to earn the Bronze, silver and Gold recognition for reaching 100, 200 and 300 points respectively.

Other changes to the representation system see student reps meeting up with the representation team at three times throughout the year so that they can feedback any issues or good practice in order to get the ball rolling on getting those issues sorted out. It’s also a great time for the representation team to get to know reps a bit better in a less formal setting.

Throughout the year reps are being asked to fill in a couple of surveys, these have questions around library facilities, IT and other central areas. So don’t be surprised if your rep asks you some specific questions in November, February and May.

The most enjoyable part of the new look representation system has to be the student rep conference. First held this year on Wednesday 25 January, REPCON 2017 saw students, University staff, Students’ Union staff and external speakers running sessions around Mental Health, student involvement in curriculum design , Public Speaking and Volunteering to name a few. If you would like to know more about reps or would like to know how to become a rep please drop in to one of the Students’ Union Offices, or email us at surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk .

Find out more About Community Nursing through the Lifespan Bucks New University High Wycombe 3rd May 2017 11am-3pm Come along and find out more about working in the community!!! Talk to Health Visitors School Nurses Children Community Nurses and District Nurses Follow us on

Twitter (@inthecommunity_) and Facebook (search for ‘Community Nursing Matters’)

March Issue

By Will Hoskin

Representation.

8 March Issue

Royal College of Nursing.

By Georgina Ledwith

ROYAL COLLEGE OF NURSING It is a really exciting time for nursing. With so many changes and challenges ahead, we have so many opportunities to make a difference. Within London alone there are over 4000 student members in the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). As the newly elected member for London on the RCN student committee, I hope to inform, involve and inspire the students I am privileged to represent. Get informed Last year the Royal College of Nursing celebrated its centenary year meaning that it has been around for 100 years! It is both a trade union and a professional body, in fact it's the world's largest professional body and trade union for nursing staff (Royal College of Nursing, 2017). The RCN represents over 435,000 nurses, student nurses, midwives and health care assistants both in the United Kingdom and internationally (Royal College of Nursing, 2017). There are around 35,000 student nurses as members. I personally use the library resource centre which is one of the largest specialist nursing libraries in Europe. There are numerous resources such as nursing journals, books and ebooks to make use of. More information about the library resource centre can be found at www.rcn.org.uk/library. Being informed about the RCN, enables you get more involved in it. Get involved Within my role on the student committee, one of the responsibilities is to raise awareness of the opportunities for students. From using the library

resource centre to attending large events like Congress, there is a lot to get involved in.

and encouraging, they inspired me to continue working hard and one day be a nurse as good as they are.

Previous campaigns that the RCN has been involved with include “Scrap the Cap” which was about nurses’ pay, and also “Bursary or Bust” which was about the scrapping of the student bursaries. If there is something you think needs changing, be part of changing it! As students, we are in a unique position to use our experiences and creativity to help improve patient care.

Congress 2017 will be in Liverpool and I encourage everyone to attend. It is a fantastic opportunity to meet people, learn loads and get involved with the debates (Royal College of Nursing, 2017). More information can be found at www.rcn.org.uk/congress.

Due to my previous experience in campaigning, I am particularly keen to facilitate future campaigns. If there are issues you wish to address that affect student nurses, please let me know and I'll put them forward to the student committee. Student Information Officers (SIOs) play a key role in sharing information and helping other students get involved- I encourage you to apply if you haven't already. To learn more about ways to get involved as a student member of the RCN visit www.rcn.org.uk/getinvolved/get-involved-as-a-student.

Although at times, nursing may feel lonely, you are never alone. Nursing is a journey and it's great to be on the journey with like minded people. Get informed about the opportunities, get involved and make a difference and inspire others to do the same. References: Royal College of Nursing (2017) RCN Congress 2017. Available at: https://www.rcn.org.uk/congress (Accessed: 3 February 2017). Royal College of Nursing (2017) What the RCN does. Available at: https://www.rcn.org.uk/about-us/ what-the-rcn-does (Accessed: 1 February 2017).

Now that you know the opportunities, make the most of them! Inspire others After attending Congress in Glasgow last year, I was more aware of how to get more involved with the RCN. I was also inspired and learnt that even as a student, I could make a difference. Everybody I met was so kind

FANCY TWO CHANCES OF WINNING

A £100

VOUCHER?

To enter, just visit bucksstudentsunion.org/surveys and complete two quick surveys about our website, and our newspaper. One winner will be randomly picked for each survey. The winners will be notified by email.

LOOK AFTER YOUR MATE

In a recent Equality Challenge Unit survey, 15 in 1000 student respondents said they had disclosed a mental health difficulty to their university. 75% of student respondents who had experienced a mental health difficulty had disclosed to a fellow student. We know that most students talk to their friends when they are having a tough time. We can talk to friends in confidence and they help us to keep challenges in perspective. The truth is that although university can be awesome, life’s curveballs still get thrown at us and in these situations we really need our mates to be there for us. Friendship can play a key role in helping someone live with or recover from any difficulties they are facing. But it can be really hard to know what to say when a friend is struggling. Our moods change daily depending on what we’re doing and who we're surrounded by. When friends are struggling, you may notice a combination of little changes in their behaviour. Some other identifying factors may be:

• • • •

Have they become more withdrawn than usual?

•

Have they not been taking care of themselves recently? (Personal hygiene etc.)

Have they been avoiding social interactions or events? Have they cried a lot recently? Have there been significant changes in their eating habits? e.g. eating more or less than usual

Starting a conversation... 1. Choose somewhere quiet without interruptions. 2. Try to find enough time for the two of you to chat. 3. Find a neutral space - for example if you are starting a conversation with a friend in their house about their difficulties, it may lead to your friend feeling uncomfortable and they wouldn’t be able to leave the situation easily. 4. Do something relaxing - sometimes it’s easier to talk when the focus isn’t just on the conversation.

What if they say no?

•

Don’t push the conversation: let your friend know that you’re happy to listen when they’re ready; it may take some time for them to feel happy talking about it.

•

Just remember that simply reaching out and offering friendship can really help someone to feel valued and supported.

•

Keep the door open: Let your friend know that if they do want to talk, you'll be there for them.

It’s useful to help your friend think through all the support available to them, including professional help. A great first point of contact is our Students’ Union Advice Centre – they can signpost to further support; whether that be the University Counselling Service, Mental Health Advisor in the Disability service or external agencies. Some other support services include: GP Service, Students Against Depression, HOPELine UK: 0800 068 41 41 and Samaritans: 116 123, 24-hour helpline. Supporting a friend isn’t just about sharing worries and concerns – it’s also about keeping up with the things you enjoy and spending quality time together. Doing small things to show you care can really help to bridge the gap if things seem difficult. “What do you want to do?” can be a difficult question to answer if you’re struggling, so it’s good to be able to suggest a plan and have alternatives. Small gestures can also be a big help - send a text or bring them a cup of tea! Make sure you keep inviting them along to events so they continue to feel included in your friendship group. When you’re supporting a friend, it can take considerable time and energy. Remember to invest time in looking after yourself. Be sure to keep up with your usual interests and relationships, remember that you won’t be able to help with everything and make sure you are getting support too. I am hoping to run some more ‘Look After Your Mate’ workshops over the next few months, so keep an eye out! The 2-3 hour workshop will equip you with some really practical tips in supporting your friend and you will receive a certificate on completion.

March Issue

By Jenny Wade

Look after your mate.

10 March Issue

The Big Deal turns 10.

By Bucks Students' Union

It’s hard to believe that it's been ten years since the staff and officers of Bucks Students’ Union started discussing a unique programme of activities that would become The Big Deal. It all started with the president and member of staff from the Students’ Union visiting America, after winning a travel bursary through the NUS, to attend a regional conference as part of the Association of College Unions International (ACUI). At the time all the talk in UK higher education was about new fee income and how best to use the money to improve the student experience, and Bucks New University was amongst those looking to invest in order to grow.

FREE REC ACTIVITIES

FREE SPORTS

PAID STUDENT REPS

FREE TRAINING SESSIONS

FREE ENTERTAINMENT

FREE SOCIETIES

The delegation from Bucks was really impressed by the breadth of opportunities available to American students on their campuses coupled with the fact that everything was free of charge (notwithstanding the fact that American students were already paying high tuition fees). They noticed the vibrant campuses had a strong sense of community, and removing the cost of participation really helped to break down barriers to engagement in extracurricular activity. Once back in the UK the Union team began to work up a proposal to replicate the US experience that would be suitable within a UK institution. A pitch put together a new offer for prospective students. The Union sold it to the University, seeking their approval and funding, and the institution saw its potential to radically transform campus life and add real weight to their offer to prospective students. Over the course of the next few years student numbers grew and grew, as did participation in the Union's key services. Nowadays, more than 2 in 5 of all students say they were attracted to Bucks because of the Big Deal and it’s played a huge role in helping the Union establish itself as one of the finest Students ’ Unions in the country! Ten years on and The Big Deal, as a complete package, remains unique within UK higher education and is still going strong.

bucksstudentsunion.org/bigdealturns10

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? Bucks Students, Joanna Chidgey and Simi Hickey, reflect on how the Students' Union and The Big deal have impacted on their time at Bucks. I have known about the existence of Students' Union (SU) since starting the Adult Nursing Course in February 2014. However, I only became fully aware of all the activities the SU provides in my most challenging year, which was Year Two.

By going to the SU events, it offered me some kind of meaning of life as it has made me realise, that life is not just about studying, sleeping with nursing books and endless days or nights of researching and assignments writing.

That is the time I started to enjoy all the fantastic activities, such as London West End theatre tickets, Go Ape, a trip to Brighton, ice skating, exciting days out, yoga, pilates and plenty of educational trainings (fantastic for building up your CV), which also entitles you to rewards depending on how many you attend.

Other students wondered how I got the time to go to all the events, but I truly feel that it gave me the very much needed break in order to clear my head, ready to study on my return. It gave me something to look forward to during my struggles at University and provided me with break from the hard work.

The SU kept me happier and made me a better person to be with during such incredibly challenging studies.

I believe that the SU is part of the reason I'll be proudly graduating with First Class Honours this September.

By Simi Hickey

The Big Deal is something that students at Bucks should not take for granted, and this year marks its tenth birthday! The Big Deal allows us free entry to events at the Students' Union, and they host an event every night of the week, with events ranging from live music and comedy, to nights out and pub quizzes. There are 30 different sports teams that play and compete in over 20 different sports (also free), and anyone wanting to take part in recreational activities, such as rock climbing, craft workshops, horse-riding and pilates has these costs covered or massively subsidised too! The Big Deal offers skills and qualifications that can enhance students’ employability, such as personal license training and first aid training, all for free. All societies are free to join, and anyone can create a new society, plus all student reps are paid to represent the students at University meetings! The Big Deal is exclusive to Bucks, which means at all other universities in the country, students have to pay for most if not all of these. I am a third year Music & Live Events Management student, and the Big Deal and Students' Union have helped support and enhance my university experience massively. In my first year I was able to enjoy the range of events the Students' Union offers every day of the week before my workload grew, and as a Music Management student I took a particular interest in the live music nights and over my three years have seen artists such as Foxes, Vant, Kyko, Lonely The Brave, Saint Raymond, Racing Glaciers and many more all for free. The Students' Union also supports MC9, a student-run record label which has a live events side. The live events side of MC9 can book artists to perform at either the Students' Union Lounge, or the Students' Union venue (two adjoining rooms that

events take place in), buy their rider, pay them afterwards and most importantly promote the gig. I can now say that I have headed up organising a gig in my second year with up-and-coming singer-songwriter Martin Luke Brown, and earlier this year a gig which 70 people attended with the indie band Flyte. I have also been able to take part in the Coffee House Sessions that take place in the café above the Students' Union every week. Bucks Students' Union is part of a tour of Students' Unions that artists perform at during the day whilst on the Coffee House Tour. I get to help set up the PA system before the artist arrives, promote the event, and have been able to interview an artist on the Rusty’s Radio, the university’s radio station. Both the MC9 gigs and the Coffee House Sessions have added to my experience as a student, and since on my course the events we organise are as a whole class, the Students' Union offers a chance for smaller groups and individuals to help out in areas they choose. The Students' Union also employs students as sound and lighting techs, bar staff, event staff and event security. To become a member of event security the Students' Union allows SIA training for free, and I now have a personal license thanks to the Big Deal’s free training. My CV now has a lot more than just the limited practical experience my course offers, and I feel I have really made the most of my free time through what the Students' Union has to offer, helping me to meet new people, learn new skills and improve my employability. Get involved while you can!

By Joanna Chidgey

March Issue

By Joanna Chidgey and Simi Hickey

The Big Deal turns 10.

12 March Issue

Academic Quality Directorate.

By The Academic Registry

SECRETS OF SUCCESS With assessment submissions and exams on the horizon, it’s worth considering what you can do to make sure you stand the best chance of progressing on your course and achieving your award. • Attend scheduled learning activities - research has shown that there’s a direct link between students who engage with learning opportunities and successful assessment. • Check submission deadlines and exam timetables, and plan your workloads in advance. • Consult the Learning Development Unit (LDU) who can help you get the most from your learning and advise on time management. For details see bucks.ac.uk/learningandteaching/learning_development_unit. • Meet the coursework submission deadline in order to achieve the best mark you can: remember that you may submit most coursework up to 10 working days after the submission deadline, but this will be for a maximum mark of 40%. (An exception to this rule is pass/fail modules). • Arrive promptly for examinations, and remember to have your ID card with you to gain access to the exam venue. For lots of information about exam preparation and study tips see bucks.ac.uk/exams. Once all your marks are confirmed, a Board of Examiners meets to look at your overall profile. The Board will confirm which students are able to achieve their award along with its classification, which students have passed their modules and are able to progress to the next year or level of their programme, and which students are eligible for reassessment in failed modules. You’ll receive details of the Board’s decision. If you’re given a reassessment opportunity you’re strongly encouraged to take it – if you don’t submit the reassessment coursework by the deadline or take the referral exam you’ll jeopardise your chance of progression as you must pass all the modules at each level. (Remember that the late submission rule doesn’t apply to reassessment coursework). You may want to note the dates of the reassessment exams so that you are available – 21 to 25 August 2017 - just in case you have to take an exam again. It’s important to know that, on most courses, a Board may allow an overall module mark of between 35% and 39% to be “compensated” or “condoned” after reassessment where you’ve done sufficiently well in other modules: this is allowed in up to 30 credits. But if you haven’t submitted a piece of coursework, or sat an exam, it will be counted as a non-submission and in these circumstances the module can’t be compensated. This is especially important to remember if you’re

given reassessment opportunities where you didn’t submit the first time round or missed the exam. (Courses which have a professional accreditation may not allow compensation – check your Programme Handbook for details.) Remember that the LDU is there to advise you about reassessment work too – all to help you achieve the marks you need to progress to the next year, or complete your award.

STUDENT PARKING

I always knew that car parking for students was an issue, but didn’t realise just how stressful and confusing it could be until I began driving and got a car for myself! One of my manifesto points when I was elected as your Vice President Education & Welfare, was to lobby the University to provide parking for students.Unfortunately through investigating this we can now say that this is not possible. There is a planning constraint preventing student parking on any of our campuses and the University cannot be seen to promote alternatives. Students who commute to University will agree that parking at the University is difficult and the demand for spaces will always outstrip the number that can be supplied. This is an issue that affects students, staff and visitors alike. Everyone is encouraged to travel by means other than car and we are committed to help provide cheaper, sustainable transport alternatives wherever possible. How you choose to commute to the University is a private matter and your own responsibility, but if you are parking in the local area, please make sure you park legally and considerately – taking into account any parking restrictions.

Demand for spaces will always outstrip the number that can be supplied...

•

Cycle: Why not cycle to the University; either by cycling the whole distance or to a local train station before completing the rest of your journey. There are plenty of secure spaces on our campuses and at halls to lock up your bike. You can also rent a bike through the Students’ Union, by paying a £20 deposit into the office, which you refunded when you return the bike.

•

Buses: the University's campuses are very well served by buses and you can get 25% discount with Carousel! Visit carouselbuses.co.uk/bucks for more information. We also have a FREE shuttle bus travelling between our HW and UXB campuses, running every hour – just show your student ID card!

•

Wycombe Park and Ride scheme: Simply park at the Coachway site and a bus will take you directly to the town centre. Wycombe District Council will be introducing parking charges in due course, but Park & Ride users will continue to park FREE OF CHARGE for a timed period. Currently there is no need to display a ticket in your vehicle. More details on this will be available in the next couple of months, visit: www.wycombeparkandride.com for updates.

Students studying on campus at night have fed back that they feel unsafe walking from the site to car parks, especially as we have had a number of different reports • Rent my Drive schemes: There are a number of recently of students (particularly females) being followed. schemes in both Wycombe and Uxbridge, where The University responded to this and recommended people rent their drives during the day when they students use the parking bays located on Alexandra are at work – just google and find one near to you. Road, as these are well-lit and close to campus. Students These can often work out much cheaper than with concerns can also contact security who will assist using public car parks however if you chose to do on a one to one basis (escort the student or make a onethis it is at your own risk. off decision to park on site) but the University cannot make a regular commitment on this. We are currently in the process of designing a If you are staying in University halls you cannot bring a car parking booklet – so you can be well informed of different car parking options surrounding our to University (unless there are accessibility requirements) campuses. We appreciate that for some commuting and I would advise any other students to just leave your students you have limited options other than driving, cars at home if you can help it! There are loads of other however we strongly encourage everyone to try out means of public transport that can prove better for your health and can even save you some pennies… some other methods.

March Issue

By Jenny Wade

Parking issues.

14 March Issue

Bucks Live.

By Shannon Weller

BUCKS LIVE RETURNS! COME AND VISIT NEVERLAND

FAIRGROUND RIDES // LIVE MUSIC // INFLATABLE ZONE // FACE PAINTING // FOOD TRADERS // MARKET STALLS Bucks Live presents Neverland, an all-day family event featuring Fairground Rides, Live Music, the everpopular Inflatable Zone, Face Painting, Food stalls and more! Neverland takes place on Saturday 29th April at Buckinghamshire New University between 10am and 4pm. The day is inspired by the adventures of Peter Pan and is FREE to attend! Neverland will open at 10am and will feature exciting attractions and live entertainment including pirates and pixies – in a fun filled day for the entire family. There will be Fairground Rides, including tea cups, a carousel, chair-o-planes and also bungee trampolines, and the return of the ever-popular Inflatable Zone where the children can take on an 85ft assault course, climb the

giant London slide or have a go on the pirate bouncy castle! The younger children (under 5s) will also have their own play area. Our Face Painter can even style you to look like Peter or Tinkerbell, or maybe even nasty old Captain Hook! There will also be numerous Food Stalls and Local Traders, including Great Gizmos where you will be able to buy lots of toys, operating throughout the day. You will even be able to meet Tinkerbell and Peter Pan themselves as they will be joining us on the day! Entertainment on our main stage and performance spaces will come from fantastic Live Bands, popular Local Community Groups and a number of Bucks New Uni societies. The acts confirmed for the main stage are Harry Quinn, an artist local to High Wycombe, Emma McGrath, a BBC Introducing act, Erin Tiger Lilley, Wycombe Abbey Orchestra, Holmer Green Choir and Holmer Green School Band. We will also be joined by the fire brigade, who will also be providing tours over at the fire station! Another attraction on the day will be the

hearing dogs, so the family will be able to meet all of the ever so hard working puppies! Neverland is being staged by the 2nd year Music & Live Events Management students as part of their Event Management module. These events have grown in popularity over the years and this will be the 5th year that the students, under the banner of ‘Bucks Live’ have presented these family fun days. We hope to see you and your family at the university on the day! To keep up to date with our event, follow us on our social media pages: Facebook: /BucksLivePresents Twitter: @BucksLivePrsnt Visit: buckslive.co.uk For more info email: buckslivepresents@gmail.com

Film Review.

March Issue

20 Mar - 26 Mar

27 Mar - 9 Apr

March Issue

Momday 20

Tuesday 28

Tuesday 28 March | 8pm 'til late THE LOUNGE

Tuesday 21

Wednesday 22

Thursday 30

LIVE PERFORMANCES | DRESS TO IMPRESS WED 22 MAR | 8PM | THE VENUE £3 SUGGESTED DONATION

Thursday 23

THURSDAY 30 MARCH

8PM ‘TIL LATE | THE LOUNGE FREE entry for Bucks Students and guests

Friday 24 Saturday 01

Sunday 26

EASTER SUNDAY 26 MARCH | 8PM ‘TIL LATE

10 Apr - 8 May

Wednesday 29

Saturday 22

SATURDAY 22 APRIL

Thursday 27

Tuesday 25 Wednesday 29

Saturday 29

Friday 31

BUCKS LIVE AFTERPARTY

Monday 13

Tuesday 2

Fri 5 / Sat 6 / Sun 8

Fri 7 / Sat 8 / Sun 9

Tuesday 2 May, 8pm, The Venue

Drinks Promotions Snakebite: £1.90 to midnight Frat Punch: £2 Pint of soft drink: £1 VK: £2 Snakebite: £1.90 to midnight Smirnoff Ice: £2 Sailors Jerrys and Mixer: £2 J20: £1

MATT WILLIS FROM

DJ SET

Pitchers of selected draught: £7.50 Bottle of wine: £7.50 Rekorderling: £3 Pint of juice: £1 Red Stag and mixer: £2 Staropramen: £2 Can of Red Bull: £2 Magners: £2

HOSTED BY

HEADPHONE DISCO DOME, PERFORMERS, OUTSIDE AREAS, FOOD STALLS, COCKTAIL BARS, PHOTOBOOTH AND LEAVERS VIP AREA Line up subject to change | over 18s only ALUMNI AND GUEST TICKETS AVAILABLE AT BUCKSSTUDENTSUNION.ORG/FESTIBALL

#BSUFESTIBALL

Disaronno and mixer: £2 Becks Vier: £2 Hooch: £3 Rubicon: £1

March Issue

8pm 'til late The Lounge

March Issue

Rusty recommends.

March Issue

The venue is open seven days a week and sometimes it is difficult to decide which nights to go to - you may end up missing out on something amazing! Here are my recommendations for the next few weeks for those of you who like to experience something a bit different!

COMEDY CENTRAL University is a time of knuckling down, head-in-book, and trying your best to get the highest grade you can at one of the most academically challenging levels of study a person can take part in. It’s about learning how to best to wash as many clothes you can for £4, and learning the hard way which Landlords are heavenly, and which are most definitely from hell. It’s also about big nights out with your brand new group of mates… But all of a sudden, you’ll start to realise that clubbing every night and trying to keep up with all your studies is a mighty task, and you’ll start to crave something a little different; a little, mid-week relief, that isn’t so crazy you can actually make your 9am the next day, and that is easy on the wallet too. If this sounds like you, we highly recommend our monthly Comedy Central nights. Comedy Central, as you may recognise, are the world-wide brand that bring you all the best comedy – stand up, weekly chat shows, classic sketch shows and more – never failing to bring the best comedians the world has to offer to your tele-box. It is this comical prowess we felt we needed in our venue, so, teaming up with Off The Kerb Productions, we brought in the best in the business, and they haven’t failed to deliver. Often, the comedians we have in The Lounge are a broad mix of up-andcomers, to TV regulars – with established comperes introducing two of the finest UK and International Touring comedians the world has to offer. And like any live performance, it’s always better in the flesh. For those that come to our regular live music nights, and have ever seen the random support act rise to play festivals all over the world, there are no finer bragging rights – imagine being the person that bought Frankie Boyle a pint after one of his first shows? The beauty of comedy, is that they actually want you to get involved, almost especially if you have something offensive to throw their way - you haven’t had a true laugh until you and your flatmates have had a professional completely roast you in front of the rest of the crowd (you see, it’s not just fun, it’s character building too…). Next up, on Tuesday 21 March is the talented Laura Lexx, an actress, comedian, writer and Amused Moose Comedy Award finalist who performed her critically-acclaimed solo show, Tyrannosaurus Lexx, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2016. Laura has gigged all over the UK and in Europe as well as providing tour support for Russell Kane. Laura has performed at Latitude, Larmer Tree Festival, Bestival and Kendall Calling. Teamed up with our cracking 4-pint pitcher or bottle of wine drinks deals, comedy nights aren’t just light-hearted, they’re light on the pocket too! So go on, chance it, swing by the Students' Union one Tuesday evening and try something new.

20 March Issue

CoppaFeel.

By Roxi Cox

Coppafeel! Aims to stamp out late detection of breast cancer. They ensure that you know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, know what your boobs look and feel like normally, check your boobs regularly throughout your lifetime and have the confidence to see a doctor if you notice anything that doesn’t feel right for you. As the BNU Uni Boob team, we hope to spread the #booblove message and make sure everyone on campus at Bucks is checking themselves regularly and feeling confident in knowing the early signs and symptoms. Our next big event is on Monday 20 March, where we will be running a Bra Fun Run: BREASTS DON’T REST. Societies and sports teams are set to run around campus wearing bras. Each member who partakes can be sponsored and the money will go straight to CoppaFeel!. So look out for the event details that are coming soon, and feel free to bring your friends along to watch and help support breast cancer awareness. To partake in the fun run yourself, message me on Facebook (Roxi Cox) or email me at roxicox96@hotmail.co.uk. Hopefully many of you have already heard about the events we held toward the end of last year. We provided a Pop-Up nail salon at the Students' Union Foyer as part of the #GETITOFFYOURCHEST campaign, and had a very good response from students and staff. We raised over £30 at our first event, with 28 people signing up to the monthly reminders! We also ran a collaboration takeover at the Students' Union Venue with Glitterbomb for our glitter party challenge. We made the Venue shimmer with our face and beard glitter stall, and got everyone wearing our boob love tattoos & team boob stickers. Overall, it was a great night dancing about the venue in our giant boob costumes, collecting donations. We are currently undertaking our Shower Hijack challenge, where we put stickers in the gym and Brook Street Halls showers, so please look out for them and learn how to check yourself for the early signs and symptoms of breast cancer! Sign up to our free monthly text reminder service which reminds you to check your breasts (first text charges standard network rate): Text UBT BNU to 70500. If you’re feeling extra generous, we would be very grateful for any donations to our official fundraising page: bucksstudentsunion.org/coppafeel.

Over the years student radio has launched the careers of Scott Mills, Rich Clarke, Simon Mayo, Greg James and Annie Mac to name but a few. Last year, we invested in some state-of-the-art equipment and launched Rusty’s Radio to give you the opportunity to follow in their footsteps! I’d always enjoyed listening to the radio whenever I was in my car, but I never thought I’d have my very own show! (Jenny Wadio, every Wednesday noon–1pm) I was reluctant to get involved at first because I am DEFINITELY not very tech savvy; but the support and advice from our wonderful staff (namely Sam Jones) really made me feel like I could do it and that I shouldn’t give up. I didn’t have a clue about the operational side of radio, but now I’m learning how to use the software and how to navigate the desk! I would say to anyone unsure of getting involved, to just go ahead and try it – we can offer you training and support as you go along. After presenting Bucks Women and Jenny Wadio this year, I look back on my time in the studio as a rewarding and an awesome hands-on learning experience and just wish I’d have got involved sooner. Still not convinced? Here are seven ways working for Rusty’s Radio can change your life: 1. It develops your verbal communication skills. While playing music is a big part of the job, talking on air is just as important (if not more). Hosting a radio show is a great way to sharpen public speaking without having hundreds of people staring at you. Plus, learning to think on your feet and develop what you want to say without a detailed script in hand helps you become a more thoughtful verbal communicator.

2. It gives you problem solving experience.

5. It introduces you to new music.

Radio isn’t perfect. Songs stall in the middle. Tracks skip. You push the wrong button. The mic doesn’t work. Handling those technical glitches and mistakes is an important task and you won’t have to go through those struggles alone!

If like me, you feel your playlists can become pretty samey, student radio stations are usually a popular place to discover new and upcoming artists. Rusty’s Radio features everything from country to hip-hop and rock to pop classics, with 12 student-led shows currently active! So if you get nothing else from working with the radio, you’ll probably find at least one new artist you like.

3. It teaches you an appreciation for community issues. The beauty of student radio, is that you can pretty much cover topics that interest you and that you feel need to be highlighted. Through my shows this year I’ve discussed sexual assault, personal safety, mental health and student accommodation. In most cases, students have appeared as guests and we’ve had the opportunity to talk about issues that so many people seem to shun these days. 4. It gives you huge responsibility. When you accept a role at a radio station, whether it’s being live on air or working behind the scenes, the other staff and listeners depend on you to keep things going. You’re responsible for showing up on time and carrying out all your duties, plus you’re trusted to operate expensive equipment and keep things running smoothly.

6. It offers you some fun in a busy schedule. Through my role as VPEW I sit on 22 different committees so my day to day timetable can get pretty manic. But those hour-long periods every Wednesday, are what I look forward to each week. I get to hang out, play music and chat with my guests. Each show creates a fun and relaxing block in my otherwise stressful schedule. So are you interested in hosting your own show? Fancy helping run a professional radio studio? We are always on the lookout for fresh content, as well as behind the scenes staff, in roles such as studio tech or marketing and promotions. Stop wasting time, and get involved! Email: suradio@bucks.ac.uk Twitter: @RustysRadio Facebook: facebook.com/rustysradio

Rusty’s Radio is now seeking presenters, producers and those with an interest in radio. If you think you have what it takes to make it in radio, please get in touch: Email: suradio@bucks.ac.uk | Facebook: Rusty’s Radio Or stop by the Students’ Union office.

March Issue

RUSTY'S RADIO By Jenny Wade

Rusty's Radio.

22 March Issue

Film review.

By Chloe Kimber

Hidden Figures is the untold story of Katherine Johnson (Tara P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), three incredibly intelligent African-American women, who served as the brains behind the launch of American astronaut, John Glenn, into orbit. This is a historic moment in time, in launching America ahead in the space race against Russia and making Glenn the first American to orbit the earth. The three women had to combat racism and sexism in order to succeed at their work, and thus made themselves three of the most inspiring women from that era. Hidden Figures is set in 1960, during the Civil Rights movement but comes at a time when racism and discrimination, especially in America, is leading the headlines. It’s a beautiful film and an inspiring story, led by three outstanding actresses. The film clearly standing out in terms of diversity, shoving it in the face of the Oscars, which came after its release, and the controversy it faced last year due to the lack of diversity amongst those nominated. Now I can’t deny the excellency of this film, the cast doing an exquisite job of bringing these historical characters to life. Although, it does confirm that Jim Parsons (Paul Stafford), better known for his role as Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory, can only act as a nerd, and his abilities don’t extend much further. Hidden Figures poses the problem in which Hollywood can only produce a diverse cast for a film, if it is a historical drama. Although, I am personally glad the film was made. It makes people aware of a part of history that isn’t talked about, probably because the intelligent minds behind it are three black women. Not to mention the fact, that two of the women were also mums trying to provide for their family. Not only does it give Johnson, Vaughan and Jackson the publicity they deserve, it gives women and school girls dreaming of working in science, role models and inspiration. Hidden Figures is the perfect mix of drama and humour. Although sometimes the film makes light out of serious situations, taking away from the humiliating circumstances, such as having to run half a mile to the toilet, to keep in with the light-hearted nature of the film. It’s beautifully and intelligently written, capturing these three women’s stories perfectly. The actors adding such depth to them it’s impossible not be in awe of Johnson, Vaughan and Jackson. It’s an inspiring and feel good film, but plays to taste, so if you prefer guns and violence then this probably isn’t for you.

The last few Zelda games, with the exception of Hyrule Warriors and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, have been very formulaic. Very little has changed when it comes to the structure of these games since Ocarina of time. While Skyward sword did try to innovate somewhat. It still felt too familiar and most importantly it felt too guided. The Zelda franchise has become synonymous with long winded tutorials and hand holding, restricting the player from progressing at any pace that isn't dictated by the developers. It wasn't always this way, in fact the first game in the series was completely different. You find yourself dropped in this seemingly endless world with nothing but minor hints from NPCs (non-player characters) to guide you. You relied on your intuition and your hunger for adventure. The Legend of Zelda Breath of The Wild captures the feeling of adventure and braving the unknown. To describe my emotions when playing this game as child like wonder, would be putting it lightly. You begin your

adventure by waking up as Link, yes he is canonically called Link now. You can no longer change his name and an ominous voice in the distance refers to you as Link. You begin to make your way out of the chamber picking up a device that looks suspiciously like a Nintendo Switch. Once you leave the chamber you stand on top of a cliff side looking out to the vast openness of the world. This does a great job emphasising the vastness of this land that is laid out before you. You notice an old man nearby and begin to follow him. Much like in the first game he will give you hints and guidance to get you accustomed to the basics. The wonderful thing is you don't NEED to converse with him. You can ignore him and do as you please. No mandatory tutorials getting in the way of your adventure. Once you make it out of the first area this is where the game opens up even more. You have the choice to go in any direction. You can even go to the final area to face the last boss if you so choose. The only things blocking you is knowledge of the gameplay, as well as upgrades to your health and stamina. You can go to a late game area right away but don't expect to survive long, with nothing on your back but a worn out shirt. Following the first ever Legend of Zelda game's blueprints of allowing you to go anywhere you like with your basic tools.

As you could probably tell this game is an open world game. With side quests and so much to explore. Much like most titles in this genre there are towers you can climb, making your way up these structures can best be described as a light puzzle. Once on top of them you can scan the continent marking it on your map, then activating the tower as a fast travel spot that you can teleport to. However, unlike most open world games, doing this doesn't scatter icons over your map. You have to go out of your way to find points of interest and quests yourself; placing markings on your map for areas you would like to visit. They are not highlighted and this encourages exploration and using the environment as hints as to where to go. This really made me feel like I was discovering a long forgotten land and not ticking off boxes on a shopping list of things to do - a feeling I often get with most open world games. In conclusion, I don't think The Legend of Zelda - Breath of The Wild, really does anything particularly innovative. It borrows heavily off other open world games and even from the first Zelda game. It does, however, refine those experiences and applies a layer of polish often associated with Nintendo. I can see myself spending hours exploring this land finishing off quests and just faffing around. I feel this game justifies the purchase of a Nintendo Switch.

March Issue

By Hesham Saghir

Game review.

24 March Issue

Society news.

By Becky Hamer

A-Z OF SOCIETIES Societies are student groups who meet up regularly to attend sessions and socialise. Joining a society is a great way to meet other students who share similar interests. Acapella: A group of people who love to sing and perform as part of a group. Acapella is the creation of music using only the voice, most famously seen in the film ‘Pitch Perfect’, no experience necessary just a love of singing.

Climbing: The Climbing society is for anyone from regular climbers to people who are just interested in trying something new! Climbing is great for fitness and also requires a level of logicality.

ACS: “You don’t need to be black to appreciate Afro-Caribbean culture”! Experience a new culture and get involved with many of the exciting events we put on throughout the year.

Cosplay & Convention: Want to learn more about costume design and creation. Come along and meet new people with similar interests and learn new skills.

Airsoft: Airsoft is a military simulation/sport based on strict teamwork and honesty. Players are split into two teams and given replica guns which shoot plastic pellets called BBs - Eliminate the opposing team and complete the objective is the goal.

Debating: The debating society holds are centred on relevant issues in today’s society. The debates are always very informal, so don’t be afraid if you don’t know much on the subject matter.

Anime & Manga: Do you have a passion for anime or manga? Or maybe just a general interest in Japanese culture? Like going to conventions? Anime and Manga society could be the place for you!

Equestrian: The equestrian society aims to provide Horse Riding lessons at a very cheap price for all students, whether you have never touched a horse before or you were riding before you could walk.

Aviation: Our society is aimed at people who have a keen eye for the aviation scene. Whether your course is aviation related or not, anyone can join.

Events: The Event Society is a collective of students either studying Event courses or has an interest in attending/hosting events. We’re a tight-knit community providing support for other members, industry connections and volunteering opportunities.

Ballet: Do you want to develop your ballet technique? You can come to classes learn new skills, get involved with fundraisers, volunteering, as well as having fun on ballet related trips, competitions, and socials.

Feminist: The society is for both female and male students/ staff, with the understanding that all people face forms of gender inequality and that it is beneficial for both women and men to come together to fight against these inequalities.

Boxing: BNU Boxing training is suited for all levels. Sessions are held by brilliant professional coaches in a kitted out boxing club and involve a variety of cardio and core fitness workouts, circuits, and boxing skills that will introduce you to, or progress you into boxing for fun or competitively.

Film: As a society, we’ll be in charge of Bucks Student TV; the Students' Union’s very own YouTube Channel. We’ll need help filming both the union news and sports news; live bands and band interviews as well as attending different film quizzes.

Blades: Bucks Blades can be applied in various ways, from LARPing to re-enactment, stage-fighting to Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). The swordplay can be transferred to artwork and video game creation, giving a realistic twist to the games.

Gaming: The Gaming Society aims to provide the equipment, facilities and atmosphere to take part in many types of games, from board games to console gaming.

Christian Union: Our mission is to give every Student and Staff member the opportunity to hear and respond to Jesus. We meet once a week to: Read and discuss the Bible, pray and worship together as a group, themed evenings based on topics and questions for students.

Graphic Arts: A brand new society recently set up to accommodate all those with an interest in Graphic Arts.

Circus: From spinning plates to fire poi, Circus Society is about trying something new, and honing your skills to advanced levels.

Green: If you are interested in helping encourage the university to change to more environmentally friendly options, then join us!

Society news.

March Issue

Handball: Hoping to make handball a successful society by creating and enjoyable, achieving and worthwhile team. Come to develop your skills aiming to compete in a friendly league. ISOC: A society for those with Islamic faith or those wanting to learn more, come along to meet new people and discuss up and coming topics.

Law: We will be holding regular meetings focussing on law discussion; event planning and charity work. We will be holding many exciting activities throughout the year including visits to law firms, talks from people within the law industry, a legal trip to London and our ever successful annual black tie ball! LGBTQ+: BNU's LGBT society is here to allow LGBTQ+ students and allies to get together in a friendly and safe environment. We are a revived society looking to "come out" and show people that we are all equal and are here to support where needed. MMA: As a part of MMA Sport For Fun, the society have two sessions training sessions a week in Mixed Martial Arts. Come and train in a professional, quality gym with experienced coaches.

Mooting: A moot is an argument on points of law that aims to simulate, as far as possible, an authentic court hearing before a judge. We will also have mini-moots where a scenario is presented and the arguments are made for and against like in a real trial but the argument is non-legal. Nursoc: Nursoc our Uxbridge based society is here to support all those interested in nursing, social and community work and seeking opportunities to have fun outside of the daily grind; organising socials, fundraising events, end of year balls and much more. Performing Arts: Performing Arts Society is a platform for people to collaborate creatively and practice their craft. Along with being a space for the creatively minded it’s also a time for people to express the interest in the arts and interact with those that have similar interests. Pole: Pole Society aim to introduce as many people to the world of pole fitness! Pole is a great way to improve strength or get into shape instead of running on a treadmill at the gym! If you want to learn a new skill and meet new friends. Powerlifting: The power lifting society is a society where everyone is welcome, we focus on development, support and friendship. During the lifting sessions, we work on developing the squat, bench-press, and dead-lift.

Red shed 17/18: A large group of multi-talented textiles and surface design students who get together with the aims to raise a large sum of money to send them to degree shows after they graduate. Always looking for fresh and exciting people full of fundraising ideas. Salsa: Salsa society hold two salsa training sessions a week where you can come along and either learn something new or improve on your existing salsa skills.

Snowsoc: Bucksnowsoc will give you the opportunity to learn to ski or snowboard at the cheapest rates around. We also organise recreational sessions fortnightly! Don’t really fancy getting cold in the snow, but still want to have a laugh? We have many members who just come for the socials and we love them very much. Sports Therapy: A brand new society for the Sports Therapy Students who are keen to learn more about Sports Therapy outside of their university course.

Touch Rugby: Working with the Sport for Fun programme, come along to our mixed ability session to improve on your fitness and skills. Open for all.

Women’s Rugby: Come along to our Women’s rugby training session held at London Irish Training Ground with experienced and professional coaches. No experiences necessary, learn new skills, get fit and maybe even play in a friendly game. Yoga: An ideal way to relax and unwind after a busy day on campus. Learn how to de-stress yourself through peaceful exercises to make you feel refreshed. Prevent any unwanted muscular pains and loosen your muscles, all while meeting new people!

IF YOU'D LIKE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR CURRENT SOCIETIES, OR TO FIND OUT HOW TO START UP A BRAND NEW ONE, PLEASE EITHER VISIT BUCKSSTUDENTSUNION.ORG/SOCIETIES OR EMAIL THE SOCIETIES AND VOLUNTEERING ASSISTANT ON: REBECCA.HAMER@BUCKS.AC.UK

26 March Issue

Society news.

By Ellena Monaghan

BALLET UPDATE On Thursday 9 February BNU Ballet Society went to see a live screening of The Royal Ballets ‘The Woolf Works’ performed at the Royal Opera House. This was about the works of Virginia Woolf who was an English writer. There were three acts to this performance all based around one of Woolf’s literature; ‘Mrs Dalloway’ ‘Orlando’ and ‘The Waves’. Alessandra Ferri is an expert principal of the company and came back for Woolf Works. This is something McGregor was ecstatic about as he stated that it was wonderful to have her back to work with current company workers and young students. The opportunity to be able to hear live from the choreographer Wayne McGregor who has previously worked on projects with the Royal Ballet Company was special as it really allowed us as viewers to understand how and where he gets his ideas from. We all really enjoyed the performance and trying to pick out what we understood and how it fitted into the overall story. Being able to observe technical elements was also highly beneficial to the dancers as from this we were able to draw on elements to aid us in our competition performances.

It was lovely to be able to spend time together as a team and society outside of the studio and be able to enjoy each other's company and bond in a different way. Trips like this will be used in future years as connecting time with the dancers and it gave us the chance to watch the level of professional ballerinas and draw on them as influences. As a whole it was wonderful to see a professional ballet performance from the comfort of cinema seating, cut out the glamour but was none the less a fabulous evening. Finally, the ballet team has been going across the country to compete and has so far received second place and two first places - which is incredible for our first competition season. We have had amazing feedback from other universities saying our piece is original and beautiful. BNU Ballet will next be seen at Northampton for their final competition, so watch this space to see what we bring home.

The Bucks Cafe Club card is currently being sold with 30% discount - just £7! Get yours today for access to the following benefits: Term

The card can be purchased and used in all our cafes (Pulse, The Lounge, Beats and Rusty’s). It entitles the holder to a 5% discount on all hot and soft drinks, no charges when paying by card, as well as exclusive promotions

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throughout the year. Check Facebook and cafe displays for current deals.

THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF CARDS AVAILABLE SO SIGN-UP NOW!

HANDBALL IS BACK

AND BETTER THAN EVER!

For those who do not know what Handball is, here goes. Handball is a combination of water-polo (with the water, obviously), basketball and netball, so you can image it being an action-packed sport! It’s an intense sport with a full cardio workout and all you have to do is dribble the ball around the court and shoot into the net. It really that easy! The handball society is in it’s third year and our society has almost tripled in size since the beginning of the year and are set to increase further. And no, these members are not all one offs; they returning members who are passionate about the sport. Due to this increase, we are looking to enter a league next year and become an official sport! Don’t think that this sport is not ‘just for men’! We have an increase in female players too and is likely to double in the future because “This Girl Can” play Handball too! To fulfil the growing popularity, the Committee members have bought new goals and are investing further in making our society as interesting as possible. We have also invested in making our session as professional as possible by buying more handball balls, suitable for men and females who play and glue to help catching, especially when it is thrown across the court! Additionally, our society has invested in stash, so look out for those hoodies! We may be a Sport for Fun, but we play like a Sports team. We have a Coach,

Tomasz Crywa, who plans each session in advance make the hour worthwhile. Your Chairman, Joshua, is recently a qualified Level 1 coach and takes over sessions too! If you don’t know how to play, don’t worry, they make the hour as fun and exciting as possible whilst teaching you the rules. We hope that by the end of the session, you know what the game is all about! Want to see this for yourself? Come down to the Events Hall at the High Wycombe campus every Tuesday, 7.30-8.30pm for an energetic session! Each session is different and exciting varying from a fun session to a full-on game. Your committee members are Joshua Kidby as your Chairman, Cameron Mccarthy as your Secretary, and Hufriya Mehta as your Treasurer. We are here to ensure that the society runs smoothly. We listen to our members if they have any concerns and ensure they enjoy every session. The members and the committee work together as a part of a larger family. Why don’t you pop down and be a part of the Handball family and make new friends, get fit and learn new skills! Don’t forget to join our Facebook group: Bucks Handball Society 2016/2017! We hope to see you there!

March Issue

By Hufriya Mehta

Society news.

28 March Issue

Society news.

By Sean McKean

PLANNING YOUR SNOW HOLIDAY

Every now and then you might not want to conform to the norm and go somewhere with a beach or a swimming pool. Maybe you want to go somewhere that has a mountain covered in glorious snow instead. As most of you probably would have seen by now, our snow tour is coming up pretty quickly (Sorry it is too late to book on now) and I’m here to write about what to do if you wanted to book your own snow holiday and what you might need to bring along. The obvious part is to pick a location, easier said than done. There is a factor of things you must consider first such as: The time of year you want to go – certain peaks wont be available at some times of the year. You would also need to check the price – Snow Sports holidays are not cheap. Yeah you can fly out to Spain with EasyJet for £40 and buy a hotel for the week with £150. It’s a little different with snow, you have to buy a lift pass and the gear/equipment, you have to pay for lessons, buy a hotel or hostel, buy food and alcohol, insurance and warm clothes to chill in. A few ways to save are: Rent all the clothing and equipment. Go through a Snow holiday company like NUCO to get discounts on lift passes and accommodation. Learn to ski/ board before you go out there,

it’s like riding a bike after a while. You could do that or you could go to Andorra where it’s a tax free haven and save your money that way. Learning before going is seriously advised, getting to a level 4 or 5 would be ideal, also take a couple of refresher courses before you go. If you do buy clothes beforehand make sure that you get the right clothes for the situation, going down an indoor slope is warmer than a mountain. You’ll still get hot on the mountain so bring a backpack to change your clothes, if you want to be warm buy a thermal under layer also don’t forget to bring snow boots, warm socks. OK, so here is an important piece of information that could stop you from getting into danger on the mountains. Slopes or runs are colour coordinated to help you understand which runs are easy and which are hard. Green is a learner slope, usually wide and not steep. Blue is a beginners run. Red is for intermediates. Black is an expert run, but they range from normal to expert usually this will be explained on the sign if it is dangerous. Orange is extremely difficult (found in Austria and Switzerland mainly). Finally, yellow is an off course run with flat spots which can be difficult for boarders, there is also deep snow on these runs too which can be fun.

END IT WITH FOOTBALL The summer is approaching fast, and the academic year is pulling to a climax. So far, we’ve had RAG competition’s such as Netball4RAG and Volley4RAG. Both with huge success, and tons of money has been raised, around £350 in total. Hats off to the Students Involved. But we can’t stop here, now it is time to get the small goals out and kick a ball around in the name of RAG! Bucks Super 7’s Cup, a full of fun event for both male and female participants to get involved, and do their bit for our RAG raising total! Last year we had seven female teams participate, and 14 male teams. It’s quite a popular event, let me tell you. So why should I come? Taking place on a usually lovely sunny day in May, hopes are high for all those taking part. The smell of freshly cut grass and the ringing of the ice cream van, slightly to the left of the playing fields is something to be excited about. The ultimate goal to make is obvious, raise money for our RAG charities, but the element of competition is still in full swing. Kicking off at 1pm, the sun will be high in the sky so make sure you don’t forget your sunnies or for the purpose of our current president, Joe Collins, sun cream. Bucks Cup is a great fundraiser for RAG, last year raising over £200. Last year we had more female teams than ever before, great work by Alix Todd – Bucks Ladies FC Captain on her promotion of Female Football. Seven female teams went headto-head in a five-a-side tournament, in which our friends over on Ladies Basketball took the girls at Bucks Ladies FC by surprise and dominated the tournament! The boys go head-to-head in seven-a-side games. Intense but fun, and quite enjoyable watching over-weight Rugby players attempt to run more than three yards without choking in the summers sun! Teams from all areas of the University take part – it’s not only football! Your VPSI –Ohio of course gets involved, playing and refereeing games. Sometimes confusing himself with footballs throw-in rules, and not the line-outs he is used to! Once the football is over, and you’re fully tanned (or sun-burnt), it’s time for refreshments. The first 50 back at the Students’ Union bar get a complimentary snakebite and a burger on the house. If that’s not a valid reason to get involved, as well as racking up volunteering hours and playing part in raising money for our RAG charities, then I do not know what is. Overall it’s the kind of day that’ll get you feeling upbeat and ready for summer! I don’t think I’d be able to conclude this article unless I make all reading this aware that I’ve won this competition twice, and the Students' Union have said that if I win it for the third time in my three years at Bucks, they’ll let me keep the trophy!

Visit bucksstudentsunion.org and search for Super 7 for more information on how to get involved. Alternatively, to sign up email daniel.lawrence@bucks.ac.uk.

March Issue

By Lewis Newton

Sports news.

30 March Issue

Sports news.

By Julie Botwood

VARSITY IS COMINGGGGGG! Bucks FC ladies is in preparation. Training is getting fiercer, tackles are getting stronger, as the time is coming for Bucks FC ladies to make their final statement of the year, at Varsity. Varsity, Bucks New Uni versus Roehampton, the grudge match, the be all and end all of the sporting season.

become quicker and the need for communication and team work is becoming vital in these drills.

Training has changed, our ladies are putting in the effort every Monday night. Fitness is becoming the core of the ladies change in training sessions. The warm-up is 15 minutes long, making sure that every muscle is prepared for the session ahead. Warm-up is taking place before the girls even get onto the astro, it is down the side of the pitches, ensuring that as soon as they are able to get onto the astro, every minute is dedicated to Varsity, not just preparing.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of students who aren't sure why Varsity is so vital so people participating in sports. First of all, this is such a tragedy, the day itself is so fun, full of University spirit and a genuine enjoyment to watch. Second of all, where have they been? Advertising is going up around the university in forms of posters, banners and leaflets. Additionally, VPSI Ohio wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be letting you click onto group or page without noticing that Varsity is happening. You have to be pretty skilled in order to miss the advertising about Varsity!

Fitness circuits are lasting around 20 minutes. With Louise, a second year practicing her coaching skills alongside Coach Alix, the two are preparing the ladies for the ultimate challenge. Drills are becoming tougher too; Coach Alix is narrowing down the room for error, the passing and shooting targets are becoming smaller, the runs need to

The Ladies this year will be playing away at Roehamptonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ground. Last year Bucks won the trophy for the first time Varsity history. Hopefully it has laid the first stone to walk the way to victory for many years to come. This year it is vital for the Ladies to do their job and win their game to give the Bucks a better chance at retaining the trophy. Their game will take

place at around 1pm, giving them plenty of chance to rally troops together during the lunchtime fixture. The University are hoping to rely on their Varsity Captain Rhona and their dance students to make sure every fixture has good support. Not long is left now until the Ladies face their Roehampton opponents. Hopefully their last few fixtures will give them plenty of chances to nail the dynamics of the squad. Bucks Ladies are excited to have their sponsors All Time Security support them in the lead to the biggest game of the year and hope that they will celebrate too when Victory at Varsity is achieved.

ENHANCE YOUR CV BY HELPING NEW STUDENTS AT BUCKS We are looking for students from all courses and nationalities to support our new students through our Buddying scheme. This is a volunteering opportunity, however you will be awarded ÂŁ100 on completion of the project in January 2018. The role is flexible and can be carried out around your studies and other commitments. You will be set up with a Bucks Buddy email account to provide advice, send information and answer questions. The experience and skills gained from this position will enhance your CV.

Please visit bucksstudentsunion.org/jobs for more information.

Your club would not run without the hard work put in by many individuals. What better way to say thank you than a nomination for an award at the AU Dinner? The AU Dinner is one of the highlights of the year and is attended by 250 people. This is a chance to celebrate the end of the season (apart from Cricket) with your team mates. This year the AU Dinner will be on Wednesday 26 April, starting at 7pm in The Town Hall. The evening consists of a two course meal, a summing up of the year in sport, guest speaker and the awards. Mark Foster is the guest speaker and for those that aren’t aware he became Britain’s most decorated male swimmer. Throughout his career, he has won 51 major international medals; competed in five Olympics, six

times World Champion, 11 times European champion, two times Commonwealth champion and broke World records eight times. Since retiring from swimming, Mark has become a familiar face on television and is often seen with Claire Balding and Rebecca Adlington at the swimming events in the Olympics. There are various awards that you can nominate people for and forms can be found at the front desk of the students union or you can use the link below and fill out a nomination by visiting our website: bucksstudentsunion.org/aunominations.

The ten awards we have are: Coach of the year which goes to a coach who has made an outstanding contribution to the team both on and off the field.

Sportsman of the year is an honour for the year’s best male whose performance most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.

Fresher of the year is awarded to a fresher who has made an outstanding contribution in their first year at University.

Sportswoman of the year is an honour for the year’s best female whose performance most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement.

Committee member of the year is for that member who has gone above and beyond their duties to the club – impacting and developing the club over the year. Captain of the year is for the captain who has performed their duties at an exceptional level all year, showing dedication and a commitment to their team. Most improved player of the year is an award to celebrate an individual’s notable improvement throughout the year, attendance and attitude for all training and matches will be taken into account. Team of the year goes to the most successful team of the year in their field of play and league achievements. Club of the year this is based on an entire clubs overall success throughout the year, taken into account is their achievements and conduct throughout the year.

Outstanding contribution to sport is for the recognition of a person or people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty over a prolonged period of time. It also measured how their cation and contributions have had a positive impact on sport at Bucks – this could be someone who has achieved ultimate success impacting on their club/sport or enhancing the Universities Please fill out your nominations with detail as it is often the quality of the nomination that leads to someone winning an award. Every year it gets harder and harder to shortlist for these awards and what you say really makes a difference. Forms can be found at the front desk of the students union or you can use the link below and fill out a nomination by visiting our website: bucksstudentsunion.org/aunominations.

March Issue

By Catherine Lymer

Sports news.