IN THIS EDITION
CLASSY VENUE PHOTOS
A NIGHT NOT TO BE MISSED
PLUS LOTS MORE!
November 2018 - Edition 76
VENOM REVIEW
THE OFFICIAL FOOD OF
BUCKS STUDENT LIFE
EVERY SINGLE DAY VALID ON MEDIUM OR LARGE PIZZA ONLY
TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE…ONE CODE, TWO PIZZAS
DON’T FORGET THE CODE!
JUST USE CODE: 24/26 CASTLE STREET, HIGH WYCOMBE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, HP13 6RG
01494 539539 /DominosPizza
@Dominos_UK
PIZZA241
AT THE CHECKOUT OPENING HOURS: 11AM - 1AM MON - SUN CLOSE FOR COLLECTION: 12AM MON-SUN
DELIVERY UNTIL 1AM
StudentsOfDominos
Click
Tap the app
*Buy one get one free on medium & large pizza only. Valid online only. Free pizza must be equal or lesser value than the first. Not valid with any other offer. Offer can be withdrawn without notice. Available in participating stores only. Student ID required. EXP 31-5-19
3
A Word from the Editor.
EDITOR'S INTRO Photography by Sean Wright Things heated up at the Bloodshed Halloween event on Wed 31 Oct. For a round-up of the night, head to page 19.
Contributors Eliza Gent • Lauren O'Shea • Georgia Nosal • Charlie Cotton Mark Sweeney • Claudia Waghorne • Kat Frei Professor Rebecca Bunting • Dean Valler • Julia Crooks Alana Mercer • Rhona Noel • Sarah Jackson • Beth Jefferys Emily Dixie • Lewis Boyling • Athena Pickering • Conor Wysner Claire Barrett and Liv Vroone • Callum Skinner • Seana O’Reilly Oli Gunson • 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
Is it just me or have the first few months of Uni gone so quickly? I swear it was only yesterday I was moaning
going to watch then do it. Or if you feel like you
about starting third year whilst lying in the sun
need to go and explore and run about in a field all
with my housemates trying to catch the last of
day then go for it. It's important to remember that
those summer rays.
whilst Uni and work are extremely important, so is
If you are anything like me then by now you have already drunk too much, got stupidly excited
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.
about the fact that McDonald’s is now on uber
© 2018 Bucks Students’ Union
By now you might be starting to feel the pressure
eats, and are probably going to get a degree in procrastination sooner than you will get your actual degree. that Uni brings and that’s perfectly OK, in fact, I would be worried if you were just swimming
If required, this document can be made available in different formats. Please contact Bucks Students' Union for more information.
through these shark infested waters.
your health and happiness and taking those days to think about yourself and what you need are equally important. If you are looking for something to help take your mind of the craziness of day to day life, then why don’t you think about writing for us? Writing is a fantastic and healthy way to escape which can benefit you in all sorts of ways. It doesn’t only look great on your CV which will help increase employability, but it will also improve your writing skills.
My advice to you as a third year who must’ve felt
To get involved simply send an email to
every emotion under the sun by now would be
editor@thebucksstudent.com and we will help
to be kind to yourself. If you need a day to just
your voice get heard. I look forward to hearing
lie in bed and focus on what Netflix show you are
from you!
November Issue
By Eliza Gent
4 November Issue
Sabbatical Officers.
By Lauren O'Shea, Georgia Nosal & Charlie Cotton
AN UPDATE FROM YOUR SABBS CHARLIE COTTON LAUREN O'SHEA VICE PRESIDENT PRESIDENT STUDENT INVOLVEMENT
GEORGIA NOSAL VICE PRESIDENT EDUCATION & WELFARE
We have been very busy during the month of October and the buzz from Freshers' has definitely carried on! We had our ‘Wear It Pink’ week for the Breast Cancer Now charity which raised over £250. The event raised awareness for breast cancer and saw 46 students cycle a combined distance of 567.1km throughout the week, reaching and surpassing the target of 560km.
Hi Guys, Georgia here!
We have a couple of things to look out for during the month of November. Our Varsity build up will be starting very soon, make sure you keep an eye out for social media posts and make sure you buy your Varsity ticket off the Bucks Students’ Union website so you don’t miss out! We also have our first sporting RAG event, Dodge4RAG, which will see students enter teams in a dodgeball event with all entry donations going to our ‘Raise and Give’ charity’s. This is a fun event where fancy dress is always welcomed. If you want to enter a team please do not hesitate to come to the Students’ Union office and talk to us! Make sure you also keep an eye out on our whatson page so you can keep up to date with all the activities we are running.
After a month of madness hopefully everyone is feeling nice and settled into University life. At the Students’ Union we’re as busy as ever, continuing to roll out diverse opportunities to improve your skills, help you meet new people and simply, have a great time! Your Sabbatical team are really getting stuck in planning campaigns for the next few months and are always looking for students to get involved or even run their own! Remember Union Council is held monthly and is an opportunity for all students to hear more about our plans and offers you the floor to offer your feedback! Recently, we hosted our first Union Council over in Uxbridge for the first time in years, it was well attended by a diverse group of students and we can’t wait to do it again!
What a month it’s been. We had our Student Rep training, which was so lovely to see so many students being proactive in wanting to make their course the best it can be. Our Sabb Tea Parties are such a lovely opportunity for us to get to know you. However we’d love to see more of you! Watch out for the posters, come and have some tea, cake and a natter with us. Alcohol awareness week is Monday 19 - Friday 23 November and there will be loads of information and events to get involved with. The mental health episodes will be coming out soon, this is to emphasise that we shouldn’t just talk about mental health on world mental health day! I will be doing the first one, talking about how I dealt with mental health issues while at Uni. If anyone wants to take part and open up about their own issues let me know. See you around!
Get in touch: Charlie: charlie.cotton@bucks.ac.uk Lauren: lauren.oshea@bucks.ac.uk Georgia: georgia.nosal@bucks.ac.uk
Bucks Vpsi
@BucksSUVPSI
Bucks SU Pres
@BucksSUPres
Bucks Vpew
@BucksSUVPEW
AT BUCKS STUDENTS' UNION
It’s now easier than ever before to get involved with democracy at Bucks Students’ Union. Over the course of the summer we’ve been working hard as an organisation to strengthen our democratic structures and make them more accessible for students to engage with. Understanding the democratic structures in any organisation and how you can access them to influence decision making can be both confusing and complex. Anyone who has tried to understand local council elections, lobbying their MP or how parliament works would probably say the same about civil society. We think that Students’ Unions can be just as confusing. Because our Union is run by students, for students, we need you to understand how our student representative system works, how you can become a student leader, raise an important issue or start your own campaign. We’ve done this by developing a brand new short and simple ‘Democracy Guide’ that focuses on the key features of our Union democracy. This should help you to identify them, understand them and hopefully use and get involved with them. The guide covers everything from our Sabbatical Officers to Trustees, NUS Delegates to our Student Ideas platform and much more. We felt that developing this guide was a really important piece of work we needed to focus on so that we could better inform our students about the types of opportunities available to them on campus and how they can use these to make the changes they want to see. With our annual elections just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start researching exactly what each position involves and what you may be best suited to.
Included in the guide is our brand new campaigns initiative which we feel is going to give students a greater chance of running successful campaigns in and around campus. You’ll receive support from our staff team from the development phase of your campaign right through to the end of the campaign itself. Designing and running campaign at Bucks is also a great way to develop your skill set and in turn boost your employability prospects so be sure to start putting together any ideas you may have using the detailed form included in the guide. This work around the ‘Democracy Guide’ also falls in line with the Union’s Strategic Plan and our vision of working hard to show our members the value of deeper engagement through the scope of our available leadership opportunities. In addition to this, it enables us to develop an understanding of our work amongst our members, communicating our goals and values in a clear and effective way whilst maintaining strong governance. To explain our Strategic Plan in a bit more detail we’ve put together a video which, alongside the full plan, is available to view on our website – bucksstudentsunion.org/strategicplan. The ‘Democracy Guide’ is now live on our website and can be found at bucksstudentsunion.org/union/howwearerun. If you’ve got any questions about the ‘Democracy Guide’ or would just like some further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk.
November Issue
By Mark Sweeney
5
Democracy.
6 November Issue
Executive Officers.
Executive Officers By Mark Sweeney
Representation takes place in many forms here at Bucks Students’ Union including Student Reps, School Officers, Executive Officers and our Sabbatical Officers. Every level of representation has a significant part to play in ensuring that our
Throughout the course of this academic year, these eight Executive Officers
members’ voices are heard and that changes they want to see can be made.
are responsible for collecting feedback from their respective student groups
Over the last few years, we’ve been really keen as an organisation to find out more about our underrepresented groups at the University and what they want from their
and running a series of campaigns and specialised events in order to provide opportunities for these students supported by the Students’ Union.
time at Bucks. It’s so important that we hear directly from these students so that
Over the course of the summer, we’ve also been working on a new campaigns
assumptions are not made about their student experience. We do this by utilising
process which our elected Executive Officers will follow. This new process involves
our eight Executive Officers. These elected roles are completed on a part-time,
much more detailed planning going into the campaign proposals, outlining a
voluntary basis alongside a student’s studies and they are responsible for acting as
clear objective for the campaign whilst also identifying a target audience and any
a figurehead and carrying the student voice for their respective student group.
additional resources that may be required.
Each of these student groups have their own unique challenges as well as those that Each officer has been tasked with coming up with three campaign ideas that are common across our student population. In order for us to better deal with these
can be run throughout the course of this academic year. They’ll receive support
issues and tackle them as quickly as possible, we need to know them in detail,
from members of the Students’ Union staff team from the development to the
which involves seeing it from the students’ perspective.
implementation phase of their campaign in order to give them the best possible
The eight officer roles are divided into two areas, four self-defining roles and four roles based on a student’s entry data to the University. The four self-defining roles
chance of running an inclusive and successful campaign in and around our campuses engaging as many students as possible from their respective groups.
are Black and Minority Ethnic (BME), Disabled, LGBT+, and Women students. The
If you are from one of these underrepresented groups, make sure to keep an eye
four entry data roles are International Students (any students paying international
out for these upcoming campaigns and look to get involved. They will really be of
student fees), Mature students (any students who are 21 or over by the time they
benefit to you and give you a great opportunity to engage with your officer, socialise
start their university education), Postgraduate students and Part-time students.
with other students from your underrepresented group, share ideas, see what the Number 1 Students’ Union in the country can do for you and much more. As you can see, we do currently have one vacancy for the Executive Officer for Part-time Students role. If you are a part-time student studying at Bucks and would like to find out more information about what the role entails or to apply, please email: surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk.
Having read this article and realised that you’d like to fill one of these positions in the future, please keep an eye out for our annual elections information. These positions will be up for election again in March 2019 with nominations opening in January. To view an opportunity profile for any of the roles listed above or for more information, please email surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk.
7
Executive Officers.
November Issue
Executive Officer for BME Students
Executive Officer for Disabled Students
Tracy Derby
Shakir Razak
submeofficer@bucks.ac.uk
sudisabilitiesofficer@bucks.ac.uk
Executive Officer for LGBT+ Students
Executive Officer for Women Students
Tom Mepham
Eliza Gent
sulgbtofficer@bucks.ac.uk
suwomensofficer@bucks.ac.uk
Executive Officer for International Students
Executive Officer for Mature Students
Patricia Feiteira
Darren Hannay
suinternationalofficer@bucks.ac.uk
sumatureofficer@bucks.ac.uk
Executive Officer for Postgraduate Students
Executive Officer for Part-time Students
Jacek Wardzala
Vacant
supostgradofficer@bucks.ac.uk
suparttimeofficer@bucks.ac.uk
8 November Issue
School Officers.
School Officers By Mark Sweeney
During the last academic year, the University went through a significant academic restructure in order to have a more streamlined approach to its courses and moving away from the old faculty system. Here at Bucks, the academic structure now falls into seven different schools. Those schools are; Art, Design and Performance, Aviation and Security, Business Law and Computing, Media and Creative Industries, Health Care and Social Work, Human and Social Sciences and finally Nursing and Allied Health.
the Representation team in a range of different tasks for the school for which they are attached to. Each School Officer is a student within their own school and this helps to ensure that they have a real understanding of the course portfolio of each school as well as any issues that may be unique to that school.
This means that your course will be part of one of these seven schools and for each of these schools we employ a student School Officer. Their role is to assist
School Officers' responsibilities include the recruitment with their role, similar to that of student reps but these reward payments are of more value given the of student reps for their school, attending the Union’s Education Forum, the University’s Library Forum and additional responsibilities the role brings.
Art, Design and Performance
Ellie Freeman Business, Law and Computing
Sophie Uglow
several other meetings, as well as communicating with the student reps in their school on a regular basis about their work, any feedback they may be bringing forward and any general enquiries our student reps may have. Our School Officers receive additional financial rewards for completing work associated
Aviation and Security
Laura Bailey Media and Creative Industries
Lauren Robinson
9
School Officers.
November Issue
Look out for these officers dotted around our campuses. They’re on hand to deal with any representation queries and can bring any issues immediately to our attention here in the Representation team. As well as this, you should always get to know who the student rep is for your course programme at your respective level. They are the lead voice within your course and are the ones that bring forward your feedback about the academic experience you’re receiving at Bucks and can raise it in the right forum, known as a Programme Committee Meeting. The feedback they’ll collect will look to be really detailed, breaking it down into different areas so it makes it easier when communicating this to the academic team so that they can make the changes you want to see at a much quicker rate. Reps are also responsible for collecting ‘good practice’ about the course and we know that there is so much good stuff that is happening in and amongst each course. It’s really important that it’s highlighted so each academic team can know what to continue doing and it also helps to strengthen the relationship between the course team and students.
As you can see, we do currently have one School Officer vacancy for the School of Human and Social Sciences. If you are a student within this school and would like to find out more information about what the role entails or to apply, please email: surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk or just drop into the Students’ Union offices on the ground floor of the North Wing at the High Wycombe campus or on That’s why it’s so important for you as students to share the first floor at the Uxbridge campus just around the any concerns you may have with your student rep and corner from Pulse cafe. highlight the good things that are happening. It ensures that you are having the opportunity to have your say on your experience as a student at Bucks and are able to get the most out of your time at the institution. Following this, our School Officers will look at the feedback brought forward by reps within their school. They’ll analyse this feedback and look to see if there are any common themes occurring across a department or even across the whole school. If so, they can then take these up with Heads of Departments or the Heads of School to get these resolved as quickly as possible.
Don’t forget, you don’t just have to have your say on your course experience either. At the Students’ Union, we’re always welcoming of feedback as to how we can improve, if you have suggestions as to something we could offer that we’re not already currently offering or even if there’ stuff you’d like to see more of. To do so, please just email union@bucks.ac.uk and your response will be sent to a member of our friendly staff team who’ll be able to tackle your query as swiftly as possible.
Health Care and Social Work
Rebekah Fulton Nursing and Allied Health
Hilda Pachawo
Human and Social Sciences
Vacant
10 November Issue
RAG & volunteering.
RAG & VOLUNTEERING
By Claudia Waghorne & Kat Frei
This year we are raising money for Wycombe Homeless Connection and Hillingdon Samaritans; nominated and voted for by BNU students and staff. Both charities have expressed their gratitude to be chosen by us for RAG this year and are looking forward to getting involved with our fundraising events. A representative from both charities will be attending Union Council in November and will be holding stands on campus throughout the year so you can find out more about the amazing work they do and see how you can get involved!
we would love for you to join us. Sign up online, set up a fundraising page and let your family and friends know that you will be sleeping outside for the night to raise awareness for homelessness in Wycombe. You will need to bring warm clothes and a sleeping bag, and the charity also encourage you enter their competition for the most creatively decorated cardboard box!
This year we are aiming high and want to raise even more money than last year for RAG. Starting this week we are running a ‘RAG week’ which will include lots of fundraising opportunities. Look out for Netball Club’s RAG Raffle, which includes some fantastic prizes such as a Bill’s Restaurant Hamper and Wycombe Wanderer tickets!
Please feel free to contact our RAG ambassador, Claudia Waghorne with your fundraising ideas to help us raise money for RAG or a chosen charity.
Fancy getting involved in fundraising? Wycombe Homeless Connection is running its annual ‘Big Sleep Out’ on Saturday 24 November at Adams Park and
We also have so many volunteering opportunities that you can get involved with. These can be found online at: bucksstudentsunion.org/volunteeringportal or on the BucKs Students' Union Facebook page. This is a great way for clubs and societies to meet their accreditation, for you to make friends and just join in with something fun!
Claudia said: ‘I didn’t join in with anything in my first year, I went out a lot but never joined in with campaigns, societies or events that the SU were holding. In my second year, I joined a couple of societies, which helped me gain confidence with people I never thought I would speak to. Now being in my third year, I have become RAG ambassador, the chair for the Events Society, I’m student rep and I have never felt so welcomed to the university until now. I am a part of something that has enabled me to truly experience university life, as well as something that has given me the skills to do more, not just because of the SU but because of volunteering and RAG. Don’t miss out on what is on offer!’ Find out more about Wycombe Homeless Connection or register for the Big Sleep Out - wyhoc.org.uk Find out more about Hillingdon Samaritans hillingdonsamaritans.org.uk
From Monday 15 - Friday 19 October, our students took part in our annual ‘Wear It Pink’ week to raise awareness for Breast Cancer Now. Usually for ‘Wear It Pink’ week we ask students and staff to come into the University
to get involved and raise awareness for breast cancer. Overall, the event saw 46
wearing an item of clothing that is pink and donate a pound to the charity. This year
students and 13 members of staff get involved in our ‘Wear It Pink’ event, which
we wanted to get students actively involved in an event that both raises awareness
helped us to surpass our target and reach a total of 567.1km.
for breast cancer and keeps the students active at the same time.
Our Students’ Union President, Lauren O’Shea, said the following about the event:
We learned the alarming statistic that 5,600 people under the age of 45 are
“Each year we raise money for this amazing charity, however this year we wanted
diagnosed with breast cancer every year. For this reason we asked all of our
to ensure we raised awareness too. Every year 5,600 people aged 45 and under
students and staff to get pedalling on our spin bikes, while wearing pink clothing or
are diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Many of our students fit into this age category
our pink feather boas, in an attempt reach the target of 560km (to put that in context,
and we wanted to make them aware. This translated into our 560km bike ride
that is the distance from High Wycombe to Cologne) to raise awareness for breast
which we’re so proud to have achieved in four days with the help of students from
cancer and also raise money for the charity, Breast Cancer Now.
Uxbridge and High Wycombe. The students really enjoyed getting involved and
The event took place over the course of the week, which saw the bikes also travel
would come back for more.”
to our Uxbridge campus to allow our student nurses to get involved. Both students
As a sabbatical team we would personally like to thank all the students and staff
and staff took part in the event, with a special mention to BNU Dance club who
that got involved in the event and we hope that the fundraiser helped to both raise
encouraged many members on a regular basis to get on a bike and pedal for breast
awareness and educate both students and staff about breast cancer. Please keep an
cancer. The week was very busy and filled full of staff and students that were eager
eye out for all future campaigns and events we run as a sabbatical team.
November Issue
By Charlie Cotton & Lauren O'Shea
11
Wear it pink.
12 November Issue
Vice Chancellor & President interview.
By Professor Rebecca Bunting, Lauren O'Shea & Dean Valler
YOUR VOICE COUNTS Vice Chancellor Professor Rebecca Bunting and Students' Union President Lauren O'Shea answer some questions regarding Student Feedback. Q. How can students give their views? Rebecca: The learning students do is a partnership with the university, and we really need to hear feedback as part of that partnership so that we can adapt and change accordingly. Formal feedback on courses is collected via the modular assessment process, which we’ve reformed; by wider surveys such as the NSS and UKES (UK Engagement Survey) and PTES (Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey). We also value informal feedback and want to encourage a culture where students can speak openly to their tutors, both positively and negatively, about any aspect of their studies. Lauren: It’s about talking and having open communication channels between students and staff. Module evaluation and NSS are ways to get views across but students can also complete the Students’ Union’s regular surveys throughout the year. Also, speak informally to lecturers or Course Reps. Q. Why is feedback important? Rebecca: We know there is room for improvement in some areas and we’re working in partnership with the Students’ Union to effect change. If we don’t have feedback we cannot know what needs to be done. We have to have the engagement of students and no issue is too small or off-limits and it is all addressed with the aim of benefiting others and improving the learning environment. Lauren: By giving feedback, good and bad, throughout your time as a student you are helping to shape and design the curriculum to best benefit you. Everyone will have ideas. If something is working well then let the lecturer know and say you want to focus on more of that. They can only know if you tell them. Q. How does the University and Students’ Union work together? Rebecca: Lauren and her team do amazing work and we work with the Students’ Union in lots of different ways. The Students’ Union President attends Council and there will be another student representative invited to attend. Elections are ongoing. Lauren and the other Sabbs are part of the academic governance of the University and the work they do with the Course Reps is amazing. Through working together we ensure we’re listening to the ‘student voice’.
Lauren: We have a great relationship. Feedback is given in programme committee meetings, where academics take away and act on actions. Please make use of the many avenues to make your voice heard. Q. What happens to student feedback? Rebecca: Your feedback helps to make change. A good example is our campaign of ‘you said, we did’ last year, which showed how feedback is acted upon. Formal student feedback is also taken into account at module boards and has resulted in changes to the module’s delivery or assessment. Lauren: I speak to the relevant person at the University and always ensure I close the loop by updating the student on the outcomes of the conversation. Feedback is acted upon quickly without barriers put in the way to achieving things. The same goes for course feedback. Q. Should students be concerned that speaking up will have a detrimental effect on their grades? Rebecca: Absolutely not. We are an open, listening community. Please make use of both the informal and formal channels and let’s work together to keep improving life at Bucks. Lauren: Students shouldn’t be afraid to give feedback. We want to get as much feedback as we can to make constant improvement. All marks are monitored externally so there is no way grades would be affected, plus students can speak to their Reps before going to their lecturer.
Q. What should students do if they’re unhappy or thinking of leaving Bucks? Rebecca: Leaving the university is very much a last resort. There are lots of options we can discuss with you, and lots of help we can provide to keep you on course. Lauren: There is always someone to speak to. Find that one person you’re comfortable with and speak to them. This could be anyone from a personal tutor to a friend. I’d also encourage people to use the Bucks Students’ Union Advice Centre or go to the Learning Development Unit. Q. Any final thoughts? Rebecca: We pride ourselves on being a supportive community. Things are never as bad as you think but I appreciate how easy it is to get into that frame of mind. We want to support all our students to complete their studies at Bucks, reach their potential and realise their ambitions. Lauren: I cannot stress enough the importance of speaking to Course Reps and make their job easier and more effective by giving feedback. You have chosen them for a reason so make sure they have them means to do their jobs. If you have any questions or issues, please get in touch with Bucks Students' Union President, Lauren O'Shea. email - lauren.oshea@bucks.ac.uk
STUDENT WINS Bucks Student Wins is something I’m going to be shouting about a lot this year! Each year we visit other Students’ Unions to share good practice, essentially stealing each other’s great ideas. We saw Union’s sharing some of the amazing work they’ve been doing with their students in various ways and this really stood out to me. We often work away at our desks and in meetings trying to make improvements for our student body, which we really believe will benefit you all. One thing we often forget to do is tell you about what we’ve achieved!
WIN No. 1 #BucksStudentWins
WIN No. 2 #BucksStudentWins
SECURED A BME STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE PLACE ON EDUCATION COMMITTEE
CAMPAIGNED TO THE UNIVERSITY FOR MORE MICROWAVES ON CAMPUS
WIN No. 3 #BucksStudentWins
WIN No. 4 #BucksStudentWins
FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED IRISH STUDENTS TRAVELLING HOME TO VOTE IN THE REFERENDUM
STUDENTS SUCCESSFULLY ELECTED A DIVERSE TRUSTEE BOARD
WIN No. 5 #BucksStudentWins
WIN No. 6 #BucksStudentWins
URGED THE UNIVERSITY TO COMPENSATE ERASMUS STUDENTS FOR AN ERROR IN COMMUNICATION
SET UP A TRIAL FOR FREE EVENING AND WEEKEND PARKING PERMITS FOR ALL STUDENTS
This is where the idea for Bucks Student Wins came from! Anything we believe to be a win for our students, no matter how big or small, we are going to shout about it! We’ve starting putting our colourful posters up around our campuses to share some of our work from the last couple of months. The plan is to number them so we can see just how many wins we have achieved throughout the year for all of our members! So far we’re up to six and they're as follows: 1) Secured a BME student representative place on Education Committee Congratulations to Tracy Derby who has been elected as BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) Executive Officer 2018/19 and will sit on the University’s Education Committee. Tracy has already attended one and I’m looking forward to working closely with her this year! 2) Campaigned to the University for more microwaves on campus Last year we ran a representation campaign called It Starts With You to try and encourage more people to offer feedback about their experience. The feedback showed that students REALLY wanted more microwaves and after speaking to the University we returned after Christmas to find fancy new microwaves on campus! 3) Financially supported Irish students travelling home to vote in the referendum With support from NUS we were able to help pay towards travel costs for 10 Irish students travelling home to vote in the 8th amendment (abortion law) referendum. 4) Students successfully elected a diverse Trustee Board Our successful student trustees are made up of students who define as women, mature, international and LGBTQ+, all of which can be seen as under-represented areas so we’re thrilled to have such a diverse group! 5) Urged the University to compensate Erasmus students for a communication error Unfortunately Erasmus students (studying here for a term from overseas) paid hundreds to travel back to complete an assessment, which it turns out they didn’t need to do. The University compensated these students and the misunderstanding was dealt with! 6) Set up a trial for free evening and weekend parking permits for all students It took the best part of nine months but finally; students are able to park at the High Wycombe campus in the evenings and weekends for free! This trial is running until December and will be reviewed then. If you can think of a win that we, or students themselves have achieved recently that has benefitted you or your peers, and we may forgotten to shout about, please let us know and we can add it to our Bucks Student Wins!
November Issue
By Lauren O'Shea
13
Student wins.
14 November Issue
Advice centre.
By Julia Crooks
REGISTERING WITH A LOCAL
DOCTOR OR DENTIST Have you registered with a local doctor? Do
All you need to do then is to drop in to
you know how to find a local NHS dentist?
the one you chose and register. Different
If not just read on and all will be explained
doctors’ surgeries will request various sorts
– it’s actually quite easy to do.
of ID for registration so it is best to ring the
Doctors
will need.
It is essential that you are registered with a local doctor. Should you fall ill, which could happen at any time, you will need to have a local GP, as it is very difficult for anyone to get a doctor to call out and see
Keep a note of the name of your GP, as well as the practice name and phone number in case you or a friend needs to call out a doctor for you.
you otherwise.
Dentists
If you do fall ill and need a letter from a
If you have an existing dentist that you
doctor for mitigating circumstances you cannot get one unless you are registered!
are happy with and you can get there relatively easily, if you need emergency
You can still use your 'home' GP during
dental work, then stick with that one.
holidays; they will probably ask you to fill
You may need to find a local one if you
in a temporary resident form if you need
need ongoing treatment though if it is too
to see them. However, as you are officially
far to travel.
living in this area for the majority of the year, it is important that you are fully registered and that your records are held here. It is entirely up to you which doctor you choose; one near to your term-time accommodation would be the most convenient. To find one near to you go to
MONEY
surgery you chose first to see what they
If you need to find an NHS dentist you use the same method as finding a doctor. Go to www.nhs.uk. Select dentist and put in your postcode, you’ll then get a list of NHS dentists. It’s best to phone and check that they are accepting new NHS patients.
www.nhs.uk. Select GP and put in your
If you would like help with any of the
postcode and you will get a list of the
above or talk confidentially about any
doctors’ surgeries nearest to you with all
difficulty you may be experiencing then
their details and where to find them.
come and see us in the Advice Centre.
ADVICE CENTRE
YOUR PERSONAL LIFE
Please call to make an appointment at either campus for a face-to-face, telephone or Skype appointment.
High Wycombe Campus:
LEGAL ISSUES
Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Located: Room N0.03, ground floor, North Block Phone: 01494 603 016
Uxbridge Campus:
Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Located: Room 1.03, first floor Phone: 01494 605 180
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ISSUES
Evening appointments are available outside of standard opening hours at High Wycombe Mon-Thurs: 5pm to 7pm. Please contact us to arrange an appointment at a time to suit you. ACCOMMODATION
COURSE ISSUES
suadvice@bucks.ac.uk
bucksstudentsunion.org/advice
15
Film Review.
November Issue
16 November Issue
12 Nov - 18 Nov
BUCKS STUDENTS' UNION IS OPEN SEVEN NIGHTS A WEEK. IF YOU DO NOT SEE AN EVENT LISTED BELOW, CHECK ONLINE NEARER THE TIME!
19 Nov - 25 Nov
Wednesday 14
Monday 12
Wednesday 14
10pm 'til late Friday 23 Friday 16
GHT FRIDAY NI DINNER
Traffic Light
PARTY
HT G I N Y A D I FR DINNER REE N F KS! I W RIN D
E FRES! N WI RINK D
darts table tennis table football
darts table tennis table football Saturday 17
Saturday 17
BLUE RINSE IS BACK
Sunday 18
Tuesday 27
Wednesday 28
10pm 'til late
Saturday 1
Thursday 29
THE ZOO PROJECT Come dressed as an animal!
Saturday 24
Sunday 2
Sunday 25 Sunday 2
Wednesday 28
November Issue
Wednesday 21
17
26 Nov - 2 Dec
VISIT BUCKSSTUDENTSUNION.ORG/WHATSON OR SEARCH: BUCKS STUDENTS' UNION ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION.
November Issue
18
19
Rusty recommends.
November 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!
Photography by Sean Wright
Rusty Reviews:
Rusty Recommends:
Another year, another Halloween. This year saw the return of Bloodshed, but with a twist! The car park was transformed into the biggest scare maze that Bucks has seen, filled with scare actors, CO2 cannons, blood, skeletons and cobwebs. Adding to the creepy sound effects and thick fog, were multiple dead ends, causing you to spend longer in the maze so the scare actors could get closer. With twists and turns in every direction, it was unknown to where your path would take you, with the ultimate thrill at the end of the maze. This was of course the huge inflatable silent disco dome, which proved to be a graveyard smash once again, for those who survived the maze.
For those who have never been before, Crash is a monthly club night with a loyal following, which plays alternative/rock/indie/metal music. This is usually paired with special guest DJs or performances from tribute bands. So far this year we’ve had a guest DJ set from Rob and Si of Don Broco in September, as well as a Guns ‘N’ Roses tribute band in October.
DJ OneF was back in the Main Room, supplying everyone’s favourite commercial tunes with some Halloween mixes thrown in, and DJ Hotshot was in the Lounge serving up hip hop, trap, dancehall and afrobeats. We also had three sets from fire performers down the queue and on the stage, adding to the spooky atmosphere. Over 1,000 of you came to this Halloween themed Frat House, and we hope it was your best one yet!
On Sat 1 Dec, we’re doing something different and moving our silent disco to the Main Room with guest DJ sets, as alternative rock bands Deaf Havana and Mallory Knox battle it out for your attention. Get some headphones as you enter, switch channels to see what each band is playing, and sing along! It’s up to you to decide which band you like the best! In the foyer we will have Guitar Hero, for when you want a break from the music and fancy a challenge. Doors open at 9pm, last entry is 1am. This event is completely open to non-students, at only £5 on the door, or £1 if you write your name on the Facebook event before midday on the day of the event! Bucks students and alumni will get in for free with their student ID card.
January’s Crash will feature Steel Panther tribute band, Surreal Panther, and at February’s Crash, The Black Charade (My Chemical Romance tribute band) will be performing. Follow Crash on social media - @crashrockclub.
20 November Issue
International volunteering.
INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERING By Alana Mercer
Before going into detail about my experiences with East African Playgrounds, I’d like to briefly tell you a little about myself and why I decided this was something I wanted to take part in.
I am a mature student with two young children. The opportunity was spoken about by fellow students and it piqued my interest. I always wanted to do some sort of volunteering in another country but ‘the time was never right’ or ‘it could wait 'til next year’, something I had always regretted. Why should I put off such a fantastic experience? Even though I have two children, I didn’t want it to stop me and wanted to be able to show my children there is always a way and if you work you can achieve anything you want. As well as this, the opportunity to be able to do something fantastic for other children was just too tempting. There was a lot of organising and work to raise funds, but it was also a lot of fun. Working alongside other fundraisers and meeting new people along the way was amazing. The time to leave came around quicker than expected and I felt utterly disorganised. However, once out in Africa I was a little too organised it seemed. The flights and bus journey to Jinja were long and tiring, but once we arrived we pretty much hit the ground running. At first the job we were faced with seemed daunting, but with the friendly builders guiding us and their understanding of our lack of experience, we were encouraged to keep going. Before we knew it, we had dug all the holes needed to start constructing and painting the equipment for the playground. Working with like-minded people, having a laugh and supporting each other we have made some lifelong friends. The weekend activities were a great way to bond and to see the beautiful country we were visiting. I am so glad I had the chance to do things like white-water rafting and go on safari which I wouldn’t have either chosen or had the chance to do if I had not taken the jump to join this fantastic opportunity. Having the time to reflect and rejuvenate over the weekend gave me a boost, ready for the following week's work, although I was starting to miss the school, our amazing chef and the builders, this meant there was always a warm welcome back. Leaving at the end of the project did become very emotional. Having to say goodbye to the children and community we had become a part of, the other volunteers we had been living with along with the builders and chef who had made our stay so comfortable and enjoyable. If you are ever given a chance to take part in such an excellent opportunity take it. Don’t hesitate, don’t over-think it, you will be supported, you will have fun, you will make new friends, you will possibly find you can do more than you thought. Take the chance, join the fun. East African Playgrounds is a UK registered charity and international NGO, focused on East Africa, primarily Uganda. Children need to play to access their childhood, allowing them to gain all the developmental benefits that play has to offer, giving them the tools for future success. To sign up or find out more, please email volunteering@bucks.ac.uk!
WHAT THE REC? We are now half way through Term 1 and what a successful term it has been so far! Throughout October Bucks students took part in some amazing activities including; paintballing, cooking classes and trips to; London Dungeons, MCM Comic Con and the theatre to see Swan Lake and The Woman in Black – to name just a few!
a 30 minute one on one session every Monday with a professional vocal coach.
Following an acclaimed sold out run at the Bush Theatre, we have worked with the Performing Arts team to take a large group of students to see the fantastic The beginning of November has also seen theatre production that is Misty! some Fantastic trips to: This November we have also collaborated Bust Out 360 Escape Rooms - this is with the Textiles and Surface design team an immersive and interactive group to provide a trip open for all to the beautiful experience where students were given botanical gardens at Kew Gardens. clues and 60 minutes to escape! Looking for something to do on a Legally Blonde Theatre Trip - we took Saturday? We’ve got you covered! This a group of students to the amateur November we are providing you with production of Legally Blonde in free entry into London Zoo and the Sea Maidenhead (that one of our very own Life Aquarium! students was involved in creating!) This is just a snippet of the developmental Rush Trampoline Park - this adrenalineand recreational activities we are running fuelled indoor trampoline park for this November. For the full list and bouncers is a very popular activity that more information, be sure to keep an allows students to let off some steam eye out on the Students' Union website: after all of your hard work in an extremely bucksstudentsunion.org/whatson. fun environment! Is there something you want to take part in It may still be too early to start talking that's fully booked or not on offer? Email about Christmas but this is the perfect surecactivities@bucks.ac.uk and let us time to look at all of the activities you can know what you have in mind – we will be take part in for the rest of November! happy to help wherever possible! Why not get involved in our second block of singing lessons? This five week course enables you to train those vocal cords in
We look forward to another fantastic month of activities with you all. It’s never too late to get involved!
ESCAPE ROOM
SINGING LESSONS
Have you tried our new gin menu? Choose from nine unique gins, each paired with the perfect tonic.
Available all day and night in the Lounge.
Ginspecto 1
4
7
2
r Card
5 8
3
6
9
TRY EACH OF GET YOUR OUR NINE GINS AN TENTH ON D *Terms, con E FREE! ditions and exclus ions apply.
Not for res
ale.
November Issue
By Rhona Noel, Sarah Jackson & Charlie Cotton
21
Recreational and Training Activities.
22 November Issue
Being a Freshers' Helper.
By Beth Jefferys & Emily Dixie
FRESHERS' HELPERS:
HELPING FRESHERS
What does being a Freshers' Helper mean to me? It means having a smiley face. It means being a friendly person to talk to, and lastly it means wearing that garish orange top with pride! When I first started uni I found it tough – very tough. The fear of starting out somewhere new and having to make new friends really freaked me out. However, it was the fear of getting lost that terrified me the most. I’m not the best with directions so having to find my way around on my first day proved rather difficult (especially as I’m a Red Shed dweller and am stuck all the way at the end of the Uni), but that fear dwindled when I came face to face with an orange clad student who asked where I needed to get too. The relief of having a personal tour guide calmed my fist day nerves and It was towards the end of Freshers' Fortnight that I decided I wanted to become a Freshers' Helper myself. Fast-forward two years and I’ve just completed my second year as a Freshers' Helper (though this year I upgraded to Head Helper – lucky me)! I love the idea of helping out the newbies and seeing their relief when you offer to walk
them to the room they’re meant to be in. However, it isn’t just the newbies that make this job special. Some of my bestest friends I have met through being a Freshers' Helper – and as a commuter I very rarely meet people outside of the people I have class with. The camaraderie of being part of the group is great and I love every single one of you lovely lot who I worked with this year. I know I’m not the only one who has loved being a Freshers' Helper. My friend Emily has also been a one for the last two years: “I chose to become a Freshers Helper because when I first joined they really helped me. It was nice to meet the new faces and help them. I also still see some of them around and talk to them. It is also a great way to interact with different students, especially the people that you work with.” I’m going to miss being a Helper next year but me leaving means there’s one more space for one of you lot to take – so make sure you wear those orange tops with pride.
Top Tips: - If you see a Fresher looking a map, they’re lost; approach them, as sometimes they’re too nervous to ask for help. - Try and have a chat with as many people as possible; you never know, you could be chatting to a future friend. - Let them know about the big deal and all the societies; having that constant nudge encourages people to get involved. - Take as many shifts as possible; the pay is amazing and it doesn’t feel like work. - Always remember your timesheet; you’ll understand when you become a Freshers' Helper next year! - Wear your Fitbit; with the number of journeys you’ll make over to Owen Harris it’s worth the step count.
Help Bucks New University climb in the WhatUni Student Rankings, and be in with a chance of winning a £200 food shop by completing a WhatUni review. Submit a review for Bucks online at whatuni.com/review. The categories cover every aspect of student life, from accommodation, facilities and your course, to lecturers, student support and your Students’ Union.
November Issue
Want to help future students make a choice about which university to attend?
23
What type of article is it?
24 November Issue
Game review.
By Lewis Boyling
When we think of big PlayStation games, we tend to think of the giants of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX, Silent Hill and Resident Evil amongst many others. In my mind, Koudelka is a mix of those games on the same console. It boasts all the glory of a horror Resident Evil style horror game with all the fun of a Final Fantasy-esque JRPG (Japanese role-playing game).
There are tons of character moments which is ultimately what the game revolves around. It wants to deal with a nitty gritty ghost story, with deep conversations about poetry, the afterlife and how the world works. It is a PEGI 15 after all.
The major downside to this is not in how the game plays, but is instead how the game presents itself. To give a brief overview, the game plays like a survival horror point and click. You travel the Monastery and collect items that you see lying Take control of Koudelka Issant as she travels around, going into rooms to advance the plot and with Edward J. Plunkett and James O' Flaherty clicking on things to solve small and easy puzzles. as they explore the Nemeton Monastery in wales. However, occasionally you will be interrupted by Let's start with one of the games most defining a foe. Once this happens you will be whisked away features. The story. to a separate battle screen where you will fight the foe in good old JRPG style. It starts with Koudelka hearing a voice of a spirit calling for help at the Monastery and off Here you will wait for your turn, based on she quickly travels by horseback to find out the your stats and then pick from a menu of cause. Once there, she is introduced to Edward actions, with a surprisingly good move option. and James - two people there for very different Characters move around and fight using reasons. From there the game deals with harsh weapons that they find. These can break or run out of ammo (in the case of guns) so it's always ghosts and lingering spirits as well as dealing advisable to have a backup. with a perfectly balanced dark story.
Whilst I love this style, it's the enemies and the opposing characters I have a problem with. Nothing screams horror more than running into a floating table, a pair of floating chairs and a cockroach as a foe. That coupled with the hardware limitations make the game almost humorous in contrast to the gripping story. At least the pre-rendered cutscenes look good... Lastly, the music plays a big part in how the game feels. With the the twinkling of drums to give it a ghostly vibe. There is a whole bunch of chanting as well which helps to build up the atmosphere of the game. All in all, Koudelka is a cheap £20 game on Amazon for PS1 that takes you through a decent story and gameplay as you fumble around the Monastery trying to solve its mysteries. It tries to be a serious game, but due to the aging of it all, is definitely more of a funny game. Definitely a game, I’d recommend however if just for the experience alone.
Want a film that's explosive and thrilling? Venom is the film for you! Marvel is back with another blockbuster that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Eddie Brock - played by Tom Hardy - is a reporter who loses everything including his job, his fiancĂŠ and his apartment and gets infected by an alien symbiote parasite; known as Venom. Venom is a very odd-looking thing, a glossy black liquid, until he bonds with a human to survive. Venom has the ability to heal and protect its host, whilst making his host much stronger and able to shapeshift. (Even making his arm into a sword at points.) Before Brock, Venom was bonded with Spiderman and throughout the film, you can see Venom making webs which he got from his ex-host; Spiderman. It's not until almost half way through the film we finally get to see the real form of Venom with a face we can recognise, boasting a scary grin and long tongue that might be shocking for some viewers, as Venom is different from any hero we have seen before. Along with Venom, we meet Riot - a stronger and eviller version of Venom. Riot latches onto Carlton Drake - a rich man who wants to save the future of humanity yet goes very much the wrong way about it. There is a long build up to the final showdown but it's worth the wait; the final showdown between Brock/Venom and Drake/Riot is intense as you are never sure what is going to happen next or which symbiote is going to come out on top. Venom began like the rest of his species, wanting to invade and take over Earth at first, it but as time goes on and as he becomes closer to Brock - Venom changes his mind. Brock is seen as a loser in the film and Venom believes on his home world he was seen as a loser, yet the losers work together to be the good guys and (at least try to) save the day! This film has you guessing right up until the end of the credits roll, full of action with moments of comedic relief. Not one moment of this film is dull, and is definitely worth a watch whether you're a Marvel fan or not. Parts of this film can be gruesome or shocking for some audiences, however it proves anyone can change and become a hero.
November Issue
By Athena Pickering
25
Film review.
26 November Issue
Dating with dyspraxia.
By Eliza Gent
DATING WITH DYSPRAXIA In the last edition I wrote about what it was like to be diagnosed with Dyspraxia. I found it quite tricky to write something so personal as I am not the most open of people, but I received such positive feedback from it which meant a lot to me. This got me thinking that maybe I could help others who are going through something similar or if I could at least help one person then I would really like to try! When I was first diagnosed I did what everyone does when they don’t understand something, I Googled it. I read loads of articles about what dyspraxia meant, which famous people have it because apparently that’s meant to make you feel better, hand ways you can get help for it. Now this was all really interesting and educated me on the matter, but no one seemed to be talking about how it might affect a twenty-year-old woman who just wants to seem a little less lame. I realised that one of the most annoying things that Dyspraxia seemed to get in the way of was dating. I know this isn’t the most important thing in the world but when you are socially awkward already and just want to impress a guy then this stuff matters! Here are a few things I have learnt from dating with Dyspraxia; When getting ready to go out on your date you are
naturally going to try and look your best. I am five foot and two inches of awkwardness which means heels are a life saver but unfortunately my personal dyspraxia means that I am usually way too clumsy to wear them. If this is the same for you then I recommend buying a cracking pair of Converse that you feel comfortable in which you know are going to keep you grounded for the majority of the date. Plus, your feet aren’t going to hurt by the end of the night which means more time for dancing. Don’t get me started on dancing with Dyspraxia.
that’s the easiest way for me to eat. For some reason I really struggle using a fork but apparently that’s quite common. When I am nervous my Dyspraxia seems to get ten times worse which is never fun when you want to impress someone. If anything, dating with Dyspraxia has taught me to take my time when eating, drinking and generally moving so that I can avoid as many accidents as possible.
Dating with Dyspraxia isn’t as bad as it seems. You will have moments where you feel slightly embarrassed and will want the ground to swallow you up (I have this on I have a huge problem with spilling my drink down me the daily) but you will also have an incredible time as and when you are in an expensive bar on a date the last long as you remember to embrace your diagnosis and thing you want to do is waste that overpriced double make it your own. I now have many pairs of Converse vodka lemonade and look all silly. If this does happen which I love dearly and a handful of funny date stories and you feel comfortable with the person you are with which my friends love hearing about. Like I said, it isn’t then you have every right to play the Dyspraxic card but as bad as it all seems because I now have the most I know how hard it can be to open up about it so if in wonderful, understanding and caring boyfriend who doubt, grab a paper straw, laugh it off and pretend you when he found out that I had Dyspraxia was keen to are a bit tipsy and I can guarantee you should have a lot understand what it was all about. He promised me that less issues. he would never let me look silly by myself which I think I always found that eating on a date was the worst thing must be the greatest thing anyone has ever said to me. So here is a shout out to the guy who made dating with for me. I knock things over, I drop my food and worst of all I panic when I can’t see a spoon because I know Dyspraxia worth it, thank you C.
Use your hands and feet to win this Gaelic game. The Students set off early to make their way to Greenford from High Wycombe. Arriving at the tournament we were already a few players down, but with the mixture of both bucks and UCFB, we managed to make the numbers required for the tournament. Their first match was against St Mary’s firsts which unfortunately led to a close defeat. Not disheartened by this small knock, the lads pushed on and beat their next two opponent’s to land themselves a place in the final.
Gaelic Football is the most popular of the Gaelic sports in Ireland and is played by teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch with H-shaped goals at each end. It is played with a round ball and both hands and feet are used to control and pass the ball.
With victory in sight the team battled on and fought for a hard won victory against St. Marys the second time around. Evan O’Riordan described it as “a true underdog story with an ending that nobody predicted and I enjoyed the victory as it was hard fought for.” Conor Martin, one of the UCFB Students, described it as a “great day for the parish” With a hard won victory and a fantastic day of sport, it looks there are great things to come from the joint Bucks and UCFB Gaelic football team!
The primary objective is to score by driving the ball through or over the goals. If the ball is sent over the bar Go n-éirí leat! (Good luck!) of the goals, this equates to One Point, if it goes under bar - into the goalmouth - this equates to Three Points. If you are Interested in Gaelic Football we are always looking for Players, and are open to The team with the highest score at the end of the match male and female players, no experience is is crowned the winner. needed, just the want to learn how to play Last month we sent two of our students to meet up with a new sport and have fun. students from one of Bucks partner colleges, UCFB Wembley, to play Gaelic Football in a small tournament Contact Conor Wysner for more info on at Tir Chonaill Gael’s in Greenford. conor.wysner@bucks.ac.uk
The team with the highest score at the end of the match wins.
November Issue
By Conor Wysner
27
Gaelic Football.
28
NEY O M R U O MAKE Y
November Issue
R E H T R U F O G @wearetotum
.com m u t o t o t Go rd now a c r u o y t to ge
Hailey .M Tshuma National Union of Students exp: 09/09/19
10% OFF
Ts & Cs apply
thing y r e v e n o nts Big discou azon to Zavvi from Am IS NOW TOTUM
BUCKS WARDROBE
AVAILABLE NOW! Baseball tees, t-shirts, chunky zipped hoodies, fleeced sweatshirts, core and zipped hoodies.
Available online or by calling into the Students’ Union offices. bucksstudentsunion.org/shop
Out of the studio, and into the fundraisers! We’re so happy with how the new academic year has begun, as we racked up an amazing 128 sign-ups at Freshers' Fair! Our Freshers are already getting so involved with the club, and we look forward to seeing their involvement and interest in the club grow throughout the year. Competition training has begun and all eight of our teams are in full swing and are looking better and stronger each week. We can’t wait for competition season to begin in February, where we will show everything that we have been working on!
for all our members to learn from those working in the industry and we are very lucky to have them join us and we look forward too many more! Our Fitness girls have been getting our teams prepped for comp season already with our Monday sessions becoming more and more popular. This year, we have second year Dance and Fitness student Millie Richmond joining the team, along with current teachers, Jasmine Bailey and Chloe Corkett to help deliver those results! These classes have been a hit since we introduced them last year and we have spaces filling up fast each week, so make sure to sign up via our Facebook page if you’re interested, as they’re open to ALL students!
As a club, we try our best to provide opportunities for all members, competitive and non-competitive, to be involved with and this begun at the very start of the year with our two Freshers Fair performances. Combining BNU Dance prides itself on being as involved and Latin, Street and Jazz, our performance was a great dedicated as possible when it comes to supporting chance for potential sign ups to look at what we get up to. and working with the Students' Union (SU). This year so far, we have had Club and Committee members Our style specific masterclasses have kicked off the take turns on exercise bikes (in aid of Breast Cancer year with a bang, with Bucks Alumni - Georgia Globe, Now) in the foyer of the SU helping to hit the target Denise Sumbler and Charlotte Crackett returning to the SU set. As a club, we managed to cycle 75km+, teach Street, Commercial and Contemporary classes and industry professional Dee Keaveney treated us to with our Captain Emily Harris and one of our Novice a fabulous Jazz class. These classes are a perfect way Tap choreographers Jess Smith cycling 30km each,
so a MASSIVE well done to everyone who took part to support such a great cause. We will also be supporting the Movember campaign which will be running throughout November, to raise awareness on topics such as prostate and testicular cancer and men's mental health. Not only will we be advertising our Fitness classes as Movember Mondays, but we will be putting on a Flashmob to kick off the Tight and Bright themed Movember fun run! Last but not least, we are so proud to announce that we were the Students' Union's Club of the Month for the month of October. This is down to the hard-work and dedication of all our beautiful BNU Dancers, and we’re sure they will help us achieve bigger and better things. Don’t forget to follow us on social media: Facebook: /BNU Dance Club Instagram: @bnudanceclub Snapchat: BucksDance Twitter: @BNUDanceClub_ YouTube: BNU Dance Club
November Issue
BNUDANCE
By Claire Barrett and Liv Vroone
29
Dance Society.
30 November Issue
Men's Hockey.
By Callum Skinner
MEN'S HOCKEY Are you good with a stick? Bucks has so many opportunities to get involved
we will be able to teach you new skills. For those who
Don’t feel like you would be the only one either - there
with and Men’s Hockey is definitely one you should
have experience, we can help improve and stretch your
are currently four other social members who just enjoy
consider. Whether you have played before or never
skills and improve your game. Joining hockey, you will
Wednesday nights with hockey so if you have any
even seen a hockey game, Men’s Hockey can help you
become part of a team that will help guide you through
questions don’t hesitate to get in touch.
achieve more or help get you involved with something
the game but also support you in any other needs - in
There are many events planned over the year for you
new. Even if you want to join as one of our social
and out of hockey. You will also be in with a chance to
to get involved with, whether you enjoy fundraising and
members and join in the fun on Wednesday nights as
represent the University at Varsity which is the biggest
volunteering or just being part of an event with the team.
well as events we will be running over the coming year.
sporting event of the year against the University rivals,
You’ll also be able to attend AU dinner which is one of
Roehampton.
the largest events this year with the Students' Union. It’s a
over Imperial College London and we are looking
Even if playing week in, week out isn’t your thing, its
chance to see all the Students Union has achieved over
forward to what the season brings. However, the team
very hard to turn down social nights with Hockey.
the year with various awards, a guest speaker and one of
still needs new individuals to get involved and join the
Hockey Socials are hosted on Wednesday nights with
the most important things; fantastic food.
club and help us grow from success to success. We
various themes, events and joint socials with other
For any more information or you fancy a chance to do
have a fantastic new coach who is excellent at coaching
societies. Everyone is welcome even if there is no
something new, contact our Chair Callum Skinner via
all abilities so even if you have never played before
interest in hockey, but you just want a good night out.
21425064@bucks.ac.uk or speak to the Students' Union.
The team has started this year strong with a 3-0 win
NETBALL ARE HAVING A BALL
Wow, what a start to the year!
Bucks Netball has revamped so much this year already,
week. The first team is made up of five new players,
over the summer the committee have worked extremely so they were keen to kick start their first home game hard to make improvements to the club prepping for
against Portsmouth's 4th team, however although it was
the year ahead. At the High Wycombe and Uxbridge
an unfortunate loss the girls are ready to work hard
Freshers Fair’s we had 52 sign ups which was amazing.
and fight back this season. The second team started the
We had our first taster session on the 2nd October, which saw over 30 players attend. This was a positive start to our season, especially as we have a new coach. Lola is a recent graduate from Cardiff Met University and a Level 2 Netball Coach, we’ve seen
season with a loss also – but after finding the right team they’re now on track after winning their first game in the BUCS Cup, receiving Team of the Week in the process. This is a great confidence boost for the second team and now they’re ready to keep on winning!
great results from training so far with Lola so as a club
Both teams have Varsity rivals Roehampton University in
we are excited to see where she can take us with our
their leagues this year, which will be great preparation
performance this year. We’ve already started getting
for the big day on the Wednesday 27 March 2019 – the
involved with University campaigns such as ‘Wear it
girls are already thinking about how to beat Roehampton
Pink for Breast Cancer’ and managed to raise £32 from
so watch this space come the big event!
donations at one of our trainings which was a positive thing for the girls to get involved in!
Following on from gameday we had our first white t-shirt social, this is always a favourite with Netball as it
As always, Wednesday is game day. We couldn’t wait
gives a chance for old members and new members to
to share with the freshers what we love to do every
get to know each other. We had a great turn out to this
social and can’t wait to see what our social secretary Jade Mathers - has planned this year. We really want to thank the freshers so far for showing hard work and dedication so early on in the season, we’ve already had our Tour presentation with many sign ups – something EVERYONE in the team is looking forward too next year. If you’re interested in playing Netball competitively, fancy some fitness on a Tuesday, or just want to be a social member? Get in touch through our Facebook page; BNU Netball 2018-19 - we’re loving our growing family and can't wait to see where we go next.
November Issue
By Seana O’Reilly
31
Netball.
WHAT’S YOUR PASSION? The Bucks Student newspaper is looking for current students to write articles - if you’re passionate about a subject, we’d love to hear from you. Can’t think of what to write? No problem! Join us at a Newsgroup meeting and we’ll give you a topic to write about. Our meetings are in the Study Lounge (at the back of Beats), email editor@thebucksstudent.com to find out when the next one is! Not only will you get your views and opinions out there, but being able to say your work has been published will look fantastic on your CV. For more information email the student editor, Eliza, on editor@thebucksstudent.com.