bucks student edition 15
January 2010 www.bucksstudent.com
NEWS Furniture Magpies secure commission with Selfridges
Furniture Magpies has received its first major commission for bespoke items of furniture for Selfridges.
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LIFESTYLES Scientists claim having a beard can make you more ‘awesome’ Find out if having facial hair can make you more awesome.
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Election time at Bucks By Sarah O’Brien
Deputy Student Editor
TRAVEL Washington D.C.
Boston to Los Angeles in one month. This edition we visit Washington D.C.
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MOVIES Black Swan We review the recently released Black Swan.
NE W
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VOUCHER SECTION Check out our new discount voucher section giving you the chance to get great student offer and deals.
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If you haven’t seen the red and white flyers that cover our university’s walls, it’s officially election time at Bucks New Uni. This is one of the most important times for students and universities in modern history and the upcoming student elections is your chance to make a difference. Forms have been available since 17th of January and already nominations are flooding in for the three full-time officer positions on the Executive Committee. The three prestigious jobs available are the Students’ Union President, Vice President Education and the Vice President Student Involvement. This is a great opportunity for students to help their university improve and strive in the future; especially in such trying times that we are facing with today. The three positions available are a part of the Students’ Union Leadership and will become trustees of the university’s charitable organisation. The President will become a member of the governing body in the university and will have responsibility for the SU’s finance, staffing and strategic leadership. They will also take up the task of being the union’s spokesperson. The Vice President Education is a position that is looks after the academic issues and policies at BNU, and will attend the senior university meetings. The Vice President Student Involvement deals with any sport, society, RAG and volunteering problems or queries students may have. These three positions are paid, full-time jobs and the elected candidates will be around the university the majority of the time speaking to students about what they want and will try to make it happen. There are also two jobs available as National Conference Delegates, which will entail attending the NUS National Conference to represent the Bucks Students’ Union and to voice their opinions on how students are portrayed and represented in Britain. The term length of each of these positions is one year, although they can be re-elected for a second year. This is the maximum anyone can hold in the position. Continued PG 3
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2 Bucks Student
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News P3 ELECTIONS P7 Lifestyles P10 Travel P12 Entertainments Pull Out P13 Music Reviews P14 Wallplanner P16 Movie Reviews P22 Soaps & TV P25 Book Reviews P25 Food & Drink P26 Vouchers P27
Articles in this newspaper do not necessarily represent the views of Bucks Students’ Union but are that of the specific author. If required, this document can be made available in different formats. Please contact the Students Union for more information.
Puzzles P29 Sports P30
1. Download a QR reader to your phone. There are loads of free ones available 2. Open the QR reader on your phone and scan any barcodes where you see them. 3. Each individual code will take you to a website for further information. 4. No more typing web addresses. Simply scan the code, go to the site and find out more information. Internet usage will be charged at your providers standard rate
Recycle your copy of the Bucks Student once you have finished.
Letter from the EDITORS e: student.editor@thebucksstudent.com Hello and welcome back to another term here at Bucks. Bucks Student Newsgroup and this newspaper have undergone several changes over the Christmas holidays and as part of that I am very pleased to announce that we have a new Deputy Student Editor, Sarah O’Brien. Over the next few weeks she will be getting heavily involved in editing this newspaper so you can expect to hear a lot more from her. A lot has happened since the last edition. Dozens of films have come (and gone) and we have several great reviews. We have a new food section which we are going to be expanding on in the next edition, and there’s loads
coming up in the next couple weeks at the SU, so don’t forget to get that events calendar up on your wall. Bucks Student Newsgroup has slimmed down but we are always looking for more writers and news leads so if you have a story, or you think you’ve got what it takes to be a journalist, email me or Sarah at student.editor@ thebucksstudent.com. Have a great couple of weeks!
Hello everyone, I’m Sarah and I will be taking on the role as deputy student editor this year. This is the first ever edition of a paper I’ve sub-edited, and although it’s hard work I’ve loved it so far. I hope you enjoy The Bucks Student this week, and hopefully there won’t be too many typos. One of the main reasons I’ll be here is because our student editor is running in the Students’ Union elections. We want to ensure that The BS will be providing all students at Bucks impartial and unbiased coverage of the elections. So I will be covering the elections this year, which I’m very excited about as it should be a very interesting and exciting few months. Until the next edition, Sarah
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Anybody can nominate themselves for any of the three positions as long as they are a registered student at Bucks and have two Bucks students to ‘second’ them. After filling out the nomination form on www. bucksstudent.com/elections, they will automatically become a candidate. The nomination form will request you to provide your name, student ID number, email and mobile number. You do not have to use your first name for the ballot papers, nicknames are welcome. Simply tick the box by the position you want to run for, complete a proposal of maximum 300 words, or just a sentence to keep it short and sweet. You will be asked to supply the name and student ID number of the two people who will second your nomination. At the end of the form, there is a Declaration of eligibility for Trusteeship which is an important read. Do not avoid the serious stuff. The deadline for nominations is at midday on February 18 and the candidates for each position will be announced shortly after the closing date. Anyone who is enrolled in a course at the time of the election is eligible to vote for
the candidate of their choice. Unfortunately people who are associate members, past students of the university or a member of staff are unable to vote. For the first time ever students are able to vote online simultaneously with the manual ballot boxes. So, from March 7 to 11 you will be able to either go to the student union website to cast your vote or just pop along to a ballot box, which will be set up by campaigners, providing you bring your student ID card with you. Each student has one vote only, so chose your candidate wisely. If the circumstance arises that there is only one person applying for a position, or you cannot find a candidate you agree with, don’t fret. On the ballot papers, there is a RON, which gives you the opportunity to Re-Open Nominations in order to get more candidates involved. This is a separate campaign which may or may not be run, but the option is there. Hustings will be taking place on March 1 and 3 at both Wycombe and Uxbridge campuses. Each candidate will be asked the same questions in the same time limit in order to provide a fair and unbiased event. Anyone can attend as each candidate attempts to tell
the voters what they represent and what they think they can bring to the job. The Hustings will allow students to directly compare each person to ensure they can choose the candidate which they believe will represent them best. Notices will be posted around the university so keep an eye out when the Hustings will be taking place at your campus. The results of the elections will be announced on March 11 in the SU bar and will be available online. As a Bucks student, this is your opportunity to help shape the future of the university. It gives you a chance to better the student experience at Bucks New University for the present and the future, so if you have any ideas, don’t be shy and get yourself nominated. These elections are providing you with a great opportunity and the once-in-a-lifetime chance to gain experiences which will benefit you in any walk of life. For up-to-date news and views on the elections, check out the Facebook page (seach for Bucks Students’ Union Elections Newsfeed), which will provide information on everything you need to know, and you can also visit www. bucksstudent.com.
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‘never mind what we promised folks, that was all just a lie so we could get into power’
Phoney Promises and Political Power By Gary Anderson
Tuesday 7th December 2010, the day that Parliament voted for the recommendations of the Browne Report, thus condemning current and future students to the prospect of leaving university with debts of up £40,000 in some cases. Direct funding from the government to universities has also been drastically cut and in some cases wiped out totally.
I am in my 2nd year studying Journalism here at Bucks and I am one of the lucky ones as I will not be directly affected by the hike in tuition fees that are scheduled to be introduced from September 2012 (assuming that I graduate that is!). What’s more, at least my fellow class mates and I are getting the opportunity to study here at the university because journalism has become one of the casualties of the slashing of the education budget at Bucks. The university has decided rightly or wrongly, that this year’s first years will be the last students to study journalism here. Other courses are in line to be scrapped too as the reality of the attack on the right to free or at least affordable education starts to hit home. Tuesday 7th December 2010, was also the day that democratically elected public representatives effectively said to those who voted for them, ‘never mind what we promised folks, that was all just a lie so we could get into power’. The Liberal Democrats pledge to oppose any rise in tuition fees has now turned out to be not worth the poster-board it was written on. Nick Clegg, Vince Cable, Simon Hughes, Danny Alexander and co. posed for photographs and pontificated from their soapboxes, ‘’Vote for us and we will fight tuition fees’’. Presumably, they decided that this policy sounded good as an election battle cry and would gain a few extra votes from the student population, all the while thinking, ‘we’re not going to get into power anyway guys so we’ll never have to carry it through’. It’s a bit like the guy who thinks he’s a hard nut, always mouthing off when he’s out with his mates saying what he’s going to do to you. Then, when you have finally had enough of the p***k annoying you, you put down your drink and ask him outside but he panics and realises he should have kept his mouth shut;…..’’ alright mate, I was only mucking about, I want no trouble…’’ The coalition government says that the current economic climate has left them with no alternative but to bring in these drastic measures. Predictably, they are blaming the previous government for leaving the country in a financial state the equivalent of the front of John Prescott’s shirt after an all-you-can-eat buffet. While there can be no doubt that the Labour Party has overseen the biggest financial crisis since the 1930’s, and that it is going to be an extremely difficult task for any government to stabilise the economy, that still does not compensate for promising voters to do one thing and then do the complete opposite once in power. Relationships are all about give and take, apparently. But it seems to me that the relationship between the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister works well, precisely because of this; Clegg gives and Cameron takes. The only thing that Cameron has given to Clegg is the role of Deputy Prime Minister, which sounds important but in reality is about as influential on policy making as a disgruntled passenger’s letter of complaint is to Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary. The Tories occupy the most important positions in any government; Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Office, Home Office, Health, Education and Justice. It’s said that power corrupts. Well, so does the allusion of power, because that is the point here; the Liberal Democrats have no power. They are a minority partner in a government that was formed off the back of five days of clandestine meetings, frantic phone calls and wheeler-dealer politics. ‘’You scratch my back Nick and I’ll……well, I shall be ever so grateful old chap’’. Clegg and his liberal chums have done to their principles what they have to students….sold them down the river.
Top: Bucks Students at the National Demo in London; Above: David Cameron with Nick Clegg - ‘Clegg gives and Cameron takes’; Right: Bucks Students just before the start of the National Demo.
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A BUCKS New University graduate from Bangladesh has Bangladesh on the subject, as well as enrolling on a PhD presented an award-winning article about relationships in International Business with Bucks New University. in the banking sector in his native country to the Eventually, he said his ambition was to be a university International Trade & Academic Research Conference at lecturer in the subject in Bangladesh. Wembley Plaza Hotel. He said he also hoped to present further research on Kazi Omar Siddiqi, 26, from Comilla, Barura, the subject at the Corporate Governance and Business Bangladesh, said it was ‘an extremely proud moment’ Conference due to be held in Boston, Massachusetts in to stand in front of significant industry figures and July 2011. leading international academics at the annual conference Lucia Ingham, Course Leader on the MSc in event organised by the Academy of Business and Retail International Business at Bucks New University, said Management www.abrmr.com and held at the Plaza Kazi’s achievements were ‘fantastic’. She said: “Kazi has Hotel, Wembley. applied himself well, worked hard and achieved excellent He presented his article, called ‘Interrelationships results. He is a role model for other students in the way he between service quality attributes, customer satisfaction has dedicated himself to his studies. He has also mastered and customer loyalty in the retail banking sector English as part of the course, which will stand him in in Bangladesh’, completed as part of his MSc in great stead throughout his career.” International Business at Bucks, and it was awarded best paper at the conference. Kazi’s work looked at what best attracted customer loyalty for banks in Bangladesh and how this related to service quality attributes and customer satisfaction. He said: “Gaining a sense of empathy and trust between the bank and the customer was the most important element in developing loyalty. “In Bangladesh, no study had yet investigated this relationship and my study, carried out in Bangladesh over a number of months, was designed to fill this gap. I am very pleased it has been recognised at the conference and that my findings are considered important.” Kazi, who lives in Uxbridge, Middlesex, said he hoped to carry out further research in Above: Kazi Omar Siddiqi
Rele as canc e a ballo er Da on o n y mem ory o with a w World peop r r le af tribute t itten fecte o the d by canc er.
Friday 4th February, 12:30pm £2 per balloon with a tag included Release outside the Gateway at 1:30pm
Furniture Magpies secure commission with Selfridges
Inset: Furniture Magpies workshop FLEDGLING company, Furniture Magpies, has received its first major commission for bespoke items of furniture, from renowned department store, Selfridges. The custom-made pieces, which include items from the ‘Lovely Legs’ collection such as small and large lamps and wall hooks, and pieces from the upholstered dressing and bedside table collection known as ‘Hang onto your Drawers’, will be on sale from February in Selfridges’ flagship store in London’s Oxford Street. The distinctive use of contemporary colours in the upholstery is striking and is a key element of the design. Established by three enterprising Bucks New University graduates, Sivan Metzer, Nessa Doran O’Reilly and Sua Lee, the Furniture Magpies is a unique concept which sees the ladies collect original items of furniture, and re-design them with a contemporary feel whilst retaining the tone and history of the individual pieces. Creating one-off and limited edition pieces, breathing new life into otherwise discarded items, the work of the Furniture Magpies strives to retain the character and story of the furniture used, allowing the user an insight into their items’ original identity. Essentially, Furniture Magpies aims to offer an alternative to mass-produced furniture, specialising in regenerating old furniture to meet the desires of modern consumers. Sivan, Nessa, and Sua graduated from Bucks
National Union of Students NEWS
Bangladeshi student wins best paper at international conference
Tell us about campaigns and win £250 Take part in our confidential online survey to find our more about your opinions on one of NUS’ campaigns to be in with a chance of winning a much needed £250 or one of five £50 second prizes. Visit nus.org.uk for more information.
NUS and Credit Action launch Credit Crunching- a student guide to credit Credit Crunching – a student guide to credit has been created by NUS and the national money education charity Credit Action. As the amount of debt that students owe on graduation increases - research shows that the average student now finishes university with debts in excess of £23,000, a figure that is set to rise substantially in the next few years – both NUS and Credit Crunching – a student guide to credit explains the different types of credit available, the pros and cons of each and provides signposts for further information. It also contains a glossary
New University last September with master’s degrees in Furniture Design & Technology. They are also involved in the University’s Enterprise Fellowship programme, which helps students who have recently graduated with an MA degree to develop a great business idea. The Enterprise Fellowship allows them to produce their business ideas and products with the assistance of the University’s expertise and resources. The Furniture Magpies’ products were unveiled and exhibited at Tent London, part of the London Design Festival, last September. Featuring over 200 designers and companies from over ten countries, Tent is regarded as the most diverse, must-see event of the festival, and it was here that the Furniture Magpies’ special items were first spotted by Selfridges. According to Sivan: “This is a hugely exciting opportunity for us! Securing commissions from high profile stores such as Selfridges is where we want to be, and given that we only launched the business in September, it has come a lot sooner than we were expecting so it’s great news! “Having this commission will be fantastic for us going forward, and we hope it will be a real stepping stone to making our mark within the furniture industry.” Visit www.furnituremagpies.com for further information about their bespoke furniture items, email info@furnituremagpies.com.
to explain commonly used terms that often go without explanation. Joanna Parsley, Associate Director of Credit Action says, “With the future of student finance in the spotlight it is essential for students and graduates to both understand credit and use it wisely. Credit can be enabling, but can also be an easy entry into debt difficulties, so it is vital students and graduates are clued up on what different products mean for them. “Credit Crunching – the student guide to credit combines the knowledge and expertise of two organisations that are committed to student welfare and represents a fantastic debut joint publication.” Ben Whittaker, Vice President Welfare of NUS says, “Loans and other credit are increasingly a fact of life for students, and it’s critical that students can navigate the different options. Last year, we saw students being targeted by short-term lenders when student loan payments were delayed. Some took on more debt than they intended, and got into trouble – we want to help avoid that happening. “We’re really proud to work with Credit Action on this important new publication.” Credit Crunching – the student guide to credit combines the knowledge and expertise of two organisations that are committed to student welfare and represents a fantastic debut joint publication.”
5 Bucks Student
Creative treasures revealed at Bucks’ end of year MA show AN ARRAY of creative talent and craftsmanship was on show at Buckinghamshire New University's end of year MA Furniture: Design & Technology show. Postgraduate students exhibited the best items of their work created during the last calendar year at the show between 9-16 December. The show celebrated the talent, creativity and success of the students, who have been studying at Bucks New University for either one year full-time or two years parttime. The students who displayed work were Jim Stewart, Shyama Maheshwari, Adelaide Coombes and Joseph Bray. Dr Lynn Jones, Course Leader, MA Furniture: Design & Technology, and Head of the National School of Furniture at Bucks New University, said: "This exhibition has celebrated the talent, creativity and success of four postgraduate students who have been studying with us for either one year full-time or two years part-time. "This year's graduate cohort have demonstrated huge amounts of design skill, creativity and unerring tenacity. These four enthusiastic people have shown great affinity with each other and given us a very optimistic, creatively diverse and challenging end-of-year exhibition." Shyama has worked as an interior designer running her own design firm in India for seven years before taking her Graduate Diploma in Interior Design from The University of The Arts London in 2009. For her MA in Furniture Design Shyama chose to establish 'A Relationship Between Our Everyday Activities and the Postures of Yoga'. Using the props of yoga and the colours of Chakras
(the seven energy points in our body) she has developed furniture to encourage postures that people are not accustomed to but are good for their wellbeing. She plans to introduce a model that could help designers to create furniture and environments to encourage people to adopt varied postures and restorative movements to aid eating, working and relaxing. Fellow student Adelaide Coombes's Personal Research Project explored 'The Potential of Using Sheepskin and Wool in Furniture'. Her designs exhibit the versatile nature of sheepskin as a material which can be easily adapted through the simple process of shearing, one that can be perforated to diffuse light and perhaps most interestingly realising it as a structural material for innovative products. Adelaide also won an award for excellence from The Real Sheepskin Association. She said: "I hope I have achieved my aim and discovered new ways of using sheepskin in an innovative way. I would love to develop these products further because I see a place in the market for them as they are unusual and creative." Over the past 12 years Joseph Bray has completed a Furniture Design and Craftsmanship degree at Bucks New University, worked as a bespoke furniture maker and currently leads the Foundation Degree: Furniture Design and Make at Rycotewood Furniture Centre in Oxford. For two years he has balanced part-time study with his full-time lecturing role. His research has taken him on a journey from investigating a local approach to furniture production to his final brief of 'Exploring the Co-Design of Furniture in Partnership with the End User'. His
final exhibition illustrates this journey, culminating in prototypes for school seating. 'Stools for schools' was designed with 30 primary school children at Broughton Junior School, in Aylesbury, Bucks. Their 'teacher's chair' pays homage to their love for their teacher and the role they play in their lives, and was also co-designed with the children. Joseph said: "I am very keen at looking to take the work further and look at getting the work manufactured. The schoolchildren helped me through part of the process and I am going to give them the teacher's chair as a thank you for all their hard work." Jim Stewart has studied the MA Furniture: Design part-time over two years. His background is in designing and making bespoke one-off pieces of furniture. He graduated from Bucks New University in 1993 and ran his own business, JFS Design, for six years. Since 1999 Jim has devoted his time to a teaching career and is a year tutor on the BA (Hons) Furniture: Design & Craft degree at Bucks New University. His personal research project began with a critique of the interior design of a campervan and progressed into a project called 'Looking at the Experience Using a Campervan Brings'. His final work, entitled 'Loop' responds to research that identified how people valued the simpler experiences of life - freedom and mobility, ability to see the countryside, a sense of community and social interaction and the ability to pack up and go, quickly. Jim's work is a range of lightweight collapsible camping and outdoor furniture designed to be a premium range offering an alternative to traditional budget-priced offerings to campers.
Inset: Jim Stewart
Proactive professional selfregulation and the future of the Nursing and Midwifery Council Speaker: Chair:
Professor Dickon Weir-Hughes, Chief Executive and Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), and a visiting professor at Bucks New University Professor David Sines CBE, Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean: Society & Health, at Bucks New University
Bucks New University is hosting the sixth in a series of free community lectures featuring high profile guest speakers. Wednesday 23 February 2011 Owen Harris Lecture Theatre 1, High Wycombe Campus, HP11 2JZ 5.30pm light refreshments 6-7pm lecture 7pm light refreshments Professor Dickon Weir-Hughes is the Chief Executive and Registrar of the NMC, the regulatory body which exists to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public. During his lecture, Dickon will look back over his first year in the role and will talk about the challenges of running the world's largest professional regulatory body; the NMCÕs statutory responsibilities; and the impact of changing professional and patient expectations on the NMC's activities. He will also highlight how greater proactivity will inform the future development of the NMCÕs work.
Public Lecture Series 2011
Left: Adelaide Coombes Top: Shyama Maheshwari Above: Joseph Bray
Places need to be reserved. To book a place please contact: Lorna West (Vice Chancellor’s Office) Bucks New University, Queen Alexandra Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 2JZ Tel: 01494 603 002 Fax: 01494 438 123 Email: lorna.west@bucks.ac.uk or book online at bucks.ac.uk/public_lectures
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Big Deal book tokens Around 700 students studying subjects in the Faculty of Design, Media & Management (DMM) have yet to collect book tokens they are entitled to through the Big Deal from Blackwell book shop at the bottom of the spiral staircase at High Wycombe Campus. The vouchers can be used to pay for course related books stocked at the request of tutors, as well as to buy external drives or other items. Professor John Boylan, Academic Dean of DMM, said: “Blackwell will be remaining on campus next term and we would not want anyone to miss out so if you have not yet picked up your tokens then we would encourage you to do so at the earliest opportunity.” For any further details pop into Blackwell and speak to a member of staff.
The ITU Crowd
Students: Don’t Make sure you’re one step pay too much tax ahead in the jobs market Calling all students: have you got a Christmas holiday job? If so, make sure you hang on to your hard-earned cash and don’t pay too much tax this holiday season.
Holiday jobs
If you have a holiday job, you won’t have to pay tax if your total earnings for the tax year are less than £6,475. This figure is known as the “personal allowance” and everybody’s allowed to earn this much before they start paying tax. To make sure you don’t pay tax, however, you need to fill in a form P38(S). This confirms to your employer – and the tax authorities – that you are a student and only working during the holidays. You can download the form from the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/p38s. pdf. If you have a holiday job and you don’t fill in a form P38(S) to confirm you’re a student, you may have to pay tax, but if you do, you’ll be able to claim it back later.
Bucks has been invited to become a member of the Academia Sector of the influential International Telecommunications Union (ITU), joining a worldwide membership of organisations. Prof Ruth Farwell will receive the membership certificate from Dr Hamadoun Toure, the ITU’s Secretary-General, at Missenden Abbey Conference Centre on Saturday. The occasion also marks the launch of Term-time jobs master’s courses in Communication If you work during term time, Management (the MCM) and Law your wages will be taxed in the (LLM), for people working in the same way as everybody else in telecommunications and IT industries. the UK. But if your weekly wages Bucks is delivering the courses with the less than £1251 a week and you United Kingdom Telecommunications edition11 Advert (135mmby170mm)are 3-10-10.pdf 03/10/2010 Association (UKTA).
don’t earn more than £6,475 in the current tax year (from 6 April 2010 to 5 April 2011), you are not liable to tax as everyone can earn up to the personal allowance before they start paying tax. If you work during term time and earn more than £125 a week, you have to pay tax and National Insurance Contributions, which everybody in the UK has to pay. But if you stop working and you earn less than the £6,475 personal allowance for the tax year, you can claim a tax refund.
Claiming tax back
To claim a tax refund, you’ll need to fill in a form P50, which you can download at www.hmrc. gov.uk/pdfs/p50.pdf. Send your completed form to HMRC, Government Buildings, Ty-glas, Llanishen, Cardiff, CF14 5YA. If you need help filling in the form, contact your local tax office, which you can find at www. hmrc.gov.uk/index.htm – select “Contact us” at the top, then “Find your Tax Office” on the bottom left.
Not sure if you’ve paid too much tax?
If you want to check whether you’ve paid too much tax and are due a refund, you can use the student tax checker at www.hmrc. 21:50 gov.uk/calcs/stc.htm.
DonÕt bessed embarrahair by your
Everybody knows that this is just about the toughest jobs market in a generation and that getting a graduate job is no certainty. As a result every student should be asking themselves ‘what am I doing to get ahead of the rest?’. If a sizeable list doesn’t just roll off your tongue then chances are you’re not doing enough. You can start to change that right now though! Why not arrange an appointment with one of the University’s Careers Advisors. Amongst other things they can help you with the following: • how to write a CV and covering letter applying for a job • mock interviews • psychometric testing • work experience support • career options with your subject • alternative career ideas • advice on changing course/ module postgraduate or professional studies. They also have an extensive careers library housed in The Gateway Building. It doesn’t stop there though; why not get involved with the Employability Enhancement Programme? Employability Enhancement Programme This year the University is running a career management programme
to support students as they look to move into the world of work. The programme is open to all students and there is no need to book, just turn up to the sessions that you like the look of. Here are details of the upcoming sessions: Improve your awareness of diversity and cultural awareness in the workplace Practical session to explore the role of diversity and cultural awareness in the professional work environment. 2 February 1.30pm to 3pm, Owen Harris 1 Self employment Introduction to the considerations and further sources of information on self employment. 9 February 1.30pm to 3pm, Owen Harris 1
Employability skills Develop your awareness to what employability skills are, the reasons why you need to develop them, and how to identify them through your work experience and academic study. 16 February 1.30 to 3pm, Owen Harris 1 CV and covering letter writing Tips and advice on writing effective and targeted CV’s and covering letters. 2 March 1.30 to 3pm, Owen Harris 1 If you would like more information email: careers@bucks.ac.uk or telephone 01494 605 185. Don’t leave it to chance, start making yourself more attractive to employers today!
universitynews Smash that cash A badminton event is taking place in the Gateway events hall at Bucks on Saturday 29 January between 2-5pm. It’s £4 to play and all money donated goes to Help for Heroes. The event is open to all, whether you are a player or not, so please bring family, friends and colleagues along too. Back 2 Badminton, a 10-week programme of coaching for adults who are new to the game or have not played for years, starts in February here at the University. For more details go to http:// bucks.ac.uk/digestfiles/SmashForCashAndB2BFlyer. pdf.
In the news
Prof David Brodie, former Head of Research at Bucks, was featured in last week’s Buckinghamshire Advertiser newspaper after receiving a Doctor of Science Award from Coventry University in recognition of more than 20 years work in body composition and cardiovascular research. Here is a link to the story: Prof David Brodie.
The Child’s Voice first visit r u o y n o ff o Get 25% ubsequent visits* and 15% off s *valid student ID required in conjuction not to be usedany other offer with
Lord Laming, who received an honorary degree this year from Bucks, is one of two keynote speakers at the second annual Safeguarding Children Conference at High Wycombe Campus on Wednesday 13 April. The conference theme is The Child’s Voice – Improving Communication, about how professionals listen to and hear children and young people’s voices in practice relating to child protection. The second keynote speaker is District Judge Patrick Perusko. The conference takes place between 9.30am and 4.30pm.To book a place go to www.bucks.ac.uk/safeguarding or for details contact Justine.curtis@bucks.ac.uk.
Off to Auntie’s Appointments: 01494 523158 / 526648 Roccola Hair, 18 Crendon Street, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP13 6LS
Prof Chris Kemp will be speaking on the subject of crowd control at a Safety and Events conference being filmed at BBC Television Centre in White City on Wednesday for broadcast on the BBC Safety Internal website.
7 Bucks Student
What makes a proper job? There is nothing quite like working for a Students Union and there is no job quite like being a student officer, a fact highlighted by the article ‘The life and benefits of a student officer’. Sadly due to the unique nature of Student Unions and sabbatical positions and thanks to negative stereotyping students constantly dismiss, or fail to understand, the potential benefits, to them personally, of getting involved. It is little wonder that students question the purpose, role and benefit of becoming a student officer. I have lost count of the number of times that my friends and family have mocked me for not having a ‘proper job’, for prolonging my ‘student days’ and for failing to live in the ‘real world’. Shamefully these jibes are also fired at Union staff and officers by University employees. The aim of this article is to put to bed these damaging misnomers and shed light on the truth. Who decides what constitutes a ‘proper job’? Is it one where you wear a suit? What happens if you wear a suit but not
By Matthew Kitching
Representation & Development Manager
a tie? Do you have to manage staff or is it about how much money you earn? It seems to me that we are instilling in far too many young people the notion that a ‘proper job’ is constituted by finding something that you don’t enjoy doing, often away from your friends and family and that doesn’t involve serving people. Yet perhaps there is another way of determining whether a job is proper or not. The British journalist Katherine Whitehorn once said: “The best career advice to give to the young is, ‘Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it.’” My contention is that for most people their student days are the best of their life, full of the happiest memories and that they pine to return to University. So if you have found it fun why not do as Katherine Whitehorn advises and make it
a career. The danger of not doing this is that you might actually get that ‘proper job’, described by American comic writer Scott Adams, quite simply, as: ‘a little box that becomes your home for sixty hours a week. It comes with an obsolete computer and a binder about safety hazards. Your challenge is to look busy until someone gives you a meaningful assignment’ That issue of waiting to be given a meaningful assignment brings us to the notion that being an officer is somehow not living in the ‘real world’ and that the job itself is not meaningful. Tuition fees of up to £9000, huge funding cuts to education and the growing burden of debt on our generation certainly feel like real world issues to me! You don’t have to wait for a meaningful assignment when you are an elected officer, your entire term office is a meaningful assignment, and it arguably goes further, becoming a vocation. The responsibility of representing 9000 students, of improving their education, their living standards and their well being
Bucks Question Time
is not a task that ever ends or that should be treated as not befitting of the real world. You are supporting students through a seminal time in their lives. Tom Brokaw the US television anchor once said of University students and soon to be graduates: ‘You are educated. Your certification is your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world’. If you see work simply as an opportunity to acquire wealth then this is probably not the job for you (though having said that the CEO of the SU at University College London earns in excess of £100,000). If however you are committed to civic duty and to the advancement of education, if you have a desire to help those around you and to changing the world and if, most importantly, you want to have a proper job becoming an officer should be seen, not just as a credible option but, as the essential first step.
The life and benefits of a student officer By Amy McLaughlan - Student Engagement Coordinator So you’ve put your heart and soul into running an election campaign, fought off the opposition, and you’ve grasped that iconic position on the Executive Committee! So now what? On the other side of your term of office, what have you really gained? Kudos? A decent wage? Another year to live the student dream? Or could it be that this work really is great work experience that will help you go places in the future?!? I was one such student officer during my time at University and I simply cannot recommend it highly enough. Most people who nominate themselves in Student Union elections are already well aware
of the atmosphere to be found in Student Union offices. One of the joys of the not-for-profit sector has to be the enthusiasm of the staff you will come into contact with: I’m yet to meet a member of Students’ Union staff who did not enjoy their job, no matter how stressful, dull, or frustrating their day-to-day work may be. Being thrown into the deep end of what can be a very complex organisation these are the people - qualified professionals - who will bend over backwards to support you every step of the way, in all manner of projects. In how many workplaces can you go from redrafting legal documents such as the Constitution one day, to painting placards and
banners and dressing up the Union mascot the next day? Or speaking to the Vice-Chancellor of the University and greeting dignitaries in the morning, and then organising grass roots campaigns with your peers in the afternoon? As an officer I was able to take an active role in steering this complex organisation, creating policy, working at a strategic level, and planning for the future of the Union at a senior management level. By my third year of University I was involved in business planning, performance evaluation, managing budgets, recruiting and coordinating staff. In fact as a Sabbatical Officer you become a Trustee
Do you want to be part of the Students’ Union Leadership Team? If so, we are holding elections for the full-time officer positions on our Executive Committee The positions available are: President The President is the chief Union spokesperson, member of the University’s governing body and has responsibility for staffing, finance and the strategic leadership of the SU.
of a charitable organisation, a legal responsibility for the sound financial management of the Union for its members. How many people can put that on their C.V. before they’ve even graduated? I also had the opportunity to attend external training through affiliated organisations such as the National Union of Students. Representing my Union at nationwide events and conferences I learned to network with students in similar positions from across the country, making friends and contacts from all sorts of institutions along the way. I for one can safely say that without the experience I gained
Nominations open: Nominations close: Voting opens: Voting closes:
as a student officer in my time at University I would not have had the confidence, let alone the skills to enter my first graduate job. I can think of very few jobs that would give you this broad range of experience before you have even completed a degree! Simply put this is a once in a lifetime opportunity you cannot afford to miss out on.
10am 17th January noon 18th February 10am 7th March noon 11th March
Vice President Education The VP Education is responsible for campaigning on academic issues and leading on academic policy. If elected you attend the University’s most senior academic committees.
Vice President Student Involvement The VP Student Involvement looks after sports, recreational activities, societies, volunteering and RAG at the Students’ Union.
National Conference Delegates There are 2 positions available to attend the NUS National Conference and have your say on how students are represented across the country.
Download a nomination form from www.bucksstudent.com information or to talk about the roles email matthew.kitching@bucks.ac.uk
Hustings are taking place on the 1st March peeled for more information.
On the eve of the 20 January saw the very first Question Time style debate being held at our university. Three local
Wycombe District Council members came to BNU to answer student-based questions and gave their own views on the issues. Unfortunately, no students turned up for the debate. But for the few of us from The Bucks Student, along with members of the Students’ Union, it was an enlightening and interesting night. The three politicians answered and, in some cases, dodged questions that are on every student’s lips. Student fees being the main topic of course, but student car parking facilities and public transport were also discussed. Representing the Liberal Democrats throughout the debate was anti-nuclear protester Julia Wassell, who gave an excellent performance throughout the evening. Despite her erratic shoe taste (trainers with a suit), Julia made valid points and stood her ground against the Conservative member; a trait Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg could learn from. Tony Greene was the Conservative party leader attending the debate, who is also the deputy leader at the Wycombe District Council. Although it was unclear if he had mistaken the debate for dodgeball and thought the questions were there to be avoided, he provided interesting and rather controversial answers. Peter Morris, a member of the Labour party and a candidate of WDC elections in May, was the ultimate gentleman. He kept his mouth shut and only spoke when spoken to. However, Morris came across disinterested in the goings on if not a little bored. Along with these three Wycombe District Councillors, Ashley May, who studies performing arts here at BNU and who also co-organised the event sat between Julia and Tony; no wonder he didn’t have much to say. Christopher Clark, Vice President Education here at Bucks, also attended. It has to be said that Clark was an excellent and educated student representative, challenging the party leaders on a few contradictory terms. Although, if you’re trying to get the message across that we students cannot afford the tuition fees, it might be best to leave the flashy Ipad at home. Performing arts lecturer Pedro also sat in for the event; he was a great comic-relief and tension breaker throughout, adding a much needed laugh after a few awkward moments. Laurence Wood, who chaired the event, kept the members and questions on track and again represented our university remarkably well. The debate took off rather slowly, without any clashes or speaking out of turn, rather uncharacteristically of politicians and students. The rise of student fees was obviously first on the agenda. Lib Dem and Conservatives almost ganged up on the Labour leader, both blaming his party for the introduction of tuition fees. Julia began the debate by initially stating that the original idea to begin tuition fees by the Labour party was “a disaster” to the country. Tony Greene was also quick to scrutinise the opposing Labour party, stating he was “horrified when well-educated Labour ministers who had the benefit of a free education” started the fees. But when Chris Clark wittedly pointed out that “you can’t criticise something and then treble it”, he soon quietened down. Labour representative Morris was not about to let the blame fall on him, reminding his opposition that the fees weren’t expected to pay for the whole education system. He made a sly comeback to the coalition government, asking what the starting position was if the compromise landed at £9000. on student feesyour carriedeyes on, and after and The 3rddebate March - keep a couple of clashes and moments of tension you could cut with a knife, we came to the last topic. This one related to student parking around Wycombe; as all of you how commute to uni know, it an expensive habit. This issue has been discussed, and although the answers received did not provide a solution there may be more talks in the future. It is safe to say that despite the less-than poor student turnout, the debate was an interesting and enlightening event that will hopefully be taking place here again soon. This will be the perfect opportunity to prove that we do care about our future and that of our university. A more mature way of demonstrating our beliefs than chucking fire extinguishers off roofs.
8 Bucks Student
What Your Sabbatical Officers Have been up to... President:
1. Developed an Accomodation Survey which will be rolled out shortly 2. Writing an open letter to the Vice Chancellor asking for information about how the University are planning to meet the needs of the increased numbers of international students they are recruiting. 3. Putting together a response to oppose the University’s proposal that student attendance should be monitored. 4. Attended the National Demo against tuition fee rises in London 5. Joined student volunteers at a clean up project in Hughenden Alley 6. Attended a national conference about creating improvements in the effectiveness of Student Unions. 7. Delivered a presentation about the positive work of the Students’ Union to officials from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. 8. Developed a proposal for a new governance structure that will enable more student participation in decisions made by the Union (we will be holding a referendum to vote on the proposal) 9. Developed the Bucks Accreditation Scheme for our clubs and societies which has taken off well!
VP Education:
1. Attended the National Demo against tuition fee rises in London 2. Took part in a panel debate with local politicians arguing against cuts to Higher Education 3. Member of the Quality Assurance Agency Sounding Boards which considered what information prospective students want from Universities. 4. Part of the NUS group which developed the training programme for Students Union officers 5. Developed a proposal for a new governance structure that will enable more student participation in decisions made by the Union (we will be holding a referendum to vote on the proposal) 6. Delivered a paper to the Student Experience Committee about the progress of the Student Experience Action Plan and how we can become more effective in achieving our objectives. 7. Led a workshop at the Student Engagement Conference about how to best utilise feedback from students. 8. Analysing the results of the National Student Survey for use at a course level to improve the academic student experience. 9. Took part in a national focus group about the creation of Student Charters 10. Working with NUS to develop a new resource to support academic campaign work
VP Student Involvement:
1. Led a campaign to encourage students to back the proposed Sports Village by Wycombe Wanderers and Wasps as would mean a home for our sports teams 2. The planning & finalising of Varsity 2011 3. Resolved parking disputes between University and students on Wednesdays 4. Joined student volunteers at a clean up project in Hughenden Alley 5. In the process of setting up a Bucks Freecycle scheme 6. Conversations with Sabbs at other Uni’s to find out student involvement numbers to justify the future funding of The Big Deal in light of H.E funding cuts. 7. Q&A session at Uxbridge Campus 8. Chaired a Sports Forum with Ruth Farwell & Chris Kemp 9. Attended the National Demo against tuition fee rises in London 10. Finding local businesses that offer discounts to students and getting them to advertise their discounts in our paper to raise awareness.
Open letter to Ruth Farwell Dear Prof. Farwell,
onal the support provided to internati ut abo e tim e som for d ne er cer cov con The Union has been rsity. The range of concerns onal ive Un w Ne e hir ms ha ing ck Bu l of internati students studying at er in which we support the arriva nn ma the m fro ng thi ry d English eve an n ut just abo for allocating accommodatio se students integrate s ces pro the y, ntr cou the o int g the students a systematic process for helpin language support to the lack of a which socially. the University, that this is anrtare h wit s on ssi cu dis our h our for oug thr We are aware, ght provide improved suppo on tuition mi we how see to n tio na mi exa e mentary vot is currently under owne Report and the recent par,lia Br e Th ts. den stu al on ati international fee as ern int agenda the up t ha ew som ue iss s thi d of UK fees have, however, pushe sure up the financial viability p hel to tor sec the oss acr t gh income is now being sou teful if the Higher Education Institutions. this open letter and would be gra sh bli pu to d ide dec ve ha we d To that en following questions: University could respond to the ctions s, orientation and joining instru ces pro l iva arr the ve pro im to 1) How are we going for new international students?ition to effectively cope with helping International and 2) Is our careers service in a posUK and able to help students with careers advice as they EU students find work in the unities for move home? e sufficient networking opportke vid pro we e iev bel on uti re the same tit ins 3) Does the and are we working to ma su? UK the in are y the ile wh ts ing abroad overseas studen students while they are studyon al students? ati opportunities are afforded to our ern e of int ak int w ne the se hou to ts ing nn 4) Where are we pla ing needs of international studen rn lea the for ed apt ad be lum cu 5) How will the curri h the English education system? oug thr that ht ug bro n bee t no ve ha o wh cultural differences traditions te ica del the in ff sta rt ppo su ts? 6) How are we training rking with international studen students at Bucks and al we need to be aware of when woris on ati ern int ongst am e rat m gia pla nt rre ernational cu the 7) What is support increased numbers of int to a are s thi in ty aci cap nt cie is there suffi s or students? to directly subsidise other course ing go ts den stu as rse ove of t en 8) Is the recruitm t it is sustainable? services? If so do you believe tha deliver for home efits that studying abroad can ben the of ous sci con o like to put the als are We questions posed above we would the to ion dit ad in e for ere Th students. following to the institution: p our ts in to the university but to helbusinesses we den stu ng bri ly on t no to ns ts with the 9)Do we have pla ? Will be looking to place studen domicile students study abroadbe introducing language classes as an enabler for home work with overseas and will we students? ng overseas and asking themedhow rki wo are i mn alu our if ck tra it has chang 10) Do we have plans to ts of working overseas and how efi ben the g nin lai exp in p hel they can them as people? ality experience commitment to providing a qufor this group s on uti tit ins the es dg wle no concerns The Union ack the University understands our improvement in which for all students and hope thatt tim ued e and the spirit of contin of our members at the presen k forward to your response, the discussion that follows and this letter is intended. We loo erience of our current and future international students. ultimately improving the exp Your faithfully Tom Foy SU President
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10 Bucks Student
Bucks
Student Survival Beat the Post Guide: Christmas Bloat Self improvement, good intentions and New Years Resolutions. BEAUTY TIPS FOR LAZY GIRLS
By Joss Hill-Finegan You can always tell if someone’s had a good Christmas by the size of their belly; bloated from overeating at Christmas dinner, over-drinking New Years Eve and over-indulging on mum’s mince pies. Well, we’ve had our fun, now it’s time to get rid. Fear not lazy girls; we’re all in the same slowly-sinking boat. Here are a few ways to deflate that tummy and go back to your flat, firm ways. I know it’s not easy (or all that cheap) but try to get as much fruit in your diet as possible (strawberry flavoured sweets do not count) they are great for digestion and tasty too. Drinking things like tea and coffee are often seen as negatives for your health, but in fact they are natural diuretics and can help beat water retention. Not a fan of hot drinks? Garlic, onion and celery also contain this. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day; there are many facilities within the university to provide you with free water so you’ve got no excuse I’m afraid. Get a lot of protein in that diet, fish is a great source of this and can be very versatile to cook. Although, battered with a side of chips is not an option. Now I know this one is going to sting; Cut down on alcohol consumption. (Note did not say cut ‘out’. I may be religious but I’m not expecting any miracles) Beer in particular is full of empty calories that will make that bloated belly a beer belly in no time. So now we all should be back to slimmer wastes, not-so tight skinny jeans and flattering dresses that will actually flatter you. Who knows, you might actually stick with the healthy stuff! Well on second thoughts…
Lifestyles
New years eve; somewhere around the time I finish the last mince pie, stub out a cigarette and down the last dregs of wine, I - like 99% of the rest of the population - decide to embark on a journey of self improvement. Maybe it’s the knowledge that I’ve consumed enough festive cuisine to feed a small Third World country, or perhaps it’s the realisation that I’ve drunk enough wine to start my own vineyard…either way it amounts to the same thing: New Years Resolutions. Misguided? Maybe. Naïve? Probably. Doomed to failure? Definitely. The problem with New Year’s Resolutions is that - most of the time - they’re completely unrealistic. Like a marriage to Katie Price, the chances of long term success are slim. Take alcohol: It’s natural to drink a lot over the festive period. (After all, Christmas is the one time of year when it’s perfectly acceptable to drink before 11am and NOT be considered an alcoholic.)
didn’t already know that they’d said the exact same thing about 2010...2009... So, if you’ve set your resolutions and you’re already struggling, here’s a few tips to help. 1. The ‘I will give up…’ resolution. The most common of all goals and also the most difficult to stick to. Whether it’s smoking, drinking, chocolate or coffee, if you’re a student chances are you’re addicted to at least one of the above. Making a success of this type of resolution often requires a huge amount of willpower. Take nine a.m. lectures for example; students aren’t generally known as ‘morning people.’ Truth be told, students can’t even precisely be classified as ‘mid-morning people’. Late nights, endless deadlines and early mornings….to avoid slipping into a coma during morning lectures many of us rely on caffeine. Unfortunately, university life means most of us can’t help but adopt a host of unsavoury habits. This is not to suggest that the desire for a
and focus all your energy on that. So, if you really do happen to be a chimney smoking, alcohol swilling, caffeine craving, chocoholic you might want to pick one habit and try kicking that. Of course, if you can be described in the above terms you might also want to think about some kind of counselling…just a suggestion. 2. The ‘self improvement’ resolution. If you’ve ever had the misfortune to wander down the self help isle of a book store, you’ll be more than familiar with this resolution. January is the ONLY time of year when it’s possible to truly believe you’ll learn Spanish/hand your essays in ahead of the deadlines/join that club/society, etc. Self improvement goals are easier to stick to than “I will give up…” resolutions; though not necessarily any more successful long term. Take me for example; one January - in a bid to become more self assured - I made the mistake of buying a book entitled, “101 ways to improve your confidence”. I can’t
However, come January 1st we’re all suddenly overcome with the desire to kick bad habits and live a healthier lifestyle. Everyone’s at it. You can barely scroll through facebook without being bombarded by hopeful announcements from friends. Statuses such as, “2011 is gonna b a great year.” All of which might almost be inspiring if you
degree will turn you into a chimney smoking, alcohol swilling, caffeine craving, chocoholic…at least, you‘d hope not. However, the stresses and pressures of studying often mean that the mere mention of the words, “assignment” and “deadline” are likely to leave your willpower crumbling. Solution? Set one specific goal
be 100% sure but I think it was somewhere around page 10 that I lost the will to live. The trick with self improvement resolutions is not to take them so seriously. After all, if 2011 doesn’t see you managing to learn to hang glide, would it really be the end of the world? 3.) The ‘detox/exercise/diet’
By Siobhan Carney resolution. I’ve a confession to make. I deeply envy the people that can summon the willpower to attend the gym on a regular basis. You know, the kind of person who regularly goes to the university gym and “works out”. Not only am I intimidated by all the chrome and shiny machinery, I also have yet to perfect a formula for looking good whilst working out. As any woman will tell you, nothing is as soul destroying as using the running machine next to someone who is barely out of breath and jogging effortlessly. Someone who will no doubt have an annoyingly perfect figure and the legs of a baby gazelle. In fact, the only thing likely to make you feel more depressed is watching an Eastenders omnibus whilst listening to a Keane track… any Keane track. Dieting isn’t any easier. The freezing cold of January doesn’t generally produce a craving for salads.
Scientist claims having a beard can make you more ‘awesome’
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By Joss Hill-Finegan
lthough this isn’t based on actual scientific evidence, the fictional scientist Dr. McBeard claimed earlier today that having a beard can make anyone ‘more awesome’. This furry-faced doctor says he believes that beards, and their owners, are undeniably cool. McBeard of course supports his own Viking-like beard; curly, plaited and bushier than a hippie’s you-know-what. When questioned on his research, McBeard said ‘well, who would you rather be friends with? That smarmy, clean shaven Nick Clegg or the loveable full bearded Santa?’ While it’s true that Santa may be fictional, McBeard argued that so too, was he. As he sat in the imaginary interview with the Bucks Student, he stroked his beard and contemplated, ‘of course it helps you think, it’s well known that stroking your beard brings even better ideas than the average toilet trip,’ he exclaimed. ‘Anyway, who would have listened to the barmy nonsense of Karl Marx if it wasn’t for that mighty animal growing out of his face?’ Dr. McBeard has also made a correlation between moustaches and evil, citing Hitler, Stalin and Ming the Merciless. He observes that the combination of a fuzzy upper lip and the lack of chin hair can cause an imbalance that often results in acts of extreme violence and world domination schemes. ‘I had a moustache once,’ Dr. McBeard sighed. ‘I rode a scooter and watched Countdown into the early hours of the morning, like some drugged up old housewife.’ Luckily, the good doctor discovered ZZ Top and has never looked back since.
Solution? Be clear about what you want to accomplish and then be honest about what is achievable. If you’re previous exercise regime consisted of you walking to McDonalds, it’s unreasonable to expect that a few weeks exercise will see you looking like a Hollyoaks cast member…well, not unless that cast member is Myra McQueen.
New Year, New You and New Found Truths
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year can change everything, or in our case, four months can change everything. We have started University, learned how to cook, clean and basically become ‘adults’. We’ve met new friends and kept old ones, fallen in and out of love countless numbers of times and made old loves even stronger. Now it’s that time again where we look back and think “wow”. This is also the time where we make New Year’s Resolutions, like going to the gym, giving up smoking/drinking, and spending less of the little money we have. But here’s the thing; a resolution is not just about making one for the sake of it. We should make one because maybe the year just passed could’ve been different had we made this resolution then. So how about this, we resolve to make this year even better than the last. Forget all the things we wanted to say but didn’t, all the things we wanted to do but couldn’t and say “hey, the world is round and when that chance comes around again, make the most of it; say everything, do everything”, because we don’t want to look around again next year and think “what if”. This is our time to make mistakes and fix them. Love endlessly, fight passionately, and make absolute fools of ourselves. Whoever said “now is the time for us to make serious decisions” has obviously never made an irrational one. It isn’t about being what people think you should be, nor is it doing what they think you should; it’s about always staying true to you. So make that resolution, keep it or break it, whatever the outcome stay true to you, and your New Year dreams will come true. By Donique Lindsey
Dreams Deciphered Dear Binty, I’ve just had a really vivid dream that my boyfriend has cheated on me. He is on a train carriage with a girl with black hair who I do not recognise. I’m in there but he doesn’t know. Is this a sign that he has been unfaithful or am I just being silly for worrying about it? Dear Dreamer, Don’t worry your pretty little head about this dream. Heck, if every dream I’ve ever had about my partner was true I’d be a very angry Binty indeed! The train carriage means you cannot
get ‘carried’ away about silly rumours or malicious gossip. The fact you mentioned the girl’s hair means you were aware of her sexuality. By the sounds of it, this dream just means that you are very happy and comfortable in your relationship and are afraid of losing the man you are with. It could also be warning you to not to take everything you hear (rumour wise) too seriously. I’m very sure this is not a sign of something that has happened, or else you’d be taking over my job with those excellent psychic powers! Binty
Fight the weather:
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s we know, it’s freezing cold here in High Wycombe! Temperatures seem to be constantly staying in the 3 – 10 degrees bracket. Even though we’re in January, the weather is set to get colder. So here are my top 8 tips for you to help keep yourself warm on a budget. Keep your curtains closed in the evening. You’ll be keeping the heat circulating in the room and the cold draught out. Leave your PJ’s on the radiator whenever you go out. It may sound silly, but upon returning home, you can jump into them and you’ll be instantly warm. Start your day with a hot drink. Whether
11 Bucks Student
Confessions of a Fresher As I stood with an old friend the countdown began. New Year in my nation’s capital; staring up at the wheel on the riverbank surrounded by patrons to the world of time and celebration. Explosions boomed and faces were lit, all thinking how to achieve a better year than the last. 2011 is now in full swing, with its array of aligned ones and resolutions. We all began it with either a shrug or a smile; “Just another year...” or “I’m hoping for good things...”. Mine was no different; I smiled my way into the New Year and felt some real optimism warming my blood the first few days. It’s only now, upon strict reflection I’ve realised something quite scary... I think I’m turning into something I never expected. I’m either turning into my father or my father’s father. This shouldn’t distress me; for years my mothers been sounding like a broken record constantly repeating “You’re just like your father!” I always denied it whilst blatantly carrying out those habits which I always criticised him for. I used to watch my Dad slowly provoke his nostrils until objects plummeted out daily. It would have been alright he didn’t then very articulately roll them between his fingers to catapult in different directions. Only the other day I found myself doing this and even worse, getting caught. There was me admitting to this filthy habit whilst others around the world get away with much fouler acts. They get worse yes. Turns out the
“Avoid getting caught picking your nose.” term “Picking your seat” has nothing to do with the cinema and more to do with scratching your back passage. More often that not you cannot control when changes occur. Being back at home from University over the Christmas break really unnerved me. I was worried on an all too obvious level if my friends had changed while they too were away on their journey of self discovery. It took only a single night out on the lash to see that change wasn’t something that should be plaguing my mind when friends are concerned. I look back on that now and am able to sit rather comfortably in knowing my mates aren’t now scoring heroin and paying for sex. The negative thoughts that come from reflection only really shine through when personal development is involved. Since the New Year has turned over; I catch myself doing all those things my Dad does. Sometimes I lean down to wash my face in my basin and I’m scared to look up in case I see him instead of me in the mirror. It is then I remind myself that some changes are inevitable; they come with seasons and those seasons come with years. I considered making a New Years resolution; to fight all the changes I never saw coming. Turning into my father and slowly adopting his habits isn’t all bad. After New Year I remembered all the changes I’ve been through and was able to see the visible difference in myself whilst being back at home. Turns out all this ‘Uni’ malarkey is killer – I’m riding the wave man. Taking things as they come, allowing the changes to naturally occur and not fight them (the positive ones at least). The fear of change can take over and plunge you into darkness. To retain illumination: embrace and just avoid getting caught picking your nose.
you’re a tea fan or prefer coffee – it’ll keep your insides nice and toasty. If you want to take that a step further, then take a flask with you and keep it filled up. Heck, you can even put soup in there. Wear layers of clothing. I’m stating the obvious here, but you’d be amazed at how
many girls (especially) walk around in flimsy clothing and then moan about the biting cold. Boys, I’m looking at you as well! Layers of clothing help keep the heat trapped between them, thus, keeping you warm. And don’t forget your coat, hats, scarves and gloves. Cuddle up with a hot water bottle, or leave it under your duvet. Physical activity will keep your circulation warming, and you’ll be a lot less cold than if you were just sitting around! Snuggle up under your duvet (even better if there’s someone with you). Whether you’re reading, or watching a movie – there’s really no reason you can avoid it! By MJ
The Best Years of Your Life 1. The Fresher’s Flu
I’ve often heard it said that your years spent at uni are the best years of your life, and I’m hoping that turns out to be true. But, if this morning – my first morning – is any indication, then it probably isn’t. I was woken by the sound of my phone chirping, the annoyingly chipper tune sending sparks of pain through my already throbbing head. How much had I had to drink last night anyway, and why had I gone to that stupid Welcome Party? My tongue had that horrible furry feel to it, and I vowed for the hundredth time never to drink again. I turned on my side, eyes still closed, and my stomach lurched with the movement. Don’t throw up, I thought as I gulped hastily, took deep breaths, and patted around for my phone. When I found it, I flipped it open and brought it to my ear. ‘Mm,’ I murmured. ‘It’s mum,’ I heard on the other end of the line. I gave an internal groan. She was speaking in that tone of voice I knew so well; the one where she’s worried about something that she doesn’t need to worry about. ‘What time is it?’ I croaked, wishing I’d thought to put a glass of water by my bed. ‘Seven.’ ‘Seven o’clock in the morning,’ I clarified, hoping she was joking. She completely ignored my not-so-subtle attempt to get her off the phone. ‘Listen,’ she said, ‘have you got enough Lemsip?’ I sighed, briefly entertaining the thought that I could just hang up now and save myself from a bigger headache than the one I already had. ‘Why would I need Lemsip?’ I asked. My mother was exasperated. ‘Well, Julie’s told me all about it.’ Julie, I thought, racking my brains. Who the hell is Julie? Why does she always do this? She talks about her friends like I’ve known them for years, always referring to them by their first names and never anything more. ‘I don’t know anyone called Julie, mum.’ ‘Yes you do,’ she contradicted me. ‘Julie.’ ‘I’ve never heard of her.’ ‘Julie!’ she shouted, as if saying the name louder would force me to remember who “Julie” was. ‘Horse-face Julie from down the road, the one with the wonky teeth and the dodgy eye, she works in Asda, does the trolleys, that Julie.’ Just give in. ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘What did she tell you?’ ‘Well, her daughter is about the same age as you, and she went off to university last week. Julie had this phone call from her the
By Shane Millar night before last. Her daughter told her about it, and she’s told me.’ It was too early in the morning for this. ‘She told you about what, mum?’ I could almost hear the reverent pause before she whispered, ‘The Fresher’s Flu.’ I sat up and opened my eyes, my stomach lurching uncomfortably again, my head spinning with nausea. ‘Tell me this isn’t the reason you woke me up.’ A hint of surprise coloured my mother’s tone. ‘You shouldn’t take it so lightly. Julie said her daughter’s been really ill with’ – more hushed whispering, even quieter this time if that was at all possible – ‘The Fresher’s Flu.’ I just about managed to stop myself from laughing. Honestly, the way she was acting, you’d think that Fresher’s Flu was some sort of nationwide epidemic. I could just see it now, a Panorama special on the threat of “The Fresher’s Flu”. If it was up to my mother, everyone would be walking round wearing face masks and avoiding eye contact. ‘It’s not called The Fresher’s Flu,’ I said, ‘it’s just Fresher’s Flu. All it means is everyone gets bad coughs and colds when they first come to uni, that’s all. It’s nothing to worry about.’ ‘Well, tell that to Julie’s daughter,’ my mother huffed. ‘Apparently she hasn’t been able to get out of bed all week. She can hardly move the poor thing.’ ‘I’m fine, mum,’ I said tiredly. ‘Are you sure,’ she said, ‘you sound a bit off-colour. Tell you what; I’ll go down to Tesco now and get you some Lemsip, I can post it.’ Oh for goodness sake, she was edging into hysteria now. ‘You don’t need to post me any Lemsip, mum. My halls are practically next door to Sainsbury’s. I’m sure I’ll be able to get some there.’ ‘Well, if you’re sure, maybe I’ll send some down anyway, just in case –’ I cut across her before she announced that she was planning a full scale assault on pharmacies up and down the country in her fight against The Fresher’s Flu. ‘Mum, I’ve got to go,’ I lied. ‘I’ve got my introduction in an hour.’ My introduction wasn’t until eleven, but she didn’t need to know that. ‘Okay, but make sure you don’t get too close to anyone, because they might have The –’ ‘Bye, mum,’ I said, and hung up. I yawned and stretched. I might as well get up now.
Student’s say the Funniest Things The New Year brings new hilarious conversations from BNU. Let’s just hope their New Year resolutions weren’t to stop saying stupid things. If not, maybe it’s time to reconsider... Man 1: “I love that new Barbara Windsor song.” Man 2: “You mean Barbara Streisand” Girl 1: “They’ve called her Joanne” Girl2: “Aw that’s pretty! Is it spelt with an ‘e’?” Girl 1: “No silly, a ‘J’” Man 1: “That girl couldn’t organise her own funeral” Man 2: “That’s not the saying, mate.” Man 1: “I hate that Gene Hackman.” Man 2: “Err... That’s not him” Man 1: “Oh I mean Hugh Jackman. No wait he’s that Robbie Prince Jr.” Man 2: “It’s Robert Downey Jr.!” Man 1: “Oh...no I think he’s alright. I drank far too much last night”
12 Bucks Student
INTERNATIONAL & TRAVEL
We want more students involved in the decisions the Union makes. We are recommending some changes to our structures to help this happen. We want to involve you in this decision so we are asking you to support this change by voting on it in a referendum taking place at the same time as the Union Leadership elections. .
Below are the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ diagrams, we are asking you to vote YES to Better Decisions the New Governance Structure
Our Current Governance Structure - In our existing structure the Union is run by The Board of Trustees and The Executive Committee.
Boston to Los Angeles in one month
WASHINGTON D.C By Harrison Boileau - Features Editor features.editor@thebucksstudent.com
B
est hostel so far, though it was pretty expensive. Everyone seemed welcoming and even had some Korean guy cook for me, although it was basically just a pot noodle; beggars can’t be choosers huh? Visited many museums and monuments, probably should have left the holocaust museum until last, it kind of left an overhanging sense of depression the first day. The White House, air and space museum, war monument and both the Lincoln and Washington monuments are all worth doing …and they’re free! Although I was reminded that ‘freedom’ is apparently not. Security was obviously tight; snipers on rooftops and cops everywhere, there was a ‘nuclear summit meeting’ happening and so all the protestors
decided to show up …sadly my chant of ‘No ifs, No buts …no education cuts’ did not really get me anywhere. I learned that D.C. had a pretty high crime rate and there was a lot of homelessness; probably because there’s a huge White House staring them in the face every day with some guy living there who doesn’t really do much and they’re living on the streets …oh sorry went off on one then. The weather’s beautiful though, (insert smiley face). I recommend D.C. as a place to visit if travelling the U.S. purely because of the people I met, the places to visit and a sandwich store called ‘Potbelly’s’ where you literally never have to eat again …excuse the exaggeration but seriously - www.potbelly.com.
‘Freedom is not free’
Our Proposed Governance Structure - Trustee Board is the highest decision making body and is responsible for the strategic direction and long term health of the Union. - Union Council is the representative body of students and are charged with improving student life at Bucks. . - Executive Committee makes day
UNION COUNCIL The Representative Body - 3 Sabbatical officers - 20 Elected members * Athletic Union & Societies council are Sub Committees and committee may create others
to day operational decisions to enact policy from Council & Board. The Annual General Meetings, General Meetings and Referenda may overrule the Board if turnout is high enough. - General meetings and Referenda may be called by the Board or by student petition. - Trustee Board approves all Union policy and expenditure either directly or through delegated authority.
Above: Lincoln monument Below: War monument
We think the new structure has the following benefits are: - More students will be on our Board of Trustees - Students can get involved in our Union Council without having to accept responsibility for a whole area of work (such as RAG or Clubs & Societies) - Students who want to get involved in something the Union does can do this directly with Union staff and other students and have fun working directly with the practicalities. - Union Council can focus on directing the future of the Union by discussing options and holding the Elected Leaders (Sabbatical Officers) to account - The separate and much smaller Executive Committee can concentrate on the day to day decisions but reports to the Board and the Council - All students can STILL call meetings or referendums on issues they are passionate about.
Please vote YES to Better Decisions at the Referendum during the week of the elections Monday 7th – Friday 11th March.
PULL OUT SECTION 6 DAY RIOT - flirt! SCHOOL DISCO - diva fever
entertainment
at Bucks
edition 15
search: Bucks SU Photos (2010 -2011)
www.buckss
wednesday 26 frat house hockey takeover stag & hen party
SNAKEBITE £1.70 5PM - 12AM spirits & shots £1.50 until 12am
wednesday 02 frat house acs takeover carnival style
SNAKEBITE £1.70 5PM - 12AM spirits & shots £1.50 until 12am
ursday 27 th 8pm - late Aftershow:6 day riot & jake morley
TUBORG CANS £2 STRONGBOW £2 A PINT ERISTOFF VODKA & RELENTLESS £1.80 RELENTLESS JAGERBOMB £2 5PM - 12AM
ay 03 ur- sd th8pm late crash
friday 28 flirt! school disco
CARLSBERG/VK/RED BULL £1.80 5PM - 12AM CORKY’S SHOTS £1.20
friday 04
satur
8pm - 2am
berlin call
DOUBLE UP FOR MAINLINE SPIRIT plus special pr
8pmtu - 2am rd sa
flirt! weekly club night
CARLSBERG/VK/RED BULL £1.80 5PM - 12AM CORKY’S SHOTS £1.20
DOUBLE UP FOR MAINLINE SPIRIT plus special pr
student.com/events
rday 29
ling tech house night
R £1 ON ALL TS romos on the night
day 05
R £1 ON ALL TS romos on the night
sunday 30 pup quiz, + rock n roll bingo
4 PINT PITCHERS OF CARLSBERg & STRONGBOW, Bottles of house wine £7 5pm - 12am
sunday 06 pub quiz + rock n roll bingo + superbowl live
4 PINT PITCHERS OF CARLSBERg & STRONGBOW, Bottles of house wine £7 5pm - 12am
monday 31 events course takeover
all draught £2 a pint 5pm - 11pm double up on spirits £1
monday 07 events course takeover
all draught £2 a pint 5pm - 11pm double up on spirits £1
tuesday 01 suck my my acoustic acoustic suck
4 PINT PITCHERS OF CARLSBERg & STRONGBOW £7 5PM - 12AM Bottles of house wine £7 5pm - 12am
tuesday 08 comedy central live
4 PINT PITCHERS OF CARLSBERg & STRONGBOW £7 5PM - 12AM Bottles of house wine £7 5pm - 12am
18 Bucks Student
PULL OUT SECTION Ones to watch out for in 2011 By Stefan Miller
Jessie J
Jessie J is a singer-songwriter from Essex who has recently earned a Top 5 hit with the feisty R&B pop tune Do It Like A Dude. The talented 22-year old has also written songs for the likes of Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake and Miley Cyrus and her live performances have been widely praised for her soulful voice. Jessie J recently won BBC’s Sound of 2011 and this year’s Brit Awards Critics Choice Award, which Ellie Goulding and Florence and The Machine won before reaching their height of stardom. This could be an obvious sign of what’s to come!
Clare Maguire
Her distinctive voice has been compared to legendary singers Annie Lennox and Stevie Nicks, and she already has highprofile fans like Jay-Z and Jarvis Cocker to name but a few. So what does the Birmingham born singer have to offer? Dramatic pop music. Her powerful voice makes her music very emotive and heartfelt with songs Last Dance and Ain’t Nobody being good examples. The 23-year old singer has supported Hurts and Plan B and also features on Chase and Status’s upcoming album No More Idols and the new Computers and Blues album from The Streets. Clare’s own album Light After Dark is set to come out in February.
James Blake
Wretch 32
Wretch 32, real name Jermaine Scott, is a rapper from Tottenham, London. His music is a mixture of grime and hip-hop and he has already collaborated with well-known names in the grime scene including Ghetts, Scorcher, Bashy and Chipmunk. The rapper recently released the catchy track Traktor, with the witty line ‘…you’ll never catch me on the Jeremy Kyle show’. Could he join Tinie Tempah and Tinchy Stryder on the road to chart success?
Nero
Nero is a dubstep and drum n bass band consisting of producers Dan Stephens and Joe Ray with occasional vocalist Alana Watson. Their sound usually consists of ravey trance synths and abrasiveelectro basslines which immediately get you in the party mood. Nero’s well known songs include Electron - an energetic drum and bass banger, Innocence, and the heavy metal sounding Me and You - one of my favourite tunes at the moment. With similar acts Chase and Status achieving chart success with dubstep songs and with a debut album on the way, maybe Nero could be just as successful.
The 22 year old producer from London, which came second in BBC’s Sound of 2011, brings a distinctive style to the current music of today. His unique take on pop music takes influences from dubstep and more obscure and experimental genres of electronic dance music, such as minimal and ambient music. Songs that he has produced include the remarkable CMYK, modelled on contemporary R&B samples of Kelis and Aaliyah and Limit To Your Love, a relaxing down-tempo tune, currently receiving a lot of airplay on Radio 1. With his debut album due to be released in February, maybe James Blake will shake up the charts with his unique, futuristic style of music.
Take That - Progress By Sarah Campbell Newly re-formed and immensely popular 90’s boyband favourite Take That have returned with a surprisingly fresh and offbeat sound in their latest offering. Progress as an album throws the rulebook out the window when it comes to boybands: gone is the safe soft pop/rock sound and staple ballads. Instead, in its place is an edgier, more ambitious sound with synthesizer-led electronic pop based tracks. Tracks like the hyperactive gem SOS or the rather too adventurous electro led ‘Underground Machine’ certainly show that Barlow is trying to push Take That musically forward. While tracks such as lead single The Flood and Bowie influenced Kidz highlight a more diverse sound for the band, other tracks such as the bizarrely written Happy Now and the lacklustre track ‘Wait’ show that as a band there still is...ahem... progress to be made. But overall the mutually beneficial reunion with Robbie Williams has meant that as a band, as a boyband Take That’s sound is light-years ahead of their contemporaries. Sounds like: IF Robbie Williams last solo offering Rudebox collided with The Killers Day and Age Key Tracks: Kidz, SOS, What do you want from me?, The Flood
White Lies - Ritual By Sarah Campbell
Willow Smith
This 10-year old got everyone whipping their hair last year and baffled the world with her surprisingly catchy record for someone so young. The ‘Whip My Hair’ singer has talent in her genes with movie stars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith being her parents, and cites Rihanna as a musical influence. Now that superstar rapper Jay-Z has signed her on to his Roc Nation label, and with talk of a debut album this year, maybe 2011 will be the year Willow churns out the hits.
Angst-ridden band White Lies bring to the table a similar sound to their 2009 debut in their latest album Ritual. As a second offering, Ritual is sturdy with a few standout tracks like the dark dance track ‘In Love’ and the well written ‘Holy Ghost’ but as an overall album it isn’t particularly rousing. Rather instead the band comes across as glaringly average when compared with similar bands such as Hurts and The Editors. Many of the tracks on Ritual seemingly want to be good (and there is potential) and anathematic, but for whatever reason are lacking the necessary clout. The album is elegant, well written and well produced yes, but there just seems to be no spark or oomph that would see the band on another level. White Lies won’t be by their very nature a cheerful and poppy band and the album is more often than not downright miserable and bland company. Sounds like: IF Brandon Flowers collaborated with Trent Reznor... and both were having a musical offday... Key Tracks: In Love, Holy Ghost
19 Bucks Student
PULL OUT SECTION Diva Fever parties with the Union!
Inset: Miss Britney Right: Diva Fever boys & Miss Britney
MONDAY 18th January saw a momentous occasion; the first gay-friendly night that the student union has seen. ‘Milk’, named after the first openly gay elected politician to public office in America Harvey Milk, could soon be a stable night in the SU calendar after ‘Miss Britney’ warmed up the crowd with a DJ set and then performed right before Diva Fever from ‘The X Factor’ graced the stage and performed a medley of songs that kept the audience alive and dancing all night long. ‘Miss Britney’, real name, Steve Hogg, 23, used to perform in drag and DJ at the gay night at ‘The Garden’ until he moved to Scotland. He came back especially for the gay friendly night and it was a huge success! Hopefully another gay-friendly night will be booked soon, which should be just a successful as this one. Aaron Richards, chairman of the LGBT society for Bucks, 24, said, ‘I thought the night was a huge success and I especially like to thank the acts and the Student Union for supporting the night’
MONDA MONDAY AY 27TH JANUARY // 8PM - LATE FREE FOR BUCKS STUDENTS // £3 IN ADVANCE FOR PUBLIC OR £5 ON THE DOOR BY BLUE RINSE DJS FOLLOWED B
DRINK PROMOS // 5PM - 12AM £2 TUBORG CANS // PINTS OF STRONGBOW // RELENTLESS JAGERBOMBS £1.80 ERIS ERISTOFF VODKA & RELENTLESS
what’s on... weekly club night, 2 rooms, text to screen dj’s goo, seb & sam
28th january 04TH FEBRUARY 11th FEBRUARY
SCHOOL DISCO Where’s wally vALENTINES DAY
Inset: Diva Fever get the crowd going with Glitter cannons!
tuesday 01 FEBRUARY Matt Rudge Tom Allen Mark Olver the venue, high wycombe doors open at 8pm, comedy at 9pm
22 Bucks Student
Movie Reviews
Black Swan (15) Released 21/1/2011 Running time: 1hr 50mins
N
atalie Portman has always had an up and down career, sometime she chooses her roles carefully (for example Garden State). Other times, she’s chosen the odd questionable job (Star War trilogy). After exploding on the scene in 1994 in Luc Besson’s phenomenal Leon, it has taken her almost fifteen years until she has given a perfect performance in the form of Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. After playing at the Venice Film festivals and several others, the film has gradually built up momentum until it has finally been realised to the general public. However, it’s not a film that suits lot of audiences, despite the BBFC giving it a mere 15 certificate. The story follows perfectionist ballerina Nina (Natalie Portman) who becomes obsessed with gaining the role of the Swan Princess in the latest performance of Swan Lake for a highly acclaimed ballet company. With an over-baring and controlling mother (Barbara Hershey) and an eccentric director Thomas (Vincent Cassel) the pressure on Nina becomes a heavy burden. After being told time after time that she’s the perfect Swan Queen, but lacks the power to play the swans evil twin the Black Swan, Nina begins to descend into madness and the line between what is real and what is
in her head becomes drastically blurred. On top of that, new competition in the form of freespirited girl Lily (Mila Kunis) comes in to wreck Nina’s new found fame. Or is she? For a film in which its themes of oppression, obsession and perfection have become common ground; Aronofsky handles them excellently as they feel new and fresh. The dark material is handled excellently as the movie becomes unpredictable as we see Nina’s fractured state. It is also hard to pin point a specific genre for the movie, is it a horror? A dancing movie? A psychological thriller? Who knows. Aronofsky rehashes the same themes he showed with The Wrestler (2008) but moves beyond it in almost every way. The stark black and white feel to the movie is both beautiful but at some points menacing. Aronofsky’s theme of self destruction, which is seen in most of his films, is back once again. This coupled with his infamous onscreen dark nature are present in this movie. The handheld direction is far from Paul Greengrass’ territory as it reflects Nina’s state of mind and clever camera techniques make the camera invisible around the ballet studios. This is an artistic movie where the director has used modern technology to tell a story rather than avoid one. It is easy to see how the movie
have been compared to The Red Shoes (1948) mixed with the work of David Cronenberg and Dario Argento, as Aronofsky shows the beauty but hardships of pursuing your love. The rituals which Randy the Ram religiously went though in The Wrestler are echoed as we see Nina crack bones and modify her ballet shoes like a professional. Portman in fact even took a year out to train in ballet and is it clearly apparent as she moves as if she has being dancing for years, It has to be said that Portman’s near flawless performance as the fragile ballerina is incomparable to any female actress in the past year. However she does not steal the show entirely as Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis and even Wynona Ryder all play significant roles. All the performances are moving and horrifyingly believable. Black Swan is definitely a movie for audiences who can stomach certain scenes, which I am unable to describe without spoiling plot points. It will have anyone turning away at the graphic images which have an artistic beauty to them. And the movies crescendo will leave you emotionally drained and make you doubt your own shadow. This definitely won’t be Aronofsky’s swan song however he has set a bar for himself which will be hard to follow. Oliver Hunt
An amazing story of survival
Green Hornet (12A)Released 14/1/2011 Running time: 1hr 59mins
I
t’s really a sad day for creative art as we say goodbye to Michel Gondry as he sails off in to the untalented horizon which is Hollywood. After his last flick, Be Kind Rewind was such a disappointment he returns to direct the Seth Rogan and Even Goldberg in the superhero tale which is The Green Hornet. The Green Hornet is based of an old pulp hero which happened to be a television show in the 60s. After director Stephen Chow dropped the project, it looked bleak for the production. However after Michel Gondry jumped on board there was a certain comfort in knowing the movie would turn out well, the end result however is far less interesting then it should have been. The story follows Brett Ried (Seth Rogan) a spoiled son of a millionaire who, after the death of his father, decides to become a superhero with his sidekick Kato (Jay Chou). However instead of going down the normal route, they decide to pose as criminals in order to get close to villains before taking them out. The villain in this case is Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) a less then scary scoundrel who has a complex issue as he blows up his various competition around L.A. With Kato’s quick wit and engineering talent and Brett’s charisma (often mistaken for arrogance) and apparent wealth the two set out to have some fun sooner than actually saving the neighbourhood. It comes as little surprise that the movie is full of gags, especially after the writing due to them making their names from penning Superbad. However sometimes the jokes feel out of place and even inappropriate, but when they are in the right place they work to the films advantage. The film also handles its homage’s well as subtle hints are littered through out the television show and more importantly it is Bruce Lee who played the role of Kato in the 60’s original. Aside from that the film is poorly paced as the only interesting parts include Brett and Kato’s relationship whilst the rest seems to drag its heels, especially with the scenes
127 Hours (15) Released 7/1/2011 Running time: 1hr 35mins
A with Chudnofsky and Lenore (Cameron Diaz). Whilst the Bromance elements seen in Superbad are also present here the stylised action scenes soon become boring and repetitive. With Seth Rogan in the lead he plays his usual funny guy, however it is Jay Chou who steals the attention as this is his first Hollywood movie, and in fact when he’s on screen the film becomes much more interesting. Apart from them Christoph Waltz and Cameron Diaz did the best they could with the fairly poor material they where given. Christoph Waltz appears as a tacky 80’s villain whilst Cameron Diaz is really showing her age. The most disappointing part of the movie is the direction, which is so bland and contrived with only a few sparks of originality, but it is even more disappointing seeing how the director has made his man on his visual style. Certain impressive visual elements to peek through but on the most part it’s a generic Hollywood big budget movie. If your looking for an action superhero flick with some good laughs then you should take a look but don’t look for too long or you might get a headache. The movie is very flawed and vastly disappointing. Once again another movie has been thrown out in 3D and whilst it appears present at first you are quick to forget it’s even there. With Superhero movies on the rise of in quality such as Kick-Ass and Scott Pilgrim- this is definitely a step back. With the pedigree behind it, it should have been much more impressive. However it falls flat on its face like its wacky lead. Oliver Hunt
ron Ralston can be called several names: explorer, adrenalin junkie, and/or idiot. After mountain-climbing in Utah alone, Ralston suffered a horrific climbing accident which resulted in his arm being trapped under a boulder. In a desperate bid for survival, he is then left with no choice but to amputate his own arm with a cheap, blunt knife. Since this, Aron has become a star in America, giving motivational speeches which he charges $37, 000 for. How such a seemingly simplistic plot could be fitted into a feature length movie is an impressive achievement, as writer and director Danny Boyle steps up to tackle the amazing story of survival. 127 Hours is a film much like The Titanic, as in the audience knows what’s going to happen before it actually does. The film begins with Aron (James Franco) preparing to go on a trip and after collecting a few essentials such as water, food, Gatorade and almost without his Swiss Army knife (one of many shameful gags). After arriving in the desert he camps out until morning before taking a bike ride out across the harsh terrain. Along the way he happens to meet Kristi (Kate Mara) and Megan (Amber Tamblyn), two young
post-college ‘explorers’ and the three spend a fun afternoon together before going their separate ways. This scene really gives an insight into Ralston’s character. It is not long before the cocky armature explorer manages to slip whilst climbing and gets his hand crushed between a rock and the crevice wall. Up until this point there is a certain tension which hangs over all the little moments when Aron is alone. The tension then shifts after the accident to when he will eventually cut off his arm. Whilst Franco does fantastic performance the main flaw is in the character himself. He appears to be a fairly unlikable character that is so self obsessed, he videos trivial things such as him riding a bike. Whether the real Aron Ralston is like this or not is irrelevant because it is hard to sympathise with a reckless, selfish adrenaline junkie who finally gets his comeuppance. During the time which we are waiting for him to finally hack off his arm, Aron makes videos of himself as a diary of a man going crazy by isolation which is mirrored in his eyes. After making a little camp around him, Aron has to ration all his belongings. All of the dialogue is also between him and the camera as he narrates the situation to us. It’s around the midpoint that Aron begins to lose it and the flashbacks begin with girlfriend Rana (Clémence Poésy) which leads to a truly appalling line after a break up in which she screams at him “You’ll always be alone.” The lead up to the eventual
dismemberment is filled with flashbacks and hallucinations before Aron’s camera runs out of battery which forces him to finally cut it off. It is only until he can’t document himself that he feels the need to do something about the situation. Danny Boyle reprises his usual frantic editing and unusual camera work as he rejoins Slumdog Millionaire DP Anthony Dod Mantle. However, it all becomes a bit much and a little too frantic. That mixed in with footage of people in crowds to further add the notion that he will be alone for the movie, begins to border on the annoying. The film has also been compared to last year’s brilliant thriller flick Buried. Unfortunately it lacks the clever and pure execution that Buried prized itself on as the movie escapes the small confines which Aaron finds himself in. Although it is understandable that he escapes his fate through his hallucinations; Buried just handled the idea of isolation much better as all the action happens when in the coffin. 127 Hours fits in well with Boyle’s body of work as the themes of survival and isolation are seen through out, with films such as 28 days Later, Trainspotting and Sunshine. The gruesome special effects are handled excellently and it’s easy to believe the reports of fainting and stomach contents being emptied. Whilst 127 Hours is a fairly solid movie, there are bits which are annoying, and it’s the sort of film which only needs viewing once, but it is an amazing story of survival. Oliver Hunt
23 Bucks Student
Little Fockers - is this the worst film De Niro and Stiller have appeared in? Meet The Parents: Little Fockers (12A) Released 22/12/2010 Running time: 1hr 38mins
H
ere’s a phrase you’ll likely heard thrown around a lot over the next few weeks: LITTLE FOCKERS focking sucks! While I didn’t expect much from this, the third MEET THE PARENTS film, I didn’t expect it to be quite as amateurish and slap-dash as it ended up being. The first installment of the series was a cute comedy, but the second installment passed gas. That said, MEET THE FOCKERS is like a Billy Wilder film compared to this utter piece of crap, which I believe is the worst film Robert De Niro or Ben Stiller have ever appeared in (and yes, I’ve seen ENVY). Jay Roach, who directed the previous films, wisely opted out of a third go-round, but I guess De Niro and Stiller both wanted the big payday, so Paul Weitz, who once upon a time made good movies with his brother Chris (AMERICAN PIE, IN GOOD COMPANY, ABOUT A BOY) takes the helm here. Right off the bat, it’s obvious that all LITTLE FOCKERS is going to be is a bunch of recycled jokes from the first two films strung together by a clumsy plot (with De Niro once again being unsure is Stiller is a worthy addition to his family). It’s incredible how shamelessly this steals from the last two films. Remember how the first two ended in chaotic weddings. Well, this one doesn’t end with a wedding, but instead with an elaborate birthday party given for the titular LITTLE FOCKERS. Or remember how in the second film De Niro was having problems satisfying his wife, played by Blythe Danner? Same problem here, resulting in a lame joke where De Niro takes too many of Stiller’s erectile drugs, and has to get a shot in his dangerously erect penis. Lame-o! Even worse is a subplot with Jessica Alba, who we’re supposed to believe becomes instantly
smitten with Stiller after helping him give an anal probe to an elderly patient (don’t ask). Alba’s pretty, but she’s not funny. It’s interesting that Alba’s been quoted as saying “good actors don’t follow the script” after working on LITTLE FOCKERS, as it’s obvious everyone here, especially De Niro and Stiller are just making shit up as they go along. Luckily it’s all over in ninety minutes, but the film is such a mess it feels like twice that. I didn’t laugh once, as all the jokes are all miserably weak. When the idea of comedy is to have Stiller be trapped in ball pit with De Niro hiding amongst the balls while the JAWS theme plays, you know this is going to be a long haul. Or how about a bit where teacher Laura Dern mistakes De Niro and Stiller for a couple. Didn’t they do the same thing with John Stamos and Bob Saget on FULL HOUSE? Another problem is that the film is totally jam-packed with extraneous characters. I mean, why is Owen Wilson in this movie? Sure, he was funny in the first film, but did his character really need to come back? Especially awkward is the shoe-horned in appearance of Dustin Hoffman. If you’ve been reading about FOCKERS’ troubled production, you’ll know that Hoffman wasn’t originally in this film, until being added in at the last minute through re-shoots. This is why other than a few cut-ins from Spain (where he’s finding himself), a brief rendezvous
with Stiller and Streisand, and a tagged on ending, he’s barely in it. Even worse is the wasted opportunity of having Harvey Keitel appear in the film, opposite his old MEAN STREET cohort, De Niro. Sadly, they get only get one lame bit part together, which ends with De Niro buried under a pile of dirt. Hmm, that must have been what he felt like coming to work each day. I really, really wish De Niro would get back to doing good films again, as it’s obvious the man still has the goods. His role in STONE (which I’ll admit wasn’t a perfect film) proved he can still be brilliant, but LITTLE FOCKERS is him slumming it in a big way. As for Stiller, it almost feels like he made a Faustian deal with the Devil to make GREENBERG, and this is the Devil coming to collect. Probably the only good thing to come out of LITTLE FOCKERS is that this will without a doubt be the last installment, as it’s bad enough that no one, not even the most undiscerning moviegoer, will be clamoring for a sequel after walking out of this train wreck. A Christmas miracle? Perhaps. Highlights? Owen Wilson gives an effortlessly amusing performance as Pam’s pastel-clothed still-doting ex. Better still is the return of the most formidably evil cat in world cinema: Jack’s hissing, stubborn Jinxy. Less effective are the concessions to subFarrelly brothers’ gross-out comedy, such as the scene in which Greg jabs Jack’s nether parts with a syringe. It’s also sad to see De Niro so happy to quote or, rather, trample upon his illustrious filmography: spitting out lines about The Godfocker and rolling up his sleeves to fight à la Jake La Motta. Most worryingly of all, at times he seems to be morphing into Robin Williams. Tanya Virdy
‘There’s very little you can say against a movie like The King’s Speech’ Kings Speech (12A) Released 7/1/2011 Running time: 1hr 51mins
F
inally, there is a great British contender to stand up to the American oppressive market which is modern cinema. Every so often, you have the odd characteristically British film which is soon overlooked by the next big explosion movie. Last year for example, it was films like Made In Dagenham and Another Year. But what makes Tom Hooper’s movie stand out is how it doesn’t get bogged down about the patriotism, which the film is centred around. This true story is based on George VI (Colin Firth) as he battles with his self-esteem crippling speech impediment. After trying everything to overcome this with wife Elizabeth, (Helen Bonham Carter) his efforts are in vain. However after being recommended by an outside force, Elizabeth soon finds Lionel, (Geoffrey Rush) a failed Australian actor who promises to help the Prince. After some fairly large
bumps in the road, George VI begins to open up as we see the antagonist is mainly in himself rather then a specific being. After his farther King George V dies Edward VIII (Guy Pearce) reluctantly becomes king. With World War II on the horizon the Royal house is thrown into a whirlwind frenzy which it needs to sort out before any war breaks out. There’s very little you can say against a movie like The King’s Speech. The script by David Seidler is informative and handles humour in all the right places. Without being a show-off, Seidler uses the right information to enlighten the viewers on a subject which was hid from the general public. Tom Hooper’s direction is superb as he shows the pre-war London in all its beauty before the bombs begin to fall. The mist covered streets add an artistic edge to the visuals and the locations are simply beautiful. The acting from everyone is
brilliant and touching, especially with the cameo from Guy Pearce. Obviously the film’s main focus is on Firth and Rush’s characters, and it is handled very delicately as they have petty arguments about hierarchies before finding a middle ground. Firth has once again proved he is a terrific actor as we see the internal struggle and frustration George VI felt towards himself. And with support from Bonham Carter in a surprisingly ‘normal’ role, she becomes a very warm present throughout the movie. It comes as no surprise with the level of acting talent that this is a brilliant film, which aims to entertain and inform audiences of any age about a time in British history which has been somewhat hidden to the public. If you are indecisive about what to see, there isn’t much better out there amidst the dull and copy/paste films which pollute the cinema today. Oliver Hunt
Love and Other Drugs (15) Released 29/12/2010 Running time: 1hr 53mins
Tanya Virdy
The Plot
Circa-1996, a womanizing Pfizer pitchman (Jake Gyllenhaal), falls in love with a beautiful woman (Anne Hathaway) afflicted by early onset Parkinson’s. Meanwhile, his sales start to skyrocket once his company introduces Viagra.
Review
LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS is a film I’ve been eager to see ever since it was announced in the trades. Director Ed Zwick is one of those thoroughly consistent directors who over and over again, manages to make stirring and compelling dramas (GLORY, THE LAST SAMURAI, BLOOD DIAMOND, DEFIANCE) on a grand scale. While this might seem to be a departure, Zwick actually made his name as one of the producers of the hit eighties drama, THIRTYSOMETHING, so really, a smaller scale romantic drama is a return to his roots. Pair that with the scorching hot pairing of Gyllenhaal and Hathaway, and you have a sure fire winner, right? Sadly, no. I knew right from the first scene, where horny stud Gyllenhaal nails his boss’ girlfriend while selling stereos that something was off somehow. The more the film went on, the more I got annoyed, especially once Gyllenhaal joins up with Pfizer, and becomes a bigshot rep, pushing drugs like Zoloft onto doctors so he can land big commissions. Whether or not the drugs can actually help patients seemingly doesn’t matter. So, I guess Zwick is trying to make LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS a razor-sharp commentary on big pharmaceutical companies, circa 1996 (when this takes place, meaning lots of khakis). That’s all well and good, but I had an extraordinarily hard time buying Gyllenhaal in this cynical role, as he just seems too naturally earnest to be believable as an asshole. Luckily, things pickup once he hooks up with Hathaway about a half-hour in, but even still, I had a hard time getting into the film. Their chemistry just seems off, and I think the problem is really Gyllenhaal who just doesn’t seem to have a handle on his role (not that I can blame him, as a viewer, I couldn’t get a handle on his character either). I think it’s just a straight-case of miscasting, where the filmmakers really needed someone who could channel a RAIN-MAN-era Tom Cruise, who would have been perfect for this twenty years ago. Alas, a new Tom Cruise is a tall order to fill, and sadly Gyllenhaal doesn’t pull it off. As for Hathaway, she’s actually pretty damn good as the more interesting half of the couple. It doesn’t hurt that she has a lot more to work with, with her character suffering the early ravages of Parkinson’s. She’s been getting a lot of Oscar buzz for the role, and while I don’t think she’s quite worthy of an Oscar for her role here, she’s nonetheless excellent. It’s also worth noting that Hathaway obviously doesn’t shy away from nudity, and she shows even more skin here than she did in HAVOC. Oddly, about half way through the film, the tone totally changes and instead of a big-pharma satire, LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS turns into the romantic “dramedy” the trailers promised, and sure enough it becomes a better film. That said, it’s certainly no UP IN THE AIR, which the film seems trying desperately to be. Still, I found myself actually enjoying the second half of the film, which is a surprise as I was actively loathing it during the first hour. Other than Gyllenhaal’s miscasting, the biggest problem is Josh Gad, who seems to have walked in from a SUPERBAD rip-off, and just about ruins the film with his totally unlikable, douche-baggy character. I guess he’s supposed to be the comic relief sidekick, but his whole subplot, where he plays Gyllenhaal’s multi-millionaire brother, who’s been recently dumped by his trophy wife, is a disastrous addition to the film. Every time he walked on-screen I cringed, and it’s one of the most annoying performances I’ve seen in a major film in a long time. Luckily, the rest of the supporting cast is an improvement. The great Oliver Platt has a juicy role as Gyllenhaal’s mentor, and you’ll find yourself wishing that Gad’s character had just been absorbed into his to give him more screen time. Hank Azaria pops up as an initially scummy GP, that’s all to happy to peddle anyone’s drugs as long as he’s hooked up with sex and free trips. He initially comes off as a complete SOB, but a heart-to-heart later in the film affords him a little sympathy. Meanwhile, veteran scene-stealer George Segal, and the late, great Jill Clayburgh, show up as Gyllenhaal’s folks for one brief scene. The great Judy Greer also puts in an appearance as one of Gyllenhaal’s early conquests. Throughout the first half of LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS, I thought I was watching one of the worst misfires from a major director since James L. Brooks’ SPANGLISH, but luckily it got better as it went on. It’s still a seriously flawed film, and one that is unlikely to get too many accolades around Oscar-time (save for Hathaway’s performance), but overall, it’s not bad, and moderately engrossing. Still, judging from the talent involved, I would have expected this to be a lot more than “not bad”. Consider this one a noble misfire, that could have been great with some tweaks to the script, and a more cynical hand at the helm.
24 Bucks Student
55 things the Students Union has done for you in Term 1 you might not know about: 1. Advertised and facilitated the transport of 400+ students to London to partake in the National Demo in regards to rises in tuition fees. 2. More active Student Reps which has lead to the tripling of attendance for Social Sciences and Pre Arranged Nurses. 3. Trained and paid more Student Reps than ever. 4. Over 400 students turned up to Lobby their local MP. 5. Lead on the Sports Stadium Consultation and over 800 students filled it out. 6. Set up the Student Voice text number for students to air course problems directly with the Vice Chancellor. 7. Open Door access to top level faculty staff in Sue West and Chris Kemp to air problems. 8. 6 times as many flat reps as last year. 9. 1st ever Student Rep social. 10. Regular 2 way communication with students through Newsletters and Blackboard. 11. Student Activities Accreditation Scheme set up for Sports clubs and Societies. 12. Helped 30 societies achieve Bronze in Accreditation Scheme, 15 at silver and 9 are working towards their Gold currently. 13. Grown from 21 to 41 active societies. 14. 16 students have passed their Midas Training meaning they can drive our minibus for their sports club or society. 15. 39 different recreational activities which turned into 241 activity opportunities. 16. 3,739 students attended recreational activities in term 1; 2/3rds being female. 17. 108 sports fixtures in term 1. 18. 10 weeks with opportunities to train in 20 different sports across 30 clubs. 19. Managed to offer Eater Tour to sports and societies cheaper than any other University in the country! 20. Community Link made with local Hockey Club and a new home for American Football. 21. Highest ever footfall through the doors for nights and events in term one! 22. Record ticket sales for Live Band nights. 23. Take-Over applications up with student holding events throughout the year. 24. First ever gay night launched at SU. 25. Example gig recorded highest ever attendance for a Live show!! 26. ACS promoted monthly urban/ rnb event launched “Skank on Site”. 27. “Cultural Alternative” programme at start of term reached out to a broader student market. 28. Co-Promotions with students on
the rise with more volunteers and involvement than ever before. 29. Events Courses doubled number of self run events in The Lounge and Beats. 30. Technical improvements made in both rooms with new speakers and amplifiers purchased. 31. Biggest Fresher’s Fair to date, with over 5000 students attending the fair! 32. New limited edition of Bucks Merchandise. 33. Newspaper is bigger in size and varied in content. 34. Minisites on bucksstudent. com have been introduced so clubs and societies can advertise their upcoming events, committee, contact details etc. 35. New discount vouchers advertised in the Newspaper. 36. The Advice centre dealt with 1753 separate enquiries in term 1! Either in person, phone or via email! 37. 343 individual students helped so far, of which 178 were 1st time visitors to the Advice Centre. 38. Started to compile a student cookbook. 39. Students Union Advice Centre has taken over all money advice issues from the University. 40. A phone and PC has been setup in the Advice Centre so students can pop in and check the status of their Student Loan etc. 41. £4897 raised for RAG just in Term 1! 42. 8 big 1 day projects in Term 1 (conservation, art, police projects etc). 43. Societies and sports teams are a lot more involved in Volunteering now through the Accreditation Scheme. 44. 30 shoeboxes of assorted food, grooming products etc donated to the Wycombe Homeless Shelter. 45. Created links with faculties and found volunteering opportunities for them which will help enhance your CV’s. 46. 371 students have done some sort of volunteering during Term 1. 47. Opportunity profiles created to show what skills you can gain as a volunteer and taking part in projects. 48. New RAG events such as Assassins and the Balloon Release (Both upcoming!). 49. New and very active RAG team at Uxbridge campus. 50. Jailbreak winners this year managed to get to Sweden! 51. £1834 raised for Movember. 52. New range of drinks on draughts and bottles plus new drinks promotions. 53. Non-slip flooring put down in both club rooms. 54. New mobile bar. 55. We will not be putting up the prices in our Bars this January as a result of the VAT increase.
Volunteering Opportunities 28th January - Mature Students and News Group Cake sale for RAG. All day in the SU foyer
29th January - Badminton tournament 2pm-5pm in aid of
Help for Heroes. Students needed to help run the event or just turn up and join in! 4th February - Balloon release outside Gateway at 1.30 in aid of CLIC Sargent who support children with cancer. £2 per balloon. 9th February - Conservation project with Tony the ranger. Chopping up trees and making a path in the local community. 9th February - World record attempt at Stoke Mandeville Stadium for the largest amount of people using sign language and singing. All in aid of raising awareness of deaf people who suffer from a mental illness. Email volunteering@bucks.ac.uk to take part in any of the above projects.
Images: students at the recent volunteering project in front of Hughenden halls
25 Bucks Student
ON THE BOX Eastenders special
BOOK WORM
Controversial plot...has Eastenders gone too far?
New Year lifestyle? Sounds about right
HAPPY holidays everyone! I trust you all had a well-earned break over the Christmas holidays and have stayed tuned into your soaps! Normally, I’d just discuss the upcoming plots or catch you all up on what’s been happening lately. Instead, I’d like to bring a lot of people up to speed on the whole controversy that is surrounding the baby swap storyline in EastEnders. (This article contains spoilers) In case you missed it, here is an update in a very small nutshell. Viewers saw both Ronnie and Kat give birth to healthy baby boys. Jack was away on business in Dubai when his baby James was born. Kat gave birth to a healthy baby boy called Tommy. On New Year’s Eve, Ronnie’s baby James died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Ronnie wrapped him up and ran out to get help. She entered the Vic through the rear after hearing Tommy crying. Tommy was being looked after by his Granddad Charlie Slater, who had instead gone downstairs for a quick drink and had fallen asleep. Alfie was holding forte in the Vic while Kat was in hospital after haemorrhaging. Ronnie sneaked upstairs and made a crazy decision to swap the babies; eventually leaving Alfie to find his (really Ronnie’s) dead baby son. Ronnie came to her senses not long after but upon venturing out to admit the truth, she bumps into Jack who’d managed to catch a flight home and upon glimpsing who he assumes to be his son, Ronnie is unable to admit the truth and a web of lies is born. Since the airing, and at time of writing this column, there have
been over 10,000 complaints. This is a record in Soapland history and it is fair to say that it has had a massive impact on EastEnders. Samantha Womack (who plays Ronnie Branning) has been the subject of abuse in the street from members of the public who are unable to separate fact from fiction. Samantha also has handed in her resignation last November after receiving her scripts. She agreed to continue with the storyline but felt it was time for her to move on, despite the promises of lighter storylines and an increase to her pay check. It is believed that Samantha’s departure will also signal the end of this problematic storyline for EastEnders and that Kat/Alfie/Tommy will get their happily ever after. Unfortunately, due to the backlash, writers at EastEnders are furiously rewriting the scripts to accommodate both the public and Mrs Womack’s decision to leave. Bear in mind that this was originally supposed to run for 2 years and now will be looking to wrap in April, later this year. If rumours are believed to be true, there’s a lot of pressure on Bryan Kirkwood (the director) to hand in his own resignation despite only joining less than a year ago. My view? Give the guy a bit of breathing space. Soaps are supposed to be over the top, controversial and shocking. It’s why we love them. However, the brilliant performances from Jessie Wallace (Kat Moon), Shane Richie (Alfie Moon), and Samantha Womack (Ronnie Branning) are both
OVER the past weeks, I have had time to reflect on a lot of things-and I know most of you have as well. I've been looking back at the past year and thinkingwhy didn't I see that, or realised that was what I should've done. Seeing that it's a New Year, it's that time again where we make resolutions, aiming to keep them to better our year. Well, I resolve to not resolve, the past year was great aside from a few bad
things which I will refer to as 'learning curves', and overall these learning curves have shown me that eventually they will straighten out and things will run smoothly again. But if your curves still need a little more smoothing, here are a few guides which nine times out of ten will help you to achieve smooth-running success.
The one where he’s just not into you Blurb: He’s just not that into you: the no-excuses truth to understanding guys Author: Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo moving and emotionally brilliant. Moving on, what can you expect to see over the coming year? Well, January will be the start of a possible surrogacy/adoption storyline which will involve Christian/Syed/Roxy. It’s definitely not one to miss. It looks like there is more controversy brewing for EastEnders when Whitney Dean becomes a teenager prostitute who charges £50 an hour after being kicked out of home. Laurie Brett (Jane Beale) is pregnant in real life. Congratulations to her! However, it’s causing a problem for the writers as Jane’s womb was destroyed after Steven Beale shot her, so I have no idea how they’ll be getting around that, seeing as she can’t get pregnant. Phil Mitchell has a heart attack moment after seeing Glenda and Ian in an, er, compromising position. Sonia will be back for a one off episode on the 21st January. Be sure to tune in! By MJ
Top shows this year THE NEW year always brings exciting and new TV viewing so here’s the low-down on the top 5 programmes to feast your eyes on this January... The return of the sixteenth (yes, sixteenth) series of BBC’s Top Gear (24th January 2011) is bound to be a highlight for the often dull January nights in. Jeremy Clarkson and co. are back to test and smash cars alike. Another sure fire hit is Channel 4’s 10 O’ Clock Live (20th January 2011) using the same team that covered the General Election last year. Channel 4 has picked a comedic team that have proven themselves to work well and be incredibly funny, especially when it comes to taking the rip out of current affairs! Jimmy Carr, David Mitchell, Charlie Brooker and Lauren Laverne are all joined by guests from the worlds of science, politics, culture and comedy for interviews. Another Channel 4 January gem is the return of the brilliant Shameless, in which Frank has
By Donique Lindsey
Verdict: This book is not just your run-of-the-mill self help mumbo jumbo, it actually works. 'He's Just Not That Into You If He's Not Calling You': simple right? But then maybe he has a valid excuse like he's been busy or lost his phone etc… sound familiar? This book will help you realise that the guy you’re waiting for might not be worth all of your excuses. Time saver- He's Just Not That Into You (Movie) There's always the film, filled with some all-time favourite actors, it's to the point and you don't have to worry about being charged for a late fee when you eventually give it back to the library.
The one where you don’t know what to do or how to do it Blurb: You want all of your questions answered in one, clearly indexed book? I have the perfect solution; this book was given to me by a cousin who thought I needed a little helping hand on my journey to Uni. How to Do Just About Everything Author: C Collins & eHow Verdict: This book literally does what it says on the cover. It tells how to everything from losing weight, how to becoming an actor, how to flirt, and even how to write those tricking essays and reports. Time Saver – www.eHow.com The good old internet; visit the official eHow website which is filled with everything you ever needed to know and more. It’s not just how it’s eHow.
The one who wants to know how to get good ideas Top Gear returns for its sixteenth series disappeared, seemingly off the face of the earth. And then there’s the rather intriguing return of the fifth series of Skins (27th January 2011) honestly where can Skins go that is hasn’t gone before? Rounding off essential January viewing is naturally ITV’s Dancing on Ice (what else?) in which people like Hollyoaks’ Jennifer Metcalfe and Kerry Katona battle it out on the ice. Personally my money’s on Sam Attwater... By Sarah Campbell
Blurb: So, you’re struggling to find at least one feasible idea? Have an essay to write and need some ideas? Well unlike Newton, our ideas don’t fall out of trees and hit us on the heads. I’m sure at some point all of those great thinkers out there have had dry spells, and while they maybe didn’t have thousands of self-help books to choose from, we do. So read on, my expectant thinker and behold a great idea will be coming your way. Assholeology: The Science Behind Getting Your Way - and Getting Away with it Author: Steven B Green, Dennis Lavalle & Chris Illuminati Verdict: This book takes the no-nonsense approach at making sure you are
seen and heard.
The one who wants empowerment Blurb: This book takes the no-nonsense approach at making sure you are seen and heard. The Secret to Teen Power Author: Paul Harrington
Jimmy Carr, David Mitchell, Charlie Brooker & Lauren Laverne are the hosts of 10 O’Clock Live
Verdict: Our parents may have read the original The Secret, but this is the teen version. It basically does what it says on the cover, it’s all about teen empowerment. Self belief is the key to our success and the Secret to Teen Power will help you unlock that. Time Saver – Read the blurb and combine their know-how. To get all of those awesome ideas that I know you have, you have to believe that you have them, and when someone doesn’t think it’s good enough, you need to be seen and heard. Some people may think you’re an A**hole but it’s all part of teen empowerment, you’ll see.
26 Bucks Student
FOOD & DRINK Food for Thought
B
What’s on the Menu? By Shane Millar
By Julia Crooks
eing a student doesn’t mean you have to live on takeaways, toast, baked beans and pot noodles, though of course these things are fine every now and again. Good food can be cheap and easy to prepare and eating good healthy food can really help keep you well and keep those little brain cells firing on all cylinders. This year we are looking to produce a recipe book full of tasty budget recipes that are simple to prepare and great to share. We know many of you are great cooks and would love you to send in your favourite recipes, making sure that you’ve
included the correct weights and measures of ingredients, cooking time and temperature. You can even send in a picture of the finished dish or of you and your friends enjoying eating it! If we get enough good recipes we’ll put them all together into a Cook Book for Students, which we can sell to other students and raise money for our RAG charities. Any contributors to the book will obviously get a free copy. Send your recipes to: Alice.dewsnap@bucks.ac.uk To get you going and for good winter warming food here are a couple of recipes for you to try:
Cinnamon toast Ingredients Slices of bread Butter Cinnamon Castor sugar
Method
One slice won’t be enough!
Toast a slice of bread or more, (one will never be enough!) Butter one side and cover with a mixture of 1/3 cinnamon to 2/3 castor sugar. Toast, under a grill, until sugar starts to melt and go dark brown. Careful, and let the melted sugar cool a bit or you’ll burn your mouth!
Winter warming soup
Restaurant: YO! Sushi Location: The Eden Centre Special Offers: 20% student discount
W
HEN my friends told me they wanted to try something new, let’s just say that sushi wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. In fact, my first thought was: raw fish, why would anyone want to eat that? So, you can imagine how I was feeling when I walked through the gleaming glass doors of YO! Sushi in The Eden Centre. We were led to our table – a booth at the back of the open plan room – by a smiling waitress whose happy expression was at odds with my own trepidation. I sat down in the comfy sofa-style seats of the booth, and the soft lighting allowed me to relax, giving me my first real opportunity to look round the restaurant. All around me people were hungrily digging in to their brightly coloured bowls of sushi. Well, I thought, they all seem to be enjoying the food. I turned my attention to the menu and flipped through the
pages, trying to decide what I wanted. I was pleased to discover that cooked food was an option, so I ordered salmon rice and chicken teriyaki. Looking over at the conveyer belt, I could see all the raw sushi making the rounds. I had no idea what I was looking for so I just picked dishes at random. I chose seared beef and a salmon selection. I picked up my chop sticks, holding them poised between my fingers; and when I started eating I was pleasantly surprised. Everything was delicious. The seared beef was tender, served with a small dollop of horseradish mayonnaise that gave it a spicy kick. The salmon was tasty and not slimy like I had been expecting. The rice came piping hot, and the chicken teriyaki was served shortly after that. Everything was freshly prepared by the chefs, who cook right in front you. They prepared the food quickly and efficiently, with a level of skill that was plain to see. The rice wasn’t at all stodgy, and the salmon was cooked perfectly. The chicken teriyaki was nicely flavoured with a soy-based sauce that was tangy and sweet. My only complaint would be that the sauce was a little too sweet. The dining experience was thoroughly enjoyable. The restaurant was quiet enough that my friends and I could talk without having to shout across the table, and busy enough that we didn’t feel self conscious while we ate. It was the perfect balance. One of the best things about the meal was that the waiting staff didn’t pester us too much while we were eating. There’s nothing worse than going to a
Cocktails (Or should I say Mocktails)
Ingredients
restaurant and constantly being asked if you’re meal is okay, especially when you’ve got a mouthful of food, which is almost always the case. The only thing that left me feeling disappointed was when it came to paying for the food. The sushi is priced according to the colour of dish it comes in. So, the waitress comes to our table and writes down how many dishes we’ve had, and what colours they are. Then she hands us the tickets and asks us to come and pay at the front desk. Now, when you can pick as many dishes as you want, and they’re right in front of you, you lose track of how much you’re actually spending. It was at this point that I found myself frantically trying to work out how much I’d spent, and it’s too late to do anything about it if you don’t have enough money. It would be easier if each item on the menu was individually priced. Luckily, I had enough cash on me, so there wasn’t a crisis. I’ll just have to remember how it works next time I eat there. My meal came to £14.70, which is a pretty good price considering how much food I ordered. Not only that, but if you register your Bucks student card or NUS card online, you also get 20% off. So, I only paid £11.76 for four dishes, a result if you’re a student on a budget. Plus, I drank the on tap mineral water, so all my drinks were free too. So there you have it. If you’re looking for great food and great service at a reasonable price, then YO! Sushi is the place to eat. For more information visit: www.yosushi.com.
By Sarah O’Brien
Well, Christmas and New Years has come to a sad, hangover fuelled end. Surely no students are interested in alcohol this month, so here are a few delicious non-alcoholic cocktails to enjoy, and yes you can enjoy them. If you are still drinking the days away in 2011, just add a good old lashing of vodka to them! But no harm in trying...
30g of butter Onion 500g of veggies 2 vegetable stock cubes Salt and pepper Herbs
Cinderella
Method
Add cream to make it smooth and creamy
Melt the butter in a fairly large saucepan (with a lid), add a chopped onion to the melted butter and cook until the onion is soft. At this stage, you can really add anything you like! Chop the veggies into chunky cubes (you can use just one vegetable for this, or a mixture of two or a mixture of several veggies! it’s really personal choice). Mix well with the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring quite often. While that’s cooking, mix 2 vegetable stock cubes with 450ml of just boiled water from the kettle and stir until dissolved, add to the saucepan
and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add a pinch of other herbs you might have in the cupboard, mix well. Bring to the boil and turn down the heat so that the soup is simmering and cook for about 20 – 25 minutes, or until veggies are just cooked. Your vegetable soup is now ready to eat! Once you’ve got the hang of this there are loads of variations you can make. Add cooked meats or pulses for the last 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top. Mash or blend the soup and add cream or yoghurt to make it smooth and creamy.
This fun and fruity cocktail is really delicious and must count as a five a day. But, if the clock strikes twelve you can turn her into naughty cinders with a good helping of Cointreu. • 1 dash grenadine • Orange juice • Pineapple juice • A drop of Lemon juice • Ice Stir all ingredients in a high glass and garnish with lots of colourful fruit and a sugar coated rim if it makes you feel any better for being sober!
ary // WIN AN Opens 10th Janu
Sober Sunday
This is basically a posh name for lemonade and lime, really. But delicious nonetheless and as stated earlier, to make it a ‘Sunday Session’ just add vodka. • 1 measure grenadine • 1 measure lime juice • Ice • Lemonade Simply pour the grenadine and lime juice into a glass with ice and top off with lemonade. Comes with a hangoverfree guarantee!
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28 Bucks Student
When and how to apply for a extension when something goes wrong
Can’t meet a course deadline? So you know the dates when your assignments are due in or when you have a presentation due, you’ve planned your work and everything is under control but then … SOMETHING GOES WRONG! What do you do? Well there are several things you can do and it all depends on what has gone wrong and how much of your work will be affected. There are three University procedures that you could use - extension requests, mitigating circumstances or suspending studies. This article deals with extension requests. In a future article we will look at mitigating circumstances and suspending your studies. If you do get into any problems with your work and are at all unsure about what to do then speak to your Personal Tutor, Faculty Registrar or an Adviser in the SU Advice Center AS SOON AS the problem occurs. Generally it is up to you to organise your course work around any other commitments you may have i.e. Part-time paid work. You also need to take into account that when you are in a hurry and a dead line is imminent then the computer you are using will crash, the pen drive you saved your work on will be corrupted, there will be a mile long queue for printing, your car will break down, your bus won’t come, the train will be delayed, you will over-sleep, you will have to stay up all night with your friend who’s just been dumped and to cap it all, next door’s dog will get into your house
and chew up your only copy! Your Faculty will have heard all this before; these excuses will NOT work. EXTENSIONS When to apply for an extension: When you have unforeseen, unpreventable or serious difficulties in the days before the deadline, that may prevent you from meeting the deadline and where the agreement of a later deadline for submission will enable you to complete coursework. Extensions must normally be agreed 48 hours before the deadline, though in exceptional circumstances this can be right up until the deadline. How to apply for an extension: Go to your Faculty or School Office and ask for an extension form. Fill it in and supply the necessary independent documentary evidence (see below for examples). Give it to the Authorised Tutor (normally your Head of School or course leader) who will grant or reject your application or return it to your Faculty or School Office if you do not know who the Authorised Tutor is. Examples of documentary evidence include: • Medical certificates (relevant for the time period) • Letters from medical specialists • Letters from professional counsellors/ advisors (relevant for the time period) • Legal documents
• Death certificates Documentary evidence that will NOT be accepted includes: • Personal statements from the claimant describing their personal circumstances, which are not supported by documentary evidence • Uncorroborated evidence from friends or family How long will the extension be for? The length of time granted for an extension will normally reflect the amount of time lost because of the difficulty you’ve experienced. The deadline for an extension will fall before the date for feedback to the rest of your group, so no unfair advantage is given to students with extensions. What if you don’t get an extension?
Phone us, email us, or drop in and see us! get in touch: High Wycombe Campus, North Wing, Ground Floor, t: 01494 603016 Uxbridge Campus, Room 1.02, First Floor, t: 01494 605180 e: suadvice@bucks.ac.uk w: bucksstudent.com/advice
Assignments etc. handed in late without an approved extension will either be capped at 40% or awarded a mark of 0 depending on the lateness. Assignments that are to be marked as a pass or fail only will always be awarded a mark of 0 if handed in late, without an approved extension. If you’ve had an extension and still don’t finish your work in time? If you’ve been given an extension you cannot get another extension for the same piece of work. You can only get mitigating circumstances for the same piece of work if you have experienced a different unpredictable or unforeseen event during the period of the extension or the previous difficulty has got unexpectedly worse. Supporting evidence of the new event or deterioration of an existing difficulty will
need to be submitted. To read the full University Regulations on Extensions go to: www.bucks.ac.uk - put “formal documents” into the search box, click the Formal Documents link, click the A-Z list and scroll down to find the “Assignment / practice extension and mitigating circumstances” link. Need more help and Advice? If you would like to discuss any of the above or you need any help and advice about anything else then we are here to help. Please do not hesitate to contact us. Advice Centre High Wycombe Ground Floor, North Block Tel: 01494 603016 Uxbridge - Room 1.02 Tel: 01494 605180 Or email suadvice@bucks.ac.uk.
Accommodation Problems
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Course Problems
Money Problems
International Problems
Personal Problems
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Across 7. Highly spiced sausage of Italian origin. (6) 8. Not having the necessary means or skill or know-how. (6) 9. ‘Brightest and ---- of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid.’ (4) 10. A large on can be see one the Barley Mow pub sign ! (8) 11. ‘Low at His feet lay thy burden of -----------, High on His heart He will bear it for thee’ Hymn (11) 14. ‘He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach ----------- to the captives’ Luke (11) 18. Sodom or Gomorrah were said to be this. (8) 19. ‘A spotless rose is growing, sprung from a tender ----.’ Hymn (4) 20. ‘That ------ I may rise, and go above, And see Him in the truth of everlasting day’ Cardinal Newman (6) 21. Old Testament prophet who challenged the gods of Baal. (6)
Down 1. St John -------, the cathedral church of Rome. (7) 2. What Lot’s wife was turned into. (4) 3. The Hindu divinity worshipped as the preserver of worlds. (6) 4. Author of the ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’. (6) 5. A musical composition of a free form usually incorporating several familiar themes. (8) 6. ‘And there it did both stop and stay, right over the -----where Jesus lay.’ Carol (5) 12. The Anglican equivalent of Vespers. (8) 13. A specialist in a given branch of knowledge. (7) 15. To grant a share of; bestow. (6) 16. In the Bible, the Jewish queen of Persia who saved her people from massacre. (6) 17. ‘Hark! the songs of peaceful Zion thunder like a mighty -----.’ (5) 19. A long, narrow strap typically used in pairs to guide a horse. (4)
Edition 14 Answers: Across: 1. When; 4. Casebook; 8. Answer; 9. Crambo; 10. Halo; 11. Libretto; 13. Midnightclear; 16. Included; 19. Grew; 20. Gentle; 22. Little; 23. Cathedra; 24. Nude Down: 2. Hungarian; 3. Newborn; 4. Carol; 5. Sackbut; 6. Brace; 7. Orb; 12. Travelled; 14. Godhead; 15. Lighten; 17. Latch; 18. Delia; 21. Era;
CLOCKWORD
3
Quiz
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Who, what where and when?
WHO... created the fictional character Svengali? WHAT... is the Peak District’s highest point? WHERE... is the annual British Showjumping Derby held? WHEN... did best-selling author and naturalist Gerald Durrell die? Answers: WHO: George De Maurier; WHAT: Kinder Scout; WHERE: Hickstead; WHEN: 1995.
Puzzle Corner
Try lots more competitions online by visiting the SU website: www.bucksstudent.com/games
29 Bucks Student The solutions from 1 to 12 are all six-letter words ending with the letter E in the centre. Moving clockwise from 1, the letters in the outer circle will spell the name of a TV news correspondent. 1. Trade 12 2. Martin....former 11 1 Northern Ireland footballer 10 2 3. Of death 4. Set up 5. Deadly 3 9 6. Door beam 7. Colloquial Americanism for ‘you’ 8. Musteline mammal 8 4 9. A good look 10. Gloss paint 7 5 11. Edible seed 6 12. Type of footwear
Sudoku More sudoku competitions online at www.bucksstudent.com/games
CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE
TEXTBOOK FOR SALE: The Business of Sports management (2004) By Beech & Chadwick Prentice Hall Sports Management core text £5. Email tom.foy@bucks.ac.uk or call 01494 601600 if interested. TEXTBOOK FOR SALE: Sports Law: Third Edition (2001) By Gardiner et al Cavendish Publishing Sports Management core text £5. Email tom.foy@bucks.ac.uk or call 01494 601600 if interested. TEXTBOOK FOR SALE: Strategic Sports Management: 2nd Edition (2003) By Shilbury, Quick and Westerbeek Allen & Unwin Sports Management £5.. Email tom.foy@bucks. ac.uk or call 01494 601600 if interested. BUY ALL OF THE ABOVE TEXTBOOKS for £10 JAVASCRIPT BOOK Javascript book to good home. Freecycle - not looking for any money. Email sam. wadieh@bucks.ac.uk or call 01494 601600 if interested. HARDBACK FILES free to good home. Email ian.hunter@bucks.ac.uk if interested.
If you have any items to sell or put in the Bucks Freecycle, then email classifieds@ thebucksstudent.com. Any items emailed across will be considered.
Students text* or email the Vice Chancellor to provide visibility of something which is impacting negatively on their scheduled teaching activities.
Difficulty: Adavanced
Difficulty depends on each sudoku rating
Difficulty: Easy
Fill in the grid so that every column, row and 3 by 3 square includes all of the digits from one to nine.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Sudoku was popularized in 1986 by the Japanese puzzle company Nikoli, under the name Sudoku, meaning single number. It became an international hit in 2005.
text your issues to
07624 805 945
The cost of sending the text is your standard text message rate.
Text: 07624 805 945 Email: student.voice@bucks.ac.uk
Do you think that the university should provide childcare facilities?
visit bucksstudent.com/petition to sign the petition
30 Bucks Student
BBC SPORTS - PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
By Gary Anderson
The BBC’s annual end of year bash took place in Birmingham on December 19th. The great, the good and Sven-Goran Ericksson from the world of sport gathered to look back on the sporting year and to crown the 2010 Sports Personality of the Year. AP McCoy claimed the main prize on the night, becoming the first jockey to receive the famous silver statuette. McCoy proved a very popular choice, demonstrated by the fact that he polled 42% of the public vote. The Northern Irishman secured an unbelievable 15th consecutive champion jockey’s title earlier this year. But it was his maiden victory in National Hunt Racing’s showpiece race, The Grand National, at Aintree this year that captured the sporting public’s imagination. Fifteen appeared to be the magic number on the night as 15 time World Darts champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor came second in the public vote, receiving long overdue recognition for his staggering haul of world championships. Those who knock darts as nothing more than a pub game for fat blokes were forced to sit up and acknowledge the achievements of it’s greatest ever exponent. To be world champion in any discipline 15 years out of 20, be it sporting or otherwise, is a feat that can only be accomplished by someone touched by greatness. The new pin-up girl of British athletics, Jessica Ennis, came third in the voting following another year in which she enhanced her burgeoning reputation as a bona fide world class athlete. The girl from Sheffield has shown plenty of steel in 2010 by becoming European heptathlon champion adding to the World title she won in 2009. Ennis has the potential to become the superstar of the 2012 Olympics should she maintain her current form and stay injury free in the run-up to the London Games. James Corden made an appearance for the second year in a row as ‘Smithy’ from ‘Gavin and Stacey’, to add some humour to the night’s proceedings. Unfortunately, Corden failed to sparkle, rehashing jokes about the athletic prowess of darts players and their penchant for pints as they throw their arrows. Totally un-original stuff and thankfully the rotund funny-man departed the stage after five uninspiring minutes. While Corden failed to crack any jokes, the BBC delivered the biggest punch-line of the evening by bestowing a life-time achievement award on 35 year old David Beckham! It appears that the powers that be who decide on such awards have been sucked in by the juggernaut that is the Beckham brand and publicity machine. So, the crowd rose as one to pay homage to the former England captain with a prolonged standing ovation. He paid tribute to all the players and managers that have worked with him throughout his career and, of course, the ‘‘amazing support from Victoria and the boys’’. Now, I have a lot of respect for Beckham. Putting aside the usual tendencies of the British media to overhype any home-grown player who shows a modicum of ability, Beckham was rightly considered to be among the top players in the world for a couple of seasons between the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. During this period, he was a vital member of the Manchester United side that completed the historic treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in 1999. At the beginning of that season,
Beckham was possibly the most hated man in the country following his infamous sending off against Argentina at France 98, and was subjected to torrents of abuse at every away ground he played at. Through his performances and attitude on the pitch, he managed to sway public opinion and redemption was complete when he secured qualification for the 2002 World Cup with a last gasp trademark free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford. He has gone on to represent his country on 115 occasions. Admittedly, the last 20 or so have been as late substitutions when the result of the game has by and large been determined. Arguably, Beckham reached the zenith of his playing prowess that day against the Greeks. However, he and the rest of the England team disappointed yet again at the subsequent World Cup in Japan and Korea. And this has been a recurring theme throughout Beckham’s international career, particularly at tournaments. At the highest level, hard work and commitmentattributes Beckham had in abundance- were not enough against the best teams in the world. When England needed someone to stand up and take charge of a game, to produce a moment of magic and make a difference, neither Beckham nor his team-mates rose to the challenge when it mattered most; against Argentina in 1998, Brazil in 2002 and Portugal in 2006 and 2008. Since leaving Manchester United in 2003 Beckham has won just one trophy; the La Liga title with Real Madrid in 2007. In January 2007, six months before his contract finished with the Spanish club, he announced that he would be joining Major League Soccer outfit, Los Angeles Galaxy, in the summer of that year. Despite having offers from clubs in the Premier League and other European leagues, his decision to head to the US has for many reinforced the theory that Beckham the brand has replaced Beckham the half-decent footballer. He has been praised for his commitment to the England Cause by spending two loan spells at Italian side AC Milan, to stay sharp and improve his fitness during the MLS off-season. But, if Beckham was serious about wanting to remain at the top level of the game at club and international level, then swanning off to California to play in a second rate competition suggests otherwise. He claims he wants to spread the football gospel in the US and help grow the game which is a very noble aim indeed. Nothing at all to do with the reported 6.5 million dollars a season basic salary he earns from the MLS. It would be an achievement of a lifetime to spend that kind of money. Ah....now I get it!
TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE FOR BUCKS 5THS Bucks fifths had a day to forget last Wednesday at the Rye Park, going down 7-1 to Turnfield School. The home side took the lead on the half-hour mark through a Dave Armstrong penalty; however, they went in at the break trailing 2-1. In a controversial second half, the visitors added a further five goals, through a combination of slick finishing and some sloppy defending and also had a man sent off. Bucks began the game brightly exerting early pressure on Turnfield’s goal. Jamall Sutton looked dangerous on the right wing in the opening exchanges forcing a number of corners for the home side. The visiting ‘keeper was then called into action following good work by Scott Hennel, who created a chance for
Tim King from 12 yards. But his shot was saved by the opposing ‘keeper. Bucks were on top at this stage, with Dan Vivanco in the Bucks’ goal rarely called into action. Then on the half-hour mark, the home sides’ dominance was rewarded. The ball broke to King in Turnfield’s box and the Bucks man was hauled down. The referee pointed to the spot and up stepped skipper Dave Armstrong to coolly despatch the spot-kick. This was as good as it got for Jonny Eldridge’s men. The visitors regrouped and levelled matters five minutes later. Vivanco made a brave block at the feet of the Turnfield striker, but the ball broke kindly for the Turnfield man to score. The visitors took the lead just before half-time with a smart finish from a tight angle.
The Bucks boys were rocking and needed the half-time whistle. The home side were caught cold at the start of the second period however, as a ball over the top caused confusion in the defence and resulted in Turnfield taking a two goal lead. At the other end, Hennel shot straight at the keeper following a superb first touch to control a high ball into the box before substitute Josh Goncalves flashed a shot wide of the right hand upright. The away side then got a slice of luck to go three goals to the good, following a speculative long range effort that somehow eluded Bucks ‘keeper Vivanco and looped into the top corner. Five minutes later, Turnfield were reduced to ten
By Gary Anderson men as the referee showed a red card for dissent. An unsavoury incident followed as the player who was given his marching orders refused to leave the pitch and ended up throwing water bottles at the referee and threatening him. The referee was contemplating abandoning the match, however, after discussions between both managers the game resumed. Bucks were unable to make their numerical advantage count though. Chasing the game, the home side were pushing more men forward but the Turnfield boys defended resiliently. Utilising their speedy attackers, the visitors added a further three goals catching the home side on the counter attack to complete a miserable day for Jonny Eldridge’s men.
Ever tried rowing? An all year round activity, rowing is not only Henley and Pimms. It’s a team sport that is good for your health and can be great fun. It’s also an excellent way to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and give yourself a major health boost. Opportunity to Joining Marlow Rowing Club Competing at the highest standard Marlow Rowing Club takes its members from over a wide area and has both men’s and women’s crews that regularly compete at all levels nationally; plus it runs serious and fun rowing events locally and a number of club social events. The club is currently seeking new recruits to join its senior squads and has offered Bucks New University an open invitation to all students to try out a taster session. They are looking for both new and experienced rowers: For those new to the sport, the Novices Squad is seeking beginners with the aim of progressing to the Senior Squad within one year. For experienced rowers returning to the sport or continuing from Junior, the club offers the possibility to join direct to the Seniors competing nationally. Want to learn more? - Free The most effective way to learn any skill is with a qualified coach and the club is offering a unique opportunity to learn from senior level coaches. An introductory session based on rowing machines at the University gym (to be confirmed) is open to everyone, male and female, and at no charge. To
book a firm place all you have to do is reply to the address below with your name, age, and fitness level (1-5max), quoting BucksNewUni in the subject line. Alternatively, you could just try turning up on the day and waiting until a place is free. Sessions will run throughout the (day?/ morning?/ afternoon ?) and will last for around half an hour. (date to be confirmed?). This is a real chance for you to get feedback from an expert as well as seeing if you have a future interest in the sport. Already busy with sport? Then cross training for other sports with Indoor Rowing using rowing machines is an excellent form of aerobic
exercise that can enhance the training of many other sports including running, rugby and cycling. The rowing machine is one of the few pieces of training apparatus found in the gym that requires a degree of technical competence. As such, coaching is able to maximise the benefit of training and ensure that you do not injure yourself; this session will explain best technique and identify suitable fitness programmes. Full details of rowing squads – what is involved, where and when, can be seen MRC website: http://www.marlowrowingclub.org.uk Email to: devmen@marlowrowingclub.org.uk
FREE Recreational Activities As a part of the Big Deal we can offer a wide and varied range of FREE recreational activities Weekly Recreational Activities Monday- Zumba, 18:15- 19:15, Dance Studio Monday- Salsa, 18:00- 20:00, White Room Tuesday- Recreational Table Tennis & Badminton, 17:0018:00, Sports Hall Tuesday- Hatha Yoga, 17:15- 18:15, Dance Studio Wednesday- Legs Bums and Tums, 12:00- 12:45, Dance Studio Wednesday- Dance Kettle bell, 18.15- 19.15, Dance Studio Thursday- Recreational Volleyball, 13:00- 14:00, Sports Hall Thursday- Multi Spor,t 14:00- 15:00, Sports Hall Thursday- Boxercise, 17:15- 18:15, Dance Studio Thursday- Fitball, 18:15- 19:15, Dance Studio Thursday- Salsa, 18:00- 20:00, S4.06 Friday- Recreational Basketball, 13:00- 14:00, Sports Hall Friday- Recreational Netball, 14:00- 15:00, Sports Hall Friday- Recreational 5 A Side Football, 15:00- 16:00, Sports Hall Friday- Bucks Pump, 17:00- 17:45, Dance Studio The Recreational Sports are subject to change depending on attendance. Fitness classes can be booked at reception up to a week before each one. You can't unfortunately book them in blocks. If you are a member of the Bucks gym they have their own free spaces on each class so please tell reception you are a
wadiehs corner Vice President Student Involvement // vpsi@bucks.ac.uk
member when booking. Activities Coming Up in 2011 Singing Lessons 10 weeks, starting Monday 24/01/2011, 10:00- 14:00, 30 min slots 10 week Italian course, starting Wednesday 26/01/2011, 17:00- 18:30 10 week Spanish course, starting Thursday 27/01/2011, 18:00-19:30 Life Drawing Class 10 weeks, Timberlake Building, starting Thursday 27/01/2011, 17:30- 19:30 Wakeboarding Lessons 10 weeks, Taplow Board and Ski, starting Wednesday 02/03/2011, 12:30- 18:00 Massages, starting Monday 23/05/2011 Thorpe Park, Date and time TBC Trampolining, Date and Time TBC Self Defence, Date and Time TBC Craft Sessions DIY (Valentine’s Day and Easter theme), twice a week starting 07/02/2011- 18/02/2011 Wicked the Musical, Apollo Victoria Theatre Date TBC, 19:30 Please email me your interest to receive Updates and so I can let you know when I am taking bookings for each activity. You can also join the Recreational Activities Facebook Page- just search ‘Bucks New Uni- Free Recreational Activities’ Spaces are limited on all the activities so I do take bookings on a first come first serve basis. For More information or if you are interested in booking
a place on one of these activities, contact Jennifer.yarrow@ bucks.ac.uk or visit me in the student’s union office.
Collect your Club Stash:
Matchday parking on Campus:
The Student Activities Office is full of personalized club stash that has been ordered before Christmas and not collected. There are tracksuits, training tops, skins/baselayers, hoodies etc. So if you have ordered any of the mentioned items, take your receipt in and collect your stuff from Rossco or Jen.
Some of you guys have had trouble with the “campus ticketing Gestapo” who have ticketed cars of people coming in to collect kit or pick up teammates!! After talks with Trevor Nicholls one of your Pro Vice Chancellors there is a new solution.
space, head back to Gateway reception and they will issue you with a 20 minute parking permit to put in your car.
Easter Tour in Salou 2011:
- Try and park in the 20 minute bay
*The 20minute permits are only for Wednesdays*
The deadline for payments is Friday 28th of January 2011!! Which is 2 days away!! So if you are keen on going on tour this year, log into your accounts you have created and pay off your remainder of the cost whilst you have your student loans, xmas money etc as the £65 deposit you have paid is non-refundable.
- If its full find and park in a empty car park
Training days use the 20min bay or stand by your car if literally picking teammates up.
Multifaith Room on HW Campus: This hasn’t been made aware very publicly unless you happen to walk past it. But there is a University multifaith room in E1-10,
called ‘The Sanctuary’. It is open all day, no bookings etc required.
RESULTS
Wednesday 19th January MEN’S FOOTBALL Bucks 3rd 2-0 Uni of Portsmouth’ 6th Bucks 5th 4-0 Uni of Westminster 2nd Bucks SESSA 1st 1-7 Turnford College LADIE’S FOOTBALL Bucks 1st 0-11 Uni of Portsmouth 2nd GOLF Hertfordshire 1st 6-0 Bucks 1st Bucks 2nd 5-1 Uni of Portsmouth 1st LADIE’s HOCKEY Imperial Medicals 2nd 6-1 Bucks 1st NETBALL King’s Col, L’don 1st 34-23 Bucks 1st (Cup) Brunel University 5th 26-45 Bucks 2nd MEN’s RUGBY Royal Holloway 1st 8-8 Bucks 1st Imperial College 4th 78-3 Bucks 2nd
FIXTURES
Wednesday 26th january MEN’S FOOTBALL Bucks 1st v University of Portsmouth 1st Bucks 2nd v St Mary’s Uni College 4th Bucks 6th v Brunel Uni West London 5th Bucks 1st 0-11 Uni of Portsmouth 2nd GOLF Bucks 1st v Uni of Brighton 1st Brunel Uni West London 1st v Bucks 2nd LADIE’s HOCKEY Bucks 1st v Imperial College, London 2nd NETBALL King’s College, London 2nd v Bucks 1st Bucks 2nd v London School of Eco 2nd SESSA NETBALL Middlesex Uni 1st v Bucks 1st MEN’s RUGBY Bucks 1st v Uni of Brighton 1st Uni of Reading 4th v Bucks 2nd Ladie’s RUGBY University of Surrey 1st v Bucks 1st Men’s Squash Bucks 1st v Royal Holloway, L’don 2nd Ladie’s Basketball Bucks 1st v Uni of Westminster 1st Wednesday 2nd February MEN’S FOOTBALL St Mary’s Uni Coll 1st v Bucks 1st Bucks 2nd v Uni of Portsmouth 4th Bucks 4th v Uni of Portsmouth 6th Kingston University 3rd v Bucks 3rd Bucks 5th v King’s College, London 2nd Bucks 6th v St Mary’s Uni Coll 6th Ladie’S FOOTBALL Bucks 1st v Uni of Chichester 2nd GOLF Bucks 1st v Bucks 2nd Men’s HOCKEY Bucks 1st v Imperial Medicals 2nd LADIE’s HOCKEY Brunel Uni West L’don 3rd v Bucks 1st NETBALL Bucks 1st v London South Bank Uni 1st SESSA NETBALL Bucks 1st v University of Greenwich 3rd MEN’s RUGBY University of Surrey 1st v Bucks 1st Ladie’s RUGBY Bucks 1st v Uni of Sussex 1st Men’s Table tennis University of Kent 2nd v Bucks 1st Men’s Tennis Bucks 1st- Brunel Uni West London 2nd Men’s Volleyball Bucks 1st v University of Reading 1st ladie’s Volleyball University of East London 1st v Bucks 1st ladie’s basketball Middlesex University 1st v Bucks 1st ladie’s badminton University of Surrey 1st v Bucks 1st men’s badminton Bucks 1st v Brunel Uni West London 2nd
sports
QUIZ 1. What sport used the term “home run” long before baseball? 2. In what sport did Andy Thomson become a world champion? 3. How many goals were scored in soccer’s 1998 World Cup Final?
Answers: 1. Cricket; 2. Bowls; 3. 3
Bucks Uni Marlow Rowing Club
31 Bucks Student
BUCKS
Everything you need to know about sports at Bucks www.bucksstudent.com/sports
SNOWSOC MAIN EVENT 2011 Main Event for Snowsoc is our Raison d’être. You’ll make more friends, have more fun, be more drunk than you’ll ever think possible, then have to do it all over again for 6 days. Don’t take my word for it – we asked some of the guys from last year to sum up Main Event in a sentence – ‘Stunning views’ – Jenny ‘Everytime I think about main event I get a lady boner’ – Natasha ‘The most fun and debauchery you will ever get up to as a student’ – CJ ‘A messy multitude of mammoth mistakes and mayhem. *****’ - Bean Magazine
‘Snowboarding, drinking, group showers, fancy dress, port to port, food fights and a whole lot of nakedness: the perfect holiday!’ -Carly
‘Perfection but mental with a surprise dose of oh my god the view is beautiful’ – Matt
‘I’d rather go on main event with bucksnowsoc than a free trip to the moon, that’s how epic it is.’ - Mike
‘Orgasmic’ – Charlie
‘A hell of a journey, massively outweighed by the holiday of a fucking lifetime.’ - Dan
‘A face slapping, liver breaking, adrenaline pumping week of snow bending insanity’ – Thom
‘Messy but amazing fun’ - Naomi
‘Piss bags abound! Board, ski, drink and snow… what more could you ask for?’ – Dan
‘Fu****g amazing something that everyone should experience / fuc* you whale!!’ - Rachel
‘The memories you keep from snowsoc will all come from M.E’ – Rich
‘Nothing like a chair to clear your hangover, which you will have, EVERY DAY!’ - Jon
‘Banterful Snowsoc raving virtually naked every night = bliss’ - Sam
‘main event is like filling a pint glass with the tears of a phoenix as it cries with rage because of the untimely death of Dumbledore. It’s like climbing mount Everest on your hands whilst eating a flaming American flag. It’s like that first cup of sugary tea after an epic night out, you’ve had the fun, but now its time to regenerate, and DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.’
‘We must be the world sexiest nunnary’ - James ‘Main event=Sun, Snow, Skiing, Stripping, Smooching, and getting Smashed.’ - Lottie
‘What is main event? It’s the best £500 quid i have ever spent in my life.’ - Myk
A day both universities go head to head in all aports that both have teams in, as well as a host of recreational activites taking place. Even if you’re not partaking, come along and sopport your fellow Bucks!
£7 per tickets which includes: transport to Reading and back, varsity t shirt, food voucher plus entry into Reading SU’s busiest club night of the week!