The bucks student edition 71 by The Bucks Student

January 2017 - Edition 71

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Introduction.

January Issue

This Edition: page 5

With Elections around the corner and Nominations already here, Mark Sweeney and Emilee Platt take you through what it all means, and why you should get involved. Pages 6-7.

Sabbs' Update Your Sabbatical Officers recap the last few weeks and go through some of their plans for the year ahead.

page 8

Contributors Lauren O'Shea • Ben Parmar • Jimi Adeyinka • Mark Sweeney Emilee Platt • Rebecca Hamer • Hanna Nsugbe Grace Yelverton • Lewis Newton • Jessica Baldock Beth Jefferys • Chloe Kimber • Adam Potter • Daniel Lawrence Abbie Reck • Joey Saunders • Emily Dixie • Emily Nurden

Recycling Awareness Rebecca Hamer talks about everything the Students' Union is doing to increase understanding Recycling Awareness Week 2018.

Louisa Banks • Rebecca Foster • Aaliyah Lockitt • Chloe Corkett

page 14

Shannon O’Dell • Charlotte Thomas • Mari Krupa Olivia Jones • Sian Lipscomb • Greg Pike Want to see your name in the list above? Want to have your writing or artwork on show to thousands of people? Get involved. Email editor@thebucksstudent.com

Advertising

Volunteering

Bucks Graduate and Volunteer of the Year 2017, Lewis Newton gives his take on why volunteering was such an important part of his time at university.

page 24

For all advertising and media enquiries please contact the Students’ Union Communications and Marketing department. Simon McDowell - simon.mcdowell@bucks.ac.uk Articles in this newspaper do not necessarily represent the views of Bucks Students’ Union but are that of the specific author. View this edition online at bucksstudentsunion.org/communications.

Societies Daniel Lawrence reminds us that Societies are open to everyone at Bucks, and that there's something for everyone to get involved with!

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

page 30

AU Dinner Charlotte Thomas explains all the different Athletic Union Awards, and how you could get nominated for one!

4 January Issue

A word from the Editor.

By Olivia Jones

NEW YEAR, NEW ME! Bet that’s not the first time you’ve heard that this Month. At the start of the new year we’re all full of it; going to eat

you’ve done in a year is write a hell of a lot of essays

Union can help you make the most of your time at

better food, be better at going to the gym, be better at

and not much else, and then suddenly, the year’s over

Bucks, so go on the website and see what you can get

keeping up with friends, get better grades… the list goes on. and you feel like you didn’t really make the most of it;

involved with- and if you’re interested in writing, email:

New year is obviously a great time to set new goals, and the fact that we’ve all just had a little time to sit and eat and watch movies makes us feel like we want

but we really just shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves,

editor@thebucksstudent.com.

these are such important years, and there aren’t that

My friend told me that his new year’s resolution

many of them, so knuckling down and spending just

is to be proactive with things that he’s passionate

to- dare I say it - get back to normality and start doing

three years working hard will pay off (one day!).

all the things we have planned for ourselves this year.

What’s so exciting about all of this is that if you’re in

far. Challenge yourself to make a difference or get

But recently, I’ve heard a lot of new year’s goals being

your final year, you literally could be anywhere in the

involved with an organisation, company or charity

around doing things ‘better’, and I think maybe we just

world at the end of 2018, and as much as that’s a little

who work with things you are passionate about. You

aren’t giving ourselves enough credit.

scary, it’s also so exciting.

can find out about how to volunteer with bucks in this

We survived last year (!) and we all did it pretty well. In

So this month, when you’re thinking about what you

edition, so flick through and see what inspires you.

hindsight of course there are things we could’ve done

want ‘improve’, give yourself a little credit for all of

Happy new year (and good luck with the dissertations

better and situations we could’ve dealt with differently

the things you achieved last year, and use that as

to all the 3rd years who will be completing them this

but fundamentally, I think 2017 was a pretty good year.

motivation to enjoy this year, and make the most of it.

year!)

When you’re studying you sometimes realise that all

As always, I can’t stress enough how Bucks Students'

Liv x

about, and I think that’s the best one I’ve heard so

AN UPDATE FROM YOUR SABBS BEN PARMAR PRESIDENT

LAUREN O'SHEA JIMI ADEYINKA VICE PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT EDUCATION & WELFARE STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

Hello 2018 and welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a well-deserved break over the holiday period, even if you were still studying hard, with assignments to complete and exams to revise for. Hopefully you’re all settling in to the new year and getting back into the swings of things at uni. This term should be very exciting with campaigns coming, events to look forward to, changes around the university and Varsity is fast approaching! Although I hope you had an awesome 2017, I hope you’re planning on making 2018 even better and have set yourselves some targets for the year and some New Year’s Resolutions! A very common one is to get fitter and be more active! If this is you then I can’t recommend trying out the local Parkun at the Rye which is completely free as its facilitated entirely by volunteers and starts at 9am every Saturday morning! Over 500 people show up every week, made up of every type of person from children to pensioners, to maintain a healthy level of fitness and be part of such a good community event. We already have quite a few students who have signed up and tried it out so if you want to join in then get in contact with me!

After stuffing my face full of potatoes and pigs in blankets I can safely say I’m still feeling a bit full after the Christmas break! However you spent the holidays I hope you all got your well-deserved break but now it’s time to get back in the swing of things. It’s a new year and we’ve got some exciting plans coming up to benefit you all. A top tip for you all this term is to take your time when choosing accommodation for the next academic year, you’ve still got plenty of time before making your decision. Don’t sign that contract quite yet, our Housing Fair is Tuesday 6 February and will provide you with all the information you need before confirming your living arrangements. I’m also running a new campaign in February called Love Lock Bucks, promoting self-love to all students, more details to be released soon!

Happy New! I hope you had a great break whether you spent at home or in Wycombe. This term is only 11 weeks long. We are already a few weeks in. there’s so much to look forward to from Elections, Varsity and Tour. For those that don’t know, Varsity is the biggest sporting event in the Athletic Union Calendar, in which our sports clubs compete against Roehampton University. This year we are hosting, which makes it extra special has the last time we hosted was the first time we won Varsity. Look out for promotions. Another thing to look forward is our Volleyball 4 RAG (Raise and Give) coming soon. Make sure you keep upto-date with what’s on the website. There’s something for everyone, but if you have an idea of something we could do to, tell us. we are to make life better for you while you're at the University.

Get in touch: Ben: ben.parmar@bucks.ac.uk Lauren: lauren.oshea@bucks.ac.uk Jimi: jimi.adeyinka@bucks.ac.uk

Bucks SU Pres Bucks Vpew Bucks Vpsi

@BucksSUPres @BucksSUVPEW @BucksSUVPSI

January Issue

By Lauren O'Shea, Ben Parmar & Jimi Adeyinka

Sabbatical Officers.

6 January Issue

Nominations and Elections.

By Mark Sweeney & Emilee Platt

ELECTIONS ARE COMING 5-9 MARCH

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN! It’s hard to believe that we’re at this stage of the year already but Elections Time is Coming and nominations for the 2018/19 elections are now open! There’s so many different student leadership positions on offer so this could be your chance to get involved and make a change. Do you look like a leader? Think you’ve got what it takes to lead the Students’ Union? Then why not stand for one of our three sabbatical officer roles - President, Vice President Education and Welfare and Vice President Student Involvement. All of these roles offer an individual the opportunity to direct the work of the Students’ Union during their time in office meaning you can make the changes you want to see. It’s set to be a hotly contested election this year so make sure you get your nominations in early in order not to miss out.

roles are self-defining. Only you can say if you should be running or voting in those elections on the basis that you are self-defining as a woman, a student with a disability, as BME or LGBT+. The other four roles, International (paying international student fees), Mature (starting your course at the age of 21 or above), Parttime and Postgraduate Executive Officers, are all based on your point of entry to the University. The Executive Officer roles are all voluntary positions and are performed alongside your studies. There are four Student Trustee positions available as each of the current Student Trustees are final year students and will be vacating their posts at the end of this academic year. The position of Student Trustee is a unique opportunity to part of the team driving the strategic direction of the Union. The Student Trustee roles are part time volunteers who fulfil the roles alongside their studies.

Whilst our Sabbatical Officer roles are probably the most high profile during the elections period there are some other very important positions within the Students’ Each year, the National Union of Students hold their Union that are also up for election. annual conference and three representatives from Bucks are sent to be your voice. The delegation leader We have eight Executive Officer positions up for is the Union’s current President but the other two NUS election. Formerly known as Part-time Officer positions, Delegates are elected. One of the three roles is reserved we have revised the role titles to better reflect the for a woman and as our delegation leader isn’t a woman important responsibility these officers hold in helping then one of the elected positions must be. us to represent full diversity of our membership. These roles are filled by students who represent those ‘harder Finally, we also have our student rep positions up for to reach’ groups and make sure that they benefit equally election. Student reps are the Union’s eyes and ear from the services of the Students’ Union. Four of the at a course level. They act as the figurehead for their

class or group and help us to get an understanding of the student experience as well as identifying if any changes need to be made or good practice needs to be highlighted. Want to help make the changes you and your peers want to see on your course? Nominate yourself to be a student rep now!

Key Dates: Noon Friday 16 February

Nominations close 10am Monday 5th March

all Ballots open Noon Friday 9th March

all Ballots close From 9pm Friday 9th March

Elections night (including results announcement)

Nominations and Elections.

January Issue

We asked Emilee Platts to give her take on nominations and elections. Emilee has been involved with pretty much everything as a student from being a Faculty Officer to a Student Trustee to an NUS Delegate and much more. Emilee tells us about the elections week from her perspective as well as the benefits of nominating yourself. She also tells us about some of the roles she’s held during her time at Bucks and how they’re going to benefit her when leaving the institution. What is elections week?

My roles:

This year, elections week runs from 10am Monday March to noon on Friday 9 March. During the week you have the opportunity to vote for the positions listed on the opposite page that will take affect from the next academic year. Each candidate who runs will submit a manifesto, explaining why they should be voted for that position and how they will make a change to the student experience! This is something that directly affects you so make sure you take the time to read what they’ve said in order to make an informed decision. It is so important to vote so that you can say you have had your say on who runs your Students’ Union! Online voting is the most popular way to vote and there will be easy access to the manifestos of all candidates on the Students' Union website. Plus you can do this whenever and wherever you are. Also, there will be various ballot boxes dotted around campus that you can pop into to do a quick paper vote as you’re passing by between the hours of 10am-4pm each day. There will also be paper copies of the candidate’s manifestos available at the ballot boxes.

Last year, I ran for and won both the Student Trustee and NUS Delegate positions. I have really enjoyed these positions so far and have been involved in the Students’ Union even more because of these roles. As a Student Trustee, I sit amongst other trustees on a board where we make decisions about the Students’ Union and how smoothly it is running. It helps me to put forward my ideas to benefit the SU. As an NUS Delegate, I travelled to Brighton to be a part of the NUS Conference for three days. It was so interesting to see how other Students’ Union’s work with their policies and ideas. I got to vote in the breakout sessions for what I think would be beneficial for students across the country.

If you have any questions about anything to do with elections, please visit bucksstudentsunion.org/elections,

What are the benefits of standing in Elections?

email surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk or pop into one of

The most obvious benefit, as always, is that any of these roles look amazing on your CV! To be able to say that you had a leadership position within the Students’ Union is a highly credited role seen by employers.

the Students’ Union offices at either the High Wycombe

Other benefits include: improving communication skills, gaining in confidence with public speaking, being a well-known face around the Students’ Union and University which can lead on to other opportunities. Most importantly though, you are able to have a real say on the student experience and bring about the changes students want to see. So make sure you speak to students when putting together a manifesto!

(ground floor, North Wing) or Uxbridge campus (first floor) and ask to speak to a member of the Representation team.

NOMINATE YOURSELF NOW!

8 January Issue

Recycling Awareness Week.

By Rebecca Hamer

Do you recycle? When you have finished your lunch, do you know what bin to put your rubbish in? From Monday 22 - Sunday 28, we are looking to educate everyone here at Bucks on how to recycle and the importance of recycling as well as reducing the amount of contaminated waste we produce. During last year’s Go Green week we held a survey to find out more about what our members needed to know about. The answer was recycling! How to recycle on campus, what recycling we use, and where our waste ends up. Over the past few months, we have had complaints from students letting us know that the recycling is not being completed correctly. This is due to contamination in the bins, (people putting the wrong waste in the wrong bins). To try and tackle this issue, we have created some new posters to stick above our current recycling bins. We are also introducing Bin Bouncers, volunteers who will be patrolling the bins in Beats café over the busiest periods 12-1pm. The Bin Bouncers will be keeping an eye out for waste being disposed of incorrectly and helping everyone to understand which bins to use. Look out for the Bin Bouncers on your lunch. On Wednesday 24 January we have teamed up with Chiltern Rangers and the university to organise a litter pick. We will be clearing up the roads by Hughenden Halls, the new Elderly Homes and the new pub. These roads are covered in litter which is harming the local wildlife and destroying the aesthetic of the area. Meeting in the Students’ Union offices at 12:30pm, please dress weather appropriately. On Thursday 25 we're running our weekly Green Thursdays again with Chiltern Rangers. Head out and meet the Rangers at Wycombe Rye Lido car park at 10am and keep fit while helping to take care of your local environment in the local woodlands. Transport to and from the site provided and they will

aim to be finished at 1pm after a rewarding mornings work. Tools, gloves and hot drinks are provided. Please wear suitable footwear and appropriate clothing suitable for outdoor activities and the weather. To sign up for either events with Chiltern Rangers please email volunteering@bucks.ac.uk. If you are heading down to the quiz in the Students’ Union on Sunday 28 January you had best brush up on your recycling and environmental knowledge as there will be a number of lightning rounds on these topics to test your awareness. On Monday 22 January we launched a competition. We want YOU to create a piece of art made solely from recycled goods. Do you think you have what it takes? There will be a CASH PRIZE of £50 for 1st place and £10 for 2nd place. All entries must be handed in to the Students’ Union office by Thursday 22 February at 4.30pm. We are looking for art work with a powerful message on the importance of recycling and correct waste disposable. You may have also noticed this week we have removed all straws from the bar. THIS IS BECAUSE STRAWS ARE BAD! 8.5 billion Straws are used in the UK every year. Straws take around 200 years to decompose. The US use enough straws to wrap round the earths circumference 2.5 times, daily. Straws are one of the top 10 items littering our marine environment. 90 per cent of rubbish floating in the world's oceans is plastic, primarily straws, bottles and caps. 6,263,319 straws and stirrers have been collected at beach clean-up events over the past 25 years. Reports indicate there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. If that isn’t enough to put you off using a straw, have you watched the video of the sad turtle with a straw stuck in his nose? If you are passionate about the environment and want to help make a change let us know - we need more students on board to help us make a difference. Email Becky: rebecca.hamer@bucks.ac.uk.

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4 February

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8 MONDAY 5 FEBRUARY

WEDNESDAY 7 FEBRUARY

10 January Issue

Student opinion.

By Hanna Nsugbe

LIBYAN SLAVERY RINK

When in remembrance of historical atrocities, we often claim, as individuals and as a community to be in such disgust of past evils, that we claim times now are different, and as such no longer run the risk of those transgressions reoccurring, so why then has the international community largely been mute in the face of this large a scale of modern slavery? The close of 2017, brought with it many realizations. For one, Donald Trump was and still is President of the United States, and that is unfortunately no dream. Another nightmare, that seemed too horrific for reality, was the exposure of the Libyan slavery rinks, where captives are brutalised, tortured, raped, and sold off for prices ranging from a hundred to four hundred US dollars. Once shrouded in mystery and operated deep within silence, these rinks have been by exposed CNNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investigations, which saw the revelation of the horrors of this once presumed ancient atrocity. The answer to the question is not simple, nor definitive. Perhaps there is some unknown political agenda driving the silence, perhaps it is ignorance, or perhaps the painful truth is that the political leaders claiming to lead our world into a new era of peace and unity, have chosen to utilise their voices instead for social media rants about the enormity of the nuclear war button on their desks (can you work out who this is?) and chosen to practice selective muteness in the face of extreme social and human injustice. For many Africans though, there is no choice or option for silence so during the past few months, amongst custom memes, speculation about Kylie Jennerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pregnancy and other irrelevant news, many millennials have used social media as a tool to spread

awareness of the injustices faced by African migrants that have been held captive upon their attempted passage through Libya, and then subsequently sold into slavery or as sex workers. These millennials have called for action, signed petitions, held protests, and posted throughout social media. This so far has created a dialogue, amongst some politicians, governments and amongst society, however what active steps are being taken to not only prosecute the offenders but to most importantly free those in captivity? The British government had a debate in parliament a few weeks ago, after an online petition on the governments website garnered over two hundred thousand signatures. The government has claimed to have initiated talks with the Libyan government to ensure the eradication of the rinks. This begs the question however, firstly if there was not such an uproar would the British government have initiated any sort of action? And secondly is there any action ACTUALLY being initiated. Here is to hoping, that the sufferings of those in captivity do not become a fizzled out trend, and that in fact, steps are taken to rectify this immense social justice. We must then ask ourselves, if as the human race we have in actuality learnt from our past behaviours, or is that merely a delusion?

11 January Issue

WHAT’S YOUR PASSION? The Bucks Student newspaper is looking for current students to write articles - if you’re passionate about a subject, we’d love to hear from you. Can’t think of what to write? No problem! Join us at a Newsgroup meeting and we’ll give you a topic to write about. Our meetings are in the Study Lounge (near Beats, opposite the Dance Studio) - email editor@thebucksstudent.com for a time and date. Not only will you get your views and opinions out there, but being able to say your work has been published will look fantastic on your CV. For more information email the student editor, Liv, on editor@thebucksstudent.com. Want to take your writing even further? We are starting to look for an editor to work with the Bucks Student for the next academic year (2018/19). If you would like to find out more please email sucommunications@bucks.ac.uk.

12 January Issue

Advice Centre.

By Grace Yelverton

MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES

Welcome back to a new term, brighter days are on the way and well done on getting through the exams. If for some reason you had difficulties during the exams, maybe you missed one because of illness or had something really unexpected happen, whatever the reason, you can speak to the Advice Centre or your Faculty Registrar about Mitigating Circumstances.

A claim for mitigating circumstances can be made where there has been “a serious disruption of studies caused by circumstances which are beyond the student’s control and which occurred in the period immediately preceding or during the completion of assessment tasks.”

One of the reasons we often hear for a late claim is that the student was waiting for the evidence they needed before submitting the claim. Don't wait. The best thing to do is get the claim in as soon as possible to your Faculty Registrar and let them know you will send the evidence after. That way the date you handed in the form will be the date stamped as being received in the office. You don’t even need to remember all the details of what it is and how it works. Just know that it exists and we can help you to understand and apply if necessary. Hopefully you are full of enthusiasm to get stuck in to your assignments but do remember if anything comes your way that is causing you difficulty getting your assignments done this term, you can seek advice from us, we are here to help.

Claims need to be made within 15 working days of the assessment so no matter what has happened, get in contact as soon as possible to make sure there are no It may be that an extension would be sufficient and your tutors can help with that if further issues caused by making a late claim. Don’t worry if you have passed the 15 day deadline as you can still make a late claim, however you will have to show a valid you have lost a bit of time just before the submission date but you feel you could get the work done with an extra few days. If you are not sure then it’s our job to help reason for not submitting the claim in time. you with the best action for you. Evidence is essential for making a successful claim so the best thing to do if Life happens outside of uni and this is why mitigating circumstances and extensions there is an issue is see your GP or other professional service, speak to the Advice exist, so don’t let the studies slip and remember to ask for help when you need it. Centre about what evidence might be necessary for your particular claim and check out the helpful information in the Mitigating Circumstances policy at Email us on suadvice@bucks.ac.uk, drop in to one of the offices, or call us on: 01494 603 016 (WYC) or 01494 605 180 (UXB). bucksstudentsunion.org/mit-circs.

HOUSING FAIR Are you moving into a private rented house next year? Expert professionals will be available to give you all the info you need for stress free renting including information on StudentPad, your deposit, contract and rights.

Tuesday 6 February

Beats Cafe

11am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3pm Contact information:

accommodation@bucks.ac.uk Tel: 01494 603 063 suadvice@bucks.ac.uk Tel: 01494 603 016

14 January Issue

Volunteering.

By Rebecca Hamer & Lewis Newton

DO YOU WANT A NEW

ACTIVITY FOR 2018? Something which is fun, help you meet new people, help learn transferable skills and maybe even give you an insight into your future career? Then volunteering is for you! Here at Bucks we are currently offering just over 30 different opportunities. These opportunities vary from micro drop in sessions – writing letters for ill children, one day opportunities – volunteering with the local conservation group, week long or even placement style opportunities – Social media intern for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and even international volunteering trips – Elephant and Hill Tribes in Thailand with Challenges Aboard. All our opportunities are designed for students and our community providers are extremely flexible when it comes to your availability. Each opportunity has something different to offer and something for everyone to get involved with. If we don’t have something which takes your fancy, just let us know and we will try to help you find something suitable.

You don’t really know you’re volunteering until someone tells you, ‘you’re volunteering!’ I’m volunteering to write this short article. Ironic isn’t it. And that’s how simple volunteering is, you can get involved in anything. In my three years at Bucks and being involved in the Union I collated over 400 volunteering hours, seems like a mental amount of time to add onto my studies and external responsibilities, but it isn’t a lot of time when you consider the grand scheme of things. It’s minimal and it’s so worthwhile.

on as many projects and got involved in as many opportunities offered to me by the Union as possible (Post pals, Smile Campaign, Netball, Volley, Football and Dodge 4RAG, fundraising and campaign for Alzheimer’s UK, holding stalls to raise money for RAG and many, many more). The result was a lot more to talk about on my CV than a few years working behind a bar… Oh, and I won a shiny award at the annual Union Awards celebrations. I highly recommend volunteering to all students at Bucks, it makes you more employable, stand out from the crowd, gives you more to talk about in interviews, you will learn more transferable skills and have fun whilst doing so, and that’s the whole point of coming to University isn’t it?

Volunteering has enhanced my CV beyond belief. Leaving University, it took little time to find my first professional job, but when I did and in all the interviews prior, the main topic of conversation was ‘volunteering’... Thanks for reading, Why did you get involved in volunteering? What did you do? Why so many hours? And the answers may be Lewis Newton To find out more about volunteering or how to find our different to you but for me it is to enhance my abilities Bucks Graduate opportunities, come speak to a member of the Student and employability as much as I can. Committee Member of the Year 2017 Activities Team here in the Students’ Union, email: Volunteer of the Year 2017 volunteering@bucks.ac.uk, visit the volunteering section In three years, I took on four different committee Chairman of Club of the Year 2017. positions and was elected Athletic Union Chair. I took of the website: bucksstudentsunion.org/volunteering, or follow ‘Becky Bucks’ on Facebook. Becky Hamer Activities Coordinator (Volunteering & Charity Fundraising)

Film Review.

January Issue

22 Jan - 28 Jan

29 Jan - 4 Feb Tuesday 30

January Issue

Monday 22

Wednesday 31

Monday 22

Wednesday 24

PRESENTS

JOE MCCORRISTON THE LOUNGE MONDAY 22 JANUARY NOON

@COFFEEHOUSETOUR www.COFFEEHOUSEsessions.com

@COFFEEHOUSETOUR

Friday 26 Saturday 27

Sunday 28

SUNDAY 28 JANUARY

THE LOUNGE | 8PM | Â£2 for guests Brand new weekly quiz, incorporating knowledge and speed for the chance to win big cash prizes just for answering a few questions!

PLUS

Saturday 3

5 Feb - 11 Feb

Monday 5

January Issue

Wednesday 7

Friday 2

Saturday Thursday29 8

LIVE NIGHT Monday 13 Friday 9

Wednesday 17

SUNDAY 11 FEBRUARY

THE LOUNGE | 8PM | £2 for guests

Brand new weekly quiz, incorporating knowledge and speed for the chance to win big cash prizes just for answering a few questions!

PLUS

Sunday 4

Saturday 10

Drinks Promotions Snakebite: £2 ‘til midnight Frat Punch: £2 Pint of soft drink: £1 VK: 2 for £5 or 5 for £10 Snakebite: £2 ‘til midnight Bombs: £2 Becks Blue: £2 VK: 2 for £5 or 5 for £10

Saturday 10 February The Venue 10pm - 3am

Pitchers: £9 Wine: £8 Rekorderlig: £3 Pint of Juice: £1 Red Stag and mixer: £2 Staropramen: £2 Can of Red Bull: £2 Bulmers: £3 Disaronno and mixer: £2 Bud Light: £2 Hooch: £3 Can of Rubicon: 80p

January Issue

Rusty recommends.

January Issue

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

on work outside of coursework guidelines is something audition tapes and performances with the aim of to relish upon; and it doesn’t stop with those who want creating that month’s ‘Jam Group’. In the weeks leading up to the event, this selected Jam Group will practice to be in the spotlight. a variety of songs, spoken word, dance and/or acting Are you a videographer who wants to expand performances to showcase at the end of the month. your portfolio? Get in touch and help film and edit promotional materials for the Xpose Youtube page. Are Xpose is a great way for students to collaboratively you a Fashion Designer and have new threads to show utilise, hone and adapt their skills, to truly create “Arte et industria” reads Bucks New Uni’s motto, off? Get in touch and demonstrate your work on the something artistic and innovative that they are proud meaning “By Art and Industry”, and the founders of catwalk. Or are you an Event Management student who of. Not only this, but external performers will also join Xpose aim to truly apply this overarching concept wants to fully take the reins and ensure the smooth us to showcase their talents, as well as hosting Q&A with a brand new monthly night event in The Venue. operation of a multi-faceted event at an awardsessions to further get the creative juices flowing! Johnnie and Rhonda, both current Music Performance winning venue? Get in touch (And that’s just the tip of Management students at Bucks and the brains behind The first Xpose event takes place in The Venue on this new-for-2017-18 event, feel that there is a need the iceberg!). Thursday 22 February, and will be held on the final to apply what they have learned in the classroom in a Thursday of each month from then on. How does Xpose work, you ask? At the time of real, working environment, and while there is a large publishing, you may have already heard a bit of buzz emphasis on the performing arts, they aim to take around campus about their inaugural event, but in students from all walks of life at Bucks along for the ride. Want to be part of the Xpose team? essence, Xpose is the culmination of a month’s worth of practice, promotion and exploration in terms of Performance art is a huge part of this institution and Email: suevents@bucks.ac.uk. the opportunity for more Bucks students to collaborate artistic style. Every month, the team will take on Inspiring students to curate their own events is what we are all about here at Bucks Students’ Union, and Xpose not only gives those keen students a chance to express themselves, but also to creates the chance to mingle with those in the industry, giving you a foot up in post-Uni life.

20 January Issue

Student kitchen.

By Jessica Baldock

HOT STUFF It’s that time of the year everyone. Christmas is out of the way, everyone’s getting sick, and you’re back in the swing of things with Uni. Let’s face it, the January Blues are here and it’s easy to get caught up in comfort food and hibernating until the winter is over. That’s why this issue’s recipe is super simple and guaranteed to give you a little pick-me-up and lots of nutrients to help fend off those wretched colds going around.

Veganuary Soup: This recipe serves two, so half and multiply by the number of people you’re cooking for.

What you need to have:

What you need to do:

−−About 500g of any vegetables of your

1. If you're adding onions to your soup,

choice, peeled and chopped into bitesize chunks (I usually go for whatever is reduced in the supermarket on a Sunday afternoon)

−− 700ml vegetable stock −− Salt and pepper to season −− Curry powder or other spices (optional).

then first you’re going to want to fry them. 2. Add your stock and bring to the boil. 3. Add all of the rest of your chopped vegetable and boil until they are soft. 4. At this stage, if you want to add any spices do so to your preference. 5. If you’re wanting a smooth soup then at this point you will want to blend it, but leaving it chunky is okay too.

This soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, so I like to make a lot and warm some up for lunch each day throughout the week. It’s super cheap but super yummy too and goes great with a crusty bread roll. You can also freeze it for up to a month!

NEW YEAR... NEW WARDROBE? For me the new year brings new adventures, opportunities, and of course… SALES! January is the perfect month for shopping. With a purse stuffed with cash and the shops full of discounts, I couldn’t think of a better way to lift those January blues. However, this year I’m doing things a little differently. I’ve finally decided I need to put a stop to my spending habits and buy items I’m actually going to wear more than once. As a fashion student, I take great pride in my wardrobe and love to experiment with new outfits every day. Finding a solution to limit my spend but not deprive me of an afternoon browse was easier than I thought, and so I thought I’d share it with you all. The 30 wears challenge. To be honest, the entire campaign is rather self-explanatory: to only buy things that I can wear at least 30 times. With the impact of fast fashion becoming more and more prominent on the environment and the workers in the industry; I’ve decided to make 2018 my year of sustainability. So here’s a question for ya; do you want to join me? It’s really not that hard and to help you out I’ve included a top tips to help you guys out:

1) Does this fit my personal style?

2) Can I wear it in at least 3 different ways?

3) Do I REALLY love it?

Don’t get me wrong, It’s very tempting to buy the newest drop in Zara, or head into topshop to boost your going out repertoire. The fashion industry is reliant on our desperation to be “fashionable”, but I truly believe that the word fashion has been watered down by our uniform of trends. My own wardrobe is a mishmash of wacky prints and garish colours, and I am proud of every piece of clothing I own. So next time you’re out shopping, remember to ask yourself: “does this fit with my style?” – and don’t just buy it because it’s in the window.

Its rather important to consider the rest of your wardrobe whilst your dancing around in front of the dressing room mirror. I tend to use the rule: Only buy it if I can wear it in 2-3 different outfits. Considering whether the item can be dressed up with a pair of fancy shoes, or down with a pair of muddy trainers, is also a good way to go about buying.

This is by far the most important! Everything you wear should make you feel awesome. I often prance about in the dressing room debating the idea of walking up to the tills (still wearing the item) and asking them to remove the tag for me then and there. These sort of finds are 100% worth your well earned money… or your student loan… isn’t that what it’s there for? However, if you have any doubt about an item – then save your money. It’s just not worth buying something you might only wear once.

And last but not least...

Wear at least 30 times...

Well I’ll leave it there, but I wish you all luck if you decide to join me on this quest. Stay Snazzy wonderful people! B xx

January Issue

By Beth Jefferys

Fashion.

22 January Issue

Film review: The Greatest Showman.

By Chloe Kimber

The Greatest Showman is an original musical, based loosely on the life of Phineas Taylor Barnum (Hugh Jackman, Wolverine). in the cast that stood out. Both Keala Settle (Riki and the Flash) and Rebecca Ferguson (The Snowman) gave stunning performances, alongside Zendaya (Spiderman: Homecoming) whose voice is just beautiful. While, although it is known that Jackman is not the greatest singer, throughout most of his musical numbers he sounded autotuned. However, As you may or may not know I am a lover of the film must be commended for its total celebration musicals, so discovering the release of The Greatest of diversity. Bringing together people from all walks Showman, was pretty exciting. Not only was it an to life, in a totally immersive film. original story but starred Hugh Jackman as the protagonist, and I mean how can you not love Hugh Jackman. It did not disappoint. It was by every means of the word spectacular, from the costumes to the locations to the CGI elephants. It all mixed together to create a lavish experience, which mixed perfectly with songs, which, trust me when I say, you will be singing for days. It tells the story of how he rose from nothing and living on the streets, to a worldwide sensation creating a marvellous spectacle, which shocked the world, marrying his childhood sweetheart Charity (Michelle Williams, Manchester By the Sea) along the way.

Despite the fact it was lead by three which wellknown actors, Jackman, Williams and Zac Efron (High School Musical), it was the lesser known actors

While many parts of the plot may not be historically accurate, and it perhaps romanticises an infamous scam artist, it is easily overlooked. The Greatest Showman is meant to be marvelled at, if was a period drama then it would be a different narrative entirely. However, it does still show the enormity of Barnum’s success, while making several stabs at the white upper class, during the days of Queen Victoria, displaying how far we’ve come (and yet to come) as a society. Overall, this is definitely one of those films that you either love or hate. It is a fun and carefree musical, which allows you to forget about the world for a couple of hours. Although, I must warn you if you are not a big fan of romantic mush, you may cringe at certain moments of the film. However, pushing that aside I would definitely recommended going to the The Greatest Showman while it is still at the cinemas; it is made for a big screen. While it isn’t exactly La La Land, I can guarantee you’ll have fun either way.

The Last Jedi is the eighth instalment in the now ongoing Star Wars saga, as well as the tenth film in the ongoing franchise. Not only does it strike this writer as being like The Force Awakens and the anthology spin-off feature Rogue One combined but The Last Jedi might just be better and more powerful than either movie. This is an epic, layered storyline within a larger ongoing saga and a compelling, exciting epic in its own right. It continues the new story arc that was started in The Force Awakens (Episode 7) but other than that you should see it without reading anything plot-related because there’s a lot more twists and turns in this episode. The Last Jedi repeats certain plot/character elements from Episodes 5 (The Empire Strikes Back) and 6 (Return of the Jedi), but as the film progresses it puts different twists on what we have seen before. For instance, there is a scene very early in the film where the villain, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is told to remove his mask. He only sports his mask in half of one scene before removing it and later smashing it in a fit of deep-seated rage. Driver is better in this movie; this writer’s only gripe was, and is, that his overall physical appearance does not do his character or the story much justice. Those who have seen Episode 7 will know what I mean by this but when you go into this newest chapter you should put that criticism aside because not only is Driver’s acting much deeper here, but he goes through an arc that seems similar to that of iconic Star Wars villain Darth Vader, and yet a lot of his scenes, particularly the moment where he destroys his own mask, makes it clear that you are not watching a character whom you thought of previously as a Vader rip-off. The mask removal scene also addresses that same criticism through a character’s dialogue.

Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill shine as Rey and the legendary Luke Skywalker, the latter of whom is now an older, jaded Jedi Master who has given up and is hiding on this Celtic-looking planet. You really feel as though Skywalker has become the hero we know and love form the original trilogy and yet at the same time has changed almost radically as if the filmmakers intended to reboot the character to a certain degree and somehow it works, surprisingly when you consider that Hamill himself disagreed with the new director’s vision of the character. Writer/director Rian Johnson helms this film with a passion and love for Star Wars but also with the most uniquely epic vision to ever be brought to a Star Wars movie. This film expands greatly on what The Force can do and it is at times more complex and hard to accept at first yet helps makes The Last Jedi feel like a fresh new episode. The action scenes are by far the most epic and powerful in all of Star Wars, not just in terms of action but also visually and in some scenes, thematically compelling. All in all, with TFA director JJ Abrams returning to direct Episode 9, I’m not sure how The Last jedi and its creative choices can be surpassed because this is a deeper, more uncompromising epic in this new trilogy of Star Wars.

9/10

January Issue

By Adam Potter

Film review: Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

24 January Issue

Societies.

By Daniel Lawrence

(NOT SO) SECRET SOCIETIES Want to hang out with people with a like-minded interest as you? Get involved with a society! We have 28 societies to give you a varied social life and meet new people outside of your course and housemates. There are societies linked to courses such as Aviation, Nursoc and Performing Arts, common interests such as Cosplay, Gaming, Circus and Musical Theatre, community groups like Feminist, LGBTQ+ and ACS and also sporting societies including Boxing, Handball and Women’s Rugby. Most societies will hold weekly sessions and trips once a term to engage members and best of all joining a society is FREE so there is

no limit to how many societies you can join... it's all dependant on your time. If all these were not enough Psychology and AfroDancehall society have recently just set up and are ready to go this term and an interest has been shown in setting up a Fashion society, Bucks Enterprise, Marketing, Mooting, Snowsoc and Model Making. If you are interested in any of these or want to set up your own society that currently does not exist, feel free to get in contact at susocieties@bucks.ac.uk or come and see me in the Students’ Union offices.

There is no limit to how many societies you can join... NOMINATIONS: Are you currently a member of a society and ever thought “I could take this society forward and make it even better?” Why not run in the upcoming elections. Nominations are now open for next year committee members. Being a committee member helps enhance your CV, showing leadership and organisation and is a great experience which will put you above others going into future employment. For a full list of societies alongside contact details of the current committee visit our website: bucksstudentsunion.org/societies or meet them at Refreshers' Fair on Monday 5 February in Wycombe and Wednesday 7 February in Uxbridge.

SOCIETY OF THE MONTH: Each month societies hold sessions, run fundraisers and volunteer to stand out as the best society. So far this year three societies have received the accolade of Society of the Month, these are:

October – Boxing

November – Yoga

December – A Capella

The first society of the month went to Boxing. Their enthusiasm showed throughout October making a solid start to their accreditation and a number of fun events planned throughout the term. This paid off in their sessions with an average of 28 attending across the month and a strong turnout at socials.

Yoga were the stand out society in November, working their way through their accreditation by volunteering selling poppies and getting involved in the ‘It starts with you’ campaign recently run to increase students experiences on their course. Their sessions were highly attended and they even had a waiting list.

December's accolade goes to A Capella. A Capella were contacted to perform at two events during the month, at the Bucks Winterland event and also at Rebellion Brewery in Marlow. Their numbers have more than doubled from last year and are currently halfway towards outstanding status as a society thanks to the hard work of the committee.

Who will get the award in January, only time will tell?

Bucks Musical Theatre Society are excited to share they had a very successful first term and are super excited for 2018! Our members have been incredibly busy taking up lots of opportunities to display what we are all about. In our first few sessions, we looked at singing, dancing and acting and midway through the term everyone took part in an internal showcase, performing pieces of their own choices. This was a great way for us all to show our strengths in a friendly and supportive environment. In December, 14 members took part in a performance at Ryeview Care Home where the residents there enjoyed singing along and clapping to festive favourites. We would like to thank Ryeview for having us and we are excited to perform there again in the future. On Saturday 9 December, 16 members performed some more festive favourites at the Bucks Live event held here at Bucks New Uni. The event was a great success, we thoroughly enjoyed our second public performance, and it certainly got everyone into the Christmas spirit! We will be hosting our first takeover at Bucks Students' Union! So head down to the Students' Union on Wednesday 31 January for ‘A Night in New York’. The evening will feel like a scene out of Grease and there will be performances, drinks, food, games and prizes to be won! Do not miss this evening of entertainment, entry only £2! On top of this, we will be having many workshops looking at all sorts of areas of musical theatre including an acting workshop, a jazz class, a west end style choral singing class, a Chicago masterclass and a guest teacher! Later this term we will begin plans for a full scale musical too. Bucks MT are always open to new members, anyone is welcome to come along to our sessions which are every Monday, 7:30-9pm in E1.01, just turn up or feel free to contact on one of our social media channels beforehand: Facebook: @bucksmusicaltheatre (public)

Bucks Musical Theatre Society Group (closed group)

Twitter:

@bucksmtsociety

Instagram: @bucksmt Email:

bucksmtsociety@hotmail.com

January Issue

MUSICAL THEATRE SOCIETY

By Abbie Reck

Musical Theatre Society.

26 January Issue

Rock soc.

ROCK SOC

By Joey Saunders

Having been revived in September its been a busy time for Rock Soc and a busy few months ahead!

But first, what is Rock Soc? Put simply, Rock Soc is the go to place for any fans of alternative music, whether that means punk, metal, indie, rock or anything between. Event wise we run socials most weekends, listening to music and playing drinking games before going to local alternative gigs, club nights and of course crash at the Students' Union. As well as that, we also hold monthly guitar hero socials in collaboration with Gaming Society.

spirit and offering deals on Kopparberg Cider so be sure to come down as all money raised will go towards both RAG and to fund further trips for Rock Soc which any of our members will be able to benefit from.

After this we are going to be running a two-day charity project from Monday 5 - Tuesday 6 February. Monday, we will have a stall in Beats and Tuesday we will be in the SU reception. We will be hoping to raise some money for the RAG charities Wycombe Mind and Wycombe Rape Crisis. There will be a guitar hero contest to the song Bleed It Out by Linkin Park, Over the next two months however, we have even bigger as a tribute to the late great Chester Bennington who plans. The first of which is on Monday 22nd of January tragically passed away last year. where we will be taking over the Students' Union as part We will also be running a project similar to that done in of the monthly Globe Trotters event. We’re running a the All-American Rejects Video Dirty Little Secret (Which Viking themed night with Swedish Meatballs, raffle with if you haven’t seen I definitely recommend checking a prize draw and guitar hero. We will also be giving out free horned helmets to help everyone get into the Viking out). The idea is to create a board where anyone can

anonymously post a secret or something they are struggling with to be added to the board, from struggles with studying, to mental health issues, to abuse problems, to any other random secrets we all have. The idea is that no one needs to suffer in silence, and no one is alone in what their dealing with. We hope to by the end of these two days have standing proof of this for anyone to see.

Finally, the third big event we have coming up is our trip to Piratefest in London on Thursday 22 February, which is a concert in London with Alestorm as the headline act. For those who don’t know, Alestorm are a pirate themed metal band who are amazing live and rapidly growing in popularity. The trip is free for all Rock Soc members, but tickets are first come first served. To secure yours just sign up as a member online and pay a £10 refundable deposit at the Students' Union reception. I hope to see you all there at all these events!

E L T T I L Y T DIR CRET... SE

FEBRUARY 2018

MEET YOGA COMMITTEE

As you may know, elections are coming up for sports and societies for next year, and the Yoga committee would like to give their members an insider's view of what they do and if they are interested in the positions. Chair - Emilee Platt

Secretary - Emily Nurden

Treasurer - Emily Dixie

Our Current Chair is Emilee Platt who is a 3rd year BA (Hons) Dance and Performance student who has been Chair since 2016.

Our Current Secretary is Emily Nurden who is a 3rd year BA (Hons) Dance and Fitness student who has been Secretary since 2017.

Our Current Treasurer is Emily Dixie who is a 2nd year BA (Hons) Dance and Performance student who has been Treasurer since 2017

Emilee states that “Being the chair is about making sure the whole society is running smoothly and overseeing all work by committee members. The chair can be seen as the face of the society, the person someone comes to if they have a question or need someone to talk to. All committee members will work with the chair to make decisions for the society as a group. The chair will ensure that the rest of the committee is on the right track and completing jobs in good time. Any issues or concerns will be dealt with by the chair, with the help of the Students’ Union if necessary.”

Emily states that “As secretary of yoga society I make sure that the register is completed every week and oversee all the paperwork. For example, the develop plan, grant form, risk assessment and constitution, which are all completed at the start of the year. I work alongside the chair and treasurer to get things done too. For example, posting class information on our social media pages. It has been a great thing to add to my CV and has helped me to develop a number of useful skills.”

Emily states that “Being the Treasurer of Yoga society is dealing with the money. Which means helping with the grant form with the help of the secretary and putting forward the social tops form. As well as looking into fundraising events to put money into the society. I help the chair and secretary with anything they need. Such as coming with ideas for trips and fundraising for them. As well as helping out writing newspaper articles.”

If you would like to know more details about these positions, you can email bnuyoga@gmail.com or get in touch with a specific committee member about each position. Emilee Platts (Chair): emileeplatts96@gmail.com Emily Nurden (Secretary): emilynurden@gmail.com Emily Dixie (Treasurer): edixie14@yahoo.com

January Issue

By Emily Dixie, Emilee Platt & Emily Nurden

Yoga Society.

28 January Issue

Pole Fitness Society.

By Emily Dixie, Louisa Banks, Rebecca Foster, Aaliyah Lockitt, Chloe Corkett & Shannon Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dell

BNU POLE FITNESS SOC

As most of you know elections are coming up and the committee members of BNU Pole would like to tell its members about each of the positions: Chair

Treasurer

Social and Welfare Secretary

Our Current Chair is Louisa Banks, who has been chair since 2017.

Our Current Treasurer is Aaliyah Lockitt, who has been treasurer since 2017.

Their role deals with welcoming members and help scheduling room bookings and leading the rest of committee on what their roles are that week. All committee members work with the chair to help the society.

Our Current Social and Welfare Secretary is Shannon Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dell, who has been Social and Welfare secretary since 2017.

Their role deals with the money side which includes Grant forms and dealing with social top forms. They Their role deals with the social side of the club as also help the fundraiser plan fundraising events. well as making sure they are alright and do not have any problems and gives suggestion to the committee Captain to improve to improve our members experience Our Current Captain is Chloe Corkett, who has been within BNU Pole. They work with the committee to captain since 2017. make sure all members are involved in any events.

Secretary Our Current Secretary is Rebecca Foster, who has been secretary since 2017

Their role deals worth working with the instructor to help all member progress as well as help with Their role deals with paper work For example, the choreography for things such as takeover. They also develop plan, risk assessment and constitution. They help overview the classes and can also put in fitness classes to help their members. are also in charge of maintaining the social media.

Fundraiser Our Current Fundraiser is Emily Dixie, Who has been Fundraiser since 2017. Their role deals with planning fundraising events to add money into the societies account, such as takeover as well as fundraising stalls. And being involved in going to RAG events. I help the treasurer with the social top forms and also deal with writing the newspaper articles.

If you have any more question about any of the positions you can email bnupole@gmail.com.

SPORT FOR FUN “New Year, New You”, these words are thrown around at this time of year, so we thought we'd jump on it too. Over the Christmas period an average person puts on an additional 4lbs in weight so why not use our Sport for Fun programme to work off them extra lbs. It is a perfect way for you to enjoy exercise with your friends, working together to achieve them New Year resolutions early. With a range of 18 different sports for you to get involved in from fitness classes such as Pilates and Zumba, Extreme sports for you adrenaline junkies in Snowsports and Climbing or more popular sports in Football, Netball, Touch Rugby and Badminton. If none of

these are for you we also have Horse Riding, Handball, Volleyball, Boxing and Cheerleading. For further information and for a full timetable visit our website: bucksstudentsunion.org/sportforfun or come and visit us at Refreshers Fair: Monday 5 February in Wycombe / Wednesday 7 February in Uxbridge.

Things to look forward to this term: • Big fan of Star Wars? We have some exciting news to bring you...

Lightsabers are coming to Bucks! Come along to our Sabre:Lite Fencing sessions in S2.06 on Wednesdays 6-7pm starting 24 January.

• Volley4RAG returns for the 6th time on Tuesday 20 February. Compete

with your friends, team mates or course and play some Volleyball whilst raising money for our RAG charities. Keep your eyes peeled for sign up details next month.

• Handball are playing their first competitive fixture on Wednesday 24

January against Standstead Supers Handball Club. A huge achievement having only started as a recreational sport in 2015.

Sport for Fun Ambassadors Do you currently participate in a Sport for Fun activity, if you do, you would have hopefully seen one of our many ambassadors we have to help run the programme. They are student volunteers who are chosen for their passion of the sport and assist the Students’ Union in developing their particular sport at the university. Some of these are in their final year at the university so we will be looking for new recruits for the next academic year. If you are interested in this role have a chat to our current ambassadors at the session or pop in and see me in the Students’ Union offices, we are currently looking for a Table Tennis ambassador, so get in touch if this appeals to you. At Union Awards we celebrate our success and our ambassadors work this year. In the past, four ambassadors have been awarded Sport for Fun Ambassador of the Year: 2014 - Tom Nichol – Climbing 2015 - Sam Wheeler – Handball 2016 - David Tungate – Badminton 2017 - Joshua Peckham – Sabre:Lite Fencing. There is still some time for our current ambassadors to show that they deserve the award. Nominations for this will open in later this term so if you think one of our ambassadors has gone beyond their role then be sure to nominate them. I would like to personally highlight the work of Joshua Kidby, Beth Trevis, Jake Scott and Riadh Bouzida for their work last term in all aspects of their ambassador role. Keep up with the good work.

January Issue

By Daniel Lawrence

Sport for Fun.

30 January Issue

Athletic Union Awards.

By Charlotte Thomas

ATHLETIC UNION AWARDS 2018 The Athletic Union Awards Dinner is the most special night of the Bucks sporting calendar and gives us a great opportunity to come together and celebrate both team and individual accomplishments throughout the past season.

The evening sees awards given out in 10 different categories. In order to be in with a chance of winning one, you need to be nominated by your fellow students. Below is a brief synopsis of the award categories and what makes a winner:

What have you done to get yourself noticed this year?

Coach of the Year

Team of the Year

This award recognises the coach that has made an outstanding contribution to the team both on and off the field. The 2017 winner was Brian Eckheart, the American Football coach. The team nabbed three League wins and one Friendly win, compared to just one win the previous season. He ran additional practice and whiteboard sessions for the team to help develop the novice players. Brian is a volunteer and we are always amazed by his passion for the sport.

Teams are recognised for their success in their fixtures and competitions. Women’s Basketball are by far one of the most successful teams we have at Bucks. Last year they contributed 49 out of the University’s 155 total BUCS points and won their nailbiting South Eastern Conference Cup final. Novice Contemporary were also shortlisted for collecting five trophies throughout the season, one of which was awarded after being moved up to the Advanced category.

Most Improved Player

Captain of the Year

This award celebrates an individual’s notable improvement throughout the year. Josh Kidby joined Bucks Men’s Rugby at the start of the year as a fringe 2nd XV players. Over the year he became arguably one of the most committed and hard-working players in the Club and made his 1st XV debut later in the season.

This award is for the Captain who has performed their duties at an exceptional level all year. Charlie French, the Captain of Women’s Hockey, worked hard to double the numbers on the team. Despite a number of injuries she attended every training session and match and her paperwork was always exemplary.

Fresher of the Year

Committee Member of the Year

This is recognition of outstanding achievement or performance by a first year. Christina Demetriou, last year’s winner, was part of three Dance teams and a self-choreographed Latin duet. She was also awarded Best Female at Bucks Dance Comp and was instrumental in the running of the event. Vic Mackenzie was also on the shortlist, making a lasting impression as a vital member of two teams, and driving the minibus for both on a regular basis. She was a key recruiter for Women’s Hockey which led to them almost doubling their numbers by the end of the season.

We had some great contenders on the shortlist for this award. Lewis Newton was the eventual winner, but Rhona Noel and Alix Todd also put in tremendous amounts of work for their respective Clubs. Thanks to Lewis Bucks FC completed Accreditation for the very first time; Alix coached Bucks Ladies FC to finish second in their League and was the main reason they also completed their Accreditation; Rhona ran a hugely successful Bucks Dance comp and did a great job as Varsity Captain.

Athletic Union Awards.

January Issue

Club of the Year

Sportsman of the Year

Sportswoman of the Year

BNU Dance, Bucks Ladies FC, Women’s Hockey and Bucks FC were all shortlisted for this award. All four Clubs had a great year. Bucks FC took the title for their contribution to the SU. Not only did their teams have some of their best season finishes but the players also volunteered for every SU campaign and event, did their own fundraising for Alzheimer’s Society and finished Accreditation ahead of all other Clubs.

Matt Draper, the 2017 Sportsman of the Year, won the award for his contributions to sport, on and off the American Football field. He played both offence and defence, a notoriously difficult thing to do, and was always in the office making sure the arrangements had been made for their weekend games. He also stepped in for Hockey on a regular basis despite carrying ongoing injuries.

Rhona Noel was crowned the 2017 Sportswoman of the Year. She played a pivotal role in the success of BNU Dance and the running of Bucks Dance Comp, which led to them donating a whopping £800 to RAG. She also did an incredible amount outside of her role, logging an unbelievable amount of volunteering hours.

Outstanding Contribution to Sport This award recognises a person who has gone above and beyond over a prolonged period of time. In 2017 we gave this award to two people. As the Men’s Badminton Captain, David Tungate was the first to ask for extra For Alix Todd, it is without doubt she was the backbone of Bucks Ladies FC during training time. He took the time to plan training sessions, helps out with coaching her time here; an incredibly professional student who has given back at every and encouraged the team to join a Badminton Club outside of the University. He is opportunity. Alix’s contribution hasn’t stopped with football. She has gone the always keen to offer support to other teams at Bucks so you would often find him extra mile, helping Hockey and Basketball on numerous occasions throughout the and his players watching the other BUCS matches on a Wednesday. year – even playing for Women’s Rugby at Varsity. On top of this she’s given up her own time and volunteered for almost every Union event and was a huge help during Varsity preparations. Well there you have it. What have you done to get yourself noticed this year? Remember that the shortlists for each award come from your nominations so don’t forget to nominate those who you think are deserving of recognition! This nominations for AU Dinner 2018 will open at the end of February so you still have time to make an impression…

Quick break.

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January Issue

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SUDOKU CHALLENGE Puzzle 1 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.34)

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