The National Student - April 2010

THE NATIONAL

STUDENT April 2010

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CONTROVERSY OVER ‘SPRING BREAK’ TOUR A student spring-break event in Spain has been marred by controversy following an allegation of rape.

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A British undergraduate attending Saloufest reported an incident of rape in the early hours of Wednesday March 31. She met her alleged aggressor in a local disco before heading to the nearby beach after a night spent drinking, and later woke up on the sand alone and half naked.

The young girl reported to the police that she did not give consent, but confessed that she was too drunk to remember anything. When examined by doctors at a hospital in Tarragona, they confirmed she recently had sex. Police dismissed the rape allegation, but launched a sexual abuse probe.

A fellow British student was arrested for the attack, but was soon released on bail.

The pair appeared before a judge to make statements and the male student admitted

to having sex, but he told the court the young woman had not resisted at any time.

The judge put a 200 metre distancing order between him and the victim, and both individuals returned to the UK on separate coaches.

The seaside town of Salou, on Spain’s Costa Dorada, south of Barcelona, was home to around 8,000 students, aged between 18 and 23, for the two weeks of Saloufest, a student sports festival. More than 100 UK universities paid an average of £200 per student to attend the event.

The festival has been criticised by locals, who were horrified with the behaviour of some students, reporting that they rampaged through the streets in the early hours of the morning vomiting and urinating in public.

There are now rumours circulating that the regional government in Catalonia want to end the festival.

But Nottingham Trent University student, Ellen McDermott, who went on the

Saloufest tour said, “I think the coverage by the press was an outrage. I came back from the event to find out that it had been all over the newspapers and completely one-sided.”

“Banning Saloufest is bad for both the hosts and the universities themselves.

The chance for some sports players to play against other universities is very limited, and tours such as Saloufest allow competitive play between university teams of mixed ability,” said the 19-year-old netball player.

Spanish student Sergio Marín said: “I feel offended that such things are done here. As a Spaniard, I am proud of my country and it hurts to see how Britons use it as a playground or something because we have too much history, natural beauty and too many good things for these places to be considered a field of discotheques. It’s okay for them to go partying, but they have to respect our cities and our country.”

by Olivia Heath

But local restaurant and bar owners are happy for the British students to party, as they are a major source of income, with an estimated £1 million spent on booze during the two-weeks.

Jose Otero, chairman of Salou’s Association of Bars and Restaurants, said: “We should be grateful they come here. Without them, we’d have no food on the table this year.”

Saloufest is the biggest and one of the longest established university multisports festivals, offering the opportunity to take part in two full days of a chosen sport. The festival in its 10th year sees thousands of students from various British universities taking part in tournaments covering 13 different sports including: Rugby, Netball, Hockey, Football, basketball, water polo and lacrosse.

IloveTour operators of Saloufest were unavailable to comment

The National Student, April 2010

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The National Student works closely with student publications across the UK. We are happy to accept news, comment, features, and reviews on any subject.

Contact us at: The National Student PO Box 7731 Derby DE1 0RW or email: editor@ thenationalstudent.co.uk or phone: 0845 46 300 46 The National Student is the independent, monthly newspaper for higher education students in the UK. Published by Defender Newspapers, PO Box 7731 Derby DE1 0RW © 2010 All content is the copyright of Defender Newspapers unless otherwise stated thenationalstudent.co.uk

ANNUAL NUS CONFERENCE A SUCCESS

Over 1,000 students and their union representatives headed north to Gateshead in Newcastle recently, for this year’s NUS National conference 2010.

Starting on Tuesday April 13, and lasting three days, the conference was held at a prestigious venue - The Sage in Newcastle City Centre.

The conference comes after NUS revealed over 700 parliamentary candidates have signed the NUS Vote for Students pledge, which states they will not vote for a rise in student fees in the next parliament.

Amongst these 700; there are nearly 200 Labour candidates, more than 300 Liberal Democrat candidates but a mere 10 Conservative candidates.

In his opening speech, NUS president Wes Streeting said: “When people are struggling to make ends meet, it is a travesty that they face such rapidly increasing costs to participate in education, especially in

areas like accommodation and hidden course costs.

We need to challenge institutions on value for money and stick to our tough line that students in the future simply will not pay more for less, or more for the same.”

“We are determined to hold parliamentary candidates to account, and help students in every constituency to understand which of those candidates is prepared to back student interests on the record, and on a clear promise.”

Further talks were made

by Labour leader Gordon Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and guest speaker Min Ko Naing, President of Universities Student Union in Burma.

Each parliamentary party had their chance to address the students, with topics regarding funding cuts in further and higher education, teaching quality and student welfare.

Streeting continued to

defend education against cuts: “Public investment in education is not an end in itself, but a means to an end: it is a way of tackling the exclusion of the poorest people and tackling the politics of the far right.

This is too important to ignore or leave to others.

That isn’t about class war – it’s about enfranchising people. It’s about making sure that everyone has a stake in society.”

A crucial part of the conference was to encourage students to join the Vote For Students campaign. The campaign, run by the NUS, asks students to use their vote in the upcoming general election to support candidates which will vote against any increase in fees in the next parliament. The pledge, signed by students, aims to put pressure on candidates to come clean on their views on fees.

For more information visit: voteforstudents. co.uk

by Faye Joice

Wes Streeting

NUS ATTACK PAY RISE FOR UNI HEADS A survey of vicechancellors pay by the Times Higher Education Supplement has provoked criticism from the new NUS President, Aaron Porter.

The survey revealed that universities spent 10.6% more on vice-chancellors pay in 2008/2009 than they did in the previous year.

The average salary for heads of institutions was also increased by 6.8%.

Porter said: “It is obscene for vice-chancellors to be lining their pockets with such huge pay increases while calling for students to be charged even higher fees. With their six-figure salaries, many vicechancellors are obviously divorced from the stark reality that faces most of us in this country, not to mention the significant funding cuts and belttightening exercises that universities are currently undergoing.”

He added: “At a time when vice-chancellors are demanding even more money for their institutions, there will justifiably be concerns that

the money already invested in the sector since fees were trebled little more than three years ago has not been well spent.”

It was decided at the recent NUS conference that Porter would succeed current President Wes Streeting as National President of the NUS. He takes over in June, having received a massive 65% of the vote.

He said of his election: “I am delighted to be leading NUS into what will be a crucial year for further and higher education, with a general election, fees review and cuts on the horizon. It is more vital now than ever that we come together to put our issues at the top of the agenda with a credible, representative

student voice shaping the outcomes of these pivotal debates.”

Current President Wes Streeting also commented on Porter’s election: “Aaron’s election vindicates the long journey NUS has taken to reform our democratic structures and our higher education funding policy. We have fought the battle to become a credible voice and Aaron is the right person to deal with the challenges students face in the coming year. I have every confidence that he will utilise his skills and experience in leading from the front in what will be a crucial year for students in further and higher education. I wish him great success as National President.”

The National Student, April 2010

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Third of female students would strip to fund degree One in three female university students would work in a gentleman’s club to fund their degree and lifestyle, new research has revealed.

Results show that 72% of female students would model in their underwear if they needed extra money.

61% said they have felt “desperate” for money whilst studying.

Despite the 34% of female students who said they would work in a gentleman’s club to pay for their studies, just 3% said they would make a living out of the career once they graduated.

When asked “Why did you choose to work in a gentlemen’s club?”

48% said it was “easy money” and 19% said it offered a “quick solution to financial problems”.

These statistics were revealed in a survey of 1,022 female university students.

The survey was carried out by studentgems. com, a company that helps businesses and individuals recruit students for part-time employment during their degree.

Of those who took part in the survey, 18% said they knew someone who worked in an exotic dance club whilst

studying for their degree. One in twenty said they would work as an escort to earn money while at university.

Sue Harrison, cofounder of Studentgems. com, commented, “When students are away from home and trying to show their independence, they may well consider doing things that they don’t really want to so they can afford their independent lifestyle...They must also understand that their own safety is of paramount importance.”

by Camilla Turner (Cherwell)

Survey shows accommodation cost rise A recent survey has discovered a sharp national increase of 22% on student accommodation payments since 2006-07.

The review, undertaken NUS and Unipol Student Homes, reveals an unprecedented increase - a rental rise 13% above the average rate of inflation.

The report released this month expresses both the concern at the snowballing rental costs and what needs to be done. Wes Streeting, president of NUS concludes a gloomy prospect for students should the rise be allowed to continue, “Students are already graduating with tens of thousands of pounds of debt, and soaring accommodation costs will only make the situation worse.

With graduate job prospects at an all time low, things are looking very bleak for many students.”

However, with a 23% swell in applicants for university places this year according to UCAS, this increase seems unlikely to cease. Wooster and Stock, a leading estate agent based in South East London that caters for students have seen this rush to secure housing at any cost. Jenny Holland, Head of Lettings at Wooster & Stock, explains: “The number of

university applicants has had a significant knock-on effect for the rental market. Since house prices picked up in January many landlords are selling their properties, and this shortage coupled with the sharp rise in demand for student housing will see rents increase even further.

For many undergraduates, securing rental accommodation is becoming extremely difficult and the potential consequences are terrible.” At a recent Goldsmiths University Open Day they experienced the shortage first hand, with 11 groups of tenants for every four bedroom properties available to rent.

Students throughout the UK have suffered as a result of these price increases, Katharine Clissold a second year student from Exeter said “We looked at one place that was above a fish and chip shop that smelt badly of fat and had tiny rooms and was £85 a week without bills” and Morgan Lewis a third year archaeology student from Durham told me “Last year I lived in a house that was £79 a week, this year the same house with no changes costs £85 a week”.

Both NUS and Unipol agree that to avoid plunging students further into debt,

educational institutes must step in and put their weight behind a change in rental schemes for students. Martin Blakey, Chief Executive of Unipol stated in the report: “Whilst high quality student accommodation is to be

welcomed, it is of concern that lower priced accommodation is no longer available” adding that “Educational institutions must make sure that they maintain a range of accommodation types at a price that all of their

students can afford.” Wes Streeting stated, scathingly “It is remarkable that, despite the fact that students are already incurring huge costs in order to obtain a degree, some vice chancellors and private providers think it

is acceptable to both argue for higher tuition fees and slam students with excessive rent prices. Students simply cannot afford to be hit with this double whammy.”

by James Dunn

More news at thenationalstudent.co.uk

The National Student, April 2010

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Landlords battle it out for award Landlords from across the country are battling it out to win the prestigious Best Landlord Award.

The competition, run by lettings agency Corporate Homes, allows students to nominate their own landlord for the award.

Twenty finalists will be picked from 15 May and the winner will be announced on 19 July.

“We are looking for those extra special landlords – maybe they walk your dog, or feed your cat when you are away, maybe they have fitted a hot pool or a Jacuzzi in your garden, or maybe they have just been a really good friend”, co-founder of Corporate Homes, Kemi Lamiyan, said.

While the search is on, many students still seem unhappy with their landlords.

Lettings agency Grant Management, which manages over 1,800 properties in the UK, came

under the spotlight when Facebook campaigns were set up against the agency.

One anonymous comment said: “They are without a doubt the worst landlords I’ve ever had. Report them to watchdog, and avoid renting them at all costs – their flats are overpriced and their customer service is bloody terrible.”

An entire blog entitled ‘Landlords to avoid’ compiles comments against the agency.

One comment said: “I was told by the people in the flat above us that one of the tenants killed himself by jumping into the Tay. I don’t know if it was anything to do with Grant Management but I can’t think that his poor living conditions helped any.”

Many complaints about landlords regard the prices they charge for the properties.

Luke Verrall, a secondyear student from the University of Leeds, said:

“A family of four could rent a house for around £550 per month. There are four of us each paying £270 per month.

“That is £1080 the landlord earns from our house each month - not to mention his other properties! Now try telling me they have the student’s interests at heart.”

A spokesperson for housing charity Shelter said: “The current system of renting is incredibly complex for both tenants and landlords.

“Unless there is a simpler and more robust regulatory system in place, bad practice will carry on and people could continue to be exploited by inexperienced landlords.

“Anyone who has difficulties should talk to their landlords. Failing that then you should seek independent advice or even legal bodies as a last resort.”

by Ashley Scrace

STUDENT SUCCESSFUL IN HOME OFFICE FILM COMP

Will Walters from Liverpool Screen School has been named the winner of The Home Office’s ‘Lights Camera Action’ distraction burglary film competition as part of a national campaign to protect students from crime.

The Home Office has spent £15 million on the “If in Doubt, Keep them Out” campaign, raising awareness of crimes such as robbery and burglary amongst students.

Short films produced by media students across the country produced short films, which were judged

by The Bill’s story producer Kevin Rundle, were intended to bring to life the issues of distraction burglary in student houses and inform of ways to prevent it from happening.

Film and television student Will, won £1,000 worth of camera equipment for his short film depicting a burglar dressed up as a clown, walking into an student house party, dancing around and chatting for a while, going upstairs, burgling the house and leaving. “I think this competition provided insight to students across

the country to think about how this type of burglary happens and affects peers.

My goal was to get viewers to get the visual of the clown in their head so that whenever they came to leaving their lockable room they would lock the door”.

The image of the clown is particularly relevant to distraction burglary as distraction burglars or bogus callers make their way into a house by deception as opposed to forced or sneak entry. Police warn that dressing up in fancy dress for a party or as a workman in the daytime are common pretences and more often than not the burglars will work in pairs, allowing one to distract the homeowner whilst the other rifles through their belongings.

Supposedly one in three students will be victim to some form of crime during their time at college or university, and although distraction burglary is not as well-known as other forms, it has been chosen as the focus of the campaign as it is a particular concern for students due to the relaxed nature of student halls and

houses whereby unknown faces are coming and going all the time.

Although prevalence of burglary has more than halved in the last 13 years, Home Office Minister Alan Campbell is particularly worried that the recent economic crisis will lead to a rise. Mr Campbell warns: “It is vital people remember to check the identity of any stranger who calls at their home, genuine callers will not mind waiting. Also, Student houses should be fitted with a chain lock so that the door can be opened without needing to be unlocked”. Students are warned to check the identification of supposed ‘friends of friends’ or future tenants entering their house too, as any pretence can be occupied by a distraction burglar.

Of course it is awkward and embarrassing to ID people before they come into your house, however when it comes to distraction burglary, it is definitely better to be safe than sorry: if in doubt, keep them out!

by Sophie Hall

National final for art student

A talented University of Wolverhampton student has won the opportunity to exhibit his work at the Saatchi Gallery in London after reaching the final of a national art competition.

Carlton Smith, 26, from Wolverhampton, was named as one of three regional finalists in the Art of Nurture competition held at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery last week. He was delighted to win £250 for himself and £250 for the University.

Carlton, who is in the second year of a BA (Hons) in Illustration, will now go through to the national final on April 13 which will see him exhibit his artwork at the famous Saatchi Gallery in London.

He will go head to head with students from across the UK in a bid to have their designs used in a high profile national advertising campaign for Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance.

Another second year Illustration student, 19-year-old Mandeep Seehra, from Wolverhampton, also reached the regional final of the competition.

Students were given a brief to create a piece of visual art to illustrate one of eight themes. Carlton and Mandeep both chose the 2012 Olympics.

Carlton’s idea for his piece developed from looking at the consequences of investment, with his conclusion being

growth. He used images of photosynthesis to illustrate his idea in relation to the Olympics. Mandeep focused on how Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance would help prepare athletes and facilities for the London Games.

Carlton said: “I’m so pleased to have got this far in the competition and I am very excited about the prospect of having my work shown in a national gallery.

“I have gained so much valuable experience already and being able to put a commercial marketing campaign in my portfolio will look really professional.”

John Clementson, from the University’s School of Art & Design said: “The Illustration team is delighted for both of our shortlisted students. The competition attracted over 500 entries from 50 colleges nationally and to be shortlisted for such a prestigious event should give them both a huge confidence boost.”

The national winner of the competition will receive £5,000 and £5,000 for their university, while the person in second place will get £2,000 and £1,000 for third place, plus matched amounts for their college or university.

In addition to seeing their work used in a campaign, the three national winners will also be given the opportunity to take paid work placements.

Discuss this month’s news and features at

thenationalstudent.co.uk

The National Student, April 2010

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Neo-Nazi’s target student activists A Neo-nazi group has identified student activists at the University of Manchester as targets on a website called ‘Redwatch’.

Redwatch was established in 2001, as a message board for extreme racists and fascists. In 2003, it began to publish personal information, including photos, names and contact detail, of known or suspected far-left or anti-fascist activists. The slogan for the website is “”Remember places, traitors’ faces, they’ll all pay for their crimes.”

Many students of the University of Manchester are featured on the site, including current and former members of the student executive, students running in the recent elections and a Student Direct: Mancunion Edition reporter.

The Student Direct writer who is pictured on the website, but not named, said: “I’m not a communist or a Marxist.

It’d just be interesting to find out how they decide

who gets on the website.

I was reporting on an English Defence League rally, and the much larger Unite Against Fascism counter-demonstration for Student Direct. I was there as a neutral observer. I wasn’t aligning myself with either side, because I wanted it to be a balanced article.”

“A lot of activists see inclusion on the website as a badge of honour. I myself am not particularly fazed by it.”

A method of Redwatch gaining photographs from demonstrations is Facebook. Unless privacy is set to the highest level, photos are still accessible.

They have also been known to send ‘Friend Requests’ under fake profiles and false identity information, to access personal details of potential targets.

Combat 18, who are connected with the website, take their name from the initials of Adolf Hitler, A and H, the first and eighth letters of the alphabet. Members of C18 are not allowed to join the police or the British Police Service.

The British People’s Party are also connected with the website. Goole BPP member, Martyn Gilleard, was convicted in June 2008 of bomb making and possessing images of child pornography.

Nick Griffin, Leader of the British National Party (BNP) said: “The site Redwatch has nothing to do with us. We’ve repeatedly condemned it.

It’s a disciplinary offence for our members to use it. It’s run by a group of neo-Nazi lunatics, who at various times have threatened to stab me on sight; for being a moderate and a sell-out and in the pay of the Jews. These people are mad and that site is nothing to do with us.”

However, despite Nick Griffin denials of a link to Redwatch, many antifascist campaigners have complained that members of the BNP use the site.

“I was campaigning against the BNP before the local elections,” Carl Morphett from West Yorkshire told the Guardian.

“We were photographed by two BNP

members in Yorkshire and a day later we appeared on Redwatch. There is no doubt that the BNP uses this site to try and intimidate people. To suggest anything else is ludicrous.”

Death threats have

been reported following an appearance on Redwatch, including Members of Parliament.

A trade unionist and former Respect candidate, Alec McFadden, was left with long-term injuries after his face slashed at his

home in Merseyside in 2006. Since the attack, McFadden was warned that if Redwatch was closed down, his children would be shot.

First published Student Direct

in

CHILEAN STUDENTS RAISE FUNDS FOR THEIR HOMELAND

Chilean students at the University of Sheffield have been fundraising for the Chilean Earthquake appeal, helping people in their home country.

The students, in conjunction with The Mexican and Latin American society, organised an event with Chilean themed activities for students and members of the public to try out. To sample life in the South American country traditional Chilean food was available with popular Chilean music, poetry and dance on show followed by a Latin party.

A slightly more traditional fundraising effort was made by staff at the University’s Institute of Work Psychology by holding a cake sale and raffle.

Staff were eager to raise funds for the people of Chile after hearing that one of their students had family affected by the earthquake.

First year PhD student Hector Madrid moved from Chile to Sheffield last year to study. Thankfully his

family survived the quake but are now faced with having to rebuild their home and lives while aftershocks still rock the country every day.

“Even though Chilean society has developed some strategies to face this kind of disasters, nobody can be really prepared for it. The most affected area after the

recent earthquake is the south of Chile which is one of the poorest areas in the country. Some people have lost everything, such as houses, work resources and

social infrastructure.”

Hector and the other Chilean students at Sheffield’s efforts have been mirrored globally with Chilean students

and communities living abroad fundraising and contributing to the appeal.

Hector explains: “As an international student living abroad, most of us feel a strong commitment with the development of Chile, and also the responsibility to coordinate possible help for the most affected communities and people by the disaster.”

Kate Sheppard and Merryn McGregor from the Institute of Work Psychology said they’d both heard news of the quake but were moved by Hector’s stories.

“When Hector came into work and told us more personal accounts of the disaster we thought it only right to hold an event to show some support for Hector personally and try to make some money to help people in his country.”

Both events raised over £2,500 to donate to the British Red Cross Chile Earthquake Appeal.

by Gemma Welsh

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HAITI SUPPORT FROM SALFORD STUDENTS The University Of Salford, Manchester supported an art auction last month to raise money for the relief effort in Haiti, following the catastrophic earthquake that hit the country earlier in the year.

Over 50 artists donated work to the one day exhibition on Tuesday March, 30 which was held at Manchester’s CUBE gallery. It took place between midday and 5pm, with the launch event and a live auction continuing into the evening.

Artists included current

exhibition holders at The Cornerhouse, Castlefield Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery, David Mackintosh, Leo Fitzmaurice and Andrew Bracey.

The initial idea came from the University’s Arts programme’s Suzanne Smith, who is also an artist herself.

She also set up a UNICEF page to support her fundraising efforts.

Suzanne said: “We’ve got everything from drawings to video art and with reserves from £20 there should be something for everyone.

Alice Bradshaw, an interdisciplinary artist who donated work said of the day: “I thought the event was a great idea that provided an opportunity for people to both buy contemporary art and donate to a very worthy cause at the same time. It provided an interesting exhibition of the donated pieces which ranged from drawing and print to sculpture and video.

“The highlight of the day for me was after the silent bid auction was over and I won Lee Machell’s drawing.”

Alice went on to say: “I would like to see more contemporary art charity events like this in Manchester“.

So far the project has raised an enormous £4,500, with more donations still being accepted online. The graphic designers, printers and galleries all provided their services voluntarily, and the support received backstage from the event organisers means 100% of the proceeds raised will go directly to charity.

If you missed the event but still want to donate, there is still a chance online: supportunicef.org. uk/haaa

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The National Student, April 2010

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High proportion of females assaulted at uni A quarter of female students have been sexually assaulted while at university, a new report reveals. A further one-in-seven are victims of serious sexual or violent assault.

Yet, only a small 10% of those assaulted reported the crimes to the police.

Many do not report the crimes, as they feel embarrassed and ashamed.

Of those who claimed sexual assault, 5% said they had been raped and a further 2% said rape was attempted.

The majority of the time the attacker was a fellow student.

The NUS ‘Hidden Marks’ survey interviewed women 2,000 female students in Britain.

The survey calls for a zero-tolerance approach to physical abuse and harassment.

NUS Women’s Officer, Olivia Bailey, said: “It is extremely disturbing that so many women students are assaulted and harassed while at university or college, and it is particularly

worrying that the perpetrators in many of these cases are fellow students.”

“Women students can be left feeling like they are to blame for the violence committed against them.”

“Clearly, not enough is being done to encourage women students to report all instances of assault or harassment to their institutions or to the police.”

“This report is a wakeup call. Universities and colleges must work more closely with local police, victim support services and health services in order to give victims the security and confidence to come forward.”

Other crimes experienced included stalking, with 12% claiming they have been stalked. Over half knew their stalker.

Sandra Horley OBE, CEO of domestic violence charity Refuge, said: “I am deeply saddened to hear that so many women students are experiencing violence and harassment during the course of their studies, and that so very

few feel able to report the crimes.

“It is vital that universities create an environment where women feel confident to speak out against abuse.

“Women students need to know where they can seek help, and must feel sure that their reports

will be taken seriously.”

Giving her experience with stalking, a second-year student, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “This has happened to my flatmate. Another student bombarded her with emails and stood outside our house

waiting for her the day she moved in - even though she had never given him our address.

“She became quite nervous and scared about this but did nothing and it eventually stopped. Although he still drops her emails telling her he’s coming

back even though he left the university last summer.”

Figures from the Home Office in 2008 claim 53,540 sexual offences occur in England and Wales each year. The majority of victims are women.

by Ashley Scrace

DO BRITISH UNIVERSITIES CATER WELL FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS? Research indicates that 20% of international students in the UK do not feel integrated into the social side of university life.

The NUS sought to warn universities against stigmatising international students, saying that universities must better understand the students they recruit to ensure a high-quality student experience for all.

Wes Streeting, NUS President, said: “It would be both cruel and dangerous to exploit international students for additional resources rather than paying proper care and attention to the experience they have in the

UK. No student should be sold promises about what to expect only to have a poor experience. If overseas students do not have a high quality experience in UK higher education, they will not have a positive story to tell to their families, friends and colleagues.”

“It is clear that although many universities provide an excellent experience for international students, others have lessons to learn and improvements to make. Universities must not shoot themselves in the foot by failing to deliver for international students.”

“NUS research shows that the majority of international students come to the UK to gain

greater confidence, better employment prospects, to become more self-reliant and to gain better language skills. It is vital that the social and academic experience of international students fulfils the same hopes and aspirations that first encouraged them to choose the UK as a place to study and live, as well as to invest their time and money.”

The comments came following a warning by British Council Chief Executive Martin Davidson against crude international recruitment drives to plug financial holes in UK higher education.

The research, by NUS/ HSBC, shows that 20% of

international students in the UK do not feel integrated in the social side of university and nearly 10% do not feel integrated in the academic side. However, clearly this is not the case for all international students.

18-year-old American student Juliette Hall, currently studying at Edinburgh University, said: “I have not experienced any difficulties adapting to

university life since coming to the UK. Not only have I found Edinburgh to be a very welcoming place, the

university and students have always made me feel very much at home.”

More news at thenationalstudent.co.uk

The National Student, April 2010

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Community award for Portsmouth student

A Business student from the University Of Portsmouth received a national award earlier this month for his outstanding efforts for the community.

Paul Magee, a third year student, was awarded a Seen and Heard award for his work on this Isle of Wight Youth Council, following a successful campaign to lower the prices of Isle of Wight ferry fares for teenagers.

Paul discovered youngsters on the Isle of Wight were spending the majority of their pocket money on ferry fares to get into Portsmouth. Shocked by this, he contacted the two main ferry companies operating the journeys; Wight Link and Red Funnel, and started his campaign for concession fares for teenagers.

He said: “My council colleagues and I created a questionnaire which we dished out to schools and then compiled our

results to show the ferry companies. Red Funnel was the first to act - it agreed to reduce the rates for teenagers and the new fares came into effect just over a year ago. It wasn’t long before Wight Link followed suit.

“On the island I often feel we are behind the times and young people’s opinions aren’t considered so this was a massive success.

It’s really changed the lives of the island’s young people.

They can now afford to visit the mainland for shopping, concerts and football games - which has given them a huge boost.”

22-year-old Paul is midway through a Business Studies degree and is currently on a one year placement at TUV Product Service LTD, Fareham. He says the voluntary work he has already done with the youth council was a leap in the right direction to give him the confidence to be able to achieve in the

workplace.

“I started volunteering for the youth council when I was about 18. I was at the local youth centre when a youth empowerment worker came to talk to us.

I was quite shy at the time but was inspired to help the island become a better place for young people.

“We have made so many changes in the last few years, I’m really proud to be part of a youth council that has gone from being one of the worst in the country to one of the best - if not the best!”

Judi Karas, Paul’s lecturer and personal tutor is overjoyed with his success: “This really is a terrific achievement for Paul. I’m delighted that his work on the youth council has been nationally recognised and it’s a pleasure to see a student making such a difference to his local community.”

by Faye Joice

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The Radio Dept. – ‘Heaven’s on Fire’ Nedry – ‘A42’ Celestial Bodies – ‘First Time’ Airship – ‘Kids’ Sunderbans - ‘Roadkill’ Jesca Hoop – ‘Four Dreams (radio edit) Naive New Beaters – ‘Get Love’ The Infesticons – ‘Kick Anthem’ Bastardgeist – ‘Flee to the Hills’ Lauren Pritchard – ‘When The Night Kills The Day’ Nice Nice – ‘Ark Drum’ The Shoes – ‘Bored’ Fenech Soler – ‘Stop and Stare (Reset remix)’ The Bamboos - ‘Like Tears in Rain’ Sincabeza – ‘bacalacola’ MisterLee – ‘Don’t Kill Anyone Today’ So So Modern – ‘The Worst is Yet to Come’ Stagecoach – ‘Ice Age’ Stairs To Korea – ‘AllOfYourFriends(LiveDreamtrakSession)’ Revolver – ‘Get Around Town’ Uno Moller – ‘How To Lead You Home’ Souvaris – ‘Great Scott’ This Many Boyfriends - ‘That’s What Diaries Are For’ Castrovalva – ‘Donut’

For info on the bands and to get your free download head over to:

THENATIONALSTUDENT.CO.UK/ INCOMINGTRANS2

The National Student, April 2010

FEATURE

9

TIME IS ON THE SIDE OF TRIPLE-LIFE STUDENT

E

ver thought that the workload of a university lifestyle takes over every aspect of your life and doesn’t leave you any room for anything else?

Think again.

Tom Davison, a Manchester University student lives a fascinating triple life. On top of being in his third and final year studying a Business Management degree, Tom also manages to find the time to pursue multiple careers, as the bassist for fast rising band Dakota as well as being an accomplished Show Jumper- in which he has competed for the British Young Olympic team against some of the world’s best riders both here and abroad.

Tom discusses the coming together of his different passions. “I have Show Jumped horses all of my life. It’s my family occupation so I was born into it and have been involved since I can remember.

The singer for our band Dakota, Ben (Talbot) has a trainer called Steven Smith.

Steve’s really into his music and when he heard Ben sing, he thought let’s have a go at putting a band together.

Through friends of friends we found a drummer and guitarist, but they both came about as a result of each other.”

Tom’s band Dakota, who’s musical influences included the Foo Fighters and the Manic Street Preachers, formed in 2008 and have recently released their debut album, Heart and Soul, which has already received credible critical acclaim.

“I hope it will go down

well. Everything’s pointing in the right direction. Last year around June/July we put out our first single out to see how things would go, and it got received very well from the likes of Radio 2, with Terry Wogan, Steve Wright, Claudia Winkleman using our material on their shows.

We took the time to go away and really polish up the album and we’ve since had good reviews. It’s all looking very promising. It’s going to be some hard graft along the way to make it work but I am sure we can be successful.”

With his university life coming to an end and the work load peaking and the pressure piling on, Tom’s dedication to keep his passions in Show Jumping and Music on the road - and to such a high standard is admirable. But how does he manage it?

“I’ve been quite lucky really. Things have kind of supported each other. Like last year we took the band out to a horse jumping show in Spain and played there to quite a good crowd- over there they have these big music parties on a Sunday night and we played to one of those and it went down really well. It is very much a juggling act between university, the band and the horses though. I miss a fair few university lectures, and it becomes a situation where in the evenings or whenever I have spare time is when I have to catch up on what i have missed. God bless the internet. I’m lucky that my lecturers are really good in respects to helping me out when I email them for different notes and materials with things I

Tom Davison (to the right of the picture) with his band Dakota

have missed. I have to cram hard – whatever I miss I have to make sure I make it up,” he told us.

“People often ask me

think of it too much- just try to get on and do it.”

Tom does concede however, that he perhaps doesn’t live the typical

‘I certainly don’t live perhaps the normal student life! Often my housemates are still texting me to check that I am still alive. I manage a night out every now and again up in Manchester but I am not out every week, and certainly not more than once a week.’ how I do it, and I always answer that I just think it’s probably best just to let it work itself out. Remain organised but try not to

student lifestyle, and his passions restrict him from the social side of university.

“I certainly don’t live perhaps the normal

student life! Often my housemates are still texting me to check that I am still alive. I manage a night out every now and again up in Manchester but I am not out every week, and certainly not more than once a week.”

Looking towards the future after his forthcoming graduation, Tom discusses how he plans to incorporate each of his three passions on a long term basis.

“I don’t believe there is any reason why I cannot maintain all three of my interests. I’m really interested in the business side of the music industry and the Show jumping

industry, so I think I can incorporate my degree within both. I am most definitely going to continue long term with both Horse Jumping and Dakota. I know it will be difficult - but there is a guy from Norway, who is an accomplished Horse Jumper and also a big big Pop star in Norway! So if he can do it, I can do it.

I’ve got my plan how I am going to work it. Whether it works or not remains to be seen!”

For more information on Dakota visit myspace.com/ dakotabandofficial

by Robert Dalling

The National Student, April 2010

FEATURE

10

Comment: Don’t read this if you’re drunk W

e’ve all seen the excruciatingly painful drink driving adverts on TV, or the ones where the girl leaves her house with a face covered in vomit, wrecked hair, and ripped up clothes: followed by the tagline ’you wouldn’t start a night like this, so why end it that way?’ ‘Know your limits.’

The direct.gov adverts generally provide the audience with a very negative connotation of alcohol, but they still don’t seem to be getting that ever increasingly important message across.

The binging nation that we are: just doesn’t listen.

We’re like Holland and their clogs‘, the German and French with their bodily hair and Americans with their fast food, we can’t let it go because alcohol has become part of our culture: and that’s a pretty frightening thought.

After speaking to several students about the issue; it seems the opinions are varied. A second year

University of Portsmouth student said: ‘I’d argue its more of a British cultural problem itself, not a student only problem. Of course everyone likes a drink now and then and people do go overboard occasionally, but I wouldn’t say I’ve noticed a massive amount of difference between the number of binge drinkers on a student night out compared to a Saturday night out before I went to uni.

Basically, yeah there is probably a problem with binge drinking in student culture, but arguably it’s just a sub-bracket to British culture itself.’

Likewise a Nottingham Trent Business studies student says: ‘The UK has an appalling drinking culture! I think it’s generally more of a chav thing though!

I mean seriously so many people don’t even know or care about what they drink.

More people should drink wine and have drinks to compliment food rather then get smashed!’

It was reassuring throughout my research after speaking to students that many of them acknowledge that there is in fact a wide-spread problem throughout the country of binge drinking.

Focusing on students though: can we really blame our continuous ways of drinking on the rest of the nation? Or are we at an age, with enough brainpower to choose for ourselves how to live our lives? If we know alcohol has subsequent damaging side effects, why do we indulge in so much of it?

An interesting point was posed by a third year student from UWE (University of the West East- Bristol).

‘People will often drink to excess, but there are people out there who enjoy alcohol for reasons beside its physical/mental influence.

Namely, taste! I think people easily forget this and will proudly declare “I don’t drink because I don’t like to be out of control.’

Taste is obviously a

factor that entices many people into drinking more, similarly with smoking: people know its unhealthy, but they like the activity.

Does that not make the act of drinking even more dangerous? Not only does it come with the mental unstable thrill of being invincible, along with cheap prices and enticing promotions (student clubs particularly) but it tastes good too? Why would anyone ever stop?

After all the blame is passed to the country itself, or to our grown up relatives who brought us

into the world surrounded by alcohol, we come to the ‘ignorance is bliss’ opinion.

‘I don’t think there is a binge drinking problem within students, as long as they know when to limit themselves and when to stop. I know people who have a few drinks, and when they start to feel drunk or ill they stop.’ (Second year computing studentSouthampton Solent.)

An inspiring statement to make, but slightly lacking factual evidence. Do we actually know when to stop? Taking Portsmouth University as an example

here: in the last month over elections period, one student was taken to A & E with a broken foot dressed as a duck with a huge afro as part of his ‘vote for afro Andy’ campaign, after over-indulging. Two other students arrived in A & E on separate nights with black eyes and broken noses after getting into fights on the way back from clubs: highly intoxicated.

Let’s ask again; do we know when to stop? When there are hospitals involved, it would appear not.

by Faye Joice

The National Student, April 2010

12

ELECTION E

2010

by Gemma Welsh

veryone’s been talking, tweeting and ranting about it: the general election will take place on May 6. The political battle ground is well and truly active with the start of campaigns, election debates and slagging matches already under way. But when media coverage is ridden with spin and PR tricks it can be hard to decipher what party to back, especially if you’re a first time voter.

No doubt the more politically excitable of your friends have been voicing their opinions on who to vote for but how can you make up your mind without reading hundreds of pages of tedious manifestos?

Well that’s where we come in! We’ve devised a simple profile of each of the three main parties outlining a few relevant policies/ pledges they’ve put forward in their manifestos which are likely to affect students and student values. We’ve included a highlight and lowlight for each party’s pledges of what we think you’ll like and what we doubt you’ll be too fond of.

There is no doubt that this is one of the most hotly contended elections in recent history and if there was ever a time for an ‘every vote counts’ slogan, it is now! Many people have become disinterested in politics through lack of trust and respect for those who’ve taken advantage of their roles but that’s all the more reason for you to have a say in this election.

Conservatives The Conservative’s main theme for this election is change. The political scandals and unrest in the last year or so have provided the Conservatives with ammunition against Labour for change.

David Cameron hasn’t been shy of publicity with poster and billboard campaigns, although their success is questionable after seeming to have back fired! Recent years have seen the Conservatives move towards the middle ground and Cameron has been trying to appeal to the average voter. Even their rosettes have changed to a nice light blue in place of the old deep Tory blue.

They may have a more aesthetically pleasing leader but what policies do the conservatives have that might affect you?

• Repaying student loans for the top graduates in maths and science who go in to, and remain in, teaching.

• 10,000 extra university places this year.

• Expansion of offshore wind and wave power, again for the eco warriors!

• Access to business mentors and substantial loans for all you would-be entrepreneurs.

Highlight: The Conservatives aim to improve the way

universities are funded so ‘students get a fair deal’. No mention of specifically what the ‘fair deal’ is though…

Lowlight: Only 10 Tory candidates have pledged not to call for an increase in tuition fees. Comparatively, Labour have 177 and Lib Dems 330 candidates who’re all opposed to increasing tuition top up fees.

FEATURE

The National Student, April 2010

FEATURE

13

Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are promoting themselves as an alternative to the Labour vs. Conservative choice. Nick Clegg, party leader, has been appearing in television and radio interviews tirelessly over the last few weeks to raise his profile.

However, the general consensus is that the chances of a Lib Dem government are slim. Their manifesto sounds good on paper but the question is would they have the ability to carry out what they have promised? The party have come under scrutiny for promising some very big reforms and changes that appear impractical in their manifesto.

The Lib Dem’s manifesto outlines “four steps to a fairer Britain.” These are fair taxes, a fair future, a fair chance and a fair deal.

All ‘fair’ and well but how do they plan to do it?

• Scrapping tuition fees for all students, including part time, undertaking their first degree over the next six years.

• Ensuring banks start lending responsibly again.

• For those of you concerned with green credentials, investment in to offshore wind turbines and other renewable energy sources.

• Plans to introduce a proportional voting system with the number of MPs being reduced to 150.

Highlight: The right to vote at 16 instead of the current age of 18. Some argue against the maturity of 16 year olds but general opinion seems that most people are in favour of the move.

Lowlight: Introduction of a statutory register of lobbyists. This means if you want to lobby parliament or your MP on an issue, you/your organisation would have to be on a register: unlikely for students and student groups. What happened to democracy?

Labour The Labour party are pulling out all the stops in this election to try and ensure another term in office. With the Conservatives still ahead in the opinion polls Gordon Brown has been all over the UK in recent weeks meeting with voters, candidates and campaigners to drum up support for the party.

This election has seen Labour focus on ‘the choice’. That is the choice between a Labour or Conservative government. Most of us will be too young to remember the Thatcher years but Labour certainly aren’t letting people forget. Their viral ‘The Road Ahead’ uses a clever analogy of the country at a crossroads and outlines the idea that Labour will continue on the road to recovery while a change to a Conservative government would destabilise the economy.

Labour’s “a future fair for all” manifesto includes five main pledges. To secure the economy, raise family living standards, build a high-tech economy, protect frontline services and strengthen fairness in communities. Gordon Brown took pride in their polices as being ‘rooted in the day-to-day concerns’ of the British public but what are they doing that might interest you?

• 20,000 extra university places starting in 2010-11 • ‘Kickstart’ funding for affordable housing developments, shared ownerships schemes and a new generation of social rented housing. Good news for all you first time buyers and those moving away from home!

• Some ‘green’ pledges to benefit the environment include aiming for around 40% low carbon electricity by 2020 and banning recyclable and biodegradable materials from landfill.

• A referendum to be held in 2011 on changing the electoral system from first past the post to an alternative vote in the commons and a fully elected and renamed House of Lords.

Highlight: Better services within the NHS including the right to choose a GP in your area open evenings and weekends. Might sound nothing spectacular but how many times have you been unable to get appointments to fit in with uni and work?

Lowlight: You’ve probably heard about the digital economy bill which gets tough on illegal downloading, no more free movies or leaked music for you!

After looking at the parties policies and pledges it can seem as though they are all very similar. The biggest difference in this election, as briefly mentioned, is the economy. While the British economy is still recovering, Labour and Conservative differ in their approaches to help.

Labour hold that cutting spending now would halt the recovery and worsen Britain’s economy. They argue that by continuing with responsible spending by investing in new businesses and enterprises the economy will slowly but surely stabilise.

The Conservatives, however, plan to cut spending asap if they are elected in to power.

They believe that we must start cutting now to help pay off the deficit of national debt and keep the economy afloat.

The National Student, April 2010

FEATURE

14

A raunchy revival: modern day burlesque

A

lone figure marches on to a stage in a pub in Birmingham, caped in a Navy Commander’s uniform with a jaunty black moustache hanging over their top lip. They strike an abrupt salute, as a voice booms into the air, ‘tonight the audience will be privy to state secrets.’

The figure then rips back their jacket, revealing themselves to be a woman, wearing Union Jack nipple tassels and the crowd roars with laughter. This is neo-burlesque, and Staffordshire student Kim ‘Lotti Applejack’ Hargreves, explains her journey into its raunchy revival.

“The Navy Commander gimmick got a real laugh, because some of the girls are so beautiful, I’m not unattractive, but I’m not as attractive as some of them. So I play on my strengths which is comedy and personality.”

Kim is undeniably very charismatic; it would be impossible to perform without her personality shining through. She is also no stranger to the stage, having spent three years doing her drama performance and theatre

arts degree.

“The last live art performance I did, had me naked from the waist down, with my friend holding her hand on my crotch and completely naked – we got a first – it was very good. So I basically spent 45 minutes being fiddled with by my friend,” she laughs.

It was last September, when Kim began researching burlesque for a university research project. There are two streams in the neoburlesque revival, one inspired by the post war 1950’s, which evolved into pole dancing and stripping. Kim’s style is based on 1900 British musical burlesque with parody, songs and some nudity. She seized her opportunity to try out burlesque at a workshop, called Scarlet Fever. Her latest show was for Black County Burlesque.

Burlesque and lap dancing derive from the same origin, although there is a thin line between them, there is one crucial difference. Kim explained: “burlesque brings you into a myth; the intent is not that we’re going to have sex. I’m not dancing for you I’m dancing for an

audience. Its smoke and mirrors, none of it is real.”

“I’ve always been a pretty confident person; I don’t think I could have done it in my early twenties. Some young girls I spoke to don’t want to do it, even though they are at their most beautiful.

I just think you need a bit of self-assurance and I’m really glad that I’m happily married.”

battling kidney failure for a long time. “I’ve been ill for about eight years and on the transplant list for probably about a year.

I’m cool; I just dialyse eight to nine hours every day. I have to try a bit harder with everything, especially as I’m finishing my degree. But I’ve got lots of people keeping an eye on me, especially my husband, he is fantastic,

‘I’ve never had any kind of negative responses from what I do, it’s not seedy, you have to see a show to realise the camaraderie and you don’t really see anything. It’s very Carry On, it’s naughty not sleazy.’

Kim is 32 and takes her husband and mother to every show she does.

She speaks very fondly of her husband and explains that he understands the nature of her work. “He knows that it is a persona, so there are never any doubts. I leave ‘Applejack’ on stage, I put my jeans on afterwards and go home in my little car and eat a pork pie. He likes it, and of course he gets to watch other girls take their clothes off.”

Now in the final year of her degree, Kim has been

he is giving me his kidney this July.”

“I have a peritoneal dialysis tube sticking out of my side, that’s something I’m obviously aware of. I’m size twenty, so I don’t look like a lot of the girls, but when I’ve got make-up on and been stage doing my thing I’ve had cheers. I thought women come in all shapes and sizes and if I can fly the flag for disabled fat women, then I will.”

After her graduation, Kim will be taking up a position as Education

and Welfare Officer at Staffordshire University’s Student Union. She was elected in a landslide vote with her slate ‘Staffs UNIty’ who took all of the positions. However she is fully prepared for any negative comments from students, about her burlesque hobby.

“If anything comes back at me, I will do a lecture on what I consider to be burlesque and then a routine so people can see it. I’ve never had any kind of negative responses from what I do, it’s not seedy, you have to see a show to realise the camaraderie and you don’t really see anything. It’s very Carry On, it’s naughty not sleazy, one bloke even brought his son, who was under 18.”

Kim has become adept at ad-lib during performances, “last time I took something off too quickly. So I was like ‘what am I going to do’, I wobbled around for a bit, then jumped in the audience and started rubbing bald men’s heads.

I could see the fear in my husband’s eyes – he thought I would come after him next.”

Her favourite performer is called Red Sarah, she

encompasses a very old style of burlesque, which includes a hilarious circus strong man act.

Although Kim does feel that the 1950’s style of neo-burlesque is losing popularity.

“I think the real 1950’s style, Dita Von Teese burlesque peaked around 2005. Although I think, Dita Von Teese has done a massive favour to women, by bringing burlesque out of the underground fetish scene and it into the forefront.”

“There is a lot of stuff going on with the turn of the century burlesque now. Artists such as Vicky Butterfly and Florence and the Machine is almost burlesque, in the way she moves and her clothes, it’s more of a musical tradition.”

Kim is optimistic about her future in burlesque and is looking for more gigs. When asked what qualities burlesque dancers need, she replied: “big tits! No I’m joking.

Confidence is all you need; you see sizes four to thirty. They go on stage and just shine; it’s all about confidence and a bit of a sparkle in your eye.”

by Laurence Mozafari

To Moscow!

The National Student, April 2010

FEATURE

15

Continuing his diary of his year on an Erasmus placement Nathan Woodcock writes about his experiences in Moscow....

S

o my time in St Petersburg was over and a new adventure was just a 10-hour train journey away to Moscow.

Before entering the train we had to show our tickets and passports to an unsmiling face and were left to find our ‘rooms’ for the night which could be likened to a communal coffin. The conditions in the train bedrooms (or couchettes) were cramped with a small path in the middle of them and bunk beds on both sides.

My experience in these cramped conditions will never be forgotten due my frustration and claustrophobia. I shared my couchette with two Australian girls that were more like two squawking hens than people.

I was chatting to a friend before they entered the room. As soon as they entered my friend left after feeling her presence was not wanted by them.

I would call it a lucky escape rather than being kicked out! When housed in communal living spaces people must tolerate those around them. Now I’m not the type of guy that looks for or promotes conflict but they were annoying to the extreme so much so that I left the room and headed towards the train’s cafe.

I woke at 9am and checked the programme which said that the train would arrive in Moscow by 9:52am. Breakfast came in the form of crackers and jam and a bottle of water.

We finally made it to Moscow! Of course programme had changed from what was stated originally. My Kremlin trip was brought forward a day because the Russian authorities decided to close it a day earlier. So as soon as we got off the train we were told that the coach was going to take us to the Kremlin.

As we walked to the coach (a mere five minute journey) a short man bumped into me trying to pick pocket my possessions

that luckily for me were all in my bag so nothing was taken. However when we got on the coach there was some delay and so I asked what was going on.

The message came through that a French girl (called V) had her camera stolen by a homeless person on the way to the coach. Another member of the tour chased after the homeless person, which got the attention of the Russian police who caught the homeless person and was talking to one of the guides.

Welcome to Moscow!

After the incident and the capture of the homeless suspect the guide and two members of the tour were taken to the police station for questioning. They were there for twelve hours being interviewed, then re-interviewed and it was only when they called the French embassy that the issue was sorted. By the time the French consul was on the way to the station the police handed over the camera and allowed the three members of the tour to leave. The whole story was full of frustration at the bureaucracy of the Russian police and their ineptitude in performing what would be in other countries a simple task.

So whilst those three were enduring this, the rest of us went on a tour of the Kremlin which was way different from what I envisioned. Our guide showed us around and told us about the history of the fortress. We saw the presidential offices, the Tsar canon that was never fired in battle, the Tsar bell which had never been rung and the numerous cathedrals.

The guide joked that the canon and the bell were named after the Tsars because they never worked well either.

After the tour we later all met in the Red Square which is surrounded by Lenin’s Mausoleum, the Rym (Moscow’s equivalent of Harrods) and St Basil’s

Cathedral.

The hotel in Moscow was beyond belief and not in a good way! The place made it feel like we were in the 1970s and there were paintings of Christian symbols everywhere. To make it worse we were told that it would be three to a room and that there would only be one key to share.

The receptionist wanted to do one room at a time

found a UK phone number that had a human being on the other side (rather than ONE OF THOSE STUPID MACHINES) and I was saved.

The Moscow Metro system worked a little differently from its St. Petersburg counterpart.

For one thing the fairground coins had disappeared and instead used a card with a magnetic

‘The message came through that a French girl (called V) had her camera stolen by a homeless person on the way to the coach. Another member of the tour chased after the homeless person, which got the attention of the Russian police who caught the homeless person and was talking to one of the guides.’ but the list of names who we shared the room with was lost. Another logistical nightmare due to the large number of people on the trip!

By this time my money supply was running low. I had about 310 roubles left (about £6). I didn’t want to use my card without calling my bank because they would freeze it for security reasons. After realising that I didn’t bring all the information I required in order to make the necessary changes with my bank I did what any independent 20 year old does in a time when he has no means to get money – I called my parents. My dad

strip. The price however remained the same so out of my remaining 310 roubles I spent 200 on a card that gave me access to the metro ten times. Seven stops on the red line later we were in the centre of Moscow.

For breakfast we needed to get a small white piece of paper from reception and then give it to one of the women who were working in the cafe. This piece of paper entitled us to a bowl of porridge and some sort of egg dish. It was hard not to compare this to the wide choice we had in St. Petersburg, a fact that depressed us even more.

I really wanted to go into Lenin’s Mausoleum and see the body of a figure that I studiedduring my A levels. I always took an interest in reading about the Bolshevik Revolution so this was the top of the to-do list. So we rode the Metro and found our way to the Red Square. The main chamber where Lenin’s body lays is a square room of marble. Looking at him through the glass as I walked around the room was a surreal experience.

He was white as a ghost and looked as if he was sleeping. After a few moments in the square chamber it was time to leave with a memory I will not forget. After I left the Mausoleum there were the graves of the other leaders of the Soviet Union including Stalin.

During our time in Moscow we were supposed to talk to the political opposition Liberal Party but unfortunately for us there were elections for the Moscow City Council the week before and this led to a political row.

Both the Communists and the Liberals accused the governing United Russia Party of electoral fraud.

Under this cloud it was clear that the Liberal Party was too busy complaining about the results of this election to talk to us so they cancelled two days before we were supposed to talk to them. I was disappointed about this because I am interested in politics and would have

liked to hear what they had to say about the political dynamics of Russia.

So after another change of plan we went to Arbot instead. Arbot is a street where artists show their paintings and put them up for sale. On the route to Arbot was the Russian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade housed in a huge Soviet-styled building. The magnitude of this building was breathtaking and the symbol of the Soviet age remained in concrete on the large building.

As soon as we reached Arbot the group dispersed to look at the artists’ works that mostly consisted of paintings. I had a close look at a few of the paintings and even had a short discussion with one of the painters who wanted to practice his English.

As soon as I was done looking around I realised everyone else had already left. Rather than catching up with them I decided to hunt for souvenirs and gifts and then meet up with them later.

On our last day I took a few photos on the way and took my last few glimpses of Moscow whilst on the coach to the airport. When we reached the airport security we had to enter this huge x-ray machine which I hope to god hasn’t given us cancer! On the flight back I reflected on the experience we had during the last two weeks and it was definitely a trip worth writing about.

The National Student, April 2010

SPORT

17

EDINBURGH SWIMMING TEAM SURPRISE RIVALS TO WIN BY SINGLE POINT E d i n b u r g h University swimming club rounded off their season with a stunning victory at the BUCS Team Championships in Sheffield.

In a dramatic afternoon of racing, Edinburgh overturned a large lead held

by Loughborough to pip the reigning champions to the title by just a single point.

An unlucky disqualification in the first relay put the Scottish champions on the back foot, but it wasn’t long before the first points were secured.

The men’s individual events got off to a flying start with Darren Ward winning the 100IM comfortably in a personal best time of 57.33

seconds. Ward would later gain crucial points in the 100 and 50 backcrawl, with second and first place finishes respectively. Team Captain Judi Kilgallon put in a stirring effort in the 100 freestyle to finish second in a time of 56.67, well under the club record set by her sister a few years ago.

Kilgallon went on to emulate this performance in the 100 backcrawl, again finishing second.

Meanwhile, full points were taken by Craig Meek in the men’s 100 free, edging out Loughborough by just 0.06 seconds in a spectacular finish. After a tremendous effort in the 200 free, Meek finished his campaign in

the freestyle events with a second place finish in the 50 free, recording 23.76 seconds in a closely fought race.

By this stage, it was emerging that Edinburgh’s main rivals in the title fight were Loughborough, Oxford, Nottingham and Manchester. Despite strong competitions from all these teams, Edinburgh stepped up to the plate and continued to give strong showings across the board. Breaststroke specialist Eleanor Brooke fought hard to secure 3rd in the 100, finishing only 0.26 seconds outside 1st.

Immediately after, she got to grips with the 200 freestyle and again finished in a solid 3rd place. Mark Jaggs

turned up the pressure further with 2nd in the 100 breaststroke, followed by a storming victory in the 50.

This, along with Darren Ward’s 50 backcrawl win, proved to be a turning point in the standings. Edinburgh were not even inside the top three with four races to go and these late victories enabled them to slide into medal contention.

The swimmers were blissfully unaware of their position in the standings and of the finishing drama that was about to unfold.

The final two races for the 4x50 freestyle relay were hotly contested, with the top five universities only being separated by a handful of

points. A top three placing would dramatically increase the overall team total, as relays scored double points.

The women’s team of Jen Davis, Gayle Biggart, Judi Kilgallon and Eleanor Brooke finished a respectable fifth, and so it came down to the men’s race to decide where Edinburgh would finish, and if they could create a repeat of the silver medal won at the same championships a year ago. In an enthralling race, the team of Darren Ward, Stuart Conley, Dave Errington and Craig Meek swam sub 24 second legs to finish in second place behind Oxford. At the same time, both Loughborough and Manchester got disqualified

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for early takeovers, effectively wiping out any disadvantage Edinburgh had with their earlier disqualification, and dramatically securing them the title by just the single point. It was a brilliant climax to the university season, made all the better by the fact that every single swim had contributed to winning the Championship in such dramatic fashion.

Edinburgh’s captain, Judi Kilgallon, was delighted with the team’s success, commenting: “We thought we would be lucky to come third, so I’m absolutely over the moon!”

by David Bateman

The National Student, April 2010

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Sheffield beat arch rivals in final to seal Korfball glory

The Graves Tennis Centre in Sheffield played host once again to this years BUCS Korfball Championships.

With 16 teams having qualified through the Northern and Southern tournaments at the end of 2009, the stage was set for the largest student korfball event in the UK. The two day tournament did not disappoint and yielded the highest standard of student korfball to date and was eventually won by stand out performers, Sheffield University.

Very rarely do the top three teams in a sport get drawn in the same group in a competition. However, that was exactly what happened as last years BUCS winners Birmingham were placed in the ‘Group of Death’ alongside 2009 runners up Nottingham and third place Sheffield Hallam. The result was spectacular. On the first day, Nottingham beat the much fancied Hallam 8-7 whilst UEA, the final team in the group, threw up a shock as they came back from three down to draw with Birmingham, their long standing rivals. The Midlands side, coached by former student and Welsh

international Nick Wilkins, got their act together in the next game with a win over Notts and Hallam did the same, destroying UEA with eventual male MVP Charlie Vogwill starring.

With anybody capable of progressing to the knock outs, Birmingham and Hallam were left to battle it out; knowing anything less than a win would end their hopes of glory. The Sheffield based side led for much of the game but, in the final minute of the game, England U23 player Jess Beale scored a long shot that secured the draw that Birmingham needed to top the group with Hallam through in second.

Elsewhere, St Andrews, the winners of the Northerns in November, cruised through their group after winning all three of their games, conceding just 10 goals. Equally impressive were Sheffield, who scored an astonishing 33 goals, with England U19 player and fresher James Woolmer hitting form. In Group B, the two qualifiers were again decided by the smallest of margins; Leeds went through as group leaders and Cambridge snuck into the quarter finals on goal difference at

the expense of Edinburgh.

The other teams through were the much improved Bristol and Manchester.

The quarter finals went very much with the form book. Sheffield strolled past Bristol 9-1 whilst their Steel City rivals Hallam dispatched Leeds by three clear goals. Ominously, St Andrews, led by England Students star Andrew Hall, wracked up an impressive 11-3 victory against Manchester. The only shock of the round

came as Birmingham were beaten by Cambridge. In a tense game with few real chances, the champions failed to produce their usual high standard play and, with Cambridge’s Nick Buttinger influential, the score eventually finished 6-5 against Birmingham.

Sunday was semifinal day and saw the Sheffield sides once again manage to avoid each other. Sheffield, captained by the experienced Dan Brooks, were up against

surprise semi finalists Cambridge, who had done well to progress after losing the experienced George Marshall and Angus Davidson last year. Despite battling hard, the class of Sheffield eventually told as they went through 7-5.

England Senior player Natasha Dawson was a threat throughout and would go on to pick up the women’s MVP for the tournament, Hallam, on the other hand, had the far harder task of beating

the increasingly confident St Andrews, the second highest scorers in the group stages. It yielded a game that ebbed and flowed, with Vogwill at the heart of all that was good. Tied at 4-4, the game went to sudden death extra time and up stepped England Students player George Buttinger with a superb spin and shot that sent a delirious Hallam, with several players new to the sport at the start of the year, through.

Thus, the final of the 2010 BUCS Korfball Championships saw a Steel City derby contested in the team’s own back yard. With vociferous support for both sides, the game got off to a frantic start with Sheffield, coached by Liam Clarke, taking an early three goal lead. They looked relatively untroubled until a spree of Hallam goals leveled it up at 4-4 at half time. After the break though, Sheffield, led

by Anna Woodhall, upped the anti and scored four quick goals to effectively kill off the game. Buttinger and Vogwill tried for all their might but the whistle extinguished any chances of a comeback and Sheffield secured a famous 9-7 victory.

by Ben Whitelaw

Durham left devastated as classy Birmingham seal gold University of Birmingham 3 – 1 Durham University “I’m speechless. The girls were awesome. They are the best.” These were the words of University of Birmingham hockey coach Phil Gooderham as the final whistle blew and his team had been confirmed as BUCS women’s hockey champions for the first time in 36 years.

Goals for the Midlands team from Sophie Bray, Ashlie Caddick and Emily Atkinson proved enough to defeat the University of Durham who replied through Captain Ruth Gordon.

Birmingham’s victory was well deserved as they performed heroically in the final from front to back with Captain Naomi Halladay and Kirsty Dawson marshalling the defence, Sarah Page dominating the midfield and the three goal scorers wreaking havoc at the business end of the pitch.

Victory was all the sweeter for Birmingham as Durham had recently landed them with a £1,000 fine relating to crowd behaviour at a men’s hockey semi-final.

Ahead of the game, Gooderham was geared up for the event, “There’s lots of excitement around. If we play with intensity, we’ll win.”

His opposite number Gavin Featherstone had adopted an underdog mentality, “We only have two internationals and they have thirteen,” but he maintained an optimistic outlook, “It’s a one-off game and we’re keen to do well.”

Birmingham were strong favourites having strolled into the final, netting 21 times in the three knockout games and only conceding three goals themselves, but it was Durham who started the stronger. Birmingham’s Alys Brooks, scorer of two

goals in their semi-final victory went off injured early on and the northern university capitalised on this and took the initiative.

Sophie Davies and the impressive Flick Bamgbose launched attacks down the left wing and through the centre, keeping Birmingham deep inside their own half.

Unfortunately for Durham, they failed to score and from about ten minutes into the game, the Midlanders gained the ascendancy.

A series of short corners resulted in the effervescent Page being frustrated by a dogged Durham defence but Birmingham were bossing the match with Becky Slater and Atkinson looking particularly dangerous.

Bray forced an incredible reaction save from Durham keeper Harriet Tebbs and a goal seemed inevitable. It

arrived on 27 minutes, when an Atkinson short corner was played in by Page who found Bray lurking at the far-post to tap the ball in and put Birmingham into a well-deserved lead. Straight after, a mazy run from Atkinson split the Durham defence and she was unlucky not to make it two. At this point, Birmingham were threatening to run away with the game and their goalkeeper Josie Morris was practically a spectator.

Half time came at a good time for Durham, and Birmingham midfielder Elin Thomas stated it had been a ‘tiring’ half. Her coach Gooderham felt they should have scored more while dominating and demanded that his team kept their composure in the second half. He needn’t have worried as his team resumed the second half as they had finished the first. On 48 minutes, Caddick made it

2-0, eventually converting Isobel Fullwood’s penalty corner. Durham were now very much up against it but managed to get themselves back into contention seven minutes later when Gordon led by example and drilled a powerful shot straight past Morris into the bottom right corner.

Any hopes of a comeback were short lived however, as Atkinson restored Birmingham’s two goal advantage within a minute by shooting into the top of the net from close range after some great link up play with Page. The Midlanders proceeded to close out the game and could even have scored a fourth when Caddick crashed an effort against the post.

The game finished and the Birmingham support burst into song. Key player Page was ecstatic, “It feels amazing, especially after last year’s final defeat. We’ve

worked so hard for this.”

Official player of the match Bray stated her award was just ‘an added bonus’ but the victory had been ‘a long time coming’.

Durham’s coach Featherstone saw things differently, and bemoaned the umpire’s decisions, “We were aggrieved by the decision not to award us two penalty corners and they shouldn’t have won. I thought we played pretty well.”

In truth, whilst Durham had fought hard, Birmingham had outclassed their opponents in every department and it was their name which was on the trophy after a long wait.

Captain Halladay lifted the trophy to euphoric chants from their support which rounded off a truly exceptional season for one of the best University sports clubs around.

by James Phillips

More sport reports and analysis at thenationalstudent.co.uk

The National Student, April 2010

SPORT

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Lacrosse glory for Lafferty and Lawrence’s ladies University of Birmingham 9 – 6 University of Cambridge For many Thursday March 11 will have been another unremarkable day but for Birmingham’s lacrosse girls it will go down as the day they finally managed to exorcise their BUCS championship final demons and complete an historic unbeaten season.

Cambridge put up a spirited fight and made it a very difficult afternoon for Birmingham, who have largely had it their own way this year.

For the last three years Birmingham have battled hard to make consecutive BUCS finals, only to fall at the final hurdle each time.

On that Thursday afternoon they set the record straight once and for all, dramatically overcoming their Cambridge counterparts at Sheffield’s Mount St. Mary’s venue. In fact it was their Cambridge counterparts who beat them to the trophy on one of these occasions, thus setting up a mouth-watering tie this time around.

Birmingham went into the game as huge favourites

but as we know odds mean nothing in sport and as the match began, it was clear that the contest was going to prove much tighter than anyone could have predicted beforehand.

Cambridge made the perfect start, with their forward Leah Schabas brilliantly denied

by England international keeper Catherine Gaunt.

However, from the restart, Gaunt passed straight to Cambridge’s Alana Livesey, who cruised in to score.

This early concession seemed to calm some of Birmingham’s cup final nerves as they hit back with a number of consecutive attacks, led primarily by cocaptains Jamie Lawrence and Kirsten Lafferty with the former only denied narrowly by the woodwork.

However, the pressure soon paid off. After a patient build up, the excellent Alice Bruynseels surged into the area to slot past a helpless Roshni Best. The Scotland U19 international could only watch as the ball flew into the bottom corner.

But the side from the

Midlands were unable to capitalise on this goal as Cambridge came thundering back with Livesey producing another sharp save from Gaunt before Georgie Hurt crashed the ball into the post. This served as a prominent warning to the Brum players and, once again, they upped the tempo, with their coach, Dave Abini, barking out the orders from the touchline.

His words clearly had an effect as his team surged forward, forcing consecutive three-second penalties.

Unfortunately, they were unable to convert these chances, but they were not to be denied for long. After some patient and clever build up play from Lafferty and her fellow England international Bruynseels, co-captain Lawrence found some space in the area and applied a calm finish to put her side in front.

Birmingham then took the initiative and pushed on with almost everything going through the irrepressible Lafferty.

The constant pressure paid off again on 18 minutes as Lawrence weaved expertly through the powerless Cambridge defence to double her personal tally.

At this point, one could have been excused for thinking Birmingham would run away with the match but Cambridge did not lie down and struck back just a minute later to keep themselves in contention.

After a good counter attack, led by the extreme pace of Welsh international Ellie Walshe, Laura Plant found herself one-on-one with Gaunt and she made no mistake with the finish.

The game was being played increasingly end-to-end and this was emphasised in the subsequent 5-minute phase as Lawrence completed her hat-trick from a 3-second penalty only to see her goal cancelled out quickly by a scrappy finish from Hurt.

The contest continued in this exciting vein for the rest of the half, with the teams exchanging 3-second penalties very close to the goal. The players huddled up for half-time with the game deliciously poised at 4-3 to Birmingham.

If Birmingham thought Cambridge would come out tired in the second half, they were sadly mistaken as the East Anglians went on the attack again and reaped immediate rewards.

A double smash-and-grab in the space of three minutes left the Brum players wishing it was still half time. First Hurt finished well after a good pass from Livesey before Livesey herself turned goalscorer after an incisive Cambridge counter attack.

Birmingham became worried and desperation crept in with the thought of another cup final defeat looming large. However, this wasn’t to be as the class they have displayed throughout the season shone though. On 36 minutes Lafferty showed great perseverance to earn a vital three-second penalty on the edge of the Cambridge area. She stormed into the box before applying a low finish for a well-deserved goal. This was quickly followed by Bruynseels’ second to put Brum back in the driving seat.

To their credit Cambridge didn’t give up the ghost

and they struck back through Hurt again but Birmingham’s belief had been fully restored and they continued to assert their dominance. Three goals in three minutes, one from Lafferty and two from Bruynseels, put the game to bed and allowed Birmingham to commence their intense celebrations.

At the whistle, the team roared, threw their sticks in the air and sung loud enough to be heard all the way back in England’s second city.

Following the celebrations Abini expressed his delight, ‘I’m so pleased with the win. It’s been years in the making and it feels so good to finally go all the way.’

These thoughts were echoed by hat-trick hero Lawrence, “I’m absolutely ecstatic. I’m a third year and have lost in the final for the last two years so it feels amazing to finally win.”

She and her team have every reason to be ecstatic after a dominant performance and a gutsy win against formidable and tough Cambridge opposition.

by Simon Hall