The National Student February 2010

THE NATIONAL

STUDENT February 2010

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The problems after the quake - page 11

UCL Islamic Society hits back at claims of links to terrorism after Christmas Day bomb attempt

‘ISLAMIC SOCIETIES ARE THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM’ The UCL Islamic Society (Isoc) has hit back at claims of supporting terrorists, amid the news that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the AlQaeda extremist who attempted to bomb a KLM flight on Christmas Day, was strongly affiliated with the religious organisation.

in this month’s

magazine

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Abdulmutallab attended University College London from 2005 to 2008, where he pursued a mechanical engineering degree.

According to the UCL engineering department, he was widely considered to be a “well-mannered, quietly spoken, polite and able young man” who “never gave his tutors any cause for concern.”

During this time, Abdulmutallab was also a very active member of the Islamic Society, including serving as its president in his final year of study.

After his time at UCL, Abdulmutallab spent a brief time in Dubai before moving to Yemen, where

he solidified his ties with al-Qaeda and eventually embarked on his Christmas day attack. Beginning his plane journey in Lagos, Umar connected through Amsterdam and eventually boarded the KLM flight set for Detroit on December 25.

However, Abdulmutallab was unsuccessful in his attempt to detonate the explosives sewn in his pants because of the actions taken by the passengers and crew to stop him. He is currently being detained in the United States, and faces the possibility of life imprisonment.

This attack has greatly affected the UCL Islamic Society, whose members have felt increasingly victimised since the incident.

Although they claim that Abdulmutallab’s actions do not represent their beliefs or their faith, many outsiders are still distrustful of the organisation and fear that it promotes hatred and radical behaviour.

More at:

by Juliette Hall

Qasim Rafiq, a former Isoc president who knew Abdulmutallab well, told The Independent: “Islamic societies are part of the solution, they are not the problem”.

Rafiq and other members claim that it was not Abdulmutallab’s time at UCL that inspired his extremist actions, and that it is therefore wrong to question Isoc’s activities because of them.

The members are to promote the idea that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance, not one of radicalism and violence.

It is unclear whether Abdulmutallab had ties to al-Qaeda whilst a student at UCL, or whether he became involved following his graduation from the university.

As this is unclear, Isoc is finding it very difficult to combat the attacks that declare them a hotbed of radicalism.

thenationalstudent.co.uk

The National Student, February 2010

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2 The National Student welcomes contributions.

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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

Cambridge welcomes 14-year-old genius A 237-year record is set to be broken, as 14-yearold Arran Fernandez is due to become Cambridge’s youngest undergraduate since William Pitt the Younger.

Arran, from Surrey, has already been offered a conditional place at Fitzwilliam College, after successfully passing the university’s entrance exams.

The teen who has sat his Maths and further Maths A-levels, now only has to negotiate his Physics A-level to cement a place at Cambridge.

He spoke about his academic success: “Maths has been my favourite subject for as long as I can remember. I enjoy being home-schooled because I’m more involved. I can see the mark schemes and help my dad decide the curriculum.”

Arran’s father, Neil Fernandez, who is a political economist, said: “We are very proud of Arran. But I believe that every child could do this, given the right encouragement, unless there’s a serious disability, practically all children can read at two or younger, and start exploring Maths

around the same time.”

He added: “A lot of boredom goes on in school - you have to sit there, whereas at home you don’t get the negativity associated with being there.”

First claiming the headlines in 2001 at the age of five, when he claimed the highest grade in the Maths foundation paper, Arran went on to sit the intermediate GCSE paper and gained A* in the advanced level paper, aged seven, in 2003.

His brains at such a young age brought him attention from TV producers, leading to appearances on both Terry Wogan and Gaby Roslin’s show in 2003, where he beat mathematics populariser Johnny Ball in a live mental arithmetic contest.

Arran, who in 2003 told the media he wanted to be “A mathematician, lorry driver or space explorer”, has now decided that he wants to be a research mathematician and says his ambition is to find a solution to the Riemann hypothesis - the unsolved theory about the patterns of prime numbers that has beaten mathematicians for 150 years.

by Robert Dalling

‘RACIST, RELIGIOUSLY INSENSITIVE’ ACTIONS AT CHRISTMAS PARTY The Athletics Union (AU) of London School of Economics has come under fire for the conduct of its members at a drunken Christmas party.

At the annual fancydress event, several students dressed up as Guantanamo Bay inmates, drunkenly yelling ‘Oh Allah’. Their faces were painted brown, and they wore orange jump-suits, the attire of Guantanamo Bay prisoners.

As a result of the students actions, AU President Charlie Glyn and Student Union General Secretary Alex Dilwyn issued a joint statement in LSE’s student newspaper, The Beaver, which said: “This behaviour is completely at odds with the anti-racist principles of the Students’ Union and the internationalist, diverse and tolerant majority of the student body”.

They further condemned the actions of those involved as “racist, religiously insensitive and demeaning”.

In a comment piece in the same newspaper, Samer Araabi, a Muslim

LSE student, said it was “unquestionably one of the most insulting, offensive and downright frightening acts of racism I have ever witnessed”. Before adding that he did not “feel safe on my own campus”.

Cambridge college asked to keep sex noise down Students at an all-girl Cambridge college have been asked to keep the noise down whilst having sex.

The 400 undergraduates at Newnham College were sent an email urging them to be ‘discreet in your activities’ and reminding them that the corridors ‘funneled sound’. It also stated that some college walls are very thin.

Lizzy Cole, president of the college’s junior common room, sent the email after receiving 30 complaints about noise in student halls.

Students are horrified to think that their peers have heard them during their more intimate moments.

A second-year classicist, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Daily Mail: “When I read the email I cringed. I thought it must refer to me!”

Another Newnham undergraduate said: “It’s just so embarrassing to think that people have been listening in. I was blushing when I got the email.”

“You try to keep it down, but it’s easy to forget the walls are so thin if you get a bit carried away.”

“This sort of thing must

happen at every university in the country. Only in Cambridge would your fellow students complain.

They’ll be handing out ear plugs next.”

Male visitors are allowed to stay for up to two nights at the college but after that must sign up for a guest room.

Talking to student newspaper The Tab one male visitor said he was not surprised by the complaints.

“I’m not surprised. That place is a nightmare to escape from when drunk. And as for the walls, I thought I was going to break them at one point!,” he said.

Newnham hit the headlines last February after several students from the Newnham Nuns drinking society were pictured in sexual poses

during a boozy initiation ceremony.

Cole said some students had misinterpreted the email.

“The complaints I received from people over the last month or so were mainly about general noise coming from the college,” she said “It was things like shouting in the corridors and music being played late at night and in the early hours.”

However, she added: “Newnham does have a feminist reputation and also it’s known as the slutty college of Cambridge, which I think is a bit unfair.”

“But it’s always going to be that way with an all-female college. We’re not all extreme feminists or sluts - we’re just normal women trying to enjoy Cambridge life.”

The National Student, February 2010

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Part-time jobs hugely detrimental

SHEFFIELD STUDENT WOWS CHINESE ‘X-FACTOR’ JUDGES

Being forced to prioritise employment over their studies is forcing many students to miss vital lectures and much needed sleep, research suggests.

Money worries makes missing lectures in order to work a necessity for 17% of all students surveyed by technology firm Olympus.

The cost of a degree, which looks set to increase after the next General Election despite student protests, means that 13% of students miss up to five hours of lectures a week.

In addition to this, 21% of all students said that they struggled to complete their work on time.

Speaking to the BBC, NUS president Wes Streeting commented on the need for students to undertake part-time work: “Given that students are graduating with record levels of debt, and job prospects are at an all-time low, it is no surprise that so many are having to take on part-time work which is adversely affecting their studies.”

The majority of students surveyed were found to have average attention spans of a mere 10 minutes, with a third blaming this on being overworked and lacking sleep.

A UK Student is a pop sensation in China, having clinched first place in an X-Factor style contest.

19-year-old Mary-Jess Leaverland, from the University of Sheffield, impressed more than 70 million viewers to win a televised singing competition during her year abroad as part of her Music and China degree.

Mary-Jess said of her success: “I’m shocked to have won as it’s a big competition and the other contestants were really good with quite a broad spectrum of talent taking part.”

“My dream is to be a recording artist and if that’s a possibility in the future, I would grab it with both hands.”

Mary-Jess, who is fluent in Mandarin, took part in the competition following her success in a smaller singing competition soon after she arrived in China last September.

After battling her way

Call centres DESPERATE STUDENTS WILLING to blame for TO PAY FOR INTERNSHIPS loans fiasco The nightmare scenario students faced when trying to get their loans this year can be attributed largely to poor call centre management, a government report has found.

Carrying out a report on the shortcoming’s of the Student Loans Company (SLC), who wereresponsibleforover150,000 students not getting their loans before the start of university, Professor Sir Deian Hopkin found that the SLC’s “contact centre was inappropriate”, and “inadequate use was made of the range of tools and resources available to proactively manage the contact peak” When least productive, the centrewasfoundtobeanswering only 5% of incoming calls, which lead to students facing delays and being completely in the dark over their payments. In the first week of September, almost 1.5million calls were made to the centre, as a result of incorrect and inconsistent information being provided by advisers, which lead to more and more students phoning to clarify their position.

Professor Hopkin has made 14 recommendations, including a demand that the SLC “act quickly to avoid a repeat of the difficulties experienced this year””.

Graduates are willing to pay up to £8,000 to secure internships, according to recent findings by The Daily Telegraph.

It is thought that the number of students forking out for placements, which are also often unpaid, could be in the high hundreds.

NUS has labelled the approach as “obscene” and said it is likely students are “paying for their own exploitation”.

There is also concern that middle-class students are using such tactics to give themselves an edge over their less fortunate counterparts in the competitive graduate job market.

It has also emerged that some companies are laying off current employees and offering their positions to interns instead. Alex Try, one of the founders of the popular blog Interns Anonymous, highlighted one case involving a commercial art gallery in London who cleared away the lower members of staff and handed over their responsibilities to graduates.

Talking to ‘Employment

4 Students’, Jonathan Black, the director of the careers service at Oxford University, admitted that he has been approached by firms in the City and media businesses to broker their services to students.

Black said: “I think companies charging for internships are exploitative of a vulnerable group of people, they are preying

on students’ uncertainty.”

He continued to stress that students must realise that it is in no way necessary to take the paying route as all careers services know that internships are available for free and you should be able to find yourself a place on one if you are willing to do a bit of work yourself.”

by Tom Timmins

to the final, Mary-Jess, who was the only foreign contestant on the show, went on to claim the top prize of £1000, wowing judges with various pieces, including her rendition of ‘Moonlight Lovers’ from the hit film, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’.

The series, which does not offer a recording contract, follows a similar format to Simon Cowell’s X Factor.

The show is entitled ‘Min Xing Chang Fan Tian’, which translates to ‘I want to sing to the stars’, and features a judging panel of three experts, including local record executives and songwriters.

Dr Lucy Zhao, lecturer in the School of East Asian Studies at Sheffield University, said: “MaryJess has a real talent for both languages and music.

It is not easy to win a competition at such a level and I am really proud of her.”

by Tom Timmins

The National Student, February 2010

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Graduates Premiership to begin this year Britain’s top 50 graduates of 2010 will be compiled in a list of ‘Rising Stars’, which will be available to some of the country’s biggest employers.

The new scheme, by the Graduate Recruitment Bureau (GRB), aims to find the top fifty final year students who excel in their field, which the GRB hopes will secure top students with top jobs.

Dan Evans, co-founder of GRB, said: “We anticipate the jobs market to be slightly better in 2010, although even more competitive as 2010 graduates will be up against 2009s cohort who couldn’t find work.”

“We therefore took the decision three months ago to begin a search for the UK’s top 50 finalists. We then compiled the list and told recruiters.”

He added: “There have already been positive signs from several companies involved. Universities have also responded well and asked how their students can be considered for next year.”

Employers will be able to browse the list and those interested can arrange to meet the student – and ultimately offer a job to them.

The new scheme, which began last week, comes after three-months of preparation to find the top fifty students in the UK. Yet some students have questioned how beneficial the scheme will be, feeling that a list of 50 top graduates is too limited.

Emily Staffiere, a second-

year student at Cambridge University, said: “I think that a scheme like this is largely a good idea, but it will only ever enhance a certain number of students’ job prospects.

“What constitutes “top”?

The class of one’s degree is by no means a complete reflection of one’s suitability for a particular job.”

On the other side of the coin, Luke Verrall, a student from the University of Leeds, argued that such a scheme is unfair. He said: “It does seem to be a little unfair that there will be so many intelligent people missed out.

“By creating this ‘top’ list, surely that is inadvertently creating a ‘bad’ list too. I don’t really think it is a company’s place to segregate students like this. Employers ought to be able to see all of the students looking for jobs and then make the decision themselves based on interviews, achievement and personality – rather than by grades alone.”

But others think that the scheme to benefit the best students is a fair idea.

Natalie Hall, from the University of Leicester, said: “A scheme like this sounds like a great idea and will enhance job prospects of those who work hard.

“I suppose it could be argued that categorising students is elitist. But it’s the students who have worked the hardest who would get such an opportunity, and that does not seem unreasonable.”

HELP FOR HAITI The Haiti earthquake has forced charitable students into action - with the University of Chester alone raising thousands of pounds to help victims.

Clubs and societies at the university organised a range of events within days of the disaster and have already raised approximately £2,200 for the Disasters Emergency Committee Haiti Earthquake appeal.

The events began with ‘Hugs for Haiti’, where visitors were encouraged to give donations in exchange for embraces from members of the University’s People and Planet Society. Two days of standing through rain, sleet and strong wind paid dividends with around £400 being raised.

One of the students taking part, Jenni Moss, said: “We just wanted to make a difference, even if it is a drop in the ocean in terms of fundraising. We were horrified at the scenes that were being beamed back

from Haiti on television, as was the whole world, and we felt a bit helpless.”

“By doing our bit, hopefully it will help to bring comfort in some form to the victims of this devastating disaster.”

Other events include a 12 hour rowathon by the university Rowing team, which raised a further £400, followed by a group of third year Geography students who raised £800 with a Penny for a Pound appeal, in which they drew an outline of Haiti and asked passers-by to help fill the middle with donations.

Finally, both the Students’ Union President Jamie Northrop and Warrington-based Vice-President Oliver Howard carried out an impromptu sponsored head-shaving on which raised in excess of £550.

by David Bateman

by Ashley Scrace

STUDENT FORGES WAY INTO OXFORD A fraudulent student managed to lie his way into winning a place at Lady Margaret Hall (LMH), a college at Oxford University.

By claiming to have graduated from Langley Grammar School with at least 10 A grades at A level, the student was able to gain a place at Oxford in 2009, to study Economics and Management.

However, the documents he provided were discovered to be fakes, including a forged reference from a teacher. The student has now been removed from his place at the university.

After speaking to Janet Jamieson, Deputy Headmistress of Langley Grammar School, Lady Margaret Hall was able to confirm that the

student’s thirteen As at A-level were entirely fabricated. Speaking to Oxford University student newspaper Cherwell, Jamieson said: “He certainly did not achieve those A-level grades, nor did he achieve the GCSEs that he claimed from his previous school. This boy was a student here but that is where it ends.”

She added: “The college should have checked it up right from the start.

It would be impossible to get thirteen A-levels, and this should have gained attention. I imagine Oxford will want to try and keep this as quiet as possible, this sort of thing does not happen often.”

The LMH Admissions and Academic offices refused to comment on how

a student with an entirely faked application could have gained a place at the college. The proctors also refused to comment.

The student attended Langley Grammar School for sixth form, from September 2005 to June 2007.

After sitting a number of retakes during his gap year, he eventually achieved As in his three A-level subjects of Economics, Mathematics and Religious Studies.

He applied to university through UCAS in 2009 as an independent candidate.

Jamieson commented: “Normally the UCAS form is sent from the school, so the Headmistress endorses the application, as do form tutors, subject teachers and the Head of Sixth Form, who sends it directly to

UCAS electronically. This means that all academic information is verified; universities are in general dependent on schools for sending the proper documents to UCAS. This student applied to university two years after he had left school, so we never saw his application.”

When students apply to university as independent candidates, they often attach references and documents from their school, but ultimately, the school does not see the final package that is sent to UCAS. The information is passed straight on to the universities, without final verification from the school. This makes it the responsibility of the university to check the facts.

Jamieson added: “[He] did not achieve the results he would have needed for admission to the top universities that he aspired to attend. He came to Langley with GCSEs in the range of A*s, As, Bs and Cs; strong, but not outstanding. [He] was a very enterprising young man, and very ambitious, but he did not always fulfil his potential. We advised him not to apply to university immediately, as frankly his grades were too poor.”

“We’re very concerned about the whole affair, and have considered speaking to the school’s legal team.

However, we have been assured by UCAS that [the student] entered an individual contract with them, and we as a school

are not party to it. Even if we had offered references, it remains a private agreement between the student and UCAS.” Mbombo Kaomam, the First Year Representative at LMH, revealed that members of the JCR Executive Committee and other E&M students have recently been briefed by the College that the student will not be returning to Oxford this term.

Genevieve Clarke, JCR President of LMH commented, “I’m sure the College administration take things at face value. I don’t think its any fault of the academic staff at LMH, as they are obviously very competent.” by Camilla (Cherwell)

Turner

The National Student, February 2010

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CAN THE HOLOCAUST EVER BE A JOKE? Facebook drinking game group divides student opinion Two students face expulsion from university after their Facebook group started an international media frenzy.

University of Huddersfield students Nicholas Rowley and Anthony Pike, the pair who formulated the now infamous ‘Hitler Drinking Game’, deleted the offending group after provoking international debate on whether the Holocaust can ever be a joke.

The Facebook page had detailed the rules of the game, which is a variation of popular student game Kings.

These include referring to a participant as ‘Mein Fuhrer’, downing a mix of drinks entitled ‘The Holocaust’, and regularly shouting ‘Heil Hitler’.

However, despite deleting the offending group, and Rowley’s insistence that “This

game, group and its creators in no way support, encourage or promote Adolf Hitler or the ideologies of the Nazi Party,” he has faced intense public criticism for the offensive undertones of the game.

This includes the threat of expulsion from university.

Professor Peter Slee, deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Huddersfield, said of the game: “We are shocked to hear about this game, and extremely disturbed at the allegations that students at this university have been taking part in it.”

“This is a highly unusual incident and the university prides itself on its multicultural, cohesive campus.”

“We will be investigating these allegations, which we take very seriously, and will take appropriate action once these investigations are

complete.”

Yet, despite the fierce criticism leveled at the game, a copy of the group has arisen on Facebook under the same title of ‘Hitler Drinking Game’, and has gained over 7,000 members. On this page, one member has stated that “the holocaust last night was crazy”.

The group has split student opinion down the middle: should it be taken merely as a fun game or can the systematic murder of six million people ever be considered remotely humorous?

While some members of the Facebook group have commented, “This is absolutely brilliant!”, others have been more scathing in their assessment.

One student appeared to summarise the feelings of those who cannot see the fun

in playing a game where the gas chambers of Auschwitz are replicated in a supposedly funny manner: “This game is sick.

Somebody told me about it and I honestly thought they were joking. It makes a joke about one of the biggest and most horrific acts of genocide in human history, you should all be ashamed of yourselves.”

Others have chosen to be more blunt, with one commenting: “I think you are all seriously disrespectful fuckers for being part of this.”

However, fans of the group insist those who criticise are taking an overly serious approach, and not seeing the game for what it is, namely light-hearted fun with drinks amongst friends.

by David Bateman

Extremist with terrorist MIKE TYSON MAKES YET links denies wrong-doing ANOTHER COMEBACK? The London School of Economics post-graduate teacher with direct links to a hardline Islamist group has dismissed allegations linking him with terrorist activity.

Reza Pankhurst, who is currently studying for his masters in the history of international relations at LSE, recently spoke out against what he claims is a “McCarthyite witchhunt”. It was recently revealed that Pankhurst is a member of Hizb utTahrir (HT), a group which advocates the creation of a Muslim caliphate in the Arab world. He has spent four years in Egyptian prisons for his attempts to promote the group, and the group is banned in Germany for ‘anti-semitic activity’.

Islamic groups at universities have come under increasing review since the revelations that the attempted Christmas Day suicide bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, had studied at Univeristy College London, and presided over it’s Islamic

Society.

Speaking to the Guardian, Pankhurst refuted claims by counter-extremist group the Quilliam Foundation, which stated that HT had not abandoned attempts to “infiltrate British universities in order to spread its destructive, confrontational message”.

Pankhurst said: “What [my accusers] forgot to say was that I spent 10 minutes stressing that any action that targets innocents is prohibited and that there’s no justification for it in Islam.

[Abdulmutallab] was radicalised by a sense of injustice … by what he saw on the news about Afghanistan and Iraq.”

He added: “I have not said anything which is illegal, or anything that incites violence.”

He has gained support from the university, who issued the following statement: “No concerns about his conduct have been raised with the school and we are not aware that he is a member of any proscribed organisation or has broken any laws or

LSE regulations.”

However, despite his insistence that he does not promote violence or intolerance, the Conservatives have threatened to ban the group should they gain power, with the Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling stating that “anyone who doubts its [Hizb ut-Tahrir’s] true character should take a look at the website for its sister organisation in Bangladesh, which talks about evil American plans to subjugate Muslims and about mobilising armed forces to eliminate the Jewish entity. We cannot allow such views free rein in our society.”

The NUS also refuses to allow the group airtime, under its “no platform” policy regarding speakers.

Meanwhile, a Home Office spokesperson said: “Hizb ut-Tahrir is kept under continuous review. As and when new material comes to light it is considered and the organisation reassessed as part of that process.”

by David Bateman

Ear biting returned to the headlines recently, when a student decided to copy Mike Tyson’s actions.

However, rather than a boxing ring in Las Vegas, it was a gym in Liverpool. 22year-old student Saul DykesWright was sentenced to four years imprisonment after biting fellow student Paul Mottram’s ear so hard that he severed the top of it.

The altercation began after Dykes-Wright spotted the victim outside Liverpool University’s gymnasium.

The incident is reminiscent of the now infamous attack, where former Heavyweight Champion of the World Mike Tyson bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear during their fight in June 1997, which resulted in Tyson’s boxing license being rescinded for a year.

Outside of the ring, Dykes-Wright was not treated so lightly, receiving a four year jail sentence from the prosecuting Geoffrey Greenwood. DykesWright issued a statement

following the trial admitting causing grievous bodily harm, however, he denied intending to cause Mottram any serious injury, Judge David Swift told how the two men had “a history of difficulties” which had erupted in violence in

the past.

Harry Gow, defending, said his client had been studying for a degree, adding: “He accepts he has to pay his debt to society for what he has done.”

by Robert Dalling

The National Student, February 2010

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Imaginative duo succeeding as children’s authors Two student graduates are fascinating children with their unusual tales of asthmatic Cheetah’s and short-sighted Eagles.

The pair, Kate O’Sullivan and David Harfield, both University of Sheffield graduates, have produced a series of children’s books, aptly entitled ‘Oddtails’, which aim to teach kids the importance of embracing diversity and accepting individuality. The tales revolve around animal characters who are teased for being different, but who end up saving the day by using their uniqueness.

The series, which is aimed at five and six yearolds, features Roy the short sighted Eagle, who must wear glasses to hunt; Milly the asthmatic Cheetah; and Kate, a vegetarian grizzly bear.

These characters are meant to break down stereotypes and help children embrace the individuality and disabilities, both in themselves, and in those around them.

23-year-old Kate first thought up the idea for Oddtails in her third year at the University of Sheffield, where she completed a degree

in International History and International Politics.

She and 24-year-old David Harfield joined together to begin work on Oddtails after their graduation in 2008.

The talented pair put their ideas into motion after the University’s Enterprise Centre offered the them two grants totaling £1000, which proved to be integral to their success. This money not only helped Kate and David pay for printing expenses and the cost of setting up a website, but it also enabled them to have an artist illustrate the series.

The duo then spent the next year touring the books around schools in the UK as a way to test out how well the stories

would be received.

After having great success with schoolchildren, they sent the books out to publishers and eventually signed with the independent publisher Loose Chippings.

Kate O’Sullivan said of her creation: “We live in an increasingly cosmopolitan world, yet children are still teased and bullied and feel left out.

The books not only represent positive attitudes to disability, something that is scarce amongst young children’s literature, but they also give facts about the animals and the environment.

We’re thrilled with the book’s success.”

The first book of the series, Roy the Eagle, is now for sale in Waterstones and on the Amazon website. Kate and David hope the book is on the shelves of smaller shops within the next few months.

David Harfield commented on the books potential success: “Even if one child feels happier about who they are then we will have accomplished something very special.”

by Juliette Hall

BUDDING ‘DRAGONS’ WIN NATIONAL COMPETITION A team of student scientific entrepreneurs have triumphed in a national competition akin to Dragons Den, following their invention of a wood pulp alternative for the paper industry.

Team SynthiBac, made-up of secondyear PhD students from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, were awarded the Pfizer Prize for Innovation at the national finals of Biotechnology YES (Young Entrepreneurs Scheme) - a competition designed to highlight the commercialisation of bioscience ideas among postgraduates.

The team claimed the trophy and were rewarded £100 each, after impressing a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style judging panel with their idea for a company which produces high quality, pure cellulose from bacteria providing an alternative to wood pulp for the paper industry.

The eco-

friendly method would spare the destruction of millions of trees and was considered by judges to be the most innovative proposal that could be made into a viable business.

SynthiBac included Tacita Nye, Adam Croucher, Laura Smith, Jayne-Louise Wilson and Richard Wheeler.

Tacita Nye from Team SynthiBac, said, “We had a fantastic time in the London final – the competition was fierce so we were extremely pleased to win the Pfizer Prize for Innovation.

She added: “The competition has allowed us to learn a great deal about commercialisation of a scientific idea, as well as give us an insight into the skills required for success in the business world.”

They were joined by Team Eagleeyz, who put forward their idea of alcogum -a chewing gum which changes colour once the consumer reaches

the drink driving limit, alerting the driver not to go behind the wheel.

Both teams progressed to the finals following a three-day regional heat in which they battled it out against postgraduate students from several other universities.

During this stage, students were required to pitch their ideas of an “imaginary” biotech start-up company to a panel of judges comprising of business, financial and academic backgrounds.

Dr Celia Caulcott, a representative of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), added: “The teams have done incredibly well.

They are already demonstrating the essential skills in finance, marketing and intellectual property they need in order to push a real life product through from research to commercial reality.

by Tom Timmins

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The National Student, February 2010

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Study finds that student lifestyles are centred around ‘junk food reliance’

UNIVERSITY LIFE = UNHEALTHY LIFE A study has found that students’ lifestyles are likely to lead to increased levels of fast-food consumption.

The study, carried out

by University of Leicester student Hannah Cooper, found that ‘junk food reliance’ increases as students begin to cater for themselves. Under the supervision of Dr. Ellen Annandale at the university, Cooper’s findings shed light on the unhealthy nature of many student’s diets.

Speaking on her findings, she said: “Students might be tired and not feel like cooking. Fast food marketing makes it very accessible. At home their parents probably provided their meals.

They didn’t seem to have the knowledge of how to manage money in relation to food, and fast food was sometimes seen as cheaper than cooking.”

She added: “They knew that fast food was less healthy than home cooked food, but that knowledge wasn’t strong enough to override their lifestyle.

Peer pressure can be very strong. One male student reported that when he ordered a salad at a pub his friends jeered at him.”

Of the sample consulted

by Cooper, while 59% conceded eating habits had declined, only 29% felt their weight had increased since becoming students. The University of Leicester is taking steps in the aftermath of these results in developing strategies to help curb student’s reliance on these unhealthy foods.

Frances Stone from the Residential and Catering Services said: “I found Hannah’s report very informative, giving support to our assumption based on anecdotal evidence. We encourage

students to eat healthily and do hold regular Healthy Living weeks in residences. We support the studentcooking.tv, which is a lively, informative and stylish internet-based video service that shows students how to cook great tasting meals on a budget.

The statistics showed that male students, who likened cooking to ‘women’s work’, were more likely to buy fast food in comparison to female students, who were more conscious of potential effects on their physical appearance.

Dr Annandale commented: “It isn’t just a question of knowledge, as many students are aware of what constitutes a healthy diet. It is the social context in which students live that pushes them towards a lifestyle that might be unhealthy.”

by Robert Dalling

The National Student, February 2010

NEWS

8

Facebook our clear choice Advice from S T U D E N T S overwhelmingly endorse Facebook as the dominant social networking site, recent findings suggest.

An online survey found that a massive 98% of all students and graduates have a Facebook profile.

Facebook’s closest rival, MySpace, could only boast a figure of 43%, with other popular sites such as Twitter and Bebo even further behind with 38% and 25% of all students having a profile on their website.

The survey also found that while networking sites can be used for both job hunting and social networking, only a small minority of students and graduates utilise it for both, with 78% using their profiles exclusively as a social tool. However, considering recent reports of prospective employers being put off by finding drunken photos on social networking profiles, this is clearly a wise move by students. This trend of employment chances being hampered by online findings has prompted a small percentage of users to create two profiles: one for socializing; one for professional matters.

Additionally, 86% of

What to watch out for when renting a property students and graduates now use privacy settings on their profiles to help protect against any information that could be potentially detrimental to their career.

The survey was conducted by graduate recruitment website Milkround.com.

Their spokesperson Mike Barnard commented: “Facebook is the social networking site every student and graduate wants to have a profile on … Nothing seems to be challenging Facebook’s social supremacy” Despite Barnard’s words, Google hopes to soon provide competition

for Facebook, with their new service, Google Wave, which is currently inviteonly.

Although many students are not familiar with the site, about 60% of those quizzed stated that they would be “quite interested” in learning more about using the communication tool, which could become the latest social networking craze, following on from MySpace and now Facebook as students’ favourite.

With 92% of those surveyed rating Facebook as their site of choice, it will continue as the forerunner of social networking websites, at least for the immediate future.

SPOTIFY BAN ANGERS STUDENTS Students have expressed their shock at Oxford University computing services (OUCS) decision to ban the popular music website Spotify.

OUCS attributed the ban to the excessive bandwidth that the program requires, especially when so many people are using it.

The decision has not gone down well with students. “I was shocked when I realised there was a total ban,” said Finola Holyoak, a first-year student at Oxford.

Students were baffled when Spotify suddenly stopped working, and no explanation was sent out as to why such a popular site was banned.

A second-year Economics and Management student described it as “discrimination against music lovers... I hoped that it was a technical glitch, and that the university would be able to fix it. I never realised it was against the rules.”

The University website states that “...the unauthorised use of peerto-peer resource-sharing software on machines connected to the Oxford University Network is prohibited.”

However, there are inconsistencies in the ban, as some students are still

able to use Spotify in their colleges, whereas others cannot. In many colleges, students are able to access it via wireless, and in some it is even possible through the ethernet connection.

A second-year law student said, “plenty of my friends still use Spotify, and to be honest I can see nothing wrong with that - it’s not as if every single person is on it every single hour of the day.”

Another first-year music student argued that the site was a valuable research for his degree. “I use it loads.

It’s the most comprehensive collection of classical music in one place. Much better than Naxos,” he said.

Spotify, although legal, falls into the category of a ‘peer-to-peer resourcesharing software’. This means that the music is not located in a central memory bank, but rather on each

user’s computer and the software allows users to share their music libraries with all other users.

OUCS claims that the problem with allowing peerto-peer software is that it requires an enormous bandwidth (the amount of data that can be sent and received on one connection).

OUCS explains that, “Bandwidth that seems insignificant for one user will soon add up when scaled up to the many thousands of users connected to Oxford University’s networks. It is one thing attempting to justify a network upgrade on the basis of a genuine academic requirement, such as the petabytes of data expected from CERN when their latest collider comes online.”

“Taxpayers and research councils tend to like to see their money being spent more wisely”, said one college IT Manager. He said that unlike a host of other sites which use up a lot of bandwidth, Spotify cannot be justified as being educational.

Dr. Stuart Lee, Director of Computing Systems and Support at OUCS, did not wish to comment.

by James Gibson (Cherwell)

S

orting out your accommodation for next year isn’t just about finding the right digs with the right people for the right price – there are a few other things you need to think about before signing on the dotted line.

you move in so you don’t end up having to argue the toss with the utilities companies over the final bill when you move out.

First of all, make sure there is a dotted line for you to sign on. Don’t move into a property unless you have a written copy of a tenancy agreement. If you have the dates for moving in and out, the date of payment and amount of the rent and other essential information in writing, then you’re on much firmer ground if you have any disputes with your landlord.

Regardless of what’s in your contract, there are certain rules that all landlords have to abide by. For example, you needn’t worry about getting caught in your birthday suit as you step out of the shower, as landlords must give tenants 24 hours’ notice if they need access to the property. What’s more, your landlord is responsible for things like making sure the heating works and that the property is safe and inhabitable.

If the property is furnished, make sure you are given a detailed inventory.

It should list the condition of all the contents for which you are responsible.

Make sure that you get a written receipt for your deposit and details of the statutory scheme including how and when your deposit should be returned.

Last but by no means least; make sure you choose the right flatmates. If you sign the same tenancy agreement then you will be liable for your flatmate’s part of the rent if they refuse to pay. This also applies to utility bills regardless of whether one person or all of the tenants’ names are on the bill.

Also, think ahead. Take readings of gas, electric and water meters when

For more advice, go to whichlegalservice. co.uk/

RECESSION DENTS STUDENT ASPIRATIONS CREDIT-CRUNCH graduates expect to receive wages far below the national average, according to a recent national survey conducted by careers website Graduate Recruitment Bureau (GRB).

The survey indicated that almost half of the student population set to graduate in 2010 expects to receive a salary around £20,000 in their first year immediately after graduating.

These modest expectations are far below the average wage in Britain of £25,000.

Only 5% of students surveyed expect to earn £35,000, which is often the salary of

an employee in a bank or a law firm.

The survey suggests that many students are more concerned with getting a career foothold, than seeking a large pay packet.

Commenting on the findings, Dan Hawes, co-founder of GRB, said: “These findings are good news for employers as there is little indication that they are in the mood to raise starting salaries in 2010.”

“One in two predict no change. Only 2% expect a rise above cost of living and 3.5% expect starting salaries to fall.”

by Ashley Scrace

The National Student, February 2010

WORLD NEWS

9

PLAYBOY GIVEN A ‘CLEVER’ TWIST BY HARVARD GRADUATE

A pornographic magazine has been launched by a Harvard graduate- Featuring men and women exclusively from Ivy League US Universities Harvard, Yale and Princeton.

Computer science graduate Matt di Pasquale decided to start Diamond after feeling that there was a gap in the market for women who have brains to go along with their looks.

Speaking to The Cambridge Student, he said: “For the most part, students like the magazine, They’re intrigued by the discussion around sex. We’ve sold hundreds of copies so far and are still selling copies every day.” However, many at Harvard don’t believe it is as popular as di Pasquale suggests.

Talking to Jen Mills of The Cambridge Student, Harvard Law School student Cole Smith said: “Nobody is talking about it much.

To the extent people talk about it, it’s a joke - Facebook links and email forwarding. Nobody actually finds it funny enough to buy a copy.”

This is the second issue of Diamond to be published. The first featured ten pages of Editor di Pasquale himself, leading to criticism the magazine is essentially a vanity publication for di Pasuale.

VIRGIN SELLS HERSELF FOR OVER £15,000 A girl in New Zealand has auctioned her virginity online to pay for university tuition fee’s.

Known simply as ‘Unigirl’ due to the anonymous nature of the bidding and selling on website www.ineed. co.nz, she received over a thousand bids before accepting the astronomical fee of over 45,000 New Zealand dollars.

She said in her post on the website: “I am offering my virginity by tender

to the highest bidder as long as all personal safety aspects are observed.

This is my decision made with full awareness of the circumstances and possible consequences.”

‘Unigirl’ also described herself as attractive, fit and healthy, although she did not post a photograph of herself.

As prostitution and offering sexual services in print ads is legal in New Zealand, the selling of her virginity is entirely legal.

However, National police spokesman Jon Neilson told the Associated Press that “we would suggest it’s not a safe practice. There are definitely issues of personal safety.”

The website’s owner, Ross McKenzie, defended the decision to allow the sale.

This is not the first incident of its kind, as 22year-old American Natalie Dylan last year auctioned her virginity so she could continue her studies.

The National Student, February 2010

FEATURE

10

Designing a Difference What better way to put your degree to use than helping improve the lives of those less advantaged than yourself?

This is exactly what a trio of Cardiff University architecture graduates have done, by creating Orkidstudio, a not-for-profit group which uses innovative architecture to provide humanitarian aid. By focussing on helping improve the lives of children in underprivileged area’s across the world, they hope to make a lasting and sustainable difference to the areas they visit. The inspirational group began in 2008, as 21-year-old James Mitchell, sought something meaningful to do during his summer holidays.

Alongside two Cardiff University friends, Su Mei Tan and Julissa Kiyenje, Mitchell originally began Orkidstudio (derived from Orphan Kids) as a single project in Uganda in 2008. The project involved building a sustainable kitchen and communal area for New Hope Orphanage in the Mukono District.

James commented on the unique mission: “Before our project, the existing kitchen was a small shack made from wooden poles and scrap sheets of corrugated iron, with only one open fire where they cooked three meals a day for around 300 children! We provided three wood-burning stoves, secure storage for food, and the only year-round supply of clean running water for miles. We were welcomed very warmly, and within a very short time felt more like locals than visitors. The orphanage put on a wonderful ceremony at the end of the project, with the kids doing a number of musical and dance performances. They even wrote and recorded a song for us, and gave us some very brightly coloured traditional Ugandan clothing to wear for the event!”

After the huge success in helping the children there, whose parents had mostly either been killed in conflict or by HIV/AIDS, the trio decided to make Orkidstudio an organisation, with bi-annual projects.

For 2010, they have organised The Alalay Project, which will take place on two sites near La Paz in Bolivia. The design aid organisation will be aiding The Alalay Foundation, a Christian organisation which helps over 1,200 local street children learn to cope by themselves.

Commenting on the next project, James said: “The focus is to encourage the children to lead an autonomous lifestyle, and take responsibility for their own futures. This may seem a harsh thing to tell children as young as five or six years old, but the tragic fact is that after the children turn 16 they leave the orphanages and must find their own way. By giving these children valuable skills, their chances of surviving and leading good lives significantly improve. Therefore, one of the main tasks here will be to design and build a wood-workshop for the teaching and production of various timber products.”

The group’s main aim is to improve the lives of children, and they always seek advice from the local kids as to what they need. By incorporating artwork from the children, they hope to create “a sense of ownership and pride” amongst the community.

James said: “In Uganda, we tiled the work surfaces in clay tiles, and each child had their own tile which they wrote their name, drew a picture and wrote a message on. Their excitement at seeing and finding their tile in the new kitchen was one of the best moments of the project.”

The young organisation hopes they can inspire others to use their skills to help those in need, and they see Orkidstudio as being a group who gathers people from different creative backgrounds together to seek one goal.

This is evidenced by James’ work as an artist, which can be seen at jamesmitchellart. co.uk, Su Mei’s background in jewellery, and Julissa’s first-hand experiences of the imbalances in life, having been raised in East Africa.

James has high hopes for Orkidstudio, and hopes that by combining their creative skills, the trio can make a lasting difference.

He said: “Architecture is concerned mostly with rich clients and insanely-budgeted buildings. Although there is nothing necessarily wrong with this, we believe that it should be about more than that. We think architecture and art has the ability to inspire, unite and affect individuals in such a profound and powerful way. On one level, we build to provide shelter or improve facilities that in turn will benefit and develop a community or group of people. But on another level, we build to bring these people together and create a sense of pride and belief. In many ways, that is far more lasting and powerful than what we build.”

Comprised of only three members, the group is relatively small and close-knit, which they hope to maintain while expanding the organisation’s scope. In the future, they are currently developing plans for a project in India for 2012, as well as another project which they hope will be successful, entitled Global Splatter. It hopes to provide responsive architecture solutions to areas affected by natural disaster or conflict, where many buildings are often destroyed.

The forward-thinking young design group have a large number of fundraising events planned for the coming year, which can be seen on their website at orkidstudio.co.uk.

James attributes much of the group’s success to the great support they have received, particularly from Scotland and Malaysia. To help Orkidstudio continue their work aiding the lives of children in desperate need, visit orkidstudio.co.uk/#/donate

by David Bateman

The National Student, February 2010

FEATURE

11

WHEN THE DUST SETTLES.....

Following the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. Tara McLoughlin highlights the issues still faced by the Italian town of L’Aquila. After the dust has settled and the media spotlight has dimmed those affected by an earthquake still have much to deal with.

I

n light of the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti the world’s media frantically relayed the disastrous events to the world. But as is the nature of such media coverage information on the disaster is paramount for just a few weeks before being quickly forgotten in wake of other news. Approaching a year on from the L’Aquila earthquake disaster how are the victims coping with life after the tragedy and have the world’s media abandoned them? As a student studying Italian, I am keen to hear any news from Italy, but most of it highlights a corrupt government, an insensitive prime minister and a region in turmoil.

In the early hours of Monday April 6 at precisely 3.32am an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale hit the historic town of L’Aquila in central Italy. A media frenzy followed and the facts speak for themselves.

At least 287 people were killed, 1000 injured, 40,000 left homeless and 10,000 buildings damaged or destroyed in the L’Aquila

area. As is the same at any time of crisis the world pulled together and aid was sent from around the globe giving rise to the general depiction that L’Aquila was coping well and swiftly getting back on track.

However, having travelled there myself back in May last year I witnessed first-hand the aftermath of tragedy and it was apparent to me that the situation was a far cry from the portrayal in the media.

Embarking on an intensive language programme in Abruzzo was a dream come true and after completing my studies I travelled to the town Giulianova for a holiday and to meet up with Italian friends. Staying in Giulianova some 100 miles South of L’Aquila was an extremely surreal experience and what was intended to be a relaxing holiday was soon hit with the stark realisation of catastrophe. Returning to the resort where I had stayed the previous summer only to find that it was full of refugees from L’Aquila was heart-rending. They waited while we holidayed. Their temporary accommodation

was only intended to be a short term solution but exchanges with one of the victims since have revealed that they are STILL being housed there. Speaking to an elderly victim called Vinicio whom I now class as my “pen-pal” and the family that remained with him, he recalled the night of the disaster: “I was in bed when we felt the tremors and my world literally fell down around me. My daughterin-law went into labour that night and we were beside ourselves in the confusion.

My brother died along with countless dear friends.

Everything I knew taken from me in an instant.”

Astoundingly, the man’s granddaughter was delivered among the chaos and he was transported to the resort along with what remained of his family and countless other homeless victims.

During my two week stay I observed him smoke endless cigarettes, play heated card games and absently observe his weeks old granddaughter.

It was heart-breaking and it occurred to me that what was in front of me was a broken

man, one who had lost all sense of purpose, direction and his reason for living.

Then came the outrage when Berlusconi insensitively declared that the victims should “treat the experience as a camping holiday” during a trip to the devastated town, adding insult to injury. Vinicio has kept in contact with me since and I believe my lighthearted tales of everyday life in a place where there is little evidence of disaster spur him on from one day to the next.

But he paints a very vivid picture that all is not as it seems as the media would have us believe. His letters

or hint of knowing when they would be allowed to return home. There were shortages in supplies and the victims were at the mercy of government and donations from charities and aid-workers. The relief efforts were taken over by the region’s mayors and the Italian culture ministry in January and it is unclear how they intend to rebuild the shattered lives of so many. For a start there are significant financial shortages, a lack of any formal architectural plan, no sense of political resolve and what’s more little or no international attention.

I witnessed first-hand the aftermath of tragedy and it was apparent to me that the situation was a far cry from the portrayal in the media. are occupied by tones of sorrow, grief and an austere nostalgia for the life he once lived. His story is just one among countless others of devastated lives.

Emergency relief efforts were relentless following the quake. Volunteer efforts were employed from all over Italy, tent’s constituted villages in the immediate surrounding area and it appeared everyone was doing all they could to help or at least that was the implication. However, what I saw was refugees caught in a trance of surviving the sheer monotony of everyday life with no routine, purpose

So how long will it take for L’Aquila to get in any way back on track? According to an article published in the New York Times, ministry officials estimate that the historic centre will take at least ten or fifteen years to make any sort of recovery and even at that, virtually all reconstruction must seek approval from the ministry, an extensive, protracted process.

A recent statement from Michala Santaro, the mayor’s personal assistant sheds a little light on the situation “the message in the media here is things are going well,

that is far from the truth.”

And Massimo Cailente the mayor himself speaking from the crumbling interior of his makeshift office on the outskirts of the city claims “if we don’t reconstruct properly it will be a shame on the entire nation, we will have another Pompeii.”

A typical lament of the Italians is that if they cannot restore the past they will end up consigned to it and alternatives are virtually unimaginable. It appears that this is part of L’Aquila’s plight. Instead of being satisfied with a similar reconstruction Cailente is content with nothing less than an exact replica of the former town. Vinicio however, claims his old life could never be re-constructed; he has simply lost too much.

Recently, the mayor introduced a small excise tax in an attempt to aid recovery but even this has proved unsuccessful. So in a country pushed for cash and distracted by the tabloid turmoil of its prime minister, the future of the destroyed town of L’Aquila looks bleak. But in a far corner of the globe I am kept up-dated by frequent letters from a survivor with a fast diminishing hope that his hometown will ever be even a shadow of what it once was.

Just like in L’Aquila, we need to consider that the plight of the people in Haiti will continue long after the media spotlight has been turned away from the disaster.

The National Student, February 2010

FEATURE

12

AFGHANISTAN:

THE POOREST COUNTRY OUTSIDE AFRICA B arely a day goes by without news about the conflict in Afghanistan splashed across our television screens and newspaper front pages.

British troops have been based in the country since 2001 and today, nine years after the fall of the Taliban, more than 9,000 troops remain.

In pursuit of the goal of a stable state, more than 250 British soldiers have been killed and the situation remains grim.

Indeed, the number of Afghan civilians killed amid worsening insurgency was higher in 2009 than any other year since the Taliban were ousted, with 2,118 killed in 2008 and 2,412 in 2009, according to UNAMIR figures.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai was returned to power in 2009 but the disputed elections opened up a new period of political upheaval, resulting in severe to increased weakening of central authority. The Taliban still hold sway over large areas of the country.

With no immediate likelihood of militarily defeating the Taliban, delegations from 66 countries, plus Prime Minister Gordon Brown, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and Afghan president Hamid Karzai, met in London in January

to agree a £87m fund to win over low-level Taliban fighters and hand over control in some provinces to Afghan forces by the end of the year.Despite the familiar headlines and bloody images of war however, few people outside the country realise that Afghanistan is the poorest country in the world outside Africa.

Less than a third of the 33.6m population has access to clean water, and a staggering 40% of people do not meet their daily food needs.

And while HIV is not currently widespread, high numbers of injecting drug users, abject poverty, a devastated health system, large numbers of refugees, illiteracy, and ignorance of prevention, means that HIV is a potential ticking time bomb.

Afghanistan also has the second highest maternal mortality rate in the world with an Afghan woman dying in childbirth every 30 minutes, and one in four children dying before their fifth birthday.

“Poverty in Afghanistan fuels the conflict because it drives people to desperate measures,” says Christian Aid’s Tabitha Ross.

A military intervention will not bring security without simultaneous investment in development.”

FIGHTING THE LAWS ON MARITAL RAPE

Widespread lack of ruleof-law, conflict, corruption, and a government that is barely accountable to its people at all, makes national-level change in Afghanistan extremely difficult – although not impossible - to achieve.

In March 2009, the Afghan president, Karzai, signed a controversial new law that set out family law specifically for Afghanistan’s Shia minority. Among some of its articles were provisions stating that women may not refuse sex with their husbands unless they are ill or menstruating, and that they cannot leave the house without their husband’s permission.

Predictably, this sparked national and international outcry amongst human rights activists, including those at Christian Aid partner, the Afghan Women’s Network (AWN).

In response, as well as organising and taking part in demonstrations on the streets, AWN legal experts briefed MPs, including Sabrina Saqeb, the youngest MP from Kabul, about the contraventions to Islamic Sharia law and the Afghan constitution, and proposed amendments.

Ms. Saqeb and her colleagues then lobbied other MPs, and due to the

A field of opium poppies being cultivated in a remote area of Ghor, itself a remote and mountainous region of western Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is currently the largest narco-economy the world has ever known. In 2007 it produced 93% of the world’s opium, bringing some $3billion of illicit funds into the economy, fuelling corruption as well as (allegedly) funding the Taliban.

scale of protest, Karzai partially backtracked and called for a review.

However, it was a hard struggle, and one that will continue long into the future.

“We couldn’t manage to change this law as much as we wished,” explains 28year-old Saqeb.

“We just managed to change four articles to the benefit of women, which was very important to us but this was not everything we wanted.

“We managed to change an article regarding the legal marital age - it should be 18 years for boys and 16 years old for girls, but within the Shia family law it was not specified.”

Fortunately, as a result of lobbying by AWN and other human rights organisations, the Shia law was brought in line with the civil law of Afghanistan.

Another important change was in the area of child custody in case of divorce. The new Shia law proposed that a mother could keep her children only until two years old for boys and seven for girls, after which they pass into the legal care of the father or grandfather.

AWN’s lobbyists managed to amend this to eight years old for boys, and nine for girls - not everything they wanted but a good start.

“Hopefully for the next time we will increase it,” Saqeb smiles.

Perhaps the most shocking article states that a wife cannot refuse her husband’s demand for sex unless she is ill or menstruating.

Frustratingly, until now AWN have not been able to eliminate this clause, despite it being flagrantly, in Saqeb’s words, “against women’s rights and the human dignity of a woman.”

Despite her frustrations, Saqeb is more determined in her fight than ever.

“We’ll prove that we’re the women of Afghanistan.

We know what Islam says about our rights, so they cannot cheat us any more..

“We’re asking for

more women ministers, governors, ambassadors and deputy ministers, because we have to get into the system before we can change it. “ A f g h a n i s t a n ’ s democracy is a baby democracy,” she continues.

“The international community helped us to deliver this baby democracy and so they have responsibility to help us to bring it up.

“It may fall once, twice, three times when he or she is trying to learn to walk again so we need someone to hold our hands, to teach us how to.

“It takes time but finally we will learn how to walk alone.”

THE POWER OF MEDIA Surprisingly, the major risk of new HIV/AIDS infections in Afghanistan relates to drug injecting, although getting the prevention message across to local people is often difficult given that only 28% of Afghans are literate.

To help tackle stigma

and raise awareness and education levels about HIV/AIDS, as well as supporting journalism development, Christian Aid partner, Afghan Journalists’ Centre (AJC), has used innovative radio and television broadcasts since its formation in 2008.

“After many years of war and conflict, and no freedom of the media or free speech, there are not enough Afghan journalists with experience and skills in how to research and write a story well, how to produce radio or television, and so on,” explains AJC co-founder, Sharmila Hashimi, 23.

“We also felt that the media can play a really important role in education and awarenessraising, and that this role would need support and development as we do not have a lot of high quality journalists here and very few resources.”

So far AJC has established a free Internet café where journalists can send their reports quickly

The National Student, February 2010

FEATURE

Photos: TABITHA ROSS/CHRISTIAN AID

13 AFGHANISTAN: FACTS AND STATS DEVELOPMENT

• Population below poverty line: 53% • Population not meeting daily food needs: 40% • Maternal mortality: 9 out of every 500 women (UK = 2 of every 25,000) • Children dying before age 5: one in four • Life expectancy at birth: 44 years (11th lowest in world; UK 79 years) • Literacy: less than 13% of women are literate; only 28% of the whole population is literate.

Dr. Shohar is an expert in HIV/AIDS working in Herat hospital. AJC have hosted him to give a weekly radio and a weekly television show, in which listeners/ viewers can call in with their questions on the issue. There is very little understanding of HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan, and correspondingly little openness to talking about the issue. A radio show in which people can call in anonymously is a great way of raising-awareness and answering questions simultaneously. and reliably to national and international media, as well as focusing on HIV/ AIDS awareness-raising projects through radio and television shows.

“HIV is a new thing in Afghanistan,” says Hashimi.

“We must have information about it so that we can prevent the spread of this disease.

“It’s not a big problem here yet, but we have a saying in Dari ‘vaqaye behtar az tadarvy ast’ – ‘prevention is better than cure’. We must educate people about it so that they can protect against it.”

Whilst researching the issue, AJC found a 2006 World Bank study stating that 3% of injecting drug users in Kabul was HIV positive.

“It doesn’t sound very much, but at the same time one third of injecting drug users said they shared needles and equipment, and also 69% said they paid for sex,” continues Hashimi.

“Drug addiction is a big problem here and there

are a lot of men who are addicted, in the towns but also in the villages.

“Some men go to work in Iran and come back addicted to opium or heroin or crystal. They share needles and are at high risk of infection, and then they endanger their families.”

women, but a few women are also forced to take drugs by their husbands, according to Hashimi.

“He does not want her to fight or to shout at him for being a drug addict, so he makes her one too.

“All of these behaviours together make for a serious problem beginning

or awareness among the people about HIV. “Afghanistan is very poor – there are no professional counsellors, there’s no health education and very little healthcare,” she continues.

“In your country, if people get HIV, at least there is medicine and they

Here, a radio broadcasts a weekly programme about HIV/AIDS across Herat province of Afghanistan. Listening in the background in the blue scarf is Sharmila Hashimi, 23, cofounder of CA partner organisation the Afghan Journalist Centre (AJC), which provides capacity building for Afghan journalists, and also uses the media to raise public awareness of critical issues such as HIV/ AIDS.

Drug addiction is more of a problem among men than

to emerge, especially when there is so little education

can still live a healthy life, but here, if someone gets

• Drug trade: Expanding poppy cultivation and a growing opium trade generate roughly $3 billion in illicit economic activity and loom as one of Kabul’s most serious policy concerns. In 2007 Afghanistan produced 97% of the world’s opium.

HIV, they will die very quickly because we are very poor.”

Fortunately AJC believe that radio and television have a significant role to play in addressing these problems, especially since so many Afghans cannot read or write.

“We have a local doctor DJ called Dr. Shohar, who is an expert on HIV and AIDS in Herat hospital,” Hashimi says.

“The presenter and Dr. Shohar talk for a few minutes, and then take calls from people who can ask any questions they

want about HIV; how it is spread, how you can protect against it, how to get tested, and anything else they don’t understand.

“It’s been a big success, we always have more people calling in than we have time for, and it’s a good way for people to share their worries and get some answers to their questions.

“You see, in Afghan society we don’t really talk about these things, so people don’t really have anywhere to ask their questions, so we have tried to provide a forum for this

Christian Aid has worked in Afghanistan for nearly three decades under four different regimes – the Soviet occupation, the chaotic period of the Mujahideen, the Taliban, and the current Afghan government voted in after the US-led invasion of 2001.

For further information please visit www.christianaid.org.uk/whatwedo/ asia/afghanistan.aspx

The National Student, February 2010

FEATURE

14

Comment: Fair Funding for all The Fees Review should conclude that fairer fees and funding would increase opportunity in higher education

F

or over a decade the funding of British higher education has been the subject of intense debate in Parliament, the media, amongst students and universities and amongst voters. With the system of fees and funding now under review, this debate is far from over.

Members of Parliament elected at the 2010 general election will have to decide whether they accept the review’s recommendations and, over the course of the next Parliament, firmly establish the basis on which universities in England are to be funded. Students and universities need to ensure that they get their voices heard during the review period, otherwise they risk missing the opportunity to ensure that the system is fair to all.

The legislation which introduced the current system of fees was hotly contested, with the Labour Government winning a majority of just five votes for the HE Bill’s Third Reading. The enthusiasm of some MPs, Cabinet Ministers and university vice-chancellors for a market in fees was limited by the decision to cap fees for full-time UK and EU students at £3000 per annum. The HE Act permitted this limit to be increased in line with inflation. By 2009/10 the maximum annual fee stood at £3,225 – a fee levied by almost all universities in England.

If the 2004 HE Act was meant to resolve the debate of funding higher

education, it singularly failed. The introduction of variable fees in English universities became a factor in the 2005 general election with evidence that some MPs in seats with a ‘university vote’ were elected, in part, as a result of a manifesto promise that tuition fees would be abolished. In the years that have followed, some have proposed an increase in the fee cap to £5,000, £7,000 or more.

Others have campaigned for an end to any cap, with universities free to charge whatever fees they choose.

The NUS long campaigned for an abolition of fees before more recently proposing that fees should be replaced by a graduate tax.

As well as considering all these possibilities, the Fees Review has also been tasked with trying to square the circle of the cuts to the higher education budget outlined in November’s Pre-Budget Report. This is against a backdrop of unprecedented numbers of students entering and applying to universities, with no promise from government that, if you are qualified and want to attend university, there will be a place funded for you. million+’s contribution to the debate – Fair Funding for All – exposed the particular inequalities between full-time and part-time students in the current fees regime:

•

Part-time students are required to pay all

fees upfront whilst fulltime students do not pay anything until completion of their degree.

•Unlike full-time students, part-time students do not have access to any student loans.

Fair Funding for All recommends that university should be free at the point of study for all students and sets out a unified package of student support for all undergraduates. Ending the unfair treatment of part-time students, abolishing upfront fees and offering all students the same support package would leave students £67 million better off and universities £91 million better off each year.

The £158 million cost to the Exchequer could be eliminated, for example, with only a 0.5% increase in the rate levied on student loans. These changes could help the development of more flexible options to study and attract more students from nontraditional backgrounds to apply to university.

As well as extending equivalent student support to part-time students, we recommend that the current levels of student support afforded to fulltime students, in the form of maintenance grants and loans and fee loans, must be maintained if we are to continue to widen and deepen participation in higher education, especially amongst those from lower socio-economic

backgrounds. Crucially, we make the case that there should be no uplift in fees until all political parties make clear their future commitment to funding higher education.

However, bridging the current budget gap cannot be the sole responsibility of students or universities. As much as Lord Mandelson would have you believe otherwise, there is a real funding crisis in higher education. This is as much an issue for students as it is for universities: the final figures for students entering university in 2009 confirm the unprecedented demand for higher education in the UK. With the initial deadline

for 2010 applications now past, it’s clear that this trend is set to continue.

Many of this year’s applicants could be left disappointed, with the supply of places not enough to meet demand. A clear commitment is now needed from all political parties; that they will provide the funding so that no qualified applicant is turned away in 2010. Labour has reversed two decades of under-investment but it will not be enough to prevent would-be students ending up on the dole queue if more funding for student places is not found. The pre-election budget provides one last opportunity for them

YOUR PAPER NEEDS YOU! The National Student is looking for student contributors. email: editor@thenationalstudent.co.uk

to provide assurances.

Students and universities also need to know they will not be the victims of a George Osborne postelection raid on the higher education budget.

It would be a sorry legacy of any government if the lasting impact of the recession was to narrow rather than expand opportunities to study at university.

Pam Tatlow is Chief Executive of the university think-tank million+ The million+ report ‘Fair Funding for All’ can be downloaded from millionplus.ac.uk

The National Student, February 2010

FEATURE

15

The start of a memorable year National Student writer Nathan Woodcock diarises his year on a Erasmus placement in Copenhagen.

I

t was during my first open day at the University of Leicester that Erasmus caught my eye. I remember a passionate student regaling me with stories of how they had enjoyed their time abroad. I also discovered that as a law student I would receive a unique type of LLB for my year abroad (providing I pass the year).

It was these reasons that convinced me to take the wise decision to ‘go for it’.

The process of applying for a place on the Erasmus scheme was quite simple.

The only paperwork required was a completed ‘change of course’ form and my university choices before I was accepted. The hardest part was choosing somewhere to go. The University of Leicester has links with other universities across the whole of Europe which made selecting a country a daunting task.

I chose the University of Copenhagen mainly because of what I was told by family members who had visited there and the fact that my courses would be in English (I considered being able to understand what was being said a major plus point).

My first impressions were good on arriving in Copenhagen in late July 2009, the view from my plane window just before landing was breathtaking with nothing but boats and clear water surrounding me.

After collecting my luggage and finding my way to the centre of the city, the fact still had not sunk in – I had arrived. After thinking about

doing this for over two years I finally made it!

After a few days of looking around it was time to get down to business. My Danish language course and the lease on the accommodation both came on the same day.

August 1 proved to be quite a hectic day. I had to take all my possessions to the other side of the city where my language course was going to take place.

You might be asking: Why didn’t you just take your stuff to your room and then go to your class?

That would have made sense but unfortunately Copenhagen University had plans to make me suffer. The email I received about the language course specifically stated that if anyone was late they would be taken off the course. This gave me no other choice but to take my

textbook that didn’t have a single English word in it and we spent the day repeating Danish sentences with no idea what we were saying.

Those who had English as their mother tongue were obviously the worst at Danish throughout the course (and I was the worst out of them all).

Ending the course for the day I was then left with the task of somehow travelling 14km to get to my accommodation. One thing that I learnt on my first proper day (and something I wish wasn’t the case) was don’t ask bus drivers any questions because they won’t answer you at all! I asked the bus driver whether a particular road was on the route. He said nothing but reluctantly nodded. As soon as I got off to collect my stuff he immediately drove

My first impressions were good on arriving in Copenhagen in late July 2009, the view from my plane window just before landing was breathtaking with nothing but boats and clear water surrounding me. things with me so that I could get to class in time, not fall down at the first hurdle.

After the struggle of getting there on time I was sure the day would get better, I’d get to know a few people and should be able to say a few phrases in Danish by the end of the day. Well, I was half right.

The way in which we were taught Danish was strange, to put it politely. We had a

off! After shouting words that I won’t repeat here I finally found my route on the S-trains and arrived at my accommodation at about 6pm.

When I arrived at my accommodation there were no welcome banners or anything. I got into the room and there was an envelope with the key to the door inside of it. ‘So much for a welcome’ I thought. I didn’t expect a

huge party in my honour but I did expect something more than an envelope with only a key inside.

The rest of the language course was the same as the beginning (confusing and not taught in a comprehensible way). However, I did get to learn a few useful phrases so it wasn’t all a waste of time.

So after an agonising month of the language course I finally began my law courses in Copenhagen.

I didn’t know what to expect and what the classes would be like.

My first class was one that would suffer a ‘lecture clash’ for the whole semester. My Human Rights in the EU and International Law of the Sea were at the same time!

Now I have many skills but being in two places at once is not one of them. Step up my trusty Dictaphone. I went to Law of the Sea which was a two-hour lecture and recorded Human Rights which was three hours.

In addition to these classes I had Indigenous People, the Environment and Law on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This class was an intensive course and was

going to finish by the start of October (which is why I chose it). The exam was also open book that I took home and wrote over a few days (which seemed a good idea at the time of choosing my modules). These classes were fine; the tutor was really nice and she always had a positive attitude that I enjoyed. The other people in this class were from all over the world but mostly from countries where there were indigenous peoples living with a change of culture that settler’s had brought to their countries, such as Australia and Canada.

By the end of September being just one month into my classes I had my Indigenous Peoples take home exam.

We were told that the exam questions would be based on the mandatory readings.

During this first month I hadn’t been keeping up with the readings; preferring instead to watch DVDs and episodes of Scrubs, Fresh Prince and How I Met Your Mother. This meant that I had to squeeze all the mandatory readings (around 500 pages) into less than a week before the exam.

The exam itself covered most of the course and comprised of three questions (both essay and scenario).

There was no choice in which questions we did - we had to do them all. This was weird to me coming from Leicester where I’ve always had a choice between questions.

To top off my problems with the exam, I had to endure the effects of under-cooked chicken that I made myself a night or two before the exam. However, despite these problems I wrote the essays as best I could and submitted it online 2am Thursday which was ten hours before the deadline.

There was no time to rest after this though because on Friday I was about to start my journey to Russia, which I had been looking forward to since June. I received an email about a two week ‘Study Tour’ that the University of Copenhagen organises each year to Russia.

We would travel to St Petersburg and Moscow for the fortnight tour. I decided to fulfil a curiosity of mine by joining this group to Russia. britishcouncil.org/erasmus

The National Student, February 2010

SPORT

17

Loughborough make presence felt for England Students With its proud sporting heritage, Loughborough University is hardly unfamiliar with success on the sports field. And recently it has had plenty to celebrate after six members of its rugby squad were called up to represent England Students.

Scrum Half Will Chudley joined forwards Matt Berry, George Thomas, Will Warden and Jon Aston in the Roses squad for the first match of the spring season against Portugal’s senior side.

Returning for his second season was Loughborough

and England Students captain Phil Burgess, who said the added responsibility of being a senior squad member was tough to deal with: “There was a fair bit of pressure on the senior players.

With 17 new caps against Portugal, there were quite a few players nervous about playing so for us it was about making it easy for those players to settle in and be confident.”

The squad is comprised of players from across the country’s finest rugby universities, with the West Country strongly represented, including players reigning BUCS

Champions UWE Hartpury, Exeter and Bristol.

However, Burgess said that having some familiar faces aided team cohesion: “It’s awesome to have other players from Loughborough around as you already know how their game, so you can trust them easily during the game.”

Matched up against the strong Portuguese outfit, ranked 21 in the world, England Students began brightly, waltzing into a 10-3 lead at half-time thanks to a converted try from UWE Centre Matt Humphries and a Paul

Roberts penalty.

After the interval, a Pedro Leal penalty was quickly scrubbed out, when skipper Burgess crossed the whitewash to moving neatly off the blindside of the scrum and when Roberts later added another 3-pointer, England stretched their lead to 18-6 Down but not out, the home side rallied as a Leal penalty and a converted try from António Aguilar set up a mouth-watering finale.

English hearts were then shattered when backrow Vasco Uva scored in the 78th minute, leaving

the students no time to mount a comeback of their own.

Despite the defeat, Burgess remained positive: ‘The boys did really well and we just couldn’t hold out, after leading 18-6 at one point.’

Similarly proud of the players, particularly the Loughborough contingent was Rich Smith, Loughborough’s Athletic Union President, who remarked: ‘The fact that so many players have been selected to play in the England Students is testament to this hard work and

dedication shown by everyone involved with the club. There will be a great buzz around the forthcoming fixtures and I look forward to seeing their developments.’

Next up for England Students is Irish Colleges on February 26 before travelling to Riom to take on France Universities.

If their latest exploits are anything to go by they are likely to be facing some pretty formidable opposition once again but will be hoping to come away with more positive results in these games.

by Ben Croucher

Top teams set their sights on Sheffield Over the next few weeks university sports teams will either be fighting it out in Cup games or planning and training harder than ever and all with one aim in mind. Success at the 2010 British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships.

Great Britain Triathletes Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee were in Sheffield on Thursday February 4 to launch the Championships which will be held in the Yorkshire region from the March 10 to 14.

Alistair and Jonathan, who were both born in Yorkshire and currently study at neighbouring universities in Leeds, were delighted to be able to lend their support to the BUCS Championships which will see 6,000 athletes compete across 26 sports.

“University sport has played and continues to play a massive part of mine and Jonny’s sporting development, so we are pleased to be supporting the BUCS Championships’ said 21 years old Alistair,

the older of the two brothers.”

Jonathan added, “Yorkshire is a special place for us, having been born and raised in the region and now going to university in Leeds. I am delighted to hear that the Championships are being held up here for the third consecutive year.

Yorkshire has some of the best sporting facilities and outdoor space in the UK so it is an ideal place to train and compete.”

The Brownlee brothers are excelling on the domestic and international triathlon scene as they aim for the 2012 London Olympics – and at the same time creating one of the most interesting sibling rivalries for years.

Alistair was crowned 2009 ITU Triathlon World Championship whilst younger sibling Jonathan has swept all aside at a junior level after becoming the 2009 Australian Youth Olympics Champion and European Junior Triathlon Champion.

Whilst some might find competing with a sibling an uncomfortable reality,

Alastair finds it beneficial, “We are both delighted with our recent progress as we build towards 2012.

I love the fact that Jonny is progressing so well through the ranks and I can’t wait to compete alongside him regularly.

The sibling rivalry is healthy, we take a lot of energy from each other and are always pushing each other further.”

Karen Rothery, Chief Executive of BUCS expressed her delight at having Alistair and Jonathan supporting the event.

“What two better people to have involved, Yorkshire men, both attending university in Leeds and great role models on balancing academic and sporting commitments.

We are absolutely delighted they have been able to be involved in the Championships.’”

“Bramall Lane has also been added to an already impressive list of venues and Rothery is sure that this year’s event is going to be bigger and better than last year” “‘Yorkshire really

works for us in terms of its world-class facilities.

There’s a huge amount of fabulous venues here, like the EIS, Ponds Forge, Don Valley Stadium and not to mention Bramall

Lane. There’s also been a fantastic legacy left after the World Student Games in 1991 which has allowed fabulous high quality sport to be played.”

As well as top class

facilities there is sure to be some top class sport on offer in Sheffield in mid March as the top teams in the country go head to head to see who is top dog.

The National Student, February 2010

SPORT

18

Birmingham golfers on course for BUCS crown

The University of Birmingham’s golf team has continued last year’s excellent form by continuing to dominate the Ashurst BUCS Golf Premier North division since returning after the Christmas break. The mixed team, led by captain and R&A representative Lucy Williams, have excelled in recent months and look set to take the title with two fixtures remaining.

If Birmingham go on to take the crown much will be made of their impressive performance against title rivals University of Central Lancashire at the end of January.

Birmingham secured an important victory by 3 ½ to 2 ½ points at Edgbaston Golf Club that put them six points ahead of

their northern opponents in the race for league glory.

The home side’s Dan Beattie went out first to face UCLAN’s number one seed Andy Palmer, who went into the match undefeated in his first full season at university level. Beattie lost this close encounter which finished 2 & 1 but can be pleased with a strong performance.

Despite this early setback Birmingham took control from this point and asserted themselves on the match.

Antony Nash secured a convincing 4 & 3 win before the home side’s David Wilson, who is currently still undefeated so far this season, followed suit with a comfortable victory.

The remaining three matches were tight. Lucy

In the UK we take the right to play sport as a given; you know that at any time, if you wanted to, you could get involved with a sport and have some fun. Sport and play are a large part of our social and physical development as we grow up, and take the skills we learn through play into adulthood. Unfortunately, in many disadvantaged parts of the world, this is not the case. Basic education, health awareness, and the right to sport and play are a privilege enjoyed by very few.

Right To Play is changing this. Right To Play is an international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play as a tool for development of children and youth in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. They work with children across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, using enjoyable sport and play programmes to encourage physical, mental and social development. They also seek to educate children on issues of disease and its prevention. Currently these programmes reach 750,000

Williams had to settle for a half on the final green, whilst Tim Bamber narrowly missed out on a win, losing down the 18th. This meant that Birmingham needed one more point from Nick Ansell who was the last match on the course. The experienced Birmingham player fought back from 3 down through 11 to win 2 & 1 and ensure that Birmingham won the match.

The result, which was followed up a week later with an easy win at lowly Durham on a frosty course, put the West Midlands side well clear at the top of the Premier North table, meaning the title will be heading to Edgbaston should Birmingham win the rest of their remaining

fixtures. They travel back to the north in February to play a tough match against Northumbria which may prove decisive in whether they do so.

In addition to the success of Birmingham’s first team, the seconds and third teams are also in strong league positions and are expected to make the knockout stages with hopes of having a good run. The fourth team, meanwhile, are dominant in their league, with a 100% record so far this season.

Overall, the strength and depth of golf at the University of Birmingham suggests the club will win at least one BUCS competition in the impending months.

by Ben Whitelaw

BUCS official charity launches Right To Play children across 24 countries every week.

The UK student body can help Right To Play reach thousands more children. As the official charity of British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), Right To Play work very closely with Universities, and in March, in conjunction with BUCS, are holding Right to Play Month and asking every institution to get involved and raise £1000. It promises to be an amazing month of events all over the UK that gives students the opportunity to get more

involved with charity work and volunteering.

Right To Play are encouraging all Universities to show the Right To Play logo on their sporting kit from next year. The University that raises the most money will be crowned University Of The Year.

If you want more information on how you can get involved with Right To Play Month, contact Beth Eyre on youthmovement@ righttoplay.com or 020 7812 0635, or visit students4righttoplay.org. uk.

The National Student, February 2010

SPORT

19

Northern Premier League. With a vast array of talent on both sides it was always going to be a close match. Loughborough went into the match having won 48-39 in the reverse fixture back in November, but with top spot in the league up for grabs, Leeds Met had a score to settle home turf.

The first quarter saw Leeds Met in front by just one, with both sides’ shooters cancelling each other out goal for goal.

With the likes of Jo Harten, Alex Kirk, Carla Dziwoki and Jo

Richard Berry

The rise of Leeds Met Carnegie in the world of university sport has been hard to ignore. Due to strong investment and dedication to improving both their facilities and their teams they are now regarded by many as one of the strongest sporting universities in the country.

On Wednesday January 27 their netball 1st team displayed this strength and quality by beating Loughborough, at home, by just one point and in turn sealing first place in the Netball

Richard Berry

LEEDS SEAL NETBALL CROWN

Walker, the talent of shooting on show was some of the best the country has to offer. By half time, the home side had taken the lead with the score at 3127. The game continued at the same competitive speed as had been seen in the first half.

The hosts extended their lead in the third quarter to eight goals and seemingly seal the game.

However, when facing a team as talented as Loughborough nothing is guaranteed and the final quarter saw the visitors fight back. The game, having been blessed with fast paced attacking, quickly became a tense and nervous encounter and was not decided until the very final seconds of the game.

Leeds Met eventually hung on for a famous win, 54-53. After

the match, Leeds Met Head Coach Anna Newell singled out Afrika Morris, her GK, as the player who was vital to their victory, Morris’ committed play restricting England International GS Jo Harten’s impact on the game.

This win for Leeds Met not only secures League title but also means they will be at home in the first game of the BUCS Cup on the February 10 when they face Durham. After their success so far this season Leeds will be focused on reaching the final at the EIS in Sheffield on March 10 2010 at the BUCS Championships.

Danni Broomfield, Leeds Met captain showed her team’s ruthless attitude in their pursuit for glory by stating

after the game, ‘We are going to keep training and not get complacent as we push for a place in the BUCS Final.’

This classic encounter was a fitting conclusion to a brilliant season in the Netball Northern Premier.

The two teams have dominated the league all season scoring an astonishing 1143 goals combined. Both Leeds Met and Loughborough will be hoping that their attacking ability will be as strong as ever as the knockout competition begins and if they can continue to hit top form you wouldn’t bet against these sides making it to Sheffield for the finals come March.

by Tom Clarke

Want to report sport? Contact Sport Editor Tom Clarke sport@thenationalstudent.co.uk