COVENTRY NOVEMBER 2014
ED SHEERAN ON THE RECORD
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UNIVERSITY FAIL TO DEAL WITH DISGUISED RACISTS CHRISTINE BRAGANZA
THE NEO-NAZI GROUP, National Action have crossed a racial line without considering the repercussions at hand. Scattered emotions and the fear of being attacked are factors that are becoming increasingly predominant among Coventry University’s population of students and staff members after Coventry University failed to react properly to trespassing racists. The Neo-Nazi group known as National Action have penetrated through the University’s typically secure premises. Their plans and intentions have recently started to spread on campus. On the 27th of September they walked among students by simply posing as a fake film crew on University grounds. They didn’t stop there, but actually managed to gain access to one of the University’s buildings by following students who unknowingly presented identification at the entrance allowing the extremist group to take further action in-doors. The only positive note is they were suspected of foul intents and told to leave once their true identity emerged. Still, it only seems fit that security levels should be raised up a notch as safety measures are necessary during such times. Students from a coloured background are certainly at risk according to what the group has instigated in its action report. The University has put up a short and non-descriptive message on Moodle stating that, “If you are unsure of, or concerned about, any activity
please contact the Protection Service on 02477657363” Despite mentioning that the University does not tolerate the group’s activity, it seems like not enough is being done to prevent them entering and pursuing their goals again. National Action are focused on hate filled attitude towards people from various ethnicities. Although they live in this day and age where racism isn’t tolerated in the general public or otherwise; they have insisted on acting on their beliefs through verbal abuse, which is evident in various YouTube videos taken by the general public. The controversial group has also skipped through the University of Warwick, handing out flyers and promoting awareness related to their ideology. It is evident that they are keen to recruit and have publicised this in their statements and promotional material. Even though the university may have received bad publicity, due to the level of risk, people attending lectures should have been made aware of the situationespecially since the group’s activity was hushed. Coventry University still hasn’t provided detailed updates via their social media accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter. Students have taken it upon themselves to spark valid debates on social networks. The racist outbreak, immediately raised plenty of eyebrows in terms of where the University’s concerns truly reside. Questions among faculty members and students have been
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STUDENT DISCONTENT DRAGS WARWICK DOWN HANNAH FROGGATT
PICS: EMMA AXELSSON
You’d think Warwick University would have had a good start to the term, having been selected as the Sunday Times’ University of the Year and hovering at various positions in the Top Ten in various academic league tables across a number of publications. With figures like these, you’d think that University pride would be at an all-time high with the students, but an examination of
the League Tables tells a different story. The figures for student satisfaction are considerably lower than you’d expect them to be at a Russell Group university. The Guardian Table puts Warwick’s satisfaction with studentstaff communication at a measly 66.7%, easily the lowest in the top ten, and in The Complete University Guide’s 2015 list, its general satisfaction score is one of
the lowest in the top twenty, excepting Bristol and UCL. Both the Guardian’s listings and the CUG’s weight student satisfaction heavily in their overall score for the university rankings, but the Sunday Times’ Table counts it for very little, giving it the least weight with a maximum score of only fifty points out of a possible 1124. Though these figures are fairly meaningless without
their context, context can be readily unearthed on Twitter, Facebook and other social media websites, where students have taken to the net with their grievances against the university. Perhaps the most widespread and notorious of these is the university’s financial conduct. Nigel Thrift’s self-administered pay increase of £16,000 was
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THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
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NOVEMBER 2014
L CAL NEWS
A ‘UNIQUE’ FRESHERS EXPERIENCE ANDREW SZTEHLO PIC: EMMA AXELSSON
COVENTRY TOP FOR ‘STUDENT EXPERIENCE’ JOSH PAYNE
PIC: LEE MORELY
The Times and The Sunday Times has voted Coventry University ‘University of the Year for Student Experience’ in its ‘Good University Guide 2015’. In a fantastic sweep of results for the University, Coventry has also retained its title of ‘Modern University of the Year’, an award they have won for the second year on the spin. Students have expressed their satisfaction with Coventry University by again, voting it top, for teaching quality- a feat only managed by Oxford and Cambridge. Vice-Chancellor John Latham said: “For the university to be recognised in this way on the same weekend that we’re welcoming
thousands of new students into our vibrant city is fantastic and a wonderful reflection of the hard work put in by all our staff all the year round. “It’s the second consecutive year Coventry has achieved the best modern university accolade, and we’re particularly thrilled to be recognised as the UK’s best for student experience so soon after our students themselves voted us top in the country for teaching quality. “We look forward to continuing to offer our students a great all-round experience and unrivalled international opportunities as we embark on the new academic year.”
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Fresher’s week. Or, in the case of University of Warwick, two weeks. Two weeks of carnage and mayhem (and shame for some) that are completely unique in all of our personal development and private histories. You’ll gain tales to regale in times of the future and experience events that you’ll never speak of again. I come here, weary travellers, to depart with you such a tale. On my first evening on campus, myself and several of my flatmates went to the MTV Club Party. Finding it not exactly to our taste, we departed the premises. Whilst leaving the union, in the corner of my eye I saw a man stagger and then fall down a slope, landing on his face. I called my cohorts to visit the site. We found an incredibly intoxicated fresher, babbling in a foreign language, trying to get home. Being decent people we decided to assist him in his efforts and carried him to the accommodation he seemed to be pointing toRootes. We lived at Heronbank, and as we have elevators in Heronbank we assumed Rootes would have some as well. I asked him to lead us to the lifts, but he instead struggled free, ran into the bathroom and locked himself in. Being in the state he was we feared to leave him so we
waited outside. The next sound I can only describe as a thud, followed by a sickening gargling noise. We surmised that he had “chundered” all over the back of the toilet door. Over the next 5 minutes we heard many variations of this one sound, like a broken warped record. We kept calling him, asking him if he was all right, but alas we eventually got no answer. Fearing he had passed out, several of my flatmates departed to find security. Whilst they were away I was examining the lock from the outside – and thought that a small coin could unlock the said door from the outside. I was right! I unlocked the door, releasing the foul odour (and messy fresher) from within. Security eventually arrived and I was asked to put him into recovery position. This was at no small cost as coming up I realized I had vomit all down my shirt. He was taken away to a hospital and we later learned that he had to have his stomach pumped. I occasionally see him around campus now, often with female company. I sometimes fantasize about introducing myself to him and his companion, but always come to the conclusion that that would be too cruel.
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NOVEMBER 2014
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
Burglars focus on young people! CLAIRE DOUTHWAITE
PIC: : EMMA AXELSSON
YOUNG people between 16 and 24 are three times more likely to be victims of burglary than other age groups, according to Government statistics. Nowadays in Coventry city, the question: “Can I trust people who I’m supposed to live with?” appears more times that it’s supposed to. It’s no secret that most people who live here are students. According to the statistics, there are 18975 students at Coventry University at this present moment in time and most of them are choosing to rent a room somewhere in the city. Among the Coventry students, one of the popular methods to find accommodation is to rent a room with a bunch of housemates. The problem is that you can’t be sure who you are going to live with. A problem like disappeared food becomes less annoying than your own savings or even equipment being stolen. Leo Bakin, a Sport and Marketing student from Coventry University, had one of the worst
experiences when living with others. The 20 years old student, who lived on Albany Road, went to the kitchen and on the way back to his room he had been burgled. “I left my room for about five minutes. When I came back, the window was wide open and my phone was completely gone”. “Probably the wide open window was just a counter-irritant. I did not lock my door when leaving the room, so it may have been someone from the house.” A month later, another boy from the same house was burgled as well. “It is hard to believe that those situations were a coincidence, as we left our rooms only for a few minutes. “I do not trust the people with who I live anymore, that’s why I always have to lock my room now.” Overall, even if you trust others, don’t forget to lock your room or window. One day, without you even realising, the unthinkable may happen.
WARWICK VOTED UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR 2014 JOSH PAYNE PIC: EMMA AXELSSON
The University of Warwick has been voted ‘University of the Year’ by The Times and The Sunday Times in their recent ‘Good University Guide’. This news is music to the ears of the university as the student satisfaction remains very low. However, along with their title of ‘University of the Year’, Warwick has also been ranked top of the table for five subject areas- including Economics and Accounting and Finance. The Times explained their decision by stating: “Warwick has been an ever-present in our top 10 over the past two decades. A place to study here is highly prized.” “The university will celebrate its 50th anniversary
next year and in its first half century has established a formidable reputation on the national and international stage as a powerhouse of teaching excellence and business-focussed research.” Speaking to the Sunday Times Warwick’s ViceChancellor Professor Nigel Thrift said: “Our greatest achievement of the past 50 years has been to remain student focussed. The four parts of Warwick’s genetic code are: A commitment to outstanding teaching; absolute academic excellence; the economic regeneration of the West Midlands; and Internationalism expressed through partnerships with academic institutions around the world.”
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
5
NOVEMBER 2014
Easy Enrolment
CHRISTINE BRAGANZA
PHOTO CREDIT: LEE MORELY
University of Warwick welcomes £13 million Boost
CATHERINE LYON
IT seems exceptionally difficult to adjust to the student lifestyle, so it goes without saying that you can do without the added stress of rushing to enrol on your given course. However, instead of taking away from this pressure, Coventry University seemed to face one too many issues in the enrolment department this year. International students are usually the victims of long procedures set by the United Kingdom Border Agency. Although, in September 2014 the local students joined the same tedious path of dealing with confusing administrative issues. There seemed to be numerous students complaining about not being able to access their usual online enrolment form via solar, as it just wouldn’t let them complete the once simple process of enrolment. In order to sort out the mentioned issue, a visit to the student centre was necessary. Despite doing so, most students agreed that they were set to panic as they were told they weren’t allowed to progress on to the next stage of their course. Only later having to find out, it was in fact a basic system error. Most of them appeared to be on a placement year instead of being enrolled for their final stage on the University’s system.
One particular student, shared their frustration of being shuffled between the student centre and their faculty, only to find out the issue regarding re-enrolling was easily resolved at the student centre itself. It only begs the question, why is the IT system so inefficient and why are faculty members not capable of containing the situation in the first place? Coventry University has provided high standards in nearly every aspect over the years, but their IT systems seem to be in need of an update due to the high volume of confusion created this year among a vast amount of its student population. The deadline to re-enrol for returning students is set in stone, however the process isn’t as smooth sailing which means the time consumption rate is high for both staff and students. A valuable suggestion towards the finance department at the University would be to help evolve and invest funds into further developing the technical system. When questioned, most members of staff seem to re-direct students to others, creating a very upsetting chain reaction of doubts regarding the matter. A resolution for next year’s students is hopeful but is certainly not guaranteed.
PIC: EMMA AXELSSON
As the Universities of Warwick, Birmingham and Leicester move up in the Complete University Guide’s league tables for 2015 in both Chemistry and Physics, a new scheme bags them a £13 million award to support world class research in bioeconomy. Business secretary Vince Cable announced a £125 million funding boost to tackle global problems of agriculture on 3rd October 2014 allowing 260 researchers to take on the challenge. With the University of Warwick Leading the project, the award will be put into their Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MTBTP). This will fund 260 PhD research projects
in the next 5 years, with 130 of those being funded directly by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBRSC). The University of Warwick are said to be including research on food security and making vegetables more water resistant. Dr Scelia Caulcott, the Executive Director for Innovation and skills said: “Bioscience is having a massive impact on many aspects of our lives… we need to maintain our leading position in global bioscience by ensuring the next generation of scientists have the best training and skills. This next generation of scientists are our future and we must invest in them now.
Freshers Stories
CATHERINE LYON
PHOTO CREDIT: WARWICK FRESHERS FACEBOOK
There is nothing like a good freshers story, especially the ones that go wrong. One of those nights that you might have forgotten about was almost certainly remembered by somebody else. So here at the University Paper, we have found a couple of great moments from Coventry and Warwick to take you back to the moments that you may have missed. Here’s a great story from Pallavl Grover: On my second night as a fresher, we’d played a few rounds of ring of fire and we were pretty drunk. At some point we decided to head to the student union bar and my flat mate offered me a piggyback across the grass. It turned into a race with another pair and my friend tripped. I face planted onto the grass. I ended up missing the paint party because I felt dazed and sick, so the only mark in my freshers shirt is a grass stain! I’ve had a huge purple bruise on my face for my whole time at Warwick and everyone I meet (which is a lot in the first week) asks what happened to my face. Another strange one occurred at the Copper rooms in Warwick’s Student Union. The freshers
rep claimed the ‘UV Paint Night’ would be ‘messy’. And indeed it did get messy… at least until the fire alarm went off. In typical Copper Rooms style things didn’t quite go to plan when paint drenched drunkards had to troop out into the Piazza as a precaution. And one very impressionable Fresher took this to heart, and admitted to setting the fire alarm off straight away. After a brief interview with security it was discovered that he had been in the disabled loo, and pulled the cord by accident. Overall, yet another eventful freshers week in the city of Coventry!
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NOVEMBER 2014
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
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We confront the issues that ma er to you, right here on campus. Have an opinion? Contact us at: editor@unipaper.co.uk to have your say
THE BIG QUESTION
BY BENJAMIN PHILPOTT
Seminar readings: Not fooling anyone
So you find yourself faced with a question, a conundrum, possibly the toughest decision of your life at university. Do you spend your evening in your room preparing your notes for tomorrow’s seminar, or do you go out with your mates for “a few pints”? Now, before you start deciding what to wear and arranging your pre-drinks, please, listen to this word of caution. It may seem a good idea, at the time, to replace three long chapters of a textbook with a cursory glance at the Wikipedia page and you may feel like you can just ‘wing it’ if you’re asked a question on the reading that you have not done, but be aware that you’re not always as smooth or as sneaky as you feel. A few general comments on the subject, littered with ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’ doesn’t really show your tutor that you have gotten to grips with the topic; and they always know. I remember speaking to a friend who’s tutor kindly informed the class that he would, without a doubt, be able to tell which students had read and quoted the Wikipedia page, because he wrote it. Often, we forget that the people teaching the subject are doing so because they are, for all intents and purposes, experts on the subject. They are trying to make your life easier, and you will appreciate that when it comes to writing your essay or doing your exam. I know that it’s a daunting prospect and I’m not saying you have to read all of the books on the reading list cover to cover, but don’t turn up to every lecture without a clue what’s going on. Motivate yourself and take pride in your learning. It will
SPARE COMPUTER?!
LIZZIE LONGLEY
save you time, stress and often embarrassment when those deadlines are looming.
COMPUTERS ARE an everyday necessity for people around the world and without them we would be lost. People have become so dependent on computers, whether it’s for browsing random things on the internet, online shopping or studying for a degree, computers are constant in many people’s lives. So why is there never any available to use in the university library? The library is always full to the brim of students on the computers, but very rarely are they doing work. I’ve seen people watching funny videos on YouTube or listening to the latest Number 1 in the music charts. The amount of girls that use the library as a room to online shop is endless and I wouldn’t be surprised if you caught boys having a cheeky look at porn and giggling to themselves. I don’t condemn these people for using the computers for these things because like them I online shop and endlessly watch YouTube videos (minus the porn) but when they are taking up a computer that is needed for educational use that’s when it starts to get irritating! It’s not just the students that take up all the computers for unnecessary use, it’s the random
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astray of baggage and jackets that claim a seat. So many times have I gone over to what I thought was a spare computer to find a jacket taking charge of the seat without a body in sight. Whoever it is that leaves their stuff there for hours must be a very trusting person. But, when a jacket is taking over the chance for you to work you know there is an issue. I say all this but I’m sure I’m probably guilty of all these things (again minus the porn) so I don’t really have room to talk. I don’t believe there are enough computers in the library to accommodate to the vast amount of students, whether doing work or not there still should be enough computers on campus for the students to use. We are spending £9000 a year after all….
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THE UNIVERSITY OCTOBER 2014
Indepth, Insightful, & uncompromising: Interviews by ANDY WELCH
A Good Ed On His Shoulders Ed Sheeran is sitting in his dressing room in Melbourne Cricket Ground. In the background, Tom Jones can be heard soundchecking. “WE’RE SINGING the Prince song, Kiss, together,” says Sheeran, “but we’ve already rehearsed that.” The night before, Sheeran and his new pal Jones - who performed together in Australia last week went out for a few glasses of wine, and 74-year-old Jones regaled 23-year-old Sheeran with stories of appearing in The Simpsons and hanging out with Elvis Presley in Las Vegas back in the day. This is the world in which Sheeran now lives, where rather than him seeking out the biggest names in music to learn from, they request an audience with him. Elton John asked to perform with Sheeran at the Grammy Awards in 2013, and Paul McCartney, after the special concert earlier this year, marking the 50th anniversary of The Beatles landing in America, invited him to his trailer for a margarita. “I wasn’t expecting that one. I was with my parents and ready to go home for the night, and the next minute, that happened,” he says, like it was no big deal. He counts Taylor Swift and Harry Styles among his closest showbiz friends, and while recording his second album x last year, Friends star Courteney Cox let him stay in her Malibu home. Sheeran had been performing in LA when Spin City and Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence, and his actor wife Christa Miller, asked if their daughter could have her photo taken with him after the show. “The next night, I was having dinner in Malibu and Bill and Christa were in the same restaurant. They came over to thank me for being nice to their daughter and then invited me to a house party.” “I thought, ‘Why not?’ It turned out to be Courteney’s house party. It was miles from anywhere, and I’d sent my driver home so I had to stay over, and that’s when we became friends,” the singer explains. He’s a long way from Framlingham, the Suffolk village where he grew up, but spend any amount of time with Sheeran and it’s not hard to understand why so many A-listers want to hang out with him; he’s impeccably mannered for a start, and down to earth in a way most multi-million-selling artists just aren’t. Unassuming isn’t the word. He admits he’s changed a bit, though, since his first album was released and worldwide fame followed. He’s a bit more paranoid, and wary around new people, he says, but he’s generally much happier with his lot than he was three years ago. “I was quite well known among people my age, from the mix-tapes and YouTube videos that were doing the rounds, so I would get stopped and asked for photos and things,” he says. “That still happens, although back four years ago, I was broke, so there wasn’t the upside. Now I’m financially comfortable, and I’ve made my family financially comfortable, so I can see the rewards.” Other musicians seek him out too, including Pharrell Williams and producer Rick Rubin, who both went to Sheeran offering their services on a collaboration. The track with Williams, Sing, resulted in a No 1 single, while Rubin produced two tracks on x pronounced multiply - Don’t and Bloodstream. Of Sing, he says it was the first time he’s tried to write a song without a deep, emotional meaning. “Going in with Pharrell, I knew I wanted to
“I knew I wanted to make a bona fide pop song ”
make a bona fide pop song and we were just trying some things out. It’s just me explaining how I had fun on a night out, had a drink and had a dance with a girl, and that’s it.” “I’ve never really done that before, and it was nice to do it and to not worry about how it would make people feel, and whether it was me opening up enough. I just wanted to write a song that was fun.” He says if the aftermath of his debut + taught him anything, it was that his songs were being used as emotional crutches by his fans. “I’d get people talking to me saying they’d listened to my record on their own in their bedroom, while eating ice cream and crying, or that they’d listened to my record after they’d broken up with a partner, so it was a very melancholic album.” “I learned I need to give people some fun here and there. I am not a hugely depressed person, I like to have fun and the melancholy doesn’t reflect who I am. Sometimes, it’s just good to sing about stuff that’s pointless. Talk Dirty by Jason Derulo is not a song that comes from a lot of heartbreak or upset, but it is a great pop song, and I want to do that too.” Despite the success of his first bona fide pop song, he still doesn’t see himself as a pop singer, however much he’d like to be “I really want to be in that world, among those big pop singers,” he says, referring to the likes of his friends Taylor Swift and Pharrell Williams. I think I am placed in that world when it comes to award shows and things, but I don’t get mentioned
in the same sentence as those stars when it comes to music.” If he’s not seen as a pop singer yet - he’s more your little brother’s scruffy mate who plays the guitar - it won’t be long. So far, x is the fastest-selling album in the UK this year, having sold 180,000 copies during its first week, beating Coldplay’s Ghost Stories, which had previously held the record, by around 15,000 copies. “Yeah, but,” counters Sheeran, “that Coldplay album is the only one they’ve not really promoted, so they could still beat me if they wanted.” His grasp of the way records sell is second to none, and some might accuse him of careerism. It’s simply not the done thing for an artist to admit they’re so acutely aware of how their music is selling, or how many tickets have sold for a forthcoming tour. Of course, Sheeran’s not really an exception here - almost every artist is just as aware of this stuff as he is, he just talks about it in interviews, while they feign ignorance. After the UK leg of his tour, he’s off around the world again, due to finish up next August, when he plans to take a break and write some more songs. “This is the first tour I’ve ever done where I set off on one date and know when I’m going to finish. All my other tours have started, and then 30-date tours in other countries keep getting added as we go along,” says Sheeran. “This time, it’s structured, and if there’s one thing I’ve been lacking for the past few years, it’s structure.”
8
NOVEMBER 2014
WHAT’S ON
The BEST nights this Freshers week & throughout the month
THIS MONTH WEDNESDAY 22ND OCTOBER
● Word to the Wise open mic poetry night at The Big Comfy Bookshop in Fargo Village THURSDAY 23RD OCTOBER
● Fly @ SMACK
SAMANTHA CAMPBELL
THURSDAY 30TH OCTOBER
● Twisted @ SMACK
FRIDAY 31ST OCTOBER
● Halloween sponsored by Jägermeister @NEON ● FUKT @ ZEPHYR LOUNGE ● Oxjam Halloween @ Zephyr Lounge
FRIDAY 24TH OCTOBER
● Kinky @ KASBAH ● Fukt @ ZEPHYR LOUNGE SATURDAY 25TH OCTOBER
● Tricky Disco @ KASBAH ● Smackback to the 90s & 00s @ SMACK ● Zephyr Saturdays MONDAY 27TH OCTOBER
● Flipside @ NEON ● Bubbleluv @ KASBAH TUESDAY 28TH OCTOBER
● I heart Smack @ SMACK WEDNESDAY 29TH OCTOBER
● Pop! @ WARWICK SU
FRIDAY 7TH NOVEMBER
● Kinky @ KASBAH ● Fukt @ ZEPHYR LOUNGE ● Kelly’s ft. The Firm @ ZEPHYR LOUNGE
SATURDAY 15TH NOVEMBER
● Tricky Disco @ KASBAH ● And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead Concert @ KASBAH ● ZEPHYR SATURDAYS
SATURDAY 8TH NOVEMBER
● Tricky Disco @ KASBAH ● Zephyr Saturdays ● Malloy Knox Concert @ KASBAH
SATURDAY 1ST NOVEMBER
MONDAY 17TH NOVEMBER
● Bubbleluv @ KASBAH
TUESDAY 18TH NOVEMBER
● Tricky Disco @ KASBAH ● Zephyr Saturdays ● Revinyl @ Zephyr Lounge
MONDAY 10TH NOVEMBER
● Flipside @ NEON ● Bubbleluv @ KASBAH
● I heart Smack @ SMACK ● Carl Barat and the Jackals Concert @ KASBAH
MONDAY 3RD NOVEMBER
TUESDAY 11TH NOVEMBER
WEDNESDAY 20TH NOVEMBER
TUESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER
WEDNESDAY 12TH NOVEMBER
● Bubbleluv @ KASBAH ● I heart Smack @ SMACK
● I heart Smack @ SMACK ● Pop! @ WARWICK SU
WEDNESDAY 5TH NOVEMBER
THURSDAY 13TH NOVEMBER
THURSDAY 6TH NOVEMBER
FRIDAY 14TH NOVEMBER
● Pop! @ WARWICK SU ● Twisted @ SMACK
● Fly @ SMACK
● Kinky @ KASBAH ● Fukt @ ZEPHYR LOUNGE
● Mixology @ WARWICK SU ● Twisted @ SMACK THURSDAY 21ST NOVEMBER
● Kinky @ KASBAH ● Fukt @ ZEPHYR LOUNGE
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
9
NOVEMBER 2014
FOR THE LATEST ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
Get the party started!! Interview with Mallory Knox MALLORY KNOX are constantly growing and became ever more popular with their previous album Signals which was released in January last year. However, their growing success doesn’t seem to be getting to them, as they hold their love and dedication to their music, as well as their gratitude to their fans very much at the centre of the band’s ethos. The University Paper caught up with bassist Sam Douglas to discuss their recent success. “We genuinely didn’t expect it,” says Douglas when talking about their grand reception by
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the crowd at Reading festival. The band also performed at Leeds and Slam Dunk festival, however Reading was a particular one-off for Douglas. “After four months in the studio working on our new album, missing family and being totally focused on that, we didn’t feel like much of a band - we weren’t playing anything. It was amazing to come back to it, but we didn’t expect the tent to be that full, or even half full. Everyone in the crowd knew the songs, it was fantastic!” Their hard work in the studio has culminated in their new album, Asymmetry, which will
be released in deluxe on 27th October. “How we wrote and recorded was totally different. We finished writing Signals in January 2012 but it wasn’t release until January 2013, so for a whole year we didn’t write anything. In rehearsals we were playing the same songs. So when we came around to the new album we had forgotten about the whole process as we had spent so much time away from it. It took two or three songs to get back into the flow, but then we had a whole months-worth of flow.” Another significant difference between the last and the current
album was the production, after demoing Signals in his house, Asymmetry was rehearsed in a friend’s studio for a whole week before pre-production. “We were a bit worried because we didn’t know how we’d feel about someone else coming into the process. We spend days on each song, arguing about each part and will not feel that a song is finished until we feel that it is finished. This is why it took us four months in total to record. But our producer was great, we even kept two or three of his songs!” When asked whether they hope to repeat the success of
the last album, which reached Number 33 in the UK charts, Douglas insisted: “We have no expectations for the album. So many people write albums and it doesn’t hit their expectations. We truly believe that this is the best album that we could have written at this time. We just want to be doing this as long as we can.” However, he admitted that if Asymmetry is a similar success “there will be a trip to the pub at some point!” When asked what advice they would give to a new band starting up, Douglas said: “It’s different for every band but the main thing is
to believe in what you are doing in terms of songs. Don’t put anything out there until you are 100% ready with it, the belief will take you somewhere and give you the extra push that other bands may not have.” “And play, play, play! Even if it’s at the same venue just get yourselves out there, and eventually someone will come along and recognise you. At least that’s what happened to us!” Mallory kick off their tour at Kasbah, Coventry on the 9th November. Like them on Facebook to keep up to date with the album and tour.
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THE UNIVERSITY OCTOBER 2014
BY PHIL HAMILTON
PICTURES: BANG SHOWBIZ AGENCY
NUDE PHOTOS OF KELLY BROOK have been leaked online
The 26-year-old model - who recently split from her fiancé David McIntosh - is the latest star to have intimate images of herself, which include her lying naked on a bed, posted online and she is said to be “very upset” about the leak.
A FRIEND of Kelly told The Sun newspaper: “She is naturally very upset. “She may have profited from images of her body in the past, but these were private images pumped out to the world. She’s horrified.” The brunette beauty was previously named in a list of celebrities whose private photos had been targeted by online hackers - which is also said to have included stars Jennifer Lawrence, Kim Kardashian and Kate Upton - but denied the existence of the stolen images. She said at the time: “The only nude photos that you’ll ever see of me are the ones that I ‘leak’. And the ones that my head are superimposed on.” Fellow victim Jennifer Lawrence - who was targeted for the second time last month when trolls released a further 55 x-rated images of the star on websites 4Chan and Reddit has spoken out for the first time following the scandal and has defended her decision to take the nude shots. She said: “Just because I’m an actress does not mean I asked for this. I was in a loving healthy relationship for four years. It was long distance and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he’s going to look at you.”
Ed Sheeran listens to Britney Spears and N-Dubz’s greatest hits albums when cooking. THE FLAME-HAIRED singer likes to rustle up his own meals when he is not busy touring the globe and he can’t get enough of the 32-yearold singer’s successful songs because he is a “big fan” of both her and the pop trio. He said: “I’m a big Britney fan! I’ve actually got her greatest hits, I cook to it. I cook to Britney’s greatest hits and N-Dubz’s greatest hits - what does that say about me? Seriously, I’m not joking.” Ed also admitted he would love to write a song for Britney one day but insists it would resemble her slow song ‘Everytime’ rather than her more fast-paced effort ‘Work Bitch’. He added: “She’s had consistent hits for a while but I wouldn’t write ‘Work Bitch’. It’d be something a bit more like ‘Everytime’. Remember that one?” When Ed isn’t penning tracks for pop superstars he could be found performing at his fans’ weddings after he accepted a supporter’s
PROFESSOR GREEN SLAPS CONCERTGOER PROFESSOR GREEN slapped a concertgoer on Friday night (03.10.14). The 30-year-old rapper was caught on camera getting into a scuffle in the middle of his gig at Durham University’s Student Union Welcome Ball after a member of the audience shouted abuse at him. However, the scrap didn’t last for very long as the ‘Remedy’ hitmaker - whose real name is Stephen Manderson - returned to the centre of the stage to explain why he ended up swinging his arms at a fan. He told the audience: “That’s what happens when you call me a c**t. Are we going to have a f***ing good time tonight or what?” A representative for Pro Green, who is
married to reality TV star Mille Mackintosh, confirmed that the star had got into an altercation with a fan during his set and the student was later escorted off the premises. The spokesperson told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “During Professor Green’s live show at Durham University on Friday night, a student verbally abused Green repeatedly and then went to strike him. Green reacted. The student was subsequently escorted out from the venue for being too drunk. Green carried on the show to perform his full set.” Pro Green then appeared to reference the aggressive situation on Twitter after the show but later deleted the post from his social networking site.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE SAYS SHE FELT SEXUALLY VIOLATED AFTER HER NUDE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE LEAKED ONLINE.
invitation to perform at her nuptials in February 2016. After being asked by the lucky fan at an #AmazonFrontRow Q&A in central London yesterday (30.09.14) whether he would play on her big day, he replied: “That’s actually a possibility because I’ve got nothing booked in February 2016. It’s not on my birthday either. “We should talk. Do you have a card? Give me your work card. I’ll drop you a line. If I’m not working then it’ll be cool.” Ed Sheeran performed live for customers at the #AmazonFrontRow event at the Amazon London office roof top. For more information on Amazon Music visit www.amazon.co.uk/music
The 24-year-old actress, who is dating Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, admits she was very upset and angry after hackers stole dozens of private images from her iCloud account and posted them on websites in late August. The Oscar winner told Vanity Fair magazine: “It is not a scandal. It is a sex crime. It is a sexual violation. It’s disgusting. The law needs to be changed, and we need to change.” The ‘Hunger Games’ star also hit back at critics for suggesting she shouldn’t have taken or stored the intimate images in the first place, insisting they were only meant to be seen by her ex-boyfriend Nicholas Hoult, whom she split from earlier this year. She said: “I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he’s going to look at you.” The blonde beauty initially planned to apologise for the photographs because she was worried about her career. But she said: “Every single thing that I tried to write made me cry or get angry. I started to write an apology, but I don’t have anything to say I’m sorry for. Just the fact that somebody can be sexually exploited and violated, and the first thought that crosses somebody’s mind is to make a profit from it. It’s so beyond me.” She added: “Just because I’m a public figure, just because I’m an actress, does not mean that I asked for this. “It does not mean that it comes with the territory. It’s my body, and it should be my choice, and the fact that it is not my choice is absolutely disgusting. I can’t believe that we even live in that kind of world.”
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NOVEMBER 2014
MUSIC LITTLE
SIMZ LAURA RAPHAEL
ALREADY A hip hop heavy weight, there is definitely nothing pint size about Little Simz. Having been picked up at the tender age of 16 by Radio 1Xtra’s DJ Semtex, she has gone onto receive critical acclaim from superstars such as Jay-Z, headline a gig in Times Square, not to mention she has just been nominated for two MOBO awards. The MC honed her craft at St Mary’s Youth Club in Islington, alumni to stars such as Alexandra Burke, and if 2014 is anything to go by Little Simz will be another name to add to the roll call. So remember you heard about her in The University Paper first.
LIFE OF THE PARTY? ALWAYS OUT AND ABOUT? Did you catch up with our snappers? Check out pages 10 and 11 to see if you made the cut.
2014 has been quite the year with the release of E.D.G.E and your Madia Vale session with Huw Stephens, how has it been for you? I didn’t expect for my EP to do that well which is always good to exceed your expectations. And to be like the first unsigned rapper to do Madia Vale is a good achievement in my eyes. Huw has heavily championed me throughout the year so for him to give me that opportunity was crazy. How was it playing the BBC 1Xtra stage at Reading and Leeds this summer? I felt it was inevitable that it would happen but when it actually did I was like “shit this a surreal” but it was sick and hopefully I can do Glastonbury and Wireless next. I was actually meant to play Glastonbury this year, but I was in New York and our flight got oversold so we were stuck in the airport. I felt like it happened for a reason, I don’t think I was supposed to play this year, but at the time I was so annoyed. You have received a lot of underground acclaim through SoundCloud, that and for recording in your bedroom, do you prefer the stripped back approach? Where I am not signed everything has to be done myself and it is hard to get a big push especially releasing music, there are only so many outlets. It is not conscious decision, it is just me having freedom for now.
me a lot, but I have comes to terms with it now. There isn’t an easy way to describe it, but I feel that this is bigger than me being a female or even a rapper. I want to be an entrepreneur and a humanitarian and I hope music is going to take me to those place in life. Considering you are only 20, how does it feel having been championed by the likes of Zane Lowe? I feel like I have a long way to go. I’m studying Music Technology Specialist in West London and learning how to balance things. I was thinking of dropping out because the last year has been so crazy. But I want to challenge myself, to break barriers and prove that it is possible to have a degree and be unsigned, instead of say having a particular look. What’s next for Little Simz? I am going to be working on new tracks and doing a collaborative project that I can’t name just yet, but it is going to be exciting. But right now? I am just trying live to be honest. I have done a lot musically, there was a point where I was writing everyday and it was getting repetitive as I was talking about the same things. So I am just trying to be 20 and live this uni life and be me in order to have more to write about.
Have you been approached by any labels yet? I have been approached by everyone, but I don’t feel like I want to be signed right now. I’m in no particular rush or eager for a deal. I would like to more business minded before signing away a lot of my power, especially when I am an up and coming artist. I feel like I have worked too hard to hand my music over to a group of executives, they need to understand me, my music and my vision first. What is it like being a female rapper? I’ve tried not to let that phase me and look at myself as an artist regardless of gender or age that instantly categorises me. It used to bother
How to become a hipster in 400 words
PICTURES:OLI POULTER
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
OLI POULTER
THE RISE of hipster culture seems to have emerged through the amalgamation of the nerd and the suburban street wise kid, giving birth to this cross hybrid contradiction. After the drug crazed intensity of the rock and roll era, it now seems to be classed as cool to use big words like ‘idiosyncratic’ and talk about Avant guarde films with apparent ‘deeper symbolic meanings’. We’ve been observing these fascinating creatures and have come up with a few simple steps to show you how to jump on the bandwagon and become as edgy as ever. A fixed gear bike is key to any kind of success in the hipster arena. Weird wacky colored wheels are only the start of your newly found creative lifestyle. Fixies are limited to 1 gear only and are commonly ridden without brakes, to slow down you must reduce your pedal rate. You can design your own fixie with infinite combinations of crazy colors at http://www. mangobikes.co.uk.
Music is a large part of anyone’s life and when it comes to embarking on your new expressive lifestyle, weird music is a must. Your ITunes must be packed to the brim with undiscovered tunes comprising of odd distorted bass lines and un-quantised beat loops that no one really enjoys to listen to let alone dance to. It’s real easy to let yourself go and dance to Jason Derulo in Forum on a Friday night, but we suggest you maintain your hipster front by seeming unimpressed and make a request to the disc jockey for some unknown music group that may not even exist. Check out the boiler room for some outstanding role models in the hipster music scene. When it comes to clothing anything goes. From bomber jackets with deliberately tasteless color schemes to ridiculously long silk shirts, it’s all good stuff as far as the hipster assemblage are concerned, just make sure the clothes you buy are vintage to really enhance the bohemian theme you’re looking for. Be
sure to check out Wavey Garms on Facebook for more ideas. Finally on to the gratuitous additions. From the research we’ve undertaken it seems compulsory to wear some kind of overbearingly big glasses whether you need them or not. Facial
hair for the guys is optional, but we think it really adds that edge. Unfortunately the plight of the dreaded top knot still seems to have a firm grip upon the hipster community but we advise against it, quite frankly it looks like a cry for help.
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NOVEMBER 2014
TECHNOLOGIC PHIL HAMILTON
TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
GADGETS
GRILLING MACHINES
GAMES
MOBILES
COMPUTERS
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
TABLETS
APPS
BEAT YOUR MEAT
Remember George Foreman? Here are two of the best machines out there giving the boxer’s grill a hiding.
REVIEWS BREVILLE HALO+ HEALTH FRYER RRP: £169.99
I CAN remember a time when most households in Britain had a deep fat fryer. What could be better of an evening than crispy chips and fried sausages all cooked in the same pan of oil which could catch fire at any moment and burn down the house in minutes? Then the health police told us it was bad for our hearts and arteries and everyone got rid. Now I have the Halo+ Fryer in my life, the fryer for the “health conscious”. You only need to use half a tablespoonful of oil to cook 1kg of chips in this one. And if you have any doubts that they won’t come out delicious, think again. My first attempt produced a plate of golden brown, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the
TEFAL OPTIGRILL BLACK DO YOU like eating mouth-watering steak but don’t have the energy or will to turn it over mid-cooking? Do you like chicken but don’t have the attention span to watch it to make sure it’s cooked and won’t give you salmonella poisoning? Do you enjoy the delicious taste of lamb chops but can’t be bothered to fry them in a pan? Well now you don’t have to with the Tefal OptiGrill Black. It is the Rolls-Royce of grills, making the George Foreman grill look like a Robin Reliant. Everything about it is automated. Plug it in, choose the type of meat you’re cooking and then wait for it to heat up. Once it’s ready, slap your meat on and the grill’s in-built technology automatically measures its thickness and starts cooking it, both sides. The LED display tells you what stage it’s cooked at (with rare, medium and well done settings) and an alarm goes off at each of those. I tried an aged rib eye steak on it and it
RRP: £149.99
“IT IS THE ROLLS ROYCE OF GRILLS, MAKING FOREMAN’S KIT LOOK LIKE A ROBIN RELIANT” was seared, juicy and took less than five minutes to cook. This is a top bit of kit that sorts out all your meat needs and gets it to the plate without you having to do much actual cooking. Luckily for your wife, girlfriend, significant other it still needs cleaning so they’re not redundant just yet (I know - ho, ho, ho.) Available exclusively at Argos.
HEALTH GIZMO OF THE MONTH
BREVILLE BLEND-ACTIVE NO-ONE will ever accuse me of being a regular gym goer, cycling enthusiast, ardent jogger, yoga stretcher or a follower of any currently popular fitness fad. Rest assured I’m not turning into some huge lump of lard like Katie Hopkins. I still regularly drag my body round the football pitch and then complete my workout with a couple of nutritious pints. For those of you who do partake in regular sports, I’m assured the Breville Blend Active is perfect.
inside potato goodness. Just add the salt and pepper and ketchup and you’re away. I haven’t tried making Crème Brulee in it – the manufacturers say you can – but I did cook sausages, chicken and battered fish in it and it was top notch. The parts can go in the dishwasher and there’s grill and roasting options. Yeah, it’s a bit pricey but is well worth it. And for the cash you can fry a whole meal in one again, with much less chance of torching your gaff.
Like all good gadgets the beauty of the Blend Active is in its simplicity and practicality. Before this bit of kit you had to make up your protein shake and then pour it in your sports bottle. What a pain in the arse eh? With this product the sports bottle is the blender chamber – you pop on the blade cap, put on the base unit and blend your drink. Take it off and replace with the drinking cap and you’re ready to head to the gym with your refreshment in hand.
RRP: £25 If you’re not a fitness freak you can use it to make a fruit smoothie for the train in the mornings, or an iced coffee, or a milkshake. You get the picture – it blends stuff and you take it with you. I still prefer to just pay £2 for a ready blended drink before I squeeze myself onto the packed Tube with a bunch of ‘hipsters’ whose religions are obvious through their skinny jeans. But that’s just me. I have more spare cash these days because I don’t actually pay for these gadgets.
EVERY YEAR that gets us fuelled Geor This is bas of the legend It’s been g original Sega of British kid smashing sp Despite ne or live – alth during a grid – I’ve always This latest The graph commentato realistic and next-genera Its biggest since the las defensive pl when your te you’re encou tackling. I re order to sack
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
17
NOVEMBER 2014
TRANSFORMERS
TOASTIE MAKERS
HEADPHONES
SPEAKERS
GAMES
LAPTOPS
NIGHT VISION GOGGLES
DRONES
VUVUZELAS
REVIEW: DIABLO III: ULTIMATE EVIL EDITION
SO IT’S finally made it to consoles. Blizzard have brought Diablo III to those of us who mainly use PCs for work... and other extra-curricular pursuits of course. The good thing about playing on a console is multiplayer is much better. And the thing practically everyone loves about Diablo is it involves exploring, crafting and killing together - or killing each other. The game is addictive with friends (if you have any.)Unless your improvisation skills are great you will get bored playing alone. Without friends the game feels like repetitive button smashing to
hack’n’slash and that isn’t always enough. But with friends in the co-player modes it comes alive and you start feeling like a true basher-smasher-lasher-dasher killing machine. The graphics are nothing to shout about. They keep the look of the series but you’d think on a nextgen console Blizzard would at least brighten its different worlds and improve the artwork. Unfortunately it is dull and boring and the best thing about the artwork is the crows that decide to sit on the lamps, because, well, I like crows. Problem? However, at the beginning the intro is surprisingly amazing, the faces look real, the people act real, it feels real and I’m disappointed they couldn’t achieve that in-game. I’m torn about Diablo III. The main character is unappealing and hard to understand. The storyline is very linear; the plot is dull and could do with a more interesting twist. In summary, this edition is only made for multi-player.
PREVIEW: ALIEN ISOLATION
“YOU’VE ALREADY PAID £44.99 FOR THE GAME. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR A GAME-PLAY OPTION TOO? IT ANGERS ME ME”
REVIEW OF THE MONTH MADDEN NFL 15 EVERY YEAR the FIFA franchise gets an update that gets us more excited than a vodka/Red Bullfuelled Geordie in a tanning salon. This is basically the American football version of the legendary soccer title. It’s been going strong since 1990 and the original Sega Mega Drive introduced a lot of British kids (including me) to the bonesmashing sport of the NFL. Despite never being a fan of NFL either on TV or live – although the beer and snacks they serve during a gridiron marathon numbs the boredom – I’ve always been a big fan of the Madden games. This latest edition doesn’t disappoint. The graphics are brilliant. Players, commentators and coaches all look ultrarealistic and we’re now starting to see what these next-generation consoles are really capable of. Its biggest improvement gameplay- wise since the last edition (Madden NFL 25) is in the defensive play. Before, you felt like an onlooker when your team was defending, but in this game you’re encouraged to get fully involved in the tackling. I recommend you use the Hit Stick in order to sack a quarterback in the same way a
school bully crushes a nerd. Offensive play has been tweaked for the better. Your runners speed through the opposition defence like a fatty running for a finger buffet and when you’re passing as the quarterback you’ve got more options than a customised Domino’s pizza. Purists will complain there are too many interceptions and all those NFL intricacies which hold up play. But Madden NFL has always eradicated some of the more boring aspects of the real sport (how many fucking time-outs do they really need?) in order to make a video game that is more fun and has plenty of flow. There are loads of game modes including Connected Franchise where you get to choose to be a player, coach or owner to try and take your team (it’s got to be the Miami Dolphins for me) to Super Bowl glory. The Ultimate Team option is great but you have to pay extra for it. You’ve already paid £44.99 to play the bastard game! So it makes me angry you have to pay extra for a gameplay option. It’s still a must-have for gaming American football fans.
THIS IS the game I’m most excited about getting my hands on this year. It’s just you – as Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Sigourney Weaver’s character Ellen Ripley from the 1979 Alien film – with one of the alien creatures (known as a Xenomorph to movie gimps) and you’re determination to find out what happened to your hard-arsed mum. It’s a survival horror and you only get a tracker and whatever you can get your hands on to protect yourself. The game is set in 2137, 15 years after the events of Alien. It sees Amanda flown to the space station Sevastopol to find the flight recorder of Nostromo, but an alien is already there. It’s your job to find out what happened to your mother and the people who were living on the space station – which has been painstakingly recreated in the
style of Ridley Scott and late surrealist artist H. R. Giger’s work on the original movie.\ From what I’ve seen of the title there’s a lot of detective work to do all while trying to avoid attracting the attention of the Xenomorph – which is set to be one of the most intelligent AI characters in video game history if it lives up to Sega’s hype. I cannot wait for this game. Alien is my favourite film of all time, survival horror is my favourite video game genre and this title puts you firmly in those two settings. I really, really, really don’t want this game to be shit. Next issue we’ll know.
Coming soon for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox 360.
KNOW THE INSIDE
DO YOU
T R AC K O N
CAMPUS?
IF SO THE UNIVERSITY PAPER WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. We are scouring the UK for student journalists, so whether you are looking for work experience or simply spending too much time in the SU, get in touch today. We are on the look out for opinion leaders and change makers who can write engaging copy. Your pieces will be printed in The University Paper which is read by thousands of students across the UK and you will get that all important byline - perfect if you are looking to build a portfolio. Not to mention that age old adage, it will look great on the CV. So if you would like to be an influential voice for the student community or just have a strong front page tell us what is going on - pitch your ideas to The University Paper, email: editor@unipaper.co.uk
19
THE UNIVERSITY NOVEMBER 2014
CURRENT
» CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER
UNIVERSITY FAIL TO DEAL WITH DISGUISED RACISTS made aware of the situation- especially since the group’s activity was hushed. Coventry University still hasn’t provided detailed updates via their social media accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter. Students have taken it upon themselves to spark valid debates on social networks. The racist outbreak, immediately raised plenty of eyebrows in terms of where the University’s concerns truly reside. Questions among faculty members and students have been elevated, due to the fact that the University has not circulated much information in relation to the issue. Third year student, Jade Bradley provided an eye-opening statement; “I feel that the University has let us down by only putting up a short vague warning on the Moodle page and that’s it.” Her passion can clearly be measured through her Facebook status, “I just found out that Coventry University was infiltrated by an extremist protest group called National Action who have accessed a building under the guise of an amateur film crew. They’re a group against immigrants and any coloured person. Disgrace in all honesty, the University should have informed all of their students regarding the matter. Major let-down.” Another final year student Stella Bibb stated, “Perhaps the university needs better security. It is not good for students to be faced with such a serious issue, especially when little was done about it.” Proving that the circumstances surrounding Coventry University shouldn’t be taken lightly as the University has stated on Moodle that there were a few reports about the group. Not only are female students afraid but male students such as Mohamed Issa also fear the threat as he, “Feels insecure and scared, and constantly senses somebody walking behind [him] on [his] way home.” A lecturer at the University was sincerely appalled when informed and questioned on the issue. Doctor Jim Clarke, when made aware, stated, “It is unfortunate that the University authorities haven’t fully informed students and staff about the true nature of those who invaded campus.” Both, students and staff members seemed to be caught off guard and highly surprised by the new found evidence, mainly because there hasn’t been any details disclosed by an official representative from the University. Coventry University have a full blown up poster, made just to publicise and make students aware of the good side of affairs; but failure to deal with the serious issues may begin to damage the reputation of the university who have again been handed the title of ‘Modern University of the year’.
» CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER
STUDENT DISCONTENT DRAGS WARWICK DOWN LEAGUE TABLES was swiftly followed by a wave of strikes and protests when Warwick staff campaigned against under-payment of tutors and the fact that many of the care-taking staff working at the university were not receiving a sufficient living wage. Expensive landscape redevelopment all across campus has angered students, not only because it makes bus travel into campus extremely difficult, but because it is also seen a financial investment that could be used much more effectively to fix existing problems. Hundreds of students were left without timetables in their first week of university, when it was discovered that the English department employed only one woman to handle the scheduling. One student tweeted “Instead of trying to win Construction Site of the Year do you think you can fix our email system?” Many students are struggling to cope with the rising food prices, extensive living costs and drastically increased Warwick Sport fees. The Extortionate Warwick Sport Community on Facebook has more than 600 Likes. The movement is dedicated to investigating the activities of Warwick Sport, protesting what it considers untenable costs for its services
and trying to reach an affordable compromise with the university. On the day of the Sports Fair, protestors surrounded the sports centre to challenge the rise in membership fees for Warwick Sport. Warwick Sport members wanting to use facilities for club and society activities faced a 60% increase in fees this year. Coupling the £55 standard membership .fee with the £88 Society usage fee as well as a £6 society membership, belonging to a Sports society will cost well over £150 for every student next year. This does not take into account the cost of equipment, or the insurance required to do extreme sports. Societies like Warwick Climbing could cost well over £300 per person this year. The fees have risen despite the funding for Sports Clubs being no different to that of last year’s. The protestors feel that such high fees will discourage students from experimenting with new sports or incorporating regular exercise into their lives. Warwick Sport have released a statement saying “it isn’t just about what existing members want. It is about influencing attitudes and changing behaviours towards physical activity”. The shortage, quality and cost of
accommodation is also a point of concern. Cryfield and Whitefields are currently the only Halls with price tags low enough for those on the minimum loan to afford, and Whitefields is slated to be demolished. Several accommodations and other Warwick buildings contain levels of asbestos, and campus accommodation has not expanded with the rising number of students who enrol at the university each year. A current second-year spoke of how in his freshers week at Westwood, a number of single rooms had been converted to doubles to cope with the overflow of extra students. “But it was still one sink, one wardrobe and one desk. It was clearly just a single with an extra bed”. On becoming its University of the Year, Nigel Thrift spoke to the Sunday Times about the University’s success as an institution. “Our greatest achievement has been to remain student-focused… I want to thank every member of staff and every student who has contributed to Warwick’s success.” ““Student-focused” is not one of the terms I’d use to describe it, given Warwick’s track record for consistently ignoring student voices, protests and SU ASM motions.”
20
NOVEMBER 2014 THE UNIVERSITY
Fashion
Whether you want to dress up or down, we’ve picked the top ten buys for guys and girls out this month. From cosy faux fur and parkas to striking sequins and suits, make this your shopping tick list.
n e m o W
FURBULOUS
ANIMAL PRINT
Wrap up in a little bit of luxury with this faux fur coat.
These leopard print block heeled boots are the perfect day to night number.
£89.99, ZARA
SHOWPIECE
Julian MacDonald gives the pencil skirt some of his signature sparkle.
£149, M&S
£40, DEBENHAMS
STATEMENT SLACKS Beautiful winter florals with a splash of this season’s teal.
POWER PRINT
This geo print pelmet skirt packs a stylish punch.
£28, DOROTHY PERKINS
£36, TOPSHOP
JUICY JEWELS
Add these colourful gems to upgrade any outfit.
£17.99, NEW LOOK
CUFF IT
This pretty Perspex number is part of Accessorize’s Christmas collection.
£12, ACCESSORIZE
HAT TRICK
Top off your winter look with a floppy felt hat.
PETAL POWER
Daisy print + navy + ruffles = the perfect playsuit
£46, TOPSHOP
£8, PRIMARK
PRETTY KNITS
We love the floral detail on this charcoal sweater
£69, MONSOON
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THE UNIVERSITY NOVEMBER 2014
N E M BUCKLE UP
This smart backpack in grey will go with any outfit.
TOP TEE
Idle Man has collaborated with streetwear label Hype resulting in this exclusive range.
£69.99, H.E AT MANGO
£25, HYPE X AT IDLE MAN
BUTTON UP
This cosy parka will keep you warm and look good while it does it.
SEEING SPOTS
£65, NEXT
Forget winter brights, statement prints are the way to get spotted this season.
£28, RIVER ISLAND
BLACK AND BLUE
Be bold and put some animal in to your outfit.
WINTER WOOLIES
£79, REISS
This bright beanie hat will keep you toasty.
£12, NEXT
SUITED & BOOTED
A simple, no frills suit to smarten up your party season look.
JACKET £79, BURTON TROUSERS £40, BURTON
CHECK MATE
This style staple will look great under 6 and 7.
£16.99, BLUE INC
FANCY FEET
Pull on these bargain Chelsea boots for an instant feel/look good factor.
£29.99, NEW LOOK
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ADVICE
NOVEMBER 2014
NO-NONSENSE ADVICE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
A word of advice
Know when to quit
BY THIS point, you’ve almost certainly had all sorts of people ambushing you about how to make the most out of university. Interested in your course? Become an academic rep. Student journalist? Get work experience, and write for as many places as possible. Human being? Join a society filled with other human beings who may or may not share interests with you. There’s some truth in the phrase that university is what you make of it. But it’s a big commitment that costs nine thousand pounds - with the cost of living added to that - and graduate employers aren’t just going to disregard you because you didn’t join four sports clubs and a
tea appreciation society. If universities offered nothing more than your local sports centre or church hall, there wouldn’t be any point going. So it is, then, that you need to know when to quit. Yeah, nobody likes a quitter - but you’re more likely to find a job at the end of your degree if you’ve done one thing and you’ve done it well. By all means, join all the societies you want, but unless you want to become an all-singing alldancing Swiss Army Knife of a person, know when to say: “I’ve done enough to be proud of myself.” That’s all anybody can ask for, and anybody who wants more isn’t worth it.
you can do to make yourself easier to live with Hey, we’re all guilty of this. But if you’re a big fan of neo-classical folk rock or melodic doom metal, there’s a smidge of a chance that people in your household won’t share your enthusiasm. Start quiet and slowly turn the music up as the days go by, rather than starting loud and waiting for them to complain.
Come on, we’re adults. You probably know this one. But I lived with a guy who would use all his stuff, refuse to wash it, and then start using everybody else’s. He was about as popular as diarrhea, and almost as inconvenient. Don’t back up the sink with plates that have last week’s food on it, as it’s only going to make everybody’s life harder - especially your own, if you have to scratch dried leftovers off a plate with a fork.
3 4. PAY THE BILLS, ON TIME
Compared to the other things on this list which are just conveniences, this one is essential as not doing so might land you in court. If you leave your housemates in the lurch, you can damage their credit rating (or your own), and you’re not going to avoid paying the cash - so pony up sooner rather than later. That goes for damage, too. Don’t be the guy who sets a fire extinguisher off and makes the whole flat pay for it. Nobody likes that guy.
STUDY ESSENTIALS
Feeling productive? With the right equipment, you can always get more out of your time. Try the following if you need a little something extra
2
2. DO THE WASHING UP. NOW.
Do the cows a favour: buy 4 pints for the house rather than a pint each. It’s more economic in terms of space, and certainly more cost effective. And that goes for more than just milk - share pasta, rice, and even toasters and other general equipment. If you’ve got multiple smoothie machines in your house, you’re either working for innocent or you’ve got too many.
8
1
1. KEEP THE MUSIC DOWN
3. SHARE!
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
4
A GOOD CALENDAR APP ON YOUR SMARTPHONE.
5
GUM.
6
Google Calendar is great and even syncs across multiple devices, so you can always stay on schedule. The reminders are fantastic, too!
Yes, it’s the bane of every cleaner’s life. But chewing (“mastication,” for those inclined towards funny sounding words) has been shown to improve learning and your ability to recall details. Just don’t stick it under the desk!
USB STICK KEYCHAIN.
Always be able to say “yes” if someone asks if you have a memory stick by attaching one to something you can’t leave home without: your keys.
7
A VACUUM FLASK.
Sometimes, water isn’t enough (although a bottle of water is another great thing to keep on you). A Thermos full of coffee is a great thing to keep on you for a day of lectures so you can stay focused while saving time and money you’d spend on trips cafés.
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DROPBOX.
Ok, so it’s not a thing per se - it’s a service. But Dropbox and services like it provide a space for you to backup essays in case your computer dies. Like the keychain, it’s also accessible from home.
TABLET COMPUTERS.
Yeah, iPads and kindles cost a lot of money. But it’s an investment: digital books can save you lugging course reading around all day, making trips to the library less painful.
A GOOD DATA ALLOWANCE ON YOUR PHONE.
I’m lucky enough to have unlimited 4G, meaning I’m never without an internet connection. Perfect if you need to access resources such as timetables on the move - because who doesn’t forget where to go on the first day?
POST-IT NOTES.
Chances are you’re not actually studying a degree if you haven’t felt the need to put sticky notes on absolutely everything. Indulge and buy a stack before long, you’ll be hooked.
The
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
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NOVEMBER 2014
Homesick? FRIENDS ARE NEVER FAR AWAY PIC: SHUTTERSTOCK
IF YOU’RE feeling the burn of being away from home, chances are you’re not alone. Not everybody is rushing away from the creature comforts that come part of living with your parents. Home cooking is effort free, and as the good book says: Man cannot live by Instant Noodles alone. But jokes about microwave food aside, many complain that a real sense of loneliness sets in once the novelty of halls wears off. Even people in second year and beyond find themselves missing home, sometimes without warning. Yet take solace: we live in a hyper-connected society. It’s a bit of a trite phrase, but it’s absolutely true. Almost every laptop and tablet PC has some sort of webcam, so if your parents don’t use computers, keeping in contact with Skype or FaceTime is a great incentive for you to teach them. And while adding your parents on Facebook is a generally big no-no, adjusting your privacy settings so they don’t see the worst of you but can like the odd results post you make is a great way to keep them updated without expending too much effort. Distance is a horrible thing, and it can affect you profoundly when you’re in no position to travel. But the internet has made the world feel a lot smaller. Even if it’s too late at night for you to turn to someone from college or your family, listening services such as Nightline are never far away and deal with problems like this on a daily basis.
FRESHERS:
There’s life outside of halls. LAURA RAPHAEL PIC: SHUTTERSTOCK
What’s the best hangover cure? The answer might surprise you. PIC: SHUTTERSTOCK
YOU’VE HAD a heavy night. You and your mates said “just one more” quite a few times, and you’ve woken up feeling like you’ve been hit by a car made of pure vodka. What do you do? Spoilers: there’s no such thing as a hangover cure. A greasy breakfast? A myth. Aspirin? It’ll help the headache, but not the dehydration. Another drink? Don’t be crazy. They say time heals all wounds. In this case, they’re right: there’s no doubt that drinking water helps (and if you can do it on a night out, then all the better), but you should be drinking water anyway given that it’s a big part of staying alive.
Buying a huge breakfast isn’t going to do anything for you except hurt your wallet and leave you feeling bloated. And while fry-ups are nice, nobody’s ever been prescribed fried eggs and bacon. (If you have, please get in touch. That’s one hell of a story). Of course, I’m not going to tell you that the best cure is not to drink. It’s hard to avoid a night out at university. What I can tell you that if somebody’s selling a miracle remedy, then chances are, it won’t work, or it will make you feel worse. Save your money, nurse your head, and brace yourself for the next time you have one too many.
M
eeting new people is terrifying. There’s no doubt that once you’ve settled in with your flatmates and all learned how to get along you probably won’t be rushing to repeat the experience. However, beware: good housemates are a blessing and a curse. Too many people spend their first year with housemates they were randomly allocated. Seeing as relationships generally don’t rely on random chance, rushing into a house with those in your hall can lead to disaster once you realise that you’re all significantly different people. And while you may not realise that during the second semester, chances are you will by the end of year two. That goes the other way, too. Making a single group of friends outside of your house - a society committee, for example - isn’t going to do you any favours either. Life as the absent housemate will only alienate you from people you can’t really avoid, especially if you’re not lucky enough to stay in an en suite room. Remember: there are thousands of people at university. You’re doing yourself no favours by limiting yourself to a certain group. Step outside, breathe the air, and find some people without being grouped together by chance.
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NOVEMBER 2014
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
MY MONEY IMPARTIAL, EXPERT ADVICE BY: LAURA RAPHAEL
THE MONEY LIST
Get paid for your opinion Ge ing paid to lie in bed on the internet might sound too good to be true when it comes to making money, but thousands of students diligently fill out online surveys every year. So if you are a sucker for BuzzFeed quizzes this might just be the perfect job for you. Here are The University Paper’s top three sites:
The OpinionPanel Community
The Opinion Panel is the largest youth and student research community in the UK with over 120,000 members. What’s even better as a student you get paid a tenner simply for signing up. You can take part in surveys and online focus groups for big brands and get paid for writing for their website opinionpanel.co.uk.
YouGov
This one is a little different to the rest as the surveys focus on social issues from politics to public affairs. The results are then used by clients such as The Economist, so if you have strong views yougov. co.uk is for you. Also you’ll be quids in if you get your friends to sign up too.
Toluna
One of the best perks of being a student is the freebies right? So what could be better than Toluna sending them directly to you to road test. You don’t even have to send them back afterwards. You can also fill out surveys on their website uk.toluna.com in return for Amazon vouchers.
Don’t sell yourself short Out of 2,300 students 80% do not have enough money to live on and what’s more one in four would even considering selling their body in order to stump up some extra cash. The students questioned as part of a survey conducted by Save the Student said they would either turn to the adult entertainment industry or medical trails. WITH AN estimated £600,000 to £3m per institution going straight into higher education from the sex industry this is nothing new. But even less is know about students undertaking medical trials. However it is not as simple as turning up to hospital, popping some pills and receiving a cash injection. First you have to go through initial assessments to make sure you are fit for the trial, followed by a hospital stay and follow-up sessions that can last months. However you do receive food and board while staying in hospital.
There are also different types of trial, the best paid being a phase 1, as these drugs have never been tested on humans before and for this you can expect daily rates of £120. All clinical trials are run by a regulatory agency and ethics committee to ensure that they are in the interest of the public and medical profession. However this does not safeguard you from side effects and in the extreme have results in death. Volunteers are contributing to medical science but it is best to arm yourself with the short and long-term consequences before committing.
ENTREPRENEURS
MOVE OVER GANDHI, HERE’S ROB AND PAUL
Changing the world one flipflop SUPER at a time… SCRIMPING LAURA RAPHAEL
Freshers has been and gone, along with your student loan. Sure your first payment for halls took a chunk out of it with the rest falling somewhere between your local boozer and Perfect Fried Chicken. use these apps to make up the rest.
» REDLASER
Want price comparison at the click of a button? While you are out and about simply scan the barcode of the product you want to purchase and it’ll find you the cheapest store both online and offline. You can then purchase items through the app and have it delivered right to your door.
» METER READINGS Ok, so this one will set you back £1.49 but it could save you hundreds over the course of the year. As we head into autumn it is all too easy to whack the heating up or spendfive more minutes in the shower: Meter Readings however will allow you to keep a track of how much you are spending before you go over budget.
» 0800 WIZARD
So you’ve got unlimited minutes on your contract but ironically calling the bank of all places is costing you a small fortune. Calling 0800 numbers can be as high as 20p a minute but 08 Wizard replaces the 08 with a 01 or 02 landline number and you won’t face a charge on top.
This year will mark the tenth anniversary of the Boxing Day tsunami that claimed 230,000 lives. A poignant anniversary for brothers Paul and Rob Forkan who lost their parents that day, and only narrowly survived themselves. However out of tragedy is where Gandys flip flops was born. The brothers began the social enterprise out of their bedroom in Brixton to now with a growing team behind them in their London HQ. CO-FOUNDER Paul Forkan says: “the idea is to give back to those less fortunate - profit for purpose”. With 10% of all profits going into the Gandys Foundation, towards their mission ‘Orphans for Orphans’. The brothers have been able to fund children’s homes in Sri-Lanka and India, giving underprivileged children access to basic essentials such as housing, healthcare and education. Paul says it has been: “Exciting as well as a challenging journey... You are basically just a flip flop to people, so when you are competing against big brands who have been going 50 odd years you have to think outside the box and Gandys is proving to deliver this success through our new ever changing designs and prints. ” The brothers have already been invited to don their signature flip flops at Buckingham Palace and Number 10, even flying to Sri-Lanka with David Cameron in 2013. Rob laughs: “The only place we’ve actually been turned away from for wearing them was our local pub a couple of months ago”. And the future is set to be even brighter with the brothers vision to open children’s homes all over the world.
“The only place we’ve actually been turned away from for wearing them was our local pub a couple of months ago”
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
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NOVEMBER 2014
YOUR QUESTIONS: ANSWERED Yo ho WHAT? It’s only November!!!
FORGIVE US for mentioning the c word but with Christmas fast approaching it is time to start applying for seasonal jobs. And what with the festive period rearing its ugly head earlier and earlier every year, it is time to start handing out your CV already. Christmas creates new jobs as companies employ extra staff to see them through the festive period. What’s better there is even the lure of time and a half over the bank holidays. But if you fancy a job a little out of the ordinary here are jobs for you. Just like marmite - some people love them and some hate them but with £50 million spent on sprouts alone in the UK someone has to pick them! However, if you want to get your hands dirty but sprouts aren’t your thing then how about becoming a professional present wrapper? Or even a Christmas cracker joke writer, we kid you not. Although with this comes great reasonability in beating “what is brown and sticky”. And finally what a better way to get into the Christmas spirit than being an Elf or even Father Christmas himself at a department store or garden centre near you.
How not to get ripped off as an intern PIC: SHUTTERSTOCK
IF IT isn’t bad enough you are having to fork out £9k a year for tuition fees alone now you are expected to work for free? Ah yes, internships. Some have even gone under the hammer at Christie’s, with a week’s worth of experience at GQ finishing up at an eye watering £3k. However, it is not all bad news. Internships can set you apart
from the crowd, get you valuable contacts and sometimes even paid work. And considering Simon Cowell started out in the EMI post room you might not want to scoff. However a recent Inland Revenue crackdown on unpaid internships just goes to show you need to know your rights. If you are doing an internship as part of a higher education course, the company are not
entitled to pay you, but you should receive a reasonable allowance to cover your travel and lunch. However if you undertake an internship outside of your course you may qualify for “worker” status, which means national minimum wage and no more than 48 hours a week. What’s more if you are promised future work from the offset you immediately qualify for worker status.
NOT ALL DEBT IS BAD
Did you know there is such as thing as good debt and believe it or not your student loan is just that. Considering we’ll be paying it off way into our 50’s with the average debt totaling £44k it is hard to believe, I know. So what exactly is good about that?
PIC: SHUTTERSTOCK
It’s basically an investment, as it will increase your potential future income and it has lower interest than other loans. So now that you have invested wisely, here is how not to get into all sorts of bad debt. The worst offenders of bad debt are payday and cash advance loans. Why? This is not a long term investment and whatever you squandered it on has probably already lost its value. Many student unions have even banned payday loan companies from even advertising on campus as they believe they target vulnerable students. Not only will you have to pay back the original sum borrowed but also interest incurred, with some starting at 300% annually. Credit cards are another to watch out for. So your bank have just given you a shiny new piece of plastic and it’s contactless to make paying even easier. Fantastic. Until all those clothes from Topshop have been sitting on your statement for three months and the interest you are
It’s basically an investment, as it will increase your potential future income and it has lower interest than other loans. paying on them is making them even more expensive than they were in the first place. Sometimes dipping into the red might be unavoidable that’s what your interest free overdraft is there for, but reserve it for emergencies.
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NOVEMBER 2014
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
STUDENT CHEF
TOP
5
PICTURES:SHUTTERSTOCK
EASY STUDENT
MEALS
STIR FRY 1. CHICKEN
4. RICE (MIXED WITH WHATEVER)
Quick, simple and easy to make! This dish work can work as a meal for the whole house or just a couple of meals for yourself throughout the week. Using some of the easiest ingredients to get hold off, meat, vegetables and noodles, this dish can be whipped up in just 10 minutes. It also an easy dish for any cooking novices as well, with the recipe relatively easy to follow. Cut the chicken, fry for around five minutes, and then add the other ingredients including sauce to have a perfect little healthy dish. A further bonus is the use of pots is kept to a minimum meaning less washing up to do after you have finished eating.
Ever wanted the perfect way to get rid of a number of leftovers in the fridge? Then look no further than this tasty little dish. All you need is rice and whatever else you want but it is recommended to mix some meat and vegetables in throughout. Cooking the rice is simple, boil a pan full of water and add the rice which will be ready in around ten minutes. In a separate pan, fry whatever it is you want to mix in with the rice and when both pans are finished, mix the contents and there you have it, a perfect little dish which has used up a number of leftovers.
2. HEALTHY PIZZAS Pizza is an essential part of any student diet but normally Dominoes is the first port of call. That was until now! With this cheaper take on the classic spinach and egg ‘florentine’ pizza, the healthy alternative will also work out as the most rewarding. Using flatbread instead of traditional dough, you will have to spread 1-2 tbsp of passata over each one. Next you need to get as much water out of the spinach as possible before scattering them across the top. Baking two pizzas at a time, you will have to crack an egg in the middle of each before seasoning with nutmeg. Bake until the cheese is melted and the egg is cooked to how you would like, approximately seven minutes.
PASTA BAKE 5. TUNA
1.
Another simple dish and one that always seems to be a winner amongst housemates, if you like tuna that is! Easily made from an assortment of ingredients that should be found in many student houses (even if you have to raid the other cupboards in the house). Start off by boiling pasta but the sauce is a key ingredient! To start you need to melt butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, cook for one minute and then add some milk to make a thick white sauce. Moving back to the pasta, drain it before adding the white sauce, tuna and sweetcorn before putting it in to a baking dish and topping with grated cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes and you have yourself a perfect meal.
2.
CHILLI 3. TURKEY JACKET POTATOES Jacket Potatoes are staple food in a student household, with a number of different options for toppings. This version incorporates a Mexican-style twist and the best thing about it is turkey mince is cheap and quite easy to get hold of. Whilst the potatoes are cooking in the oven, prepare the chilli with the mince, onion, garlic being cooked before the spices are added towards the end. An easy meal to make for one or more of your friends, depending how many potatoes you have! When everything is ready, cut a cross at the top of the jacket and add chilli before sprinkling with cheese.
5.
4.
3.
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NOVEMBER 2014
3
ESSENTIALS TO HAVE AROUND THE HOUSE
Different type of cooks in the household FRUIT
It might seem obvious but having any amount of fruit in your room, draws or just in the general household is a must. Takeaways and fast food won’t ever be far away, but when you are looking for fruit, the healthy option can sometimes go amiss so make sure you have some in.
PASTA/RICE
This ingredient will probably make up 50% of your meals at University! Pasta and rice are key ingredients to have in your cupboard as they go with whatever you would want to cook of an evening. Both also provide quick and easy meals aplenty when you are looking to maximise your pre drinking time.
JACKET POTATOES
Just think of the endless possibilities that can be had on top of a jacket potato. Beans and cheese? Chilli? Coleslaw? Whatever you want, as long as you have something to put them on, you can create many weird and wonderful toppings for your tea.
There you have it, all the food you need to move yourself away from having McDonalds every day.
PICTURE:SHUTTERSTOCK
THE UNIVERSITYPAPER
Moving into University is a great experience for many reasons, but what really brings many first year (and second/ third) students down to earth is cooking for themselves. EVERY STUDENT will learn to get by but it is the different ways in which young people look after themselves that differs from house to house. You have the people who think they are professional chefs. These students get every ingredient they need (not easy on a student budget) and make some wonderful dishes that everyone wants to try. However, by the time they have finished cooking the meal it has taken them a number of hours to prepare, not good for nights when you want to start pre drinking early. You can also have the people who are reliant on readymade meals and takeaways. Hardly a ‘cook’, this student has every takeaway menu in their room and on
the odd occasion they do use the kitchen, it is normally to microwave a Tesco’s own lasagne or chicken tikka masala. And then you have the student who falls in the middle! Not quite able to prepare the meals associated with the ‘professional chef’, this person still knows how to look after themselves even if the takeaway menu is lost. They are more at home if they can just put something in the oven, but if a tasty meal needs preparing then they don’t mind putting in a little bit of work. So which category do you fall in to?
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NOVEMBER 2014
HOROSCOPES ARIES
MARCH 21 - APRIL 19 The beginning of the month is big for you Aries with the Full Moon on October 8th. It is a time to indulge yourself and a time for high romance too. On October 23rd during the New Moon you may well feel the weight of the world on your shoulders but this will soon pass on October 26th when Mars enters the sign of Capricorn. ST
TH
TAURUS
SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 22 Sparks will be flying during the Full Moon on October 8th Libra and you are the one they will be shooting off. When Mercury and Venus conjoin on October 17th, your heart and head will be perfectly in tune. Expect this to be a period of productivity. You will find some relief from finances during the New Moon on October 23rd you will finally be free from that nagging debt.
APRIL 20 - MAY 20 The Full Moon and Luna on October 8th will be a time of intense introspective soul searching for you Taurus. Take some time to be alone and you will learn lots about yourself. When Mercury enters Libra on October 10th you will be at your most peaceful with a generous air of give and take. Expect a shake up on October 23rd when The New Moon will hit you hard.
SCORPIO
GEMINI
SAGITTARIUS
TH
TH
MAY 21ST - JUNE 20TH On October 4th Mercury goes retrograde and to avoid chaos, patience and organisation is key for you Gemini. But you will soon reap the rewards on October 8th when your social life is in full swing. During the New Moon on October 23rd you will get an awakening which will remind you to take care of your heart, head and soul
CANCER
JUNE 21ST - JULY 22ND It’s time to show everyone what you are really capable of Cancer and during the New Moon on October 8th your potential will only be too apparent. On October 14th be aware of people spending time with you who may have alter motives. You will be at your most in tune and creative on October 23rd with the New Moon these memories will last a lifetime.
LEO
JULY 23RD - AUGUST 22ND Be ready to be the go to person for help, advice and favours Leo during the Full Moon on October 8th. And if you’ve been waiting to meet that someone special October 17th could just be it when Mercury conjucts Venus. The New Moon on October 23rd will be a productive time and you will feel at ease if you finally get down to your finances
VIRGO
Who Said What?
MATCH THE QUOTE TO THE CELEB...
AUGUST 23RD - SEPTEMBER 22ND You will be all about goodwill and getting problems solved during the Full Moon on October 8th Virgo. When the moon is in Virgo on October 20th you will enter a period of stability and sensibility and you will be awash with good feelings. The New Moon on October 23rd will be a time to celebrate and you will be even closer than usual to your friends.
AGONY AUNT :
ASK ALICE
LIBRA
RD
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
ND
(WE DON’T KNOW ANYONE CALLED ALICE, BUT IT SOUNDED BETTER THAN ALAN)
CONTACT ALICE: editor@unipaper.co.uk
OCTOBER 23RD - NOVEMBER 21ST Take care during the Full Moon on October 8th Scorpio, you are craving something reckless and you are not entirely sure why. Be careful what you wish for. Come October 23rd, you softer and sweeter side will be flourishing, so express to impress. This will boil over on October 25th when Mercury goes stationary - say what is in your heart to be accepted.
NOVEMBER 22ND - DECEMBER 21ST Your inner child will run riot during the Full Moon on October 8th Sagittarius. It will be all fun and games as long as you don’t gamble. October 23rd will be a quiet time of reflection, especially of those around you. If there has been a secret or two lurking among friends now it is the time to get it out into the open. Come October 27th, you will be feeling fabulous, enjoy it
CAPRICORN
DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 19 At the start of the month you may be feeling paranoid or on edge Capricorn, relax your sign can handle this better than most. Come the Full Moon on October 8th your family and home life will be the centre of attention. On October 23rd you are bound to feel under pressure at work. Don’t let your public image slip now is not the time to be insecure about your accomplishments. ND
TH
AQUARIUS
JANUARY 20TH - FEBRUARY 18TH Don’t expect a bump free ride on October 4th Aquarius, even the best-laid plans are bound to go awry. During the Full Moon on October 8th you will enjoy a small social gathering with a select group of friends. Prepare for a spiritual insight during the New Moon on October 8th. Your heart and head will be open and you will connect with others on an entirely new level.
PISCES
FEBRUARY 19TH - MARCH 20TH Your finances will be fruitful this month Pisces, money is the name of the game. This will trigger a new found independence, be proactive and not reactive and you will reap the rewards. The New Moon on October 23rd will draw you close to those around you, their concerns and how to approach them.
I’m loving everything about university except for the lectures. It’s not that I’m in bed with the hangover from hell compulsively watching catch up, I just don’t think a degree is for me. I can’t see myself making it to the end of the year let alone three. Everyone was so proud when I left for London and I’m the first in my family to go to university. How do I break it to them? Tom, London At some point every student has questioned whether they are on the right course, I even had moments right up until I graduated. But believe me this is all part of being a student and finding your feet. Not everything works out in life how you had imagined but it is best to consider your options before you act. Give your course a chance or look into transferring. But first of all, book a tutorial with your course leader. They will have seen many students over the years in the same situation. Whatever you decide, good luck. Freshers week was a blast, so much so I haven’t exactly stopped and I’m downing jager bombs on a daily basis. All my flatmates have started to settle into their courses but I’m worried that my focus is going to Sainsburys for their £4 bottle of Soave. Sarah, Falmouth
“I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right.”
You’ve moved to a different city, met a load of strangers and had information overload in lectures, so sure a glass of white has helped you along the way but don’t let this become your crutch. Keep drinking to the weekends, it’ll keep you and your bank balance healthy. If you find that scaling back your drinking is taking its toll then head to your SU for some confidential support. My neighbours in halls are doing my head in. I can hear them having sex what seems like 24/7 and to make it worse did I mention I am a virgin. I think I’ve managed to get through freshers unnoticed as a sexual novice but this constant daily reminder of what I’m missing out on is not helping. Cherry, Leicester You are not the first and definitely not the last student to arrive at university a virgin, and you know what some even leave with their flower still intact - so don’t worry. Concentrate on your course, and if the time is right it will happen. But don’t make it your mission or you might live to regret it. As for your noisy neighbours I suggest on investing on some ear plugs, hopefully they will soon tire each other out.
There are four basic human needs: food, sleep, sex and revenge.”
I’m Crazy, I’m nuts. Just the way my brain works. I’m not normal.
I won’t go into a big spiel about reincarnation, but the first time I was in the Gucci store was the closest I’ve ever felt to home.”
I have a different constitution. I have a different brain; I have a different heart; I got tiger blood, man.
We are going to turn this team around 360 degrees
Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you’ve lost an important part of your life
Predictions are difficult, especially about the future.
Brooke Shields
Yogi Berra
Charlie Sheen
Britney Spears
Kanye West
Banksy
Justin Beiber
Jessica Simpson
George Bush
Jason Kidd
Is this chicken, what I have, or is this fish? I know it’s tuna, but it says ‘Chicken by the Sea.’
I’ve never really wanted to go to Japan. Simply because I don’t like eating fish. And I know that’s very popular out there in Africa.
est
dd
THE UNIVERSITYPAPER
29
NOVEMBER 2014
MENTAL AGILITY
AND IN LOCAL NEWS:
The Three Unspoken Rules of Kasbah Night Club JOSH PAYNE
DRINKING GA
Everyone’s favourite d in honour of Brucie an awkward jokes, yay!), T one of his greatest eve
WHAT YOU WILL NE HOW TO PLAY: Deal card will be higher or lo of fingers of their drin drawn is a 7 and the pl drawn is a 5 then the p card is drawn then the is the same as the cur they may choose to co You can spice it up by a make up a new rule. e. RULE NUMBER ONE: Don’t be a prude! If you are, stay at home, you won’t opposite of what you m
enjoy it! *WE KNOW THAT YO RULE NUMBER TWO: SENSIBLY RIGHT? CO Don’t go there looking for a long-term love affair. There’s only one way that getting hot and sweaty to deep bass music is going to lead you! RULE NUMBER THREE: Don’t get up on stage. No matter how tempting your own weight in lager may be it is not worthy of stripping off or deep throating a banana or eating an onion whole with a side order of chillies and chilli sauce. If you are one of those drunks who will try anything…don’t even go near the club entrance. Keep your dignity intact, because at Kasbah, you lose your discretion at the door.
KNOW THE INSIDE
DO YOU
T R AC K O N
CAMPUS? IF SO THE UNIVERSITY PAPER WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. We are scouring the UK for student journalists, so whether you are looking for work experience or simply spending too much time in the SU, get in touch today. We are on the look out for opinion leaders and change makers who can write engaging copy. Your pieces will be printed in The University Paper which is read by thousands of students across the UK and you will get that all important byline - perfect if you are looking to build a portfolio. Not to mention that age old adage, it will look great on the CV. So if you would like to be an influential voice for the student community or just have a strong front page tell us what is going on - pitch your ideas to The University Paper, email: editor@unipaper.co.uk
32
NOVEMBER 2014
Picking the right part time job
HOW THE “SOCIAL YOU” CAN SCUPPER THE “REAL YOU” I guess now’s the time the more forward-thinking of you third years are starting to think about applying for jobs... constructing your CVs, agonising over the wording of your covering letters, completing endless online application forms and, if you’re lucky, being called for interviews and assessments. The rest of you are either panicking about impeding exams or are sitting in a pub with your heads firmly stuck in the sand. However all of you, unless your parents are very generous, will have to, at some point, bite the bullet and seek employment. Not just employment… a ‘real’ job… the first step in your career. Over the next few issues I’m going to be offering you, hopefully, helpful hints and tips on the practicalities of how you go about this, e.g. where to look for jobs, what employers are really looking for, interview and CV preparation and how not to shoot yourself in the foot before you even get started.
Maintenance loans only go so far. If you want to socialise, stay entertained and still have enough money for books, you’re going to need to budget like an accountant or get a job. HELP IS AT HAND Thankfully, most universities have job boards and employment centres associated with them. These may offer jobs in the local community, or even within the university itself. But you may end up employed by people who perhaps aren’t as understanding when it comes to working with students. As such, picking the right part time job is important. So what should you be looking for?
LOOK AT HOW THEY OPERATE f they presently employ a large number of students, that’s normally a good sign as they will be used to dealing with the needs of those in study. Casual shifts, freelance work and remote work are great as they allow you to set your own hours - but these opportunities can be hard to come by.
PLAN AROUND YOUR DEGREE Avoid taking hours which are too close to scheduled study periods. If you don’t have the time to talk to staff after lectures, it may damage your degree in the long run. And remember: no job is more important than your degree, as it’s what you’re trying to fund in the first place.
That’s where we’re going to start – have you any idea how many employers ‘google’ you before they’ve properly read your CV masterpiece? Lots I’d guess, I know they shouldn’t – I bet they do. With social media becoming arguably the primary method of communication for Generation Y (that’s you), it has now become an instant snapshot of your life, your friends, your actions, your habits, your likes, your hates… in short – you. Whereas in my day, with a well constructed CV, a cleverly placed phone call or a good recruitment agent, I could make my first real impression with an employer at interview – now it’s likely to be your 5am shenanigans in Magaluff or your nek nominate in the ladies loos. So before you even put yourself out there in the job market – clean up your online self. Take down those Twitter rants rivalling James Arthur, set your privacy settings to maximum on Facebook, replace your profile shot with something innocuous and think carefully before you Instagram anything from last Friday night. The very proactive of you might even set up a LinkedIn profile – this is pretty much Facebook for business people and we’ll talk about it in coming weeks. In the meantime, take my advice and make the ‘social you’ a complementary façade for the real you. Sara Sainsbury is Group Talent Director for RSG Plc. RSG is an independently owned, and Bristol based specialist recruitment business, with over 35 years of trading history, operating across the U, and recognised as one of the Sunday Times “Top 250” fastest growing organisations in the UK, with a current turnover in excess of £170m.
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
PROFESSIONAL INSIGHT :
ACE THE INTERVIEW So, you’ve filled out a 1000 online applications, you’ve spoken to every recruitment consultant from here to Lands End, you’ve written more covering letters and emails than you can shake a stick at – now you’ve got it….finally…an interview. APPROXIMATELY 60 minutes to launch your career trajectory, to make/break/change your life forever. No pressure then.
START WITH BASICS – this might seem blindingly obvious but you’d be amazed how many people fail at the first hurdle. Where is the interview and how do you get there? Check the date, time, location; which bus to catch, where’s the nearest car park, how long can you park there, how much change to have ready. BE ON TIME. Do not, EVER, be late for an interview, you might as well not bother showing up at all. Don’t be ridiculously early either – anything more than 10 minutes early makes you look, at best, like you’re confused between the big and the small hand, or at worst, like you’re just a little bit obsessive. WHAT IS THE INTERVIEW FORMAT? Establish in advance what the interview format will be e.g. Q&A, competency based, one to one/group/panel and how many stages there are? Who are you meeting, what is their role?
RESEARCH THE COMPANY thoroughly and make sure it’s the right company – don’t start reciting the mission statement and values of Bloggs & Co when you’re interviewing for Blaggs Plc. Look into their history, nature of business, USPs, competitors, success, values – all the information you need is just a Google search away, and interviewers know that. If you don’t demonstrate a good knowledge of their business it’s insulting to them and lazy of you. Most interviews these days are competency based, meaning the employer has a set of core competencies that are required in all their jobs. Again, you may be able, through the power of t’interweb to find out their specific competencies or you could just assume they will be along the lines of the generic e.g “team working”, “problem solving”, “taking initiative” “results driven” etc and be prepared with examples of when you displayed these traits. This is worth quite a lot of thought at this stage in your career, as whilst you may have a number of vacation or university jobs under your belt, you may not have a vast array of examples from a professional sphere. So be prepared to use examples from your school/university/ sporting/extra curricular activities.
KNOW YOURSELF. It’s a clichéd and dull interview question but the less creative interviewers amongst us could well ask “What are your weaknesses?” - do not at this point say “I’m too much of a perfectionist” unless you’re happy to receive a punch in the face – even a metaphoric one. Know your weak points but also how they can be improved with training and commitment – dwell more on your strengths.
DRESS SMARTLY. If in doubt wear a suit – preferably in a dark colour, keep the cream linen number for Hawaiian theme nights; gents wear a tie – a normal one, not a bootlace/kipper or comedy tie. Lose the facial piercings/flesh tunnels and hide all tattoos. Have normal hair – don’t overgel it/crimp it or decide to try out that crimson rinse the day before. In short, do not try to express your personality through your wardrobe on this occasion – let the employer know you are a blank canvas….a smart, respectable, well groomed blank canvas. RELAX, maintain eye contact, have a firm handshake (practice this, preferably with a friend rather than yourself), be positive and enthusiastic, keep to the point and listen. Have prepared some relevant questions – NOT “what time is lunch?” more along the lines of “what are the company’s plans for expansion”, “what’s been your progession at XXX” or “I’ve read your blog on blah blah blah, what led you to write it”? The last couple are good ones – you should’ve fully researched the interviewer so you know who you’re meeting, but everyone loves talking about themselves. THIS WORKS TWO WAYS. Finally, remember this is a two way process. You are meeting them ostensibly to “sell” yourself, however, you need to be completely comfortable with what they are describing in terms of the role, the company, the opportunity and a good interviewer will want you to “buy”. It’s your life and your choice…..there is a chance that you’ll be offered a job but you decide it’s not the one for you. That’s fine, don’t be pressurised by anyone: friends/parents or the company themselves into accepting something that doesn’t feel right for you. Just identify what you didn’t like, change the focus of your search and commence the hunt for your new opportunity with renewed vigour. Good luck!
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THE UNIVERSITYPAPER
33
NOVEMBEBER 2014
OPPORTUNITIES
Graduate Technology Consultant
Graduate Graduate Graduate HR Assistant Tech support PHP consultant Developer (permanent)
(permanent)
(permanent)
Graduate Scheme Audit
Location: London Salary: £32,000
Location: London Salary: £20-£24,000
Location: Harrow Salary: £21-£23,000 D.0.E
Location: Nationwide Salary: £18,000
Job ID: UP25728050
Job ID: UPHR2201
Job ID: UPTS6505
Job ID: UPAD01
Location: Nationwide (several locations) Salary: £20-£25,000 Job ID: UP25534475
Description: My client is looking for an ambitious graduate to join a growing team. Minimum requirements: 2:1 degree, 300 UCAS points and knowledge of at least one programming language. You must have real drive and a thirst for learning. For more information and to apply please email london. graduates@reedglobal.com quoting the Job ID above.
My client is looking for intelligent, hard working graduates to their company at an entry level HR position, candidates must be keen to advance as progression will be available and you must have a good understanding of HR. Candidates must have a 2.1 and 300 ucas points. For more information and to apply please email london. graduates@reedglobal.com quoting the Job ID above
Our Client is a leading email marketing software and services provider. They are looking for an ambitious IT graduate to join their expanding technical support team in Harrow. The candidate must have a Computer Science degree and must have achieved a 2.1 or above from university. For more information and to apply please email london. graduates@reedglobal.com quoting the Job ID above.
My client is looking a graduate in a computer related degree to go into PHP developing. They are looking for someone with good knowledge in PHP, Javascript, CSS3 and HTML along with SQL. This would be ideal for someone looking to get into the software side of IT.
Graduate Web Developer
Graduate Training Managerial
Graduate Graduate Recruitment Research Consultant Associate (permanent)
(permanent)
Graduate Finance Assistant
Location: Nationwide Salary: £18,000
Location: Nationwide Salary: £25,000 Job ID: UP25690464
Location: London Salary: £25-£28,000 + discretionary bonus Job ID: UPDTR2528
Location: Nationwide Salary: £18,000 - £22,000
Job ID: UP6491746
Location: Nationwide Salary: £18-£23,000 + uncapped commission Job ID: UPDTR7698
My client is looking a graduate in a computer related degree to go into PHP developing. They are looking for someone with sound knowledge in PHP, Javascript, CSS3 and HTML. You will be involved in the development of websites for the company and their clients. For more information and to apply please email london. graduates@reedglobal.com quoting the Job ID above.
My client is looking for ambitious graduates to join a management development program. Minimum requirements: 2:1 degree, 280 UCAS points, geographically mobile around the UK. You must be able to demonstrate leadership skills or potential. An interest in transport and logistics would be beneficial. For more information and to apply please email london.graduates@reedglobal. com quoting the Job ID above..
My client is looking for an ambitious graduate to join a growing team. Minimum requirements: you must be ambitious, money hungry and willing to put in the time for big reawards. For more information and to apply please email london. graduates@reedglobal.com quoting the Job ID above
My client is looking for intelligent, hard working graduates to join an elite company based in the city of London, you must have at least a 2.1 and 320 ucas points. For more information and to apply please email london.graduates@reedglobal. com quoting the Job ID above.
My client is looking for a ambitious graduates to join their expanding company. Although they are currently based in London they are looking to open additional offices over the UK due to a continued aggressive growth plan. You must be ambitious, have ay eye for detail and passionate about a career in finance ideally with a 2:1 from a related degree. For more information and to apply please email london. graduates@reedglobal.com quoting the Job ID above
(permanent)
(permanent)
(permanent)
(permanent)
My client, a top 4 accountancy practice have a few spaces left on their 2014 graduate scheme - 3 year program. Minimum requirements: 2:1 degree, 300 UCAS points, English/Maths GCSE A or B. You must have an interest in Audit, study support for ACA qualification available. For more information and to apply please email london. graduates@reedglobal.com quoting the Job ID above.
(permanent)
Job ID: UPF521698
To find out more and apply please visit http://www.reed.co.uk/jobs/graduate
WWW.CV-LIBRARY.CO.UK
34
NOVEMBER 2014
SPECIAL
ACCOMMODATION HOW TO DEAL WITH AN ANNOYING HOUSEMATE
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
Helpful tips on how to cope with irritating housemates By Jack Meggitt-Phillips PHOTO CREDIT: EMMA AXELSSON
BY NOW; everyone has identified the living companion that simply can’t be lived with. If you have not identified yours – you are the hated housemate. Whether you want to mend your own ways or someone else’s, here is a helpful list of annoying things and how to get rid of them... PROBLEM: GRUNTING Nothing is more irritating than sitting alone in your room whilst your neighbour is getting loudly intimate with their partner. The best way of stopping this is to turn your speakers up to full volume and play songs which are complete moodkillers. Think “Mmmbop” by Hanson or anything by Weird Al. PROBLEM: DISHES Ever since the dish was invented, there has been an argument about it. Is the pile of dishes in the sink a statement of good intent or just a bit of a pain for people who actually want to clean theirs? The answer is, of course, the latter. If you have a dirty housemate; show them the extent of their depravity by piling their dishes outside their door. Be creative: recreate the leaning tower of Pisa with pesto-stained bowls. If something breaks then they only have themselves to blame. PROBLEM: SLANG Some people, when they arrive at uni, think it’s perfectly acceptable to start speaking in an alien tongue. Complete intolerance is the only answer. If your flatmate asks “Wagwarning?” (What is going on?) – do not answer. If your flatmate describes something as “totes mazeballs” – get up and leave the room. There may be initial awkwardness, but, you’ll thank me in the end.
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THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
35
NOVEMBER 2014
I NEED FOOD, NOW! JACK MEGGITT-PHILLIPS AND MONIQUE BAILEY
PHOTO CREDIT: EMMA AXELSSON
From a simple takeaway craving, to something to sober you up after a night out, here’s a list of the some best places to go for fast food. Spice Lounge - Situated right next to the ied the infamous Kasbah, Spice Lounge offers the most can’t be fattening, yet satisfying food you could get on ntified a night out. Reasonable priced, and offering semate. you everything from chicken burgers to chips ur own ways drenched in melted cheese, it gives you food elpful list tasty enough that you won’t regret it too much o get rid of the next day! The Golden Dragon – If you are looking for a good Chinese takeaway/ delivery (and, frankly, who isn’t?) then you could do a lot worse than n sitting the Golden Dragon in Coventry. It delivers r neighbour comfort food (and happiness) to students of their Warwick and Coventry. Good quality food, decent ing this is to price and it usually delivers until a fashionably olume and late hour. e moodVialli’s – This is not a recommendation; it’s Hanson or a warning. Vialli’s is a horrid place that serves horrid things. It claims to do everything (pizzas, burgers, chicken, kebabs) and succeeds in nothing. However, at the end of every night in ed, there Leamington, the devil inside you will whisper . Is the pile ‘Vialli’s’ and you will be convinced this is a good ent of good idea. You will forget its faults and follow the r people who insatiable hunger in your belly. Be warned; you The answer will eat and regret Vialli’s several times this year. have a dirty Domino’s – The most important relationship tent of their a student will have during their time at uni is the s outside one they have with their Domino’s branch. It’s e the perfect for the poor, hungry student who is still to-stained in his pyjamas. en they only
e at uni, to start omplete . If your (What If your as “totes the room. ness, but,
a
m?
94
WHICH HALLS IS THE ROWDIEST? JOHN JAMES
Taken from Freshers past and present, here are a collection of the most salacious, embarrassing and downright ridiculous stories from the opening weeks of uni. Read and judge for yourself which Halls deserves the accolade of being the rowdiest place to stay in the Midlands. All the sources have, sensibly, chosen to remain anonymous. Arthur Vick: One particularly rebellious student read the University’s ‘No Pets’ rule and decided ‘Screw it – I’m bringing my pet snake’. The snake proved to be a rather fantastic conversation starter and managed to give said student a street-cred that he could have never achieved by his personality alone. The snake, inevitably, escaped and although not venomous, managed to scare the wits out of the flat downstairs. The student lost his snake, his street-cred and the trust of his accommodation.
Singer Hall: An egg fight always seems like a much better idea on the night before than it does on the morning after. One flat in this halls had to pay for more than the price of a box of eggs when the cleaners discovered the debris the following morning. Rootes: Revenge gets nasty when housemates inflict it on each other. The war was started by Housemate A consistently putting Housemate B’s keys in the freezer. Housemate B’s response was to put everything he could carry from the kitchen and put it in front of Housemate A’s door. Tables, chairs, stolen traffic cones – everything was laid outside the door to block A access. However, the revenge lacked sweetness as the wrong door was blocked and a Russian exchange student was left unable to leave his room.
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THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
37
NOVEMBER 2014
SPORT UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK RUGBY LEAGUE IAIN BOYLE AND LOUIS CASTILLO-OLIVARES
WARWICK SPORT FAILS TO DELIVER FRASER BERNSTEIN
WARWICK Sport has come under heavy criticism recently, due to a substantial increase in membership prices and the ban of using the Warwick logo on sports kit. The membership price increase has led to the Facebook Page “Extortionate Warwick Sport” being set up, which has already garnered over 600 “likes”, whilst also making the front page of Warwick’s primary student newspaper. Mohammed Saghir, the man behind the Facebook campaign, stated that the “basic argument is that we wish to hold Warwick Sport accountable for their actions, and to justify the recent price increases.” The price increase itself has seen the cost of joining Warwick Sport, which included all sports facilities and the ability to join clubs, rise from £55 to £88 for the same services. Ryan Wright, a 2nd-year Engineering student who is an active member of the Squash team, has expressed his worry that “such a price increase could lead to less people joining Warwick Sport.” There was more controversy as it emerged that Warwick Sport has banned all societies and clubs from using the words “University of Warwick” on all items of clothing. The university is currently undergoing a rebranding, therefore the wording would cause copyright issues. Bethan Cousins, the Sports Officer for History Society, has stated her concern that “the clubs are meant to be linked to the university, so taking away the branding seems so counter-productive.” Clearly Warwick Sport has alienated themselves from what appears to be a growing number of students. Time will tell whether they are able to salvage the situation.
PHOTO CREDIT: UOW RUGBY LEAGUE
Q&A WITH JOHN MACLAUGHLIN
HENRY HAYES
LAST SEASON, Warwick University Rugby League (WURL) built on its achievement from previous years by enjoying the most successful year in the club’s history. Despite being named the Team of Varsity in 2012-13, the club was able to exceed their already high expectations during last year’s season. The 1st team won all but one fixture in the league last year, winning the Midlands league with a massive 290 point difference, which is one of the highest point differences of any club to win that league. Highlights in the league include WURLs first ever victory against a strong Loughborough 3rd team, by an impressive margin of 44-4.
Other results of which the team are extremely proud of include a 78-6 victory against Coventry seconds and a 62-0 against Oxford Brookes. In addition WURL can boast that the team included the top individual try scorer and the best defence in the league. After finishing the season as League Cup Finalists, winning the league and destroying Coventry at Varsity along the way (more than can be said for Union) the club’s sporting prowess can no longer remain a question for prospective players. WURL has also had an extremely successful year off the pitch, maintaining a lively social calendar. The club has always put a large focus on recruitment and our members
throw themselves into the wide variety of social events that the club organise. WURL’s annual charity Take-Me-Out event, which is run alongside sister club, the Aerobics society, has been a huge success over recent years raising thousands of pounds for charity as well as raising awareness for the various beneficiaries. WURL has a fantastic relationship with the Aerobics society and the two clubs have enjoyed a variety of different social events together throughout the year. From dedicated Rugby League athletes to not-soathletic-but-incredibly-social socialites, WURL is the place for anyone seeking to enjoy themselves at University.
THROUGHOUT THE year at The University Paper, we’ll be finding out more about some of Warwick’s elite sportsmen and sportswomen through a little Q&A. This month it’s the turn of a certain John Maclaughlin (1st year, Rootes, Chemistry), an 18 year old Men’s Lacrosse player who’s been lucky enough to wear the Rose for England at age group level. Favourite Book? Scar tissue – Andy Kiedis Favourite Film? Gladiator Favourite Food? Spaghetti Bolognese Desert Island Disc? Californication Indian or Chinese? Chinese (without question) Most Sought After Gadget? A
Stratocaster Fender Guitar Worst item of clothing in your cupboard? What I’m wearing now… a Tee-Shirt we had to make in Chemistry Your Dad’s signature Dance Move? The 60’s shuffle A Story from Fresher’s week? Walking over and falling over a rock after Circle Favourite non-alcoholic beverage? Diet coke Favourtie under water sea mammal? Shark Favourite Maynards Confectionary? Sports Mixture Favourite Pie? Meat and potato Billy Elliot or Billy Joel? Neither David or Goliath? Goliath Noah or the Whale? The Whale
Her Royal Highness Elizabeth II or Elizabeth Hurley? Elizabeth II Magician or Magic Stars? Magic Stars Coal or Iron? Iron Ian Holloway or Holly Vallance? Holly Vallance (kiss kiss) Greay Spoon or Greasy Hair? Greasy Spoon Imperialism or Rastafarianism? Rastafarianism Favourite Rasta, Bob Marley excluded? Sanka Coffie off of Cool Runnings (a good choice, indeed) Walking with Elephants or Talking to Elephants? Walking with Elephants Paxman or Pacman? Pacman Warwick or Coventry? Warwick If you think that you know a bit more about our sportsman of the month and would like to see him performing his magic on the pitch, then here are a few of the upcoming 1st XI Men’s Lacrosse fixtures to keep all you Warwick folk on your toes. 22/10/14 Birmingham (H) 05/11/14 Oxford Brookes (H) 19/11/14 Northampton (H)
THE UNIVERSITY PAPER
39
NOVEMBER 2014
SPORT FEMALE ROWERS LATEST IGNORE PROTESTS RESULTS TO RELEASE NAKED CALENDAR OWEN HALL PHOTO CREDIT: CRAIG NANNESTEAD
JOSH PAYNE
PHOTO CREDIT: WARWICK ROWING FACEBOOK
The University of Warwick’s female rowers have again chosen to bare all for Macmillan Cancer Support despite claims from the public that their nude calendar is too ‘sexually explicit’. Although major controversy surrounds the calendars, the female rowing team have accumulated around £5,000 for the charity and have since had orders for their 2015 calendar from all around the globe and have held their ground against the critics who had called them ‘attention seeking’. In 2014, the rowers were disappointed to hear that their calendar photos had been banned from Facebook because they breached ‘pornographic and nudity’ laws. In an interview with the Mail Online, politics student Sophie Bell said: ‘We were all disappointed when the [2014 calendar] page was removed because we are students so social media is one of the main ways we market and advertise the calendar’. ‘It really hurt us when it was branded as porn because that is exactly the opposite of what we want to do. ‘We are all strong-minded women and our first thought is to make sure the shots are tastefully done so it makes a calendar we can all be proud of.’ After a campaign to get the calendar back publicising on Facebook, the page was eventually reinstated and the team are continuing to raise more money for the cause. To purchase your own copy of the calendar, go to warwickrowing.org or follow the team on Twitter @NAKEDGIRLSROW.
As most university sports teams come ever closer to the start of BUCS fixtures (with the exception of Rugby Union who have got straight into the swing of things), match fitness and sharpness was being tested out in pre-season friendlies this week. The University Paper are here to give you a selection of the scores from this month’s action: UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK MEN’S RUGBY UNION In the only BUCS fixture of the week, Warwick 1s overcame Birmingham 2s 35-18. UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK MEN’S FOOTBALL Warwick 1s 4-1 Birmingham 1s Warwick 2s 1-3 Birmingham 2s Warwick 3s 2-3 Birmingham 3s UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK MEN’S WATER POLO Warwick 10-5 Leicester UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK BEARS ULTIMATE FRISBEE Bears 1 and Bears 2 competed in the Midlands Warm Up and finished 13th and 16th respectively UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK MEN’S HOCKEY Warwick 1s 0-0 Liverpool 1s Warwick 2s 2-3 Liverpool 2s Warwick 3s 6-0 Liverpool 3s Warwick 4s 3-0 Coventry 2s Result of the Week this week goes to Men’s Hockey 4s for their win over local rivals Coventry University; games against Coventry, even outside of Varsity, offer the chance for glory and the win will certainly have meant a lot to the team.
YOU AND THREE OF YOUR MATES COULD BE HEADING TO AMSTERDAM FOR VALHALLA FESTIVAL SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
FOLLOWING TWO SOLD OUT FESTIVALS, VALHALLA IS RETURNING ON DECEMBER 20TH FOR AN EVENING OF ACROBATICS, CLOWNING, FREAK AND PEEP SHOWS TO WIN FOUR FESTIVAL - NOT TO MENTION TICKETS SIMPLY EMAIL LIVE SHOWS FROM YOUR NAME, UNIVERSITY JORIS VOORN, KOLSCH, AND YEAR OF STUDENT BODDIKA, AMINE EDGE TO WIN@UNIPAPER.CO.UK AND DANCE. ENTRIES CLOSE ON DECEMBER 12TH GOOD LUCK!
VALHALLAFESTIVAL.NL
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