The University Paper Swansea - November 2014

SWANSEA NOVEMBER 2014

ED SHEERAN ON THE RECORD

PAGE 07

WIN: A holiday to Les Deux Alpes & tickets to Rise Festival FIND OUT HOW ON PG 12

THE LATEST SPORTS FROM YOUR UNIVERSITY

PAGES 37 & 39

STUDENT ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL FOR MENINGITIS

JOE CHARPENTIER

ON SATURDAY, October 4th, an unnamed, first year Swansea University economics student from Hendrefoelan Student Village was admitted to hospital for symptoms related to meningococcal meningitis. It wasn’t until the morning of Tuesday, October 7th that students of Swansea University were notified through their email.

The message informed students of the incident, as well as reporting that the Health Protection Team would be contacting people considered to be close contacts of the student so that they could be provided with preventive antibiotics. The alert also implored any students who felt they may have been in close enough contact with the affected student, but have not yet heard from the Health Protection Team to get in contact. However, when asked for a statement, the University Health Centre stated they were not at liberty to discuss the matter at this time.

Meningococcal Meningitis, or meningitis, is a viral or bacterial inflammation of the meninges which consists of three membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of meningitis include feverish feeling, migraine, vomiting and nausea, and stiff neck and joint pains. The infection can come on in as less as a few hours and can compare to symptoms of the flu or hangover. The disease becomes life threatening when the symptoms grow to incorporate rashes of small red bruises that do not fade under pressure. Other severe symptoms include: avoidance of light, disorientation, or coma. If you or

anyone you know is experiencing these symptoms, then it is paramount to seek immediate medical help.

Though meningitis does not live long outside the body, up to 25% of people can carry it without experiencing symptoms and the carriage can last between a fews days to a few months.

The bacteria that causes the disease is carried in the nose and/or throat which means there are some simple precautions Swansea students can take to prevent the transmission and spread of the disease. The sharing of water bottles/glasses, lip balm, toothbrushes, towels, eating utensils, cosmetics, smoking materials, and food or drink in general should all be avoided as well as anything else which could be considered as mouth to mouth contact.

Coughing or sneezing into another person’s face, into the air, or into consumable products is also ill-advised as the best prevention would be to do so into a tissue or sleeve. Busting one of the myths of meningitis, surfaces, door knobs, and general contact with objects is completely safe. However, an important— and probably the number one— part of prevention is washing your hands or using hand sanitizer as often as possible.

People with autoimmune disorders such as diabetes or hepatitis, as well as the very young and the elderly, are among those at most risk of catching the disease. The many after effects of the disease include, but are not limited to, memory loss, deafness,

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

SHEFFIELD STUDENT DODGES DEATH TWICE

CAMILLE BROUARD AND ANNABEL TWIST

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDENT Krystle Morley, currently studying at Sheffield Hallam University, managed to narrowly escape death twice this summer. “Car sized” boulders came crashing down on her twice whilst she was climbing Franz Joseph glacier in New Zealand.

Having returned to University this September, Morley is feeling a new zest for life after her first experience of ice climbing, a

long-term ambition inspired by her love of travelling and adventure, went dreadfully wrong.

Morley commented that for the main part of the expedition “trying to do vertical climbing whilst holding onto ice axes was painful!” but added that it was also “really good fun”.

Her small group, including an experienced climbing guide and two Australian climbers, ascended up Franz

Joseph within a matter of hours, blissfully unaware of the lurking dangers.

Waiting on the helipad for her ride home, Morley took a photo of the beautiful mountain scene behind her, eager to share her experience with those back home. She added: “we’d taken our crampons off, our helmets off, we were all getting ready to be taken away.”

Soon after she heard a

W W W.UNIPA PER.CO.UK

Charles Perrett Property Let us show you why we are a National Award Winning student agency

Book your viewing today | 01792 652620

loud, thunderous, rumbling sound, coming from nearby.

She recalled: “There was a clear blue sky, so we didn’t think it was thunder. I thought maybe someone was shooting or blasting up the valley.”

It was at this moment that her pleasant, first experience of ice climbing rapidly changed into a desperate fight for survival. another

» CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

Sign up at MoveMber.coM and join your univerSity network

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

3

NOVEMBER 2014

L CAL NEWS

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY CLEARS ITS NAME LAUREN PITTARD

PIC: LAUREN PITTARD

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY WORKER DIES IN CAR ACCIDENT CHERYL BERRY PIC: ATHENA PICTURE AGENCY

A SWANSEA University worker has died after, what has been labelled as, a ‘freak’ car accident.

Mother of two, Jill Hutchinson-Grigg is believed to have been reversing out of the drive in her semi-detached house in Swansea, when she hit a low gardening wall. Her Daewoo car was then left balancing on the edge of the wall until she climbed out. It is believed that the vehicle then became unsettled and slipped, falling on top of driver.

Mrs Hutchinson-Grigg, then became trapped as the car ‘pinned’ her to the ground with the engine still running. This is how the neighbours were to find Mrs Hutchinson-Grigg after hearing her cries.

She was immediately taken to hospital, however died almost week later.

The cause of death has been noted as cerebral hypoxia, cause by asphyxiation from pressure to the chest.

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY has been given the all clear by The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education following recent suggestions that the university’s School of Management had manipulated student results in an attempt to improve league table performance.

The aims of the review were to investigate the higher education provided by Swansea University, ensuring that it met the UK expectations on both academic standards and quality.

Despite these allegations the QAA, who are responsible for monitoring the standards and quality of UK higher education, concluded that Swansea University did, in fact met these expectations.

The review found that academic standards, quality of student learning opportunities and information about learning opportunities provided by Swansea University all meet with UK expectations. Furthermore the university was commended for their enhancement of student learning opportunities.

A number of good practices undertaken at Swansea University were also outlined by the QAA team including The Academic Career Pathway which contributes to both sustaining and enhancing students’ learning experience, subject specialist library staff, a wide range of student feedback including NSS which enhances the student experience and the university’s approach to developing student employability.

The QAA team also provided Swansea University with some recommendations, such as introducing a system that could enable the university to have an oversight of student achievement on its postgraduate research programs.

QAA has affirmed that actions are already taking place by Swansea University to secure and improve the academic standards for its students in areas including ensuring learning outcomes are expressed according to the expectations of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications and working on improving the accuracy and completeness of definitive program information Swansea University’s Acting Director of Academic Services, Adrian Novis, said: ‘We welcome the QAA’s published report and we are of course delighted, but not surprised, to have received this outcome from our Institutional Review. We sincerely thank all staff, students and the Students’ Union, who took part in the QAA’s robust process to measure our quality and standards.

This is of course excellent news for Swansea as we begin a new academic year, welcoming a record number of students, and with our exciting new £450 million Bay Campus development on schedule to open for September 2015 – clearly a sign that the University is on course in our ambition to be a top-30 UK University by 2017.

Accident investigator PC Rob Green to the inquest, there were no witnesses to the accident.

However forensic reports show that the car had a defect with the brakes.

It is believed that, whilst attempting the manoeuvre to exit the drive, the wrong gear was selected causing the vehicle to jolt forward, rather than reverse. This, along with the brake defect, sent the car into the garden wall, which subsequently toppled. Leaving the car balancing between the two gardens – Mrs HutchinsonGrigg’s elevated property and that of her neighbour. The car then became unsettled, falling on top of and killing the University worker. The record shows that the verdict was ‘accidental death’.

Our thoughts are with The Hutchinson-Grigg family at this time.

GET 20% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER with this voucher at

www.yourkfc.co.uk or ask a staff member for details.

KFC Swansea 67 Uplands Crescent Swansea SA2 0EY One voucher per customer.

Present this voucher before placing your order. This voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount offer.

A minimum spend of £5.00 applies.

Offer expires 31st October 2014.

45071_20%Off advert Swansea_162.5x129.5mm.indd 1

12/09/2014 13:34

LFRESHERS CAL NEWS GUIDE 4

Recycling made easy CLAIRE DOUTHWAITE

PIC: :LAURA PATTISON

Any help with your bags?

Swansea council move to Singleton Park in a bid to get students to recycle.

Swansea council’s recycling team has set up camp in Singleton Park in order to break the barrier between students and the recycling system currently in place in Swansea.

Swansea council have recently been scrutinized that the current recycling system is difficult to maintain, particularly the new three bags per household ruling. A Swansea University student told us: ‘The whole process is too hard. Having four different bins is very unrealistic; our kitchen just always looks like a mess. And having a three black bag limit, for students, is impossible.’

However the council have shown no plans to change the system. Instead they hope to speak to hundreds of students, hand out free recycling bags, as well as remind students of their collection day.

Thomas Williams, Recycling Officer in Swansea Council states: ‘We want our new residents to have all the information and help they need so they can get to grips with the range of recycling services we offer.’

Swansea council workers will be present in Singleton Park every Monday and Tuesday of October.

Grab your

Full steam ahead for new waterfront campus CHERYL BERRY PIC: UOW TSD

Only

SWANSEA

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) plans for a new £1 million waterfront campus, have taken a huge leap forward this month with contracts being exchanged with the Welsh Government.

New campus plans began earlier this year when the former Swansea Metropolitan University became part of UWTSD along with the University of Wales Lampeter, Trinity University College Carmarthen and the Coleg Sir Gar college for further education in Carmarthenshire.

The nineteen-acre plot, said to be ‘the prime waterfront location in the heart of the city’ has plans to be used for education, research, sport, social facilities and accommodation. And work could start taking place as soon as 2016, depending on planning permission.

Economy minister Edwina Hart said: “This is an important next step for the University’s proposals to create a modern, purpose built campus to provide a great environment for their staff and students.

If successful, the new campus is to be the newest edition to the University’s, ever growing list if property development work. With campuses in Townhill and Mount Peasant, and the recent £30 million investment to create a cultural quarter on Alexander Road, UWTSD is quickly becoming an asset to the entire city.

NOVEMBER 2014

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

5

NOVEMBER 2014

Swansea Soars with Success

REBECCA THOMAS

PHOTO CREDIT: REBECCA THOMAS

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY ROA CONTINUES TO GROW

CHERYL BERRY

PIC: SWANSEA UNIVERSITY

Swansea University has been ranked fourteenth in the UK for quality of life, according to the annual Lloyds Bank Quality of Student Life survey 2014.

The survey, which looks at a range of contributing factors such as, course satisfaction, social life, sports facilities and employment and earning of graduates was released earlier this month, publishing the names of the top thirty universities. Amongst the highest were Loughborough, coming first. Bath in second, and Durham third.

Coming in fourteenth, Swansea has fallen four places from the 2013 survey, where it came in at a respectable tenth place.

Another table topper for Swansea University...

Swansea University jumps forward six places following the release of The University Guide 2014/15 Swansea University has improved remarkably over the last year and managed to successfully move six places in The Sunday Times/Times’ University guide of 2014-15. The University, which previously ranked at number 48 in the guide, has advanced in student satisfaction and at an academic level to make Swansea University a more stimulating and sociable environment to study at.

Student Satisfaction in particular reached new heights with a score of 4.00, giving Swansea University an overall score of 714/1000. So how has Swansea University proved its worth by becoming the underdog of the competition in this year’s rankings?

Sian Rees, a lecturer of languages and translation at Swansea University was not surprised by the University’s sudden victory in this year’s guide. She said, ‘I think Swansea University has gone up in the rankings because it has a strong ambition to be a top 30 university and

to improve in all areas of its delivery for students.

I work for an organisation that has ambition and that will support initiatives to improve teaching and the educational environment for students.

The University has made student satisfaction a top priority but also to continually improve the learning we deliver. Overall, this subjectorientated positive approach is supported by a great campus, a great location and really dedicated support staff that are constantly open to change and look to make things better all the time.’

University life isn’t just about achieving the highest standard of degree level and studying constantly, it’s about enjoying a wonderful experience that gives you the freedom to discover who you want to be, and this is exactly what Swansea University is trying to accomplish amongst its students. Swansea University is a well-rounded academia that aims to improve all aspects of university life.

So watch this space!

However Swansea University was recognised for having the least expensive privately rented rooms in the entire survey, with average annual rent coming in at £2,250. The most expensive were at the London School of Economics, with rent totaling at £7,000 a year.

Swansea University’s own accommodation also came second in its category, pricing at an average of £2,500 annually. The University also came seventh for the best student social life.

This is just one of Swansea’s recent successes, as the University has also been shortlisted for University of the Year by the Times Higher, along with being in the top 500 Universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings.

COMMENT FRESHERS

6

GUIDE WHERE ART THOU

NOVEMBER 2014

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

SPECIAL

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 ANNA LANDI

Why I don’t like clubbing

WHEN I get asked “do you fancy going to some clubs at the weekend?” I immediately think of things I’d rather do with my time.

Examples include doing my washing up, trying to see how many Pringles I can eat at once, or watching hilarious cat videos.

Sometimes I do enjoy it; I’ve had some incredible nights out in the past. But there have been more that make me think, “yeah, let’s never do that again,” as I’m eating my Subway. I’m not the only one though, right? Guys?

A particularly bad night was my first time in Republic for the Halloween event last year. Dressed up like a black cat, fuelled with much Jäger, I was raring to go.

I went in open-minded after having heard a lot about Republic and, guess what?

I hated it.

It was overcrowded with overly confident boys and underdressed girls. I didn’t really fit in from the get-go. I tried (and failed) to look like I was having fun. When noticing the confusion on my face, my friends would shout, “I love this song! You know who he is I PROMISE YOU! It’s [rappers name] who did that song ‘[something probably derogatory]’!” I’d just smile and count down time until I was home again.

A similar thing happened at Chilli White’s during my first year. I awkwardly sidestepped instead of passionately dancing because I was trying to take in the

horrible atmosphere and music. Girls were passed out in the toilets, it was too dark, and it smelt weird. When the DJ announced the last song and the house lights filled the dance floor, I was elated.

It’s experiences like these that overshadow the amazing moments of a night out at university. Like, the moment I walked into Mosh for the first time and they were playing All-American Rejects, or having dance-offs with strangers in the SU to 90’s music, or even the time I did the Gangnam Style dance with Andy from Made In Chelsea. Yes, he was very drunk too, as you can imagine.

But I’m not the only one who would rather read A Game of Thrones or sob over One Tree Hill. I can prove it too! Third year student Joshua Evans told me that he is more of a “get trashed on ale in a pub kind of guy” rather than a club-goer. But why are the quieter nights more enjoyable to some? “I tend to ruin my life whenever I go clubbing,” Joshua continues, “so I prefer to stick to the bars and pubs as there is more opportunity for conversations with friends.” Agreed!

Nevertheless, I can understand a student’s exhilaration and need for going out, especially during Freshers’. Meeting new people whilst grooving to chart music, vodka in hand can really animate a student.

Me? I’d rather a quiet night.

SPARE COMPUTER?!

LIZZIE LONGLEY

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

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….

CONTACTS For all editorial enquires please contact: swanseaeditor@unipaper.co.uk

For all advertising enquires please call: 020 7580 6419

7

SPECIAL

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

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

WHAT’S ON

The BEST nights this Freshers week & throughout the month

THIS MONTH MONDAY 20TH OCTOBER

● After dark @ BAMBU, ● Revolution and Fiction Monday club @ ICE BAR ● Bombastic Mondays @ YATES’

SATURDAY 25TH OCTOBER

THURSDAY 30TH OCTOBER

SUNDAY 26TH OCTOBER

FRIDAY 31ST OCTOBER

● Sink with B. Traits @ SIN CITY ● Club Oxygen @ OXYGEN ● Sunday Project @ LADYBIRD ● SODA Sundays @SUNDAY

TUESDAY 21ST OCTOBER

● Tight Tuesday’s @ DIVA’S ● Super Tuesday’s @ VUE CINEMA WEDNESDAY 22ND OCTOBER

● Play on @ MONKEY, ● Snow lodge, Peppermint, Idols and Fiction ● Coco Bar Wednesday @ COCO BAR ● Wednesday club @ ICE ● Quids in @ YATES’S ● What happens in Popword @ POPWORLD ● Thursday 23rd October Sin Savers @ Sin City Karaoke @ Yates’s FRIDAY 24TH OCTOBER

● Tooters @ DIVAS ● Mosters of Rock @ SIN CITY ● Fiction Friday’s @ FICTION

● Sin Savers @ SIN CITY ● Karaoke @ YATES’

● Nightmare on Wind Street @ TBC ● Monsters of Rock @ SIN CITY ● Tooters @ DIVAS

MONDAY 27TH OCTOBER

● After dark @ BAMBU, ● Revolution and Fiction Monday club @ ICE BAR ● Bombastic Mondays @ YATES TUESDAY 28TH OCTOBER

● Tight Tuesday’s @ DIVA’S ● Super Tuesday’s @ VUE CINEMA

SATURDAY 1ST NOVEMBER

● Sink @ SIN CITY ● Club Oxygen @ OXYGEN MONDAY 3RD NOVEMBER

● After dark @ BAMBU, ● Revolution and Fiction Monday club @ ICE BAR ● Bombastic Mondays @ YATES’

club @ ICE ● Quids in @ YATES’S ● What happens in Popword @ POPWORLD ● Thursday 23rd October Sin Savers @ Sin City Karaoke @ Yates’s THURSDAY 6TH NOVEMBER

● Sin Savers @ SIN CITY ● Karaoke @ YATES’ FRIDAY 7TH NOVEMBER

● Tooters @ DIVAS ● Monsters of Rock @ SIN CITY ● Fiction Friday’s @ FICTION SATURDAY 8TH NOVEMBER

● Sink @ SIN CITY ● Club Oxygen @ OXYGEN

TUESDAY 4TH NOVEMBER WEDNESDAY 29TH OCTOBER

● Play on @ MONKEY, Snow lodge, Peppermint, Idols @FICTION ● Coco Bar Wednesday @ COCO BAR ● Wednesday club @ ICE ● Quids in @ YATES ● What happens in Popword @ POPWORLD

● Tight Tuesday’s @ DIVA’S ● Super Tuesday’s @ VUE CINEMA WEDNESDAY 5TH NOVEMBER

● Play on @ MONKEY, ● Snow lodge, Peppermint, Idols and Fiction ● Coco Bar Wednesday @ COCO BAR ● Wednesday

Y Y H F S W

TO T Y A TO

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

9

NOVEMBER 2014

FOR THE LATEST ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

Get the party started!!

Fiction: Fantasy night out or Nightmare?

www.unipaper.co.uk www.facebook.com/theunipaper www.twitter.com/theunipaper

FIND US ONLINE

AND IN LOCAL NEWS:

LAUREN PITTARD

LITTLE WIND Street has been taken over by the massive £1.2 million super club Fiction, which opened on the 26th of September this year. But is the new club a dream destination for your night out, or is all the hype just an allusion?

From both my own experience and others reactions on Facebook and Twitter, I’d say that for the most part, Fiction is a hit.

With air acrobatics, pretty girls on stilts, and a layout that is almost maze-like, it feels as if you’ve fell straight down the rabbit hole and into another world.

Holding a capacity of seventeen hundred people the club is pretty big, with two separate rooms; The Fiction room, equipped with a video mapping wall and incredible lighting and the MYU cocktail bar, serving premium cocktails and craft ales. The club also has VIP areas and booths with table service and free GHDs and hair dryers in the girls bathroom.

The club has recently been host to MTV’s Ex On The Beach stars Marco Alexandre, Ashley Cain, Liam Lewis and Jack Lomax and is expecting an appearance from Geordie Shores Joel Correy on the 17th of October.

So would I recommend Fiction to a friend?

Yes I would. And the people of Twitter agree with CJack_13 stating ‘not going to lie been in Fiction Swansea 5 minutes and I love it, what a club’. And this is not an isolated occasion with Tom14Brown also saying ‘Fiction is amazing, potential new favourite place in Swansea’.

This month’s top picks!

CHERYL BERRY

With all the events that Swansea has to offer, you may be left spoilt for choice, or more realistically, your bank balance is! And so we have whittled down the months best nights out, just for you!

After Dark Wind Street’s brand new night, conveniently making our Monday night’s more bearable now that Oceana is no more. With Bambu, Revolution and Fiction involved, it promises to be a classy affair.

Kove @ Sin City Known of getting the biggest and newest names around, Sin City has done it again with Kove gracing their stage, for the launch of their new night Rise.

Halloween Halloween is always one of the best nights of the year. With free food and fancy dress, it doesn’t really matter where in Swansea you end up. It is guaranteed to be one hell of a night.

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

10

NOVEMBER 2014

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

NOVEMBER 2014

11 Need a little something to spice up your pre-party? Check out Mindbenders

» MINDBENDERS ON PAGE 28

LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR A

CHANCE TO

WIN

£2000 WORTH OF APPLE PRODUCTS 13” Macbook Pro | iPad Retina | iPhone 5S | iPod Touch

facebook.com/TheUniPaper

13

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.”

15

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.

16

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

STUDENT ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL FOR MENINGITIS blindness, co-ordination issues, epilepsy, paralysis, and speech difficulties.

Swansea University implores all eligible students to obtain the vaccine through the University Health Centre if they have not already received it through their general practioner. Eligibilty is considered to be first time students under the age of twenty-five which means, unfortunately, graduate students do not currently qualify as eligible. The fresher’s leaflet (which can be found on the University Health Centre’s site) states that those who have had the meningitis C vaccine since the age of ten are safe. It suggests that if a student is not sure, a second dose is not harmful and is considered acceptable for the sake of precaution. The leaflet also makes note that allergies should be mentioned before receiving the vaccine as well as any bad reactions to a previous dose of the meningitis C vaccine or any of its ingredients.

This means that if you are a first year student under the age of twenty-five and you live in or near Hendrefoelan Student Village, it is strongly suggested to get the vaccine if you have not yet done so. If you don’t feel well, see your general practitioner or call the University Health Centre located at the Penmaen Building on campus.

If you would like further information regarding the disease, you can call Meningitis Now (0808 80 10 388), Meningitis Research Foundation (080 8800 3344), NHS Direct (0845 46 47). Much of this information can be found in the original message sent out to all students, on the University Health Centre’s site, or on the web with sources like Meningitis Now (twitter: @MeningitisNow) which features a useful app for your mobile phone.

The most important thing we can do at this juncture is to keep vigilant, keep ourselves and our friends safe, and to educate ourselves on this dangerous disease so that it does not spread any further.

» CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER

HALLAM STUDENT DODGES DEATH TWICE She turned around to see her photogenic landscape transformed into one of instant threat, as a rock fall began hurtling towards the group.

“The rocks came flying down and started bouncing up over the side of the glacier. Big boulders, the size of a small car, started coming over. The guide shouted, “run!” I didn’t know where I was going to be running to, because there was nothing to hide behind.

“Knowing it was coming after us … we were just running away from what could potentially hit us, obviously when there’s rocks the size of dinner tables flying through the air there’s no way you can outrun that.”

Morley slowly struggled to escape due to icy conditions up on the glacier. Slipping on the ice, an embarrassing but minor incident for most during the winter, could have been perilous in her situation. Thankfully the guide quickly grabbed her and hurled her away from the impending boulders. They both took cover at the edge of the helipad, which was dipped in and allowed the rocks to fly over them.

“I wouldn’t say the first rock fall went over a minute, but it seemed like an eternity when it

was happening, watching things fly past us”, said Morley.

When the first rock fall ended Morley and the other climbers slowly made their way onto the helipad, checking themselves over for injuries whilst waiting for a helicopter to make its way to them. Unfortunately, just as they were about to board the helicopter, disaster struck a second time.

“Me and the guys were almost there, just underneath the propellers, but we saw the helicopter pilot pull a funny facial expression and he flew off again.”

A second, smaller but equally dangerous rock fall began, forcing the helicopter to flee without the climbers. Once again Morley was in imminent danger and jumped into survival mode. They found shelter in the same helipad edge, which had saved them the first time.

Miraculously they escaped yet another terrifying ordeal unscathed.

Thankfully for Morley and her group, the helicopter arrived soon after. They all frantically jumped into the helicopter, urging it to fly away quickly. Morley commented: “as we left, the pilot flew over where the rock fall originally came from, and we could see a massive chunk

out of the top of the cliff. We then had a rather thankful journey back to base.”

Even after such an extreme incident, Morley’s appetite for climbing and other adrenalineinducing sports is still strong: “I actually want to get out more to climb, because I will not be defeated by a bit of rock!

“I do get a bit more cautious when I’m climbing on a flake, or a chockstone that’s a bit wobbly, and I was in the Lake District last week going through Hardknott Pass, there’s been so many rock falls there, there’s just boulder fields.

“The experience has made me more aware, but other than that I just want to go out more and more.”

The incident has even inspired her degree choices and future career interests. She has recently swapped an elective module on Conservation to one about Natural Hazards, wanting to find out more about the significance of natural dangers in tourism and sports.

“Following the rock fall I realised I know nothing about natural hazards or mitigating them. It’ll be part of my future career prospects hopefully.”

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

21

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

22

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.

8

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

23

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.

24

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

25

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.

www.unipaper.co.uk www.facebook.com/theunipaper www.twitter.com/theunipaper

FIND US ONLINE

26

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.

27

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?

LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR A

CHANCE TO

WIN

£2000 WORTH OF APPLE PRODUCTS facebook.com/TheUniPaper

Kopi L INDON 13” Macbook Pro | iPad Retina | iPhone 5S | iPod Touch

Kopi Luwa coffee” (yes, expensive co made by coll of a cat-like somehow I c #catpoocoffe

Marti NEW Y

28

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:

Student Village to become housing estate CHERYL BERRY

THE HENDREFOELAN Village, which currently homes 1,644 students, is to be made into a homing estate.

The Village, more commonly known as the ‘Student Village’ has plans to become a housing estate, with regeneration specialist St. Modwen having submitted planning permission for the build of around three hundred new homes.

Planning permission is expected to be granted by 2015 and work is hoping to begin in early 2016. By this time the students currently living in the Village would have been relocated to accommodation on the new Bay Campus, on which work is currently on-going, with plans to open for the start of the 2015 academic year.

The reconstruction is planned to take place in two stages. The first being that of the older section of the village, whilst the Woodside flats remain intact, until 2019 when the second stage is due to start. The Hendrefoelan House and stables currently homing the South Wales Miners Library will remain in place, protected by their Grade II listing.

It has been said that ‘strong interest’ is expected from major housebuilders. Pro-vice chancellor, Iwan Davies, also mentioned that ‘the sale of Hendrefoelan forms an integral part of our sustainable business plan for financing our campus development’.

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

£200 FIRST DEPOSIT BONUS 100% deposit req uired

www.loadedcasino.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!

WWW.CV-LIBRARY.CO.UK

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

SPECIAL

34

NOVEMBER 2014

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

ACCOMMODATION

HOW TO MAKE A HAPPY HOME

Essential housemates you can’t live without

By Chris Durston PHOTO CREDIT: CHRIS DURSTON

FINDING PEOPLE to share a house with isn’t easy. In fact, it’s so difficult that, this year, I’m eschewing the pernickety process of picking people with whom to purchase property and instead living alone, like one of those weird fish that sort of pokes its head out to go to lectures but otherwise spends its time hidden under the sand doing whatever fish do. Wanking, probably.

However, since I’ve already done the shared-house thing, here’s a quick rundown on optimising your chances of enjoying student cohabitation.

You’ll need the following people: 1. THE LEADER Probably the most valuable person, since they should minimise your chances of being kicked out of your lovely grimy new student house without undue cause, Housemate #1 is the person who’ll take charge of sorting bills, utilities, talking to the landlord; he or she will be the one who knows which companies are owed what, and when.

2. THE CLEANER Let’s face it, only one person per house ever bothers doing any cleaning.

And trust me: you’ll need that person. They’ll never admit to it, but the person easily swayed into doing everyone’s washing up is a valuable ally indeed.

3. THE COOK Everyone likes to eat, but who has the time and money to prepare decent food? Only The Cook: the sole housemate who knows their way around a recipe book. They’ll be invaluable at times, albeit annoyingly kitchen-hogging at others.

4. THE FUN And finally, do make sure there’s at least one person you’ll actually enjoy living with – otherwise, you’ve basically filled a house with assets and unwitting servants, none of whom you can potentially stand. It’d be a bit like being the president (but of somewhere really dull. Like Bath).

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

35

NOVEMBER 2014

GREAT WAYS TO KEEP YOUR BILL COSTS DOWN

STUDENT LIFE MADE EASY … BY MUM

KATE SWINDELLS

DANIEL LAURIE

PHOTO CREDIT: KATE SWINDELLS

o difficult g people one of those herwise Wanking,

’s a quick itation.

mise your t house MOVING OUT of Halls and into your own e charge of house with your mates is an exciting time. But be the one it also comes with bigger responsibilities that as a fresher you probably didn’t think twice about.

BILLS. They will drain your ever-decreasing ny cleaning. student loan if not dealt with sensibly. So here o it, but the are some great tips to help reduce your bills and valuable ally keep on top of them...

epare their way nnoyingly

TURN OFF THE LIGHTS When you leave a room, ensure you switch off the lights to save on electricity...assuming no one is still sat in there trying to catch up on some last minute reading.

actually USE A CLOTHES HORSE with assets Tumble driers are one of the most expensive tand. It’d be kitchen appliances out there. Invest in a Like Bath). clotheshorse to dry your clothes and keep

electricity bills down.

CLOSE THE DOORS Shutting windows and doors helps keep heat in and prevents you from needing to turn the heating on. Another great tip is to just put on another jumper or an extra pair of socks.

ORGANISE WHO IS IN CHARGE Allocate someone to be in charge of paying the bills. Then set up direct debit so everyone pays on time. Another great idea is to go through a company like Glide, which will organise your bills for you, then evenly splits the costs between all housemates, so all you have to do is cough up every month and everyone is happy.

Taking the time to organise your bills and being active in reducing costs will avoid tension between your housemates and make living in your own house a much more enjoyable.

PHOTO CREDIT: FLICKR

WHILE OTHER students have spent the last month living off a diet of super noodles, arguing whether is it cold enough to turn the heating on yet, and trying to make their new house a home. There are certain types of student that are leaving their lectures and going home to a warm, clean house, with a home made meal.

But are student that live at home missing out?

Staying at home or moving away to university is the dilemma every student faces when they receive their A Levels. Some students can’t wait for their university experience to begin so they can enjoy living on their own, start being independent and escape their nagging families.

Family members and friends who have been through their experience already will advice students to ‘move out’, ‘go and live the university experience’, ‘you will miss out if you don’t live with other students’ but if students do chose to stay at home during their university studies, it’s not the end of the world.

Staying at home means don’t have to cook your own food, or PAY for the food or bills, you get to keep your own room, and most importantly, you don’t have to share the communal bathroom!

Chances are, you will find it harder to make friends, but if your living at home, it is pretty likely that you already know people in the area. And you know all the best places to go, so you don’t have the awkward first nights of sitting in Ice wondering when it is going to pick up (it isn’t).

LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR A

CHANCE TO

WIN

£2000 WORTH OF APPLE PRODUCTS

GROSVENOR SWANSEA A NIGHT OUT WITH A DIFFERENCE Call 01792 655227 for more details

13” Macbook Pro | iPad Retina | iPhone 5S | iPod Touch

facebook.com/TheUniPaper

*FREE drink for every student new member (with student ID card). *Live sport shown on 116" Big Screen *FREE WiFi, soft drinks and membership *Weekly special offers on Facebook and Twitter

11am 6am

Please ask a member of the team for more information

keepitfun.rank.com Over 18s only. Photo ID is required. www.gambleaware.co.uk

STUDENTS

FREE WOLFPACK MEMBERSHIP WITH EVERY PROPERTY

Charles Perrett Property Market Leading Student Accommodation

aking Now t s for g bookin

6

2015/1

1 to 10+ bed student properties available

Free Wolfpack Membership, Goodies & exclusive parties for every tenant

Properties available inc. all bills and cleaner

Free chauffeur driven viewing service

Let us show you why we are a National Award Winning student agency

Book your viewing today @CharlesPerrett | swansea@charlesperrett.co.uk | 01792 652620 |

Like us on facebook

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

37

NOVEMBER 2014

SPORT

SWANSEA KITE SURFING – UNIVERSITY THE PERFECT CITY QUIDDITCH TEAM FOR IT! IS FLYING HIGH ANTONIYA GERIMPAPAZI

PIC: GOWER KITE RIDER

Getting blown away by it all

ANTONIYA GERIMPAPZI

SWANSEA’S ‘KITE SURF’ is one of the most popular sports at the University mainly because of the wonderful geographical location of the city.

It allows people to take up lessons no matter whether they are complete beginners or boarder line expert. Moreover, when being a member of the Swansea 360 Sports, one has the privilege of having a free taster for the first time and plenty of discounts for the future.

The club also offers many events throughout the whole year such as cable wakeboarding, weekly trips to Gower beaches, trips to Weymouth in Dorset during the weekend, and an annual trip, the location of which is yet to be decided by the members.

For more information and questions visit: http://www.swansea-union.co.uk/sports/ or email: kitesurfing@swansea-union.

PIC: ANTONIYA GERIMPAPZI

‘QUIDDITCH IS not a real sport!’- Most people will say.

I’d say Quidditch is more than a sport! Qudditch is a combination of sports, which brings the best of all.

Quidditch is a game which is spreading worldwide and not only is there a National Quidditch team but also more and more universities in Britain are starting to practice it as a sport. One of the lucky universities to have quidditch as a proper sport is Swansea and I conducted an interview with the captain of the quiddtich team, Shannon Heal, to get more information and answer the question about why Quidditch should be definitely considered as seriously as other sports.

Hello, Shannon! Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed for the Quidditch University Team.

Oh, it’s my pleasure!

When and how did you actually decide to take up quidditch as a sport?

I joined last year as a first year and the quidditch team was actually already set up and I think it was just when they found the society of Hogwarts two years ago when they decided that muggle quidditch is a thing, so we’re going to do it. And basically they did some research about the teams that are currently in existence in the UK, the rules of the game and just sort of managed to get it going pretty successfully!

Can you explain in short the rules of Quidditch? Are they very difficult?

They are very simple… So it’s basically a full contact sport so

the tackling is very much like rugby but obviously with broom between your legs and one hand always has to be on the broom.

There are four positions – beaters, chasers, seekers and keepers.

Beaters have bludgers, which they can throw at chasers from the other team who are trying to score goals with a ball called quaffle in the opponents’ hoops.

Beaters can also tackle other beaters to the floor.

Chasers can tackle each other and they have to run from their hoop to the other hoop with the ball hopefully avoiding getting hit by the bludgers.

Keepers have a little exception – they are safe from the tackle unless they leave the keeper zone, if they do leave, the chaser can tackle them.

And on top of that there’s the game of seeker and statues, which is like hide and seek.

So the snitch, (a tennis ball) is given to the snitch runner who runs around and seekers have to try and get the snitch from the back of their waist and take them out and this signifies the end of the game.

This is really interesting! So do you think Quidditch can be considered as other sports?

Obviously, it’s really dynamic and offers a lot of movement and it is actually a really nice exercise and even better than some other sports…

- Yeah… Obviously most of the people think ‘’Oh, it’s just a Harry Potter sort of thing!’’ So I think that if you actually come and play, you can definitely see

that it is a real sport. We had our first session and people were sort of: ‘’Oh, my God! It’s so intense!’’. People were getting stitches, getting out of breath only after five minutes of playing because you have to keep constantly moving.

So you have to have a good stamina and be fit, so it’s definitely a good sport.

- And my last question… There was a girl named Sally, who came to the training on Sunday and she was from the National quidditch team.

I never knew that there is actually a National Quidditch Team so if it’s on a national level that means it’s really popular?

- Basically, Sally is on the Quidditch UK team, she’s a fantastic player. There was a World Cup in the summer and there were teams from France, Germany, England, I believe Ireland, I’m not quite sure, Australia and obviously America because that’s where it originated. And they all get together and do massive tournaments, so they’ve done the Quidditch World Cup. They’ve done one recently, two weeks ago in Barcelona, so it’s massively an international sport, it gets everyone involved.

- Yes… I’ve heard many universities do it as a sport now?

- Yes, there’s a massive UK quidditch team and our society is hoping within the next few months to get going in a lot of tournaments. So hopefully at some point we will get qudditch at Varsity and defeat Cardiff’s team.

RUNNING THE LEAGUE CHERYL BERRY

PIC: SWANSEA UNIVERSITY

A stepping-stone to victory SWANSEA UNIVERSITY has topped, yet another table, by coming eighth in the UK for Sport Science, according to The Guardian University Guide 2015.

With an overall ‘Guardian Score’ of 79.9, Swansea University shows great potential. With scores such as 86.9 for ‘satisfaction with course’, 9 out of 10 for ‘money spent on each student’ and a 76 for

‘employment after six months’, it is no surprise it has been voted one the best in the country.

The leaders of the board consist of Bath (First), Exeter (Second) and Durham (Third), however with Swansea University’s new Bay campus opening in the next academic year, the best is yet to come.

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER

NOVEMBER 2014

39

SPORT

ULTIMATE FRISBEE WHY IS THERE SO MUCH INTEREST?

WELSH VARSITY 2015 COMES TO SWANSEA LIBERTY STADIUM ANTONIYA GERIMPAPAZI

PIC: SWANSEA UNIVERSITY

THE NEW TOP DOG ANTONIYA GERIMPAPAZI

PHOTO CREDIT: ANTONIYA GERIMPAPAZI

WHEN SOME students say that they play Frisbee for their university, some people get confused: ‘’What? So that’s a sport? Like… a proper sport?’’

Most people think that Frisbee is all about throwing a disc at your dog in the park or by the sea. However, in Swansea, likewise in most British universities, there is an actual sport called Ultimate Frisbee. It involves a lot of running, limited contact, much attention and last but not least – a lot of fun. It is a sport that can have both male and female players on the team and the rules are very easy to follow.

Swansea Ultimate Frisbee team had a lot of people signed up during the Welcome week and it was no surprise to anyone that they had the most turn-up on their try-outs. Swansea Ultimate has successfully competed in the Welsh Varsity tournament back in April and even though they didn’t manage to win, they are eagerly waiting for the next Varsity Challenge when they are preparing to ‘’throw’’ and ‘’catch’’ with passion especially on their own ground.

THE STUDENTS of Swansea can’t hide their excitement that the UK’s second largest sports event - The Welsh Varsity Challenge - will be held at Swansea in 2015.

Throughout the years, Swansea and Cardiff sports clubs have competed with 30 different sports - from popular sports all over the world such as football, basketball and volleyball to the less common and popular like Ultimate Frisbee and Lacrosse.

In the past, Varsity has mostly been played and celebrated in Cardiff, with hundreds of students travelling to the city to participate or just to support their team.

However, this year Swansea prepares to host the exciting event at their Liberty Stadium, for the first time in five years!

The name of the stadium is hopefully going to be indicative for both teams - to compete, to give it everything they have, but at the same time not to forget that this event has been made to play and enjoy. All the players are free to show what they are best at, and to make their friends, family, university and, of course, themselves proud.

Among Swansea’s victories in April 2014 are: the Women’s Volleyball Team, the Boxing Team, Men’s Hockey Team, American Football Team, Men’s Football Team, the Rowing Team and the Fresher’s Rugby team - all of which competed alongside big names such as Alun Wynn Jones, Ritchie Pugh and Dwayne Peel.

Cardiff will be ready to give everything they’ve got to regain the title this year, so Swansea teams are working hard to ensure we win the title again. All the teams are making sure that they possess all they need and are practicing hard in preparation for the tournament. With a stadium capacity of 30,000 people, this year’s Varsity is sure to go down in history as well as in our hearts.

Sign up at MoveMber.coM and join your univerSity network