The University Paper March 2015: Swansea by The University Paper

WIN

SWANSEA EDITION March 2015

FREE

Outlook festival tickets P23

CATFISH STAR NEV: HOW HEARTBREAK SET ME ON THE TRAIL OF IMPOSTERS

P11

INVADED BY THE RUGBY DRUNKS Dozens of pub golf players ‘rampage through girls’ home’ REBECCA THOMAS

Carnage: Brynmill, where the house was trashed, and Wind Street, where it all began, inset

A RUGBY society is under investigation after drunken players on a night out tore through a house full of female students without permission, it is claimed. The Swansea University club organised a pub golf social in Wind Street – but one member led at least 30 male players back to his girlfriend’s house after leaving the city centre. The group reportedly forced their way into the home, in the Brynmill area, and trashed it. One member, who claimed to have been there on the night but did not want to be identi�ied, said: ‘Everyone was very drunk. ‘Things were taken a little too far, though, when one member of the team decided they should all go to his girlfriend’s house in Bryn Road. ‘When they arrived, around

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

Book your viewing today | 01792 652620

30 to 40 big rugby boys tore through her house, causing a ruckus and trying to destroy items in the house.’ English student Robert Thomas, who also lives in the area, said: ‘What kind of society attempts to trash a student’s house? ‘I live just the road up from Bryn Road where this took place and I am not happy. ‘It worries me that I was only a street away and could have been affected. I have since emailed the students’ union to �ind out what is going to happen. ‘This is putting me off joining sports societies in university.’ It is not thought that the rugby player’s girlfriend plans to press criminal charges but both the university and the students’ union are investigating.

turn to p5

Bringing you...

Park Buildings, Swansea’s newest and best purpose built private student accommodation

“A great place to live, study and relax in Swansea’s city centre” COMING SOON AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 2015 24 purpose built, student studio apartments comprising of open plan living and sleeping areas, with their own kitchens and shower rooms. This New development will also oﬀer its students the below: • • • • • •

NS O I T A V RESEGRTAKEN NOW BEIN

A ITS ONT T S A F MOVE COME FIRS FIRST D BASIS AND SERVE EST IS HIGH INTER

Cleaning Service Laundry Facilities Storage Facilities All Inclusive Rents Close To Transport Links Close To Local Amenities

Providing services and accommodation like these is why we are national award winners

IMAGES ARE ARTIST IMPRESSIONS

www.parkbuildings.info

01792 633260 (Swansea)

Dawsons at 15 Walter Road, Swansea. SA1 5NG

www.unipaper.co.uk

March 2015

Student’s 6,000-mile journey to fulﬁl her teaching ambitions

A dream to teach becomes reality for Min ANTONIYA GERIMPAPAZI GROWING up in east China, Min Zhu had a desire to teach. But it took a 6,000-mile journey from Shanghai to Slovakia – via Swansea – to realise that ambition. After gaining a business degree in her home country but with no teaching quali�ications, she set her sights on studying in Europe. Not knowing where to go, she asked her friends, who recommended Swansea. With her heart set on the Welsh city, she applied for a place at Swansea University, where she arrived in September 2013. She gained an MA in teaching English as a foreign language and, not happy to stop there, went on to get a certi�icate in English language teaching to adults from Swansea’s English Language Training Services.

She said: ‘I loved my time at Swansea and I particularly liked some of the breathtaking landscapes there. ‘I was looking for a place less busy than China and I found it in Swansea – I can’t explain how grateful I am to have got the chance to live and study there.’ After �inishing her studies, Min secured the job of her dreams with a Slovakian language school, teaching both English and Mandarin. She said: ‘I was keen to expand on my teaching and the Slovakian job opened up. I can’t thank Swansea enough for helping me �ind my feet.’ She added: ‘I did my undergraduate study in China studying business, which had very little connection with English. ‘However, I was interested in studying English and my dream was to become a teacher. And I managed to accomplish this after graduating from Swansea.’

Trying to study? Turn off the net ASK anyone who is studying for their exams or writing their dissertation and they will tell you that the internet is a distraction. Well, now that theory has been proven, thanks to Swansea University psychology professor Phil Reed and student Emma Reay. The pair conducted a study using four questionnaires to determine how often students used the internet and the effect it had on their motivation during their studies. Unsurprisingly, it found that overusing the internet negatively impacted on motivation on the whole. Physics student John Godwin said: ‘It’s not compulsory to use the internet but it makes things a lot easier. ‘I guess the research does apply to me, though – I ﬁnd the more I use the internet, the less motivated I am to do my work. ‘There are just so many distractions online.’ Daniel Williams

First steps: Min Zhu at her graduation from Swansea University

Net trap: A warning

March 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

We’re living in fear after string of burglaries LOUISE DEAN STUDENTS say they are living in fear after burglars and thieves targeted their halls. One �lat in Tennis Courts had its window smashed, while another was targeted by a burglar posing as University of Birmingham maintenance staff and offering to vacuum. Brittany, a �irst-year student living in the block in The Vale village, said: ‘There has been a fear that something could happen – and in the area where I’m supposed to feel safe.’ She said one of her �latmates had not slept properly after the burglaries. Although The Vale’s managers set up an emer-

gency hotline following the break-ins, Brittany said she was worried burglars could strike again. Bikes and laptops have been the main targets. Curtis, a Mason resident, said he had started keeping his bike in his bedroom after his old one was stolen. ‘It’s irritating,’ he added. ‘It’s so much more effort.’ Another Mason student, Katie, said: ‘If the doorbell rings, we do check that we know who it is. I de�initely feel nervous after recent events.’ Some residents have called for increased security at the student village, which has secluded courts and walkways. Sarah, a �irst-year student

living in Maple Bank, said there should be more security patrols by UoB to try and prevent more burglaries. ‘I’m glad I’m not on the ground �loor,’ she added. Police said they had arrested unemployed Ricky Target: Mason halls, which have been targeted by burglars PICTURE: EMILY HUGGARD Woolaston, 34, on January 30 after investigating burglaries at UoB accommodation. He appeared before magistrates and charged with �ive burglaries the following day. look elsewhere. It’ll prevent Birmingham The Vale management said A PILOT scheme forcing landlords in the from becoming more diverse.’ Head of accommodation managers West Midlands to check the immigration NUS Black Students Malia Bouattia said: were working with the stu- status of tenants has been branded racist. dents to raise awareness of Right To Rent means anyone letting a home ‘We have anecdotal evidence landlords will be more likely to pass over “foreignsecurity issues. It added: ‘We must ensure tenants have the legal right sounding” or “foreign-looking” people.’ would still advise that stu- to stay in the UK or face a £3,000 �ine. The government claims it will ensure illegal dents need to report any sus- One international student at Birmingham immigrants are not exploited by landlords. picious persons or activity to City University said: ‘It’s not welcoming at all for international students so they’ll Adrienne Watson security control.’

Anger at ‘racist’ tenant checks

We make bills this easy

Student bills from £9.99 pppw www.dividabill.co.uk!

www.unipaper.co.uk

inBRIEF

Raid ‘will be taken seriously’ from p1 The union is believed to have had several complaints. ‘The union is currently investigating an incident that has been reported to us,’ it said. ‘We take such matters very seriously and want to ensure that all students feel safe in their community and welcome within the university sports teams.’ A Swansea University spokeswoman said: ‘We are aware of an alleged incident involving some of our students and are investigating. The university isn’t in a position to confirm whether the students allegedly involved were members of the rugby club.’

March 2015

Design for waterfront to go on show THE University of Wales Trinity St David has started the next phase of its waterfront development. It bought areas of land set aside for development in the SA1 area of Swansea and, after forming ideas for what to do with it, will puts its plans on show to the public throughout

this month and at the beginning of April. The university described its vision for the area as ‘more of a neighbourhood than a campus’, with a students’ union, library and sports centre sitting alongside community facilities, shops and businesses. There are also proposals to develop

purpose-built facilities for learning, teaching and applied research. Vice-chancellor Medwin Hughes said: ‘We are investing in a collective future – of the university, the city, regional enterprise and of vibrant communities. We have voluntarily decided to undertake a public

Vision: VC Prof Hughes, left

Dean’s critics ‘a cancer that must be cut out’ REBECCA THOMAS

New head of arts appointed SWANSEA University will have a new pro vice-chancellor from May. Professor Martin Stringer will be arriving from the University of Birmingham, where he was responsible for staffing and planning. His role at Swansea will be to lead the management team for arts, humanities and social sciences, as well as oversee new building work and modernisation at the Singleton Park campus. His academic work has been on anthropology.

Grad snaps up first tech job A COMPUTER science graduate has become the first employee at a company’s new UK offices in Swansea. Tom Owen will work at Leadin, which provides customer research, software development and training for clients including Jaguar, Land Rover and Nokia. The company, which is based in Finland, has opened an office at Swansea University’s institute of life sciences. Tom’s job will be one of 30 at the new office.

consultation to gather feedback.’ The plans will be on show at the Village Hotel on March 19, St Stephens Church, Port Tennant on March 26 and the National Waterfront Museum on April 1. They can also be viewed online and comments left at www. uwtsd.ac.uk before April 8.

Drink and drive: A student tries out the drive-through

PICTURE: MATT BOURNE

THE troubled school of management at Swansea University has found itself at the centre of a controversy once again. A leaked paper is reported to have called critics of the school’s dean, Prof Nigel Piercy, a ‘cancer’ that ‘must be removed’. The comments were made in a document setting out a case for closing the economics department, according to Times Higher Education. It was also said to have claimed measures taken to reduce ‘terminal decline’ in the study of economics had been undermined by some of the university’s staff. And it accused staff of ‘sabotaging teaching’, ‘blocking change’ and of leaking ‘damaging (and inaccurate) stories to the press’, according to reports. It went on: ‘Certain senior individuals have created themselves into a cancer – that must now be removed to allow the rest of the school to survive.’ Student newspaper The Waterfront published quotes apparently from the document that claimed economics staff were manipulating students and the students’ union to ‘do their dirty work’. But copies of the paper report-

ing the leak went missing from one university building soon after publication, it has also been claimed. Ellie Matthews, a third-year English and business student, said she was not surprised by the latest controversy. ‘It’s starting to become concerning,’ she added. Prof Piercy has become known by some as ‘Niggly Nigel’ after disputes within the school. Union education officer Ilana Cohen and university registrar Raymond Ciborowski now monitor his outgoing emails after officers said they had received up to 20 complaints a day about the department’s management. Postgraduate students were upset at being told they would have to move offices. An online petition started by Ms Cohen calling for the university to act on students’ concerns gathered 1,000 signatures. Members of the University and College Union held a rally in support of colleagues at the school of management last month. They said they were worried about how staff at the school were treated and called for a ‘harmonious and efficient’ relationship to be fostered. Swansea University declined to comment.

Drive-through café ‘could Costa lot and is too far’ WALES’ first drive-through Costa Coffee has failed to impress students. The chain opened an outlet in Heron Way, on Swansea Enterprise Park. But Daniel Morgan, a secondyear media and communications student at Swansea University,

said he would be surprised if it attracted students as regular customers. ‘By the time you pay to get a bus over you may as well get a Costa on campus,’ he said. First year Dion Tucker added: ‘I think it’s better for locals who live up there than students or

contactUS EDITOR: REBECCA THOMAS Email her at swanseaeditor@unipaper.co.uk.

people who drive to and from work in that area. There are already so many coffee shops and bars on campus and in town and I don’t think a lot of people know about it.’ While English student Jacob Beecham said cafés were not just about grabbing a coffee. ‘Do we really live in a society

where we don’t even have time to stop, sit down and have a drink with friends?’ he asked. But computer scientist EmilyBeth Richards said it was exciting, adding: ‘We need more creative ideas like this to boost the city. I’d like to try out the drive-through.’ Rebecca Thomas

For all advertising enquiries please call: 020 7580 6419

Gloucester Chambers Maritime Quarter Swansea SA1 1TY

STUDENT PROPERTIES

Tel: 01792 510502 www.glcstudentproperties.com

GLC CHAMBERS

Walking Distance

Swansea Uni 20 min City Centre 2 min

GLC Student Properties is a FAMILY RUN student Accommodation Company with quality properties located in the heart of Swansea. Being a family run business for 17 years we pride ourselves on providing SAFE, CLEAN, AFFORDABLE accommodation with a PERSONAL SERVICE.

•

FREE CONTENTS INSURANCE

•

FREE SUMMER STORAGE

•

FULL TIME CLEANING TEAM

•

FULL TIME SECURITY TEAM

We have 82 rooms, located over 3 prime locations in the HEART of Swansea. All our properties benefit from the following services

•

FULL TIME MANAGEMENT TEAM

•

FULL TIME MAINTENANCE TEAM

GLC LODGE

GLC BUNKHOUSE

Walking Distance

Swansea Uni 10 min

City Centre 5 min

www.glcstudentproperties.com

www.unipaper.co.uk

March 2015

focusPOINT

Our monthly in-depth look at the issues on campuses across the country

Well, these girls can Ad aims to shake up views on doing exercise NORA SELMANI IF you’ve turned on the TV lately, you may have noticed a load of sweaty women working out. But rather than airbrushed, toned types with thigh gaps, this lot look pretty normal, wobbly bits and all. That’s because they are part of This Girl Can – a campaign aimed at breaking down the barriers that stop women getting involved in sport and �itness. Adverts and a YouTube video show all sorts of women exercising to the soundtrack of Missy Elliott’s Get Ur Freak On. The �ilm was created by Sport England after it found just eight per cent of women and girls aged 14 to 40 did regular exercise, It said fear of being judged on their appearance, ability and weight was stopping women and girls from getting active. The campaign has been taken up eagerly on campuses across the country. Emily Cole, a secondyear English student at the University of Bristol, is right behind the campaign, saying she hoped it would help stop women feeling unwelcome at uni sports facilities. ‘In a society where I often feel intimidated at the university gym and where Setting the pace: London student Grace, 22, who was ﬁlmed climbing a hill on one of her regular bike rides for the video

Aspire to perspire: Victoria, a 29-year-old children’s nurse, appears at a spinning class in a shot aimed at making sweating acceptable the simple exercise of squatting has now become something so sexualised I daren’t do it in front of people, this campaign struck a chord with me,’ she said. ‘When I �irst saw the campaign advertised before a YouTube video, I had to stop and re-watch it. ‘Finally, after so many “new year, new me” magazine covers and gym wear advertised on incredible models, someone understood that it all comes down to being healthy and, most importantly, having fun. ‘Many girls I know forget that exercising isn’t just to get a “bikini bod”. I think this is only the beginning of a wider movement to encourage girls

that yes, we can go to the gym, sweat it out, have our wobbly bits on show and embrace the strength and beauty of our bodies. ‘I’m thankful that it’s �inally being addressed.’ Sinead O’Grady, who recently graduated with a business management and information systems degree from Swansea University, said she hoped the campaign would build on the work of women’s sports teams. ‘It is essential for bringing the issues that surround women in sports to the forefront of university policies,’ she said. ‘Swansea University has some incredibly talented female

players and teams, so it is not discrediting what they already have but encouraging others to be inspired and get involved.’ But Stuart Wilkinson, a lecturer in sports coaching at the University of Central Lancashire, said it was a problem that many of the women pictured in the campaign were still slim and conventionally attractive. ‘It hasn’t considered how such symbolism might have the opposite effect to what was intended – normalising the slender body, accentuating the desirable and undesirable,’ he added. ‘Unfortunately, while brave and bold, it will for these reasons come under scrutiny.’

what they say ‘This is a brilliant campaign. It sends a message to the nation that deﬁes the assumptions about being feminine. I would love to know how impactful it will be in future.’ Jasmine Pokuaa, vice-president for health and social care, University of Salford

‘Netball is extremely important to girls as it not only helps us physically but both socially and mentally also. It gives me structure in my daily life, helps with my ﬁtness and it’s something I love.’ Sam O’Connor, netballer, Northumbria University

‘This Girl Can is a really inspirational campaign and has used targeted messages that I think other women in sport campaigns have failed to address; it’s not about the way you look when you exercise, it’s about the way you feel.’ Alyx Murray-Jackman, sport development of�icer, University of Bristol

‘Most girls on our team have never touched a rugby ball before they come to uni, so playing a male-dominated sport is taking girls out of their comfort zone.’ Megan May Stammers, women’s rugby union social secretary, University of Liverpool

‘Being a woman in tennis has never stopped me from being my best. Mixed doubles shows our potential. I love playing against people who challenge me and, at times, it’s the women who do more.’ Sophie Brazell, tennis team captain, Cardiff University

March 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

The hunt for the one true hipster JOE EVANS COOL, ladies and gentlemen, is no longer cool. The hipster trend has become something of an epidemic. Now, bespectacled men in cardigans and Zooey Deschanel lookalikes roam our streets. Hating Coldplay but adoring Bob Dylan, loving coffee but scof�ing at anything nonorganic, they have conquered whole portions of our cities. Bookshops and vinyl outlets have been colonised. Love or loathe the trend, it appears to be �lourishing. But, like punk before it, hipsterism, so to speak, is deeply

Dodging the label: Hipsters PICTURE: STEWART HONEYMAN

�lawed. There is nothing a hipster hates more than the label. ‘I’m no hipster,’ they shriek. ‘So what if I love the works of Jack Kerouac and Bret Easton Ellis?’ The individualism that

de�ines the movement is the thorn in its side. Now let’s take a glimpse into the dystopian future I envisage. Brothers turn against brothers, girlfriends against boyfriends, in the name of �inding the one true original hipster. Their hair will get messier and the clothes more and more ill-�itting in the name of becoming the one true individual. The coffee shops will turn to slaughter houses as the �ight for non-conformity spirals out of control. Then Shoreditch, Digbeth and the Northern Quarter will fall silent as the hipster trend �inally breathes its last.

If you spot an error, we are committed to putting it right. Contact us at corrections@unipaper.co.uk. If you do not wish to receive a copy, then email us with your address at nothanks@unipaper.co.uk. We print 200,000 copies in 16 university cities. The University Paper is published by The UniPaper Ltd, in association with Simian Publishing, 23-24 Margaret Street, London W1W 8RU. Printed by Newsquest, Oxford.

talkingPOINTS TASTY PROSPECT: University students are like caterpillars. After we gobble up GSCEs and A levels, we get an appetite for degrees. We are cocooned for three years until we transform into beautiful butterﬂies and land graduate jobs. But in an increasingly competitive market, chancellor George Osborne wants to make it easier for us to stay cocooned. He has proposed a new postgrad loan of up to £10,000 to beneﬁt an intended 40,000 students. As someone who worked through both masters degrees, I applaud this idea. It would make the lives of working class students much easier Thomas Dowling

STRIKE A BALANCE: News that size 24, 5ft 5in model Tess Holliday had won a professional contract was met with a mix of triumph and outrage. Holliday’s unapologetic bikini-clad poses have won her a strong Instagram following and she should be commended for challenging the way unhealthy size zero ﬁgures are promoted in the modelling industry. However, her success does pose a question: is the promotion of an exceedingly overweight woman the right type of replacement role model? We need a middle ground Ellie Connell

PICTURE: STEWART HONEYMAN

LIT US BE: Dear students of the UK: When you ask us to explain our literature degrees, we prepare for questions that will make us want to blind ourselves with our Biros. Here are just a few examples: ‘So you want to be a teacher?’ Because that’s our only prospect – never mind media, PR or business. ‘It’s a pretty easy degree, right?’ Contrary to the myth that all we do is sip lattes and partake in an unrequited love affair with Mr Darcy, it’s actually a pretty tough subject. Unless you consider being assigned novels, poems and Foucault’s History Of Sexuality in the same week easy. ‘Why not maths or engineering?’ We don’t question your love for equations of a Tolstoy-esque length, so don’t knock our book fetish Ellie Tindsley

UNFAIR STEREOTYPES: As far as the media is concerned, us students should either be fun, carefree and innovative, or sheep following the system. Films like American Pie and Bad Neighbours are fun but show us drinking an excessive amount of alcohol and barely doing what we’re supposed to be doing – studying. Yes, we do like to go out and have fun – who doesn’t? But this distorted perception in ﬁlm blows it completely out of proportion. We need to be taken more seriously in the media Emma Adams

DIVERSITY LACKING: Because the curriculum is heavily based on white culture, certain students from ethnic backgrounds are at risk of under-achievement. These students learn nothing about the role their culture plays in the world they live in but are taught that civilisation and knowledge are the product of white predecessors. Ensuring education is racially inclusive and gives an unbiased representation of ethnic minorities is not only essential to achieve equality but also quality – the history, culture and literature of non-whites cannot be accurately represented by white people alone. Students from ethnic backgrounds cannot be taught material that only talks about their culture in a direct comparison with Western culture, in a way that shows it to be relatively subordinate. It is imperative that contemporary literature taught to young people reﬂects the multicultural society we live in Yashi Banymadhub

MATTER OF OPINION: When you have thousands of young, opinionated students on campus, claims of censorship are bound to pop up. Students should, of course, have the right to express all manner of opinions – but perhaps not those that are detrimental to others. The prohibition of material such as that from extremist groups could be perceived as patronising. While the right to express individual opinions is paramount, it is also vital that everyone feels they have the opportunity to do so without being harassed Beth Sexton

PIC: WIKICOMMONS/EVA RINALDI

NO CONFIDENCE: ‘Political apathy’ has been a buzz phrase during the run-up to this year’s election, describing a conscious lack of engagement with democracy, including the decision not to vote. Its most famous proponent, Russell Brand, has called for revolution. With students bearing the brunt of many cuts imposed by the current government, it’s easy to sympathise. But apathy highlights a problem without offering a solution. The revolution Brand describes is an event, not an outcome. Wherever you stand, it’s worth registering to vote before the April 20 deadline. It’s always nice to have the option Lindsey Coombs

You can read fuller versions of these pieces at www.unipaper.co.uk/comment. Then, let us know what you think; email us at comment@unipaper.co.uk

www.unipaper.co.uk

talkingPOINTS

March 2015

Comment, opinion and the occasional wild rant from our student writers across the country

I regret lecturer sex for cider bet JOSIE WALKER

Grey area: Powerful men, such as Christian in Fifty Shades Of Grey, might seem attractive – but reality might not live up to the mental image

WALKING into my first lecture of my first year, I thought I had hit the jackpot. A young, good-looking guy stood at the front of the hall, wearing a close-fitting suit. All the girls around me excitedly whispered to each other that this gorgeous man would be teaching us for the next 12 weeks. As time progressed, my fascination became stronger and, by reading week, I realised I could not recall a thing that had been said in any of the five lectures. The only notes I had taken was on the first day, where I had written the title and his name, dotting the ‘i’s with hearts like a lovesick primary school pupil. My preparation for lectures

was not completing seminar tasks or preliminary reading but, instead, making sure my hair was perfectly curled, my top enhanced my best assets and my skirt showed just enough leg to be suggestive but not slutty. In lectures, note-taking was shelved in favour of hair-flipping, pen-chewing and short, seductive glances. By this time, my friends had cottoned on and they made me a bet. If I got a snog, they would each buy me a pint of my favourite cider. Getting a snog AND free booze – what girl could refuse? So, in week nine, I made my way to his office in an outfit so tight I worried that if I ate anything I would burst out. Once there, I cut to the chase. Instead of sitting across

from him, I slid my chair next to his so he could ‘explain’ the problem I had brought to him. When in place, I leaned in close, breaking the distance barrier that kept our relationship professional. He noticed – and it didn’t take long for him to give me what I wanted. It was at that moment I realised my mistake. It felt the same as when my dog licks my face. I felt a trickle of something wet run down my chin and recoiled – but he got up to lock the door, and I knew what was about to happen. But, even though I was repulsed by his kiss, morbid curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to know what it would be like to go all the way. So I did. He wriggled around on top of me like an excited puppy,

arms flailing and not knowing where to put (or what to do with) his hands. My bum was numb from being squashed on to the solid wood desk and my legs dangled awkwardly off the side. When it was over (which didn’t take long), he rolled off me and sat in his chair, panting, leaving me sitting on the desk completely naked and questioning what I had just done. It felt like the worst mistake of my life, and in that moment I wished I could go back in time and take it back. I felt dirty and guilty, swearing I would never agree to a bet with my friends again. The one perk is that I got very drunk that night. But the worst part? I found out he’s my lecturer next year, too...

www.unipaper.co.uk

March 2015

theINTERVIEW: Nev Schulman

Being lied to takes its toll but I enjoy it W

HAT started out as a story of modern-day romance turned into a strange and twisted tale of deception and heartbreak. Photographer Nev (pronounced Neev) Schulman fell in love with Megan after talking online. However, after she avoided meeting up, he did some digging and discovered Megan didn’t exist. She was, in fact, the invention of a manipulative housewife called Angela. Nev had been catfished. His story was turned into a documentary – something he is unsure about to this day. ‘If I had been asked at the beginning if I would like to make a documentary about my life that would end up in movie theatres and exposing this embarrassing period in my life, I don’t know what I would have said. I can’t say I would have said yes or no. It happened by accident,’ he says. Then, after it aired, others started to turn to him for help. He explains: ‘People started emailing me saying: “Can you help me? I haven’t talked to anybody about this but I saw your story and now I feel like I’m not crazy and not alone.” ‘Very quickly, it became apparent to us that what we thought was an odd experience was much more common than we would have ever expected. ‘We wanted to continue the conversation – and a TV show

The Catfish host chats to JOSHUA EVANS about being manipulated by strangers, seeing your life turned into a TV show and getting back on the dating scene... was the best way to do that.’ That TV show became Catfish, which sees the 30-year-old weed out other web tricksters. So, which one was the worst? ‘The person I found the hardest to stomach was Kidd Cole, the one who pretended to be a producer and a recording artist,’ Nev says. ‘He was manipulating people for huge monetary purposes without remorse – it was just for fun. ‘He was trying to prove something to the people who never thought he’d amount to anything by taking advantage. When we confronted him, he was so cocky – that was why I threw his phone into the river.’ Nev shares the screen with friend and cameraman Max Joseph and claims it’s their relationship that keeps the show from getting too heavy. ‘He is so straight up with me,’ Nev says. ‘There are very few people who can really say anything to me and be totally honest, and Max is one of them. We give each other advice – he helps me and I help him. When we’re not filming, we’re usually so busy doing other things, we don’t spend a lot of time together.’ The pair are often lied to by the fraudsters in the show. How does that feel? ‘I think people forget Max and I are people,’ Nev adds. ‘We’re

not trying to win people over, we’re just trying to tell good stories and I think people forget that. They just see us as cardboard cut-outs. ‘So, it does take its toll – but I mostly enjoy it.’ And what about the rumours of a UK version of the show? ‘We’ve been talking about it,’ he says. ‘There was a time when we were very close to putting together a pilot. I was very excited – but for now it’s all on hold. I would love to come over as it’s fun to go to places I’ve never been and have people recognise me. Sometimes it’s weird and I don’t like it but it’s mostly fun and pretty wild.’ Now the pair are filming series four, Nev is ready to get back on the dating scene. ‘It’s been a while since I was really dating. I recently broke up with a long-term girlfriend,’ he explains. ‘I’m just starting to reconsider how I want to re-emerge and put myself back into the single world.’ So, any dating advice for us? ‘It’s important to be straight up with people and tell them how you feel even if you are unclear about what you want,’ he says. ‘As soon as you open that door for an honest exchange with someone, it just makes it nicer to be around them.’

NEV SCHULMAN is the face of Rocawear. Visit the website: www.rocawear.com

INSIDE: Fat Boy Slim speaks to us about his life on the road and the people he has met

March 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

X Factor Ray finally singing it his way... SINCE making The X Factor finals at just 17, he has seemingly aced every other talent show he has tried, too. But is the fame game losing its shine for Ray Quinn? REBECCA THOMAS talks to him about the aftermath of the contest, his relationship with Simon Cowell and the kind of music he wants to make in the future...

E shot to fame on X Factor, won Dancing On Ice and convinced studio audiences with his impressions on a new TV talent contest – but there is just a hint of reality show fatigue in Ray Quinn’s voice. So far, the shows he has appeared in – from The X Factor in 2006, when he lost out to Leona Lewis in the final, to his turns as comedians Alan Carr and fellow Scouser John Bishop on Get Your Act Together in January – have all been performance-based. But will he keep up the reality TV appearances? I’m A Celebrity, maybe? ‘Given the opportunity, you never know but as I am now, I’m not interested in anything like that,’ he says. ‘I’m very blessed to have had a colourful career so far, doing so many different types of things – but sometimes these can go against you, so I’ve made a decision to focus on one thing – and that’s music.’ However, he is careful to acknowledge the part The X Factor played in his career. ‘X Factor was a very exciting experience,’ he says. ‘I was only 17 and I had an opportunity. ‘I went and loved every minute of it. I’m really respectful of the platform it gave me and it did throw me into the spotlight very quickly.’ Now 26, Quinn claims his book, This Time Round, released this month, ‘will open a lot of people’s eyes to what I went through’. After becoming known as a swing performer on X Factor and releasing

platinum-selling No.1 album Doing It My Way, which featured covers in the same genre, now is the time for something different. ‘The X Factor shoved me in a corner as a swing artist, which was very frustrating,’ he frowns. He does not keep in touch with Simon Cowell, although he ‘considers him a friend’ and says the most famous person in his phone book is singer–songwriter Linda Lewis, best known for her ’70s hits. ‘She has written a song for me on the album and in my eyes, she’s legendary,’ he says. ‘That’s what I call famous talent.’ So, if it’s all about the music, what would he have done if his inging career had never got off the ground? ‘Probably something to do with cars or bikes,’ he laughs. ‘I love my toys.’ But he has no time for that at the moment as he has been busy working on new album Dare To Dream, the production of which he funded using a crowdfunding website. Due out in April, it follows his single They Say Love, which was released last month. What can fans expect from his new material? ‘The album is all about familiarity,’ Quinn says. ‘I’ve been looking at the sounds of Sam Smith and Bruno Mars. ‘I want to find music that represents me and music that I am making. The album is all about familiarity.’ And what does he have in store when he comes to Swansea this month? ‘I have the best support act and best musicians

what’sON clubs

MONDAY Bombtastic Mondays, Yates’s, Jager and vodka bombs for £1, free Mega Monday!, Revolution, 2-4-1 cocktails Monday Ting, Kon Tiki, free R.P.S. (Rock, Paper, Scissors), Win: Your second round is free, Draw: Play again, Lose: Pay for your round, Peppermint Bar TUESDAY Happy Hour, Revolution, free Karaoke Night, Pop World, free Tight Ass Tuesdays, Divas, £2 Open Mic Night, JC’s, free WEDNESDAY Quids In, Yates’s, £1/£1.50 drinks, £2 4 Play, Idols, drinks from £1.35, £3 We love #Wednesdays, Lava Lounge, £1 drinks, free Biggest Student Night Wednesday, Revolution, free Wednesday Night Madness, Jack Murphy’s, £1 Jagerbombs, free Play On Wednesdays, Fiction, free Poundabout Wednesdays, Walkabout, free Quiz Night, No Sign Bar, free

Swings and roundabouts: Ray Quinn wants to break out of the swing genre on his new album

THURSDAY Sin Savers, Sin City, £3 Karaoke Night, Yates’s, £1.50 selected drinks, free FRIDAY Friday Sessions, CoCo Bar, free L-UV Fridays, Idols, 2-4-1 drinks, free Lava Fridays, Lava Lounge, buyone-get-one-free cocktails, free Monsters Of Rock, Sin City, free Fiction Fridays, Fiction, free before 10pm/£4 Tooters, Divas, £3 Aloha Fridays, Bambu Beach Bar, £3 SATURDAY Sink Swansea, Sin City, £3 Big Night Out, Idols, £3 Saturday Sessions, Walkabout, free Saturdays @ Fiction, Fiction, £5 Saturday nights @ Club Oxygen, free before 11pm SUNDAY Pub Quiz Night, JC’s, free Rimto Latino Sundays, Bambu Beach Bar, £3 Student Sundays Live, Lava Lounge, drinks from £1 with NUS card, free

playing with me at the Swansea concert,’ he says. ‘I actually have Ed Sheeran’s bass player with me in the performance, which is very exciting. ‘I’m going to be singing new music from the album and also songs that I just like to sing in particular, so it’s going to be a really good

night.’ It will be his first time in the city. ‘I’m very excited,’ he tells me. ‘My uncle lives in Wales and he loves Swansea, so I’m looking forward to meeting the people. I’m going to get down there early to meet everyone and have a little wander before the show.’ Quinn has come a long

way since his X Factor days. To anyone else trying to make it at a young age, he says: ‘Music, for me, is about passion – so whatever way you can get out there and tell the world how much you love it, do it.’ n Ray Quinn will play Swansea Grand Theatre on March 24.

SPECIALS March 11: Play On Wednesdays at Wind Street, 9pm-3am: £3 bands give you free entry into Peppermint, Snowlodge, Idols, Fiction & Myu Sunday March 14: Wales v Ireland, Six Nations rugby featuring reserved table seating, table service hostesses, giant HD projection screens, after-party entry included, Fiction, seats from £5 March 21: Italy v Wales, Six Nations rugby featuring reserved table seating, table service hostesses, giant HD projection screens, after-party entry included, Fiction, seats from £5

www.unipaper.co.uk

March 2015

what’sON

ET’S start at the very beginning – a very good place to start... For those not already familiar with the nun-filled knees-up that is Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music, imagine the bank holiday TV favourite on the big screen complete with subtitles, props and a fancy dress competition. The Julie Andrews musical telling the story of the Von Trapp family and Maria, an aspiring nun sent to be their governess, was released 50 years ago and to celebrate, Sing-a-long-a Productions are taking their interactive version on tour, calling at Swansea later this month. One of the brains behind the screenings, Charlie Crocker, told us they are still just as popular as when they began in 1999, drawing audiences of all ages, whether they remember the film’s 1965 release or are only, say, 16 going on 17. ‘Many young people come and see the show, especially the ones who saw the film growing up,’ says Charlie. ‘Students like to come to blow off steam and have a good old laugh. We love

Our comprehensive guide to entertainment in Swansea. If you have an event you would like included, please email us at whatson@unipaper.co.uk

It’s a habit that’s fun to pick up

Get both hands on these tickets

Nun times: Sound Of Music fans get into the spirit PICTURE: JESSICA HUFFORD

IT may not be the most sophisticated way to spend a Thursday night but bringing a fancy dress costume and your best singing voice to a karaoke version of a classic musical can be a great way to relax, as one of the creators of the sing-a-long concept tells REBECCA THOMAS student audiences as they are always willing participants – particularly when it comes to dressing in a nun’s habit.’ As well as being able to belt out My Favourite Things at top volume – after a full vocal warm-up with the host – the show also gives audience members the chance to show off their costumes on stage. ‘I remember one lady

dressed up as “the hills are alive” for the fancy dress competition,’ Charlie said. ‘She looked great, covered in fake grass and flowers.’ Less challenging costumes have included curtains – a reference to the clothes Andrews’ character Maria makes for the Von Trapp children using the drapes in her bedroom –

and, of course, polyester nuns’ habits. If you would rather bid ‘so long and farewell’ to songs about mountains, the company screens sing-a-long versions of The Rocky Horror

Picture Show (cue rather more raunchy fancy dress), Dirty Dancing, Grease and Disney’s Frozen. n Sing-A-Long-A Sound Of Music comes to Swansea Grand Theatre on March 26.

50390 Students in Swansea enjoy themselves every month Make sure they know about your event

To place your listing please contact listings@unipaper.co.uk

BRISTOL rockers Turbo Wolf have so far escaped being squeezed into a genre. The four-piece draw on rock ‘n’ roll, psychedelia, heavy metal, punk rock and electronica to produce their sound. Their 2011 debut album was described as ‘filthy, fun and full of attitude’ and they are now touring to promote the release of their forthcoming offering Two Hands, which is due to be released on April 6. Fans will have a few days to grab a copy before the band play Sin City, with Dolomite Minor and Hyena, on April 9. Rebecca Thomas

March 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

theBEAT

I’m diving a little deeper... I’m a little darker

Experimental: B.Traits is pushing her musical boundaries

Brianna Price, aka B.Traits, 28, was a regular on Canada’s rave scene at the tender age of 14. She and MORGAN HINTON chat musical inﬂuences and the UK’s drug problem

INCE moving to the UK, what have you found to be best and worst about the rave scene? The rave scene here is incredible – unlike anywhere else in the world. Even just the sound of the style of music stands out to me – it’s the main reason why I didn’t move to the US instead. The worst? Probably similar to my documentary How Safe Are My Drugs? I feel like the authorities are

not doing enough to create safer raving environments. Have you found the drug problem in the UK more prominent than Canada? Yes, particularly with legal highs. They scare me most as they are so unpredictable and there’s no history to tell us what the side-effects could be. What is your favourite non-electronic musical act? I listen to a lot of rap, like Pusha T and Kendrick Lamar. But then, I have a massive

love for Alabama Shakes! What can we expect from you musically this year? I’m not exactly sure myself! I’ve gone into the studio with the idea to only create and experiment. It’s been really interesting – for the �irst time

in my life, I believe I really know what my sound is. What kind of listening experience does your Friday night slot on Radio 1 offer? I represent new talent for the underground dance scene. After Annie Mac and

Pete Tong, my show takes you a little deeper, a little darker. Since coming to the UK, who has had the most impact on your music? Probably Shy FX, as he’s stuck with me since the beginning. I remember the

�irst time I played him my more experimental stuff, I was convinced he’d hate it. But he didn’t – he loved it and pushed me to dive deeper. B.Traits plays Manchester’s Sankeys on March 21 as part of its 20th anniversary.

www.unipaper.co.uk

March 2015

theBEAT The ‘people’s tenor’ prefers tennis and his Xbox to plugging in the headphones Love your music? So do we! Tune in here for all the latest interviews, previews and reviews

I love the sound of silence Y

OU’VE had �ive top ten studio albums and worked with artists from Pavarotti to Shaun Ryder – but what music inspires you? You’ll probably be surprised by this, but when I’m going about my daily business I actually don’t listen to much music. I try to avoid it. I’m already in the industry and music is my life, so when I don’t have to listen to it, it’s like, ‘aww, bliss’. When I do I listen to music, it’s artists like the Black Eyed Peas or James Brown. When I’m touring, I’ll refresh my memory by listening to recordings of the tenor singing repertoire that I do – listen to the different in�lections they use. We hear Katherine Jenkins refuses to speak the day before a performance. How do you look after your voice? Well – Jacuzzis, lots of booze… no, I’m just joking – that’s a normal night! Your voice can be a bit of a pain in the a**e sometimes. If you are a guitar player and the strings start to wear out you can simply replace them, whereas it’s not so simple to repair your voice. When I �irst starting singing as a young chap, I used to go watch Manchester United and if something happened I’d be shouting from the stands, but I can’t do that anymore. What collaborations will stick in your mind for years to come? Of course it has to be my performance with Luciano Pavarotti. He was amazing and totally lived up to his diva reputation. One of the most amazing days I’ve had was when we did a concert in

Tour: Cook PICTURE: FUTURE MUSIC

Singer Russell Watson tells REBECCA THOMAS about his battle with cancer, strange rehearsals with Charlotte Church and Pavarotti and being made to rock by Meat Loaf Hyde Park where I was told I would be performing in front of 75,000 people. Charlotte Church was also performing alongside Pavarotti and we were waiting what felt like forever to rehearse with him. We walked into the rehearsal room, where he was sat on this long arm chair. He put his hands together as if he was going to say a prayer and then took a massive inhalation of air before pointing to Charlotte and saying (cue dodgy Italian accent) ‘When I point to you, you sing’ and looks at me and says the same thing and then goes: ‘End of rehearsal’ – and that was it. That was the rehearsal! We got outside and Charlotte looked at me and went: ‘What the f**k was that all about?’ Another amazing person I performed with had to be Meat Loaf up in New York. I ended up in fact singing Bat Out Of Hell with him, which was incredible. We were in rehearsal once and he asked me: ‘Are you ready to rock?’ and me, being the typical English boy, said: ‘Yes, I am.’ He replied: ‘No, I said… ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?’ and he wouldn’t let us continue until I screamed out ‘Yes!’ It was surreal. You found out your brain tumour had returned while you were recording your 2007 album Outside In. Has anything positive come out of your illness? The �irst one was bad enough. I had that operated on and thought it was gone but 12 months later it wanted to do a comeback tour. I

basically ended up back in hospital and was very poorly for a long period of time. You can look back at instances like that and think I was very unlucky to get that and ‘why me?’ but these things happen and it’s how you deal with them that is crucial. An illness like that stays with you. Before I was constantly planning, whereas now my philosophy is live for the day. What has been your biggest achievement so far? Overcoming the illness and coming through the other side – being able to sustain my career through it all. My career highlight is de�initely performing for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. He passed away not long after. What advice would you give to an aspiring singer? There are four things I feel are important if you want to pursue a career in singing. No.1 is always con�idence – it’s is a crucial part of the make-up of a singer. But the biggest factor of all for any new artist starting out in the business is to have a plan, a good business accruement and to have a good team of people who you can trust. On your upcoming tour, you’ll be playing at your birthplace, Salford. Is there anywhere else on the tour you’re particularly fond of? I’m actually a big fan of Wales and so was my gran, she always used to take us on day trips there. As a child, it was the one of the only places I really visited outside of Manchester, as we couldn’t

Tough industry: Watson will wait before making another album

tourDATES

; March 22, The March 10, Brangwyn Hall, Swansea , Leicester; May atre The e Lowry, Salford; May 5-6, Curv rter Theatre, Cha 19, May h; burg Edin , Hall 11, Queen’s ton; June 16, Grand Theatre, amp verh Wol , atre The d Preston; June 4, Gran dule at www.russellwatson.com sche tour full ; Leeds; June 26, The Forum, Bath

afford to go away abroad or anything, so I spent most of my time holidaying in Wales as a child. What do you do to relax between gigs? I like to exercise a lot. My favourite thing to do at the moment is play tennis. I’m

playing about four times a week. I love my physical �itness, including boxing. My biggest form of escapism, though, is my Xbox One – quite sad for a man of my age (48). Do you have plans for a new record soon?

The music industry is tough. It got to the point when I was getting fed up and it almost felt like a factory churning out song after song, so I’m waiting until I’m ready to produce something that I believe in before I release anything else.

A long way from the gutter but dreaming of stars FATBOY SLIM has made some pretty extreme venues his own, from a igloo to the Great Wall of China. Over the past 19 years the DJ, real name Norman Cook, has produced some of the biggest dance anthems to date and sold 8million albums. But with an international tour coming up, he is showing no signs of slowing down. Reﬂecting on his rise to DJ stardom, he says: ‘I

remember the ﬁrst time I heard one of my tunes on the John Peel show. It felt like the pinnacle of everything I ever wanted to do. Over the years, all these things ascend, from hearing your music being played on the jukebox at the Queen Vic to ending up at the Olympic Games closing ceremony. Every time you think you have reached a pinnacle, you ﬁnd another.’ Now 51, Cook

lives with wife Zoe Ball and their two children in East Sussex. He says he would do it all again, but has one regret. ‘I never had my photo taken with Madonna,’ he says. ‘We met the ﬁrst time she came to England and shared a dressing room. It was the time she had the string vest, you know, classic Madonna.’ But that’s far from his only celebrity run-in. ‘The weirdest thing to

happen to me while DJing was Kevin Spacey coming up to me heavily disguised at Glastonbury. We had a chat right in the middle of a set and nobody else realised. I can’t even remember what we chatted about. It was Glastonbury; everything was a bit of a blur. No-one else will ever know if it really happened.’ Fatboy Slim plays Common People in Southampton on May 23.

find a near you! We’re always open with over 50 free classes, no contract and large free weights area. #reasonstojoin from

£9.99

My PureGym App

per month, limited offer*

find your neArest PureGyM... Visit us online at puregym.com or download our FREE app to find your nearest PureGym! You can read our full terms and conditions at www.puregym.com/terms, don’t worry they’re short and sweet! Here’s the main ones: *We do ask new members to pay a small joining fee and prices vary slightly across the country, see online for details; all our members need to be at least 18 years old; **we have one or two clubs that can’t open 24/7, details of club opening hours can be seen online. ***There may be a small charge for some of our classes. †And please be aware facilities and classes may vary slightly depending where you are.

0343 PUREGYM Uni adverts BATH and SWANSEA.indd 1

15/12/2014 16:42

www.unipaper.co.uk

inSTYLE

March 2015

Want to look great and stay up-to-date with the latest trends ... all on a sensible budget? Check out our monthly guide to the best buys for students

How to be chic at a snip

EING a student means learning many new skills – not least the art of budgeting. But despite being able to get by on £10 of food a week, some of us �ind it harder to rein in the spending when it comes to keeping up with the latest trends. So, how can you be fashionable while sticking to a student budget? Go for investment buys. This does not mean blowing your entire loan on one Michael Kors bag – it’s about being clever with your spending and splurging on key pieces that will last, rather than the buying expensive ‘on-trend’ items that will soon look dated. A good pair of jeans or a quality coat can be investment buys – just keep them simple and classic. Don’t go mad at the sales – just because individual pieces

are cheap does not mean the cost won’t add up. Most shops list sale items online before they appear in store, so make a list of what you want before you go bargain hunting. Embrace recycling. Many people think charity shops are just full of old people’s clothes but among the knitted tank tops and pleated woollen skirts, you can �ind some real bargains. I recently picked up a Topshop skirt for £4 while it was still being sold new for £26. Many stores offer multibuys on things like socks and underwear which can be great – as long as they actually save you a reasonable amount of money. But beware – anything less than a £1 saving is a bit pointless, unless you really need to stock up. Finally, don’t forget to wave that NUS card. Many high

Wearing very Lidl clothing

Bargain buys: English students Beckey Bulman (left) and Ally Head model charity shop ﬁnds PICTURES: DAISY HOLDEN street chains offer a discount of ten per cent or more on full-price items. Daisy Holden

WE all know it does cheap food – but now supermarket chain Lidl is branching out into the world of lingerie too. For £7.98, you can now pick up a matching set of lacy underwear similar to the one pictured while you shop for your groceries. There are bras and knickers for £3.99 and a silky wrap will set you back less than a ﬁver. The supermarket not only offers a no-frills approach to frilly undies – it has also launched a fashion range. But will it be enough to tear us away from our beloved highstreet brands? Aliya Hussain

March 2015

hiTECH

www.unipaper.co.uk The latest in everything gadgets and gaming

Get screws in a spin to bust out of the prison

ANCY yourself as the next Michael Sco�ield or Andy Dufresne? Well, with Team17’s The Escapists, you can test yourself against the system without going through all the hassle of committing a crime. The indie puzzle game, released last month on PC and Xbox One, uses the �ilm and TV cliché of breaking out of prison but puts you in control of the story. Developer Chris Davis told the University Paper: ‘I’ve always been a fan of prison �ilms – Prison Break and The Shawshank Redemption – but there have not really been that many games that take place inside. ‘So, I thought maybe this will be good – the big build-up and the suspense.’

The game lets you go through day-to-day prison life – including meals, workout time, roll call and even jobs such as laundry duty – so as not to arouse the guards’ suspicion, all the while coming up with an escape plan. Want to beat a guard to death with a soap bar in a sock? You can do that. Want to dig a tunnel underneath the prison? You can do that, too. There are no instruction manuals or tooltips – how you escape is left entirely up to you. Chris said: ‘The games I grew up with when I was younger, from the 16-bit era – they never had these handholding aspects and I guess that’s what I’m used to. ‘I remember when I used to

Bloodborne, March 24 SEARCH for answers in the creepy streets of Yharnam – an ancient city hit by a gruesome plague. Fight off the violent, deranged mobs and nightmarish creatures that lurk around every corner using weapons such as guns and saw cleavers. Players can also use holy chalices to gain entrance to a network of vast underground ruins ﬁlled with traps, beasts and rewards. The game will be coming exclusively to PS4 from Dark Souls developer FromSoftware. Jake Clothier Dark Souls II, April 7

Hell in a cell: The Escapists on PC (£12.99) or Xbox One (£14.99) achieve something in a game back then, I felt a sense of accomplishment that I don’t feel you get these days with games, because everything is sort of way-pointed.’ Alex Jolly

 FOR a chance to win one of three The Escapists goodie bags, email us at win@unipaper.co.uk with your name, age, university, telephone number and address.

THE innovative fantasy series returns, remastered and reimagined, in Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin. The next-gen and PC re-release comes with a new playable character and enemy placements, which will change the way levels are handled. There are also new items

out soon available, including the ‘agape ring’, which absorbs souls collected from online kills. The developers have also enhanced the graphics and increased the player count in online play. Ben Chuter Mortal Kombat X, April 14 WE all know the format by now – two players ﬁght against each other using an array of attacks, special moves and brutal fatalities. So, what’s different about Mortal Kombat’s latest offering? Well, new ‘living towers’ game mode allows players to ﬁght to the death in everchanging conditions, forcing gamers to adapt their technique. Four new characters have also been added to the roster, while all the old favourites have been brought back, bringing the number of playable characters up to 24. Matt Bullin

www.unipaper.co.uk

March 2015

onSCREEN

Love a good night at the movies? Or perhaps you need a quiet night in front of the TV? Read on to �ind out what’s on...

The quick quip comedy It’s war: Shailene Woodley takes the ﬁght to the elite in Insurgent

The Divergent Series: Insurgent THE latest film in the series based on Veronica Roth’s best-selling science fiction trilogy sees Shailene Woodley’s character Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior go to war against the leader of the corrupt elite, Kate Winslet’s Jeanine, while Theo James plays love interest Four. Tris and Four must search for allies and unlock the answers to seemingly impossible questions. The film is set to be released on March 20 and is yet to be rated. Daniel Williams Furious 7 FASTEN your seatbelts for the latest lap of the Fast And Furious circuit. The franchise was rocked last year by the death of Paul Walker, who played Brian O’Conner, in a car crash – but the latest instalment was finished after his brothers Caleb and Cody stepped in to help. In a strange twist, the film sees Ian Shaw, played by Jason Statham, seek revenge for the death of his brother at the hands of a rival crew. The film is due for release on April 10. Zahra Faqir Child 44 ANOTHER Tom Hardy film, another accent.

After sporting a southern drawl in Lawless, going Welsh for Locke and using a somewhat unplaceable tongue as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, the Londoner goes Russian to play Leo Demidov. The secret policeman is troubled by the mysterious deaths of boys in this thriller, based on the 2014 novel. Joel Kinnaman, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman also star. Out April 17. Seamus Mcginley-Hughes Avengers: Age Of Ultron IRON Man, Thor, the Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye are back – and this time they’re joined by X-Men twins Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen. The peacekeeping tool Ultron, created by Tony Stark – aka Ironman – backﬁres when it decides the human race must be wiped out and the heroes unite to stop it. Out April 23. Zahra Faqir

app. Laura Barns (Heather Sossaman) kills herself after ﬁnding someone has posted a drunken video of her online, before one of her ‘friends’ sets out for revenge via Skype and the dead girl’s Facebook account. Due to be released May 1. Antoniya Gerimpapazi

told us we needed to bury it in a time capsule so that nobody would ever �ind it.’ Determined not to bin the project, McDermott, who started making �ilms when he was given a video camera aged 14, cut a three-minute trailer from the pilot footage, which got 25,000 hits online. It attracted the attention of Comedy Central, which funded the team and now hosts the series on its website. McDermott (pictured second from right with fellow cast members Zoe Lister, Adam Brown and Brian Capron) also stars in the series, �ilmed in Salford, Manchester. It is aimed at people watching on their mobiles while travelling to and

from work and uni. ‘We had to learn how to be really serious writers,’ said McDermott. ‘We had to deliver these episodes that were really halfan-hour’s worth each and put them into eight minutes – and that was a challenge.’ An added pressure has been �ilming each episode in a day. ‘Nobody does that,’ said McDermott. ‘It was like a military operation to get it all done but at the same time we were literally having the best time – we became a big family.’ To anyone hoping to �ilm their own comedy series, he said: ‘Know exactly what you are and exactly what you want to be.’ See Staff Room at www. comedycentral. co.uk. Christina Sims

The Salt Of The Earth THIS documentary sees Juliano Salgado follow in his famous father Sebastião’s footsteps, as he uses images to tell the photographer’s life story. His father, now in his 70s, has witnessed the major conﬂicts, mass exoduses and human tragedies of the late 20th century, and this ﬁlm calls on the viewer to think about what the human race does to the planet. Due for general release on July 3. Antoniya Gerimpapazi

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

Unfriended A MIX of horror classics Carrie and I Know What You Did Last Summer, this ﬁlm, directed by Levan Gabriadze, uses social media to make you think twice about opening that Facebook

TAFF Room has trodden the rocky path from disastrous pilot to internet hit. The comedy series is squeezed into eight-minute episodes that follow two teacher friends as they skip classes, nurse hangovers and discuss everything but work. Its co-writer, Ryan McDermott, collected ideas while working in schools and teamed up with old friend Adam Brown to create it. But the pair failed to get funding for their �irst pilot. ‘Nobody wanted to make it, which is usually a sign not to do it,’ McDermott admitted. ‘So we said, “OK, we’ll make a pilot of this ourselves”.’ They raised just over £1,000 on crowdfunding website Kickstarter. ‘It wasn’t a lot of money but it was enough to get us going,’ said McDermott. ‘But then the pilot was a disaster. My agent

11am 6am

Please ask a member of the team for more information Going east: Tom Hardy keepitfun.rank.com Over 18s only. Photo ID is required. www.gambleaware.co.uk

March 2015

yourNIGHT

www.unipaper.co.uk Enjoyed a big night in Swansea? We have all the pictures from the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest nightspots... see if you can spot yourself.

"Despite the fact that England is already the fourth place where I have settled down, thanks to Student Mundial, for the rst time in my life I feel like I've got my "home, sweet home" here. Brand new accommodation, perfect location, aďŹ&#x20AC;ordable price. I'm loving it!!!" Jake: Maidstone, UK - Lisbon, Portubal "Thanks for your help, the place is great, sharing with some friendly people."

hola@studentmundial.com

studentmundial.com

+44 (0)207 193 2377

March 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

foodBREAK

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all got to eat. So whether you fancy preparing something at home or popping out for dinner, we have the recipe for a great meal

The magic of mince...

pepper. Scrunch together well with hands 3. Divide into 24 small balls. Put them on a plate and coat with olive oil 4. Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and add two tbsp olive oil. Stir in the onion until softened and colouring. Then add the other clove of garlic and the chilli. When they colour, add several large basil leaves, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Bring to the boil, season to taste and leave to simmer 5. Heat another large frying pan on a high heat and add two tbsp oil. Cook the meatballs for eight to ten minutes, frequently turning them until golden brown. Check they are cooked by making sure there is no sign of pink inside. Once cooked, add to the tomato sauce and your choice of pasta Jes Needham-Bennet

It is the essential student ingredient â&#x20AC;&#x201C; cheap, filling and easy to use. But, if all you can think to do with mince is to rustle up a spag bol, then think again... Chorizo, beef and bean stew

Ingredients: 500g minced beef, 225g chorizo, can of red kidney beans, can of chopped tomatoes, two cups of beef broth, one large onion, four cloves of garlic, one large carrot (chopped), one potato (diced), one tsp smoked paprika, one tsp black pepper, half a lemon, salt to taste Method: 1. Heat the oven to 180C. In an oven-proof pot, heat the chorizo with a little bit of oil so it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t burn. When it starts sizzling, add onions and garlic and fry. Once browned, add the beef

and chopped tomatoes 2. Cook in oven for one-anda-half hours 3. Add the beans, spices, carrot and potato. Continue cooking for one-and-a-half hours 4. Serve with boiled rice and green peas Jit Pal Meatballs

Ingredients: One heaped tbsp rosemary, one heaped tbsp oregano, one heaped tsp thyme, 12 cream crackers (smashed until fine), two tsp Dijon mustard, fresh basil, 500g minced beef or pork, one egg, olive oil, one medium

Tasty and quick: Chorizo, beef and bean stew and, inset, spicy south-west burgers

Spicy south-west burgers

PICTURE: BLYTHE LEWIS

onion (finely chopped), two large cloves garlic (crushed), half a red chilli (finely sliced), two cans of chopped tomatoes, one tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper

Method: 1. Put crackers and one clove of garlic in a large bowl with oregano, rosemary, thyme, mince and mustard 2. Crack an egg into the mix and season with salt and

Ingredients: 500g minced beef, one onion (diced), three mixed small peppers (diced), one small red chilli pepper (diced), one clove garlic (crushed), one tsp cumin, one

tsp coriander, ground black pepper to taste, two tbsp vegetable oil, two avocados, four burger buns, cheddar cheese (sliced), hot sauce Method: 1. Mix the mince, onion, peppers, chilli pepper, garlic, cumin, coriander, and black pepper in a large bowl. Knead with hands until all the vegetables and seasonings are incorporated into the beef 2. Separate the mixtures into four even pieces and roll each into a ball. Put on a plate, pressing on each with palm to flatten. Leave in the fridge for at least 15 minutes 3. Heat two tbsp of vegetable oil in a pan over high heat. When oil begins to shimmer, add patties to the pan. Cook for two to three minutes on each side 4. Remove patties from the heat and place on kitchen roll to remove excess oil. Transfer to buns 5. Halve the avocados and remove pits. Use a fork to crush half of the flesh while still in the skin, then transfer to the burger, using half an avocado for each burger 6. Top with hot sauce and sliced cheese Blythe Lewis

Download the GBK app to unlock your 30% Student Discount gbkapp.co.uk/uni

www.gbk.co.uk

www.unipaper.co.uk

competitionCORNER  YOU can win one of four Bulldog Skincare For Men kits – jam-packed with enough product to scrub yourself from head to toe. Each kit includes original shower gel, aftershave and moisturiser, all made from natural ingredients and no man-made chemicals

 TO celebrate the DVD release of WWII epic Fury, we are giving away copies of the ﬁlm, along with a Fury T-shirt, tankard, hip ﬂask and a special Sherman Tank Haynes Manual. Fury is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and for digital download

To enter these competitions, email your name, university and year of study to win@unipaper.co.uk

March 2015

Your chance to win fantastic tickets, trips and treats

tickets to N I W Outlook festival To enter, email your name, university and year of study to win@unipaper.co.uk

In the groove: Outlook festival takes place in a 2,000-year-old Roman fort

ANCY sailing around the Adriatic coastline and partying in a 2,000-year old amphitheatre in Croatia this September? All you need to do is grab your bestie and some cheap �lights, and we’ll provide you with two tickets to Outlook festival in Stinjan. The prize includes access to the festival’s camping area – so don’t forget to pack your tent pegs. You’ll also get two tickets to the opening concert and a boat party of your choice. Guests so far include Run The Jewels, Wiley, Boy Better Know, Goldie and Pete Rock. The event runs from Wednesday, September 2, to Sunday, September 6. For all the details, take a peek at www.outlookfestival.com.

www.unipaper.co.uk

let’sTALK

March 2015 Relationship trouble? Sex worries? Feeling low? We’ve got wise words to set you right

Alice ask

treatment being a syringe to drain blood, I’d suggest you are better off sticking to your guns on this one, Aaron.

Danger: Taking tablets to boost your sex life can be risky

O... Student Finance doesn’t cover the summer. How have I only just found this out and what am I meant to do?! Pia, Bristol Your final instalment will be slightly higher to account for the summer; however, you still have five months to get through between April and September. So, start applying for summer jobs now – and we aren’t talking about shelf-stacking. Go to Glastonbury with DC Site Services or head down under with Get Australia. If you want to stay closer to home, how about becoming a mentor with The Challenge or even staying in halls? Most universities open them up as hotels during the summer and need all the hands they can get.

FTER Easter I have just two months left at university... need I say more. Tom, Preston If there is one thing worse than the dissertation, it is the constant ‘so, what are you going to do when you finish university?’ – and this is before you’ve even got through finals. But, having said that, you need to start looking at graduate schemes and postgraduate bursaries now, or maybe even the possibility of extending your tenancy just a month or two longer to avoid a bout of graduation blues. Graduating can be just as good as freshers was those three short years ago... but only if you have a game plan.

INCE when did Viagra become the one? Even my girlfriend is keen to try it out but I don’t see

the point in either of us taking it. Aaron, Cardiff One in five 18- to 25-year-olds is necking the infamous blue pill but not for the reasons for which it

was originally intended. Much like poppers, Viagra has strayed into the recreational category. However, if you take it without prescription or purchase it online, you are

opening yourself up to a number of life-threatening and long-lasting complications – not to mention priapism. (That’s a persistent erection to you and I).With the

Struggling with your studies, wrestling with a relationship or is your social life at a standstill? If you need advice, email our agony aunt on askalice@unipaper.co.uk

Looking for a date? Try this cheeky app Founder and director of CheekyBoo Ben Mitchell, 30, used to work at Barclays before an idea came to him about simplifying the online dating process. Thus, almost two years ago, the idea for the app was born. AYNSLEIGH HOLLYWOOD asks him whether we are losing the art of meeting Mr or Miss Right in the real world

VERYTHING happens online now. Do you think that enhances or diminishes real-life interactions? It’s just the way of the world. It’s the reason for CheekyBoo and other likeminded apps – people don’t have time to go out and meet people as much as they used to. It’s handy to meet online and it’s only going to increase as technology advances. Do you have any personal online dating experience? I’ve been on dating sites in the past and I think CheekyBoo was born from the fact that I didn’t like what I saw. I wanted to strip out what I considered as gimmicks and simplify the process of online dating.

Where did the idea come from? Just being out and about and thinking about new ways of meeting and interacting with people, rather than having to go through the awkward ice-breaker. What work goes in to making an app of this sort? I had to come up with design images to show how I wanted the app to look. You also have to do what’s called wire frames to design the actual pages themselves and work out how one page feeds into another page. If you were explaining CheekyBoo to someone who hadn’t used it, what would you say to convert them? I’d say the biggest selling

Date night: CheekyBoo and, inset, founder Ben Mitchell (left) point is its simplicity. There is no matching of databases behind CheekyBoo. There is no Facebook account needed so it is a standalone app. With so many other dating apps, how do you stand out?

The fact that it is localised and the radar cannot be restricted or expanded – it is set to ten miles. We match people depending on whether you like their pictures or whether you like their bio. You only upload

nine photos and the bio is 140 characters. Where do you see both the company and yourself in ten years’ time? I would hope CheekyBoo would go global with millions of users worldwide.

Coming out can still be a concern I WOULD never tell you I’m gay unless you asked me. In fact, I’m not even 100 per cent sure – but I can say I’m probably more gay than I am bi. The thing is, you don’t just come out of your teenage years ‘knowing’ –you come out in stages. From there, you could say I’m coming out daily to people who are yet to ‘know’ me. I have to trust someone before I tell them. Safety is always my biggest concern in terms of what could happen if I show my affection to someone of the same gender. You shouldn’t have to care what other people think – but, unfortunately, people resort to extreme measures of showing their disapproval. Bobby Atkinson

March 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

yourSPACE

Home or away? It’s up to you

IVING at home while studying certainly has its bene�its. But will you be missing out on the full university experience? There’s no right or wrong answer, so check out our pros and cons to help you decide. Advantages of living at home 1. Lower costs – You will probably not be paying for rent, bills, food and other expenditures, so that gives you a little bit more spending money. 2. Good grub – If you aren’t much of a chef, home-cooked

meals are a luxury that you won’t have to give up. It’s much easier to concentrate after a good meal rather than beans on toast. 3. Peace and quiet – Unless your parents are party animals, it is unlikely that you will be woken up at 3am with a �ire alarm going off or hearing drunk people in the street when you have a 9am lecture the next day. Disadvantages of living at home 1. Distance learning – Travelling can be a pain and could stop you from going

Be close to those near you

Train in vain: Commuting to uni can make you late thanks to delays to lectures. If a seminar is cancelled or plans are changed at the last minute, it can also be tough to change your schedule. 2. Social cost – It can be hard to maintain friendships. By living at home, you are excluded from the student lifestyle, so trying to meet up with mates

outside of the university day can be a bit tricky – and getting home after a night out can be a total pain. 3. Over-reliance on parents – University is not all about your degree... learning life lessons is just as important. Without having your parents to rely on, you

PICTURE: DAVID ROBINSON

quickly learn how to look after yourself. 4. Missing out – Being on campus is a great way to get involved in other university activities. From pop-up shops to job fairs, the campus has it all and you will probably miss out if you are stuck in the house. Daisy Holden

We make bills this easy

Student bills from £9.99 pppw www.dividabill.co.uk!

GOOD neighbours can become good friends. So don’t ruin it by making their lives a misery. Here are a few tips to maintaining a good relationship with those who live next to you. 1. Be considerate – Just because you enjoy singing along to loud music at 4.30am doesn’t mean your sleepy neighbours will. 2. Get to know them – A family with young children is likely to need peace at night, while if you live next to other students they will probably be more understanding. 3. Be friendly – A little kindness goes a long way, so offer to sign for parcels or even invite them round for a barbecue and drinks. Laura Harcombe

www.unipaper.co.uk

March 2015

yourSPACE

How to �ind the right place to live, the right people to live with and how to keep your place right

Ratting to ratings... Owen Dixon, who founded website Rate My Roof to identify good and bad student landlords, tells LUCY ROGERS how it all sprang from a run-in with a rodent

OR students across the country, the spring term is dominated by the scramble to secure a home for the following year. But, in the rush to get somewhere with the right number of rooms, in a location that won’t mean an hour-long bus ride to lectures, many end up living in crumby conditions. This is a problem business graduate Owen Dixon is aiming to tackle. The 22-year-old set up Rate My Roof, a website that lets students review private accommodation, after a run-in with a rodent during his time at Durham University. ‘One time my housemate had to hit a rat with an umbrella in the living room,’

he said. ‘I was frustrated at all the bad student houses. I wanted to make the market fairer and put the power back into student hands.’ Tenants can add properties to the website, listing whether utilities such as wi�i or bills are included and giving their own comments, as well as a star rating. In the interests of fairness, the site also has a section that allows landlords to respond. And, since setting it up, Owen has heard from students with even worse experiences than his rat battle. One, from the University of Leicester, described how a tree blocked the entrance to his home. He claimed he also had to report the property to environmental health over a

faulty air �iltering unit, as well as serious damp and mould issues. But Rate My Roof is more than just a collection of horror stories. One student describes their home in Bristol as a ‘lovely, quirky �lat in an ideal location for Clifton Triangle and the

university’, while another writes: ‘Any problems we have had have been sorted straight away with the landlord.’ Despite facing problems with the original web developers when he started the site in 2014, Owen – who deferred his masters for a year to work on it – sees it

going from strength to strength. ‘I aim to have thousands of reviews from students all over the country, so that people are aware of what they are getting for what is one of their largest �inancial commitments at university,’ he added.

LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR A

CHANCE TO

WIN

£2000 WORTH OF APPLE PRODUCTS facebook.com/TheUniPaper

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

Calling out bad landlords: Owen Dixon

March 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

studentLIFE

The best, the worst and the down-to-earth of being at university

Must-haves to make life a little bit easier For some, it is a well-stocked food cupboard – for others, a comfy bed and their favourite stuffed toy from home... We ask what one item you need to survive life at university

PHONE: ‘It’s my alarm for early lectures – and my distraction when I really don’t want to be in those lectures.’ Jack, �irst-year history University of Leicester student A memory stick: ‘After losing a memory stick, I realised my life was over. Nothing backed up anywhere. I even contemplated moving out I was so devastated.’ Paul, third-year computer science University of Leicester student Caffeine: ‘If I didn’t have caffeine, I would never �inish my deadlines. In the week leading up to a deadline, I can drink a six-pack of energy drinks a day – not that I would recommend it!’ Katie, thirdyear pharmacy student at De Montfort University A microwave: ‘I tell my parents I cook all the time but sometimes I just want a cheap lasagne or something I can cook in under ten minutes.’ Eloise, second-year business management student at De Montfort University A bottle opener. ‘The most annoying thing is taking beer to a house party and not being able to �ind a bottle opener. I chipped my tooth in �irst year trying to do it with my teeth – it is a bad idea.’ Amy, second-year mathematics student at De Montfort University A dishwasher: ‘It saves time, effort and keeps the kitchen tidy – no arguments about washing up.’ Alex Jubb, University of Birmingham The clothes horse: ‘Simple, cheap and effective.’ AB Net�lix: ‘Great when you have done all your work and

exams are months away.’ AB Local off-licence: ‘Out of alcohol? Pop to the shops – problem solved.’ AB A greasy spoon: ‘Essential to help defeat the dreaded hangover.’ AB A multi-tool: ‘From the emergency bottle opener to the emergency furniture �ixer – it has it all.’ James Williams, University of Liverpool A multi-coloured pen: ‘Great for de�ining different notes and colour-coding your planner.’ JW A voice recorder: ‘Attend a lecture and fall asleep? Now you still have the notes.’ JW A tablet: ‘They’re more portable than laptops and just as handy.’ JW A �lask: ‘For the emergency hangover coffee and the get-me-through-this-essay friend.’ JW Tupperware: ‘Leftovers survive better in Tupperware than squeezed onto a plate and badly balanced in the fridge. Take lunch with you into uni – it is so much quicker and cheaper.’ Jes Needham-Bennett, University of Manchester Alarm clock: ‘Get an alarm clock – a loud one. Alarms on phones and watches can be unreliable, so it’s nice to have a back-up.’ JNB Berocca/Lemsip: ‘Berocca to make hangovers in 9am seminars more bearable, Lemsip for freshers �lu.’ JNB Blankets: ‘Heating a house through winter is expensive. Throw some cheap blankets on your bed instead.’ JNB Deodorant: ‘When you’ve overslept after a party or from

Indispensable: (clockwise from top right) The stress can be taken out of university life with the help of a clothes horse, an off-licence, Netﬂix, a ﬂask and a phone workload-induced exhaustion and don’t have time to shower before lectures, invest in industrial-strength deodorant.’ JNB First aid kit: ‘You never know when disaster will strike, so it’s handy to have a �irst aid kit on hand. Include things like paracetamol and don’t forget the usual bandages and plasters.’ Daniel Williams, Swansea University

Quick-�ix food: ‘Good examples are Pot Noodles or instant soups, which can help you when time is of the essence or you just want a break from cooking.’ DW Emergency money: ‘Try to keep some money aside for times of crisis. Even if you keep a �iver stuffed in a longlost part of your wallet or in the back of a drawer, you can always make sure you have

enough for a taxi or some emergency food.’ DW Memories: ‘Bring plenty of photographs of family and friends to keep yourself from becoming too homesick. Maybe even bring your favourite teddy bear from your childhood, or anything that you think will help you get through those long terms without seeing anyone from back home.’ DW

Take a Time Out or Boost your studies over Easter? EASTER’S here and it’s time to relax and indulge in chocolatey goodness – but the break does mean the �inal deadlines of the semester are looming. With this in mind, it’s natural to assume your

university commitments will have to take some sort of priority over the holiday period. But there is no reason you can’t have a good time and get your work done, too. Spend the �irst week

chilling and put work to the back of your mind. Let yourself unwind and you’ll feel ready when the time comes to start your studies again. Use the next couple of weeks to knuckle down

but don’t forget to give yourself a break. Limit work time so you don’t stress out and make sure to see your friends – it is your holiday and you deserve it. Kelly Smith

Where do you �it into the uni family?

YOUR housemates are your surrogate family, and although at times they make you want to pull your hair out, you couldn’t survive without them. Everyone has their role in the house – so check out our guide to the university family and see where you and your friends fit in... The mummy: Normally found cooking, gathering mould in her bed and singing Taylor Swift at the top of her voice when the rest of the house is hungover. Quick to disapprove but always there when you need her. The dad: Handy with a tool kit and happy to help out – not great on the dance floor though. The twins: They could have been separated at birth. They are scarily similar and have the same sense of humour. The noise levels shoot up when these two go on a night out. Younger sibling: Wants to be the centre of attention and can annoy the house a lot. Makes a lot of noise when they don’t get their own way. Crazy aunt: Always ready to party and gives good advice when you need it most. Charity case: You’re not too sure where they came from but, after a few nights out in first year, they seem to have stuck around and become a permanent fixture on the sofa. Quiet cousin: The one you’ll find in the uni library at 9am. They are timid and dedicated to their course but can help out when you are struggling with your coursework. The pet: The most demanding of your housemates. Who said it was a good idea to get a pet? They moult, scratch the sofas and climb the curtains. Lauren Knight

March 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

sportNEWS

Lions maul their city rivals in Lockdown MICHAEL WHYNOT and ALEX JUBB THE University of Birmingham Lions basketball team thrashed rivals University College Birmingham 74-45 in the �irst-ever Lockdown. A �iesty �irst quarter saw both men’s sides clock �ive fouls after just �ive minutes of play. The Lions’ fast pace frustrated the opposition, with point guard Andy Salmon consistently �inding gaps in the UCB defence. The Lions’ superior �itness levels saw them dominate the �irst half – taking a 44-27 into the break. This continued into the sec-

ond half and, despite assaults on both baskets near the end of the match, the Lions secured victory. The second game of the event saw Birmingham Lionesses beaten by Loughborough II 75-68. In the �irst quarter, Birmingham drew plenty of fouls, picking up points with a decent free-throw percentage. But this was overshadowed by their surprisingly low accuracy within two feet of the basket. The second quarter saw Birmingham adopt a full court press, which raised the energy in their favour.

Leading the way: Above, the UBSport Pussycat Cheerleaders and, right, Birmingham’s mascot In the third, the same struggles around the rim were compounded by sharp shooting from Loughborough, who increased the points gap to ten. By the middle of the fourth quarter, the game was decided, as Loughborough continued to swing the ball

What a ball... sports societies celebrate THEY are usually found caked in mud and sweat – but Aston University’s sports teams scrubbed up well for the Aston Athletics Union Ball. This year’s event was attended by both traditional teams and emerging groups, including sur�ing society Aston Wave and the Pole Dancing Society. The largest society, Aston Snow,

were there in force, taking up numerous tables and enjoying a steady �low of Prosecco. The night ended badly for one Aston Bears Waterpolo member, who managed to rip his trousers during an enthusiastic dance move – leaving him with one trouser leg for the rest of the evening. Elizabeth Couves and Joshua Benjamin Smart: Aston Snow

around the three-point line and nail open shots. The two games formed part of Lockdown, which also included performances from UBSport Pussycat cheerleading squad and the University of Birmingham dance squad, all attended by a packed-out crowd.

Netball coming on leaps and bounds

PICTURE: SUNNY UBHI/FB

NETBALL is on the rise at Birmingham City University, according to society president Katie Andrews. Speaking to TUP, she said: ‘We’re in a better place than last year. Our thirds are now in a better-suited league, the seconds have been dealing with a lot of injuries but are giving it their best and the �irsts are enjoying great successes.’ The

top team is in a title �ight against University College Birmingham, while the seconds are battling for fourth place, also against UCB. The thirds are sitting comfortably above relegation, a progression from last term. First team captain Khadija Pemberton said: ‘I think we’ve had a great season, only losing two games in the league.’ Jonathon Russell

www.unipaper.co.uk

March 2015

sportNEWS

Cup runs continue as ﬁrsts eye ‘huge’ ﬁnals REBECCA THOMAS BOTH the men’s and women’s �irst hockey teams at Swansea University are one match away from a Western Conference Cup �inal. The men beat Cardiff Metropolitan University II 3-1 in the quarter-�inals and will play Aberystwyth I in the next round. The women overcame Cardiff III medics, setting up a match against Cardiff II in the semi-�inals. Naomi Burgess, media captain and varsity coordinator, said: ‘Both our men’s and women’s teams are through to the semi�inals, which is super exciting. ‘Obviously, if one or both of us win, then being in the �inal will be huge. ‘I’m sure if we train hard we can get there. We were up 3-0 at half time with goals coming from Kerr, Janes and myself. There was a great atmosphere at both games and a lot of parents came down to support, which is always a great feeling when you play.’ Both sides have one more match left in their league campaigns, with the men having already wrapped up the Western 2B title. They play University of the West of England II and, if they avoid defeat, will �inish the season unbeaten. The women sit in third with one game left to play against University of Bristol II. Both teams are �ighting it out for a third-place �inish.

Sticking together: Swansea University women’s I will face Cardiff II in the Western Conference Cup

Keep boredom at Bay... sports club to offer free sessions FANCY playing something other than rugby or football? Well, a fun weekend has been organised by 360 Beach and Watersports, in

Swansea Bay, with a range of different sports on offer. These include stand-up paddle boarding, beach rounders and kayaking. The health-conscious can

also take part in tai chi and yoga taster sessions. The sports will be run on a �irst come, �irst serve basis over the weekend running

from March 14 to 15. There will also be experienced coaches on hand to assist and give you pointers on your game.

For more and a full line-up, visit www. 360swansea.co.uk. Antoniya Gerimpapazi

National call-ups for rugby starlets RUGBY league players are in with a chance of playing for Wales in the upcoming Student Four Nations. Back Ben Swift and forwards Anthony Palmer and Alex Wheatley, from Swansea University, and forward Owen Thomas, from University of Wales Trinity St David, were all called up to the Wales Students training squad. The 37-strong team will be cut to 20 for the tournament, which takes place in Dublin from June 14 to 19. Wales, which �inished second last year, will play England, Ireland and Scotland.

Bringing you...

Park Buildings, Swansea’s newest and best purpose built private student accommodation

NS O I T A V RESEGRTAKEN NOW BEIN

A ITS ONT T S A F MOVE COME FIRS FIRST D BASIS AND SERVE EST IS HIGH INTER

Cleaning Service Laundry Facilities Storage Facilities All Inclusive Rents Close To Transport Links Close To Local Amenities

Providing services and accommodation like these is why we are national award winners

IMAGES ARE ARTIST IMPRESSIONS

www.parkbuildings.info

01792 633260 (Swansea)

Dawsons at 15 Walter Road, Swansea. SA1 5NG