FR EE Issue 21 - September 2014
www.thevoiceworcester.com
INSIDE OUR PUB GUIDE SIX NUS? NO THANKS! FIVE FRESHERS FASHION TEN
WELCOME FRESHERS 2014
‘WE DON’T WANT TO HOLD ANYONE’S MONEY BACK’ UNIVERSITY RESPONDS TO ACCOMMODATION COMPLAINTS By Matt Soanes
The people in charge of managing accommodation at the University of Worcester have addressed criticism of their handling of student deposits this week. This is after frustrated students took to social media to complain. Many students complained about having to wait to get their deposits back, even though they had moved out of their accommodation many weeks prior. Other students, who had already got their deposits back, claimed they had been fined for damage they didn’t do, for cleaning costs on rooms they had left ‘spotless’ and for damage in communal areas they had been told they wouldn’t be fined for. One student we talked to, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was charged £200 to redecorate a room that was
‘nasty and cold and... damp’ when he moved in, and which had mould growing on the walls. He was told to keep his window open to get rid of the mould, which he said he couldn’t do for security reasons. Leaving the door of his room open at all times also did little to alleviate the problem. After he moved out he was also fined £50 for a broken table that he said ‘wasn’t my doing’. Another student said she was fined £50 to replace a chair, but was given her money back after she complained about the charge. She said her main issue was ‘the fact they took so long sorting it out... Surely, the quicker they sort it, the happier everyone will be’. Lucy Blunt from the Facilities team at the university is in charge of addressing some of the problems students face with their deposits. She stressed that ‘we don’t want to hold anyone’s money back’, and stated
that it was much easier for Facilities if they could return a students’ deposit in full. However, she also stressed that the university needed to make sure that their properties were ‘left as (they) were found’. She noted that the long wait students faced for getting their deposits back was generally due to students moving out long before the end of their contract. According to the Accommodation Services brochure, students should get their deposits back ‘within six weeks of the end of (their) contact’. She empathised with students who were having problems with their deposits, and said that many of the problems in managed accommodation were caused by poor communication between students, private landlords and the university. She stressed that any problems in managed accommodation should be reported to
the university first and foremost. She also highlighted the importance on filling out the room inspection form as you move in to university accommodation. The room inspection form allows you to report any problems you have with your room so you won’t be fined for them later. It is also a good idea to take a photo of your room before you move into it, so that can challenge any fines you believe are mistaken later. Lucy says that she wants to hear from anyone who has any concerns about university accommodation and that her team is ‘always looking to improve the (accommodation) process’. The university currently administers around 1100 rooms in its halls of residence across both campuses. On top of this the university administers a number of ‘managed accommodation’ houses in agreement with local landlords
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The Voice - Issue 21 - September 2014 @TheVoicePaper fb/TheVoiceWSUNewspaper
NEWS
THE VOICE
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Issue 21 Publication Date: 17/9/14
facebook.com/thevoicewsunewspaper
@thevoicepaper
Advertising Please contact Worcester Students’ Union. Email thevoice.uow@gmail.com Editor James Dilworth Head Designer Martin Price Designer Dawn Manning Photography Editor JD Grant Website Editor Tom Davis
By James Dilworth
Welcome the first of issue of the Voice Newspaper, Worcester’s only student run and student led newspaper. Over summer, the Voice has changed drastically. One of the most important changes is that we now function as a society – making us editorially independent. This means that we can concentrate on the news and articles that matters to you. So with this, the content inside has changed – inside
Orchard House will become the University’s new ‘centre for learning’.
Features Editor Claire Shipman
According to Worcester City Council, the University of Worcester acquired Orchard House on July 31st 2014, along with Wyatt House and Graveney House in a £2.9m deal. The Worcester County Council will lease Orchard House back at a yearly rate of £101,500 until March 31st, after which they will relocate to the Worcester Art Gallery and Museum in Foregate Street.
-----------------------------------Want to contribute to The Voice? We’re looking for designers, photographers and writers. Contact us at thevoice.uow@gmail.com for more information! -----------------------------------Have we made a mistake? Unfortunately, during the fastpaced production of The Voice, mistakes can sometimes happen. Whilst we try to avoid these altogether, please contact us and we’ll gladly print any corrections in a future issue as well as amending our online articles.
Remember: The Voice is always looking for new writers, photographers and journalists, you can find out more by visiting our website www.voiceworcester.com or our facebook and twitter pages facebook.comthevoicewsunewspaper and @thevoicepaper. Thanks for reading!
By Joe Hayes
Sports Editor Krister Halvorsen
Creative Commons Photographs Every photograph that is used under a Creative Commons licence has the photographer credited. We’d like to take the chance to thank those photographers for their images.
hard to bring us our new look.
UNIVERSITY BUYS CITY COMPLEX TO CREATE NEW CENTRE FOR LEARNING
Community Editor Matt Soanes
News Editor Georgie Bull
you’ll find a wide range of content, from Matt Soanes’ article on whether the NUS is as useful as it can be, to Becca Husselbee’s article on helping you choose outfits for the new term and a review of the Nozstock Festival. Whether you are a returning student or a new fresher, we have everything you need inside and on our website! Another change you’ll notice is a new design, our design team lead by Martin Price have been working exceptionally
Credit: Google
Visit us online: www.thevoiceworcester.com
Professor David Green,Vice Chancellor of the University of Worcester, was kind enough to answer The Voice reporter Joe Hayes’, questions about Orchard House. JH: What teaching facilities will Orchard House possess and what lessons will be taught at the building? DG: The complex which we refer to as Orchard House is actually 3 linked buildings…Orchard House, Graveney House and Wyatt House…all are in reasonable condition but will need refurbishment and improvement before we can use them properly for teaching and learning. By this time next year (opening Sept 2015) we envisage the following teaching and learning facilities being housed at our new site: •
The University Language Centre - I am hopeful that there will be
a really big improvement in the facilities available, which will be very attractive to our students.. •
The University Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Creation - This will be a new facility. We will do our best to create a temporary facility in Orchard House this year – up until April at least.
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A number of new seminar rooms
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At the same time you should know that we are working on plans to develop the undeveloped part of the Hive site at a centre
for illustration and art with appropriate specialist facilities as well as for general teaching in terms of seminar rooms/lecture space.This is likely to be developed by September 2016 •
The university will also be leasing the Moors car park for 20 years for an advance one off payment of £260,000 as well as a £1 yearly amount to ensure the legality of the lease. This will guarantee the necessary parking spaces required for university students and staff and the public will be able to use some of the parking on the weekends.
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The Voice - Issue 21 - September 2014 @TheVoicePaper fb/TheVoiceWSUNewspaper
NEWS
CLOSURE OF LOCAL BUSINESSES POSES A PROBLEM FOR WORCESTER’S ECONOMY Credit: Wikimedia/Rept0n1x
By Claire Shipman
Worcester is home to the fastest growing University in Britain, and the increased footfall and revenue that students provide has helped to expand the city itself. However, Worcester’s large student population has limited its business diversity, with fifteen takeaway restaurants in the St John’s area, and the change in demographic has also meant that there has been a rise in the closure of small, independent businesses. Amongst the closures was Second Hand Rose, a vintage clothing shop previously located in The Hopmarket, which closed in May to focus on online retail and events. Similarly, Cafe Aroma was forced to close in July after seven years of business, to make way for planned renovations to the Cathedral Plaza shopping centre. Last year Foregate Patisserie, previously located opposite Foregate Street train station, announced its closure and is set to become a restaurant later this year. Richard Udall, Councillor for Worcester St John’s, believes that these businesses have closed for a variety of reasons; ‘retail is still suffering and hurting from the economic downturn’ he points out, and smaller shops must now ‘either specialise or offer extra special customer service’. However, he maintains that ‘no business can afford to ignore over ten thousand students and that they could be successful by
‘promoting their products and services at the student market’.This is evidenced in the recent revamp of The Crown and Anchor, which now specifically caters to students and as a result has seen a significant rise in business. Udall reveals that ‘unemployment is a
BRIGHT FUTURES EVENT 10 TH OCTOBER By Jake Frostick
Youth Employment UK and the Bright Futures Society are coming to Worcester to hold the Midlands Event to give you the chance to talk about employability, voting, higher apprenticeships, volunteering and more. With Robin Walker MP, top employers and voluntary organisations all present it is a great opportunity to network with organisations and get your voice heard on matters of opportunities in employment and policy in the area.
In addition there will be free food and drink and a chance to win prizes in a team building challenge. The Midlands Event will take place on the 10th of October at 5pm-7pm at the Riverside Building of the University of Worcester. If you are interested sign up now for free at: https://www.eventbrite. co.uk/e/yeuk-midlands-eventtickets-12718073099
problem within the city’ and believes that ‘Worcester needs an anchor store’ as currently it does not ‘attract enough people to trade in the city’ and without this, small businesses will suffer a ‘slow and perhaps painful’ recovery from the economic downturn. The closure of local businesses could also present a problem for students wishing to find a part-time jobs, which are important as ‘Students can bring new talent and experience to business and business could provide employment experience to students’ says Udall. Rose Watson, Senior Careers Adviser for the University, explains that ‘the work is available, but it might take some time to find it’, depending on students’ ‘prior experience and flexibility’, as some employers require students to work during the holidays. However, she adds that ‘last year Careers and Employability promoted five hundred and twenty jobs off campus in the local area’ and jobs can be found in ‘local shops, cafes, restaurants, care homes, schools and nurseries’. Watson also explains that ‘the University is good at offering opportunities for students’, with ‘ over five hundred students employed on campus last year’ in positions such as student ambassador, research assistant and reception or
grounds workers. Watson reveals that the graduate unemployment rate of the University of Worcester was ‘last year about 4%, well below the national graduate unemployment rate of 9.6%’. She adds that ‘last year 68% graduates found work in the West Midlands. This has decreased slightly since previous years, but it is hard to know whether this is due to fewer jobs in the region, or the fact that more of our student cohort is coming from around the country’. It is estimated that the renovation of Cathedral Plaza will create one hundred jobs, which Udall believes may be beneficial to students, potentially providing them with employment opportunities. He says that he would like ‘to see a city that provides employment opportunities to all its citizens, that would include students’. Careers and Employability produce a weekly part time jobs bulletin during semester time available from Firstpoint or Castle Street foyer. Follow the Worc_UniCareers Twitter page or UniversityofWorcesterCareers on Facebook to be the first to hear about new vacancies.
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The Voice - Issue 21 - September 2014 @TheVoicePaper fb/TheVoiceWSUNewspaper
Credit: Bianca Stefnaut
NEWS
SU BY-ELECTION
EXECUTIVE OFFICER POSITIONS OPEN By Georgie Bull
The University’s main elections were held in March, but there are still three positions available on the Executive Committee for 2014 - 2015. The positions up for grabs are Diversity Officer, Sustainability Officer, and Welfare Officer. All students, including first years, are welcome to stand for a position or vote in the by-election. These are part time, voluntary roles that students can take alongside their studies. As an elected officer you will
be a full member of the Executive Committee and Student Council, and the hours you spend contributing to fellow students’ welfare can be logged as volunteer hours. As an Executive Officer you’ll have the opportunity to make sure every student’s voice is heard and gain new skills and experiences that can enhance your CV and employability. Voting will take place from September 29th until October 3rd. Campaigning may begin immediately following the
Candidate’s Briefing Session, which takes place on the 26th September at 16:45. You may campaign until voting closes on Friday 3rd. Candidates will have a small campaigning budget which they may spend on materials to aid their campaign. To stand as a candidate you must submit a 250-word-maximum manifesto - a public declaration of you intentions should you get elected - in a word document, and a separate headand-shoulders photograph as a JPEG to studentsunion@worc.ac.uk. The
deadline is midday on September 25th. If you have any questions about the roles and responsibilities, contact Ruth Christie or Paul Johnston, or call into the SU Welcome Desk to make an appointment.The SU has also compiled a booklet with more information about each role and the election process, which you can find at the Welcome Desk. You can email Ruth at r.christie@ worc.ac.uk, and Paul at p.johnston@ worc.ac.uk
WORCESTER HOSTS BRITAIN’S BIGGEST CYCLING EVENT By Claire Shipman
On 10th September 2014 Worcester’s cycle enthusiasts flocked to the city centre to witness stage four of Britain’s biggest cycling event, the Tour of Britain. The 184.6 km race, sponsored by Friends Life, began at The Hive and toured the city, leaving Worcester through St Johns. Cyclists then passed through Cheltenham and Stroud before arriving at their final destination in Bristol. Familiar faces included participants Sir Bradley Wiggins, winner of the Tour De France in 2012, Marcel Kittel, winner of four stages of the Tour De France in 2013
and Mark Cavendish, famous for his impressive sprinting ability. This marked the first time in six years that Worcester city had hosted the event since the previous two races in 2007 and 2008. Richard Udall, St John’s councillor, attended the race, recalling that ‘the streets were full of spectators’, adding that ‘buses were cancelled, people struggled to get to work and some bins could not be emptied, but overall it was a success’. Udall hopes to bring more high profile sporting events to Worcester in future years ‘The Tour of Britain is an elite sport, having it just pass through is not
enough’, he explains, ‘anything that puts Worcester on the map is useful’. He believes that the Worcester 10k race on 21st September 2014 will generate additional interest and sporting enthusiasm. Udall wishes to promote cycling, highlighting the existence of cycle paths throughout Worcester, adding that ‘we need to ensure that young people have the opportunity to become champions’. Matt Smith, sustainability coordinator at Worcester university hopes that the tour ‘will raise the profile of cycling in Worcester’. He’s ‘certain it had an impact’, as ‘there has been an
uptake of interest in the bike scheme immediately after the event’. The bike loan scheme at Worcester University allows students to borrow a bike for periods of up to 48 hours for an annual fee. In its first year, the scheme loaned out nearly one thousand five hundred bikes and participants have racked up an impressive nine thousand and sixtynine miles overall. The Tour of Britain ended on 14th September 2014, Dylan van Baarle claimed the title of overall winner, while Michal Kwiatokowski secured first place in stage four of the race and second place overall, pushing Wiggins in to third place overall.
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The Voice - Issue 21 - September 2014 @TheVoicePaper fb/TheVoiceWSUNewspaper
FEATURES
OPINION
ONE UNION FOR ALL STUDENTS? NO THANKS. By Matt Soanes
The NUS is supposed to represent the interests of all students in the UK. It can’t. Its time we stopped paying for it.
Tory, anti UKIP, anti right wing. As someone who sits in the centre on many political issues, this is a big put off.
Whenever I think about the NUS, I don’t think of a benevolent union actively working to make my life better. Instead I imagine an organisation too big for its own good. I think of an organisation that has become so militant and politically skewed that it alienates the average student.
The NUS even went as far as passing a resolution officially condemning UKIP at their national conference this year. How will voting to oppose UKIP help me in my degree? Is voting to condemn a party that is surging in popularity in the run up to the general election wise? What if UKIP end up in a future Conservative coalition?
You would have thought that if your union had the staggering objective of representing all students in the UK: postgraduate, undergraduate, young, old, liberal or conservative, that you would strive to be politically moderate. Instead, members of the NUS National Executive Council are militantly anti-
The national conference also decided that they ought to support all lecturer strikes by default. How is this going to help me get value for money? Is the NUS really going to stand up for strikes and marking boycotts regardless of how many of my lectures are cancelled? Is the NUS representing my interests
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as a student, or is it representing the interests of lecturers, who have their own unions? Members of the NUS National Executive Council also voted recently to condemn Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. How will condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza going to help my education? Does the NUS think Israel is going to stop the bombing because of their condemnation? At the University of Worcester and at other universities across the country, students face problems that actually effect them in their everyday lives. From the cost of living, to dealing with private landlords, to getting the resources needed to complete their degrees. Worcester’s Students’ Union seems to be able to work with the university to tackle these issues
relatively efficiently, which begs the question: why exactly do we need the NUS if we can handle affairs fine on our own? Why are we paying for the privilege of affiliation? Those who were at last year’s SU annual general meeting voted unanimously to re-affiliate to the NUS. This was after the then President Kynton Swingle stood up and said the NUS helped to make the drinks at the Pear Tree cheaper. Maybe, like in that episode of The Simpsons in which Mr Burns tries to abolish Homer’s dental plan in return for free booze, we ought to think a little harder about what the NUS actually does. Agree? Disagree? Write a response piece and get it published on our website or in our next issue.
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The Voice - Issue 21 - September 2014 @TheVoicePaper fb/TheVoiceWSUNewspaper
FEATURES
YOUR PUB GUIDE TO WORCESTER 1
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By Matt Soanes & Kris Halvorsen
Worcester is undeniably a pub town. The city was once host to more pubs, inns and taverns per head of population than any other place in the UK & Ireland (including Dublin). Sadly many of these were gradually lost as the city modernised. Thankfully Worcester still offers a lot of great pubs and bars, all within crawling distance on a night out. Here are some of our favourite haunts: 1. The Pear Tree (St John’s Campus): The Pear is pretty hard to miss, given that its right in the middle of the St John’s Campus. Home to a whole range of events for Worcester Students and winner of a Best Bar None award - this is a pretty good place to start if you’re heading into town. 2. Crown & Anchor (Hylton Road): Recently reopened under student ownership, and with plenty of drinks deals aimed at students, the Crown & Anchor is on your right (between the two steep hills leading off Hylton Road up to the main St Johns Campus) as you walk down Hylton Road towards the bridge. 3. Dragon Inn (The Tything): A real ale pub almost directly across the road from The Saracens Head. Ale drinkers will be pleased to note they always have six real ales on handpull – including several from the pub’s own “Little Ale Cart” brewery located up in Sheffield (where their sister pub can also be found). The Dragon Quiz Night – which is famous throughout the city runs every other month on a Tuesday night. Be sure to check the
large blackboard at the far end of the Dragon for details on such events – and the list of “Banned Topics of Conversation” (a purely ironic and quite humorous collection of subjects). 4. Saracens Head (The Tything): A short walk up Foregate Street heading away from town and The Postal Order and past the Crown Court. The Saracens Head is a traditional Corner House with plenty of good beers on tap and a warm atmosphere. A pretty good pub for sports fans too – especially Rugby Union Fans as it is an official Worcester Warriors Supporters Bar. 5. Monroe’s Cellar Bar (Foregate Street): Up Foregate Street and across the road from the Art Gallery - the Cellar Bar can be found (surprise surprise) down some stairs. Popular with the International Students Society (who use it for socials on occasion). Residents of East Anglia will be pleased to know you can find Suffolk Cyder on tap here. Be warned – due to thelocation of the bar – mobile phones will NOT work – so drinkers *have* to talk to each other! 6. The Marrs Bar (Pierpoint Street): A bar and live music venue (which was formerly a dance school) located up Pierpoint Street (the street the Postal Order is on the corner of). The bar is almost always host to at least some live music or comedy – and even the odd film night. 7. The Postal Order (Foregate Street): Housed in the City’s old Telephone Exchange, The Postal Order can be found right next door to Foregate
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Street Rail Station. As a Wetherspoons Freehouse, expect them to have some kind of beer festival or drinks deal going on. 8. The Paul Pry (The Butts): Reopened after being closed for most of 2012, the Paul Pry is located on the left as you walk up The Butts from The Hive – it’s on the corner of the alleyway used to walk from the City Centre to City Campus. It is currently the holder of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Worcester Pub of the Year – and features a lovely interior unchanged since Victorian days. 3 Real Ales on handpull and a couple of decent local ciders can be found on the bar. 9. Vue Bar (Newport Street): A recently re-opened modern bar which is often host to live bands (and on occasions when the river bursts its banks a small part of the River Severn). Aside from the unfortunate location (find it by walking along the river bank from The Hive towards the cathedral), Vue Bar is genuinely worth a visit. 10. King Charles II (New Street): The pub where it is reputed that King Charles II hid after losing the Battle of Worcester to Oliver Cromwell’s Roundhead forces in 1651. Visit and peer down through a hatch into the cellar where Charles supposedly hid, and stay for a pint (from a choice of about ten to twelve different Real Ales and Ciders on handpull) and a pie dinner as well. It’s on New Street, a little way along from Sin towards the City Centre. 11. The Swan With Two Nicks (New Street): One of the oldest pubs
in Worcester, the name refers to the markings made on swans by farmers working for influential families in the area (who were the only people allowed to eat swan.) Find it on New Street, next door to the King Charles II. 12. Heroes Bar (Friar Street): Tucked away up some stairs above the Thai Gallery Restaurant in an old Tudor Style building on Friar Street, Heroes is a pretty popular bar with students – where you will normally find them playing a game of pool or table football. The bar usually has DJs playing a selection of alternative sounds at the weekends. Look for the large collection of banknotes stuck to the walls around the main bar. 13. The Plough (Fish Street): A traditional two room pub on the corner of Fish Street, on the opposite side to the College of Technology. A regular winner of the aforementioned CAMRA Pub of the Year – it boasts 6 local Real Ales on the handpulls on the bar as well as locally produced cider, and some hard to find European lager (from German and Belgian breweries) – plus Guinness! The Plough also boasts a huge range of excellent single malt whiskies. A warm welcome is guaranteed from the staff and regular customers – you *will* make new friends here. If you want to talk football or cricket with the extremely knowledgeable barman Matt – then this is place to come! We might have missed a few because, quite frankly, it is pretty difficult to remember where you end up on a night out.This list is not exhaustive and there are plenty of great drinking venues we missed which you should definitely visit.
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The Voice - Issue 21 - September 2014 @TheVoicePaper fb/TheVoiceWSUNewspaper
Credit: Paul Chiorean
FEATURES
WHY SHOULD YOU TRAVEL OR WORK ABROAD? By Georgie Bull
Not only does working or volunteering abroad look good on your CV, it comes with a whole host of other benefits. Living in a different country, where you possibly don't speak the language, might be overwhelming and a bit lonely at first, but it can also be tremendously exciting. Moving away from everything familiar is a huge step, but it's the quickest way to learn independence and to learn to trust your own abilities. Your experience abroad may leave you feeling much more confident and ready to tackle any difficulties at university. You'll learn to make decisions quickly, manage your time and money, and solve your own problems without your parents or friends to lean on. You'll adapt to communicating and working with strangers, and be able to make friends quickly. Plus, being able to stay in a foreign country for a longer amount of time will allow you to really immerse yourself in their culture, and to discover what's it's really like to live there. As a student, you'll need your trip to be fairly cheap. The Voice has interviewed students from all over the world in
Bucharest, Romania, to find out how they have funded their travels. Montreal medical student Philippe found volunteer work at a hostel in Bucharest, which he found through workaway.com. Philippe says the website, "has lots of choices for volunteer work abroad, and you get accomodation and food in exchange. There's loads of options in every country and is a good, cheap way to travel if you don't mind the work." But he warns, "Be careful of how many hours you are expected to work, unless you really enjoy the work you don't want to spend all of your holiday working."
plan, we just go."
Tina from Switzerland has just finished her nursing degree and is spending a year travelling Eastern Europe. She has organised her own trip. Tina says, "It took maybe two, three years of saving from my part-time job to afford my trip. I worked so I could travel." She is traveling with her boyfriend Adam, and says they enjoy having the freedom to take things at their own pace, which you might not have as a volunteer. "We like having a lot of time away, and having the freedom to do whatever we feel like doing every day. We don't
If you really want to immerse yourself in a foreign culture, try swapping your McDonalds for the local cuisine. Philippe says, "You can usually find the ingredients for anything they serve in a restaurant in the supermarket."
She told The Voice how her family encouraged her not to travel, but to start working after university. "In Switzerland, everybody worries about money and wants to have a good job... but travelling around the world is something I have always wanted to do. Travel while you are young, you have the rest of your life to work." To keep the cost down, Tina recommends, "Stay at a hostel, where there are other young people, it's cheaper... and buy your own groceries to make meals if you can. Eating out every day can get really expensive."
Daniella, a Masters student from Germany, studying History, is travelling to re-ignite her interest in her subject. She says, "I have studied a lot, and it isn't as interesting when you study because it is hard work. I think people find themselves when they travel and
find out what they want to do. Who knows, I might study something else!" She recommends planning ahead: "Plan some of your trip before you leave... what you want to do, and how to get there, or you waste a lot of time planning at the hostel, and you can book train tickets in advance and save some money." Australian student Anthony is funding his year-out by working on cruise ships and finding odd jobs while he is travelling. "I had to do the usual bar work and waiting on tables, but I've been an artist's model once, and I had a job painting a house in Italy!" He says he has never found it hard to find a job. "There's loads of work out there, usually stuff you would never even think of." He has also taught English as a foreign language in Thailand, and recommends teaching as a good place to start. "Loads of opportunities out there for teaching English... you could pick anywhere in the world." No matter your intended destination, there's always a way to make your travelling dreams a reality on a student budget!
Are you interested in journalism or photography? THE VOICE can offer you unique experience - getting your work published in print form whilst earning volunteer hours. Once you reach 50 hours these can go onto your degree transcript, whilst having your content distributed across the university! To find out more, message our Facebook page or tweet us. fb/thevoicewsunewspaper
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FEATURES
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The Voice - Issue 21 - September 2014 @TheVoicePaper fb/TheVoiceWSUNewspaper
LIVING IN HALLS WHAT TO EXPECT
By Ella Jackson
Living in halls is one of the most unforgettable experiences of university life, so to all the excited and apprehensive freshers out there, here is what you can expect. It is important to remember that everyone is in exactly the same boat as you, but this does not mean that you must be friends with all of your room mates. Moving in with such a varied group of people may mean that you have nothing in common with them apart from choosing to study at the same university. On the other hand, you will be introduced to a diverse range of people who are unlikely to be judgemental. Students will come together from many backgrounds
and areas, holding different opinions and values. As a result of this, your three years at the University will be a defining time in your life, so make the most of it! Many of the rumours you hear about university are true, but some do not do it justice. You may go into your first year with an idea of what it will be like: all-nighters finishing essays, a vibrant love life and living on noodles for the full three years, but the reality will exceed those expectations. It’s important to embrace your experience in halls. It is possible to make three almost definite predictions for some of you living in halls:
1: Do not be surprised if not everyone shares your same enthusiasm for this new experience, it is more than likely that you will have at least one ‘hermit’ room mate in your halls, this isn’t a bad thing. It might be a good idea to befriend them, but sometimes it is best just to leave them to it. 2: You will drink and you will go to parties, a lot. If you get invited to parties in halls, go, as it is likely that they will beat any house party you went to while you were at home and the amount of new people that you will meet will be astounding. Even if the party is not in your hall, accept the university stereotype and become that drunken student you have always wanted to be.
3: You will experience bankruptcy and your overdraft will become your best friend. With university fees increasing each year, the independence that you supposedly hold at university will become compromised by your parents still having to fork out the money to feed you each week. At the end of the year when the university do not return your full deposit and your rose tinted glasses finally come off, you will realise that you probably should not have been paying ninety odd quid (or more) for a stiff bed, a wardrobe and desk. Just remember that at age eighteen or older you have moved out of your family home and are living alone. Can you get more independent than that? So congratulations, you are officially an adult, enjoy it.
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The Voice - Issue 21 - September 2014 @TheVoicePaper fb/TheVoiceWSUNewspaper
FEATURES
SMOKING ON CAMPUS WHERE YOU STAND By Christopher Newbould
Many students may have noticed changes to the attitude of the university to smoking on campus, with the moving of smoking areas and a crackdown on those smoking outside of designated areas. In order to find out exactly what is going on we spoke to Louise Jones, the Strategic Director for Health and Well Being at the university. There have been a lot of rumors talking of a total ban on smoking and roaming squads fining anyone caught smoking on campus. Is there any truth in this? “There is some truth in the first part. The ideal is not to have smoking on campus. However we know this isn’t something that we are going to achieve overnight. We we are trying to do is respect the fact that some people do want to smoke and we have done this with the designated smoking area and
in other places its close enough to the road that students can actually walk off campus. To have roaming squads of people telling people not to smoke is not the intention at all.” So would those be the Breathe Easy Advisers? “Yes. At the moment we are employing some students. Their role is to make people aware that they need to use the smoking areas. If they come across someone regularly thy might ask them whether they have they considered giving up smoking... It’s not a big stick to stop people from smoking.We would like to help people stop smoking.” Is there a time frame the university is aiming for with the ‘Smoke Free Campus’? “I know the Vice Chancellor would like it to be by 2015. I think we will see a change over a number of years. I think 2015 is ambitious. I would love to achieve it but I think that change will
come gradually. As we are recruiting students who come and see the ‘Breathe Easier’ signs, they come to this university and know what (our attitude towards smoking is)... Gradually, over time, students who come to Worcester will be less likely to smoke, or take up smoking.” Does the ‘Smoke Free Campus’ include the halls of residence? “I think halls are a real challenge because they are people’s homes. The ultimate aim would be to have halls that are on campus exactly the same as the rest of the campus – IE: smoke free. But we know it’s a challenge. We have to work towards this and it’s not something we’re going to achieve overnight.” So are Halls currently counted as separate from the ‘Smoke Free Campus’? “Our preference would be for any student that wants to have a smoke
to use the designated smoking area. We are aware for those that are in residence that is a challenge, especially late at night... Our ‘Breathe Easy Advisers’ are concentrating primarily on smokers at the day time... I think for me it’s part of a much bigger push on behalf of the university for it to be an excellent place to be a student, an excellent place for it to be a member of staff.” Why do people start smoking, or choose to smoke more? “Anxiety on exams is often a reason why people would want a cigarette cause they believe it will reduce their stress. So we are running sessions with study skills but much earlier rather than having them really really close to the exams. The other thing is encouraging students and staff to get out more and do other activities. Replace (smoking) with something else. Physical activity can help de-stress you.”
SPORT - A UNIVERSITY TRADITION Credit: Paul Beard
By Krister Halvorsen
If you happen to stumble upon the main Sports Hall at St. Johns Campus sometime on Wednesday 17th September – you would be entering the world of the “Sports & Activities Fair” – where you will be able to find information and sign-ups for the many varied University of Worcester Sports Teams. It has been a lean few years for the University Sports wise – with the institution dropping down the British Colleges & University Sports (BUCS) League rankings over the last few years. This year the University finished in 62nd place nationally (sandwiched in between St. Mary’s University of Twickenham, London and the University of East London). Sport plays a huge part in University life – with the majority of teams participating in National Competitions on Wednesdays throughout the Academic Year (with the Mens Rugby
Union team having an extremely good year in 2013/14 - winning their division and gaining promotion to the national Premier North competition). The year, of course, comes to a big conclusion with the annual Varsity faceoff against our neighbours to the south, the University of Gloucestershire. The tale of Varsity historically has not been a good one – with Worcester only managing to win the series once in its history. Last year’s event was especially heart-breaking with a narrow 9-7 defeat overall to Gloucestershire. One outlet of our coverage of the event that worked extremely well during the Varsity week was the provisioning of live radio coverage of each event – which we will be expanding to cover other sports fixtures over the regular season. The first such plan that we can announce will be live coverage of each of the University’s American Football fixtures over the winter and spring. At the moment the University has
entered teams into 11 different BUCS Ranking Sports for 2014/15 – with two new sports being added – Futsal (the FIFA Approved indoor 5-a-side version of football) and Table Tennis. The sports in full are: American Football, Badminton, Basketball, Football, Futsal, Hockey, Netball, Rugby Union, Table Tennis, Tennis and Volleyball.
Johns Campus, 5 natural grass football pitches in place at our Battenhall Sports Campus, a sand-based Astroturf hockey pitch, and the state of the art “University Arena” down on the banks of the River Severn – which also plays home to the Worcester Wolves Basketball Club – who are both National Champions and holders of the British Basketball League National Knockout Trophy.
There are also several other sports run on a recreational/non-BUCS competitive basis – including rowing, wheelchair basketball, handball, cricket (played during the spring months) and a weekly Intramural 5-a-side football competition that takes place under floodlights at the 3G Pitch on St Johns Campus. Details of all of these sports can be found at the Sports & Activities Fair.
Worcester is also one of only a couple of teams nationally to have a dedicated home field for American Football (based at The Moors near to the Swan Theatre and City Campus) – which is not shared with any other sport. So – if you fancy trying your hand at a new sport – or wish to continue playing a chosen sport from back home – venture down to the Sports & Activities Fair on Wednesday and sign up!
Facilities at the University have developed and improved massively over the last few years – with a full sized 3G football pitch installed at St.
University of Worcester Sports & Activities Fair – Wednesday 17th September 2014. 11:30 – 16:30. Sports Hall, St. Johns Campus.
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The Voice - Issue 21 - September 2014 @TheVoicePaper fb/TheVoiceWSUNewspaper
CULTURE
By Becca Husselbee
Starting university is full of new experiences and definitely a lot of changes. While some of you will be worrying about your timetable, who you will be living with and how on earth you’re going to cook all your meals on your own, the fashion conscious among us will be asking themselves what on earth am I going to wear to my first lecture? Many of us will be eager to impress, with those brand new trainers you bought that your secretly hoping no one else is wearing, or with the matching stationery set to help you colour co-ordinate all the notes you will writing this year. However, it is still really important to stick to your
own sense of style and what you like to wear. Wearing what you feel comfortable in is really important as you are probably going to be feeling pretty anxious and turning up in a pair of heels is only going to make you feel even more apprehensive. Having your own individual style may connect you with others who are interested in similar trends. We all like to make an effort and it’s likely that you will be turning up to a 9.15am lecture with beautifully curled hair, your favourite lip gloss on and a pretty dress. But after a few weeks you will be dragging your hungover self to your 9.15am lecture wearing leggings and a hoodie to disguise the fact you have had about 4 hours sleep the night before. You have to face the facts that
STUDENT COOKING By Jack Edwards
The student diet is stereotyped as consisting of mostly instant, frozen and take-away food. In addition, student cookery skills are also patronised as involving little more than adding water to Pot Noodles or ordering pizzas. Some may agree with this and others may even be scared by the idea of attempting to cook for themselves, but cooking is an easy skill to pick up. It is important to remember that home cooking does not need expensive ingredients, fancy electric gadgets or difficult techniques. Delicious food can be prepared from the cheapest ingredients with nothing more than the equipment that should be found in the average student kitchen.
While instant or ready-made foods have their advantages, particularly during stressful periods such as exam weeks, this does not mean that they have to make up the majority of a student’s diet. In fact, during those less intense periods, a spot of home-cooking can provide a necessary distraction from the stresses of university life and can even help get work done. Recipes in this month’s issue are a take on typical “Student Food”. Three typical student meals are: Pasta with Grated Cheese, Take-away Pizza and Instant Noodles. These meals have been jazzed up in the following recipes, which show that home-cooking can be cheap, easy and delicious all at the same time.
you are not going to look perfect all the time and university is not about that. It’s about being comfortable and combining that with your own style. For example I’m a big fan of dresses with trainers, it’s a relaxed look with a twist and combines girly and sporty trends. When you start university the summer will be coming to an end so it will be time to prepare your Autumn/Winter wardrobe. A leather jacket is always good to have as it looks great with most outfits along with a parka coat which is ideal when walking to early or late night lectures. Boyfriend style coats are also a stylish alternative this year. I often find that it is easier to plan an outfit around a coat rather than thinking about a coat last. What bag
PIT TA BREAD PIZZA Lunchtime Quick Fix. Serves 1-2.
you’re going to be using to carry all that stationery is worth a thought with backpacks being on trend this year as well as leather tote bags. Wearing flats is probably best due to the fact you are going to be doing a lot of walking when you get lost (which is likely) and you’ll find a lot of students wearing trainers, whether it’s converse or Nike. Overall University should be a fun experience so it’s often a time when people experiment with what they wear. Don’t be afraid to try something new as long as you feel comfortable and confident and you will probably find yourself liking new trends and styles. My top tip for campus fashion is to keep it simple and you won’t go wrong, save your best outfits for your fresher’s night out!
You need 3 Pitta Breads, 6 tbsp Pasatta (A puree made from sieved tomatoes) & 50g Grated Cheese.
1. Turn the oven on at 240°C/gas mark 9. 2. Place the pitta breads on a baking sheet and put the sheet into the oven on the top shelf and leave to cook for 5 minutes. This will allow the bread to crisp up slightly. 3. Take the tray out of the oven and evenly spread the pasatta over the breads, leaving the edges un-spreaded. Pizza needs a crust after all! 4. Evenly sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and return the pizzas to the oven for another 5 minutes. 5. After 5 minutes the cheese should have melted, so remove the pizzas from the oven and transfer to a chopping board and slice them. Enjoy!
MORE RECIPES ONLINE >
‘Pizza can either be bought frozen from a local supermarket or ordered from a take-away. However, frozen pizza does not always taste nice and ordering pizza is expensive and can take ages to be delivered. This recipe, on the other hand, is cheap to make and takes just 10 minutes to cook! This recipe is for basic cheese and tomato pizzas, so feel free to add other toppings if you wish. Obviously, due to the short cooking time, do not use toppings that require long cooking, such as raw meat.’
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The Voice - Issue 21 - September 2014 @TheVoicePaper fb/TheVoiceWSUNewspaper
CULTURE
A Weekend in The Hidden Valley
The Voice returned to Nozstock again this year. Here is what our Editor/ Chairman (with no festival experience) and our Culture Editor (with some festival experience) thought about the 3 day festival in Bromyard, Herefordshire. From the perspective of someone who has done it before: The first thing I noticed about Nozstock is that I didn’t have to walk through the camp-site for 20 minutes to get to a place where I wanted to pitch. Moreover I didn’t have to walk back in the opposite direction for 20 minutes to get to the arena. You can literally walk around the whole site in 10 minutes. In terms of food and facilities, you’re fairly well looked after. The food and drink is priced more reasonably than that of bigger festivals (you’ll want to bring most of your food with you), the toilets are alright (they’re portaloos, not the dreaded ‘long drops’) and if you get up early you might even get to have a shower before everyone start queuing. I occasionally go to festivals with little or no knowledge of the acts playing, usually because I always find something to enjoy. Thankfully Nozstock was no different, a thoroughly enjoyable weekend. Favourite act: Dense & Pika. From the perspective of someone who has never been to a festival before: On the way to Nozstock, you cannot help to notice the motley collection of people with hefty bags, flowery tops and strange facepaints – it is very
tribal. As my first festival, Nozstock greeted me with a muddy field, a campsite and a few arenas, with a prehistorical theme. It was very small, but there was never a moment where it felt like everything had been done. Of course, this was in no part to the rather surreal surroundings – giant dinosaurs, caveman wandering about and in one moment, a bunch of people dressed up as the Flintstones complete with their own cardboard car. We set our tent in a ‘family friendly’ part of the campsite, mainly for our own sanity, and there were no shocks throughout the night (apart from an encounter with a frog that landed on my face, my own fault for leaving the tent open). Nozstock proved to be immensely entertaining, with acts I had never heard of playing, and having finally experienced a festival, I can safely say I would do it again. Favourite act: Radio Riddler. Credit: Will Mason-Jones
By Matt Soanes & James Dilworth
Unapologetically eccentric and retaining a community atmosphere not found at many larger festivals, Nozstock is hidden away in the hills of Bromyard, near Worcester. Nozstock seems to offer a great balance between the liveliness of a larger festival with the convenience (and shorter walking distances) of a small festival. It manages to cram 14 arenas into a relatively small farmyard. The arenas have many of the standard festival offerings – there are two main stages, as well as a comedy tent, cinema tent and theatre arena. However, the festival also offers arena catering to specific genres of music. The Cubicles was a cowshed re-purposed as a drum and bass arena, the Coppice a woodland area taken over by psytrance fans. Nozstock acts cater to a whole range of different audiences and tastes. Fun Lovin’ Criminals and reggae side project Radio Riddler played on the Friday. Molotov Jukebox brought their ‘gypstep’ blend of styles to a headline slot on the Saturday, with an intense set by Roots Manuva following soon after. Drum and bass legend Andy C took over the Cubicles, with acts signed to his Ram Records imprint playing throughout the weekend. Welsh disco group Disco Panther livened up the crowd (and a number of fans who seemed to have travelled especially to see them) despite the rain. Gaps played a set of hazy electronica in a break between the showers, whilst Dense & Pika brought industrial techno to the late night Garden Stage. Craig Charles, probably best known as the presenter of Robot Wars, or as Dave Lister in Red Dwarf, played an
Credit: Nozstock
Credit: Nozstock
Nozstock Festival Review
acute selection of soul and funk on the late night Garden Stage on Friday. Music aside, we managed to catch Josh Widdicombe in the comedy arena, who revelled at the chance to call out members of the audience who attempted to leave halfway through his act (to great comedic effect.) Sketch artists Cardinal Burns also delighted in embarrassing the audience, in a show that was more ‘interative’ for some than it was for others. The film tent, which became somewhat of a sanctuary when we got tired of walking around, was constantly rolling vintage cartoons, bizarre animations and short films. The theatre stage played host to puppets, plays and cabaret at different points over the weekend.