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16 NOVEMBER 2009 - Issue 183 www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
WHICH SATURDAY SPOKE EXCLUSIVELY TO THE WATERFRONT? FIND OUT INSIDE - PAGE 16
NEW CAMPUS ROLLS ONE STEP CLOSER Alun Rhys Chivers News Editor SWANSEA University’s plans to build a second, out-of-city campus has been given a significant boost by RollsRoyce and the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC), who have announced that they will invest £50 million in the project. The new Science and Innovation Campus will be housed at a proposed site on Fabian Way, and will focus on research into structural materials for the engineering industry. Other projects could include a research collaboration with Cambridge and Birmingham Universities into structural metallic systems for advanced gas turbine applications, meaning that Swansea University will play its part in the widespread efforts to be more environmentally sustainable in promoting the use of gas turbine engines. And Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard B. Davies is excited by this announcement, as the University strives to push on into the 21st Century. “This is a historic day for Swansea University. The Rolls-Royce/EPSRC announcement is the first major
announcement by a leading multinational company, which will enable Swansea University to realise its ambition of a Science and Innovation campus.” The Director of Research and Techology at Rolls Royce, Ric Parker says that he is encouraged by the newly created partnership between the company and the universities. “Materials research is a vital part of ensuring we have the technology and skills needed to produce future gas turbines that will meet our customers’ needs. We look forward to working with all three universities and building on the excellent relationship we already share with them.” Professor Martin Bache, Head of the Rolls Royce University Technology Centre said that he is keen to continue the longstanding and successful relationship which the University has with the car manufacturers. “This announcement is not only a welcome boost to the present UTC team but also recognises the tremendous efforts by former materials colleagues who have forged such a strong relationship between Swansea and Rolls-Royce since the 1970s.” This most recent development in the long-standing issue of establishing a second campus means that there will
Waterfront Wasteland: Proposed site for Universities second campus be some significant changes made to of Engineering, Computer Science and House could also be given a makeover. existing facilities both on the Singleton Medicine are currently located. Pulling down Fulton House, however, Campus and in the wider community. It is widely expected that Faraday and will not be an option as its status as a There has been much speculation in the Vivian Tower will be demolished to listed building is still unclear. recent years regarding what will happen make way for further refurbishment on continued on page 2 to the buildings where the departments campus, with the possibility that Fulton
02 NEWS
Editorial Another week in the bag,
Another Monday here. Hang on Monday the 16th? BEER RACE! One of the best nights out this University has to offer and worth every penny as a huge contribution goes to charity. If you are not out tonight I quite simply do not know what is wrong with you, it’s not too late go and get your tickets or costume. Go Now! I will see you all out later. Let’s get smashed in the name of charity (hang on politically incorrect and unsuitable language – delete, delete, delete) Let’s get suitably tipsy in the name of charity, but not too much! or Wales This Week might return. Seriously, be safe as you wander between locations and be nice to all the stewards, they are students too. Croeso nol i dudalen Cymraeg u ‘waterfront’/welcome back to the Waterfront’s Welsh page (8). Despite not being a welsh speaker I have come to realise over the last five years what the language means to people in this country, yes visitors find road signs a challenge and I know societies find it a pain at times to translate posters and flyers, but I was still excited to see it’s return within this week’s pages. Thank you to those of you who came to me and contributed with the aim and idea’s for getting Welsh back in print. And finally... A little advice to residents whose rooms face the Union building in Kilvey and Penmaen – people are watching you! The amount of humorous activity that members of The Waterfront and Xtreme Radio team have witnessed over the past few weeks and months, and I am not just talking about the bra fittings and kitchen dances here, well count yourself lucky we are not in a position of power to broadcast and write about it. Oh! Hang on we are... Special edition of humorous halls activity coming soon!
Inside this weeks edition
Croeso Waterfront yn Cymraeg. Welcome back to the Waterfront Welsh section - Page 8
See you in a fortnight, Pob dymuniadau da/All the best, James editor@swansea-union.co.uk EDITOR JAMES SNAITH editor@swansea-union.co.uk SUB EDITORS LIZ COOLEY GEMMA TREGELLAS NEWS EDITOR LAURA BURNIP ALUN RHYS CHIVERS waterfront.news@hotmail.co.uk DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR COLLETTE BIRD LAURA RICHARDS NEWS REPORTERS JACK HORTON ANGHARAD JONES TOM HAINES MATTHEW EDWARDS JACK HEYES KIMBERLEY DE SELINCOURT BEX MOYLAN PETE GOLDING SPORT EDITORS THORE HAUGSTAD RHYS WILLIAMS waterfront.sport@hotmail.co.uk DEPUTY SPORT EDITOR TIM HARRIS SPORTS TEAM CRAIG LAWTON LUKE JAMES BRADLEY MORGAN MICHELLE OWEN SIWAN LILLICRAP - AU President CULTURE EDITOR TOM MAYA culture.waterfront@hotmail.co.uk CULTURE WRITERS PAUL SEACOMBE CAITLIN GWYNN RHODRI DIAZ NATHAN SHAW SARAH HILL SOPHIE BAMBER EMMA MESNEY LUKE SAMUEL-CURTIS ALICE COPELLO SOPHIE WARDLE DAVID LEWIS SUZANNE BEYNON
WATERFRONT 183 - 16/11/09 continued from page 1 Vice Chancellor, Professor Richard B. Davies is keen to stress that the University is still in the early stages of discussions regarding any future changes to the Singleton Campus, and that no work on either site will be completed until at least 2013. “We are currently in the early stages of discussions. We will brief the architects at some stage to draw up plans. It is a wonderful opportunity to modernise this campus. Some older buildings are expected to be pulled down and others completely renovated.” Speaking openly to the Waterfront, Professor Davies added that no decision will be made regarding the future of Fulton House before a full consultation with students is conducted, but at the very least, it will be refurbished so that it is “fit for purpose, while maintaining its facade”. No decision will be made, said Professor Davies, within the next two to three years. The Science and Innovation campus will house up to 4,000 students, raising questions about the future of Hendrefoelan Student Village. The Waterfront can confirm that once the new campus is fully functional, Hendrefoelan is to be sold to investors, with further business links potentially being established with multinational companies. Professor Davies said, “As soon as the new campus is ready, we will sell Hendrefoelan, and it will be replaced by new rooms on the new campus, and probably even new rooms on the main Singleton campus, meaning that
Swansea University will have two residential campuses.” It is expected that funds raised from the sale of Hendrefoelan Student Village will be reinvested in further development of the Singleton campus. Students have raised their concerns regarding the proposed new development over the last year, with particular focus on its location and accessibility. When the Waterfront reported on the proposed plans last November, it sparked the creation of a Facebook group, ‘Students Against The Bay Project’. The University will address the key issue of transport between now and the date of completion of the campus. The Waterfront understands that the University is currently in talks with the City and County of Swansea regarding a possible second route for the newly established metro service, which would encompass the site at Fabian Way. Professor Davies said, “To say that we require a detailed traffic plan in conjuction with Swansea Council before a possible opening of the bendy bus service in 2013 is a good indication of current discussions.” There is, however, one significant change to the initial plans for the new centre at Fabian Way. There will be no pier structure leading from the campus to the beach, as was reported in Waterfront last year. Professor Davies quipped, “Sadly, there will be no fortune-telling or fishing on the new site.” He added, in a direct message to all students, “Think of your pride when you’ve been to a University with one of the most attractive campuses in Europe.”
MUSIC EDITOR JAMES TAYLOR waterfront.music@hotmail.co.uk MUSIC WRITERS BRYONY HICKS BEN PRICE BELLA WHATELY DALE WILLIAMS CHARLIE TEASDALE SAM LOVELESS SAM TATTAM SOPHIE EVANS LANCE HORSEY - Mixtape FILM EDITOR VICKY DOHERTY-BONE waterfront.film@hotmail.co.uk
What do you think of this man? Opinion on President Barack Obama one year after being voted into office - Page 9
FILM REVIEWERS NICK RUGGIERI VICTORIA BOLDYCHEVA BRYONY HICKS ROSIE BRIDGE NICK COPSON REBECCA ZIMMERMEAN JESS ELVIN STEPHEN BALDOCK ANDREW PRICE TRAVEL EDITOR NIKKI LITTLEHALES FEATURES KELSEY RICHARDS PETE GOLDING WELSH TEAM ALUN RHYS CHIVERS ELERI JONES JESS MAIN PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN CURRY MARC HOLMES JAMES SNAITH ADVICE SAMANTHA LOUISE WILLIAMS CAREERS JAN BINNIE-GORDON CARTOON ARTIST MARTIN MAXELL
Homeless at nineteen! Features writter Kelsey Richards takes to the streets of Swansea for a special report - Pages 10 and 31
Blackout: See page 7
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News 03
SU President demands Vox Pops answer over tuition fees What’s your opinion?
Laura Burnip News Editor Swansea University Students’ Union President Luke Young has joined with NUS National President Wes Streeting in condemning the “cosy consensus” of the UK Labour and Conservative parties’ review of Higher Education
funding in England. In a joint statement with other Student Unions they said: “As student leaders we are appalled by Labour and Conservative attempts to duck difficult questions on student fees and finance at the next general election. We are in no doubt that a review panel dominated by business and university leaders is designed to stitch up students with yet another inflation busting hike in tuition fees. Students will not stand for this.” Opinion polls conducted for the National Union of Students and lecturers’ union UCU have shown that the majority of the public are opposed to higher fees on principle, with twelve per cent of the general public believing the review should not even consider raising fees. Students entering university this autumn are set to graduate with debts in excess of £23,500, causing increasing concern among prospective students.
The joint statement continued: “If Labour and Conservative leaders believe they can maintain their cosy consensus of silence until the general election and beyond they have another thing coming.” Student President Luke Young said: “This review panel is dominated by businessmen and Vice Chancellors, while students and those elected to represent their interests have been blocked from having a seat at the table. We must make it clear that for every parliamentary seat in a university town, students are watching what the candidates are doing. We won’t be done over, by this stitch-up” “Even though the review is of funding in England, The point is that any rise in tuition fees in England will have a direct effect on the funding for welsh institutions and the decisions that the welsh assembly take.” “What we will always do is act to protect the future of higher education for students and resist any government attempt to reduce them to simple
consumers.” When asked about their opinions on Luke Young’s statement, students had mixed reactions. Katie Briley, a 3rd media student, supported Luke’s comments and feels students should be better represented in the decision-making process. “I don’t see how the panel can make a fair judgement. How will a 50-year old businessman know about tuition fees and their effect on students?” However Richard James, 3rd year Biology, argued that the decisions should not include student representatives. “My logic is that they’ve all been to university themselves so they know about being students. Compared to what Americans pay, even if they do increase it it’s still a hell of a lot cheaper than in other countries. I don’t really think students need to be represented on the panel. Also as they’re only in uni for a few years so nothing would ever be achieved with changeover.” Got an opinion - editor@swanseaunion.co.uk
in voicing their angry student related community concerns. One local stated: “Seeing a ‘Student Digz’ sign go up on the street is like the Kiss of Death – prospective buyers for that street would look at it and think again!” Common themes of trouble within the documentary were noise pollution, the amount of rubbish outside student residences and parking issues. Annie Cottam from the Student’s Union, was quick to defend students: “The Students’ Union is constantly working hard with local residents to solve any issues that may arise and feels that community relations have improved over the last few years. The majority of students behave with consideration and we remind all students to behave with respect in their community. Kevin Williams, a second year
English student was unimpressed with the programme’s coverage. “‘Having lived in Brynmill for the past 3 years, I have never seen or heard any disturbances on the scale that Wales This Week featured in their programme. It was clear that the producers were quick to highlight any minor incidents that have occurred in the Brynmill and Uplands area and create this false image of our students as destructive and abusive. My housemates and I live next door to an elderly couple and speak to them regularly. They have never mentioned anything regarding trouble or noise and they actually compliment the university and its students for our actions in the area including litter walks and the sshh campaign run by the Students’ Union.” SU President Luke Young also highlights the many benefits that
students bring to the wider community. “Swansea has one of the highest rates of alumni students who continue to live here after they’ve completed their studies. People can forget that these people bring well needed skills to the community. Lots of our societies also help out within the community too, for instance the SSWIGS team help out with local scout and guides centres and in November students man their own stall in Tesco to help out with the poppy appeal.” Additional projects include mentoring in schools and other charity fundraising. Luke added “We constantly remind students who live in residential areas to respect their neighbours when they finish their nights out” highlighting keen awareness of needing to be fair to the community.
What is your opinion on the way that Swansea students were portrayed on Wales this Week?
Holly Granger English and Classical Civilization - Year 2 “I think the programme highlighted an important issue - I think students tend to forget that we are also part of a community outside of the university”
Students slammed by documentary
Collette Bird Deptuty News Editor
A DOCUMENTARY shown on Wales This Week claims that government hopes to send half of all 1830 year olds to universities is destroying local communities. The documentary which aired two weeks ago claimed that a massive increase in student numbers at Swansea University spells trouble for families in the Brynmill and Uplands areas where some streets only have one or two permanent residents left. The documentary featured large numbers of drunken students being noisy late at night, littering the streets and griping the locals. Many residents showed no hesitation
Awen Iorwerth Law - Level 3 “I feel that the older residents should appreciate how much students aid the local economy and community, there’s no need to stereotype such a diverse part of the population”
Swansea Voted 6th Safest University City Matthew Edwards News Reporter
Figures published by The Complete University Guide show that Swansea is ahead of much of its competition in terms of welfare. The results use figures from the last three years on rates of burglary, violence and robbery on cities with two or more universities. Swansea University is shown to have reached 6th out of a list of English, Welsh and Northern Irish university cities, coming ahead of Cardiff. According to the table, it also makes Swansea the safest University City in Wales. Lance Horsey, the Students’ Union Welfare Officer, commented on this, saying “the SU aims to provide the safest possible environment for students, whether they are in private or student accommodation.” “The SU is proud to lead the university in our partnership with Safer Swansea and we are glad that Swansea’s safe environment has been recognised on a
national level. The SU President, Luke Young, also commented: “The report only further enhances [Swansea] as a friendly city – sometimes fears are misplaced and we are glad that this report shines light on city life.” The Students’ Union has recently started the ‘Sshh!’ campaign, which helps students through Singleton Park late at night after returning from bars and clubs. Despite this, students are advised to remain alert for themselves and others. Luke Young added, “The SU always encourages students to look after themselves and those around them – never be complacent”. The University City that received the highest figure for crime was Manchester, and the safest place in terms of the data collected was Lancaster. However, as UK universities do not have to publish data on crime rates, comprehensive data for every single university is not available as opposed to the US where it is a requirement. These also take into
Rhian Deacy Law - Level 2 “There is definitely a problem if students are disturbing local residents, however this is a minority. Students provide a lot of disposable income into the city and the city would suffer without them”
account reported incidents only. In an article in The Independent, the founder of The Complete University Guide, Bernard Kingston, says: ‘The figures relate to all victims, not just students. No such comparable data exists
for university students, either on or off campuses, but it would be reassuring for university applicants and their parents if they did. It is clearly a matter of considerable concern when considering where to study as an undergraduate.
Isobel Payne Psychology - Level 2 “I personally agree with what the programme suggested, I have been woken up by students at 4am and just because i’m a student myself doesn’t mean i’m ok with it.”
04 NEWS
WATERFRONT 183 - 16/11/09
BIKE THEFTS ON THE RISE SABB’s SPEAK By President Luke Young
By Kimberly De Selincourt Reporter AN INCREASING number of students at Swansea University are being targeted as victims of bicycle theft. The Waterfront spoke to Samuel Gardner, a 2nd year engineering student, who was a target of this crime. “I had my bike locked up outside Taliesin and only left it for two hours during the day when I was in a lecture. I thought it was just a housemate playing a trick on me and didn’t actually think it was stolen for a couple of days, but when I realized I was gutted – I couldn’t believe it ‘cos I’d locked it up! Luckily it was insured under my household insurance so I got the money from that, but I didn’t buy a new one as I thought it’d only get nicked again”. Bikes are easy to steal as they are left unattended and often poorly secured. Despite Swansea recently being rated the 6th safest University city in Britain, Gareth Pritchard of Safer Swansea insisted that bicycle theft “is an issue of lax security among students, not indicative of a city wide crime increase”. His advice was for students to get bikes marked or stamped so that if a stolen bike is recovered, ownership can be identified easily. The captain of Swansea University Cycle Club, Mike Ayles, recommended that “bike locks should cost roughly 10% the value of the bike, and using a combination of chains, cables and D Locks should slow thieves down as they often won’t have the tools to get through them all.” Lance Horsey was keen to raise awareness of this issue to students, saying “I have seen bikes before now with a lock only around the handlebars”. His message was that students need to use a sufficient lock, such as a D lock,
and then secure it through both the frame and front wheel onto a designated bike rack. Safety measures reiterated by Pritchard, saying “the majority of public buildings have bike stands”, emphasising that if you must leave your bike unattended, these are the safest
places to do so. For further information, if you have had a bicycle stolen or if you have seen a bicycle you suspect to be stolen, contact the police on campus on 01792 295882 or find them in room 5, Cefn Bryn.
Research breakthrough at Uni finds cure for blue tongue By Jack Horton Reporter RESEARCH finds fungus bio-control could stop blue tongue disease New research from Swansea University has found a fungus could replace chemical pesticides in controlling the spread of debilitating livestock diseases such as the blue tongue virus. Dr. Minshad Ansari and Prof. Tariq Butt of the school of Environment and Society are the first researchers to investigate the use of fungus Metarhizium anisopliae to control Culicoides, biting midges responsible for the spread of blue tongue as well as other livestock diseases such as African horse sickness. The work is a collaboration of the Swansea scientists, and Dr. Simon Carpenter of the Vector-borne Disease Program, Institute for animal health, at Pirbright in Surrey. Considering that since 2006, the livestock of 16 countries has been affected by blue tongue disease, the fungus research is of international significance. The obvious effect of blue tongue is the loss of livestock, but
the outbreak has led to economically damaging trade restrictions on the affected countries. The Bio-control research group at Swansea University discovered that fungus M. Anisopilae was consistently the most effective form of control at all stages of a midge larva’s development. Ten strains of the successful fungus were investigated which killed 81-100% of the larvae, the most concentrated of which had a 100% success rate at all stages of the larval development. Dr. Minshad Ansari stated that the outcome of the research “suggests the potential of this M. Anisopilae fungus as an environmentally compatible bio control alternative in the prevention of midge transmitted diseases is promising”. Equally important to the success of the fungus, it poses no obvious risks to humans or the environment. The current chemical pesticides however, are harmful to beneficial insects such as Dung beetles. Although these new findings are promising, the researchers have identified several challenges they must overcome to use the fungus in the affected countries. For example, the fungus would have to
be frequently applied to the larvae as it does not produce spores on it. Also, while in the study, larvae are suspended in liquid making it easy to put the fungus in to physical contact with it, testing is needed in different wild midge habitats such as manure, turf and leaf litter. Thanks to the research conducted by this Swansea based collaboration, the lack of safe controls for these damaging diseases is being addressed. “The EU has withdrawn many pesticides due to the risk they pose to humans and the environment”, stated Dr. Ansari, so these bio control alternatives are more important than ever. While we study over Christmas, it is likely that this research team will be doing further tests, in the noble cause of discovering safe, natural cures for diseases such as blue tongue. For further information about the Swansea University’s Biocontrol Reasearch Group visit www.swansea. ac.uk/metarhizium/ And for further information about Swansea University’s School of Environment and Society, visit www. swansea.ac.uk/environment_society/
NONE of us ever thought that this job would be easy. We were elected in March and took office on July 1st. Since then, we haven’t had time to breathe, never mind stop and write for the Waterfront. If you will allow me to be a bit indulgent, I can honestly say that I love my job and the challenges it brings each and every day. Here are some of the big issues that I’ve been dealing with over the last few weeks. Students in the Community ITV Wales’ current affairs show Wales this Week recently filmed a programme on students living in Uplands and Brynmill. Those that saw it may have been surprised to see such a negative appraisal of life in the local area. Happily though, the melodramatic approach to some issues undermined the arguments of even the most eloquent student basher. The thing that struck me most however, was the warmth and support for the work of the Students’ Union. We are lucky that thanks to the engagement that James Houston (previous President) and Simon Darvill (Community Officer) have had with leading residents in the local community, combined with the Sabbatical’s work over the summer, it meant that we had some strong allies against those for whom we can do no right. Our strength is our record. The Silent Students Happy Homes campaign, Park after Dark, Kerb it Wednesdays, dance projects, door knocking, community clean ups – All delivered by the students union and led by Swansea students. Alongside this, we are equal partners with the university and local residents at a forum that actively tries to solve problems instead of simply complaining. If you take a look at the wider press recently, it is easy to see that it’s that time of the year where being a student means that you are also a tabloid target. We know that the truth is far better than the fiction. SOTEAS Redundancies As reported on last edition’s front page, the University has set up a redundancy committee for the School of the Environment and Society. The areas earmarked for job losses are in Anthropology, Development Studies and Sociology. This has obviously caused concern across the student body and with university staff. From a Student’s Union perspective, we are fully committed to ensuring that the interests of students potentially affected are given the utmost priority of the
University. Over the past few weeks I have met with SOTEAS students, representatives of the university, the lecturers’ organisation, University and College Union, Officers and staff of the National Union of Students and the SU Executive Committee. Further to this, I have spoken at and consulted with a Student General Meeting, a UCU General Meeting and in recent days, chaired a meeting between the SU Sabbatical Officers, the University’s Vice Chancellor and the rest of senior management. I believe now more than ever that if this union is to really represent the interests of Swansea students, it must ask searching questions of all parties. The position of the Executive Committee on this issue is quite clear; we will be independent, we will be direct and we will not allow students to suffer because of these proposals. Higher Education Funding Review in England Lord Mandelson has announced his HE review for England that has been co-commissioned by Conservative HE spokesman David Willetts. Cross party working or cosy consensus to keep the issue of tuition fees hidden before the General Election? I know which side I sit on. Any change in England will have an effect on how the Welsh Assembly Government plans ahead for institutions in Wales. I have already started challenging parliamentary candidates at Swansea level to come clean on their position on higher tuition fees. How is that university Vice chancellors and big business can be allowed to dominate the review, while we are left with a representative that is neither a student nor a member of the National Union? SHAME! Remembrance and poppy appeal And finally something that I am really happy about, the fantastic turnout for the two minutes silence at the front of Fulton House on November 11th. Hundreds of students and staff gathered at 11am for the silence as a mark of respect. The history society has been working so hard to sell poppies over the last few weeks and it was great to see so many on show. The Students’ Union helped organise the event, which was the first of its kind in the University! However, thanks should go to June Faulkner, in the School of the Environment & Society who felt so strongly about having an act of remembrance that she forced the Senate to change university policy. The Vice Chancellor and I will now be proposing a joint motion to ensure that this important event continues. Well done June, well done, everyone.
Attention freshers! By Mitch Theaker Freshers Rep. CALLING all Freshmen and freshettes. On Friday the 20th at 6:00pm in the Exec Room, the first EVER fresher’s meeting on campus will be held. BUT WHY??? I hear you ask. Well. This is our chance to change the way things are done
around here. I WANT YOUR IDEAS. What do you like? Dislike? What could be better? What kind of parties do you want as freshers? Come on folks come join us on Friday the 20th in the exec room, 3rd floor union house, and tell me what I need to do for you!
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XTREME SUCCESS
Student station nominated for award Angharad Jones Reporter
XTREME Radio’s Head of Engineering, Brett Jenkins has been nominated for the UK’s Student Radio Awards. Brett, a level three computer science student,
has been a part of Xtreme Radio since his first year at Swansea, and has been Head of Engineering for over a year. His systematic knowledge and ability to design and create Xtreme’s on air Loop system has resulted in his position as a contender for this year’s Best Technical Achievement award. The awards are sponsored by Radio 1 and it can be expected that many famous faces (or voices!) of the radio industry such as Chris Moyles and Steve Lemacq will make an appearance at the event. The Student Radio Awards are responsible for the success of Scott Mills, who won the award for Best Male Presenter in 2005 and subsequently became a nationwide top DJ and presenter for Radio 1. Scott Mills returns along with Fearne Cotton to host the awards ceremony, with many guest appearances throughout the evening. Brett, along with four Xtreme
representatives will be attending the awards at the IndigO2 Academy in London on the 24th November. Xtreme Radio has been nominated along with five other student stations across the UK: Pure (Portsmouth), Smoke (Westminster), Sub City (Glasgow), Surge (Southampton), URF (Falmer). Brett in particular has been selected as a top candidate for this award, showing us just how far the station has come in the last five years. He told us that he feels “very honoured, I probably won’t win but it will be a great experience, and it will be awesome to be in the same room as top radio industry staff and DJs”. Brett is enthusiastic to pursue his interest in the technicalities of audio broadcasting upon the end of his final year at the university next summer, and is hoping that the Student Radio Awards will provide him with further knowledge and contacts to make his dream a reality.
Investigation after balcony fall at ball Bex Moylan and Laura Burnip Reporter and News Editor AN INVESTIGATION has been launched by Swansea University after a student is believed to have fallen 20 foot from the inside dining room balcony during an Ents hosted event The incident occurred at the Halloween Ball on 31st October at around 11pm and saw the girl walk away practically unharmed. The girl who has not been named was a student from another university and
had been signed in by a friend from Swansea Uni. She appears to have fallen through the drapes covering the back wall and balcony of the Food Refectory. After becoming aware of the accident the DJ called several Safety Stewards to attend to her. She was also treated by an ambulance team who checked her for injuries and gave her the all-clear. Many students at the event were unaware of the situation. One 2nd year Engineering student said: “I was at the ball all night and had no
idea any accident had happened, even though I was actually in the dining hall at the time.” Another student commented on the confusion over details of what happened, saying: “Lots of rumours are going around about what happened. I have heard about three completely different stories so far.” Despite attempts to dispel speculation by the University and Students’ Union, rumours and questions about the incident continue to circulate. One unnamed source commented that the girl is believed to have forced her
way through a locked door to gain access to the balcony. The SU has released a joint statement, saying: “the Union is actively investigating the incident and we are keen to find the cause and ensure such incidents will not happen again.” The Waterfront will report on the investigation’s findings once it is completed. Any comments on student welfare and safety during SU events can be emailed to waterfront.news@hotmail.co.uk
Students at high risk of identity fraud Tom Haines Reporter THE Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has urged students to be extra careful about protecting their identity and to think about who they divulge certain information to. In 2007, the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service identified and assisted over 65,000 victims of identity fraud and such crime is reported to cost the UK economy over £1.7 billion a year. While identity fraud is still a relatively rare crime, it can have devastating effects for its victims and is on the rise. According to CreditExpert those living in rented property at highest risk of falling victim. The ICO is warning students to ensure they have informed various organisations such as banks and the DVLA about any change of address in order to minimise the risk of identity fraud, as failure to do so could result in new tenants of your previous address getting access to your bank cards and sensitive data. Whilst in many cases this may come to nothing and they would simply destroy the details, in others
it could result in fraudsters going on a spending spree with student loans of over a thousand pounds. One example which has come to the Waterfront’s attention is of a student who had money withdrawn from her account from a bank in Sao Paulo whilst she was in Swansea. On this occasion Barclays swiftly refunded the money, but in other cases it can take months to retrieve lost funds. David Smith, the Deputy Commissioner of the ICO, said “A number of factors combine to make students particularly vulnerable to identity fraudsters in the early weeks of the academic year. Almost every day they give out personal details, whether signing up to student clubs or opening a bank account. The ICO is urging students to think about who has their personal information and what they are doing with it. Your personal information is valuable – simply forgetting to update organisations when you have moved house and leaving your bank statements or university enrolment documents to be opened by someone else can be a gift to ID fraudsters.” One key area in which students leave themselves vulnerable to ID
NEWS 05
UK uni round up St Andrews University – The Saint St. Andrews’ STAR Radio has announced that it will cease live broadcasting until February 2010. The student stations committee members attributed the decision to pull programming off-air to “an increasing amount of unforeseen technical difficulties” which threatened to endanger the future of the station. Something angrily dismissed by a former member of the stations technical team labelling STAR as a “sinking ship”. Despite this station management have insisted the decision was not taken lightheartedly with the aim of the restart campaign to “revitalise the station in every department” Cambridge University – Varsity Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard found himself under attack at Cambridge Students Union last week when an angry member of the audience heckled the political figure before throwing a boot at him. The footwear was intercepted by another student before it reached Mr Howard. The Australian born postgraduate, who lived in the country under the former Prime Ministers eleven year premiership, cited his objections to Mr Howard’s foreign policy and his treatment of asylum seekers in Australia as the reason behind his protest. University of Wales, Newport – Newsport A Welsh feature film written and directed by University of Wales, Newport lecturer Peter Watkins-Hughes is set to do battle with Hollywood blockbusters at the box office when it goes on general release in Welsh cinemas. The film ‘A Bit of Tom Jones?’ stars a host famous faces - including ‘Torchwood’ star Eve Myles, ‘Loose Women’ host Denise Welch, Matt Berry from Channel 4’s ‘IT Crowd’, and Gavin and Stacey star Margaret John. The film is being screened at cinemas and multiplexes across the country. Durham University – Palatinate
fraud is online, most notably on social networking sites such as Facebook. Without setting profiles to ‘private’ students are unwittingly giving access to their private details to millions of people. Details such as your address, date of birth, phone number and email addresses are all parts of many organisations security questions. So with just this handful of personal details, fraudsters could gain access to bank accounts and
other private details. Student Union President Luke Young said “The SU’s general guidelines would be that students should be careful what they post online as it can have an effect not only on your career but on your bank balance. Question anything you are sent and make sure it is from a trusted source. The SU will be working with the ICO to highlight this issue with Swansea students.”
Durham University is set to join Yale and The National University of Singapore as a partner in former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Faith and Globalisation initiative. The programme will bring together academics from the science, social science and humanities faculties to research issues concerning faith and globalisation. Durham is the third of a planned twelve leading research institutions to be partnered with the Foundation, which will eventually include universities from the Middle East and mainland Asia, forming a global network.
News 07
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A Happy Tail!
Patton Reaches Out to International Students By Liz Cooley News Reporter ANDY Patton, International Officer here at Swansea University, who officially works a 35hr week, has started learning Chinese to bring him closer to the Chinese student populas. Undeterred by a busy day, full of overrun meetings and dealing with challenging issues, the 22yr old Irishman is ‘totally loving’ his first term in office. Despite contrary belief that the summer period is not a busy one for our SABB officers, it was all hands on deck for Andy as he worked with ICWS (International College of Wales Swansea) and ELTS (English Language Training) students. Andy relished this opportunity to dive head first into his role and said that with the help of fellow officers it was great preparation for the arrival of Freshers week. When asked about the Chinese classes he said “It’s going really well. I’m really happy to have been offered a place on the course.” The course is being taught by a former Chinese student who Andy previously studied with. As well as English, Andy speaks his native language Gaelic along with his degree languages Italian and Spanish. He’s a keen linguist who has studied French, German, Polish, Portuguese and Arabic in the past, and is considering further study in Arabic once it becomes
the local area.
Self defence classes By Pete Golding back News Reporter
part time masters also in language.
Power cut palaver POWER failure swept through Union House on Wednesday 4th November, leaving many people and businesses in turmoil. At around 11oclock a fuse in the building blew causing a complete power failure throughout the building. Computers went off, stores were closed and work came to a stand still. An unnamed person, working for the university in the Union house, commented that the power cut meant “income was lost at a time when the building is usually at its busiest.” Derek Salisbury, Head of Maintenance, commented “The main circuit breaker to the building tripped as a result of a fuse blowing, due to a
A SEARCH went underway this week to reunite a ten year old girl with her missing dog. Maya the greyhound had wandered away from her home on the Gower Road and was luckily found by Aidan Ramsey, a first year student, whilst he was out jogging. Aiden began to undertake some detective work, initially enquiring with the owner’s neighbour to see if he knew anything about the animal or the owners, but he was unfortunately unable to help. However, later on in the day the neighbour made the connection and realised he had made a mistake. He stated he was left “feeling mortified’ that he hadn’t remembered sooner and so he called the Students’ Union to see if they could help him track down Aidan. Student President Luke Young and his colleague Shona Vrac-Lee spent an entire morning searching for Aiden and luckily managed to locate the address where the dog had been left for safe keeping. After a very upsetting day for the little girl, frantically worrying about the dog’s safety, she and Maya have now been reunited. Luke Young said he was “delighted that the Student’s Union was able to help and all praise should go to Aidan who has helped reunite a little girl with her pet dog!” The student’s Union has since received a letter of thanks from Maya’s neighbour and he even enclosed a £20 token of appreciation. Luke Young has donated the money to RAG, a student charity that raises money for causes in
available at the University. This impressive repertoire combined with his degree, travel and general experience is why he seems to have prevailed in the face of some question as to his suitability for the role “Ireland being so close to Wales, and being a Caucasian, English speaking student sometimes isn’t international enough, but I think I can hopefully deliver as good a job as anyone else.” He even commented that while some people’s negative preconceptions are wrong, it makes it all the more rewarding when he comes through when they weren’t expecting it. Andy is currently working on a promotions video with the International office for potential international students. Having just joined AEGEE (European Student’s Forum), providing home and international students alike with opportunities to travel, and organising various other events and fiestas for the coming term, our International Officer has a busy time ahead of him. But he’s very positive about the role and is “seriously considering running again” next year. He’d like to see a consistent Union for 2yrs to strengthen the team and regards them “not just as colleagues but as friends” whilst admitting to the odd disagreement here and there. Other than that his future potentially includes a
If you want to write for the Waterfront News Team get in touch via waterfront.news@hotmail.co.uk or email the editor on editor@swansea-union.co.uk
By Laura Richards Deputy News Editor
By Collette Bird Deputy News Editor
fault in the boiler room. Whilst our contractors were called to rectify the fault I was already in the building and was able to go to the sub-station and restore supplies with a minimum delay. Under normal conditions our contractors would attend within the specified two hour emergency response time.” However, for Xtreme Radio, the problem lasted longer than a couple of minutes as shows were thrown off the air-waves for over three hours. Brett Jenkins Xtreme Radios Head Engineer told The Waterfront, “The power cut knocked off all our vial equipment and we had to urgently get it back up and running, which took longer than expected” Jenkins extended an apology to all listeners and those apart of Xtreme radio who were affected by the power loss.
Get your bids out! By Jack Heyes News Reporter
JC’s PLAYED host to an unusual method of attracting the lovesick and the romantics throughout Swansea University with a charity date auction in an effort to raise money for the Link Community Development (LCD) charity. On November 3rd all were invited to attend and bid on any of the many volunteers being auctioned off. Those auctioned off escorted their privileged highest bidder on a date, whether it be for coffee, a meal for two, an arguably unusual date session at laserzone or even a generous free walk on the beach! Each prize was donated by various local businesses throughout Swansea. The charity, better known to students as ‘the Hitch’, is now in its eighteenth year. ‘The Hitch’ involves a sponsored charity hitchhike to one of two destinations – Morocco or Prague, with students from eighteen universities across the UK taking part. This first big event has started off the charities fundraising with great success. Other than an unpredictable heated disagreement in the bar later on in the evening (resulting in two uninvolved
members being ejected from the venue) the night could not have gone better for the Hitch. The auction alone managed to raise £630 for LCD, something representatives are very happy with. Alex Pirie, a Hitch rep said that “The night was a huge success, the support we have received is fantastic and after such a great outturn we’ll be looking forward to our future events such as athletics themed bar crawls and paintballing.” Those who register to take part on the website are presented with the task of raising £350 for LCD by Easter 2010 (when the Hitch will take place). Many in the past have been worried of the dangers of hitchhiking across Europe; something the organisation takes very seriously, having many precautions in place. There has not, however, ever been a serious incident in all the years the Hitch has been running. All are welcome to devise ways in which to attain sponsorship, the more unusual and bizarre the better! Keep an eye on future Waterfront editions for coverage of future events hosted by the Hitch. If anybody is interested in the Hitch, or just want to know more, then visit http://hitch.lcd.org.uk/ or Facebook group (ID: 139641661427).
SELF-DEFENCEclasses for students have started up again in the university. The classes are designed to help students defend themselves in all sorts of unexpected attacks, from people attempting to snatch handbags to being threatened with a knife. One recent class involved an exercise with plastic knives, training participants how to disarm a potential attacker. While the classes offer valuable training and advice, aimed at making people aware of themselves and the dangers around them, instructor David Lee-North also emphasized the point that the classes involve “fun learning.” He added: “don’t be scared of trying it. It’s very helpful in eventualities that aren’t foreseen, and problems that arise that aren’t your fault.” Student Gemma Tregellas attends the classes and says they are “a really good opportunity for women to feel more confident and feel safe in difficult situations.” “It’s also a good way to meet people.” “Students should definitely join, it gives you confidence, you feel safer when you’re out and about, and you have a good laugh at the classes.” The classes take place on Mondays. Women’s Officer Raegan Healy is pleased to have brought back the classes as she proposed in her campaign. If you are interested in the taking part get in touch with Raegan: womensofficer@swansea-union.ac.uk
08 Welsh/Cymraeg
WATERFRONT 183 - 16/11/09
Waterfront yn Cymraeg ‘Yma O Hyd’
Croeso Helo, a diolch i chi am gymryd amser i edrych ar ein hadran Gymraeg newydd yn Waterfront. Ym mhob rhifyn, gobeithiwn gyflwyno erthyglau ar ddiwylliant Cymraeg, materion Cymreig, chwaraeon, cerddoriaeth, erthyglau ffilm a barn, a phob un trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. ‘Rydym hefyd yn gobeithio hyrwyddo’r defnydd o’r Gymraeg i’r di-Gymraeg drwy ddefnyddio geiriau a brawddegau sy’n hawdd i’w deall, mewn rhan arbennig. Mae dros 20% o boblogaeth Cymru yn gallu siarad Cymraeg ar ryw lefel, a’r Gymraeg yw’r iaith hynaf sy’n para’n fyw yn Ewrop. Mae bron i 10% o fyfyrwyr Prifysgol Abertawe yn siarad Cymraeg fel naill ai eu hiaith gyntaf neu fel ail iaith. Felly, mae’n addas bod Waterfront yn cysegru tudalen i’r iaith Gymraeg. Os oes diddordeb gennych mewn ysgrifennu i’r dudalen Gymraeg, mae croeso i chi gysylltu â swyddfa Waterfront neu â fi ar welshaffairs@hotmail.co.uk. James Kerr Swyddog Materion Cymreig, Undeb Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Abertawe
CYMRAEG: YMA O HYD - Gwnewch yr Ymdrech
By Jess Main and Mia Jones
Y dyddiau hyn, mae’n hawdd iawn anghofio bod gan Gymru ei hiaith ei hun. Er, yma yn y ‘Waterfront’, rydyn ni’n credu y dylen ni hyrwyddo a chefnogi ein diwylliant a’n hiaith – yr iaith Gymraeg. Mae llawer o bobl yng Nghymru yn falch i fod yn Gymro neu’n Gymraes ond dydy’r iaith ddim yn boblogaidd ym mhob man. Mae pobl yn dweud bod yr iaith yn dechrau marw mewn rhai rhannau o’r wlad, ond mae’r ffaith fod Cymraeg yn orfodol mewn ysgolion yn rhoi’r cyfle i blant ifainc i ddechrau defnyddio’r iaith fwyfwy. Mae’r iaith yn apelio at fyfyrwyr achos mae nhw’n gallu ei throsglwyddo i genhedlaeth y dyfodol – mae dyfodol yr iaith yn eu dwylo nhw. Ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe, mae llety i bobl sydd eisiau byw gyda siaradwyr Cymraeg eraill yn ‘Oxwich’ ar y campws ac ym mhentref y myfyrwyr hefyd. Felly, os ydych chi’n ddysgwr neu’n siaradwr Cymraeg rhugl, mae’n gyfle i gwrdd â phobl sy’n debyg i chi! Un ffordd dda o gynnal diddordeb yn yr iaith Gymraeg ydy trwy gerddoriaeth. Dylai hyn apelio at bobl ifanc achos yn eu hamser rhydd, mai rhai ohonyn nhw’n mwynhau ymlacio gyda cherddoriaeth. Hefyd, mae’r BBC yn ffordd arall o ddangos eu cefnogaeth. Mae sianeli fel ‘Radio Wales’ a ‘Radio Cymru’ ar gael, lle maen nhw’n siarad am y newyddion a chwaraeon yn Gymraeg. Hefyd, maen nhw’n chwarae cerddoriaeth gan gantorion a bandiau newydd a hen i annog pobl i fwynhau cerddoriaeth Gymraeg. Mae hyn yn wych achos mae pobl yn gallu clywed eu hoff gerddoriaeth a darganfod beth sy’n digwydd yn eu hardaloedd nhw. Mae digwyddiadau fel yr Eisteddfod neu’r Ddawns Ryng-Golegol yn cael eu cynnal hefyd. Roedd y ddawns ar y 7ed o Dachwedd yn Aberystwyth. Roedd hyn yn gyfle gwych i roi Cymru ar y map. Mae’r digwyddiad yn cael ei gynnal bob blwyddyn yn Aberystwyth. Hwn yw’r gig i hyrwyddo bandiau a chantorion, achos does dim llawer o bobl sy’n gwybod go iawn am gantorion Cymraeg. Mae llawer o bobl yn gwybod am fandiau fel y ‘Manic Street Preachers’, ‘Catatonia’, neu’r ‘Stereophonics’ yn unig, felly mae’n bwysig i ddod i adnabod pobl sy’n ysgrifennu a chanu yn Gymraeg hefyd. Os hoffech chi wybod mwy am ddigwyddiadau fel hwn, gallwch chi ymuno â’r Gymdeithas Gymraeg ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe. Mae hon yn gymdeithas i bobl sy’n dysgu Cymraeg, pobl sy’n siarad Cymraeg fel iaith gyntaf neu bobl sydd ond yn dod o Gymru (neu wledydd eraill!). Maen nhw’n cyfarfod bob wythnos yn JC’s ac yn cynnal llawer o ddigwyddiadau fel mynd i’r clwb comedi yn yr Uplands. Hefyd, nawr ac yn y man maen nhw’n cynnal noson ffilmiau enwog yn Gymraeg, fel Hedd Wyn. Maen nhw’n trefnu llawer o ddigwyddiadau hwylus bob wythnos. Yn y dyfodol, gobeithio y byddan nhw’n trefnu i fynd i lawer o ddigwyddiadau cenedlaethol fel yr Eisteddfod, neu’r Eisteddfod Ryng-golegol, gafodd ei chynnal yn Abertawe y llynedd. Os hoffech chi gael mwy o wybodaeth neu os hoffech chi ymuno â’r Gymdeithas Gymraeg yn Abertawe, gallwch chi eu ffeindio nhw ar: Facebook: Gymdeithas Gymraeg Abertawe Ebost: ygymdeithasgymraeg@hotmail. com Idiomau am Idiots: Cymraeg: Bwrw hen wragedd a’i ffyn Saesneg: Raining old ladies and their sticks Ystyr: Bwrw glaw yn drwm / Raining heavily
Digwyddiadur
By Alun Rhys Chivers
Tŷ Tawe yw canolfan Gymraeg dinas Abertawe, a rhwng nawr a’r Nadolig, mae digon o ddigwyddiadau i’ch diddanu chi yn ystod y nosweithiau hir ac oer! Os ydych chi’n hoffi cerddoriaeth, rygbi neu ddiwylliant Cymraeg yn gyffredinol, dyma’r lle i fod! 20/11/09 – Bydd y dysgwr o America, Chris Cope yn trafod ei gyfrol ‘Cwrw Am Ddim’, sy’n sôn am ei brofiadau wrth ddysgu’r Gymraeg yn ei famwlad. Bydd Siop Tŷ Tawe ar agor i chi brynu eich holl anrhegion Nadolig. 21/11/09 – Cymru v Yr Ariannin. Dewch i wylio’r drydedd gêm rygbi yng nghyfres gemau rhyngwladol yr Hydref. Cwrw braf a chwmni da! 27/11/09 – Gwener y Grolsch yw’r noson fisol o gerddoriaeth Gymraeg. Y mis yma, bydd ‘Just Like Frank’ a ‘Byd Dydd Sul’ yn cefnogi un o fandiau mwyaf cyffrous y sôn gerddoriaeth, ‘Mr. Huw’. 28/11/09 – Cymru v Awstralia. Dewch i wylio’r bedwaredd gêm rygbi yng nghyfres gemau rhyngwladol yr Hydref. Cwrw braf a chwmni da! 4/12/09 – Noson o Garolau i’ch cynhesu chi’n barod at y Nadolig. 11/12/09 – Noson werin Nadoligaidd – dewch â’ch offerynnau! 18/12/09 – Gwener y Grolsch olaf y flwyddyn yng nghwmni ‘Fflur Dafydd a’r Barf’ a ‘Gwibdaith Hen Frân’. Mae Tŷ Tawe ar Stryd Christina, ar y bryn gyferbyn â’r Potters Wheel ac Oceana. Mae croeso cynnes i aelodau newydd. Ffoniwch y Fenter ar (01792) 460906 am ragor o wybodaeth. I gael negeseuon am holl ddigwyddiadau Cymraeg Abertawe, ymunwch â rhestr e-bost @bertaw-e. Ewch i www.menterabertawe.org i gofrestru.
Tawe, Tawe, Tyrfe Tawe! Tyrfe Tawe yw gŵyl gerddoriaeth Gymraeg flynyddol Abertawe, ac fe gafodd ei sefydlu yn 2004. Mae’r digwyddiad wedi denu rhai o’r artistiaid roc, pop a gwerin gorau yng Nghymru ar hyd y blynyddoedd, ac fe fydd y paratoadau ar gyfer yr ŵyl nesaf yn ail-ddechrau ar 26 Tachwedd yn Nhŷ Tawe am 7 o’r gloch. Mae’r pwyllgor yn awyddus i weld wynebau newydd a chael syniadau newydd a ffres. Os hoffech chi ymuno â’r criw bach cyfeillgar, cysylltwch â fi: alunrhyschivers1@ hotmail.com, neu ffoniwch neu destiwch 07799 621 977. Os hoffech chi hysbysebu eich digwyddiadau Cymraeg a Chymreig chi, cysylltwch â golygydd Waterfront: editor@swansea-union.co.uk
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Opinion 09
waterfront OPINION
Barack Obama One year on... Has change happened?
By Laine Thomas - American Opinion In 2008, the United States did something never before seen in our history. We elected a black man to the presidency. It was hailed as a time of huge change in the United States and many people were thrilled with what Barack Obama was promising. Now, one year after being elected (and about 10 months in office) how has he changed the country? One promise was to end the wars in the Middle East with a tail of closing down Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. However, with no way to peacefully end the war, he is now sending even more troops to Afghanistan to fight. Though the promise was for an end to the war, with looming doubts about how to remove the only stability brought to those regions, now the fighting troops need more men to complete the job. Unfortunately, this will also prolong the occupation of both Afghanistan and Iraq. The detention center in Cuba presents a new conflict. Where do the detainees go when the doors shut for good? Obama has enforced his plan of shutting it down and even given a timeline of closure for early 2010, but he-as of May 2009-was actually receiving trouble from the senate on how to close it down. Not only was he denied the money needed to close the detention center, but many people don’t want to imagine the detainees being held stateside for fear of terrorism at home. Though early in his campaign Obama made these promises, in his first year, he is struggling to keep them. There’s also the fact that he deemed it important to fly half way around the world and campaign for the Olympic Games. The Games signify something important to the world but right now, I believe there were many more important things that needed Obama’s time versus something that is many years into the future. We need action now! Then we come to healthcare. Personally, I don’t believe in the healthcare plan Obama is proposing or how he’s going about setting it up. Obama is in a hard struggle to complete this plan and have it enacted nationwide, but as of yet, he hasn’t gotten it through the House or Senate and these are both held by his own party. It’s hard for me to see what he has done so far to accomplish his goals in office. Obama did a lot of good for the country when he was elected. Voting was at a higher percentage among Americans than it has been for many years past and he even got university students, usually the lowest percentage voters, to come out and voice their opinions and get involved. While this is all well and good for the country, now that he’s in office, what exactly has he accomplished? There has been no big sweep of new laws, changing policies or anything of the like. We are looking at a president, who though he is a wonderful speaker, hasn’t turned it into actions as of yet. Only time will tell what kind of president Obama will turn out to be and who knows, he may be the greatest we have ever seen, but I personally need to see action to equate to greatness as a leader. I need more than words!
Rock star or President? Is the expectation of Obama too great?
Yes we can! Obama on the road to the White House last year
By Jack Horton - British Opinion November 4th last year, Barrack Obama became the first African American to win a presidential election. The open ended campaign slogan of ‘Change’ pretty much summed up not only the hopes of the American people, but people all around the globe. Being the first black president is massively significant to this idea of change, but beyond race, how far has Obama achieved a move away from the corrupt power hungry way of operating now synonymous with American politics? Regardless of the change promised by the Obama administration, it is important not to forget his inheritance of Bush’s messy foreign policy, and his taking office in a crippling financial period. I tend to see Obama as symbolising a new America, although even if he is a safer driver than his predecessor, he’s still driving the same imperial, self interested car. One of the original promises Obama made was the closing of the infamous Guantanamo Bay detention centre, known for its uses of torture and violation of human rights. However doing this would involve moving the 250 odd prisoners elsewhere. Obama suggested they be tried through the normal US court system, but some of the evidence gained against detainees could not be used due to the illegal methods used to obtain the information. On November 11th 2009 it was suggested that the prisoners be tried through a new system, merged of the civilian courts and courts martial. No decisions have yet been made, but this problem really highlights the importance of regulating the methods used by the CIA to obtain information. I feel a really valuable way to demonstrate a change from the Bush era would be to start correcting some of the mistakes made. After 9/11, illegal methods of torture were used to gain information, despite the massive pressure put on prisoners to give false evidence through fear. On 16th April Obama stated that he would not be prosecuting CIA personnel known to be using torture methods such as water boarding, walling and standing sleep deprivation (once used for 180 hours!). This decision goes against the UN Convention against Torture, and left Amnesty international campaigners dismayed. How can a President expect other leaders to respect UN Conventions if he does not abide by them himself? Bush’s policy in the Middle East left vast room for improvement, and Obama has, started with the promise to have withdrawn all American troops by 2011. In April, while visiting military base Camp Victory in Iraq, he congratulated the American troops on their extraordinary achievement giving them “the thanks of the American people”. Obama was left with a horrible mess in Iraq, riddled with corruption, and his promise to responsibly remove troops is definitely a step in the right direction. However, the legitimacy of the ‘war on terror’ ultimately relies on finding members of Al Qaeda. Afghanistan now suffers from the efforts to fight the anonymous ‘war on terror’. In principle, if this involves the curbing of activities in the Afghanistan illegal drug trade and ‘terror’ then it should be a noble cause. Despite this, the installation of democracy and fighting terror were top reasons for the invasion of Iraq, which ended with over 100,000 civilian casualties. If nothing else has been learned from the Bush administration, it should be the dangerous nature of the invasions of the Middle East. Bush managed to alienate a generation of Iraqis to the foreign policy of the West. Now considering sending 40,000 more men in, let’s hope that Obama doesn’t do the same for Afghanistan. Despite criticism, Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2009 for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples”. There were 205 nominees for this year’s award, the deadline for nominations was only 2 weeks before Obama was inaugurated. Obama has taken the prize as a “call to action”, it seems that the prize was awarded as an encouragement for intentions, rather than his achievements so far. However many still have yet to be achieved, especially in domestic policy where out of 300 million Americans, 46 million of them do not have medical insurance. Obama is proposing a $900bn plan to try to ensure that all Americans are insured for health care. This sounds like a brilliant initiative that could help to provide a vital service for many Americans in desperate need of medical care but will it happen? It seems that Obama is off to a very good start, the Nobel Peace Prize demonstrates this perhaps more than anything else. Policy on American soil seems to be aimed at looking after those less wealthy. Changing a country like America won’t happen in a year, although Obama seems to be reforming areas which previously caused concern, such as the War on Terror or the forgotten millions of Americans without health care. Hopefully this time next year we’ll be discussing a changed America.
10 Features
Waterfront 183 - 16/11/09
The Floating Population By Features Writer Kelsey Richards
I’m trying to think of the last time that I went out of my way to help someone. Not in a big major way, but just a small gesture that would make the difference to somebody’s day. My last article focused on my efforts out in India, but after talking to a few people upon arriving home, many have stated that they feel “charity begins at home” and I began to consider this. A few weeks ago I was having a pretty lousy day. I’d turned up to a nine o clock lecture on a Monday morning that didn’t actually exist, meaning I had to spend two hours floating until my real lecture at eleven. Then began the excruciating stomach cramps. I frantically scrambled through my bag looking for spare coins to buy pain killers but had none and was in the middle of a lecture. Half way through I had to bail and get myself home to bed and medication. Clutching my stomach I hobbled along Bryn Road when a man suddenly began shouting to get my attention. I looked over at him and his friend who were sitting on the corner of the steps to St Helens Rugby Ground. His long hair was matted, his clothes torn and ragged and a bottle of White Lightening sat at his side. I looked at him in irritation, wondering what on earth he could possibly want me for, when he smiled at me and said “Don’t cry love.” I was shocked. I didn’t quite know how to respond to a homeless man giving me sympathy, which was in fact all I wanted in the world right then. Seeing my face soften he suddenly burst into song, “Don’t cry for me, Argentina!” and his grin began to broaden. I considered walking on and ignoring them, but began to think about myself, every other Wednesday night, stumbling along singing to strangers with drink spilled down my dress and missing one shoe and decided to follow suit, “The truth is I never left you!” I warbled. The two men began to laugh and I continued my quest for pain killers.
Shelter Cymru based on Walter Road in Swansea
Once recovered I began to think how little those men had yet how such a small act meant so much to me that day once I began to break down my own prejudices. I set about trying to find the homeless man again to repay the favour, maybe in the form of some money. When I started to inform people that I was writing the story lots of people mentioned that they knew of a Big Issue Vendor outside the Upland’s Spar. I decided that I’d try and find her for an interview, being so popular among the students, hoping to encourage those who hadn’t already bought an issue to maybe consider doing so. I set about contacting various Homeless Shelters in Swansea to try and find out more about Swansea’s “floating population.” Andrew Jones from Shelter Cymru, informed me “We estimate there are around 20 Rough Sleepers in Swansea at the moment, but that is not how many sleep out every night. On average we are finding around 7 people out on the Breakfast Run but the people can vary from day to day so we are not always seeing the same ones.” I enquired what this “Breakfast Run” was exactly. I was told that every morning from 7am to 8am, the Exousia Trust building on George Street is donated by Pastor Sean Stillman. Zac’s is a non funded project but the staff and volunteer workers do small fund raising events allowing them to cover heating and electric, the rest they use to fund the food and drink they give out. It was one of these volunteers, a regular customer of the Upland’s Diner (famous among students and locals for the creation of “The Beast” breakfast) that approached Paul Comisini and his partner, asking whether they would be interested in donating sandwiches to Zac’s Breakfast for the homeless every Thursday. The Diner also provides hot food once a month and there is a collection box on the counter for Swansea’s homeless. Paul told me how he’d received feedback that everyone was extremely grateful and that this act of kindness was really going down a storm at the Trust. Next I moved on to Swansea City Centre, where I noticed Martina selling copies of the Big Issue outside WHSmiths. I asked her if she would mind answering a few questions on how she came to find herself homeless, as I imagined that there were a number of safety issues to consider as a woman on the streets. She told me how after tragic family breakdown and divorce from her husband she’d found herself struggling to finance accommodation. She’d been homeless for three years. “I was living in London with my husband, in a big house with my four daughters and three lovely grandchildren. I didn’t think about money, you just don’t think this sort of thing is going to happen to you.” Martina’s daughter is actually studying Art and Photography at Swansea Metropolitan University, and it just made me realise how easy it is for a member of your own family to be hit by difficult circumstances and hard times. She told me how grateful she was for organisations such as Breakfast at Zac’s and Martina highlighted what a large role the Big Issue had played in her life. By selling it she’d received a lot of support. She was given a room by the Big Issue and was at least safe from the streets.
Working not begging: Big issue vendor Martina
FRONT
Packed with music,film, food and The Saturdays It’s your essential culture guide
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Event: Santa Jog on the Marina for the British Heart Foundation The annual Santa Jog is an event organised by the British Heart Foundation around Christmas time in order to raise money for the charity. The event is held nationwide, but here in Swansea, the course will be set up around the Swansea Waterfront, and the actual race itself takes place on Sunday 29th November. The course is 2K, but as with all charity runs, there is the option to walk or jog if running 2K sounds unmanageable to some! The event is highly successful every year, and manages to raise a lot of money for the charity, and as it can easily be done by anyone of any age and any ability, there’s no excuse for not taking part! You can enter right now at the British Heart Foundation website (www.bhf.org.uk) - a £10 fee is required in order to enter, but that does include a free Santa suit to wear at the event, which will be available to pick up on
the day. If you wish to receive the suit before the race, an extra £2 will be required to cover postage. There are limited spaces for this event so join up now! The jog will be a fantastic way to start getting into the Christmas spirit early, as well as helping to save lives in doing so. If you don’t feel up to the run but would like to do your bit for the British Heart Foundation you can go on to their website which gives many suggestions on how you can help the charity from overseas events to volunteering. You could even purchase your loved ones Christmas presents on their online store as well as buying all your Christmas cards to send your season’s greetings. As a gift to you from the British Heart Foundation there is a 10% discount by simply entering SANTA09 at checkout. The online shop website is bhf.org.uk/gifts.
Caitlin Gwynn
Books: Review of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley This past Halloween, after the partying was done, many of you will have settled down with your loved ones and friends, snuggled on the sofa and watched a scary movie. Some of the more retro among you may have decided on a classic monster movie. It’s entirely possible that your viewing was interrupted by a gaggle of ghouls offering a cry of ‘Trick Or Treat’. It’s possible that one of these had his face painted green and had bolts sticking out of his neck. If, however, as all first year English students should have been doing, you instead decided to crack open Mary Shelley’s iconic 1818
novel “Frankenstein”, you may have been shocked. Victor Frankenstein is not a mad scientist in pursuit of world domination, instead he is an ambitious young student hoping to carve a name for himself in the anuals of time. The monster is not lumbering or stupid, but extremely agile, both physically and mentally. Not to mention that most of us erroneously refer to the monster as “Frankenstein” In the novel, he is given no name. He is the quintessential outsider. It’s difficult for us to imagine as a modern audience how terrifying a
novel like Frankenstein would have been to its contemporary audience. The novel is primarily an exploration of the dangers of scientific and technological advancement. Don’t get too bogged down with subtext though, the novel is exciting enough in its own right. It zips along and is relatively short, so it’s perfect for dipping into between lectures. The Monster’s plight is incredibly saddening and will contrast with every presentation of the monster you’ll have seen. It won’t be incredibly surprising to many people that Hollywood have taken liberties with one of the great novels in
all of English literature. The films are classics in their own right but there’s nothing quite like a good book to really unsettle the nerves. So, as the night closes in, shut the curtains and make sure the doors are bolted as you settle down with this classic chiller. Forget all you know about Frankenstein, it’s probably wrong.
Resistance sees Sheers’ first novel length fictional piece. Without sounding too much like the blurb on the back of the book, Resistance is set in an alternate history in 1944, where the D-Day landings have failed and the women in a welsh valley have to deal with the disappearance of all the men in the valley and the invasion of a German patrol. Meanwhile there is an underlying mystery as to why, of all places, a German patrol would be interested in the welsh valley of Olchon.
Resistance is a strangely compelling novel about friendship and loss. The setting of the welsh valley isolates the characters from the rest of the world, and the novel presents a moment in time where both the women and the German patrol are protected from the divisions of the outside world. The friendships formed create an incredibly moving and thought provoking novel that attempts to grasp the effect of war on society. The Welsh valley setting is incredibly important to why this book works so
well. The imagery used in the novel is beautifully crafted, some of which you read and you just know a poet must have written this. This results in you being completely absorbed into the valley with the other characters. It becomes a character itself and you find yourself caring just as much about the valley as you do the people. Sheers effectively takes the reader on a journey through the valley, highlighting the possibilities of what could have been by focusing on a small society. Resistance is incredibly
refreshing as it presents a novel that you can both appreciate and enjoy. It is the type of novel that you could read and then read again and take something different from it each time. It is definitely worth reading and I recommend that you read the afterword as it makes the whole novel that much more meaningful whilst sending a chill down your spine at the
The Swansea Little Theatre group, based at the Dylan Thomas Theatre on the Marina, is one of the oldest amateur drama groups in the UK and offer a good variety of productions for theatregoers throughout the year. The theatre’s most recent production, Under Milk Wood, appeared in Swansea, (Dylan Thomas’ home-town) and provided a comfortable watch and a highly polished performance. Thomas’ last major completed work, Under Milk Wood, offers audiences a poetic glimpse of life in a fictional fishing village on the South Wales coast. The weird and wonderful inhabitants
include a nosy postman and his wife who steam open the village mail, a wannabe poisoner who dreams of an elaborate exit for his nagging wife and a vicar turned poet who presents onlookers with a taste of his distilled philosophy. Interestingly, this year’s run was the first Little Theatre production of the play that saw a female actress in the role of the first voice who, acting as the principal narrator, guides the audience through the wonderfully Welsh streets of Llareggub. Eleanor McLeod stepped up to the mark very well indeed, with a rich and interesting voice that possessed airs of Felicity Kendall. The remainder
of the cast, indicative of the nature of the village it depicted, varied greatly in age but all portrayed their characters very well, most notably Richard Williams as Captain Cat, the haunted blind retired seaman and Nadia O’Neil as provocative characters Gossamer Beynon, Mae Rose Cottage and Mrs Dai Bread 2. The set, inherited from another production, also presented an interesting change, being centred around a woodland scene, and thus creating an effective portrayal of the rural atmosphere at hand. This year’s production of the play was dedicated to Aeronwy Thomas Ellis, daughter of Dylan Thomas and late
president of the theatre, who died in July this year. The company ensured, however, that the performance was one of which I’m sure both Mrs Thomas Ellis and her father would have been proud. Upcoming Little Theatre productions include the family pantomime, Puss in Boots, followed by A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller in the new year. Further details are available on the theatre’s website; www. swansealittletheatre.org.uk.
Books: Review of Resistance by Owen Sheers
Rhodri Diaz
same time. Suzanne Beynon
Stage: Review of ‘Under Milk Wood’ at the Dylan Thomas Theatre
David Lewis
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
FRONT - CULTURE 13
Stage: Interview with Chika Temma from The Swansea Ballet Russe
For those of you who are familiar with German Romantic, E.T.A. Hoffman’s Christmas story of a young girl who dreams of a Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads, this newly choreographed Ballet may just be for you. The Nutcracker was first performed as a ballet at a theatre in St Petersberg in 1892 and since then has become a seasonal favourite. The magicality of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Sugar Garden and the ever growing Christmas tree is a wonderful story which successfully weaves the realistic with the fantastical to Tchaikovsky’s music, in particular the unforgettable and beautiful Waltz of the Flowers. The Swansea Ballet Russe and Honorary Patron, H.H. Princess Olga Romanoff
are presenting ‘The Nutcracker’ at Swansea’s Grand Theatre on the 29th November and we’ve been fortunate enough to talk to one of its principle dancers. Chika Temma, one of Swansea’s Nutcracker’s lead dancers, divulges to us some of the inner workings of the Kingdom of Sweets and what it was that inspired her to take to the stage in search of complex choreography, intensive training and beautiful costumes. We’re keen to know what it was that inspired Chika Temma to become a professional ballet dancer, “My mother was a professional ballet dancer and then she became a ballet teacher so she taught me. I remember watching her dance at rehearsals and performances as a child”.
Chika goes on to say that the Nutcracker is a “lovely Christmas production and hopefully we will get a good audience”. It’s obvious from the way Chika talks of the production that it’s taken a lot of hard work and the company are eager to show it off. “We do a ballet class every morning for a warm up to maintain the technique, and then we do rehearsals for a couple of hours. And we obviously have to rehearse with the children as well. The children rehearse with other dancers or their teachers, from the dance school in Swansea”, the incorporation of Swansea’s dance schools is a great triumph, and inevitably it must be hard to make something which was created over a hundred years ago relevant to today’s audience without straying from the spirit of the original. Chika tells us that “we might have children as young as about 6 or 7 years old, it is difficult to say because I don’t ask them their ages. We just say we need a group of eight children of this sort of age and if the child is capable she might be given the role.” This is impressive given the intense routines the ballet is comprised of! Chika has obviously had a lot of dance experience and mentions that one of her favourite roles was in the tragic romance, Swan Lake. “In Swan Lake there is a black and a white interpretation of Odette and this is really enjoyable as you get to perform two different roles – the good swan, Odette and her alter-ego Odile!”
Rafael Bonachela’s lastest work, “The land of yes and the land of no”, is
coming to Swansea after its long awaited UK premiere in London last July. The choreographer, who surprisingly refused to give up his own dance company after being appointed new artistic director of the Sydney Dance Company, is a professional of international fame, and this production is broadly believed to live up to the high expectations. The concept which inspired every aspect of the show (from dance and music originally, to lights, costumes and design) is of a strongly semiotic nature: eleven internationally understood road signs such as “no way” and “stop” were placed in front of the six dancers, the Italian composer Ezio Bosso and Bonachela himself, and together they discussed their reactions to them, the memories they brought to mind and the emotions they evoked. The result has been described as “mesmerizing”, “gorgeously choreographed and gorgeously danced”. Opened by a greatly applauded solo
by “one of the most compelling and intelligent dancers on the world stage”, Amy Hollingsworth, the show’s soothing and soft mood transforms into a more confrontational and dynamic one during the second part, where more energetic music accompanies a splendidly tortured solo. Although the dancers have all been highly eulogized, the forte of the production is said to be the collaboration between the choreographer and the composer (“a match made in heaven”, according to thestage.co.uk). We asked the composer, Ezio Bosso, why he thinks this partnership is so prolific: “Although fairly recent (we started working together only a year and a half ago), our collaboration is well established. We work closely together and our relationship is of a human nature as well as professional. We soon realized we were on the same artistic wavelength, and since then our friendship helped us pool resources and
Chika tells us about the different places she performs “I travel a lot, like other countries in Europe such as Germany, Belgium and the company has been to Dubai and Ireland” – the touring sounds extremely exciting, new tours and adventures, new stage halls and strange beds! When we ask about Chika and the Swansea performance she reiterates that they are “a Russian Ballet company, I was trained in Russia and this is the Russian version of the Nutcracker...The difference between the English version and the Russian is the sugar plum fairy in the English version is like the Princess, and she dances with the Prince, but in Russian version it’s Carla, the little girl in the Christmas party.” Having not yet seen either performance we’re now more than eager to see it at Swansea’s Grand Theatre at the end of the month – Chika beguiles us even more when she talks so passionately about the battle of “the toy soldiers” against the army of mice. We ask her about her Russian roots and how performing here in Swansea differs; “I Iove performing in Russia because the Russian audience love ballet. I love performing in Swansea theatre because it’s the most beautiful theatre in the country and it’s our home town so obviously we are looking forward to it. Hopefully lots of people will come and see us.” We ask her how the economic crisis has affected ballet and she is not afraid to admit that it has had an effect, “I think if people can afford to come and
see ballet then they will come. If you had lost your job and couldn’t afford food you wouldn’t be able to afford to see ballet would you? I think the changes in the economy did affect our box office, yes.” Swansea Grand Theatre are presenting The Nutcracker at the end of the month and it sounds as if it really is a must see performance. The fantastic costumes, the unforgettable music, and extremely talented dancers performing in an enchanted forest wonderland in the company of dancing snowflakes cannot be missed and we’ll certainly be there for opening night. Whether you’re a devoted fan of battle action or a poignant Waltz, this ballet has something for everyone, and tickets are on sale now at the box office and online, here’s hoping that the magic of the Nutcracker lingers long after you’ve seen it just in time for Christmas and thus we’ll ask the ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ to commence – give it a Google, you’ll more than recognise the jewellery box song!
collaborate successfully. In the case of ‘the Land of Yes and the Land of No’, for example, we elaborated the concept and chose the signals together, and then we separately started creating the music and the choreography.” So how did you translate road signs into music? “I placed the signs in front of many different people and asked them about their emotional response to them. The music mirrors the signs in a formal and graphic way as well. For example the “one way” sign is translated into music by arpeggios which, well, just go one way.” Unfortunately, ‘the Land of Yes and the Land of No’ also received some less positive reviews. Many critics argued that the complexity of the lights
work needs to be “cut to the bone” or that “he needs a merciless editor”. “Bonachela is a highly controversial artist” answers Ezio Bosso. “He’s often misunderstood, especially when his work is reviewed by ballet experts, whereas his genre is contemporary dance. If Rafael has a fault it’s that of being too generous with his collaborators. The reason his work is not properly perceived is that he doesn’t like talking about his work; he wants the audience to watch it, enjoy it and come up with their own conclusions and explanations. Open eyes will see the semantics behind it, closed eyes will dislike it. It has been said that the show is too complex and that it lacks naivety, but in truth it couldn’t be simpler. It’s extremely easy to just sit back and enjoy it, and I’m sure you will agree after watching it.” ‘The Land of Yes and the Land of No’ is showing at the Taliesin arts centre on the 3rd of December. Alice Copello
Sophie Bamber & Emma Mesney
Stage: ‘The Land of Yes and the Land of No’ at the Taliesin
installation, the elaborate pleated design, the costumes and even the music, “obscure and distance us from the quiet detail which is Bonachela’s forte”. Some consider the production a disappointment; others feel like his
Stage: The Rape of Lucrece at the Taliesin On Thursday 26th November, Shakespeare’s narrative poem, The Rape of Lucrece, will be performed at the Taliesin Arts Centre. This intense production of the poem has been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, as well as completing a highly successful run in London. The poem is a solo performance, played here by Gerard Logan, an actor who has origins in the RSC and the National Theatre, as well as being nominated for an Olivier
Award. The director, Gareth Armstrong, comes from Swansea, and has directed and created many award-winning solo performance shows, such as Shylock. The poem itself is a serious narrative meditation on the nature of rape from the point of view of the rapist, and details his regrets and doubts. It is Shakespeare’s take on a story featured in the history of Rome, in which the woman in question, Lucrece, is raped by a Roman king, and then goes on to commit suicide herself.
The poem is an account of the dreadful consequences that the rape has for both rapist and victim. The critically-acclaimed show promises to be powerful and dramatic, and will be unmissable for those who are fans of Shakespeare and his poetry, as well as those who aren’t. Caitlin Gwynn
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Food & Drink: Review of Charlie’s Restaurant on the Marina
“Charlie’s? *mocking tone*, you don’t get much on a plate mind...guess it’s alright for you skinny types!” – having just been dropped off in the middle of Swansea’s Marina we ambled around in quite a directionless fashion and were subsequently greeted by two local fishermen. Whilst the four of us were congregated outside the local angling club considering Swansea’s fishing
economy, the conversation turned to places to dine in Swansea, namely ‘Charlie’s’. Given that it was now past 2 o clock we were awfully near to missing out on what is generally socially acceptable for lunch time dining – the stereotypical eating times and rituals of student food consumption have led to some extremely bad habits! Waving farewell to our seamen friends, (excuse the pun; they gave us nothing more than directions!) we continued on our journey to the inconspicuous, ‘Cafe Bar & Dining’ experience that ‘Charlie’s’ had promised us. With patience on our side we used a somewhat questionable ‘follow-your-instinct’ navigation system and eventually tracked down the restaurant. On first glance the baby blue building looks quite humble but after being greeted at the door by an extremely friendly waitress we were taken down to the basement... No, this isn’t a horror review; we can assure you that Charlie’s basement is wholly elegant and very well decorated. With seating embedded in the original brick wall, swanky cushions at the
side, white linen runners down the middle of each table and a bright infusion of pink from a single gerbera flower, the restaurant is very chic! The sophistication continued on the walls in various modern canvas’ which were highlighted even more in contrast with the contemporary light fittings which themselves provided a gentle, glowing atmosphere. The restaurant has managed to cleverly incorporate a separate dining area for larger parties, perhaps with more of an occasion – this section is decorated with a large, flamboyant mirror and extra leather seats, sadly today we were without our seven other dining companions and made do with a table for two. We were sat right next to a traditional fireplace that had definitely been given the Charlie touch; a lick of stormy coloured paint, some chunky candles and a few complimentary silver ornaments - the basement dining experience is both stylish and comfortable. Our food arrived without delay on trendy square plates and our drinks, both Coca Cola, were served in the best and arguably only way a Coca
Cola should be served, from a glass bottle. The starters, Chicken liver Parfait and a Tomato and Brie Tart both came with garnish and a balsamic glaze and we polished them off in seconds! The portions here may not have been enough to satisfy a rugged Welsh fisherman but they were just right for us and had us eagerly anticipating the next course! Fried Hake with Sautéed potatoes and French beans and a Lamb and Lentil Casserole; the Hake was zinging with the freshness of the sea and a tasty herb flavour from the sprightly green beans made the Hake dish as good a fish dish you could ask for. The small lamb chops were tickled pink, very tender and had a wonderfully deep flavour which was complemented by the rich lentil casserole accompaniment. Both meals were fantastic and made even better for the fact that just round the corner you can see the chef prepare them in the authentic ‘open’ style kitchen the restaurant offers. ‘Charlie’s’ has been open for just over a year and is already fully booked for Christmas. We were told that lunchtimes
are sometimes quite slow but recently both lunch times and evenings have really picked up. Well, why wouldn’t they with menu deals such as £8.95 for a starter and main course during the week and a special menu for ‘Ladies Lunch Fridays’! The Friday bargain is a perfect opportunity for you girls to hunt down and devour a deal and while you’re at it gaze longingly at the tasty treats which aren’t on the menu; our waitress kindly divulged to us that the upstairs cafe/bar is a hit with good-looking eye candy business men! So all in all a thumbs up, being just at the bottom of Wind Street, Charlie’s is very accessible and provides a delicious menu at reasonable prices. We’ll certainly be going back with the girls, if only so we can sit in the ‘separate’ dining area and pretend we’re Swansea University VIP’s wholly worthy of an individual dining experience.
Located in Somerset Place, grade II* listed building Morgans Hotel is Swansea’s only boutique hotel and restaurant. Formerly home to the port authority for organising Swansea’s maritime trade, it has today transformed into a unique and luxurious resort. Upon arrival, my attention was drawn to the traditional architectural features, which are juxtaposed with modern surroundings. Before dinner, I decided to explore the bar area which has a fine selection of wines and champagne. Unfortunately, I couldn’t have a glass but after previously experiencing Morgans, there are definitely drinks to cater for everyone’s tastes. The dazzling bar zone is stylishly designed with comfortable leather seating, modern decorations and
mild lighting. Welcoming employees approach you with their friendly and respectful attitude, which is usually the first thing I recognise when dining. After relaxing in the cheerful bar, I relocated to the restaurant, which is situated upstairs. Before entering the well presented dining room, greetings from a loyal staff member led the way to our table. On a Wednesday evening, Morgans offers a three course dinner for a marvellously priced £15 per person. The menu has a selection of appetising dishes to choose from and my starter consisted of ‘Leak and Potato’ soup, which was served to perfection. After finishing my starter, I decided to try something new for my main course: ‘Chili and Lime Porbeagle Shark Steak with Garlic Mayonnaise complemented
with Roast Potatoes and Vegetables’. Bursting with flavour and freshness this ‘mouthwatering’ tender fish was caught from the bays of Aberystwyth and is definitely a dish I’d have again. I never usually eat desserts, but as it was three courses, I didn’t really put up a fight. Thus, I decided to try the: ‘Nut Chocolate Brownie with Joe’s Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce’, which was rich in flavour and full of sweetness. The dessert was absolutely delicious and divine. With Swansea presently being the land of rain, why mourn when you could be trying some fine dining within a warm and friendly atmosphere. Morgans would definitely be the ideal place for those special occasions such as Graduation, birthdays, romantic meals or simply
parents visiting. Morgans full menu and prices are available on-line. I’d advise booking to avoid disappointment!
composition Miserere Mei, a musical rendition of Psalm 51 written by Allegri for the Vatican. According to the Portugese emperor Leopold the work was jealously guarded by the church “You have often heard of the famous Miserere in Rome, which is so greatly prized that the performers are forbidden
on pain of excommunication to take away a single part of it, copy it or give it to anyone. Moreover, as it is one of the secrets of Rome, we do not wish to let it fall into other hands”. Mozart is said to have broken the embargo by copying Allegri’s score after a performance of Miserere in the Sistine Chapel and stashing the illicit manuscript under his hat to avoid detection. When conservative MP and former Thatcherite housing minister Sir George Young was quoted as saying that the homeless were the people you step over when you come out of the opera house, the residents at the Passage Nightshelter in Westminster took a stand. The former rough sleepers at the Passage decided to form Streetwise Opera challenging the public, media and establishment perceptions of the Homeless as lazy beggars by moving from the gutter to the stage. In 2000 Streetwise performed ‘The Little Prince’ ,a children’s opera, at the Royal Opera house Linbury studio. As a former
Passage shelter resident commented “Taking part in the Little Prince Project gave me a sense of purpose and helped to recover my feelings of self-worth at a time when my morale and self-esteem were at a very low ebb, and my personal outlook seemed unremittingly bleak. The feelings of elation and accomplishment which I, in common with the other stage-crew, felt standing on the stage to acknowledge the applause at the end of the production were something I will never forget, and played a large part in helping me to overcome my difficulties and start putting my life back into order. I urge you to support Streetwise Opera in their endeavours, so that other homeless people may benefit as I have.” With almost six hundred past and current members of the company Streetwise now runs participatory arts workshops at homeless shelters throughout Britain. On October 7th 2009 Streetwise Opera was awarded the prestigious Times Gramophone music award for ‘Music in the Community’ at London’s Dorchester
hotel in Park Lane. With their first CD due out in time for Christmas and musical director Mira Calix nominated for the British Composer Awards for her adaptation of ‘My Secret Heart’, Streetwise Opera are hot. When Streetwise staged the political satire ‘Critical Mass’ in 2007 many critics rated it to be the best opera of the season preferring the fresh approach and broad popular appeal of the Streetwise Opera company to the more formal productions of the Royal Opera House ensemble. ‘My Secret Heart’ is playing at Taliesin Friday 20th November 7.30pm £3 in advance for the live performance at Taliesin for all full time Swansea University Students with Student ID. Limited availability. £5 on the day standby tickets for full time Swansea University Students for all the live events
Sophie Bamber & Emma Mesney
Food & Drink: Review of Morgan’s Hotel Restaurant
Luke Samuel Curtis
Music: ‘My Secret Heart’ performance at the Taliesin
Contemporary composer Mira Calix and her collaborators film maker Flat-e and musician Dave Sheppard have created a new project with the Streetwise Opera Company that subverts notions of cultural exclusivity. My Secret Heart takes its musical inspiration from Gregorio Allegri’s 17th century
Paul Seacombe
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
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Film: Previews of upcoming films at the Taliesin
On The Waterfront (1954) PG 29th November Featuring quotable lines and some of the most memorable scenes in the history of American cinema, Elia Kazan’s On The Waterfront is an undoubted classic. The plot of the film, which was based on a series of New York Sun articles by journalist Malcolm Johnson, revolves around the Hoboken docks in New Jersey and the infestation of mob-related activities that went on there. After a
Julie & Julia 12A 23rd and 24th November ‘Julie and Julia’ is the latest work from writer/director Nora Ephron, who is perhaps best known as the director of films such as ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ and ‘You’ve Got Mail’. The film tells the story of two real-life women, pioneering television chef, Julia Child, and cookery writer, Julie Powell. Like much of Ephron’s work, ‘Julie and Julia’ is concerned with the idea of characters living parallel lives, this idea is reflected by the film’s two narrative strands, which run parallel with each other,
number of witnesses for the Waterfront Crime Commission turn up dead before they’re able to testify against mobconnected Union boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), the widely held position of keeping quiet, or ‘deaf and dumb’, becomes increasingly hard to accept for ex-prize fighter Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando). What ensues is as much a battle between Terry and his conscience as it is between Terry and Johnny. With only ‘Waterfront priest’ Father Barry (Karl Maden) and Edie Doyle (Eva Marie Saint) for support, Terry must
although the title characters never meet. The first narrative strand is set in post-Second World War France as Californian Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and her husband travel to Paris, where he is to work at the American embassy. Bored and restless, Julia attempts to fill her time with various activities until finally deciding to indulge her love of food by taking up cookery. In doing so, she fights for the opportunity to study at the Cordon Bleu academy and then establishes her own cookery school. Following this, Julia then embarks on a book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which at 734 pages, will take nearly a decade to complete, but will
decide whether to continue bending to the will of the ruthless Friendly, or to risk everything and take a stand against the corruption that had already cost him dearly. The film gained a massive 12 Oscar nominations, winning an impressive 8 of them, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Brando who finally collected his first award, having just been nominated for the previous three years. On The Waterfront has an interesting sub-context due to the fact that the director himself was heavily criticized after his testimony to the House UnAmerican Activities Committee, which led to the black-listing of many so called Communists within Hollywood. Nevertheless, it is often considered to be both Kazan and Brando’s best work, and at the time undoubtedly showed that the latter was no longer simply just a contender. Nathan Shaw & Sophie Wardle
become her most famous work. The second narrative strand revolves around modern-day food fanatic and blogger, Julie Powell (Amy Adams). Tired of perpetually feeling unfulfilled, Julie also attempts to find some purpose through her love of cooking and decides to write a blog detailing her attempts to work her way through all of the recipes in Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This then became the 2005 bestseller, Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment. As is the case with many of Ephron’s female characters, Julie is often quirky and neurotic, with many of the film’s comedic moments arising due to her various disastrous attempts to replicate Child’s recipes. However, it is arguably the performance of the award-winning Meryl Streep that makes the film so engaging. Streep’s performance has been widely acclaimed due to her remarkable ability to capture the voice and mannerisms of the American television icon, which has subsequently enabled the film to become both a critical and commercial success. Sarah Hill
The Soloist 12A 25th November The Soloist is director Joe Wright’s (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement) latest film starring Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)as Steve Lopez and Jamie Foxx (Ray, Collateral) as Nathaniel Ayers. ‘The Soloist’ is set in Los Angeles where Steve Lopez, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, is seeking a subject to write about in his
Home 15 1st December ‘Home’ is the moving and often disturbing feature film debut of Swiss documentary filmmaker Ursula Meier. Starring Isabelle Huppert and Olivier Gourmet, it follows the trials and many tribulations of a quirky, happy-go-lucky family who live on the edge of an abandoned highway due to be reopened. As the traffic builds, the family’s picture-perfect existence begins to unravel and mental and physical boundaries are pushed to the limit. Meier mixes home-movie style filmmaking, still photography and more conventional cinematography to create a truly unique experience for the viewer. Meier describes the film as a “contemporary family tale”
Art & Design: ‘Colin’ at the Glynn Vivian One of the surprise success stories at this year’s Cannes Film Festival was a lowbudget zombie film by Welsh director, Marc Price. Much has been made within the press of the fact that the film was made with a budget of only £45, which according to the director, was spent on “some tapes and a crowbar.” However, the film is also almost unique within the horror genre because the story is told from the perspective of a zombie, who is both an interesting and sympathetic character. ‘Colin’ is the story of a young man who becomes a zombie after he is bitten by
someone who is infected with the zombie virus. The film then follows Colin as he wanders the streets of London, trying to adjust to his new condition and acquiring a taste for human flesh. However, unlike the other zombies that roam the streets, Colin does his best to avoid any conflict. All of the film’s action is filmed on the streets of London and Swansea with a hand-held camera, which gives the film a highly naturalistic feel and makes the idea of a zombie apocalypse all the more frightening. Furthermore, due to its minimal budget, the film relies heavily on the use of human emotion in order
to create drama, as opposed to special effects. Nowhere is this more effective than during the scenes in which Colin is held captive whilst his sister attempts to rediscover some of his previous humanity by showing him family photographs, desperately searching for a glimmer of recognition behind his eyes. Despite its minimal budget, ‘Colin’ has managed to secure mainstream cinema distribution and exhibition across the country, as well as widespread DVD distribution. The film has also been highly acclaimed within the media. For those who have yet to see the film,
column. He finds this in his meeting with Nathaniel Ayers, a mentally ill, home less person with an extraordinary talent for music. With a director as critically acclaimed as Joe Wright, and a cast as strong as Robert Downey Jr and Jamie Foxx this film promises to be an excellent watch and it does not disappoint. The main story line follows these two characters, the development of their relationship and the effect that it has on the two of them. Wright’s direction, however, results in the film subtly exploring poverty in LA through the relationship of Lopez and Ayers. It is interesting that Wright actually films in the Skid Row, an area of LA with one of the largest permanent populations in the USA. This adds something deeper that often comes with the direction of Wright, and is supported by the moving performances of Downey and Foxx. Based on the book by Steve Lopez, this film is well worth watching for those who like films with deeper underlying themes. It is showing at the Taliesin Arts Centre on Wednesday 25th November.
Suzanne Beynon
and it follows in the vein of such cult smashes as “Little Miss Sunshine”. This film is, however, much darker in tone than the twee “Little Miss Sunshine”, with Empire describing it as “psychological horror”, “paranoic sci-fi” and “black comedy” and giving it a prestigious 4 stars out of 5. This is certainly a film of depth and substance that has been garnering attention the world over. A “road movie in reverse”, the film is a unique mash-up of genre filmmaking and dark comedy and Meier has established herself as a talent to watch for the future. The two leads are exceptional in the roles of matriarch and patriarch of a seemingly perfect family that begins to unravel at the seams. ‘Home’ is a deeply touching deconstruction of family ties and well worth your time. Rhodri Diaz
director Marc Price will be returning to his hometown of Swansea on November 27th for a special screening at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. The screening will be followed by a question and answer session for all those who wish to discover how to make a successful film on a low budget. Sarah Hill
16 FRONT - MUSIC
WATERFRONT 183 - 16/11/09
dj WITH hero
CHATAWAY A SATURDAY!
Editor James Taylor talks to Saturdays’ member Rochelle about their new album, X-factor and being beaten by a Chipmunk! Hi Rochelle, how’s things? Rochelle: I’m good thank you! Um…well actually, I’m waiting for the plumber to come out as the boilers gone! Glamorous life or what!? *laughs* Ha-ha! Amazing! So you got the new album out – ‘Wordshaker’, that must be pretty exciting stuff for you girls? Rochelle: Yeah, it’s always exciting when we bring out something new you know? We love the response we get from new material from the fans…it’s always a brilliant feeling! I can imagine. Well your debut single ‘Forever is Over’ was a massive hit, proud of the reaction you got from it? Rochelle: Yeah it was a massive boost of confidence for us, really great reactions all round. Our fans are great though! *laughs* Well I noticed you just missed out on the number 1 spot to a chipmunk! What was the bands reaction to that? Rochelle: Not too bad actually, as Chipmunk is a massive fan of ours, and even though he got to number one, he did mention us in his track by quoting a few verses from ‘Issues’ anyway. But in all fairness he is actually a great artist, if he was a one hit wonder then we
would have been gutted *laughs*. And it be really good if we collaborate with him sometime in the future, you never know. Wow, can we call that a Waterfront exclusive? Rochelle: *laughs* we will have to wait and see! I was also going to ask how you girls felt in regards to having your lyrics included in Chipmunks song; it is showing a sign of respect for you girls? Rochelle: Yeah, mentioning us in his song is cool you know, because if someone who is number one wants to mention you in their song we must be doing something right at least! Well on a more positive note you girls have climbed the ladder of success very smoothly, putting yourself alongside the greats such as Girls Aloud and Sugababes. How does that feel? Rochelle: It’s really good because people have accepted us very well. We didn’t think there would be a space for a new girl band but there was! People are a bit more accepting of things in the music business than we thought so it’s really good for us.
Well you have definitely shown those critics stating you to be a ‘one hit wonder’ haven’t you? Rochelle: Exactly! That was our plan. *laughs* I know you girls played a fantastic gig at our Fresher’s Ball last year – surely that’s not the last we will see of you in Swansea? Rochelle: Well no, I’m sure that won’t be the last time we visit Swansea. It’s just all the work we get done always happens in London, but we do try and get out there to as many places as we can. Hopefully we will come back to Swansea soon and have a change from London anyway. Well yeah, Wales is the place to be! Rochelle: *laughs* exactly! Well do make sure we get first dibs on an interview when you do return to Wales! Rochelle: *laughs* of course, of course, I promise! I can also see from your Website that you girls are a huge fan of X-Factor – who are you rooting for? Rochelle: I love X-Factor! I was rooting for Miss Frank, but they unfortunately went. Um… but for now I am I’m rooting
for…Lucie (wrong again!) Ha-ha! Long pause there! I see what you did there, ‘the Welsh girl’ trying to get round us welsh fans are we? Rochelle: *laughs* NO NO! I genuinely like her! I think she’s great I really do, she’s got an amazing voice and I think she proved herself royally at the big band week, despite what Simon said. And do all of you girls get together on a Saturday at 8, with a Chinese on the sofa and watch the show religiously? Rochelle: Well unless there is a night out, then yeah definitely. Were all fans of XFactor, it’s one of the biggest shows on TV at the moment, and hopefully we’ll be able to pop down to a live show. Yeah and hopefully get a performance on the go while you’re there! Rochelle: Yeah that would be good! Well before we start gossiping about X-factor all day like teenage girls; let’s talk about your upcoming single ‘Ego’. What’s the story behind the lyrics there? Rochelle: Story behind the lyrics in ‘Ego’ is basically being with a guy and then all of a sudden he has gotten too big for his boots and thinks he’s some superstar. So the song is written to put him in his place and say ‘hold up love, you aren’t a superstar’ *laughs*. But other people have seen the song in a different light and taken it on board to adapt with their lives. Well good luck with that song, and hopefully there won’t be any other woodland creatures beating you to the top spot! Rochelle: Well you can only hope! *laughs* Ha-Ha! Ok Rochelle, thanks for your time it’s been lovely speaking to you, and hopefully the plumber will be with you very shortly! Rochelle: I hope so I’m freezing. Thanks James, Bye!
Saturday’s Album ‘Wordshaker’ is on sale now!
Reporter Bella Whately gives us a little insight on the life of a student D.J.
I’d be lying if I said I was in it for the money, I’m not. Largely because spinning records in Swansea clubs generates little to none. In fact it’s an almost constant drain on my funds what with buying records and replacing old equipment. However it is, in my opinion, most definitely worth it. I invested in a pair of turntables at seventeen and have been playing out at parties since then. It was only upon moving to Swansea two years ago that I was given the opportunity to really get out and begin playing in clubs. Living in the city has been a huge advantage. One of the first things I did after moving here was to locate the nearest record shop, which was situated on the upper level of Derrick’s Music. I don’t want to have a long rant about how mp3 downloads are sucking the soul out of the music industry but, in my opinion, there’s something special about going into a shop, having a chat with like minded people and rummaging through boxes of new releases - but maybe that’s just me. Anyway, being dropped into the middle of Swansea’s eclectic music scene presented me with infinitely more exciting opportunities in terms of playing out. Crazily my first gig was supporting DJ Marky in Sin City. For those to whom drum & bass is somewhat of a foreign concept, DJ Marky is about as big as they come excluding the likes of Pendulum and Chase and Status, so I was more than happy to be paid with nothing but a crate of cider and the opportunity itself. The venue wasn’t totally packed out by any means but it was definitely the confidence booster I needed to encourage me to really put myself out there and look for other gigs. After that, and a few weeks of going out and meeting new people, DJs and promoters, I became involved with a couple of different groups who were keen to let me both DJ and help promote nights. Working at such nights as Monkey Bar’s ‘Allsorts’ has been a great experience. It feels great to be apart of Swansea’s ever growing music scene and with new nights rapidly emerging, there’s increasing chances to play out and be heard. As anyone who is into any genre of electronic music can tell you, there’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when the DJ gets a drop ‘just right’ and a mass of moving bodies go wild. So I would definitely recommend any aspiring DJ’s to get your selves up to ‘Vinylism’ in Picton Arcade and jump on the band wagon!
WWW.WATERFRONT.CO.UK
FRONT - MUSIC 17
MIXTAPE
This week, SU Welfare Officer Lance Horsey gives us his top 10 tracks at the moment. Hi, I’m Lance and I’m the Welfare Officer at the Student’s Union. I live up on the third floor and I am here for all of your welfare needs and wants. Whether it be just a chat or condoms or Spikeys. My tastes are quite eclectic as I like all kinds of genres and styles of music. As I used to be one of the DJ’s for Tooters I really love my music and there are so many songs that I could put into my Mixtape and getting it down to just 10 is difficult but I will have a good go. Ryan Adams - New York, New York This is one of my favourite tracks ever! Ryan Adams is amazing. This track is from an album called Gold and that too is a favourite of mine. Florence and the Machine - You’ve Got The Love.
Paul Weller - Broken Stones
it really well. This is one of the newer tracks on my Mixtape, there are not may but I thought that this deserved to be in here.
I’m a massive fan of Weller and this is one of his best, it can make me smile no matter what mood I am in. I saw ‘the Modfather’ at Glastonbury in 2007 and this song was the highlight of the whole weekend.
Jason Mraz - Mudhouse/Gypsy MC This track is such a feel good track that I thought that I had to put it on the Mixtape. If you don’t really know any songs from Mraz apart from ‘I’m yours’ have a listen.
Counting Crows (Live VH1 Story Tellers Version) - Mr Jones
The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset This song reminds me of home and the sun setting over London. And being a Londoner myself this is a nice memory. (It also reminds me of Xmas shopping in London).
Mike and the Mechanics - Over My Shoulder This reminds me of my campaign and all the people who helped me so much - where ever they are in the world, this is for them.
This is a cover but I think that she does
REVIEWS
Everyone has a favourite song but this version of this song is my favourite. This song and the album that it came from really did change my whole perception of what music was, it had to be on here! Shy FX and T Power – Sheets This song is a great track when I’m going out, blasting it as I’m getting
ready. I love the track’s complexity and yet it sounds so simple! Griffin House - The Guy That Says Goodbye To You Is Out Of His Mind This song is such a good track and nobody has ever heard of it, you really should give it a listen. If there is one song from this list that I would like you to listen to it is this. It’s guaranteed to make you smile and tap your foot. Pump it up – Joe Budden This song reminds me of my final year at uni, whether it was over friend’s houses or in Tooters this song would make everybody move. That’s why it wraps up my Mixtape I hope you liked it! Check Out Lance’s Mixtape on www. xtremeradio.org in the near future
Our harsh critical reporters review this weeks upcoming singles and albums.
Lily Allen – Who’d Have Known
The Automatic - Interstate
Snow Patrol – Just Say Yes
Thyrd Eye – Say Something
Twin Atlantic – Vivarium
Though the music video is, in a word, hilarious, this new single from Lily Allen fails to be as catchy as songs such as the highly successful ‘The Fear’, ‘22’ and from her latest album, ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’. Though her pop ridden second album has drifted away from her reggae and ska influenced first album, her latest single ‘Who’d Have Known’ isn’t as appealing. After listening for the first time, the chorus instantly reminds you of Take That’s song Shine. The band allowed Lily to use the song on the album but turned down the offer to sing and do a video with her. Although ‘Who’d Have Known’ isn’t Lily’s best, it’s one of those songs that’ll be stuck in your head for quite some time. The song is worth a listen and the video’s worth a watch, but neither are that likeable.
I can’t describe how much I wanted to hate The Automatic’s new single Interstate. I expected yet another forgettable moron-pleaser with about as much depth as an ashtray, but it’s not that bad, and a much more digestible version of their regular brand of boring, sh*t pop/rock. But don’t worry, its still chock full of the regular ‘woah woah woahs’ and ‘da da das’ and the riff is plain and simple enough, but there’s a freshness and a clear acceptance of how mediocre the band really are, so they’re sticking to what they know, and you have to appreciate that. Interstate is being released on Armoured Records, the label the band have just started. So will they be catapulted to super stardom like Dizzee was when he did it? Or will The Automatic die a slow and quiet death and be gone by May next year? I think we all know, but let’s wait and see.
The first thing to note about this track is that it undeniably screams Snow Patrol. With tones firmly melancholic regardless of the lyrics, we’re left with no doubts about where this song came from. The problem with “Just Say Yes” upon the first few listens is that it appears mundane to the core. The track unfortunately lacks that hook featured in the Snow Patrol greats we all know and love. Even the instrumental gives no musical build up to any “moment” within the song that makes you shout “tuunee”. However to contradict myself, constant plays over a couple of days lets the song familiarizes itself inside your head, and makes you want to hear it again. So... not a patch on some of the bands other work, but most definitely a grower. I’m about to copy the sample CD for this review onto my I-tunes, not that I’ll love and remember it in years to come, but it’s worth having for occasional plays.
‘Say Something’ is the debut release from sibling Goth Rocksters, Thyrd Eye. The trio, Matt (guitars, vocals), Gaz (drums, vocals), and Hannah (bass, vocals, and keyboard), launched Thryd Eye out of their hometown in deep rural Monmouthshire, recording their first single at the legendary Rockfield Studios. Say Something kicks of with a great pulsing bassline, leading into hauntingly melodic female vocals, holding a sound that would not be out of place in an 80s synth loaded pop tune. Throughout the song there’s no lacking of a chunky guitar riff or two, with drums to match. However, listening to the music there’s nothing really new, the guitars are reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age (which is not a bad thing), and it’s the same old formula in terms of sound and direction. Ultimately, Thyrd Eye offer up exactly what they promise: grungy guitars with melodic vocals.
If you haven’t heard of them, Twin Atlantic are a 4 piece rock band from Glasgow who have supported both Biffy Clyro and the Smashing Pumpkins. Lead singer Sam McRusty opts to sing in his native Glaswegian accent throughout the album, bringing a refreshing sound that lacks in certain other bands who attempt an impression of their American counterparts, a topic which Twin Atlantic take a sly dig at in track ‘Your turning into John Wayne’. The standout track of the album is clearly ‘Caribbean War Syndrome’, something close to a rock ballad at times. It is this track, alongside ‘Lightspeed’ that people will be referring back to when they talk about Vivarium in years to come. Twin Atlantic are something rare in the current music scene, a new band with a unique hook that could actually hit it big.
3/10
6/10
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7/10
Bryony Hicks
Charlie Teasdale
Sophie Evans
Ben Price
Dale Williams
18 FRONT - MUSIC
WATERFRONT 183 - 16/11/09
children without Greed Reporter Sam Tattam shares some knowledge of the “rags to riches” story of the YouTube punk band ‘Chartjackers’. Children in Need is once again amongst us, and whilst many well-known singers have collaborated to produce a horrendous cover of the Beatles classic “All you need is love” under the name of Bandaged Together for this year’s official single, four teenage boys have undertaken the ambitious task to create a number one single, using solely a fan base of YouTube in just 10 weeks. Fans themselves sent in ideas of song lyrics, melodies and videos and Jimmy, Johnny, Charlie and Alex (Known as the ‘Chartjackers’) then compiled all of the ideas to produce a potential number one single called “I’ve got nothing”. A big YouTube fan base is not unfamiliar to the boys as Charlie McDonnell has received over a million hits on the site for painting his body purple (Admittedly one of those hits is now mine, due to
intrigue). BBC Switch has followed them for 10 short episodes displaying their progress and many stars offered their advice to the boys on choosing the singers and the melody: Charlie Simpson, Chesney Hawkes and Mike Stock to name a few. The song was recorded in Newport (despite the boys being English) and all proceeds go directly to Children in Need. Unfortunately, the boys failed to convince the radio stations to air their song which has a 80s pop song genre, despite the bands generous motives towards one of britains biggest charity events. Despite this set back, the boys organised a gig in London at the beginning of November to raise awareness of their cause. YouTube bands played at the gig, such as Eddplant and Tom Milson,
and more surprisingly Chesney Hawkes played a set also. Although this song is amateur and at times very cheesy, it is more tolerable than one of John and Edward’s disastrous attempts on X-Factor, and if thousands of people are willing to pay to listen to the twins for another week, why can’t they pay 79p on ITunes to help a genuine cause. This song symbolises a close community who has worked together to create something positive and represents the main aims of Children in Need. So in deep admiration of a tremendous attempt, let’s hope that they raise lots of money for the 20th November. Tune in to Children in Need Friday 20th November live on BBC 1
MINOR’S IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE
Reporter Bryony Hicks shows us what’s in store for Sincity when Elliot Minor travel to Swansea
Elliot Minor are back in Swansea! After their epic performance at Swansea’s very own Sin City, the band returns on 19th November to rock our worlds again! Elliot Minor, formerly known as The Academy, are a classically influenced pop-rock band consisting of Alex Davies on lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, violin, strings, choral, orchestral arrangements (told you they were classic!) and Ed Minton on vocals, guitar, violin, both song writers. The other awesome band members include Dan Hetherton on drums and backing vocals, Ed Hetherton on bass and cello and Ali Paul on keyboards and synthesizer. The band started as a duo, Alex Davies and Ed Minton, who met in school. Previously studying to be a concert violinist, Davies was introduced to rock music by Minton and they both began writing and recording music together. After taking a gap year after school, Davies met his childhood friend Dan Hetherton when they were picking up their brothers from school. Hetherton then joined the band as a drummer and they recruited his brother, Ed Hetherton, to play bass. Ali Paul, another of Davies’ childhood friends had been following the band’s progress on MySpace and later joined
AUTOMATIC HIGH! Reporter Sam Loveless tickles our tune-filled taste buds with a preview of the upcoming night in Oceana featuring both the Automatic and The Futureheads. On November 19th, Oceana will be putting their hands in their pocket and hosting what they call a MONSTER fundraiser for the charitable Children in Need. To give this good cause a massive boost, they have brought in two bands with stella reputations. Having travelled extensively to promote their third LP ‘This is Not the World’, The Futureheads are taking a well deserved break from touring. This has not stopped them from getting out and about however. To contribute to the evening, the guys from Sunderland are going to try playing music to the public through a different method by trying their hands at a DJ set. Attempting small things when the prospect of greatness lies in front of them has been a key tenant of The Futureheads: they have headlined festivals before playing intimate gigs and played in front of stadium crowds as
warm-ups. Perhaps best known for their superb cover of Kate Bush’s ‘The Hounds of Love’, the guys have proven their ear for good music, so expect a DJ set full of wellchosen tunes that will certainly have the club dancing to the early hours. No matter how interesting the support though, the night is going to be about the Welsh born band - The Automatic. Having played Swansea University’s Summer Ball back in the summer of ‘07, the Cowbridgebased rockers are returning to the city, tempting back those with good memories as well as the contingent of local fans. The Automatic are well known for their charity gigs: their sets for ‘Love Music Hate Racism’ and ‘Jail Guitar Doors’ were full of passion and energy, and in Swansea, where The Automatic give at least as much to their performances as they do for gigs in their hometown of Cardiff, the potential for
a powerful atmosphere will be high. Having spent the year recording new material, you can expect a snippet or two from the recently-announced album ‘Tear the Signs Down’, as well as hits such as singles ‘Monster’ and ‘Steve McQueen’. Being a Children in Need event, there is high probability that BBC news cameras will be lurking around the club, in addition to a certain well-known yellow bear with a polka-dot eye patch. Tickets for this charity event are £7.50 in advance, and £10 on the door, with proceeds going to the cause, so enjoyment and a feel-good factor will make this the perfect Thursday night for any student.
Buy tickets in advanced at Bar Quarter or on Oceana’s website: www.oceanaclubs.com/swansea
the band as a keyboard player. The band – who renamed themselves Elliot Minor because The Academy was a popular name among other bands and institutions – won a competition through the wonderful world of MySpace to support McFly to an audience of over 13,000! Elliot Minor later released their debut single ‘Parallel Worlds’ in 2006; all the album’s songs reaching the Top 40! In 2008, the band played Download Festival, T in the Park, Oxegen Festival and the Reading and Leeds Festival. Elliot Minor have toured with McFly, Fall Out Boy and supported such bands as You Me At Six, Anberlin, Kids in Glass Houses and Saving Aimee. The support bands for their ‘Solaris’ tour this year are Me vs Hero and Franko. Their unique hybrid of emo, pop-punk, classical and indie music is catchy and perfect to dance to. The band are original and captivating. And now on 19th November, Elliot Minor are coming to Sin City Swansea! Tickets are priced at £12. Their performance last year was amazing so don’t miss them this year! hurry and get your tickets now from Ents!
SWANSEA UNIVE 23th - 29nd Novem- 16th - 22nd November
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
BEER RACE 09
GET LOST
SIN SAVERS
‘Be a part of Swansea Uni history’’
Featuring ‘Wide Boys’ START: 10.00 Price: £3
START: 10.00 Price: Location: Sin CIty
START: 18.30 £12
Location: Oceana
PLAYON -
Location: Wind Street and Oceana
START: 10.00 Location: Play
Price: £3
BANDWAGON
ONLY JOKING
GET LOST
SIN SAVERS
Featuring: ‘Special guest to be Announced’’
Headline Lloyd Langford Support - Kent Valentine MC - Elis James
Featuring ‘B2K’ START: 10.00 Price: £3
START: 10.00 Price: Location: Sin CIty
START: 22.00 Price:£3 Location: Oceana
START: 20.00 Location: Divas
Price: £4
Location: Oceana
PLAYON START: 10.00 Location: Play
Price: £3
RSITY EVENTS
HURSDAY
AVERS
0.00 Price: £3 Sin CIty
AVERS
0.00 Price: £3 Sin CIty
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
TOOTERS
GLOW
Start: 21.00 Price: £2 Location: Divas
Start: 21.00 Price: £3 Location: DIVAS
FACEOFF
C-Y-N-T
Start: 22.00 Price: £4 Location: Sin CIty
featuring DJ ZINC
TOOTERS
GLOW
Start: 21.00 Price: £2 Location: Divas
FACEOFF Start: 22.00 Price: £4 Location: Sin CIty
GIGS (Sin City)
19/11/09 - Elliot Minor 21/11/09 Whole Lot Of Lead 21/11/09 - Dj Zinc
Start: 21.00 Price: £5 Location: Sin City
Start: 21.00 Price: £3 Location: DIVAS
C-Y-N-T featuring ‘3D DISCO’
Start: 21.00 Price: £5 Location: Sin City
25/11/09 A Text Book Tragedy / Arusha Accord / Ghosts On Pegasus Bridge / Storm The Walls 29/11/09 - Gun
Waterfront 183 - 16/11/2009
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WaterfrontFilm
Starstruck
To coincide with the release of This Is It, our best reviewers escape into the murky world of music to find the films that best represent that crazy old business called show!!
Ray Looking at the life of blues musician Ray Charles and starring Jamie Foxx who received an Academy Award for Best Actor. Ray Charles himself was meant to attend the premiere, but sadly passed away just before. Blind at the age of seven, Ray Charles Robinson was born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida and raised by his strong, independent mother. Ray finds his gift with a piano keyboard and begins touring when he gains worldwide fame as he mixes gospel, jazz and orchestra into his music. As he revolutionizes music, he also fights isolation in the places that launched his career and supports musicians’ rights. Ray provides a portrayal of Ray Charles’ musical brilliance – from his career beginnings to drug addiction. The album also won a Grammy Award with such popular hits as ‘Hit The Road Jack’, ‘I Got A Woman’ and the amazing ‘Georgia On My Mind’. Overall, you can’t stop loving Ray. BH
Spiceworld The Spice Girls have barely left a single merchandisable stone unturned. And few of these publicity exploits were more prolific than the 1997 masterpiece, Spice World. A week long jaunt with the five infamous girls is jam-packed with union jacks, skimpy outfits and outlandishly ‘spicy’ antics, concluding with a fictional concert and childbirth. The film doesn’t take itself
too seriously, and that is what you have to embrace it for. The tongue in cheek ‘bus-chase’ routine of Posh Spice leaping their tour bus over the tower bridge in a mad rush to their concert, only for Emma Bunton, aka Baby Spice, to discover that there is a bomb on the bus, is a blatant parody of Speed and Speed 2, while the film clings onto its child friendly certificate. Love it or loath it, it is an iconic masterpiece of stereotypical nineties kitsch and tacky glamour, that would make any feminist cringe. Waste 90 minutes of your life on it, because apparently it has won the ‘Razzie Award’ for 5 of the worst actresses you have ever seen. RB
Velvet Goldmine Velvet Goldmine is an unusual film, part biopic, part romance, part detective story it manages to juggle its different themes admirably, resulting in a confusing, acid fuelled mirror on the life of David Bowie. This film, rather than being about the rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust, is more about the rise and fall of glam as a musical style, charting its birth out of the drug addled sixties up to a splendidly authentic ‘Death of Glam’ concert in the last half hour. The story comes in the form of a British reporter (Christian Bale) looking back at his youthful years as a glam-rocker. The main artists portrayed in this film are Brian Slade/Maxwell Demon (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and Curt Wilde (Ewan McGregor), shades of David Bowie,Ziggy Stardust and
What About?
Iggy Pop respectively. Many of this film’s key scenes contain a level of decadence not seen since Rome fell and it uses them to great effect, showing the parallels between the young man coming to terms with his homosexuality with the jaded genius who has been disillusioned by his own success. With dialogue inspired by Oscar Wilde and a soundtrack featuring old and new versions of classic glam songs as well as original recordings, this film is the best almost documentary you will ever see. NC
Dreamgirls Dreamgirls is the film adaptation of the 1981 stage show of the same name. The story follows the career of sensational singing group, The Dreams, from their humble beginnings to their rise to superstardom. The viewer is instantly transported back to the days of soul, funk and disco especially the sound of Motown and the different styles of songs produced by the group portray the flow of time perfectly. As a musical, the film mixes both scenes of dialogue and song simply and effectively so the whole thing flows naturally, unlike many other films of the same genre which many “musical skeptics” will find refreshing. The singing from all actors is amazing with special credit to Jennifer Hudson who manages to hold her own against the terrifyingly powerful voice of Beyoncé. The obvious draw for this movie though, is the character of Deena, played by Beyancé Knowles. Her character is based loosely on Diana
Ross, and her performance helps build such empathy for her character that by the end of the film, you truly feel as if you’ve been on the journey with her. NR
I’m not there I’m not there is an unconventional film in many respects. The question is, how can you depict a character as paradoxical as Bob Dylan on the big screen. Directer Todd Haynes decided to make the audience aware of that problem by choosing not one actor to be Dylan, but six, one of them a woman (the goddess of acting Cate Blanchett) and a little black boy. Futhermore the story is not told with a coherent plot. The film is episodic, blurring the boundararies between factual and fictional stories, each one somehow inspired by Bob Dylan. For people who know his story it is easier to tell fiction, dream or metaphor from real facts, but viewers who do not have previous knowledge can enjoy that film as well. Even in real life it is hard to tell the difference between truth and fiction, so why should we demand that from a film that tries to capture all different facets of the life of a legend? In the end no one knows: Dylan is everybody and at the same time nobody. He is the little black boy, the woman, the lover, the sexist, the artist, the musician, the music itself. The film does not claim him to be a certain person but describes him in everything he could be. RZ
Ever noticed something about a film that intrigues, confuses or infuriates you? This week, Vicky Doherty-Bone talks about why she can’t stand the rise of media darlings within the cinema. Megan Fox was quoted recently as saying “all women in Hollywood are seen as sex symbols. It’s part of the merchandise, and we should be empowered by it.” I don’t know about everyone else, but these comments have infuriated me no end. Granted, when you think of actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Reese Wetherspoon and Nicole Kidman, it’s useless to deny that they are very beautiful. But their role as sex symbols (I’m sorry, is it the early 90’s? How is that term still in modern vernacular??) rarely acts as the sole draw to see one of their films; their talent and ability do that. While their beauty doesn’t at all hinder them, they’d still be just as able without it. It seems awfully rich that Fox thinks she can speak on the entire female population of Hollywood; as an actress she really does seem to be cast solely for her looks. I went to see Jennifer’s Body prepared to be proved wrong in regards to Fox’s acting (so far I haven’t seen her doing anything that actually stands out), but yet again I was bored to tears by an uninspired, disposable
performance that could have been filled by any pretty girl prepared to use her body in a lecherous manner. That’s not to say that sexual lasciviousness and good films can’t mix. Anyone who knows me also knows the almost religious reverance I have for Kate Winslet. Winslet seems to relish any role in which clothes are a hindering extravagence (I’m sure there is a hidden Easter egg in The Fox and The Child; I’m still looking.) But as with any worth-while actress, Winslet’s good looks (and free affection) simply compliment the charisma and likability that won her an Academy Award and two Golden Globes. If there is any empowering, it is down to talent being recognised despite beauty, not because of it. However, Fox’s words strike a note on the cynical attitude distributors have taken to casting films: actors and films are judged more on their “merchandisability” than ever before. As said before, Fox is an exceedingly dull actress, yet considered one of the hottest new stars. Orlando Bloom
has yet to be in a film that he didn’t almost ruin with his stilted way of speaking lines (disregarding of course his hilarious cameo in Extras), but no one can get enough of him. The prerequisite for a leading man or lady to be attractive is by no means new, but looks have never previously been enough on their own. This new prioritising of actors based on their appearence coincides with the growing importance of media profiles; the higher someone’s public profile, the more column inches they get, and the more marketable they make a film. That has been inevitable for a while now, ever since films became more about making a quick return of profits than the actual art of entertainment. However, it does spell foreboding for the quality of films in the future. Hopefully, this is only a current trend that will die out soon. In the meantime, *shudder.*
Moonwalker For the most part, Moonwalker is a collection of live shows, music videos and sketches set to some of the most classic and memorable performances of Jacksons career. The film opens with a live performance of Man in The Mirror, The King of Pop in his prime with the adoring crowds of the 80s. Next is a montage of the singers career, The Jackson Five and his early solo performances through to “Thriller” “Bad” and other pivotal hits, all set to a mixture of original footage and quirky animations.The film is centred around “Smooth Criminal” which provides the backing for the main story in which Michael uses the power of shooting stars to transform into rocket cars and spaceships, defeating the evil “Mr. Big” who plans to force all children into using drugs. Michael Jacksons Moonwalker is bizarre and fantastical, it captures perfectly the spirit of the man and the magic of music. JE
Compiled by Bryony Hicks, Rosie Bridge, Nick Copson, Nick Ruggieri, Rebecca Zimmerman and Jess Elvin.
If you think you could write for Waterfront Film, please email: waterfront.film@live. co.uk
Front - Film 25
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New Releases
Once again, Waterfront Film brings you the best and worst of this fortnight’s releases!!
Jennifer’s Body
A Christmas Carol 3D
This is it
Who’s in it: Amanda Siegfried, Megan Fox, Adam Brody
Who’s in it: Gary Oldman, Jim Carrey, Colin Firth
Who’s in it:Michael Jackson, directed by Kenny Ortega.
What’s it about: Nerdy Needy (Siegfried) is best friends with typical shallow cheerleader Jennifer (Fox). Then Jennifer is kidnapped by an indie band only to return as something not quite human.
What’s it about: a new take of an old classic by Charles Dickens. Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey) is greedy, heartless and he hates Christmas. His life is changed after he gets a visit of 3 Christmas Ghosts who show him his past, present and future…
What it’s about:This Is It is a compilation of hours of rehearsal footage that documents the final weeks of Michael Jackson’s life, as he prepared to put on one of the most eagerly anticipated shows of all time at London’s O2 arena. The movie combines behind the scene footage of classic Jackson songs ranging from Thriller to Billy Jean, with interviews with some of Jacksons closest friends and collaborators.
What’s it like: For those who’ve seen the sublime Juno, the input of screenwriter Diablo Cody means very good things; razor sharp wit and contemporary satire for the Facebook generation.Now, I wasn’t expecting the sort of sweetness that Juno worked so well into the plot; Jennifer’s Body is a horror after all. But the plot device of a high school cheerleader turned Succubus was one a pen as sharp as Cody’s would have well and truly hit. However, the dialogue is mainly miss; while some lines are funny, they rarely seem natural, as though the film wants to make it plain that they are being “ironic”. Jennifer looking peevishly up from a stab wound inflicted by Needy before asking “Got a tampon” doesn’t have the punchy, shocking impact I think it was meant to.The lingering kiss between Fox and Seigfried is so cynically and transparently aimed at the sweaty man demographic, and actually becomes quite boring, it goes on so long. Middling performances all round and annoying dialogue that tries oh so hard to be down with the kids, there are fun parts, but they aren’t worth it for the rest of the film.
What’s it like: Still Disney, still not entirely suitable for children. Dickens’ classic is one hell of a story which is both wonderful and scary, and it looks even better in 3D. Obviously, one of the best animated films of the year, but do not take your little sister with you, she will get frightened. The scenes change fluidly, effortlessly moving from the beautiful Christmas atmosphere to the dirtiest corners of London, and then to a classically creepy graveyard. I’m not exagerrating when I say this is a scary film; at one point I found myself hiding behind my coat. Get prepared for strong moral message, great voice and characterisation by Jim Carrey, beautiful Disney-style jokes and flawless graphics. P.S: Gary Oldman really should stay away from 3D cartoons, he looks so much better as a real person! P.P.S: You WILL want to go and do something good after this one. Victoria Boldycheva
Vicky Doherty-Bone
Hidden Gems
For those accustomed to prison escape films being all about adventure and escapism, full of heroes and villains
with a happy ending (The Great Escape excepted), celebrating the brotherhood of man to overcome all odds like The Shawshank Redemption, then Le Trou will come as something of a shock to the senses. This is gritty, grimy, minimalist and unadorned. Four cellmates are about to embark on a prison escape, meticulously planned with mathematic precision, when a new cellmate, Claude Gaspard, is transferred from another block. After much deliberation, they let him in on their plan, unsure whether to trust him – they each face long sentences whereas Gaspard’s time behind bars is uncertain. Despite taking part in their planning, he is always on the periphery of the action, leaving the audience themselves unsure whether to trust him or not. What makes Le Trou a superior film is the absolute (in the fullest sense of the word) attention to detail – when they drill a hole you don’t
Who’s in it: Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Lily Cole, Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell. What’s it about: Dr. Parnassus is a drunk mystic who runs a travelling “Imaginarium”: that is, a place that reveals the inside of an individuals mind when they enter it. Struggling to win a bet with the devil (Tom Waits) over who can win the most souls, Parnassus enlists the help of charismatic newcomer Tony (Ledger), who has more than a few secrets of his own.
What’s it like:This Is It offers insight into the last “performance” of such a talented and troubled performer. The film artfully incorporates song sequences to produce crowd-pleasing hits with toe-tapping glory. The film illustrates Jackson’s attention to detail, in particular the superb 3D sequences for Thriller and Earth song. The film gives an in-depth insight to what the show would have been like, specifically showcasing dance routines featuring Jackson and his awesome athletic dancers that ultimately show that Jackson was at that point looking healthy. This Is It has some particular highlights such as “Wanna be Startin’ Somethin”, “Smooth Criminal” and “Beat it”.Even if you are not a Jackson fan you can truly admire the man’s passion and commitment for his performances. This Is It is an extraordinary documentary which offers glimpses of Jackson’s greatness, and poignant suggestions of what might have been .
What’s it like: Already drawing interest as Heath Ledger’s last film, director Terry Gilliam courted bemusement by casting not one actor to replace Ledger’s, but three. However, due to the bizarrity of the subject matter, the changes don’t feel incongruous; in the context of a magical dimension which shows an individual the physical representation of their soul, if everyone stayed the same, now THAT would be weird. There is a very poignant tribute to Ledger after the first transformation, where Johnny Depp remarks that people such as Valentino and Princess Di will be legends forever, breaking the fourth wall so tacitly it’s hard to not be moved. This is a fantastic film with some inspired casting choices; Verne Troyer as the straight talking dwarf assistant, Lily Cole as the gutsy and sweet daughter of Dr. Parnassus, Tom Waits as the gambling addicted Mr. Nick. Sweet, funny, and despite the major visual effects, there is no compromising in story or characterisation. Can’t wait to see it on DVD.
Stephen Baldock
Vicky Doherty-Bone
Actor Profile - Gregory Peck
Great films that you should see that you may have never heard of! This week, Film Society President Andrew Price of sings the praises of: Le Trou (1960)
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
just see the end result but the expressive determination, second after second, to make it through the wall – that garners the enclosed world in a documentary style realism. Beyond the talking and the action we feel close to the characters, along with their foibles and prejudices: these are hardened criminals, portrayed by non professional actors, not charismatic personalities like Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen et al, shorn of any romantic notions of hope and redemption.
Name: Eldred Gregory Peck Date of Birth: April 5th 1916 Date of Death: June 12th, 2003
Best known for: being the last of the really great actors, and the last of the “real men” (as quoted by internet blogger Maddox.) Frequently the strong and benign male authority figures, winning an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in To Kill a Mockingbird. He is also famous for his role in the classic horror film, The Omen.
Trivia: His character from To Kill
a Mockingbird (1962), Atticus Finch, was voted the greatest screen hero of all time by the American Film Institute in May 2003, only two weeks before his A review by Andrew Price (Film Soci- death (beating out Indiana Jones, who was placed second, and James Bond who ety President) came third). Le Trou will be screened on Wednesday 18th November, in Kier Hardie 230 at Vicky Doherty-Bone 18:30, for the Film Society.
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S E I T E I C O S
The Kadampa Buddhist Meditation Society Chillax! Meditataion Classes avaliable for everyone at Swansea University
The Kadampa Buddhist Meditation Society - Cymdeithas Myfyrio Bwdïaidd Kadampa exists to support all students and staff during their time at university by providing weekly meditation classes on a drop-in basis. All classes include guided meditations to relax the body and mind, followed by a teaching on how we can increase our inner peace and apply the teachings of Buddha in our daily life in order to deal with difficult circumstances in a more positive and constructive way. “The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. When the turbulence of distracting thoughts subsides and our mind becomes still, a deep happiness and contentment naturally arises from within. This feeling of contentment and well-being helps us cope with the busyness and difficulties of daily life” (Extract from Transform Your Life by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso). Classes will be held from 11th November until 9th December 2009 on Wednesdays, 3.30pm until 4.00pm at Fulton House, Lecture Room 2, Swansea University. This is on the right-hand side of Fulton House, through the doors to the discovery office and up the stairs. There will be a sign on the door. Sessions will be taught by Kadampa Buddhist nun, Kelsang Tumo. Everyone welcome! Additional classes and courses are held at Dharmavajra Kadampa Buddhist Centre, which is the regional Centre for Kadampa Buddhist study, meditation and retreat in South and Mid Wales. The Centre is a member of the New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union, which has over 1,100 Centres and groups meeting worldwide. Dharmavajra Centre aims to provide an environment that anyone can visit and discover for themselves the techniques of meditation and the peaceful Buddhist way of life.
For further information contact: Dharmavajra Centre on 01792 458 245 Email at info@meditationinwales.org Website – www.meditationinwales.org.
When: 11th November until 9th December 2009 - Wednesdays 3.30pm - 4.00pm Where: Swansea University, Fulton House, Lecture Room 2
Bright Futures Swansea
Dinner with Industry 2009 Calling all Bright Sparks - The annual award winning event is back! Our ‘Dinner with Industry’ event will give you the unique opportunity to network with top employers. Giving you the chance to get first-hand knowledge of the in’s and out’s of industry and insight on securing a graduate job, placement or internship. This year the event is in The Dolphin Hotel right in the centre of town! The event is on Thursday 26th November starting at 7pm! Tickets are £10 for Members and £15 for Non-Members this includes a Three Course Meal, Wine, Raffle and Guest Speakers! For tickets email: brightfutures_swansea@hotmail.com of find us on Facebook!! This event sold out quickly last year so get your tickets early! What is Swansea Bright Futures? Check out - www.bright-futures.org.uk/about-bright-futures/
Last years Bright Futures Committee at the 2008 Dinner with Industry
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FRONT - SOCIETIES 27
. c o. u l i a m t ho
a@ e s n a w ruxs m ook y c b : e l i c a a F Em on X u r m J o i n Cy
k
Plaid Cymru
Ni yw cenhedlaeth GallCymru - cenhedlaeth sy’n credu mewn annibyniaeth. We are the WalesCan generation - the independence generation. Peidiwch a breuddwydio’n unig am Gymru well - helpwch i greu Cymru well. We won’t just wish for a better Wales, we’ll make a better Wales
It doesn’t matter where you were born, what religion you believe in, what your ethnicity is or what language you speak if you are passionate about creating a free and fair Wales then the Plaid Cymru society is your society. We want to see a democratic Republic of Wales with full membership to the European Union and United Nations so that we, the people of Wales, can have our distinct voice heard and not be left on the sidelines. With devolution and eventually independence comes the opportunity for the Welsh government to help our diverse population in their everyday lives. Social justice is at the heart of our agenda; providing healthcare, education and a sustainable future. As young people we want to create a bright future, where we have the chance to get a good education with plenty of job and training opportunities afterwards. And young Plaid Cymru prioritise housing, we believe social housing should be available to us in the area we want to live so we can decide where we live, and decide our own futures. Plaid Cymru, in coalition government in Wales, have already delivered progressive social policies and gained a greater voice for Wales, but together we can achieve much more.
WE STAND FOR: - An independent Wales, with full membership to the EU and UN. - Social justice - A green, sustainable future for Wales and the world Plaid members: showing their support
African Caribbean Society
We are back with a vengeance!
For the last two years Swansea’s African Caribbean Society has not been what it should be but we are back with a vengeance!
The Aim The society aims to provide a means for EVERYONE to unite, reflect and celebrate African and Caribbean cultures. Membership is open to anyone, all we ask is that you bring your sense of fun and want to learn something new. We aim to provide a comfortable forum for people to air their views and create awareness on issues affecting those of African and Caribbean descent and, in general, the student body. Join and you are going to be part of: • Fun filled events and activities • Diverse social and cultural interactions • A new amazing Swansea experience
The Re-Launch The Re-Launch is in DIVAS on the 26th of November 2009, there will be dancing, food and all sorts of High Culture!! Join the facebook group “ Swansea ACS” and follow us on Twitter. Chillin: Members of this years African Caribbean Society
Travel -
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Wild weekend in
A few weeks ago a bus load of energized students set off from Swansea for a wild weekend away in Amsterdam. The Travel Shop situated in Fulton house organises the bargain trip twice a year. So don’t worry for those of you who missed out this time, round two of the wild weekender will take place in semester two! The Waterfront, your city guide has put together the top 10 must-see, must-do to entice you.
Amsterdam
The capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is a relatively small city. Famous for its laid-back atmosphere and canals lined with tall gable houses reflected in their black-green waters. Amsterdam is also defined by its people and culture, with a warm welcome approach towards visitors and a youthful orientation that has been shaped by the liberal counterculture of the last four decades. Amsterdam has so much to offer travellers, from vibrant art collections to elegant canal side architecture and bustling markets to traditional open air café’s. Therefore it’s not possible to see everything this great city has to offer on a short stay, but if a couple of days is all you can stretch to then here is the top 10 must-see, must do!
Every issue Rough Guides will be offering a lucky reader the chance to win a Rough Guide book of their choice!
Q. The main river that flows through Amsterdam shares its name with a beer. What is it? To enter please email your answers to 442296@swansea.ac.uk Cycling
A city famous for its bikes, to truly live like a local you must rent a bike for the day to explore the sites of the city. MacBike are a very popular rental company and have three locations around the city. Bike rental starts at €4.
Coffee shops
Also famed for its relaxed laws towards the possession and sale of cannabis, however what many tourists do not know is that many Amsterdammers themselves can’t really be bothered with the stuff. Nowhere in the world will you be able to smoke such high quality dope in legal surroundings.
The Heineken Experience
Visit the former brewery which has now been converted into a museum. You can go on a tour for around €10 where Heineken will make a decent attempt of entertaining you and informing you at the same time, but let’s be honest everyone is just there for the beer.
Anne Frankhuis
Spot the SABBS: Andy and Ross with Uni students celebrating Halloween Dutch style
Red Light District
When you think of Amsterdam, you think of red lights. The district is known locally as ‘De Walletjes’ (‘small walls’) on account of a series of low brick walls that contain its canals. Whether you are totally against what its stands for, you may as well check it out for yourself to see if all the hype and rumours are worth listening to.
Brown café’s
Amsterdam is famous for its very traditional, dark and cosy Brown café’s, known locally as bruin café or bruine kroeg. Try to avoid areas such as Leidseplein and along Damrak if you don’t want to pay tourist prices.
The Jordaan
For the shopaholics out there, The Jordaan holds some of the city’s most diverting second hand shops and bric-a-brac shops, great for a bargain- also home to some of the prettiest canals and a great mix of architectural styles.
Van Gogh Museum
Arguably the most talked about modern artist of all time, it is no surprise that the Van Gogh Museum is a must-see attraction in Amsterdam. Entry costs
Indonesian Food
This is by far Amsterdam’s best ethnic speciality. Rijsttafel (boiled rice/noodles served with spicy dishes and hot sambai sauce on the side) is a quite rightly a popular choice.
around €9. International Officer, Andy Patton was a chaperon on the trip, “There is more to Amsterdam than what tourist guides tell you. I met up with a friend who had been studying in Swansea the previous year, he took me to the Bokbier Festival (literal translation means ‘goat beer’ in Dutch) supposedly for strong beer lovers. Personally I didn’t think the beer was that strong”. Must be the Irish talking in Andy! Amsterdam has some of the best hostels around, so you will be spoilt for choice when deciding where to stay. The Flying Pig Hostel, The Bulldog and The Greenhouse Effect are the most popular- prices start from around €15 a night. Flight prices to Amsterdam can vary so it is worth checking websites such as skyscanner.com or cheapflights.co.uk. If you are up for a fun-filled drive to Amsterdam then sign up at The Travel Shop in Fulton house for the Amsterdam weekender that will be taking place next semester.
By far the city’s most moving site is the home of Anne Frank, where she lived with her family for two years during World War II. As the writer to possibly one of the most famous diary in the world, Anne Frank showed the world a first hand account of experiencing the holocaust and the fight against oppression. The rooms where the family lived can be found the same as they were during the war. The Anne Frankhuis can be visited for €7.50.
Queensday
Koninginnedag (the Queen’s Birthday) is on April 30. It is worth planning a visit around this time to be apart of one of the wildest and definitely the most orange (Dutch national colour) street party you will encounter. This is also the only day in the year when goods can be bought and sold tax-free!
FACT FILE AMSTERDAM
Capital of The Netherlands Population- 751,000 Currency- Euro (€ , EUR) Exchange Rate- £1 = €1.11 Language- Dutch Tap Water- Drinkable Bicycles- 600,000 Trams- 232 Beer- €2.50
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FRONT - Travel 29
Don’t Let Your Adventure Holiday Cost You an Arm and a Leg waterfront Travel Advice As the dark nights kick in and students plan their winter getaways, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is issuing essential travel advice to those planning an adventure holiday this winter. An estimated third of British holiday makers are tempted by daredevil activities whilst on holiday but many do not realise that these adrenaline-filled activities might not be covered by their travel insurance . The FCO is urging Brits to prepare fully and research the company providing the adventure experiences before they embark on holidays ranging from sky diving to skiing. Alice Draper at the FCO says: “Adventure activities are really popular with young people but it’s essential to take out travel insurance before you go and read the small print to check that all your adventure activities are covered. Lots of insurance policies have exclusions which mean that certain activities may not be covered, which can leave you with a huge bill. For example if you break a leg skiing, a trip in the ambulance and full treatment could cost you up to £10,000. Taking some simple preparations, such as ensuring your insurance policy covers you for everything you are likely to do, could mean the difference between an adventure break to remember and one Skiing?: Make sure you have the right break this Christmas you’d give anything to forget.”
FCO advice to those travelling abroad and taking part in extreme sports
Leanne Tidy from Swansea University says “I was travelling with a group of friends around South East Asia. When we were in Thailand I got my purse stolen which had all my cash and cards in it. I was so upset and didn’t • It is essential to take out travel insurance when taking any trip abroad, no matter know what do to as we still had a few months of travelling left. Luckily I had taken out travel insurance which how short your trip. And when participating in high risk activities such as sky diving, enabled me to sort everything out such as cancelling my cards and replacing the lost money. I’m grateful I had skiing or snowboarding, you must ensure your policy covers these travel insurance otherwise my trip would have been cut short!”’ • Remember when skiing or snowboarding that alcohol can affect you quicker at high altitudes and most insurers won’t pay out if you injure yourself or others whilst under the influence of alcohol
Anthony Lloyd from Swansea University says “I went skiing with a group of friends in Austria. I was involved in an unfortunate accident where I collided with a skiing instructor. I came out without a scratch but he wasn’t so lucky. He was badly injured and needed to go for physiotherapy, which meant he couldn’t work. When he • Stick to the rules given by your instructor or guide and research your destination at asked for my insurance details I just couldn’t look him in the eye, I hadn’t taken out insurance. I gave him my www.fco.gov.uk/travel in case local laws and customs differ from the UK contact details but ignored his calls. I knew that I just couldn’t afford to pay for his treatments. I know it was the cowardly thing to do and I regret how I handled the situation. As a result, I now always take out travel insurance • Take photocopies and/or store copies of your important documentation (passport, regardless of the situation or destination.” insurance details, credit card number and cancellation details) online using a secure online data storage site
The FCO also advises that as well as checking you have the correct insurance, you should also do your research into the company you are taking part in the activities with. Never be afraid to ask to see their qualifications and • If travelling in Europe, take your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). This company insurance – they should be more than happy to share these with you, and if they’re not, you should concard entitles you to reduced cost or free healthcare in most European countries. sider going with another company. Remember though, that EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance – you must have both to be fully covered
• For more tips if you’re planning on taking an adventure sports break, check out www.fco.gov.uk/travel
Hey Guys!
So if you’re planning on an adventure holiday this year, make sure that you prepare properly before you jump on (or out of!) that plane. Visit www.fco.gov.uk/travel and www.gogapyear.com for more details.
Zinny’s Diary
The past week has been just as eventful as the other weeks since I got to San Francisco! The highlight being a typical American Halloween in the Californian land.
October 31st 2009, marked probably the best Halloween of my life. Not that I did anything differently from the past years but mainly because the whole city was just as excited and enthusiastic about the occasion as I was. Even though I dressed as a pirate I couldn’t help but feel underdressed compared to the outfits that were on display and walking the streets of San Francisco. From Zombies to Scream and evil bride to name but a few, the efforts were amazing! The morning after paid the price of the night before! Lol! Since Halloween which was over a week ago! I have now decided to pay a bit more attention to school work which is lagging behind but is the reason I am here in San Francisco. Although it feels like I am on holiday, I do have to remember why I am here and with midterms in place fun stuff has to take a backseat till exams are over and then more updates! Until then...... Cheerio! Zinny
Zinny hits Hollywood
30 Culture - Xtreme Splash
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1431 AM
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Head of Music Tom Upton bags an Xclusive interview with Scottish Band - We were Promised Jet Packs Way back in June this year, Ben Baker and I interviewed a little known Scottish band, We Were Promised Jet Packs. Whilst they are all graduates from Glasgow University they all originally hail from Edinburgh - a very important distinction.
I requested an interview on a whim, knowing it was the end of my first year at Swansea and had time to kill and the band had released a killer debut single, ‘Quiet Little Voices’. Getting home to London and wandering through parts of Islington I didn’t know existed we found the venue and tour manager and were plied with copious amounts of alcohol, added to the guest list, led upstairs and asked if we’d mind watching ‘jet packs’ sound check. Needless to say we sat in awe for a good thirty minutes watching a band lose themselves, a world away from anyone around them. The second Adam (singer) and Michael (guitarist) stepped off staged they beckoned us over and we followed them into the cramped but comfy back stage room. Never have so many people, bottles, pizzas and Xtreme reporters been amassed together in such a confined space.
Scottish Beaches are cold: We Were Promised Jet Packs posing
The Jet Packs will be flying into Xtreme Radio for a live set!
Tom: “So boys how’re you finding London?” Adam: “Not bad at all I hear you guys had a bit of a mission to get here to see us?” Ben: “Yeah I’ve come up from Brighton and Tom’s come back down from Swansea.” Adam: “Wow, so you buys like what we’ve done then?” Tom: “Your sound is like nothing we’ve heard in a while, it blows ‘Glas Vegas’ out of the water” Adam: “That’s is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO REFRESHING” Tom: “Why so?” Adam: “Well coming from the same part of Scotland we get pigeon-holed and to be honest we can’t stand it” Ben: “That’s fair enough, has the album, ‘These Four Walls’ turned out like you hoped?” Michael: “Definitely, I mean to be honest you tweak and teak but hearing it finished its just ace.” Tom: “Do you plan to go on tour with it?” Adam: “Yeah we can’t wait it’s the best bit of being in a band.” Tom: “Ok guys thanks a lot and make sure you come by Swansea sometime” Adam: “Don’t worry we will...” Check out the FULL INTERVIEW @ www.xtremeradio.org
Next Monday, the 23rd November, We Were Promised Jet Packs will be playing an acoustic session live and uninterrupted in Xtreme Radios Studio 1 – 3rd Floor Union House. This is one not to miss, and if you can’t make it up to the studios (the level above Spa in Union House), then tune in live at www.xtremeradio.org and listen to Tom and Mark with the one and only We Were Promised Jet Packs strum away in our very own ‘live lounge’ If you miss this, shame on you! But don’t worry your chance has not gone, mosey on down to Sin City in the evening and see the guys perform live and much, much louder!
Win We Were Promised Jet Packs debut album with Xtreme Radio If you would like the chance to win the debut album, ‘These Four Walls’ you need to answer the following question: “What is the name of the drummer in fellow scottish band - Biffy Clyro?” Send your answers to editor@swansea-union.co.uk (labelling your email XTREME JET PACKS) before the 20th of November and not only will you win the CD but a chance to chat to the guys as well! This really is an opportunity not to miss! See you on the 23rd! Xtreme Heads of Music Tom Upton and Mark Garvey: Who said Radio was for ugly people? Oh!
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Features 31
Outside Marks and Spencer’s I saw another young boy holding copies of the Big Issue and my first instinct was to keep walking. I found it hard to look at him and ask him how he had found himself homeless, when he looked as though he could easily have been in my year group at school. It turned out he was nineteen. A number of bad circumstances had left him with a heroin addiction. After his mother had found a new partner and fell pregnant, he had to move out. He explained how after staying at a number of B&B’s and sleeping on a few friends’ couches he was now officially out on the streets every night. I asked if he was scared living that way. “I wasn’t scared until I heard about two Big Issue sellers getting stabbed in the Metro newspaper this morning. That’s been playing on my mind now. I also had a friend who was stabbed by someone in Cardiff after owing another vendor two pounds. It’s crazy how you can get stabbed over two pounds...” he trailed off. Walking back home I was unable to find the Vendor outside the Upland’s Spar. I went inside and asked two workers if they knew how often she was there. “Oh yes! Jackie her name is, she’s usually here every day. Very friendly lady, lots of people have taken to her and often buy her cups of coffee,” they said, which was good to hear. Upon arriving home I had the thousand Facebook messages from my mother asking where I was, what I was doing etc. I explained to her that I’d been out interviewing homeless people, when she chirped up “Your Uncle Ken was homeless.” I stared at the screen, wondering how this rather profound little piece of family history had never been mentioned before. She began to tell me how my Uncle Ken had always taught her, her two sisters and my cousin from a young age to give money to the poor, even if they wouldn’t have any money left for sweets, because the other people needed it more than them. My Uncle Ken had walked out to get a loaf of bread one morning and hadn’t returned until a month later. He’d lived on London park benches and out of the backs of vans travelling around. It turned out that he didn’t like to be tied down to one place for two long. This became a regular occurrence, and one day my cousin stopped to give his change to a beggar, and looking down realised the man was his father, my Uncle Ken. I was astonished. I’d set out to find out more about the community, and I guess for me it doesn’t come closer to home than that. I asked fifty people whether they had ever bought a copy of the Big Issue. Twenty eight had, twenty two hadn’t. The most common response from those who hasn’t was “I’m scared they’ll spend it on drugs or alcohol.” These responses mostly came from fellow students, most of which I knew were in their overdrafts as a result of too many nights out and a few were no strangers to the unfortunate student drug culture themselves. I try not to pass judgement, but I myself am embarrassed to think back to my initial reaction to the homeless man who tried to brighten my day. I’m still yet to see the man who made me smile, but hopefully this story will raise awareness among other people to maybe think again before they walk past a vendor. Hard times can hit anyone and you never really know where you’re going to be in the next five years, or who around you it can affect. A friend, a relative, your own parent, and who knows, someday maybe even you.
Zac’s Place: A lifeline for Swansea’s homeless
How you can help • Breakfast at Zacks, held every Friday 12.00 – 12.30 in the Discovery office, call in for more project info. • http://www.donrearic.com/homeless.htm - an interesting blog of a homeless man, contains some good survival tips • Donate to the Uplands Diner collection box • Pick up a copy of the Big Issue
Local businesses pitch in to help homeless charities
Think: Were you homeless at nineteen?
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Careers Advice...
Careers 33
Ask Jan
Written by Careers Advisor Jan Binnie-Gordon
How to succeed at a Job Interview
Are you s****ing yourself at the thought of a job interview? Before the interview It’s essential that you prepare for an interview, don’t try to ‘wing it’ because that so rarely works. As a confidence booster tell yourself that you are already successful because you’ve made it through to this stage and that ‘they’ want to find out more about you. Also, tell yourself that this is a two-way process should you want to find out more about the potential employer. No doubt you’ll have researched the job, researched the organisation and matched your skills to the advert but it would be wise to update your knowledge since it might have been weeks or months since you applied. Read through the company literature again, scan their website or video again and ask friends and contacts what they know. Read the quality newspapers for articles relevant to that employer or the market sector. Read the joining instructions carefully and prepare whatever is needed. Contact them if anything is unclear like the format of a presentation for example. Review the information you’ve submitted on your application form or CV, prepare a question or two to ask and, most importantly, come to Careers for a mock interview (we’re not scary and better to make a hash of it in a mock situation than the real thing!) Prepare your responses for likely questions -see below ‘The Questions’ for examples On the day – Before you get there Oscar Wilde said “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” and this is never truer than in an interview situation. Image and appearance do matter. On the day you must dress appropriately, I recommend a sober coloured suit even if their employees seem more dressed down. You are showing respect for the job, the time to wear casual is when you have the job safely in the bag. If it’s a new outfit then sit down in it, the time to find that it rides up or is too tight to sit well is not at the interview! Ensure that you look well groomed, don’t display too much in the way of piercings (you can replace the lip and eyebrow rings later) and be careful not to overpower everyone with your perfume or after-shave, less is more on this occasion. Ensure that your interview notes, copy CV etc are easily accessible in a file or briefcase. Timing is vital, plan your route and take the earlier bus or train, better whiling away the wait in a café around the corner than to be sitting in a traffic jam looking at your watch and fretting. Be polite and pleasant from the moment you approach the venue as you never know who you might ‘bump into’. On the day – At the interview As you walk in make eye contact with the person or persons greeting you and give a firm handshake if you can (obviously avoid walking down a line of 5 people sitting behind an enormous semi circle). Sit comfortably with an upright posture and with positive body language (you will have practised this at home) and be attentive when introductions are made. Try to maintain good conversational flow, listen carefully to the questions and answer positively. Don’t panic if you don’t understand the question, ask the person to repeat it or to explain what they meant (politely!). Don’t rush to fill silences, what seems to you like eons of hush is just a few seconds and pauses are certain to occur when interviewers are loathe to interrupt you. They are just waiting to see if you’ve finished speaking so when you have finished speaking, stop and look expectantly for the next question
The Questions The following questions will come up in some form or another so plan in advance how you are going to deal with them • So why do you want to work for us? • What experience have you got of business in general? • Are you involved in any clubs or societies? • Tell us about your degree study. • Tell us about a project that you worked on at university • What work experience do you have? • What have you been doing since you left university/your last job? • Tell us about a problem that you have had to deal with? • What are your strengths and weaknesses? • Which current affairs issues have you been aware of lately? • Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? • Tell us what you know about our company • Why are you applying for this post? • What skills and experience can you contribute to our company? • What do you think are the most important issues facing our organisation at the moment? Situational Questions These are questions with no right or wrong answers they want to see how you might think in a given situation. The best way to deal with these is to say “On the one hand …….. but on the other hand ……... so upon reflection I would ……….” This shows you have thought of the alternative before making a decision. • You are a manager with 30 staff and only 15 parking spaces, how would you allocate them? • How and where do you start to turn around a run-down shop? • You are the second officer of a ship on duty and the ship’s captain gave you some inappropriate orders which would endanger life and the safety of the ship, what would you do? Your questions The interview is a two way process so asking questions to clarify any unclear points is quite acceptable (even encouraged). Have a mental list by all means and use it when the opportunity arises but under no circumstances pull out a written shopping list and never discuss salary or holiday issues at this stage. After the interview If you are offered the job – congratulations! Now is the time to discuss money and annual leave, your start date and contract but be professional in your discussions. If you are not offered the job then review your performance. Were your answers relevant and full? Were you too nervous? overconfident? too laid back? too assertive? too aggressive? Ask for feedback from interviewers, how did you do on their tests?
The final word: BE YOURSELF – if you’re not and they do hire you then you might be very miserable playing a role that’s not really you.
Point of View 34 ADVICE
WATERFRONT 183 - 16/11/09
With Samantha Louise
Loneliness at University
At a time when we’re suffering the worst hangovers, pushing our brains to their maximum capacity and meeting people who we’ll never forget, it’s hard to imagine that anyone could be missing out on such an experience. But outside of our worlds there are people who have had the misfortune of being placed in accommodation with strangers who fail to live up to what they classify as a friend; in fact 1 in 10 people feel worthless in University (NUS Wales survey). It would be naive to consider this is a person’s fault when so many of us fail to fully see how lucky we are that we’ve found good company. It’s most definitely not too late to turn things around. In such a diverse environment there is, so to say, ‘something for everyone’.
First of all really think about your company, first impressions are often misconstrued and it often takes time to really be able to tell what a person is like. Big groups of people can be intimidating. We are often piled up in houses or flats of seven or more people and its natural that some people stand out and others blend into the background. Get to know people one on one by going to their rooms and starting a conversation. Next time you’re in a group situation they’ll be more likely to get you involved. A common misconception is that you’re being left out, when a lot of the time it is in no way intentional. Don’t take it personally. People may not think of asking everyone all the time to join in so go ahead and take part, don’t be afraid to walk into a room and ask what’s going on. You have to keep in mind that everyone is in the same position as you, and new to being so independent. It’s never a bad idea to voice how you’re feeling, that way your housemates may understand more and make a special effort to ensure they encourage you. Lectures are a good way of initiating conversation and breaking the ice. Don’t think anything of attending lectures alone because enough people do it. Aim to start up a small conversation next time you sit by someone about anything such as work or uni in general, and you may find that small talk turns into a regular class mate and friend.
If there is definitely no way that you can get along with your house/flat -then join a club. The best way of meeting people with the same interests as you is to seek them out, and the SU provide a number of clubs to get involved with. If there is nothing that you’ve got a particular interest in, then try something new. This may be the only chance you get to diversify and you may end up finding something that you’ll want to keep doing.
EX-Factor by Liz Cooley
It’s 8.30 on Sunday evening, the ad break has just started and my housemates are animatedly discussing who’s going to be in the bottom two this week. Yes, that’s right, its Xfactor results time and the nation is on the edge of its seats once again. After a few more tense minutes it had been confirmed that Olly is safe, as the world is at rights-but wait a minute, Lucie is in the bottom two?! No matter, at last Jedward are there as well and surely they can’t survive next to the musical stylings of the South Wales singer. Some eager beavers have even pre-empted the results and changed their facebook statuses in delight that the dreadful duo have finally gone! But alas, the sly, smarmy, game playing Simon Cowell has done it again-and this time we’re mad! I may not be an avid Strictly Come Dancing fan myself, but at least they have unbiased judges, unlike X-fator. How exactly does he think that he
can get away with sending the decision to the public vote when he’s the one always talking about how talentless the twins are and how this is a “singing competition.” Oh, that’s right, he owns the show, but does that give him the right to play with people’s lives? And don’t even get me started on those of you who actually voted for Jon and Edward! I assume its guilty pleasure combined with simple amusement, but maybe the joke’s gone too far. Imagine they get to the final five, top two, imagine they actually win-we’re going to be inflicted with a Jedward single, Jedward tour and even Jedward dolls! It may be the end for all potential Alexandra Burkes and the beginning for all Cheeky Girl wannabes, and the last year I bother watching X-factor.
Email us your views on the X-factor results and maybe even make it onto our letters page... editor@swansea-union.co.uk
If you are feeling lonely or just want someone to talk to, contact Lance Horsey (welfare officer): welfareofficer@swansea-union.co.uk nightline will also be available from December
letters I am a phd student at Swansea University, recently travelled down from Scotland. Prior to commencing my phd here, I also worked full time at the Regional Virus Labs in Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow and saw first hand the effect of the swine flu scare on NHS preparedness. We were overwhelmed with the number of samples sent in, and the system may have come to a grinding halt where it not for the hard work and dedication of all members of staff from MLA’s up to the Consultants. It remains, fortunately, a mild virus in and of itself. While the number of deaths is tragic, it is not out of proportion with regular seasonal flu. What is unusual is the timing, since we are only now entering the traditional flu season. It astounds me, that in this day and age, knowing as we do how disease is spread, that people do not take the most basic of precautions.
Volunteer: Discovery offers a wide variety of projects and most people there do it off their own backs. It will not only take up your spare time, but you’ll meet people and have something good to add to your CV.
GOT A THOUGHT OR OPINION? WE WANT TO HEAR THEM! GET IN TOUCH WITH THE WATERFRONT EMAIL: editor@swansea-union.co.uk
Our elementary hygiene standards are poor, and while we may worry about levels of absenteeism as a result of swine flu, 5% staying at home when sick, and not spreading the virus, is better than 10% staying off sick, and 40% being ill. Students are particularly at risk of the flu as pandemic strains have a tendency to attack younger males, because they have no previous exposure to similar flu strains and their healthy immune system can make the symptoms more severe (strange as it seems). The diet and binge drinking culture also has a large part to play in the spread of the virus, since students who are not looking after themselves are more likely to get ill. The level of preparedness required is not terrifyingly high, nor requires a large amount of investment or expenditure. 1. Look after yourself. 2. If you get ill, stay at home and dont spread the virus.
3. Wash your hands properly...this is not just something we should do when going to the bathroom (and I am sure we are all aware many people do not even take this precaution) but working in the NHS we have a policy: bring nothing in, take nothing away. Wash your hands before coming into work and before leaving. The same goes for public transport. Gel handwashes are inexpensive and easily portable. The fact that many people do not appreciate or conduct these basic measures is in itself shocking, and we should all thank our lucky stars that novel-H1N1 was not as serious as first feared. BY SCOTT JENKINS
36 SPORT
WATERFRONT 183 - 16/11/09
Intramural League review - 11/11 - by Deputy Sports Editor Tim Harris
SPR remain top after solid win
Photo: Marc Holmes A RESOUNDING win with a 12-1 scoreline over T.I.T.S, sees SPR maintain top spot in the league on goal difference, this season’s fixtures still young. Sloth are still snapping on their heels with a convincing 6-0 victory against Clinical Finishers slotting them 2nd in the table. The Uni 7ths wrap up 3rd spot after demolishing Sub-Standard Liege 10-1, however, Liege have now scored their first goal of the campaign. Hardly Athletic are the fourth team
to notch up three wins in three, with a 10-2 over Balls Deep completing the top 4 in the league. The Uni 6ths and Ajax Trees Down sit just below, also with 100% records, and a game in hand. Liquor and Photosynthesis tasted victory last week, rounding off the top half of the league. Geography and T.I.T.S slide into the bottom half of the table, following some difficult results, and will need to lift themselves to jump back
up the league. Sketty head the rest of the pack: History, Clinical, Geog On, Balls Deep, and Sub-Standard, all yet to chalk any points up on the board. Sketty and History Boys do however have a game in hand. Geog On, Balls Deep and Sub-Standard are learning the ropes of Intramural Football the hard way, but with a long season ahead, all teams will be developing as the weeks move by.
Intramural Team Focus - Liquor FC Liquor’s Richard Cook gives us the lowdown on the developing team. How many seasons have Liquor competed in Intramural? This is our second Team Highs? Beating Balls Deep 6-1. Team Lows? 2-0 up against Hardly Athletic, 15 minutes to go, cruising - we lost 3-2. Pre-match team rituals? Rhyddings Tuesday night. Prolific Scorer? Spencer Jeffs - Dances around five defenders and then Jonny Wilko’s it over the bar from six yards. Midfield Maestro? Mark ‘el capitano’ Way. Solid man at the back? Ollie Goodyear- Haven’t yet conceded when he is on the pitch. Best header? Nigel Thompson- Plenty of noise and no hair to get in the way. Best tackler? Big Tom Williams- Wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of one of his mistimed challenges. Mr Pace? Chris Pretty- Regularly dreams that he is Gabby Agbonlahor. Strong Man? Joe Havard- Wider than he is tall, even goes to the gym on a hangover!
League Table Team Name PLD 1 SPR 3 2 Team Sloth AFC 3 3 Swansea University 7th’s 3 4 Hardly Athletic 3 5 Swansea University 6th’s 2 6 Ajax Treesdown 2 7 Liquor 3 8 Photosynthesis 3 9 Geography 3 10 T.I.T.S 3 11 Sketty Bolognese 2 12 History Boys 2 13 Clinical Finishers 3 14 Geog On 3 15 Balls Deep 3 16 Sub-Standard Leige 3
Favourite watering hole? Rhyddings- The best pub in Swansea. Lightweight? 1a Kemble Street collectively. Heavyweight? Dave ‘Dennis’ Irwin – left-back that lines his stomach with a steak-a-day. Worst Dresser? PC - Reebok classic trainers from year 9, and carries a spar bag around all the time. Most supported team amongst the squad? Unfortunately probably Bristol City Everyone else loves Dean Windass. Fifa or Pro Evo? PRO every time.
D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3
GF 29 16 17 16 10 12 12 5 4 11 3 2 1 3 4 1
GA 2 2 5 5 1 4 6 2 6 18 6 9 12 16 24 28
GD PTS 27 9 14 9 12 9 11 9 9 6 8 6 6 6 3 6 -2 3 -7 3 -3 0 -7 0 -11 0 -13 0 -20 0 -27 0
Intramural Cup Draw Ajax Vs Hardly Athletic Geography Vs T.I.T.S Clinical Finishers Vs Liquor Team Sloth Vs Sketty Bolognese Uni 7ths Vs SPR Uni 6ths Vs Photosynthesis Balls Deep Vs Geog On History Boys Vs Sub-Standard Liege The Super Eight’s is now history, and there will only be one showcase final to be involved in this year. The Intramural Cup is back! The draw took place in JC’s following last Wednesday’s matches, with an impressive turnout from team captains and their players. Ajax Vs Hardly Athletic will be one to watch, both ranking well in the early stages of the season.
Who is Liquor’s Cristiano Ronaldo? Little Tom Williams- Summer signing from Poker, probably worth 80p not 80 million. And who’s Titus Bramble? Richard Cook - Bramble is probably the only professional footballer who could score a 40 yard volleyed own goal with his first touch on as a sub to make it 2-2 in a game we ended up losing 3-2. Embarrassment on the pitch? Luke Hambleton (Ginger) - He used to ballet dance when he was little and has brought his skills onto the pitch. Embarrassment off the pitch? Skye Landon (Chegford) - Wet his pants drunk whilst asleep on the sofa- twice!
W 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Old rivals Uni 7ths and SPR will spar once again. Balls Deep Vs Geog On, and History Boys Vs Sub-Standard see four of the teams nearer the foot of the table battling it out to restore some pride. The all important first round of the cup will be played over the next two Sundays (22nd/29th November), all the fixtures shaping up to be very tantalising.
Photosynthesis 3-1 Sketty Bolognese On a day when playing conditions weren’t ideal, Photosynthesis jumped up the league with a confidence boosting win over Sketty. Photosynthesis pushed Sketty back in the first half, but lacked the service for the strikers and the finishing required, both greatly inhibited by the condition of the pitch. It was Sketty who then took the lead through a penalty. But just before halftime, Chris Foster netted for Photosynthesis to equalise. Photosynthesis began the second half once again in the ascendancy.
But once Sketty settled down they were able to move the ball around better, and create pressure of their own. Photosynthesis wasted a chance from the penalty spot, but it didn’t hurt too much as Tom England and Joe Edney scored in quick succession to silence Sketty and take the points. Photosynthesis Captain Damian Paget said: “I thought the game went well.” “We have now taken six points out of a possible nine and we are looking to make our way up the league.”
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
SPORT 37
Rugby League team chasing title By Rhys Williams Sports Editor SWANSEA’S Rugby League team are in a great position to win their BUCS league and secure promotion. They are currently sitting second in the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Wales and West League table, only a single point behind Glamorgan’s first team. Last year Swansea were squeezed out by two points by Gloucester University’s Rugby League first team, eventually finishing second. So far Swansea have had a fantastic start, winning comfortably against Exeter Seconds and Gloucester Seconds. They lost their third match in a close scrap with Glamorgan’s first team, the current leaders of the league. Their most recent match against Bristol’s first team sadly never took place, which was frustrating for Swansea, but they were given a thirty point walk-over. Club Vice-Captain Dan Gelabert confessed that he was very impressed with the way that the team have played so far. “We won against Gloucester, won against Exeter and only narrowly lost out to Glamorgan.” “Sadly our last match was cancelled because Bristol Rugby League didn’t have enough players so they didn’t turn up. But the 30 point win has put us second.” He attributed the run of recent form
CONTENDERS: Swansea Univerity’s Rugby League team believe they have a really fantastic chance to secure the title and promotion this season to the strength of the squad, despite adversity. “Last year we lost a lot of key players that graduated, so that means that roughly eighty percent of the team is new this year.” “But we have quite a lot of really strong players for this season.” “Kristian Hawkes, he’s one of our main players, and has played well this season. He plays for Newport Titans in the conference.”
“Dermot Dooley and Ed Dixon have also had a really good season for us and have helped us to second place so far.” However, despite a strong squad and a strong start to the season, Gelabert is still weary of the threat posed by Glamorgan Firsts. “I think that Glamorgan will be our biggest rivals this year, as they proved when they beat us by a single point, 1716. It was a close game and they won it with a last minute drop goal.”
They should be bolstered though, by the fact that last year Glamorgan Firsts finished the table at the bottom, whilst Swansea were second. Winning the title this season would see Swansea promoted to the BUCS Southern Premiership, a step up from the Wales and West League they are currently in. Unfortunately club Vice-Captain Gelabert feels that the Super 8 competition would be out of reach for
Swansea. “If we get promotion we’ll be promoted to the national southern division.” “Super 8s are for teams that have a proper structure, mainly northern teams, we’re still setting up really.” Hopefully achieving promotion into the Southern Premier League will give Swansea a good solid foundation on which to become a top Rugby League university.
Swansea claim derby honours By Craig Lawton Sports Reporter AS PREPARATIONS go for a derby match, Paulo Sousa must have been wondering what more could have gone against him. Having missed out on the Championship Manager of the Month Award to Cardiff’s Dave Jones, the Swans were then rocked by the withdrawal of talismanic club captain Garry Monk just 15 minutes before kickoff due to a recurrence of a calf problem. This meant that the sporadically used Argentinean Fede Bessone was deployed at left back, resulting in Alan Tate taking the captains armband and Monk’s centre half role. Cardiff were not without their own problems however with the Championship’s two highest goal scorers, Michael Chopra and Peter Whittingham, both out injured. Most derby matches these days are based on solid, one dimensional football as neither side wishes to give away an advantage to their bitter rivals, much like the latter stages of knock-out football such as the FA Cup and World Cup. As is also the case in such tournaments, if a side is willing to ignore
the pressure and instead continue to play creative, intelligent football they, more often than not, manage to come out on top. This was the case with Swansea, who have clearly benefited from Sousa’s wealth of footballing experience which has seen him play in a number of the world’s most famous club derbies. Swansea started the match positively, spreading the ball wide and then quickly changing direction to play short balls inside towards Craig Beattie. This tactic almost worked after just three minutes as Nathan Dyer played a short ball infield which Darren Pratley, in an advanced position, superbly flicked the ball on for Beattie who was only denied by the sprawling effort of David Marshall in the Cardiff goal. Minutes later Pratley was involved again as he swung a free kick into the area only for the ball to find its way to the diminutive Dyer who used all five foot five inches of his frame to head the ball home after nine minutes to send the Liberty Stadium into raptures. Excellent work by Bessone down the left led to a cross which Beattie cushioned down to strike before being felled from behind. Referee Probert ignored the penalty shouts as Pratley, on another bombing run from midfield, volleyed the ball home to double the
Swans lead after just 16 minutes. Cardiff looked shell shocked as Swansea continued to play dominant football through the Cardiff midfield, Joe Allen, Pratley, and Britton making Joe Ledley and Rae look redundant for Cardiff. Finally Cardiff found a foothold in the match as they launched a speculative long ball towards Jay Bothroyd on 32 minutes. Bothroyd showed a good turn of pace and control to outwit Ashley Williams before coolly playing the ball past the helpless Dorus De Vries. The Swans looked as shocked as Cardiff had done earlier. Things were made even worse when a freekick on the left wing deceived the Swans defence, allowing captain Mark Hudson to ghost in at the far post and score. Sousa’s words of wisdom at halftime clearly took affect. Swansea looked inspired and they then continued in the second half where they had left off in the first, playing intelligent, attacking football. This was rewarded when Bessone, again down the left wing, crossed low into the area. Pratley, assured throughout the match, lost his marker on another run from deep and volleyed home from six yards to give Sousa his most satisfying win of the season to date.
HERO: Darren Pratley scored the second half winner for Swansea
38 SPORT
WATERFRONT 183 - 16/11/09
Sailors make strong start to season By Thore Haugstad Sports Editor THE SWANSEA sailing team put in a strong performance at the BUCS Fleet Racing Championships two weeks ago. The sailors had three boats in the Laser 2 Fleet Race, and came 8th, 9th and 13th out of twenty entries. There was also a Swansea boat challenging at the Handicap Race, where all types of boats are allowed and judged on a handicap point system. The boat finished 5th out of the 51 entries, securing an overall strong start to the season. Sailing Captain Tom Willmott admitted the performance was better than expected considering how quickly the team was put together. “It went well, I think we got a few good results,” he said. “We were aiming for top ten, so overall we’re pleased with our performance. It’s impressive for a small club like us. “But this isn’t the team that will be racing for us in the next events. “It’s early in the year, and it was a matter of just putting a team together out of those who could make it.
The next month will see the sailing team competing in two team racing events in order to prepare for the BUCS team racing qualifiers in February as well as Varsity. And Willmott believes the club’s focus on team racing will help them in both events, adding that this will be their best chance in years to beat Cardiff. “We will be training harder in preparation for the team racing, so it should start getting better,” he said. “The only way to get better at team racing is to train together as a team, which is why we will train so heavily during the next three weeks. “We’ve done a bit more training this year, and we’ve got a student coaching us for free which is great for us. “We’ve lost against Cardiff the last two years, but we never do team racing so we always lose. “This year we’ve done more of it. In addition, all three helms in the first team are Great Britain sailors, so it’s our best chance in a while.” The sailing club has grown dramatically this season, with 70 full members signing up compared to only ten at the end of last year. The club has now got qualified instructors and training three times a
week, but the state of the equipment compared to other universities remains an Achilles heel. While the AU does pay for entries and transport to the events, Willmott believes the lack of proper racing boats makes it harder to compete with their rivals. He added: “It’s not great.” “We’ve got six boats. Three of them are worth racing, one of them is useless and the AU doesn’t give us any money. “We always ask for equipment. Ideally we’d like to change our boats to fireflies which are used in team racing by every single University at the moment. “Most of them made the change between eight and ten years ago, whereas we didn’t. “We’ve also asked for a trailer to carry our boats to the events, but at the moment we have to borrow the ones belonging to Cardiff, who have three of them. “We’re quite lucky in that we are provided with boats by the hosts at the team racing events. “But the problem is that they’re different to ours, so we can do as much training as we want but we’ll still be using different boats.”
RIGHT DIRECTION: The sailing club made a solid impression at the BUCS fleet races
Lacrosse smash rivals Cardiff Women’s football outclass Bristol 2nds to continue winning streak
CONVINCING: The Women’s 1st team beat Bristol 2nd’s with nothing less than 19-0
By Michelle Owen Sports Reporter SWANSEA University Women’s 1st Football team showed their class in a thrashing of Bristol University Women’s 2nds. The team needed a win having drawn with rivals Cardiff and then beaten Abersytwyth 5-1, and the pressure to stay top needed to be maintained. The first goal came just a few minutes in, a clever ball put in by Michelle Owen who chipped the ball over the on rushing Bristol keeper. From then on the goals came thick and fast. By the end of the first half, the team were up 7-0, and literally outclassing the helpless Bristolians. The second half saw yet more goals, with the team taking shots for fun. Clare Ostle literally walked the ball into the net, after taking on numerous players and slotting the ball home. The Ladies went onto score many more, captain Nia Gape scored five along with American Lauren Odino who netted four.
Captain Gape said: “It was a great win, we showed good team spirit and some played some really good football.“ “It was important to get lots of goals to increase our difference over rivals Cardiff, who are our strong competitors.” Emily Marchant and Gemma Jones also got a goal each. Fresher Jess Lloyd had a fantastic game from left back, stepping up into midfield in the second half, with some beautiful balls played through to set up Clare Ostle for her fifth, and Owen for the hat-trick. The team now faces two games in Cardiff on the trot. The seconds in two weeks, then possibly the league decider with Cardiff 1sts. Only Cardiff 1sts and Swansea 1sts have won all their games so far this season. This sets up the same situation as last season, where the league was effectively won December 3rd by Swansea as they beat Cardiff 3-1. This time around the teams are in similar positions, as the other teams fall behind in Conference 2A.
COMEBACK: The Lacrosse team has made a stunning start to the season and are currently 2nd, despite losing every single game last year
Continued from back page “We didn’t have the nerve or composure to finish tight games. Other teams played better than us as a unit, and therefore took the win.” But with the new season in motion, Swansea demolished Bath 1sts 9-4 in their opening match, before turning to Cardiff 1sts, with a 9-6 triumph over their Welsh rivals. Howard Johnston netted in the first quarter, facing the Cardiff keeper one on one. And although Swansea went into the second quarter trailing 2-1, Johnston scored once again to boost the team’s moral and spark a comeback. Swansea grabbed the initiative and when halftime came they were 4-3 ahead with John Barnett scored twice in
the third quarter. Although Cardiff did manage goals in the final quarter, the Swansea defence stood strong. James Tiley and Laurence Kerrigan also put their names on a score-sheet that at fulltime read 9-6 to Swansea. Tiley was pleased with a strong away win for Swansea. “It was a good game where we showed fighting spirit,” he said. “The wins so far show potential for a very rewarding season.” Swansea host Plymouth 1sts on 18th November. “We are set up perfectly for this match,” said Tiley. “We have a real belief that we can notch up yet another win. “I can only see the team going from strength to strength.
After the disappointment of last year, Swansea will be teasing themselves with new targets for this season. “Our goal is to finish in the top three, however if form continues, a top 2 finish is on the cards,” said Tiley. “Player development is essential with three players attempting to make the Wales Squad for the 2010 World Games. “A variance in tactics other teams are not used to playing against has given us the upper-hand in our opening games. “I am happy with the form but there is always room for improvement. “The University has the potential to have great teams in the Men’s, Women’s and Mixed divisions and it is up to us to maintain the progress shown. “The Club is moving in the right direction,” concluded Tiley.
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39 SPORT
Hockey teams top of league By Rhys Williams Sports Editor ALL OF Swansea’s Men’s Hockey teams have made a superb start to their season, with the firsts, seconds and thirds lying second, first and first in their leagues respectively. Up until last week they were all top of their league, but unfortunately the firsts have dropped a place this week. The Saturday league that the teams play in is a non-BUCS event, amongst other teams in South Wales. Although the men’s hockey teams also participate in the BUCS league, Club Captain Jonny Taylor admitted that the majority of their season is focused on the non-BUCS event. “We focus on both obviously, but the Saturday league runs throughout the whole year and there’s a lot more games,” he said. This run of good form has been expected by some in the club for a while, least of all from Club Captain Taylor. When asked what was behind the recent success, he gave numerous reasons and had no end of praise for the club. “There’s really good team spirit this year, it’s a really good team.” “Also, we have a coach this year, Callum Westaway, which has really helped us reach our potential.”
“Also we’ve had a really good group of freshers in this year. Some of them are doing really well.” However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for men’s hockey this season. Things are a bit more turbulent in the BUCS league. The Southern Conference 4B sees Swansea seconds and thirds battling each other for glory. However, the seconds appear to be the team in the driving seat. The second team currently lie in second place, their only stumble coming against league leaders Royal Agricultural College’s first team, when they were defeated 8-1 last week. Things have been much more difficult for the third team, understandably struggling in a league that even the seconds are finding challenging. They are currently last in their league, losing four games from four. However, the fact that two of those have been close 1-0 defeats will surely encourage them in their relegation battle with Royal Agricultural College’s seconds. The firsts had started well in league 2B, with a win against Cardiff Medics, but lost a difficult match away to Bath’s fourth team. However, it looks like the team have begun to turn around their fortunes after a superb display recently. “Today the firsts beat Cardiff 4-3,
which was a really good result for us.” Their win against Cardiff seconds last week is surely a step in the right direction in their quest for promotion.
Good day sports fans!
TOP FORM: Two of the hockey teams are leading their Satruday leagues
Ospreys miss Wales stars By Bradley Morgan Sports Reporter WITH ten players out on international duty, and many others out with injuries, the Ospreys were forced to put out makeshift sides against Glasgow and Northampton last week. On a very wet Friday night, the Welsh side took on Glasgow in the Magners League, hoping for a repeat of their performance in Scotland a few weeks ago. Unfortunately the slippery surface meant that the game was very stop-start with many knock-ons and mistakes. With the international players missing, many players were given their chance to shine, including fly-half Gareth Owen, the man dubbed by many as ‘the new Gavin Henson’. Also, shock Wales absentee Ian Gough was made captain for the game, and showed his leadership with many big hits in the game. The game was by no means a classic, but stand in full back Barrie Davies certainly made a name for himself with three massive breaks in the first-half and some great pinpoint kicks, which won him man of the match. However, the game eventually came down to the two fly-halves, Gareth Owen for the Ospreys and Dan Parks for Glasgow as they traded penalty kicks throughout the game. Both players had chances to win
LACKING: Osprey’s replacements for their Welsh stars failed to clinch a victory against Glasgow or Northampton the game, Parks hitting the post with a penalty just before half time, and Owen missing a Drop goal right at the end. The game eventually ended 9-9 with both sides ruing their missed chances. The Ospreys luck failed to improve against Northampton in the first LV= Cup game on Bonfire night, as the Saints exploded to a 13-0 lead with a James Cannon try, and two penalties from flyhalf Stephen Myler. The Ospreys, again suffering from missing players through internationals and injuries, also lost full back Barrie Davies just before with a back injury.
AU President Siwan Lillicrap
Their woes were compounded when Captain Ian Gough had to be replaced due to a shoulder injury. But the Ospreys fought back, driving the Saints over their line for Richard Hibbard to score a try, making the score 7-13 to the visitors at half time. Then, after another Stephen Myler penalty, Northampton’s Jon Vickers was sin binned 15 minutes into the second half, and the Ospreys finally took advantage with Jonathan Spratt forcing his way over just minutes after coming on as a replacement, which cut the deficit to 14-16.
The Ospreys edged ahead with a Gareth Owen penalty, making the score 17-16, but Myler hit back again with a penalty of his own, and the Saints managed to hang on in the end to win the game 17-19. The Ospreys will have one more game in November, against Bath in the LV= Cup, before their players return from autumn international duty in December. When the Welsh stars return, the Ospreys will take on rivals Munster in the Magners League, and then return to Heineken Cup rugby.
I just don’t understand where the time is going, we are now half way through the first semester and well into the swing of fixtures…doesn’t time just fly! But I must say I am loving every second. It makes me so happy every Wednesday when I see all of our teams competing on Sketty and Fairwood and putting in 1000% and working really hard. Results have generally been up and down but the effort and team spirit that you have out there is unfaultable. Keep up the good work and it will all come together before you know it, and to all of you that are winning, keep doing what you’re doing because it is obviously working! Next Wednesday there are lots of cup games so good luck to everyone that is competing and enjoy. Also this weekend the snowriders, running club and swimming team are competing so good luck to all of you. Next Wednesday in Play we have an HMS party so get your sailor or pirate gear out and be prepared for a fantastic night, with special guests from the Inbetweeners performing, it’s guaranteed to be a fantastic night. Don’t miss out!!!! Finally we have tickets available for the Ospreys vs Munster rugby match on the 5th of December, with special guests performing live in the stadium before hand, so make sure you get your tickets in advance from the Athletic Union office. £10 for AU members and £12 for nonmembers. That’s it from me, remember, train hard but play harder. Big love Siwan aupresident@swansea.ac.uk
Sport thewaterfront
16/11/09
PROMOTION DREAM NEEDS AU SUPPORT More funding needed for Men’s Football to play in Premier League By Luke James Chief Correspondent WE WON’T compete in the top flight of university football without more support – that’s according to men’s first team coach Brendan Cropley. Cropley’s side are gunning for promotion to the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Premier League but he told The Waterfront his players wouldn’t be on a level playing field with other teams without extra resources. “You have to think if it’s right for us to go up, not many people want to hear this but is it right for us to go up and play in the Premier League?” he said. “I’m not too sure whether we have got the resources to do that. “I would love for the players to go and play against the best in the country but whether we have got the resources to be able to support them to that and give them the best opportunity of doing well in that league I’m not too sure. “We demonstrated last year that even with quality players you do need greater training time, you need to be organised and have better resources in terms of equipment etc. “If we can put those things in place I would like to finish first but if we can’t guarantee those things before the end of the season then I’m not 100 percent sure whether going up into that league and struggling is the best thing for us.” Swansea have dropped to fourth place after two back to back defeats
Photo: James Snaith AU BACKING: Coach Brendan Cropley believes more funding is required for the team to establish themselves in the Premier League, even if they get promoted against Bournemouth and league favourites Gloucestershire. Captain Gary Bansor believes his side are good enough to take all fifteen points left on offer this season. And despite his concerns that pro-
Lacrosse on form in comeback season By Tim Harris Deputy Sports Editor DOMINATING results in their opening games has seen Swansea storm out of the blocks this year, turning the tables after losing every league match of last season. Swansea now sit 2nd in the BUCS Western Conference 1A, with two games
in hand over league leaders Exeter. And Men’s Captain James Tiley is ecstatic with his team. “I am delighted with the squad and the way we have been playing,” he said. “Confidence is very high. “Last year was the club’s first season and inexperience could clearly be seen.
Turn to page 38
motion could damage the club Cropley agrees his side should be aiming for a top of the table finish. Against Gloucester on Wednesday a couple of individual mistakes cost us, we played really well with the ball, a lit-
tle bit naive out of possession but that’s the way it goes. “We’re relying on other people if we want to finish top, Gloucester have obviously won four out of four. “But second or first is still within
our grasp and I would be disappointed if we finished anywhere below. “Football is a contested arena; you can’t always say you’re going to win even if you play the better stuff.
Inside this week’s paper Hockey
Rugby League
Intramural