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08 February 2010 - Issue 186 www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
Undergraduate Anger at late night lectures
Laura Burnip News Editor
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS have voiced their anger after having their lectures extended until 8pm, The Waterfront can reveal. Engineering students have this term found their timetables changed to include the late lectures on Monday and Tuesday evenings meaning some are now facing up to 11 hours of lectures a day. It is thought that an increase of students into the Engineering Department this academic year, coupled with a lack of suitable lecture space large enough to accommodate core modules, is the reason behind the extension of teaching time beyond 6pm. Many students have contacted The Waterfront to express their dismay towards the late lectures that have clashed with many extra-curricular activities including society meets, AU sport practises and even part-time jobs. President of the Engineering Society, Chris Melvin, explained the problem facing students. “There’s about 460 fresher engineers who all have to do certain modules together in 1st year and last term they video streamed lectures, however this term there was a decision made to go to late lectures which doesn’t particularly help as none of the lecture rooms are large enough to accommodate everyone.” Melvin also informed us that suggestions to record lectures, or use smaller rooms with a live stream from the main lecture theatre into smaller feeder classes have so far been dismissed. “We’ve heard from lecturers that the Vice Chancellor has said he wants to keep the traditional lecture instead of elearning.” He went onto tell us how the lack of progress to solve the issue has affected
Affected: First year Engineering students are missing out on societies, sports and jobs because the extension of hours the students attending the evening classes. “Late lectures mean that not everyone is going and able to learn because of long days and also as it starts to eat into evening time where students may have jobs, sports training and society meets which obviously are a massive part of student life.” The Waterfront has learnt from unnamed sources that the situation could have been worse as the University had originally proposed a deal to use
Wednesday afternoons, which are traditionally kept free to encourage students to take up sports activity, to accommodate the extra teaching time. Despite this being avoided, Chris Melvin recognised it comes as little comfort to students who are still missing out on a large part of the student experience because of the lecture extension. First year Civil Engineering student, Charlie Rogers told us of the problems the late lectures were causing for many students.
“Mondays for me are horrific. I start at ten, 2 hours off, then pretty much straight until 8 which is horrible. By the end of the day I feel dead. Some of the stuff is difficult anyway and at the end of a long day you just want to go home.” Charlie also suggested that the late times could prevent students from continuing with their studies if they rely on the income from part-time jobs. “It’s playing havoc with my job. I get real pressure to work in the week and my employer gets fed up when I say
I’ve got lectures. If I didn’t have my job I wouldn’t be able to fund myself so I wouldn’t be able to be here.” He went on to say how losing part time employment could prove fatal to his higher education: “The University making it harder for me to work is the same as kicking me out.” Chris Penn, also a first year Civil Engineering student, said that the...
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02 NEWS
Editorial Hey Everyone, Hope you have all had a good fortnight and enjoyed the Re-freshers festivities that I know were much needed to kick start the year. Check out the photo’s from last week’s Ani-Ball on page 19.
Effort is a word I have been thinking about a lot recently; effort students put into their courses, their societies, their sports, their relationships. Even as I look around the office on paste up day I see a number of my editors giving up their own time to ensure that this paper and their section are the best they can possibly produce for you to read and enjoy. But when I looked a little further I notice the extra effort students take to achieve at Swansea University. One such example was performed last week, in the wake of the horrific Haiti earthquake disaster last month, two prominent student charities RAG and UNICEF joined forces to raid the campus raising a fantastic £813.66 to send to the disaster relief fund. It is effort put into charitable societies like these which make the student body so impressive. This is why I and a number of the news team reporters were dismayed this fortnight to hear of the timetable situation which has affected so many undergraduate Engineering students. I find it unacceptable that students should have to miss out on when extracurricular activities that are an essential part to any student experience, helping add to the CV in an employment world that is becoming increasingly more competitive. If I had not been able to take part in societies such as Xtreme Radio and The Waterfront when I was a student, it is likely I would never have been able to gain the necessary qualifications I needed in journalism or have been able to return to Swansea University to edit this paper. I strongly urge the Vice Chancellors and lectures at the University to listen to their students over this timetable issue and work hard to find a solution so that societies, socials, sports and employment are not affected by evening lectures. For any students reading this don’t forget this paper is set up to act as a voice for you guys, if you want to make a point, positive or negative about what is going on at your University. Tell us about it!
WATERFRONT 186 - 08/02/10
Inside this weeks edition
It must be love, sex and romance. Check out our Valentines Day feature including our very first Blind Date Pages 10 and 31
See you in a fortnight, All the best James editor@swansea-union.co.uk EDITOR JAMES SNAITH editor@swansea-union.co.uk SUB EDITORS LIZ COOLEY PETE GOLDING NEWS EDITOR LAURA BURNIP ALUN RHYS CHIVERS waterfront.news@hotmail.co.uk DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR COLLETTE BIRD NEWS TEAM BECCI GOULD TOM HAINES MATTHEW EDWARDS SARAH JAMES LAURA ANTRAM LIZ COOLEY DAVID LEWIS SAM LOVELESS HARALD KOPPING VICTORIA HOGEKINSON SPORT EDITORS THORE HAUGSTAD RHYS WILLIAMS waterfront.sport@hotmail.co.uk DEPUTY SPORT EDITOR TIM HARRIS SPORTS TEAM CRAIG LAWTON BEN DONOVAN MICHELLE OWEN RACHEL CLAYTON CULTURE EDITOR TOM ‘TIM’ MAYA culture.waterfront@hotmail.co.uk CULTURE WRITERS SARAH HILL ALICE COPELLO SUZANNE BEYNON DANIEL EADE FFION HUGHES PAUL SEACOMBE SAM TATTAM ROSALYN THOMAS CAITLIN GWYNN MUSIC EDITOR JAMES TAYLOR waterfront.music@hotmail.co.uk
MUSIC WRITERS CHARLIE TEASDALE SOPHIE EVANS LAUREN ELLIS BRYONY HICKS DALE WILLIAMS SAM TATTAM TOM ‘TIM’ MAYA - Mixtape FILM EDITOR VICKY DOHERTY-BONE waterfront.film@hotmail.co.uk FILM REVIEWERS JON TAYLOR JENNIFER THOMAS HANNAH BOWDEN JOSEPH COLLIASS RHYS WILLIAMS GEORGIANA AVRAM TRAVEL EDITOR NIKKI LITTLEHALES
We bagged an interview with British comedian Stephen Amos. Check it out along with, book, film and theater reviews inside our culture section - Page 13
Continued from front page lectures are not only unpopular with students but also lecturers, and the quality of teaching is being affected since the late classes started. “Everyone’s tired after a hard day’s work, even the lecturers are getting tired, so the quality of teaching isn’t as good as earlier in the day. They cut the lectures short so we finish at 7.20 and don’t take a break in the middle because everyone just wants to leave. No one’s really concentrating.” The Deputy Head of the School of Engineering, Javier Bonet, was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press, but has reportedly expressed his unhappiness both to students in lectures and in an email to Education Officer Ross Gilman. In the email, Bonet said: “I would very much prefer not to be teaching at this time in the evening as I have a young family. “The University has found it completely impossible to accommodate the large classes involved during the standard teaching hours.” Bonet also said that the issue is affecting other schools, and put the blame down to increasing numbers of students. “We have no control over the timetable slots that we are given by the timetable officer in Estates, but I do not think they have much choice, given the available lecture facilities and the increases in student numbers in some courses.” However Bonet was unsympathetic towards students experiencing clashes with societies and sports clubs, despite the growing importance placed on extracurricular activities by employers: “I appreciate the difficulties of those who work or have sports training sessions at these times, but I would have thought that academic work should come in first.” Chris Melvin suggested that more
effective timetabling could ease the pressures on students. “Some departments get their timetables for the whole year all at once in September, however engineering tends to be given timetables the Friday before they start, not leaving people time to sort out their jobs.” “It’s not just lectures. Some friends on masters have 3 of their exams in 2 days, and in past years there have been exam periods with 5 exams in 5 days which can affect performance.” However despite the frustration, Melvin has urged students affected by this to continue going to lectures rather than skipping them. “At present there’s not a lot people can do, boycotting lectures will just affect your learning. “This is an issue which needs to be worked through by all parties and every possible solution should be investigated, even re-introducing video-streaming between lecture theatres, which they still do for certain lectures anyway.” “However I do believe that this is an issue which will continue to rear its head as the student body continues to grow beyond the level that our campus, at present, can sustain.” Education Officer, Ross Gilman said that there was little that could be done. “It is partly down to poor planning by the University but the change did have to be introduced.” However, Gilman urged the University to open communications with the students and lecturers to try and find a different solution. “There doesn’t seem to have been much consultation with students, which I think has been one of the major problems.” “We want to hear more from students on this issue.” Have you been affected by late lectures? What is your opinion on this story? Do you have a story for us? Find your voice! The Waterfront would like to hear from you! Get in touch – editor@swansea-union. co.uk
FASHION EDITORS AMY SHERIDAN JAYE TURPIN FASHION WRITER LUCINDA REID FEATURES WRITERS KELSEY RICHARDS STEVE ANDERSON JACK BRANFORD EMMA MORRIS - Blind Date participant TOM CLARK - Blind Date participant WELSH TEAM JESS MAIN DANIEL HARVEY ALUN RHYS CHIVERS CHARLIE JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN CURRY MARC HOLMES CHRIS REYNOLDS JAMES SNAITH ADVICE SAMANTHA LOUISE WILLIAMS CAREERS JAN BINNIE-GORDON CARTOON ARTIST MARTIN MAXWELL WITH THANKS JAMES KERR TOM UPTON NEIL DONOGHUE
Lets talk Music! Anders from Alphabeat loves The Waterfront so much he spoke to us about their latest tour all the way from Denmark - Page 16
Day turns to night for Engineering undergrads Cartoon by: Martin Maxwell
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News 03
University to celebrate 90th year Vox Pops What’s your opinion?
Rewind: How the campus looked in the 60’s Should John Terry have the England captaincy taken away from him after he had an affair with a team mates girlfriend?
Alun Rhys Chivers News Editor AS SWANSEA University celebrates its 90th anniversary, its long-standing commitment to building links with industry has been very recently confirmed. Before the birthday candles were blown out, it was celebrating winning the Welsh award for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships on the strength of its collaboration with construction company Laing O’Rourke Plc. This comes only a few months after the announcement that car giant Rolls Royce are prepared to plough £50 million into the second campus development at Fabian Way. In an all-staff e-mail sent out on the day of the University’s birthday celebration (January 22nd), ViceChancellor Richard B. Davies said, “The University was established at the bequest of industry; what is now called ‘impact’ has always been intrinsic to what we do. However, the enduring strengths in engineering and science are complimented by outstanding work across the wide range of disciplines now accommodated on campus.” And isn’t this exactly what Viscount Haldane had in mind in 1918, when his Commission recommended that Swansea be granted a university college that “would not simply educate young men and women, but one that would apply science to the needs of industry and give rise to a new generation of engineers and scientists who would drive the region’s industrial growth and secure its economic future”? A ROYAL VISIT Following the granting of the Royal Charter in January 1920 by King George V and his journey to Swansea in July of the same year to lay the foundation stone of the 25 acre Singleton Estate (formerly owned by industrialist Sir Henry Vivian), Swansea University College was set to enrol its first students – all 89 of them. The original cohort included 8 female students, at that time the highest percentage of female students at any British university. From the very
Amy Staples Law- Level 2 “No because it is personal...I think it is really really bad but it is a personal level, it does not effect his ability to play. However it’s disgusting what he has done.”
beginning students at Swansea were always to be measured on merit. This was closely followed by the appointment at Swansea of the UK’s first female professor. Dr. Mary Williams was awarded the Chair of French Language and Literature in 1921, and in 1963, one of the new Singleton Halls was to be named in her honour. Such Halls of Residence were a far cry from the initial single hall – Tŷ Beck – which was established in 1925 in response to the influx of students from further afield than Swansea, as the university’s reputation grew. It is now predominantly home to international students from all over the world. FULTON’S VISION The establishment of Singleton Halls was the next step in the vision of the University College’s then principal, J.S. Fulton, who sought to make Swansea the first campus-based university in the U.K. Although it was not until 1963 that the Halls were completed, Fulton’s vision
was conceived in 1948 as the student population grew rapidly. Following an agreement to extend the Singleton site in 1960, College House (later renamed Fulton House, now a Grade II listed building) and other buildings sprung up to compliment the earlier Singleton Abbey and library buildings. HENDRE With the additional population came the call for yet more accommodation, culminating in the opening of Hendrefoelan Student Village in 1971. It is somewhat ironic that, due to Swansea’s strong links to industry and an increased number of students wanting to live on campus, that ‘Hendre’ will be sold to facilitate the new Science and Innovation campus at Fabian Way. THE NEXT MILESTONE Looking ahead to the future, Swansea University will be hoping to celebrate its centenary on January 22, 2020 as a leading research centre in the world of
industry. The second campus will be a reality, and will operate in conjunction with Rolls Royce. It will no doubt attract a new wave of students looking to enter industry. Speaking to BBC Cymru Wales, Professor Davies enthused, “If we can show them [future generations of students] that science is exciting, that a university in their city is using science to make jets faster, computers more powerful and sky-scrapers taller, then we can help to secure another 90 years of innovation and prosperity for both the university and the city.” Students’ Union President, Luke young also suggests that there could be possible celebrations for the milestone. He told The Waterfront “ninety years on and both the University and Students’ Union are going from strength to strength. We love a reason for a celebration and so the Students’ Union is considering ways to properly mark the 90th birthday in style!”
Uni Radio plans to air Islamic prayer By David Lewis News Reporter
PLANS ARE in the pipeline that look set to make Swansea the first university in the UK to broadcast Islamic prayer on its student radio station. The scheme has been devised as a result of capacity problems in the university mosque and it is hoped that the proposed one hour of prayers and teachings in English between 1pm and 2pm on Fridays, the Islamic Sabbath day, will help to resolve these issues as well as giving the radio station an increased listenership. The Islamic community at Swansea University already holds two prayer sessions on Friday lunchtime’s in an attempt to accommodate everyone, but there are still a large number of students unable to attend due to lack of space.
In an interview with The Waterfront, the Students’ Union Race Relations Officer, Mahaboob Basha, outlined the importance of Swansea being one of only two UK universities to have a separate mosque with a full-time Imam, as opposed to the multi-faith rooms of many of its counterparts. As a result Swansea University has an Islamic student population in excess of 700 people, all required as a minimum to attend Friday prayers. Mahaboob was keen to emphasise however that the teachings would not be tailored specifically to the Islamic faith but would try to encompass the concept of morality in modern student life. In addition, referring to the university Islamic Society’s (ISOC) keenness to work with other faith groups, “knowledge is not pocket-money for the
individual but is rather to be held in the bank for all to access.” The concept has been highlighted as another example of societies working with one another for mutual benefit and enjoyment. Ben Shaw, Station Manager of Xtreme Radio said, “Xtreme Radio has a long-standing policy of allowing all societies access to the airwaves. The radio executive looks forward to a unique and exciting opportunity to gain insight and to diversify the capabilities of our student station.” In addition, the project is hoping to receive financial backing from the Saudi Arabian Embassy which will be used to help fund the purchase of further broadcasting equipment, something ISOC say can be used to benefit the university’s international community at large. This has been commended by
student union International Officer, Andy Patton, who is keen to see the project up and running. He added: “It’s great to see the Students’ Union working closely with the Mosque for the benefit of the whole student community.” These comments were echoed by a final year student speaking to The Waterfront, who said: “The Islamic faith does seem to get an amount of bad press because of a tiny minority of extremists. I think it’s good that ISOC is trying to dispel the misconceptions some people have about Islam. People should just accept other people’s faith and it’s great to see that Swansea is leading the way in promoting multiculturalism.” What do you think? The Waterfront would like to hear your thoughts and opinions on this story email: editor@ swansea-union.co.uk
Gemma Clegg Business Management – Level 1 “No, it would destroy the togetherness of the team. It would have a negative impact on other team members.”
Rhodri Clancy Medical Sciences and Humanities (MASH) - Level 2 “His career is separate to his personal life... he’s a very talented leader so he should keep the position.”
Becky Davies Business Management – Level 1 “Yes because if you can’t act morally then why should he be given a position of responsibility.”
04 NEWS
WATERFRONT 186 - 08/02/10
RAG raids campus
for earthquake appeal By Sarah James News Reporter SWANSEA RAG society and UNICEF joined forces to raise money for the Haiti earthquake appeal with a RAG raid on campus on Friday 29th of January. Volunteers armed with buckets spent the day encouraging generous students to donate what they could. Over the course of the day the charities raised an impressive £813.66 including the money raised from buckets placed in JC’s bar and the level two Spar shop. With an initial target of £300, RAG
president James Kerr says ‘We managed to raise a lot more than we hoped. I’m really happy the event went so well and that we helped such a good cause.’ In a final push to raise as much money as possible from Non Government Organisation’s the UN appealed to charities including UNICEF, which led to the immediate organisation of the RAG raid on Friday. In leading much of the fundraising for Haiti, the Disasters Emergency Committee has already raised £60 million for the earthquake appeal, with a large portion of the money going
Jailbreak success in Inverness
towards the funding of clean water, food, emergency shelter and medical care. Of this the UK has donated £23 million, whilst the government has trebled its funding for the humanitarian response to £20 million. UNICEF president Zahid Raja emphasised the generosity of the students : “People were throwing in ten and even twenty pound notes! I’m really chuffed with Swansea students.” Both James and Zahid highlighted the advantages of the societies working together. Zahid said, “I was really happy to work with RAG, as we are a relatively new society
By Collette Bird Deputy News Editor A NEW charity hitchhike premiered at Swansea University with great success. Jailbreak, organised by Swansea’s RAG society, gave teams of students 36 hours to get as far away from the university as possible without a penny to their name. The winning team were ‘2 Girls 1 Passport’ who travelled to Inverness, a mighty 406 miles away from Swansea, without spending a penny. Megan Thornton of ‘2 Girls 1 Passport’ told The Waterfront: “It was really good fun. Most people were really willing to help us once they knew it was for charity – in fact the most trouble we had was on the way home where we weren’t allowed on trains and had to wait in a cold station at six o’clock in the morning!” Second place awarded to the “Jaeger Bombers” and the “Ultimate Muscle Roller Legends,” with “Team Marvin” gaining third place. Ironically, all three teams ended up in Paris, but despite the
difference in country, Inverness won on mileage. Megan told The Waterfront “When you think Paris, you’d assume that the other teams would have won. It’s quite funny really, especially because we could never get further than Britain as we only had one passport between the two of us!” Events such as these are certainly not new amongst the university circuit. In fact, teams from Cambridge University this year managed to get from Cambridge to Washington DC in 36 hours for free. However, RAG President and Jailbreak organiser James Kerr spoke of his pride when asked about the participant’s achievements. “The event was definitely a success. It was only our first year and everybody did really well. As we continue to do it, we’ll get more confidence and hopefully get further and further away!” Kerr estimates that the event raised a total of £400 for a number of local and national charities, and has assured The Waterfront that the event is set to continue running in the next academic year.
UNIVERSITY Residential Services’ Managed Property Services and Students’ Union’s SAS Letting Service have merged to form Swansea Accommodation Services. The merger was approved in September by both parties and by students in the Students General Meeting. The combined services are keen to work together to provide a more efficient, credible and trustworthy service to all students, saying in their mission statement that they want to make a “strong and positive impact upon the quality and management of private sector housing for the benefit of Students and Communities within the Swansea area.” To ensure this and the advancement of student interests, they have an overseeing board of 5 people, which includes the President of
the Students’ Union. Current Students’ Union President, Luke Young told The Waterfront he was pleased with the merger and hopes to create “terms that the SU are happy with and good quality housing.” Swansea Accommodation Services aim to make various changes to lettings and contracts in the interests of students; such things as summer retainers have been replaced with a 47 week tenancy contract, which allows students earlier access without the added cost. They have also introduced a structured rating system for those properties they manage with four bands all of which will meet the set minimum standards required by law and by the service itself. Other unique selling points include a minimum response time for landlords to deal with any problems, compensation if they do not meet these times, and insurance included in the cost of the property. With around 80 properties on
Hug-a-Housemate THE STUDENT Union launches ‘Huga-housemate’, writes news reporter Liz Cooley, a weeklong initiative from the 15th-19th February, to increase communication and better relationships among students and work against the prejudices that surround the term depression. The campaign, which follows on from the very successful ‘grub club’, aims to educate all students on the symptoms and preventatives of depression so that students, in particular housemates, can support one another effectively. The week will include talks, a poster campaign and a hug booth complete with photographs and resources. The University Well Being Service
and National Union of Students are also lending their support to the cause. Statistics state that 1 in 4 adults in the UK will suffer from a mental health problem within any given year, with anxiety and depression being the most common. Despite many sufferers of depression feeling they are alone and in a minority, it is more common than you might expect with even some celebrities being affected. Lance Horsey, the Students’ Union Welfare Officer has organised the weeks programme and is passionate about what it can achieve “Over half of students want to leave uni at one point of their academic career; this is such an alarming stat that I thought that something must
Sex attack on female student in the Kingsway Matthew Edwards News Reporter A TWENTY year old female student was sexually assaulted near to a Swansea nightclub at around 1:30am on Friday 22nd January. A man has been
arrested following an investigation into the incident. Detectives were appealing for witnesses regarding the incident – including sending an e-mail to Swansea students – which happened at a secluded alcove in a lane running between Barclays Bank and Bar Tahiti. The
or alternatively by calling 0370 60 60 900, or texting ‘GIVE’ to 70077, to donate £5 to the DEC for the Haiti earthquake appeal.
Accomodation Service Merger Liz Cooley News Reporter
Unlocked: Jailbreak teams setting off from Fulton House
we couldn’t have raised as much without them.” Donations can be made online at the Disasters Emergency Committee website - www.dec.org.uk -
suspect was described as white, 18 to 20 years old, with a slim build and with long, straight hair. A person has since been arrested in connection with the incident and police are not looking for any further witnesses at the time. In a report by BBC News, Detective Inspector Andy Hughes said:
“I would like to reassure members of the public that incidents of this nature in Swansea are few and far between.” Raegan Healy, SUSU Womens’ Officer, commented that help is always available for students. “Student safety is paramount to us at the Students’ Union and we prepare students with
their books, as well as plenty of staff on hand to give students advice as they look for houses, it’s definitely worth talking to them before signing contracts. However you may want to visit them sooner rather than later as they only have 30 properties left available. With various landlords waiting to join the scheme, Swansea Accommodation Services are confident that they will be able to grow significantly over the next few years and while this merger may not be fully complete until the beginning of the next academic year, Gareth Atkinson, Head of Residential Services, is confident that as Student Union and University are essentially already operating as one team they will be able to provide a supportive and professional service throughout this period. If you have any queries or are still looking to rent a property you can find them located on the bottom floor of Fulton House next to the travel shop.
have been done about it.” He told The Waterfront “what this campaign sets out to do is bring households closer together and inform students of the indicators of early mental health issues so they can then look after their housemates.” Lance has a particular interest in setting up sports counselling for those students who find themselves out of the loop after serious injuries. If you think you or someone you know may be suffering from any mental health issues and want to find out more on how to combat it, feel free to contact Lance welfareofficer@swansea-union. co.uk, visit the facebook group or alternatively take a look at some of the recommended online resources which include www.mind.org.uk and www. bbc.co.uk/headroom. guidelines, safety support and advice when needed.” “If students would like more information about personal safety or personal safety alarms they can contact Raegan Healy the SU Womens officer or Lance Horsey the SU Welfare officer.” womensofficer@swansea-union.co.uk welfareofficer@swansea-union.c.o.uk
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NEWS 05
Refugee Drama on Europe’s Border Thousands of African asylum seekers are stuck in Malta, waiting to be moved to Europe
Waterfront Special Report By Harald Kopping News Reporter “ONCE I get out of here, once I get to Europe or America, I will become famous like Tupac Shakur or Usher,” Phillip says, as he fidgets with a scrappy piece of paper. Phillip spends his time in the Marsa Refugee Camp selling jeans and writing rap lyrics. Most of the song he shows me is about a girl he likes, but he also speaks about the hope that one day he will be able to leave Malta, and go to mainland Europe. The EU Member State Malta, which lies in the Mediterranean between Sicily and Libya, is an island country slightly smaller than the county of Swansea, with a population of roughly 300,000. Since 2002 thousands arrive in Malta each year; a development which reached its pinnacle in 2008, when over 3,000 people applied for asylum. None of them aim for Malta but for Sicily. However, they are unable to leave the island, since the EU’s Dublin II Regulation stipulates that asylum seekers are to remain in the country where they first enter EU territory. Exceptions are made for individuals who have family members in other Member States. Phillip was not so lucky. According to the Red Cross, 20,000 people died between 1995 and 2005 attempting to reach Europe, most of them trying to escape persecution, war or economic deprivation. They come mostly from Somalia, but also from Central Africa. Many of the people who died of thirst crossing the Sahara desert, or who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, would have had the right to asylum in the EU. Nevertheless, as in Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish enclaves on
the African continent, Europe builds ever higher fences, trying to limit the annual influx. The EU thereby breaches the terms of the Geneva Refugee Convention, which states that everyone has a right to asylum if there is a case of political or religious persecution. Two young men from Eastern Africa, Samuel and Muhammad, tell of how they arrived in Malta. Smugglers brought them from Ethiopia to Libya, all the way through the Sahara desert. They hid on the backs of two small trucks, each totally overcrowded, carrying about forty people. At some point one of the trucks broke down, the other continued driving. Samuel and Muhammad waited for three days in the desert without water, until the other truck finally returned. They survived, but not everyone did. Upon arriving in Libya the situation often does not improve. In spite of the fact that Italy pursues a bilateral policy with Libya to return asylum seekers to Libyan shores, Tripoli has no asylum system in place. Millions live in the suburbs of Libyan cities, waiting to be smuggled to Europe. Samuel and Muhammad waited for over a year. “We slept with our shoes on, so we could run, in case they try to rob us.” It was a small fishing boat that turned out to be their ticket to Europe. After a few hours on sea, the engine ran out of petrol, and for three days, the two young men and the thirty-five others that were in the boat with them drifted about aimlessly on the Mediterranean. Desperation reached its peak, when someone began to drink the saltwater, and signed his death warrant. Finally, a Maltese patrol boat found those that survived.
Hal Far: An old aircraft hanger serves as a refugee camp The refugees were supplied with water and petrol. “Go to Italy,” they were told. But they only made it to Malta. Only about 50% of asylum applications in Malta are accepted, which is extremely low compared to other EU Member States. Upon arrival, the ‘boat people’ are placed in detention centres. Some are detained for six months, some for two years, because the Maltese government does not “know what kind of people they are,” as Joseph St. John, a high-ranking representative of the Ministry of Justice claims. Secret photographs of the detention camps show open sewers and over-crowded rooms. The refugee camps such as the Marsa Open Centre, where I met Phillip, are accessible with special permission. Marsa is supposedly the most luxurious of the ‘open centres’, yet the hygiene conditions in the kitchens are appalling. The camp is housed in what used to be a school, which was closed because the walls were full of asbestos, and
because the smell of the canal right next to the building made the children sick. Nevertheless, Phillip may be lucky to be in Marsa. Another camp, in the nearby ‘refugee city’ Hal Far, is situated in an old aeroplane hangar. Two hundred beds were placed in it and some people lived there for years without privacy. There is little hope for those stuck in Malta. Even if their asylum application is accepted, it is hard to find a job. “Until I came here, I thought everybody is the same. But then I realised that there were white people, and there were black people,” Samuel admits. About four hundred people leave Malta every year for the United States or mainland Europe, which is where many see their chance for a better future. Some dream of attending university. Nevertheless, disillusionment with Europe is the allpervading feeling. Europeans are far from realising that immigrants are much needed to fight the problem of an aging population, and until then, many will remain stranded in Malta.
Student not quite the strongest link
Becci Gould News Reporter SWANSEA UNIVERSITY’S English and Media student, Steve Anderson, took second place on the renowned BBC programme The Weakest Link, aired on Wednesday the 27th of January.
In some of the rounds Steve answered all his questions correctly, earning him the strongest link in two rounds, but acknowledged that the questions he was given were “pretty lucky.” “It was odd, a lot of my questions were either lucky guesses or stuff that I just knew for some odd, circumstantial
reason. Kind of like Slumdog Millionaire in a way!” With a good performance in the beginning rounds, the Swansea student just missed out on taking home £2,040 in the final round. “I probably would have used it to top-up my savings again. And being a student, two grand would be nice to have.” Winning contestant Lizzie beat Steve in the final round by one more correct answer. “It’s unfortunate that I lost, but Lizzie was also a strong opponent and her win was well deserved.” Steve described his encounter with the notorious Presenter, Anne Robinson, as “nerve racking,” but also thought “it was brilliant to have a bit of cheeky banter with the Queen of Mean herself.” Anne Robinson paid a lot of attention to the Swansea student, which he put down to “being a student in Wales,” in reference to her public personal opinion of the country, as well as his hair and appearance. Whilst being grilled by
Anne, Steve mentioned his girlfriend Tiffany, who has since received “a lot of stick” for his declaration of love on national television. Despite the interrogation, the Swansea student gave as much banter as the presenter, revealing to us that “the TV cameras have been very kind to her”. The day of filming, which took place in Slough, consisted of talks with the producer, hair styling, wardrobe decisions, waiting in the Green Room with the other contestants and over two hours of shooting, fifteen minutes of which was spent writing names down for nominations on their boards. Steve admitted that “a lot of [his] nomination choices were first considered” when he and the other contestants were waiting in the Green Room before the show. Visit The Waterfront Website for the full interview with Steve Anderson and his experience on The Weakest Link waterfrontonline.co.uk.
UK uni round up
University of Exeter - Exepose Thousands of computers, staff telephone lines and internet based systems were rendered useless at Exeter University a fortnight ago when a computer virus caused a week of disruption across three campuses leading to hundreds of students having essay deadlines extended. It’s believed the virus may have been a deliberate attack on University systems. I.T. experts were unable to prevent the virus spreading and a decision was taken by Senior Management to disconnect itself from the main network in order to stop the spread of the infection. The University were unable to estimate the cost of the network shutdown but a spokesperson made it clear the incident had affected work stating that “productivity has certainly been reduced.” Cardiff University - Gair Rhydd A block of Cardiff University halls of residence was struck with an infestation of cockroaches and bedbugs. The discovery was made at the Talybont South complex, home to hundreds of undergraduates. Students in several flats have complained of finding cockroaches in their cupboards, bedrooms and fridges forcing some to relocate. Despite the ongoing issue, it’s understood the University are not telling residents who replace vacated rooms, mainly exchange students, about the problem. Newcastle University - The Courier Geordie football legend Alan Shearer has become an honorary Newcastle graduate as part of an inauguration ceremony for new Chancellor Sir Liam Donaldson. Shearer donned the red and white robes, colours usually associated with Newcastle United fierce rivals Sunderland, to receive the title of Doctor of Civil Law. Shearer jokingly replied, “At least the black and white hat makes up for the red and white stripes.” Shearer has followed in the footsteps of the late Sir Bobby Robson twice, firstly by becoming Newcastle manager, and now for an honorary degree achieved by Sir Bobby back in 2003. Other past recipients of honorary degrees at the Newcastle University include Sir Bob Geldof (2007) and Prime Minister Gordon Brown (2007). University of York – Nouse A Letting agent named APYork has been accused of racism and sexism due to advertisements on their website with the phrases “No Chinese or similar” and “no all male groups.” The discriminative phrases were placed in red and bold under the houses advertised to students, and have since been removed.
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
News 07
This Week YOUR money matters! Advice on managing your money By Ross Gilman
Staggering sums: The Wall of Debt featured in last years Money Matters Week by as well as where students can go in change about their course. Also running By Laura Antram order to get more information. This will at the same time is a Guess the Amount News Reporter be based in the library. game run by Student Support Services Tuesday sees volunteers going to in which Students guess the amount of THIS WEEK sees the launch of Money the Student Village to do a survey of coins in various bottles in order to win Matters Week, a joint initiative run by Freshers to collect information about either a free hoodie or a £20 voucher to Student Support Services and Student student debt. spend on Campus as prizes. Union Education Officer, Ross Gilman. Wednesday’s theme is Student The week rounds off on Friday It hopes to raise awareness of student wellbeing, showing the effects of with an open surgery in Keir Hardie debt, its effect and where students can student debt in leading to problems like for students to talk to Student Support go to get information and advice. gambling and alcoholism and providing Services if they have concerns about Running until Friday the 12th information on how to overcome these their student debt. Leaflets will be February, the initiative, which was also issues. distributed and it is hoped that the run last year, is a reaction to the trouble Thursday is probably the most visual survey will provide information caused by the delays of student loans of all the events run over the course of for a formal report presented to the experienced earlier this year so that the week. It consists of a Post- It ‘Wall University Finance Department. It will students are made aware of the various of Debt’, on which students write the also be a chance for those students who forms of help and support that are amount of their student debt on one side are experiencing serious problems to be available to them. of the Wall and with a corresponding referred for specialist help. For those On Monday there will be general number on the note referring to a students who wish to find out more a advice with regards to Student Loans different Post-It note for students to Facebook Group: Money Matters Week Applications including dates to apply write what they would most like to is available.
PEOPLE WILL tell you that going to university is one of the most exciting experiences you’ll have and they’re not wrong. There’s the freedom you get if you’re living away from home for the first time, the new friends and new places to explore. There will come a time, and it happens to every student regardless of how careful you are with your money, when you will struggle financially. I’ve been there as a student and even now as a Sabbatical; there will come a time when you’ve spent too much in a term, month or even a week on nights out and spending too much on luxury items down the local supermarket. You are not alone but don’t be naïve. Don’t think that just because the credit cards and overdraft are available that they are the best option when you run out money. They might seem great as a short term solution but eventually you will struggle to keep up with repayments. When I was a student I abused my overdraft and I am still paying off part of it now, despite having a full-time job and not having the extra expenditure which came with being a
Refreshers Cider
Campaign to BEAT eating disorders By Tom Haines News Reporter
The Students Union are hosting the launch of a new campaign in association with Beat Cymru, the UKs leading eating disorder charity, with the aim of getting people involved in volunteering and fundraising to enable the Union to help students with eating disorders and gain support. The hope is that this campaign will enable the Students Union to run its own self help group for sufferers and the friends of sufferers to seek advice. Volunteers will be trained by Beat
Cymru to facilitate and supervise the self help groups. Raegan Healy and Lance Horsey, the Students’ Union Women’s and Welfare officers respectively, have both been trained by Beat Cymru and are the first Sabbatical Officers in Wales to have been trained. The campaign will be the first set-up in a University in Wales, which is an huge achievement for the Students Union: ‘Setting up a support scheme like this for students at Swansea is necessary and very useful for students who may suffer from an eating disorder or who are generally concerned. Surprisingly this is the first time a self help group around such a area as eating disorders has been set up
here and I think it is very important to highlight the awareness and importance of the issue.” According to Beat UK, eating disorders are a serious mental illness which affects 1.6million people in the UK, almost 90% of whom are women. Beat provide help lines and online support for those with eating disorders as well as their family and friends who need advice. For advice on eating disorders, contact Raegan Healy (Women’s officer) or Lance Horsey (Welfare officer) at the Students Union. Or contact the beat helpline on 0845 634 1414.
Charity Fun-and-raving! AS THE date for the Morocco and Prague hitch looms closer, participants throughout the university have been upping their game in their personal attempts to meet their fundraising targets for worthwhile charity Link Community Development (LCD) writes Collette Bird. The charity, now in its fifth year, works to improve access to better quality education in Sub Saharan Africa. The annual Morocco and Prague hitches see students nationwide hitchhiking to either destination provided they can meet a minimum fundraising target of £350.
Matt Whitley, Hitch Representative, urges readers to get involved: “There are tons of events coming up. Due to the success of our previous date auction, we’re holding another in March. All our dates are free, and range from a meal for two at Nandos, to cinema tickets or a free bottle of wine to share in Monkey Bar. It’s great because you can help a fantastic charity, have a laugh or maybe even find love!” Another big event on the hitch fundraising calendar is RAVEAID, held in Monkey Bar on February 22nd. The event holds host to a number of
respected names such as DJ Sioux and Mr Fish, and entry is only £3. RAVEAID organisers Isobel Payne and Dina Ramadan told The Waterfront “We’re really excited. We’ve managed to get support from local radio and club promoters too so hopefully it’ll be a big night for a great cause.” Other forthcoming events include a scavenger hunt also taking place on February 22nd, where teams of five pay £5 to complete a set of challengers for a cash prize (search Swansea scavenger hunt on Facebook to reserve your spot).
student. Don’t panic! There is help at hand from the Money Doctors in the Money Advice & Support Office. I used the Money Doctors during my 2nd year as a student when I fell behind on rent. They are very approachable and never make anyone feel uncomfortable; at the end of the day their job is to support students however they can. There is a lot of help available from the Money Advice & Support Office. They’ll check your entitlement to student funding and give you a real idea of how to budget and what just isn’t worth wasting your loan on. If you need help dealing with the sometimes scary credit card companies or even with reducing payments for bills they can help with this. They will help you write a letter to convince these companies that you are getting sorted and with the Money Doctors’ support they can seriously reduce payments. Going to the Money Doctor is the only choice if you get into financial hardship. Their advice is free, friendly and is conveniently located on campus. I wouldn’t have finished my degree without the financial help and advice I got from them and you won’t fail either if you use them when needed.
By Sam Loveless News Reporter THE REAL Ale and Cider Society’s 2nd beer festival has been labelled a success by its organisers after attracting university-wide interest. The festival, held on the 25th and 26th January, managed to sell the majority of its 22 casks beer and all of its 5 barrels of cider, all whilst attracting plenty of interest from students who visited the event. The cider was finished in the early hours of the first evening, something which did not go unnoticed by the Society and its
helpers. David Chapman, the society’s festival organiser, revealed his delight at the outcome of the event. “It is fantastic, loads of people had a great time, it was a really good atmosphere. We even made a profit, which festivals at this stage never do, and I think it bodes really well for the future.” He went on to promise that the event would continue and grow, “we’ve learnt a lot from doing this: things we’ve done well, things which we could do better. We’re going to use all that later.” Society president Vicki Grey praised the volunteers both from within the society and from the local community. Festival-goers were also quick to praise the running of the festival and the quality of the beers. One issue brought up was the relatively remote location within the university, one that has yet to be solved by the Student’s Union and its societies who remain desperate for space. The impact of the festival has also been positive for real ale in the university. Already there is talk of a small selection of real ciders being made available at the Summer Ball. A petition to have real ale on tap available in JC’s also received a healthy number of signatures, though whether it will have any impact is as yet unknown.
08 Welsh/Cymraeg
WATERFRONT 186 - 08/02/10
Waterfront yn Gymraeg ‘Yma O Hyd’
HYWEL TEIFI 1934-2010 Gan Alun Rhys Chivers “Dyw arwyr ddim yn marw”. Geiriau’r Athro Hywel Teifi Edwards ar Dachwedd 15, 2007 yn angladd ei hen gyfaill, Ray Gravell. Daeth yr ymadrodd hwnnw i gof unwaith eto yng nghapel Bethel, Llanddewi Aberarth ar Ionawr 20, 2010 yn angladd yr Athro Edwards yntau. Daeth cannoedd o bobl o bob cwr o Gymru a thu hwnt i dalu teyrnged i un a gyfrannodd gymaint i ddiwylliant a hanes Cymru dros gyfnod o hanner canrif. Mae’n anodd crisialu ei gyfraniad i Gymru mewn ychydig eiriau fel hyn, ond gadawodd y Cymro balch hwn drysor ar ei ôl a drosglwyddir, mae’n siŵr, o genhedlaeth i genhedlaeth am flynyddoedd i ddod. Fe gofir amdano oherwydd ei amryw areithiau ar lwyfan y Babell Lên am Daniel Owen a’i debyg. Ond âi ei ymwybyddiaeth o’r Brifwyl ymhell y tu hwnt i’r cymeriad amlwg hwn. Ond nid academydd nac hanesydd uchel ael mo Hywel Teifi chwaith. Dywedwyd droeon ers ei golli ei fod yn academydd y bobl. Wrth dalu teyrnged iddo, dywedodd ei gydweithiwr yr Athro Prys Morgan, cyn-ddarlithydd yn yr Adran Hanes, ei fod yn ddyn “cwbl ryfeddol ac unigryw ymhlith ysgolheigion y Brifysgol”. Meddai, “Yn wahanol i nifer, roedd wedi dod at y Brifysgol o fod yn athro ysgol, ac felly wedi dysgu sut i genhadu, sut i ennill teyrngarwch a
diddordeb ei gynulleidfa.” Roedd ei draethu ar lwyfannau yr un mor dreiddgar ond agos atoch ag yr oedd ei lu o gyhoeddiadau ar hanes yr Eisteddfod. Un o’i gyhoeddiadau a fydd yn ffynhonnell werthfawr i genedlaethau o Gymry, mae’n siŵr, yw ‘Yr Eisteddfod 1176-1976’, yn ogystal â ‘Gŵyl Gwalia: Yr Eisteddfod yn Oes Aur Victoria 1858-1868’. Y cyfuniad hwn o’i eiriau awdurdodol a’i ffraethineb wrth draethu a’i gwnaeth yn annwyl i gynulleidfaoedd ledled Cymru. Bu’n weithgar hyd y diwedd, gan gyhoeddi cyfrol yng Nghyfres y Cymoedd yn 2009 ar hanes diwydiannol a diwylliannol Cymoedd y De. Dihunai ei areithiau ar hyd a lled Cymru ymdeimlad o Gymreictod yn hyd yn oed y Cymro lleiaf gwladgarol, a hynny bron yn ddiymdrech. Roedd ei angerdd wrth draethu mewn ralïau yn ysbrydoledig. Roedd yr un mor argyhoeddedig am y ffordd ymlaen i Gymru ag yr oedd yn angerddol am ei gorffennol hi. Hynny, efallai, a’i darbwyllodd i sefyll fel ymgeisydd dros Blaid Cymru yn Llanelli (1983) a Chaerfyrddin (1987). Mewn ardal gref i’r Blaid Lafur, doedd angerdd na gwladgarwch ddim yn ddigon i’r mwyaf gwladgarol o’r Cymry i gyd i gipio’r dydd, er y gwnaeth ei bresenoldeb yn amlwg! Bu’n gynghorydd lleol yn Llangennech, ei gartref, am rai blynyddoedd. Ganwyd Hywel Teifi yn Llanddewi Aberarth, a’i addysgu yn Ysgol
Tymor Etholiad!
Gan Charlie James Y tymor hwn yn bwysig iawn yn y flwyddyn i bob myfyrwyr achos bydd dau etholiad yn digwydd yn ystod y tymor hwn. Bydd y campws yn llawn o bobl sydd eisiau eich pleidlais. Bydd yn gyffrous iawn! Bydd Etholiadau’r Undeb Athletaidd a hefyd Etholiadau Sabothol! Mae pawb yn edrych ymlaen at yr amser hwn achos mae’r etholiadau yn effeithio pawb yn y Brifysgol. Mae eich dewis yn bwysig iawn - achos y mae’r siawns gyda chi i benderfynu pwy sy ar y pwyllgorau. Yn gyntaf, bydd yr etholiadau Undeb Athletaidd ar 11eg Chwefror, lle bydd myfyrwyr yn cael y siawns i ddewis y pwyllgor Athletaidd. Y bobl hyn yn rheoli’r Undeb Athletaidd, ac yn penderfynu beth sy’n digwydd yn y Brifysgol ynglyn â phethau athletaidd. Maen nhw’n cael swydd anodd achos mae Prifysgol Abertawe yn cael Undeb Athletaidd dda. Mae’n cymryd pobl drefnus iawn i gadw popeth dan reolaeth, yn enwedig achos mae’r Undeb Athletaidd ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe yn llwyddiannus. Mae rhaid iddynt gadw’r
enw da. Hefyd, bydd yn gyffrous iawn achos bydd myfyrwyr yn cael y siawns i ddewis pwyllgor yr Undeb Myfyrwyr ar 11eg Mawrth. Mae’r bobl hyn yn penderfynu beth sy’n digwydd yn y Brifysgol ynglyn ag myfyrwyr, yn delio gyda phroblemau myfyrwyr a rheoli’r Undeb Myfyrwyr yn gyffredin. Mae eu swydd yn gymhleth iawn ond gwerthfawr hefyd. Mae’r Undeb Myfyrwyr ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe yn gwneud swydd dda, yn enwedig achos mae cyfanswm enfawr o fyfyrwyr yma - mae llawer o bethau i drefnu. Er enghraifft, mae’r 6 bobl yn yr Undeb Myfyrwyr: Llywydd, a Swyddogion Cymdeithasau a Gwasanaethau, Lles, Addysg, Menywod, Myfyrwyr Rhyngwladol. Pob lwc i bawb sy eisiau fynd am unrhyw swydd! Pawb arall defnyddiwch eich pleidlais! 11eg Chwefror - Etholiadau’r Undeb Athletaidd 11eg Mawrth - Etholiadau Sabothol
Ramadeg Aberaeron a Phrifysgol Cymru Aberystwyth. Yn y Brifysgol y dihunwyd ei ddiddordeb yntau yn y Gymraeg a’r Pethe. Fe ddaeth wyneb yn wyneb â barddoniaeth T. Gwynn Jones, Gwenallt a T.H. Parry-Williams am y tro cyntaf yn yr Hen Goleg. Bu’n athro yn Ysgol Ramadeg y Garw ar ôl ymadael â’r brifysgol, ac yno y cyfarfu â’i wraig Aerona. Ym 1965 y sefydlwyd ei berthynas agos â Phrifysgol Abertawe, a chafodd ei benodi’n diwtor Cymraeg yn yr Adran Efrydiau Allanol (Adran Addysg Barhaus Oedolion). O’r fan honno y symudodd i fod yn Athro yn yr Adran Gymraeg ym 1989, gan ysbrydoli’r to iau o flwyddyn i flwyddyn. Fe ddychwelai o dro i dro i giniawau’r Adran, a thraethu am hanesion Dewi Sant. Bydd gan genedlaethau o fyfyrwyr atgofion melys iawn o’r achlysuron hynny, mae’n siŵr. Yng ngeiriau’r Athro Morgan, “Mae’r adran Gymraeg yn Abertawe wedi gwneud cyfraniad rhyfeddol i’n diwylliant ac i fywyd ysgolheigaidd y genedl. Roedd Hywel yn perthyn i genhedlaeth newydd oedd am ail ddehongli’r diwylliant Cymraeg, ac yn credu bod angen cyflwyno hanes y wlad i’r Cymry.” Bydd gan ei deulu, ei gyfeillion, ei gydweithwyr a’i gydGymry eu hatgofion melys eu hunain o Hywel Teifi, ac mae Cymru hithau’n dipyn tlotach o’i golli.
Cymraeg ar draws y byd
Gan Daniel Harvey Dechreuwn dymor newydd ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe, gyda’r newyddion bod twll mawr wedi ei adael yn ein Hadran Ieithoedd, wrth i’r Dr. Mererid Hopwood ymadael â’r brifysgol. Mae’n ddarlithydd, cyflwynwraig ac un o fenywod amlycaf llenyddiaeth Cymru. Gall siarad pedair iaith – Almaeneg, Cymraeg, Sbaeneg a Saesneg yn rhugl. Enillodd y Gadair yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn 2001, y Goron yn 2003 a’r Fedal Ryddiaith yn 2008. Roedd hi’n ddarlithydd hefyd yn yr Adran Almaeneg ac yn diwtor ysgrifennu creadigol yn yr Adran Gymraeg. Rydym yn gweld ei heisiau hi ar ddechrau’r tymor. Rydym wedi colli’i hysbrydoliaeth, ei gwybodaeth a’i phrofiad. Yn ogystal, byddwn yn gweld eisiau un o oreuon llenyddol ein cenedl, ac yn fy marn i, cawr llenyddol sydd wedi newid cwrs ein llenyddiaeth ni. Roedd hi’n gyfrifol am ddysgu cyfieithu llenyddol i’r ieithoedd Ewropeaidd. Hoffwn ddweud pob lwc iddi a ‘da boch’, ‘adiós’, ‘auf wiedersehen‘ a ‘goodbye’ ar ran yr Adran Ieithoedd yn Abertawe. Os ydych chi’n darllen hwn, Mererid, cofiwch gadw mewn cysylltiad!
Gan Jess Main Yr iaith Gymraeg yw’r iaith hynaf ym Mhrydain. Roedd rhai pobl wedi awgrymu y dechreuodd yr iaith tua 4,000 o flynyddoedd yn ôl. Mae mwyafrif y siaradwyr Cymraeg yn byw yng Nghymru wrth gwrs, ond darganfyddir siaradwyr Cymraeg ar draws y byd, yn bennaf ym Mhrydain, America, Canada, Awstralia a Seland Newydd. Wrth reswm, prif leoliad y Gymraeg yw Cymru ac mae arwyddion ffyrdd bellach yn ddwyieithog. Hefyd, ers y flwyddyn 2000, mynnodd Llywodraeth y Cynulliad fod addysg Gymraeg yn orfodol mewn ysgolion. Er bod hyn wedi effeithio rhywfaint ar sefydlogrwydd y Gymraeg, mae’n dal i gael ei hanghofio. Yn ôl yr Arolwg Defnydd Iaith yn 2004, dim ond 21.7% o boblogaeth Cymru sy’n gallu siarad ein hiaith yn rhugl. Wedi dweud hynny, ces i fy synnu wrth sylweddoli fod cymaint o Gymry Cymraeg yn byw ym Mhatagonia! Yn ôl
hanes, roedd y mewnfudwyr o Gymru, yn enwedig yn Ne America, dan bwysau mawr i gydymffurfio â’r diwylliant Americanaidd ar y pryd. Ar ôl ceisio ffurfio cymdeithasau ac undebau Cymreig, sylweddolon nhw mai’r unig ffordd o gadw eu hiaith oedd i ffurfio gwladfa unedig - ym Mhatagonia, ardal yn yr Ariannin. Wedi blynyddoedd o ffraeo ynglŷn â’r diriogaeth, tyfodd poblogaeth ardal Chubut i 23,000 o bobl, a rhoddir yr enw ‘Cwm Hyfryd’ arni (sef ‘ Lovely Valley’ yn Saesneg). Ar hyn o bryd, mae’r wladfa yn cynnwys ffermydd, capeli nodweddiadol Gymreig, a thai traddodiadol Gymreig hefyd. Roedd ymwelwyr â’r ardal hon wedi awgrymu mai prif atyniad Dyffryn Chubut yw cwpanaid o de Cymreig a chrwst! Mae’r Wladfa wedi goroesi hyd heddiw a gwelwyd yn ddiweddar fod y Cynulliad a Llywodraeth yr Ariannin wedi cydweithio i hyrwyddo’r cyswllt rhwng y ddwy wlad, eu hunaniaeth a’u treftadaeth.
www.waterfrontonlone.co.uk
Opinion 09
waterfront The comment on spending cuts Although it was officially reported by the BBC last week that the UK is out of its recession in economic terms, the credit crunch is still creeping in to the lives of many public sector workers across Wales. Welsh councils face the mammoth task of cutting spending by hundreds of millions of pounds, which ultimately means reducing expenditure on public services or council job cuts, which often lead to the same dreary outcome; poorer public services. However, in the challenge of cutting public spending in Wales by £390m over the next five years, it seems somewhat impossible without negatively impacting on the lives of the Welsh people. To start with, the council has warned of expected job losses of 2,000 in the public sector. While our own battle to stop cuts at Swansea University was victorious, the fight for the livelihood of many people is only just unfolding. While the fact that expenditure has to be cut is sadly inevitable, cutting jobs seems to be one of the worst ways to do so. In economic terms, the spending of as many people as possible is needed to keep local and national business’s afloat, allowing them to keep paying their employees, who in turn spend to continue the cycle. However, unemployed council workers are reasonably likely to sign on; during job transitions or permanently. Job cuts would not
OPINION only result in increasing costs of maintaining the welfare state, but also unemployment, which is explicitly linked with crime. Considering the unhealthy shape of the Welsh public sector, I seem to find myself walking around Uni thinking ‘why on earth would they buy that…’ an awful lot, although I always recognise the necessity for… floor lighting? Although I know the budgets for all of these costs would be separate, at the end of the day, surely if the paving outside the library is so essential as to pay £1,000,000 for it, there is money that can be used to prevent over 2,000 people falling to unemployment this year. While 2010 will be the first year free of the financial crisis, for many, it will not be an easy one. While as individuals we are relatively powerless to the public sector cuts, we must remain resilient against job losses; especially when they seem unnecessary, as in those that threatened Swansea University. Although the worst of the recession may be over, its resonance will still be felt by many people, and while the arbitrary torch of the media will shine elsewhere, it will not be forgotten.
By Jack Horton
The Tale on Twitter “Shoot for the moon! Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars!” Bishop Desmond Tutu? Nelson Mandela? Winston Churchill? No, it’s one of the many ‘Tweets’ from the vacuous kebab wielding idiot Kerry Katona. Twitter is no longer the ‘hot new thing’ that it was but the buzz still hasn’t died down; it’s as popular as ever and growing from strength to strength. But what is it? Because I don’t really know! And after extensive research and investigation, I still don’t! From what I can see people write a sentence (no more than 140 characters!) about themselves, an object, a thought, a wall, a baked bean or whatever meaningless crap is in their head and expect everyone else to read it. Brilliant! But doesn’t that already exist in the myriad of different social networking sites on the web, such as the omnipotent Facebook? A Facebook ‘status’ is the same as a ‘tweet’ right? Wrong. From what I can decipher, Facebook allows you to correspond with friends, meet people, plan events etc whilst Twitter is merely a diary of self importance for celebrities to keep in ‘contact’ with us mere mortals. To speak to someone on Facebook you have to be their friend, suggesting you know them outside the realms of cyber-space (although this is not always the case). On Twitter however, celebrities pour their soporific drivel on us and we respond gladly with ‘I love you’, ‘you’re great’ and ‘you’re such an
By Charlie Teasdale inspiration to me’. We’re not friends with these people; they don’t care about us! However it is clear that the public’s comments on twitter aren’t always ignored; the national institution and Twitter’s most popular subscriber Stephen Fry threatened to close his account after one person called one of his tweets boring. How dare he Stephen? It’s as if someone has an opinion contrary to your own! There is the argument that mediums such as Twitter allow the government to connect with the ‘youth of today’ but the question is, do they really need to? Is there surely not a massive loss of dignity in the Prime Minister himself taking time out of his evidently unbusy schedule to let the people know how his day is going? Another question (I have many) is why do we need to know what everyone is doing all the time? If Katie Price hadn’t told the world that her new horse had arrived (25/01/2010) would people worry? Would they enter into deep fits of depression and begin looting newsagents for a copy Heat? No, they would just get on with their lives. After quitting the site, comedian Ricky Gervais said “If I want to tell a friend, famous or otherwise what I had to eat this morning, I’ll text them. And since I don’t need to make new virtual friends, it seems a bit pointless to be honest.” And clearly this is the sentiment we need to be considering.
Valentines Day...
10 Features
Waterfront 186 - 08/02/10
It’s that time of year again: Love is supposedly in the air but I find it hard to grasp this concept when I look outside and debate how many pairs of spare socks I need to pack to get through the sopping wet day. While Swansea beach would provide a perfect prop for a romantic beach scene picnic, romance is not trying to hold your towel down as the wind blows it away in the rain and relighting the candles from under your shirt every fifteen seconds. For those on a budget, check out our Budget Love advice piece. As students it can be extremely hard to provide an particularly impressive Valentine’s surprise, so I would give one piece of advice for the more comfortable couples, espcially those who are in long distance relationships - don’t put too much emphasis on the day. People complain that Valentine’s Day is a big card company farce and that people should love each other every day of the year, and I believe if that’s true then why spend so much time, effort and stress on making February 14th the big day to impress. Do it a day, maybe even a week later. That way, you can buy gifts and cards at half price and restuarants and other venues aren’t full and can provide better service when they aren’t rammed full of first dates and crucial relationship breakers! Do something different, try to think of something special; for those who drive, try a romantic bag of chips in your car at the top of Constiution Hill. Cheesy as it sounds, I’ve tried it and it is a really stunning view. It might not be the most glamorous of choices but hey, that’s the charm of Swansea!
Blind Date
Under the guise of Cupid, all in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we sent two unsuspecting victims to Noah’s Yard, Uplands, for some casual drinks on a blind date. Were sparks flying, or singles fleeing? Find out how they got on!
Firstly, how did you spend last Valentines day?
Last year I went to Pizza Express with my boyfriend at the time.
Were you nervous before the date? How long did it take you to get ready? Nope, I wasnt nervous before the date, and I got ready in ten minutes.
What were your first impressions of your blind date?
My date was dressed very smart, in a shirt which I thought was nice. He was older than I thought he was going to be but it didnt bother me. He seemed a bit nervous though!
What was the best of worst part of the night? Any particular moments that made you laugh or cringe? We didnt seem to have much in common and I was so hugover and tired from the ani-ball at oceana that I probably could have been more chatty! He asked about my exams though and my timetable at uni - that was a bit cringe... although he as very polite!
Did the date last longer than the initial thirty minutes and were numbers exchanged?
Our date was short and sweet, we didnt exchange numbers and most likely will not see each other again.
How will you be spending this Valentines day? I will be at carnage this valentines day.
Emma Morris, 3rd Year Sport Science Student
Firstly, How did you spend last Valentines day?
With my now ex girlfriend, spent the day shopping and i took her out for lunch. We stayed at home in the evening watching a dvd and relaxing.
Were you nervous before the date? How long did it take you to get ready?
Yeah, I’d never been on a blind date before, so was a little bit nervous. The usual sort of time it takes me to get ready on a night out.
What were your first impressions of your blind date?
She was really nice and friendly, easy to talk to and listened to what I said.
What would an ideal date have entailed for you?
Just going for a drink in a nice place, so you can talk to them and find out who they are.
What was the best or worst part of the night? Any particular moments that made you laugh or cringe? We just got on and talked and had a few laughs.
Did the date last longer than the initial thirty minutes and were numbers exchanged? The date last over an hour. Number weren’t exchanged.
How will you be spending this Valentines day?
I’ve not thought about it to be honest, maybe catching up on some work and spending time with my friends. Tom Clark, Engineering Postgrad
Want to get involved in the next Blind Date? Contact the Features Team at 527329@swan.ac.uk
Valentines Day Shambles! As a second year English student, imagine my giddy surprise when I found out Valentines Day flourished with Chaucer’s presentation of Courtly Love in the Middle Ages. Looks like Mr. Chaucer has screwed us all over once again. I am not the biggest fan of Chaucer; I think he talks too much and wrote a few things that really didn’t inspire me to propose to my Valentine. In fact, some of the language in Chaucer makes me want to re-enact scenes from the recent re-make “My Blood Valentine” – in which a seriously deranged fellow mutilates people with a pick-axe. Who would have thought Valentines Day would evoke such feelings. Everyone knows the pick-axe is quickly dying out as an appropriate murder weapon. My feelings on Valentines Day go neatly hand in hand with how I feel about Chaucer. It’s too long winded and needn’t cause such hoopla in the world. Turns out Geoffrey Chaucer has like a major fan club, and most of them spend too much time in a dark room. This brings me to my own experiences of Valentines Day. For those mortals who are like me, and are single and rather facially unfortunate – Valentines is a shambles. Either that or an excuse to get drunk.
During Valentines, when I have not been single, I have usually ended in tempting chocolate provoked sexual contact of some sort, which is always nice. But that’s all Valentines seems to be about these days. I walked into a supermarket the other day was appalled to see Valentines Day merchandise already on sale, in late January, but the product in question was a bright red fluffy thong, strapped to a cardboard cut out of a rippling man-stud. Usually I do not mind how the media force feeds me sex, because sex sells, but I for one do not wish to gaze at some dudes’ junk the second I walk into a shop. I have a thing for horror movies and I love when old horror movies get re-made. There are quite a large force of people who believe that original horror movies should not get remade – the ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’ attitude. As I have said to fellow friends of mine on numerous occasions, I believe in the policy of ‘if it aint broke, damn well break it and throw in some full frontal nudity while you’re at it!’ Like I said, sex sells! It seems to this sad writer that Valentines Day is just an excuse for chocolate companies, and card companies to cash in on romantic people’s indulgences. This year, I plan to do what any single hater plans to do – either one: die alone in a room, sucking on a twelve box of Cadbury Cream Eggs or two, meet up with some friends and partake in a hefty curry and a serious amount of vodka. And on that happy note, I will bid you farewell and wish you all the best Valentines possible – but if you get bored, totally phone me and we can head for that curry house. Jack Branford
FRONT
Packed with music,film, food, Alphabeat and Amos It’s your essential culture guide
Two Exclusive INTERVIEWs Comedian Stephen Amos catches up with FRONT - page 13 We chat to Anders from Alphabeat - page 16
12 FRONT-CULTURE
Stage: Review of Courtney Pine at the Taliesin
Natty dread and Jazz Warrior; Courtney Pine is also a multi-award winning music producer and legendary radio DJ. The London born clarinet and sax maestro’s latest recording ‘Transition and Tradition’ follow’s hot on the heels
of the hugely acclaimed roots themed ‘Afropeans’ CD. Waterfront asked Courtney about ‘Transition and Tradition’ his tribute to Sidney Bechet. “Sidney Bechet performed at a concert for George V in the 1930’s and was deported the next day. My man Bechet was serious about getting his music across. In 1941 well before multi-track recording and digital studios came along, Bechet played all the instruments on the smash hit ‘Sheik of Araby’ and got banned by the American Musicians Union for not using session musicians on the recording”. Bechet was a New Orleans born Creole saxophonist, who emigrated to Paris after recording a string of hits and performing live with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. His concert performances are legend; “like Stevie Wonder, Elton John, and Queen he could generate that spark that connects with the audience”. Was Courtney going to return to the Jazz Warriors project? “The Jazz Warriors are such a wonderful body of musicians. The group formed in 1986 and I hope that we will be recording together again soon. There are also plans for a
new project called ‘Infinity’ and I am continuing to expand my cross–over collaborations with a mix of European musicians”. Waterfront asked Courtney what he was listening to at present? “Beethoven’s violin Sonata No.9. Its driving my family at home crazy because I listen to it a lot! I am reading a book about the violinist George Bridgetower, to whom Beethoven originally dedicated the Sonata”. Courtney described how Afro-European Bridgetower was a celebrated royal court musician with a genteel well connected Polish mother and Afro-Caribbean father reputed to have escaped from slavery and the plantations of Barbados. Beethoven included a dedication to Bridgetower on his original manuscript for Sonata No.9, but sullenly removed it when he discovered that Bridgetower was courting a countess who had once been a sponsor of the composer and part of his inner circle of aristocratic groupies. “I am also listening to the Hungarian gypsy jazz group Besh O Drum. Everyone should check them out they are amazing. Of course there are loads
of people that inspire me and not just musically. Functionality is important in music. What Wynton Marsalis has done with jazz at the Lincoln Centre is inspirational. Branford Marsalis, and rapper/sax man Soweto Kinch are both doing fantastic stuff”. Pine’s Tuesday night DJ mixes on R2 were essential listening, are there plans for any more? “I have not got any DJ stuff lined up at the moment, but feel strongly that jazz is not represented enough on radio or TV”.
From the outside the restaurant appears modern, spacious and inviting, and once inside it doesn’t disappoint. Arriving in a party of eight we, were greeted by a friendly waiter who showed us directly to our table and, after giving us a few minutes to look over the menu, brought us a selection of Italian wines. Looking over the antipasti it was difficult to decide on only one thing to order;
chairs and the various decorations on the walls, from peculiar wrought iron baskets to fascinating paintings and all kinds of other unusual objects, make the small room a pleasure to look at. It is remarkable the way they have managed
Paul Seacombe
they serve a range of mouth watering ciabatta breads with tomatoes, garlic or mozzarella, as well as grilled vegetables in balsamic vinegar or platters of sliced cured meats. In the end I decided to share two dishes with a friend, the Calamari Fritti (£4.95) and the Gamberoni Algio e Pepperoncino (£5.95). The calamari were delicious; the squid rings were lightly fried and came with a creamy basil and garlic dip, the perfect accompaniment. For those who haven’t tried squid before or feel slightly squeamish at the idea, I would urge you to take a risk as this dish was delicious! The Gamberoni dish is a good choice if you are looking for something lighter to start with, as it came with a medium sized portion of prawns in tasty garlic and chilli sauce and a small mixed leaf side salad. Mamma Mia! serves a huge variety of main meals from pastas and risottos to
real Italian pizzas made from scratch, fish and seafood dishes to salads and vegatarian options. When it came to the main course, being in an authentic Italian restaurant, I thought it only right to go for a pasta dish, so I settled on the Strozzapreti Alla Genovese; pasta with chicken, pesto, basil, garlic and olive oil (£7.95). I definitely recommend this dish as it was absolutely delicious, the pesto was fresh and full of flavour and the whole dish was rich but not overly so. Because of the generous portions this also meant that towards the end of the meal everybody including me was fork in hand, ready to sample the left over’s from each other’s plates! As well as being excellently priced Mamma Mia! offers various deals, such as the printable Buy One Pizza and Get One Half Price voucher on their website (www.mymammamia.com) which can be used Monday to Wednesday. They
also have a Lunchtime Special; a one course meal for £5.95 per person, or two courses for £7.95 per person, and a Sunday Lunch special of £7.95 per person for one course, £9.95 per person for two courses, or £11.95 per person for three courses. Mamma Mia! has the perfect combination of a warm atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff, and most importantly delicious and well priced food. Whether you’re looking for somewhere to celebrate with a group of friends, or with Valentine’s Day approaching just somewhere for a romantic dinner for two, Mamma Mia caters to all. If like me you are a lover of Italian food, you will not be disappointed! I’m certainly going back soon to sample the desserts!
to cut out the busy street outside with just a simple set of blinds. Once we sat at our table and we took in the atmosphere, we felt light-years away from the crowded and noisy Sin City, which is, in fact, just next to it. The owner of the restaurant was there to take our orders, showed endless patience at my queries about the fish they served and even took the time to have a chat with us and talk about friends in common, which was really nice of him. I strongly recommend the breaded Brie with red berry jam: it was simply delicious. The Irish seafood chowder was almost as good, apparently, but very hot, so don’t burn your tongue. Unfortunately my main is not part of the menu anymore, but my friend’s
lamb shoulder (on a bed of root mash with a port, rosemary & red currant sauce) looked mouthwatering, and the portions are so generous they are almost excessive. Last but not least, desserts. I’m afraid the Belgian white chocolate & fresh berry cheesecake wasn’t very impressive, especially if you like the really cheesy and creamy homemade ones; this was more of a mousse than anything else. On the other hand, the Butterscotch Crème Brulee is just unmissable. I can’t honestly think of an adjective that even begins to cover how good it was. I guess “lush” will have to do. If the atmosphere is charming and the food definitely worth a try, the only problem is the price, as always. We
spent £60, but we had wine and we were celebrating, so I guess it could be done more cheaply than that. Mains range between £10 and £15, but lunch menus are supposed to be a lot cheaper. All in all a very good place to take someone on a date, probably not appropriate for a first one, though: the place is so quiet it would get horribly awkward if you ran out of conversation topics. Definitely a great idea for Valentine’s Day, in any case, the special menu looked really good and the price wasn’t much higher than normal.
Food & Drink: Review of No. 13
No. 13 is one of the most recommended restaurants in Swansea and fully deserves its reputation. The place is surprisingly small, there probably aren’t as many as 15 tables, but the atmosphere is cosy and relaxing. The wicker
(student discount available with valid NUS card). WWW.taliesinartscentre. co.uk
Courtney Pine at Taliesin 20th February: Taliesin box office 01792 60 20 60
Food & Drink: Review of Mama Mia!
Situated in the centre of town on Princess Way and just a few steps from Wind Street is Mamma Mia!, an Italian restaurant serving such authentic food that only a glance out of the window will remind you where you really are! Italian owned, this restaurant prides itself on serving real Italian dishes with fresh ingredients, importing only the finest produce and best wines.
WATERFRONT 186-08/02/10
Ffion Hughes
Alice Copello
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
FRONT - CULTURE 13
Stage: Interview with Stephen K Amos this is Amos’ third tour of the UK, he is used to the constant tiring travelling, but says this is made worth it by the strong audiences that the 72 date tour has brought him so far. The tour culminates in two nights at the London Hammersmith Apollo and travels to virtually every part of the UK.
Stephen K Amos is currently one of the most prolific stand-up comedians in Britain today, and with his current third stand-up tour, The Feelgood Factor, his success only looks set to go on. As
Amos’ comedy, as the title of his current tour suggests, has a strong sense of optimism running through it and works as a perfect antidote for the gloomy contemporary mindset of the British people. Amos says that his comedy comes from “people around me, people watching…I love people, and I’m very much a people person”. This sense of optimism comes from his belief that he would hate to see a comedy show where the audience “were being preached at”, as well as reflecting the positive qualities he sees in people and the things they do. Amos’ comedy technique makes him a highly demanded act, he believes this is because he is easily accessible- “I haven’t got an axe to grind, I’m not a typical comedic that lectures to the converges, I just wanna have a laugh!”
When asked how he first got into comedy he tells us about a chance encountering“I went travelling, when I finished my Law degree, to America and I met this woman and she said you’re really funny why don’t you do stand up? And I went, really? And she went yeah, so I went alright then! and that was it! As well as stand-up comedy, Amos has also moonlighted in more serious acting roles, including a role in a production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The acting opportunities that have been offered to Amos have come directly from his work as a stand-up comedian, but acting is something that he finds very different from comedy – “It’s very different, learning someone else’s words, and playing a different role”. After the mammoth 72 date tour, Amos will begin filming for his very own TV show on the BBC – “How exciting, my very own show after all these years! I feel very humble and very grateful that I’ve been given a chance to do what I do on national television.” The TV show is currently being written and will then be filmed in the London Hammersmith Apollo after the tour ends, and will add to Amos’ previous TV work on panel shows such as Have I Got News For You and the launching pad for many popular comedian’s careers, Live at the Apollo.
was a particular highlight that stood out for him over the last year, Amos listed these, performing at the Royal Variety Performance, a highly prestigious performance, as well as performing for Prince Charles 60th birthday- “but not because it was for Prince Charles, but because I was there with Robin Williams, Joan Rivers, Eric Idle, John Cleese, it was just an amazing line-up of comedy talent and to be a part of that was just, I was just in awe!”. Despite his success, Amos still remains very humble and down to earth – “I don’t particularly think of myself as a famous comedian, I don’t get recognised on the street, but when I do, people are always really lovely”. Although it is clear that Amos has performed in front of ‘high society’ audiences, he is as comfortable when performing in front of students- “I’ve performed for students on the comedy circuits, you do a lot of student gigs, university gigs and I think the students are great! There’s a good eclectic mix
of people from different backgrounds, studying different things, the whole common goal is that they’re there to have a good laugh, and I love it!” If you are not sure what to expect from seeing Stephen K Amos live, he isn’t afraid to tell you himself- “If you’re coming seeking deep meaning or pathos, or any of that kind of stuff, than you’re in the wrong place! If you wanna have a laugh, then come to the show!” Stephen K Amos will be bringing his own unique brand of stand-up comedy to Swansea Grand Theatre on Wednesday 17th February, with tickets on sale for £16.50.
Caitlin Gwynn
The last year has been a highly successful one for Stephen K Amos. As well as the previously mentioned TV appearances, Amos has had several sell-out appearances at the Edinburgh Festival, with both his stand-up and his more serious acting. When asked if there
Stage: Derren Brown: Enigma at the Grand Theatre No matter whether you love Derren Brown or hate him, there is no doubt that he has performed some stunts that has had us all talking and intrigued us in some form or another. Luckily for us, Brown is coming to woo the people of Swansea for three glorious days from Wednesday 11th to Friday 12th February at the Grand Theatre with his latest tour Enigma. Derren Brown himself is as fascinating as his psychological trickery. He began his career at Bristol University studying Law and German, so without a doubt he is an intelligent guy, which is hugely reflected through his illusions and wit. After graduating, Derren began to pursue a career in psychological magic performing in cafes and bars. Derren first made it big in 1999 with a programme for Channel 4 called Derren Brown: Mind Control, which instantly caught the attention of the public. Since 1999 Derren has had many more successes
with Channel Four. His programmes are so intriguing as everyone loves to see the unbelievable and to be subjected to the bizarre. One of his craziest stunts has to be his live game of Russian Roulette in 2003 which allowed the title ‘mentalist’ to sit with Derren quite comfortably. For those of you who didn’t see it, Derren selected an ordinary member of the public who was one of 100 finalists to enter for the show. The programme saw Derren ask the volunteer to place a live bullet into one of six numbered chambers of a gun. One by one Derren eliminated each empty chamber aiming the gun to his head. Of course Derren proved to be the amazing psychological illusionist that he is by successfully shooting the live round away from his head. This programme of course was surrounded in controversy prompting several discussions and theories as to how the trick was performed. One of his most recent programmes which caused a stir
was when Derren accurately predicted the winning lottery numbers ( if only I had a friend like Derren). This stunt may not have been as hair raising as a live game of Russian Roulette but it was incredibly impressive and had thousands glued to the TV proving Derren to be an amazing showman. Derren has enjoyed successes off screen with his books, portraits (which you can view and purchase online from his blog www.derrenbrown.co.uk) and of course his live shows. His latest tour, Enigma, began in April 2009 and has proved to be a huge hit with three sell out weeks at the Adelphi in London. Judging from his previous work, I’m sure it will be as crazy and fascinating as all of his other performances. Little information has been released regarding the contents of the show, and apparently Derren pleas with audience members not to reveal any of the tricks or stunts to others in order not to ruin the show
for others, so remember to keep schtum. The unknown and mystery surrounding the tour only makes it that more exciting and intriguing. I know I’ll be there!
If you think you could write for Waterfront Culture, Please email: culture.waterfront@hotmail.co.uk
Rosalyn Thomas
14 FRONT-CULTURE
WATERFRONT 186-08/02/10
Stage: Preview of ‘Lotty’s War’ at the Grand Theatre Check your calendars because on the 10th of February, Lotty’s War is coming to Swansea. Tickets start at £8, £6 for concessions, in Swansea’s own Grand Theatre, and trust me it will be worth every penny. This persuasive and gripping tale of Nazi-occupied Guernsey, based on true events is full of dramatic tension and has all the features that audiences look for in a play. The play shows the struggles and dilemmas that families faced during the German occupation and it examines our own recent history in Britain, some aspects which many of us are unaware of. The teenage protagonist Lotty, played by Katie Howell who is no stranger to the stage (Romeo and Juliet, Pinocchio, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe), fights
her own war between trying to remain loyal to her family and friends, but at the same time falling in love with the General Rolf (Michael Fenner). Fenner, who has appeared in productions of Not Now Darling and A Night in Provence, captivates the entire audience and his presence remains throughout the entire play, even when he is not on stage. His accent is remarkable and Fenner instantly assumes the character in the play that we love to hate and hate to love. The love story sideline creates a diversion from the depressing occurring events at times, but the exploitation of the dramatic tension in Guernsey that the production creates never disappears far from our minds. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales provide more
perfection to the play and with Director, Iain Davie and Producer Giuliano Crispini (Schindler’s list and Cinderella) this production doesn’t fail to disappoint. The ticket prices at Swansea’s Grand Theatre are significantly less than many other auditoriums which are showing the production and therefore this show should not be missed, as once we forget our past and our heritage, we start to forget who we are ourselves.
complimented extensively throughout the photographic pieces. The films influence each other as the theme of recounted memories, dreams and premonitions of Ghost Story seep into Buried. Doherty presents his videos as installations, in soundproofed spaces that immerse the viewer in the work. He uses techniques and elements from mainstream and documentary film-making to produce an experience that seems simultaneously real and fictional simultaneously to add emphasizes to the question of what memory is; what is real and what is not is blurred in memory.
the viewer. The photographs themselves show an array of abandoned locations from Doherty’s local area of Derry and Belfast, from waste grounds to woodland areas which are all linked together by a haunting sense of loneliness and emptiness. One image of a country road stands out vividly; the road leads to a distant end in between the pervasiveness of trees. The sky tries to pierce through the darkness, similar to the way someone might attempt to relive a memory. But like the themes expressed in this exhibition, it is repressed or lost through the merging of remembered events and imagined reality. It is through this comprehension that we can understand
Sam Tattam
Art: William Doherty: ‘Buried’ at the Glynn Vivian
Until the 14th February the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery will be exhibiting the works of Willie Doherty entitled Buried. This exhibition is named after the new film installation of Doherty’s, which is shown in the context of an earlier film, Ghost Story, which was first presented at the Venice Biennale in 2007. Both films deal with memory, repression
and return, which are themes that flow throughout the photography that runs alongside the video installation. Ghost Story is narrated by a male voice piecing together a story of remembered horror, Buried relies on ambient sound to animate its dark, almost gothic, woodland imagery, which is
Willie Doherty’s work is internationally celebrated for the political and geographical portrayal of Northern Ireland rooted in his work. Whilst these issues are situated in his work, if only in context, the themes and imagery running through his work have universal significance and appeal. Since the 1980’s, Doherty’s work has explored problems of representation and perception. His film and photographs are always of a particular type of place, one that often has an eerie sense of the uninhabitable, but on occasion contains an element of human activity to surprise
the title of the exhibition, as in Doherty’s work, the past is buried but ever present. The timelessness that is reflected in his work relates to the way we are affected by issues that will not go away. These themes seep into his work in an attempt to make the viewer question what it is they see and feel. Willie Doherty’s exhibition will be ending on the 14th February at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Admission is free to the gallery which is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Tom Maya
Art: Attic Gallery relocated to the Marina This gallery truly has something for all art lovers and with this bigger and better location we can only expect bigger and better things from this art gallery. The Winter Group exhibition will be running until 6th March, the gallery is free to visit and is open Tuesday to Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and on Saturday 10:00am to 4:30pm.
The once small Attic Gallery, which was situated by Morgan’s hotel, has now been relocated and revamped to a much bigger location at Pocketts Wharf, Maritime Quarter, in the Marina. Although it is rather hidden away, Wales’ longest established private gallery is well worth a visit.
The new gallery retains the warmth of its previous location and displays the work in a more inviting way, unlike a lot of other art galleries that create a border between the art piece and the viewer, the display allows you to really explore the artwork close up.
The gallery shows the work of some of the most important artists of Wales, with its current exhibition, a re-launch of the Winter Group exhibition, features recent work from new artists displaying a variety of artistic methods including paintings, graphics, sculpture and stained glass.
Tom Maya
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
Film: Previews of upcoming films at the Taliesin culture, a film adaptation has long been in development. Eventually it was Spike Jonze, director of more “grown-up” films like Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, who managed to transfer it to the big screen; bringing with him an element of surrealism, human psyche, and a certain playfulness brilliantly displayed in previous films.
Where the Wild Things Are PG 16th February Based on a book of only 338 words written by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are should not technically work as a film. But the end result was ultimately satisfying, emotional, and refreshing. The children’s book has been a popular choice for young readers, particularly in the US, being described as representation of youth, focusing on a child’s growth, survival, fury, and more particularly, imagination. Despite the books status in modern
Fantastic Mr. Fox PG 15th February I am sure that when many of us look back to our childhoods, most of us will have fond memories of at least one the Roald Dahl Classics. For several generations Dahl’s books and film adaptations have captured the imagination of adults and children alike. When I heard about the adaptation of Fantastic Mr. Fox I was more than excited for its release in October 2009. Fantastic Mr Fox has been received with positive reviews and has achieved Nominations for the Golden Globe Best Animated Feature Film for 2010 and 2010 Critics Choice award for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best
The story follows a nine-year old boy called Max, a loner growing up in an ordinary, single-parent family, who uses his own vivid imagination to escape the harsh realities of youth that any adult viewer can easily relate to from their own childhoods. Max decides to run away from his troubled home and crosses over into his own imaginary world to an island inhabited by a small group of strange creatures. It’s these “wild things” that really give the film its “human” touch. Mixing Jonze’s trademark surreal blandness with imagination, they are strangely relatable to the audience, representing the unexplainable imagination of childhood as well as the mundane world of adulthood. The wild things are Animated Feature. Fantastic Mr.Fox has an all star cast including the Award Winning actors such as George Clooney as Mr. Fox, Meryl Streep as Mrs Fox, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and many more. The film begins with Mr and Mrs Fox caught in a trap on one of Mr Fox’s jobs raiding a local farm for food. Whilst in the trap Mrs Fox asks Mr Fox to find a safer job, should they escape, as she has recently discovered she is pregnant. Two years skips by and Mr Fox has fulfilled his wife’s wishes by taking a safer job as a newspaper columnist. The Foxes move to a new home in the base of a tree against the advice of their lawyer as the tree is extremely close to the land and facilities of three farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Eventually the old life style of stealing appeals to Mr Fox. The heist which targets three farms proves to be successful and annoys the famers who plan their revenge and attempt to dig Mr Fox out of his home. However, Mr Fox is too smart for the farmers and escapes which results in a cat and mouse case and a plot to overthrow the famers. Rosalyn Thomas
expanded from their original appearance in the book to have more grown up relationships with each other, looking to their newfound “king” Max to help them escape the harshness of their own reality and join in his imaginary adventure.
When asked what this film is actually about, it’s difficult to put down into a synopsis or description. The film becomes more about the feelings behind what we see and emotional nostalgia we may have felt at any point in our lives, both in childhood or adulthood, which ultimately the film defines as not actually La Vie Moderne / Modern Life being that different at all. PG By the end of the film Max is back 17th February where he began, with no apparent real change. But we, along with the La Vie Moderne, released in the UK in characters, have matured slightly to a April last year, may not be everyone’s better understanding of the emotions cup of tea but there is no doubt that this and situations we’ve all experienced and film shows so much compassion and authenticity throughout, that the audience the escapism we all need. will leave the Taliesin stunned and touched. This feature length documentary, directed, shot and narrated by Raymond Depardon, examines the hardships of farmers today in isolated highland areas and shows the direct influences that industrialisation of agriculture, Daniel Eade globalisation and urbanisation has had on
The Vanishing of the Bees U 22nd February The bee has always been a creature that is of great interest to mankind. It is claimed that bees represent many things, such as the human soul, industry and the sacred feminine. However, a mysterious phenomenon is currently taking place that is resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of bee colonies across America. This phenomenon is known as CCD- “Colony Collapse Disorder”.
This means that bees are abandoning not only their hives, but also the Queen Bee and the brood in a manner that is highly unnatural and unheard of. It is this extraordinary mystery that filmmakers George Langworthy and Maryam Henein have chosen to illuminate in their documentary, The Vanishing of the Bees, which is sponsored by The Cooperative. During the course of a yearlong study into the causes of “Colony Collapse Disorder”, they conducted interviews with numerous beekeepers, scientists and activists who all speak passionately and speculate as to the
Books: Review of Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold Alice Sebold, an American novelist, published her debut novel, The Lovely Bones, in 2002. It quickly became a number one bestseller, and with the film adaptation coming out this month, it has launched back into the top ten. The Lovely Bones is narrated by a fourteen year old girl called Susie Salmon who has been raped and murdered. From Susie’s heavenly esque reality, she watches the lives of her loved ones who she longs to be reunited with. The novel is a strangely endearing work that somehow manages to place an almost uplifting light on the most tragic of
situations. It is a page turner that offers high tense drama mixed with raw human emotion and family issues. The novel is not a murder mystery; the killer is known from the beginning and becomes as much a part of the novel as the other characters. Despite this lack of mystery, you cannot help but become transfixed by the novel. Sebold makes the daring attempt at presenting the murder as a tragic fact of life. The novel is less about the murder of a girl, and more about the rebuilding of the lives of the people around her. You become drawn into Susie’s world, her narrative controlling
how you view her family and the other characters of the novel. The Lovely Bones could be mistaken by the cover and (judging by previews and trailers) film to be a light and fluffy chick lit book but to those who are expecting this they would be mistaken. Early reviews of the film have commented on how the rape and murder scene has been significantly cut down, so to the more sensitive in nature I warn you that you can get away with more with words than you can film. The very nature of the book means that it can be nothing but a tragedy throughout. The talent of Sebold means that this
FRONT - CULTURE 15
the lives of these men and their families. This documentary is Depardon’s third in the series which examines the same family 10 years later. Growing up on a farm himself, Depardon can relate to these farmers and despite having travelled extensively during his life, he returned to the Countryside and it is evident through his work that Depardon is very strongly concerned with the vanishing roots of independent farming. This film was originally intended as a television documentary, but with his previous works being so internationally successful, the film was shown at the Cannes festival and won the prestigious Prix Louis Delluc for Best French Film of the year. What appears to be amateur and unstable camera work and poor, awkward acting in the film is a clever tactic of Depardon. He is reinforcing his point that these farmers are not adapted to modern society and their talents on the farm are not transferable into the service sector. The film was set in the beautiful, picturesque countryside’s of Ariège and Lozère and within the opening few minutes, the audience fully appreciates that nature and rural life wait for nobody, this traditional way of life is an art form in itself. Sam Tattam causes of this phenomenon. According to the film, years of intensive exploitation and more recently, genetic engineering means that the bees’ honey is being taken away from them and they are being fed on an inferior sugar-extract, which makes them more vulnerable to the effects of pesticides. The idea of CCD has started to become apparent thematically within Hollywood, such as within M Night Shyamalan’s film, The Happening and Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie, which envisaged bees rising up in revolt and then being horrified by the reality of a world without bees. However, there is a sense of urgency within The Vanishing of the Bees, in which the filmmakers are keen to convey that this “Colony Collapse Disorder” is a very real problem and with bees responsible for pollinating one third of the food we eat, it is vital that awareness of the crisis that is CCD is raised so that changes can take place in order to prevent the further loss of bee colonies. Sarah Hill
uplifting light is intertwined through the tragedy as the characters are forced to move on with their lives. It has an aspect of hope throughout which prevents the reader from becoming overwhelmed by the horrific tragedy of not just the murder, but the long lasting effect of it. However, this hope that brings about the uplifting aspect is slightly lessened by the heartbreaking element to the novel that will haunt you even after finishing it.
Suzanne Beynon
16 FRONT - MUSIC
WATERFRONT 186 - 08/02/10
ALPHABEAT TAKE THE HOTSEAT
Reporter Charlie Teasdale chats to Anders of Alphabeat on the blower all the way from the land of Carlsberg and bacon - Denmark Hi Anders, hows things?
So are you a fan of hers?
Anders: Great, thanks for asking!
Anders: Yeah, if you like contemporary pop music you have to be a fan of Lady Gaga because she writes her own songs and she’s very extravagant like all major pop stars such as Prince, Michael Jackson and Madonna and she’s just like them, so as a solo artist she fits in perfectly.
It feels like ages since you were last on our radios, is it good to be back? Anders: Yeah, it’s really good. We’ve basically been away for a year in a small basement studio in London making our record. And after that amount of time in a basement it’s good to get out and show people what you’ve done!
The new tracks are a bit sexier and darker than those on the first album and there seems to be quite a strong 90’s dance influence on songs such as ‘Hole in my Heart’, was this a natural progression from the first album? Anders: We’ve never really thought about our songs as being really outgoing and happy, that was just a reflection of how we were feeling at that time. We
What have you been up to since the last album?
I saw on your website that you’d seen the video of the Polish students lip dubbing to one of your tracks, that kind of fan response must be great, right?
Anders: Just working on the new album. We’ve been quite focused, writing on tour, we really just wanted to concentrate on getting somewhere we could just work from morning until evening making music, because it’s been such a long time since we were last doing it. Of course our first album was released in Denmark a year before the UK so we worked and performed it for twice as long, so it has been good trying new stuff.
Anders: Yeah, especially in Poland of all places! I was really surprised, it was so impressive, a whole university dancing and singing through the school, it was really cool but kind of surreal! You’ve previously played T in the Park and Roskilde, any festival dates lined up for the next year?
You started the ‘Student DJ Tour’ in Portsmouth last week, what made you want to do it and did it go well?
Anders: Well we’ve just had some Danish festival dates come in but we haven’t lined up any others yet. We’ve played Glastonbury before and that was great. We played V Festival last summer, and that was pretty much the only one we did because we turned almost everything down because we were working on the record and we didn’t want to go out and play the old songs when we were in the middle of writing the new songs and we couldn’t play any of them because they weren’t finished!
Anders: It was actually just our bassist who is the main DJ in the group touring around, we go with him a lot but we’re not as good as him so we just stand at the side and look like we’re doing all the work! Are you looking forward to supporting Lady Gaga on upcoming UK tour?
her
Anders: Yeah, it’s a lot different to touring on your own, no matter how many people you play to, everyone is there to see you and that’s always really touching. So in this tour it’s very different because we have to go out and play to people who don’t really know us and show them what we do, so yeah it’s very different, but it’s going to be fun.You can’t complain about playing to 10 or 15 thousand people a night and hopefully we’ll win some new fans, plus the timing for this is just perfect.
making is for themself and if you’re not interested in what you’re doing then you just get bored. We’ve changed a lot since the first record. Our guitarist wrote most of the songs and then we’d join him in the studio to bring in lyrics and just get everything together, but this time we’ve all contributed more and all the songs have been written in the studio, its the total opposite to what we did before but we think it’s good to try something new and we’ve definitely done that this time.
Who do you think will be big in 2010?
You’ll be playing in Cardiff, any chance you’ll play in Swansea? Anders: Is that an invite? Thank you very much, I’ll see what we can do!
had this theory that when people dance they automatically get in a good mood and so we decided to make it a bit more dance orientated and tone the happiness down so it would balance quite well, we’re a bit older now and it feels natural to just tone down the happiness! Every artist should feel that the music they’re
Anders: I haven’t really listened to anything new, but I’d be really surprised if Ellie Goulding doesn’t get really big, especially if she puts down her indie defences a bit, oh and probably us! What are your best and worst music moments in the last decade? Anders: Its hard saying this because usually I hate music that’s too guitar
driven but I want to give some Kudos to The Kings of Leon for Use Somebody because I think it’s generally such a huge song, its an evergreen, you haven’t got to be a great singer to do it and the chorus is incredible. And that’s a big thing for me to say! And I guess Michael Jackson’s death is the low point, two of my friends had tickets to go to his show and they were really torn up about it. I didn’t really realise the importance of it until I saw the movie, I’m a huge fan but I couldn’t comprehend it until then. And that’s without a doubt the biggest low in the last decade. There’s been resurgence in the popularity of pop music recently; do you think this is a result of the ‘credit-crunch’ and general social unrest at the moment? Anders: Well a lot of people ask us about that and I don’t know if happy music would be more popular because of the way the world is but I guess there’s something to it, yeah. Something like that definitely happened in the 80’s but I don’t know if that’s the case now. Well Anders, thanks for your time and good luck with the new album. Anders: Thanks, Bye!
Tour dates Supporting Lady Gaga - Liverpool Echo Arena 24th February 2010 - London O2 Arena 26/27th February 2010 - Cardiff International Arena 3rd March 2010 - Birmingham LG Arena 5th March 2010 Headline Tour - Oxford Academy 25th April 2010 - London Koko 28th April 2010 - Bristol Anson Rooms 28th April 2010
WWW.WATERFRONT.CO.UK
FRONT - MUSIC 17
MIXTAPE
This week, Culture Editor Tom Maya gives us his top 10 tracks at the moment Kasabian - Underdog
Hey there, I’m Tom Maya, the Culture Editor of the Waterfront. I basically make sure we have a ‘What’s on in Swansea’ section in the paper to let people know what’s going on (funnily enough!) I have been asking to do the Mix Tape since the start of first term. Since it was my birthday not long ago, I think James finally caved in. So here is my Mixtape! Enjoy!
Glen Hansard - Falling Slowly
G Love and the Special Sauce - Cold Beverages
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
I found an album of these randomly at my house and spent the day listening to this song on repeat. The band is from New York so I never thought I’d get to see them but luckily they were playing in London for one night only and I got to see them. Was one of the best gigs I’ve been too.
Now I know their stuff isn’t as good as it used to be, but the reason I love this song is because I bought the album ‘Stadium Arcadium’ when I was travelling by myself for two weeks around Singapore and Malaysia and it was all I had to keep me company! Sad times I know!
I saw Mumford and Sons about a year ago at a small gig in London before they were big, although I didn’t remember until I heard this song, so it was a nice surprise! Bat for Lashes - Daniel Sadly I didn’t get a ticket for Glastonbury, but I watched it on BBC and loved the version played of this song.
This song comes from the film ‘Once’. I heard the soundtrack before the film and loved the music. This song in particular sticks out since I am learning to play it on guitar.
justice to the book which most of us probably remember reading.
I did the Swansea 10k run last summer and I listened to Kasabian whilst training and during the run too. I would put this song on every time I needed a boost and it worked great!
Green Day- Basket Case
Karen O and the Kids - All is Love
Green Day was the first gig I went to so will always be one to remember. So whenever I hear this song I think of that gig as well as the simple days of being at secondary school.
This song comes from the film ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. After I saw the film I had to listen to the soundtrack and found myself listening to this song a lot. It’s a great song and the film really does
REVIEWS
Memphis Bleek and Freeway - Just Blaze, Bleek and Free: I first heard this song on the ‘Pro soundtrack (now known as the FIFA soundtrack as Pro Evo got shit) this is basically a playlist me and my housemate made and would listen to whilst playing FIFA. This was always one song that helped me play a bit better and I definitely needed all the help I could get! Pharrell Williams feat. Kanye West - Number 1 I also heard this song on the FIFA soundtrack and it was my ringtone for a bit, then I gave my old phone to my mum who complained constantly that every time it was ringing this song came on. It’s not very professional when at work with clients and this song comes on, but it is hilarious!
Our harsh critical reporters review this weeks upcoming singles and albums.
Alphabeat - The Beat Is...
Hot Chip - One Night Stand
Esmee Denters - Outta Here
Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed
‘The Beat Is...’ is Alphabeat’s latest poptastic installment. This eagerly awaited second album, to be released in March, will no doubt instantaneously penetrate our minds with it’s addictive beats and refuse to leave until the summer’s out. Playing it, it is electro- pop heaven but I hear nothing I can compare to the ecstatic, infectious sound of ‘Fascination’. With a few songs in particular however, there is quality to be found. The first single, titled ‘The Spell’, is the sure favourite from friends I consulted for a second opinion. Perfect “foot-tapping music”, described by one as “the song for my year”. For me, it’s what is to be the second album single ‘Hole in my Heart’ that I felt an almost instant familiarization with. The first track also named ‘The Beat is’ is also one to watch. So, to sum up, it’s not ‘Fascination’ or ‘10,000 Nights’, but a good easy to listen to pop soundtrack for the summer.
On from the tune ‘Over and Over’, Hot Chip brings another catchy electronic beat. The song itself does strongly resemble ‘Over and Over’ with the repetitive rhythm and drumbeat, but will once again have the students of Swansea bopping on the dance floor to the aptly named tune ‘One Night Stand’. The song itself starts off with Hot Chip’s signature drumming accompanied by the synths. It definitely makes one want to get up and boogie although the song isn’t at a fast pace, so it is most definitely a song you can chill out to as well. But if you really are not a fan of Hot Chip or of electronic sound then this song is most definitely not for you. Then again if you have an open mind then I think you can most definitely be easily swayed into appreciating this.
The debut album by Dutch pop singer songwriter, Esmee Denters, ‘Outta Here’ holds the difficult task of having to cement Denters as either a legitimate artist or a distant memory this time next year. Yet with one top 10 single already, could she be on her way? While the single ‘Outta Here’ may be an enjoyable single and one of the rare highlights of the album, it can’t carry an entire career on its own, and there is a lack of other potential singles that will allow Esmee Denters staying appeal. ‘Victim’ is where Denters really shines, utilising a slow build and release dynamic, but otherwise the album is very much the same as what is already on offer. ‘Outta Here’ will likely receive a lot of attention due to Esmee Denters association with Justin Timberlake, but other than that there is little here to say that the Dutch artist will ever rise above the pack and be considered anything more than average amongst her peers.
A lot of press has been following Ellie Gouldings’ rise up the music ladder, and her latest single ‘Starry Eyed’ shows exactly why she is being tipped for greatness. The tune starts off with a soft pop/trance intro breaking immediately into a pleasant up-tempo beat with the harmonic voice of Ellie herself being poured over the top. The lyrics are very hard to make out on the first listen, with the starlets voice blending beautifully into the music. However the song does seem to give everything it’s got in the first 10 seconds leaving the listener to expect more to follow towards the second half of the track, yet after three minutes of waiting, the tune comes to a surprising halt. Even so, every aspiring musician has learning curves to get past before they become truly successful, and with this being a very low obstacle to jump, Ellie Goulding will be climbing the charts very soon.
6/10
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Sophie Evans
Lauren Ellis
Dale Williams
James Taylor
18 FRONT - MUSIC
WATERFRONT 186 - 08/02/10
21 SECONDS TO RE-GROW Music Editor James Taylor tells us of the worrying realisation that garage music could be making a comeback - in the form of So Solid Crew
Over the past few years, many bands from our cherished youth have re-emerged into the pop culture – to prove to us they are not dead yet. Such bands as Blue, Atomic Kitten, Spice Girls and Boyzone all attempted the Christ-like party trick of rebirth, yet only one band managed to ‘Shine’ (pun definitely intended). However, the next band to enter the category of resurrection doesn’t deserve a Holy metaphor, as their revival would be the Apocalypse for the music scene. The band I refer to is - So Solid Crew! For those of you who lived under a rock for the early part of the noughties, ‘The Crew’ were a hip-hop garage band consisting of an army of members all claiming to be unique, yet very similar to one another. Their only hit single was the annoyingly catchy ‘21 seconds’, which unfortunately didn’t live up to its name, and was an endless noise of ASBO ridden hoodlums. Yet after their 21 seconds of fame, So Solid soon disbanded due to the crime centric headlines thrown at them every other week. Band member Asher D was sent to prison after being caught with a loaded gun, and Carl Morgan was jailed for murder. Even lead singer Megaman spent 18 months fighting accusations that he had supported the actions of Morgan. Now that the dust has settled, Megaman decided it was now time for the Crew to return to our charts along with well known members Lisa Maffia and Romeo. Yet despite their criminal
back story and only one memorable that, go and play the old album.” tune, Megaman still fails to show any The band even goes on to comment sign of modesty with his quote to the on how they have matured in their music BBC stating “It’s time to get back to and also in their lifestyle has many business and help the of them have UK out musically.” “We don’t live in the children, and some Megaman went on have their own any more... businesses. Maffia to state that the band ghetto was the key reason Regardless of how even comments such urban acts as much our fans want on how the band Tinchy Stryder and feel much more N-Dubz are on the to hear garage again, equipped with scene now. And if if you want to hear the press (which you think his ego that, go and play the doesn’t seem to knows no bounds, he be very apparent even became greatly old album.” from the quotes). delirious by boasting She talks about he sold a million copies of their debut how the band were advised to not speak album ‘They Don’t Know’ despite to the press in regards to the shooting official figures showing it to be closer that took place at MC Romeo’s birthday to 300,000. bash. Megaman decided to butt in by However, not to dwell on the past, saying “At that time, if we saw Take So Solid Crew have decided to drop That get in trouble, they’d be on a the ‘Crew’ due to its derogatory nature, panel in front of the BBC News and yet the phrase leopards and their spots they’d address it. We were told just to comes to mind. Celeb Air winner Lisa speak through our music.” The shooting Maffia told the BBC how they decided resulted in the Crew being banned from to modify their music due to genre of touring in many UK venues at the time; garage being six feet under for the past however it appears that the ban has been 5 years. lifted with the group appearing at Club Maffia went on to say “[Garage] Essence last Friday. got a bad stigma about it because all of Nonetheless, I feel I need to give the people that were following it were the band the benefit of the doubt and nothing but trouble” with Megaman await their debut single ‘Since You’ve having a more crude sentiment stating Been Gone’ before I tarnish them “We don’t live in the ghetto any more... with the same mind-numbing brush as Regardless of how much our fans want before. to hear garage again, if you want to hear
CATCH ‘EM IF YOU CAN Reporter Bryony Hicks preview the upcoming night at Oceana featuring the highly anticapted girl band Girls Can’t Catch
With so many girl bands on the music scene at the moment, Girls Can’t Catch would appear to be a small fish in an ocean full of such sharks as Girls Aloud and The Sugababes. But before you roll your eyes at the prospect of another female-driven group, prepare to be seduced by the girls at the postValentines Day lash-up! On 15th February, the girls will be at the Lock ‘N’ Key Party at Oceana for what’s going to be an unforgettable night. Girls Can’t Catch were formed after the girls angelic voices attracted and exec. at Polydor. And though the girls are new to the scene, you may recognise one of the members, Phoebe Brown, a previous member of girl band Hope that gained popularity on The X Factor. Hope competed in the live shows and finally came in at a respectable fifth place. Another member of Girls Can’t Catch, Daizy, was invited to take part in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. Phoebe, Daizy and Jess’ debut
single, ‘Keep Your Head Up’, didn’t get the credit it deserved, yet the girls returned with their catchy pop ballad ‘Echo’, showing the girls true potential. Girls Can’t Catch are bound for great things pop lovers – they have already performed at a Jonas Brothers concert, the Outside-In Festival for T4 and have been praised by such magazines as Heat and Reveal. This is a lively band set to electrify the world of pop music. The music video to ‘Echo’ is bright and funky itself and the band’s music will remind you of the luminous Spice Girls and Girls Aloud era pop was blessed with. So I advise you all to get on YouTube and check it out! With their smouldering voices and memorable songs, we are set to hear more than just an Echo! Echo!... Echo! from these catchy girls! Get down to Oceana for a post-Valentine’s Lock and Key Party with a girl band set to dominate pop!
SEVEN DEADLY SINS!
Reporter Sam Tattam gives us her critical analysis of the seven deadly tunes on Sin City’s playlist Sin 1: Livin’ On a Prayer, Sin 2: Summer of 69, Sin 3: Paint it Black, Sin 4: Sex on Fire, Sin 5: A Thousand Trees, Sin 6: Don’t Stop Believing, Sin 7: I Get Knocked Down. These songs sound familiar to you? Well if so, you’ve probably spent too many Thursday nights in Sin City - like me. Despite being a great student night out, the playlist is far from spontaneous.
Since the club night started in September 2008, the same ‘classics’ appear week in week out, until they become almost monotonous. There are only so many times that you can go to the bar in a night, to escape dancing to a song heard a thousand times before. It is a miracle if I go a whole night without hearing House of Pain’s Jump. Blink 182, Sum 41 and Lostprophets are other bands that seem to crop up regularly and don’t get me wrong, these songs
are classics in their own right but the music policy ‘The Latest and Greatest Student Sing-A-Long Anthems’ has little authenticity. If a dance anthem is played, it is almost guaranteed that the following song will be of the exact same genre. Fellow students of the univeristy were also asked about this inept topic, with one stating “It’s swings and roundabouts really. If it’s a song I love then I don’t mind, but if it’s a song I don’t like
that they continuously play I get really annoyed”. Another student stated that “It would be good to hear a variety. I don’t mind listening to classics but sometimes it gets a bit boring.” Sin Savers has cheap drinks, great atmosphere, and can be an unforgettable night, but we want some originality back into our Thursday nights so that we can happily continue being hungover in lectures for the duration of our degrees.
Photo By John Curry
Travel -
22 Travel
You could travel to Ayers Rock with sta travel
Waterfront 186 - 08/02/10
2010 World Traveller Internship
The majority of students this summer will be doing one of two things, internships or travelling. Ever thought of combining the two? Well your in luck, as Sta travel are recruiting two energetic wannabe backpackers to be their 2010 World Traveller Interns. Travelling side-by-side, you will travel through Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil and the US capturing the essence of life as a World Traveller. Interns will be responsible for describing experiences daily with videos, pictures and blogs, with the ultimate goal of inspiring others to become World Travellers!
Whether getting soaked at Iguazú Falls, Argentina or downing Caipirinhas (rum-like spirit distilled from fermented sugarcane juice) in Rio De Janiero, if Brazil is your thing South America will inspire you. South America is becoming a hot destination among backpackers so now is the time to go before it becomes overcrowded!
From swimming with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef to heliskiing the Southern Alps you will be able to experience the best Australia and New Zealand have to offer. You even get to spend a few days in Tasmania getting to know the locals! South East Asia has become a very popular destination for backpackers over the last few years, however you can stay off the beaten track and experience what only a few do. Spend a night in the rainforest of Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia, where after-dark hours are the best for spotting rainforest residents. Paddle into the secret Lagoons of Thailand only accessible at certain tides and in sea canoes small enough to slip beneath and between low lying rocky overhangs.
A passion for travelling is an obvious requirement as is a creative outlook on life. If you have ever wanted to travel around the world (let’s face it, we all have) this is the perfect opportunity. Sta travel pay for accommodation, travel, food and necessary expenses so as long as you can handle a budget, your trip of a lifetime is free!
Round 1
Create a 2/3 minute video explaining why you should be picked as the 2010 World Traveller Intern. The video should be posted online. Then you have to create a profile about yourself and submit the link to your YouTube video. The objective is to tell the world as much information as possible about you and start sharing your profile on Facebook, Twitter and beyond in order to get your friends to vote for you and get you featured on the homepage of WorldTravellerIntern.co.uk. The deadline for your application is 23rd March 2010.
Round 2
The top 50 applicants will be selected based on the number of votes received. The top 50 will submit a full application complete with CV, past travel experience and references.
The last stop on the round-the-world itinerary is Miami where you will spend your time letting the sun tranquilize your senses as you stroll along the world’s coolest beachfront before your final leg back to the UK
The selection process is lengthy but the prize is worth it! There are five rounds but with the support from friends and family you could be a step closer to be crowned 2010 World Traveller Intern.
Round 5
The top 10 will be required to submit a second video. Voting will open again with the two who received the highest number of votes selected as the STA Travel UK World Traveller Interns, along with 2 Runners Up. The internship will take place over the summer, therefore it is essential that you are available to travel between June and September. Travel the globe, meet new people, and experience new cultures- there couldn’t be a better way to spend your summer! To start your application visit http://www.worldtravellerintern.co.uk/. Drum up support from family, friends and fellow Swansea students to help increase your votes!
Round 3
A panel of judges from STA Travel and other partners will select the top 20 videos based on creativity, uniqueness, likeability, video skills, personality, etc.
Round 4
Win Win Win with thewaterfront
The top 20 will undergo a phone interview with STA Travel to determine the final 10.
Zinny’s Diary
Hey Guys! Happy 2010! The past few weeks have been an absolute ball (post exams that is!) Had my San Francisco State University exams between the 12th to the 19th of December and got most results back before Christmas! Luckily I passed them all! Made the Christmas break even more amazing! I was actually back in England over Christmas as San Francisco was a ghost town during this Season! Friends had gone home/travelling so I decided to get on the next flight home and it was so good to be back. Plus what was all that snow about? -22°C? Global warming, maybe? So glad I didn’t miss it! Although after 2 weeks of snow fights I was indeed keen to return to San Francisco. Before the SFSU exams, I was on a ski trip to Lake Tahoe which is 4 hrs away from San Francisco. The weather was about -15 °C and snowy despite 4hrs down the road being sunny San Francisco at about 12 °C in December. The Skiing was impressive but I was mostly impressed by the weather difference within such close radius! Since my greatly anticipated return, I’ve been mostly keen to see what 2010 brings! Classes started this week and already plans for spring break are being made - Cancun or San Diego?! Coachella is on my list of Californian festivals to attend this year. Held in Indio city over 3 days in April, this festival is hosting the likes of Jay Z, Florence and the Machine, Grace Jones and many more this year! Looking forward to this most! Will keep you posted - Have a fun week!
Every issue Rough Guides will be offering a lucky reader the chance to win a Rough Guides book of their choice! Q. In which country is Mount Kinabulu? To enter please email your answers to 442296@swan.ac.uk. Good Luck!
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
fashion
fashionfashionfashionfashion Diet like Beyonce...
fashionfashionfashion
From this...
By Jaye Turpin
Beware: This is one of the most extreme diets ever!!!!!! Put on a few extra pounds over Christmas? Indulged a bit too much? Well here is a diet which according to sources helped Beyonce Knowles loose ½ a stone in just TWO WEEKS!!! Beyonce’s diet consisted of eating nothing for a fortnight but drinking detox drinks which consisted of Maple syrup mixed with lemon juice, either hot or cold water and cayenne pepper. This extreme diet is a celebrity’s way of slimming before videos and photo shoots, understandable in today’s society which dictates all women should be stick thin whilst managing to maintain their curves. Luckily for Beyonce curves are never the problem and I think many prefer her ‘bootylicious’ to stick thin. Whilst there are variations of the diet which include substituting one or two meals rather than starving yourself entirely, it is recommended that you
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stay away from sweets, processed foods, red meat, fatty foods, alcohol and coffee for the remaining meals. I don’t know about you but I love my red meat and I know a student can’t survive for two weeks without at least coffee, let alone alcohol. While the diet itself may work as a once every now and then ‘detox’ and, as health experts have provided guidelines for it, potentially not as horrific as it sounds, it is unlikely that weight lost this way would stay ‘lost’ once a normal eating regime is resumed. Plus there are the added side effects of being left hungry, lacking in energy and extremely irritable, niot least from the fact that you have to down between 6-9 glasses of the stuff a day!
New era for male contraception By Jaye Turpin New era of contraception! Recent studies have now revealed a new type of contraception; The male pill. The new male pill will be a new form of hormonal contraception just for men. it will work in a similar way to the female pill by controlling their fertility. Hormonal male contraception uses synthetic hormones to temporarily stop the development of sperm.
to this.
This new form of contraception which can be received in various forms such as:
Anyone who wishes to try this detox does so at their own risk, but thoughts and developments ( of those who dare to try or have already tried the diet) are welcome at: waterfront. fashion@hotmail.co.uk.
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Headbands are back on top By Jaye Turpin & Amy Sheridan Headbands have seen a huge surge in popularity due to shows such as Gossip Girl. Vivienne Westwood and Dianne Von Furstenburg were 2 of the designers putting this new ‘favourite’ to good use. Ranging from the simple headband to the more elaborate peacock designs, there’s sure to be one to match every mood. What makes these headbands even more of a must have is their ability to transform even the worst bad hair day into a hairstyle to be proud of.
To get full volume out of your hair pin the top section up. With the next section sepearate into managable pieces, as if straightening your hair. Then spray the underneath of the hair, next to the root with hairspray and backcomb. To seal, place the straighteners over it for a few seconds. When the bottom layer has been finished unpin the top layer allowing it to cover the messy backcombing. Now style to your taste.
Available from the cheapest of shops such as Primark, we have picked our 2 favourites from the range at Zara, which has just arrived in Swansea. Prices start from £5.99. Come rain or shine there really is no excuse for bad hair days anymore!
• • •
A single pill A long acting patch or implant Regular injections (every month)
This new wave of contraception is not available for men just yet as research on its long-term safety and effectiveness is still incomplete but WATCH THIS SPACE!!! Have a thought on this new wave of contraception, then email us at: waterfront.fashion@hotmail.co.uk!
24 Fashion
waterfront 186- 08/02/10
fashion
fashionfashionfashionfashion
fashionfashionfashionfashi
Designer High Street
A Shoulder to Cry over?
By Amy Sheridan
The noughties saw the introduction of designers and celebrities creating lines for the high street. Already seen with the huge numbers of ‘celebrities’ creating their own perfumes such as Katie Price. Voted number one best dressed women in numerous style polls Kate Moss was a huge coup for Topshop. With Moss seen wearing her own designs fans were given the chance to dress the same as the supermodel but at a fraction of the cost. Topshop also benefitted though with reports in the first year of the collaboration; 2007, Moss’ line saw a 10% increase in profits for Topshop paving the way for other chains to do the same.
By Lucinda Reid
H&M have become very good at collaborating with designers and celebrities, Madonna supposedly ‘designed’ a range of pieces. We have also seen H&M partner Stella McCartney, Victor and Rolf, Matthew Williamson and in China Kylie launched a range. Arguably though, H&Ms biggest success has come from Jimmy Choo. Famed by shows such as Sex and the City thousands of women (and some obedient men) queued for up to twelve hours to be amongst the first to receive their new designer purchase and with many pieces being priced at less than £100, that’s £500 less than the usual pair of Choos, it is not hard to see why.
This season, fashion is reminiscent of an 80’s revival. The key look involves the shoulder pad and designers are embracing the trend on everything from dresses to jackets. Honestly, I was apprehensive. It all seemed a little dated with images of Joan Collins and Pat Butcher developing in my mind, hardly the style icons of today. But with stunning designs emerging from Balmain, Lanvin and Chanel, I was becoming convinced. The models looked confident and edgy as they strutted down the catwalk showing off their exaggerated shoulders, but could I, a 5ft6 student really pull off this look? Bravely one morning I took the plunge and dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt equipped with some, quite frankly, scary looking shoulder pads. I tentatively looked at my reflection in the mirror and to my surprise the shoulder pads made my waist look slimmer and gave me instant poise. So this was the art of power dressing. The outfit was comfortable and
These are sure to cause more problems though surely. Something else to think about is the wide scale distribution of these lines forgoing individuality for definite and finally where will the designers and chains stop? Will truly high class designers such as Diane Von Furstenberg be next to fall to the collaboration? Will Chanel be designing a range for Debenhams?
practicable worn throughout my day, but underneath my coat it went unnoticed. Thus the look became a little deflated, as with shoulder pads their purpose is to be seen, supposedly producing a bold statement. So I tested the trend instead on a night out by wearing a sparkly body con dress with sharper shoulder pads, producing a more defined shoulder. This second look was much more successful, producing compliments rather than confused looks. If embracing this trend, make sure you do so with confidence and attitude, it is pointless trying to hide behind them. The high street offers a range of statement garments with shoulder pads inserted, so choose from an investment jacket to a casual jumper and work this trend. Maybe Pat Butcher was onto something after all...
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Update old t-shirts and dresses by visiting haberdashers and buying shoulder pads for around £2, just sew them into the shoulder seam and you have instantly achieved this look.
Swansea Students
HOT
NOT
6 NATIONS
Sport for the boys and fit men in shorts for the girls.
BROGUES
The ‘new’ pump. See page 23 for our pick of the best.
DISSERTATIONS/ ESSAYS For the third years it’s the final stretch. Good luck!
END OF CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER
No longer can we see Alex pumping iron or Jonas pumping wind out of his arse.
SKINS
It’s back. No need to feel so guilty about our antics now.
END OF JANUARY SALES No excuse for over the top shopping.
Valentines Day
Great for those that have someone, depressing for those that don’t!
Belt: Miss Selfridge £18 Skirt: New Look £16 Boots: New Look £30 INVESTMENT PIECE Jacket: Topshop £65 Don’t forget to use your student discount!
If you would like to write for the Waterfront fasion please e-mail waterfront.fashion@ hotmail.co.uk
David Thomas English 3rd Year Jeans- Topman £40 Jacket- Primark Scarf- present from Santa! Trainers- Converse online £40
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
Fashion 25
onfashionfashionfashionfashionfashionfashionfashionfashionfashionfashion Celebrity Big Brother?!
Change of A Dress By Lucinda Reid The New Year: a period of change that enables everyone to re-invent themselves. This is a concept which the fashion industry uses to their advantage and why the sales cause such hysteria, as we are able to transform our image at bargain prices. It is the perfect opportunity to spend, without guilt, some of our beloved student loan. But the sales are unfortunately short lived, so as February succeeds so do full priced items. After the excitement of the sales do you find yourself looking through your wardrobe and questioning your purchases? Impulse shopping is something we are all guilty of (yes, that polka dot jumpsuit may have only been £3, but it will probably never leave the depth of my wardrobe). So, as the chance to sale shop diminishes so does our ability to shop frivolously. Instead, choose items that will be on trend for a few seasons and enhance your image by shopping accessories, as this is the cheapest way to update your look and give the impression of a new wardrobe. Hopefully this guide will illustrate how anyone can have a fashionable new start...
By Amy Sheridan
Leather is a dominant material used this season and is still going to be big in the spring, so opt for a leather skirt or jacket. But to remain ahead of the fashion pack, leather t-shits are tipped to be the next big thing. Faux fur is also an investment as well as the many trophy jackets that will surely continue to grace the high street. Finally look to accessories, from patterned tights to statement necklaces and snoods.
Kittens are back...Miaow! By Jaye Turpin & Amy Sheridan
Recent fashion shows have seen the influx of kitten heels taking over the stilettoes pride of place. Designers Marc by Marc Jacobs, Luis Vuitton and Prada shocked members of the audience when they sent their models out in the smaller heel causing debate in more then one camp.
For men, invest in a statement military coat which will be fashionable for many future seasons. For a quick update purchase a patterned shirt as these will also be trendy in the spring. Chunky knits will keep you warm and brogues are the shoe of the moment. For accessories, buy a bow tie or hat to experiment with a new look.
For the model the kitten heel didn’t make much difference to their strut but is the lack of heel worth the other advantages that the stiletto brings? The higher heel gives the illusion of a longer, skinnier toned leg but could also cause serious injury. Surely though, the kitten heel goes better with a drunken Wednesday on Wind Street? Let us know whether you’ll be embracing this new trend (New Look have numerous kitten designs) at waterfront.fashion@hotmail.co.uk
do it in style We’re always on the lookout for those students doing it in style. Each week the editor of The Waterfront will pick his favourite and at the end of the year we’ll see whether the boys or girls have more style!
Shoe of the Week This season brogues are everywhere. They’re versatile, comfy and can be worn by boys or girls. Wear with jeans for a boy and either skirt or trousers for a girl. We’ve picked our favourites...
Dorothy Perkins
This weeks choice: Rhian Williams
Rhian Williams Early Childhood Studies3rd Year Coat- Envy £10 Scarf- Primark £2 Boots- New Look £25 Leggings- Topshop £18
£24.99
Officers Club £29.99 (Also available in other colours)
This years Celebrity Big Brother, the last, opened with a host of names; some we we had heard of and some we hadn’t. Having cut down the number of celebrities in the house Big Brother chiefs were now able to have ‘better’ celebrities. Vinnie Jones, Sisqo, Stephanie Beecham and Stephen Baldwin made up the names that obviously would have been paid the higher bucks, whilst lesser celebrities such as Nicola T, Dane Bowers, Lady Sov, Katja (who apparantly gained her celebrity status by her personal affairs: she was the girlfriend of Ronnie Wood) and Alex Reid; the cross dresser boyfriend of Jordan made up the remaining. And who could forget Jonas, the creator of Basshunter who is responsible for the annoying europop songs that seemed to be everywhere a couple of years ago and whilst in the house revealed his obsession for farts and his past as a tourettes sufferer and sex addict. A well rounded bunch of people then! From the start I was hooked. Despite my best attempts to stay an unbiased and impartial watcher, Vinnie Jones stole my heart from the off with his wit and ability to wind the other housemates up, also gaining the status as the alpha male in the house. But as the series continued cracks began to show with this love affair and Jones began to slip from favourite to win to favourite to be evicted should he be nominated. We saw the hunk contest which revealed the biggest ‘man’ out of the male celebrities, Sov cure her boredom by stealing tins of beans? Kajta and Jonas embarked on a great love affair that lasted all of 2 weeks and Ivana magically appear from Lady Sovs remains in Sisqos magic box. But beyond all this, my favourite had to be the tree of temptation whose attempts to cause havoc in the house were pure genius and led to Facebook groups calling for the tree to be the winner. Alex Reid however managed to gain that title having turned the viewers from haters into lovers and since that win has also gained the title of Jordans husband. Good week for Alex then?! And so another series ends and auditions are now being held for the real series of Big Brother, also the last. My opinions are that perhaps another series of Celebrity Big Brother should be created, but maybe with only a few celebrities so they really are the upper classes. Imagine watching Simon Cowell eat his breakfast every morning or seeing how long it takes Victoria Beckham to achieve that level of perfection. The real question is will I be hooked? Although I might persist that this year will be different, I won’t be organising my social life just to see who gets evicted first hand, I have a sneaky suspicion that my attempts might come to nothing.
26 - Film
Waterfront 186 - 08/02/2010
WaterfrontFilm
Noughties in Film. Never Never Land
As we all grew older this decade, it was clear that the movie makers wanted us to stay children at heart. From pirates to boy wizards to sparkling vampires, we were all encouraged to act our shoe size and prolong our irresponsible years with rip-roaring adventures and crushes on fictional characters. But which film (or series of films) broke the mould in the most memorable and iconic way and convinced us most successfully to embrace these fantasy worlds of our childhood? It came early in 2001 when an overweight New Zealander released the looooong awaited adaptation of Lord Of The Rings. The “Star Wars” of our generation, Peter Jackson’s trilogy was beautifully shot and lost none of the eloquence of Tolkien’s literary creation. Each films action sequences outdid the last, and I suspect that it’s going to be a good long while before audiences will be gasping like they did during the LOTR films. It’s also thanks to Mr. Jackson that the Noughties was the decade fantasy role play went
mainstream, normalising geek-chic and causing some sweet people to think putting “Nov. 09 - Reached 56 level Mage” on their CV made them sound goal-oriented. Stunning the world with New Zealand’s landscapes and making hairy feet cool is not yet finished dear old Pete either; LOTR’s prequel, The Hobbit, is set for release in 2011. Can he match his LOTR triumph? Everyone knows you do not simply walk into Mordor, and that making film history is wondrous in the first instance, and near impossible in the second.
The End Is Nigh!!
bird flu, swine flu, climate change, SARS and terrorist attacks. And as though we were being disappointed by this meagre lst of potential disasters, the film industry generously added to the choices of mass death; from zombie holocausts (28 Days Later, I Am Legend) to conniving tree’s (The Happening), from a pandemic of infertility (Children of Men) to giant invisible monsters (Cloverfield), the cinema offered a rich and varied market for whichever endof-days scenario appealed to you most. With the world atmosphere heating up both environmentally and politically from the very beginning of the decade, it isn’t hard to understand why cinema goers and distributors felt this was such a plush well to plunder. The actual realities of the dangers facing humanity were chillingly summed up in Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and Micheal Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11. Maybe the mass wallowing in childhood pictures is another symptom of this constant fear, with cinema goers wishing to either escape the horrors of real life with Pixar’s latest, or stoically looking at what disaster scenario celluloid offers. Let’s hope the 2010’s offer something a little cheerier. If not, we can watch LA getting destroyed again; after all, it looks cool.
Phew! Looking back at the past decade it’s a wonder we survived to 2010! With a new apocalypse almost every month, a glimpse at headlines throughout the noughties will betray how our lives were spent narrowly avoiding Y2K,
What About....?
For years Hollywood has happily endeavored to distort and reinterpret historical events to create a happier and less morally ambiguous version of the past; instead of researching and giving an accurate insight into the content of the event, directors take it upon themselves to redesign pinnacle events in History. From that awful romance on the Titanic between Kate and Leo, to that kilt wearing, makeup loving scot William Wallace. Not to point fingers, but one of the main culprits of this film cliché is none other than the Oscar winning film director, producer and screen writer
Film Editor Victoria Doherty-Bone reviews the decade in the cinema.
Viral Invasion!
innovative unknowns to use the internet as an increasingly successful method for showing their films is continued by Youtube user Marble Hornets. The episodic uploading of these videos to Youtube is exploited fantastically in this atmospheric horror, leaving it’s viewers terrified and ravenous for the next instalment; the latest upload, Entry #23 was released on the 28th of January and already has 30,000+ views. Is this the future of film? I for one wouldn’t mind.
The internet is a contender for the most revolutionary technology this decade. Surfing the internet for free movies became a common occurrence, pissing off film makers and cinema’s royally with the loss of revenue. With millions of people choosing to watch films online rather than pay for a cinema ticket, we were warned that the quality of the films being released would decline to terrible standards. But, unfortunately for those in the movie business, the internet provided us with a new source of innovation in film making. For people to get theirIf you think you could movies seen now, all they needed was write for Waterfront a high Youtube star rating and an indie appeal, as proved by the modern classicFilm, please email: Napoleon Dynamite, originally released as a 9 minute film on Youtube called Peluca. The importance of the uninitiatedwaterfront.film@live. film makers rise was cemented by the global recognistion of Colin, famouslyco.uk made for £45 and making it to the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. The trend for
This fortnight Jennifer Thomas points out that a slightly more tactful version of Hollywood history is called for.
Steven Spielberg; in his 1998 epic ‘Saving Private Ryan’ the film portrays the ‘single handed’ struggle by the Americans at the Normandy Beaches, giving no credit whatsoever to any other allied countries involved; I’m pretty sure Britain played SOME part in World War Two, so I wonder where we were? This fabricated version of war gives a patriotic view by the Americans of what they think happened and uses a substantial amount of brutality to construct a more sympathetic perspective for the central characters. This creates an idea of the ‘Hero’ and the ‘Enemy’
but completely glosses over any ethical problems of massacring hundreds of German soldiers to get to ONE American private. Another director who falls into the trap of reconstructing events, failing to devote any attention to detail is Michael Bay, with his 2001 ambitious flop ‘Pearl Harbour’. Not only were the Japanese depicted as being immoral and emotionless, which was clearly intended for the audience not to feel any sympathy towards them but during the war scenes the Americans were represented as the “holier-than-thou” victims, striving tirelessly to
save the day (conveniently missing out the part about the Enola Gay). Hopefully Hollywood will learn from its mistakes and finally use some tact and sensitivity instead of sugar coating history with such crude stereotypes.
Jennifer Thomas
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
New releases Up in the Air
Avatar
Who’s in it; Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis
Who’s in it: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick
What’s it about:Denzel Washington is Eli, a religious crusader in a post apocalyptic world. Gary Oldman is the villanous settler Carnegie. After a devastating religious war, there is one remaing copy of the Bible which the two men battle for control of, mistakenly beleiving that it will rejuvenate the planet.
Who’s in it: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez.
What’s it about:Up In The Air
What it’s like: This is the latest offering from the Hughes Brothers (From Hell, Menace to Society), and with some typically amazing performances from it’s two leading men. Gary Oldman is on demented form as a crazed landowner who will stop at nothing to get what he desires. Denzel Washington also puts in an immaculate performance as the films titular character Eli who wants to take the Bible to someone who will use it to rebuild the ravaged world around him. The films real beauty comes in its apocalyptic world, with some excellent shots of a world full of hopelessness. The Book of Eli is sure to entertain, plus there is a glimpse of Denzel Washington using deadly kung fu moves that Bruce Lee would be proud of. With the masses of apocalyptic themed movies that been released in the last few months, the Book of Eli is somewhat of a diamond in the rough and one not to be missed.
Rhys WIlliams
What’s it About: Employed by a cynical and mercenary company to infiltrate and eventually destroy the nature loving Na’vi, Jake Sully (Worthington) uses his puppet like Avatar to blend into the beauty of the planet Pandora. Only to fall in love with the planet and Neytiri (Saldana).
What’s it like:Up In The Air is Jason Reitman’s follow up to the Academy Award winning indie-comedy, Juno. The film, however, presents a closer comparison with Reitman’s debut effort, Thank You For Smoking. Both films’ screenplays were adapted by Reitman (meaning none of the annoying Codyisms that litter Juno) telling the story of a man coming to terms with the life that he’s been leading and the effect that this has had on the people close to him. Now, I could pick out so many scenes to congratulate, heck, I think I could probably look at each scene individually and tell you multiple things that I love about it. Something in particular, though, are the very “When Harry Met Sally”-esque interviews that are shown at various points throughout the film providing a touching spine. Ultimately the film looks stunning, the direction is great and the soundtrack includes an Elliott Smith song. Need I say more?
What’s it like: Avatar mimics Disney’s Pocahontas but adds amazing visual effects and high tech warfare in keeping with a more mature audience. You can instantly see the James Cameron influence within the film with the strong female characters echoing Ripley in Alien and Sarah Conner in Terminator 2. James Cameron seems to have created a hybrid across all genres. Sci-Fi having a predominant presence with the cloning and training of the Avatar and the Na’vi language, Avatar has mutated with a fantasy based setting, technical warfare and a contemporary theme of destroying different cultures and civilizations in the quest for raw materials in order to put money in higher pockets with of course a hint of Titanic destined love. The hybrid does not seem to meld with ease and the film flows with idleness. To conclude will this film change your outlook on life? No, is this a visually aesthetic film that is an enjoyable way to spend nearly three hours where you can leave your brain at the front door? Yes.
Joseph Colliass
Hannah Bowden
Great films that you should see that you may have never heard of. Nuovo Cinema Paradiso It’s a must for film lovers and a colourful, though warm, experience for those who have not yet tried Giuseppe Tornatore’s productions. The 1988 film is starring important actors, such as Philippe Noiret, Salvatore Cascio or Agnese Nano. Most of Nuovo Cinema Paradiso is told through flashbacks of Salvatore’s (Salvatore Cascio) childhood in a postwar idyllic Italian village. The most prominent memory of all is that of the Cinema Paradiso and its projectionistAlfredo, whose death notice he has just received. Raised on an eclectic mixture of romantic, propagandistic and dramatic films, Salvatore came to appreciate the cinema as his own home, and Alfredo as a father like figure. When the old cinema house burns down, the now adolescent Salvatore becomes the new projectionist. Steadily, the old and blind Alfredo remains in the background as the teenager meets his first love- Elena. However,
Edge of darkness Who’s in it: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston. What’s it about: Police detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) has his daughter murdered right in front of him. Disbelieving the claims that he was the true target, Craven delves into the murky world of corporate conspiracy to uncover who wanted his daughter dead and why. What’s it like: Truth be told, I went to this film expecting to be bored. I was expecting a clichéd, boring addition to Mel Gibson’s collection of films that are just as ridiculous as his real life as chronicled in the tabloids. Yet, I was surprised. While Edge of Darkness isn’t going to win any gongs for originality or innovation, it does a good job at thrilling us with action sequences and occasionally touches the heart strings as Craven comes to terms with his daughter’s death. This film reminds us that once, before over-zealous Christianity and being a prick took over, Mel Gibson was a pretty good actor with buckets of charisma. While it took for me to forget the cinema screen, the interaction between Mel and the devilish Jedburgh (Ray Winstone) brings out the best of the two actors. The plot is fairly engrossing, the acting is pretty good and I left the cinema fairly nostalgic for the days when Mel didn’t have to spend the first 45 minutes of any film trying to convince us to forget what a prat he is
Actor Profile
Hidden Gems
Name: Marlon Brando Jr when the relationship and their own personal love story finishes, Salvatore Date of birth: April 3rd 1924 pursues his passion for films. He leaves his native village, not returning for Date of Death: July 1st 2004 thirty years and becomes a director. Best know for: Marlon Brando is After three gruelling decades, Salvatore widely considered the greatest movie returns home, only to discover that the actor of all time, Brando’s main claim to time has not only been unforgiving fame was as Vito Corleone in the movie, with him, but also with his memories, The Godfather (1972). A role which won as new parking lots are to replace the him the Academy award for best actor. He Nuovo Cinema Paradiso. is also famous for his brooding portrayal of Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire Steeped in symbolism, and pervaded (1951), launching the trend of “kitchen with a maudlin atmosphere, the film sink” films. does have a happy ending. Salvatore receives a montage with all the cut Trivia: Worked as a department store motion picture kisses banned from elevator operator before he became being seen on the screen of the old famous. He quit after four days due to his cinema. This in turn, is not only a bitter embarrassment in having to call out the reminder of his lost youth paradise, but lingerie floor. also a tribute to films in general.
Georgiana Avram
Jon Taylor
27-FILM
The best and worst of the new releases out, as well as the blockbuster no one can shut up about!!
The Book of Eli
explores an isolated, self-centred, but ultimately happy and likeable man named Ryan Bingham (all credit to Clooney for pulling that one off) as his job situation changes forcing him to alter the way he lives.
28 SOCIETIES
Waterfront 186 - 08/02/10
S E I T E I C O S
thewaterfront
The student law society is run by students for students (and not just exclusively for those that study law), providing an opportunity to network with other students that share a passion for the subject and those in professional practice. We are constantly striving to further the relationships of the student body with local law firms, and can provide you with excellent professional links to further your legal career. We are one of the biggest societies on campus with an aim to provide vital additions to any aspiring lawyers, including social, sport, academic and career activities.
What’s going on?
Any students wanting to attend this year’s event should contact Clare Passe on 521894@swansea.ac.uk to register their interest prior to the ticket launch.
Socials - studying for those all important grades is stressful and at times immensely frustrating, so to help the law society puts on a wide variety of socials, and parties throughout the year. Upcoming events: February 11th – ‘Kiss with a twist’ WARNING will likely involve a great deal of horrendous face paint, and extremely bad attempts at rock star impressions.
Mooting - offers a fantastic chance to gain public speaking skills, and confidence. Two pairs of students acting as ‘advocates’ argue a fictitious legal appeal case in front of a ‘judge’. This year has been our biggest ever, with our largest uptake of students for the internal mooting competition and has seen some great advocacy. The top advocates have gone on to take part in prestigious competitions both successfully getting through to the 3rd round of the OUP moot, and are currently forming a team entered for the Wales national mooting competition. Networking Dinner – The societies premier event this year it has returned bigger and better than before on Friday the 5th of March at 7pm at the Dragon Hotel. Tickets will be priced at £40 which includes the champagne reception, a three course dinner, wine, and a gift. The dinner is a black tie event and will be followed by a night out in Swansea for those wishing to party. This event is an excellent opportunity for students to meet both solicitors and barristers from a wide ranging background! In a change to the format, this year we will be trying to match students with professionals from their preferred practice area to maximise their potential for securing relevant work experience.
T E G ED V L O V IN k
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nsea-u es@swa
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societies
Societies are at the heart of the Students’ Union providing an integral part to many students’ lives at Swansea. They are all student run and represent all areas of interests in our diverse student body! Check out the list of societies on this page to see if any interest you and for more information go to www.swansea-union.co.uk and click on societies! They are a great way to gain extra skills that employers look for when you finish your degree along with great social calendars and experiences you will never forget!
Societies @ Swansea • • • • • • • • •
LAW SOCIETY
AEGEE Amnesty American Studies Ancient Studies Bar Society Bright Futures Bio Science Business School Capoeira
• Catholic (CathSoc) Chinese • Chess and Board Gaming • Choral • Christian Union • Comedy Club • Conservation • Conservative • Dance • Debating
February 19th – ‘Geeks & Dorks’ a classic and a time to show off your sexy glasses… March (dates to be confirmed) – Barnyard fun, Girls night only, Slave Auction, and paintballing...
Career lectures- The society has been successful in lobbying for careers sessions which are available on roughly fortnight basis throughout the semester.
Visiting academics – On the 18th of February Mr William Seagrim and alumni of Swansea University, will hold an hour’s lecture on life at the bar in Glyndwr C at 18.30. And much, much more! Get Involved! If you fancy joining, give the President of the society David Turner an email 360057@swansea.ac.uk or come along to the next general meeting every Tuesday at 6 in JC’s coffee side.
Over 80 to choose from - Join one! • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Drama (Shoreline) Duke of Edinburgh Engineering Engineers without boarders Film Society French Geography German Gospel Society Gym Gym History Hitch Swansea Hong Kong Italian Islamic Japanese (Sakura) Jordanian Society Kadampa BuddhistMeditation Society L.G.B.T Labour Students Liberal Democrats Law Love your Uni
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Malaysian (MASU) Media Model United Nations Musicians Medical School MuiscTeam Pagan Paramedic Science Society People and Planet Plaid Cymru Photographic Physcoc - Physics Society Poker Postgraduate History Postgraduate and Parttime student Politics & International Relations Psychology Pub Sports RAG Real Ale Role Playing Saudi Students Society
• Sci-Fi • S.I.F.E (Students in Free Enterprise) • S.U.C.S (Computer Society) • S.U.M.A (Manga and Anime) • Scandivavian Soc • S.U.T.A • Socialist Workers (SWSS) • Socialist Students • Spanish • S.S.W.I.G.S • Taisanese • Tashan - The style of India • Unicef • United Cultures • Visual Arts • War and Society • Wilderness Medicine • X-treme Radio • Yoga • 52% club (Women’s Soc)
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
MASU
SOCIETIES 29
Malaysian Society Swansea University
Malaysia Night 2010 - 19th February Taliesin Arts Centre Malaysia Night is an annual event planned and staged by the Malaysian Society Swansea University (MASU). The event showcases the vibrancy of the Malaysian culture and heritage through various aesthetic performances. In 2009, Malaysia Night won the “Best Society Event” by the Students Union. Boosted by last year’s success, this years Malaysia Night committee intends to make this event bigger, better and more successful! This year’s Malaysia Night promises to be very different from the other Malaysia Nights staged in Swansea University. “A Legend’s Medley – P. Ramlee” is a montage of the works of highly renowned director, actor, musician, and songwriter, who is not only famous in Malaysia but also in South-East Asia especially Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. This event is definitely a must watch for everyone who enjoys aesthetics and those who want to know more about not only Malaysian culture but the culture of the Malay archipelago. The society would also like to take the opportunity to extend an invitation for the performance night to all students. The details are as follows: Date: Friday, 19th February 2010 Time: 6pm to 9pm Venue: Taliesin Arts Centre Ticket Prices: £5 (students), £7 (non-students)
Looking for ways to Relax and focus the mind? Yoga has numerous benefits for your physical and mental well-being. It helps relaxation while toning your whole body and increases your flexibility and stamina. Just one class of yoga focuses the mind and helps improve concentration, circulation and organisation. Due to its relaxing nature, yoga also regulates and focuses your sleep pattern. Many people who come to our classes have found that their overall health, concentration and work focus improves and their stress goes down almost as soon as the class begins!! While having external benefits, yoga helps to improve your internal system’s condition and effectiveness. For all of these reasons, to name just a few, the yoga society has been a successful society for several years now. Our class this year has had the most attendees and is constantly growing as even non-university students can attend. The weekly class has just as many boys as girls all with a wide range of abilities. Our sessions are led by an instructor with over a decade of experience, allowing her to focus on one-to-one attention as well as running a large class.
Want to tone your body this year?
YOGA
Classes are held every Thursday in Dining Room C from 5.30-6.30. Please meet at 5.20 to pick up a mat by Fulton House cash machines.
Prices vary for members and mat holders, as outlined below, although the annual- fee prices (not shown) are reduced. With Mat Hire No Mat Hire Uni Members £2.50 £2.00 Non-Affiliated £5.00 £4.00 For further price, society or class details please do not hesitate to contact one of our committee on any of the following email address. uwsyogasociety@hotmail.co.uk, Kristina, 483632@swan.ac.uk Sophie, 481555@swan.ac.uk Claire, 364030@swan.ac.uk
For ticket reservation, please contact: Reinaldo Gunawan - 07552744416 Abir Abdul Rahim - 07708847809 Haafizah Lani - 07708847837 Email - msuws@yahoo.co.uk
Relax and breathe
30 Xtreme Splash
Waterfront 186 - 08/02/10
www.xtremeradio.org
1431 AM
By Neil Donoghue and Tom Upton
Splash
back on air for a new decade this week! in New Music, we trust Xtreme This decade has the potential to be one of the greatest in music ever. Brit Pop is dead, the split of Oasis last year putting the nail firmly in it’s coffin - but don’t be too depressed, 2010 will be the year of the unforgettable! December 2009 demonstrated what could happen when public thought clashed with the powers that control the music industry. I hope a time comes this decade where we celebrate all kinds of music reaching the Christmas number one, the big question that needs to be asked now is can reality music be the future?
Chew Lips Has The X Factor been outdone or worse has Facebook finally conquered all? How long will it be until there is an X-Factor Face Book vote? Stupid as these questions may sound, how many of you stayed in most weekends last term to watch the live performances and results, whilst continually updating your status? Opinion matters most of all in music, it is no longer based just on the talent of the artist, in the material world we live what matters most is the gloss applied to the person. How they present themselves, how they dress and who they’re managed by. Where did it all go so wrong? Music seems to have lost its magic. Never fear, there is a remedy! This decade for every artist you tell your friends (or Facebook) you love, go and see them live, then give us at Xtreme a review. This is a call to arms, do the artists we champion really deserve the popularity they receive? Go to the gig, feel the atmosphere, it is far better than watching someone performing in front of millions singing a song they didn’t write and being berated by an idiot who doesn’t even know where his waist ends let alone who Johnny Marr is. The Class of 2010 boasts a broad array of artists from all backgrounds. From Ellie Goulding to Chew Lips, Plan B to Example, go and see them live and tell us if they deserve the hype. We at Xtreme will be bringing you live interviews and reviews from a cavalcade of bands and artists – but your opinion Ellie Goulding counts, we are after all your student station. If you know an artist who you love and don’t think anyone else knows about, email us at music@xtremeradio.org - not only will we playlist them, your review will be put on our website and on these very pages. In the coming weeks we have arranged a live set from Australian Band Expatriate, Interviews with Twin Atlantic, Vampire If you are interested in purchasing please email Tom Weekend, Kelly Clarkson and Wild Beasts. For all the latest gig information, upcoming DJ sets and much more check out the Xtreme website at www.xtremeradio.org. Upton at music@xtremradio.org and get your order Remember just because someone else doesn’t like what you’re listening to, doesn’t mean you should ever turn the volume booked in. down. Keep it Xtreme.
Preview of Xtreme Hoodies
Toot Toot to Xtreme in 2010 Friday the 29th of January saw the re-launch of the Xtreme Lounge at Tooters with a second disco room, which was run and hosted by Xtreme Radio The second disco room was set up with the help of Swansea Ents to introduce R&B and Dance music to the students of Swansea University. The Xtreme Lounge, which will have a different DJ every Friday and Saturday, gives Xtreme radio members the chance to DJ in front of a live audience and to gain confidence and experience in a competitive world. Ben Shaw Station Manager of Xtreme Radio said “It’s a great opportunity for members of Xtreme Radio to get involved and try something new but more importantly is shows the progress that Xtreme Radio is making this year”. The re-launch of the Xtreme Lounge will not only help combat the overcrowding in the main room but it will also help attract more students to the venue. However the second disco room was not the only surprise in store on Friday night. Tooters also saw the launch of “Tooters live” on Xtreme Radio. From the 5th of March students who are unable to attend the weekend sessions at Diva’s will now be able to listen to both venues music output from anywhere in the world live on Xtreme Radio, either on the web site www.xtremeradio. org or on air at 1431am. Raechel Mattey, Societies & Services Sabbatical officer said “It was a great way to integrate societies with the entrainment schedule and hopes that it will help put xtreme Radio on the map amongst students”. Xtreme Radio re-launched last week with a new schedule for 2010 and although this semester only consists of eight weeks the society is very busy preparing for live coverage of the sabbatical elections with the aid of the Waterfront taking place on the 10th and 11th of March and also preparing for Varsity which is taking place on the 28th of March. For more information about Xtreme radio or if you wish to get involved with the society you can contact Ben Shaw at manager@xtremeradio.org or you can pay them a visit on the 3rd floor of Union House above the Spar.
www.waterfront.co.uk
Features 31
Love on a Budget... Having a girlfriend can be fun. There’s the companionship, the lack of loneliness, the full inbox in your phone, the ‘love’ and the … erm … well … y’know. However, there is one big drawback. One thing the movies, love songs and romance novels leave out. Relationships are expensive. End of. From the beginning, there’s the drinks when you first meet them, and if you’re lucky enough to arrange a date then the likelihood, as a male, is that you’re paying. Then, to keep them, you’ll be expected to treat them to meals out and cinema trips. This all soon adds up and that’s before you even start to think about Christmas and birthdays, on both of which you are expected to make a special effort, which usually translates into “spend shitloads”. Then just as your wallet begins to recover from the battering it received over the festive season (not completely at the fault of the lady, I’ll admit) a terrifying fluffy red love heart looms just over the horizon screaming for your money again - the V-word, and the most dreaded of all festivals for the taken men amongst us. This is not to say that Valentine’s Day, or relationships in general, are not expensive for both sexes, but I’m simply talking from a perspective I am familiar with. Either way, as students we are even more aware of the strains that unforeseen and, dare I say it, un-needed, expenses can have on our lives. I’m not going to bang on about the commercialisation of Valentine’s Day as I think that is something we’ve heard to death, but a lot of the time we spend an extortionate amount of money on things we think we’re meant to buy as opposed to things our significant other would actually like. Therefore, this year my girlfriend and I have come up with the ingenious idea to limit the amount we spend on our Valentine’s gifts to one another to a mere ten pounds. Now, I’d like to think of myself as being a bit of an old romantic, and have been known to go all out for my better half, spending far too much on flowers, chocolates, wine and expensive food, but this year I honestly can’t afford to, and I know she can’t either. Living 200 miles away from each other (she goes to uni in Nottingham) means that one of us ends up spending the better part of £50 to visit the other in the first place, so the last thing we need when we do see each other is to be forced to spend ridiculous amounts on presents just for the sake of it. Apparently this budgeting for Valentine’s presents has been done in some sappy American teen drama, and I suppose it is quite a romantic gesture as it might actually involve me having some kind of imagination. This is where the problem starts for me. I am the most indecisive person ever and, like I said earlier, I’ve always fallen back on the old easy classics and stereotypical presents. This won’t be so easy with such restrictions. There’s always the bargain shops, but I don’t want to get her anything tacky and as I’ve learned from the three years with my girlfriend, there is apparently a very fine line between quirky and ironic, and tacky crap. So this leaves me with the obvious alternative that is to make her something. I’d like to think I’m a rather creative person, but I just feel this could go terribly wrong if not done well. Having played in bands as a singer/guitarist I could write and record her a song. Well I could if I was stuck in some horrendous, cheesy American teen movie that is. We’re not a very cheesy, cute couple and have far too much of a sense of humour and propensity to take the piss out of each other for all that. I suppose I could paint her a picture, but where Picasso was messed up in a kind of brilliant way, I’m rubbish in a kind of terrible way when it comes to art. As an English Literature student you’d probably think I could bash out a poem or something, however being an English Literature student also means that I know no one’s seriously written a Romantic poem since about 1850, not well anyway. I’m sure there are several possibilities that I’ve left to think of, but where the strain on my wallet may have loosened it now appears to have transferred to one on my imagination. I’m sure whatever gift I do manage to scrape together however will be appreciated and gratefully received merely because it has had a decent amount of thought put into it, which is surely what the day’s all about. So perhaps, all of you love-struck couples out there, you should forget digging deeper into that overdraft this February and instead go searching yourselves for something a bit more original (and a lot cheaper) in the way of gifts by putting a limit on your spending. (Also if anyone has any excellent ideas for my present, please get in touch, I’m dying here! Stuff that. Any ideas. Any ideas at all!)
Steve Anderson
“I’m not gonna write you a love song...”
Something old, something new...something... There’s always some drunk girl crying in the toilet at the end of every night. That girl is usually me. Valentines day is the only exception, for I am not catergorised as a singleton. This means that instead of going out with my single friends, getting drunk, calling the ex, falling down the stairs and ending up in bed with a randomer, I threaten my boyfriend and explain how he will, most definately, end up crying and being thrown down the stairs if my Valentines day is a failure. Having been with my partner for five years, I’ve gone through the stages. My first Valentines day I was blindfolded and driven to a clifftop where my boyfriend took off the blindfold to reveal the ocean and a picnic, with my presents scattered among roses. It might not be to everyones taste, but in that moment where I was standing on top of the cliff with my eyes closed, the strong wind catching my breath and filling my lungs with excitement, him holding me, being scared and not knowing what where this was going, I remember thinking how sometimes in love you have to take risks, to go in blind and put your trust in someone - to open them and feel like you’re flying. The second year I decided it was time to do what he wanted, since I kinda feel that for the first date Valentine’s day should concentrate on the girl (I’m gonna get a million complaints about that, I know, but wait, there’s a compromise!) because I believe more than ever, if there’s a day a girl should feel special and loved, it is Valentine’s day. I took him to the cinema, we watched a ridiculous horror movie, he laughed at me screaming and I stuffed my face with popcorn. It was a win-win. From there they all start to blend. I recall one year we decided to deliver flowers for the local florist around my hometown in the early hours of the morning. We both shared the happiness of the unsuspecting partners who woke up to a rose on Valentine’s day and used the extra pocket money we’d earned to spend on cakes in Starbucks before embarking on our own special day. Through all the years, last year was probably the hardest. I was a Fresher, trying to hold on to the past when life was inevitably shifting forward, further away from anything I’d ever experienced before. It’s hard trying to work out who you are and where you want to go in life, and last Valentine’s day entailed an arguement and my boyfriend leaving early. It was a weird position, as we had not broken up and I was not single. I was unable to be cheered up and join my group of single friends at the cinema and not at Oceana wearing a green top announcing I was lonely and single that night, most definitely “up for it.” Instead, I was alone and it was a very strange thing. I was in a new town, with my homefriends scattered across the map, and not wanting to spoil anyone else’s night being the “crying girl” I sat there in shock. Whilst the drunk girl in the toilet with her skirt on backwards and mascara down her face provides entertainment every other night of the year, I still feel a little pang every time I see her following my last Valentines day, wiping the sick from her hair and removing the mobile phone from her grasp I remember that for every girl covered in vomit in the toilet, I fear there are far more at home in their Freshers year, scared, and wondering what next year will entail.
They say a picture’s worth a thousand words
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
Careers Advice... Ask Jan
Careers 33 Written by Careers Advisor Jan Binnie-Gordon
Careers in Journalism
JOURNALISM consistently features in surveys of desirable graduate careers. Starting out you’ll certainly need luck and persistence but more than that you’ll need evidence of serious commitment – just take a glance at the long list of names on page 2 and you’ll get an idea of the competition. Most of those listed are intending to enter journalism so without lots of enthusiasm and application you don’t really stand a chance. If you want to be a big name and front TV news or hit the broadsheet cover pages then it’s going to take more work but you’ll probably have to start at the same place. A word of caution, there’s a small industry exploiting wannabees in selling training that isn’t widely respected in the industry so don’t waste your money. Most major publishers look to graduates to fill their entry-level positions. Don’t worry if you have a non-media degree since this will give you a specialism and you can always pick up the media training later. There are a lot of companies offering on the job training. The deal here is that they exploit you for the work, and you exploit them for the training. Not much money changes hands. As long as they give you a real chance to learn quickly, they’re a cheaper way to start than paying for a course. Certificates will not help you as much as experience, so start writing as soon as you have an opportunity. The best way to get into journalism is by doing it. Obviously editors won’t be too chuffed if you waste their time pitching half-prepared ideas to them (and the problem when you’re starting out is that you don’t know what you don’t know), but a lot of special interest publications encourage new writers. If you have a hobby or an interest then you can often write for the publications that serve those fields to start building up a portfolio. If there’s an event or trade show locally, you might be able to cover it for the national or international business or trade press because they can’t send anyone else. You can find publications in The Writers & Artists Yearbook and the most definitive guide is Brad, which you should find in libraries.
Think about your personality, if you’re naturally shy or even just a little reticent then you’re not going to be very good at ‘door-stepping’ the latest hapless victim of a big story. Consider instead a career in feature writing and magazine interviews. Broadcast journalists have to be able to walk and talk at the same time, can you do this in a busy street with rubbernecking pedestrians and tooting car horns? Once you have a piece published, you’re able to work your way up by sending copies of that with article proposals to editors on slightly bigger and/or more
people, places and events; the ability to write in a style which is easy to understand; good spelling, grammar and punctuation; an appreciation of the part a local newspaper plays in the community; a willingness to accept irregular hours; an ability to work to deadlines and above all - determination and persistence. So… how do you get into the newspaper industry?
prestigious publications until you’re where you want to be. You can also write for local freesheets fanzines and websites which often won’t pay, but will give you a printed credit. If there isn’t an opportunity to write about your pet subject, think of ways to create an opening or ways you can learn to write for a new market. One tip on starting out in writing is don’t promise something you can’t deliver. If you don’t deliver, someone else is going to have to fill that page at short notice, which will generate much ill will! Many young writers are keen on music journalism. This is badly paid (as a guide, market-leading music publications pay about half the NUJ rate) so probably best seen as a subject you write about as a freelancer rather than the basis for a whole career. It is one of the most fiercely competitive areas of journalism but on the up side music journalism offers a good best opportunity to start out because you can start your own fanzine. In music journalism, you don’t need experience to compete if you can send articles that fit a magazine’s style and are fun to read, you stand a chance of getting in. If you’re good, they’ll want to take you on. If you’re not ready yet then it’s just a case of trying again. It can be helpful to specialise in a type of music when writing for magazines, although they’ll all expect some awareness of the greats. Start gathering and demonstrating your journalistic skills however far away you are from applying for jobs. Increasingly journalists need to be multi-skilled so a few ideas to get ahead:- learn photography for photo composition and timing. If you carry a camera around with you wherever you
go, you might be surprised at some of the photo opportunities that come up. - learn HTML. It’s the language that websites are made of. Many writing jobs in the future will be online, so it will help to know a bit about text formatting for websites. Set up your own website and use it as an online portfolio. - Check the journalism job adverts to keep track of new technologies relevant to your area of interest. The Guardian on a Monday is a good source. - Learn a foreign language. - Network. Make relevant contacts. Attend relevant trade shows. - Get work experience on the local paper or local radio station. - Read books on writing style, especially those published by major news organisations based on their inhouse guides. The Guardian Style Guide is now online and is a good example of the sort of things these books cover, (and the words that can cause problems) - Read widely. It’s a good way to pick up new ideas for stories and also shows a range of writing styles. It’s particularly important to read the publications in the niche you want to write for. You can cut the cost by reading a lot of publications online now. - Some journalism unions offer free student membership. Consider joining one if you’re eligible. It can be a good way to keep informed on industry issues. - Keep up with media industry news. Journalism draws on all the knowledge and skills you have acquired and can give you a tremendous sense of achievement. If you’ve got what it takes, journalism will be the perfect career for you. To convince an editor you are worth appointing you’ll need to be able to demonstrate; an interest in current affairs at all levels; a lively interest in
Route 1 - direct entry Trainee reporters are recruited directly by regional or local newspapers and carry out their basic training under the terms of a training contract. Also there are newspaper groups who run their own training schemes. Apply directly to the editor for employment as a trainee. Names and contact details can be obtained from current editions of Benn’s UK Media Directory and Willings Press Guide which are available for reference at libraries. If you have been recruited into the industry from university, you will be regarded as a direct entrant. Most companies will expect you to enter into a two-year training contract during which time you will receive basic training. The first six months of employment is likely to be a probationary period during which you and they will be able to decide whether you have got what it takes to become a successful journalist. Most companies will register you with the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and provide you with a distance learning foundation course to study. You should ideally attend a block release or day release course at college, during which time you will sit the NCTJ’s series of examinations. Route 2 - pre-entry This is via a college/university course where trainees are recruited into the industry after attending full-time vocational training courses for both post A-level students and graduates. Such courses are held at colleges and universities accredited by the NCTJ. This route is known as pre-entry and Cardiff University’s School of Journalism runs very highly regarded courses (post grad diplomas) in Newspaper Journalism, Magazine Journalism and Broadcast Journalism (as well as a fourth course in Public Relations). Applications close in February for entry the following September and a portfolio of work is an essential requirement to make interview. Applicants are then required to take written tests, and if successful, will be invited to attend a selection interview. Most colleges will only grant places if applicants have already been on work experience placement at a newspaper. You should write to a number of local newspaper editors, explain why you think you would make a good reporter and ask if they will allow you to join their team for a few days. Try to avoid
June or July, when pressure on work experience places is at its greatest. Currently, training courses lead to a variety of qualifications. All NCTJ courses cover those aspects of law, public affairs and newspaper journalism necessary to enable a journalist to perform competently by the end of the training period. As well as demonstrating competence in these and other practical areas, trainees are expected to achieve 100 wpm shorthand. Shorthand might seem archaic but how else could you cover a trial for example when no recording devices are allowed in court. If you have attended a full-time journalism course before obtaining employment, you will probably enter into an 18-month training contract the first three months is likely to be a probationary period. As with direct entrants, you will still be expected to prove your competence after a period of employment, and obtain the NCTJ’s National Certificate. Photo-journalism, as the term implies, is a journalism-based course with photography as its foundation. Tutors will help you develop natural news sense in tune with an ability to use a camera (and ancillary equipment) to the best advantage; there is also a comprehensive reporter module. The press photography course contains all the above elements without the reporter’s module. Magazine journalism courses are run at various colleges. These courses cover media law, ethics, government, shorthand to 80 wpm, news & feature writing, production and design, subbing and a background into the magazine industry. There is also a mandatory period of work experience on a magazine. NCTJ preliminary examinations are undertaken, together with the assessment of a portfolio of work produced on course. Final word – as far as getting started is concerned just get on with it! Next issue - Careers in Television and Radio
34 ADVICE
Point of View
WATERFRONT 186 - 08/02/10
With Samantha Louise
How to beat the Valentines Day Blues How is it possible that one manufactured day makes you feel so shitty? As UrbanDictionary.com puts as their second definition: Valentine’s day: 1) Holiday maliciously created to make lonely people extremely depressed. 2)A corporate conspiracy conceived by candy makers, rose growers, lingerie stores and jewellers to get people to spend money on junk. Compliment that with their choice of associated words: lonely, depression, bitch, commercialism, and we are faced with a depressing reality of what Valentine’s Day really means to a lot of people. For a large percentage of the population being single is hard enough, and I find it hard to believe that approximate $1,011 billion sales on chocolate and sweets are just spent on gifts for others. Not surprisingly 15% of American women (and even men) send flowers to themselves on Valentine’s Day. (articlebase.com). This (significantly large) 15% should be perceived as role models to every Single person who feels the Valentines blues. The concept behind the holiday is to celebrate a person who is special in your life, but who’s to say that it has to be a partner? In most cases the person who does the most for you...is you! February 14th needn’t be a day unlike any other, just an excuse to treat yourself to something that you deserve; that way you create a holiday fitted to you and the things you love, providing an additional indulgence in-between your birthday and Christmas. Granted this requires a positive mind frame particularly for those who find difficulty in getting through the day, but by rewarding yourself you will create a diversion for your attention and getting something new never fails to bring out a smile. Consider this: in Russia, on 8th March every year, all women are given flowers, chocolate and a day off work, just for being female. If it’s an excuse you’re looking for, creating your own version of Russia’s holiday may fit the bill. It is a celebration of who you are and not of what you have, which seems more deserving of a dedicated 24 hours. Romance is about spontaneity, impulse and imagination, all of which February 14th fails to provide and couples who see this can enjoy avoiding the crowds and overpricing, because they can create a more genuine atmosphere than that provided by paper mache hearts stuck onto walls. Once you see past the illusion of the day you will stop feeling like you’re missing out on something. Take this occasion to focus on the relationships you have that deserve celebrating; friendships that you love. Turn the day into an excuse to treat the one person who is always there through everything, that is more important than you think but is someone you always forget...you.
Got the bugger! Is this how you feel February the 14th?
letters
To the Editor
I was disheartened to read the section of the article regarding the role of Women’s Officer. Firstly whilst your reporter might believe the role to be “rather unambiguous” I would point out that not only, as with all union sabbaticals, is there a job description available to all those interested, there is also a well of information on the NUS website describing what a women’s officer is and does. The role was described as “essentially a welfare role to represent women”. Whether this was an example of the reporter’s ignorance or a malicious comment I was disappointed that The Waterfront chose to present an untruth as a self evident fact. Women’s officers are not specialist welfare officers, they are, along with other liberation officers, amongst the most political roles in students’ unions as they exist to address not just issues within the institution but to address issues arising within the institution as
a result of a discriminatory society that disadvantages certain groups due to their disability, race, sexuality and in this case gender. The role of women’s officers can not be taken out of the context of a society where women despite being the majority are still oppressed. Women still earn 15% less than men in full-time employment, The current number of women MPs is 125, 19% of all MPs. Since it has been possible to elect women into parliament, 291 have been elected compared to 4,365 men in the same period and 1 in 10 women a year experience violence because of their gender. This manifests in education too, with female students less likely to achieve higher grades if their work is not marked anonymously and the so-called “leakypipe” effect on women studying STEM subjects which sees the number of women studying these subjects decrease rapidly as a percentage of the student body from a level to undergraduate to postgraduate study. Not forgetting of course that despite
women being the majority in HE only a quarter of SU presidents are women and that is the highest figure for many years. As a result of this, women’s officers and other liberation officers were first introduced in order to redress the balance and give a dedicated voice for these oppressed groups. By failing to give the slightest mention of any of this, your article not only misrepresented the role of the women’s officer in Swansea University SU but failed to recognise that in a patriarchal society dedicated women’s representation is the only chance of achieving equality. Regards Estelle Hart Womens Officer NUS Wales Response from The Waterfront News and Welsh Editor Alun Rhys Chivers “Ms Hart has misquoted me. I said the role was “ambiguous” not “rather unambiguous”. The ambiguity lies in the fact that, while some within the student population see the Women’s Officer as a vital welfare role, and as such could possibly be covered by the general remit of Welfare Officer, others like Ms Hart see it as primarily a role to combat discrimination against women. The latter is covered in Raegan Healey’s quote, and thus gives equal coverage to both viewpoints.”
Dear Ms Hart, Thank you for your recent letter concerning an article printed in Issue 185 regarding the sabbaticals decisions to seek re-election. I value every letter and opinion that comes to The Waterfront, positive or negative, and do my best to use the letters page to solve any problems or set the record straight on whatever topic a reader wishes to discuss. However I do feel I need to correct you on this issue. In the letter you sent, you commented that the reporter who wrote the article had labelled the role of Women’s Officer as “rather unambiguous”. The line that was actually written and printed in the article was “a traditionally controversial and ambiguous role” when referring to the Women’s Officer position. Going on to make the point that questions are always asked each year by students when it comes to the union elections of why the role exists. I can assure you that I do know what the role of a Women’s Officer does within any sabbatical team at a University and I would hope that same would go for anyone writing for this newspaper. However the point we were touching on in the article is that sadly many at the university might not understand why the role exists and what it achieves for
students. I have however been working hard this year to ensure that things like the women’s self defence classes get coverage and that my reporters are always knocking on Raegan Healey’s door for a comment when it comes to any issue involving female students or safety at Swansea so that students will recognise the job that is being done. I don’t think that the role of Women’s Officer has ever been taken out of context by The Waterfront since I have edited the paper, nor do I ever wish it to be. And if you don’t believe me, ask the 70% of female contributors that are involved with the paper every fortnight. Kind regards, James Snaith Editor
Is there an issue or topic you want to tell us about - contact us @ The Waterfront Email:
Editor@swanea-union.co.uk
36 SPORT
WATERFRONT 186 - 08/02/10
Intramural League review - 27/01 - by Sports Editor Tim Harris Why Does It Always Rain On Me?
Photo: Marc Holmes SPR RAMPANT: League leaders still on form despite the weather continuously raining on the Intramural parade.
THE SIX POINTER between SPR and Uni 6ths was called off as a result of the Swansea monsoon. The weather that has plagued the Intramural League continues to take its toll; all fixtures from 3rd Feb were sentenced to postponement. SPR hold the current bragging rights over the Uni 6ths. Both teams have bagged five in five, only SPR’s outrageous goal difference fires them in front. SPR established their title aspirations by sentencing the Uni 7ths to a 3-0 defeat. The Uni 6ths came away with a 3-2 win over Ajax. Team Sloth, currently 3rd in the table, were confident going into their match with Sub-Standard Liege. However, the team that sit 16th and bottom of the Intramural League put on a fine
display and were unlucky to have the game robbed from them by Sloth’s determination. Ajax complete the top four, despite losing to the Uni 6ths. The Uni 7ths are still nipping on Ajax’s heels, missing the opportunity to jump to 3rd in the table. Liqour, Geography and Tits were the winning teams out of the midtable sitters. Liquor and Geography flourished with goals; they scored a combined total of twelve in two epic goal-fests. Hardly Athletic fought out a 1-1 draw to share the points with Sketty, and Photosynthesis fell at the hands of the Tits, who join them on points in the league. Clinical Finishers, Geog On, History Boys and Sub-Standard Liege have all yet to score a point. A gulf would
appear to have been drawn between the top and bottom teams in the table; however, some teams do have games in hand, the weather again playing its part. The League has to be finished by the Easter; after the break Ashleigh Road becomes a cricket pitch. League Organiser Richard Fourace said “This season the aim was to put on a competitive league. Sadly, exceptionally bad weather has made the task so much more difficult.” Fouracre has agreed with all Team Captains that in the event of the League being unfinished, the 09/10 Intramural League Champions will be decided on an average points scored basis. All fingers and toes are crossed for some sunny spells over Swansea...
Intramural Team Focus - Ajax Trees Down Ajax Captain Alex Gordon gives us an insight into the Intramural outfit.
Best Header? Our striker Heskey is really good at heading the ball backwards.
Embarrassment off the pitch? Steph telling everyone about goals he’s scored.
How many seasons have Ajax competed in Intramural? Halfway through our second and still haven’t had a training session.
Best tackler? Eifion Griffiths gets outpaced a lot so always has to pull off outrageous tackles from behind.
Favourite watering hole? The Bryn for West Ham games.
Team Highs? Teaching the Uni 7ths a footballing lesson.
Mr Pace? Steph PB has the worst first touch on the planet but enough pace to make it work for him.
Team Lows? Failing to do the double over the Uni teams; conceding late on against the 6ths. Pre-match team rituals? Everyone has to kick the ball at the goal instead of warming up. Goals win Games. Prolific Scorer? Tom Drinkwater. Carries the team. Midfield Maestro? Matt Goldstein makes things happen. Solid man at the back? Will Marchant - Most own goals this season.
Strong Man? Garner and Balz don’t mess around in midfield. Who is Ajax’s Cristiano Ronaldo? Adam Bunch - though we do encourage our players to express themselves by doing too many inappropriate stepovers. And who’s Titus Bramble? Gavin Ford - underrated by everyone and has the IQ of a duck. Embarrassment on the pitch? Steph celebrating after he’s scored.
Worst Dancer? Will Marchant learnt to dance by watching videos on YouTube. Most supported team amongst the squad? West ham. Premiership team Ajax most resemble? Liverpool - we have surprised everyone and will finish respectably mid-table. Most studied course amongst the squad? Engineering. Would Ajax make a better Rugby team? Or Cricket? We are all keen Cricketers in the summer, except our keeper, he can’t Catch. Fifa or Pro Evo? The new Fifa.
League Table Team Name PLD 1 SPR 5 2 Swansea University 6th’s 5 3 Team Sloth AFC 4 4 Ajax Trees Down 4 5 Swansea University 7th’s 6 6 Hardly Athletic 4 7 Liqour 4 8 Geography 4 9 Photosynthesis 4 10 T.I.T.S 5 11 Balls Deep 4 12 Sketty Bolognese 4 13 Clinical Finishers 4 14 Geog On 4 15 History Boys 4 16 Sub-Standard Leige 5
W 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0
D 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5
GF 38 24 19 26 24 17 17 11 6 14 7 6 3 6 5 2
GA 4 5 3 15 13 6 9 8 4 25 26 11 15 21 22 38
GD PTS 34 15 19 15 16 12 11 12 11 12 11 10 8 9 3 6 2 6 -11 6 -19 3 -5 1 -12 0 -15 0 -17 0 -36 0
Uni 7ths 0 - 3 Singleton Park Rangers
THREE GOALS, all scored in the firsthalf was enough for SPR to hold the Uni 7ths at bay. Despite suffering from injuries, SPR controlled the first-half. The first goal came from Ben Daglish, cleverly flicking the ball past the onrushing 7ths goalkeeper Zak Shayler. With this lead came confidence, and SPR created a number of chances. Dan Williams put the game beyond the 7ths, scoring twice, the first goal a bullet header that almost broke the net, and then Williams iced the cake with a leftfooted drive that found its way into the top corner. The 7ths did bite back in the second half, but failed to create any real openings, the SPR defence was resolute. The 7ths’ frustration was clear, and the
day belonged to SPR. Special mention must go to Brian Baird of SPR, making his return to the team following a broken foot in November. Uni 7ths keeper Zak Shayler also deserves credit for a solid performance, saving the 7ths from embarrassment. SPR Captain Scott Dummett was satisfied with the victory. “I was delighted with the lads’ performance There is still a way to go, but I feel the squad is more than capable of the title.” 7ths Captain Matthew Jacob expressed his disappointment “We went into the game in the right frame of mind for the game but we let ourselves down in the first twenty minutes.” “But I’m still proud of my players and we finished stronger than we started”.
Photosynthesis 1 - 2 Tits The first game back was always going to be an unpredictable one. Results didn’t really fall in Tits favour last term, but a confidence boosting win over Photosynthesis has restored some hope. Photosynthesis controlled the first half, pushing Tits back; most of the play occurring on the edge of Tits’ eighteenyard box. Photosynthesis took the lead within half an hour, with a nice passing move from the wing which broke the Tits defence, Tom Bull scoring. However, Tits held on until half-time, showing stoutness at the back. The second half belonged to Tits; they moved the ball better, played fluent football and applied pressure to Photosynthesis. And on the hour, Tits striker Dan Clancy headed in from a long throw-in to equal the scores. The goal giving Tits new life, they pressed on in the latter stages. And ten minutes
from time, a slick passing move saw Dan Clancy net once again to seal the points for Tits. Photosynthesis made the dying minutes of the game uncomfortable for Tits, but could not find the net when it mattered. Tits Captain Tom Beale was ecstatic with the result. Daniel Rudge performed well in the Tits midfield, and mention also goes to Photosynthesis centre-back Daniel Furlonger who was resolute at the back. “The lads showed great character to come from a goal down to win the match. Now we are back to a full-strength squad we are looking to climb the League and have a good pop at the Cup.” Photosynthesis Captain Damian Paget said “As a team it was a disapointing result as we have high aspirations.” “We only have ourselves to blame”.
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SPORT 37
Athletic Union Election Special Simon Bright
Siwan Lillicrap
Jonny Taylor
I started reading Law at Swansea in 2006 and have been involved in sport here since then. I’ve represented the university at both rugby and football and have enjoyed surfing on the Gower; sport has been a fantastic distraction from the academic side of university. Increasing the number of top-level BUCS teams is obviously vital to establish Swansea’s reputation as one of the UK’s premier sporting universities but there should be something for everyone. Providing noncompetitive, purely recreational sport is a priority to ensure that the entire student body can partake in physical activity. I won’t make unreasonable promises and won’t propose unrealistic plans. I do promise to make sure that everyone has a voice. I’ll restructure the AU Committees to make sure there is more two-way communication. I founded and organised the Swansea Bay 7s in 2008 and want to use that enthusiasm to create new events and initiatives that include as many students as possible. My plans are listed below and I think there’s something there for everyone. Any feedback would be fantastic, as I’d like your views to be reflected in how the AU is run.
Fundraisers AU’s Got Talent. Ever wondered if swimmers can dance, dancers can sing or rugby players can deliver a gag? This is your chance to find out at this Glee Club style event. Fight Night. An evening of food, drink and boxing care of the Uni Boxing Club. Swansea Bay 7s. An event I started in 2008 will continue to grow and be one of the major post-exam end-of-year dates in your diary. Intramural Football Cup Final. Put the cup final in the diary and make it a huge annual spectator event. FIFA/PES Tournament. Sport for the armchair fan, in JCs, Woody’s and Uninbar! New Initiatives Sport 4 All. Cheap, convenient boxercise, keep-fit and self defence classes, in association with the Women’s Officer. New clubs for purely recreational activity to be introduced in the Sport Village, incl. trampoline and dodgeball clubs. Alumni Events. Social and competitive events against rival universities for former students of Swansea University
in a number of sports. Interdepartmental Sport. Represent your department in semi-competitive and recreational sport. Law v Business v Engineering v Modern Languages etc 7-a-side football, volleyball, dodgeball, old school sports day with egg and spoon race, sack race, three legged race etc. Water Sport. Make Swansea a powerhouse of BUCS water sports. We have the best coastline of any UK university and will aim to make the very most of this fact. Coverage Increase coverage for all clubs in The Waterfront and on Xtreme Radio. Get S4C, BBC Wales and S.Wales newspapers involved in the AU. AU Structure Communication. Increase two-way communication by grouping clubs into smaller, more personal sub-committees; for example a Water Sport Committee, Combat Sport Committee, Wednesday Team Sport Committee etc. Rather than mass monthly meetings which achieve very little, smaller groups will ensure the needs and views of clubs be heard.
Sport in Swansea has been a huge part of my life and I’ve always wanted to see sport in Swansea grow. These past few months have been an intense learning experience and have been demanding! But I can safely say it has been one of the best experiences and has been extremely enjoyable. I love being there for you students and seeing your development and successes have given me the drive to re-run for AU President as I want to make a difference to sport in Swansea, and I now have the experience and I know exactly what I’m doing. I will be able to give so much more by continuing to build on my projects and ensure that fixtures can be played hassle free! This past year I have worked hard in ensuring I am there for every club and worked hard to ensure I give the best for all of the AU sports teams, this is all because of my passion and love for sport and Swansea. But there is still a lot more to do. The recession has meant that funding is harder to obtain and if elected it will be my job to protect your teams from
cutbacks. I have the experience to deliver for AU clubs and stand up to promoters and university management when our facilities are under threat. Therefore I feel that with another year I will be able to complete started projects. I want to continue building and developing the AU with the dedication, enthusiasm and drive I’ve shown, and most importantly to be there for you in any and every way I can
post-grads etc). - Diversify our funding, making sure that we have sustainable funding to secure the AU through partnerships. Fight for a bigger block grant from the university. - Keep up the campaign for an improved, playable Fairwood! - Introduce a pre-card collection for AU membership so you can spend Fresher’s Fayre signing up to your teams not standing in a line. - Introduce a rewards system for teams as well as special award for ‘team of the month’. - Make the most of AU Alumni, with a bigger old boy’s weekend and more clubs participating. Also developing annual Alumni events and dinners. - More participations = more intramural sports! - Build on the positive relationship we currently have with the SU. We have worked together this year and for the protection of all sport and student activities It’s essential that this continues.
My life both before and during university has heavily involved sport, and since coming to Swansea my passion for the green and white has continuously increased. From epic games with Cardiff, and amazing nights in Play, to the unforgettable day that is Varsity. I have represented Swansea University at first team level for both Badminton and Hockey, winning first team hockey player and clubman of the year last season. I’m an honest, approachable and reliable person and think that as AU President I would be open to ideas from all people and willing to adapt both myself and the Athletic Union for the better of its sportsmen and women. I’m looking forward to the challenge of the position but more importantly looking forward to being your representative. I am a very organised person and alongside my business degree I have dedicated my time and efforts into
the hockey club. As social secretary last season, and current club captain, I have been provided with a wealth of experience and understanding that I can bring to the role of AU President. One of my main aims as AU President would be to introduce ‘All Access’ taster tournaments in lots of sports that both AU members and non AU members could compete in. Building on the success of rugby sevens, this would give people the opportunity to take part in sports even if they play other sports for the university and will give people a chance to take part if they just want to join a sport after the season has begun. I want to increase the interaction between different sports clubs, having friendly matches of different sports between clubs. Other main proposals I have are; to make the AU website more userfriendly and informative, increasing the promotion of matches in order to
If re-elected I will: - Fight for a student sports discount for all facilities in the City and increase relationship with sports centre for more time on facilities and better facilities for AU teams. - Promote equality throughout the AU. Now I understand how the AU runs and its finances I can help all clubs within the AU! - Promote SPORT FOR ALL. Access to sport for every student should be a right not a privilege. Reaching out to international students and other groups underrepresented in sport (part-time,
increase the number of spectators and introduce rewards for the exceptional performers in the 1st teams. I want to increase the AU support for intramural teams, increase the ease of joining clubs for international students and ensure that there is equality for our sportsmen and women when trialling for the Welsh University Team. Another main focus would be to put our sportsmen and women onto coaching courses; allowing our own team captains to have the resources to take their teams forward towards promotion and much more. I believe that university sport has many elements that can define your university life, from competing at excellent standards at superb facilities, to making numerous life-long friends. I have the ability to bring Swansea sport together as a fun, competitive, friendly and elite sporting University.
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WATERFRONT 186 - 08/02/10
Freshers’ flock get new ‘Sheppard’ Continued from back page CURRENTLY sitting top of the league, Swansea University faced their closest league rivals Swansea Metropolitan on Wednesday of last week. The game was highly anticipated, with many expecting a hugely competitive encounter. The last time they met was a nail biting affair, with Swansea University eventually scraping a narrow 16-15 victory. A number of fans from both sides headed up to the notoriously boggy Fairwood fields to see a good game of flowing Rugby. Despite the windy conditions the match broke into a fiercely competitive affair, played predominantly in the middle third. However, neither team could break the deadlock and the match finished 0-0. Although the freshers were disappointed not to come away with a victory, Coach Sheppard was satisfied with the level of effort put in by the team. “This was a massive game for the forwards, who stood up and showed their ability and reluctance to be bullied by bigger, more mature packs.” Although both teams may have felt themselves unlucky not to have scored to win the game, Sheppard admitted that
UNBEATEN: The new rugby freshers’ coach will be guiding his team across the rugby fields throughout the rest of the season, but got off to a sheepish start with a 0-0 draw
a draw was a fair representation of the nature of the game. From this point onwards, Sheppard is aiming to coach his side into an unbeaten season, finishing with a victory in the Fresher’s Varsity.
Confident in the capability of his group of players, Sheppard said he is focused on “continuing to train hard and not getting too complacent.” Swansea Freshers now face Newport Firsts at home on Wednesday 3rd
February, hoping to prolong their unbeaten run in the evening kick-off at Fairwood. forwards, who stood up and showed their ability and reluctance to be bullied by bigger, more mature packs.”
Sheppard said. Although both teams may have felt themselves unlucky not to have scored to win the game, Sheppard admitted that a draw was a fair representation of the nature of the game.
Allen key to unlocking Swansea Sirens shape up for the Swansea midfield Varsity’s return to Swansea By Ben Donovan Sports Reporter
TALENTED: Joe Allen is quickly establishing himself as a vital player for the Swans
By Craig Lawton Sports Reporter THE AMOUNT of influence a manager has on a player’s progression is often underestimated by many, as it is assumed that players simply progress and develop in training through the tutelage of the coaching staff. However, there is no doubting the influence that both Roberto Martinez and now Paulo Sousa have had on the career of Joe Allen, the 19 year-old Welsh international midfielder from St Davids. What Allen lacks in stature and strength he makes up for in vision, skill, and tenacity. Where other players receiving the ball in front of their own back four, opposition strikers baring down on them, would simply play a long ball down the line or pass back to their defenders, thus putting their side under
yet more pressure, Allen has the vision and ability to fire a long range pass 60 yards down field and find a winger in space. This skill is obviously augmented by the fact that Nathan Dyer has enough pace to latch on to any stray ball, however Allen’s ability should not be ignored. Playing under Martinez and Sousa, two midfielders of very different standing within the game, who have both added to Allen’s overall skill and vision, as has playing alongside the likes of Leon Britton, Darren Pratley and former Barcelona midfielder Andrea Orlandi. Although Allen may not yet be the full package, he is quickly becoming an important player in the Swans midfield, and if Leon Britton were to leave at the end of this season it may well be the final action needed to turn Allen into the world class midfielder he has the potential to be.
THE SWANSEA Sirens have a very busy couple of months coming up as they prepare for the return of the Welsh Varsity to Swansea. The cheerleaders are competing in the BCA Midlands and University Cheerleading Competition at the International Centre in Telford on 2-3 April, hoping to build on the success they had in the same competition last year. The competition is spread across two days with teams from many Universities all over the country taking part. With so many squads competing, President Ally Valentine expects the standard to be very high. However, she is confident that Swansea can do well. “Last year we finished fifth out of fourteen and we were pleased but this year we want to do better and we will be ready for the competition because we really want to win”. When asked whether the squad were prepared for the upcoming competition, Valentine was confident but admitted the Sirens could have had slightly more preparation “We would have liked to have maybe cheered a bit more on a Wednesday this year than we did last year, for the simple reason of aiming to be fully prepared both for this competition as well as Varsity”. “I am really proud of all the girls and the effort that they have put in this year and I know we can do well
BRING IT ON: The Sirens can’t wait to entertain Swasea’s fans at the Liberty Stadium
in any competition we enter as well as performing well at Varsity”. With the return of Varsity to Swansea this year being such a big talking point, Valentine admitted that the Sirens are relishing the prospect of keeping the fans entertained. “We are all really looking forward to it this year because it’s going to be
in Swansea and we want to put on a good show for all our supporters and hopefully produce something better than last year”. The Sirens, who are affiliated with the Swansea Titans American Football Team, also take part in fundraising events with proceeds going to the British Heart Foundation.
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39 SPORT
Lifesaving team to repeat last year’s National Championship triumph By Thore Haugstad Sports Editor CAPTAIN Holli Pickford is confident the Lifesavers can build upon last year’s success in the BULSCA National Championships, with the event coming up in March. Swansea put in a convincing performance last season, with the boys team winning the overall tournament for speed and the girls team finishing second. The teams have been re-shuffled a bit this year, with a lot of lifesavers leaving the university. But there have been plenty of replacements coming in and Pickford believes the current team is more than capable of repeating last year’s heroics. “Obviously we want to keep up with how we did in the nationals last year. That’s the main goal,” she said. “But it’s also a matter of keeping everyone together and developing the team. We’ve had a lot of new people coming in, so we want to keep that going for next year. “We do have some really good lifesavers. A couple of people left last year, but we’ve still got people competing for the Welsh national team.
“I definitely think we can repeat what we did last season. We’ve got a really good team at the moment.” While most of us would associate lifesaving with sunny beaches and lifeguards patrolling the beach, the sport version it isn’t quite like that. The beach is replaced by a pool, where the competitions are split into speed and surf. In teams of four, the lifesavers are challenged by various exercises involving towing, finwork, tubes and speed. And Captain Pickford has taken the time to speak of how the sport really works. She said: “It’s completely unrealistic. They put loads of people in the pool, you have people who are drowning and panicking everywhere. “There are at least eight to ten people there for you to deal with, which makes it even harder than real life lifesaving. “You have to prioritise and deal with it, and when you’re captain of the team you also have to send people off to handle various situations.” The sport offers a range of exercises which tests the lifesavers’ mental strength in different ways, requiring more than just swimming qualities to be able to perform well. And Pickford believes lifesaving offers
NOT LIKE BAYWATCH: The lifesaving sport is different from what most people see it as, with many various exercises a more exiting alternative to regular swimming because of its diversity. She added: “I did swimming before, but I got a bit bored of it.
“Lifesaving has more variety to it in terms of all the exercised you do. It’s not quite as focused on one single thing. “You need to stay calm when you have
a lot of things to do, keep a clear head and make the right priorities in difficult situations. And, obviously, be able to swim.”
Firsts’ game called off as seconds lose 5-0 By Michelle Owen Sports Reporter SWANSEA University Women’s Football Club were denied an exciting match last Wednesday, when they were deprived the opportunity to play alongside each other. Unfortunately the first team had their game cancelled when Bristol seconds had insufficient players to field a team, granting Swansea a walkover. The Second Team were able to play their match and took on Gloucestershire seconds, a strong team who are riding high in the league. A strong team was fielded and attacker Charlotte Chantry utilised her pace well making some clever runs in the opening stages. Gaps were soon exposed in the Swansea defence as the Gloucestershire attackers pulled free to open the scoring. Sadly for Swansea the goals came thick and fast after that. By half time Swansea were down 4-0, leaving keeper Rebecca Thomas powerless to stop the onslaught. In the second half, time after time she rushed out as an imposing figure to distract the oncoming striker, who missed numerous chances. Swansea put on a brave fight as Gloucestershire tried to push home their advantage. They did well to stem the flow in the second half, conceding a single goal.
DEFEATED: The women’s second team were unable to match the strength of Gloucestershire seconds, slumping to a frustrating 5-0 defeat One of Swansea’s best chances to score was when Raegan Healy had her shot blocked from the goal by a defender. Substitute Sarah Edwards also came close to giving Swansea a consolation goal, speeding through with a couple of one on one chances, narrowly missing. The seconds kept their shape with midfield rock Liz Bevan. Second Team Captain, Catrin Scott Thomas praised her performance. “Player of the match went to Liz. She
cut out countless tackles and made some crunching solid tackles.” “If it wasn’t for her brave performance perhaps they would have had more opportunities.” First team Vice Captain Emily Marchant watched on in frustrated: “The seconds fought very hard, with some fantastic chances.This time last year Gloucestershire won by a much bigger margin, which gives credit to the girl’s development.”
“It would have been nice for us to have played alongside, but I am sure that day will come!” The firsts now face top of the league team University of Bath in the quarter finals. Captain Nia Gape gave her thoughts. “It is frustrating to have yet another game called off. We have plenty of fixtures to look forward to in the league, and will plan ahead for our cup fixture against Bath.”
The firsts will face an uphill struggle though as they lost one of their star players in December when American Lauren Odino finished her exchange semester. This coupled with Vice Captain Emily Marchant’s three month injury means that the close of the season is going to be a struggle. Both the firsts and seconds have been victims of the bitter winter weather, with a backlog of fixtures to play.
Sport thewaterfront
08/02/10
GOAL DIFFERENCE KEEPS FIRSTS UP By Ben Donovan Sports Reporter
SWANSEA’S First Football team’s dismal season avoided an embarrassing relegation by only the narrowest of margins. Following their relegation from the BUCS Premiership last season, they avoided the drop only on goals scored as they finished level on points and goal difference with fifth placed Bath. Captain Gary Bansor has cited a lack of consistency and a glut of injuries as the main reasons behind a rather disappointing season for the Men’s First team. With only two wins from nine matches, including three draws, it’s clear that consistency has been a problem for the team this season. “We started the season well but faded towards the end which was disappointing but we have played good football throughout, we just haven’t had the luck needed to win more games” said Bansor. “Every team is going to get their share of injuries and suspensions during the season and we are no different in that respect.” he added. With funding being such a big talking point within the AU this year, Bansor admitted that it is difficult for the First Team to be able to compete at the highest level of university football. “To be able to compete in the Premiership we would need more funding because some of the clubs in that league have full time coaches and are training three or four times a week”. The squad has been depleted with
Photo By James Snaith NARROW MISS: The Firsts have suffered a disappointing season, finishing ahead of Bath, and avoiding relegation only by number of goals scored. the loss of some key players who left “The league has been harder than we to look over our shoulder and worry “Naturally we are disappointed with the university at the end of last year, would have imagined but that isn’t to about another possible relegation.” our final league position but we want to something which hasn’t helped the say we thought it was going to be easy Following their 4th placed finish in do well in the cup and try and end the team’s cause. because there are no easy games in the league, the team have qualified season on a high.” “We have lost a couple of key players university football.” for the end of season cup competition, When asked about the aims for next from last year who were in their final Bansor also added that the squad had something which Bansor believes the year, Bansor added, “We want to year at Swansea which was a big blow hoped for a more stable season that what side can do well in. build on the bright start we had in the for our continuity as a squad” they have endured over the last few “We still have something to play for league this year and try and maintain Following relegation from the top tier months. in terms of the cup so we would like to that consistency throughout the whole last season, midfielder James Davies “We wanted to put the disappointment finish the season on a high if we can. I campaign and hopefully push for admitted it has been difficult to adapt. of last year behind us, rather than having believe we have the players to do well”. promotion”.
Unbeaten Freshers team close in on league title By Rachel Clayton Sports Reporter SWANSEA’S Rugby Freshers are currently sitting at the top of their league, having remained unbeaten for the last seven games. So far the Swansea side have enjoyed an unbeaten run of six wins and one draw, a remarkable achievement for a fresher team in a league that contains
other universities first teams. Last week saw the Rugby Freshers take to the field for the first time under the full responsibility of new coach Kit Sheppard. The existing on-field Captain took over the coaching reins at the end of last term following disciplinary action involving their former coach, a senior member of their committee.
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Inside this week’s paper Women’s Football
Cheerleading
Lifesaving