thewaterfront
Free Issue 210 January 30, 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk
INSIDE
the official student newspaper of swansea university NEWS
Village hit by Christmas break-ins
FEATURES
page 3
Your chance to try out something new
page 32
SPORT
Netball team fights back
page 37
STUDENTS TURNING TO SEX INDUSTRY TO PAY WAY Escorting, lap dancing and paid-for sex being targeted to fund time at university by Gemma Parry
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SOME students at Swansea University are turning to the sex industry to fund their studies, the Waterfront can reveal. We have obtained evidence that students are using social media and private adverts to get into the industry to help pay their way through university. The evidence shows both males and females have been willing to take part in sex, porn videos and escorting, all for payment. Our investigators also found that massage parlours in the city have been approached by students looking for work. There are no lap dancing clubs in Swansea, but we contacted two in Cardiff who also said they have interest from students, and although they could not say if any were from Swansea, they could not rule it out. Swansea University students’ union welfare officer Charlotte Britton said: “If anyone is having money issues, there are lots of ways the union and university can help. “The financial contingency fund is there for anyone who has run out of options for money. “You can collect a form from support services in Kier Hardie. “Students should never feel like they have nowhere to turn – that’s what the
students’ union and the university support services are here for – to help you.” Swansea University has been given £489,143 of the Big Lottery Fund to investigate the growing problem of students turning to prostitution, as well as providing support to those who currently work in the sex industry. The study, which begins in June, will be primarily carried out by Dr Tracey Sagar and Debbie Jones, who work in the centre for criminal justice and criminology at the university. It will be supporting a study, which will be conducted with the aim of uncovering the number of students in Wales now working in the adult industry. The SU’s women’s officer Eleri Jones added: “It’s excellent that Dr Tracey Sagar and Debbie Jones are doing this research into sex work in Wales, based here in Swansea. “By looking to support sex workers by including them in the research process, they are allowing those involved in this sort of work to help drive the project. “Women students are more likely to turn to this sort of work due to the culture of objectification and sexualisation which is so rife and normalised in our society.” “This research will vastly improve our knowledge of how sex work is affecting women across Wales, and go towards helping us discover more about these issues.”
Rugby legend Shane honoured page 2
02 I NEWS
thewaterfront 210 30.01.12
thewaterfront Third floor, Students’ Union Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP (01792) 295 988 editor@swansea-union.co.uk web: waterfrontonline.co.uk twitter: thewaterfrontSU facebook: the waterfront swansea SECTION EDITORS News Becca Taylor, Gemma Parry waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
Features Samantha Booth sammeeb@hotmail.co.uk
Sport Craig Hadley, David Hendy Front Jon May front@swansea-union.co.uk Music Alex Gibbs waterfrontmusic@swansea-union.co.uk
Film Andrew Williams waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk
Culture Michael Samuel waterfrontculture@swansea-union.co.uk
Listings Russell Wade waterfrontlistings@swansea-union.co.uk
Societies James Langridge waterfrontsocieties@swansea-union.co.uk
Travel Zoe Gullett waterfronttravel@swansea-union.co.uk
Fashion Lucinda Reid waterfrontfashion@swansea-union.co.uk
Games Matt Edwards waterfrontgames@swansea-union.co.uk
Gadgets Richard Cowie waterfrontgadgets@swansea-union.co.uk
Photographers photographysu@gmail.com Website waterfrontweb@swansea-union.co.uk
Advertising Annie Cottam (01792) 602496 Distribution Russell Wade (01792) 606715
HUMBLED: Former Wales international winger Shane Williams receives his honourary MSc degree from Swansea University at last week’s ceremony
Wales rugby legend Shane Williams honoured by Swansea University by Craig Hadley & David Hendy
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk FORMER Welsh rugby sensation Shane Williams received an honorary MSc degree from Swansea University in recognition of his achievements and contribution to the region. The award ceremony was conducted by university chancellor Rhodri Morgan at Brangwyn Hall last Thursday. Williams was excited, yet humble in re-
OFFICERS’ CORNER
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ceiving this award. “It means an awful lot to me,” said the Ospreys winger. “This is something I never thought I’d receive, so it is very humbling indeed. “The last 12 or 13 years, it’s all been about rugby for me, so receiving the award is a refreshing change. Williams added: “To play rugby is to play rugby; you never think what may come of it, it is a massive bonus for me.” Williams’ work has primarily been
linked to his rugby. But charities he has been associated with include Help the Hospices and Ty Hafan. “Any community work that I’ve done has been through rugby,” Williams added. “In Wales, rugby is a big part of the community and if it takes rugby to help communities get together then that’s exactly what you do, you do whatever it takes.
“Anything that I’ve ever done for charity or in the community has been through rugby in shape or form. “It’s massive. It’s been a massive part of my life and will continue to be a massive part of my life even when I’ve finished [playing rugby], there’s no bigger accolade really.” Williams’ list of honours include being named the IRB world player of the year in 2008 and he holds Wales’ record for leading try scorer, scoring 58 tries.
eleri jones, women’s officer HAVING a full-time women’s officer is a rare thing in a students’ union – in fact, it’s so rare that I currently fill the only place left in Wales. We’ve had the position at Swansea for 19 years. In the UK, there only five other full-time women’s officers - Cambridge, Oxford, Sheffield, Manchester and the University of Bradford. The women’s officer is responsible for maintaining, promoting and fighting for equality and she further supports and works with our four part-time liberation officers. My job is to support women at the university and represent women students when we meet with the senior management team and university committees, ensuring that women are always at the forefront of discussion. Our offices are safe-spaces for students to ask for support and have someone to talk to. I often speak to women who have experienced
Meeting Times (Meetings are in the Waterfront office) Features Front Section editors News & Sport De-brief & Ideas
Monday, January 30 Monday, January 30 Monday, February 6 Monday, February 6 Friday, Februrary 10
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traumatic events and difficult situations, and support them to the best of my ability. My position can be subject to a certain amount of controversy, either from post-feminists or students who think it’s unfair to have a women’s officer. The reason we have a women’s officer is to combat inequality and to try and close the gap between men and women, not to privilege one gender over another. Women make up only 38% of sabbatical officers and a mere 20% of student union presidents. We’ve never had a black women’s officer here at Swansea and out of the 91 presidents we’ve had, only six have been women. Having a full-time women’s officer ensures that women are represented at every level of decisionmaking, and makes sure that a woman is always present within the team. I’m incredibly proud to be in my position and enjoy it immensely.
It’s challenging and involves a lot of hard work, but running for my position is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Many women run for this role simply because they think it is a position specifically for women, but it’s more than that – a women’s officer is there to fight continuously against discrimination, sexism and inequality. Women students should be encouraged to run for any position they wish to fulfil, regardless of their gender. We need more women in these roles, and I’d encourage any student who is thinking of running in the election to come up to our offices and get some more information. For more information about the women’s campaign, or for more information about any women’s issue, email me at: womensofficer@swansea-union.co.uk
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Friday, February 3 Friday, February 3 Wednesday, February 8 Thursday, February 9
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Disclaimer The Waterfront thanks everyone who contributed to this issue. Content does not necessarily reflect the views of the students’ union, when an opinion is expressed it is the view of the journalist that is represented unless otherwise stated.
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NEWS I 03
Student arrested after alleged attack during examination
by Chris Flynn
by Jazz Dicker
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk A FEMALE student was been arrested following an incident during an exam in which a man suffered injuries to his hand. The alleged incident happened earlier this month in the sports hall. A South Wales Police spokesperson said: “A 24-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assault following an incident at Swansea University sports hall at around 3pm on Tuesday, January 10.” “A 67-year-old man suffered injuries to his hands during the incident. The woman has been released on bail pending further enquiries.” The incident follows a busy January exam period for university invigilators. On the first day exams, three students were found in possession of notes and there were 10 cases of unfair practice throughout the exam period. These students now face an allegation of unfair practice. The penalties imposed on students vary but the main punishments involve the student’s marks for the session being cancelled for each module. According to recent figures, unfair practice is on the rise within the university. Assistant registrar, Jane LewisNormand has said: “The university takes all forms of unfair practice seriously and every effort is made to ensure that students are made aware of the regulations and procedures. “The university employs trained invigilators who oversee the conduct
Election Notice by Alicia Nugent
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk STUDENTS are being encouraged to nominate themselves for the upcoming Students’ Union elections which will determine the new fulltime officers for the next academic year. From February 9th to the 23rd, those interested can apply to be part of the officer team which maintains the union and provides vital support and services to students. During this time, students are able to pick up a nomination form from the union reception, and must obtain twenty signatures from fellow students who pledge to show their support. Campaigning will begin on March 15, and candidates will then be eligible to receive votes in the elections which will be held from March 20-22. Outgoing union president Luke James said: “We want to see new faces running to be full-time officers, putting forward new ideas to ensure
Hendrefoelan Christmas crime spree
MULTI-PURPOSE: The sports hall is used for exam across the examination periods in January and May. of the examinations. “The invigilators ensure that examination regulations are adhered to and that no student gains an unfair we continue to be a radical but relevant campaigning voice for Swansea students. “Everyone in the union is working hard to make sure these are the most successful and well-co-ordinated elections we have ever held.” For the first time this year, students will be able to vote to elect a sports officer, a decision that was passed in a referendum which took place in December. The six other vacancies that are available for next year include president, international officer, education officer, welfare officer, women’s officer and the societies and services officer. The union is looking to hold an open surgery on February 2, where potential candidates will have the opportunity to speak to staff to find out further information about how the elections operate and the roles that they are interested in fulfilling. Tom Upton, Services and Societies Officer invited potential candidates to shadow him for a day to experience how hectic the role, published in the monthly society newsletter. Last year’s election saw almost two thousand students vote for their fulltime representatives and potential candidates are encouraged to talk to the current officers to understand what they do on a day-to-day basis.
advantage over other students.” In the academic year of 2008-09, there were only eight incidents of unfair practice and in 2009-10 this
rose to 26 incidents. Last year it rose again to 32 incidents of unfair practice.
Ex-student killed whilst working in Afghanistan by Chris Flynn
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk A FORMER Swansea University student has died while on service in Afghanistan. Captain Tom Jennings, 29, studied Marine Biology at the university before joining the Royal Marines, transferring later to the Special Boat Service. He was on an operation in the south of Kabul when a land mine came in contact with the vehicle he and another officers was travelling in, killing Mr Jennings instantly.
RAF Squadron Leader Anthony Downing, 34, died from his injuries later in hospital. Mr Jennings is the highest ranking Marine to lose his life in the conflict that has lasted 10 years. The Ministry of Defence said: “He displayed empathy and a broad cultural understanding that ensured he was highly valued by the Afghans as well as his Royal Marine brothers. “He was devoted to his wife and their two young sons whose loss cannot be portrayed in words. “The Royal Marines have lost a brother, they have lost their world.”
BRAVE SOLDIER: ex-student Tom Jennings was killed in Afghanistan
APPROXIMATELY 10 flats in Hendrefoelan student village were broken into over the Christmas break. It has led to a campaign for improved security by the police in response to the crime spree. Fresher’s Representative, Tom Edwards, is campaigning for more security on the village, including changing the locks on the doors so that they lock automatically. Burglary victim Callum Gallagher said: “I’m really frustrated, because obviously there isn’t anything I can do about it and security aren’t doing anything about it when they are here.” Another student, Jordan Lubrani, said: “I’m paranoid that I’m going to be broken in to.” Charlotte Britton, Swansea University students’ union welfare officer is helping to push through tightened security. She said: “I’ve been working with the head of Residential Services and the Police to sort out security in the village. “We’re looking into changing the doors that don’t automatically lock when pulled shut, and we regularly go round with the Police reminding students how important it is to keep things locked.” PC Katryna Evans said: “We’re working with the security department to ensure that students feel safe in their home environments. “Burglaries are unusual and the chances are very low if you take the security measures.” The police campaign, dubbed Operation Hand, was carried out to raise awareness of the dangers in leaving houses and rooms unsecured when students are not in. Police visited every building in the village, spot-checking to see if students had left their front doors or windows open. Police also urged students to lock up their bikes even when students were in their residences. Tracker bikes seem now to be the main weapon in catching those who steal bikes in Swansea- a lot of belonging to students. The scheme has already been successful and has led to the arrest and conviction of a prolific bike thief. John Owens, 49, appeared at Swansea Magistrates at 13th January 2012 was sentenced to a six week suspended sentence and various rehabilitation programmes. But students have also been left frustrated that a notice was left on the security office front door over Christmas saying they would not be present on the village for four days. The head of the university’s commercial services, Paul Robinson, said: “A security service, including regular patrols, is operated at Hendrefoelan student village 365 nights a year. “Signage may have indicated when there was a limited daytime office service but our normal security service was provided throughout the Christmas period.”
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NEWS I 05
Hendrefoelan still ‘forgotten land’ as problems mount up in the village by Chris Flynn
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk HOME to more than 1,600 students, Hendrefoelan student village stands as the largest student accommodation complex for Swansea University. Work began building the village in 1971, after it was bought from the widow of a local industrialist seven years earlier for £10,000 - £600,000 in
today's money. It is expected to be vacated when the proposed second campus is built on Fabian Way, which will provide mass accommodation. The 69-acre science and innovation campus should be finished by 2016. But until then, students will remain in the village which has come under fire for being outdated and lacking
facilities. Simon Bray, who started as the new Head of Residential Services in August last, has plans to improve the village. He said: “I see the HSV facilities as key to the residential offering at Swansea, now and over the next few years.” A pre-planned preventative maintenance (PPM) programme is in the final stages of planning to improve the fa-
cilities available for students. Mr Bray added: “The priority work includes updating some of the wash and kitchen facilities, due to occur over the summers of 2012 and 2013.” The Waterfront first reported problems on the student village in February 2010. The issue was then raised by exfreshers’ representative, and current
general secretary, Mitchell Theaker. In 2010, problems included security in individual properties as well as issues with broken doors, windows and walls. In 2012, the picture looks even bleaker according to the residents of Hendrefoelan student village.
Breaking down the problems: students speak out on the village issues Launderette IN response to the most recent student accommodation survey, students’ satisfaction of the laundry service was scored 4.5 out 8. The main complaints include the unreliability of the washing and clothes drying machines, as well as the inadequate number of units compared to the populace of the students that are using it. Disgruntled students have for many years highlighted issues with the laundrettes in the annual survey of accommodation provided by both the university and private letting agencies. In the last four years, the cost of washing and drying received average scores of 3.8 or below. The plans for a machine that dispenses change for the machines have been scrapped - with claims that they are unreliable and not cost efficient. Charlotte Britton, the students’ union welfare officer, said: “We’re committed to improving it – having clean clothes is obviously rather important. “We’ve already been in talks with the company that supply the machines.” Housing STUDENTS who live in the village are amazed at the difference in quality of the housing and services in contrast to their cohorts living on campus. David Lewis, a fourth year Law and German student, said: “I lived on the village in my first year and there were quite a lot of problems then. “With this new campus being built, it’s as if students have been left to rot.” But mounting pressure is growing on Swansea University to improve the facilities available in the village. In a survey commissioned by Swansea University students’ union, over half of the students claimed there was a problem with their accommodation. The most common complaints were disrepair, noise and damp or mould, with rent and residential services at the bottom. But only 63.5% sought advice or help with the issues they raised; mainly with either the university or the SU’s welfare officer.
‘Forgotten Land’: Progress is slow in the student village, and residents report the same problems. Charlotte Britton who holds that position said: “The SU has not forgotten about the village – we’ve lobbied hard and have kept raising issues with the university. “Thankfully residential services are listening, and we are on the same page.” The average student rent at the student village is approximately £1,000 less than that of on-campus living. But the gap in facilities is large. For example, students on campus are visited by the cleaning service weekly, compared to the student village, who only receive this service fortnightly. International Student Trouble MANY new International students that arrived for the second term of the Academic year were displeased when they moved in to the Village accommodation.
Numerous complaints were given to Residential Services in the first week of their arrival to Swansea University. Complaints included students being disturbed by noise after 11 o’clock in the evening from the Village’s bar, The Wonky Sheep; which ordinarily would see students rebuked by Residential Services. Students were told in advance that they were able to move in early, but were stricken without internet until their induction. Lauren Papotto, a 21-year old student from New Jersey studying English and Professional Writing, said: “Not having internet before orientation was awful, especially for the people who got here the earliest.” “It was literally impossible to get in touch with anyone.” Some international students are paying close to £6,500 for five months of
tuition and can come close to paying £15,000 to stay for the entire year. Mahaboob Basha, the Student’s Union International Officer, has also been a Welfare Warden for four years, two of those in the Village. He said: “If they have issues, they can contact Residential Services directly or if they want to be anonymous, they can come and see me.” Basha also explained that changes wouldn’t happen overnight, “Protocol has to be followed.” Cash Machine ABSENCE of a free cash withdrawal machine has led to an online petition to have one installed on the Hendrefoelan Student Village. A petition for a cash machine with free money withdrawal has been constructed, due to the absence of one in
the off-campus accommodation. The online petition, arranged by students using change.org, was ironically organised through the Village’s Facebook page- run by Residential Services. It has lead a number of students to create an online petition addressed to Swansea University, showing their discontent. The petition, titled ‘Provide a free Cash-Point for residents of the Hendrefoelan Student Village’, has a brief description, stating: ‘Campus get it free, why shouldn’t we?’ Students living on campus have access to five free cash points, whereas those living on the Student Village are restricted to using two cash points that charge £1.75 for every transaction. One student who supported the change.org appeal said: “Paying a fee every time is ridiculous.” Both Spar and The Wonky Sheep pub have cash machines, but charge for every withdrawal. Another student said they were: “Tired of being taken advantage of by private companies as a dirt-poor student.” The petition has so far been signed by over 150 residents. Discussions in the past have led to little progress and it is unclear of whether anything will develop from this petition. Tom Upton, Societies and Services Officer, said: “Unfortunately whilst I agree that it would be ideal to have a cash machine at the Student Village that does not charge, the fact of the matter is that we have requested banks, who do not charge for the use of their machines to host a cash machine in Hendrefoelan for years, but they do not want to. “Thus we feel it better to supply a cash machine that incurs a small charge than no service at all.” Students using the Spar located on Level Two of Union House may also withdraw money in a purchase; a service not available to Hendrefoelan Village students.
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Blame cast on students for rubbish in the streets over Christmas period by Becca Taylor
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
PILE UP: Bin bags mount up on the streets during the festive break.
STUDENTS have been blamed for large numbers of rubbish bags left in the streets, as well as fly tipping through Brynmill and Uplands. The claims, which were brought by a resident of Bryn Road, highlight problems faced at the end of term by students leaving rubbish out of sync with bin collection days. But students were quick to hit back, with the Swansea University students’ union defending efforts of students in streets cleans and community relations. Charlotte Britton, SU welfare officer, said: “We’ve been on a large number of street cleans with students and non-student residents over the last few months. “The council are trying to help us, and they’ve been lax with fining to give us enough time to educate students about the new system.” Students have claimed the problems come from the lack of extra bin collections when Swansea Council is aware they will be leaving before the bin collection days. Extra collection dates were set at the end of the summer term in 2011, but there were complaints of poor advertising and little progress to have
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the same implemented this year. Extra dates are being worked on for the Easter and summer terms. Miss Britton was also keen to be positive about the progress students have made. She said: “We have made dramatic improvements in recycling. “The rates of incorrect recycling have dropped thanks to SU and council booklets being distributed through HMOs (houses with multiple occupants) properties.” Miss Britton was keen to emphasise the the system is relatively new, with the changes being implemented in April of 2011. Miss Britton added: “From 20th of October onwards there has been a significant reduction in bags left on the street, not to mention that between April and June 2011, 48 per cent of all municipal waste was either sent for composting or recycling.” The new kerbside scheme means that black bin bags are collected every other week, with pink bags, and green bags are collected with food waste on the weeks in between. Extra recycling bags can be collected from the Students’ Union, along with 2012 calendars for collection days, magnets and plenty of information about the recycling scheme in Swansea.
NEWS I 07
New module kicked off by SU lecture by Becca Taylor
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk STUDENTS were treated to a whirlwind tour of Swansea University’s students’ union history. The lecture given by Mike Day of the NUS (National Union of Students) was a swift introduction to the new history module on the students’ union, which started this term. The module, which runs as a second year option, has been developed by Dr. Louise Miskell, previous head of History and Classics, along with SU president Luke James and the History and Classics department. It came about last August when Mr James decided to make good use of the extensive archives kept by the SU. During the lecture, students learnt that Gordon Brown spent some of his time at St Andrews as a rector, and that Swansea Students’ Union played a key role in the formation of the NUS in the 1920s. A grant has been given from the Swansea Academy for Learning and Teaching (SALT) for the programme to begin. DVDs of the lecture are available from Luke James in the SU for anyone wanting to know more on international and local student history.
waterfrontonline.co.uk NOW ONLINE
Swansea FC launches online Bid to end stigma centenary archive for fans on mental health by Becca Taylor
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University and the Swansea City Supporters’ Trust have been granted just under £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to begin an online archive of Swansea City FC fans’ memories. The archive will be a unique community heritage project featuring taped interviews, photographs and memorabilia, as well as fans’ responses to a questionnaire. The project, called Swans100, helps to celebrate the centenary year of Swansea City, Wales’ first Premier League club. It marks the founding of the club in 1912, and commemorates the first professional match played at the Vetch Field against Cardiff City. It is being led by Dr Martin Johnes, head of the history and classics department, and a keen Swansea City
fan. He said: “Football plays an important role in the lives of communities and the people who live in them. “For 100 years and through thick and thin, the Swans have helped make Swansea what it is. “They’ve made their supporters laugh and cry and put the city on the map. “For some fans the club is why they live and we want to record as many of these stories as we can.” The project will be brought together from local archives and the memories of fans’ involvement with the club. There will be roadshows across Swansea and south west Wales for fans to bring memorabilia and stories to add to the collection. Jennifer Stewart, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales said “Heritage is for everyone; it’s not only about Wales’ wonderful buildings and landscape, but it is also about our
communities and the things that our communities are interested in and passionate about. “In the year of the Olympics, I’m really pleased that this project goes to show that HLF funds sports heritage, too.” Phil Sumbler of the Supporters Trust said: “The celebration of 100 years of professional football in Swansea is something in which the whole community of Swansea should be proud to be involved. “Given these exciting times for the club on the pitch, the undertaking of this project will also ensure an exciting period off the pitch. “The most inspiring part for me is the legacy that it will create for future generations to enjoy and that can only be a good thing.” The project is open to anyone who would like to participate, and details can be found at: www.swans100.org.uk.
by Allie Manasco
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA has joined 24 other universities across the UK in a campaign to promote mental health around campus through events and activities. The campaign known as ‘25by2012,’ which was launched by Mental Wealth UK aims to use student-led activism into making campuses a healthier, and happier. The aim of the campaign is to challenge discrimination and stigmas associated with mental illness, as well as raise awareness as well as offer opportunities for training and skillbuilding. President of Swansea mental wealth society, Hannah Brotherton said: “We are excited to become the second university in Wales to become part of the Mental Wealth UK network. “There is a clear need for an improvement in mental health
services across the UK, particularly in Wales.” Swansea University continues to uphold its high standard of dedication of health, having already earned Healthy City status. Swansea University is also the first Welsh university to join the Healthy Universities initiative to promote health and wellbeing in all aspects. Director of student services, Sara Huws Davies is also pleased with Swansea’s dedication to the ‘25by2012’ programme. She said: “The students’ union is very active in the Healthy Universities work and the Swansea Mental Wealth Society is just one aspect of this. “We wish the group every success in their activities to promote mental health. “The wellbeing of students and staff is of paramount importance and this group has the potential to make a real difference.”
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CYMRAEG I 09
Y GORNEL GYMRAEG
Lan gogledd am Eisteddfod Rhyng-ol 2012 yn Bangor gan Glesni Morgan
welshaffairs@swansea-union.co.uk
Cynhelir yn ystod flwyddyn academaidd prifysgolion Cymru tri achlysur arbennig, ble welir mudiadau a chymdeithasau Gymraeg o dros Gymru yn cwrdd i gymdeithasu a chystadlu. Y cyntaf yw’r Ddawns Ryng-golegol sydd yn cymryd rhan pob flwyddyn ym mis Dachwedd yn Aberystwyth. Mae’r ail, sef y Chwaraeon Rhynggolegol a’r trydydd, yr Eisteddfod Ryng-golegol, yn digwydd ar yr un penwythnos yn flynyddol ac yn teithio o gwmpas prifysgolion Cymru. Ar y 17eg i’r 19eg o fis Chwefror mi fydd Y Gymdeithas Gymraeg yn teithio i fyny i Fangor i gystadlu yn Eisteddfod Ryng-golegol 2012. Mi fydd y chwaraeon yn cymryd le yn ystod pnawn dydd Gwener y 17eg. Ar gyfer y bechgyn mae’r Gymdeithas Gymraeg yn cymryd rhan yn y gystadleuaeth rygbi (7 pob ochr) a’r gystadleuaeth pêl-droed, ac ar gyfer y merched mae cystadleuaeth pêl-rwyd. Nid yw’r hwyl yn bennu yna chwaith, yn ystod y nos mae noson wobrwyo i enillwyr y chwaraeon a
chyfle i gymdeithasu gyda Chymry o brifysgolion eraill, cyn cael y profiad o gysgu'r nos yn gampfa Bangor. Cawn ddiwrnod o gystadlu a mwynhau ar y dydd Sadwrn. Mae’r Eisteddfod Ryng-golegol yn gyfle allweddol i hybu dawn a thalent myfyrwyr drwy Gymru gyfan, yn rhoi cyfle i fyfyrwyr a’r cyhoedd fwynhau ein hiaith a’n diwylliant. Nid yw’r Eisteddfod Rynggolegol mor ddwys ag Eisteddfodau megis yr Urdd a’r Genedlaethol, gan welwn far yfed llawn i gael ar y safle a digon o hwyl a sbri yn digwydd yn ystod y dydd. Gwelwn lwyth o dalent ar y llwyfan, yn cynnwys niferion o eitemau canu, adrodd, eitemau cerddorol, actio a chanu mewn corau. Cyn teithio yn ôl i Abertawe mi fydd Gig gyda’r nos yn undeb Bangor yn cynnwys noson yng nghwmni bandiau Cymraeg megis y Sibrydion, Yr Ods a llawer mwy. Hyn bydd yr ail Eisteddfod Ryng-golegol i’r Gymdeithas Gymraeg cymryd rhan ynddo ers sawl blwyddyn. Llynedd cafodd cymdeithasau prifysgolion eraill sioc fod yr iaith Gymraeg yn datblygu yn brifysgol Abertawe, sydd wedi creu parch cryf tuag at y brifysgol. Nid yn unig hyn ond gwelodd pawb yr hwyl
cafodd Abertawe yn perfformio ac wrth gwrs ein talent wrth ennill y gystadleuaeth dawnsio disco a dod yn ail yn y côr. Mi fydd eleni yn balmant dysgu i aelodau a phwyllgor y Gymdeithas Gymraeg gan taw Abertawe bydd yn cynnal y Chwaraeon a’r Eisteddfod Ryng-golegol y flwyddyn nesaf, a fydd yn sicr yn un o ddigwyddiadau cymdeithasol mwyaf yn nyddiadur myfyrwyr Cymraeg Abertawe. Bydd yr
ymarferion yn dechrau ar yr ail o Chwefror, y lleoliad i gael ei gyhoeddi. Mi fydd hefyd cyfle i helpu sgriptio sgets ddigri yn ystod yr wythnos. Mae Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Bangor wedi creu safwe efo gwybodaeth am yr Eisteddfod, yn cynnwys digwyddiadau a cystadlaethau gwaith cartrefhttp://rhyng-gol12.blogspot.com/
‘Super Hayes’ a ‘Dangerous Davies’ yn sicrhau fuddugoliaeth i’r Gym Gym gan Gwenallt Jones
welshaffairs@swansea-union.co.uk
Fe fydd tim pel-droed y Gym Gym yn mynd mewn i gem olaf y tymor gaeaf yn gwybod bydd buddugoliaeth yn sicrhau yr ail safle yn cynghrair myfyrwyr 5-pob-ochr Play Football. Yn tymor gyntaf y tim o dan arweiniad Dylan Huws, mae’r tim wedi troi pennau efo perfformiadau gwych gan nifer o aelodau’r Gymdeithas Gymraeg. Nid oedd yna unrhyw newid wythnos diwethaf (25/1) wrth i’r tim dinistrio Quantarc United FC o 19 gôl i 5. Dechreuodd y Gym Gym chwarae’n prydferth o’r munud gyntaf efo pasio gwych rhwng pob aelod o’r tim (arwahan i gol-geidwad Arwel Davies) efo 24 pas o amgylch y Quantarcs, cyn i Rich Hayes darganfod cefn y rhwyd wrth torri mewn o’r asgell chwith a tario’r bel efo’i troed dde. Efo’r Gym Gym ar y troed blaen, cymerodd y tim mantais o’r niwl isel a oedd yn cysgodi’r cae a taranodd
Gareth Taylor a Gwydion Jones dau gol gyflym o hanner ffordd efo’r gol-geidwad ond yn gweld y bel ar y munud olaf. Cafodd Arwel Davies ei ddal yn cysgu eiliadau wedyn wrth i ailddechreuad gyflym gan y Quantarcs dal twll yn amddifyn y Gym Gym a cipiwyd gol gyflym yn ôl i wneud y sgor yn 3-1. Yn ffodus i’r Gym Gym, tro’r Quantarcs i gysgu oedd i wedyn ac roedd pel-droed hyfryd gan Richard Hayes ac Owain Harries wedi arwain i gol gan Harries, wrth iddo troi un o amddifynwyr y Quantarcs a osodi’r y bel efo cywirdeb binbwynt. Ar ol eilydd gyflym gan y Gym Gym (Owain Harries am Sam Powell) fe wnaeth y tim sicrhau ei dominyddiaeth wrth i Powell darganfod rhediad Gwydion Jones lawr yr asgell dde, efo Jones yn maeddu’r gol-geidwad un erbyn un. Efo’r Quantarcs yn sydyn yn cymryd gol yn erbyn rhediad y gem, daeth tri gol gyflym oddi wrth Gareth Taylor a ddau o Sam Powell ac aeth y Gym Gym i mewn i hanner amser i fyny o 8
gol i ddau. Roedd newidiadau yr ail hanner yn golygu newid i’r gol-geidwad, yn rhoi cyfle i Arwel Davies ddangos ei talentau o flaen y rhwyd, yn hytrach nag rhwng y pyst! Wrth i’r dyfarnwr ddechrau’r ail hanner, roedd rhyng-gipiad gan Sam Powell ac yna bel trwodd i Arwel Davies arwain at gol arall, eiliadiau mewn i’r ail hanner. Dechreuodd y gem setlo am ychydig o funudau, a cymerodd GarethTaylor y cyfle a tarannu’r bel o’i hanner ei hunan i fewn i gefn y rhwyd, yn gadael y gol-geidwad wedi sythu i’r fan a’r lle. Roedd y nerfau yn amlwg yn Owain Harries, a oedd yn cael ei gem gyntaf yn gol, a fe daliwyd ar y troed cefn wrth i saethiad ysgafn gan ymosodwr y Quantarcs rolio heb troed Harries yn araf wrth iddo syrthio i’r llawr. Efo’r damwain hynny dros ben, aeth pethau yn waeth wrth iddo Harries lawio’r bel tu allan o’i ardal, yn rhoi gic cosb i’r Quantarcs, a oedd wedi bwrw cornel gwaelod y rhwyd.
Roedd newidiad gyflym o golgeidwad a fitrywdd y Quantarcs yn disgyn wedi arwain at agoriad y llifddorau, efo Harries ei hun yn sgorio gol gwych trwy rhyng-gipio’r bel yn hanner y Quantarcs, rhedeg heibio ddau amddifynwr a tapio’r bel o dan y gol geidwad i ymestyn y sgor yn bellach. Daeth yr ewinedd olaf yn yr arch i’r Quantarcs yn y munudau olaf wrth i’r Gym Gym sgorio pump gol i benni’r gem. Efo Rich Hayes yn eistedd nol, yr oedd yn medru pigo allan peth pasiau anhygoel i weddill y tim wrth i Gareth Taylor, Sam Powell a Gwydion Jones sgorio eto, efo Arwel Davies yn cael ddau gol i’w enw. Ar ol tymor gyntaf llwyddianus i’r Gym Gym, fe fydd y tim yn edrych ymlaen i tymor y Pasg ddechrau, ac yn gobeithio fe fydden nhw yn medru cymryd y stori un cam yn ymhellach ac enill y tarian gyntaf i tim chwaraeon y Gymdeithas Gymraeg.
Eisiau gwneud rhywbethyn Rhyng-ol? by Owain Harries
welshaffairs@swansea-union.co.uk Mae yna nifer o gystadlaethau yn ystod y diwrnod yn yr Eisteddfod i gystadlu ynddynt! Oes hoffech chi gystadlu’n unigol, neu efo’hc ffrindiau, edrychwch ar y rhestr isod ac ebostiwch welshaffairs@ swansea-union.co.uk, fe fydd cyfarfodydd i drefnu’r gweithgareddau yn dechrau ar yr 2il o Chwefror (lleoliad i gael ei gyheoddi) ond os rydych yn colli’r cyfarfod gyntaf, peidiwch a becso, fe fydd cyfarfodydd ymlaen dros y bethyfnos! 1. Unawd piano- Hunanddewisiad 2. Unawd offerynnolHunanddewisiad 2.1 Rhuban Glas offerynnol i’r orau yn y ddwy gystadleuaeth. 3. Llefaru unigolHunanddewisiad (dim hirach na 5 munud) 4. Unawd alaw werinHunanddewisiad 5. Ensemble offerynnolHunanddewisiad 6. Dawns stepio unigol (bechgyn neu ferched) - Hunanddewisiad 7. Côr Gwerin – Hunanddewisiad 8. Deuawd agoredHunanddewisiad 9. Unawd Cerdd Dant Hunanddewisiad 10. Unawd sioe gerdd Hunanddewisiad 11. Grŵp Llefaru – ‘Tryweryn’ 12. Ensemble Lleisiol – Hunanddewisiad 13. Unawd Merched Hunanddewisiad 13 Unawd Bechgyn- Hunanddewisiad 14.1 Rhuban glas lleisiol - i’r orau yn y 4 cystadleuaeth leisiol unigol 15. Deuawd/triawd/pedwarawd Cerdd Dant 16. Grŵp Dawnsio GwerinHunanddewisiad 17. Deuawd doniol- Hunanddewisiad 18. Stepio i ddau neu fwyHunanddewisiad 19. Sgets – Hunanddewisiad, (dim hirach na 5 munud) 20. Grŵp dawnsio creadigol / disgoHunanddewisiad 20. Meimio – i unrhyw gân Gymraeg 21. Côr Sioe Gerdd 22. Bing-bong – Bydd pawb yn cymryd eu tro i gyfansoddi penillion ar y pryd. Yr enillydd fydd yr un fydd yn gallu dal i fynd pan fo pawb arall wedi methu meddwl am bennill arall. Un cynrychiolydd o bob prifysgol. 23. Côr bechgyn- ‘Can y Bugeiliaid’ 24. Côr merched -‘Gwenllian’ 25. Côr cymysg‘Mae Ddoe Wedi Mynd’ Fe fydd yna cystadlaethau pel-droed, rygbi, pel-rwyd a hoci ymlaen ar y nos Wener (17/2) cysylltwch efo ni i cymryd rhan!
travel 35
societies 32 - 33
careers 31
tv & culture 29
gadgets 28
games 28
film 27
music 26
food 25
front row 24
13
fashion 18 & 23
January 30, 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk
features 16 - 17
L i f e s t y l e f o r S wa n s e a s t u d e n t s
front! Housing horror stories >> 16
Confessions of a shopaholic >> 18
Cooking for dummies Siobhan Hearne (left) and Izzy Granville at the Amnes-tea fundraising event organised by the Amnesty Society
>> 25
Try something new this week >> 32
Travelling on a shoestring >> 35
endsleigh.co.uk/university
contents
travel 35
societies 32 - 33
careers 31
tv & culture 29
gadgets 28
games 28
film 27
music 26
food 25
front row 24
fashion 18 & 23
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features 16 - 17
front
January 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk
Women in politics
features 16 >> Housing horror stories - make sure you’re not a victim
fashion 18 >> Secrets of sales shopping and Bare Minerals review
front row 24 >> Everything you need to know about what’s on where in the next fortnight
food 25 >> Culinarily challenged? Our expert explains cooking for dummies
gadgets 25 >> Companies roll out their latest tech and Virgin pals up with Spotify
games 25 >> Why music is such a big part of gaming plus review of Star Trek: The Old Republic
music 26 >> Say bye bye to CDs. Plus all the latest reviews
film 27 >> We look forward to what 2012 has in store for cinema-goers
tv & culture 29 >> Culture clash: US v UK
careers 31 >> Networking - and how to do it
societies 32 >> It’s have-a-go week so try out something new with our calendar of events
travel 35 >> Find out how to take a break without breaking the bank
Rosemary Butler, presiding officer of the National Assembly for Wales ‘Women on the Front Bench’ was organised by Swansea Labour Students Women’s officer Sarah Woodvine; the event aimed to give women the confidence necessary to enter into a walk of life that has traditionally been male-dominated. Its guests included successful female politicians in order to dispel the image of politics being only ‘for men’. Sarah Woodvine was full of enthusiasm about the evening: “It was a fantastic event and we had some truly inspirational speakers. Each speaker shared different experiences and that’s what made the night so special. It couldn’t have gone any better, and I’m really proud to have organised such a successful event. It feels great to know that so many of the guests were so inspired by the event.” The speakers included successful female politicians, such as Edwina Hart, AM for Gower and Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science. The speakers touched upon a wide range of topics ranging from how they personally got into politics, to the issues facing women in politics today, and how to rise to these challenges. The following speakers were present: - Rosemary Butler AM - Jenny Rathbone AM - Edwina Hart AM - Rhiannon Hedge SUSU Education Officer - Eleri Jones SUSU Women’s Officer - Steph Lloyd NUS Wales Women’s Officer - Estelle Hart NUS UK Women’s Officer Rosemary Butler, presiding officer of the assembly, spoke passionately about the unique issues that drove her into politics and the experiences of her career. In particular she paid tribute to the Welsh assembly’s record of gender equality, which currently is second (to Rwanda) in female representation. Estelle Hart gave a very stirring account of how British politics has degenerated into a walk of life dominated by ‘grey men in grey suits’. One of her main points made was that this brand of patriarchal politics has led to the isolation and alienation of many female MPs across parties. She also spoke at length about the importance of women coming into politics with confidence despite the potential prejudice they may face. The event proved to be a huge success, with around 40 people in attendance, despite the small nature of the venue. Hopefully ‘Women on the Front Bench’ will become a annual fixture at the university. Given the appalling statistic that Women MPs only make up 22% of parliament; clearly more events that offer support to women considering involvement in politics are needed.
By Michael Kavanagh
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F i n d i n g o u t yo u r h o u s i n g r i g h t s
features
Are landlords playing it fair? “I’ve worked in the housing sector for two years and I can tell you now: there are more than enough houses!”
Photo of Brynmill, Swansea, by Chris P Jobling
You’ve heard the housing horror stories ... but how do you avoid becoming a victim? Samantha Booth went to the first ever Students’ Union Housing Fayre to find out.
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TUDENTS at Swansea University are some of the luckiest in the country with its picturesque, seafront location. However, at some point in their university lives, every student hears the classic housing horror stories. Bursting pipes, rotting ceilings, broken heaters and the dreaded rodent infestations are problems that affect students year after year. Charlotte Britton, the Students’ Union welfare officer, organised the Housing Advice Week that ran all last week, to help and guide students away from problems in private accommodation. “I noticed that the same problems were cropping up every year. Freshers are being kicked out into the big bad world with little idea about housing. “Before Christmas, we opened the Rate Your Landlord survey to pinpoint what was going wrong and there were some shocking statistics. “Only 27% of people would recommend their letting agent, which means a lot of people are unhappy. The advice centre had over 800 housing issues last academic year and that was only the people who knew who to contact. “The Housing Fayre’s aim was to address some of these scary and common problems that kept cropping up. I wanted to provide students with the knowledge they needed to make a good decision when it came to a house – hopefully
preventing a lot of the problems that keep happening year after year.” Checking what you get for your money is very important as Charlotte explains: “A checklist is vital when viewing a property. “It’s easy enough to look around the house but if you have a list in front of you, telling you what to look for, then the problem areas are less likely to be missed. “Also, ask the awkward questions that they don’t expect you to ask. For example, ask the tenants why they are leaving: is it because they need a new residence or is it because they have issues with the house?” Swansea is renowned for its cheap living costs, having been ranked the 5th in the UK for the value for money of student accommodation. “View more than one property and talk to other students for average prices. I recommend viewing at least three houses so you can judge the best value for money,” said Charlotte. “Every year it seems to be perpetuated that there are not enough houses. I’ve worked in the housing sector for two years and I can tell you now: there are more than enough houses! “It is bizarre that some students are looking at housing more than a year before they are moving in. It is not necessary, there’s no need to panic.”
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HECKING the legality of your lease is vital. If certain legal bases are not covered by the landlord, problems may arise. “Check the legal side such as, is the house on the Houses with Multiple Occupation (HMO) register? This is a license for houses with three or more unrelated people living in the house which covers the amount of toilets per household and basic safety grounds,” says SU welfare officer Charlotte Britton. Signing the contract can seem daunting if you are unaware of your rights and the law. Each tenant should be given 24 hours to examine the contract and nobody can take the house over this time. The university advice centre offer a free contract examination which takes approximately ten minutes to check whether you are signing a suitable contract. Looking for a house that will suit you is not only important for your necessities but has been proven to have an impact on your mental health. Dark and damp conditions affect your moods greatly so your house needs to feel like a home. “The main points to think about when you are moving I think are: who, where and cost,” said Charlotte. “Who – are your friends noisier or quieter than you? Are you better living with a smaller or bigger group? “Where – do you want to be closer to town or is your course heavy so you need to be closer to university. The most popular student areas are Brynmill, ideal as it is between university and town, and Uplands, where there is slightly nicer housing close to the Uplands shops. “And finally cost – can your friends afford more or less than you?” International students may be the most vulnerable when being targeted by landlords due to the lack of knowledge about housing in the UK. “Many students come from abroad with little or no idea
Welfare Officer, Charlotte Britton at the Housing Fayre
about where to start. There is a higher chance they may get ripped off.” The university’s and union run letting agency, SAS Lettings, is recommended to all students for a number of reasons. There is no damages deposit and instead you pay £200 to hold the property and that is then deducted from the first month’s rent. All houses are banded from A* to D and contents insurance of up to £3000 is included within the rent. As well as this, SAS has its own maintenance team that handles any problems the properties may have, including emergency repairs. The housing fayre was an opportunity to help raise standards in Swansea housing. If the landlords see that the worst houses are not getting rented, due to aware students, then they may feel pressure to improve their properties. If you missed the fayre, you can pick up a viewing checklist or any of the advice cards on level three of Union House by the full time officer offices.
“Remember to always take a camera when viewing a property”
House hunting: where to start? Swansea’s students’ union welfare officer, Charlotte Britton and NUS Wales have come together to give useful advice for students who are looking for houses in the private sector, covering everything from searching for a property to ending your tenancy. These are just a few of the tips given to students this year:
Looking for a property
Don’t panic and take your time. It is an important decision You should not be afraid to say no to living with certain people. You will be tied into a contract to live with your housemates so think carefully. Make a wish list Consider including: The areas you want to live in, local amenities and public transport, a minimum and maximum level of rent and the size, type and age of a property.
Signing the contract
Get it in writing Have you got any improvements or changes to the property that the landlord has agreed to put in writing? Keep your contract safe. Type of contract Individual contracts are better, as joint contracts leave you liable for rent or damage by other tenants. If you are on a joint contact, only rent with people you trust. Charges, fees and payments Never make a payment – including the deposit – before signing a contract. Look into deposit protection Landlords of the vast majority of student tenancies will be legally required to put your deposit into a Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme.
Moving In
SAS Lettings and Endsleigh Insurance at the Housing Fayre
Health and safety Test the smoke alarm as this should be done on the day you move in and then once a month. Many burglaries happen because of open windows and doors so check valuables are out of full view. Council Tax Full time registered students can apply for exemption from paying council tax. Part-time students may be eligible for Council Tax Benefit. Forms can usually be obtained from the council or university. Bills You should confirm with your landlord what bills – such as water, gas, electricity, council tax, insurance, and internet – are or are not included in the rent.
Living There and Moving Out
TV licence A TV license is compulsory to watch or record any TV on any channel, on any device, however you receive it. If you don’t have a licence you risk prosecution and up to a £1000 fine. Photo by Tomek Augustyn Be a good neighbour It is polite to introduce yourself to your neighbours and to keep the outside of your house tidy. If you are having parties or gatherings, it is always wise to check with your neighbours to see if they are happy with this. Getting the deposit back Schedule a day for all tenants to help clean the house and check the inventory. The house needs to be cleaned thoroughly. If there are any issues you can’t agree on, the Tenancy Deposit Protection Schemes can offer mediation and dispute resolution free of charge. •For full help and information on housing, pick up the advice cards or visit Charlotte Brittion on level three of Union House.
travel 35
societies 32 - 33
careers 31
tv & culture 29
gadgets 28
games 28
film 27
music 26
food 25
front row 24
fashion 18 & 23
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features 16 - 17
January 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk
fashion
w h at ’ s h o t i n fa s h i o n & b e a u t y n o w. W i t h L U C IN D A R EI D
secrets of the sales c i l o h o p o h s a by
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am the first to admit I’m an addict. Fashion is what gets me out of bed, my most important decision is what to wear each morning and I’ll happily eat Tesco value noodles for a week if it means I can buy Vogue. But there is one time in the year which fuels my addiction best: the January sales. I would break out in a cold sweat just thinking about all the bargains that are waiting for me to buy. It is the one time in the year that I shop guilt free. This year was probably my most successful yet. Here are some sale shopping tips that I have discovered over the years 1. Before you leave the house set a budget in your mind. For example, last weekend I said I wouldn’t buy an item over £10. Look to the right to see the goodies I managed to find as I hunted through the higher priced items with a clear mind. 2. Look for basics. It might sound boring but this is where you find items greatly discounted and ones you will wear every season. Head to Zara for great jumpers and cardigans. 3. Treat yourself to garments that you could never afford at full price. This is the most satisfying part of sale shopping, especially as a student. So, when you see that coat with 50% off do not hesitate! Exams are over and you deserve it! 4. Look for any stains or broken parts. If you see that your garment has a makeup stain always show the assistant at the till, they are more than likely to knock off another 10%. 5. Haggle. I recently brought a clutch bag in Accessorize but it had a broken clasp, I spoke to the manager and after some awkward silences she knocked it down to £5! 6. Always ask if they do student discount. Normally, shops will not add the discount to items that are already in the sale but sometimes they will, so always ask just in case. 7. Head to department stores. Here is where you find more unusual items and there is more choice and better discounts as they want to get through their stock. 8. Take your time. Sale shopping should not be rushed so expect to put many hours into rifling through the rails. 9. Search ebay. You can find real bargains as people put all their unwanted Christmas presents online. Many clothes go for under £5 and Sunday is the best day to buy. 10. Be patient. I find the best time to shop in the sales is the end of January as retailers do their final discounts. So what are you waiting for? Happy shopping!
•If you have found an amazing bargain, please email the fashion team at waterfront.fashion@hotmail.com with a picture of your
www.theblondesalad.com Your pixels are in for a treat, writes Hannah Botting. Chiara Ferragni, the 23-year-old blogger, has without a doubt impeccable taste. The student from Milan has taken the fashion world by storm, after creating her blog in October 2009. This blonde beauty is so loyal to her 90,000 daily visitors, she even streams live from the front row of the latest fashion shows. Now that’s what I call committed. Chiara has attended Vogue Milan’s Fashion Night Out as their guest of honour, designed her own collection of shoes and collaborated with Dior, Tommy Hilfiger and Mango. Her latest outfit to cause a stir is her combination of an A-line white lace MSGM dress with a flamboyant Giambattista Valli jacket which has leopard print sleeves and a coral and nude Aztec print body. She accessorises the outfit with coral lipstick and platform court shoes in the same shade to match. Chiara also features lovely day time looks, one of my favourites has a powder blue chiffon mini shirt, a grey knitted jumper, a black tweed blazer and black opaque tights. In one sentence Chiara’s style can be described as very feminine with a trendy urban edge.
#hannahbotting’spickoftheweek: The newest toy for you fashionistas has come in the form of a dot com. The website www.polyvore.com is a platform for all you fashion editor wannabe’s to play around with items from across the web. The concept is simple, you add your favourite items onto your mood board, style them together, add some words, some glitter, text and photo frames and Oula! You have your very own professional-looking style showcase. Enter competitions, view other members’ creations and gain inspirations for your new (fantasy) outfits. Take note, you have been warned you will quickly become addicted. Find me at www.hannahbot.polyvore.com.
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Zara cardiga
bargains under £10 Topshop £7
Accessorize £8
an £9.99
Miss Selfridge £7
travel 35
societies 32 - 33
careers 31
tv & culture 29
gadgets 28
games 28
film 27
music 26
food 25
front row 24
fashion 18 & 23
Alice Simpkin speaks to Deryn Tilouche (pictured left), a third year Public and Media Relations student, about Whitney Port, vintage and eBay, all whilst she applies false lashes at 10:30 in the morning! That’s dedication to glam!
Topshop £3
River island £3
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features 16 - 17
January 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk
the bare essentials
of bare minerals Jessica O’Donnell reviews the award-winning make-up range Bare Minerals.
A
FTER using Bare Minerals foundation on our models at a photoshoot, I can give our verdict on the makeup. The unique feature of Bare Minerals make up is that their products contain vitamins and minerals designed to enhance and improve the appearance of your skin and is often recommended by doctors to those with problem skin. However, Bare Minerals’ powder-based products will not suit everyone’s skin type. Although the foundation is described as “powder that feels like a cream”, it does still have a chalky texture once it’s on skin. After a few hours on our models , it tended to Dorothy Perkins congeal around imperfections such as spots, blouse £7 dry patches and wrinkles, making skin look quite dry and dehydrated. Considering it’s a power foundation it does provide a surprisingly nice medium and natural looking coverage after a few coats of the powder. For combination/oily skin complexions (like mine) Bare Minerals does mattify the shiny-ness that skin has, but unfortunately this matte effect doesn’t last all day. The application of the foundation is very easy; it comes with a small brush, and has instructions on how to best apply the makeup to achieve the maximum potential from the foundation. For dry skin I would advise avoiding any form of powder foundation, including Bare Minerals. For combination to oily skin types, I would recommend Bare Minerals foundation to those who suffer from redness, an uneven skin tone or have acne scars as the foundation will conceal as well as provide nourishing vitamins for the skin. I personally wouldn’t recommend this foundation unless you have particularly problematic skin, but as the foundation contains natural minerals that naturally enhance skin; it’s worth a try to see if it really does improve your skin after long term use.
Describe your style. I think I’ve got a mixture of styles. I don’t really think it’s one thing because one day I could be like alternative and another day I could be really Barbie. So I don’t really know, like a mixture. Where do you get your inspiration from? Mainly ASOS if I’m honest because I don’t have time at uni now to be watching telly all the time or going on the internet and stuff. I probably spend most of my time internet shopping. Who are your style icons? Whitney Port (from MTV’s The Hills and The City) she’s really really cool. She blends in the vintage stuff with normal stuff. She’s got her own collection which is kinda like that. Cheryl Cole has got some good style sometimes but mainly for her hair. I don’t really think I could copy her. What is your favourite wardrobe item? My necklace [holding up a gold name necklace]. I had it when I was 16 off my Mum. The chain broke so I’ve had to replace it. It was real gold so it was really delicate. What is your item of shame? I got this multi-coloured top from eBay thinking it was really cool… But I think I might wear it to a festival. It’s so wide and just doesn’t fall in the right place. What is the one accessory or item you always turn to? I always have to wear earrings before I go out. Then I’ll be ok. Where are your favourite places to shop? I really like Primark and I’ll freely admit that. And maybe Warehouse and department stores as well because you can get everything. What is your key fashion tip? Feel comfortable and you’ll look comfortable. Last issue Heidi Sevik asked: If you could steal the wardrobe of one character from a film who would it be and why? If it was back in the day I’d say Marilyn Monroe in any of the films she did because she’s cool. Now I’d say Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City as long as her clothes fitted for me to wear! What would you like to ask the next fashionista? How much fake tan is too much fake tan?
what’s in your
wardrobe? fashion baggage Jess Cararuna interviews Shaunna Rees, a 2nd year Law student, and sees what she carries around with her daily. Where is your bag from? Topshop How long ago did you purchase it? I think about last summer What item in your bag can’t you live without? That is easy, definitely my phone Do you prefer clutch, baguette handbag or tote bag? I would have to say a Tote bag because you can get more in it! Do you carry anything unusual in your bag? Moisturiser How many handbags do you own? Eight I think, those are the ones which are used in the day. What bag I use depends on the mood I’m in. Plus, if I’ve got lectures size matters!
NUMBER
front row
things worth going out for
24
1
OMG Poptastic
Divas Nightclub on Campus - Saturday 4 February £3 entry/£2 from societies OMG! The new place to be seen on a Student Saturday night in Swansea! We are continuing our society payback scheme. Every society member who buys a ticket in advance from their social secretary will be putting £1 from each ticket back into your society. Therefore benefiting you and your whole society. At the start of the night, all drinks will be priced as normal, but as soon as people start buying, prices begin to drop. For example: last weekend, VK Blue was so popular, shots of tequila dropped to 60p!
2
Six Nations Rugby: Shown in JCs Scotland Vs England - Sat 4th Feb Ireland Vs Wales - Sun 5th Feb
The six nations rugby tournament kicks off with a weekend of England and Wales playing against Scotland and Ireland respectively. It all gets underway in JCs where the games will be shown on the big screen, with the special offer of a pint of Brains beer for £1.50/pint.
3
National Union of Journalists 1st Feb @ 5pm in JCs - Free
Want to get involved in student journalism? NUJ Training Officer Linda King and NUJ Student Co-ordinator Collette McColgan will be speaking about how to make the most out of the NUJ and getting involved in the student section.
Comedy Club Review
Pantomime Review
On the 11th December, the Comedy Society showed off their show ‘The Christmas Velvet Goldfish’, writes Craig Hadley.
Shoreline pushed the boat out that little bit further last year with their annual pantomime, writes Becca Taylor.
The show on the whole was very impressive, certain sketches bordered on ridiculously cheesy but it was very good overall. It consisted of a selection of sketches mixed with stand-up performances. The sketches involved: British/American differences in situational comedy, the YMCA group falling on hard times, a Lord of the Rings ‘Bodyform’ crossover, a News of the World parody, British people on holiday in France, a suicide bombing agency, an innuendo strewn farmer, and a ‘Facebook’ inspired village. The comedians on show were: Dave Parton, Ted Shiress, Sarah Bridgeman and Matthew Mckew.
After a rocky start, (the opening song was a bit unusual) the cast settled reasonably well into their roles. Rex Liddiard, or ‘Wilma Ballsdrop’ was undeniably the star of the show. Almost offensively confident, Wilma was a stunning Southern Belle of questionable gender and orientation who kept the audience laughing throughout the show. The plotline was intended as a spoof of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, but this was not entirely successful. Over-complications led to some strange scenes, and I’m still not entirely sure why Charlie Sheen made an entrance, but there were some clever twists and jokes that saved the overall plotline of the show.
After their presentation you will have the chance to ask your questions over a few drinks. The event is open to all Swansea student journalists, whether you’re involved in the Waterfront, Xtreme Radio, write a blog or just aspire to get involved.
4
‘Slow White and the Seven Hoodies’ featured a gang of miscreants who helped the beautiful Slow White defeat her evil stepmother so she could truly be the ‘brainiest of them all’.
Performances were good but quiet from most of the
JC’s Open Mic Night
31st Jan @ 7.30pm in Coffee Side JCs
The ever popular Open Mic Night returns from its Christmas break on the 31st of January as part of the Give It A Go week. Featuring singers, musicians and anyone who wants to try it!
Top stand-ups 3. Ted Shiress Ted was a previous finalist of Welsh Unsigned Act of the year and was on very good form. His precise and emphasised jokes went down well but required a lot of attention to understand the jokes fully. His joke about hitting his head was the pick of the bunch, “I must be concussed, I usually have standards.” (7/10) 2. Sarah Bridgeman Sarah really raised the level of the show with her performance, playing on her lack of university education. Her relatable lifestyle brought the audience in with ease. The mentions of her ginger cat and her anti-Christmas songs being the highlights. (9/10) 1. Dave Parton Dave Parton took the stage as the headline act; he was very good and worth seeing if you ever get the chance. His best moments included some gentle ribbing of Swansea Met and a geeky joke about the Macbook Air. “SMU that’s the grades you have to have to get in isn’t it?” (10/10) Summary: Your “outer defences” might never get breached as the performers suggested but your funny bone will be tickled a lot by this show.
cast, and direction seemed to be strong throughout. Close-to-the-bone jokes, normally featuring SU staff, are a hallmark of Shoreline shows, and there was no exception here. Tongues here pushed through cheek, but I’m told there was a mistake on the day, and the intention was not the result. There can certainly be call for sensitivity, but we must continue to allow our societies to challenge where they feel appropriate. Shoreline continues to go from strength to strength and are still a society to watch this year.
If I can do it, you can!
Cooking for the culinary challenged by Megan Gullam
S
TUDENTS generally have a bad reputation for cooking. Lazy, budget and junk food are words thrown around quite a bit. I feel that my infamously bad cooking skills are adding to the stereotype. So, in a final bid to better my culinary expertise I have decided to tackle two of the most popular and basic student dishes.
Then you can add butter, cheese, baked beans, curry, whatever you fancy really. In theory you could survive on this knowledge alone throughout your years at uni. Spagbol – the perfect house meal What you’ll need: Olive oil 500g beef mince 1 onion, peeled and chopped 250g chopped mushrooms Carton of tomato passata 400g spaghetti
The perfect jacket potato What you’ll need: A spud Olive/Vegetable oil Any fillings – butter, cheese etc
I have never baked a jacket potato before. I know, that’s awful isn’t it? But this week I bit the bullet. Ok, yes I had to ask what to do, and may have looked on the internet for instructions, but it doesn’t matter, I have found the secret to the perfect jacket potato. First, find a handsome looking spud. If it’s a bit dirty, run it under the tap and scrub it gently with a kitchen towel to get it clean and ready for cooking. Next stab it with a fork... a lot, before rubbing it all over with some vegetable or olive oil. This will make it nice and crispy later! Then stick in the microwave for 4 minutes and wait for the ping. A lot of people will just leave it in the microwave, but on my quest to find the perfect jacket potato I discovered that putting it in the oven makes it much nicer. So then place the potato on a baking tray and put in the oven for half an hour at about 200 degrees Celcius (Gas Mark 6). When your jacket potato looks and feels ready, this means crispy not burnt, cut a cross in the top of the potato and then squeeze it.
This is the perfect meal to cook as a house because you can share all the ingredients and it’s easy to dish up. The ingredients here are for four people, so add more depending on how many people you are cooking for. You need to brown your mince off in a frying pan, which literally means fry it until it changes from red to brown, and then drain the fat. Add your chopped onion and mushrooms and stir into the meat until they get soft. At this point you can put in any herbs you have lying around in the kitchen, like basil or mixed herbs. Pour in your tomato passata, season it with as much salt and pepper as you want and then mix it all in. Leave it for about 25 minutes with the occasional stirring to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan. About 10 minutes before you want to serve your spagbol, you need to cook the spaghetti. Add all of it into a large saucepan of boiling water. Then when the spaghetti is soft and the Bolognese smells good, dish up for everyone! The last important step is to eat your lovely meal and leave the washing up for your grateful housemates.
travel 35
societies 32 - 33
careers 31
tv & culture 29
gadgets 28
games 28
film 27
music 26
food 25
front row 24
fashion 18 & 23
25
features 16 - 17
food
January 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk
The Diet Diary Jazz Dicker writes about her battle with her diet over the festive period
Dieting and trying to lose weight over Christmas proved difficult. During the Xmas holidays people like to eat and go out for drinks with friends and family. And I did a lot of this. To me, this is what Christmas is all about; so why should I not? At first, I tried really hard not to cave in, and by Christmas Eve I had near enough eaten a whole tin – one of the massive ones - of Quality Street. However, miraculously, I have managed to stay the same weight. I am exactly the same weight as I was before the Christmas period started. My secret is keeping active. It is so easy to just laze around and watch films all day during Christmas; Home Alone, Love Actually and all of the Christmas classics are on! But I believe it is also massively important to stay active and keep doing the exercise. I kept going for runs, but made them fun so I didn’t feel like I was ruining the Christmas spirit. For example, I dragged my friend Joe out with me to go running and went to lots of different places where I had never been running before. Now I’m back at university and the dreaded exams are over, I am totally back on track with my diet. During exams, everyone seems to eat strangely due to stress. I am a big believer of just letting this happen as we need to keep totally focused on passing. However, with this out of the way, I am back to eating three healthy meals a day and I feel great for it. New Year’s resolutions are always made, and according to a survey taken, over 75% are broken within the first week. It is important to set goals and keep motivated.
Restaurant Review: Pub On The Pond AFTER a hard morning’s work, the co-sports editors and interns at the Waterfront joined me in visiting the Pub on the Pond restaurant for a spot of lunch, writes Jon May. Located just off campus, past the Margam building on the far west side of campus, the pub is an ideal spot for a quick bite to eat as well as those looking to get more value for money in the wake of the recent price hikes from Campus Catering. We were enticed by the Lunch Club meal offer, available from Monday to Friday midday to 4pm for a two course meal and a drink for just £5.49! A few of the group were a bit suspicious that you could get so much for so little but were in for a treat. After ordering food at the bar (and forgetting the table number, followed by a loud conversation with
the rest of the group across the pub as to what it was) we were served very promptly and whilst the portions could have been that little bit bigger and the lunch club menu was a little restricting, there were the classics such as burgers, scampi and gammon steak. The two American placement students were introduced to the idea of profiteroles (small choux pastry if you didn’t know!) and were amazed to receive free packets of ketchup, compared to the 12p charge levied by on-campus food outlets. Whilst obviously not the finest cuisine, for the price it was certainly more than satisfactory and I spend most of the afternoon reading the paper lying on the sofa, filled to the brim with scampi and strawberry ice-cream.
Overall, a great location, friendly staff, good food and most importantly amazing value. 4/5 stars
music
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Going for the record - In ST yle
2012: The Digital Music Revolution O
NCE upon a time, CDs were the be all and end all of the music production industry and an iPod was unheard of. Nowadays, who hasn’t got an iPod and MP3s? It is a basic item we find in our satchels, a necessity for those like me who cannot think of travelling to university without it. We update these little gadgets all the time to satisfy our ears, but what happened to the walkman, the CD or vinyl? Some music labels have recently announced that they will stop producing the CD format by late 2012, as most people tend to buy their music online, saving money and time. CD players will become dust bunnies and the only places to get CDs will be on Amazon, or second hand from eBay. Shops that depend on the production of CDs will decline. Proof of this decline is HMV, which has already suffered a severe plummet in sales; this Christmas alone saw an 8.2% drop in sales. Reporter Joeseph Plambeck wrote in the New York Times that since the Millennium – when CD sales were at their height – CD sales have halved in recent years.
Photo By Alex Gibbs
By Alex Gibbs It is not just music downloading that affects the music industry, but music streaming websites like Spotify, we7 and YouTube that allow us to listen to music for free. A digital music library online allows listeners to tune into songs without having to download or buy the CD. The internet seems to be stealing customers from national and independent CD sellers; forcing society into a digital music revolution. Truth be told, the MP3 player and online streaming sources are convenient. All your songs are in one place and pressing a button enables you to play your favourite songs. However, I don’t want to see the CD format vanish; it is an entity of musical brilliance, it is a singer’s physical evidence of the hard work they put in, it is a classic. Plus the sound quality on a CD is far superior to the sound of the compressed MP3 format. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen music production change, there once was vinyl, then the tape arrived and when CDs came along, we adapted. But are we ready to abandon the CD format and move onto a digital music revolution?
Do you think a band or genre should be featured? E-mail us at waterfrontmusic@swansea-union.co.uk
albums
singles
Howler
Drake
Howler have achieved a fresh take on American Rock ‘n’ Roll, writes Alex Gibbs. Packed with US 50s guitar riffs and an essence of garage and surf rock; Howler echoes The Vaccines. Their Minnesotan rock ‘n’ roll roots are prominent in ‘America’, whilst ‘Too Much Blood’ has a mellower approach with Gatesmith’s morose, husky tongue. The album exudes its raw attitude with a clash of raspy vocals and intense yet eclectic set of guitar strums. With upbeat rhythms and enthusiasm, ‘Black Lagoon’ and ‘Wailing‘ make anyone bob their head like a nodding dog. A definite summer soundtrack.
After her collaborations with Nicki Minaj to Coldplay, yet another Rihanna appearance is becoming increasingly conventional for musicians with highcharting ambitions, writes Rich Willetts. The sight of such a collaboration doesn’t give the song or the duo the credibility they deserve. With a throbbing drum beat which gravitates the song’s rhythm to a dramatic and energetic immediacy, ‘Take care’ is an anthem for club loneliness and longing. The lyrics are beautifully tender and emotionally genuine. Drake has crafted a pop single with his artistic integrity intact.
America Give Up
James Vincent McMorrow Early in The Morning
Bon Iver fans will appreciate McMorrow; a sound filled with warmth and homeliness, but with epic, soulful turns of melody, writes Ophelia Strange. Whilst he’s not amongst this joyous but vulgarly-named ‘nu-folk’ scene; McMorrow is a fine example of the music some of us will build lifelong soundtracks around. Songs like ‘Higher Love’ are a gentle remedy to the youthful angst we students are familiar with. Then again, ‘We Don’t Eat’ presents his maturity on an inspirational, but not intimidating level. He marries musky harmonies, guitars and unimposing percussion with great skill. This album is gorgeous; truly aurally indulgent music.
Civil Wars
Barton Hallow Nashville duo’s first offering ‘Barton Hallow’ offers a delicious taste of Southern-Gothic folk, writes Heather Cartwright. A subtle backdrop of strings allows wistful lyrics to take centre stage, demonstrating the duo’s palpable passion in each song. Title track ‘Barton Hallow’ differs from the album’s mellow tone, adopting a rollicking country style. A Jackson 5 cover of ‘I Want You Back’ breathes a gust of unpretentious life into this pop classic. A smouldering rendition of Cohen’s ‘Dance Me to the End of Love’, maintains a brokenly beautiful sound which I hope will continue in the future.
Take Care (Featuring Rihanna)
Feeder Borders
‘Borders’: The first single to be released from Feeder’s upcoming album ‘Generation Freakshow’, boasts a great sing-along chorus, whilst being enhanced by an impressively energetic guitar rhythm, writes Daniel Clifford. Essentially, ‘Borders’ combines all the trademark qualities that Feeder demonstrates remarkably in classics ‘Buck Rogers’ and ‘Lost and Found’; which makes for an impressive sound and lyrics that will stick in your head for days. Feeder tries to reinvent themselves on every album, and if ‘Borders’ is anything to go by, then ‘Generation Freakshow’ should be the album to rival previous
Various Cruelties Chemicals
Debut ‘Chemicals’ is a guitar-soaked soulful song filled with catchy lyrics that make it a promising listen, writes Callum Walters. Frontman O’Donnell has the familiar indie twang in his voice, but delivers a great vocal here which doesn’t sound like every other London-based indie group. This band’s sound is intriguing and with any luck, Various Cruelties will hopefully follow up this inspiring song with upcoming records in a similar vein. Just think old Arctic Monkey’s with a less hard edged sound and a higher importance of melody.
Film in 2012
With each new year comes a new (or even remade) batch of films. Andy Williams looks to the year ahead. The Woman in Black Giving Daniel Radcliffe a new direction following the completion of the Harry Potter films, The Woman in Black tells the tale of a ghost terrorising locals in a remote village. Released: February 10th The Raven
Tommy Lee Jones 10 years after the last outing may seem bold. However, we will see Smith’s Agent J go back in time and meet Jones’s K as a younger man (played by Josh Brolin). With both leads returning – as well as director Barry Sonnenfeld, this could give Smith his first hit film since 2008’s Hancock. Released: May 25th Prometheus A prequel to Scott’s own 1979 hit Alien, Ridley Scott returns to tell the tale of a team of explorers looking for clues as to the beginning of man, then facing a fight to save humanity. Starring Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson and Idris Elba, this future-set prequel makes big promises. Released: June 1st
No, not the bit in The Simpsons, this fictionalised version of the last days of poet Edgar Allen Poe’s life gives John Cusack a starring role. Given Cusack’s effortless charm, endless watchability and the narrative’s interesting take on detective drama, this is one to look out for. Released: March 9th Wrath of the Titans A sequel to 2010’s Clash of the Titans, Wrath continues the story of a film that nobody saw in a sequel that nobody asked for. Boasting an impressive cast of Liam Neeson, Sam Worthington, Rosamond Pike and Bill Nighy, hopefully this can succeed where its predecessor did not. Released: March 30th American Reunion After a plethora of straight-to-video spin offs, the original cast of the first three American Pie films reunite in their high school reunion. We can expect all the usual and most likely an appearance from Stifler’s Mom. You either cannot wait for this or its impending arrival saddens you greatly. Released: April 6th The Avengers A film that has been building for the past 5 years incorporating characters such as Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk and Captain America, it definitely promises spectacle. One just hopes that it is not a flop; with the directorial talents of Buffy’s creator Joss Whedon it seems unlikely. Released: April 27th Men in Black 3 Bringing back both Will Smith and
Rock of Ages
Following the runaway success of Mamma Mia!, Rock of Ages is another jukebox musical that uses 80s power rock to tell the love story of Drew and Sherry as their love faces challenges. Given its success on Broadway, this has the potential to be the runaway musical hit of the year. Released: June 1st The Amazing Spiderman
Facing a reboot only a decade after the original, The Amazing Spiderman is directed by Marc Webb (of (500) Days of Summer fame) and stars upcoming British actor Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as the hero. Although little is known about plot details, this promises to be a hit. Released: July 4th
travel 35
societies 32 - 33
careers 31
tv & culture 29
gadgets 28
games 28
film 27
music 26
food 25
front row 24
fashion 18 & 23
27
features 16 - 17
film
January 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk
reviews Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol
By Luke Davis
No backup, no extraction and limited tech for Ethan Hunt’s newly assembled team. They are linked to an explosion within the Kremlin, Russia, and throughout the film they try to prove their innocence and who the real villain is. Director Brad Bird’s film definitely has a different feel to it compared to the earlier Mission Impossibles, the action is gutsier, the injuries are more fatal and the plan is more impossible. The latter may be a dramatic consequence of the plot i.e. the IMF (Impossible Mission Force) has been shut down by the president and the team is literally fending for themselves. This adds a new layer of enjoyment to the film as you have this thought that if they fail, they have no extra agents - hence they all fail. Cruise’s Ethan Hunt has now aged as a character, though more psychologically than physically, and this carries weight throughout the film. He does what he does best but with less invincibility. Ethan and his team are taken to corners of the globe in a film that combines sublime feats, professional filmmaking and excellent characters and all out action. Avoiding this blast of a movie is a mission impossible.
War Horse
By Andy Williams
From director Steven Spielberg, War Horse tells the story of a young boy who raises a horse that is sent to be a war horse in the First World War. The film’s focus on the relationship between man and beast takes it in a very episodic way from the plains of Dartmoor, Devon to the unforgiving trenches of World War I. Looking back at the career at Spielberg, it is clear that family films with high emotion are clearly what he excels at (e.g. ET), so with this adaptation of a stage play (which itself is an adaptation of a novel) he should feel right at home. Each layer of the film’s story is carefully constructed and designed to provoke an emotional reaction from the audience. It is on this level that the film succeeds and provides a great piece of cinematic entertainment. However, the scenes of war look simply like any war film since Spielberg’s own Saving Private Ryan. The narrative holds while audiences are once again shown battle sequences that the film could quite simply do without. As unimaginable as it may seem, the real star of the show is the horse Joey. That is not to say that there is not a plethora of British acting talent on show. Peter Mullan, David Thewlis, Eddie Marsan and Benedict Cumberbatch all give great performances in their respective episodes of the film. Overall, the film lingers in the memory as a whole-hearted family orientated piece of cinema that is beautifully shot over the Devon plains and ultimately about the relationship between man and beast. The Dark Knight Rises The final chapter in the Batman series for director Christopher Nolan sees Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne/ Batman being forced to resurface to tackle the new enemy in town, a terrorist leader known as Bane (played by Tom Hardy). After the triumph of the first two, one can only hope that Nolan’s final entry into the Batman saga will be equally as memorable. Released: July 20th Brave Pixar’s first foray into fairy-tales looks visually impressive already, coupled with the story-telling techniques that Pixar is famed for, Brave looks an early contender for animation of the year. Featuring the voices of Kelly MacDonald, Robbie Coltrane and Billy Connolly (the film is set in Scotland), Brave looks to take the conventions of a fairy tale but knowing Pixar, they’ll play about a little bit. .Released: August 17th Skyfall Since the mediocre Quantum of Solace, Bond fans have been eagerly waiting for another installment
into the legendary franchise. Come October, the wait will be over. Daniel Craig is back as Bond with Judi Dench returning as M. With Oscar winner Sam Mendes in the director’s chair, this could be the best Bond yet. Released: October 26th The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Taking the story of Tolkien’s book, Martin Freeman (of Sherlock and The Office fame) plays Bilbo Baggins on a journey to a lonely mountain with a gang of dwarves to find a treasure taken from them by a dragon. Directed by Peter Jackson, the film will hopefully stand up with The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Released: December 14th Life of Pi From director of Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee, comes the story of Pi Patel who is stranded after his zookeeper father plans to move his family to Canada and the ship he is aboard ends up wrecked. Based on a bestselling novel, Life of Pi could possibly be one of the most magical adventures seen on screen all year. Released December 21st
gadgets
everything technical. everything student. By RICHARD COWIE
New Tech
spotlight
E
VERY year the technology industry descends on the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to show off their new tech and view the competition for the coming year. Apple were notable in their absence, likely preparing for the release for the successor to iPad 2, which allowed for other companies to show new tablets coming out this year. Acer announced the Iconia Tab A700, one of the first tablets to run the new Google Android operating system 4.0 AKA Ice cream sandwich. The Iconia Tab packs an impressive quad core processor which is a first in a tablet device. Also unveiled were a raft of new set of next-generation mobile phones, all ready for the 4G mobile networks which will allow users to download data at a
much faster rate. Already in the US, they are planned for the UK in the next few years. Sony unveiled the Xperia S which has a very sharp HD display to view the stunning pictures its 12 megapixel camera takes. The Xperia S also runs Android 4.0. Nokia continued its return to the smartphone market with an addition to its mobile range. The Lumia 900 is an upgraded version of the Lumia 800, with a better camera and 4G connectivity. All in all CES, showed that 2012 should be great year for gadgets.
There has been a lot of coverage lately about two bills in the US which are causing controversy, but what actually are they? SOPA (Stop Online Privacy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) are being lobbied to US Senate to prevent the spread of online piracy such as illegal file sharing of music or films. The criticism for the acts is mainly because it would give the US government the ability to shut down any website suspected of piracy. This has been likened to censorship and restriction of freedom of expression. In opposition, Google collected a 7m name petition and Wikipedia shut down for a day. As a result, the US has now promised to think again.
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music Virgin Teams Up With Spotify Internet provider Virgin Media has announced a partnership with popular music streaming service Spotify. The deal means that students signing a new contract for a 30Mbs+ internet connection will be given six months free access to Spotify’s premium service. Users can enjoy using a library of around 15m songs without adverts.
privacy Fears For Online Safety A survey carried out by YouGov for the Information Commissioner’s Office showed that 42% of students surveyed were worried that the details they shared on Facebook and other social networking sites could affect future employment. A survey carried out by Which? showed 48% couldn’t keep up with constant flow of privacy changes on the social networking site.
Doyou youwant wanttotoput putaagadget gadgetororgame gameininthe thespotlight? spotlight?Email Emailwaterfrontgadgets@swansea-union.co.uk waterfrontgadgets@swansea-union.co.uk Do
games
Mozart Warfare: The Art of Gaming Music
M
USIC and soundtrack production is perhaps one of the most important and involving parts of games today, despite it usually being mentioned as an afterthought, writes Ben Rogers. During the industry’s infancy, game music was simple. It consisted of a catchy series of beeps and zany noises (mainly because there wasn’t enough memory for big orchestral awesomeness). Just look at the Mario theme from the N64 Mario Land, one we immediately identify with Mario. Game music tends to stick with the traditional use of music in films. Just like Darth Vader’s Imperial March theme, we tend to recognize character themes very quickly, even if we aren’t great fans
of the game itself. The music acts as a stamp, letting you know what game character or franchise you just booted up. Imagine popping on Pokemon, Uncharted, Assassins Creed, Halo or any other big name production series nowadays and missing out on the unique musical sting, that one you end up humming to yourself when you imagine the title screen. Of course, it’s not just the title music that supports the game but the soundtrack, too. Would going toe to toe with Zeus at the end of God of War 3 feel as epic without the brutal choral chants welling up from your speakers? Would ramming your sword into a dragon’s face taste as good without the inspiring main theme ‘Sons of Skyrim’ rumbling
along with every blow? Would blasting your way through a headcrab zombie horde in Half Life 2 seem nearly as fun without heavy, thumping bass tones? No, I say. Those painstakingly crafted musical scores are written with the knowledge that they will push up the gameplay to a new level. Without great musical scores, maybe Half Life 2 (including the Episodes), Portal, Skyrim, Uncharted, Deus Ex, God of War, Mass Effect and many others would feel a little more empty. Almost like the developers missed the icing on the cake. These games all have inspirational and beautifully crafted pieces of music that any player can’t help but love. Big-name professionals are now also contributing to the industry. Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, The Dark Knight, Inception) was responsible for the music behind Modern Warfare 3. Greg Edmonson (of Firefly fame) constructed a wonderful and heart-pounding soundtrack for the Uncharted Series. Orchestras around the world such as the Eminence Symphony Orchestra delight by playing iconic pieces of gaming music, such the main Zelda Theme, Final Fantasy VII’s One Winged Angel and Shadow of The Colossus’s The Opened Way. This list is by no means exhaustive. People can probably think of many examples that I have missed. For such a largely unrecognized area of gaming, it’s something we can all relate to.
SW:TOR: Too Early To Judge A GROUP of friends have made a guild on Star Wars: The Old Republic, and are making their way through the content available. They’ve brought up a few issues. One of the most prolific is the huge PvP imbalance and latency issues. At first, the Empire were absolutely demolishing the Republic in every fight because there were far fewer players with the latter faction. This was fixed. Factions are now taking turns to kill each other for the purpose of farming valor (which is used to buy high-end PvP gear). Obviously, this is not how BioWare intended players to fight each other. This is a perfect example of the ‘crunch period’ in MMOs. Every MMO has it. World of Warcraft had serious balance issues with specific classes (World of Roguecraft, anyone?). SW:TOR is no different. The people who are leaving in droves citing the game’s flaws seem quite thankless. The same happened with WoW, even recently with the announcement of the latest expansion, Mists of Pandaria. I admit I have not played the game much. My laptop is rubbish, and I had to use my friend’s PC to get to level 10. However, it is far too soon to write off this game. It’s an ambitious mix of voice acting, plot and more standard MMO staples. For it to be dismissed for initial oversights on its premature PvP system would be lamentable. Matthew Edwards
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societies 32 - 33
careers 31
tv & culture 29
gadgets 28
games 28
film 27
music 26
food 25
front row 24
fashion 18 & 23
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tv & culture
January 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk
Televisual Tensions: American Vs. British I
N many ways there are a lot of similarities between American and British television, writes American exchange student Allie Manasco. For instance, the rise in popularity of Reality TV has been a trend plaguing both nations. Six of Britain’s Top 20 broadcasts of 2011 were contest-based reality shows or just reality shows in general. These types of shows continue to be outrageously popular in the US. We’ll see your Geordie Shore and raise you The Jersey Shore. That being said there are some differences in the two formats. Though each episode is approximately the same length, the commercial format is different in America than in the UK. In comedy programmes, which usually last half an hour, there is approximately 20-22 minutes of content from the show, with three commercial breaks lasting 3-4 minutes. In an hour show there is usually 40-43 minutes of content with
5-6 commercial breaks lasting 3-5 minutes. Whereas the UK has the BBC which only shows adverts of its own future programming, and other channels average less commercials than America. There also appears to be a fascination with each other’s programmes. My friends and I back home are
Cooking Doesn’t Get Any Tougher Than This!
The contest format is a simple one, chefs competing for the prize of ‘Masterchef’ over the course of the series, writes Craig Hadley. With the expertise of Gregg Wallace and John Torode
there to critique and praise the contestants the show continues to attract millions of viewers as the chaos unfolds. Be prepared for meltdowns in the kitchen as the pressure pushes the chefs to their limits and beyond. The previous series attracted an audience of 8.6 million for last year’s final in which the show crowned its youngest ever champion, Tim Anderson, 24.
Writing For Pleasure THOUGH a popular cliché, haven’t we all at some point upon reading a novel, a poem or a short story thought to ourselves - I could have written something like this, or something better? Perhaps you have had a set of characters or a narrative that you’ve always wanted to bring to life in writing? Writing for pleasure is something that is seldom talked about, writes Michael Samuel. Swansea has inspired many writings, including the heavily popularised Dylan Thomas. The influence of campus life generally has encouraged numerous authors, notably Bret Easton Ellis, who
obsessed with Doctor Who, Sherlock, Mongrels and Misfits. Likewise, I’ve heard anecdotal evidence about Britain’s fascination with The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, and Friends. There are, however, differences in trends in the two countries’ TV trends. Britain’s longest running soaps remain extremely popular. Coronation Street and East Enders remain among the most popular shows in the UK, whereas, the era of soaps is dying in America. Ratings continue to be on the downward spiral, and two of the longest running soaps, All My Children (which had been on the air since 1970) and One Life to Live (which has been on the air since 1968) were both cancelled last year. Whatever the differences or similarities in trends in the UK and US, we can take comfort in the fact that we all seem to have an appreciation for the telly.
Front! Editors Pick Their TV Series to Watch Modern Family A three season show takes a brilliantly satirical, infinitely quotable and wonderfully unique variation on the stale sitcom formula - Michael Samuel The Big Bang Theory A show with geek references galore and hilarious character chemistry that proves why smart really is ‘the new sexy’ - Esther Wright
Cultures Clash: UK Vs. USA
developed his first novel Less Than Zero in his early 20s whilst at university and based his subsequent novel Rules of Attraction on campus life. Check out Jottify (www.jottify.com) a social network concentrated toward writers. Unite, write, share and even sell your short stories, poems or novels. Front! Culture is hereby giving you writers out there a chance to showcase your short stories or poems in the newspaper, as well as on our website. Get your words out there! Email us at waterfrontculture@ swansea-union.co.uk
Give Your Review On The Best TV WITH the launch of Front!’s television section, we would really love to get an idea of what programmes are sweeping the campus, writes Michael Samuel. If you have a series that you feel every student at Swansea University should watch, whether it be the generational E4 dosage of Scrubs or How I Met Your Mother, to the BBC’s Sherlock, have your say here! Just e-mail us at waterfrontculture@swansea-union.co.uk
HALEY Paskalides, 20, is studying at Swansea University this term, writes Allie Manasco. Originally from Maryland, she goes to University in North Carolina and has enjoyed her time here. “I think my experience so far has been really great,” she said. “I’m really loving it.” So far the greatest part of her experience has been the hospitality shown by other students, particularly her flatmates. “I didn’t expect my flatmates to be as nice to me as they are. They have been really accepting and trusting.” Haley comments that this is one of the differences in cultures she has
encountered so far. “From my experience, Americans are a lot less trusting than everyone here. You have to earn their trust.” Haley said her flatmates were really helpful despite only knowing her for a short time. Aside from the hospitality, the drinking culture has provided the biggest shock in Haley’s experience. Haley said that first years here are a lot more mature than in America. “They know how to pace themselves. I think there are a lot less trips to the hospital.” She goes onto say that the social aspect of drinking is similar in both cultures. “The freshmen definitely like to go out and do the same types of things,” she said, “they’re just more relaxed here.” She credits the younger drinking age (21 in the US) to explain the differences, saying she prefers the law here. “From what I’ve seen so far, it is a lot better that they can drink at 18,” she said, cracking a smile. “I think the drinking age should be lower in the US.”
Network your way to a job
L
ATERAL thinking, the ability to think creatively ‘outside the box’, is one of the high-level skills that graduate employers look for, writes Jo Davies. So you can give your job search an edge if you’re pro-active, tap into your networks to discover opportunities and make speculative applications. In fact, a great many jobs are not advertised. Advertising can be expensive, advertisements often attract more applications than employers can cope with, and they may already receive quite a few speculative applications that provide a ready-made talent pool. Useful websites for creative job hunting • Careers and Employability Service: www.swansea.ac.uk/careers/ Jobsearchskills/NetworkingCreativeJobSearch/ • Graduate Prospects: • www.prospects.ac.uk/networking.htm • www.prospects.ac.uk/speculative_job_ applications.htm People networks You could start by talking to family and friends doing jobs that interest you. You could then move on to requesting information interviews with professionals working in the fields that you want to explore and people responsible for graduate recruitment in organisations that you might like to work for. Information interviews are good for your confidence, interview skills, gathering varied opinions and points of view, extending your network, getting a chance to see the working environment, and finding out about routes into jobs. Careers fairs and events, here at Swansea University and elsewhere, are important networking opportunities too. See the events page of our website at www. swansea.ac.uk/careers/careerstalksevents/ and details of careers fairs on the Graduate Prospects website at www.prospects. ac.uk under the ‘Careers advice’ menu. First impressions count, so do some preparation beforehand – e.g. research employers who will be attending, be ready
with relevant questions, have copies of your up-to-date CV with you and prepare an “elevator pitch” so that you’re ready to describe concisely and effectively what you have to offer. It’s also wise to check the dress code for the event. You can network while you’re doing work experience - take opportunities to gather information and ideas from other colleagues during part-time jobs, internships, voluntary work etc. Contact professional bodies and associations relevant to your degree discipline and career interests. They can advise on further professional study and training, and often have student members’ groups; here’s where to find them: • Visit the Graduate Prospects website at www.prospects.ac.uk and click on ‘Options with your subject’ under the ‘Careers advice’ menu. Here you will find degree subject profiles that include a ‘Contacts and resources’ section. • Also at www.prospects.ac.uk, look at ‘Types of jobs’ under ‘Jobs and work experience’. • Visit www.totalprofessions.com to find out how membership of a professional body can improve and support your career aspirations. LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com LinkedIn is a networking site with a career/professional focus; it’s all about: • Creating a professional profile and developing your ‘brand’. (Make your profile public so you can be found, keep it up to date and use your public profile URL in your email signature and CV.) • Sharing professional insights and researching profiles of members in employment sectors that interest you. • Tapping into and extending your network to find business contacts and career opportunities, and to help and support your contacts as well. • Increasing the visibility of your portfolio of experience in a world where mobility is increasing, employment contracts are often short-term, and employers research potential candidates online.
LinkedIn includes a Students and Recent Grads group designed to provide advice on ways to network your way to a job in tough economic times; visit the LinkedIn Learning Center at http://learn.linkedin. com/students/ to help you get started. Whatever online networking platforms you use, think carefully about the information you publish about yourself, your personal security and the public image that you want to project. Be aware that some recruiters may compare what you put in a CV or application form with your online profile. Employers’ websites Employers’ recruitment web pages often have interactive features so that you can network with them. For example, PWC’s UK Student careers web page at www. pwc.com/uk/en/careers/student/ has a link to an Interactive Zone where you can: • Ask questions • Take an interactive career opportunities tour to help you decide which would be the best way to start a career with PwC • Experience a virtual week at PwC Swansea’s Alumni Association On graduating you will automatically become a member of the Alumni Association, a constantly growing network of Swansea University graduates who can support you professionally and socially around the world. By registering - free of charge – on the Alumni Association web pages at www.swansea.ac.uk/alumni/ you will be able to join or set up a Chapter based on the subject you studied or in your region, and communicate with likeminded graduates. You can also stay in touch via Facebook and Twitter – see links and contact information at www.swansea. ac.uk/alumni/stay-connected/. Make use of the Careers and Employability Service. Remember, we’re part of your network too! Find us at www. swansea.ac.uk/careers.
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societies 32 - 33
careers 31
tv & culture 29
gadgets 28
games 28
film 27
music 26
food 25
front row 24
fashion 18 & 23
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January 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk
GradIntel Goes Live This Week GRADINTEL is the new system operated by Swansea University to help students become more employable and attractive to future employers, writes Jon May. In the launch lecture last Tuesday, it was announced by Huw Morris, the Academic Registrar, that this will improve the student graduate employment, which currently stands at 65.6% of Swansea students getting a graduate level job within six months of leaving. Mr Morris went on to say that the low employment rating was due to students wanting to stay in Swansea and “taking a lower paid job just to do so”. The new system will be a document handed to all students upon graduating. It will include grades for all modules taken, the learning outcome of the chosen degree, and including any extracurricular sports or activities. Swansea University’s Students’ Union kicked off the launch day with the announcement of its participation in the NUS Pilot programme “Student Skills Award”, picking two leading and active people working in each of the Union’s departments. The NUS Award would then be added to the new UK-wide initiative Higher Education Achievement Record (HEAR), set to replace the EU-wide Diploma Supplement. The idea of the transition is to give a prospective employer a better insight to you as a person and using GradIntel can prove your numeric, literacy and verbal communication skills. This means headhunters will be quite literally picking the best person for the job, based solely on your skills. It will only be available to students pursuing an award at Swansea University, excluding Erasmus and international placement students. With the standard changing to one only recently adopted in Britain, those wanting to work outside the UK might be worse off. Rebecca Collier, President of the Students in Free Enterprise Society at the Regents College London University, with a predominately international-student base said: “It would damage the opportunities for students studying in the UK who may want to pursue careers abroad. Only half of the UK Universities have taken it up and other countries are not currently interested.” All final year students will be receiving an email in the coming week or two and are advised to activate their GradIntel accounts to allow employers to search for them and widen the net of work.
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E n h a n c e yo u r s t u d e n t e x p e r i e n c e
Monday 30th Tuesday 31st Wednesday 1st Be A Champion Tea Party Venue: JCs Time: 9:30- 11am RAG Raiding Venue: Outside Fulton House, Time: 11am
Musicians Society Open taster session Venue: Café West Time: 6-8pm Choral Society Open taster session Venue: Chaplaincy Time: 6-8pm Tae Kwon Doe Venue: Pavillion Gym Time: 6:30-8pm Lifesaving Venue: Welsh National Pool Time: 6:45-8pm
Bioscience - Create a Bioscience Movie Venue: Divas, Time: 2pm Chinese Lanterns Mental Wealth Society Venue: Front of Fulton House Time: 5pm Choral Society Open Taster Session Venue: Chaplaincy (Fulton House) Time: 6-8pm St. John Links ‘How to Save a Life Night’ Venue: Lecture Room 4, Fulton House Time: 7pm Drama - Commedia Dell’Arte Mask Workshop Venue: Dining Room Time: 7-10pm History Society ‘A Crawl Through History’ historical pub crawl Venue: JCs, Time: 7.30pm
LGBT+ Pub Quiz Venue: Lecture Room 4 Time: 7.30-11pm The Dance Society’s classes are all free throughout the week. Timetables are available on the society’s facebook page. Search Swansea University Dance Society
Psyke Night - Movie/Pizza Venue: Kier Hardie 248 Time: 7pm
Kickboxing Venue: Lecture Room 2 Time: Afternoon Real Life Cluedo Law Society Time: 2-4pm Venue: Divas Kitesurfing Venue: Swansea Beach Meet at Fulton House Time: 1:30pm, Cost: £5 Lacrosse Venue: Singleton Park Meet at Fulton House Time: 1:45pm Ultimate Frisbee Venue: Singleton Park 2pm Fencing Venue: Pavillion Gym 2-5pm Xtreme Venue: Xtreme Lounge Time: 4-6pm Student Media Venue: JCs Coffee Side Time: 5pm
American Studies Slumber Party Venue: Divas, Time: 6-10pm
Capoeira Venue: Dining Room A Time: 6-7pm
Wargaming Venue: Xtreme Lounge Time: 7-10.30pm
Sailing Venue: Revolution Time: 7pm Cost: £2
Hitch - A Hitch Story Venue: Dining Room A Time: 8-9pm Kayaking Venue: Welsh National Pool Time: 9-10pm, Cost: £1
Musicians do Lazerzone Time: 8pm Archery Venue: Sports Hall Time: 7-9pm Cost: £1.50
Thursday 2nd People & Planet Go Green Stall Venue: JCs Time: 12-1pm Build a Bubble Room Engineering Society Dining Room A Time: 2-4pm American Football Venue: Astro Time: 2pm Explore FIGS (languages) Venue: JCs Time: 8pm
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societies 32 - 33
careers 31
tv & culture 29
gadgets 28
games 28
film 27
music 26
food 25
front row 24
Basketball Venue: Sports Hall Time: 4pm Cost: £1.50 Badminton Venue: Sports Hall Time: 7-9pm Cost: £1.50
Saturday 4th Beer Pong for Beginners Venue: Divas Time: 7.30pm
Sunday 5th Cricket Venue: Sports Hall 12-2pm Cost: £1.50
Glee Club Open taster session Venue: Xtreme Lounge Time: 5-8.30pm
Comedy Club Time: 4-6pm Sketch and stand-up workshop Venue: Divas
Members of the Dance Society enjoying one of their regular social events
Go on, Give it a Go! What is Give it a Go Week? Give it a Go Week takes place from Monday, 30 January until Sunday, 5 February and it is replacing the Refreshers Fayre that normally takes place during this time. Refreshers Fayre isn’t normally very well attended and we thought this year we would try something new! Why should people Give it a Go? Your time at university will go incredibly quickly, so don’t miss out on the exciting and different activities that societies and sports clubs organise! During Give it a Go Week you can ‘try before you buy’ – have a go at that sport you always wanted to try or meet some new people at a society event. There is no obligation to join the club or society, but if you want to join you will be welcome to.
Debating Venue: Keir Hardie 248 Time: 6-9pm SSWIGS backwards cooking and campfire Venue: 44th Sketty Scout Hut (meet at Fulton House) Time: 7.30pm Criminology Soc Pub Quiz Venue: JCs Coffee Side Time: 7-10pm
fashion 18 & 23
Friday 3rd
Rowing Venue: Sports Hall Time: 5-6pm Cost: £1.50
Musicians Society Open taster session Venue: Café West Time: 6-8pm
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How do I sign up? There will be a stall at the front of Fulton House every weekday (Mon-Fri) during Give it a Go Week and on the Thursday and Friday before (26th and 27th) to find out more and to sign up to sessions. Otherwise, grab a sticker from one of our team – they can give you information or have a chat about which Give it a Go session would be fun for you to try! Jiu Jitsu, Pavilion Gym, Wednesday 1st, 5-7pm & Friday 3rd, 4.45-6.45pm
•Events are free unless otherwise stated
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careers 31
tv & culture 29
gadgets 28
games 28
film 27
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travel
January 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk
How my trip to the German Christmas markets cost me less than £100! When Jon May took a trip to Germany to visit friends he used every trick in the book to keep the costs down.
W
ITH EasyJet, I’d managed to bag a bargain for a return trip to Munich just before Christmas for just £65. Mind you, after the £12 credit card charge I was a bit dubious about how much this trip was really going to cost me. With a railcard, booking in advance and taking the most awkwardly-timed train to the airport, I managed to start the journey at a great price – Swansea to Gatwick for £8.60. That was the first 200 miles sorted at least. Once on the train heading to Gatwick Airport, it suddenly dawned on me why my travel had been so cheap. As I left Swansea behind in a big dark cloud of torrential rain, I realised I wouldn’t reach my destination for over 28 hours with a long wait in Gatwick. I was also faced with having to try and navigate the S-Bahn (overground trains) and the Regionalbahns (slower regional trains) all by myself.
Santa Claus The five hour layover at Gatwick was made infinitely more bearable by befriending an Australian student in the airport who opted, like me, for the super-cheap, but super-tiring 6am flights to Germany. A festive bit of wisdom she imparted to me was that Santa Claus was originally depicted in a green suit. It was only after Santa appeared in a Coca-Cola advert that his red suit started to catch on. Capitalism at its best, I suppose. After declining the £4 coffee on the flight, it all seemed to be over pretty quickly. Customs was a breeze although I did think the very stern Passportkontrolle office could have done with some festive tinsel or at least a Christmas carol on! There’s something I hate about German cash machines and that’s the fact they seem to prefer to dispense the highest denominations possible. I asked for 100 and was given two 50 euro notes. Useless for the train ticket machine, which would only accept fives and tens. After some stumbling through the language barrier, I managed to get myself to Munich Central Station. Twenty four platforms full of trains and bustling with people. Now, I do have to dispel a myth of German
efficiency in its public transport system – it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. After a 20 minute delay we got rolling heading to Augsburg, a lovely small city located about forty minute train ride away.
Gluhwein Greeted at my final destination by my friends from Swansea on their year abroad here, I was immediately shepherded to try the Gluhwein (mulled wine) and see the Christmas markets. The view was pretty impressive. The main central plaza outside the town hall (pictured above) had been converted into about six streets full of stands selling food, drink, trinkets and luxury decorations. The one that caught my eye after a long journey was half a metre of Bratwurst (a type of sausage) for less than five euros! It was certainly much appreciated after so long without a hot meal. A friendly student cafe/bar/restaurant just outside the University was our final stop before bed. The first order to
quench my thirst was a ‘Mass’ of beer. A litre of refreshing wheat beer came in the biggest beer glass I’ve ever seen. A trip to Munich was on the cards, so we made use of the “Bavaria Group Ticket” - up to 5 people can travel anywhere on any public transport for €29, meaning all that day’s travel cost about the same as a litre of beer – puts the pricing of our railways to shame!
Snow The snow fell thick and fast. In the space of a few short hours, the entire city of Munich was transformed into a magical, albeit slightly dangerous, vista. Whilst the Christmas atmosphere was definitely in the air, the temperature dropped well below freezing forcing crowds into the bustling pubs and Brauhauses. The journey back was marred by the bad weather. A thorough de-icing of the plane though and a wait on the tarmac later and it was Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland, Hello England.
Three more destinations that won’t break the bank FOR those of you who are starting to ponder where 2012 may take you, here are three up-and-coming destinations that won’t break the bank, writes Matthew Daniel Griffiths. 1.Jordan For many, the idea of going to the Middle East for a holiday sounds like a recipe for disaster. The media does its level best to portray the region as a hotbed of danger and strife. While this is true of certain parts, Jordan is certainly on the safe list, and with Easyjet now flying to Amman, it’s easy to get there. Buses run from Amman, the capital city, to Petra, undoubtedly the crown jewel of Jordan’s tourist sites, where you can see the ancient city made famous by the Indiana Jones films and spend the night camping with Bedouin. However, Jordan isn’t a one trick pony when it comes to sights; there’s a brilliantly preserved Roman theatre in Amman (entry costs £0.89, that’s £9 cheaper than entry to the Colosseum in Rome) and the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth where you can float with ease. Jordanian visas are available on entry for UK nationals and cost JD20. Easyjet runs flights to Amman from Gatwick.
2. Western Balkans This region is made up of the countries of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Here we have a whole region, within Europe, known for its low prices, which is almost completely unexplored. If clubbing is your thing, then look no further than Belgrade, capital of Serbia famous for its nightlife, from underground clubs to floating bars on the river. If a beach holiday is what you’re after then consider Saranda in Albania or Herceg Novi in Montenegro for beaches far quieter than you’d find across the borders in Greece and Croatia. And for the culture vultures at a loose end for what to do then I suggest Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has been described as a living museum. You can visit the spot where World War 1 began or see the world’s most valuable book (the Sarajevo Hagadah, valued at seven million dollars). And after that you can pick yourself up with a Turkish coffee in the cobbled old town, brilliantly reconstructed after the 90s civil war. Jat Airways run cheap flights from London to Serbia and BosniaHerzegovina.
3. Stockholm With the launch of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo remake there will certainly be more of a spotlight on the Swedish capital than ever before, and frankly, it deserves it. The city is made up of a collection of 14 islands, connected by bridges to each other, with 60% of the total city area given over to waterways and parks, making this some of the freshest air in Europe. You can lose yourself for hours in the beautifully maintained Gamla Stan (old town) which dates back in parts to the 14th century, wandering between the mazes of narrow streets. If in need of physical recreation then perhaps a swim in one of Stockholm’s collection of beaches is what the doctor ordered, the water being so clean that you can drink it (literally, the municipal authorities closely observe the cleanliness of water here). And for a truly unique night’s sleep then look up Vandrarhem Af Chapman to spend a night bunked up on a renovated sailing ship, with brilliant views of the sunset over the city. Airbaltic and Ryanair both run budget flights from London to Stockholm.
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
SPORT I 37
Howells inspires university’s squash side Swansea squash to best Bucs finish in seven years Gloucester MEN’S SQUASH
SWANSEA 1st GLOUCS 1st
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by Enoch Lai
waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
SUSIE’S UNBEATABLE: (from left to right) Lici Venables, Ceris Challenger, Susie Howells and Cassie Mason
WOMEN’S SQUASH
SWANSEA 1st BATH 2nd
by Craig Hadley
waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk SUSIE Howells’ unbeaten campaign has helped Swansea University finish in their highest league position in seven years. Swansea finished second with six wins from their seven games but modest Howells played down her achievement. “I’m very happy with the fact I won
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every game,” she said. “Lici [Venables] came in at number two which I was last year. “Playing at number three has been a lot easier for me.” Squash opponents are decided by your rank in the team i.e. number one plays number one. Howells went unbeaten in her seven games including a win against league champions Exeter 1sts.
Mixed month for runners
Aggressive play forced Stone-Wigg onto the defensive throughout. Complacency crept into Challenger’s game in the third, but she recovered well to take the victory with a strong close range strike (11-6, 11-5, 11-8). The final game saw Lici Venables, take on Amy Lake. Venables took the opening two games and was on the verge of the third before Lake hit an incredible backhand on match point to save the match. Lake could not sustain it though and the match went to Venables (11-5, 11-6, 11-8).
Swansea shoot to success in close fought tie
by Alex Roberts
waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk IT was a month to remember for Swansea University’s cross country team as two of the squad brought medals home. Students from the university were involved in three races over the month of January which included two league meetings and one national event. The Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country took place on the 7th January with Swansea’s own Dewi Griffiths competing. He ran well and produced a fantastic result finishing in third place in the under-23 race. A day later the second fixture of the West Glamorgan League took place back in Wales. The men’s race was supremely ran by Mark Roberts, who led from the front and bravely held off the other 103 competitors to take first place. He finished the race in a time of 34 minutes and 31 seconds. This impressive achievement was Roberts’ second win of the season. Sixteen teams took part and overall the men’s team finished in eighth place. The final meeting of the month took place on the 22nd January with both the men’s and women’s teams invigorated by the return of several key runners. Cerri-Anne Santos finished the highest for the women’s team with a 14th place finish. The next race is in Neath.
Her last match of the season was against Bath’s Corinna Litscher. The game started tense with Howells taking the opening game 12-10. Howells’ powerful strikes forced Litscher to chase the ball, she could not cope and lost the second game 11-7. Howells sealed the victory in straight games, winning the third 11-2. Teammate, Cassie Mason, faced Bath 2nds’ Chelsea Bruce-Lockhart. Mason struggled to utilise her big serve and lost the match in straight games (11-7, 11-4, 11-4). Captain Ceris Challenger faced off against Kirsty Stone-Wigg.
PINPOINT: Swansea on the offensive, taking it to Cardiff Met
WOMEN’S NETBALL by Craig Hadley
waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk CAPTAIN Brooke Collett praised Swansea University’s netball first team after coming back from a point down to take all the points. Swansea were behind for a majority of the game by a single point, but as the clock ticked down the home side pressed for the advantage. After a series of fouls by the Cardiff Met defence, Swansea shot to a three
SWANSEA 1st CARDIFF METROPOLITAN 2nd point lead which proved decisive. “We’ve lost by like a point twice now and we were not coming away with a loss today, there was no way,” Collett said. She revealed the team had been working hard on their fitness levels in order to overcome last-gasp defeats in previous matches. The problem surfaced before the winter break when Swansea were beaten by a few points in the Bucs Cup competition to Portsmouth University.
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It was the third time this season that the netball side had been beaten in close fought contests. Collett added: “I think because we’ve had close disappointments in the past, we fought every second, and we weren’t going to come away without the win. “I think the shooters were absolutely amazing, they didn’t miss many.” Swansea’s next tie is against Bath 2nds, in which they lost the corresponding fixture 57-17.
SWANSEA University maintained their push up the league and inflicted revenge over their opponents. They have started the new term in spectacular fashion as the men’s squash team produced an excellent performance to overcome a spirited Gloucester side 4-1 overall and continue their good run of form. With the away defeat earlier in the season to the same opponents still fresh in the players’ minds, Swansea began the day brightly. Russ Moralee kicked off proceedings with the first rubber of the day, easing to a comfortable 11-5, 11-6, 11-1 victory over Gloucester’s Jordan Kirkland. The match was a very fast-paced affair, and whilst Kirkland was often very risky in his shot-making, Moralee soon prevailed, displaying a fabulous array of tricky serves, powerful shots and boast shots with great composure. Dan MacEwen then took to the court in a very topsy-turvy second rubber against Will Frankson, who looked set to clinch a 2-set lead when serving at 10-7 in the second set. Instead, with his back firmly against the wall, MacEwen somehow managed to conjure up a superb fight-back to steal the set 12-10. The next two sets were shared before MacEwen took control of the decider, winning the match 6-11, 12-10, 12-10, 8-11, 11-6. Captain Craig Lloyd followed, and his match against Martin Ryder was another 5-set thriller. Lloyd took the opening set 11-5, but an impressive revival from Ryder coupled with a dip in Lloyd’s form resulted in Ryder taking the next two sets 11-6 and 11-7, before Lloyd impressively raised his game once more to win the last 2 sets, both by 11-3. The only blemish on an otherwise magnificent day was Brad Pletts’ defeat to Gloucester captain Sam Allen. Pletts was out-ran and out-foxed throughout his match with Allen, who consistently displayed plenty of superb tactical play and outstanding shots, and was comprehensively beaten 11-6, 11-4, 11-0. Despite that set-back, Swansea did finish the day on a high note, with number one Phil Regan cruising to an 11-1, 11-7, 11-7 victory over Gloucester’s number one James Hession in the day’s final game.
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Carey on karate as Swansea celebrates both team and individual successes by David Hendy
Exams cost Aberystwyth dearly away MEN’S HOCKEY
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SWANSEA University’s karate captain Holly Carey has had an impressive season so far and is hoping to continue that success into the Bucs Championships in March. Carey won a gold medal at the Western Karate Union Winter Invitational 2011 along with helping the ladies team win the gold medal in Western Super-Mare. In recognition for her performances she was selected to represent the senior Welsh team in karate’s Grand Slam hosted in Cardiff. Despite a performance consisting of high levels of skill and endurance from Carey, her tournament started in a disappointing manner, losing 2-0 to England’s Carla Burkitt, the European bronze medallist. To compensate for her earlier defeat, Carey triumphed over Scotland’s Chelsea Wishart 9-4 to finish the event in high in preparation for the impending BUCS Championships. “I’m really excited for Bucs this year,” said Carey. “Our squad is gaining experience all the time and training really hard. “I’m expecting some really good results and hopefully a couple of Bucs Champions.” Carey said training with the Welsh team has only boosted her chances of further success
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SWANSEA 3rd 4 1 ABER 2nd by Tom Nightingale
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PUNCHING ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT: The karate squad united at the Waterford tournament in Ireland “Training with Wales has developed my karate skills because I have been able to train with a number of Welsh, British, European and World medallists,” she said. “This has allowed me to push myself to my full ability.” She added: “Competing at such a high level has allowed me to realise that when competing at
Alun Wyn Jones launches Swansea‘s Welsh Varsity preparations
national level, all competitors have an excellent standard of fitness and physical ability. “It is your mental strength that will really set you apart from your opponent.” Second year sports science student Sean Rees was also included in the senior Welsh team. He also competed at the Grand
Slam along with Carey. But Rees was unfortunate to face a former world champion, who had a significant weight advantage to Rees, and posed too great a challenge for the Swansea student. Both Carey and Rees are now targeting selection for the British University team for July’s World University Championships in Slovakia.
Thirds cast adrift by defeat
Photo by: Jon Collier STRETCHED TO THE LIMITS: Jeff Lai causing Jason Yui problems
MEN’S BADMINTON
SWANSEA 2nd SWANSEA 3rd
by David Hendy
waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University’s seconds thrashed Swansea’s thirds 6-2 in a thrilling contest at the Sports Hall. The win means the gap widens between fourth and fifth place in the Bucs western 2C conference league to eight points. Swansea thirds now face a struggle to remain in the league, but there might be hope for the side after surviving late on last season. The thirds took the opening two matches, with Jeff Lai defeating Jason
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Yui 2-1 and Gary Gilkes defeating Simon Johanson 2-0. Six consecutive wins followed for the seconds. Stand in captain for the seconds, Craig Sadler, was pleased with the result. Sadler said: “I’d like to think this was an expected result.” Seconds pair John Lee and Adam Borrall impressed Sadler in particular, with strong wins. Thirds captain Mark Edwards was happy despite the defeat. Edwards said: “They kept the games tight, I couldn’t ask for more.”
SWANSEA University secured a comfortable victory over a depleted Aberystwyth 2nds side. They were given a boost before kick off when Aberystwyth revealed they could only field nine players, blaming a busy exam schedule for being two players short. Ten of the side had exams to prepare for later in the week and could not commit themselves to a game which involved a two-hour coach journey each way. The two-man advantage made it easy for Swansea, and captain Gavin Belcher believed the extra space was key in their victory. He said: “Obviously our players had a lot more space on the pitch compared with what they’re used to. “Recently we’ve been focusing on a more possession-based style of play, especially ahead of the big game up next against Cardiff Medics. “With the two spare men we had today we attempted to implement that into our game.” Swansea did not have to wait long for their numerical advantage to come into play. After a consistent spell of possession Swansea finally broke through the defensive line of Aberystwyth. Swansea shifted the ball through the centre which allowed the attacking player to turn the ball home for the opening goal. From then on it looked a nailedon Swansea win, and so it proved. Swansea scored four more before halftime, with several close range efforts dispatched. This made Swansea’s lead almost unassailable for the away side. Swansea took their foot off the pedal in attack in the second half as they concentrated on keeping the ball away from their opponents. The home side took their time and managed to put three more shots into the net before the end, after defensive lapses left Aberystwyth’s keeper isolated. The nine men of Aberystwyth scored a consolation goal towards the end of the game with a well worked finish to cap off a battle-worn performance. Swansea find themselves in 4th place after five matches. They face a tough match against Cardiff Medics in the Bucs cup, who are two leagues above Swansea.
January 30, 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk
INSIDE
sport thewaterfront
Unbeaten season for squash player
page 37
JUDO PAIR TRIUMPHANT AT WELSH EVENT
A GRADE ABOVE THE REST: Karina Young (right) and David Townsend (left) with their medals along with club captain Danielle Whelton (centre) by Craig Hadley waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
SWANSEA University’s Judo club added two new medals to its collection with success at the Welsh Nationals. Teams from all over the UK took part in Cardiff earlier this month. But Swansea enjoyed success in the Welsh Open Kyu Grade competition with Karina Young and David Townsend picking up gold
and bronze respectively. The feat was magnified by Swansea only sending two fighters for the event. Club captain Danielle Whelton praised her team’s efforts this month. “I’m very impressed with them,” she said. “They’d been doing Judo for four months and managed to walk away with medals in a Welsh National competition.” Young and Townsend were both surprised and elated at their success.
Young said: “I’m a bit in shock, I didn’t expect to get gold in my first competition, I am absolutely ecstatic with it.” Townsend added: “I will be honest I was not expecting to medal in this competition, however I’m over the moon getting a bronze medal.” Whelton hopes for more success as further events are scheduled. “We are going to be entering the University of Sheffield’s competition next month, and the British University competition in March,” added
Whelton. “Hopefully [also] doing individual and team events if we’ve got enough people that are at a level to compete.” Swansea University’s students’ union has scheduled a “give it a go” week in which many societies and clubs are running taster sessions for students to try. And following their recent success the judo club could prove a more attractive option to students. Whelton believes judo is more than a sport and it can be socially
Results (25 Jan) & Upcoming Fixtures (01/08/15 Feb) FOOTBALL Women’s
RUGBY UNION Women’s
HOCKEY Women’s
(25) Swansea 2nd 0-18 Glam 1st (01) Swansea1st v Cardiff 2nd (08) Gloucs 2nd v Swansea 1st (15) Glam 1st v Swansea 1st
(25) Glam 1st 10-0 Swansea 1st (01) Swansea 1st v Notts Trent 1st (08) Glam 1st v Swansea 1st (15) Swansea 1st v Plymouth 1st
(01) Exeter 3rd v Swansea 1st (08) Swansea 1st v Cardiff 3rd (15) Cardiff Met v Swansea 1st
FOOTBALL Men’s
RUGBY UNION Men’s
HOCKEY Men’s
(25)Swansea 1st 3-1 Exeter 1st (08) Plymouth 1st v Swansea 1st (15) Swansea 1st v Cardiff 1st
(25) Swansea 1st 18-9 Exeter 1st (01) Swansea 1st v Bath 1st (08) Swansea 1st v Cardiff Met 1st
(25) Swansea 1st 2-0 Cardiff Met 1st (01) Swansea 1st v Glam 1st (08) Swansea 1st v Cardiff 2nd (15) Swansea 1st v Glam 1st
SQUASH Men’s
LACROSSE Women’s
NETBALL Women’s
(25)Swansea 1st 4-1 Gloucs 1st (08) Swansea 1st v UWE 2nd (15) Glam 1st v Swansea 1st
(01)Swansea 1st v Royal Agri 1st (08) Swansea 1st v Plymouth 1st (15) Cardiff Met 1st v Swansea 1st
(25) Swansea 1st 38-35 Cardiff Met 2nd (08) Swansea 1st v Bath 2nd (15) Swansea 1st v Bath 3rd
RUGBY LEAGUE Men’s
(25) Swansea 1st 24-16 Gloucs 2nd
BASKETBALL Men’s
(01) Swansea 1st v Cardiff Met 1st (08) Swansea 1st v Cardiff Met 1st (15) Newport 1st v Swansea 1st
BASKETBALL Women’s
(01) Swansea 1st v S’Hamp Sol 1st (08) S’Hamp Sol 1st v Swansea 1st (15) S’Hampton 1st v Swansea 1st
FENCING Men’s
(25) UWE 1st 135-104 Swansea 1st (01) Swansea 1st v Aber 1st (08) Swansea 1st v Bristol 2nd
beneficial for many. She added: “You get to meet so many new people. “It gives you confidence, because if you can do the stuff we teach you, it sort of teaches you to look after yourself and how to handle other people. “It is something you can use in everyday life. “It is not only about being confident in fighting, it’s being confident in being able to talk to people.”
It Begins...