Issue 214 by Waterfront

thewaterfront

Free Issue 214 April 30, 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk

INSIDE

the official student newspaper of swansea university

Your eight-page guide to Varsity All the teams, all the previews - Come on Swansea!

JAILED TWITTER STUDENT AWAITS UNIVERSITY FATE Liam Stacey out of prison after serving sentence over racist Twitter posts by Chris Flynn

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk A SWANSEA University student jailed for posting racially offensive comments about a Premier League footballer who had collapsed during a match is still waiting to hear about his university future. Liam Stacey, 21, is out of prison having served half of his 56-day sentence and is back home in Pontypridd. The third year biology student remains suspended by the university while it carries out its own investigation. A university spokesperson said: “The student remains suspended from the university pending the conclusion of our disciplinary proceedings.” Stacey made the comments on Twitter about Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba and was reported to the police. He admitted inciting racial hatred at Swansea Magistrates Court last month and was sent to prison. During Stacey’s sentencing, District Judge John Charles described the tweets as “vile and abhorrent”. They came after 23-year-old Muamba collapsed during the FA Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, March 17, after suffering a cardiac arrest. Magistrates were told police forces across Britain received complaints fol-

lowing Stacey’s Twitter comments. Stacey tried to “distance himself” from the tweets by claiming his account had been hacked, the court heard. He later tried to delete his page but was arrested the following day at his student house in Swansea. He told police he had been drinking lager from 12.30pm on the Saturday, ahead of the Wales v France Six Nations rugby match. He said he was “seven or eight out of 10” on the scale of drunkenness and sent his tweets on campus from his BlackBerry phone. Gareth Jones, defending, said Stacey acted in a “moment of madness”. He added: “Mr Stacey did not set out that day to be a racist. “He is not someone who wakes up in the morning and thinks racist thoughts. “He will pay dearly, probably for the rest of his life.” Stacey lost an appeal against his sentence, claiming he had been punished enough. Hearing his appeal, Mr Justice Wyn Williams told Stacey: “You received responses which were extremely critical but you did not desist. “Instead you posted eight messages which were extremely abusive and insulting. “By pleading guilty you admitted a racist intent to your comments.”

What a lotto money for Lauren

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02 I NEWS

thewaterfront 214 30.04.12

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 Michael Samuel waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk

Culture TBC 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

Proofreaders Grainne Corish Photographers Callum Burns Website waterfrontweb@swansea-union.co.uk

Advertising Annie Cottam (01792) 602496 Distribution Russell Wade (01792) 606715

MOMENT OF TRUTH: Swansea University student Lauren Teesdale discovers how much she and her grandmother have won on the Postcode Lottery

Nursing student Lauren scoops £400,000 on Postcode Lottery by Jon May

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk A NURSING student at Swansea University and her grandmother have won £400,000 in the People’s Postcode Lottery. Lauren Teesdale, 22 and Sylvia Pask, 70, both from Port Talbot, are splitting the prize after buying the ticket together. Miss Teesdale said: “We have always said that we would share any prizes we

OFFICERS’ CORNER

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won, as we split the cost of a ticket,” said Ms Teesdale, a mental health nursing student at Swansea University. “I just never imagined the prize to be so big. Thank goodness for my gran living where she does. “I can now buy myself a house, and not have to worry about paying the mortgage each month from my student budget.” The wins are part of a £2m prize awarded to residents taking part in the SA12 6

area. 42 total residents received money from £8,330 to £99,960 each, with 20 players winning £33,320 per person. The first year mental health nursing student also works part time in a learning disabilities home said she was looking forward to spending the money on a holiday. “I think my gran will want to go on a cruise. She has been going on about doing that for ages,” she said. People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador

and rugby legend Scott Quinnell was on stage (above), presenting cheques to the winners. He said: “Congratulations to all of the winners, and in particular, Sylvia and Lauren who live in the full winning postcode. “ The People’s Postcode Lottery manages society lotteries on behalf of a range of charitable bodies. over the UK and players have raised more than £17.6m for charity.

tom upton, societies & services officer

THIS will sadly be my first and last Officers’ Corner as your societies and services officer. It’s been a truly fantastic year, culminating in a couple of weeks at the annual students’ union awards, this year on campus for both the dinner, ceremony and after party. The best part of my job is seeing and hearing about all of the fantastic things that our societies do on a day-to-day basis. Whether it’s the Students In Free Enterprise (Sife) society winning national awards for all of their hard work this year, being invited to Playzone with geography (Crayola) society or granting funding for St John Links to buy training equipment, this job brings nothing but rewards. It’s not always easy though, long and hard discussions take place often with the university manage-

Meeting Times (Meetings are in the Waterfront office) Features Front Section editors News & Sport De-brief & Ideas

Monday, April 30 Monday, April 30 Monday, April 30 Monday, April 30 Friday, May 11

12pm 12pm 11am 1pm 1pm

ment teams about what’s changing on campus and as the officer who this often directly effects, it’s normally my responsibility to find a solution. We are very luck at our institution that often the ‘bombshells’ dropped on us aren’t without warning, but at times it can be a real challenge. Looking to the future though, it is incredibly humbling to have now been elected and earned the role of president – elect. My time at Swansea I think will go without comparison for the rest of my life. The experiences, knowledge gained and people met have been truly unbelievable, and it is a real honour to defend all of these things for all of our students over the next year. But I shall start as I mean to continue and leave you with some food for thought. Change at our university often happens out of the blue and leaves everyone a little dazed and

confused. This summer could see many of our services moving location and hopefully improving the quality of facilities on offer to you at our university. What is important from the students’ union perspective, is that your new officer team are given the chance to find their feet and hopefully hit the ground running at a sprint in September. We have a number of challenges ahead of us I am sure, but as president–elect, I will say here and now that each of them has my full and unwavering support and no matter what comes our way, we will react, respond to and do our best for all of our members, part and full time staff. With our elected positions comes no real power, only responsibility and that is and shall always remain to represent you.

Final deadlines for next issue Earlier copy and picture deadlines will apply Features Front News Sport

Friday, May 4 Friday, May 4 Thursday, May 10 Thursday, May 10

6pm 6pm 7pm 7pm

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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Police search as Hendrefoelan student is left with head injuries

NEWS I 03

University opens new research lab

by Chris Flynn

by Rahul Vashisht

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk

SOUTH Wales Police are investigating an incident where a student ended up in hospital with head injuries after being hit with a fire extinguisher. Officers are studying CCTV pictures which show three males at the entrance of Hendrefoelan student village at around 3.30am on Thursday, March 22, just before the Easter break. Three males were seen appearing to be drunk and started spraying each other with a small fire extinguisher. At one point, one of the men was sprayed in the face and then hit on the head, knocking him unconscious. The 19-year-old victim was taken to hospital for treatment. He has told officers he does not know the identity of the men who attacked him. It is not known if they are also students or locals. Swansea University’s security staff passed on the CCTV footage to the police so they could investigate. At the time of going to print, no arrests had been made but an appeal has been made for anyone with information to come forward.. PC Katryna Evans said: “ We want students to enjoy their experiences at university however everyone is more vulnerable to crime when they’ve been drinking. “I would like to remind students of their responsibilities for their own safety and the for that of their peers.

THE Welsh government’s Health and Social Services Minister Lesley Griffiths opened the second phase of the NHS Wales Informatics Research laboratories at Swansea University last week. The laboratories support real patient benefits to the NHS in Wales and beyond through innovation in healthcare IT, centred on the patient. They are designed to form an “NHS in a lab” – a safe, accessible research facility to study the patients’ journey through the NHS, by integrating new IT systems with existing systems in the NHS. The first phase of the research laboratories was opened in June 2008, and has since helped improve the Welsh economy. During her visit, the Ms Griffiths was welcomed by Swansea University’s vice chancellor Professor Richard B Davies and was given a tour the laboratories’ facilities. Prof Davies said: “We are delighted to welcome the minister to open the expanded research laboratories. “This event celebrates the achievement of the original facility – the first of its kind in Europe – and marks the beginning of this exciting development’s next phase, providing the leading-edge facilities needed to support a growing, multiproject portfolio based on research and innovation.” “This will further strengthen the university’s partnerships with the NHS in Wales and with the industry, ensuring a sustainable knowledge-based economy centred on health.”

ATTACKED: The student was hit over the head with a fire extinguisher on the student village “The university will be made aware of anyone arrested and this could have a detrimental effect on your future careers. Please drink responsibly.” A university spokesperson added: “The 2010 Complete University Guide ranked Swansea as the sixth safest place to live in the UK. “Even so, the University is committed to providing a safe learning and social environment for its staff and students. “There is a police officer based on the campus and a new Police Com-

munity Support Officer on hand to advise on crime prevention. “The Students’ Union also offers free personal safety alarms that can be carried in a handbag, on a key ring or used to secure a window or a door.” Students have already been warned about the dangers of playing with fire extinguishers. In September, a fresher faced disciplinary proceedings after two other first year students ended up in hospital having been sprayed in the face with an extinguisher.

President of basketball team hospitalised by Gemma Parry

SWANSEA University and Cardiff University basketball teams will wear “get well” t-shirts at Varsity for a player who is recovering from falling out of a two-story window.

Daniel Buttifant, captain of the basketball team, said: “I am sure that I can account for everyone in saying that Leo has been the backbone and the life and soul of the basketball club for the last three years.

by Chris Flynn

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk

Michael Hopkins, a geography undergraduate, will take a year out of studying to complete the prestigious internship.

Leo Gould, 20, who is president of Swansea’s basketball club, suffered a head injury and slipped into a coma following the incident before Easter.

Mr Gould is able to move his eyes, right leg and right arm.

Student receives government internship THE Welsh government has given a Swansea University student one of two internship placements sought by many applicants each year.

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk

The engineering student is being cared for at University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff, and is now awake.

Both suffered breathing problems after being covered in foam. Ryland Williams, station manager in community risk reduction at Mid and West Wales fire service said at the time: “Playing around with fire extinguishers may seem like fun initially, but it can have serious consequences if they’re needed in an emergency. “ Police are appealing for anyone who has information on the latest incident to call the police non-emergency number on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800555111.

HOSPITALISED: Leo Gould is currently in hospital recieving treatment “I can honestly say that the club wouldn’t be where it is today without Leo.

‘Get well Leo’ t-shirts at Varsity to show our support for Leo and his family.”

“He is such an all-round great guy and his presence its greatly missed by everyone, whether its training, matches or on a night out.

Friends of Mr Gould are also planning to raise money to fund either the ward in Cardiff hospital where Mr Gould is currently staying, or to cover the travel costs of Mr Gould’s parents, who have travelled from Liverpool several times.

“Both Swansea and Cardiff basketball teams will be sporting

The internship is offered to all those at Welsh universities and applicants must be those who study social sciences, such as economics and geography. Mr Hopkins will start work in the knowledge and analytical services division; assisting with research and evaluative studies undertaken by the Welsh government. These will include supporting officials in planning and implementing such projects as literature reviews and conducting surveys.

The team, situated in Cardiff, makes sure that ministers, assembly members and policy officials are kept informed and up to date on analysis research for creating national policies. The division is best known for their tourism ‘Visit Wales’ campaign, but Mr Hopkins could see himself working on any policy matter fincluding health to corporate research “When I initially applied for the internship, I didn’t for one second think that I would be the chosen candidate, and the offer of an interview was flattering enough. “This placement will hopefully be a mutually-beneficial experience, and I hope to gain both work, and life experience from it. “Although it’s a cliche, this internship really was a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ that I couldn’t turn down, but it will still be difficult to leave Swansea and my friends behind. Mr Hopkins will begin his placement on July 2.

10788•STUDENT HIRE / SUMMER BALL SWANSEA 272X340.indd 1

26/04/2012 10:23

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Mountaineers complete Three Peak Challenge for charity by Samantha Booth

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk THREE Swansea graduates, who set up the Help Us Learn charity, held their first fundraising event recently, taking a team of Hendrefoelan Student Village staff and residents on the welsh Three Peaks Challenge. The challenge includes hiking Snowdonia, Cadair Idris and Pen Yr Fan in Wales in a set time limit. The 15 team members managed to complete the challenge in 15 hours and raised a substantial amount, which is yet to be confirmed, for the charity. The organiser, 22-year-old Adam Robinson, is a Public Media Relations graduate who runs the Hendroefvillage pub, The Wonky Sheep. “Help Us Learn was set up by me and two of my friends and the charities aim is to do extreme fundraising events in order to achieve change for children’s education in some of the poorest countries in the world. “For this fundraiser, we set a maximum time limit of 15 hours to complete the challenge but everyone

THEY’LL BE COMING AROUND THE MOUNTAIN WHEN THEY COME: Students help raise money for charity. smashed that. The quickest time was 10 hours and 25 minutes. On the day of the challenge, April 21, the weather became an issue for the team. Snowdon is the easiest of the three mountains that are involved in the national three peak challenge. Despite this, an easy walk can turn into a very enduring mountaineering

expedition without the correct equipment and preperation. During Winter the weather can get extreme and only highly experienced climbers are advised to attempt it. “With age ranges from 18-47, there were some difficulties with ability along the way. We had minus four blizzard conditions and we had heard news that an independent climber

had to be rescued from Snowdon’s peak. “One female climber had a slower pace than some of us, but we stuck with her and got back on schedule. “When we reached our finished climb, it was such a relief. Everyone said that it was such a great achievement and some climbers new motto is ‘Never again!’”

Students’ union president paves way for European student integration by Chris Flynn

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University students’ union president Luke James has put forward a motion against the increased tuition fees. Mr James spoke at the NUS UK annual conference that took place from April 21st to 24th in Sheffield. The motion will mean that the newly elected president of the National Union of Students Wales, Liam Burns, will have to lobby the NUS UK to get more involved with European students’ union politics. The motion was raised at the NUS conference, which saw other discussions on responsible drinking and student employment. It also saw Liam Burns re-elected as the President of the NUS, of whom Mr James will try to lobby with the NUS Wales. Speaking to NUS Wales in Powys, Mr James said: “The motion ensured that the NUS Wales team would lobby NUS UK so that there will always be an NUS Wales representative at all European student conferences. “NUS Wales is responsible for representing our members at every level. “We can’t just let NUS UK to do that [anymore].” In his proposal entitled ‘Tuition fees and student support in a European context’ Mr James highlighted that many other countries within the

European Union pay little or no money for a university education. Countries such as Denmark, Finland and Norway do not take any money from students in the form of tuition fees. Mr James explains in his report that after his recent trip to Estonia as part of the European Students’ Union exchange regarding University financing. The report points out that the level of tuition fees being paid by English students is the highest amongst all other countries in the European Union. Mr James said: “I believe we need to look to Europe for solutions. “On this exchange I realised that I was the only one in our group of six to represent a country - Wales- that has no places free of tuition fees in higher education. “If delegates look at our European neighbours they will see quite clearly that free education is still possible.” Mr James also highlighted the Erasmus grant which was previously paid for by the Welsh government is no longer in existence. Under the previous system, there was no financial impact on students due to government funding. “That grant has been taken away and some universities are replacing it, but we don’t want it to be left to them. “It’s overdue, but I think Welsh students will get a lot out of being represented in Europe. “If you believe in free education in principle but think it’s unaffordable in practice- think again.”

NEWS I 05

Swansearises intheranks by Becca Taylor

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University has jumped 11 places up the league tables to become to second highest-ranked university in Wales. The standings issued by the Complete University Guide show that Swansea is the most improved Welsh university, moving from 60th place in 2011, to 49th in 2012. The guide covers a total of 116 universities across the UK and is based on nine measures by which the experience of the university life could be judged, including student-staff ratios, accommodation and the availability of part-time work. Also revealed was that Swansea University now has an 89% degree completion rate. Pro Vice-Chancellor Hilary LappinScott said she was ‘pleased’ by the ranking, adding: “We have been working hard across a number of areas to improve our performance and are happy that we are beginning to see these pay off. “We look forward to further improvements in the coming years.”

End -of -year clean out planned by Chris Flynn

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk

EQUAL VOICE: Luke James pushes for European Union of Student Voice for Wales.

STUDENTS are being encouraged to donate any items which they do not want when they leave their homes at the end of the year. Many items have been specified for collection including; most kitchen items, books, CDs, DVDs, clothes, unused toiletries, bicycles, and various non-perishable food. Collection of items will commence during Summer Ball week and will continue sometime after for those who who are unable to do it then. Postgraduate part-time officer Steve Marshall and environment and ethics officer Rob Abrams have organised the idea, with help of residential services. Mr Marshall said:“The end of year collection scheme is for students (in halls on campus and student village) where they can donate any unwanted items before they leave their accommodation, all donations will benefit charities within the local area.” Charlotte Britton Swansea University students’ union welfare officer said: “I’m incredibly enthusiastic about the end of year collections as it’s a fantastic way to reduce waste when we move out for Summer. “We all know that a lot of useful items get chucked away because we can’t take them with us.” Any enquiries or details about the collection can be directed to postgraduate@swansea-union.co.uk

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ELECTION SPECIAL I 7

YOUR FULL-TIME TEAM 2012/13 PRESIDENT Tom Upton

SOCIETIES & SERVICES Josh Hayman

AGE: 23

AGE: 21

DEGREE: BA Geography

DEGREE: BA Politics

UNION BACKGROUND: Tom is the current societies and services officer and he has also been the deputy station manager of Xtreme Radio and Geography society President.

UNION BACKGROUND: Josh has worked for both ents and JCs as well as being head of music for Xtreme radio and the Swanopoly organiser on the Raise and Give committee.

MANIFESTO AIMS: Tom will be creating alumni cards as well as introducing 24 hour online votes for student forum manifestos and re-structuring the services of the Union in line with the changes in Fulton and Union houses.

MANIFESTO AIMS: Josh plans to organise a job fayre to help students find part-time jobs at university as well as revamp Diva’s and improve the training and rewards available to societies.

WELFARE Charlotte Britton

INTERNATIONAL V.R.S.A. Mahaboob Basha

AGE: 22

AGE: 30

DEGREE: BA and MA History

DEGREE: BA, MA, MPhil, Honorary PhD

UNION BACKGROUND: This will be Charlotte’s second year as Welfare officer. She was also Community and Housing officer and has sat on the History society committee.

UNION BACKGROUND: This will be Mahaboob’s second year as International officer. He has also held roles in the executive part-time officer roles within the Union.

MANIFESTO AIMS: Charlotte has aims of improving food on campus, as well as reforming SAS lettings service and helping students in money matters over the year.

MANIFESTO AIMS: An International students’ forum, multiethnic events and visits to places of historical and cultural importance in the UK.

WOMEN’S Rebecca Warrillow

EDUCATION Zahid Raja

AGE: 22

DEGREE: American Studies

DEGREE: BA Medical Sciences and Humanities

UNION BACKGROUND: Becki has held many jobs in the SU including a role in ents. She has also been on the committees of both Raise and Give society and American studies society.

UNION BACKGROUND: Zahid has been involved with the part-time executive committee as Black Students officer as well as been involved in several societies such as UNICEF, Debate society and LGBT.

MANIFESTO AIMS: Becki wants to pressure taxi companies to give discounts to students who have to travel home alone as well as train all staff across the SU in the Zero Tolerance policies.

SPORTS Imogen Stanley AGE: 21 DEGREE: BA Human Geography UNION BACKGROUND: Imogen has been sailing captain this year and has also sat on the AU executive. MANIFESTO AIMS: Imogen plans to encourage the growth of small clubs and make financing and accounts more accessible to teams.

MANIFESTO AIMS: Zahid aims to train course reps and introduce student led teaching awards to improve teaching. He also wants to expand the careers services and extend it to recent graduates.

Part Time Officer Role Nomimation Notice STUDENTS have a chance to nominate themselves for a position of a part-time officer.

place and one open gender) and the Students with Disabilities Officer.

The elections will commence on the 9th of May and nominations will close on May 2nd.

Swansea University’s Students’ Union boasts that getting involved with ‘improve Uni life’, ‘campaign for liberation’ and ‘[help] gain invaluable skills’.

The positions that are being voted on are; the General Secretary, the Community & Housing Officer, the Part-Time Officer, the Mature Students Officer, the Welsh Affairs Officer (Swyddog materion Cymraeg), the Black Students Officer, the LGBT Officers (one female

If you have any questions or to pick up a nomination form, visit the second floor of the Students’ Union house near Spar and ask the receptionist.

societies 34

food 33

careers 33

tv & culture 31

games 30

film 29

music 28

front row 27

gadgets 26

fashion 16 & 25

April 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk

features 14-15

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!

Student Media Awards >> 26

Swanseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olympic hopefuls

Fashion: Sports Luxe look

Music: Festivals preview

Film: Ridley Scott perspective

Games: Test your trading skills

Television: Vajazzles Valleys-style?

>> 14

>> 16

>> 28

>> 29

>> 30

>> 31

contents features 14 >>

societies 34

food 33

careers 33

tv & culture 31

games 30

film 29

music 28

front row 27

gadgets 26

fashion 16 & 25

features 14-15

front

April 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk

blind date

When Harrie met Josh Harrie Marshall, a 20-year-old History student and Josh Pugh, a 20-year-old Geography and Spanish student, meet for the Waterfront blind date.

Meet the Swansea students hoping to make a splash at the Olympics

Harrie on Josh What were your first impressions? First impressions were wonderful. Any striking conversation points? Convo was great and we spoke about travelling. Any awkward moments or silences? Bit awkward at first but I’m too chatty for silences.

fashion 16 >> How to get the Sport Luxe look

gadgets 26 >>

Any potential for a kiss? Erm, no! Generally how did you think that date went? The date went great.

Windows 8 preview

front row 27 >> Meet comedian Simon Amstell ahead of his Swansea performance

music 28 >> Look ahead to the music festivals season

film 27 >> As Prometheus fever builds, we take a look at the career of director Ridley Scott

games 30 >> Hone your trading skills and win cash prizes

tv & culture 31 >> After Essex and the Geordie Shores, MTV gets ready to parody the Welsh Valleys

food 33 >> Welsh delicacies you must try

careers 33 >> Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE)

societies 34 >> Brush up your CV

If you were to be married and have babies, what would you want your baby to inherit? I would want his eyes and smile.

Would you like to meet again? And yeah nice to see him again as friends!

Josh on Harrie What were your first impressions? I saw her before she saw me. I was breathless, blinded and beaten by her beauty. Before you could say Catherine Zeta Jones, I dismissed the idea that she would be on a blind date. But had I been presumptuous? Yes. She was the blind date, the one for whom I had been waiting a good seven minutes. I couldn’t believe my luck: this honey had hit the genepool jackpot, and I was calling the numbers. Any striking conversation points? We bonded instantly, discussing our childhood dreams and our ideal Sundays before moving on to specific sex skills we both have. Any awkward moments or silences? Moments? Yes. Awkward? No. We shared many a moment in that liquor-stained booth, tucked away from the world in the cosiest corner imaginable. At times, we needed not speak because language can only go so far with expressing emotions of such deep infatuation. We were able to communicate in methods beyond the conventional: our bodies couldn’t hide the impulses that gushed forth in every possible nano-second. If you were to be married and have babies, what would you want your baby to inherit? IF? IF?! How impertinent of The Waterfront to hypothetically conjure a separate universe where the two of us must rely on the imperfect subjunctive tense to be together and produce children. We are to be married on the eve of the summer ball, on the grass outside Fulton House. Steve Weston will be both best-man and maid-of-honour (because he knows everyone) and Sancha Worthington will bear the rings. Our twin boys will inherit our finest traits and embody 21st C greatness. Any potential for a kiss? Again, Waterfront, you degrade myself and my fiancé. A kiss is impulsive, spontaneous and magical, not choreographed and pre-determined. Potential for a kiss exists always, even when one is alone. Generally how did you think that date went? To speak generally is not in my nature. I will speak specifically in every circumstance apart from on Twitter (@josh_pugh1), where not enough characters are granted to do so. Would you like to meet again? We meet every day, at the same cafe at 6:30. Holding hands, making all kinds of plans, whilst the jukebox plays our favourite song. •If you are interested in featuring in the next blind date, email your name, age, course and level to sammeeb@hotmail.co.uk.

O ly m p i c h o p e f u l s r e p r e s e n t s wa n s e a

features Making A Splash For Swansea Swimming champion, Gemma Almond, tells us how university life is now she’s qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympics, writes Samantha Booth.

ITH the 100 day countdown to the London 2012 Olympics beginning and the Welsh Varsity around the corner, Swansea University is proud to see sporting students on a journey to success. Hoping to win medals is 19-year-old Gemma Almond, (pictured left and training, above) above a first time Paralympics swimmer studying History at Swansea University. Gemma qualified at the March British Championships in the 200m Individual Medley. As a bonus to this, she set a new British Record for this category and continued to smash records at second trials in Sheffield for the 100m Butterly in the same category. Gemma has bilateral hip dysplasia, meaning that she does not have a fully formed hip joint on both sides and therefore has no support for weight bearing on her legs. This causes reduced leg strength and range of movement which is a minor mobility disability. “I am feeling very excited about the Paralympics. It’s great it is so close to home, as all my family have tickets and can come down and watch me compete. “I’ve been swimming since I was four – I did hydrotherapy following one of my four major operations I had. From here, I loved being in the water as it was a non-weight bearing activity, as weight is what hurts my legs because having no hip joint means I have limited weight bearing support. “My sister is four years older than me and was

swimming competitively from 9, so it was natural to follow her and I really enjoyed it. I started competing from the age of 6 and since, have won medals worldwide at smaller international heats and bronze at the 2011 IPC European Championships in Berlin, Germany which I am most proud of.” Gemma’s dream of competing in Team GB for the Paralympics has only risen over recent years. To become a Paralympian, the competitor has to first be classified into a category from S10-S1( S1 being the most severe) S13-11 visual impairment and S14 learning difficulties. In these, there are 3 categories for different strokes: ‘S’ is freestyle, backstroke and fly, ‘SM’ is individual medley and ‘SB’ is breastroke. “I wasn’t classified until I was 14-years-old and then was placed on the development programme for Great Britain. I now compete in S10, SM10 and SB9, so in the least physically impaired categories. “My disability doesn’t tend to affect my daily life at university too much. As a first year, I am living on campus, so walking is minimal and I tend not to struggle too much. “Next year, I will have to buy a car to transport myself around and to the Swansea HPC for training, but apart from that, I lead a relatively balanced, student life.” Representing their country can exert quite a pressure on competitors, especially from the media. As higher profile competitors have experienced, their faces will become as symbol

of hope for their sport and fans. With the 2012 Paralympics being her first, Gemma is yet to feel this pressure: “The media has no real expectations of me yet, so I’m kept pretty low under the radar. “I don’t really tell people that my swimming career is a big as it is! I just say ‘sorry I’ve got training’ if I cannot make an outing with my friends. I think it’s quite boastful to go around saying I’m in Team GB. My friends tend to joke I go to swimming for leisure! “I live on a floor with all 1st year swimmers which is so helpful for my university experience. So, we are all always really busy at university, swimming or eating together, which is great to have people in the same position as me. “In some ways, we do miss out on the typical university experience. We know most students go out a few times a week, whereas we can only really let our hair down once every couple of months. However, we have found a good balance and are really enjoying being in Swansea.” First time competitors can look up to those

who have preceded them for inspiration. With the Olympics motto being “Inspiring a generation”, Gemma shares how working as a team inspires her to succeed at the Summer Paralympics: “I don’t have anyone in particular, but I look up to so many Olympic swimmers. I am lucky to train with Ellie Simmons…. And together, we inspire each other and push each other along. “It is going to be tough to get medals, as having only just moved to Swansea, I am still getting used to training. The Rio 2016 Olympics is my ultimate goal. Gemma trains over 20 hours a week, including both gym and water, but knows that it will pay off: “After the hours of training we put in, it is so rewarding when you succeed. “My advice to anyone thinking of competing in sports, is never give up. Always put 100% in to everything you do and you will too succeed. “ The Paralympics run from the August 29 to 9 September 2012.

Olympics? No thanks. Not everyone is excited about the London 2012 Olympics. Catrin Lewis explains why she won’t be watching this summer. Everyone who knows me will be able to attest to the fact that I have the body of a God. The God of vanilla lattes, biscuits, and a sedentary lifestyle. Armed with this vessel of greatness, I think I can be allowed to pass comment on perhaps the biggest event to hit Britain in 2012 – The Olympics. Comprised of 26 sports, The Olympics promises over two weeks of almost non-stop sporty goodness. Britain will be overtaken by thousands of eager tourists who have paid hundreds, if not thousands of pounds for the privilege of watching some live sport that they probably don’t even understand the rules of. But why have the festivities already appear to have started? I saw a 2012 Olympic games shop in Stansted Airport in September last year. LAST YEAR! I’m sure you’ll all be as pleased as I was that it was entirely devoid of customers, yet stuffed to the brim with stuffed toys of those bizarre mascots of ours. I have no idea what those things are, but the chocolate version of them are delicious. However, I have a bigger gripe with the Olympics. I am absolutely sick of everyone trying to tell us how fantastic it is for the country. One of their biggest arguments for this is how children will be inspired to take part in sport. I was threatened with detention for a month if I didn’t actively take part in my twiceweekly PE lessons and yet I still managed to go and find a tree to hide behind. Children aren’t inspired to play more sport by seeing their country being overtaken by Olympic fever in the same way that they’re not inspired to go and steal cars and pick up prostitutes after playing Grand Theft Auto. I have a bit of an idea though – while Britain is gripped in what is too frequently described as an ‘obesity epidemic’, how about we don’t make the official sponsors of the games McDonalds, Cadburys, and Coca Cola? I might not be athletically inclined, but I’m pretty sure the people competing didn’t get where they are today by shovelling that stuff down their throats. How about using the games as an opportunity to help improve nutritional standards, and not just boost the profits of three major trans-national companies?

From the left: Jazz Carlin, Jemma Lowe and Georgia Davies

Once-In-A-Lifetime Chance

HREE swimmers who are edging closer to success at the London 2012 Olympics are Georgia Davies, Jemma Lowe and Jazz Carlin. Georgia Davies qualified at the British Gas Championships in March by finished second in the Women’s 100m backstroke. The 21-year-old was competing against fellow Brit and world record holder, Gemma Spofforth and in her online Olympic diary, she expresses how finishing second was something she had only dreamt of: “Going up against Lizzie Simmonds and Gemma Spofforth, it has been difficult to make teams and I kind of got used to that third-placed spot. “Even though I knew, because my training was going so well, I was capable of making the Olympic team, it was kind of a dream for me so I am just a bit shell-shocked. “The actual race was a blur, and I had to grit my teeth coming in to the final few metres. I could see

splashes from the lanes next to me, but I wasn’t sure what my position was.” 22 year old Butterfly specialist Jemma Lowe also qualified in her 200m race. She missed out on a place in her favoured 100m event, though, in which she came sixth in the Beijing Olympics. She said: “I think it’s huge to compete in an Olympics anyway but a home Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime chance and we’re really lucky to be able to do it – it’s an absolute dream.” Jazz Carlin, a 21-year-old Business and Accountancy student, is hoping to qualify in the 200m freestyle and relay in June for the ASA Championships after failing to qualify in the British Championships. Jazz, who suffered with glandular fever last year, missed a number of training sessions running up to the championships and decided to pull out of the 800m freestyle Olympic Trials and British Swimming Championships.

I also take issue with how we’re all supposed to be impressed with the regeneration of East London. Now, I originally hail from south London myself, and I can attribute to the fact that London is quite a long way away from Swansea. Yet despite this, and the fact that the majority of us will never get to get anywhere near these new facilities, we’re still paying for it. And this is my last major complaint – the cost. So far, estimates for the whole cost of the games are around £24 billion, including public transport upgrades. Do you realise quite how much that could buy you? That’s 12 billion cider and blacks in JC’s, or 60 million new iPads. The best part is that all the private sponsors have disappeared, leaving the government to cough up for the entirety of it. I think it’s incredibly unfair that we’re all paying through the nose for something that we only wanted so that the French didn’t get it, especially at a time of recession. Simply put, the Olympics is expensive, we’re surrounded by propaganda, and if you dared to have had a baby after having bought your tickets, don’t try and bring it with you, because you won’t be allowed. Yet there is one silver lining on this grey cloud of misery – whenever I see the official logo, all I can see is Lisa Simpson doing something naughty, and that can only improve my day.

societies 34

food 33

careers 33

tv & culture 31

games 30

film 29

music 28

front row 27

gadgets 26

fashion 16 & 25

features 14-15

April 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk

S p o r t Fa s h i o n S p e c i a l w i t h L U CIN D A REI D

fashion

A Stella Look for Team GB Alice Simpkin reports on the sportiest fashion event of the year. The launch of the team GB Olympic and Paralympic kit at the Tower of London, saw the worlds of sport and fashion collide. Witnessed by a myriad of celebrities and sports personalities, the kit was modelled by some of Great Britain’s promising medal hopefuls at the grand unveiling. The product of the on-going collaboration between sports manufacturers Adidas and British fashion royalty, Stella McCartney, the designs took 2 years of development. McCartney, as Creative Director of Team GB, consulted with a number of athletes including Olympic silver medallist triple jumper, Phillips Idowu, and heptathlon champion, Jessica Ennis, in order to design a kit which suited their needs. To ensure maximum performance as well as style, the garments combine Adidas’ cutting edge technology from years of sportswear research, with an inspired reworking of the Union Flag. The general blue, white and indigo colour scheme is accented with red details on accessories such as footwear and socks. Materials used are breathable, with lighter footwear, creating the perfect mix of sportswear functionality with a fashionable edge. Its use of print is a refreshing change from the more muted sportswear of previous Olympic and Paralympic years. The streamlined and close fit shows off the finely tuned bodies of the athletes, an added visual bonus to the Olympic spectacle to enjoy! The kit puts all the athletes under one look and feel, with all 26 Olympic and 20 Paralympic sports in the same 590 piece collection, emphasising team unity across sporting disciplines. Reinvention of the Union Flag for a new generation carries on fashion’s love affair with the iconic symbol. From the Mods of the 1960s to Geri Halliwell’s infamous Union Flag dress, British fashion has embraced its national identity.

purple grab bag ASOS £13.50

NIKE £45

The kit has, however, been met with controversy. Because of the understated feature of red and the non-traditional presentation of a deconstructed Union Flag, criticism has questioned whether the kit looks too blue and therefore too Scottish. McCartney defends the muted red, arguing that the reinvention differentiates Team GB from other countries with similar national colours such as France or The USA. Various Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls took to twitter to show their support for the collection. Jessica Ennis tweeted: ‘@adidasuk all of the kit is gorgeous!’ with former Paralympic gold winning swimmer and now champion cyclist Jody Cundy agreeing saying: ‘I think it looks awesome, look good race fast!’ The most humorous defence of the designs came from European silver medallist gymnast Louis Smith who tweeted: ‘For all you girls crying about there not being enough red #hushyourgums #stellamccartneyisaledge’ posting a photograph of himself an all red gymnastics kit from the collection! If you feel inspired to dress like our British Olympians a limited edition collection of Olympic-inspired Stella McCartney for Adidas sportswear is available now at JD Sports, John Lewis and Selfridges stores.

how to wear & accessorise

Asos, £12.00 This dress (left) accentuates its sportiness with cut-out sides, an unavoidable sports luxe throw off, that can be seen on just about every Topshop garment this year. The neon bands on this dress (right) are a key sports luxe trend, and update this Little Black Dress for summer in an instant.

Jess Caruana explains how to achieve the sports luxe look with some added extras. With the excitement for the London Olympics this summer, many designers have incorporated aspects from sportswear into their S/S 12 collections. Most prominently it is the work by British designers such as Marc Jacobs and Victoria Beckham that has been inspired by sportswear and has been aptly labelled as the sport luxe trend.

Sports Luxe

THE sports-luxe trend is most probably the easiest, and most wearable trend of the summer. You may even be donning the trend as you read. With sport in the name of this trend, my immediate connotation was a plethora of Vikki Pollard tracksuits or trainers with ball dresses, vintage Lilly Allen. However I was pleasantly surprised; sports luxe seems to convey a trend more concerned with a classic silhouette, sharp lines and luxe fabrics. In fact it’s a trend which seems to demand sheer minimalism; at most, your only accessory will be the plainest envelope clutch available. Kate Winslet nailed the trend’s night time look in McCartney’s optical illusion dress earlier this month. And of course, since premiering it at the opening of Titanic in 3d, the high street hasn’t been far behind in devising high neck, racer backed copies. Here are a few of Catrin Morgan’s favourites: The Crop Top: Topshop £16.00

The Running-Shorts. Incorporating tropical print, a major trend for S/S 12, these running shorts are an easy way of wearing sports-luxe and would look perfect teamed with shoe-wedges and a bandeau top. This top-shop playsuit is an absolute steal at £26, and is the ultimate aztec-running short hybrid.

ASOS £35

The accessories for these collections are in some ways reminiscent of the 90s as they consist of bright colours, back packs and hi-top trainers. On the Marc Jacobs runway a model carried an acid yellow grab bag, a definite statement piece - teamed with a skirt and ankle socks. The outfit still remained feminine and lady-like. In keeping with the sport luxe theme were a variety of different visors, these had brightly coloured transparent peaks which are perfect for a beach look and are great if you’ve forgotten to pack your sunglasses! My favourite look that was seen on the catwalk were hi-top trainers which looked most striking with legs on show, the best pair that I found are Nike Dunk hi-tops which look great with a pair of denim shorts. These retail at £40-£50 and are available in an assortment of different colours. Alternatively, if you want to score major fashion points you can pair them with a baseball cap, as these were a key piece in the Victoria Beckham S/S 12 line. Why not show your support for the athletes and play at being Sporty Spice, whilst being on trend. Asos is the best place to shop if you want to adopt the look as they have a huge selection of sportswear-inspired clothing and accessories, including a quirky whistle necklace which screams sport luxe.

thewaterfront sport

April 30, 2012

waterfrontonline.co.uk

Welsh Varsity Preview Edition

Welsh Varsity preview 2012 UNITED IN GREEN AND WHITE

SWANSEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ATHLETIC UNION ARE READY: Are you ready for May 2nd? Are you ready to watch your university teams face off against their Cardiff counterparts?

Swansea University set to fight it out for the Varsity Shield once again in what will be the 16th Varsity

Varsity 2012 - Can Swansea win the showpiece for yet another year? Will the green and white army take the shield for the first time? Varsity 2012 - Can Cardiff reign supreme at the Millennium? Is Cardiffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grip on the shield slipping or will they reclaim it once again?

18 I SPORT

thewaterfrontvarsitypreview 30.04.12

Golf hope to make it three in Batson’s Taekwondo three at the Vale of Glamorgan set for showdown

by Craig Hadley

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

by Craig Hadley

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

GOLF team captain Freddie Ferrari is quietly confident going into Varsity with Swansea looking to make it three wins in three years. Swansea finished second in the league holding off a strong Glamorgan by a point to secure promotion. Ferrari said: “We are delighted to have achieved second. “To hold off a very strong Glamorgan side and take second

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 4.5-1.5 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 4-3 Cardiff place and also secure the team’s first ever promotion is a step in the right direction.” Cardiff performed below par all season taking just one point and were relegated as a result. “Cardiff’s performance in the league looks appealing to us on paper, but we cannot rely on that at all,” added Ferrari.

“They have two teams, which means they have an abundance of good players to choose from, all of whom, like us will be looking forward to the challenge of the varsity showdown. “Given the recent form of the two teams, Swansea has the advantage.” Swansea has increased the number of lessons and training sessions this year in order to maximise the potential of the club. The teams will face off in six singles matches with the winner of each given a point for their team, a draw earning half a point.

FOLLOWING success at the ITF student championships, captain Emily Batson is quietly confident going into the Varsity match. Swansea were on the end of a defeat last year and are looking to bounce back with a win this time around. “The squad and myself are quite confident this year, especially after the student ITF championships in Leeds,” said Batson. “Some of our fighters beat theirs [Cardiff’s] at the tournament. “It will make for an interesting showdown definitely!” The Varsity taekwondo match consists of two main disciplines, sparring and patterns. Batson added: “Cardiff and myself will be matching up our fighters for

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) N/A (2011) Cardiff Win the match soon and will also discuss how the whole tournament will be judged.” She believes their patterns were Swansea’s “weakest element” last year and needs the most work before the big day arrives. The discipline of patterns consists of the performance of a sequence of set movements. They are then marked based on technique, timing and breathing. Batson and the squad are taking inspiration from the New Zealand rugby team and have created their own haka. She added: “We will try and scare Cardiff, it should be good fun.”

A MESSAGE FROM SOUTH WALES POLICE TO SWANSEA UNIVERSITY SUPPORTERS VARSITY 2012 – IMPORTANT INFORMATION - PLEASE READ! NO ALCOHOL WILL BE ALLOWED TO BE TAKEN ON THE BUSES OR AT SOPHIA GARDENS OR THE MILLENNIUM STADIUM BUSES > > >

Retain your bus wristband for the return journey. YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL BACK TO SWANSEA WITHOUT IT! Absolutely no alcohol will be allowed on the buses. Searches will be conducted by the Police when alighting and disembarking coaches. There will be police at both the pick up and drop off points and should any reports of bad behaviour come from the drivers, the police will take action. Offenders will have fixed penalty notices for public order offences. Even though you are dealt with by fixed penalty you will still received a criminal record.

WELSH INSTITUTE FOR SPORT, SOPHIA GARDENS AND MILLENNIUM STADIUM > > > > >

The Police will not be letting intoxicated supporters into the grounds. If you are too intoxicated to be dealt with, you will be kept in custody over night. No alcohol will be allowed into either ground and searches will be made on entry. Entry will also be refused if you drink up the alcohol at the gate. Drinks and refreshments are available in both areas. Any derogatory behaviour or disrespect shown to officials will not be tolerated and will be dealt with by the police. No Smoking is tolerated in the stadium. Any streaking or inappropriate behaviour, including people holding streakers clothes, will be dealt with by the police as a criminal matter. You will be ejected, receive a fixed penalty notice, fine and a permanent criminal record.

FOLLOWING THE MATCH > > >

After the game please leave the ground and promptly return to the bus pick up point at the Sophia Gardens. Please join the line at arrival at Sophia Gardens and come back on the first available bus. The last bus for Swansea will leave the Sophia Gardens at 21:45. Should you miss this trains will be leaving Cardiff Central station to return to Swansea at 22:26, 23:26 and 23:43.

We look forward to a fantastic event and a good humoured occasion. However, unruly behaviour will not be tolerated and will be dealt with firmly. ENJOY YOUR DAY BUT PLEASE BE SAFE AND CONSIDERATE TO OTHERS

waterfrontonline.co.uk

SPORT I 19

Smart confident of Millennium victory by David Hendy

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

SWANSEA University men’s rugby 1sts captain Richard Smart believes his side will be victorious in their Varsity encounter against Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium on May 2. Swansea have enjoyed success in recent years at the Varsity event, winning 16-12 at the Liberty Stadium in 2010 and 28-18 in the inaugural game at the Millennium Stadium last year. Last season’s win capped a fantastic season for Swansea, who finished second in Premier South A division. But their fortunes have changed

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 16-12 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 28-18 Cardiff this season as Swansea have been plagued by poor performances and results to match, picking up just 15 points in 12 games and finishing fifth. In contrast, newly-promoted Cardiff finished third in the same league with 21 points. And to add further Swansea’s misery in the league this year, Cardiff did the double over them 18-13 and 25-12. But Smart still feels that Swansea will come out on top in the Varsity finale.

“I believe there is a strong chance for us to win,” he said. “The boys have to take the opportunity now and put in the hard work that is needed to win such a big game.” Smart feels the delicate blend between experience and youth will be the key recipe for the squad ahead of the varsity clash. “This year we have a squad with experience.” he added: “The boys have previous varsity caps but we also have some good, fresh talent coming through.” Smart thinks the biggest hurdle for his side is to overcome is his team’s fitness ahead of the clash at the home of Welsh rugby. “We just need to keep working on

fitness,” he said. “The pace of the Varsity game is the quickest we face all season, so you can never do too much fitness for it.” Swansea have sought further help in preparation for Varsity with the appointment of former Ospreys head coach Sean Holley. When speaking to AU Media, Holley said: “I have the upmost respect for Richard Lancaster [head coach] and Steve Mallalieu [back’s coach]. “It’s quite a big preparation time to the Varsity and they’ll be looking for some type of experience to give them an edge.” Holley added: “I’m more than happy to try and bring that.”

Swansea look to show their class with Varsity victory over relegated Cardiff

by Becca Taylor

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

CAPTAIN Peter Ockwell believes Swansea are poised and prepared for victory in the annual grudge match with Cardiff. The excitement is building within the squad as May 2 approaches and the captain is certainly no different. Ockwell said: “I am really looking forward to it as it is a great opportunity to play in front of a big crowd and get one over our rivals. “Our league performance has been

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 5-1 Cardiff (2011) Swansea (p) 1-1 Cardiff up and down this season, but we are very capable of performing to a high standard when we are at our best. “I’m confident we can get the right result from the game.” The team will be training every other day for the two weeks leading up to Varsity and have also arranged to play the Swansea City youth team

to maintain their match fitness. Ockwell believes their disappointing finish to the season, losing out on top spot by a point, has made the team all the more determined to come out on top at Varsity. He added: “We have a point to prove to ourselves. “We were unbeaten for six games at the beginning of the season, so we know how well we can play.” But they have lost their last three matches which saw them miss out on the league title to Hartpury 2nds. Cardiff has performed below

expectations this season, finishing bottom of the division with just seven points from ten games. Swansea have faced Cardiff 1sts twice this season, beating them both home and away (1-0, 2-1). Ockwell said: “Our league position will make us favourites going into the match. “But it is not always a good thing as there will be less pressure on Cardiff to win.” Last year’s match ended in a 1-1 draw, though Swansea were the winners on penalties.

Swansea netball hope to avenge Varsity 2011 LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 28-39 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 72-135 Cardiff by David Hendy

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

SWANSEA’S netballers are looking to put their miserable league campaign and relegation from Western 1A division by beating fellow-relegated side Cardiff at Varsity. Swansea finished bottom with six points from 10 games and their cup run was ended in the last 16 after a 35-33 home defeat to Portsmouth 1sts. Cardiff were relegated from the Premier South league after also picking up six points from 10 games and they also reached the last 16, being beaten 44-36 at home to Brunel 1sts. Previous years have seen Cardiff dominate this fixture. In 2010, Cardiff narrowly won 3928; however in 2011, their dominance was evident after scoring more than double the points in an emphatic 135-72 points win. The match takes place at the WIS.

20 I SPORT

Defeat is not an option for Swansea

thewaterfrontvarsitypreview 30.04.12

Swansea’s tennis teams set to face off with Cardiff at the capital’s lawn club

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 122-118 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 110-134 Cardiff by David Hendy

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

SWANSEA’S men’s fencers are looking to avenge their season at Varsity after average performances have scuppered their progress this season. Last year, Swansea failed to capitalise on their 122-118 victory in 2010 when they were defeated 134110 in Cardiff. Swansea’s performances have been average and inconsistent this season, winning and losing four games apiece and finishing the season in fifth position on 12 points. In contrast, Cardiff have had a successful season in the Western 1A league, finishing in third position having claimed 18 points from their eight games. The game between the two sides earlier in the season had seen Swansea falter with the final score being 127-112. Swansea’s last victory was in February against University of Bath 2nds winning 135-70, whereas Cardiff won their two final games of the season. The match takes place at the WIS.

Kinsella set for Varsity challenge

Courtesy of: Cardiff Lawn Tennis Club

by Jon May

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

SWANSEA women’s tennis team are optimistic about the upcoming Varsity match with Cardiff as they attempt to bounce back from last year’s disappointment. The team have been beaten by Cardiff the last two years at the event and Swansea alos lost 8-4 when they played against Cardiff in the league back in November. But captain Irene Gomez is hopeful they can at least make the game competitive this time around. “We will try our best and fight for a win, but they are a strong and consistent team,” she said. “I feel we have improved this year compared to last year; but we still aren’t winning overall, the standard in the league is quite high but we try our best.” The team have been training hard over Easter and have had used their time to play a friendlies over the last

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 0-10 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 2-10 Cardiff week. They have benefited this year from the expertise of Gomez’s father who is a professional tennis coach. Gomez hopes the Swansea fans can get the best of her and her teammates on the day. She said: “We are very excited for the event and have a lot of supporters coming to watch.” Gomez will work on improving the team all the way up to the start of Varsity with her focus on getting the best out of everyone. She added: “Overall we have focused on our weaknesses, and own problems, and hopefully our performance will be decent.” Gomez’s side includes: Victoria Cranwell, Georgie Wyman and Racheal Seary.

SWANSEA men’s tennis team are looking to go one better at Varsity, after two draws with Cardiff in the league this season. Swansea 1sts finished in third in the Bucs Western 2B division, three points behind champions Cardiff. Captain Julian Page was pleased with how well the side performed over the season. “I think the team has progressed well this year all things considered,” said Page. “We have only lost two games this year, one to Gloucestershire in the league and then losing to Bournemouth in the final of the Bucs cup.” But Page has bemoaned the lack of training the team have been able to do over the season. He added: “We only have one organised training session a week which significantly reduces the

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 4-6 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 4-8 Cardiff amount we can develop as a team. We also have to pay for the courts, balls and transport.” The team have found the lack of indoor facilities a challenge due to poor weather halting outdoor practice. Despite their difficulties Page believes the small club are punching above their weight with the resources they have. The men’s 1sts have been practicing throughout the Easter break and are preparing hard for the upcoming game against Cardiff. The Varsity team consists of Page, Ollie Jackson, Matt Boucher, Matt Thomas and Andrew Higley. The men’s tennis team will play Cardiff University at the Cardiff Lawn Tennis Club, starting at 12pm.

Squash aim to give Flash hopes for big it their all at Varsity things at Varsity by David Hendy

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 113-135 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 72-135 Cardiff

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

by David Hendy

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

SWANSEA University women’s fencing captain Helen Kinsella is relishing the challenge facing her side at Varsity. Swansea finished the season at the foot of the table without any points whilst Cardiff finished top, also securing the BUCS Fencing Trophy. “I’m looking forward to Varsity, despite the challenge this season,” said Kinsella. “With each member being assessed of their skills, this should rekindle our team’s competitive streak which we’ll definitely need for Varsity.” Kinsella is anticipating the mostexperienced member of the team Ruth Bowley to perform “out of her skin”. “I’m also looking forward to seeing Anna Lawrence, Zoe Beynon and Madeline Swift perform, all new to the sport at the start of the year.” Kinsella is also aware that her side will have to train hard to beat a successful Cardiff side at Varsity. “We all have our strengths and weaknesses within our team,” she said Kinsella added that fan support would be a huge boost for the team.

by Jon May

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 1-3 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 0-4 Cardiff WOMEN’S TEAM: Swansea women’s squash team

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 0-5 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 0-5 Cardiff MEN’S TEAM: Swansea men’s squash team

SWANSEA University’s Athletic Union president Dan Ryan-Lowes wants everyone to get behind the ‘Green and White Army’ on May 2. Ryan-Lowes, more commonly known as ‘Flash’, is targeting a win over Cardiff and to get more people involved in sport. “The target for Varsity is to simply beat Cardiff,” he said. “The target is for everyone to get behind the ‘Green and Whites’ and celebrate our success.” Ryan-Lowes is proud of the Swansea teams from this year, whose successes he has celebrated. “Our teams throughout the Bucs season and individual competitions have seen us beat Cardiff on many occasions and quite often we have been the clear winners,” he added. “If you’re a player, there is nothing better than seeing a crowd of Swansea students singing and cheering you on.” This season, there have been occasions where higher crowd numbers have been evident, such as the Intramural Ents Cup final and certain men’s rugby 1sts matches. Ryan-Lowes also has a lot of respect for the coaches and backroom staff involved in preparing the teams for Varsity. “It is important not to forget the

hard work that goes on behind the scenes from all that are involved,” said the out-going president. “Preparation for Varsity can take weeks, even months and everybody should be congratulated for their hard work.” Ryan-Lowes believes student’s motives for Varsity should be positive, not negative towards Cardiff. “Varsity is not about how much you ‘hate’ Cardiff, it’s about how much you love Swansea and the student life in Swansea,” he said. “Varsity is not a one-day event, it is a tradition. Make history for you and your club and above all, please enjoy it.”

waterfrontonline.co.uk

SPORT I 21

Swansea women aim for third win LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 1-0 Cardiff (2011) Swansea (p) 7-6 Cardiff by Jon May

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

Swansea Sirens seek to wow the crowd once again at the Millennium stadium

SUPER SIRENS: The squad (above) at last year’s Varsity half-time show

by Chris Flynn

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

SWANSEA Sirens cheerleading captain Rachel Brown is confident that this year will see Swansea pull off another fine display in Cardiff for Varsity. The Sirens wowed crowds last year with a polished routine and are looking for more of the same this year. “We are hoping that we can pull another great performance this year,” said Brown. “Some ideas are still being thrown

around but we hope that we can come out and blow Cardiff away once again.” The routine will be completely different from last year, where the squad revealed the word Swansea written under their tops. “We change our routines every year to keep them fresh,” she added. “We love to learn new stunts and with a huge amount of new squad members this year we have had to work even harder.” The year was not without its problems and Brown has seen many girls leave the team due to course

commitments which she says has had a “huge impact”. Preparation started early in the Easter holidays with intense training. The team has been training for most of the day, every day. Brown praised coach Megan Bridger, a third year student, for her hard work in helping the team flourish despite its difficulties. “It’s a lot of hard work to prepare for competitions like Varsity,” she said. “Meg this year has worked really hard to produce a top quality routine. “She has the squad working hard to reach our full potential.”

Last year, the team won two trophies achieving both second and third place in the BCA Midlands classic competition and also came second in the BCA university nationals in 2011. The team has also tried to expand its cheering duties this year, recently helping to cheer at the Sports Relief Mile event. Brown said: “This year alongside our usual duties of cheering for the American Football team, we took part in cheering at the Sports Relief Mile. “It was for a great cause and a great day.” See the Sirens at the Millennium.

Dixon hopes to carry on the freshers’ team tradition of beating Cardiff

SWANSEA women’s 1sts hockey team are in positive mood ahead of the Varisty clash with Cardiff. The team are looking to continue their winning run at Varsity after coming out on top in the last two years. Swansea won eight of their 10 league games this season, finishing second in the Bucs Western 2B league. They faced Cardiff 3rds during the campaign and managed back-to-back league wins against their rivals. The team will be optimistic for Varsity, but will have to be wary of their opponents who could be crowned Premier South champions next month. But Swansea’s captain Becky Gosney has been impressed by her side’s resilience this season, just missing out on a place in the Bucs Cup final to the hands of Southampton in the semis. Gosney said: “We are really proud of how far we got and it was the furthest a Swansea hockey team has got in the Bucs cup.” She will be hoping for a gutsy performance when they meet Cardiff in the afternoon session.

Men’s squad looking to give their all LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 2-3 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 2-6 Cardiff by Olivia Rosenthall

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

by Grant Yardley

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

VARSITY preparations for Swansea men’s freshers’ rugby team has been perfect after clinching the Western 3B league title. Swansea secured promotion by winning all eight league games including being awarded a walkover against Varsity opponents Cardiff in December and securing a 24-0 victory in the return fixture.

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 40-10 Cardiff (2011) Swansea drop-goal win Cardiff have experienced mixed fortunes though finishing fifth in the league, winning four games and losing three, with their last victory coming away at the University of Wales, Newport in a 17-7 win. Swansea coach Rhys Dixon has prepared his unbeaten side for the

test against Cardiff by increasing the intensity of the training. The training has been enhanced by Griff Harding and Gareth Beer, whose work is recognised by Dixon. Harding has helped forge the backline into an offensively and defensively potent force, with the side scoring 304 points and only conceding 39. Beer has spearheaded the gruelling strength and conditioning training sessions for the freshers’ side in preparation for their Varsity match on

May 2. “The ability to work closely with the 1sts, including contact drills and even the occasional bit of analysis from former Ospreys coach Sean Holley has really injected a professional attitude into the team,” he said. Dixon has picked out the commitment of captain Jack Perkins, the physicality of No. 8 Liam Neil and footballing skill of back Jack Shields as key advantages in what he describes as “the result that really matters most this season.”

AFTER consecutive fourth-place finishes, men’s hockey 1sts have high hopes for the upcoming Varsity match. Swansea have now finished fourth two years running, in the Bucs Western 2B division, and captain Joe Haworth believes highly in his squad. Haworth said: “The whole squad have put in a lot of effort for Varsity training. “We know we have a great chance in beating Cardiff, so everyone is motivated.” Having managed to remain consistent in league, despite last year’s Varsity disappointment, the team are enthusiastic that they can finally beat the opposing squad. Cardiff, on the other hand, finished bottom of the Premier South division, on the back of beating Swansea 6-2 at last year’s Varsity. Swansea’s captain feels it is now time for his team to step up to the mark and prove they can overcome Cardiff. He added: “We are a much stronger team than last year, and the whole club are really excited for the match.”

22 I SPORT

thewaterfrontvarsitypreview 30.04.12

Tough test in store for women’s team

Gorrell ready for Cardiff challenge

by Tom Nightingale

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 5-3 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 1-7 Cardiff

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

Swansea hope for Varsity win

by Marc Lomas

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

SWANSEA University men’s badminton team are preparing hard to avoid a repeat of last year’s defeat to Cardiff at Varsity. This year’s contest will contrast that of the previous year in which Swansea went into the match as favourites. Despite a disappointing league campaign this season captain Sam Gorell is hopeful for success. “It would be huge to get one over on Cardiff at Varsity,” said Gorell. “Although we go in as underdogs to the game, I am confident we can take the fight to the Cardiff team and win.” Swansea had a difficult season in the Western 1A league, finishing sixth, which meant relegation after just one year. But Gorell is looking forward to some increased support this year from the Swansea fans. He said: “We know we are the first sport on starting at 9.30am, but we need the green and white army to come watch us, having fans behind you makes a huge difference to the result of a match.”

Alice Palmer supremely confident

by Tom Nightingale

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

CAPTAIN Daniel Buttifant described Swansea University’s basketball team as “unquestionably the best it’s been for years” ahead of their Varsity clash. The side went unbeaten in the Bucs league securing promotion, to the Western 1A division, and are hopeful for a Varsity win to add to their success. “This year we’re definitely going into Varsity with far more momentum and confidence than last year,” said Buttifant. “We’ve been a very strong shooting side, however, ultimately I think it will come down to the side that plays the better defence and looks after their

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 54-72 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 61-86 Cardiff possession that will win.” Buttifant believes the crowd will play a big part in which way the result could go. He added: “The crowd is obviously going to be a big factor. Our games are usually played out in front of a small crowd so Varsity is a completely different environment to our normal season games. “Our players will be nervous, but this year we have been a very confident team so I don’t think this should become too much of a factor in our performance.”

COACH Kurt Williams believes Swansea’s women will learn from a tough season which ended with relegation to the Western 2A division. He is hopeful they can learn from this and take a new found belief into Wednesday’s Varsity game. Swansea women’s season started brightly with two quick victories over their rivals Cardiff before the winter break. But their form took a turn for the worse after Christmas as the side lost two important foreign exchange players, and could not recover the form they once had. But Williams has remained positive and will continue to work hard with the squad before the big game at the Welsh Institute of Sport. Williams said: “Despite relegation, there has been rapid improvement recently. “And returning to the division below will be a lot more balanced and competitive for the returning players next year.” Despite the strong victories over Cardiff at the start of the season, Williams believes the Varsity game will be a tough match for the team. He said: “It is always intimidating playing Cardiff, as they are a very

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 51-96 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 65-53 Cardiff experienced side. “Despite this, at last year’s Varsity we managed to pull off a shock victory. “The result was unprecedented, coming from behind to secure a fantastic 65-53 victory. “We can also take confidence from our two victories over Cardiff already this season. “However, it will be very tough for us this year. “Cardiff will be confident coming into the game despite these earlyseason victories for us. “One advantage of having played them three times already this year is that we know how they play and we are focusing on this in training. “We have to remain composed and disciplined when under pressure if we are to break up their play and prevent needless fouls.” Williams believes the crowd will help to spur the Swansea girls on ahead of the game. He added: “The girls will be very nervous ahead of the game, support from the Swansea fans will help massively to build their confidence. “Varsity will be a great experience to build upon for next season.”

American football Against all odds for set for Varsity return Swansea ultimate

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 1-7 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 3-5 Cardiff by Marc Lomas

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

SWANSEA women’s badminton squad are hopeful they can claim the Varsity bragging rights over Cardiff for a second year running. Swansea won last year’s meeting 5-3 and hope to repeat the feat this year. And they have reason to be proud again this year as they built on their promotion with a third place finish. Captain Alice Palmer believes the tougher games they have played this season will help prepare the team for Varsity. “Cardiff are in the division above us meaning they will be very tricky opponents,” she said. “But I see no reason for us to lose. The tough games we have had this year will have prepared the team for facing Cardiff.” Palmer hopes for a strong turn out of fans for the games. “We are lucky to have a bus this year which hopefully will be full of supporters” she said. “We are the first sport on but to have as many fans there as possible would be great.” The match will consist of eight games, four single matches and four doubles matches.

Photo by: Ron Almog

by Chris Flynn

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

SWANSEA Titans are looking to beat Cardiff at Varsity after one year absence from the event. Ben Knight-Gregson, the club’s treasurer, believes the team are training well and will be ready come kick off. He said: “We took it easy over Easter, so that we didn’t wear people out or sustain any unnecessary injuries, but we’re now picking up the intensity in training.” “We’ve had a change around in coaching structure. “One of our coaches, Jack Davis has really helped defence and line backers this year.”

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 0-57 Cardiff (2011) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The treasurer believes weather could play a big part in the final result. He added: “It will depend a lot on the weather. “Cardiff tend to run with the ball most of the time, but rain could see them get stuck in the mud. “Our team tends to play with a mixture of aerial passes and quick runs, mainly because we have a good quarterback in Chris Aldred.” Last year’s game was cancelled due to fixture congestion.

by Craig Hadley

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

CAPTAIN Matt Thomas does not rate Swansea’s chances against Cardiff in ultimate frisbee, but insists his side will “come out fighting” in an attempt to defy the odds. Swansea made the semi-final round of the Western Regional Championships and will look to capitalise on this run of form in May. “We have trained a lot for the western regional competition,” said Thomas. “Unfortunately we got knocked out in the semi-finals. “This was still the best the team had ever done at regionals.” Cardiff performed strongly once again this year, finishing higher than

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) N/A (2011) Swansea 2-15 Cardiff last year’s national champions Sussex. “Cardiff are one of the strongest teams in the UK and in the five years our university has had a team, we have never beaten them,” added Thomas. “We have trained extremely hard this year but I would say our chances of beating them are quite low. But with Varsity, anything can happen.” Thomas will hope to rely on experience if they are to upset the very strong Cardiff team. He added: “We have an American exchange student who has over eight years experience and a couple of players who play for top UK clubs.”

waterfrontonline.co.uk

Triple success in sight for women’s side LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 0-26 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 0-14 Cardiff by Chris Flynn

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

WOMEN’S lacrosse team are hopeful that their double-winning season will turn into a triple success with victory at Varsity. Captain Emily Jones is determined to take the win for Swansea and beat the Varsity curse that the women’s lacrosse side have had in recent years. “I don’t think we have ever won the lacrosse Varsity match against Cardiff,” she said. “But this year has been exceptional for the team. We have been promoted and won the cup competition, only losing one game all season. “This year we are hoping to give Cardiff the toughest game they have had yet.” The team topped the BUCS Western 2A this season, also winning Western Conference cup beating Plymouth Marjons in the final 17-9. In preparation for the event, Jones has increased the training time for the squad. This is to ensure the squad know the complex plays which she believes can give Swansea an “advantage” against Cardiff.

Confident Bryan senses Varsity win LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 5-4 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 4-3 Cardiff by Craig Hadley

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

MEN’S lacrosse will look to go one better as they prepare for the Varsity match with Cardiff. Will Bryan’s side have faced Cardiff twice in the league and drew on both occasions. They also faced off in the Bucs Lacrosse Trophy in which Cardiff won 8-4. “In the cup game we had a few injuries so it was tough,” said Bryan. “The team also seemed to lack drive on the day.” After knocking out Swansea in the round of 32, Cardiff went on to reach the final but were beaten by a strong Leeds Metropolitan team. In the league Cardiff matched Swansea, with both sides finishing mid-table with eight points apiece. But Bryan is very confident about the Varsity clash despite the tight matches they have played this season. “We will win,” he said. “In both of the league matches with Cardiff we had been leading and let it slip. “With focus on game day, it won’t happen at Varsity.” The match takes place at Pontcanna.

SPORT I 23

Women’s rugby feel prepared to topple Premier side Cardiff

by Gemma Parry

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

CAPTAIN Lizzie Hearn believes that Swansea University women’s rugby team are fully prepared to take on Cardiff University at Varsity. Hearn has witnessed the improvement of the side first hand after previously being the vicecaptain last season. “Over the three years that I have studied at Swansea University,

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 6-56 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 5-54 Cardiff women’s rugby has grown and gone from strength to strength,” she said. “I am confident that we have a strong team which has done extremely well this year, with everyone giving their all.” Despite losing to Cardiff in the last two Varsity events, Hearn is sure key preparations will secure a win.

Hearn identified the issues behind last 54-5 defeat and hopes to improve these areas for the game this year. She added: “We started off well and looked promising. However, a few tries from them and us conceding some penalties meant that our head dropped. “It was clear that our fitness was a weak point for us. “Varsity preparation will consist of a few team building sessions, along with several contact based and fitness sessions. “This will be practised alongside

more skill specific match play preparation nearer the big day. “Throughout the season, we have had to deal with some injuries and the loss of some key players so, as a team, I believe we’re ready to face anything.” Swansea finished third in the Western 1A Division, while Cardiff survived a relegation dogfight in the Premier South Division. Hearn added: “As always, playing Cardiff will be a tough competition, but I think we’re ready for it.”

Llewellyn reassures all that women’s football are focused on the task in hand by Craig Hadley

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

RIA Llewellyn believes Swansea University’s womens football team are in the right frame of mind ahead of the Varsity clash against Cardiff. The squad is in its final preparations for the game, and despite a narrow defeat to Cardiff back in March they are more than a match for the capital side. “We are confident and we shall go into that game with the right attitude knowing that we have as much chance as Cardiff,” said Llewellyn. “We have the players, the correct attitudes and the sheer determination to give it our all.” The women’s side have constantly evolved throughout the season in preparation for the showdown in May. Llewellyn added: “Since the start of the season there have been a few adjustments in terms of working out which position players excel in. “We have now worked out the positions which work best for the team, playing a 4-1-4-1 rather than the original 4-4-2. “This allows us to play a more attacking game and create chances which will be needed for Varsity.” Swansea’s willingness to win at all costs has reflected in their results this season, with five wins, four defeats

LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) Swansea 2-5 Cardiff (2011) Swansea 0-7 Cardiff and no draws. Llewellyn believes there are several second team players that are performing beyond expectations this season, with some in contention to make the Varsity squad. She added: “There have been a handful of the second team players who have proven their point and shown that they deserve a shot in the first team. “Such as Alex Lusty, Amy Rowe and Sophie Titcombe in defence, as well as Sue Fitzpatrick and Natasha Mitchell up front.” Llewellyn wished to add her admiration for her team mates who have continued to give everything for the side under her leadership. She added: “The effort and dedication which everyone has shown has been a real delight to watch, it is a great team to be part of.” The squad recently took part in a european tour in preparation for the main event in Cardiff. Swansea will look to break the trend of the previous two years in which they have been on the end of two heavy defeats to the team from the capital.

Photo by: Kate Steinbach

RIA’S READY: Llewellyn (left) is ready to lead her side to victory

24 I SPORT

thewaterfrontvarsitypreview 30.04.12

BECCA TAYLOR

DAVID HENDY

CRAIG HADLEY

“My favourite Varsity memory was going with a group of friends last year, one of which had won a VIP box! Watching the action up there with some of my best friends and introducing a Canadian to rugby makes it a year I’ll never forget.”

“My favourite Varsity memory was being on the big screen at the Millennium Stadium during the TMO decision last year was definitely my highlight of Varsity. I just wish they hadn’t caught me at such an intense time, I looked so nervous!”

“My favourite Varsity moment was the men’s football penalty shootout. I had seen nothing like it, all supporters surrounded the penalty box as the shootout took place. It was made even better when Swansea’s ‘keeper saved penalty after penalty, amazing stuff!”

JON MAY

TOBY HUGHES

TOM UPTON

“My favourite Varsity moment was watching 14,000 students pour into the Millennium Stadium and the atmosphere in the crowd was like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It was made even more exhilarating that we won!”

“My favourite varsity memory was when Cardiff’s mediocre technology team couldn’t work the audio equipment for the event. The Xtreme team had to step in to show them all how its done. Swansea winning just capped it all off really.”

“In my first year, me and a few of my friends, whom are Cardiff University students, held our own mini-Varsity football match, which Swansea won! After having a couple of coffees, went to watch the rugby and had a pretty amazing time.”

WATERFRONT NEWS EDITOR

WATERFRONT FRONT! EDITOR

WATERFRONT SPORTS CO-EDITOR

HEAD OF ENGINEERING AT XTREME RADIO

WATERFRONT SPORTS CO-EDITOR

SOCIETIES AND SERVICES OFFICER, PRESIDENT-ELECT

Sports Luxe

ASOS £8

Pin Up

Fran Lloyd reveals her key sports luxe item: These sporty silk shorts (£40) by Boutique for Topshop are perfect to get you into action for the London Olympics this summer, fitting perfectly into the sporty trend but with a feminine touch. Pair with either a simple crop top like this 90s white crop top from Asos (£8), or take inspiration from Stella McCartney who matches silk shorts with printed tops. Alternatively, for a more dressed-up look, wear with a slit-back shiffon shirt from Topshop (£36). New Look also has a great range of affordable cropped t-shirts and sports vests that can be paired with the shorts to complete the sports luxe look. For those who think the poppy red is too bold, these silk shorts also come in black. Either keep shoes simple with flat sandals or go all the way with bright chunky heels.

The spring/summer period is not all about studying for exams. As students, our social calendar is also full , with Varsity and the Summer Ball approaching, not to mention the long-awaited graduation ceremony and Graduation Ball for third-year students. Here are some fabulous bang-ontrend spring/summer up-dos that are simple to recreate and add a touch of glamour to any outfit. Emerging from the ‘Ballet Bun’ trend has come the Ponytail. Ponytails have dominated 2012 catwalks this season, with each designer putting their own individual spin on the trend, from sleek and slicked-back styles featured in Chanel , to Herve Leger’s creative and complex Aztec creations. Messy pony tails have been seen in shows such as Dolce and Gabanna and Valentino, creating a romantic and mermaid-esque image that oozes femininity. This low maintenance style is really easy to achieve and takes minutes to do. Firstly, loosely tie hair back, tousling shorter pieces that naturally fall out of the pony. Use bobby pins to tidy up the style, without making it look too perfect. And Voila. Braided up-dos are also bang on trend this season. The beauty of this style is it allows you to be as creative as you like with your hair. Whether you are creating a Grecian halo braid around your head or twisting and braiding all of your hair back, this trend will be around until autumn, so keep practising. For tips about braiding hair, check out some youtube tutorials that break it down step by step, helping you nail the look. Accessorized up-dos are becoming more and more present for this season. Chanel used pearl-ended hair pins to add elegance to a loose updo, whereas Jason Wu included black feathers to create statement style. Louis Vuitton released their inner prom princess by featuring diamante hairbands and tiaras in shows, proving the power of prettiness.

Top Trainer Here are the top 3 hottest trainers on sale right now for men...Enjoy!

Retro up-do’s have also made a come back, again. Kelly Osbourne shows off a 1960s-inspired French twist at the Oscars, whereas Jean Paul Gaultier featured a host of dramatic rolled styles, and even Fendi brought back ‘The Beehive’. These classic up styles all have a modern take on them, adding vibrant colour and adding even more volume, being bigger and better than before. Hairspray at the ready ladies.

Vintage Collection Nike for J Crew, approx £57

Adidas orginals adi rise 2.0 £70

Asics onitsuka tiger £59.99 Office

societies 34

food 33

careers 33

tv & culture 31

games 30

film 29

music 28

front row 27

Coachella Style 2012

Our beauty guru, Jessica O’Donnell explains the hair dos that will keep you cool while its gets hot.

For even more up-do hairstyle ideas, log onto www.glamourmagazine. co.uk/beauty-and-hair

gadgets 26

fashion 16 & 25

features 14-15

April 30, 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk

As next issue we are celebrating summer ball and festival style, here is a sneak peek at what the season has to offer. Cat Harris gives you the lowdown on the hottest festival this year. To the scorching desert of California we go, where the trend setters and A-listers flocked recently, in the heat of the beginnings of what is looking to be a beautiful American summer. Amongst the music lovers, the fashion forward gathered to celebrate the 2012 Coachella Music and Arts Festival which kicked off on Friday 13th April. The festival that is now so known for its fashion conscious crowd did not fail to disappoint as revellers celebrated this year’s great line up. Lauren Conrad, Coachella newbie, was sure to embrace all the festival had to offer, seen joining various other celebs including Glee star Lea Michele and Diane Kruger at the Lacoste L!ve desert party. The Hills star joined Black Eyed Pea Fergie in the style stakes, looking cool and chilled in a white asymmetrical hem blouse and a cute pair of high-waisted Free People ‘Baja’ striped shorts for a splash of colour. Accessorized with a pair of oversized round vintage style sunglasses from Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s label, The Row, and a straw boater, she was sure to look the part. Singing sensation Lea Michele also rocked cool chic in a crisp white shirt-waister with a red Lacoste bikini underneath and a pair of white raffia wedges. Yet accessories were sure to reign this year, enabling festival goers to make serious statements with their outdoor fashion. Tribal-inspired jewelry and vintage style shades were everywhere, worn with classic light-wash denim shorts and busy printed tops. Shoulder bags were of course the fest-essential, showing how style and practicality is entirely achievable. Emma Watson looked fabulous at the Mulberry pool party in a tiger-print playsuit and her Mulberry Cookie Mini bag across her shoulder. A look Kate Bosworth similarly perfected, also attending the star-studded bash with her trusty ink blue Mulberry bag and animal print tee with studded sneakers. Comfort is key!

Everything tech, everything student, with Richard Cowie

gadgets

Windows 8 preview A

FTER the industry preview of the next version of Microsoft’s next operating system, Microsoft have released a ‘consumer preview’ of Windows 8, which demonstrates some of the slick new features expected in the final version which is slated to be released by the end of the year, writes Richard Cowie. Perhaps the biggest change from Windows 7 is the addition of a Start screen that contains apps, which are very similar to those found on Apple’s OS X and smartphones, all of which update automatically showing you weather, email and social network updates. However, this is not the only change from Windows 7, Windows 8 is fully supported on tablet devices, which will allow users to

iPhone 5

network and sync their main computer to their tablet. Windows 8 contains full Xbox and Windows Phone integration, so all of your emails and social network notifications can be accessed on any Microsoft product with incredible ease. Despite these major changes, there are still many features remaining from previous versions of Windows, the desktop still exists for users who aren’t too fond of the new start screen, also all programmes and devices from Windows 7 work on Windows 8. So you don’t have to buy any new software when you want to upgrade. Another final preview is expected in the summer with the final commercial release to be by the end of the year.

Clouds

iPhone 5 rumours start again

Google Launches Cloud Service

It’s that time of year, when the rumours of the next product from the technology colossus Apple start flying around. The latest of all is that the new iPhone will be cased in ‘Liquidmetal’ , a material which is reported to be at least to be 20 times stronger than the current glass and aluminium casing of the current iPhone 4S. This is seen as good news as it is too easy to crack an iPhone from a drop, even from comparatively small fall. However, when the next iPhone will be released is unlikely to known for a while.

Google has just launched a new service to go with its already huge catalogue of email, calendar and search services. Google Drive allows you to store your files online, so you have no risk of losing that vital piece of coursework when you lose your memory stick. Google Drive allows 5GB of free storage with more available for a monthly fee. Despite Google only recently launching the product, there are other online storage services that have been around for a long while such as Dropbox and even Apple’s iCloud. See drive.google.com

Do you want to put a gadget in the spotlight? Email waterfrontgadgets@swansea-union.co.uk

awards

Student Media Awards Celebrate A Successful Year T

HE three course dinner and award ceremony kicked off at Sketty Hall on Tuesday 24th April, writes Jon May. The student media awards are a great way to celebrate the hard work that volunteers do for the Xtreme radio station, The Waterfront newspaper and other student media outlets. First up were the awards for the News team at The Waterfront and these went to Alicia Nugent for Most Improved Writer, Gemma Parry for Best Story about the student sex workers, Chris Flynn for Best Original Story, exposing some of the problems in the village.

Lewis winning Best Writer. Sam Booth took home the Best AllRound Journalist after her newspaper, radio and live video broadcasts, and Jon May took the Outstanding Contribution award. In closing remarks Kay said: “It’s been a wonderful year; it’s been a blast working with everybody. I can’t get over how good everybody is and how lovely everybody is and I’ve had such a good time, so thank you very much.”

Craig Hadley and David Hendy, student sport editors, gave out the sport awards, with Alex Roberts winning Writer of the Year, David Hendy bagging Article of the Year, Chris Penn being rewarded for his Interview of the Year and Tom Nightingale winning the Match Report of the Year. Jonathan Jones won the Photo of the Year for his Men’s Hockey picture. They thanked everyone from their section and were proud of the team.

The winners were Ryan O’Callaghan for Best Mess (throwing up into Eva Donoghue’s bathtub), Jess Main & Josh Hayman for Biggest Cock-Up, The Dugout for its Who Am I? in the Best Feature category. Amardeep Panesar won the Best Newcomer award and Dan Harvey & Cat Francis picked up the Best Male & Female Presenters respectively. The Wednesday One Show scooped the Best Show and the three Outstanding Contribution awards went to Matthew Jones, Chuka Madubunyi and Toby Hughes - with Jess Main being awarded the democratically chosen Members’ Member award.

Jazz Dicker won the Best All-Rounder award, but could not be at the event and Callum Burns won Best Photographer. Becca Taylor, student news editor, presenting the news team awards, closed by saying: “Thank you so much for a fantastic time this year, I’m all going to miss you so much.

Tom Upton, Societies and Services officer closed the night by saying: “This year, the University Media has been absolutely fantastic. From all the full-time staff, well done, you really deserve it all. Good luck to everyone leaving us to go onto fantastic new adventures but next year, let’s do more, let’s do it better, let’s get it done and roll on September!”

“It’s been amazing as News Editor … There are not a bunch a people I would rather do it more for.” Kay Byrne, Waterfront co-editor, took to the podium to present the features team awards with Matt Edwards winning Best Section Editor, Lucinda Reid winning Best Designer and Catrin

Xtreme radio was last up and regaled the audience with tales of cock-ups live on air and drunken nights out.

Xtreme Radio hosted the ceremony in Sketty Hall for everybody involved in student media Left to Right: Eva Donoghue, Jess Main, Josh Hayman, Amy Drawbridge, Lewis Crompton and Toby Hughes.

Watch the ceremony: www.youtube.com/user/ TheWaterfrontSwansea/videos

NUMBER

societies 34

food 33

careers 33

tv & culture 31

games 30

film 29

music 28

front row 27

gadgets 26

fashion 16 & 25

features 14-15

front row

April 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk

1 Toploader

Sin City Nightclub, Saturday 12 May £11 in advance The Eastbourne-born band started in 1997 and has sold over two million albums and a string of top 20 hits. The band will appear in Sin City as part of a comeback tour after a six year break from 03-09 after their record label S2 collapsed. Top hits such as Dancing in the Moonlight and Achilles Heel are on the menu, as well as songs from their album, Only Human. Expect a night to remember from the ever-popuiar band.

A Rare Interview With Comedian Simon Amstell

Tasteless Nudity

The Never Mind The Buzzcocks presenter is coming to Swansea Grand Theatre as part of his tour on May 9th and gave James Rampton an exclusive interview.

On March 28, the Comedy Society entertained the crowd with their latest show, ‘Tasteless Nudity’, writes Craig Hadley. The show was a success thanks to the efforts in particular of Fred Cooper and Simon Emmanuel who both arguably stole the show with some impressive comedic talents.

Numb, Amstell’s first national tour in three years, hits the road this spring. Not that the Essex-born comedian wants to make too much fuss about it. Unlike most motor-mouth comedians, he is notoriously reluctant to be interviewed. Amstell who was for three years the presenter of the BBC2 pop comedy show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, for which he won a BAFTA and a Royal Television Society Award for Best Comedy Entertainment Personality continues,“I really do love doing stand-up. It’s the most amazing feeling when it’s going well, you’re free, you’re flying. This ‘thing’ is happening beyond your control. Something is powering you, something that isn’t you.” The comedian, who also hosted Channel 4’s Popworld for six years, adds that, “I suppose the idea for performers is to take their audience to a place where they’re also outside of themselves.” Amstell may be currently better known for his TV work, but he actually started doing stand-up when he was only 14. At 17, he was the youngest ever finalist in the BBC New Comedy Award. Since then he has evolved into one of the most brilliant and distinctive stand-ups around. He offers a unique combination of incredibly original, thought-provoking material and outright laughter. He is a true one-off. But don’t just take my word for it. The critics are unanimous in their view that Amstell is one of the most dazzling live comedians currently at work – as this sample of their opinions proves. The Guardian, for instance, declared that Simon’s show is, “The real deal. Where philosophy collides with anxiety, where Heidegger meets Woody Allen”. For its part, The Scotsman raved that he is, “One of

the most elegant, articulate, sensitive and endearing proponents of ‘Soul Comedy’ that there is”. Meanwhile, The Evening Standard went for a critique that was short and sweet: “Painfully funny.” The comedian, who is touring for the first time since his critically acclaimed 2009 show, ‘Do Nothing’, explains why he decided to call his new show ‘Numb’. “The theme seemed to be disconnection and detachment and the inability to feel things fully. “It’s about not being able to feel things in the moment and being incapable of expressing yourself emotionally and the fact that that leads to disconnectedness and depression. And it’s very funny!’ he adds with an embarrassed hoot of laughter. I ask him whether he feels brave exposing his feelings to this degree. “Not really,” he replies. “I think it’s actually also quite healing eventually. When you reveal something personal and perhaps shameful, people acknowledge that it’s part of the human condition and they don’t feel so alone. They don’t feel stuck with an horrific secret.”

It’s a very personal form of comedy. “Occasionally, I have tried to do stuff about other things,” Amstell insists, “but it doesn’t really work for me. If it’s not coming from ‘here’s how I felt in this particular moment’, then it doesn’t resonate. When I say I feel a certain way, no one can argue with that. It’s a very authentic response to the world.” In the past, some critics have suggested that Amstell’s comedy can veer towards the cruel, but as a stand-up, his vulnerability and openness creates the opposite impression. Crucially, he ensures he is always the butt of his own jokes. “It always ends up that I’m the fool in any story. If I’m criticising people or making a judgement, it’s always clearly by the end that it was definitely my problem.” Amstell would be the first to admit that he can dwell on the dark side, but he maintains that helps his comedy. “Without suffering, there would be no need for comedy. Misery on its own doesn’t work. But misery combined with the perception that that misery is ridiculous is very funny, right?” What seems to fuel Amstell’s exceptional comedy is an insatiable curiosity. He agrees, “Yes, there is always this element of discovery. I’m not very good at making absolute statements. I think I am better at trying to figure stuff out. Yes, that sounds sort of right.” Simon Amstell will be on his “Numb” tour on May 9th at Swansea Grand Theatre.

The show also saw the stand up debut of Alex Davies, his routine was shaky (which was to be expected given his relative lack of experience in stand up) but impressively dealt with hecklers and seemed to rise as a performer because of it. The sketches involved this time around included: a Lord of the Rings police incident, how dance ruined society, a Marxist exchange, a gentle ribbing at the student forum, as well as many other fine skits. The stand ups on show this time were: Alex Davies, Lucas Elliot and the headline act Barney Stone as well as the fine host Simon Emmanuel. Barney Stone Barney failed to capture the audience as well as the acts that preceded him. His situational comedy consisted of decent enough observations about erections and the rules of engagement with someone you don’t know that well, but failed to really get the crowd going. (5/10) Lucas Elliot He did well considering he followed a very well constructed consumerism joke from the host. Lucas adjusted well to the audience and overall did a very good job interacting with the crowd. “Metal poles are not lightsabers. You should never fight with poles. That’s how Hitler got in trouble. (7/10) Simon Emmanuel Simon Emmanuel was the surprise hit of the night, overshadowing the performance of the headline act Barney Stone. His experience was evident in his exchanges with the crowd and projected well despite the absence of a microphone. “A guy asks me any change? I said no, you’re still homeless.” (10/10) Summary: I swear swearing has never been so creatively used, a fine show with the host stealing the show with a fantastic audience relationship.

music

Going for the record - with alex gibbs

Feed Your Festival Craving Monster! B

USINESS may have returned to usual when it comes to Swansea rays, but no drizzle has dampened our excitement for the looming festival season! But before you rush out to buy your crates and wellies, take a moment to consider the cream of the British festival crop that’s on offer this summer.

Unless you’ve spent the last few months under a brick, I’m sure you’re more than aware that student festival Beach Break is being held in South Wales’s very own Pembrey Park. The five-day event flaunts Chase and Status, Dizzee Rascal and Friendly Fires as headliners with an abundance of other dance, drum n’ bass, and dub artists thrown in for good measure. It’s worth noting that Beach Break tickets coin in at a very reasonably priced £109, making attendance a no-brainer for us Swansea students. However, if you’re seeking something mellower, then Bestival could be your answer. Stevie Wonder, New Order and The XX are just the beginning to the eclectic mix of artists set

to perform. What makes Bestival exceptional is that non-musical events such as ‘Gay Bingo’ and ‘Time for Tease’ (a balance of burlesque and afternoon tea) play as much of a role in creating a blissful atmosphere as the music does. Meanwhile, Reading and Leeds both offer incredible line-ups with indie heavyweights The Cure, Kasabian and the Foo Fighters. As something of a Leeds Fest veteran I cannot praise it enough – as long as you don’t mind everything you came with ending up on the bonfires come the Sunday Night Riots... So there you have a little taster of this festival season, before even mentioning the delights in store at Creamfields, V Festival, Latitude and countless others I’ve neglected to mention! Needless to say, with Glastonbury off the menu this year everywhere else is undoubtedly reaping the benefits and with headline acts like these, it’s difficult not to get more than a little excited.

By Heather Cartwright

Photo Credit: Daniel Finnan

For Beach Break Live tickets go to “Buy Tickets” on www.beachbreaklive.com and search for Swansea University to find our list of reps.

SPOTLIGHT: Childish Gambino

Photo Credit: David Hwang

DEFINING the talented Childish Gambino would be a combination of the intense rapping skills of Ed Sheeran, the invigorating soulfulness of Kanye West and the lyrical audacity of 3OH!3. Straight off the US acting and comedy scene, Donald Glover has no problem orchestrating a full-blown infectious, compelling set of hip-hop tracks, under his alter-ego Childish Gambino. Beginning his musical career in 2006, Gambino has previously self-released albums, EPs and mixtapes, until 2011, when his remarkable studio album ‘Camp’ was released under ‘Glassnote Records’. ‘Camp’ draws upon Gambino’s raw writing and musical abilities, clearly validated in hip-hop triumphs

By Alex Gibbs

‘Heartbeat’ and the remarkable ‘Freaks and Geeks’. Other tracks find Gambino using various melodious backing tracks (from nursery rhymes to gospel styles) to contrast with his intense rapping skills like ‘LES’ and ‘Kids’. Expect an album overflowing with bold, fearless beliefs, shown in his striking lyrics oozing with confidence. Whilst his music is defined within the Alternative hiphop genre, Gambino mixes touches of gospel to drum n’ bass to his tracks; proving he can adapt in his musical genre with a multitude of styles. Yet, at times Gambino’s music lacks momentum and whilst his musical expertise is impressive, for me his music isn’t quite there yet although still noteworthy.

Do you think a band or genre should be featured? E-mail us at waterfrontmusic@swansea-union.co.uk

albums

singles

Band of Skulls

Gotye

Making Mirrors

Alexandra Burke

Nicki Minaj

Sweet Sour

Blues-orientated rock trio ‘Band of Skulls’ release their second album, which will not disappoint writes Callum Walters. Whilst ‘Sweet Sour’ aims for a slower, tranquil tempo, it still hits you with a hard riff now and again. This experimental album has beautiful harmonising between dual vocalists Marsden and Richardson, yet with guitar work that is obscenely sleazy, it emanates a creepy edge reminiscent of 70’s hard rockers. Lead single ‘The Devil Takes Care of His Own’ epitomises this description and songs like ‘Wonderluster’ solidify it. A high praised album; great for any fans of rock, indie or blues.

Sensation ‘Wouter De Backer’ (AKA Gotye) has been on the Australian music scene for years, yet the rise of “Somebody That I Used To Know” sent third album “Making Mirrors” into the top ten of almost every album chart worldwide writes Olivia Rosenthall. Whilst known for his song of heartbreak, the album doesn’t dwell on that theme. Combining the hypnotic hum of De Backer’s voice with captivating sound effects and steel drum loops, every track differs from the one before. With 80s inspired tunes like “Eyes Wide Open” and the relaxing lull of “Don’t Worry”; it’s hard not to fall in love with such a diverse album.

Burke is back, and truth be told fresher and more unexpected than ever writes Alex Gibbs. Previous tracks like ‘Bad Boys’ and ‘Broken Heels’ saw Burke embrace the contagious feelgood style of dance-pop, however, ‘Elephant’ sees a change in musical direction. A track which welcomes a fresh dance vibe packed with electronica and stimulating bass lines, clearly following the recent chart demand for dance anthems. Whilst the choice of lyrics may seem odd, Burke somehow makes the ‘elephant in the room’ concept appealing and after a few listens, you may just become entranced by what this song has to offer. A new musical direction for Burke’s career.

Nicki Minaj has many incarnations; there’s the club-pop superstar to the vivacious rapping femme fatale that has dominated the hiphop universe writes Rich Willetts. Undeniably, her pop personality takes form on Starships. A ‘summer anthem’ vibe comes to mind with the song’s guitar strumming and beach-like lyrics. Yet with a drop sounding jarringly similar to the one found on the Black Eyed Peas’ ‘Dirty Bit’, this may just be another generic song lacking originality and artistic value. Saying that, Nicki Minaj’s effervescent charisma will always create a club friendly vibe and this track is destined to be huge.

Elephant

Starships

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food 33

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tv & culture 31

games 30

film 29

music 28

front row 27

gadgets 26

fashion 16 & 25

features 14-15

April 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk

film

Profile: Director Ridley Scott B

ORN in 1937 in Northumberland, Sir Ridley Scott was educated at the West Hartlepool College of Art and London’s Royal College of Art, writes Saul Masters. After completing his education in the early 1960s the young film enthusiast secured a job working as a set designer for the BBC, working on such televisions shows as Doctor Who and later getting promoted to direct programmes for the broadcasting organisation. Scott’s first debut feature film, The Duellist, in 1977, starred Harvey Keitel and Albert Finney and managed to bag the young director the award for best first work at Cannes film festival. Although it failed to attract much attention anywhere outside of Europe it got Scott the job to direct Alien. To this day Alien is the pinnacle of what science fiction is

capable of, intelligent story telling accompanied with strong, bold visuals. After his success with Alien, Scott (pictured above) moved on to grapple with Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? morphing the novel into

Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford. It soon became a cult classic, with incredible critical success. If Alien had not done so already, Blade Runner quickly established Scott as a master auteur. Although Scott had some flops with such films as Legend and G.I. Jane, he managed to redeem himself with Thelma and Louise in 1991 and the modern classic Gladiator in 2001, winning best picture at the Oscars. This year Scott returns to Alien with his new film Prometheus. The prequel is set in the same universe but takes place years before the first film. It tells the story of a group of scientists who venture into the unknown to discover the origins of mankind. Prometheus is set to be one of the biggest blockbusters of this summer.

Left, Prometheus. Below, Thelma and Louise. Right, Blade Runner.

Hunger Games

reviews By Saul Masters

Since the end of the Harry Potter series in the summer and the near to be completed Twilight saga this autumn, the American film studios have been looking for the next literary text to receive the Hollywood treatment. It would seem that they have settled on Suzanne Collins’ much acclaimed trilogy ‘The Hunger Games’. But instead of young wizards or glistening vampires, ‘The Hunger Games’ has a more mature take. It is set in a future totalitarian North America, now named Panem, in which every year young inhabitants of different districts are picked at random to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss Everdeen, a teenager fighting for her life in the tortuous games. Lawrence, who won her spurs in 2010’s ‘Winter’s Bone’, is the real anchor in this film with a stand out performance, exemplified in the love story with fellow Hunger Games contestant Josh Hutchison’s Peeta. ‘The Hunger Games’ bottles Darwinian savagery and extreme satire of reality television with teenage romance, injecting a sensible, mature touch that ‘Twilight’ could never manage. Although the theme has been exercised better in 2000’s‘Battle Royale’ or in 1932’s ‘The Most Dangerous Game’, ‘The Hunger Games’ is a cut above the dull blockbusters that are infiltrating our cinemas this summer. As Lawrence’s Katniss states in the film “If no one watches, they don’t have a game”, it would appear that Hollywood has a game on their hands.

The Cabin in the Woods

21 Jump Street

By Ian Martin

The Cabin In The Woods is the directorial debut from Drew Goddard, who co-wrote the film with Joss Whedon, with whom he has previously collaborated. It is an intelligent deconstruction of the American horror genre and through a number of brave twists and turns, is able to force the viewer to re-evaluate what it is about these horror films that they enjoy. There are two stories that run alongside each other, which meet in the middle, leading to explosive and highly entertaining results. In order to not destroy the film’s greatest asset, which is the element of surprise, it is difficult to offer a comprehensive plot breakdown. However, imagine the conventional American horror setting of five young friends, who venture out to stay at an old cabin in the woods, expecting nothing, but are surprised by unearthly dangers that lurk in the dark. The dangers, of course, come to fruition and as everything appears to go to plan, the film takes an exciting turn, linked in with the other story, which you have to see for yourself to believe. One of the highlights is a literal ‘name the film the monster belongs to’, which is incredibly well done and enjoyable for horror fans. This is a highly recommended and inventive assessment of the genre and offers numerous laughs and memorable events. However, for a horror-comedy, it isn’t quite scary enough and through its style and structure, neglects the horror aspect.

This is the Hollywood redux of a 1980s TV cop show, which is presented in a more comedic tone than the dramatic original. Its co-stars, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, offer a surprisingly cohesive and entertaining double act, meandering through the film with ease. The laughs are constant and permit you to forget Tatum’s truly dire back catalogue, if only for 110 minutes. The film begins with the stars in high school themselves and the differences between the two are apparent, as Greg (Tatum) is the archetypal jock who seeks to humiliate Morton (Hill), the nerd. As time progresses, we see that the two attend the same police academy and are failures in different capacities. They realize they are more likely to succeed if they work together, which results in the two becoming friends. After a failed arrest, they are relegated in the force and are asked to infiltrate a contemporary high school, in order to stop the circulation of a new drug. All the expected humour and more ensues, through the youthful situations the two adults find themselves in. High-speed car chases, out of control house parties and full-blown shoot-outs, are enhanced by the quality of the comedy writing. This witty reinvention is successful, primarily due to the film’s low expectations and impressive performances. The second reason being, for its homage to the previous incarnation, with the surprising cameo of the year so far, which alone makes this one not to miss.

this week : gaming can produce assassins

games

You’re hired! Test yourself as a trader

RADERVERSITY is the world’s only free, no-risk financial trading game with real-time prices. Quick to register and easy to use, simply log in via Facebook and a valid university email address and once registered players can start buying and selling equities, currencies and commodities, and building their portfolio. Players can get to grips with the basics of trading, interact with other student traders and be in with the chance to win a share of the £5,000 monthly prize fund, writes Anthony Dakin. Designed to help de-mystify “The City”, the game can be used by students from all academic fields. Students can experience the thrill of the trade with Traderversity’s live games, competitions and step-bystep learning tutorials, and can share tips and advice with other players on what to invest in and when. Traderversity is currently running two competitions where students can win one of 5 iPad2s or a share of £5,000. The Top 50 players at the end of the month will be entered into a draw and the first five names chosen at random will each win an iPad2 16Gb Wi-Fi. In addition, there is £1,000 of real cash up for grabs every week with a top prize of £250, and the top 50 all winning cash prizes. On registering, players are awarded £1m of virtual money to use to enter live trading competitions where profits and losses contribute to the overall leaderboard. Players can go head-to-head with friends and contacts using the website’s in-built Facebook widget, as well as against other players in the wider Traderversity league. Students also represent their universities in the overall

university league, which tracks the universities with the best trading talent. And with talent in mind, Traderversity works closely with leading investment Anthony Dakin firms, so students displaying trading finesse might catch the eye of industry headhunters or future employers! I am a first year Computer Science student at Swansea University, and I have been enhancing my trading abilities on Traderversity: I like the fact that Traderversity is really easy to play and almost anyone can pick up on how to use it and learn the basics of how to trade. The real cash prizes up for grabs add a competitive edge and almost everyone I know playing the game has won at least one cash

BAN THIS SICK FILTH

NDERS Breivik, the man on trial for the 2011 Oslo bomb attacks and the mass shooting at Utøya, has recently detailed the role that World of Warcraft and Call of Duty have played in his alleged preparation for his crimes. This has led to rather fevered whisperings amongst the media about what our darling children are exposed to. In some cases, this has led to misinformation. Here is an example. Breivik talks about the use of holographic sights with firearms in this quote from the Guardian:

“ “

If you are familiar with a holographic sight, it’s built up in such a way that you could have given it to your grandmother and she would have been a super marksman. It’s designed to be used by anyone. In reality it requires very little training to use it in an optimal way. But of course it does help if you’ve practised using a simulator [Call of Duty].

Compare this with the Daily Mail’s quote: The game uses a ‘holographic sight’ similar to the one that Breivik attached to his hunting rifle when he stalked his victims on the island with unerring accuracy. In a chilling admission regarding the efficacy of the controversial computer game he added: ‘You could give it your grandmother and she would be able to become a super marksman!’

Crucially, holographic sights could help the geriatric population fend off a zombie apocalypse, and not Call of Duty. The man had also practised with firearms prior to his spree. This sort of shoddy reporting plagues the coverage of video games even now. It is telling that people are still confused as to the mental state of the man, yet when it comes to something like this, they hang on his every word. I have played Call of Duty, and I am not a trained assassin just because Breivik says that it ‘develops target acquisition’. Any FPS develops target acquisition. Hell, even Duck Hunt develops target acquisition. To wield firearms, you need much more than a controller, though the whining Americans from Xbox Live are enough to drive anyone to draw a pistol to one’s head. The attitude to video games needs to mature. A lot of people treat them distantly, as if they are weapons of mass destruction. They’re not. Luckily we’ve come a long way since believing Mass Effect is pornography (go to Youtube and search for Mass Effect Sex Debate). It’s just a pity that people forget how people get angry over other forms of media, fiction or nonfiction. Take the Bible, for example. Matthew Edwards

prize from the game with such frequent prize draws. It’s also great game to play against your mates and we're all constantly trying to out-trade each other and comparing which stocks and shares each other have traded. Two London-based businessmen, Jonathan Rose and Chris Hobcroft, devised the game based on their own experiences in trading, financial services and technology. Between them, they have 15 years’ experience in the trading, financial services and technology sectors. Jonathan says: “We looked at the trading games on offer and we saw that nothing was tailored specifically to students. We saw only over -simplified alternatives, or those that didn’t reflect the reality of what was truly happening on the market. “For students hoping to make a career in investments and finance, Traderversity will provide real insight to the markets, and playing it will hone their skills to give them that advantage at interviews. In addition, we have many students from non-financial academic disciplines who regularly compete and succeed on Traderversity. For example, we recently awarded a cash prize to a History student from Edinburgh University, Madeleine Ash, and one of our most active players is a Modern Languages student from Birmingham, so the game appeals to all students. Traderversity is developed by TraderPeople (www. traderpeople.com) and is supported by London-based investment firm, Blenheim Chalcot. • To try your hand at trading, risk-free, visit www. traderversity.com

Not Much Of An Effect

The ending of the Mass Effect trilogy has caused uproar in the gaming community, so Jacques Tsiantar decided to play through for himself. SPOILER WARNING

AVING finished the game on each of the three endings, it’s clear that the developers had a strong vision that they wanted to present, and not without a great execution. It’s not hard to see why it conclusion caused so much outrage. The three-pronged result of Shepherd’s actions is a strong moral choice, but more a choice of ethics. Destroy all synthetic life, fuse synthetic and non-synthetic life or control the reapers. Bioware does give us reasons for this; the timeless “Turned Against Their Masters” trope, but for me personally, the consequences of any course of action left me wanting something different. I know it’s a cliché, but what’s wrong with just beating the Reapers, flying back to your crew with a nod and a smile as victory music soars in the background? Yes, you’ll probably call it a simple, “beat the bad guys, get the girl, you’re a hero” scenario, but it’s the accomplishment of the quest that brings a true satisfaction, especially for people who’ve invested so much time and care into Mass Effect. Instead, we’re left with the mass relays being destroyed, your faithful crew shipwrecked on some planet, far away from their homes, no hope to return and leaving a whole galactic civilisation is disrepair, with no communication or travel. Some may see it as a thought-provoking vision and a clean slate, but a large proportion of their fan base feel that this isn’t an apt reward for their commitment to the series. It’s been done before; Dead Rising had a great set of eight endings based on your performance throughout the game. That was satisfying; it really gave the player a sense of consequence. Now whilst Mass Effect had the Paragon, Neutral and Renegade system, which was a great system, it’s ultimately negated. In my opinion this was a well thought out conclusion, but really not the one we truly wanted.

Vajazzles valleys-style? A

S an innocent child, I was plucked from the normality of south London and brought into the magical land known as the south Wales valleys, somewhere near Newport. Twelve years later, I’m still adapting, but whenever someone asks, I’m proud to say that being a valleys girl is lush. Phenomenal, in fact (hint, that last bit should be said in the strongest valleys accent that you can muster), writes Catrin Lewis. So it is with great disgust that I find MTV are out to humiliate yet again with their new series The Valleys. I can almost guarantee that Essex has not benefited from ITV’s The Only Way is Essex, nor has Newcastle’s reputation been vastly improved by Geordie Shore. All that MTV is achieving with this travesty of fauxreality television is embarrassing the places where these people live, and turning the characters into parodies of real human beings. These days, as soon as anyone even mentions Essex, all you can think of is fake tan, fake eyelashes, bad hair extensions and vajazzles. How utterly depressing.

“The youth of today seem to be obsessed with wanting to become famous for accidentally getting naked on some low-brow reality television show” The thing is, it isn’t even as if I’m a reality television snob. The most disgusting of hangovers can be vastly improved by Jeremy Kyle and his ego-boosting guests – there’s nothing like watching a family with

societies 34

food 33

careers 33

tv & culture 31

games 30

Talent spotting with a twist ONE television show that is sweeping the nation is BBC One’s The Voice. Rivalling ITV’s show-stopper, Britain’s Got Talent, The Voice bends the rules of every talent show previously seen on British television, writes Olivia Rosenthall. Unlike most vocal competitions such as The X Factor, contestants are judged solely by their singing ability. And who better to judge the candidates than world famous Tom Jones, Will.i.am, Jessie J and The Script’s Danny O’Donoghue?

no teeth and mullets to make you feel better about yourself. As for BBC3 and their selection of tripe, it’s like a car crash you can’t help but look at; you know that you shouldn’t, and you’re disgusted with yourself for doing it, yet you’re still staring at it, transfixed. Maybe it’s down to my overprotective, mother-hen nature, but I just don’t want to see another group of people becoming fodder for trashy Z-list celebrity magazines. When looking at the Twitter feed for the show (@MTVTheValleys), the majority of Tweeters seem to be plastic looking girls slathered in shed paint blathering on about how they’ve submitted their applications. Perhaps it’s the fake Twitter account that gets it right when it comes to what the show will really be about, having asked for ‘wannabe glamour models with bad hair extensions to

get in touch. What’s more terrifying is that people I know have actually applied for this; for what it’s worth, they are most definitely dead to me. What happened to real ambition? The youth of today seem to be obsessed with wanting to become famous for accidentally getting naked on some low-brow reality television show or becoming a WAG. Why aren’t they scrambling over each other to get the Nobel Prize or become top athletes or something vaguely worthwhile? If you want to know what the valleys are like, watch Gavin and Stacey. Everyone here’s got an Uncle Bryn and a Doris living next door. But even if you haven’t, ask me nicely and I’ll do my Nessa impersonation for you; that’ll be far more entertaining than any embarrassing programme MTV could ever come up with.

See our lovely, ugly town through a poet’s eyes IF you’re looking for something to take your mind off the stress of exams then why not retrace the steps of one of the world’s finest poets right here in Swansea? That poet of course being our very own Dylan Thomas. Being a resident of Swansea (or at least I assume you are if you are reading this article), you will almost certainly be aware of Dylan Thomas; the passionate, fiery, romantic and somewhat complex figure without whom Wales would not be defined as a nation of poets. So just what did Thomas see in Swansea that prompted him to describe it as an “ugly, lovely town” ? To gain an insight into this question why not pay a visit to Thomas’ s birthplace - 5 Cwmdonkin drive in Uplands. From there you can walk in the great man’s

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fashion 16 & 25

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April 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk

Dylan Thomas

Picture by Chris P Jobling

footsteps to one of his favourite pubs - the Uplands Tavern. Here you’ll find a room dedicated to Thomas with pictures and quotes sprawled across every wall; his famous quote about beer will insure that every pint you drink from then on will taste just that much better. If you’re really serious about seeing

Swansea as Thomas saw it – this is the part where I recommend a good pair of walking boots - then you could set off towards Mumbles across Swansea bay; a walk that Thomas embarked on frequently. Although this is no ten minute trip to the shops and back, it is more than worth it; the views alone are sure to captivate, and if that wasn’t enough when you get to Mumbles you can spot two more of Thomas’ favourite haunts – oddly enough, more pubs! - the Antelope and the Mermaid (sadly now both closed). Don’t worry, though there are plenty of other drinking haunts in Mumbles. In short, this is a day well spent, but be aware – it’s no mean feat to match Wales’ finest poet’s drinking and walking abilities. You may need to call a taxi home.

As the weeks go on, each judge will round up a worthy group of passionate singers to eventually compete for the public’s vote on a live broadcast, with the victorious artist winning a recording contract with Universal Republic. Each participant must take part in a blind audition whilst the judges face the other way; with the press of a button and the turn of a chair, judges show their desire to work with a candidate. Should more than one judge make a bee line for the same artist, the decision is left up to the candidate. However, as each week has gone on, and the competition has got harder, both judges and artists have faced the difficult decision of who to pick to collaborate with. That’s not to mention previously famous competitors such as Kerry Ellis, a West End star, who also participated in the blind audition and did not steal the hearts of any of the judges. Rejections similar to this have raised many members of the public’s eyebrows when considering the talent presented to us every Saturday. On the other hand, “The Voice” has given people the opportunity to be judged and rewarded solely for their vocal ability and talent, without the undermining of their backgrounds or appearance, which other talent contests have been criticised for.

A special mention The TV & Culture page would like to express a very special congratulations to Swansea University, who last week made it onto the Russell Howard’s Good News show on BBC3. The topic of choice? Our now infamous toilet posters. Well done, Swansea! By Catrin Lewis

societies 34

food 33

careers 33

tv & culture 31

games 30

film 29

music 28

front row 27

gadgets 26

fashion 16 & 25

features 14-15

April 30 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk

Food

Welsh Delicacies You Have To Try F

OR us English folk, it’s sometimes hard to remember that Wales is a different country, writes Jon May.

The currency and language are pretty much the same, you don’t need a passport to come here and it’s only the eye-gouging six quid you’ve got to pay to get across the bridge that really reminds you that you’re in a foreign land. Welsh Cakes When I was first presented with a Welsh Cake, I honestly did think it was a flat scone. Topped with sugar and filled with currants, this small spongy delight is a great snack. The best place to get them is from Swansea Market where they’re served warm

moments after they’ve been made. Delicious.

Tip: Served best with vinegar and white pepper.

Jam Split

Laverbread

Having mastered what a Welsh Cake was, I was surprised once again when I was given a Jam Split. My neighbour, who originally comes from Aberdare thought it odd I’d been in Swansea for so long and hadn’t had one, so off we head to the market. It’s basically the same as a Welsh cake, but with one slight difference: It’s got a layer of jam in the middle. The lovely sweet treat has been made even better by giving it some moisture.

The delicacy that is Bara Lafwr is made from seaweed. Boiled for several hours, and then cut up and puréed, the paste is rolled in oatmeal to soak up some of the moisture and is traditionally fried with bacon and cockles for a hearty Welsh breakfast. Richard Burton the Welsh actor famously described laverbread as the “Welshman’s caviar” and it is highly nutritious from the high protein, iron and iodine content.

Tip: Buy in bulk when you can find these! Cockles Whilst everyone will remember cockles for the Morecambe Bay disaster where 23 illegal immigrants died when they were caught out by the tide, they are actually a lovely seaside treat. The Magna Carta from way back in 1215 is still in force with regards to how many cockles a person can harvest – eight pounds (or 3.6 kg for you modern folk) is still the legal limit and if you want to pick more, you’ve got to get a commercial licence.

Careers

Swansea Students Bring Home Two Trophies From Competition T

HE SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) students at Swansea University went to the SIFE National competition last week, meeting business leaders and learning how to make themselves more desirable in the eyes of graduate employers, writes Jon May. The team achieved a respectable semi-final place, ranking them within the top 16 teams in the country. This success was further built on by winning the Bernard Hodes Annual Report award, which beat over 40 other universities and the team was presented with a trophy and the £1,000 prize money by the Chief Executive of the Bernard Hodes Group, Helen Rosethorn. The projects aim to empower people to improve their own lives, through the “positive power of business.” The Friends of Bryn-y-mor project saw SIFE Swansea help the primary school raise over £7,000 to build a new toilet block. In another project called Silver Surfers, the aim was to teach the elderly how to use computers to contact relatives, and the business angels project is a business consultancy where students enrolled onto the Entrepreneurship module come up with ways to improve local businesses and are awarded credits for doing so. This year, the team empowered businesses and individuals to become £48,000 better off, improved the lives of 440 people and put in over 3,500 volunteer hours.

The team celebrating their two trophies. From left to right: Sarah Marton, Dita Rai, Ben Hanson, Jon May, Femi Alfred, Fran Pratt Ben Hanson, president of the society, was pleased with the triumph this year: “It was a fantastic achievement from hardworking and dedicated students. “To reach the semi-final for the first time in the national competition and to win the first ever Bernard Hodes annual report award has put our university and team on the map.”

He is already planning for next year and said: “I look forward to my involvement in SIFE next year with high hopes of reaching the final!” Southampton University won the competition and will represent the United Kingdom at the SIFE World Cup, in Washington D.C. this autumn. Sheffield University came in second place and Surrey and Nottingham were also finalists.

societies

E n h a n ce y o u r s t u d e n t e x p e r i e n ce

Societies Boost Your CV T

HE end is nigh for the majority of final year students, with many leaving Swansea with a flurry of exams, catch -ups and nights out. they are entering the big bad world and the inescapable rush for full time employment, writes James Langridge.

CHESS Society RANKED 10th IN UK

The Swansea Chess Team went to the British Universities Chess Association recently and came a respectable 10th place, beating Warwick and Bristol. The team also got two personal awards for outstanding play. You can catch the results and breakdown on our website: www.waterfrontonline.co.uk chess@swansea-union.co.uk

Whilst many of you will have worked in part-time jobs, done some work experience, or for the lucky few, completed an internship, why not distinguish your CV in this increasingly competitive climate with a mention of your involvement with societies? For anyone who has sat on the committee of a society, this is a simple task. Due to the skills and qualities each position entails, you will have picked up a range of qualities that would differentiate you in the job market. For example, a secretary would be a great at any form of secretarial work, a treasurer could potentially have a finance related role (if they’re feeling brave!) and a social secretary would be an ideal candidate for any role involving events coordination. However, even if you do not sit on a committee, you could still state an involvement with a society to enhance your CV. For subject societies, this is a pretty straightforward task. Two simple examples include: “I am a member of the History Society; therefore I am passionate about the discipline” and “I attend Law Society networking events, I am dedicated to furthering my future employability”. If you do not just attend strictly subject societies then have no fear, as they can still help your CV to ensure that you present the best you to any future employer. For example, being an active member of any society will have involved you

Society News Roundup

Musicians society Concert

Members of the CLASH, a re-enactment society furthering their employability skills whilst trying to kill one another. using some of the soft skills, defined as “a term relating to a collection of personal, positive attributes and competencies that enhance your relationships, job performance, and value to the market”. Strong Work Ethic – you’re interested in the society, you propose changes at an AGM, you are passionate and believe in a positive contribution for the society’s advancement. This means that you are dedicated, passionate and hardworking towards the society as you are actively engaged. Positive Attitude – Everyone has been to an event where it just has not worked or there was a significant delay to the start. Managing not to be a pessimist and overcoming these difficulties with a positive demeanour highlight how you have a good attitude and do not end up in a bad mood when a difficulty out of your hands arises. Good Communication Skills – Most people joining a society by themselves or with a small group of friends are instantly greeted with a vast number of faces. As a means of integrating and

ensuring the best possible experience, good communication skills are essential. Time Management Abilities – Employers will relish in the fact that you have an ability to work to a high standard whilst organising your time effectively to deliver the best possible student experience.

At St. Mary’s Church (inbetween Primark and Iceland), the Musicians Society will be having their summer concert on May 5th at 7.30pm. musicians@swansea-union.co.uk

History sOCIEty end of year dinner

The end of year dinners have started with the History Society setting their final bash in The Dragon Hotel, on May 9th at 7.30pm. Tickets are £25. history@swansea-union.co.uk

Dead poet’s society first social

Self-Confidence – Engaging with societies and its members highlight a growth in personal development. Many people cite societies as developing their self-confidence and strong sense of self.

The newly approved Dead Poet’s Society will be hosting the first social in JCs (Coffee Side) at 1pm. societies@swansea-union.co.uk

Working well under pressure – Whilst attending society events is not a career, it certainly presents the some pressures. For example, as a new member you might set yourself the aim of trying to speak to as a many people as possible.

The Students’ Union is looking at how to restructure the many charity societies, whether to incorporate this into RAG or to move them into a central-style charity with equal fund distribution between all charities. James Callaghan LT | May 3rd | 7pm societies@swansea-union.co.uk

So, open your CV on the computer. If you think you have the potential to improve upon it and make yourself stand out in the job market, consider adding what you learned and achieved through being an active member of a society.

Students’ union charity consulTation

Students’ Union award nominations

You have until May 14th to nominate people for Students’ Union awards: www.swansea-union.co.uk

Want to know more about societies? Check out www.swansea-union.co.uk/societies

society SPOTLIGHT - St John Ambulance St John Links Swansea is based upon the St John Wales Organisation, a charity that delivers first aid. As part of the charity group, they train members to offer first aid treatment to anyone who may be in need of it, with the motto: “making volunteers the difference between a life saved and a life lost.”

Membership to the society is open to anyone and St John Links volunteers are taught the necessary skills to deliver first aid treatments to those in need, and are recognised as a member by St John. The society also aims to become well known and established within the University, with members being stationed as a means of assisting at events. Members will also have the freedom to transfer to or from their home division should they wish to continue participating in this organisation. The next upcoming social is a paintballing team building exercise, currently planned towards the end of exams in June. E-mail: stjohnlinks@swansea-union.co.uk

waterfrontonline.co.uk

SPORT I 37

INTRAMURAL FOOTBALL

INTRAMURAL is the competitive 11-a-side football competition, that plays every week, weather permitting, at Ashleigh Road.

FOLLOWING an impressive season the golden boot is awarded to Nick Hammett for his fantastic 14 goals in 14 games. Sketty’s striker was on the mark throughout the season and secured fifth place for his side.

THE TEAMS INVOLVED: Ajax Treesdown, Blazin Bonville Bulldogs, Cefn Eleven, Crayola FC, Clinical Finishers, Hardly Athletic, History FC, K.A.Y FC, Uni 6ths, PhotoSinthesis Grasshoppers, Signature, Sketty Bolognese, Singleton Park Rangers, Sub-Standard Liege, Team Armadillo, The Firsts, Team Sloth, Uni 7ths.

Mahoney double secures the Ents cup for Team Sloth

by Alex Roberts

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

TWO-GOAL hero James Mahoney praised Team Sloth’s hard work and endeavour after his side won the Ents Cup Final, beating Ajax Treesdown 2-0 at St Helens.

Mahoney netted two extremely well-taken goals to send the cup home to Sloth, who last won the trophy two years ago. He said: “It was amazing, we’d sort of been written off by everyone, we knew we were massive underdogs going into the game and it would be

one of our toughest games because Ajax are a really good strong side. “But we always had the belief that when it came to playing football on a big pitch and a good surface that we could beat them.” Mahoney felt the extra tactical preparation helped deliver the win,

League Champions: Uni 7ths

CHAMPIONS 2012: Uni 7ths outshone their counterparts, the Uni 6ths, finishing six points higher than them

AFTER a gruelling season the Swansea Intramural League champion was confirmed as Uni

7ths. With fourteen wins, one draw, and one defeat they were there or there

abouts all season long. Matthew Barnard was a revelation for the team, scoring eight in three.

adding: “We worked a lot on defending long balls and throw-ins and the importance of reacting quickly to any second ball. “We knew this would be their main threat, and it paid off, they didn’t really have a plan B. “Our defence was superb and that’s what won us the game, everybody worked hard to shut them down all over the pitch. “Not many teams keep a clean sheet against Ajax so it was a sweet victory.” The game took a while to get going and from the early stages it appeared it was going to be a feisty affair with Ajax’s Jack Garner receiving a telling off from referee Daniel Lewis for a late challenge on Rich Hayes of Sloth. Mahoney had an early chance to give Sloth the lead, but after being put through on goal chose to lift his shot but Ajax keeper Chris Peters read well. Sloth had an even better chance soon after when Lewys Thomas connected with Jack Taylor’s knockdown, only for his strike to sail over the bar. Then a defensive error from Ajax nearly presented Sloth with the opener, as Peters’ mix-up left Sloth striker Thomas with a chance to shoot. But by the time Thomas gathered his composure, Peters managed to get back to the goal line to prevent an embarrassing opener. Sloth eventually took the lead shortly before half-time. Receiving the ball on the right-hand corner of the box after a corner, Mahoney rifled in a drive which proved to be too difficult for Peters to handle, finding its way into the far corner. Ajax had a golden chance to equalise at the beginning of the second half, but Tom Drinkwater could only slice his effort wide.

And when forward Adam Bruton ran onto a through ball, Sloth goalkeeper Luke James stood tall and did well to deny Ajax a way back into the game. Mahoney looked to add to his earlier goal with a speculative volley, but it looped over the Ajax goal. It did not take long for Mahoney to add his second of the game though. Twisting and turning in the box, his low effort eluded the Ajax defence before nestling in the bottom right corner of the goal. It was a goal fitting to grace a cup final. Sloth substitute Garin Rees had a chance to further extend the lead, but was denied by Peters as the game ended 2-0 to Sloth. Mahoney hopes the cup win can spur Team Sloth on to league success, but he acknowledged difficulties in assembling a full squad twice a week. He said: “Hopefully we can carry momentum into the league as we’ve had some good results and performances. “It’s been difficult though because we struggle to get the numbers for Sunday games with commitments elsewhere, some games we’ve had 10 or 11 players. “With a full squad we’re strong enough to beat anyone.” Sloth’s league finish did not live up to their strong cup win, finishing eighth. Ajax Treesdown finished strongly, just missing out on first place.

INTRAMURAL CUP FINAL

TEAM SLOTH AJAX TREESDOWN

2 0

39 I SPORT

thewaterfrontvarsitypreview 30.04.12 Photo by: TC7 Photography

Swansea seek win in first Varsity cricket match since 2008

STUBBORN SUTER: Swansea’s captain Jeremy Suter is determined to set the record right after their 200 run defeat back in 2008

by Craig Hadley

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

SWANSEA are looking to end years of hurt as they compete in the first Varsity cricket match since 2008. The last time the two teams met,

Cardiff won by more than 200 runs. But captain Jeremy Suter hopes the four-year wait for retribution will inspire the side to victory this time around. “We got destroyed last time, so putting in a good performance this year is high on our agenda,

especially as we are now in the same league as Cardiff in Bucs,” he said. “We are on paper at least equal to Cardiff after last year’s promotion. “We should be in high spirits heading into the game.” Despite their first-place finish last

year, Suter intended to improve the side further this year to ensure league survival. Over the last semester the cricket club has been working hard to improve their fielding, which Suter believed needed the most work at the start of the year.

He said: “Training is going well so far. We have increased the intensity of our practice over the previous term. “This included nets and fielding training for all club members every week, on Sunday and Tuesday. “In addition we are running multiple net sessions just for the Varsity squad. The captain is keeping an open mind with his squad selection, allowing the early league fixtures to dictate his choices. He added: “The team for Varsity will greatly depend on performances in the early league games.” Suter has been lucky to retain a good portion of last year’s championship-winning side, with half of the team remaining. But he will hope to rely on some impressive fresher performances, with several decent players joining the team this year. “The three freshers in the first team are all experienced cricketers,” said Suter. “They are just as up for the Varsity game as the rest of us oldies. “We are away at Cardiff, but their grounds are better than ours, and so I don’t feel it will make a negative effect on us.” The Varsity match itself will consist of a 20/20 over game. Both sides looking to make the most of the shorter format, when they come together in May. LAST TWO VARSITY RESULTS (2010) N/A (2011) N/A

April 30, 2012 waterfrontonline.co.uk

INSIDE

sport thewaterfront

Ferrari’s golf squad set for Varsity page 18

SWANSEA AND CARDIFF TO CLASH ON RIVER TAFF by Craig Hadley waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

SWANSEA are preparing for the seventh annual Varsity rowing race which will see four of their teams face off with their counterparts from Cardiff. Bryony Lloyd, women’s captain, and Jon Eardley are both looking to lead their sides to a win, but there is varying levels of confidence between them. The Varsity match consists of four races which pit a Cardiff boat with

one from Swansea, with eight to a boat. There will be four races on the day; women’s novice, men’s novice, senior women, and senior men. Lloyd said: “The Varsity match is a test of speed, stamina and endurance, with only one chance to beat Cardiff. “I feel we have a good chance against Cardiff. After our recent success and our commitment to training, everyone is quietly confident. “Morale is high within the teams, and everyone is working hard to get our first win against Cardiff in the senior women’s race.”

Eardley added: “The men’s team will be going into the race as underdogs but Cardiff cannot afford to underestimate us. “We are confident that we can at least make the race competitive, and maybe even come away with a win.” The women’s team have had a good year, winning bronze at the Welsh Indoor Rowing Championships. They also won bronze at the Bucs head event in Peterborough, their first medal at the event in their history. The men’s team have found it hard to make their make this season with financial difficulties affecting their

Stanley hopes to make it a third successive victory for Swansea sailing by Craig Hadley waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

CLUB captain Imogen Stanley hopes to lead her team of sailors to their third successive Varsity victory over Cardiff. Swansea are now placed in the top eight university sailing teams in the

UK following strong performances in Warwick and Liverpool. Stanley hopes to build on their recent form and believes the team are “raring to go” for Varsity, with most of the team’s preparations all ready for May 2. “Varsity is one of the best events of the year for sailing, throughout the season we work closely with our

Welsh neighbours,” she said. “This season we have beaten Cardiff every time we have met them. “So we have high hopes for winning Varsity for the third time in a row.” Varsity consists of a best of 10 format, with a sudden death match if the score is 5-5 after the 10 rounds. The races will take place in Mumbles.

ability to train effectively. Eardley said: “This year has been a difficult year for the club, the senior men’s 8s boat was damaged and we have not been able to find the funds to repair it. “So we have been forced to train in the smaller 4s for most of the season. “Happily, the boat is being fixed and we hope to have it back for the race. “Despite the problems we have made do and have competed in all of the major events this season, usually lending off other clubs.” Training has been ongoing for all the competing rowers and the club has

utilised a training camp opportunity to boost their chances for the race. “We have increased our training and in the Easter holidays we held a week’s training camp at Eton rowing club,” said Lloyd. “We also have a new coach this year, who has shared his knowledge of rowing and I believe this has very much helped us improve this year. “Everyone is committed to training and they are putting a lot of hours in both the gym and the water. “I hope this dedication from all the rowers in the club pays off and everyone as a club can celebrate.”

Welsh Varsity Schedule 2012 MORNING SPORTS

AFT/EVE (CONTINUED)

09.30 Badminton [WIS] 11.00 Taekwondo [WIS] 11.00 Ultimate Frisbee [PCA] 11.00 Golf [VOG]

13.30 Squash [WIS] 14.30 Women’s Hockey [WIS] 14.30 Men’s Football [WIS] 14.30 Freshers Rugby [PCA] 14.30 Women’s Football [PCA] 14.30 Women’s Lacrosse [PCA] 15.00 Men’s Basketball [WIS] 16.00 Men’s Hockey [WIS] 19.00 Men’s Rugby [MIL] KEY: [WIS] Welsh Institute of Sport [PCA] Pontcanna [CLC] Cardiff Lawn Tennis Club [VOG] Vale of Glamorgan Golf Club [MIL] Millennium Stadium

AFTERNOON/EVENING SPORTS 12.00 Netball [WIS] 12.00 Tennis [CLC] 12.30 Men’s Lacrosse [PCA] 12.30 American Football [PCA] 13.00 Women’s Rugby [PCA] 13.00 Intramural Football [PCA] 13.30 Fencing [WIS] 13.30 Women’s Basketball [WIS]