thewaterfront the official student newspaper of swansea university
Free Issue 228 6 May 2013 waterfrontonline.co.uk
INSIDE NEWS
Catherine Tate to star in lecturer’s page 5 film FEATURES
VARSITY SET TO COME HOME TO SWANSEA? by Jon May
front@swansea-union.co.uk VARSITY could be set to be return to the land of green and white in a controversial venue shift. After a 21-13 win by Swansea in the varsity rugby match, it has been confirmed that talks are currently going on to bring the biggest Welsh university sporting event to Swansea.
In previous years, the annual sporting event between Cardiff and Swansea universities had switched venues each year, but an unpopular contract signed under AU President Siwan Lillicrap saw the event moved to Cardiff for three years (2011-2013). This contract was rumoured to have been a last ditch attempt to save the financially-burdened Athletics Union, which was eventually bailed out by the students’ union which took it over,
along with the university. The Millennium Stadium has a huge capacity, leaving the varsity crowd rattling around insde. Seats number 72,500, but the Welsh Varsity struggles to sell 15,000 tickets. The Liberty Stadium, on the other hand, has a 20,000 capacity. Students’ union president Tom Upton said: “It would be truly amazing to bring varsity back to Swansea. The contract is up for negotiation and
we can’t comment further until it has finished.” Joel Stevens-Leach, the director of football operations commented: “It would be the best thing to happen to Varsity for a long time...do Cardiff even have fans?” The move was welcomed by the University. A spokesperson said: “Any decisions concerning the venue for next year’s varsity match will be made by the Welsh Varsity Board.”
Festival and summer ball fashion page 14 SPORT
Ladies’ side rises to the challengepagepage 29 29
02 I NEWS
thewaterfront 06. 05. 13
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University applications are still down on 2010 by Chris Flynn
waterfrontci@swansea-union.co.uk
Editor Kay Byrne editor@swansea-union.co.uk News
Gemma Parry waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk Crime & Investigations
Chris Flynn waterfrontci@swansea-union.co.uk Front & Website
Jon May front@swansea-union.co.uk Features
Samantha Booth waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk
UNIVERSITIES across the UK have seen a drop in student applications, despite a peak earlier in the year. A drop in applications was seen when tuition fees were raised last year, and are still not at the level that they were before the fee rise. The figures are according to UCAS, with a seven per cent drop in England and almost a four per cent in Wales, compared with 2010. EU citizens applying to come to study in the UK is also down by almost three per cent; however non-EU student applications
have risen 5.5 per cent since last year. In contrast, Scotland and Northern Ireland have had an increase in applications. These figures differ from those in January, when UCAS receive the ‘on-time’ applications; which showed a rise of three and a half per cent. The full figures will not be known until the application deadline passes, which falls on the 30th June this year. Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, believes the decrease to be the result of fewer 18-year-olds in England and Wales than last year. David Willetts, the Universities Minister, said: “Studying for a degree that you need to get the job you want remains a really good option for those who want to get on.
“It is not too late to decide to take advantage of the opportunities available.” A university spokesperson said: “Applications to Swansea University seem to be bucking the trend with a 21.5% increase on last year (and almost 11% higher than our pre-fee increase applications). “The increase is a remarkable achievement in an environment where applications across the UK are currently showing a modest 2.5% rise and a 3.8% fall nationally in applications from Welsh students. “The figures show that students are recognising Swansea as a University which is on the way up with facilities and an outlook geared for the modern world.”
Swansea falls 18 places in survey
Sport
Craig Hadley, Tom Nightingale waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk Music
waterfrontmusic@swansea-union.co.uk Film
Saul Masters waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk
Catrin Lewis Listings
Olivia Rosenthall waterfrontfrontrow@swansea-union.co.uk Societies
Alex Ward waterfrontsocieties@swansea-union.co.uk Fashion
Cat Harris, Fran Lloyd
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Rachael Wines waterfronttravel@swansea-union.co.uk Relationships
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waterfrontweb@swansea-union.co.uk Advertising
Annie Cottam (01792) 602496
SYRIAN students at Swansea University have faced financial difficulties this year after the Syria’s higher education ministry ceased awarding grants amid the crisis in the country. Many students across the country faced deportation to their homeland without the money to finance their degree. There was also the threat that students could be arrested on their return if they supported the opposition government in the country. Ministers encouraged universities to suspend fees and help students with hardship funds. Swansea University’s Students’ Union international officer, Mahaboob Basha said: “Syrian students affected were advised in January they could approach Student Services for emergency financial contingency assistance, which some students have accessed. “We would like to thank Student Services, ISAS and MASO for acting so quickly to help students.”
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
waterfrontculture@swansea-union.co.uk
Mathew Jones
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
by Gemma Parry
Showtime
Games
by Samantha Booth
Media awards are given out
Alex Gibbs
waterfrontfashion@swansea-union.co.uk
Crisis hits Syrians in the pocket
STUDENT EXPERIENCE: Survey panned for misleading result. by Jon May
front@swansea-union.co.uk A DISAPPOINTING survey knocks Swansea out of the top 25 universities for student experience. Last year, Swansea was ranked 24th in the country out of over a hundred universities, for categories such as quality of lecturers, social life, student environment and extra-curricular societies. Now we are 42nd. Swansea University has questioned the validity of the survey: “All surveys have to be treated with a certain amount of caution depending upon their sample size, the questions that are posed and their reliability. We do analyse all the surveys which are published to see which areas we have excelled in and which areas we need
to improve upon. “The Times Higher Education student experience survey is a relatively small sample survey with only 103 students responses from Swansea University compared to the National Student Survey where around 2,000 students respond.” The students’ union have also rubbished the survey, with societies and services officer Josh Hayman
Would you like to be a journalist? Do you want to learn valuable journalistic skills and increase your employability by volunteering for The Waterfront? We are looking for people to write about news, sport and features in the next academic year so if you are interested please write to editor@swansea-union.co.uk.
defending his role: “League tables don’t always reflect reality, having worked for the union for three years I’m positive we’re providing a great experience for students. “Our ratings for social life and activities are above average and it’s positive to see students are enjoying their time in Swansea.” The University of East Anglia topped the survey, climbing up from sixth last year. Other jumpers included York St John University, who sprung up from 58 last year to 9th this year. Other notable institutions include Cardiff University, who rose from 22 last year to 14 this year. London South Bank University achieved the lowest ranking of 102, staying put from the bottom rung of 105 from last year.
THE Student Media Annual Awards were held on Tuesday, April 30th, in Sketty Hall. The awards cover some of the media outlets of Swansea University Students’ Union — The Waterfront, Xtreme Radio and the soon-to-be launched SU-TV station. Several members of Xtreme Radio were presented with awards, including; Best Show to The Three Musketeers, Most Innovative Show to Puffin Nuffin, Biggest Cock up to Chris Flynn, Biggest Mess to Alex Mckenzie, Best Newcomer to Sean Kenny, Best Female Presenter to Sarah Arak and Best Male Presenter to Alex Bailey. The two awards for SU-TV station were given to Jake Wilson, as an Unsung Hero and Sophie Wiggins as the Best Newcomer. Turn to page 11 for a photo of the winners and page 26 for details of winners at The Waterfront.
Dropping out? HAVE you or any of your friends dropped out from university? The Waterfront is looking for people who have gone through this for a story in our next issue. If so, please get in contact with Catrin at waterfrontculture@swansea-union. co.uk.
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NEWS I 03
Worries grow over students’ welfare as Hendrefoelan student village goes on sale by Samantha Booth
waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk CONCERNS have been raised over the phased sell-off of the Hendrefoelan student village for the next academic year. The university is in negotiations with potential buyers at the moment. Charlotte Britton, the students’ union’s welfare office expressed her concerns about the development of the student village in the future: “The village houses are to be sold before the Woodside flats, but how that happens the university haven’t actually decided yet. “The students’ union has been involved in talking to the university before they go for a meeting to negotiate how it’s going to be sold off. “We have said there has got to be a shop, a social space, a launderette and a bus service and all of them are completely non-negotiable.” Students who live in the Woodside flats next year may face a situation where they have to walk through or past a building area.
“We’ve said that the university needs to be very careful about students living in the village so they don’t feel they are in some kind of ‘ghetto’. “Also, the situation I am specifically concerned about is that I don’t want anyone who has to live in the student village, because that is the most affordable university accommodation, to feel like they are second class students because that’s all they can afford and there’s a real danger of that potentially.” Another situation the students’ union have raised is transport links to and from both campuses to the student village. Business, economics and engineering students who live on the village because of financial limits may have to face two bus journeys to reach the second campus on Fabian Way. It is also believed that the new campus may not accommodate family rooms or provide a nursery for student parents. A Swansea University spokesperson said about the sale: “A decision will be made shortly and an announcement made, until then we cannot comment
as the negotiations are commercially sensitive. “Providing an outstanding student experience is an integral part of the thinking behind the Science and Innovation Campus. There are
SECOND CLASS CITIZENS? University could close all facitilies for new village residents.
Cheerleaders row for Macmillan
SWANSEA University’s cheerleading team, the Swansea Sirens, held a rowing event on campus with a twist. They persuaded students to row as fast as they could for a minute and the three students with the furthest distance will receive a prize. They were raising money for Macmillan
ongoing discussions about the campus, including the student accommodation, and we will be working with the students’ union on these.” Katie Williamson, a second-year
cancer research charity, like the rugby team last year, and as sponsorship for their Varsity kit. Macmillan Cancer Support is a charity that provides specialist health care, information and financial support to people affected by cancer.
student chose to live in the student village houses last year because of cost and community: “I chose to go to the village because it was cheaper and I didn’t want to be restricted to campus for all of my first year. There is a really good community spirit with people popping into neighbours’ houses all the time. “However, you are disadvantaged by the distance from university with the only option being a 40 minute walk or an expensive bus pass. With the new campus being further away and more expensive, you get the worst of the both sides.” Likewise, Hannah Davies lived in the student village in 2011/12 due to the cheaper living costs: “I moved to the village because it was cheap and affordable and it allowed me to not worry about cash. “I also felt a larger sense of community there and liked to the idea of being able to get away from university after lectures.” The new £450m campus will be built over the next five years, with the first bricks being laid this month.
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NEWS I 05
Swansea lecturer to direct film set in Gower by Samantha Booth
waterrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University students have been given the opportunity to work alongside Catherine Tate this summer in a Swansea made feature film, High Tide. The film is being directed by a Swansea University lecturer. Jimmy Hay, the writer and co-director of the movie, co-founded Long Arm Films after graduating in Film Studies at Swansea University. High Tide tells the story of one final day during which a mother must mend the broken relationship with her son. It is described as a moving, powerful and tender portrait of a vital twenty-four hours in two people’s lives. The national actress, acclaimed for The Catherine Tate Show and Doctor Who, will play the role of Bethan in the movie. Jimmy, who teaches film studies at the university, said: “We’re delighted to have Catherine play the role of Bethan. “The character requires an actor of real quality, but also of subtlety. Most people know Catherine for her excellent work in comedy, but some of the scenes in Doctor Who, and the work she has done with the Royal
LOCAL FILMMAKERS: James Gillingham (left) and Jimmy Hay (right). Shakespeare Company, prove what an incredible serious actor she is.” The feature will be filmed along the Welsh coastline this summer to capture the essential nature of the city and its surrounding countryside. Jimmy is codirecting the feature with filmmaker, James Gillingham, his partner in Long Arm Films. The pair want to challenge to stereotypes about Swansea and want the local community to become involved. “Having Catherine on board means that this film will have a large profile. It does not mean that we are compromising the ethos with which we set out to make the film. We want this to be an independent film in the best sense of the word, and we hope the people of Swansea will want to be involved and help us achieve this,” said Jimmy. Students at Swansea University are
being encouraged to apply for the internship programme on the film, which is offering two placements for people aged between 18 and 24. For more information, visit www. longarmfilms.co.uk/interns on how to apply. There are also opportunities to star alongside Catherine on screen, offering opportunities to young Welsh talent, that will be released in the coming weeks. The film company is raising some of the money for the production through crowdfunding and is inviting anyone to donate to the film’s production to support independent filmmaking. Donations are rewarded with badges, web credit, name on the film credits, signed posters, a preview copy of the DVD, or an onscreen appearance with Catherine as an extra. “There are loads of great incentives on offer in return for a donation (and who wouldn’t want a Long Arm badge?), but more than anything else we hope that local people will see worth in what we are trying to achieve. “Very few films are made in Swansea. And this is a shame. Swansea is not only perched on the edge of some of the most beautiful countryside that you’re ever likely to find, but it is stuffed full of brilliant, creative people, many of whom we’ve signed up to work on High Tide.
For another way to see Gower... by a Waterfront Reporter
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk PORT EYNON Youth Hostel on Gower has a special offer for students next term. Groups of 8 to 20 students from Swansea University are being invited to spend 24 hours exploring the Gower coast at a rate of just £15 for the night. The YHA is offering exclusive access to the beach front self-catering hostel (pictured below), which is an old Lifeboat House situated at the west end of Port Eynon Bay from 16.00 on Tuesday till 16.00 on Wednesday from the end of
October to the end of March. So what can you do in 24 hours ? Collect driftwood for a fire on the beach, cook your supper outside then sit around the fire under the stars. Or walk the coastal footpath to Oxwich or Rhossilli. Bring your camera, get some action shots of the waves crashing over the breakers, or bring your wetsuits to swim or surf. Sample the fine Brecon ales, or treat yourself to a bottle of Shiraz, chatting around the log burner in the lounge. For information call Dianne on 01792 391794 or e-mail on porteynon@yha.org.uk. This deal can only be booked direct with the hostel.
Student volunteers lead respite weekend by Laura Fiteni
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk CAMPUS charity Discovery led children and student volunteers to a holiday park for outdoor activities as part of youth project Kids Away. The programme was designed with the intention of affording disadvantaged children living locally the opportunity to experience new things and accomplish tasks that it would be difficult
to achieve without the project’s support. Many of the children participating on the project live with a disability or with a family member who is disabled and as such these opportunities provide the children a sense of freedom, independence and discovery. The pre-arranged activities includingraft-building, kayaking and rock-climbing are intended to encourage the children to express themselves
to others and to build self confidence. the project co-ordinator Rebecca said: ‘’It was a really successful, energetic weekend. Each and every child participated in all the activities which is a major achievement. It was a pleasure to arrange it for them and to be there to witness then grow in confidence over the course of the weekend - with the help of our fantastic volunteer of course.’’
“We want to make this film with the support of the local community,” said Jimmy. For more information on Long Arm Films and its people, visit www. longarmfilms.co.uk, or follow them on Twitter (@longarmfilms) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/longarmfilms). For more information, visit www. longarmfilms.co.uk/interns on how to apply. There are also opportunities to star alongside Catherine on screen, offering opportunities to young Welsh
STAR-STUDDED: Catherine Tate to star.
talent, that will be released in the coming weeks. The film company is raising some of the money for the production through crowdfunding and is inviting anyone to donate to the film’s production to support independent filmmaking. Donations are rewarded with badges, web credit, name on the film credits, signed posters, a preview copy of the DVD, or an onscreen appearance with Catherine as an extra. “There are loads of great incentives on offer in return for a donation (and who wouldn’t want a Long Arm badge?), but more than anything else we hope that local people will see worth in what we are trying to achieve. Very few films are made in Swansea. And this is a shame. Swansea is not only perched on the edge of some of the most beautiful countryside that you’re ever likely to find, but it is stuffed full of brilliant, creative people, many of whom we’ve signed up to work on High Tide. We want to make this film with the support of the local community,” said Jimmy. For more information on Long Arm Films and its people, visit www. longarmfilms.co.uk, or follow them on Twitter (@longarmfilms) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/ longarmfilms).
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NEWS I 07
Late nights and lucky pants: How to survive the exam period by Doctor Catrin Lewis *
waterfrontculture@swansea-union.co.uk IT’S that time of year again, folks. Yes, it’s the summer examination period. For many, this is the last that you’ll ever sit. For some, this is the first round of summer uni exams, and it’s you that I’m really aiming this post at. Here are my top hints and tips for how to get through the exam period. 1) Make friends with your personal tutor. Some of them are privy to quite a lot of exam information. I find that refusing to leave their office until they tell you what’s going to come up to be the best option. 2) If this hasn’t worked, make sure that you check Blackboard and bug your friends for notes. Going to lectures is for wusses. University is supposed to be hard, don’t make it too easy on yourself. Remember, Wikipedia has done so well for a reason. 3) Make sure that you’re well rested, well-fed, and ready for your exams well in advance. By ‘well in advance’ I mean, start revising that core module three days in advance of the exam. You don’t need sleep! The fear will keep you awake, along with those good friends Red Bull (other caffeinated drinks are available), and crappy take away pizza. Remember, cooking takes up valuable time when you could be crying into your textbook. 4) Going to Sin/Oceana/JCs the night before will help
keep you alert and hydrated. Everyone knows that Jagerbombs are good for you - the combination of herbs in the liquor (definitely one of your five a day) and the stimulating properties of that cheap caffeine filled juice that looks like wee is a definite winner. 5) Always remember your student ID card and a spare pen. Don’t be the student in the room that everyone wants to smack because you have to have some long conversation with the invigilator while everyone else is trying to concentrate because you were too dumb to remember this vital piece of plastic. 6) Wear lucky pants or take a lucky pencil, not a bear/
Tired of revision and essays? Floating is the new lying down! by Samantha Booth
waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk USUALLY when students take time out of their studies to relax, it includes a few bevvies down the pub, a trip down to Mumbles or a Two-for-Tuesday Dominos deal. However, I have recently tried something that I only thought existed through the Daily Mirror sponsored brain of my grandmother. This therapeutic option is known as floating; it involves lying in a salty bath for an hour as your body naturally rises to the surface. When I was first asked to do this for our student paper, I was confused how it was ever going to be beneficial to my health in anyway aside from mastering swimming without nearly drowning, for once. On my first visit to the Lazy Frog, situated in Uplands (opposite Sainsburys), I was told not to drink coffee that day, which was already detrimental to the way my body functions, and to come with an open mind. When I was first shown in to the float tank, I stood and stared at the water thinking “that can not hold me afloat”. But little did I know, 400kg of dissolved Epsom salt genuinely can lift anyone’s body. After the first half an hour, I managed to calm myself down and I soon started to see why there was hype around floating; I slept for the last half an hour and came out feeling like I had been drugged. It was almost ethereal and I later found that floating has been known to bring out‘eureka!’moments in many people, because of the affect if has on the brain. After three sessions, sleeping after stressful days had become effortless and my general wellbeing had been enhanced. The centre also has infrared sauna facilities and gift sets to buy for those who want to experience a floating
experience. Lazy Frog is offering students £10 off their first float, so an hour’s float will cost £25. Although I wish there was a DIY version of this but I don’t think my student budget can afford 50 bags of cooking salt. So, next time you’re feeling stressed, float it out. www.lazyfrogfloatcentre.co.uk
FLOATING: An unusual way to relax.
mascot/photo. There was a girl at college who would take this massive teddy bear to sit in some of our exams. That stuffed thing stared me down through some of the scariest exams of my life, and I swear that if I ever see it again, I will rip its smiling face off. 7) If you’re not a fresher, don’t be friends with freshers. They ALWAYS have multiple choice exams. You are supposed to get cramp in your wrists in the middle of your two hour exam. If your writing isn’t terrible by the mid-point of your exam, your wrists are either too well exercised, or you haven’t done enough writing yet. 8) However, making friends with the class swot is the best plan you can make. Invite them over for coffee, bribe them with cake, provide sexual favours if you have to, but you need those vital details that make or break the 40% benchmark. 9) And remember - if you don’t like the exam questions, you can always bite the invigilator and just leave university. Good luck, everyone! Apart from you freshers. You only need 40% and don’t deserve luck. If you can’t get 40% then I’m sure McDonalds will have a special space for you in the back room. *I’m not a doctor, but I want to do a PhD just so that I can have it on my Boots card. •This advice is not meant to be taken seriously, for all you gullible people out there.
Crackdown on plagiarism by Laura Fiteni
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk A MAJOR push by universities to crackdown on student plagiarism has been successful. Figures show that student work found to contain plagiarised or “cut and paste” content has more than halved since the last investigation into unoriginal content was issued in 2005. Eight per cent of work submitted by undergraduates in 2005 was comprised of large amounts of unoriginal material, but 2012 saw this cut to three per cent. At Swansea University the figures for student plagiarism were 195 in 09/10, 183 in 10/11 and 123 in 11/12, confirming the trend. In 2002 the Plagiarism Advisory Service was set up to deter the ‘copy and paste culture’ adopted by students attempting to pass off academics’work as their own. The same year saw universities beginning to use ‘Turnitin’, the anti-cheating software that scans students’ work against millions of academic articles, journals and books. Almost all institutions now use it and Turnitin’s vice president, Will Murray, said: “The problem appears to be much more under control and there has been a reduction in unoriginal content.” However, although Swansea University students use the Turnitin system to submit essays they still cannot access the results of the plagiarism search. Other universities do offer this service. Second year theoretical physics student Sam Hawkes said: “I think most students would like to be able to see the results of the Turnitin search before submitting their work, like in other universities.“
08 I NEWS
thewaterfront 06. 05.13
Swansea win the 2013 Welsh Varsity trophy
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NEWS I 09
English Literature students ‘Drug parties’ in woods spark petition want more contact hours by Samantha Booth
waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk STUDENTS studying English Literature are claiming they have too few contact hours with lecturers. On average, English students get from 5-10 hours contact time, depending on their modules – far fewer than students on many other courses. Students in the College of Science and the College of Engineering, for example, have more than 20 contact hours per week. English students’ concerns included lack of lectures, little communication and an excess of independent study time. Kelly Jervis, a second-year English Literature student said: “It feels as though we’re not especially high on the university’s list of priorities. For example, although they tried to increase our contact hours, last term making a two-hour film screening fortnightly compulsory did not seem like a fantastic use of time or our money. “Although I do love my degree, it really is disheartening when compared to other subjects in the same university,
who seem to get a lot more for their time and money.” Rob Abrams, a third-year Politics and Social Policy student, said: “The contact hours in the Arts and Humanities department have been absolutely shocking. For the last term and a half, I have had essentially one hour of lectures a week and my research group had to wait for our tutor to turn up from Portugal, in the meantime very few instructions were given on what to do.” Clare Enevoldsen, a third-year English and TEFL student said: “I would love more contact time, more close analysis of the texts. There is definitely a difference between the knowledge we receive and those studying a science degree for example.” Sarah Gamble, the Head of the Department of English Language and Literature, said: “An arts subject like English does not aim to feed students the ‘right’ answers: instead, students need independent study time in order to not just read books, but also to formulate their independent responses to the subject matter. “This independence of thought is
precisely what employers value most highly about English graduates. “The important thing to note is that these are ‘formal’ contact hours; students always have the opportunity to ask for one-to-one consultations on any aspects of their coursework.” Not all English students feel alone in their degree. Second-year student, Olivia Rosenthall recognises a need for fewer contact hours because of the reading demands: “I think at the end of the day, we are given less contact time as English students because we are meant to be using that time to read extensively. Who applies for an English degree and doesn’t expect to spend the majority of their time in the library?” However, level-two English Literature subject rep, Laurence Atkinson plans to raise the topic further at the next meeting with the course heads: “Whilst I respect and understand that timetabling is an issue for staff and students, I am aware that many people feel that they could have had more support with certain modules this year. We will be looking to raise this at the next staff/ student consultancy.”
Year abroad students win extra support from tutors
SUMMER PROGRAMMES: The Colorado summer programme group 2012. (photo courtesy of Ina Pace)
by Chris Mace
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk FOR many students who study modern languages at Swansea University, the absolute highlight of the degree is the year abroad. Certainly for those studying and working in France, there were issues: teaching assistants need a variety of personal documents to be assessed and translated within the first couple of months of their stay in France and must deal with potentially difficult children on a daily basis with little training. Then there’s the language barrier as well as the headache of finding accommodation. These difficulties meant that some students found it difficult to assimilate into French life. A couple of months into the year abroad, several students had sent emails to their various tutors but not received replies for weeks, if at all. This led to concern that they had been forgotten and left to fend for themselves. Emily Hutchinson, a year abroad student
teaching in France, called for support from other year abroad students so that she could contact the department and ask for change. Emily emailed Professor Andrew Rothwell, subject-leader for translation studies at Swansea University, explaining the problem and asking for change. He investigated and replied:“It quickly became apparent that colleagues were not always clear about the division of responsibilities between the University’s International Development Office...the language-specific Year Abroad Coordinator...and personal tutors, who have a more loosely-defined pastoral role.” From this year onwards, modern languages year abroad students will also be given dissertation guidelines, so that they have as long as possible to consider their options and perhaps take inspiration from things that they experience during their year abroad. Speaking of the few students who did voice their concerns, Professor Rothwell said: “I hope they will continue working with us on their return, to develop their and our other ideas, for the benefit of future students abroad.”
by Joshua Lovell
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk OVER 100 residents have signed a petition calling on Swansea University to clean up the mess left by students accused of having drug-fuelled parties in the nearby woodland area. Local residents said that they have seen discarded cans and drug paraphernalia in Hendrefoelan woods, located behind the student village. One resident was reported in the South Wales Evening Post as saying: “Students have been holding drunken drug parties in woodland bequeathed to them in trust. They are actually cutting down trees. I saw a group of them turn up with axes and beer. “I asked them if they were students and they nodded and I told them this was land owned by the university. I believe Swansea police have many complaints regarding this area about fires, drug use, quads and bikes .” A spokesperson from South
Wales Police said: “We have had a complaint of antisocial behaviour in Hendrefoelan woods, which we’re investigating.” Hannah Munkley, an American Studies and History student at Swansea University said: “People only see the negative side of students, such as witnessing drunken behaviour. I fear that we may become stereotyped by actions such as this. People will not see the potential that most students bring to university.” A Swansea University spokesperson said: “We have not received any complaints from residents in respect of these allegations. “Close liaison is maintained with the police over any anti- social behaviour at Hendrefoilan, which is a publicly accessible site, and elsewhere. “University residences operate a clear regulatory framework and the university and Students’ Union have adopted joint policies on alcohol and illegal drugs as part of a Healthy University Strategy.”
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Winners at the annual SUSU Media Awards. Page 26.
Is creative writing for you?
Summer ball and festival fashion
Student who launched a record label
Ooh... Star Trek gets very dark
Blind Date and Dear Aunt Catrin
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6 May 2013 waterfrontonline.co.uk
features 12-13
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
12 E X P RESS YOURSE L F
features
Calling all would-be authors and poets – it’s your time to shine H
Fancy your hand at fiction or poetry? Claire Houguez talks to the creative writing students making waves.
AVE you recently read a cheap thriller and thought ‘I can do better than that’? Well, May is the month for budding writers to come into their own, as Swansea University’s Creative Writing department and the Dylan Thomas Centre join forces in a programme of events. Meanwhile, the Creative Writing Department’s own professor, Bookernominated Stevie Davies, is launching her eleventh work of fiction, Awakening, on May 16th. Set one year after Darwin’s explosive Origin of the Species, Awakening is set in a world shattered by science, and follows the lives of two sisters, Anna and Beatrice Pentecost. Stevie, along with the poet Nigel Jenkins, formed the Creative Writing Department at the university in 2003. Ten years on, the department has flourished and includes a team of
internationally acclaimed writers, offering skills-based degrees covering fiction, poetry, screenwriting, featurewriting and drama. Current students’ successes include Jane Fraser, whose work ‘Urodynamics’ has been chosen as the winner of the 2012 British Haiku award and Dave Shannon, who has been longlisted for the BBC Short Story Unit. They are following in the steps of previous students like Roshi Fernando, whose work is published by Bloomsbury and Knopf; Jennifer Cryer, author of Breathing on Glass; Alan Kellerman, whose debut poetry collection was
recently published by Parthian; and Anne Lauppe Dunbar, who has secured a top London agent for her first novel, Dark Mermaids. 2012/13 has also seen the hugely successful run of lecturer and dramatist D.J. Britton’s The Wizard, The Goat, and The Man who Won the War. With the announcement of a new undergraduate course starting next year, I asked current Creative Writing students what they’ve gained from their study. Laura Stowe knew she wanted to write but “I wasn’t exactly sure what kind of writing I wanted to do – or if I’d be any good at it! Exploring different forms means you can see where your strengths are and what you actually enjoy doing.” Sarah Coles agrees: “They encouraged me to take risks and to experiment, which led to the publication of my first poetry collection (Here and the Water).
STEVIE DAVIES: Publishing a new novel.
NIGEL JENKINS: Creative writing co-founder.
CREATIVE WRITING STUDENTS: Laura Stowe and Sarah Coles.
It’s no overstatement to say that the experience has been life-changing!”
Literary events in May & June •Rough Diamonds, a presentation of new writing for radio and stage, takes place on May 8/9 at the Dylan Thomas Centre. •The annual Writers’ Day – info on how to develop your craft and get published – is also on the 9th at the centre. •For poets, there’s Howl, a bi-monthly open-mic poetry night in Mozarts. •The new Pili Pala festival has literary and music events in Uplands on 17/18th May •On 21st June, the Terry Hetherington Award for writers under 30 launch an anthology at the Dylan Thomas Centre. See www.dylanthomas.com and www. pilipala.org for more details. Phew! With all of these social events it’ll be a wonder if anybody gets any writing done!
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Brave widow carries on stroke victim’s fight for right to die Creative writing student Sarita Sikka interviews right-to-die campaigner Jane Nicklinson. Up until his death in August 2012, Jane Nicklinson had been her husband’s advocate in his unsuccessful right-to-die battle with the High Court. Resolving to continue his legacy, she will go to court on May 13 to appeal the decision. I interviewed Jane about her continuting fight and her life with Tony.
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IVE months after losing her husband, Jane Nicklinson is slowly adjusting to the shock of being alone for the first time, and also a freedom of sorts. A loving, devoted wife, she had cared full time for Tony after he suffered a massive stroke ten years ago which left him paralysed and unable to speak. Finally, relieved with the knowledge that he is no longer suffering she is tentatively discovering what it is like to live life for herself again. Following the stroke, Tony’s existence had became an unending loop of mind-numbing boredom and frustration, which Jane has shared the burden of. “Carers would arrive at 8.30am to shower, dress, shave him. They would put him on an exercise bike for 20 minutes. I would then go in and set his computer up for him. He would stay on the computer till 4pm when carers would come to move him from his wheelchair to an armchair. 6pm I would give him his tea. “He would then watch TV till 10.30 when a carer would come. I would put Tony to bed with the night carer and Tony would watch TV till about midnight. A carer would stay all night to answer his pager when he needed anything like an arm moving, dribble drying, an itch scratching etc. At 7am I would get up, check on Tony, and the carer would leave. I would give Tony a drink and at 8.30 the carers would arrive again and the same old routine would start all over again.” Tony had a condition called locked-in syndrome, which paralyses almost all voluntary muscles in the body. 90 per cent of patients die within the first few months, and only in rare cases is there a full recovery. Tony was told he may live for 30 years like this; to a voracious talker with a passion for playing rugby and thrill-seeking outdoor pursuits this was a frightening prognosis. It also meant moving back to the UK. Tony had been a successful businessman, a civil engineer who had travelled the world and built a comfortable life for his wife and two daughters in
Dubai, where he had first met Jane. His predicament was captured in the affecting Channel 4 Dispatches documentary -“Please, Let My Dad Die”. Tony could only communicate with his eyes which he would direct towards letters on a board, painstakingly spelling out words for Jane to interpret. He also relied on his eyes to use a computer, installed with sophisticated Eyegaze software, his sole leisure pursuit. Tony’s Twitter page, still live and managed by his family reveal him to have been a tenacious, charismatic man with a sharp sense of humour. Over time, the paralysis whittled away Tony’s spirit, dramatically affecting his personality. “After the stroke Tony was a very different person. He rarely joked or even laughed at jokes. Pre-stroke he was very sociable but following the stroke he would not see friends. He found it too painful not to be able to interact.” This must have had an impact on the couple. “Our relationship was very different after the stroke. There was little intimacy any more. I changed from being a loving wife into being a carer. I had to do things to Tony that no man would want his wife to have to do for him. He was the love of my life and I would do anything for him but it was very hard for us both.” Choosing to end one’s life prematurely might seem like a bleak prospect, but for Tony it promised only relief from physical discomfort, boredom and despair, in spite of the love and support of his wife and daughters. He could escape the mental anguish of his life and die with dignity, on his terms. The only hitch was he needed someone to help him to die, since he would not be able to administer lethal drugs himself e.g. by ingestion
“Tony has written a book and we are looking into getting it published ... We will have to wait and see” or injection. Jane, understandably did not want to be the one to do this. Tony needed a doctor. Voluntary euthanasia, as it is known, is currently legal in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Luxemburg, but it is not legal in the UK. Tony had no choice but to go to court to ask permission to die. He sought two declarations from the court: that current UK law prohibiting him from ending his life was an infringement of his rights according to Article Eight of the European Human Rights Charter, which guarantees the right to private and family life; and the assurance that the doctor who helped him to die would not be prosecuted. It was the first case of its kind to be heard in England and Wales by the High Court because it
COURAGEOUS: Above, Jane Nicklinson with daughters Lauren and Bethan and husband Tony. Right, Tony and Jane before he suffered his stroke. challenged the law for murder, going further than preceding right-to-die legal cases. The High Court inevitably ruled against Tony, with three judges deciding that no human rights laws were being breached and it was a matter for Parliament, not court. Though Tony died before he could appeal, Jane made the brave decision to continue the case. “My first reaction was to say no, I have had enough, but the more I thought about it the more I realised that I had to try to continue. So much work had gone into the case. It was never just about Tony but about others who find themselves in a similar situation so I agreed to carry on if I was able. Also, I know that Tony would want me to carry on.” There’s no doubt that public support for Tony’s plight was overwhelming. He had almost 45,000 Twitter followers.” Paul Lamb, 58, a paraplegic, has recently come forward and joined the legal case to ask for the right to die, taking over from Tony. So what can people can do to support the case? “We started the petition and I have kept it going. It continues to gather signatures. Once the case hots up again I am sure it will gather more. Writing to MPs may also help.” The most contentious aspect of the case is that if won, it would bring about a change in the law that would make it legal to help people with certain disabilities to die. Arguably this is already happening. Doctors remove life support from patients who are physically alive, but not conscious – without their consent. The Nicklinson case, in contrast is asking that a person be allowed to be helped to die, with their full consent. The British Humanists Association has come forward to offer support, however Jane tells me she faces some formidable opposition
from religious groups, some doctors and disabled rights groups. Detractors warn of a future where vulnerable disabled people might be persuaded to commit suicide. “Abortion was a taboo subject once. I think that if euthanasia was legalised under strict guidelines in time it will be accepted just as abortion has. Abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide will never be acceptable for some. Just because they do not agree with it does not mean that everyone should be denied the right.” Jane now faces the daunting prospect of starting life over again: “The thought of life now is frightening as I need to get out there and get a life. I have not had a paying job for about 25 years so this fills me with dread.” Jane has had a remarkable journey and the extraordinary legal case of a man fighting for control over his own death is a story many would be interested to read. “Tony has written a book and we are looking into getting it published. It is about our life overseas. We do not have a publisher and have no idea if we ever will. They are all more interested in post-stroke which Tony did not want to write about. I have thought about writing about my experiences. We will have to wait and see.” •The Channel 4 documentary “Please Let Our Dad Die” is available to watch on 4onDemand. •The petition to support Jane’s appeal can be found on: www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/ tony-nicklinson-s-right-to-die-change-thelaw or via Jane’s Twitter page.
14 G E T T I N G R E A D Y F O R S U M M E R with cat harris and fran lloyd
fashion
SUMMER BALL STYLE
Elise Ryan Cornelli Trim Bandeau Skater Dress (ASOS), Topshop Wrap Mesh Skater Dress, £46 £48
Brights
Chiffon Bandeau Dress, Topshop, £40 Neon Jacquard Seam Shift Dress, Topshop, £80
Us girls love our shopping, but you can’t beat a bit of ball dress shopping! Firstly, let’s talk Summer Ball... Given the season, why not opt for a strapless style? I’m loving the Lashes of London Bustier Prom Dress, as it’s very girly with the scallop detail on the top and has a hint of summery green and lilac, which work really well together. Plus it will look great with a tan! The coral-colour Elise Ryan dress at ASOS is another favourite, particularly as it is a lovely simple style. Finally, you could be brave and opt for a really eye-catching dress like the blue skater dress at Topshop. As for the Graduation Ball, maybe choose a more tailored style? I really like Lipsy’s shift dresses that they currently sell, as they look really sophisticated. The black lace gathered dress would be very flattering. Zara also have a great style in the shops at the moment, which is nice and simple but has lovely detailing on the hem and with the ribbon tie across the waist. Whichever dress you choose girls, have an amazing time at the ball. I have both to attend, so I better get looking for two new dresses!
By Jess Waymark
Lipsy Shift Dress with Sequin Neckline, £68
ASOS Smock Dress in China Print, £38
Horse Print Slip Dress, Topshop, £40
Neutrals
Lashes Of London Prom Dress With Fluro Scallop Bustier, £65
Zara Printed Dress with asymmetrical Hem, £39
Wrap Prom Dress, Topshop, £55
Festival Fashion Stand out on a budget!
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relationships 25
careers 24
travel 23
film 21
games 20
music 18-19
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Laura Printed Tassel Maxi Dress – boohoo.com - £20
Carol Nevada Tapestry Denim Fray Edge Shorts – boohoo.com - £18 Mia Purple Printed Neon Aztec Denim Hotpants – boohoo.com -£15
High Waist Denim Shorts in Silver Holographic Print – ASOS reduced from £30 to £12
As the exam period looms, we all catch the annual student end-of-year-panic syndrome (symptoms include panda eyes, daily take-aways and simultaneous breakdowns). The little light at the end of the torture tunnel for many of us is the array of festivals lined up over the summer. Pimms all round, throwing our best shapes and “glamping” it up - what could be better? With The Rolling Stones, Mumford and Sons and The Arctic Monkeys heading up the Glastonbury festival and Beyonce –mania engulfing the V Festival we have every reason to look our best. Despite the snow, hail and whatever else the typically indecisive British weather may bring, there are tons of must-haves that will enable you to stand out from the crowd. Boohoo.com have some particularly good bargains. Here are a just a few stand-out festival bits that will not only rival Katy Perry’s eye-catching ensembles at Coachella but will still leave you with enough money left over to top up your tan in Tenerife between festivals. Enjoy! By Siobhan Wright
Festival Accessories
Suzie Printed Criss Cross Waist Short Dress – boohoo.com - £15
Student Style
Name: Shina Animashaun Course: 2nd Year Law Student Hat: Lily & Albert Jacket: Nike Destroyer Jacket T-Shirt: Flatspot Shirt: Wahler Jeans: Topman Trainers: Nike LR Blazer By Nanette Turkson
Round Preppy Sunglasses – Topshop £16
Thank you!
It’s been an amazing year for Waterfront Fashion, and since September we’ve loved working on every edition, with the help of Kirsten Blurred Aztec Shirt – boohoo.com – Zig Zag Ikat Backpack – Topshop - £32 an ever-growing fashion team who have got involved every step of reduced from £20 to £12 the way. Every week our writers have been committed to sharing their passion with us and bringing you the latest fashion news and tips. It’s been an unforgettable last year for the both of us, and being part of the Waterfront has been an incredible highlight of our three years at Swansea. Big thanks to Jess Waymark, Siobhan Wright, Nanette Turkson, Cheryl Berry, Emma Williams, Bethan Pepper, Andrew Timlett, Lowri Evans, Bashayer Al-Azmi and everyone else who has contributed this past year! We would also like to thank those who gave up their time to feature in Student Style, and especially those who have provided us with so much inspiration. Can’t wait to see what next year’s editor brings to the page. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading as much as we’ve enjoyed being involved. Neon Metal Spike Bangles Aaleyah Drop Spike Necklace - boohoo.com - £8 Stay stylish Swansea! Cat and Fran Topshop –reduced from £18.50
front row
Lee Nelson
The Grand Theatre, Tuesday 14 May Tickets: £22.50 online
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Simon Brodkin aka Lee Nelson will finally be gracing the Swansea Grand Theatre this May for your entertainment. The star of “Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show” is here for one night only, and if you’ve ever seen him on Live At The Apollo, you’ll know he’s definitely worth watching. But that’s not all he’s featured in, if you remember, Brodkin also starred in the Everton vs Manchester City Premier League match in March, (by charging on the pitch as notable football character “Jason Brent”.) Doors open at 7:30pm, and as Brodkin also stated: “Go on, it’s not like there’s anything else to do in Swansea!!!”
Les Misérables
Taliesin, 7.30pm, Tuesday 30 April, Thurs 2 May, Thurs 30 May Tickets: Full-time student price £5
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If you managed to miss Tom Hooper’s stunning adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel, never fear, the Taliesin is keeping it on just for you. So if revision has started to make you hyperventilate and you can’t stomach going out, go and watch people singing and dancing for two and a half hours, that’ll make you feel better. It’s won BAFTAS, Golden Globes, Oscars…if you haven’t seen this already what have you been doing?! With all your favourite actors and actresses, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried and Hugh Jackson, you’d be hard pressed to find any faults. (Apart from Russell Crowe, because let’s face it, he’s not a singer). Many have also said the soundtrack has been keeping them sane in the exam period, so why not have a gander, eh?
Howl @ St James’ Church 6.30pm, Friday 17 May Wristbands - £15
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HOWL is one of Swansea’s regular poetry open-mic nights, occurring on the 2nd and 3rd Thursday of every month in Mozarts bar, writes Jacques Tsaintar. All are welcome read something, be it poetry, prose, rants or just about anything, and will be received in a relaxed and respectful environment. The night also sees features from some of Swansea’s own professional poets, as well as those from further afield, including Rhian Edwards and Mab Jones. The night is run by Swansea English student Jacques Tsiantar, who emphasises a warm and unbiased environment for new and regular readers alike. The reading starts at 9, but times and lists are flexible should anyone be indecisive, after all, it’s an open mic.
And Finally...Phil Collins
Swansea Grand Theatre, Thursday 30 May Tickets: £18
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Appearing for the first time at The Grand Theatre, Swansea, And Finally...Phil Collins, the critically acclaimed band, have been nominated for this year’s National UK Tribute Awards. Celebrating their fifth anniversary in 2013, the show has become one of the most popular touring shows in the UK. In this year`s “Live and Loose Tour”, the And Finally...10 piece band perform a packed two-hour show including classic hits In The Air Tonight, Easy Lover, together with new songs taken from Phil’s ‘Dance Into The Light’ tour.
Swansea Fest
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Thursday 30 May Tickets online, early bird £4 (Only 200 available) £5 standard, £6 OTD What better way to finish off your exams (if you’ve finished them) by blowing the remnants of your loan on a seven-hour stint down your favourite street in the world? (That is Wind Street, obviously). For the fifth year running Swansea Fest will be dragging you out of your dark gloomy rooms and taking you to Wind Street’s best and most-loved bars. Kick off starts at 8pm at Swansea’s own Walkabout (Arena one), and then off to Idols and Peppermint you go. Hopefully, everyone will end up at Odyssey, where a surprise special guest will be featured (and surely announced pretty soon), but have no fear, if you and your housemates really can’t make it out that early, just be sure to get to Odyssey before 11:30pm. This event does sell out pretty quickly, so make sure you hit the website up to nab a ticket before they go. Cash prizes will also be given to the best dressed, (the theme being: Wear What You Dare) so be sure to loot Wilkinson’s of its bin liners/poster paints/other things us scummy students spend money on to win things. Tickets available from http://www.climaxpromotions.co.uk
Theatre review: The Musician @ Taliesin TAKING over The Taliesin Arts Centre this April ‘The Musician’ musical struck a chord with its hard-hitting portrayal of fictional band The Moths’ struggle in the world of Rock n’ Roll. Dai Smith’s (former guitarist of Swansea band The Storys) first stage production, The Musical brings new life to the genre, not just with a catchy theme song, but also a unique approach to audience participation. Forget “He’s behind you!’ - The Musician incorporated a double ending, with the By Will Brealey audience able to vote for ‘RIP’ and ‘Rock n Roll’ and decide the fate of troubled fictional frontman Jeff Scott (Dai Smith). The choose-the-ending format seemed a fantastic concept, but sadly Jeff Scott proved to be a character who evoked little sympathy from the audience. With aggressive outbursts towards band members and cheating on his girlfriend, the performance was less Pink Floyd’s The Wall, more Salinger’s angsty The Catcher in the Rye. It was only going to end one way – sorry Jeff. ). Audience interaction was a key feature of the production. Before the interval a singing contest was held, a decision perhaps regretted by producers when a 13-year-old girl put most of the cast’s singing ability to shame with a beautiful rendition. At times the dialogue felt forced, dragged out and unnatural, which gave the performance an awkward feel, but overall the production was enjoyable. With its enthusiastic cast The Musician was a lively and spirited expression of the underworld of Rock n’ Roll.
18 Going for the record with alex gibbs
music
Swansea + Music + Charity = Gwyl Pili Pala F
inally, Swansea has its own festival that will measure up to other city-wide events from the likes of Cardiff’s ‘Swn’ and Brighton’s ‘Great Escape’. During the 17th & 18th May 2013, ‘Gwil Pili Pala’ is set for its inaugural weekend, showcasing a myriad talented artists, both musical and literary, across Swansea’s Uplands area. Spanning seven venues, the festival is set to be an annual event, which should bring much needed spotlight to Swansea’s oft-ignored music scene writes Lloyd Griffiths. Amongst the finalized line up of established Welsh acts, ‘Masters in France’ are set to headline in Sin City during Saturday 18th with their ‘LCD Soundsystem’ influenced poppy math-rock. Shortly followed with a set by ‘Cut Ribbons’, who’ve recently released Cassette singles through Jen Long’s innovative ‘Kissability’ label. Best British Unsigned act ‘Fjords’ will perform their fluid amalgam of electro-pop and literate indie-rock in The Garage. Those looking for a taste in performance art will enjoy ‘Fist of the First Man’, who bring their cut-up cinematic compositions on Friday 17th - a visually captivating must-see. Carmarthen’s ‘Write4Word’ will also host literary events featuring established and emerging Welsh writers, including workshops in the birthplace of Dylan Thomas. Other gifted acts set to display their talents include Laurence Made Me Cry, Denuo, Greta Isaac, We’re No Heroes, The Adelines, Winter Villains and Violas. Uniquely, the festival is running in support
of the West Glamorgan Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, harnessing and celebrating the transformative effect of art to raise awareness of the programmes provided by the organisation. It’s been going for over 30 years in providing services for those who have been affected by alcohol and substance misuse, including things like needle exchange, abstinence-based recovery and advice for young people and carers. By hosting a festival, they hope to challenge people’s perceptions about the charity and raise much needed funds. Turning around the bohemian stereotype and negative association between addiction and the arts is one way in which WGCADA hopes Gwyl Pili Pala can raise understanding and awareness. “It’s all about de-stigmatising perceptions of addiction and substance misuse, and celebrating the powerful role the arts play in changing lives,” says organizer Angela Muir. On the Saturday of the festival, there are artists performing who’ve been through WGCADA, from the likes of Dai Sharkey and The Shedheads. Plus several literary readings will take place which focuses on addiction and recovery. Gwil Pili Pala will be sprinkled venue-wise across Uplands, in addition to the beautiful St James Church, the intimate surroundings of The Chattery (feel free to eat a cheese course with the gig) and rock stalwarts The Garage and Sin City. Weekend wristbands are now on sale for just £15 online at www.seetickets. com and Derricks, Spillers and Cadno music.
Purchase Weekend Wristbands for £15 at www.seetickets.com; Derricks; Spillers and Cadno Music. Get them while you can!
Student success with Launchpad Records S
uccess Story: Student George Quann-Barnett tells The Waterfront on how he launched his dream career and his future hopes with self-made music label ‘Launchpad Records’
Blizzard has had interest in people and organisations in higher positions and we are really dedicated to making the next project count. Blizzard is no one trick pony, but has a multitude of talents from playing the piano and drums, alongside being able to sing, rap and beatbox.
At the age of 18, my partner Louis and I set up our own music label ‘Launchpad Records’, which has been thriving ever since. The idea formed from a young age, as I have always wanted to get involved within the business side of the music industry. I studied Underground music extensively and observed the transition that artists made into the mainstream and wondered how I could get involved in the business. I was fortunate enough to be given Wiley’s number from the man himself, when I went to his video shoot back in 2010. Having Wiley’s contact details led us release the first single on our label entitled ‘The Radio Kid’. This generated a lot of attention within the music industry, with Radio 1 and 1Xtra supporting the record from day one! The release charted on the Electronic iTunes chart, which gave us another opportunity to collaborate with Wiley on his single ‘Joombi’. Since then we have joined forces with many talented
We are looking to bring these influences into his live shows and our next project. I am also currently working on getting him as a support act for a bigger artist in the near future and acquiring some well-deserved festival slots.
artists, from the likes of Tre Mission, Manga, Family Tree, Dexplicit, Dot Rotten, Blizzard, Big Narstie, Kid D, C4 and many more. Launchpad has had support from the likes of Mistajam, Charlie Sloth, Westwood and Target. My personal focus at the moment is Manchesterbased artist ‘Blizzard’ (follow @ iamblizzard). We have worked with Blizzard from the ground up, with him
now having nearly 5 million hits on Youtube and nearly 30,000 Twitter followers. Blizzard has appeared on Don’t Flop, Fire in the Booth and SBTV many times. We released Blizzard’s last EP ‘Sooner Than Never’ which shot to Number 1 on the iTunes Hip Hop chart and Number 18 in the Album chart, whilst receiving support from epic artists like Ed Sheeran, Rizzle Kicks, Misha B and Chip.
Once I leave university I hope to expand the management roster, whilst churning out more releases on our label. We look to start some live nights with the artists that we have released with, whilst publicising Blizzard’s impressive, up-and-coming merchandise range ‘Eight In Brackets’, which is currently in development. Another future goal would be to generate other ventures outside of the music field. Hopefully I will be able to make them happen! For more information check out http://www.LaunchpadRecords. co.uk
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music 18-19
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2013 music festivals: the low down
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ESTIVAL season is looming and you deserve a break after the arduous hours you’ll have spent revising. But where to go and what’s the best value for money? Alex Gibbs reports.
indie rock artists, this year Benicassim plays host to some American and British Gems, both wellPhoto:established Victoria Morseand emerging. With the benefit of a hot, sunny climate and a well-priced ticket, this is fairly decent but it’s best if you love the line-up and are willing to have travel this far to make the most out of your money.
BEACH BREAK LIVE (20th - 24th June) PRICE: £84 (Weekend camping) LOCATION: Newquay, Cornwall FEATURING: Jake Bugg, Devlin, Lucy Rose Whilst the headliners aren’t as groundbreaking as last year’s talented selection of Dizzee Rascal and Chase & Status; Beach Break Live flaunts newly established artists whilst being by the lovely seaside. Situated in the stunning picturesque location of Cornwall’s Newquay, you’ll be able to soak up some rays and feel smug at only having spent a mere £84 for a four day musical holiday. So if you want to grab some bruskies with your mates and enjoy the fresh new talents of over 300 artists for an extraordinarily low price, Beach Break may be right up your street. BESTIVAL (5th - 8th September) PRICE: £180 (Weekend camping) LOCATION: Isle of Wight FEATURING: Elton John, Snoop Dogg, M.I.A. Stepping up a bit in musical talent, this festival is crammed with indie and dance-based artists, whilst being renowned for its fanbase that won it ‘Best Major Festival’ twice in the past three years. Whilst you will have to pay more than the likes of Beach Break, seeing a combination of internationally celebrated artists and emerging artists bound to enter the music chart soon, Bestival gives you a bit of what you fancy. ... That is if indie and dance is your type of thing.
Other UK Festivals... CREAMFIELDS (23rd - 25th August) PRICE: £150 (Weekend camping) LOCATION: Daresbury, Cheshire FEATURING: The Prodigy, Aviici DOWNLOAD (14th - 16th June) Photo: © Chris Friese READING & LEEDS (23rd - 25th August) PRICE: £210 (Weekend camping) LOCATION: Reading, Leeds FEATURING: Eminem, Green Day and Biffy Clyro Being a big fan of this festival, I cannot help but feel a bit disappointed and confused at this year’s line-up, I mean Eminem just doesn’t seem to give off this festival’s rock vibe. Whilst the returning ‘Fall Out Boy’ and the likes of ‘System of A Down’ are featuring on this year’s line-up, potentially this isn’t this year’s best rock festival line-up. T IN THE PARK (12th - 14th July) PRICE: £194 (Weekend camping) LOCATION: Balado, Kinross-Shire (Scotland)
FEATURING: Mumford & Sons, Rihanna, Kings of Leon Great line-up with a multitude of genres to fit everyone’s taste. With an extraordinary cluster of headliners, your money is well worth putting into this festival, yet unless you’re willing to travel all the way to Scotland, you may be more suited to going to the likes of V Festival. BENICASSIM (18th - 21st July) PRICE: £150 (Weekend camping) LOCATION: Benicassim, Spain FEATURING: The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age Known for its combination of dance, pop and
PRICE: £195 (Weekend camping) LOCATION: Donington Park, Derby FEATURING: Slipknot, Iron Maiden & Rammstein GLASTONBURY (26th - 30th June) PRICE: £210 (Weekend camping) LOCATION: Pilton, Somerset FEATURING: Rolling Stones, Mumford & Sons, Rita Ora LATITUDE (18th – 21st July) PRICE: £190.50 (Weekend camping) LOCATION: Southwold, Suffolk FEATURING: Bloc Party, Foals, Hot Chip V FESTIVAL (17th - 18th August) PRICE:: £195 (Weekend Camping) LOCATION: Weston Park (Telford); Hylands Park (Chelmsford) FEATURING: Beyonce, Kings of Leon, Calvin Harris
Purchase tickets for all major festivals at www.ticketmaster.co.uk. Don’t get caught out by ticket frauds!
Up in the air with twenty one pilots ‘twenty one pilots’ is a duo from Ohio, consisting of the music stylings of vocalist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun, who have been touring since 2009. Signed by ‘Fueled By Ramen’ who have produced the likes of ‘Paramore’ and ‘Gym Class Heroes’, clearly this band is worth a listen. Early this year, The Waterfront jumped at the chance to chat alongside vocalist Tyler Joseph, to discuss musical tastes, their upcoming album ‘Vessel’ and their love for the UK. WATERFRONT: How did you start out as a band? TOP: When I was younger my mum got me a keyboard for Christmas but it ended up in the closet. Then one year, I decided to pull it out and experiment with it, which shortly after, I became addicted to. So I was drawn to creating my own songs, I started writing right off the bat and trying to get better ever since. WF: You seem to go past the boundaries of genre in your music. Do you see yourself as being a self-defined genre? TOP: Personally I like to catch someone off guard before the song goes, instead of staying in one certain genre and try to create different versions of the same music. WF: Your first label-signed album, ‘Vessel’, is due for release in June. What are the most prevalent themes on the record? TOP: I write from a very reflective perspective, which is very much to do with what I am going through currently. I think that there is another emotion than love that is equally as powerful, if not a little bit more: the emotion of fear. This album has a lot to do with the power of fear and trying to find hope, peace and redemption at the end of and inside of
that fear. When I try to emit this message, I feel other people are resonating with what I am trying to say. WF: How does the transition from the recorded tracks to live tracks happen? TOP: I think a lot of the time, some of these ideas and the different energy that you find out of the track was born in the live setting. We started the project with the intent of playing live and when we are trying to record, we want to capture that energy that we’ve always had live. If a kid asked me any advice when it comes to starting a band, 1: Less numbers; The fewer bands members the fewer fallouts. And 2: Utilise the technology that’s given to you, so that you can create that perfect experience live. For us, sometimes, it means that using computers and different ways in filling out our sound, so it frees me up as a front man to conduct the crowd and allow them to be part of it. WF: How did your first gig in the UK go and how have you found breaking the industry here? TOP: Honestly, whenever I do interviews in the States, I come across very cocky and full of myself because in one aspect I truly believe that we are good enough to be where we are. But when I’m in the UK, I’m just this giddy little fan boy because I’ve always dreamt of playing a show here and I grew up listening to bands that have come from the UK. For us to see a room full of people who knew every song on our unreleased album was an amazing feeling.
By Samantha Booth
20 GAMING WITH MAT JONES
games
Enhance your experience A
FTER you have collected every last un-lockable, beaten every boss and gained every achievement, you may be at a loss of what to do next with your game, writes Mat Jones. Well never fear, here are a few ways to extend your gaming in new and interesting ways. You could try modifications, mods as they are more widely known to change your game in a variety of ways, changing the balance of things, adding new units or factions or even completely changing the game completely. One mod that is worth a look is the ‘Song of Ice and Fire’ for Crusader Kings 2. If like me you are a massive fan of the Game of Thrones series, being able to
play as Ned Stark, Tywin Lannister or even Daenaerys Targaryen is great.
way to win or even just showcasing multiplayer games.
With heaps of flavour, dragons, wars and politics, you would hardly recognise the original game underneath.
If you have never experienced Let’s Play then I can thoroughly recommend jefmajor (http://www.youtube.com/ user/jefmajor), a humorous caster with a wide array of games or KrebsCOHO (http://w w w.youtube.com/user/ KrebsCOHO) who casts both Company of Heroes 1 and 2 multiplayer games.
Another way to get more from your game is to attend one of the variety of tournaments held both online and in massive LAN events. With almost every type of game represented, you can find something that suits you whether that is Starcraft, Fifa or Call of Duty. Or if none of that suits your fancy then there is the growing popularity of the ‘Let’s Play’ where you make videos about games and the playing of said games, either to show people the
There are thousands of lets players out there and whichever game you’d like to see or style of casting, it is out there to find you have but to look. Just remember that though you may believe your game is done and finished, there is so much more you can do with it.
Wargame: European Escalation THE Cold War has gone hot! Not the most unique of storylines but this game is shaping up to be one excellent strategy game. Building upon the success of Wargame: European Escalation, this new release is adding a variety of new features to create a unique experience whilst keeping the flavour of the original. The new features include a brand new graphics engine, expanded unit and nation rosters and a dynamic single player campaign. With the addition of aircraft, battles will even more so be combined arms, with anti-aircraft being even more important to protect your units.
Do you want to put a game in the spotlight? Email waterfrontgames@swansea-union.co.uk
WINTER is coming, and it is in the shape of a brand new Company of Heroes game. Surviving the closure of Relic, a game long in the making and with anticipation high, this game really had to deliver. With the release fast approaching, here is what I think of Company of Heroes 2. At its heart, this game stays true to the core gameplay and for fans of the original you will soon be building bases, capturing points and killing the enemy. Having fully explored the Western front in the original game, we are now transported to the East, with a completely new Russian faction facing off against a redesigned German army. Not only do we have two new forces, but we also have a third component, the Russian Winter. With brand new cold and blizzard mechanics creating new tactical challenges and opportunities, it looks set to continue the easy to play, hard to master gameplay. Though little
Company of Heroes
To add to the single player component there is an exceptional multiplayer, with huge 10 player battles, with the ability for hundreds of armoured vehicles and tanks either side the battles are shaping up to be even more epic.
The Beta for this game is currently still live with pre-orders available, with essays and exams coming to an end check this game out, it will keep you going over the summer.
has been released concerning the single player, the multi-player is solid and set to expand the tournament scene, with already casters lining up to show the fantastic looking new graphics and
true line of sight. Grab this game as soon as you can, having sunk in 300 hours to the original game, I can see even more going in to this new one. This will make summer go very quickly.
If nothing else, check out Wargame: EE you can find it relatively cheap now and though the single player is thoroughly broken, the multiplayer will tide you over and teach you the basics ready for ALB. By Mat Jones
societies 26
relationships 25
careers 24
travel 23
film 21
games 20
music 18-19
front row 17
S I Lver screen with saul masters
fashion 14-15
21
features 12-13
6 May 2013 waterfrontonline.co.uk
film
Star Trek: What we can expect next I
N 2009, JJ Abrams seemed to have achieved the impossible by making Star Trek appeal to a wider audience whilst at the same time appeasing the die-hard fans. What one normally expects from a reboot is essentially what the name suggests; a reworking of an original, writes Luke Maxwell-Libby. What actually we got instead was a superbly written film and a plot which took Star Trek in a new direction, whilst staying true to the original characters and concepts. The film owes the majority of its success to its cast, from Chris Pine’s charmingly arrogant womaniser James T. Kirk to Karl Urban’s grouchy world-weary Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy. With the film’s sequel Star Trek Into Darkness approaching at warp speed as a serious contender for this year’s summer blockbuster, what we can expect from Abrams is most likely to be more of the same. With Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci delivering the same sort of dialogue we heard in the earlier film and with Abrams packing as much lens flare as humanly possible, one may be forgiven for thinking that Star Trek Into Darkness is just more of the same. The big shock came when footage of Zachary Quinto, playing Cmdr Spock, was leaked having a one-on-one fight with none other than Benedict Cumberbatch. Rumours immediately spread that he was to be playing the eponymous Khan from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It has since been
revealed that Cumberbatch will be playing the role of John Harrison, a former Starfleet operative gone rogue, who is enacting a campaign of terror on his superiors for as yet unknown reasons. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise are tasked to bring him down and all the parts are laid out for a manhunt film that, judging by the trailers, will not be a clean-cut victory for Starfleet. This is by far Cumberbatch’s biggest film role yet, and it will be interesting to witness how he brings his own style to a big-budget Hollywood production. For Kirk, his motivation to hunt Harrison down is unnecessarily personal, on account of the fact that his enemy has managed to cripple Starfleet from within and has endangered the life of his mentor, Admiral Pike, played by the little-known yet surprisingly engaging Bruce Greenwood from the previous film. Judging by the preview of the first nine minutes of the film, Kirk has somewhat evolved as a character. He is no longer the bar-brawling hick that first enlisted in Starfleet. His command of the Enterprise has taught him many things, but apparently it has done little to assuage his pride, thus clouding his judgement somewhat on his vendetta against Harrison. As such Star Trek Into Darkness hints at using a previously successful formula whilst employing new ideas. This is not a film to be missed.
Would you like to review a film? if so, get in touch on waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk
Film Reviews
Dans la maison
By Lewis Carter
François Ozon walks us through yet another stylish, funny and oddly trippy French experience in his latest film ‘In the House’. Fabrice Luchini transitions effortlessly from the stage to the screen to portray an initially run-of-the-mill literature teacher, who becomes increasingly intrigued by the potentially dangerous writing of one of his students. He is accompanied by our very own Kristen Scott Thomas, who once again proves that she can fill a screen with wit and charm, whether permitted to speak in her native English or being required revert to her nearly flawless French. ‘In the House’ is a film that is erratic with its plot, transforming sporadically from an exploration on the nature of writing, to a middleclass parody, to a psychological thriller. Despite this, the film has a lively and engaging style. Ozon pulls off a film which is jarring yet engaging, funny yet creepy and altogether thoroughly intriguing from start to end. Ozon succeeds here where many directors would surely have failed, by offsetting the larger-than-life aspects of the narrative with thoroughly grounded characters, a great script and oodles of continental elegance and charm. Although it might make you think twice about the people you let into your home...
Iron Man 3
By Luke Maxwell-Libby
With the absence of Jon Favreau from the director’s chair, one might anticipate that Tony Stark’s third outing would be something different to its high-tech predecessors. This is very much the case, and the film is much better for it. Robert Downey Jr spends very little time in the eponymous suit this time around, and the action of the plot is all the more enthralling as a result. For the first time we start to see Stark beginning to break down, suffering from insomnia and frequent anxiety attacks, to the point where his loveable playboy persona starts to fall apart and there are points in which his character is in fact repulsive. The absence of the suit is twofold in this film, in that Stark is not simply fighting another form of his own creation, and as a result the action of the film holds some genuine tension. Guy Pearce takes the role of the villain as Aldrich Killian, another corporate billionaire adversary, who thankfully holds none of the absurd childishness of Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer and instead packs some really sinister qualities. This is the final film of the Iron Man series, and with a solid plot and fine acting, this is a superb finish to the franchise.
Oblivion
By Jordan Bradley
Tom Cruise stars in the new sci-fi film Oblivion. Oblivion is located on a postapocalyptic Earth after decades of war with an alien species that still scavenge the remnants of Earth. Jack Harper (Cruise) serves as a security repair man who fixes weaponized drones that protect large resource extractor stations from scavengers. In a matter of weeks he is promised that he will join the lunar colony of human survivors, located on a space station that is visible from Earth. Following daily orders from a colony leader he patrols and protects the breath-taking CGI skies and scenery of an abandoned planet. Jack’s whole existence is questioned by his regular flashbacks of Earth before the apocalypse, something he has never seen in real life. Oblivion bounces back and forth from a visually brilliant and tense story to a plot holed one lacking in character depth only to turn into the common ‘save the world’ storyline. Oblivion sets up an interesting premise but fails in its delivery.
societies 26
relationships 25
careers 24
travel 23
film 21
games 20
music 18-19
front row 17
Student journeys WITH RACHAEL WINES
fashion 14-15
23
features 12-13
6 May 2013 waterfrontonline.co.uk
travel FAIRY-TALE SPLENDOUR: Boating at the Plaza de España (above), Rachael Wines on one of the square’s famous ceramic bridges (above right) and Spanish wine and olives (below).
Mouthwatering tapas and the sweet smell of orange trees T
HE exquisite smell of tapas assailed me as I wandered quaint cobbled streets lined with orange trees and lanterns …. It was Easter break, a very pleasant 15 degrees, and I had arrived in Seville. Effortlessly beautiful, Seville is the capital and largest city of Andalusia, and is famous for many things: Locallygrown oranges, the modern art of the The Mushroom, the breathtaking Plaza de España, the historic Cathedral of Seville, but most importantly the culture of tapas and wine. The tapas scene is one of the main attractions of the city, with people going from one bar to another, enjoying small dishes of food. The average cost of tapas in Seville is between 2.50- 3.50 Euros. Whether you fancy a traditional Spanish snack of olives, cheeses, various croquettes or perhaps a more-hearty dish of paella, Seville offers a wide range of incredible food. One of my favourite restaurants was a restaurant by the Plaza de Espana that serves up an elegant selection of tapas, with a dinner menu consisting of tuna steak on caramelised onions, black squid spaghetti with garlic and scallops, and smoked salmon on goats cheese with tomato (all tried, tested and LOVED by me). Another fantastic place to eat I discovered is called Bar Autiguedades, situated up one of Seville’s many medieval alleyways, where I would recommend ordering their garlic mushrooms, camembert cheese
Rachael Wines falls in love with the sights, smells and tastes of Seville. drizzled with delicious raspberry sauce, melted goats cheese with a mild sweet chilli dip and fresh prawn croquettes. Finish the day off with a local glass of tinto de virano (basically red wine with lemonade) at Café Jazz (live jazz music provided), or try one of the myriad other bars in the city. A delicious coffee with a hint of strawberry at Avenida Restauracion opposite the cathedral also makes for a great nightcap. Metropol Parasol is a wooden building at La Encarnación square, in the old quarter of Seville. Completed in April 2011, it claims to be the largest wooden structure in the world, and is popularly known as ‘The Mushroom’. It houses an Antiquarium and a Central Market, the roof of which is the surface of the open-air public plaza. There are panoramic terraces (including a restaurant), offering the best views of the city, especially at night where for just 1.70 euros you can go up to the top of The Mushroom for an amazing experience at The Rockefeller Centre of Seville. Just when you begin to think that the Metropol Parasol was enough to make you fall in love with Seville, a visit to The Plaza de España will seal the deal. Built in 1928, The Plaza de España is a landmark example of Spanish architecture and has numerous colourful and ceramic bridges, and a large fountain, perfectly
centered at the Plaza. By the walls of the Plaza are many tiled alcoves, each representing a different province of Spain, an interesting backdrop for many visitors’ photographs, and also the location of many films including Star Wars and The Dictator. For a romantic experience at The Plaza de España, hiring one of their traditional river boats for just 5 Euros for 45 minutes is a fun way to see the Plaza by rowing your way around the man-made river that runs around its perimeter. I would also recommend taking a picnic on the boat (Note: Save some bread!), as afterwards, for just 5 Euros per 30 minutes, you can hire a bike buggy to pedal around the Plaza. A stop to feed the ducks in the surrounding Spanish gardens and ponds was another lovely experience. If it’s architecture you’re interested in then Seville’s Cathedral, the fourth largest church in the world, will blow your mind! I am not one for venturing around old buildings, but this magnificent monstrosity took my breath away. For just 3 Euros (with a student card), a walk around the Gothic Cathedral, and its Orange Tree Courtyard is a must-do. A hike up the Giralda Tower is worth a climb for the epic panoramic views provided of the city once the 30 odd floors have been climbed. As with any city, there are also lots of shops and small Spanish boutiques for a spot of retail therapy, and cinemas nearby, showing both English and Spanish films.
For a place to stay in Seville, I recommend booking the Giraldilla Hostel, a vintage style traditional Spanish hotel costing approximately 190 Euros for 7 nights, based on two people sharing a double room, with a private bathroom. Travel to and from the airport into Seville’s city centre costs a mere 4 Euros on the bus (25 Euros for a taxi, one way), and for affordable flights, I recommend flying with Ryan Air and Easy Jet, a tip being it is MUCH cheaper to fly from Bristol than Cardiff airport, with return flights costing around £200 (a stop off in Barcelona makes it significantly cheaper than a direct flight). Visit Skyscanner. com for great flight deals.
24 YOUR FUTURE MAPPED OUT
careers
How Go Wales is giving students a helping hand into the world of work Looking for work, but can’t seem to get anywhere? GO Wales may be able to help.
“Ultimately, my dream job is to be a journalist, and whilst working for a business like BID may seem a little off track; it’s actually giving me some great workbased skills which are only going to benefit me more in the future.” Being awarded the City and Guilds Qualification is another string to her bow as well and adds something to her CV to set her apart. Becca has since moved on and is currently working for an oil procurement firm in Southwest London. She will be training in Wimbledon from next summer and hopes to edit The Telegraph one day! “I would recommend GO Wales programmes to anyone. The team are so friendly and helpful and the placement has been an excellent experience for me,” said Becca. GO Wales receives funding from the Welsh Government and the European Social Fund (ESF).
S
INCE GO Wales started offering work placements opportunities ten years ago the project has helped thousands of graduates and students to make the best start to their careers in Wales. 4,000 students have benefited from work experience opportunities through Work Tasters which aim to give individuals a snapshot of a particular industry or career path. One of them is Becca Taylor, a former news editor of The Waterfront. After graduating from Swansea University with a 2:1 in Politics; Becca went straight into full-time work with a local company, but the job didn’t work out. Finding herself out of work was pretty scary; she worked part-time until she started applying for work through GO Wales. “I applied, with little hope, for a 12-week Work Placement with Swansea Business Improvement District as a Communications Coordinator, and to my surprise got an interview.” Becca doubted very much she would get the job, despite her communication background, because it seemed different to anything she’d done before, and she didn’t know anything about the company at all. She received a call a few days after her interview and was offered the work placement. “I spend my time here working directly with the businesses on membership and in the office working
Becca Taylor, pictured with fellow journalist Chris Flynn, at last year’s media awards.
•For further information and to see the current opportunities please visit www.gowales.co.uk
on social media and mail systems for communication. “I’ve worked on tasks I never really imagined I was capable of and I’ve been pushed out of my comfort zone. I’ve worked on campaigns and strategies, launched new projects and communicated with hundreds of businesses on a weekly basis.” Becca worked alongside Russell J Greenslade, Chief Executive of Swansea BID, to create a suitable database of over 800 businesses in order to successfully communicate the aims and accomplishments of the BID. She also worked on social media output and general communications of the organisation.
Katie finds perseverance pays off in the search for a job AS children we are told that if you work hard at school, do well in your exams, and go to university, all manner of doors will be opened, writes Katie Whitehead. But what if after doing everything you were ‘supposed’ to do, you graduate, and find that you are in massive debt and most doors remain firmly closed? This is the situation that I found myself in after university. I always worked hard at school (except for a minor blip during AS levels), and decided that my talents lay within literature and writing. I studied English Literature at Swansea University achieving a 2:1, and went on to study MA Comparative Journalism. I could not have worked any harder during my MA and was delighted to receive a distinction, as well as doing a number of work-experience placements including BBC Countryfile Magazine. With all the confidence of youth, I went out into the world feeling positive that I had done all that I could to secure a career. Unfortunately things haven’t been that easy. It is extremely difficult in the current economic climate to
Swansea graduate Katie Whitehead charts her search for work. find media jobs, and there is almost an industry-wide expectation that you will have at least a year of full-time experience. After sending out a high number of applications and receiving no interview invitations, I widened my search to include marketing, advertising and PR. There are far more jobs in this sector, and I have a number of transferable skills, as well as an interest in the industry. Seven months on I have a grand total of four interviews under my belt, and I am seeing a little light on the horizon. I’m not belittling the importance of university. It’s value for widening perspectives, and encouraging
analytical and independent thought cannot be dismissed. However I do feel that in the current climate graduates are often undervalued, and that frequently the skills acquired at university are not enough to get you a full-time job. This is usually attributed to lack of experience, but how can you gain experience of the working world when no one will hire you? After all there is little that cannot be learnt quickly by a young and intelligent mind that wants to succeed. There is always the option of work-experience, but sadly graduates have bills to pay and food to buy just like everybody else. Whilst there are graduate schemes these can be incredibly competitive. This comes second only to the horror of the phone interview, with its standardized questions peppered with awkward silences. What ever happened to meeting face to face? Of course there are exceptions to this. I’ve known some graduates who have fallen on their feet. This however doesn’t happen miraculously but requires a lot of hard work and
networking. You do also sometimes meet with kindness. This can be as simple as an acknowledgment of your efforts and encouragement, but it makes all the difference. The most important thing to remember is to be determined. There have been times when me and my friends have looked at our earnings from part-time jobs, and come to the depressing conclusion that we would be better off if we didn’t bother and went on unemployment benefits. This shouldn’t be the case. We want to work, we want to contribute and we want to make something of our lives, and we will. Postscript: After writing this article I attended an interview in Bristol for a paid creative writing and blogging internship with an internet marketing company. I was delighted to be offered the internship, and I am hoping to start mid-May. Whilst job hunting I sometimes felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall, but this just goes to show that perseverance does pay off. All you need is a little luck!
relationships
Ask Aunt Catrin Email your questions to: waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk Dear Aunt Catrin I’m thinking about moving in with my boyfriend when we finish uni in July, but I’m scared that it might make things between us difficult. Can you please give us some advice about whether I should do it or not? Meg Dear Meg, Although it is widely acknowledged that moving in together can sound the death knell for any young relationship, I am one of life’s great optimists. As far as I’m concerned, living together can be the start of an exciting journey. Okay, so some of the stops might be ‘arguing over the washing up’, ‘disagreeing over what to have for dinner’, and the great ‘trying not to kill each other over the dirty clothes on the floor’, but those are difficulties you may well face with any housemate. That said, this still requires careful consideration – yes, this lets you spend more time together and be more intimate as a whole, but you should really think about whether you’re ready for it. There’s a difference between spending all your spare time together and sharing a sock drawer. What if you break up? What if you just decide that all this isn’t working and you need to be apart for a while? These are issues that you need to approach before you move in together, if only to make sure he doesn’t make off with your best cutlery. Meg, if this is something that you really want to do and you think you’re ready then I say go for it. Some risks are just worth taking!
societies 26
relationships 25
careers 24
travel 23
film 21
games 20
music 18-19
front row 17
fashion 14-15
25
features 12-13
6 May 2013 waterfrontonline.co.uk
Blind Date When Ali met Harvey Ali Montgomery, 20, level 2 Ancient History student, and Harvey Jones, 19, level 2 Marine Biology student, meet in The Bryn-Y-Mor for The Waterfront blind date.
Ali on Harvey What were your first impressions? That’s the father of my future children! How did you feel about taking part in a blind date before and after? Before I was quite nervous, but after I felt satisfied in so many ways. Any striking conversation points? His Pokemon card collection and his love of Abba and ‘Lady Bey’. Did you wonder why he wasn’t in a relationship at any point? No... I knew why he wasn’t, because on some level I really think we were meant to meet. If you were to be married and have babies, what would you want your baby to inherit? His taste in Hawaiian shirts and monobrow. Any potential for a kiss? Been there, done that! Out of ten, what is your compatibility score with the other person? An average 5. Would you introduce him to your parents? If he would stop staring at my chest and mentally undressing me then yes, I’d be happy to! Would you like to meet again? We already have done, and there were fireworks! I would like to thank the Cupid of the Waterfront for putting me in touch with this guy!! How do you think the date went? It went really well - apart from his constant use of the phrase ‘YOLO’.
Harvey on Ali What were your first impressions? I thought she was all woman, just how I like them.
Dear Aunt Catrin,
How did you feel about taking part in a blind date before and after? Before I was nervous, but as soon as she was stroking my leg under the table I knew it was a good idea. Any striking conversation points? She talked about her boobs a lot. They were two very big topics of the evening.
I want to dump my boyfriend but I never seem to be able to get around to actually doing it. I’ve cheated on him before, but now I’ve decided it might be a good idea to wait until after the exam period to officially end it. What should I do? Tina Dear Tina, I feel that I need to question your thought processes. If you are really this unattached to your boyfriend – which is illustrated by your not staying faithful to him – then I wonder why you suddenly want to be the better person by wanting to wait until after his exams to end the relationship; it’s a little Jekyll and Hyde of you. Waiting until after the exam period might be the nicer thing to do in the long run, but you’re just prolonging a bad situation. Think of it from his perspective – if he finds out that you waited longer than strictly necessary to do this, you may be planting the seed of doubt into his mind and making him wonder how long you’d wanted to do it for. I don’t want to be rude, but make up for your past mistakes by being the better, more honest person now. Get it over and done with – you’ll both be better off for it. (Aunt Catrin is unqualified to give real advice and so all responses are intended to be more amusing than serious. The Waterfront recognises that occasionally she can’t even manage that, so please take all letters with a pinch of salt and refer to proper, grown-up professionals for real advice.)
Did you wonder why she wasn’t in a relationship at any point? Yeah. She was really nice and flirty. I think it may be because she isn’t a woman that can be satisfied by only one man. If you were to be married and have babies, what would you want your baby to inherit? Her cracking pair of personalities. Any potential for a kiss? She did work hard for it. Out of ten, what is your compatibility score with the other person? A solid 4. Would you introduce her to your parents? If we could keep out of the bedroom for that long! Would you like to meet again? Fate will bring us together eventually. How do you think the date went? I was fantastic! She was okay too. •If you are interested in featuring in the blind date, email your name, age, course and level to waterfrontrelationships@swansea-union.co.uk.
26 Enhance your student experience - with alex ward
societies
Scouting Society offers overseas opportunities T
HE SUGS is Swansea University’s branch for anybody interested in the Scouts or Guides movement, writes Edwin Rose. Unlike many of the other societies that Swansea has to offer, SUGS likes to do activities that are further away from the beaten track. As well as going to the pub, SUGS provide pastimes such as backwoods cooking, which involves cooking food over open fires, and swimming at LC2. Weekly meetings give members the chance to interact with people that they might not necessarily meet, whilst the society tries to organise at least one camping trip each term. National camps such as the 2013 Manchester Rally provide the chance to meet people on a national and international level. SUGS provides valuable volunteering opportunities with Scout and Guide groups in the local community - this is a great chance to get involved as a Scouting leader, it can also lead to gaining qualifications in first aid and mountaineering.
Those that do participate will benefit from a sense of helping others - many parents view the Scouting movement as integral to their child’s social development.
With opportunities to work abroad and attend the international Scout centre in Switzerland, SUGS offers a wealth of opportunities to its members. sugs@swansea-union.co.uk
Update: Pagan Society THIS has been the second year of the current Pagan Society and the committee feel that this year they have achieved a lot. At the beginning of the year they greeted new members at their first Freshers’ stall and introduced them to the highlights of Paganism in Britain with a trip to Witchfest International, in London.
This term they have taken part in the Interfaith Fayre on campus, joining in the celebration of tolerance and understanding. This was followed by their own festival that weekend, called Wyrdfest Wales, where they enjoyed reputable Pagan speakers, belly dancers and fantastic shopping stalls. To end a great year their summer
weekend away will take place on the 27th-28th April, visiting Glastonbury and Avebury, a trip that promises to be the highlight of our society’s activities so far. The committee would like to thank members of the local Pagan community for everything they have done for the society this year, as well as all active members and committee.
Join our trip to Oakwood Park
Potter heaven
THE Geography Society is organising one last hurrah for society members and non-members alike. The trip to Oakwood Park is a brilliant way to start celebrating the summer, the end of exams, or even the end of an era at Swansea University, students are encouraged to join in the fun. Taking place on Wednesday 5 June, tickets cost £20 (£22 for non-members) and include the coach ride to and from the park as well as discounted entry when you get there. The bus will leave at 8am from Fulton House, so be prepared for a long, but fun filled day.
THE Hogwarts Society is organising a trip to the “hallowed” grounds of Watford, otherwise known as the pilgrimage site for all Potter fans - the Warner Bros Studios. Comprising of two sound stages, and full to the sky-reflecting rafters with film props and development material, it is an essential part of any prospective wizard’s education. The society is visiting on 1 June, with ticket deposits costing £20 (the total amount will be £40 - at time of going to press). hogwarts@swansea-union.co.uk
Media Awards 2013:Thewinners Outstanding Contribution: Samantha Booth. Best all-round Journalist: Craig Hadley. Best editorial executive: Gemma Parry. Innovation and Enterprise: Jon May. Investigative Journalism: Chris Flynn. Columnist of the Year: Catrin Lewis Best Section Editor: Alex Gibbs. Best Layout (features): Fran Lloyd and Cat Harris. Most Improved Writer (features): Rachael Wines. Most promising newcomer (features): Saul Masters. Best News Writer: Laura Fiteni. Best News Story: Chris Flynn. Best News Photo: Craig Hadley. Sport Writers’ Writer of the Year: Jodie O’Donnell. Sport Editors’ Writer of the Year: Max Stevens. Sports Interview of the Year: Craig Hadley. Sports Photo of the Year: Miriamadi Manning. Match Report of the Year: Jodie O’Donnell. Sports Article of the Year Award: Craig Hadley. •Xtreme Radio and SU-TV award results on page 2.
60 seconds with: Zahid Raja - SU president-elect What societies were you a part of? ZR: “Unicef, Debating, Amnesty and Conservative Future.” What’s your favorite student night? ZR: “Sin Savers” What course were you on? ZR: Medical Sciences and Humanities.” If you were soup, what would you be? ZR: “Carrot and Coriander - I’m tasty and pack a punch.” What’s your favorite Swansea haunt? ZR: “Sin City.” Who is your idol? ZR: “Consuela from Family Guy when life gives you lemons, make Pledge.” What do you like to do in your spare time? ZR: “I don’t have any at the moment I do so much!” What is your favorite song at the moment? ZR: “Slow Show by The National.” What is your favorite film? ZR: “Iris.” Who is your favorite superhero? ZR: “Voldemort.”
thewaterfront 06.05.13
28 I VARSITY
2013
VARSITY SHIELD RECAP
2013
10.00 - It begins... [SWA 0 - 2 CAR] SWANSEA began the day 2-0 down in the Welsh Varsity shield following defeats over the weekend in the rowing and cricket. 12.44 - Cardiff net early point... [SWA 0 - 3 CAR] IN one of the tightest varsity matches in recent years Cardiff edge Swansea out in the netball 34-27. 12.50 - Despair at the dojo... [SWA 0 - 4 CAR] The taekwondo squad are consigned to defeat after Cardiff notch up an unassailable lead of 15 points. 12.53 - Ducklings caught out... [SWA 0 - 5 CAR] SWANSEA’S ultimate frisbee team are left to contemplate what went wrong following a 15-6 defeat. 13.48 - One comeback too many... [SWA0-6CAR] MEN’S football come from behind twice before Cardiff’s Nick Feely scores the winner with 10 minutes left. 13.55 - Swansea off the mark... [SWA 1 - 7 CAR] WOMEN’s badminton secure a 5-3 victory to give Swansea their first point in this year’s Welsh Varsity Shield competition. But sadly the men’s team are defeated 7-1. 14.13 - Blown off course... [SWA 1 - 8 CAR] THE sailing club were dealt their first varsity defeat in four years, losing 6-3 in Cardiff Bay. 15.00 - Cardiff onslaught... [SWA 1 - 11 CAR] SWANSEA suffered further defeats in women’s lacrosse, intramural football and women’s basketball. 16.07 - Dark times... [SWA 1 - 16CAR] SWANSEA’S misery continued with five more defeats. Cardiff reigned supreme in women’s rugby, men’s volleyball, women’s squash and both tennis matches. 16.16 - Titans triumph... [SWA 2 - 16 CAR] SWANSEA Titans avenge their last varsity appearance with a confident 36-14 victory at Pontcanna. 16.45 - Flurry of activity... [SWA 4 - 19 CAR] SWANSEA celebrate a shock victory in women’s football as well as a win in freshers’ rugby but suffer defeats in women’s fencing, men’s basketball and men’s lacrosse. 17.36 - End of the road... [SWA 7 - 22 CAR] SWANSEA retain their varsity title in men’s fencing and seal a season treble in the women’s volleyball but suffer defeats in men’s squash and both hockey matches. Golf also won. FINAL RESULT:
SWANSEA 7 - 22 CARDIFF
Rowing club suffer whitewash at the 8th annual Welsh Varsity Boat Race THE Swansea University Rowing Club had a day to forget as they suffered a 4-0 whitewash at the 8th annual Welsh Varsity Boat Race. Cardiff University’s rowing club captain Amy-Louise Hill lifted the trophy following the four hotly contested races on the River Taff. The day began with the women’s novice crews taking to the river. Kirstin Rodgers’ crew had it all to do given their record of four defeats in four races. Cardiff led by three lengths as the boats headed towards the final bridge turn, but Swansea quickly responded with the finish in sight. They closed the gap to just over a length as they emerged from under the bridge, but faded in the final 250m to lose by three lengths. Novice captain Rodgers praised her crew’s dedication following one of their best performances in boat race
by Craig Hadley waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
history: “The crew have shown a great commitment going into the race,” she said. “It’s probably one of the closest races we’ve seen at this level before. “I’m really, really proud of the team; they kept it tight all the way round.” Swansea’s novice crew took to the water next with Cardiff going into the race as favourites. The two university crews last competed against each other at the annual BUCS Head Race in February, where Cardiff finished eight places higher than Swansea. Cardiff never looked troubled as they emerged from under the bridge in front of the Swansea crew, finishing ahead by three and a half lengths. Captain Matt Meyer was pleased with how far the novice crew had improved since the head race despite
DRIVEN TO DESPAIR: The men’s senior crew (above) following this year’s defeat.
ROWING Swansea 0 - 4 Cardiff
BRIGHT FUTURE: The women’s novice crew (above) matched Cardiff for most of the way. the varsity defeat. “I’m really proud of the boys; unfortunately Cardiff’s class showed in the final 500m,” he said. “We’ve made up a lot of ground on the Cardiff crew since the BUCS race so I’m pleased with the effort today.” The third contest of the day was the women’s senior race. Former Cardiff University rowing captain and current Cardiff AU President Cari Davies returned to the water in the third seat. Cardiff rowed to victory by a narrow two length margin but the race was overshadowed by Davies needing
medical attention as the Cardiff crew crossed the line. She was helped from the boat and attended to by the on-duty medical team and was given the all-clear later on. The men’s senior race concluded the day’s action, with three of Swansea’s 2012 novice winning crew in action. Despite the inclusion of Sam Cunningham, Matt Meyer and Ben Christophersen, Swansea were beaten. Cardiff led coming into the final straight and despite Swansea’s best efforts they could only finish two lengths behind.
Cricket club suffer loss in Usk despite half-century from opener Parkhouse SWANSEA University cricket club suffered defeat at the Welsh Varsity match despite a strong batting performance by opener Joe Parkhouse. The right-handed batsman hit 50 runs off 46 balls before his innings came to an end, caught by Savin Liyanagedera. Captain Joe Taylor won the toss and decided to bowl first, which meant Swansea would be forced to chase Cardiff’s total in the second half of the game. Taylor believes the team allowed the pressure of the chase to get to them and will be hoping to work on that in training ready for their first league game at home to Exeter. “I thought we bowled and fielded pretty well to be honest,” he said. “I just thought the pressure of chasing their total got to us a little bit. “We didn’t adapt ourselves to the situation but we can look to improve on that in training as we go into the league season.” Cardiff got off to a great start thanks to the batting partnership of captain Tom Williams and George Thurstance. They had amassed 63 runs off the first eight overs before Swansea had their first breakthrough, Williams
CRICKET 156/5 102
Cardiff Swansea
Cardiff win by 54 runs
SWANSEA LYNCHPIN: Joe Parkhouse (above) took the game to Cardiff, reaching his half-century, at the varsity match at Usk Cricket Club. of Tom Barry. Williams’ wicket. Tom Kear putting by Craig Hadley Barry followed it up with two in 20 before being caught LBW. waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk more wickets, with Swansea set a Alex Marsh and Parkhouse target of 157 to win. continued Kear’s work, combining clean bowled by Taylor. Swansea got off to a poor start; to bolster Swansea’s total. Swansea struck again soon after, But disaster as the partnership of new batsman Tom Hamilton edging Taylor edged and caught by wicketkeeper Godrich without scoring. Parkhouse and Marsh both are sent the ball into the grateful gloves of Glen Williams was next to go, to the pavilion in the 16th over. Tom Carpenter. having grown tired of the slow run The tail-enders soon followed, Thurstance was the next to go, rate he went for it and was caught with the remaining batsman only ending on 33 runs off 33 balls, by Nick Kent in the outfield. mustering 10 runs between them edged to Carpenter off the bowling Swansea forged ahead following as Swansea finished on 102 all out.
waterfrontonline.co.uk
VARSITY I 29
Late Marchant winner stuns Cardiff
Tough final game for relegated side by Alex Powell waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
KIRSTY LLOYD
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Swansea 29 - 80 Cardiff
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL Swansea 3 - 2 Cardiff MARVELLOUS MARCHANT: A dramatic late winner from varsity veteran Emily Marchant (right) scored the all important final goal in an intense 3-2 victory at Pontcanna. SWANSEA University Ladies Football team secured a sensational 3-2 victory over rivals Cardiff thanks to a late winner from veteran Emily Marchant at the Welsh Varsity game. Marchant who played in 2009, the last time Swansea had won the varsity match, was obviously delighted following the match. “To score the winner in the Welsh Varsity match has to be one of the best feelings of my life,” she said. “Scoring the first equaliser was amazing but I think at that moment we all could sense that this game
by Nick Griffiths waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
could be ours. “The great atmosphere helped as well, we had great support from our supporters and from those players in the club who didn’t get a chance to play themselves. “Just having them all there was fantastic and really lifted the spirits of the team as we went for the win.” Cardiff went ahead first through Hannah Mills’ cool finish from open play in the first minute and then Emily Dunne’s header from a corner.
However, they were pegged back twice, the second time through a wonderful lob from outside of the box by captain Ria Llewellyn. Emily Marchant was the scorer of Swansea’s other two goals, including the late winner. Her first came when she made a well-timed run behind the Cardiff defence before coolly slotting home. And she scored what proved to be the winner with a similar goal. Captain Llewellyn is set to leave the club this summer and praised the team’s efforts following her final
A below-par performance costs Harries’ select eleven the game
SOPHIE WIGGINS
DD MANNING
Close game ends in defeat for Sharma’s men
MEN’S BASKETBALL Swansea 50 - 57 Cardiff
BACK AND FORTH: Calum Sharma (left) and his side traded the lead with Cardiff on several occasions before the hosts took the win. A LATE Cardiff flourish consigned Swansea to the second varsity defeat in two years at the Welsh Institute of Sport. The men’s team pushed Cardiff all the way but the shooting prowess of Cons Ong proved too much for Swansea. Prior to the match there were concerns over the fitness of Swansea’s captain Calum Sharma. Having been cleared to play he put in an impressive performance as he commanded his team throughout. Cardiff began well and led the
by Alex Powell waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
match at the end of the first quarter. Swansea came out for the second raring to go and managed to take the lead by the end of the second quarter. Thanks to the efforts of Swansea’s Tomasz Mrozowski, Nate Osoria and Ajay Ajing, they were back in it and led after two quarters by four points. Swansea’s Henry Sondo, Jordan Blake, Adam Kennedy and Marc Robson all put in strong
match for the club. “The result just shows the true grit and determination which every single player was willing to give,” she said. “I’m proud of the effort that was given by the players, it made it an enjoyable game for us all. “This win is the result of all the hard work the club have put in throughout the year. “It’s been an amazing three years for me to be a part of this club. “And to go out as a winning captain is the best feeling ever.’’ Swansea lost 7-2 in 2012.
FOLLOWING early Cardiff dominance, Vanessa Talbutt’s Swansea side were unable to keep up as Cardiff won by over 50 points. Their varsity defeat follows a difficult league season that ended in relegation to the third tier of the BUCS basketball competition. Captain Talbutt admitted Cardiff were a “very strong team” to come up against but praised her team’s efforts despite the defeat. “The team worked extremely hard throughout the match,” she said. “We kept going till the end, working to stay tall and restrict their shots,” she said. “But they are a very strong team to play.” After a slow start and missed opportunities, Swansea fought back in the final two quarters. The combination of players such as Raquel Martin, Paula Martinez and Brenna Newell allowed Swansea a way back into the game. But despite Swansea’s best efforts, Cardiff maintained their dominance throughout the final minutes thanks to key players such as Marina Kolb, Regina Lanot-Manuel and Kate Gale. Swansea will now have the summer to rebuild in preparation for the new season.
performances in the second half, but Cardiff’s Cons Ong, Hal Oreck and George Margaritopolous challenged the team’s defence. With six minutes to go the teams were neck in neck. Sharma continued to score points under pressure for Swansea, but Cardiff’s star player Ong proved the difference between the sides. Cardiff’s captain Mike O’Keefe was impressed by the Swansea side following the match. He said: “Swansea are such a great team. “They gave us a hard fight today.”
INTRAMURAL Swansea 0 - 2 Cardiff INTRAMURAL: Cardiff’s league winners were too strong for Swansea’s select side. GOALS from Andy Jenkins and Josh Walker secured a rare victory for the Cardiff University Intramural Football side at the annual Welsh Varsity match. Swansea manager Owain Harries was disappointed after the defeat. “It was a very tough game, we had a few chances in the first twenty minutes, and if we’d capitalised it would have been a completely different game.’’ This game was Harries’ last involvement with intramural football as he leaves Swansea in the summer. “A lot of the boys will be in their final year so will be leaving and trials will be taking place again so who knows
by Nick Griffiths waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
what talent could be unearthed. “Dan Newberry will be in charge of the league and it will be interesting to see what he does for the team.’’ The game was clearly one that neither side wanted to lose, and so was quiet and nervy for long spells. Changes were made at half-time, and Harries was pleased with the substitutes’ impact. “Heads dropped slightly in the second half but the subs got stuck in.” However, Cardiff were confident enough to see out their victory.
thewaterfront 06.05.13
Tempers flare as Moralee’s men falter
SQUASH Swansea 1 - 4 Cardiff SEETHING SCOTSMAN: Dan MacEwen (left) staring down Cardiff’s Adam Doran. TEMPERS threatened to boil over in the men’s squash competition when Cardiff’s second seed Adam Doran angrily confronted Swansea’s Dan MacEwen during the fourth match of five. MacEwen led two games to one when the incident occurred, which appeared to throw him off his game for the remainder of the fourth. Doran went on to seal victory, three games to two. Men’s captain Russ Moralee played down the whole affair following the varsity event. “There wasn’t much in it to be honest,” said Moralee. “When you’ve been on court for so long already and with the pressure of the crowd on your back; things like that can happen. “It’s nothing to worry about; tempers just got a little bit flared.” With their promotion in BUCS on the line, this year’s varsity match was set to be more important than ever for both sides. In the opening game of the day, Swansea’s Jon Griffiths took on Jason Matthews. The occasion threatened to get the best of the hard-hitting right hander who lost the opening game 11-1. Griffiths returned for the second more composed and narrowly lost the second 11-9. Matthews secured the first match
by Craig Hadley waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
point for Cardiff in the third game. Next on court was Swansea captain Moralee, who faced Rees Herrod. After being narrowly defeated in the opening game, Moralee turned it on the second to lead 10-8. But despite some dramatic rallies went on to lose the game 13-11. Herrod also won the third. Club captain Brad Pletts was next on, facing Cardiff’s Charles Mamet. Pletts fought bravely but could do nothing to stop the Cardiff onslaught, with Mamet securing a straight games victory. The final match of the day saw Swansea veteran Phil Regan take on Elliot Brookes-Parry. Cardiff’s number one seed took the opening game before the Swansea crowd inspired a comeback. Regan came back to win the next three games (13-11, 11-8, 117) to secure a consolation point for Swansea. Defeat meant Swansea would remain in the third tier of the BUCS competition for next season. Moralee added: “I’m absolutely gutted that we lost. The score-line certainly doesn’t reflect the way our guys performed today.”
Titans avenge their last varsity defeat with impressive victory over the Cobras SWANSEA Titans finished their season on a high with a comprehensive victory over the Cardiff Cobras at varsity. The win shows just how far the Titans have come in recent years, avenging their last varsity defeat which saw them lose 57-0 at Sketty Lane in 2010. It was a scrappy start to the game for both sides, with the offensive units under pressure to punt the ball clear on their first drive attempts. Swansea’s running game appeared to be building momentum yet it was quarterback Simon George and wide-receiver Wyatt who combined to score the first points of the game. Soon enough Swansea scored again as Ollie Runswick punched the ball into the end-zone to stretch the lead to two scores. Cardiff answered immediately. Their pass first approach began to pay off with a couple of big gains and a successful aerial touchdown. The Cobras added another soon after following a 67-yard breakaway to give Cardiff a narrow 16-14 lead. Their lead did not last for long as Wyatt found the gap and sprinted away to score his second touchdown of the day and Swansea the lead at the break. The second half began with Swansea pushing for another but
AMERICAN FOOTBALL Swansea 36 - 14 Cardiff
TITANIC DISPLAY: Swansea Titans ran away with the game in the second half. and faced a very solid Swansea by Simon George defence led by captain Steve waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk Donaldson-Ellison. With no way through Swansea found a resolute Cardiff defensive continued to pile the pressure on, line ahead of them. But Swansea found a way missing two potential touchdowns through thanks to the combination due to two late fumbles. The final score of the game came of George and Wyatt once again to give their side a 30-14 lead, which from the two danger men, George included a two point conversion and Wyatt, and confirmed the shift in power between the sides from from full-back Josh Hughes. Cardiff were running out of time South Wales.
Fencing Club look forward after men’s second varsity win in two years
League champions cut down by Cardiff
MEN’S BADMINTON Swansea 1 - 7 Cardiff CAPTAIN Sam Gorell’s men were cast aside at by Cardiff at the Welsh Varsity competition losing 7-1 at the Welsh Institute of Sport. The Western 2B champions were no match for the higher-ranked Cardiff side. Swansea’s solitary point of the day came in the doubles. The partnership of Victor Pang and Jeongyih Ho were a force to behold as they took on Cardiff pairing Darren Wong and Oliver Digby. Pang and Ho refused to allow their opponents any respite as they
MEN’S FENCING
by Jodie O’Donnell waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
marshalled their side of the court. While the day was relatively tough going for the Swansea side, captain Gorell looked a threat throughout. Gorell put up a constant battle against Cardiff’s finest Dominic Brown but in the end was edged out in a tight contest. Also competing for Swansea were: Barry Garnham, Sam Crossley, and Chris McMullan.
DD MANNING
30 I VARSITY
Swansea 128 - 111 Cardiff
RAPIER REWARDED: Men’s captain Richard Rapier (above) again led the club to victory. SWANSEA University male fencers secured an superb win for the second year running at varsity. The team produced an accomplished display as they beat Cardiff by 128 points to 111. And Club President Madelaine Swift was delighted with theirperformance. “The Men’s team competed
by Joseph Mountford waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
superbly for their win. As we fence three weapons (foil, epee and sabre) they needed a great amount of versatility for the different skills needed in each weapon. “In foil the men bagged a 14-point
lead, in sabre a 15-point lead and that just left epee to get over 20 points, which was achieved in fantastic style!” It was a less successful day for Swansea’s women fencers, but their captain Ruth Bowley was pleased with the side’s efforts. “The women’s team did really well considering the Cardiff women are in the league above us. “The final score was 135:65 to Cardiff but we fenced out of our skins to get the points we did. We’re really pleased with the results! “I’d like to thank the crowd who came to watch us, it was much bigger than last year and really helped to push on our performance.” Both Swift and Bowley are now looking forward to what next year has to offer for the club. “Unfortunately a lot of the fencers in varsity were in their last year,” Swift explained. “So we really need those supporters to come and actually have a go! Their first session is free so they have no excuse not to.” “We’re also looking forward to building stronger links with the Cardiff team,” said Bowley. “We’re planning some events with them so there’s lots to look forward to in the future!”
waterfrontonline.co.uk
VARSITY I 31
Defeat for Parsons’ side
Palmer leads women’s side to Welsh Varsity success in Cardiff
KATE SHERWOOD
SOPHIE WIGGINS
WOMEN’S BADMINTON Swansea 5 - 3 Cardiff
MEN’S FOOTBALL Swansea 2 - 3 Cardiff
KATE SHERWOOD
GOAL-MOUTH SCRAMBLE: Cardiff going to extreme measures to keep out Swansea as they press for a goal with the keeper left stranded. well, earning themselves a penalty. SWANSEA University Men’s by Max Stevens Jack McKenna coolly dispatched the Football Club twice came from waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk penalty to equalise. behind but a second-half winner Swansea continued to pile the from Nick Feely meant Cardiff came line forced an early mistake from the pressure onto the side from the capital away with the win. Swansea defence. Swansea coach Nick Bowen The mistake allowed Sam Trueman but could not find a way through. Unfortunately for Swansea, an admitted he was frustrated by his to find space and slot the ball into an incisive breakaway for Cardiff allowed side’s sluggish start to the match. empty net. “We were taking longer to get into The goal seemed to galvanise the Feely to score his second of the game the game than we should have today,” Swansea side and after they had half- in what was Cardiff’s only real attack of he said. hearted penalty appeals turned down, the second half. Swansea again responded well and “Despite our slow first half Matthew Barnard poked home to level continued to mount pressure on the performance, I thought we completely the score. dominated the second half. The celebrations were cut short Cardiff goal. But time was not on their side as “I know the boys will learn from this when Cardiff’s Nick Feely found himself experience and we will look to bounce in free inside the box to give Cardiff the the referee blew for full time and gave Cardiff their second varsity win in two lead once again via the crossbar. back from the result next season.” Swansea started the second half years. Cardiff’s tactic of playing a high-
Freshers’ run continues
MEN’S RUGBY UNION Swansea 19 - 10 Cardiff
FRESHERS LEGACY CONTINUES: The team are still unbeaten in Welsh Varsity games. SWANSEA University Freshers by Tom Nightingale extended their unbeaten record waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk with a fully-deserved 19-10 win expectations taking all the chances over Cardiff Freshers. Swansea Freshers had the superior they were given.” The first half opened tentatively, history in the fixture, and the side were confident going into the game. with no clear cut opportunities and And coach Oliver Tarbard was lots of penalties being conceded pleased with how his side lived up to by both sides in the middle of the pitch, and it was penalties that would their expectations of the game. “I was confident beforehand dictate the first half. First, after nine minutes, Swansea because the freshers have never lost were awarded a penalty in a close, a varsity match,” he explained. “However, we knew that there was central position, and Liam Crandon a lot of pressure on the boys. But they put Swansea 3-0 ahead. This lead lasted only three minutes, took this in their stride and lived up to
however, as a Cardiff penalty levelled the score. But Swansea retook the lead through a fine effort from distance from Crandon, and went into half time 6-3 ahead. Just two minutes into the second half, a magnificent counter-attack down the left gave Swansea men to spare and David Young went over for the first try of the game. And seven minutes later, after great pressure in Cardiff territory, Swansea scored again when Oliver Young was able to find a gap in the defence to extend Swansea’s lead to 16-3. With a little over 20 minutes to go Cardiff found themselves with men over to score a try of their own, which they converted to bring themselves back into the game at 16-10. But the difference in class between the teams was evident, and the only further addition to the scoreline was through Crandon, who had missed both conversions but was successful with another penalty. Tarbard was delighted with the quality of his side’s performance. “The score was close at half-time but I said in the team talk to keep the pressure up and the aggression high. “I knew we needed to keep our discipline as Cardiff were only entering our half when we conceded penalties. I was confident that we would run riot in the second half. “The boys did the university’s rugby club proud and I think it took a few hours until the boys finally realised what they had achieved.”
SWANSEA SMASHED IT: All six members of this year’s Welsh Varsity winning team. CAPTAIN Alice Palmer’s women’s side avenged last year’s varsity defeat with a 5-3 victory over Cardiff. Swansea narrowly lost 5-3 last year at the Welsh Institute of Sport and returned this year looking for revenge. The higher ranked Cardiff went into the contest as favourites, currently playing in the top tier of the BUCS badminton competition. But a resolute Swansea side left victorious thanks to a majority of the previous varsity squad returning to action once again this year. Swansea captain Palmer faced off against Cardiff’s number one seed Ursula Szegner in the opening match. Varsity veteran Palmer maintained
by Jodie O’Donnell waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
her confidence throughout the match despite a determined performance from Szegner. As her opponent tired Palmer seized her opportunity and secured the point for her side with a win. Doubles pair Izzy O’Hagan and Rebeca Thomas were also supremely successful, winning both of their doubles matches against both the first and second seeds. O’Hagan and Thomas moved swiftly and tactically throughout to secures the points. Also competing at this year’s varsity fixture for women’s badminton were: Penny Scott, Sophie Ttophi and Pippa Rogers.
Venables vows to return next year stronger following defeat
WOMEN’S SQUASH Swansea 0 - 4 Cardiff LETHAL LICI: Captain Alicia Venables produced some impressive shots throughout. AFTER victory at last year’s varsity by Craig Hadley match, women’s squash failed to waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk emulate their success this time around. Robbins won the following two Captain Alicia Venables believes games to seal the first win. the team have learnt a lot from Third seed Mason took on Georgie the experience and will be back Durell in the following match. stronger next year. Despite a determined “We lost but I could see how performance from Mason, Durell much the team have improved,” she raced away and secured another said. win for Cardiff. “I’m hoping we can build on this Number two seed Lily Lai took on season as we prepare for the next Cardiff’s Jolanta Migdalska. one. Lai produced some strong boast “I know Cassie [Mason] and myself shots but was frequently made to are definitely around next year, so chase around court by Migdalska. we should remain positive ahead of Migdalska finished on top, next year.” winning the match 3-1. The opening match saw varsity Captain Venables was last on debutant Emma Pursey take on court as she took on Ursula Szegner. Cardiff’s Amy Robbins. The match was a tight one with Pursey got off to a great start both players playing some high leading 3-1 after four points before octane squash. Robbins turned it on to win it 11-7. Szegner went on to win 3-1.
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Issue 228
May 6, 2013
SWANSEA RECLAIM THE VARSITY CUP AFTER EPIC AT THE MILLENNIUM
Inside This Issue Football
Captain Ria’s underdogs cause upset at Pontcanna
p29 Badminton
KATE SHERWOOD
Palmer’s squad turn the tables on Premiership side Cardiff
MEN’S RUGBY UNION Swansea 21 - 13 Cardiff Attendance: 14,103
SHEER JOY FOR VAUGHAN: Swansea captain Jonathon Vaughan (right) gets his hands of the Welsh Varsity cup following a superb second-half performance by his side. A TREMENDOUS second-half fightback from Swansea University sealed a 21-13 win over Cardiff University in the Welsh Varsity match at the Millennium Stadium. Cardiff had led 10-0 at the break before Swansea turned the tide on the side from the capital. Swansea’s win over Cardiff is their first in any competition since their last Welsh Varsity victory back in 2011. “Tonight’s win is something I want to hold on to and cherish,” said Swansea’s captain Jon Vaughan. “It’s one of those things that probably won’t ever happen again. “To play in front of 14,000 people in your national stadium and win, it’s a
by Craig Hadley waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
fantastic feeling.” Cardiff opened the scoring after 14 minutes; Charlie Simpson slotting home a penalty. Swansea’s problems mounted mid-way through the first half when Reuben Tucker was sent to the sin-bin for illegal use of the boot in the ruck. The damage was almost instantaneous; following a brutal rolling maul, Cardiff’s Arthur Ellis was able to dab it down for the first try of the game. Simpson followed it up with the conversion to make it 10-0.
Perfect debut season for Foxley’s girls WOMEN’S volleyball secured a 3-0 victory at the Welsh Varsity to secure an incredible treble in their debut season. Their victory over Cardiff in April followed an impressive league and cup double. Volleyball club president Ilya Burkov was positive ahead of varsity that the ladies side had what it took to secure the treble and he was proved right. Swansea got off to a great start winning the opening set 25-18. Their impressive form continued into the second as Cardiff looked a
little wary of the Swansea team. Cardiff were powerless to stop the Swansea onslaught as the team from the capital were cast aside 25-9 in the final set.
DEVASTATING DEBUTANTES: The team at varsity.
Swansea were forced to weather the storm but hung on to go into the break without conceding further. The Swansea side emerged for the second half with added vigour. A minute into the second half Cardiff were caught too central which allowed Sam Soul to find space down the right to score. Fly-half Ianto Griffiths failed to convert the kick. Swansea conceded another penalty soon after, Simpson finding the mark to make it 13-5. Cardiff needlessly gave away a penalty one minute after the restart. Max Woodward penalised for not rolling away.
Griffiths proceeded to score a fantastic kick from half-way much to the delight of the Swansea faithful. It was Cardiff’s turn to go down to 14 men when prop James Pearce was sent to the bin for repeated offences. They would pay the price minutes later, when winger Andrew Claypole outpaced the Cardiff defence, before a clever grubber kick from Dion Jones allowed replacement Connor Lloyd to score on his varsity debut. Griffiths with the conversion. Cardiff continued to look dangerous as the clock ticked down but thanks to two more penalties from Griffiths, Swansea were able to hold on for the win.
Gordon’s golfers storm to victory at the Vale of Glamorgan
PINPOINT PRECISION: Swansea University’s golf team at the Vale of Glamorgan during varsity.
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Swansea Titans dominate Cobras in Welsh Varsity clash
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