thewaterfront the official student newspaper of swansea university
Free Issue 232 4 November 2013 waterfrontonline.co.uk
INSIDE NEWS
STAFF AND STUDENT UNIONS ARE UNITED by Josh Lovell
waterfrontci@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University workers are claiming a major success in their one-day strike over pay last Thursday. Pickets were manned by both staff and students as three unions, Unison, UCU and Unite, mounted the stoppage in protest over a 1% pay offer. Lectures were cancelled, the refectory closed, car parks virtually empty and the campus all but deserted as students stayed away. The library also closed early. “We are striking because our employers have only offered us 1% as a pay increase and that’s on top of a 13% cut in pay in real terms over the past four years,” said Simon Hoffman, branch president of UCU. “The last time staff had a decent pay rise was the end of 2009,” added Stephen M Storey, branch secretary of Unison. Strikers also pointed to the fact that staff were being offered 1% when
Swansea University Vice Chancellor Richard B. Davies last year accepted a 20% pay rise – the biggest rise of any vice chancellor in Wales - taking his salary to £222,000. Adrian Jenkins, branch secretary of Unite, said: “We are just looking for fair pay. Universities are not short of money. Senior staff like the vice chancellor are getting big pay rises yet we still have many staff like cleaners and porters earning less than the living wage.” UCU, Unison and Unite are campaigning for all universities to pay a living wage to their workers. “The employers’ representatives are relying on the fact that people are desperate to keep their jobs in a time of recession. They are saying that 1% is all they can afford but that’s nonsense. Most universities have cash reserves and there is a £1billion surplus in the higher education sector,” said Howard Moss, branch treasurer of UCU. The National Union of Students (NUS) supports the three staff unions in believing that university staff should be properly supported.
Part-time and full-time officers from Swansea University’s student union were on the picket lines. The officers and volunteers helped out by making hot drinks for striking staff to keep their spirits high. Christopher Whitty, ethics officer for the students’ union, said: “It was a decision taken by the executive board to fully support the strike. “Staff are key to running the university, and if they feel like they are being treated unfairly, it will reflect in the student experience. “The best lecturers are turning away from Wales due to low pay opportunities. These lecturers are heading elsewhere, such as universities in America where they would be paid a better wage.” Not all students were in favour of the strike. James Taylor, a business student, said: “I have paid a substantial amount of money to come to university and because of their actions I am not getting what I have paid for. If uni was free then I would have no basis for complaint but all students pay substantial fees to attend and they are
not getting the service paid for.” Simon Hoffman, branch president of UCU, said: “We appreciate that taking this action causes disruption to students but we hope they understand the reason we are taking action. We have received messages of support from both the NUS and SUSU.” Staff union members will continue their industrial action. Simon Hoffman said: “We hope the strike will have the effect of bringing the employers back to the negotiating table. The industrial action does not end here – universities rely on goodwill from staff to keep the university going but from tomorrow we will be working to contract.” The one-day strike was the first national industrial action since 2006 and the first time that all three unions have gone on strike together. A Swansea University spokesperson said: “The strike is part of a national pay dispute. Locally, the university has good relations with its recognised trade unions. The university has endeavoured to ensure that, as far as possible, disruption to students is kept to a minimum.”
Poppy appeal page 7 FEATURES
Meet Katie Price page 13
SPORT
Women’s hockey success
pagepage 29 29
02 I NEWS
thewaterfront 4.11. 13
thewaterfront Third floor, Students’Union Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP (01792) 295 988 web: waterfrontonline.co.uk twitter: @waterfront facebook: The Waterfront Swansea
Library fines policy to be investigated by the OFT by Alicia Nugent
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Editor Kay Byrne editor@swansea-union.co.uk News
Gemma Parry waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk Crime & Investigations
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Samantha Booth waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk Sport
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SWANSEA University’s policy of not allowing students to graduate unless they pay their library fines is being investigated by the Office of Fair Trading. Swansea is one of a number of UK universities identified by the OFT as not allowing students to receive their qualifications until outstanding debt has been paid. An investigation is currently underway, which aims to discover whether any of the 115 universities analysed breach legislations by putting these restrictions on students. A statement from the OFT read: “It is [the investigation] considering whether such contract terms and/or practices breach the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 2008 and certain other consumer protection legislation.”
It also added however that it “will not reach a final view on whether the law may have been infringed until it has completed its investigation.” Last year Swansea University collected £71,409 through fines for overdue items and a further £10,161 was received through items which were lost, stolen or damaged. The largest fine collected was £70 and 1,119 items were loaned and not returned, an increase on previous years. The money received from the fines is used to benefit students through things such as enabling library service desks to open longer hours than they would otherwise. A university spokesperson said:“Students are required to settle all outstanding debts to the University before graduating. However, no student in recent times has been prevented from graduating because of library fines. “The purpose of fines is to ensure the fair availability of stock to all users of the Library and the fines have not been increased for over five years. Money collected from fines
supports front-line services to students.” The OFT plan to release the findings of their investigation before the end of this year.
Oktoberfest hits campus
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A SWANSEA man was arrested in Singleton Park whilst he was performing ‘ninja training’. Musahid Islam, aged 19, of Mansel Street, Swansea, was discovered by a council worker scaling the burnt-out Swiss Cottage. He was dressed entirely in black, with a bandana and scarf. He also had a set of homemade nunchucks, which he had fashioned from a chest expander device. However police arrested Mr Islam when it was discovered that he had a Stanley knife in his bag. When questioned by officers he said that he was simply completing his ninja training for the day. Mr Islam claimed that the knife was for his own protection as he claimed that he had previously suffered racial abuse due to his Bengali heritage. He stood trial at Swansea Magistrates’ Court where he was charged with possession of a bladed article; though he claimed it was for defence he accepted that there was no current threat to him at the time. For this charge he was sentenced to 8 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. Mark Davies, defending Mr Islam said that although his client’s training was “a little strange”, it was nonetheless perfectly legal.
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Holly Miller
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Relationships
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New facilities for school of management
Saul Masters
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‘Ninja’ arrest in Singleton
OKTOBERFEST: The Bavarian festival was organised by the German Society and celebrated on campus in the Students’ Union bar. by Jon May
front@swansea-union.co.uk BAVARIAN festival Oktoberfest came to JC’s bar last weekend in a great success for the German Society. The festival was celebrated by some students wearing the traditional Dirndl skirt (women) and Lederhosen (men) and plenty of typical German
beers being served. Bratwurst and other German delicacies took over the regular JC’s food menu and, after quite a few beers, karaoke singers serenaded patrons with windowshattering chords. German society president Courtney Vasile said: “I think that Oktoberfest couldn’t have gone better! We spent a lot of time organizing it, and seeing all these people come out and enjoy
themselves was probably the most rewarding part of the day. All that hard work really paid off.” JC’s bar manager Nathan Welsh said: “I thought the German Society did a cracking job. It was great to see a student-organised event do so well. I hope it becomes an annual thing as the atmosphere was fantastic and livened up campus on an otherwise wet weekend.”
A NEW suite has been created in the business department for entrepreneurial students who want to start their own businesses. The Enterprise Suite is part of a 250k redevelopment package for the School of Management. The suite will provide a home to the entrepreneurial students who are looking for help to set up their own businesses while on campus. Facilities include; hot desks, lockable mail boxes so students can setup a registered trading address, lockers for storage of materials and data, a production area, a rapid prototyping and new product development capability, with a new 3-D printer and printer/copying facilities Pro VC Professor Hilary Lappin Scott said: “I am incredibly pleased to support and invest in this new facility. This suite will provide our students with some of the best facilities for business start up and development of any UK University, showing once again Swansea University leading the way for higher education.”
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NEWS I 03
SU ‘burying heads in the sand’ over pole fitness campaign by Alex Hughes
waterfrontci@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA Students’ Pole Fitness Society has launched an online petition as part of their campaign to reverse the board of trustees’ decision to ban them. Treasurer Heidi Muir said: “The campaign has become a lot bigger than just being about our society and I think this is because the union has been refusing to make any response.” President Beth Morris said the students’ union were: “burying their heads in the sand” over the issue. “We expected them to have replied a lot sooner.” In response, the committee have started an online petition on change.org to send a letter to the students’ union asking for reinstatement of the society. As The Waterfront went to press more than 550 people had signed it. It’s also been revealed that a briefing document from the National Union of Students (that
A member of Pole Fitness Society practising her sport.
was retracted earlier this year) showed ways students’ unions could “win the arguments on why students’ unions shouldn’t support pole fitness societies”. The arguments used in the briefing were similar to those in the letter sent to the Swansea Pole Fitness society earlier this month. Miss Muir described the briefing as “strange” since “the person who was involved in writing the article was from Sheffield University, which actually has a Pole Fitness Society currently”. An NUS spokesperson said: “A briefing written nearly two years ago on pole fitness societies was taken down from the NUS website because in hindsight it was produced without any solid evidence to back up what it was outlining.” Since the briefing was revoked the NUS now has “no stance” on pole fitness. A spokesperson for Swansea University Students’ Union said: “The briefing in question is no longer considered to be an official NUS document and was not consulted before the board’s decision was made.” The Pole Dance Community (PDC), which represents more than 300 instructors, wrote in a statement this week: “In the absence of any reply from the SUSU trustee board we are prepared for both legal and constitutional recourse.” The SUSU spokesperson said: “The union are aware of the contents of the letter written by the PDC and are looking to discuss this and a number of other issues at our next student forum.” •The next student forum will be at 6pm on Thursday, 7 Nov in Fulton House refectory.
William lands dream job at Swans by a Waterfront Reporter
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA student William Sparkes has landed a dream job as a sports scientist with Swansea City FC. William will be studying how the players recover after competitive games. The Swans recently played seven games in 21 days, with their Europa League fixtures on top of Premier League and cup games, and understanding how they recover is crucial to their success.
SPORTS SCIENTIST: William Sparkes at Swansea FC.
William, who did a degree in sports science at Swansea, got his job at the Swans after doing a placement with the club as part of his studies. In his new role he will be working out the key game characteristics that impact on a player’s ability to recover. Previous research has shown that players can take up to four days to recover fully following a competitive game. He said: “My placement with Swansea City was part-time over one year. I’m looking at players’ recovery after games, areas like muscular fatigue and hormone responses.” The results of this study, which will be conducted with the Swans’ under-21s squad, will give a greater understanding of how best to manage players’ recovery. Dr Liam Kilduff and Dr Thomas Love, lecturers at Swansea University’s Research Centre in Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM), have worked with elite athletes from various sports, including football, rugby, judo, swimming and cycling. Dr Kilduff said: “We’re delighted that William has gone on to get this post, as part of the KESS scheme. Three of our Sports Science graduates are already working at West Ham, so it’s great to re-establish the relationship with the Swans.” Jonathon Northeast, Sports Scientist with the Swansea City FC First Team and U21 team, said: “It is good to re-establish a partnership with Swansea University again, and provide an opportunity which is beneficial for both parties.”
CHALLENGING: Men’s Football giving pole fitness a go.
Footballers try out pole fitness by Samantha Booth
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk IN light of the recent ban on pole fitness, members of the men’s football club took to the poles to campaign for the society. Joel Stevens-Leach, Tom Cullimore, Josh Allard, Fred Jackson and Michael Yeubury
took part in an hour session with the class leader, Dawn Roberts at the Monds Building, Swansea. Former co-captain, Mr. Stevens-Leach recommends the classes to other men: “I’d definitely consider it as another way to get fit. It’s really hard and we’ve all found it challenging doing this.
“Before we came here I’d have though pole fitness was for women. But it’s not what you’d expect at all, it’s for men and women.” Miss Muir said: “We wanted to see what they expect from a class, how that changes after they’ve been to a class, and to just have some fun with them showing their support for us.”
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NEWS I 05
Oceana night #GUILTY promotes ‘slut shaming’, say students by Holly Miller & Jacques Kenedi
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk QUESTIONS have been raised over allegedly sexist themes in the recently rebranded Monday nights held at Oceana. #GUILTY has replaced ‘ILoveMondays’ as the Monday night students’ union sponsored night, but has concerned students over sexual implications and publicity. A students’ union spokesperson, said: “In order to save union resources and reduce our economic risk we allowed Oceana and the Luminar Group to have creative control of the night. “This follows a model that other universities currently use when working with external nightclubs.” Concerns over #GUILTY stem from their ‘Addicted to Snapchat’ night on 21 October, where students were pictured holding up signs which said: “Slutdropping on the dancefloor #GUILTY”.
The sign is seen by some to be feeding into the ‘slutshaming culture’; that is becoming common at universities. Rhiannon Sandy, a Masters student, said: “I don’t feel it’s right to encourage the idea of shaming people for what they do on nights out. “Slutshaming promotes an unhealthy attitude that violence towards women is acceptable if they’ve done something to ‘deserve’ it, for instance wearing provocative outfits, acting in a certain way, taking up pole fitness. No one, male or female, deserves to be subject to violence. There’s a fine line between slutshaming being ‘banter’ and being potentially harmful.’’ A students’ union spokesperson said: “When presented with the ‘Slutdrop’ sign, the union asked for it not to be used to coincide with our Zero Tolerance policy. This was agreed by all parties.” However, the sign was circulated at the event, and the union attempted to rectify the mistake.
Boy band Blue opened the #GUILTY launch party. “The sign was sent as part of a package of branding and was mistakenly used. When we discovered the sign was in circulation, we recovered it and physically removed it. We apologise if anyone was offended by the contents.” #GUILTY events have included a
Two Tides riding crest of a wave!
by Samantha Booth
waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk A SWANSEA University band is receiving recognition after winning the JD Roots Music Competition at Sin City. Two Tides, pictured, a folk influenced band, is made up of four students, Nick and Mattie Skelton, Sam Jarman and Alex McKenzie. They competed against Swansea bands, Beautiful Strangers and Soap to win a chance to
support a UK top act in the students’ union, be part of the Strongroom sessions in Shoreditch and a demo recording session with previous AC/ DC and Cheap Trick producer, Tony Platt. Drummer, Alex, said: “We were ecstatic that we won battle of the bands, especially because we got 60% of the public vote. We’re all grateful to everyone who voted for us, especially as we were up against some great bands. As a prize we also get studio time and a gig in Sin City, so those will be huge moments for us!”
What did Jane Austen think of Lord Byron? THE next in the series of free community lectures organised by Swansea University’s Department of Adult Continuing Education (DACE) takes place on Thursday, November 14. The title is “Jane Austen and Lord Byron” and the speaker is Professor Caroline Franklin, Department of English Language and Literature,
College of Arts and Humanities, Swansea University. The lecture takes place on Thursday, November 14, from 3.45pm – 5.30pm, in Discovery Room, Swansea Central Library, Civic Centre, Oystermouth Road, Swansea, SA1 3SN Admission is free and all are welcome.
‘Traffic Light Party’, where clubbers wore different coloured stickers to make their relationship status clear. According to Oceana, red meant “I’m taken”’, orange means “Maybe baby” and green means “On the pull”. Danielle Jo Morgan, a third year English Literature student, said: “I don’t know about Oceana but I disagree with the whole ‘slutshaming’ culture in general. “I think it’s quite patronising and demeaning. I think that if a woman wants to express herself sexually, then I’m all for it but I think when outside parties take that sexuality and use it as a form of entertainment for others, it removes that sexual freedom and individuality and it’s no longer for herself.” Oceana Swansea was asked for a comment on the matter, but failed to respond at time of publication. •What do you think? Do #Guilty nights promote sexism? Email waterfrontnews@swanseaunion.co.uk
Rebecca is no sloth in the jungle by Will Brealey
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk A ZOOLOGY PhD student at Swansea University has made Costa Rica’s jungle her home to study the secret lives of sloths. Rebecca Cliffe, 23, is conducting research in a sloth sanctuary in the central American country. Rebecca used a crowd funding campaign earlier this year entitled Save Our Sloths to raised £30,000 towards her work She says this will make a big difference: “Very little is known about how sloths survive in the wild and because of this, the sanctuary here in Costa Rica has never been able to release hand-reared orphans. “With these funds, we have the chance to purchase the technology to understand how sloths survive and to reintroduce them back safely into their natural habitat.” Rebecca is placing GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking “backpacks” on sloths whose feeding range and movements are little known. It will help conservation of the secretive creatures who use camouflage as one of their main survival tactics. Rebecca is studying for her PhD under the supervision of Professor Rory Wilson of Swansea University – an animal behaviour expert who has pioneered the use of animal friendly tracking devices.
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NEWS I 07
Sports club members warned to behave or face ‘severe discipline ‘ by Laura Fiteni
Steve added: “We usually provide about 18 coaches every Wednesday which drive up and down the country. In comparison with other universities, Swansea is one of our most-well behaved clients and that compliment has to go to the Sport Swansea officers.”
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SPORTS club members are being warned to be on their best behaviour when travelling to away matches this season, following an incident in which a coach was soiled. Steve Pearce, director of Cymru Coaches, the university’s primary coach provider, spoke to a crowded lecture hall during the captains’ training day about an incident that occurred last year. Calling out the men’s football club captain, Pearce shamed him into rubbing his hand along a soiled seat which had been removed from one of the coaches. Pearce said the men’s football had used the coach during an away match and had used that particular seat as a substitute toilet – the day before the same coach was to be used to transport the elderly to a specially-organised event. Steve Pearce added: “To be fair, we’ve worked in conjunction with Swansea University and the athletic union for six years now and there are only a few isolated incidents per year. “Those who don’t behave well enough are disciplined severely and we can’t hope for much more than that.”
Noting that alcohol was a factor in all of last year’s reported incidents, all students travelling with Cymru Coaches must adhere to the strict no-alcohol policy established this year. CCTV has been installed on all coaches to impose the new rules.
Student makes it to final five of competition by Rachael Howes-Tonks
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk A SWANSEA student has been shortlisted to win an award aimed at rewarding those who have done a good deed. Charlotte Moore, is one of five finalists in the Most Deserving Student Award, a UK based award organised by Motors.co.uk.
Sports clubs tighten belts Charlotte Peters, the union’s Sports Officer Charlotte Peters said: “Those clubs found to damage vehicles through vandalism or soiling have the cost of cleaning or repair charged to their private accounts. “These clubs or teams also face punishments/disciplinary actions appropriate for their actions, and also risk losing their transport for the remainder of the season/academic year.” The strong relationship between Sport Swansea and Cymru Coaches is a key component to Wednesdays’successes. “Our relationship with Steve Pearce from Cymru Coaches is very strong. We work with him closely on many events and on a weekly basis. We do not want to damage this relationship in any way,”said Charlotte.
SPORT Swansea are calling for university sports teams to be more responsible over transport costs after concerns over the amount of money spent on transport hires. During the captain’s training day hosted by Sport Swansea at the beginning of the 2013 academic year they stressed the need to adhere to club budgets as the union struggled to fund unnecessary transport fees. Attendees of the training day heard reports of sports teams travelling to away matches on large coaches with little more than a handful of people aboard. Sports officer Charlotte Peters in coordination with Sport Swansea has
Poppy appeal launched to raise money for Royal British Legion
POPPY APPEAL: The History Society mark Remembrance by mounting a 6ft poppy onto Fulton House by Alan Daventry
waterfrontci@swansea-union.co.uk A POPPY appeal has been launched at Swansea University to raise money for the Royal British Legion. The appeal, arranged by the History Society of Swansea University, seeks to support veterans and families who have relatives in the military. The President of the History Society, Isabel Costello, is leading the volunteering effort. Zahid Raja, Swansea Students’ Union President, and
Ceinwen Cloney, Societies and Services Officer were also present. Miss Costello said: “The Royal British Legion is such a worthwhile cause which supports armed forces families, those who are currently serving in the armed forces, veterans and their dependents.” “We have organised for a Poppy Appeal Banner to be placed on Fulton House to promote the Poppy Appeal and the work of the Royal British Legion.” “We have organised for 21 volunteers from the History Society to participate in shifts at Tesco Marina and Sainsbury’s to promote the Poppy Appeal.” The appeal is expected to stretch until Remembrance Day on 11 November.
now implemented a new structure in the hopes of preventing unnecessary expenditure. She said: “In terms of transport for sports clubs on Wednesdays, clubs apply at the beginning of the year with estimated costs and we grant money from Sport Swansea to allow for transport. “These bookings are made in the most economical way possible, with those clubs travelling to the same venue (or those in a close vicinity) sharing, and smaller teams using cars.“ Teams are also being encouraged to cover their own costs by using their own cars and then apply for petrol reimbursements.
A third year biology student, Charlotte has just finished a year long placement with the Department of Biosciences and has been involved with the Welsh Institute for Sustainable Environments. She was also a key person in the development of the Swansea University Campus Nature Trail and has helped with the campus Biodiversity Action Plan. The award is given to someone with a true dedication to making a difference in their local community, or even to a friend of family member whilst at university or college.
08 I NEWS
thewaterfront 4. 11.13
Gwyl Sŵn 2013 - Crwydro’n Nghaerdydd GWYL yng Nhaerdydd sydd nawr yn ei seithfed flwyddyn ydy Sŵn ac bob blwyddyn ers iddo gael ei sefydlu gan John Rostron a Huw Stephens (cyflwynydd Radio 1) mae wedi tyfu a denu mwy a mwy o fobl. Cafon nhw’r ysbrydoliaeth ar ôl mynd i South By South West festival yn Austin, Texas ac penderfynon greu rhywbeth tebyg yng Nghaerdydd. Yn ei flwyddyn cyntaf yn 2007 roedd 100 o fandiau gwahanol yn chwarae ac erbyn heddiw mae’r rhif yma wedi cynyddu i ddros 200! Ond nid cerddoriaeth yn union ydy Sŵn mae hefyd yn siawn i weld ffilmiau angyffredin a gweld ochr gwahanol i Gaerdydd. Yn aml mae Sŵn yn le arbennig i weld bandiau sydd ar fin dod yn boblogaidd iawn. Yn y flynddoedd diwethaf mae’r ŵyl wedi cynnal enwau megis Marina & the Diamonds, The Vaccines, Alt-J, Django Django, The Drums, Ben Howard a Disclosure. Y flwyddyn yma bu enwau megis Everything Everything, Dutch Uncles a Ghostpoet yn chwarae, ond nid denu yr enwau mwyaf ydy prif amcan Sŵn, ond i geisio cyflwyno set o fandiau newydd i gynilleidfa eang, yn wir dros fy neuddydd yn Gaerdydd maen amlwg bod gŵyl Sŵn yn apelio i bobl o bob oedran ac o bob gefndir. Ar y nos Iau bu Everything, Everything a Dutch Uncles yn chwarae mewn gig arwahan ym mhrifysgol Caerdydd, tra ar draws y dinas bu Catfish and the Bottlemen a bandiau lleol fel Greta Isaac a Cut Ribbons yn chwarae. Dechreuodd my mhrofiad i ar y ddydd
by Sean Kenny
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk Gwener yn Gwdi-hŵ, lleoliad bach ond perffaith gyda ‘student discount’ ar ddiodydd -perffaith! Climbing Trees oedd y cyntaf i chwarae, mae ganddynt steil Folk/Blues ac mae ei harmoniau yn denu’r gwrandawyr i ymlacio ac i fwynhau. I rheini sy’n gyfarwydd gyda’r ‘scene’ fiwsig Gymraeg bydde rhestr y bandiau yn chwarae yn yr Angel hotel wedi achosi cyffro mawr. Yn wir, roedd yna dorf mawr yno i weld Candelas, (or bron yr Arctic Monkeys Cymraeg), yn fynd ati i chwarae set arbennig, mae nhw’n fand i cadw llygaid ar dros y flynyddoedd i ddod. Yn hwyrach tyfodd y dorf hyd yn oed yn fwy i weld un o eiconau cerddoriaeth Cymraeg, Geraint Jarman, nawr yn 62 oed, yn dod a elfenau rock, reggae a dub i gyd at ei gilydd wrth chwarae set anghofiadwy. Gan siarad gyda’r dorf roedd yn amlwg faint o ddylanwad mae Jarman wedi cael ar ei ffans Gymreig dros ei yrfa. Yr unig fand rydw i’n difaru colli ydy Bo Ningen band o Siapan sy’n enwog am fod yn anhygoel yn fyw, ac nid ydw i wedi clywed unrhyw un yn anghytuno a hynny ar ol ei noson nhw yn Clwb Ifor Bach. Yna death dydd Sadwrn, ‘y’ diwrnod os oeddech am fynd i ŵyl Sŵn, gyda cerddoriaeth fyw o 1 o’r gloch y pnawn tan oriau man y bore. Dechreuwyd y ddiwrnod yn arbennig gyda ‘vintage’ rock Houdini Dax, band o Gaerdydd a ddenodd dorf ar y bandstand a cododd Sŵn
tu allan i ganolfan siopa St Davids 2 i ddangos i boblogaeth Gaerdydd beth oedd i ddisgwyl fel rhan o’r ŵyl. Yn hwyrach chwareodd un o bandiau Cymru sy’n dechrau dod yn fwy boblogaidd bob dydd ers i ei gân nhw - ‘Playing with my Friends’ cael ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer hysbyseb deledu ar gyfer Ikea, er hyn roedden yn grêt yn fyw ac yn un o’n hoff ‘set’s’ or holl benwythnos. Yn ôl at Gwdi-hŵ oedd hi wedyn, lle bu Violas a Sen Segur yn rhoi’r dorf mewn hywlie ymlaciedig gyda’i cerddoriaeth. Mae Sen Segur yn fand sydd wedi creu enw da iawn i’w hun ar y ‘scene’ Gymraeg wrth chwarae
rock ysgafn fel dim band arall yng Nghymru, a dwi’n argymell i bawb wrando arnynt. Yn amlwg, pa le gwell i orffen fy mhenwythnos yn Gaerdydd na Clwb Ifor Bach, lle roedd ‘The Wytches’ yn chwarae. Band o Brighton ydydnt sy’n llenwi’ch pen gyda sŵn ni ellir anghofio, a llais perffaith ar gyfer gwenud eich pwynt i’r gynilleidfa. Profiad ffantastic yn fyw ond ‘not for the faint hearted’. Ac felly death fy mhenwythnos i ben yn ŵyl Sŵn ac yn barod rydw i’n edrych ymlaen at flwyddyn nesaf, byswn i’n argymell unrhyw un i fynd a dwi’n rhoi garanti byddwch ddim yn cael eich siomi. Diolch Sŵn och chi’n blydi gret!
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NEWS I 09
Voters laugh all the way to the ballot box with election posters by Samantha Booth
waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk THIRD-year English Literature student Laurence Atkinson tickled many students’ ribs with his latest Subject Rep campaign. As a returning candidate, he decided to take his online campaign to the next level this year. “I was subject rep last year and I really enjoyed the experience so thought ‘why not’?” says Laurence. “My campaign was generally a combination of boredom and Microsoft Paint. When I saw people were enjoying my campaign it just encouraged me and I felt the need to make more.” Many of Laurence’s election memes consisted of shots from films or characters from TV shows being replaced by his face. “My inspiration came from myself. I’m naturally hilarious. “When I was little I made endless pictures of bats on Microsoft Paint. Subsequently, I learnt my craft from an early age.”
Each of Laurence’s memes received lots of likes, creating a buzz on Facebook over the election week. Laurence ran uncontested and won the election to be level three English Literature subject rep for the academic year. “A total of nine people voted for me; an increase of two votes from last year. I was delighted.”
Toastie delivery service is village success for students by Gemma Parry
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University Students’ Union Christian Society came up with an innovative way to answer students’ questions about the religion. Text-a-Toastie was launched on October 24th on the student village. The aim of the event was for students to text in their order for a free toastie with a question about Christianity. The toastie would then be delivered, along with an
answer to their question. Caleb Severn, the Christian Society President said: “As Christians, we always aim to emulate Christ in his kindness and willingness to talk and explain all aspects of our faith. Text-atoastie is one of the ways we do that! “We sent out sixty four toasties in two hours answering questions on a variety of things. We enjoyed running the event, serving others and answering questions.” If you want to find out more about the Christian Society, like their Facebook page or follow them on twitter @swansea_cu.
HOT STUFF: Members of the SU Christian Society delivering toasties.
Trafficking campaign by Lauren Phillips
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University has been marking Anti-Slavery Day with a unique demonstration held on campus. Student volunteers were locked inside a cargo container to symbolise one of the ways trafficking victims are illegally transported across borders. The multi-sensory exhibition, organised by Swansea University’s Students’ Union Human Rights Action Society on October 18, was to raise awareness of human trafficking and people losing their freedom. A spokesperson said: “The day, established in 2010, is a national day to raise awareness of human trafficking and all forms of slavery and the need to eradicate the evergrowing international illegal trade in human beings.” “There were regular lock-ins to give a sense of the conditions experienced by trafficked persons whom take great risks in the hope of improving their situation and whom are also often tricked into entering the UK illegally.”
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travel 25
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L i f e s t y l e f o r S wa n s e a s t u d e n t s
front! contents FEATURES: Can ‘friends with benefits‘ ever work? >> 12 & 13 FASHION: The rise of the fashion blog >> 15 FOOD: Student eats >> 17 FRONT ROW: Your what’s on guide >> 19
MUSIC: Dougie Crosbie and Diana Vickers >> 20
the day I met Katie Price... p13
TRAVEL: Life on an American campus >> 24
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N o - ST r IN G S ATTA C H ED
features
ONE THIRD OF YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE HAD A ‘FRIEND WITH BENEFITS’ More of us than ever are indulging in committment-free sex with a trusted friend. What could possibly go wrong? asks Holly Miller
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ELATIONSHIPS at any age are complicated, especially when trying to study, manage your money and living away from home for the first time – so it is easy to see why stressed students find the idea of a commitment-free relationship attractive. ‘Friends with benefits’ arrangements are becoming increasingly common for young people, after a study showed that 32% of young people have had a ‘friend with benefits’. The survey of 1,000 16-24 year olds, conducted by relationships charity OnePlusOne and youth charity Youthnet, shed light on the trend of friends agreeing to a no-strings-attached, purely physical relationship. Is no-strings-attached sex really beneficial though? According to the survey, 53% of those who admitted to having regular sex with a friend admitted to hoping that it would turn into something more serious. One Swansea University student in her third year of study, said: “Friends with benefits arrangements can be mutually beneficial, as long as one doesn’t end up wanting more.
“In my experience, someone always ends up being hurt and due to the agreement, feels guilty for having any feelings in the first place.” Not all friends with benefits arrangements end badly though. Rebecca Irvine, a third year student, said: “‘Third year is complicated enough without starting a new relationship. “The only way that kind of thing works is if you’re both not jealous people and both know exactly what you want.” While the arrangement works for lots of people, it does not for everyone. It’s important to be fully aware of the risks of these kinds of relationships before entering into one. But if you do decide to go for it, be safe, be sensible and have fun! OnePlusOne is a UK charity which aims to strengthen relationships through a range of online resources. They released their latest findings to encourage people to talk openly about relationships, and what works for them. Youthnet has information and advice on it’ website - thesite.org - to help young people to think about the pros and cons of this kind of relationship and decide what’s right for them.
THE RISE OF FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS Why are people choosing to search for lust rather than love?
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OLLYWOOD has cashed in on the social trend of ‘friends with benefits’, or ‘FWB’ in recent years. No Strings Attached, featuring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman was released January 2011 and examined friends who decide to embark on a purely sexual relationship, writes Holly Miller. However, this representation of ‘FWB’s was eclipsed by the massive summer 2011 hit, Friends With Benefits, starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis as friends who agree to stick to a purely sexual relationship. Justin Timberlake’s character Dylan says of sex: “It’s a physical act. Like playing tennis. Two people should be able to have sex like they’re playing tennis… It’s just a game. You shake hands, you get on with your [stuff ].” These films explore the idea of ‘friends with benefits’, and both portray the positive and negative side, leaving the viewer feeling like it might really be impossible to manage a ‘friends with benefits’ arrangement without getting your heart broken or falling madly in love. Especially if your FWB is Justin Timberlake. Websites like ShagAtUni.com, set up in October 2012, promote the idea of guilt-free, romantically
uninvolved sex. And why shouldn’t people be able to enjoy sex without having to commit to another person? Films such as these promote healthy, consensual sex between two adults who have agreed on boundaries. As sex is continuously becoming a much less taboo and more acceptable social subject, it is natural that members of the opposite sex might have more discussions and be more willing to look at an unconventional sexual relationship. Hollywood films have a lot to answer when it comes to giving us high expectations. If most men had a friend who looked like Mila Kunis, they would probably jump at the chance of commitment-free sex. But unfortunately, most of us do not look like Mila or Natalie. And sadly, most men do not look like Justin or Ashton. In this case however, they portray only a slightly unrealistic ending. Most FWB’s don’t end up madly in love. Sadly, more often than not, hearts are broken (usually only one heart) and friendships are ruined. But for those brave enough to try it out, why not?
Are YOU looking for love, to meet new people, or something else? The Waterfront Blind Date are looking for students to participate in Blind Date. If you are interested, contact Holly Miller at waterfrontrelationships@swansea-union.co.uk
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WOULD YOU HAVE A FWB? We asked Swansea University students about their thoughts on having a friend with benefits.
FOR: EMMA MACKENZIE said: “For! As long as you have boundaries and you can both handle it.” SOPHIE EVANS, a third year psychology student, said: “I think it’s sometimes what people need when they’re not ready for a relationship with anyone, but they want to have fun. Also I think you have to know the person really well - it’s when you get to know someone, and find out all these things about them that makes you want a relationship. If you already know everything about them then you may know you don’t want a relationship. Then everything’s fine!” RHYS WILCOX said: “For! Benefits aside, I think that anyone who is against it should be drawing their focus away from other people’s personal lives.”
SOPHIE WIGGINS, a second year English Literature and Media student said: “I think it’s hard to be that close with someone and expect or try not to have feelings for them. It is the most intimate thing you can do with a person, however, I do think it depends on who it’s with. If both of the people can happily enjoy sex without anything else then that’s fine. If anything I think that’s better, because it’s less drama.” NAOMI DUNN, a third year English Literature student, said: “If you’re not in a relationship who better to have sex with than your friend?”
ENGINEERING STUDENT: “Against. Someone always gets hurt when it ends and emotional scars last the longest.” GEOGRAPHY STUDENT: “If both are into it the same amount, then
Love, lipstick and lies W
HEN you tell your friends you’re interviewing Katie Price, the reactions are on a spectrum from: “ask her about her boob jobs” to “ask her how she’s so amazing”, writes Samantha Booth.
AGAINST: HARVEY JONES, a third year Marine Biology student, said: “Against, my housemate keeps knocking boots at ridiculous hours of the morning, it’s like living life to the sound of an orgasmic metronome.”
Samantha Booth met Katie Price (above) at the launch of her new book.
it works. It’s usually the prelude to going out. Most uni relationships seem to start that way.” ENGLISH LITERATURE STUDENT: “It’s absolutely true when people say someone always gets hurt. We spent seven months casually seeing each other and had a really intense relationship. After an explosive drunken argument we both admitted we had feelings and became boyfriend and girlfriend. Out of the blue he became distant and broke up with me with no explanation. Looking back it was really naive and stupid to think a relationship could be purely physical for such an extended period of time.”
She certainly turned heads at the launch of her new book, wearing a full body, flesh-coloured catsuit covered in prints of her face. Katie was looking exceptionally tiny after giving birth to her fourth child, Jett Riviera, in August. “I don’t think that my costume is outlandish today” she said, inviting laughs from the room. Katie’s latest book contains many explosive claims about her previous relationships and life choices. “When I was doing my reality show, nothing was scripted. They are real life dramas where stuff has happened and it’s still happening. With Pete and Alex, I was in a place I never thought I’d be,” she says, referring to her previous marriages and divorces. Katie stresses that the stories in the book aren’t a form of retaliation, but a way for her to set the story straight: “What people have got to realize for the past three years, I haven’t done any interviews for magazines or newspapers, no photoshoots. “Any speculation is because ‘a friend said this’ and it’s never from me. But in them three to four years, all the exes have done stories on me. “So, why is it alright from them to slag me off, even
though it’s lies that they’ve said, and not for me to set the record straight in reply to what they’ve said, but because it’s all come out in bulk everyone now think they’re kiss and tells, but in fact if they shut up in the first place I wouldn’t have to had mention them.” For a woman who has been in the media more than she even imagined, Katie admits that the pressure can be stressful but she takes it in her stride: “I love getting stressed. I do get stressed; some things are because of certain reasons and other things are because of natural things. We all have a bit of stress in our life; no life is perfect. There’s certainly always a drama and something happening: always.” Earlier this year, the previous-glamour model had sworn off surgery but admits that in the future she may consider further nip and tucks: “I might be Joan Rivers and Sharon Osbourne when I’m older but at the moment I don’t think I need anything like that.” The mother of four is not just renowned for her turbulent life; she has been a successful businesswoman, which many people respect her for. Even if the business ideas stop developing, Katie swears to never give up: “If all else fails, I’ll sell the eggs my chickens are laying at the moment.” Katie’s latest book is out now, but in a moment of confusion, even she can’t remember the name of the hardback: “Love Lipstick and Lies or is it Lipstick Love and Lies… I always get it mixed up!”
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with nanette turkson & S iobhan wri ght
fashion
Carry your books in style THE new term is well underway, and the realisation that it is probably advisable to attend lectures and do work has set in. On the plus side, the start of a new term also means purchasing some back-to-uni fashion essentials! This week at The Waterfront fashion, we’ve compiled a list of the most stylish and practical bags, to carry your textbooks and folders to and from lectures and see you all the way through the academic year.
Male From left to right: ASOS Canvas backpack With Contrast Straps, £23 Topman Grey Suede Backpack, £60
River Island Red Aztec Print Rucksack, £32
Topman Tan Leather Satchel, £60 ASOS Satchel With Double Buckle, £60
Female ASOS Leather Vintage Style Backpack, £55 Zara Leather Shopper, £89.99
ASOS Reclaimed Vintage Rucksack in Floral Tapestry, £35
ASOS Aztec Backpack With Leather Trim, £45
ASOS Grainy Shopper With Front Metal Plate, £28
Shades of Red
Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick ‘107
try the Marilyn-look by applying winged eyeliner and a few coats of black mascara. A red lip will instantly make you appear more put together and no matter what skin tone or hair colour you have there is definitely a shade of red that will work for you.
Jennifer trying out the Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick ‘107
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Xtreme Radio 21
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Once upon a time... When the first fashion blogs started popping up about 10 years ago nobody thought that it could change fashion reporting so radically. Ordinary people like high school girls, university students or employees with a soft spot for beautiful clothing began to share their ideas on fashion and reached an audience that was much bigger than anyone had ever expected. The importance of fashion bloggers has increased considerably and not only do Vogue and Glamour interview them to get their opinion on the latest trends but they also get front row seats at the New York Fashion Week. Major newspapers started ranking blogs by their impact on fashion and popular bloggers get spoiled with invitations to glamorous events and more samples than they could possibly try.
Beautiful people and stunning locations... Even if most of the clothes might not be affordable for the average student, Tuula Vintage is definitely worth checking out. Jessica Stein frequently uploads stunning photographs of herself traveling the word in amazing dresses and recommends vintage shops all over the globe for dedicated fashionistas like herself. www. tuulavintage.com Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss ‘01’
No7 Stay Perfect Lipstick ‘Love Red’
Write about Fashion Check out our new Waterfront fashion blog Would you like to write about fashion? We are looking for contributors to join our amazing team, so please get in touch at waterfrontfashion@swansea-union.co.uk
By Josefine Schaefer
One of my personal favourites is the fashion and beauty blog ‘Zoella’. Apart from the homepage, 22-year old Zoe also runs her own youtube channel. So if you ever get tired of reading, you can just watch her give advice on autumn and winter must haves, hair styles or make up. Zoe usually covers a wide range of different items, there is always something for budget shoppers as well as high end fashion pieces. www.zoella.co.uk
Topshop ‘Beguiled’
Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids ‘On Fire Red 895’
fashion 14-15
The rise of the fashion blog
By Jennifer Musekamp
IT is that time of the year again. Autumn in all its glorious colours has officially arrived and what better way to celebrate the colder days than to rock some bold red lips? This autumn and winter rich luxurious red tones and dark berry shades are big on trend and an easy way to embrace the change of season. You can safely store your pastels and nudes for the next couple of months and dive into some more exciting colours. And the best news is that dramatic red lips are no longer an evening-only-look. Don’t be afraid to pull off a bold red lip during the day too. Just bear in mind that it is all about balance. If you are going for a rich, deep purple lipstick, keep your eye makeup minimalistic and throw your hair in a bun. Or if you prefer a classic true red lip colour why not
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Waterfrontfashion.wordpress.com
A pictures says more than 1000 words – which is probably why the Extravagant fashion blog on Tumblr does not need any. Instead there are numerous colourful pictures, rivets, high heels, extreme make up, feathers and fur en masse. Not the casual uni style nor what you would fancy for going out, but definitely fun to look at! http://extravagantfashion. tumblr.com Scott Schuman was the director of fashion at Bergdorf Goodman in New York before launching his blog The Sartorialist – and is now more successful than ever. Not only has he worked with Vogue Paris, GQ and Interview but he has also done campaigns for DKNY, Absolute and Verizon only to name a few. In his blog you will mainly find street style, pictures he has taken in Milan or Paris of people who have caught his eye. You can sort them by category and if you still can’t get enough, there is a whole book of his work. www.thesartorialist.com The choice is huge and getting even bigger every day – equipped with a camera, a laptop and internet connection, anyone can create their own fashion blog in no time. But maybe that is the beauty of it: Fashion is diverse, it’s colourful, and we are all a part of it!
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Xtreme Radio 21
music 20
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EATs and treats
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food
Swap those pot noodles for home cooking A
S students, we know the importance of keeping to a budget when it comes to food shopping, but can we do this and still stay healthy? Of course we can! Just follow my three top tips. TIP 1: I think the best way to save money and stay healthy is to plan your week ahead. Take into account what you’ll be doing and think about which meals you’ll want to cook and eat. Hopefully this will mean it won’t get to Sunday and you have to chuck out a load of old meat that has been festering at the back of your fridge, or a loaf of bread that you’ve forgotten in the corner of your cupboard and has transformed into pure mould! (true story…) I find the easiest way to do this is to write yourself a weekly menu, then write the corresponding shopping list and take it with you when you go shopping. Don’t buy anything not on the list and you’re set for the week. That’s what I do and it’s worked really well. Each week I have a proper meal which I cook myself, a couple of bung-it-in-the-oven jobs and then something really easy like pasta or soup. I rarely spend over £20 a week but am always satisfied when it comes to dinner time. It also minimises the number of times you get home after a late society event or lecture and think to yourself: “Oh I’ll just grab a KFC on the way home!”
If you’ve planned well, you can have something quick and easy ready to make when you get home. TIP 2: Another great idea is to team up with a friend and say you’ll cook for each other every week. That’s what my friend Alex and I do. It means you have a meal cooked for you every week and get to enjoy each other’s company over a lovely dinner. We really enjoy it (although finding food both of us like is sometimes a chore – I’m quite picky!). It’s perfect for us as well because he cooks for me when I get home from work at 8 o’clock, meaning I don’t come home after my six hour shift and end up just having a Pot Noodle. TIP 3: We’ve also become lazy and started ordering our shopping online. On the one hand, it’s not as good because you don’t get to hand-pick the best looking cauliflower or browse the selection of different cheeses on offer, but on the other hand it’s great for sticking to that shopping list. You can’t get distracted by the sweet isle or the dreaded bakery with its delicious sights and smells! Sure it’s an extra £3.50 for delivery, but if you come together and order as a group, that soon dwindles away to just pence each. So there you have it. Some simple ways to stay healthy and eat well, but all the while sticking to that budget. By Charlotte West
VERY TASTY: Alex’s home -made curry (above) and (left) Alex and Charlotte showing off their homemade herby breaded chicken strips with BBQ sauce. Delish!
Have you got a recipe you’d like to share? Email editor@swansea-union.co.uk
Enjoy a taste of real Italy right here in the Uplands HAVING been away for a year in Italy, I was pleasantly surprised to notice a few changes to the student residential areas on my return to Swansea, writes Verity Ockenden. One of the places contributing to the more upmarket feel of Uplands is a small Italian cafe that has popped up called ‘Cassata’. The stylish signage in the window was the first thing to catch my eye and my heart leapt with nostalgic hopefulness when I read it’s message: ‘ITALIAN GELATO freshly made here at Cassata with Calon Wen milk and cream’. The name alone was promising, cassata being a traditional dessert of Palermo, containing candied peel and ricotta in its filling, and I was intrigued to see how the local organic dairy products being sourced would stand up to the formidable reputation of Sicilian ricotta. Not only does this new business serve gelato though, they also have a respectable food menu on offer throughout the day consisting of classic salads, panini and pizza. Having sampled the prosciutto grilled panini along with a taste of the mozzarella, pesto and tomato one, both garnished with salad (and also the pizza marinara) I was impressed. The panini were generous and flavoursome, and the pizza was handmade on the premises as was evident on glancing through into the kitchen and seeing dough
being expertly wielded before my eyes. Dessert stood up well to my high expectations, despite there not being the full range of 18 flavours available to fill up the state of the art rotating gelato cabinet. With the option of one scoop or two, the namesake cassata recipe was delightfully rich with candied peel and had a great texture, and their stracciatella, laden with sizeable chunks of dark chocolate contrasting with the fresh plain gelato base was up there with the best of any I have had over the summer. These were served in wafer baskets in bath-tub like shapes which held a very satisfying amount. The parlour itself has great statement lighting ‘alla moda’ and a clean, fresh feel that is also individual thanks to its wall of Instagram-based artwork. I would have appreciated this more so had it been accompanied by a bit of evocative background music for atmosphere but the quietness was relaxing nonetheless. I would advise you to make sure that you are in possession of cash, as they do not yet take cards, however do not let this put you off visiting Cassata. The staff are friendly, the interior epitomises sleek Italian style and the food is simple yet of good, honest quality at a very economical price. * Cassata is at No. 33 Uplands Crescent, Swansea
front row
Talisman Plus Support @ Sin City Saturday 9 November Doors: 7:30 Tickets: £8
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Bristol-based band Talisman are coming to Sin, writes Jacques Tsiantar. A band of reggae luminaries with three studio albums of 70s-inspired beats with strong messages of social revolution and a motivation to change. Since 1981, they have been one of the most popular live reggae acts to tour the UK, and it’s easy to see why. With smooth and easy dub tracks to a polished reggae standard, their music is perfect to go with their infectious live energy on stage; they’ll have Sin City dancing the night away. They don’t shy away from their political message, but those of you who might be wary, Talisman put an emphasis on expressing themselves in a respectful and enjoyable way, making the term ‘free speech’ something nobody could ever be at odds with. Regardless, their gig in Sin will be something to look out for; bringing all the energy and soul that their British take on the reggae scene has always been: unique.
Dogruff Presents Bella Sarris @ The Underground Saturday 9 November, 9pm Tickets: £10
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The Underground are kicking off their first winter event with Australian-born, straight-out-of-Ibiza DJ, Bella Sarris. Having played with some of the world’s most talented acts such as James Lavelle, Hot Since 82, Maya Jane Coles (the list goes on) this lady will not disappoint! Garth Richards, Gyan B, Leigh Parry, Mikki Wings, Shaun Edwards and Anthony Watkins will be starting the night off until Bella Sarris keeps you going until 4 in the morning. So if you didn’t get a chance to live it up in Ibiza this summer, here’s your chance, just a lack of warm weather and sunshine. Tickets can once again be brought from www.derricksmusic.co.uk
Craig Charles featuring Smoove & Turrell Friday 8 November @ The Garage, 9pm Tickets: £12 in advance
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Celebrate Funk Junkkies 2nd birthday at the biggest funk night to ever head Swansea’s way. Radio 6’s DJ, Craig Charles, is bringing his funk and soul show to Swansea with the talented Smoove and Turrell. If you didn’t go last year you missed out big time. But never fear, that’s why Funk Junkkies is here right? Tickets can be purchased through Derrick’s Music at www. derricksmusic.co.uk or from The Garage behind the bar. Be warned, this event is guaranteed to sell out so make sure you buy your tickets as soon as possible!
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Flux A Friend For Free Tuesday 5 November, 9pm Entry: £1
Are you still rinsing your Dominos vouchers on Tuesday nights and sitting in bed crying over your Oceana hangover? Well, its time to end that nonsense, why spend your student loan on pizza when you can spend it on dancing to decent music and cheap drinks? But wait there’s more…for one night only Flux is letting you bring a mate completely free of charge! We’ve all had that stubborn friend who no matter how much you beg them just won’t come out on a Tuesday. We know the feeling, and that’s why Flux has given you the opportunity to say “no excuses!” Go out with a bang on fireworks night with pints for £1.80 and doubles for £2.20.
Shoreline Theatre’s One Acts
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Shoreline Theatre proudly present their first set of one acts for the new university year. On the 13th and 14th of November, in DIVAs, Shoreline brings you Bouncers and Shakers by John Godber and Jane Thornton. Ever wanted to know what the bouncers on the door really think of you? Well here’s your chance! Join the Bouncers as they depict what goes on during the cold late 90’s Saturday nights downtown. Through varying perspectives and colourful characters they’ll keep you captivated right the way through. With plenty of beer, hormones, and dodgy 90’s beats, this sheer comedy is definitely not one to miss. And imagine: a trendy cocktail bar, neon lights and an endless supply of piña coladas. Shakers brings you the real truths of working in an uptown cocktail bar. As each waitress struggles to balance the pressure of their personal lives along with the hectic life of the cocktail bar we witness an array of sadness, laughter and a whole bunch of rowdy punters! Shakers is the place to be. 6.30pm doors for a 7pm start; Tickets are £3 for Shoreline Members, £4 for mon-members.
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GUEST EDITED BY OLIVIA ROSENTHALL
music
Easy listening acoustic with a touch of inner grit
Former X-Factor hopeful is back with a new album
THE latest act at the Coffee House Sessions is Dougie Crosbie; having performed at the Isle of Man Festival and Wickerman he is creating a following. Meg Jones speaks to the acoustic upcomer about his tour, influences and technique.
FORMER X-Factor contestant, Diana Vickers has made a come back. Olivia Rosenthall speaks to her about her recently released album and her progression.
MEG: To someone who has never heard your music before, how would you describe it? DOUGIE: It’s a kinda easy-listening acoustic music MEG: You’ve just released your EP ‘Choices and Ambitions’, How did your song writing process work for that? DOUGIE: It’s different every time, sometimes it comes from little couplets of lyrics that make me want to keep at it but other ones like the last song on the EP ‘Together we’re fine’ that was a guitar idea I had, it just kept creeping back at me and eventually when I started to get a melody for it I realised that it was a song and not just a guitar thing. Some of them I wrote it as it is... at once. It’s different every time
you’d written? DOUGIE: Heard it Through the Grapevine, would have been nice to say I’d written that! MEG: Which artists sound musically would you like to be compared to? DOUGIE: I don’t know, I really don’t know. Prefer it my own way because at least you stand out even if it is for whatever reason. I’ve heard everything on this tour from Johnny Cash to Kurt Cobain, I think that’s probably the grit in my voice at points, they’re picking up on. Either of them would be great though. Read the full interview at waterfrontonline.co.uk
OLIVIA: Hi there Diana, how are you? DIANA: I’m ok thank you; I’m at the theatre rehearsing for a new play that I’m doing called The Duck House. It’s a political comedy about the expenses scandal. It goes to The West End at the end of November but we’re doing a small tour of it at the moment. Ben Miller plays the lead role and he’s hysterical, it’s really fun. OLIVIA: Tell us about your new album ‘Music To Make Boys Cry’? DIANA: Basically I just really wanted to write an album that was fun and made people want to dance. My inspirations for it came from 80s music, Cyndi Lauper and Kylie Minogue. I’m really proud of it. OLIVIA: How long have you been working on the album? DIANA: Probably altogether about two to two and a half years, so it was quite a while. I wrote the album with Miranda Cooper [who has co-written hit singles for artists such as Girls Aloud and The Sugababes]. But before I met her I was
MEG: Is there one song you know that you wished that
working with a few different producers, and after I met Miranda we found something really great and we got on a roll, and then we just decided to write the whole album together. OLIVIA: Will you be touring any time soon? DIANA: Well I am kind of in a mess because I got this part in the play which runs until the end of March, so I’m going to have to put music on hold for a while. Hopefully I would love to do a small tour at some point after that though. Read the full interview at waterfrontonline.co.uk.
Want to write for the The Waterfront Music page? Email waterfrontmusic@swansea-union.co.uk
Flux: Sets
Reviews
Carys Lowry-Carter
JOHN NEWMAN
LINKIN PARK
Recently beating Paul McCartney to number 1 in the albums chart and being co-writer and singer to two of Rudimental’s biggest and most well-known hits, John Newman is not someone to be ignored, writes Rich Willetts. However, his début entitled ‘Tribute’ arrives as something of a disappointment. The album’s a likeable enough blend of 60’s soul crossed with modern club-pop sensibilities but lacks the originality to be anything enduring. Nothing quite matches number 1 hit single Love Me Again and with its unforgettable soaring chorus it is the biggest attraction here. Coming close is the upbeat second single Cheating, even if perhaps its bright r’n’b finger-clicking production is at odds with its supposed darker subject matter. Elsewhere, undoubtedly, it is Newman’s incredible raspy and soulful vocals which offer an appeal to even the most mundane and predictable ballad. Like its title and opening track reflect, Newman is looking back to his influences, however there is no denying the singer’s overwhelming potential. Perhaps next time the singer should aim towards reinventing past genres rather than simply playing tribute.
Is it me or does anyone else remember Linkin Park back in the good old days of ‘Bleed it Out’, ‘One Step Closer’ and ‘What I’ve Done’? It seems to me the days when you could distinguish a riff from a drum track and feel the angst in Chester Bennington’s vocals are well and truly gone, writes Laura Fiteni. Linkin Park’s latest single ‘A Light that Never Comes’ featuring Steve Aoki is 3 minutes 49 seconds of late-night DJ’ing heaven. The strong drum’n’bass pounding, dub breakdown and overly defensive lyrics are sure to make it a hit among club-goers. Don’t get me wrong if you’re into this sort of thing (mainstream rap-rock), this single will definitely have everyone on their feet and the dub breakdown is a slightly redeeming feature for those who appreciate the production side of things. However, for those of us who remember Linkin Park’s alternative, rap-metal sound, their more commercially-appropriate new material sounds a lot like they’ve sold their soul.
Third-year English Literature student, Carys, is the debut act of acoustic sessions for Flux: Sets. “I’m 21-years-old and I’m originally from Bournemouth. I’ve been playing guitar for 10 years and I’ve been performing live since I was around 16-years-old. “For me, playing covers is great because I think it’s truly underrated as an art form. As someone who engages with all different kinds of music, it’s exciting to be able to put your own spin on something that already exists and make it completely new. “I’ve only started writing my own music over the past couple of years, but it’s a uniquely wonderful experience to have something out there that you’ve created from scratch and to have people connect with it. I think live music is hugely important both to student life and to Swansea. South Wales has already bred so many great musicians and it’s really nice to be able to contribute to that culture in some way. Watch Carys in Flux: Sets on SU-TV. co.uk/culture
Tribute (ALBUM)
A Light that Never Comes (SINGLE)
xtreme
W
E are Swansea University’s very own radio station, run by students for students.We play the best in new music and student anthems 24 hours a day. We provide news and information every hour, and cover Sports Swansea, local and regional sport with our award-winning sports team. You can listen live and on demand around the world at www.xtremeradio.org and via our iPhone and Android Apps. To join the society for £5 a year visit www. swansea-union.co.uk/ organisation/7047/ This year we are very proud to celebrate our heritage as the 2nd oldest student radio station in the United Kingdom and the oldest student radio station in Wales. Our alumni include Nation & Radio Worthy DJ Michelle Owen; Swansea City press officer Ben Donovan; and KentFM reporter, former SwanseaSound reporter & Waterfront Editor James Snaith.
Relationships 27
travel 25
film 23
Xtreme Radio 21
music 20
front row 19
food 17
fashion 14-15
21
features 12-13
4 November 2013 waterfrontonline.co.uk
What’s on throughout the week Monday 9.0011.00
Gabrielle Pye
11.0013.00
Will Windridge & Emily Godding
13.0015.00
Max Allers & Gillie Swann
Sophie Slater & Josefine Schafer Morgan Simpson
15.0017.00
Sian Dennis & Bethany Winstone
17.0019.00
Chris Mackintosh
19.0021.00
Tuesday
Jordan Brace
Simon Lawrence & Gareth Matson
Wednesday Sasha Yaghmai & Shannon Garner Moore ‘Shannon & Sash Show’
Thursday
Friday
Jennifer Taylor ‘Back to the Future’
Simon Whitlock
Neoptolemos Gaitanis
Sean Kenny & Jamie Lock ‘The Two man Gentlemen Show’
Lewys Thomas, Catherine Harries and Sean Kenny ‘Y Sioe Gymraeg’
Mitchell Christie, Nathan Shaw & Visu Mtunzi
Ben Stephens Sarah Arak & Will ‘Spray the paint Raine walls’ Tammy Schuh & Tim Monzet
Ben Rees ‘Wind Street Warmup’
Saturday
Will Windridge & Rhys Jones
The Dugout
Oscar Crowley
Dan Choppen
The Dugout
Paddy Scot
Josh Pandy ‘Soul Sessions’
Ryan O Callaghan 'The Puffin Nuffin Show'
Chris Melvin 'Power Hours'
Your Music. Your Radio.
Sunday
SRA chart
Relationships 27
travel 25
film 23
Xtreme Radio 21
music 20
front row 19
food 17
S I Lver screen with saul masters
fashion 14-15
23
features 12-13
4 November 2013 waterfrontonline.co.uk
film
Best scares for the fright season THE pumpkins have been out for a while now and no doubt you have been planning your costumes running up to the big night, writes Saul Masters. Of course I am talking about Halloween. The one time of year it is permissible to go out caked-on (fake) blood and terrible outfits. Yet if you fancy hiding away behind your pillow this year this is your guide to what to stick on to scare yourself witless. If you are looking for some oldschool scares look no further then John Carpenter’s back catalogue. Carpenter basically created the slasher genre, which dominates much of the modern genre, with his 1978 film Halloween. Halloween tells the disturbing story of infamous murderer Michael Myers, who returns to his home town of Haddonfield to wreak revenge. If you are looking for a horror that is out of this world, look no further than Carpenter’s The Thing, which sees Kurt Russell fighting off an alien that shape shifts into anything and anyone in the desolate back drop of Antarctic. You cannot have a Halloween without Freddy Kruger and if you want to spend your Halloween with the knifewielding maniac pick up Wes Craven’s 1984 classic A Nightmare on Elm Street. Despite Kruger having suffered from endless sequels and a poor remake, the
original still packs a frightful punch. Just don’t watch it before you go to bed. When you think of horror it is difficult to forget the likes of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, which sees Jack Nicholson, go crazy in The Overlook Hotel and Kubrick’s imagining of Stephen King’s famous novel is responsible for some of the most recognisable horror scenes of the last few decades. If you really want to delve deeper into horror’s back catalogue you cannot go wrong with Willam Friedkin’s absolute classic, The Exorcist. Friedkin’s 1973 horror flick is without doubt one of the genre’s most influential films and is probably one of the genre’s most famous. The Exorcist, which is loosely based on true events, tells the story of Regan MacNeil who is possessed by a demonic entity and it is down to two priests to free the young girl. Also don’t forget Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby, the story of Mia Farrow’s Rosemary who gives birth to a baby that isn’t quite what she expected and the inhabitants of her apartment block aren’t exactly what you would call normal. If you fancy something a little less well known why not have a look at Pacific Rim director Guillermo Del Toro’s first foray into cinema. Before Del Toro made Pan’s Labyrinth he cut his teeth on the
likes of Cronos, a wondrous reworking of the classic vampire myth and The Devil’s Backbone, a gothic ghost story set in a Spanish orphanage. Del Toro sets the bar for the quality of modern horror and his early expeditions into the genre will not disappoint. Whatever film you decide to watch this year to scare yourself senseless just remember do not choose Nicholas Cage’s The Wicker Man, or you will be having nightmares for weeks to come.
Would you like to review a film? Write to Saul Masters at waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk
Film Reviews: About Time, Turbo, The Call About Time
By Alina Flint
About Time is exactly what you expect from Richard Curtis, the man who brought us Notting Hill, Love Actually and Bridget Jones. The film follows the extraordinary life of Tim, the son of a slightly eccentric but happy family from the seaside. About Time is a charming, romantic and heart-warming film. Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) a gawky 21 year old awakes the morning after another awful New Year’s Party to be told by his father (Bill Nighy) a coming of age secret – that he and all the men of the family can travel in time – but only in their own life time. After discussing the various philosophical questions including richness vs. happiness and the butterfly effect, Tim declares that it would just be nice to have a girlfriend and sets out to use his new-found ability to create the perfect romance with the quirky, slightly insecure, but loveable Mary (Rachel McAdams). The beauty of this film is in its stolen moments and precious glimpses which perfectly capture the highs and lows, stresses and exhilarations of an ordinary wonderful life (albeit with a bit of time-travelling).
Turbo
By Saul Masters
Dreamworks Animation return to our cinema screens this month with their latest release, Turbo. Turbo tells the story of little garden Snail, Theo a.k.a. Turbo (Ryan Reynolds), who dreams of being the world’s greatest racer, much to his brother Chet’s (voiced by Paul Giamatti) embarrassment, and has spent most of his life as a bit of an outcast. Yet Turbo lives most of his life in the slow lane and painstakingly wishes for more and his wish is granted after an accident which sees him fall into a drag racer’s engine and ends up fusing his DNA with nitrous oxide, with his new powers Turbo can finally achieve his dream. But being a kid’s film, of course Turbo has to face problems on his way to his dream and despite taking this typical route the film is still enjoyable to watch for both children and the adults that they drag along. With the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Giamatti and Snoop Dogg, there is enough humour to make the hour and a half watchable and surprisingly enjoyable.
The Call
By Saul Masters
The Call is Halle Berry’s first film since the shambolic and truly awful, Movie 43. It is also her first hit in a while, the likes of New Year’s Eve, Dark Tide and Cloud Atlas did little to set the box office alight. To be fair, The Call did not exactly break any records but it seems it is the first film in a while that has actually required Halle Berry to do some acting. Berry plays Jordan Turner, a 911 verteran police operator. After one phone call goes badly wrong resulting in a teenager being brutally murdered, Turner quits her job and opts to train police operators instead of taking the calls. Yet it doesn’t take long for Turner to put the headset back on when a phone call, that sounds alarmingly similar to the call that resulted in the teenager’s death. The film’s pace picks up as Abigal Breslin’s Casey is abducted and stuffed in the back of a stranger’s car boot. Casey’s only hope of survival is Berry’s Turner on the other end of the phone. Cue endless tense scenes, Halle Berry in hysterics and some bizarre wigs. Despite the film taking a rather cliched route, it’s a thrilling ride that will have you shouting at the screen.
Relationships 27
travel 25
film 23
Xtreme Radio 21
music 20
front row 19
food 17
fashion 14-15
My year abroad
25
features 12-13
4 November 2013 waterfrontonline.co.uk
travel Daniel is studying at the University of Tennessee (left) and enjoying college football (above).
Adapting to uni life with no booze! T
HE possibility of studying on a year abroad programme is something that was a major factor in my decision to go to Swansea and study Law with American Studies. Granted it does seem a daunting prospect and it’s probably not something you should take lightly. That being said, I couldn’t be happier with my decision. The study abroad department has done a great job in securing partnerships with universities all around the world, meaning I could choose mostly anywhere from New York to New Mexico and Colorado to California. It just so happened I found myself at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. UT is just a two-hour drive from Nashville and is the flagship university in the state of Tennessee (something that they never forget to remind you of ). First thing to mention about the States is that the accent goes a long way; even a strong Cardiff accent like mine is forever referred to as English. Now you may think that because we share the same language that our cultures would be relatively similar. While this is true for the most part, the one thing that surprised me is how dissimilar our universities are. Firstly, classes (lectures) are a lot smaller and usually have a maximum of 30
Daniel Preece is a 3rd year student studying Law and American Studies. He is currently completing a year abroad programme by studying at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. students, more like our seminar classes. Secondly, all classes are compulsory meaning even those 9am lectures on a Thursday morning are unavoidable. This was something made abundantly clear in one of the many orientation meetings as well as some other ground rules most notably, no alcohol. UT, like the majority of universities in the US operates a ‘dry campus’ policy, meaning no alcohol under any circumstances whatsoever. It’s a true culture shock for most students from the
UK or anywhere else in Europe for that matter. This is probably why already having turned 21 is such a bonus for me, because I can take advantage of the strip of bars right next to the university. With a no-alcohol policy you might assume a ‘freshers fortnight’ would be non-existent. Quite the opposite in fact, the first two weeks had everything from UV raves, block parties, Vegas night and even a movie showing in the baseball stadium. I must admit I found it strange watching people dance like lunatics while completely sober, but each to their own. Something which anyone who comes here can’t escape is game days. College football is huge and the sense of ‘school spirit’ is even bigger. The entire city, with a population of around 180,000, comes to a standstill and packs into a 102,455 capacity stadium. Anyone
that’s been to Varsity will know how passionate everyone is when we make the short trip to Cardiff. This however, is every week and you can’t help but get caught up in the frenzy of it all. This is only a brief insight into my first month here but stay tuned for more stories from the good ole US of A…
Relationships 27
travel 25
film 23
Xtreme Radio 21
music 20
front row 19
food 17
27
fashion 14-15
features 12-13
4 November 2013 waterfrontonline.co.uk
relationships
Blind Date When Ali met Piyush
Piyush Mishra, 22, a postgraduate in Master of business administration, and Ali Montgomery, 21, level 3 Ancient History and Classics student, meet in JC’s for The Waterfront blind date.
Ali on Piyush
Ask Aunt Laura & Aunt Mel Your resident agony aunts are here to answer your problems. If you have any questions, from how to change a light bulb or whether to kiss the boy you like, email waterfrontrelationships@swansea-union. co.uk Dear Laura and Mel, I’m having a hard time adjusting to university life, it doesn’t help that I’m missing my boyfriend. We have been together a year and everything is great but I just wish we lived closer. I’m struggling financially with going back to see him all the time, but I look forward to this every week. What advice can you give me about finance and still getting the chance to see him? Hope you can help. Margery Dear Margery, We understand your situation completely, it is hard being in a long distance relationship, but if you really care about each other it will work out perfectly. The best way to deal with this, understands that financially you may not be able to see each other every weekend. Skype it! And phone calls make up for any time that you can’t actually see each other. And think about sharing the journeys, it’s only fair that your boyfriends takes the journey as well, as I can imagine still living at home he isn’t as financially independent as you are. So my advice here is, come to an equal understanding, take it in turn, and Skype! Hope this is helpful! Laura and Mel Dear Laura and Mel, Since starting university I have taken full advantage of the fact I no longer live with my parents. I have got a little carried away. Lets just say I have contracted chlamydia. Well I think it is, I wouldn’t be shocked if it was. So have you got any advice where I can go and get this sorted? Cheers. From Martin Dear Martin, This is a predicament! It is important that you deal with this quickly as it can have long-term effects like infertility. As for help with this, there is a sexual health clinic in Swansea city (Uplands) but the university doctors can also provide help with this matter. After you have done this you also need to make sure you get into contact with your previous ‘partners’ and make sure they are aware they may also have chlamydia…if you can still remember who they are. But in future Martin, please wear a condom, there are so many more STIs that are even worse than chlamydia. So either keep it in your pants or put something on it! Good Luck Martin Laura and Mel
What were your first impressions? He was very polite and concerned that I might have been abusing him behind his back for not being able to make the date the night before. How did you feel about taking part in a blind date before and after? A little nervous before, but he was so easy-going and funny so I was glad I had done it afterwards. Any striking conversation points? His friend’s names, which in English mean Sukdeep and Hardik, that really made us laugh. Did you wonder why he wasn’t in a relationship at any point? No, he’s very respectable and nice. I see no reason why he wouldn’t be in a relationship. If you were to be married and have babies, what would you want your baby to inherit? His sense of humour and smile. Any potential for a kiss? If I were to see him again, I think so. Out of ten, what is your compatibility score with the other person? I would say 7/10. Would you introduce him to your parents? Yes, he is respectable, intelligent and has a sense of humour which is a massive credential for my family, you don’t survive without one... then maybe. Would you like to meet again? Yes, he said he would cook some real Indian food for me, rather than the microwave dinners I usually end up eating. How do you think the date went? I think it went well, we were there for three hours and he was a sweetheart and walked me home.
Piyush on Ali
What were your first impressions? My first impression of meeting her was beautiful. How did you feel about taking part in a blind date before and after? I wasn’t sure that it would last for more than two hours, but it lasted thankfully. She was a nice person to meet, very friendly, innocent with a beautiful smile. She was very down to earth, we spent an amazing time together. Any striking conversation points? There were many. At first the my friends’ Indian names and their meaning, her interest in Indian foods. Also about her tank renovations she does at home! Did you wonder why she wasn’t in a relationship at any point? I think she is so happy in herself that she doesn’t need a boyfriend. She is full of life. After she met me I think her viewpoint changed. If you were to be married and have babies, what would you want your baby to inherit? I would want my baby to have her smile, she has a very beautiful, dangerous smile on which anyone would go weak at the knees. And her eyes. Any potential for a kiss? We didn’t kiss on our first date but I think if we meet up again we might! Out of ten, what is your compatibility score with the other person? I think an 8. Would you introduce her to your parents? Definitely. She is the complete package. My parents would be very happy to meet her. Would you like to meet again? Yes, in fact we will be meeting very soon to enjoy my home cooked indian food! •If you are interested in featuring in the blind date, email your name, age, course and level to waterfrontrelationships@swansea-union.co.uk.
28 I SPORT
thewaterfront 4.11.13
Hockey
Cardy philosophical after thrilling Exeter draw SWANSEA 1sts 5 - 5 EXETER 3rds
POSITIVE SIGNS: Despite failing to see out the win, a 5-5 draw with Exeter showed plenty of reasons for optimism for Swansea. A DRAMATIC and action-packed match with Exeter 3rds saw Swansea University men’s hockey first team draw a high-scoring game 5-5. As well as 10 goals being scored, the feisty game also saw two players sent off. Captain Jonathan Cardy was philosophical about the result, but expressed his happiness with the fight his players showed. “It was a really good performance overall, even though it does feel like two points lost rather than one point
by Lisa Jones waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
gained as we were ahead the whole game until they pulled it back from 5-3. “We wanted to start quickly and put them on the back foot and try to score, but unfortunately it didn’t go to plan this way as they got the early goal.” The home side didn’t put their heads down despite the early setback of going 0-1 down, and after
five minutes they pulled level as Tom Newman deflected in a crossed ball. This frantic opening to the game set the tone for the rest of the match as the goals flooded in. Firstly Swansea’s Michael Venn netted to put the green and white side into the lead, before an Exeter equaliser levelled things once again at 2-2. However, Swansea then began to take control of the end-to-end encounter. Callum Pink put them back in front, and then a great ball from
Cardy gave Venn the opportunity for his second. And the scorer of Swansea’s second did not pass up the opportunity as he struck a reverse hit around the keeper to give the home side a two-goal cushion. However, the side could not take that cushion into half-time, as late in the half a short corner lead to Exeter pulling a goal back to ensure that they were still firmly in the game at half-time, with the score at 4-3 to Swansea. Opening the second half Swansea looked strong, managing to hold down a lot of possession and put together long passing sequences. However, the Exeter goalkeeper was alert and saved numerous attempts to prevent Swansea extending their lead again. The atmosphere was tense in the second half, demonstrated by the numerous warnings given by the umpires. Eventually this lead to a yellow card for Venn forcing Swansea to play with a man down. Upon re-entering the pitch, though, Venn made another key contribution to the game, adding an assist to his two goals as his pass allowed Jacob Plant to smack the
ball into the bottom corner of the goal to put Swansea 5-3 to the good. However, once again Swansea were unable to defend this lead, as Exeter pulled one back. Despite receiving a yellow card of their own, Exeter were given a golden chance to equalise when Swansea goalkeeper Mike Gerrard wiped out an Exeter attacker, leading to a penalty flick and a consequential equaliser. As time progressed Swansea still looked the most likely side of the two to find a winner, but a tightened Exeter defence, combined with more good work from their goalkeeper kept the score at 5-5. Captain Cardy chose to focus on the good from the game, despite the disappointment of throwing away two two-goal leads. “There are a lot of positives to take from the performance and we are improving all the time, so its looking good for this season,” he said. After a promotion for the team last year, Cardy explained his aims for this season. “We need to make sure that we prove that we should be in this league, and after taking points today it feels as though we should be playing at this standard.”
waterfrontonline.co.uk
SPORT I 29
Fencing
Fencing club take time out to launch mass blood donation drive
GOOD CAUSE: (l-r) Megan Lillycrop, Madelaine Swift, James Gilbert and Peter Lewis show the fencing club’s philanthropic side. MEMBERS of Swansea University fencing club have taken time out from their BUCS season to generously donate blood for a good cause. The blood drive was the brainchild of club president Madelaine Swift.
by Tom Nightingale waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
“Since the club has grown so much this year, and has received so much support, the committee and I decided it was time to give something back to a good cause,”
she explained. “Since we are in the position and have the ability to do so we thought ‘why not?’” This was the first time that Swift and many of the other fencers who took part had donated blood, but any nerves or fears they had were
quickly allayed by the friendly and relaxing staff. The blood donated will be used to help many medical situations, including surgery, A&E and research. “We thought we should really live up to the historical roots of our sport and see what losing a pint of blood is like,” said the club’s press secretary Joe Mountford. “We like the idea of honouring traditions and helping out the wider world at the same time!” With the event a complete success, it seems that the fencing club will not hesitate to get involved with future charitable events in the future, and President Swift revealed that the club already have future plans. “We also plan to do a lot more charity work this year, including a mass litter-picking session on the beach after Guy Fawkes night, and we are also planning to hold some charitable events throughout the year – plus a secret project the club as a whole is working on!”
Hockey
Women’s firsts sweep aside Cardiff SWANSEA 1sts 6 - 0 CARDIFF 3rds
SWANSEA ladies’ hockey 1sts convincingly beat Cardiff 3rds to continue their unbeaten start to the new BUCS campaign. Captain Holly Janes seemed proud of the team’s result, and explained how the side are striving for success in 2013-14.
by Lisa Jones waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
“We deserved the win and 6-0 was a great result,” she said. ““The first goal gave us confidence and really boosted the team, with Brianna Kerr taking on a few
Cardiff players before slipping it past the ‘keeper.” After this opener the goals kept coming, with Kat Carr adding a second before Kerr made it 3-0 to Swansea with her second. Possession was clearly dominated by Swansea in the first half and it already looked like a one-sided game, with Cardiff becoming disgruntled with the home side’s dominance and having to be warned for errors by the umpires. Swansea came out into the second half looking positive but after a strong team talk, Cardiff began to up their game. The ball constantly swapped sides with goalkeeper Rebecca Holland finally forced into having to make a save as tensions ran high, with another green card being given to Cardiff. Swansea could have extended their lead when Jennie Ellis intercepted and ran the length of the pitch only for her shot to be blocked by the keeper. A few attacking short corners came to no avail, but Swansea kept the pressure on in search of a bigger scoreline, and in the final 10 minutes it started to pay off. Firstly Sophie Feboul added a
fourth, before goals from Josie Hassall and Lisa Jones added welldeserved gloss to the scoreline before the final whistle blew. The Swansea girls looked jubilant at their 6-0 win and a continued unbeaten streak in the league. After the win Janes reflected on her team’s good start to the season, and outlined her hopes for the rest of the year. “We’ve had two really solid results in BUCS so far so I’m positive for the season ahead and confident of achieving promotion at the end of the year. “This season we’ve focused on a lot of team building as we lost a lot of seniors last year, there has been a massive intake of freshers into the squad and they are an outstanding group of girls. “Our coaches have worked a lot on defence and our pressing and that shone through today.” Last Wednesaday the team played their third match of the season and added another victory, this time a 0-3 win over Cardiff Met seconds which leaves Swansea top of Western 2B with a maximum haul of 9 points from the three fixtures that the team have played so far.
Volleyball
Foxley hoping for volleyball victories by Tom Nightingale waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
THE BUCS volleyball season is recently underway and this weekend (the 9th/10th of November) sees big games for both Swansea University’s men’s and women’s teams at Sketty Lane. The university men’s team suffered a disappointing season last campaign which ultimately ended in their relegation from BUCS Western 2A. On Saturday, they play a double header of games against University of South Wales Pontypridd and Cardiff first and second teams for what will be their third and fourth matches of the season in the Western 2B conference. The women’s team’s 2012-13 season was the polar opposite to that of the men’s, as they completed a remarkable league and cup double by winning both the BUCS Western 2A division and the BUCS Western Conference Cup. And they have already won their first game of the season in the Western 1A conference, 2-0 in an away clash with the University of Bath’s first team in mid-October, despite the higher standard of volleyball. Next up for the women’s team is a difficult clash in their second game of the season against Exeter firsts on Sunday. This weekend of fixtures will be both teams’ first home games of the season, and women’s captain Heli Foxley is keen to see the club supported this season. “We’d love to get as many supporters as possible down to the sports hall to watch,” she explained.
30 I SPORT
thewaterfront 4.11.13
Rugby Union
Spirited Swansea no match for ruthless Hartpury SWANSEA 1sts 10 - 46 HARTPURY 1sts
NO MATCH: A spirited performance could not prevent Swansea University men’s rugby firsts from slipping to defeat to Hartpury. HARTPURY were the visitors to Sketty Lane for their first home game of the BUCS season, with a high-scoring affair always on the cards. Hartpury arrived in South Wales second in the league, with two wins under their belt, and they showed their class early on, storming to a 0-12 lead inside five minutes as their wingers sliced through the Swansea back line.
by Ned Bristow waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
From there, however, Swansea steadied the ship. Some good pressure from the hosts won them a penalty, which fly-half Jack Shields duly converted from the edge of the 22 to make it 3-12. With 15 minutes gone, the home forwards were yet to fully settle into the game, and
conceded a cheap three points from a penalty, after losing a scrum against the head. With the score at 3-15, the game opened up into a midfield battle. Possession repeatedly swapped hands before Swansea took control in the final ten minutes of the half. A solid bout of pressure from the improving Swansea pack led to a penalty on the half hour, but
Shields narrowly missed the kick from a wide angle. The invigorated hosts continued to force Hartpury onto the back foot, and some prolonged phase play led to a breakthrough. Shields broke the line to touch down between the posts, and brushed himself off to slot the conversion and make it 10-15. Swansea continued to press and ended a compelling first half by winning a penalty after yet another assault on the Hartpury try line, but failed to convert and ended the half 10-15 behind. The second half began much the same as the first, with Swansea starting sluggishly and struggling to deal with Hartpury’s relentless attacks. Five minutes into the half, the away side forced a penalty deep in Swansea territory. The home side were slow to react as Hartpury took it quickly, diving over the line for an unconverted try to make it 10-20. Hartpury’s organised back line began to assert their dominance,
piling on the pressure and stretching the home defence. The visitors capitalised and won a scrum deep in the Swansea half, bundling over to score a try which was then converted. At 10-27, the game looked to be slipping out of Swansea’s grasp. The hosts failed to regain control, as Hartpury scored and converted another try through some fluid work amongst the backs. At 10-34 down with ten minutes left, the crowd began to accept the inevitable, and only a series of heavy tackles from Swansea flanker Jack Perkins served to lift spirits on the touchline. The visitors were still hungry for more, however, and added another converted try after a catch and drive from a lineout to make it 10-41, before Hartpury’s backs topped off the rout with a final try. The unsuccessful conversion made for a full time score of 1046, leaving Swansea rooted to the bottom of Premier South A after what was very much a game of two halves.
waterfrontonline.co.uk
SPORT I 31
Windsurfing
Windsurfers look ahead to busy year in 2013-14 SWANSEA University windsurfing club recently competed at the first and biggest windsurfing event of the SWA [Student Windsurfing Association] event calender, the Aussie Kiss XII event sponsored by Red Bull. The event was hosted at Roadford Lake, Devon, over the weekend of the 25th, 26th and 27th of October, and was attended by seven members of the club: Will Bond, Sean Coutts, Ali Ewida, Liam Kelleher, Alex Mallalieu, Max Robinson and Glen Sullivan. The first day consisted initially of windsurfing sessions and tuition, which the Swansea contingent attended and helped to oversee, followed by windsurfing on demo kit brought in by Boardwise, RRD and Tabou. During the first evening of the event, competitors from all of the competing universities took the opportunity to mingle and get to know each other. On Sunday the surfers headed
by Tom Nightingale waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
to the lake for more windsurfing, and got the chance to test out the demo kit’s capabilities as the strong winds that were forecast hit. The festival was the first of many that Swansea University windsurfing club will be taking
part in over the course of 2013-14, including events held in Cardiff, Bristol and Southern England. In the meantime the club will hold training sessions every Wednesday in Mumbles catering for all levels of ability and experience. The club will also be running a beginner weekend course shortly before Christmas.
Cricket
Cricketers start well in indoor league season THE BUCS indoor cricket league Western B conference is underway for the 2013-14 season, and Swansea University’s first team have begun with signs of promise. The team’s first game was against a very professional outfit in Bath, who are tipped for a very high finish in the league. Swansea posted a respectable total of 107 off their 10 overs, with a notable mention for Thomas Kear (27 retired) after getting off to a flying start with erratic bowling from the opening Bath bowlers, which yielded 46 extras to the Swansea total. However, Bath got off to a great start in their run chase and there was no catching them. Some poor bowling from the Swansea attack and a show of some class batting from their opposition saw a very well-drilled Bath side reach their total with an over and a half to spare. However, an encouraging performance brought optimism to the team ahead of their second game, against fierce rivals Cardiff. Both teams were quietly confident of a win in the highly-anticipated clash and that rivalry gave the game a sense
by Glen Williams waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
of gravitas. Swansea were made to bat first again after Cardiff won the toss and elected to field. After a careful start and some good bowling from the Cardiff openers, the scoreboard didn’t make for pleasant reading for Swansea after five overs. However another sterling performance from opener Kear (28 retired), ably supported by several good performances lower down the order, enabled Swansea to post a competitive total of 95. It was now the turn of the bowlers to step up, and an outstanding spell from Sam Evans saw three very quick wickets and the pressure was directly on Cardiff to score. With the help of some tight bowling, Swansea were able to clinch that all-important win over their arch enemies for a magnificent 31-run victory. The team’s next indoor league game sees them face Cardiff Met firsts at the Swalec on Sunday 17 November.
Golf
Swansea golfers return to fore with an unbeaten start to the new BUCS season SWANSEA University’s golf team have started the 201314 campaign in superb form after last season ended in disappointment. After being relegated from BUCS Western 1A Conference at the end of 2012-13, the team have recorded three impressive wins already in the new season and sit top of the Western 2B conference boasting a maximum nine points from three games. Team captain Tom Beddow is delighted with how the club have reacted to the unhappy end to last season. “Last year we played in the BUCS Western 1A division against teams such as Exeter and Bournemouth, universities who receive players on golf scholarships,” Beddow explained. “We came fourth out of six teams and were unfortunately relegated to Western 2B due to the division having to make space for Cardiff Met 1sts who were relegated from Premier South.
by Tom Nightingale waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
“However I felt as though we had a very successful season and we defeated many players who play golf for a degree, which is an outstanding achievement for our players. “This year I have taken over the captaincy from Pete Gordon, who had a very successful year as captain last campaign, leading us to our fifth Varsity win in a row [pictured]. “This season our aim is to win promotion back to Western 1A, and we have had a great start so far.” In the team’s first game of the new season, a home tie with Cardiff firsts at Pennard Golf Club, they recorded a tight 3.5-2.5 victory with some outstanding individual performances. Liam Eley halved, Oliver Hadden won 1 up, Tom Smith lost 3&2, captain Beddow lost
HOPING TO BOUNCE BACK: Swansea Uni golf team, pictured here at Varsity 2013, are on course to regain Western 1A status this season. 6&5, Rhodri Booth won 3&2, Greg Harris won 7&6. The team then followed up this narrow victory with a thumping away win over Bristol firsts by 5.5 points to 0.5. Liam Eley this time won 1
up, Oliver Hadden won again 6&5, Tom Smith won 5&4, Tom Beddow halved, and Rhodri Booth and Greg Harris both won for the second match in a row, Booth 4&3 and Harris 6&5. And last Wednesday’s
resounding 6-0 win over Cardiff Met seconds meant that the club’s perfect start to the new season continued, and ensured that they have already established themselves as the frontrunners in Western 2B this season.
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Issue 232
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4 November 2013
SWANSEA POOL DROPPED AS PARALYMPIC BASE
Inside This Issue Hockey
Men’s firsts draw highscoring Exeter clash
p28 Fencing
Blood donation day a resounding success
SWANSEA STATUS SUNK:The Wales National Pool located in the sports grounds of Swansea University will no longer be used as the base for Britain’s best Paralympic swimmers. IN a “significant blow to disability sport provision in Wales” as well as to Swansea University swimming, British Para-Swimming have announced that the Welsh National Pool, located in the university sports centre, will no longer be the home of elite Paralympic swimming. What was seen as a poor performance at the British Olympics has seen British Swimming opt to move all of their athletes to Manchester in order to attempt to centralise training in the build-up to Rio 2016. The pool had previously produced a number of medal winning swimmers including Ellie Simmonds, who set a world record at the recent London Olympics, Swansea University student Gemma Almond, and Dave Roberts, one of the most
by Max Stevens waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
successful Paralympians that Great Britain has ever produced. This decision has been appealed by the Welsh National Pool who have applied to the Welsh and UK governments, as well as to UK Sport, to have the decision reversed. Bethan Jenkins, a South West Wales Assembly Member, was disappointed that British Swimming have chosen to move the base to Manchester. “The pool is an excellent facility and it is a crying shame that this decision has been made,” she said. There are concerns that the move may lead to a decrease in funding to the pool, and the number of Intensive Training Centres in the UK has already decreased with
Selected Results October 23rd
October 30th
Men’s Lacrosse
Men’s Rugby League
SWANSEA 1st 12 - 4 ST MARK 1st
SWANSEA 1st 36 - 12 BRISTOL 1st
Women’s Netball
Men’s Hockey
Men’s Football
Men’s Rugby Union
Women’s Rugby SWANSEA 1st 94 - 0
Men’s Badminton
CARDIFF 2nd 28 - 33 SWANSEA 1st CARDIFF 1st 2 - 4 SWANSEA 2nd ST MARK 1st
SWANSEA 2nd 3 - 2 USWP&C 1st SWANSEA 3rd 12 - 11 USWP&C 1st WINCHESTER 1st 1 - 7 SWANSEA 2nd
Stockport having lost its funding. This means that currently there are only four ITCSs in the UK: Swansea, Sterling, Loughborough and Bath. Anne Ellis, the chairwoman of the Welsh National Pool, wrote a letter to politicians in which she claimed that “this also means the pool loses out on income from elite training and the coaching excellence developed… is under threat.” The Swansea University Swimming Team use the Welsh National Pool as their training base and it is thought that any cut in funding would be detrimental to both them and any students who use the facilities in a personal capacity. This is because with less money being allocated to the pool the facilities may suffer a fall in standards, as well as the potential loss of the elite swimming coaches currently
Selected Fixtures November 6th Men’s Fencing
BATH 1st v SWANSEA 1st Men’s Hockey
CARDIFF 2nds v SWANSEA 2nd Women’s Netball BATH 4th v SWANSEA 2nd Men’s Basketball
SWANSEA 1st V USWP&C 1st
involved with the pool. Camilla Grossman, Social Secretary of the Swansea University Swimming Team, was worried that whilst the change won’t impact students directly, if funding for the pool was to be cut as a result then it may have a detrimental effect on the university swim team saying: that “we may lose pool time and the performance team may be heavily effected.” Sport Wales are hoping that despite the loss in funding they will still be able to provide a high standard of coaching at the facility. A spokesperson said: “Our central focus continues to be that talented Welsh swimmers are able to reach their potential and have access to high level coaching and support. We are discussing how [we] can achieve this with our investment and resources.’’
p29 Golf
Swansea impress with unbeaten start
p31
CURRENT BUCS 2013 1 2 3 4 5
Durham Loughborough Nottingham Exeter Bath
1647 1613 1429 1329 1327
557 33 Aberdeen 556 34 Swansea 525 Gloucestershire 35