the waterfront
Free Issue 260 25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
The official student newspaper of Swansea University
VARSITY 2016 IS COMING TO SWANSEA!
INSIDE
Agony Aunt Returns p. 28
The Revenant Review p. 12 Waterfront News waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
With Christmas overindulgence a fading memory, we look forward to the pinnacle of the year for many students. We can confirm that the Welsh Varsity 2016 will take place on Wednesday 20th April in Swansea. The event, now in its 20th year, sees over 900 students from Cardiff University and Swansea University battle for the honour of Varsity success. The Welsh Varsity is a festival of sport, with over 35 competitions taking place across 23 sports. Swansea University and the Liberty Stadium will play host to the tournament which runs from
Saturday 16th – Wednesday 20th April. Fixtures kick off at 10:00 on the 20th, with more than 30 competitions taking place throughout the day, on and around the Swansea University campus. The celebrations will culminate that evening with the showcase Ment’s Rugby clash at the Liberty Stadium, home of Swansea City and the Ospreys. Felix Mmeka, Swansea Union Sports Officer, is excited about the tournament.”As a Sports Officer, I am very excited that the Welsh Varsity 2016 is going to be in Swansea, it is really good for our athletes to compete on home soil. I am sure our clubs are looking forward to fighting for both the Shield and the Cup and our students are eager to watch the spectacle. Cardiff watch
out out, Green and White Army (GWA) are coming for you!!” The rowing event launches the tournament on Saturday 16th April with the Men’s and Women’s Novice and Senior squads battling for the spoils on the river Tawe in Swansea. A single ticket gives access to all events and will go on sale on Thursday 28th January 2016. Tickets include access to all sporting fixtures throughout the event, your supporters t-shirt, and access to the official after party in Walkabout. Tickets are priced at £25.00 (full package) and £22.50 for sports swansea members. Buy yours at http://swanseasu.nutickets.com/varsity2016
The Year Ahead In Music p. 14
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NEWS
the waterfront 25. 01. 16
Government to scrap maintenance grants for English Students by Declan Murphy
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
In a drastic move the Government is to remove maintenance grants for English students. A movement that Prime Minister Cameron ruled out in 2010, “We must always help people from lower income backgrounds go to university, that’s why we should keep bursaries and expand bursaries.” However, as stated in Osborne’s Budget, bursaries are to be cut for English students. The bursaries are worth up to £3,387 and are currently given to around 500,000 English students. The move will see grants instead switched to loans, meaning those on a lower income will leave university with a higher level of debt. To compensate the level a student living outside of London is allowed to borrow will increase to £8,200 per year. The Welsh National Assembly blocked the move being enforced onto Welsh students by allocating some of its budget to compensate the scrap. However the movement of funding now means resources could be taken away from other Welsh projects. Many English students have already been effected by the Conservative’s policy in regards to students. In 2010 tuition fees were raised from £3,000 to £9,000, meaning one year of university tuition for an English student was
comparable to a whole 3-year course for a Welsh student. Last week saw Labour try to block the motion through annulment, citing the method by which the policy came into effect. No vote took place to pass the policy with the Government instead using other means to side step a vote in the Commons. SU President, Lewys Arôn, posted on Facebook that he had spent Monday morning on the phone to MPs “urging them to OPPOSE the scrapping of maintenance grants”. The President also went on to say that ““the only way for students to voice their opinions on these matters is to vote”, something which massively contrasts when compared to how the government pursued the new policy in the first place. Robiu Salisu, the SU’s Education Officer, also threw his support behind reversing the scrapping. When asked, Robiu stressed on the importance of people to contact their local MP, saying “We must be engaged in the political sphere if we are to reverse the changes that has been put forward”. Mr. Salisu also mentioned interactions with English students saying they were “telling me that they would not have come to University if it was not for the fact that they had maintenance grant”. More than just the SU voiced concerns, both for and against the Government’s decision. Dan Williams, an
Engineering student currently in Switzerland, said he was glad it is gone. He also mentioned that it was fairer to allow students from all backgrounds to receive a higher amount in loans, adding “with this new scheme everyone’s student finance goes up which is a good thing”. Another student, remaining anonymous, said that they were glad the loan was gone as it meant they had to “juggle a job, my degree and on top of that have a loan” just because they come from a high income family. Not all students were for the notion though, Tomos Hooper, a student in Aberystwyth, said he was “glad I took my grant out for this year as something to fall back on”. He also led on to say that “At this point there is little benefit in going to uni for job prostpects unless it is a high ranking institution, the renown of which will give you higher chance of a job with income to afford paying the loan”. Tomos also wondered about student potentially being driven abroad, “I mean we have the EU right? Oh wait”. Swansea’s students weren’t the only people involved. Students in Westminster blocked Westminster Bridge for over an hour and a half in retaliation to the new scheme before eventually being cleared by police. It is the 2nd protest in regards to students in the last month as junior doctors also took to the streets in response to Government plans to increase their workload.
Students risk life by ignoring Meningitis vaccine CHARITY Meningitis Now has renewed its call for students to take action to protect themselves from a particularly deadly strain of meningitis this winter, as figures for England suggest that less than half of those eligible to receive a free new vaccine have yet to do so.
meningitis - we urge them to take up this lifesaving vaccine.” The call has been backed by the charity’s Young Ambassador and University of Portsmouth student Louise Poole, who contracted meningitis in 2007 and had the ACWY vaccine in August last year.
Cases of bacterial meningitis can spike during the winter months and students are particularly susceptible. Teenagers are the second most at risk group of contracting meningitis after babies and toddlers.
“I needed absolutely no encouragement to get this vaccination”, she said. “Anything to prevent this disease is worth doing.
Sue Davie, Meningitis Now chief executive, said: “Up to a quarter of students carry the bacteria that can cause meningitis compared to one in ten of the general population. “Over 12 per cent of all cases occur in the 14 to 24 age group, with first year students being at particular risk. “It’s vital that students are not complacent about the threat of
“Students should ask themselves ‘do you want to die?’ If the answer is ‘no’, then get the vaccine. “For me this is huge, because honestly, having meningitis sucks.” There are not vaccines for all strains of meningitis and advice
from the charity is for students to also learn the signs and symptoms of the disease, and look out for themselves and their friends. Meningitis symptoms can include sickness, fever, fever with cold hands and feet, muscle pain, headaches, confusion, irritability, dislike of bright lights and a rash that doesn’t fade under pressure. Students should seek urgent medical help if they suspect the disease. If you suspect someone may be ill with meningitis or septicaemia, trust your instincts and get immediate medical help. Visit www.MeningitisNow.org or call the freephone helpline on 0808 80 10 388.
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY, 27TH JANUARY
The university will mark Holocaust Memorial Day on Wednesday 27 January, where we will remember the millions who have been murdered or whose lives have been changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust. The Equality team will be holding an information stall on 27th January, 11-2pm, ground floor Fulton House, and encourage students to come by and learn more. http://hmd.org.uk/.
NEWS
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Big Bike Day by Hannah Granton
waterfrontunionnews@swansea-union.co.uk
On Monday 30th November 2015, the Students’ Union hosted ‘The Big Bike Day’, a day totally dedicated to bike care, safety and maintenance.
NE W S W IT H HE AT H ER WOOD
The day was hosted by Students’ Union President Lewys Aron and saw crowds of students’ registering the bikes with South Wales Police, grabbing lots of free bike goodies and learning about bike safety. In partnership with Jayne Cornelius the Universities Travel Planning Co-ordinator, Lewys Aron gathered members of Neath Port Talbot Council, South Wales Police and local bike shop Tredz to organise the day. Together they were able to offer students free bike gear varying from D-Locks and florescent bag
Students’ Union Study Aid Success! by Rhydian Morris
waterfrontunionnews@swansea-union.co.uk
The bi-annual tradition of student Study Aid kicked off this January 11th and continued till the end of the exam period on the 22nd. Student reps, Part-time officer’s and other keen students took time out of their nights to man stalls in both libraries, offering some support to stressed out students taking exams. Student’s revising in either the Singleton or Bay Campus library from 5-10pm were able to get a variety of hot drinks from coffee to hot chocolate, along with sweets and other useful materials. The January exam period is a very stressful time period for students. For many, this will be the first time they will face exams at a university level. It’s valuable, therefore, to attempt to reduce this stress and encourage students to take breaks and practice healthy selfcare at this time of year.
Robiu Salisu the Student’s Union Education Officer had this to say about the event “The importance of study aid is to provide students support during the exam period. Students are often too drained and tired to concentrate whilst revising long hours in the library. For that reason, we will be there, as their knight and shining armour, giving them a boost with free coffee, tea, biscuits and a friendly chat. This will also be an opportunity for students to speak to their representatives, such as myself, their subject or college reps and some of the other Full or Part-Time officers in the Students’ Union.This event is completely run by students for students, so a big massive thanks to all the volunteers who have signed up each evening.” Study Aid will return for the summer exam period.
covers to bike care kits and bike lights. The event was organised in response to a recent rise in bike thefts on University campuses and claims of a ‘lack of safety’ on the campus to campus cycle path. The aim was to outline to students that cheap locks are not good enough and to ensure that students have all the equipment to stay safe when cycling. Following the event Lewys had to say: ‘It’s great to see such a big turnout for this event and that we were able to provide students all the biking needs considering rising costs. With University and Union supporting sustainable travel methods include including the Bay Campus cycle path it is really important that students have access to these supplies. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time organising this event and it’s great to see that students’ find it valuable.’ The Students Union will be hosting a similar event on the Bay Campus in the new year.
Refreshers 2016
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My Employability Week 2016 Swansea Employability Academy Singleton Park & Bay Campus, Monday 25th-Friday 29th January The Swansea Employability Academy will be hosting a variety of events and workshops at both campuses as part of My Employability Week 2016, and these will be open to ALL students of all disciplines.
Tuesday 26th January workshops include: • What next after my degree (Bay Campus) • Swansea Employability Award (Bay Campus) • Writing an effective CV and covering letter (Singleton Park Campus)
Wednesday 27th January workshops include: • • • •
How to write effective applications (Singleton Park Campus) How do I develop my interview skills? (Singleton Park Campus) How to find a graduate job (Singleton Park Campus) Understanding Psychometric tests and assessment tools (Singleton Park Campus)
To view details of the Employability Week programme and register/login to book your place to attend individual events, please visit: https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/careers/employability-week/
WoW (week of Work) placements Employability Week is also the Swansea Employability Academy’s ‘flagship’ week for WoW (‘Week of Work’) placements. Hundreds of students who signed up to our placements programmes will be doing a wide variety of unpaid placements this week – boosting their CV’s and working towards securing longer-term placements and graduate roles. If you have arranged your own unpaid placement this week, keep your lunch and travel receipts and get in touch with us! By emailing your placement details through to workplacements@swansea.ac.uk we may be able to reimburse these costs as well as making sure your placement is captured on your HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Record) as well as considering you for future placements. Applications for our SPIN, WOW and Santander programmes re-open (for the last time this academic year) 29th February to 11th March 2016. If you sign up you’ll also attend a free SEA Employability Bootcamp. For further information, visit myuni.swan.ac.uk/work-
placements or email your questions to workplacements@swansea.ac.uk. PwC Pitch Competition - Tuesday 26th January - “The changing world of business” Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get to know PwC better and have the chance to win a £200 prize. You’ll be asked to present for 10 minutes on “The changing world of business”. Following this, PwC will spend a further 5 minutes asking questions and will then provide 5 minutes of feedback. You’ll be judged on 3 key areas: presentation style, content and structure. The top 3 students will then be invited to PwC’s Swansea office to pitch to their Director on Thursday 25th February. The winning student will receive £200, and all finalists will be taken out for lunch with PwC staff, which presents another great opportunity to find out more about the firm and the career opportunities available at PwC. www.pwc.com/uk/careers www.facebook.com/PwCCareersUK You should book your presentation appointment through our online booking system at http://swansea.prospects.ac.uk/index.html Once you have logged in, you should do the following: • Select Events • Select Events Calendar • Select Date of Event (26 January) • Select “PwC Pitch Competition – The Changing world of Business” • Book
Schools’ and Colleges’ events during Employability Week In addition to events hosted by the Swansea Employability Academy described above, Schools and Colleges will be running discipline specific employability events. Further information will be made available by your College/School as appropriate. The College of Science will be hosting a Welsh Language Employability Conference, and School of Management an employer workshop with EY (Ernst Young), and these will be open students from all disciplines.
Tuesday 26th January 2016 Time
Workshop/Event Title and Descriptor
Facilitated by: Location
10:00 - 11:00
What next after my degree
Gareth Hill , Careers Adviser, Swansea Employability Academy
Bay Campus CoE/ Engineering Central/B004 (Lecture Theatre)
Chris Cardew, Swansea Employability Award & Gareth Hill , Careers Adviser, Swansea Employability Academy
Bay Campus, Library PC Room 2
Jennie James, Careers Adviser, Swansea Employability Academy
Singleton Park Campus Fulton House Lecture Room B
PwC
Singleton Park Campus Library & Information Centre – Training Room 1
This session will help you to consider the options for you after your degree. You will: • Weigh up the different options open to you post-degree • Start to plan your next steps towards your goals. 11:00 - 12:00 12:00 - 13:00
Swansea Employability Award
14:00 - 15:00
Writing an effective CV and covering letter
A degree is most important to getting a great job, but employers look for much more than a degree when choosing which graduates to offer jobs to. Getting experience and developing skills whilst you study and during your holiday periods will give you a competitive edge. But what exactly do you want to do when you graduate? What kind of work would suit you? Some work requires you to have had some experience before you apply. The SEA helps you to explore who you are and then gain experience and develop skills. If you complete the SEA it will be recorded on your HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report). Be sure to have completed by the end of May in your final year of study to ensure that it does go onto your HEAR.
A practical workshop covering the key points on how to write CVs and covering letters and adapt them to meet the needs of potential employers and Industry Sectors. This workshop will be useful if you have not yet written your CV or if you need further help and advice on communicating your educational talents and previous work experience to employers. If you have a current CV you are welcome to bring it to this session, though there may not be time for individual feedback. Individual Appointments starting at 10am.
PwC “Pitch Competition” “The changing world of business”
Shortlisting Date: Thursday 25th February
You’ll be asked to present for 10 minutes on “The changing world of business”. Following this, we will spend a further 5 minutes asking questions and will then provide 5 minutes of feedback. You’ll be judged on 3 key areas: presentation style, content and structure. We’ll then invite the top 3 students to our Swansea office to pitch to our Director.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get to know PwC better and have the chance to win a £200 prize.
The winning student will receive £200, and all finalists will be taken out for lunch with our staff, which presents another great opportunity to find out more about the firm and the career opportunities available at PwC. www.pwc.com/uk/careers www.facebook.com/PwCCareersUK
Wednesday 27th January 2016 Time
Workshop/Event Title and Descriptor
Facilitated by: Location
11:00 -12:00
How to write effective applications
Jennie James, Careers Adviser, Swansea Employability Academy
Singleton Park Campus Fulton House Lecture Room B
Feeling daunted by applications forms? This workshop will look at different types of application forms, focussing on the “additional information” and competency sections , (e.g. “please provide an example of an activity demonstrating your ability to communicate with impact and empathy”) We will suggest techniques and strategies for completing forms effectively to maximise your chances of being shortlisted. 12:00 - 13:00
How do I develop my interview skills?
Lucy Norman, Careers Feel you’d like to brush up on your interview technique? In this session our Careers Advisers will provide you with hints and Adviser, tips on how to survive job interviews. Swansea Employability Academy
Singleton Park Campus Fulton House Lecture Room B
13:00 - 14:00
How to find a graduate job
Zdravka Kamenova, Careers Adviser, Swansea Employability Academy
Singleton Park Campus Fulton House Lecture Room B
Rebecca Vaughan, Careers Adviser, Swansea Employability Academy
Singleton Park Campus Library & Information Centre Training Room 2
Searching for work after graduation and not sure where to look or when to start applying? This workshop will help you get a clearer picture of timescales, where to look for vacancies and develop an action plan.
14:00 - 16:00
Understanding Psychometric tests and assessment tools This practical workshop will help you understand and practice the main psychometric tests. Why do employers use them? How can you maximise your performance? Where can you find on line practice tests? We will also consider other exercises typically used at assessment centres, such as group tasks.
NEWS
waterfrontonline.co.uk
LIBERATION
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with Akosua Darko
waterfrontliberation@swansea-union.co.uk
Dear women, LGBT students, International students, Black students and disabled students - happy new year! Opression has held us back, made us the bottom of the totem pole in society and left us with so many scars and feelings of alienation, self hate and feelings of low self worth. We have had to battle to find worth in ourselves and constantly have to challenge societal opression and the constant racism, homophic, xenophobia, discrimination and sexism thrown towards us. This can leave feelings of bitterness, anger and a lot of pain. Now I’m not telling anyone what to do. I will just give advice, take from it or agree with what you will. This is advice I give to myself too. Don’t let it eat you alive, in
CELEBRATE LGBT HISTORY MONTH, THIS FEBRUARY February is LGBT history month, and this year, the LGBT+ Staff Network are organising as series of events to celebrate our history and culture, open to all students and staff. These include: a screening of the film Grandma in the Taliesin Arts Centre on 1 February; A series of blog posts covering various aspects of LGBT history and culture; information stalls on 2nd and 16th Feb in Fulton house, 12-2.30 pm, and the annual Equal Opportunities Lecture featuring Lee Gale, Director and Founder of Transbareall on 17 February, who will be discussing issues relating to transgender people and gender identity. Please show your support by visiting us at the stall, sharing the blog posts and coming along to the events. If you have a story to tell and want to contribute to the blog, get in touch! http://bit.ly/LGBTSwanseaUni
What is LGBT+? LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. Lesbian = a woman who is attracted to other women Gay = a man who is attracted to other men Bisexual = individuals attracted to people regardless of their gender Transgender = someone who transitions from a man to a woman, or a woman to a man. This includes individuals who are considering transitioning and individuals who define a gender identity that is different to the person’s sex at birth. The plus (+) relates to other sexual and gender identities, including (but not limited to) pansexual, asexual, intersex, questioning, queer, genderqueer, polysexual.
a world were you may be constantly pushed aside, demeaned and downgraded. Remember you are worth something, you are a person. That should make you fight for your rights, regardless of what you hear or what you’ve been through you deserve everything everyonelse does. Continue to fight and remember a whole host of people are fighting for you, with you and have fought for you. You are not alone, you are so loved and you are worthy of love. Love yourself in a world that says you are not good enough to be, because you so are! Those words telling you you are not good enough are homophobic, racist, sexism, xenophobic, stupid and ignorant lies. A friend once told me do not let them take away your joy. Life is too short, these people are not worth your time,
energy or frustration. These bigots cannot do much to you, spend all your time fighting the institutions and the structures that allow hate and ignorance to have power. After all the world throws at you, you deserve to have peace and joy plus be free to love people and be loved. Be happy and do what satisfies you and enjoy. Let the past go, let all the hurt fuel you to do something positive. All those people whose issues hurt you are not even worthy of your pain. You are awesome, don’t let some peverse thinking fool, ever make you doubt that. Happy new year- keep fighting, love hard, have fun and enjoy who you are ! Happy new year and celebrate it well!
front!
It’ll be a good year‌ Harry Ballmann looks at the year ahead in music, p.14
creative writing
tech
food
societies
fashion
film
music
culture
features Lifestyle for Swansea students
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
with Shona Johnson
features
Swansea Student Media 2015 proved to be a fantastic year for student media at Swansea University. A media coordinator was appointed, SU-TV started airing its first ever live-recorded magazine show, Xtreme Radio landed some fantastic interviews with Welsh
SU-TV is the student union’s television station. It was founded in 2013 by students Sophie Wiggins and Samantha Booth, and has continued to grow since then. The station records events for different societies, putting them up on facebook and youtube to give societies more publicity and to physically capture their hard work in video format. They also put on a magazine show (think ‘The One
by Shona Johnson
waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk
politicians and some famous musicians, and the Waterfront welcomed in a batch of new editors! And starting from the academic year 2016/2017 Swansea Student Media will become a service, rather than a group of societies, which will result
in more exposure for SU-TV, Xtreme and the Waterfront, along with no joining fees! Getting involved with the paper, the radio and the television station is a great way to kick-start a career in media, looks fantastic on a CV and is a whole lot of fun.
Show’) that is filmed, edited, produced and presented entirely by students.
SU-TV are holding their first film festival in the Taliesin Arts Centre on the 29th of April where they will be showcasing six different student-made films. Tickets are £3 each and will be available from the Taliesin within the next few weeks, it’ll be an evening to remember!
SU-TV station manager Jack Page talks about his involvement in the television station: “Without SU-TV there’s no chance I’d have the skills and confidence that I do today. It’s allowed me to express myself creatively as well as being a source of great fun. If you want a career in the media, it’s the place to start. Or if you don’t, then join for the fun.”
If you would like to get involved in SU-TV, please either message the facebook page or email at sutv@swanseaunion.co.uk! To keep updated with SU-TV news, head to www. su-tv.co.uk/su-tv-blog, or like us on facebook: www. facebook.com/SwanseaUniTV!
Uncovering mens mental heath Modern society has many problems, but one that often goes unadressed is the poor state of male mental health. This is such huge problem, as suicide is the most likely cause of death for men under the age of 35; and yet somehow it remains unnoticed. Fortunately, a brave documentary by British rapper Professor Green has brought this topic into the limelight. He successfully tackled the emotional impact of his father’s suicide and how the way men behave socially contributes to the appalling statistic of male suicide.
Image designed by Freepik
No specific strategy exists to tackle the underlying issue of why so many men see no other option but to end their lives. In many cases the increasing rate of suicide and depression among men can be attributed to the poor economic situation of the country.
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Men feel a sense of helplessness as they are unable to financially provide for their families and achieve success.
While the analysis that the increasing rates of mental illness and suicide is related to factors of our changing society and economy is correct, it ignores another key issue, which is the way men are socialised and the social expectations and pressures placed on them, affects their ability to handle hardship. When most people think of what a man should be, they tend to throw around words like “strong” “confident”, “stoic”. This is an issue, as one of the biggest factors reported as shaming and stigmatising men suffering from mental health issues, is being seen as “weak”. Men who do not fit into this stereotype suffer significant damage to their self esteem and worth. Many men then go on to deny their emotional wellbeing and mask the behaviour though alcohol, drugs or any number of other unhealthy coping mechanisms. One of the common things said by relatives and friends of individuals that have committed suicide is that “he never really opened up or talked about what was bothering him”. There is also an expectation amongst men that if they ask for help, none will come, which contributes to a sense of helplessness around the situation.
The way men socialise doesn’t facilitate the open and nonjudgemental discussion of emotions. When men are struggling, they tend to diminish or mask the issue involved. While women may often confide and seek support from close friends, many men simply don’t tell anyone. This is a trait that men learn at an early age and it can become very difficult to overcome this way of handling emotions and open up when a mental health condition is present. Many men simply do not have the ability to speak about their emotions in a healthy way. On this point I decided to ask Yik Yak here at Swansea on the top insecurities male students felt. The majority response was that male students most felt insecure or self conscious about their lack of ability to pull women on nights out, or for still being a virgin. This isn’t that suprising, as one of the traits of being seen as a “man” is the ability to be sexually promiscuous. “Lad Culture” which is a subculture increasing among male university students, can have a devastating impact on male students mental health and sense of self worth. Lad culture discourages true emotional connection amongst men and there is a significant pressure on sleeping around and “pulling”. One yik yak commenter explained that they felt
by Rhydian Morris
waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk
a pressure “to pull on nights out otherwise the night is seen as wasted”. Men are expected to feel shame for their percieved lack of sexual life or experiences, and the unfortunate thing is that a substantial portion of many male students self worth is tied to this. This concept of being of low worth or social status if your not sexually active is encouraged by the media and society in general. While extensive campaigns and movements have been created to prevent women feeling shame over being sexually active, there has been no such drive for men in the opposite direction. Men should absolutely not feel their worth is less as a human, on the basis of how many people they have slept with. To anyone struggling I just want to say that your worth isn’t tied to how much you fit into a stereotype perpetuated by the media and society. You are worthwhile, and you shouldn’t feel shame or face stigma for struggling emotionally. Seeking help for a mental health condition takes strength and those who are worth your time will support you if you ask for it. Hopefully with time men will feel more able to open up emotionally and feel less shame and stigma for doing so. The more men speak up about this issue, the greater the likelihood that significant change will occur.
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
Xtreme Radio is the student union’s radio station. It was founded in November 1968 as ‘Action Radio’, making it the the second oldest radio station in the UK and the oldest in the whole of Wales.
The Waterfront is the student union’ s newspaper at Swansea University. The paper offers a full range of sections, from news to culture. There are different student editors for each section, who write for an elected editor that manages the content of
The station plays a wide range of music shows, along with news and specialist shows seven days a week - radio shows presented by students! Xtreme also host live outside broadcasts on both the Bay and Singleton campus, check out their social media to stay updated with events! Xtreme’s Head of Music Ollie Salter had this to say about his experience as a part of the radio station:
the entire paper. Any staff, lecturer or student (present or former) of Swansea University can write for the paper, as long as they email their article to the correct editor for their work to be published. Editor email addresses can be found on online at: http://waterfrontonline.co.uk/ contact Tech Editor Declan Murphy talked about his involvement in the newspaper:
January Blues: a Survival Guide January is one of the toughest months in the year for a university student (at least that’s how it feels). It’s a month of half-hearted disappointment after several weeks of laid back chocolate eating, and sofa slouching pondering over the idea of doing something productive.
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‘Being part of Xtreme Radio has been a great experience throughout my time at Swansea. Student media is undergoing a huge revival at the moment and having the opportunity to contribute to that is really rewarding!’ You can listen online at www.xtremeradio.org. To find out how you can get involved with xtreme radio, drop them a message on their facebook page: www.facebook.com/ xtremeradio, or tweet them at: @xtremeradio.
‘Writing for the Waterfront opened opportunities for me that I wouldn’t have got otherwise. I’m able to write about things I care about and build a portfolio which I can bring into the world of work. By using the experience I gained from the paper I was also able to secure a place studying in Colorado over Summer.’ If you would like to find out more about the paper visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/ thewaterfrontswansea
by Becky Whittaker
waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk
about life, talk about other people and of course pretend you don’t have any work to be getting on with. Coffee chats are a perfect way to get through January. 2. Abandon social media - Let’s face it do you really need to know who is the latest person from your old secondary school to have had a baby, or to get engaged, and to post pictures of their new cat. The answer is no, you don’t need to know any of this stuff; you stopped actually speaking to these people several years ago. So if you want to know the goings on in the world read the news. 3. Go for walks - Walking is a good form of exercise and can help your concentration, and is a lot less effort than running so will actually be a pleasant study break from the looming pressure of exams.
By the time January comes round to slap us in the face with revision, last minute crammed exams, a looming future to prepare for and a diminishing bank account, we feel torn between success and just hoping we can wing it for the rest of our lives. Every year, whether we are students with exams, or people with actual worries there is always a yearly pressure to improve yourself, to reach perfection. Brainwashed by the media into the idea that we must start to aim for our peak in physical fitness, to become vegan, and to never drink again; which of course are ideas that often barely last a day.
4. Netflix - Are you guilty of binge watching series after series whilst you watch revision and assignments pile high? Well, the majority of us are, and we should probably stop, restrain yourself from that next episode and do something productive! 5. Music - We all have different ways of escaping what we have to do, but, music allows you to escape and just do nothing. 6. Food - Where there is food there is happiness, and in January we need more happiness so eat as much as you like and be happy. No consequences, no resolutions, you weren’t going to keep them anyway.
So here’s a help in hand to making it through this wintery welcome to the New Year.
7. Take up a hobby - Doesn’t matter what it is, felting or Morris dancing – just try it!
1. Coffee chats - A coffee chat is a meeting with a close friend perhaps one that is good at gossiping or seems to have a dramatic life. These meetings usually involve eating cake and drinking coffee whilst it gives you a chance to complain
8. Plan a trip - It may seem to not be the most practical thing to start doing in the middle of exams, but, even if it’s out of budget a holiday is one way of forgetting the wintery welcome of January and start to seek the laziness of summer.
9. Party - You can’t starve yourself of going out, you’ll start getting withdrawal symptoms from Christmas. Remember partying is a skill you have to nurture, if you don’t use it you lose it! 10. Birthdays - Remember in the midst of your January blues, there are people out there, poor souls who have to suffer the January Birthday. People with January Birthdays have to put up with the misery of others going on diets, giving up alcohol, lacking in money. These tragic January mishaps result in reduced presents and an empty party. So maybe instead of living in a state of worry, take a step back and realise just because you’re not getting a 1st in every module, whilst running a marathon and feeding the homeless, doesn’t mean you’re going to be a failure in life. Stop panicking about the future and focus on now, enjoy your subject and hobbies, go out, drink, let yourself go and eat as much as you can, don’t conform just have fun. Happy January everyone!
film
with Joshua Vaughan
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
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88th Academy Awards: The Year Of DiCaprio? by Joshua Vaughan
waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk
Yes, it is a well-known phenomenon that the incredibly talented Leonardo DiCaprio is yet to win an Oscar for Best Actor, or even for Best Supporting Actor in that regard. His four nominations include his work for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1994), The Aviator (2004), Blood Diamond (2007) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2014), but some would concur that it is about time that the snubbing is snubbed and the legend is rewarded. Despite the fact that the nominees for Best Actor for 2015 films are yet to be announced, it is highly likely that the main competition this year for DiCaprio’s performance in The Revenant will be found in Michael Fassbender for his emulation of Steve Jobs, Matt Damon for his work in The Martian, Mark Ruffalo for his work in Spotlight and Eddie Redmayne for his role in The Danish Girl. Should the latter win, Redmayne (having won last year for his role in The Theory of Everything) would be the first back-to-back Best Actor winner since Tom Hanks in 1993-94, for his performances in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump.
After winning the Golden Globe this year for Best Actor, the buzz surrounding DiCaprio is at an all-time high. This is totally in spite of the elbowrubbing nonsense that is the whole pageantry of the Golden Globes. The Martian’s Matt Damon, winning Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy? Surely the Academy will be smart enough to pinpoint that The Martian (although it contains funny moments), is indeed a Sci-Fi space drama/DIY extravaganza. To this end, Joy’s Jennifer Lawrence winning Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy? This is, of course, a complete and utter joke, as the film is a semibiographical drama/biopic; this award, just as unwarranted as Lawrence’s bullying of a reporter for using his phone to read out his questions. These are real people, Jennifer, and your fake bubbly “can’t touch me” attitude is seeping through the cracks. So despite the Golden Globes meaning nothing at all, DiCaprio’s win only builds more hype for the results for Best Actor. Even if DiCaprio loses out, there is still some solace to be had; Peter O’Toole was nominated for eight Academy Awards, losing all of them. Amy Adams has 5 nominations, one more than DiCaprio, losing out each time. Glenn Close also lives in Snubville, with six nominations and no wins, but the real tragedy here? Jake
Film review: The Revenant Will he win it? That is undoubtedly the first question that will enter your head when watching The Revenant, possibly Leonardo Di Caprio’s best chance of clinching that Oscar.
Aside from all the award-talk, this spectacular film is raw, savage and beautiful. Brought to us by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, director of the Academy Award winning drama, Birdman, we are introduced to the fur trapper, Hugh Glass. Following a gut wrenchingly brutal confrontation with a grizzly bear, Glass is forced into a new battle; his broken body versus nature and his own mind. Iñárritu’s relentless attitude to film making is evident, the 9-month shoot and the relocating to a different continent to get the right weather, speak for itself. The risky choice of keeping visual effects to a minimum are rewarding, the primal, rugged landscapes are awe-inspiring and combined with the ominous, wild score by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto, the surroundings become alien. However, it is impossible to get away from Di Caprio’s performance. Taking the role of a Nineteenth Century Bear Grylls, his commitment to Glass’ character is faultless. Such so that it leaves you wondering whether The Wolf of Wall Street star’s screams are genuine, longing to get out of the frozen hell that surrounds him. The supporting cast also do the director justice, Will Poulter and Tom Hardy exceptional, the latter offering a similar,
dangerous unpredictability as he did as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. Iñárritu may very well have followed up an Oscar win with another, The
Gyllenhaal has one nomination in his career, for his work in Brokeback Mountain (2006). How the Academy managed to squeeze out his performances in Nightcrawler, Jarhead and Zodiac is beyond comprehension. Chin up DiCaprio, it’s not all bad
by Joshua Vaughan
waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk
Revenant is hypnotically beautiful, savagely violent and very real, I wouldn’t put it past it to clean up at this year’s ceremony.
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
Review: The Hateful Eight Love him or loathe him, Quentin Tarantino always seems to get people talking about his films. His latest venture, The Hateful Eight, takes place in the fractious environment after the US Civil War, inviting us into a rather unconventional Western. Filmed in Ultra Panavision 70 (a filming method not used since the 60s), two bounty hunters, a criminal, a sheriff and four other oddballs are confronted with each other, all unaware of what they’ll discover. Tarantino’s stunning yet constant wide shots soon become apparent, you’ll undoubtedly be looking everywhere for clues, as the viewer takes the role of the detective in this unorthodox whodunit. Without giving too much away, you’ll constantly be guessing; and this is a compliment to the cast. Samuel L Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh shine in this impressive ensemble and along with typically providing us with laughs, they certainly have the power to frighten (you’ll understand when in a certain scene, Jackson ‘paints a picture’). Being a Tarantino flick, this is obviously a gore-fest. It is brutal, grisly and will keep you on your toes, whilst at the same time possessing a politically charged undertone, much like his hugely successful Django Unchained.
In contrast to the title, you won’t hate this bunch, you’ll likely love them. The three-hour running time will race by, perhaps that is something that only
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by Joshua Vaughan
waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk
Tarantino can do – even more impressive when you consider the vast majority of this film takes place in a shed.
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
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music
with Gareth Matson
It’ll be a good year… With 2015 firmly behind us, the Waterfront’s Harry Ballmann takes a look at what to expect from the year ahead.
The 1975: I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it.
With one of the biggest selling singles of 2015, a mix-tape and a collaborative album with Future, 2015 has been busy and productive for the 29 year old hip-hop artist. Views from the 6 didn’t make it into Drake’s discography in 2015, so it remains highly likely the album will drop in 2016. It seems likely that he will expand on his 2015 mix-tape, and his album Nothing Was to create the most highly anticipated album of the year. Release date: ???
Despite the cringe-worthy, long and unartistic title, The 1975’s new album should present itself as the latest niche, pop-alternative album from the boy band. From what has been released already, it is safe to say that The 1975 have found their musical direction, lightly toned guitars, mixed with a lot of synths. So far, it has a Marmite-type reception; long-time fans are in love with it, excited for the album’s release, whereas newcomers will remain unconvinced. Release: February 26th
Radiohead: LP9
Kanye West: Swish
Drake: Views from the 6.
Radiohead’s rejected Bond song found its way onto Twitter, obviously sparking excitement from the Oxford band’s eclectic fan base. As of last week, NME described Radiohead’s album as coming ‘imminently’ following the band’s releasing patterns; their usual pattern being to set up a holding company for whichever album they are releasing. What will be on the album remains a mystery, will Spectre make it onto the album? We certainly hope so. What we can assume is something extremely similar to The King of limbs, a true melee of genres. Release date: ???
Where to start with Kanye? His 2020 presidency campaign? Glastonbury 2015? He is certainly somebody that attracts a lot of attention, and it is no different with his latest album, Swish. What makes the name Swish interesting is that in true Kanye style, he tweeted the word along with NSFW pictures of Kim Kardashian previously this year, making the album’s name a little contentious. However, little is known about the album, other than the fact it remains likely that we will see it in 2016, and it will bask familiarity, sounding similar to 2013’s Yeezus. Release date: ???
Biffy Clyro: Title unknown
It’s a year on from the band’s 2015 hiatus, and we have it on good authority that Biffy Clyro are working on a follow-up album to Opposites. It’s certainly not been any easy few years for the band, returning to their familiar surroundings (a Scottish farmhouse) to conjure up some inspiration. What we do know however, is that the album is going to be loud, and more Biffy than ever. Twitter seems to be their communication medium of choice, exposing a lot of need-to-know information, especially the inclusion of the band in many 2016 festival line-ups and studio photos. It certainly won’t be long until their latest album emerges. Release date: ???
Bloc Party: Hymns
Representing Britain along with Disclosure for a charity gig in Sydney certainly hyped up expectations for Bloc Party’s upcoming fifth album, Hymns. It will be wise to anticipate a new sound and direction, especially since two members have left since the band’s last tour (2013). Needless to say, it will still resonate a similar Bloc Party feel, and the indie rock band won’t disappoint. Release: January 29th
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
Ashes to Ashes: Farewell to the Starman Regrettably, there are very few things that can be said to give justice to a man which contributed so much to culture, and what it is to be inherently British. Bowie will certainly provide a profound legacy in art, music and film. There is probably one word which describes Bowie, in his influence, and his style. Enigmatic. His style in film was
exemplary, and yet so confusing, his disturbing role as the Goblin King in Labyrinth certainly spring to mind at this point. Similarly, Bowie didn’t disappoint in his fashion style, another legacy that will remain and still prove enigmatic, ultimately making him one of the most iconic figures in the music industry. Most unfortunately however, it was not to last. But
Bowie Says Goodbye: Blackstar Review Blackstar was released two days before his death, the concept and the lyrics were there, we just failed to notice he was saying goodbye.
It would have been the expectation that if a terminally ill, 69 year old man, was to release an album in their final months, they would fall back on their previous sound and produce a simple and reflective album, throwing in a cover of Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ for cliché’s sake. No, no, this is not the way of the Goblin King! Blackstar is as innovative as any of his prior releases, there are inspirations of course, but musically there are no stark similarities to be found, this album is in isolation. This 69 year old has taken inspirations from Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’, no more explicitly than on ‘Girl Loves Me’ , where Bowie raps ‘Real Bad Dizzy Snatch/ Making All The Homies Mad’ – David Bowie 2k16. The canvas of music is bewilderingly diverse, with a saxophone-heavy jazz band at his back you’d expect an older, almost dated sound, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Bowie is known as a chameleon for exactly this reason, this album’s sound is contemporary to the core. In the opening of ‘Lazarus’ you would be forgiven for thinking The XX had just dropped their new single. Producer Tony Visconti said “The goal was to avoid rock & roll”, with the electronica vibes, evocative of his 70s album trilogy, and the contemporary beats laced throughout tracks such as ‘Tis a Pity She Was a Whore’ and
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by Harry Ballmann
waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk
his last album, Blackstar, shouldn’t be looked at with regret. His death will undoubtedly linger over the album, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that Bowie left us in a way that nobody else could to the same affect. Very few people, if any at all would have grasped the melancholic allusions of his own death Blackstar, arguable making it Bowie’s most touching and most poignant piece.
by Gareth Matson
waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk
‘I Can’t Give Everything Away’ it’s goal achieved, Bowie has once again entered a different realm. The atmosphere is not that of content reflection, ‘Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)’ is a prime example, it’s a restless track which nods to his 90s industrial sound displayed on the album ‘Earthlings’, but with the addition of a swirling jazz band to add a new element to the wall of sound, it’s an extremely busy album. It’s easy to over analyse this now that he has passed, but lyrically, this is a man who knew he was on his way out. After his death the lyrics became bold and explicit, from mentions of clinics and x-rays, to the outright ‘I’m Dying Too’ and the prophesising ‘The Blackout Hearts, The Flowered News, With Skull Designs Upon My Shoes’, Bowie didn’t hide away from his inevitable fate, but instead harnessed it into his last beautiful and innovative piece of art. Look up here, I’m in heaven I’ve got scars that can’t be seen I’ve got drama, can’t be stolen Everybody knows me now Lazarus
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
fashion
with Shona Johnson
D.I.Y. High -Waisted Shorts If you’re like me, denim shorts are acceptable for any season. Whether worn over thick wooly tights in the colder months, or rocked on bare legs with a crop top in the summer - I love them. Though, sometimes if you want a pair of highquality ones you have to fork out a fair chunk of your money - which just isn’t ideal for a student income. However, do not fear! I will show you how to turn your old crappy pair of jeans into some sassy high-waisted, curve-hugging shorts!
2. Take your jeans off and start cutting the first leg. Start cutting from the crotch mark and cut the shorts at a diagonal angle (mark the entire shorts with the marker if you don’t have a still hand), coming up slightly as you get to the pocket (this makes more sense later on). Make sure you cut below the mark you made on
A pair of old jeans Non-permanent marker pen Scissors Optional: Embellishments
the back of the jeans, or you may experience unsolicited buttcheek. 3. Fold the cut jean leg over the uncut one, and use it as a guide so that your shorts are as symmetrical as possible. 4. Take your scissors and glide the blade along the cut edges of your shorts, this will fray them slightly and look less freshly-cut.
7. Voila! Now that you’re finished, hit the town in your sassy new shorts and shake what your mama gave you!
Winter Wet Weather Woes
1) Get some Wellies- We live in Wales, there is really no excuse and you can finally do all the puddle splashing you desire. Wellies aren’t a fashion faux
waterfrontfashion@swansea-union.co.uk
6. Put the shorts on and see how they fit, make sure that when you put them on that you pull the waistband over your hips, so that the shorts legs even up (remember, they’ve been cut at a slight angle) whilst giving you the high-waisted effect. Add beads and embellishments for a more decorated look.
1. Put the jeans on and mark where you want to cut them in the crotch area and on the back. It is best to mark them a little longer than you want to cut them because after you wash them, they will shrink up a little and get shorter - unless you are a fan of showing a bit of cheeky buttcheek, which is also fine! I usually cut mine an inch and a half from the crotch, and make the mark about half an inch below my butt.
When I got up on Wednesday I was brimming with enthusiasm; I’d made my new years resolutions (and broken a couple). This year was the year to surpass all others, the year I finally sorted my life out. I had my revision books sorted, my day planned to the minute, not looking too bad either if I do say myself, ready to face the all consuming horrors that are January exams. But when I was walking through Singleton Park imperturbed by the ever-present sheets of rain, I discovered that yet again all the bloody paths had flooded. Now in hindsight walking through the mud to avoid these minature moats was perhaps not the smartest idea and five minutes later I was in the library with now brown trainers and soaking socks. Later as I watched my shoes slowly return to their natural shade of blue(studying with cold feet is not pleasant I’d realised) I decided I needed a new set of resolutions, first to write an extremely passive aggressive email about the lack of drainage (its not that hard guys) and secondly to get some weather proof footwear for the wettest months of the year. So here are my tips on finding shoes tht look nice, and keep your feet warm.- Beauty isn’t pain people.
by Shona Johnson
5. Stick the shorts in the washing machine, or hand wash them then dry them. This will get any marker off still left on, and will help the cut edges of the shorts curl over making them look neater.
What you will need:
• • • •
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by Enfys walker
waterfrontfashion@swansea-union.co.uk
pas they’re a neccesity you can get some really cute ones online, Amazon and wellywarehouse both do gorgeous ones for a student budget, and if the weather ever improves and god forbid netflix crashes we can always organise a quick welly wanging tournament for an extremely hyper predrinks.
the grip so you don’t trip up in the first inevitable hail. You can get gorgeous cruelty free boots from sites like Willis, vegetarian-shoes or even fall back on a pair of Doctor Martens if you’re feeling Punk.
2) High Heeled boots- and all this time we thought they were impractical. Boots are the perfect winter wears, they’re comfy, stylish, keep your feet dry and adding that extra inch means you’re feet are well above the water line. Just make sure they’ve got
3) Waxing time- And if you’re low on money get some waterproof wax to give life back to an older pair of shoes, you save money, you get dry feet, and your shoes look amazing. Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got a very sarcastic email to write.
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
creative writing
with Zoe Stabler
The Girl with the Violin by Jack Knight
waterfrontcreativewriting@swansea-union.co.uk
“Last dance!” called the man in the straw hat, and the revellers leapt to attention, forming two lines, everyone facing their partners. The band struck up, with the playful jolt of the violin rising above the rest, up to the canvas ceiling of the marquee. I ignored the weave and bob of the dancers as they followed their instructions; instead, my eyes fell upon the girl with the violin. Even from my dim corner of the tent, I could still see every movement she made, every flicker of the bow upon the strings. She’s the real dancer here, I thought. “No,” said a voice, slurred but firm. “What?” I asked calmly. I was reasonably certain there was no way she could have known who I was looking at. “I said no.” The voice belonged to my friend Katie, who was drunk.“This is no good. This music is awful.” “What?” I demanded, outraged. “It’s awful. I could play better in my
sleep.” She couldn’t, as far as I knew. Katie thrashed out the odd sequence of piano chords every once in a while, and thought it made her the eminent wisdom on all matters of rhythm and harmony. The lines of dancers parted and the bride and groom ran down the middle, barefooted on the grass. The bride had presumably changed since the ceremony, as she wore a sensible dress of dark green. I saw that very clearly. “They look happy, don’t they?” I muttered to Katie, desperate to change the subject but still stinging from the insult to the girl with the violin. “I don’t know,” she replied. “I don’t know them.”
“Shall we go then?” Katie said. “This is boring.” I couldn’t understand why she sounded so gloomy, not then. I hadn’t looked at her all night. It would later transpire that this was part of the problem. “I don’t want to go yet,” I said. “I’m enjoying myself.” “I’m not.” I’m enjoying her, I thought. She had closed her violin case and was smiling, laughing, at something one of her bandmates had said. To Katie, I simply said, “Well, I’m staying.” I hardly noticed her touch on my hand. “We shouldn’t stay here,” she said, changing tactics. If I’d looked at her, I’m sure I would have seen fear in her face. “Somebody will realise we’ve snuck in.”
that had erupted since the band had fallen silent, a warm feeling running through me that couldn’t entirely be attributed to the cider… All of it possessed me like a playful spirit, and I longed to leave my dark, gloomy corner and my dark, gloomy friend. I longed to stride across the crumpled grass and dance some more, and befriend the bride and find another drink, perhaps, and most of all I wanted to talk to her, the girl with the violin, who had now stood up from her seat and was talking gleefully with the man in the straw hat. I was already planning what I was going to say to her. I’d compliment her playing, strongly, to drive away Katie’s harsh words about it. I longed to do all of this… so I did it. With a single glance back at her, I told Katie that I was going to talk to the people, and that perhaps I would tell the band how much I’d enjoyed their performance. In the brief moment that I looked at her, I saw that she was supremely miserable. I barely comprehended this. My mind was already on the other side of the tent, in the wavering light of the lanterns, talking to her.
I hushed her. It was true that we weren’t supposed to be here; it had been Katie’s idea to come, in fact; we didn’t think of it as gate crashing so much as… visiting. That kind of distinction becomes relatively blurry after a few ciders.
“No, they won’t,” I said, waving away both her concerns and her touch. “Let’s go and chat!” I laughed. “Let’s mingle!” Part of me hoped that my joy would infect her, but most of me hardly cared.
I didn’t see as Katie left the tent like a storm blowing quietly away into the night. I wouldn’t understand until later, much later, why she’d left. And by then, it would be much too late.
The crowd parted and I saw her again. She was packing her violin away in its
The twinkling lanterns, the pleasant bubble of the myriad conversations
Because I’d be the guy with the girl with the violin.
Munich 1944 by Megan Rees
waterfrontcreativewriting@swansea-union.co.uk
The bombs were going off again, they had been all evening. “Papa?” A small, grey faced, grey eyed boy rapidly searched the air raid shelter, he checked every face he saw for the welcoming emerald green eyes, the black furry moustache that belonged to this recently missing father. He shouted but no one could hear him, no one would hear him. Not a soul stole a glance. Families clustered together, some held their hands in support and whispered their prayers, as if some sort of miracle could stop all this from happening. Some simply wept, clutched their loved ones, and silently awaited death. Some, were hysterical. “Papa! Papa! Where are you, papa?”
case, as carefully as if it were a newborn baby. I admire that kind of care and attention, I thought.
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It was useless, he was nowhere to be seen. Without any of the hostages to the war noticing, the boy slipped out, as silent as a gentle breeze.
figure’s left arm had been blown off completely, red blood gushed out like tears. His black moustache plastered in dust.
Outside, the town was black coal. Bodies littered the road, arms, legs blown off, faces deformed and blown apart by the deadly eagles dropping bombs in the blood red sky. He sprinted the streets of Munich, every step he strode a timer on the clock of his fate. His clothes grew blacker and blacker with the ashes and dust of the dead, his hands trembling with adrenaline and horror. He ran, as if the devil himself were behind him.
“Papa!”
He ran past the old library, where the pages of books had been blown across his path. A half burned copy of Mein Kampf lay, pages of word stained black with destruction. He ran past Mr. Franz’s old butcher’s shop, remembering the strictness and bitterness of the owner. Years ago, this man is what he had considered evil; today, he’d take a lifetime with him to escape the hell on earth where he was trapped. He ran past the old park, his favourite set of swings, the ones where at the age of eight he had managed to do a loop over the top of the bars, had collapsed, and sunk down into misery. When a figure emerged, it limped hurriedly through the street of destruction, calling out as it did so. The
The boy sprinted even faster, he heard his father call out to him, using his remaining arm to stretch out to him, to grab him, to hold him close and safe. His legs began to tire with strain, his eyes struggled to blink through the fog and dust ahead of him, his lungs wheezed, but he was almost there. He was meters away, in moments he’d be reunited with his Papa, the only remaining family he had, the man who had always taken care of him, the man who had raised him. He was meters away, arms stretched out awaiting a hug, he shouted, “Papa, I love y-” The silent bomb wiped out the remains of the city, plastering everything in sight in black dust and ash. Another city of lives ruined by the tragedy of the war.
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
Sorrow
My Queen
by Daniel Williams
by Nicole Kerr
waterfrontcreativewriting@swansea-union.co.uk
waterfrontcreativewriting@swansea-union.co.uk
The scum around your bathtub, the soggy biscuit at the bottom of your mug. The dog mess you scrape off your shoe, and the broken glass glistening in the alley. One of those horror movies, where the teenagers die in the woods, inevitable.
What comparison could define her being? No lands, no seas seen could total my queen Such words would render me as deceiving A love’s strength, that’s length amounts to nineteen. Her love is boundless, countless times shown, The bond still holds, as fresh as from the womb
A wine stain on the carpet which won’t come clean.
Miles stretch us apart but our love has grown,
Twitching her curtains and humming a pale song, it’s the woman who lives in the house at the end of your street. It is a flat tire and the crust on your eyes when you wake up.
Her loves power. None yields fair proximate.
The bum note of a jazz song, that haunts you through your dreams. The murderer’s extra care, a swansong of the heart. It twists the knife in our back, and stamps on our feet when we’ve got no shoes on.
Fluorescent Stranger by Daniel Williams
waterfrontcreativewriting@swansea-union.co.uk
Fixed, in plain sight, emitting a glimmer of life, my nocturnal stranger, a masterpiece of the night. Light the way for me, show me the glow of your warmth, lead me out of the dark. The unobscured beauty of your electric heart pierces my withering soul. I try walking in the rain deliberately, to catch a glimpse of your dim stare, to remind myself you’re there. My personal guard, always there, even when my heart waved goodbye. I never thought you’d mean so much, never thought you could. You uniformed soldier, in a battalion of radiance guarding our street, a paladin of the night. From a distance you flicker, if only to show you’re still there, your burning amber blaze just like the next one, lights the saturated concrete beneath our feet.
Oh! Her remembrance stirs within a typhoon. Yet the depth of the Mariana trench equals not, To her love’s extent, nor does graphene match In view of her, contrasts seem a mere scratch For words upon paper could not convene, The absolute praise I have for my queen.
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societies
with Molly Dowrick
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
20
Swansea University Performing Arts presents Sweeney Todd @ Taliesin Arts Centre Friday 12 February 7.30pm and Saturday 13 February 2pm & 7.30pm London, 1840. Sweeney Todd returns home after 15 years away, with an appetite for revenge. Swansea University’s Performing Arts Societies take on Sondheim’s notoriously macabre masterpiece, telling the story of the infamous barber and his gruesome partnership with pie proprietor, Mrs Lovett. An equal blend of comedy and tragedy all wrapped up in one musical. Will you attend the tale?
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
food
with Sarah Harris
Instant Happiness: Just add Hot Chocolate by Sarah Harris
waterfrontfood@swansea-union.co.uk
Fellow students, we have returned to Swansea. Moreover, we have returned to a Swansea where the sky is grey and miserable and the clouds are leaking a remarkable volume of water. The Christmas holidays are well and truly over and we are haunted by the spectres of lectures past, unfinished essays and the promise of exams to come. What can help us in these desperate, desperate times? After much deliberation, I believe I may have found the answer: there is one drink to rule them all. I know what you’re all thinking, but let us be real, it’s not Tesco value vodka, a fate worse than that you’re trying to escape. Nor is it one pound Jagerbombs from Jack Murphys, despite their impressive moneyto-alcohol ratio. It’s not even that most British of beverages, the trusty cup of builder’s tea. Naturally, I am referring to the good ole hot chocolate. Cwtch down where the treacherous weather can’t hurt you, cocoon yourself in several blankets and a hot water bottle, and throw all your tenuously-held New Years dieting resolutions into those stormy winds outside. Not meaning to blow my own trumpet too much, but I consider myself something of an expert in the field of hot chocolate. Although few people believe me when I say this (some even question my sanity) hot chocolate making really is an art form. So without further ado, some basic requirements must be addressed. Firstly, hot chocolate made with boiling water is little more than a sacrilege and should be avoided like the plague. In all seriousness, it is an insult to the senses. Milk is the one and only option. (Unless you can afford to buy double cream on a regular
basis, in that case, dairy out to your hearts content.) My first serving suggestion is of course the classic Bailey’s hot chocolate, as naturally the only possible way of improving creamy chocolatiness is to add alcohol. The knack with this little number is perfecting the amount of Baileys, as too much can cause the milk to easily form a skin, which is of course revolting. This take on the classic hot chocolate takes some trial and error to perfect, but once you’ve got it, you’ll become a god amongst men, or at the very most, a favourite housemate amongst longing students. Want a hot chocolate to wake you up without the alcohol, then mint has to be the go to. More refreshing, but not any less comforting, crush some mint candy (leftover candy canes are perfect) and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the mint onto the top of the hot chocolate. It will sink to the bottom of the mug and melt into the drink. Finally, for the more adventurous amongst you is the Aztec Hot Chocolate. This involves a halfteaspoon of cinnamon, but also crucially a tiny pinch of Cayenne pepper (or less tiny if you dare). This one provides the ideal mix of comfort and spicy kick for a midrevision crisis break. My last message to all fellow hot chocolate lovers everywhere is to get creative. Use marshmallows, use whipped cream, use sprinkles and biscuits, use sugar and spice and all things nice. I hope now that you all believe me when I say, Hot chocolate is an art form: let’s keep it that way.
2AM Fri & Sat 4AM
10 Dilwyn Street, Swansea, SA1 4AE
01792 464 647
22
culture
with Zoe Stabler
Copenhagen by Nathan LLoyd
waterfrontculture@swansea-union.co.uk
From its quiet beginnings as a 10th century fishing village to becoming one of the most culturally important cities in the Scandinavian region, Copenhagen has a wealth of history and culture to explore. The city is garnering more publicity and notoriety worldwide with the rise of Scandinavian noir. Here’s why it’s a city for everyone and why you should book a visit. It’s truly a perfect escape for students looking for an amazing short break away.
of literature, what could be better than going to visit the place where one of the most famous plays was set? To the north of the island is Elsinore or Helsingør, the setting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Visit the amazing 16th century Kronborg castle, and relive Hamlet’s tale. You definitely won’t be asking yourself “to go, or not to go” – it’s not even a question! Additionally, Copenhagen’s cool credentials are only just beginning to show. Whilst London’s creative scene is beginning to atrophy, and Berlin is a bit old news, Copenhagen’s creative areas such as Nørrebro and Vesterbro are exploding with creativity. Small, independent stores and cafés and art spaces dominate this area. Imagine Dalston 5 years ago this is what areas like Nørrebro have to offer. Money & Accommodation Even though they are in the EU, like the UK they don’t use the Euro. Instead they use the Danish Krone or DKK. Whilst exchange rates fluctuate, you can roughly work out the price into GBP by dividing it by 10. It has a reputation for being expensive but you’ll find it’s very reasonable on the whole. Sure, you might break the bank drinking in its wealth of cafes and bars but if you’re looking for a cheap European city to get drunk in go to Prague!
Why go there?
Well depending on what provider you go with, the flights to Copenhagen are ludicrously cheap! I’ve just booked for the second time with EasyJet and it only cost just over £100 each for myself and my partner, including return buses from Swansea via London. It’s a gateway! From Copenhagen, you can easily jump on a train and make a day of so many amazing places in both Denmark and Sweden. You can visit Malmö, crossing the famous Oresund bridge (or Øresundsbron) that is the namesake of the famous Scandi noir series, The Bridge. Malmö is Sweden’s third largest and most multicultural city, itself a hub of boutiques, great restaurants and bars. Or, you could make a visit to the university city of Lund, which houses Sweden’s oldest and most prestigious university. You could visit the small, quaint town of Ystad, famous for being the setting of the Kurt Wallander books by Henning Mankel. This little coastal town has some of the prettiest medieval architecture in all of Sweden. Within Denmark you could go to Humblebæk, a pretty little town, about half an hour away from Copenhagen centre, that houses one of the most cutting edge art galleries in all of Denmark, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Or, for the lover
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Nørreport. From different liquors and vinegars to cheese and meats, this place has it all! Looking for something vegan or vegetarian? The streets of Nørrebro or Christiania are full of vegetarian and vegan friendly restauraunts. Walking through the city you will see many little hotdog stalls or rødpolsevøgn selling Denmark’s most popular fast food, the rødpolse. This hotdog is a symbol of Danish-ness just like the wurst is a symbol of Germany, and one of Denmark’s cheapest foodstuffs at under a fiver. Whilst on the subject of Danish food, whilst here you should definitely try a proper Danish pastry, or weinerbrød. Great with a coffee, they fill the streets in the morning with the heady smell of sugar and cinnamon. Speaking of coffee, did you know that Denmark is one of the top 10 countries with the biggest consumption of coffee, along with its Nordic neighbours, Finalnd, Iceland, Sweden and Norway? Suffice to say, if you like coffee you won’t find a bad cup in Copenhagen
Where to stay? Copenhagen is full of trendy hostels like the Copenhagen Downtown Hostel, on Vandkunsten or the Generator Hostel Copenhagen on Adelgade which boast clean rooms, great location and friendly staff, (however they can be pricey). For a cheaper and more personal experience of Copenhagen, consider sites like couchsurfing.com. Getting around The city’s public transport is super cheap and reliable. One daily ticket will work on buses and trains, meaning you can navigate the city with ease. Or do as the Danes do and rent a bike! Copenhagen is a real cyclists’ city, with 50% of all citizens using a bike to commute daily. Rent a city bike with features such as GPS for 25 DKK (£2.50) per hour from one city bike stands, or rent a bike from a local bike shop for cheap. Cycling round the city is a great way to see it all and its one of the reasons why the Danish are so fit! Food Copenhagen is a real foodie hub, catering to all budgets from the cheap and cheerful rødpolsevøgn to the likes of Noma, the 4 times best restaurant in the world. René Redzepi was one of the first to start up the New Nordic cuisine movement. It focused on local ingredients cooked both, in cutting edge and old forgotten ways. Noma serves unbelievably great food but it is expensive, with the tasting menu and wine pairing costing 2800 DKK per head (thats roughly £280 per head!) If your budget, like mine unfortunately doesnt stretch to that, you could grab a bite at one of the many food stalls of Torvehallerne food hall in
Shopping The Danes absolutely ooze style, from their clothes to their interiors. Copenhagen is certainly a heaven for shopaholics, with many a famous design house and their flagships situated in the city. Clothes houses like Mads Nørdgaard Copenhagen, Stine Goya and Wood Wood just exemplify the cool, clean, stripped back fashion of the Danes. On the streets you’ll see leggy locals float around elegantly in muted tones of grey and black. But Copenhagen isn’t just for fashion lovers, Copenhagen is also home to the big names of Scandinavian design, like HAY, Normann, Georg Jensen, Bang & Olufsen, GUBI, MUUTO and Ferm Living to name a few. Shop till you drop in the big stores on Østergade, or at the huge Magasin du Nord department store on Kongens Nytorv. Fancy something a bit more individual? You could peruse the independent art studios and shops along Nørrebro. Looking more for a bargain? Well Copenhagen’s love of design is demotic and even the budget stores have well designed items. From the flagship Tiger, which is 3 floors (yes, 3 floors!!) to stores like Jysk, Søstrene Grene and across the pond in Malmö, stores like Bolia and Lagerhaus all filled with chic, affordable pieces.
Taliesin Arts Centre is your on campus arts hub, providing a range of films, live performances and live stream broadcasts to suit everyone. Live music events include jazz, world music, folk and contemporary music. Taliesin also offers top quality drama and international dance performances. Live stream of the best plays, operas and ballets are now a feature at Taliesin, broadcast from National Theatre. Royal Opera House and Royal Shakespeare Company among others...
Great ticket deals for Swansea University students!
What’s coming up at Taliesin?
Boys for the Hill folk favourite Andy Tamlyn Jones, and the extraordinary puppetry concepts of Singaporean puppet master Benjamin Ho.
The new season brings some exciting live shows to Taliesin.
Thursday 4 February 7.30pm
See films for only £6 a ticket. If 8 or more book together, it is only £5.40! See live drama, dance and music for only £3 a ticket (£5 if buying a ticket at the door on the night). See live streams from the major theatres for only £5 (less than half price).
National Dance Company Wales Something for enthusiasts of dance of the highest international calibre.
Don’t forget, you must produce your student card to get the discount. Pop in and pick up a brochure (we are opposite the library) or visit the website at www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk You can also Like our Facebook fanpage or follow us on Twitter. /taliesinfanpage
@taliesinswansea
Sunday 14 February 7.30pm Anda Union The brilliant nine-piece band Anda Union from Inner Mongolia first toured the UK in 2013 and stole the show everywhere. The band members came together at music college in Hohhot, their capital city. There they were able to integrate traditional forms - like the now-famous throat singing - into creating a sound uniquely and mysteriously Mongolian but with a strong appeal to a western sensibility. A rare opportunity to hear live the music of Mongolia.
Live Streams Thursday 28 January 7pm NTLive screening Les Liaisons Dangereuses (12A) National Theatre Live brings the Donmar Warehouse’s highly anticipated new production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses live to Taliesin. The cast includes Elaine Cassidy (The Paradise), Janet McTeer (The White Queen) and Dominic West (The Wire).
Films Tuesday 26 January 7.30pm National Dance Company Wales returns with three thrilling pieces by three of the very best European choreographers, including the World Premiere of Folk, by its new Artistic Director, Caroline Finn; Alexander Ekman’s witty and high octane, Tuplet, and the vibrant piece, A Mighty Wind by Jeroen Verbruggen. Are you interested in seeing how dancers prepare their bodies for the evening show? If so come along to Watch Dance Class on Thursday 4 February at 12.45 to find out. For ticket holders only. Contact box office for more details.
Thursday 18 & Friday 19 February 7.30pm Windsongs of the Blessed Bay By D J Britton Music by Andy Tamlyn Jones Windsongs of the Blessed Bay, is a Taliesin co-production with David Britton , Head of Creative Writing MA at Swansea University. This play for all ages will premiere at Taliesin before touring Wales. Memory, myth and history collide in this beautiful and compelling tale of a brave young Welsh woman, blind since birth, who sets out from Pembrokeshire’s St Brides Bay in her grandfather’s fishing boat to make the great catch he had always dreamed of. The show features a cast of top Welsh acting talent, the haunting original songs of
Hector (15)
Other live shows Saturday 6 February 7.30pm Jean Toussaint’s Roots & Herbs The return of the great sax player Jean Toussaint with his six-piece band. To commemorate the life of the great Art Blakey twenty five years after his passing, saxophonist Toussaint has been busy organising a project he calls, Roots and Herbs The Blakey Project. Roots and Herbs features an all-star lineup of British Jazz Musicians to explore the music of the legendary bandleader.
Friday 12 February 7.30pm Saturday 13 February 2pm & 7.30pm Swansea University Performing Arts Sweeney Todd London, 1840. Sweeney Todd returns home after 15 years away, with an appetite for revenge. Swansea University’s Performing Arts Societies take on Sondheim’s notoriously macabre masterpiece, telling the story of the infamous barber and his gruesome partnership with pie proprietor, Mrs Lovett. An equal blend of comedy and tragedy all wrapped up in one musical. Will you attend the tale?
An authentic account of homelessness within contemporary Britain, Hec McAdam is at once a powerful character study and an insight into the lives of those on the margins. The film takes a warm but unflinching look at the realities of homelessness on the move, through a tale of alienation and heartwarming reconciliation.
Monday 1 February 7.30pm
Grandma (15) Elle (Lily Tomlin) has just broken up with her girlfriend when her granddaughter Sage unexpectedly shows up needing 600 dollars by the end of the day to fund an abortion. Temporarily broke, Elle and Sage spend the day trying to get their hands on the money as their unannounced visits to old friends and flames end up rattling skeletonsand digging up secrets.
Wednesday 3 February 7.30pm
Taxi Tehran (12A) The film is mostly set and entirely shot from inside a car: a taxi of sorts, with the director, Panahi playing himself as an affable amateur cabbie. After giving rides around Tehran to a motley array of passengers, he finally collects his niece, a sassy youngster making a little movie herself for school. Cue a discussion of how film should represent reality (or not). Despite its concern with ethics, aesthetics and politics, the film oozes disarming charm and mischievous wit.
tech
with Declan Murphy
Battleborn: Born to win? This past December, myself and a few others from Swansea University were invited down to Birmingham’s NEC for Multiplay’s tri-annual event Insomnia. Whilst we were there we got a hands-on look at 2K’s and Gearbox’s new IP Battleborn. With Borderlands under their belt it’ll be no surprise to most that Battleborn is already shaping up to be a real contender in the market.
Battleborn is their answer to a growing library of games which aim to deliver a cross between MOBAs and FPS titles. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go into it expecting a clone of Team Fortress 2 or Overwatch. However I was gladly surprised when I finally managed to get my hands on the game, it isn’t all that much similar to the two I mentioned above. Instead Battleborn plays its own game. Mixing between objective taking, killing creeps and silencing foes. Overall the games mechanical aspects feel deeper than what has been offered from Overwatch and Team Fortress so far. One such mechanic which illustrates this is the shard system. It’s a simple premise, collect shards from nodes on the map. These shards can then be turned in for upgrades such as making and upgrading turrets across the map or even spawning ‘mega’ creeps to help your creep waves push further into the enemy’s territory. Character progression also offers a refreshing change. The basis is much the same as most other MOBAs, you level up, you get stats and a skill point. However Battleborn somehow streamlines and expands this process all in one. Each time you level you get a choice between two separate skills. The catch is that whatever skill you don’t choose you can’t get next level. In turn this means you have to think about your late game when picking up early skills. Is that movement speed going to be vital? Or would you much rather have a longer pointier stick instead? The game is still in beta and as such balancing is an issue. Some of the characters feel like they could 1v5 entire enemy teams. One such character, who I was playing luckily, was Phoebe. Phoebe is a sword wielding knight. Although she has a low health pool her attack strength is one of the highest in the game. If she gets within 6 feet of you, you might as well start thinking about what lane you’re going to push after you respawn. Like I said, it’s only beta so don’t expect such imbalance come launch.
The game is also enjoyable to watch. Whilst at the NEC we got access to the eSports segment of the show and with it a look at Battleborn in tournament format. It was enjoyable to watch, granted I didn’t know 100% exactly what was going on. It looks to fill a niche in that regard, an eSports FPS with a bigger role on character selection, almost like if Dota 2 and CS:GO had a baby. With eSports a growing figure in the entertainment world it wouldn’t surprise me to see 2K and Gearbox push
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by Declan Murphy
waterfronttech@swansea-union.co.uk
their game into that sector. Overall I’m really excited to see how 2K’s contribution moulds the industry. Whether they’re going to snatch the crown from the hypetrain of Overwatch or if it leads to a duopoly in the market which means us gamers win. Battleborn is released on May 3rd 2016 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
relationships
with Rhydian Morris
25 January 2016 waterfrontonline.co.uk
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The Waterfront’s resident Agony Aunt, Rhydian Morris, answers your burning questions! Dear Agony Aunt, the house and My house mate keeps leavin g passi ve aggre sive notes throu ghout ing in perso n it’s becom ing really annoy ing and infuri ating . She never says anyth one was due but keeps leavin g notes for the most petty reaso ns. The recen t sible to deal to leavin g a mug unwas hed overn ight! A MUG! It’s becom ing impos with, as you can’t possi bly live up to her ridicu lous stand ards. with house conflict in normal Ah we have all had that one housemate in uni who is incapable of dealing other people, atleast with in traits healthy ways. Passive aggresiveness is one of the most annoying truly awful to constantly its and aggression you know what’s coming. I’ve been in your situation before ur behavio so the next note doesn’t feel on edge in your own flat, as if you have to constantly monitor your appear. way and the fun immature way. Now there are really two ways to approach this, the mature responsible of their note writing skills. Now Whichever way you choose depends on how much you like them in spite ctively about how their behaviour the mature way would be to attempt to enagage with the person constru honest dialogue about what they is incredibly upsetting for the rest of the house. Make sure to have an waking up everyone after a night expect and what your prepared to do to not annoy them. Obviously, not up immediately is probably not out at 3am is reasonable adjustment, but demanding a mug be cleaned (Though this would depend on how gross your mug was!). n by doing things you know would Now the immature way would be to deliberately escalate the situatio bond with this person through lead to notes or to make your own notes yourself. You can form an entire myself are in no way culpable if you the medium of passive aggresive insults! Obviously the waterfront and choose to take this advice!
Dear Agony Aunt, I keep think ing about callin g my ex HELP! they Okay so this question doesn’t really give a ton of information. Why are one Did your ex? Did you break up with them or did they break up with you? to of you cheat on the other? Was it a good or bad relationship? The answer the last one is probably bad due to the all caps HELP. a Now getting back with an ex is usually never a good idea, there is usually friend. nd/girl boyfrie good reason the person is your ex and not your current n Getting back with your ex usually leads to the exact same situatio place. happening. Breaking up for the same reason you broke up in the first ex, So I can pretty much give the advice of not resorting to calling your text drunk a g sendin to ble though calling is probably alot more prefera how or message. Atleast with the former there is no physical evidence of embarrasing the conversation was. the Now the best way to not phone an ex is to make sure your phone and g on bottle of wine never occupy the same room together. If your plannin delete just yet better or home, at heading out make sure to leave the phone their number! Problem solved. the Or if you like taking risks, phone them and maybe you will be one of ship. lucky people that gets back with your ex and it’s a perfect relation Though you’d be braver than me!
* DISCLAIMER: We’d like to state that the advice above is completely made up and should not be taken seriously. For professional advice and support, contact the Student Union advice centre.
Waterfront Relationships is BACK!! What would a student newspaper be without cringeworthy relationship advice and awkward blind dates! With that in mind we are asking for applications for any brave/hopeful student for the waterfront’s blind date section. By applying you are guaranteed a date with an actual live student (conditions may vary) at a fabulous location in Swansea (probably Jc’s). Or maybe you have some relationship worries. Worried your partner has a secret hobby? That your friend has a crush on you? That you might like wine a little too much? Well all this can be answered with professional objective advice Please send your submissions and application for the blind date section to waterfrontrelationships@swansea-union. co.uk.
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*If your item is lost, stolen or unrepairable we’ll replace it within 24 hours – 1 working day of your claim being approved. **Price is based on a student living on campus, insuring a £500 laptop (excluding Apple and Sony laptops) and an iPhone 5s. We work exclusively with Premium Credit Limited (PCL) who arrange finance for monthly payments. Credit is subject to status and is not guaranteed. Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This can be checked on the Financial Services Register by visiting their website at www.fca.org.uk/register. Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited, Company No. 856706 registered in England at Shurdington Road, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire GL51 4UE.
268mm x 345mm Freshers ad JW.indd 1
19/08/2015 11:37:38
SPORT
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What sport?
Swimmers qualify for div 1 national finals for the first time in history!
by Sally Carter
waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
On the 29th of November Swansea University swimming team took 16 swimmers to compete at BUCS southern team championships. The team led by captain Stephanie Hanley and vice-captain Jack Brown finished 4th overall in the top division and qualified for national finals, our highest ever finish. The team was on strong form with many personal best times achieved across the board. The swim of the day had to be in the 50 fly where Josh Philpott claimed our only 1st
place with an extremely impressive personal best of 24.93 dominating a strong field of swimmers. He also produced a very strong swim in the 100IM in which he finished 3rd in a time of 59.4. Will Stanhope also showed strong form in the 100 and 200m freestyle races finishing 3rd in both in times of 52.25 and 1.54.33. Another 2 exciting 3rd places were achieved by Oliver Weedon in the 50 and 100m backstroke in times of 26.84 and 57.4. Taking 3rd place with the highest female finish of the team was Sarah Taylor-Reid in the 50m breastroke in a time of 35.23. The last individual top 3 finish was achieved by Laker Wong in the 100 breastroke in a time of 1.07.14 with a nail biting
finish 0.07 ahead of Southampton. In both the freestyle and medley 4x50m relay the boys finished in an exciting 3rd place just behind Bath and Southampton! The medley relay consisting of Oliver Weedon Josh Philpott, Laker Wong and Michael Gray finished in a time of 1.45.1 and the freestyle relay Josh Philpott, Jack Brown, Michael Gray and Oliver Weedon finished in 1.35.11. It was a great team effort by all members and all are looking forward to the national finals in April!
Ospreys Brave the Winter Elements to Pip Welsh Rival Cardiff Blues in their latest Guinness Pro-12 fixture. by Will Humphrey waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
On 28th of November, Ospreys lined up to take on their Welsh rivals Cardiff Blues in the latest round of fixtures in the Guinness Pro-12 premiership. Osprey’s were 8th in the Pro-12 table going in the fixture and Cardiff were in 11th, with three place separating the two teams it was setting the scene for a close encounter between the welsh giants. The rival fixture was given increased hype before kick off as it was referred by Nigel Owens, the rugby world cup referee back in October. Both teams had to adjust and manipulate their pre-game tactics due to the unforgiving winter weather which was out in full force at the Liberty Stadium. Both teams got off to a slow start with just the one score from Cardiff Blues in the entirety of the first half. Osprey’s kept knocking at the door of Cardiff but the Blues produced a sterling defensive performance to deny Ospreys a way back into the fixture. In amongst the battling at the breakdown, Sam Warburton got his ankle trapped at the bottom of the break down which saw him leave the field injured mid-way through the first half.
Dan Biggar was another Welsh International was injured in the game, Biggar struggled with a back injury but played to the end of the first half until he replaced by Sam Davis.
converted a penalty to give Osprey’s a four point cushion, and then narrowly missed a drop goal before adding another penalty to take the score 13-6.
Shortly into the second half Jarrod Evans extended the Cardiff Blues lead to 6 points by converting his second penalty of the afternoon. This second Blues score spurred an Osprey’s come back which saw some pin point kicking from replacement fly-half Sam Davis to give Osprey’s the platform they needed to attack the Blues. After looking after possession and good recycling at the break down, Alun Wyn Jones took on three Blues players a few meters from the line and scored a try. Sam Davis knocked over the conversation to give Osprey’s a 7 to six points lead over the Blues.
Blues did have an opportunity to get back into the game when they strung together several successful pick and drives near Osprey’s try line but yet again ill-discipline at the break down lead them to concede a penalty. The rain and wind continued to try and disrupt the game but Sam Davis continued to dictate the fixture producing some superb territorial kicks to Cardiff pegged back in their own half. Sam Davis’ impressive second half performance saw him earn the man of the match and is a player to look out for in the future at both club and international level.
Each coach tried to shake the close encounter up by bringing on several substitutes but the game still remained to be a tightly fought fixture. Cardiff’s effort in the contact area was unrelenting and caused numerous turnovers however tiredness crept in and so did ill-discipline. Sam Davis
The score finished 13-6 to Ospreys which sees them remain eighth in the Guinness Pro-12 league and despite losing the game Cardiff Blues move up to tenth. Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales) Assistant referees: Leighton Hodges, Wayne Davies (Wales).
sport the waterfront
waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
Issue 260, 25 Janurary 2016
@Waterfrontspor1
facebook.com/waterfrontsport
waterfrontonline.co.uk
Charity archery event really hits the mark!
by Chloe Hardman
waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
On Saturday 12 December 2015, The University’s archery club held a charity shoot, their first of the year, in support of Disability sport Wales and The MS trust- two charities close to their hearts. The event, held on Bay Campus, was the first to make use onf the brand new sport hall. Archers from all over the country were in attendance including those suffering with MS or who are involved with disability sport Wales. Chloe Hardman, the SU archery club’s Media officer said “Archery is a really accessible activity and sport that anybody can join in, young or old, able bodied/ non abled!”
Funds raised by the event are estimated at over £750 and will be split betwen the two charities - Chloe said “this a great acheievement and some thing the club are extremely proud of.” Visitors from other university archery clubs and local area clubs also commented on how impressed they were with the venue saying it was perfect for the sport and a great asset for the universities sports clubs. Captain Tom La Vallin was pleased with the events sucess and said “it was a fantastic day and everything ran smoothly. A massive thanks to our organiser, Coach Katie Vallance, who spent countless weeks preparing and
making sure this shoot was a success. A huge thank you to our sponsors Merlin Archery for supplying our equipment and the judges for attending. The day wouldn’t have been anywhere near as professional without their help. It’s also a real honour to be the first club to hold a competition at the fantastic bay campus sports facilities. The staff were excellent throughout the day.” If you are interested in archery and would like to give it a go, the club are holding a refreshers session for students just joining Swansea uni or thos who missed out joining in September. More details can be found on their website:
www.swanseauniarchery.com