02 I NEWS
thewaterfront Third floor, Students’Union Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP (01792) 295 988 web: waterfrontonline.co.uk twitter: thewaterfrontSU facebook: the waterfront swansea Editor Kay Byrne editor@swansea-union.co.uk News
Laura Fiteni waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk Features
Hilary Webb waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk Sport
Ned Bristow waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk Welsh
Laura Fiteni waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk Music
TBC waterfrontmusic@swansea-union.co.uk Film
TBC waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk Culture
Students warned over meningitis outbreak by Lili Thompson
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk Students are being warned to be aware of meningitis symptoms after a first year economics student living in the Hendrefoelan student village was admitted to hospital earlier this month with probable meningococcal meningitis. The student is said to be making a good recovery and no other cases have been reported but students are being warned to be vigilant in looking for symptoms of the disease and to ensure they receive their Meningitis C booster vaccination. It is essential to understand that the disease can develop very rapidly over a
matter of hours and therefore is it important to understand the symptoms, some of which are very similar to a hangover. The most distinctive symptom is a pale, blotchy rash which is still visible when a clear glass is placed firmly against the skin. Other symptoms include fever, vomiting, drowsiness, confusion and irritability, headache, sensitivity to light, severe muscle pain and a stiff neck. The Meningitis C injection should have been administered as a child but a booster is required to increase your immunity to the disease and students are being asked to arrange this through their GPs. This is especially important in university as 12% of all outbreaks are from 14-24 year olds and are more likely in spaces where
large groups of people live and work together. First years come from all over the country and overseas and therefore many are exposed to bacteria they have not encountered before. Meningococcal Meningitis is a bacterial disease and therefore can be transmitted through direct exchange of bacteria, such as by coughing, sneezing, or kissing. If any person believes they or somebody they are in close contact with is displaying symptoms of meningitis, they should get emergency help by contacting their GP or University Health Centre located in the Penmaen Building on 01792 295321 immediately, because it is very important to diagnose meningitis early.
EBOLA CRISIS Swansea University has received official advice from Public Health Wales over what to do in the event of an Ebola breakout. There are currently no cases in the UK and the risk of it arriving is low. Guidance has been issued on what to do if an infected student does arrive from Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone. A Swansea University spokeswoman said: “Swansea University is following Public Health Wales guidance that
the risk level from Ebola is still low and has not issued advice to the general student population. However we are sending all students from West Africa weekly information and advice messages.” Transmission from person to person is by direct contact with blood and body fluids of an ill person with the disease. The virus is not spread through the air.
How graduates get great jobs by a Waterfront reporter
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
Emma James waterfrontculture@swansea-union.co.uk What’s On
Ben Rees waterfrontfrontrow@swansea-union.co.uk Societies
TBC waterfrontsocieties@swansea-union.co.uk Fashion
Nanette Turkson & Crystal Rose waterfrontfashion@swansea-union.co.uk Food
TBC
waterfrontfood@swansea-union.co.uk Games
TBC
waterfrontgames@swansea-union.co.uk Relationships
TBC waterfrontrelationships@swansea-union. co.uk Website
waterfrontweb@swansea-union.co.uk Advertising
Annie Cottam (01792) 602496
IF you don’t believe that extracurricular activity can help get you a better job when you graduate, come along and listen to some alumni who wouldn’t be where they are today without it. Ben Donovan and James Snaith, who both have fantastic jobs with the Swans football team, and Andy Green, a PR expert, will be giving inspirational talks about their experiences on Tuesday, November 4. It’s part of a series of networking events for students being organised by the Swansea Employability Academy. A variety of alumni will be returning to campus to talk about their career since leaving Swansea: describing how their course and activities helped them, what are the pitfalls in finding that first job on graduating, and how they have progressed on their journey to get where they are today. The first in the series of events focuses on the PR and Marketing sector. Ben Donovan and James Snaith both work in the PR and Marketing Office at Swansea City Football Club having both spent time at the student newspaper, Waterfront (Ben as Sports Editor and James as the Editor). Andy Green is a PR expert and was a full-time officer for the students’ union during his time at Swansea. They will all describe how their extra-curricular activity has helped enhance their employability.
BEN DONOVAN said: “My time at the Waterfront helped me immensely in terms of where I am today. It taught me about deadlines, the need for quality in your work, managing your time effectively and, above all else, making the most of the opportunities that might come your way. “After seeking advice from the right people, listening to what they had to say and learning from those who were more experienced, I was able to formulate all these cohesively in order to give me the best possible chance of being offered employment upon leaving university. “Fortunately, I was able to do that but it was my time at the Waterfront that was the catalyst for where I am Date: Tuesday 4th November Time: 5.30pm Venue: Council Chamber, Singleton Abbey Guest Speakers: Ben Donovan, Press Officer, Swansea City Football Club
today.” JAMES SNAITH said: “The Waterfront helped me gain design, editorial and leadership experience at a young age. Something that is recognisable on my CV and has been recognised by future employers. “The two years I spent editing the paper helped me move my career forward to local radio where I have covered some of the most exciting stories the career has to offer. “The role also allowed me to help Swansea students gain experience in journalism, some I know have gone on to great things, which is extremely rewarding. “I would recommend anyone wanting a career in journalism, media James Snaith, PR and Marketing Co-ordinator, Swansea City Football Club Andy Green, Partner of Green Communications, author, international conference speaker, trainer, facilitator and PR consultant.
thewaterfront 20.10. 14
Tributes to Jezz Suter
JOSH Hayman, former SU societies and services officer, said: “I am lost for words to describe how it feels to lose Jeremy, one of the most genuine, kind and compassionate people I have ever had the privilege to know. Jez was a thoughtful and loyal friend who despite being very committed to his academic work, would always find time for you. “Jeremy was a friend to many at Swansea University, he was President of the Geography Society and Captain of the Cricket Club, and he contributed so much to the lives of all those that knew him. He had already achieved so much in his life, excelling in a PGCE at Oxford after leaving Swansea and had started what I’m sure would have been a long and successful career as a teacher at his old school, Dr Challoner’s Grammar. “We became friends in our second year of university and almost instantly became close. Jez was that kind of guy, so friendly, positive and helpful towards other people, you couldn’t help but smile when you were around him. I knew from the moment I met him that we would become great friends; a life-long friendship that has been painfully cut short. “My thoughts and best wishes go to Jeremy’s family and all those that were lucky enough to call him a friend. “Jez was a great man and a fantastic friend, he will be missed by us all and he will never be forgotten. Tom Upton, former president of students’ union, said: “I was lucky enough to meet Jeremy or ‘Jezz’ as he introduced himself to me on his first day at Swansea. “It’s quite rare that one person can instantly have such a fantastic impact upon your life. From our initial meeting I saw Jeremy on a daily basis always smiling, getting stuck in and helping anyone around him and I have to say always surrounded by a group of friends, cricket players or housemates. “There is honestly so much I could say about Jeremy, so much to him that I am and will forever be grateful for, but I’d rather share a memory of him that I’m sure many will know and smile when they think of it. “My lasting memory of Jeremy will be of his boyish grin, wondering around Swansea University Campus in his beige shorts rain or shine, carrying the tiny kettle he used to take into both the geography department and library to sustain him through the hours of devotion he put into his degree. “I can’t quite believe the tragedy that has befallen such a genuinely brilliant individual and like all of his many, many friends my thoughts are with his parents and family at this incredibly sad time.”
waterfrontonline.co.uk
Engineering still a man’s world despite efforts to recruit more women by Hilary Webb
waterfrontfeatures@swansea-union.co.uk A HUGE effort to increase the number of female students of engineering has failed according to a new survey. It says the number of female undergraduate engineering students has dropped from almost 16% in 2012 to 14% today. Numbers are falling ‘despite years of initiative and huge investment’ in schemes to get more women into engineering, says The National Centre for Universities and Businesses (NCUB). On the bright side, the study does show an increase in postgraduate female engineering students. Swansea University has an enormous engineering department - soon to move to its new home at the Bay Campus - and which says it is making every effort to improve the gender balance. A spokesperson said: “The Women in Science at Swansea group works toward achieving greater female representation by undertaking a wide range of outreach activities to encourage more females to come to Swansea both to study and work.” Ingrained attitudes are part of the problem, according to Dr Natalie Mello, of the College of Engineering and a committee member of Swansea ScienceGrrl. “The problem is at least starting to be addressed by the government, however it seems
that the issue has cultural roots that may be difficult to resolve,”she said. Dr Monika Seisenbergerm, a computer science lecturer and co-lead of ScienceGrrl, said: “There are enough women that can do Maths (46% of the Swansea undergraduate students in Maths in 2013/14 are female). The question should rather be: How can we make the more technical subjects such as engineering and computer science equally known and welcoming to future female students?” It seems that old attitudes do die hard. Up until a week ago, visitors to Swansea’s engineering home page were greeted by a video entitled ‘The day in a life of a Swansea Engineering Student’ that at no point featured a female but did, however, feature a ‘men at work’ sign. The video has now been removed, although it is still on YouTube. Civil engineering student at Swansea, Gabriella Cunningham does not find it strange to be part of such a male-dominated course. She said: “When looking around Swansea University on an open day, I found that the university staff seemed keen on women applying to study.” When asked how the university could attract more women to study engineering at Swansea, Gabriella said: “I think it would be useful if past female engineering students from Swansea University would talk to girls at a GCSE level at various schools. It may encourage more women to want to apply.” Naomi Boast, a graduate of the College of
Engineering, has been doing her best to get more girls interested in the subject by talking about her success story at careers events and in schools. Naomi now works as a Site Engineer for VINCI Construction, the principal contractor for the Bay Campus development. Naomi gained valuable site experience with VINCI through the University’s SPIN (Swansea Paid Internship Network) scheme. Following her placement, she was offered a full-time position by VINCI after completing her degree. According to Olivia Jones, a chartered engineer and the manager of NCUB’s Talent 2030 project, something about the way engineering is talked about is“pushing women away”. Young women don’t have an innate dislike for engineering because when you emphasise the creative, people-based problem-solving and environmental aspects of engineering they start to see the appeal,”she blogged. “We have to stop treating engineering like a hated vegetable, to be snuck in under a thick coating of sickly sauce, and talk to girls about engineering honestly and in a way that they conveys how relevant and exciting it actually is.” NCUB has also launched their second National Engineering Competition for Girls. The competition offers cash prizes to secondary school girls who can find creative ways to explain existing engineering solutions to the world’s challenges or invest in their own solution.
German Society bringing Oktoberfest to campus
Students in JC’s enjoying last years successful Oktoberfest. by Laura Fiteni
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk ON Friday 24th October Swansea University’s German society will be bringing Germany’s largest festival, Oktoberfest, to campus with a day’s worth of celebrations. The celebrations will be based in university bar JC’s with the German Society hoping to replicate the typical characteristics and rich traditions of the 204-year-old festival to provide an authentic and exciting experience for Oktoberfest visitors. The day is designed to give a flavour the 16day festival which is held every year from late
September to the first weekend of October in Munich and celebrates authentic Bavarian produce including music, dress, food and drink. By providing a taste of the German lifestyle via live music performances, local delicacies and authentic decor, President of the German Society, Gina Hughes is hoping the day will give visitors the chance to sample German culture. “Everything is ready to go,” Gina said. “The only thing left to do is organise the decorations to make the place look fantastic and of course sort out the costumes.” Head down to JC’s this Friday to soak up the atmosphere of the traditional German festival.
NEWS I 07
Above, Naomi Boast being interviewed at the Bay Campus. Left, Gabriella Cunningham.
08 I NEWS
thewaterfront 20. 10.14
WELSH Myfyrwyr Abertawe yn gwenud tonnau ELENI oedd blwyddyn fwyaf llwyddiannus Cymru yng Ngemau’r Gymanwlad ar ôl torri trwy eu targed medalau yn yr wythnos gyntaf gan wella ar eu record gynharach o 31 medal (Manceinion 2002). Daeth athletwyr Cymraeg â chyfanswm o 36 medalau ‘nol i Gymru. Profwyd nofio un o chwaraeon gorau Cymru gyda thîm Cymru yn cael eu gwobrwyo lle ar y podiwm saith gwaith yn Tolcross, Glasgow. Yn ystod cwrs y gemau, enillwyd dau o bum medal aur Cymru yn y pwll. Aelodau hanfodol y tîm oedd myfyrwyr Prif ysgol Abertawe Alys Thomas a Hannah McCarthy a gystadlodd yn nhîm 4x100m Medley a thimau 4x100m Medley a Rhydd yn y drefn honno. Cyrhaeddodd Thomas rownd derfynol ar gyfer 100m strôc Butterfly a nofiodd hi dri gorau personol tra’ cyflawni McCarthy record Cymraeg newydd drwy ragori ei hen record o 56:13. “Rwy’n hapus iawn gyda fy mherfformiad”, Meddai. “ Des i ‘nol ar ôl cyflawni dwy rownd gynderfynol unigol a dwy rownd derfynol fel rhan o’r tîm yn ogystal â record unigol a record newydd tîm Cymru. Allwn i ddim gofyn am fwy.” Fodd bynnag nid oedd Thomas a McCarthy yr unig nofwyr o Abertawe a oedd yn cystadlu ar ran dîm Cymru. Yn anhygoel, cystadlwyd saith nofiwr o Abertawe yng Nglasgow. Dywedodd myfyriwr gwleidyddiaeth Hannah, “Rydyn ni i gyd yn adnabod ei gilydd ac rydyn ni’n hyfforddi yn y pwll ar yr un amserau hefyd er bod gennym wahanol hyfforddwyr.” Dywedodd Alys, “Rydw i’n hapus iawn gyda fy mherfformiadau yng Nglasgow hefyd, tri gorau personol yn y tri digwyddiad a nofiais. Fy ras gorau (200m fly) des i’n bedwaredd a dim ond 0.18 i fwrdd o fedal efydd, ces i sioc fawr! Mae palch mawr ‘da fi gynrychioli fy ngwlad ar
by Laura Fiteni
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk lefel rhyngwladol. Gemau’r Gymanwlad yw lefel uchaf sydd Cymru yn cael ei chynrychioli mewn digwyddiad ailchwaraeon. Felly fel cenedl rydyn ni’n talu llawer o sylw at wneud yn dda ynddi. Anrhydedd ydi hi gymryd rhan.” “Roedd gan bob gwlad eu hardal llety eu hunain yn y pentref gyda chwrt yn y canol. Pob aelod Tîm Cymru oedd yn aros gyda’n gilydd yn y pentref ac achos roedd sut cymaint o nofwyr, cawsom ni dŷ eu hunain hefyd”, dywedodd Hannah. Cytunodd y ddwy ferch yr oedd yr awyrgylch ym mhwll Tolcross yn drydanol a oedd y dorf yn cefnogi pob gwlad gartref cymaint â’r Alban. “Oedd gan bob gwlad eu hardal llety eu hunain yn y pentref gyda chwrt yn y canol. Pob un o Dîm Cymru oedd yn aros gyda’i gilydd yn y pentref ac achos fod cymaint o nofwyr, cawson dŷ i ni ein hunain ”, dywedodd Hannah. Mae rhaid bod rhywbeth am hyfforddi yn yr un pwll fel cystadleuwyr cenedlaethol mawr eraill fel tîmmates Jazz Carlin a Georgia Davies (sy’n hyfforddi ym mhwll cenedlaethol Cymru hefyd) a enillodd un o bum medal aur Cymru. Carlin oedd y Gymraes gyntaf i ennill medal aur nofio yng ngemau’r Gymanwlad am dros ddeugain mlynedd cyn i Georgia Davies gwneud yr un peth. Mae cyfleusterau a hyfforddwyr ardderchog ar gael i fyfyrwyr Abertawe yn gwneud y brif ysgol dewis boblogaidd i nofwyr cystadleuol, yn enwedig achos cartref Swim Wales yw’r pwll cenedlaethol. Dywedodd Hannah, “Rydyn ni’n ffodus iawn. Dydy’r mwyafrif o brif ysgolion ddim yn cael yr un fath o gyfleusterau drws nesaf.”
Mae Alys yn cydio am anadi. Mynychodd y merched ddathliad yn y Senedd yng Nghaerdydd ym Mis Medi lle croeswyd yr athletwyr gan Brif Weinidog Cymru Carwen Jones, Swyddog Rosemary Butler ac aelodau’r cyhoedd. Fodd bynnag, dydy’r gwaith caled ddim yn gorffen nawr. Eisoes mae’r merched wedi dychwelyd i hyfforddi wyth gwaith yr wythnos am sesiynau ddwy-awr yn ogystal â mynd i’r gym. “Rydw i’n ‘nol yn Abertawe ar ôl cael seibiant byr o hyfforddi dros yr haf. Cwrs BUCS byr i fyny yn Sheffield a fydd fy nghystadleuaeth nesaf.
Eleni a fydd fy mlwyddyn olaf yn cynrychioli’r brif ysgol tra fy mod i’n gorffen fy nhrydedd flynedd derfynol”, meddai Alys. Bydd Hannah yn cynrychioli’r brif ysgol Abertawe yn adran gyntaf y gynghrair BUCS hefyd ar ôl iddi gystadlu yn y cystadlaethau nofio cwrs hir a byr yn y ddwy flynedd ddiweddaf. Roedd awydd i wella ei gallu nofio i’r lefel nesaf a sbardunodd arni ddod i Abertawe yn wreiddiol ond “ar y funud,” dywedodd Hannah, “ dwi jyst eisiau llwyddo ar drydedd flynedd fy nghwrs. Sain siwr beth mae’r dyfodol yn cynnal – rydw i’n jyst gweld yr hyn a fydd yn digwydd”.
ENGLISH Swansea students are making waves by Laura Fiteni
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk THIS year was Team Wales’ most successful campaign at the Commonwealth Games. After smashing their medal target within the first week and beating their previous record of 31 medals (Manchester 2002), Welsh athletes brought a total of 36 medals home to Wales. Swimming proved to be one of Wales’ most successful sports with the Welsh swimming team earning an incredible seven podium finishes at Tolcross pool over the course of the games and two of the five Welsh gold medals awarded in swimming also. Crucial members of the team were Swansea University students Alys Thomas and Hannah McCarthy who competed in the 4x 100m Medley team and the 4 x100m Free and Medley teams respectively. Thomas reached the final for the 100m butterfly and swam three personal bests whilst McCarthy set a new Welsh record by beating her old record of 56:13. “I’m very happy with my performance,” she said. “I came away having made two individual semifinals and two team finals, plus an individual and a team Welsh record. I couldn’t have asked for much more!” However Thomas and McCarthy were not the only swimmers from
Girls from Swim Wales at the athletes village in Glasgow. Swansea that competed on behalf of Team Wales. An impressive seven swimmers from Swansea competed in Glasgow. Politics student, Hannah said: “We all know each other and we are always
training around the same times, though some of us have different coaches.” Alys said: “I am very happy with my performances in Glasgow, three personal bests in the three events I
swam. My best event, the 200 fly, I was 4th in and only 0.18 off bronze medal, I was so surprised! I feel very proud to represent Wales at an international level. The Commonwealth is the highest level Wales are represented in in a multisport event as a single country, so it’s something Wales takes very seriously and it’s an honour to be part of it.” Both girls agreed that the atmosphere at Tolcross was electrifying and that the crowd were as supportive of each home nation as they were Scotland. They also emphasised the supportive environment at the athletes village. “Each of the countries had their own area of houses in the village, with a courtyard in the middle. All of Team Wales were together in the village and as there were so many swimmers, we filled up a house to ourselves, so we were all together,” said Hannah. There must be something about training in the same pool as other great national competitors as teammates, Jazz Carlin and Georgia Davies, who also train at Wales’ National Pool, each won one of Wales’ five gold medals. Carlin was the first Welsh woman to win a Commonwealth Games swimming gold in over 40 years before Georgia Davies quickly matched her achievement. The excellent facilities and coaching available to Swansea University students makes the university a popular choice for competitive swimmers particularly as The National
Pool is used as the base for Swim Wales. Hannah said: “We’re very fortunate as most universities don’t have such great facilities right on their doorstep.” All four girls attended the celebration ceremony at The Senedd in Cardiff in September where in The First Minister Carwyn, presiding Officer Dame Rosemary Butler and a cheering crowd officially welcomed the athletes home. However, the hard work is far from over. The girls are already back in the pool training eight times a week in two-hour sessions whilst also hitting the gym. “I am already back in Swansea having had a short break from training over summer, my next competition will be the BUCS short course up in Sheffield. It will be my last year representing the uni this year as I finish up my 3rd and final year,” Alys said. Hannah will also be representing Swansea in the 1st Division of the BUCS league this year having already competed in the long and short course swimming competitions for the past two years. When asked what the future holds Hannah replied: “My decision to come to Swansea was mostly based around my wish to take my swimming to the next level. “At the moment I just want to make it through my 3rd year of university. I’m not sure what the future holds - I’m just seeing what happens!”
NEWS I 09
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
University celebrates Black History Month by Sophie Wiggins
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
IT’S Black History Month and Swansea University has had lots of events in celebration. On October 13 the students’ union and the university held Hate Crime Awareness Week where each day focused on different hate crime issues. Robiu Salisu, the students’ union part-time Black and Ethnic Minority Officer, said: “Following the successful ‘if you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything’ campaign run at the Freshers Fayre which introduced students to the university Zero Tolerance policy and goals of promoting equality and diversity on campus - I am very happy to see Swansea University in partnership with the union championing Black History Month. “I love Black History Month” says graduate
Jerry Isokari, Robiu Salisu, Christopher Melvin and Lewys Arôn promoting the ‘if you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything’ campaign that ran in this years Freshers Fayre.
Hate-crime awareness week comes to Swansea by Jacques Kenedi
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk LAST week (13-17 October) the University was host to a hate-crime awareness week. Every day from 11-2 students could receive information on the different types of hate crime, at a stall located outside of Fulton House. Each day of the week was dedicated to one of the five types of hate-crimes (Religion, Disability, Sexual orientation, Race and Gender Identity). On Thursday South Wales Police and the Swansea Bay race equality team held a workshop in the Union Building. Students with disabilities Officer Tori-Ilana Evans, who participated in the week, said: “The week is fantastic in that it is informative and will be helping people gain awareness of what a hate crime actually is. I like that it’s focusing on different liberations on different days as well and it’s destined to be a great week!” Welfare officer Joel Gascoyne said: “Hate crime awareness week is a brilliant initiative to tackle hate crime issues by raising awareness of what hate crime is, highlighting the different forms hate crime takes and which groups can suffer from it. The week aims to encourage reporting and is also a great opportunity to promote the students’ union advice centre’s reporting service.” This event was not only held at the university but also took place in different locations in Swansea and Neath-Port Talbot, with the partnership of Swansea Council, Neath Port Talbot Council, South Wales Police, Swansea University, the Swansea Bay Regional Equality Council, Victim Support, Unity Group Wales,
Wipe Out Transphobia, and Transgender in Wales. In a press release concerning the awareness week Swansea Council defined hate-crimes as being “a crime or incident that’s committed because of who you are or who someone thinks you are. It could be because of your sexuality, age, disability, gender, religion, ethnicity or lifestyle choice. Hate crimes can include verbal abuse, offensive graffiti, threatening behaviour, damage to property, assault, cyber bullying, the theft of money, or abusive texts, emails or phone calls.” The council also released numbers for hate crimes in past year, indicating 217 reported hatecrimes in 2013/2014 and 116 between the beginning of April and the end of August 2014. The council said: “We hope everything that’s happening this week will raise people’s awareness of hate crime and encourage anyone who’s been subjected to it to come forward.” For more information on the hate crime awareness week go to www.reporthate. victimsupport.org.uk, or call 0300 3021982. Videos and links to relevant websites can also be found at www.swansea-union.co.uk/ support/advice/hatecrimeawarenessweek. Swansea council also offers an online hatecrime awareness course available for free at http://swansea.learningpool.com/course/view. php?id=167 (guest login).
“We have many exciting events lined up and I look forward to seeing a high level of students and staff attendance at these events and participating in workshops.” A recent graduate said: “I love Black History month. It gives all races the opportunity to find out things that you are never taught about black culture and history.” On October 17, a poetry slam competition took place in JC’s with the theme for the night being civil rights, which allowed students to express
themselves through the art of poetry. Jerry Isokariari, students’ union Societies Officer, said: “This month is the month when black heritage and culture is marked, a month when the black community creates awareness and educates the public on how we are all the same, no matter the colour of our skin. “It is also the month when we promote fairness and equality within our community and also marks the remembrance of our brothers and sisters who have lost their lives fighting for this cause. In order to show support for this cause, the university and the students’ union has put together some events which is been scattered throughout the month of October.” Annual equal opportunity lecture But don’t worry, you haven’t missed out on all the fun yet. On Thursday, October 23 the Students’ Union and the University will be holding an annual Equal Opportunity lecture in Cafe West, Fulton House, from 10.30-1.30pm. The keynote speaker for the lecture is Dr Deborah Gabriel, a marketing communications lecturer at Bournemouth University as well as the founder and CEO of the British Black Academics. The talk will focus on racial inequalities in recruitment, research and curricula, as well as offer participants a chance to take part in workshops on the Race Charter Mark or Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff Networks. If you wish to attend the lecture and one of the workshops please email c.l.elms@swansea.ac.uk.
front!
a night out, Swansea style
>> 15
relationships 25
travel 23
societies 24
film 21
culture 20
music 19
fashion 16-17
11
front row 15
20 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk
features 12-13
L i f e s t y l e f o r S wa n s e a s t u d e n t s
Five nuns, a Spanish heart & a previously hypnotised ginger H
Mo Comfort is a third year Classical Civilisation student with a passion forall things Eurovision!
OWEVER much that headline sounds like the start to very, very odd joke it is in fact no laughing matter. This is just a brief description of the variety of acts in the Maltese National Final this year. As I said in my last article Malta are deciding the act and song they send to Eurovision on the 22nd of November and there are a few interesting choices, for want of a better word. The national broadcaster of Malta PBS (Public Broadcasting Services) recently released one minute studio version snippets of the 20 songs that will compete to represent Malta in Vienna next May. One of these that sticks out (and not in a good way) is “Love And Let Go” by Ekklesia (which translates as Sisters) firstly on the fact that it is a group of five nuns and secondly because the lyrics are so juvenile and simple and it is just dull. However, it has something about it, you kind of just want to listen to it again to make sure you did in fact hear what you thought you heard.
Crescendo The Eurovision fandom hates that this song is in the running so it will probably end up representing Malta and honestly I don’t think Malta would mind quite so much, as they are spending quite a bit of money on hosting Junior Eurovision this year. To explain my headline further, the Spanish heart is that of singer Corazon (Spanish for heart) with her stirring ballad “Secretly” which to me is the best ballad of this final twenty, it sounds as though it will build to a fantastic crescendo to close the song but only having heard the first minute it’s hard to tell whether or not that will be the case. And now I come to the previously hypnotised ginger which is none other than fan favourite from last year’s contest Jessika, her song last year “Hypnotika” about escaping this world in a hypnotic utopia. This year she has returned with “Fandango” an upbeat, catchy pseudodubstep dance track with a tremendous hook in the chorus that is a real earworm. I certainly wouldn’t mind if she represented Malta with “Fandango” in
relationships 25
travel 23
societies 24
film 21
culture 20
music 19
fashion 16-17
front row 15
13
features 12-13
20 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk
Running on empty... and only myself to blame It’s nearly seven and I’m staring at the light across Swansea Bay. I can see all the way around the coast. To where I used to sunbathe with a couple of beers, a handful of nuts and the newspaper. It’s an image that keeps tugging at me as I sit here, chained to a feeding tube being pumped full of Osmolite, which is basically like Clanger Semen . On the second day of the Freshers Fair, I was all set to begin my classes. I’d signed up to join the Chinese Society, stolen enough free Haribo to give my dentist the shivers and the last step was to sign up at the university GP.
Above, Sisters Ekklesia - singing nuns. Left Jessika. Below, Valetta the capital of Malta. Photo by John Haslam.
Vienna. In May it would almost certainly make the final, I don’t see it winning the whole of Eurovision though and I don’t think any of the songs in the Maltese final have the strength to win over the whole of Europe. A couple of favourites of mine from the snippets are Trilogy’s “Chasing A Dream”, Christabelle’s “Rush” and Amber’s “Warrior”. The first is a trio of operatic style singers with an emotional ballad about the path of life which intrigues me more than anything else as trios don’t
really appear at Eurovision very often. Christabelle’s “Rush” has a superbly strong start, as soon as you hear it demands your attention and you must listen on to the rest, unfortunate that we only have a minute of it for the moment. My favourite of the 20 snippets though is Amber’s “Warrior” a pseudo-dubstep ballad which really shows the strength of Amber’s voice, although we will see whether or not her live vocals can stand up to the strength of the studio snippet. That concludes my look at the Maltese finalists and next time I will be having a look at a few of the other national finals in a broader sense and seeing what the BBC are up to regarding their selection process for our entry this year. To listen to clips of the songs visit wiwibloggs.com and search for Ekklesia.
The doctor takes one look at me and her face drops. It turns out I’m completely malnourished at six and a half stone and no amount of candy is going to bulk me up. I’m rushed to Singleton Hospital with a weak heart and put on bed rest. I’m not allowed to even go the toilet without a wheelchair, that’s how serious the situation has gotten. I’m so thin I make David Bowie look like David Brent. It was a lethal combination of too many skipped meals, too many days watching music videos of skeletal, preening rockstars and too many long walks. I was running on empty and only have myself to blame. While on bed rest, I’ve had a lot of time to think about these factors over a Weetabix glistening like a wet turd upon my breakfast tray, Though it sounds simple, I’d forgotten how to eat and I didn’t realise that I’m not only depriving myself as a result, but also the people around me. The only calories I’d truly lost were braincells. The fact I allowed myself to get to this stage is the biggest regret of my life. I’ve seen cancer patients fighting for their lives and all I was in hospital for was not knowing how to make a goddamn sandwich. I’d wasted time that could have been spent treating the genuinely ill and as a result caused my family a lot of pain which could have been totally avoided. Upon each hospital visit , my family tortured me endlessly with neverending card games and yet, that’s all the whole thing was; a Trivial Pursuit. Overall, I’m hoping that given time, I will be able to eat my way back to nine stone and relieve this new weight of guilt which hangs on my shoulders. As a result, I’ve joined The Baking Society and when they let me out, I’ll be the first to get a big prescription of cake for their sake as well as my own.
This first year student at Swansea University asked to remain anonymous but would like us to point out that help is available for students with eating problems. The B-eat self help group meets LAST Tuesday of each month at Meeting Room 3, The Civic Centre, Oystermouth Road, Swansea, between 6pm-7.30pm and is open to anyone with an eating disorder or concerns around eating. Email: beatswansea@googlemail.com to find out more.
20 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk
16
w it h na ne t t e t u r k s o n & C Rysta l r o se
fashion
BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE !!!
The darker evenings, bleaker mornings and rainy days mean only one thing…. the winter season is officially upon us. But don’t let the dreary weather get you down, stay bundled up and stylish with our top Autumn/Winter ‘14 selection of coats, writes Nanette Turkson
TOPSHOP PREMIUM TRENCH COAT, £150
TOPSHOP SALT AND PEPPER OVOID COAT, £175
Coats are one of the items in your wardrobe that are worth splashing the cash on.
The boyfriend trend has also seen some longevity in the fashion world.
Outwear garments like coats are constantly exposed to the elements and tend to be the most worn out of all your clothes, thanks to the unpredictable British weather. Given this you’ll need something that is not only fashionable but also durable, and this Topshop camel trench coat satisfies both of these requirements.
The oversized shoulders and boxy shape of this Topshop Salt and Pepper Ovoid coat, when paired with more figure hugging clothing will really flatter the female frame.
So don’t be put off purchasing oversized clothes in The classic trench coat is a firm favourite amongst fashion circles fear that they will swamp you ladies, dress it up with due to the history of the iconic Burberry trench coat, and to this day more fitted items of clothing and you’ll look great the trench coat is synonymous with being undeniably chic and a whilst keeping warm! wardrobe staple that will never go out of style.
Don’t forget the winter accessories .....
TOPSHOP CABLE FAUX FUR POM BEANIE, £14
ASOS FAUX FUR HEADBAND, £14
ASOS SCHOTT NYC BOMBER JACKET WITH CONTRAST TRIM, £90 A waterproof yet lightweight bomber jacket is the perfect choice for those winter days when there’s just a slight chill in the air, and no need for a heavy duty coat. The bomber jacket is a versatile piece that will take you from night to day. Team with a short sleeved turtle neck knit during the day, and a form fitting midi dress and heels during the evening.
Would you like to write about fashion? We are looking for contributors to join our team, so please get in touch at waterfrontfashion@swanseaunion.co.uk
THIS SEASON’S MAKE-UP MUST HAVES
On Thursday 9th October this event took place and welcomed all new and existing Swansea University students. The atmosphere was fantastic and the all-round 20% discount on clothing and merchandise was well worth attending.
Ecriture De Chanel
The newest addition to the Yves Saint Laurent collection is the Touche Eclat Radiant Touch (left) concealer. At £22 this tool allows you to highlight dark circles and remove signs of fatigue to instantly illuminate your face and give you back those hours of sleep you were deprived from the previous night. This is my ultimate number one beauty essential, the instant refreshment and glow I gain from this highlighting pen is unforgettable. Twist the bottom of the pen as you apply on your dark demons until you have reached you desired coverage and then you are able to venture into the cold outdoors looking refreshed and bright. MAC have recently released their new Viva Glam lipstick (right) collection. The six selections full of dark and desirable tones are in place to ensure that therre is the perfect Touche Eclat Radiant stick to accompany your autumn wardrobe Touch full of dark and powerful tones. This shade IV consists of mid tone rose with gold pearl is only £15.50. Personally, I love MAC cosmetics, the coverage I recieve from them are perfect and I find the thick but non-clumpy lipstick stays on for hours. Viva Glam Lipstick IV
OPI have also released their new Fall collection. Featuring the Nordic range (Right). ‘Set your sights on the Northern Lights’ features multiple new colours and sparkles to brighten up or compliment your seasonal outfit. This collection is consistent to their witty and punny nail varnish names to brighten up your make up box, even on the dullest of days.
Ice-Bergers & Fries NL N40
This dark brown that I have selected is my favourite from the entire collection. Usually, I would have a dark purple, which is also within the range, but this season I think a dark and chocolatey brown is a perfect addition to the on trend khaki coats and grey trench coats. At only £11.95 this nail varnish is a perfect addition to the varnish set. Find these at most John Lewis stores or check out their website for their full collection and ranges.
I’ve saved the best for last. This really is my sole make-up must have that I have with me all year round. This 20g vaseline tin is the essential cosmetic that will be found in nearly every person’s make up collection. I will not be found without my vaseline pot and especially the Cocoa Butter edition. I use this most during the winter as I like to always have my lips soft and applied with this product in order to avoid any dry and cracked lips that comes heavily alongside the winter season.
Law student and photographer Sean Markwei is giving away free portraits, in exchange for the use of the images in his portfolio until the end of October. So if you are interested in having your photo taken by a professional photographer, contact Sean at twistphotography@hotmail.com, To check out his portfolio head to his Instagram page: @ just_twist
relationships 25
travel 23
societies 24
film 21
culture 20
music 19
fashion 16-17
front row 15
TL
he Student ock In
Swansea students queuing outside of Superdry in an attempt to receive exclusive goody bags for the first 100 customers at the Student Lock-In event at the Quadrant shopping centre writes Crystal Rose.
This Autumn, especially in Swansea, is set to be a wet and cold season. Therefore, I feel it is necessary to provide you with my ultimate winter survival make-up must haves. These products, that I have carefully selected, are my favourites for this season and are sure to make yourself feel better, even if the weather isn’t just quite doing that for you, writes Crystal Rose. The Ecriture De Chanel (right) is the carefully sculpted black pen to control your winged liner. From just £27 this liner pen can be found at Boots and is perfect for creating the precise lines that you so desire. Applying slowly and with ease allows you to control and maintain a steady line in order to create the effect to accompany this Autumn’s fashion trend. Apply this in addition to a thick, voluptuous mascara to ensure a wonderfully wintery pair of gorgeous eyes.
17
features 12-13
20 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk
relationships 25
travel 23
societies 24
film 21
culture 20
music 19
fashion 16-17
front row 15
19
features 12-13
20 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk
music
Tantalising glimpse of what’s to come L
ESS than a month from now Foo Fighters’ fans will be able to put their hands on their newest album, Sonic Highways. The band have released a couple of videos with parts of the tracks they recorded, but unfortunately it will only be fully available on November 10. But fans had a taste of what’s to come last week, when Dave Grohl and company were guests on the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’. The Foo Fighters recorded eight new tracks for the upcoming album. Each song was produced in a different American city – Austin, Chicago, Seattle, New Orleans, Nashville, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. During the week-long “detention” with David Letterman, the band played covers of songs inspired by Sonic Highways. On the first night, Dave Grohl sat down and talked with David Letterman about the album and the HBO series with same name. In each city that the band
traveled, they interviewed famous musicians from that specific city, like Dolly Parton in Nashville, Willie Nelson in Austin and the rapper Chuck D in New York. In a three minute preview of the series it was possible to see more famous artists such as LL Cool J, Slash, Macklemore and even nonmusicians such as Barack Obama. After being interviewed by David Letterman on Monday, Dave Grohl goes to the spotlight and releases his unique screams. During the next days, the band were accompanied by some of the artists interviewed in the HBO series. This is the eighth studio album recorded by the Foo Fighters and the first after the leader Dave Grohl announced the band would take a break indefinitely. January last year, Grohl promised a new album, now entitled Sonic Highways (pictured right), which can be pre-ordered now.
By Robert Born
Is there an album or a gig you’d like to review? Email editor@swansea-union.co.uk
Reviews
Alt-J
Marmozets
There is a bunch of newborn indie oriented bands trying to achieve the same thing – a good combination of electronic sound, guitars and smooth vocals, writes Dimitra Drakaki. British-based band Alt-J managed to achieve the coveted goal with their distinctive debut album ‘An Awesome Wave’ and won a large audience, not without good reason. Constituted at present by Joe Newman, Gus UngerHamilton and Thom Green in the aftermath of Gwil Sainsbury’s sudden departure, they have come back, two years after their breakthrough, to prove that they are worthy of being the Mercury Prize holders. Released in late September, their new album ‘This Is All Yours’ starts, like its ancestor, with a song called ‘Intro’. It’s then that you get the feeling that a play is about to begin, and that’s how one should experience it. What is similar to the previous album are the complex lyrics. Inspired by poems, peculiar movie characters as in ‘The Gospel of John Hurt’ or even Miley Cyrus pop quotes in the ‘Hunger of the Pine’, from the first to the last all the songs tell a story. What is new is the more mature, moody sound that reaches darkness at some points like in ‘Choice Kingdom’ and the seductive atmosphere set by some of the pieces. By the end of the album you are left with a nostalgic feeling as if you have arrived, experienced and just departed from the Japanese city “Nara” in a perfect circular journey during a “Lovely Day”. A contemporary album with folk influences, ‘This Is All Yours’ is definitely worth hearing.
Weird and Wonderful Marmozets ‘The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets is a genrebreaking collection of tracks which resonates with the ambiance of rebellious youth, writes Lili Thompson. The opening single ‘Born Young and Free’ demonstrates the atmosphere of the album, introducing a guitar-heavy instrumental and the fiery vocals of Becca Macintyre, incorporating unexpected aspects of screamo in contrast with sweet melodies. Front woman Macintyre is one of the main attractions of the album, possessing bags of talent and clear cut confidence. The lyrics emphasise young freedom and therefore make this band marketable to a young audience. A selling point of this album is the musical diversity, with the pop-punk aspects of ‘Is it Horrible?’ ‘Cover Up’ and ‘Why Do You Hate Me?’ combined with heavy instrumentals that go hard. The beauty of this is the album will be circling around your mind all day, like any great pop song, but does not sacrifice the heavier foundations. One track from the album which particularly stands out is ‘Particle’, set off by the stirring percussion from skilled drummer Josh Macintyre, sibling to Becca Macintyre. The heaviness of ‘Particle’ is unexpected, but the uplifting, anthem-like chorus is even more so. This album is one to watch, confirming the commitment of the Marmozets who sculpted these tracks perfectly to entertain thousands on the stage.
This Is All Yours
Catfish and the Bottlemen The Balcony
Hailing from the small Welsh town of Llandudno, Catfish and the Bottlemen are a four-piece indie-rock outfit who, after years of relentless touring, have finally released their debut LP ‘The Balcony’, writes Liam Turner. It’s an album that certainly doesn’t disappoint in its promise of full-on belters, though delve slightly below its superficial charm and you will soon be acquainted with its few, but nonetheless noticeable, flaws. Frontman Van McCann’s lyrics, for example, are erratic to say the least. On the album’s slow number ‘Hourglass’, he sings, “I’m craving your calls like a soldiers wife”, a line that is actually rather poignant – some would argue poetic. Contrast this with, “I’ve no time for your friends, they can fucking do one”, a line that can be found on the otherwise catchy ‘Business’, and you begin to see just how turbulent McCann’s writing actually is. Holistically, though, the album is an enjoyable listen. The sound captured is a familiar one ; it’s a sound that reminds one of The Strokes or even Oasis – even if it doesn’t quite possess the same gravitas as ‘Is This It’ or ‘Definitely Maybe’. Only time will tell whether the Bottlemen can live up to the potential displayed on this initial endeavour.
20 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk
20
w it h EM MA JAM ES
culture
This mystery novel will keep you guessing right until the end S
WANSEA University students have been raving about the film adaption of ‘Gone Girl’ but the book is even better! Best-selling author, Gillian Flynn’s writing is extraordinary in her novel ‘Gone Girl’, with unexpected twists and turns that will make it difficult to put down. This mystery novel that follows the story of a man, Nick, who becomes the main suspect in an investigation of his wife’s, disappearance on their fifth wedding anniversary. The reader goes on a journey to find out whether Nick is actually capable of murder or whether he is really simply a lost, troubled man. The story is narrated in a unique way, and the reader will eventually see that both Nick and his wife, Amy, are unreliable narrators, both of whom hide some of the truth from the police as well
as the reader. Nick tells the first half of the story, narrating the present, whereas Amy narrates the second half by looking back at the past through diary entries. Even though the characters are exaggerated to be the worst possible versions of human beings, everyone can relate to them. From a narcissist man who has lost his job and does not have good relations with his father to an unstable woman that pretends to be someone she is not. This is definitely one book that will keep you guessing right until the end, with its fast paced writing. It is no surprise ‘Gone Girl’ has been adapted to the big screen and fans of the novel will be pleased to hear that the film has stayed true to the book. ‘Gone Girl’ is currently showing in cinemas. See students’ review on Page 21.
Student offers at the Taliesin The Taliesin Arts Centre on campus offers a limited number of tickets at £3 for all of their live shows. Live streams from various London and other theatres are priced at £5 for students. All cinema tickets are £5.30 for students. Take your student ID to get the discount. LIVE Monday 27 October 7.15pm Royal Opera House Screening I Due Foscari by Verdi
Hollywood star honours Dylan Thomas
Michael Sheen is the voice of the animation. Photo by Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
The BBC has teamed up with Michael Sheen to create a fantastic on-screen adaption of Dylan Thomas’ poem, Hunchback in the Park’ Sheen, a Hollywood star who is originally from Port Talbot, has narrated the animation which has been televised by the BBC. They decided to adapt the poem into an animation as part of the celebration of the 100th year since the birth of Dylan Thomas. This adaption has been done beautifully and whilst viewing the animation you can see a great amount of time and effort has gone into the creation.
Live music on campus On Saturday, November 1 the Fresh Dixie Project, pictured right, will be performing live in the Taliesin Arts Centre, located on campus. This fun and energetic band has erupted into the music scene in the UK and Swansea students are lucky enough to experience them live. From swing and rock to pop and jazz music, this musical group covers a wide range of styles. The performance will begin at 7:30pm. See www.taliesinartscentre.co.uk
The animation shines a new light on the poem and brings it to life. This is a fantastic way of getting people who are not poetry enthusiasts to enjoy the fantastic Dylan Thomas’ work. This version of the poem is a moving portrayal as it physically shows the sad man in the park who is filled with fear and loneliness. Hunchback in the Park is one of Thomas’ greatest poems and has been adapted into something everyone will enjoy. If you would like to see this animation, you can watch it for free on BBC iplayer.
Thursday 30 October 7.30pm A Bedroom Farce by Alan Ayckbourn Friday 31 October 7pm National Theatre Live Screening Frankenstein Saturday 1 November 7.30pm The Fresh Dixie Project – an evening of crossover swing FILM Sunday 26 October 4.30pm Dead Poet’s Society (PG) Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard Tuesday 28 Oct 7.30pm / Wednesday 29 Oct 4.45pm & 7.30pm Pride (15) Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Manne Trussler Monday 3 November 7.30pm Joe (15) Nicholas Cage, Tye Sheridan, Gary Poulter
Writers wanted Are you interested in writing? The culture page is looking for all sorts of writers, whether you want to review a book or performance, or even advertise an upcoming event. To send work or to find out more contact: emma.james1994@ googlemail.com
relationships 25
travel 23
societies 24
film 21
culture 20
music 19
fashion 16-17
front row 15
S I Lv e r s c r e e n
21
features 12-13
20 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk
film
Gone Girl: One film, two views A
BOUT 200 films are made in Hollywood each year. Not many deserve our undivided attention. Not many are intellectually challenging and emotionallycomplex. But Gone Girl, David Fincher’s latest work, is one of those films. It is about magazine writer Nick Dunne, brilliantly played by Ben Affleck, who on his fifth wedding anniversary reports that his wife, Amy, has gone missing. With her disappearance becoming the focus of an intense national media circus, Dunne sees the spotlight turned on him when it’s suspected that he may not be innocent. Through flashbacks, we slowly learn how the disappearance came about and more. Fincher doesn’t follow conventional Hollywood story lines here. As soon as you think you’ve grasped the structure of the storyline, the movie hits you with a new twist. Gone Girl is a movie about victimisation in a marriage, about the fact that when we commit to a relationship, we always show the side we consider to be most likeable, only to show our real selves in the years to come. Moreover, it deplores the gap between who people in news stories like these really are and how they are being portrayed.
By Johannes Perterer
Ben Affleck stars in Gone Girl, with Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry.
B
EN Affleck and Rosamund Pike star as husband and wife in this American mystery tale adapted from Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name from 2012. Ben Affleck plays the role of Nick Dunne, a husband who discovers that his wife Amy is missing. On the surface this couple appear to have it all but as the film progresses we uncover that this marriage is not all that it seems and questions arise as to whether Nick is really responsible for Amy’s disappearance. Under pressure from the police and a growing media
frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon enough, the film begins to uncover Nick’s lies, deceits and strange behaviour and pushes the audience to ask whether these are signs that Nick Dunne had really killed his wife? The film proves to be an enticing and interesting story and with an all star cast, Affleck and Pike make the perfect duo in this dark and intelligent production.
By Hope Garnett
Get off the beaten path and explore the wider shores of film UNIVERSITY is all about education (or mostly about education.) But there are many different ways to learn and watching films is one of the most enjoyable, writes Haley Charpentier. While you may learn some fun facts from blockbuster films, the most interesting films may be more off the beaten path. When you watch a film you are not just being told a story, you are seeing and hearing a story. The ways that a production team brings a story to life vary a lot, depending on many different factors. This term, the film section will be reviewing some lesser known and less mainstream films. As most students are aware of what is happening in blockbuster cinema there is no need to review what you can see for yourself. To find out about lesser known films, the Criterion Collection is a good place to start. Films that make the Criterion Collection are considered masterpieces, representing the best films of a kind. They can be from any genre, on any topic, and represent a wide range of different techniques and styles. Without being snobbish or undermining
any type of film, Criterion’s mission is to preserve film for future generations. The Criterion Collection was established in 1984 by Robert Stein, Aleen Stein, and, Joe Medjeck. Robert Stein started the first corporate software publisher, and develops multimedia-publishing programs. Aleen Stein also publishes software, mainly for educational use. Joe Medjeck is a film producer and founder of the cinema studies program at Innis College, Toronto. To select films, the Criterion Collection consults film critics, filmmakers and the general public. The evaluation process to join the collection takes about a year and the film’s republishing rights must be released to Criterion. The Criterion Collection pioneered the use of special edition sets, complete with bonus footage and audio commentaries. The goal of the company is to make films accessible and to ensure the best viewing quality. This means that Criterion films are reformatted so they will fit on your television screen the way they fit on a cinema screen. This is how film is intended to be viewed, so that you don’t miss the
details of the picture. While mainstream movies, for example, Ghostbusters, are part of the collection, Criterion has grown to include many world films as well. Internationally made films can be a source of cultural education for many students. Criterion films are leased for region one use, so in order to view the films students must have a multi regional player. For more information and to read more about the films that are part of the Criterion Collection, go to www.criterion.com
Would you like to review a film? if so, get in touch on waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk
Haley Charpentier is from Maine, USA and is a Master’s student studying Media, Communication and PR. She is passionate about history and film (and coffee).
Would you like to edit a page in The Waterfront? We are looking for people to become section editors on your student newspaper. We have vacancies for a societies editor, film editor and a food editor. You don’t need to have any previous experience to apply for these roles, the most important qualities are enthusiasm and commitment. If you are interested and would like to apply, please email editor@ swansea-union.co.uk with a few details about yourself and your interest in the subject. Applications are also welcome from people who would like to co-edit a page with a friend. You can see previous editions of the paper online at issuu.com/thewaterfront
relationships 25
travel 23
societies 24
film 21
culture 20
music 19
fashion 16-17
front row 15
25
features 12-13
20 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk
relationships
Blind Date When Fred met Charlotte Charlotte Bryan, a 19-year-old Biology student and Fred Kirby, a 20-year-old Politics and French student met in JC’s for The Waterfront blind date.
Charlotte on Fred What were your first impressions? My first impressions of Fred was that he dressed well and he had a happy, friendly face. How did you feel about taking part in a blind date before and after? I was excited at first to go because I thought it would be fun however the nearer it got I was getting more nervous as I didn’t know what to expect. Shannon jones, a second year American studies student, and Faye Vlietstre, a second year criminology student, are The Waterfront’s new agony aunts.
Ask our Agony Aunts Dear Shannon and Faye, I got with a flat mate, and I’m worried about it affecting the rest of the year. I don’t want it to be awkward with him, what should I do? Charlotte Firstly, don’t stress too much, we’ve all been there. We can guarantee that there are loads of other first years in the same situation (and even second and third years). If your other flat mates find out and make jokes, just laugh about it as you’ll get more hassle if you don’t. If it becomes more of an issue, talk to the flat mate and clear the air as he’s probably feeling the same level of awkwardness as you. But remember that it is freshers fortnight, everyone’s going to be drunk and going crazy, so just enjoy it. One more thing… was he fit? Dear Shannon and Faye, I’ve never been much of a partier, but by not going out I’m worried that I’m missing out on socialising and meeting new people. Tom Lots of people get worried about meeting new people and fitting in when they start university, so don’t worry this is a common problem. Going to events is a good way of socialising, but there are other options too for people who don’t enjoy drinking and clubbing. Joining a society is a great way to make friends who share common interests. The freshers’ fayre showed that there are a numerous amount of different societies and sports teams that are available for you to join. Many people find that they become closest to the people in their societies, due to regular socials and activities. Additionally you’ll get to know people on your course, and as you spend the majority of your time with them you’ll get to know each other pretty well. Having friends on your course is handy as you can go over work with each other, and share notes. Although you feel shy, try to make an effort to bond with your flatmates as you’ll be living with them for the remainder of the year. (Aunts Shannon and Faye, although knowledgeable, are unqualified to give real advice and so all responses are intended to be more amusing than serious. The Waterfront recognises that occasionally they can’t even manage that, so please take all letters with a pinch of salt and refer to proper, grown-up professionals for real advice.)
Any awkward moments or silences? I wouldn’t say there was any awkward moments at all. If you were to be married and have babies with the other, what would you want your baby to inherit? His linguistic skills, as he does French and politics I would guess he would be good at languages and I thought that was pretty impressive as I struggle with English at times. Any potential for a kiss? Probably not Out of ten, what be your compatibility score with the other person? 5 out of 10 Generally how did you think that date went? I thought the date went really well, really enjoyed it had fun, very nice guy. Would you like to meet again? Yes I would meet again sometime as friends
Fred on Charlotte What were your first impressions? She seemed nice, a bit shy, but that’s to be expected. How did you feel about taking part in a blind date before and after? I wasn’t sure about it at first, because I’ve never done anything like this before but it was quite fun once we got talking and I didn’t feel awkward as I thought I would. Any awkward moments or silences? Maybe a few at the start but we got talking and it was fine. If you were to be married and have babies with the other, what would you want your baby to inherit? Her motivation, I can’t get up before 12, let alone be up at 5 to do some swimming before uni! Any potential for a kiss? Not really, but gave her a hug goodbye. Out of ten, what be your compatibility score with the other person? We’re quite different I think, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t get on well. Generally how did you think that date went? It was nice, and we both seemed quite relaxed about it. She added me on facebook so it can’t have been that bad! Would you like to meet again? Yes, I’m sure we will •If you are interested in featuring in the blind date, email your name, age, course and level to waterfrontrelationships@swansea-union.co.uk.
waterfrontonline.co.uk BUCS
Wednesday the 8th saw the return of BUCS sport to Swansea University for the first time in the 2014/15 season. The men’s rugby first XV hosted archrivals Cardiff University, getting their campaign off to a brilliant start with an 18-8 win. Meanwhile, the second XV’s Sketty Lane clash with Bristol was postponed after the match referee failed to turn up. The following week, the majority of teams joined in on the BUCS action in a day of mixed fortunes. While the rugby men’s 1sts could not carry on their good form at Exeter, the 2nds and 4ths both recorded strong victories. There were also good results for the netball and football clubs, while the lacrosse men were narrowly edged out to a slender 13-12 loss by league favourites Plymouth. Men’s badminton caught the eye with wins over Cardiff Met and USW, and the women’s fencing team dealt out a massive win at home to UWE. The hockey and tennis clubs will be hoping for improvements next week after seeing a series of losses at the hands of Cardiff and Cardiff Met respectively. Women’s rugby will also be looking for an upturn in fortunes after losing their season opener 14-0 away to Bristol.
SPORT I 27
BUCS FORTNIGHT... 31 fixtures played information correct as of 16th October 2014
Featured result: Women’s Fencing Swansea 135 - 63 UWE
Current position: 40th (207pts)
13 victories 3 draws 15 losses
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Swansea 4ths shut out USW Newport 1sts last week, claiming a 19-0 Sketty Lane victory in horrendous conditions. (Photo by Amin Karimian)
28 I SPORT
thewaterfront 20.10.14
Intramural Football
High aspirations as 2014/15 season kicks off TEAM Sloth have been part of the league setup for some time and its name is synonymous with success, having been cup winners for the last three years while also being strong contenders for the league. Despite losing out on the latter last season, Sloth captain Lewys Thomas is keen for his team to bounce back. “We fell short by a point in the league which was hard to take but winning every single game from the start of December onwards shows just how good we were. “This year we are looking to go that one step closer and take the league trophy home as well as the cup!” Thomas also singled out Hangover 96 as their “newest rival”, due to the team being mainly made up of players from last year’s Varsity Select XI. The captain wasn’t shy to boast about his team’s ability, claiming to have the “deadliest attacking force in the league” with their top goal-scorer notching 32 goals along the way. Thomas reserved special praise for Team Sloth winger James Tranter, who managed to bag 20+ goals last season and, according to Thomas, deserves a shout for this year’s Varsity intramural side.
The University Sevens are fresh off a successful campaign themselves after securing the league title by the slimmest of margins, but the ghosts of their last cup final still linger where they lost to Sloth two years ago. “I still have nightmares about it now” says Giles, who is also confident of securing the double. “To quote the great Bill Nicholson, ‘It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low.’” When asked about the negative reputation some of the university sides - in particular for their “high” cost of membership, Giles was quick to offer a retort: “What do they care about how much we spend on our membership fees? It really baffles me.” The Sevens captain also went on to say that the university sides, from top to bottom, have qualities that some intramural sides lack, saying “the key aspect of the membership is the sense of belonging to a club. “While we are considered the ‘worst’ of the seven sides, there remains a strong sense of unity throughout the ranks. This makes the membership worth every penny.” Another team looking to make their mark this year is the newest addition to the intramural league: Avengers FC, co-captained by Deonte Jam. While the team is newly formed,
RESULTS
ROUND UP
Wednesday 8th October
CHARACTERISTICALLY wet weather welcomed the start of the new intramural season, as only three of the opening day fixtures were able to go ahead following heavy rainfall. Sully Sports FC - formerly Fulton Wanderers - saw off the Medics 7-1and newly formed Hangover 96 overcame Golden Showers before Team Sloth and SUMFC 7s competed for the annual Charity Shield. Cup champions Sloth ran out 4-2 winners, retaining the shield for the third season in a row. Sunday saw a full programme of fixtures go ahead, with all 18 sides in league action and 43 goals being scored. Big results for Sloth, Medics and the 7s saw them rocket up to the top of the fledgling table, while History claimed a famous 1-0 victory over the 6s. Sully Sports faultered after their opening day thrashing of Medics, as the fell to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of SPR. Armadillo, Hangover 96, Pitches & Bitches and Crayola also recorded slender victories on a day which saw no draws. Sunday saw just one came called off and eight go ahead. Sloth, Crayola and Armadillo continued their 100% starts, while Avengers, St Helens, Ladzio, Photosinthesis and Golden Showers are still without a win.
byNiall Claire Cuddihy by Griffiths
waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
Swansea Medics 1 - 7 Sully Sports FC Golden Showers 0 -2 Hangover 96 (SHIELD) SUMFC 7s 2 - 4 Team Sloth AFC
Sunday 12 October th
Sloth 7 - 1 Photosinthesis Sully Sports 0 - 4 SPR Ladzio 1 -2 Armadillo Avengers 2 - 3 Hangover 96 Swansea Medics 7 - 0 Kents FC SUMFC 7s 8 -0 Ajax Treesdown St Helens 1 - 2 Pitches & Bitches Crayola 3 - 1 Golden Showers History 1 - 0 SUMFC 6s
Wednesday 15th October Photosinthesis 1 - 5 Sully Sports Team Sloth 7 - 0 Ladzio SPR 1 - 8 Swansea Medics Team Armadillo 3 - 1 SUMFC 7s Kents FC 3 - 1 St Helens Athletic Ajax Treesdown 5 - 3 Avengers Pitches & Bitches 2 - 3 Crayola Golden Showers 0 - 6 SUMFC 6s
most of the players within the team have played intramural previously, with Jam approaching his third year of playing in the league. So what are Avengers FC’s goals for the season? To upset a few apple carts, a cheeky cup run?
“Our goal is to finish in the top three this year and to reach the cup final. I am confident in this because I am confident in the ability of my players,” claims Jam, eager to shed the image of being the new league “whipping boys”. “I am going to work hard with the
team to make sure we don’t end up like one of those teams,” finshes the Avengers captain. Early reports seem to brand the Avengers FC a “robust” outfit not shy of a tackle, so we await to see how their maiden season plays out.
PHOTO: REBECCA FALDER
The season kicked off on Wednesday 8th October with Sully Sports vs Swansea Medics one of just two league games to survive the adverse weather.
TABLE
FIXTURES
information correct as of 16th October 2014
P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
PTS
Wednesday 22nd October (Cup)
1
Team Sloth AFC
2
2
0
0
14
1
13
6
2
Swansea Medics
3
2
0
1
16
8
8
6
3
Sully Sports FC
3
2
0
1
12
6
6
6
St Helens Athletic v Team Sloth Avengers v SUMFC 6s Crayola v Hangover 96 Sully Sports v Team Armadillo Pitches & Bitches v Ajax Treesdown Photosinthesis v Ladzio
4
Crayola FC
2
2
0
0
6
3
3
6
Sunday 26th October (League)
5
Team Armadillo
2
2
0
0
5
2
3
6
6
SUMFC 7s
2
1
0
1
9
3
6
3
7
SUMFC 6s
2
1
0
1
6
1
5
3
8
Hangover 96
1
1
0
0
3
2
1
3
9
Hisory FC
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
3
10
FC Pitches & Bitches
2
1
0
1
4
4
0
3
11
Singleton Park Rangers
2
1
0
1
5
8
-3
3
12
Kents FC
2
1
0
1
3
8
-5
3
13
Ajax Treesdown
2
1
0
1
5
11
-6
3
14
Avengers FC
2
0
0
2
5
8
-3
0
15
St Helens Athletic
2
0
0
2
2
5
-3
0
16
Ladzio FC
2
0
0
2
1
9
-8
0
17
Photosinthesis Grasshoppers
2
0
0
2
2
12
-10
0
18
Golden Showers
3
0
0
3
1
11
-10
0
Photosinthesis v Swansea Medics Ladzio v SUMFC 7s Sully Sports v St Helens Athletic Team Sloth v Avengers SPR v Crayola Team Armadillo v History Kents FC v SUMFC 6s Ajax Treesdown v Golden Showers Pitches & Bitches v Hangover 96
Wednesday 29th October (Cup) St Helens Athletic v Kents FC Avengers v SPR Crayola v SUMFC 7s Sully Sports v Swansea Medics Pitches & Bitches v History Photosinthesis v Golden Showers
Sunday 2nd November (League) SUMFC 7s v Photosinthesis St Helens Athletic v Swansea Medics Avengers v Ladzio Crayola v Sully Sports History v Team Sloth SUMFC 6s v SPR Golden Showers v Armadillo Hangover 96 v Kents FC Pitches & Bitches v Ajax Treesdown
waterfrontonline.co.uk
SPORT I 29
‘Room for improvement’ after comfortable opening day victory Women’s Basketball
by Will Humphrey waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
SWANSEA 54 - 41 GLOUCESTERSHIRE Wednesday 8th October
IT was Swansea who conquered in last week’s women’s basketball fixture against Gloucestershire. Despite Gloucestershire’s attempts at a come back, Swansea won the match comfortably by 54 points to 41 as a result of outscoring Gloucestershire in each of the four quarters. Swansea’s scoring was equally spread throughout the team, however it was number four Brenna Newell who shone throughout the fixture, top scoring for her team with 14 points. Newell was the stand out player for Swansea; as she scored consistently throughout the game, provided solid defence and finished the game as top scorer. Newell playing guard was pulling the strings from the start as she recorded three out of five of Swansea’s first baskets in the
PHOTO: AMIN KARIMIAN
opening quarter. The home side’s top scorer was closely followed by her teammate Anne Schuessler, who scored twelve points through her technical play in the post and offensive rebounding. As well as scoring consistently, Swansea won the game through organised and collective zonal system and high defensive pressure on the opposing team.
Gloucestershire did show signs of coming back in the game through their point guard, who was the game’s top scorer with 18 points, but it wasn’t enough to stop Swansea in their quest for victory. Despite outscoring their opponents by 15 points, Swansea captain Nora Grosber thought the team’s strengths lay in its defence. “We tried to adapt our defence to the opposite team’s play and
thereby made it almost impossible for them to score from the second half on.” However Grosber does feel that there was room for improvement on today performance. “There is room for improvement when it comes to our shooting. We missed quite a lot of shots and we need to focus on our shooting a bit more during the next couple of weeks.” Overall, Grosber seemed pleased with the day’s performance, saying: “We were very happy with our performance. “We worked really well together as a team and we played the whole bench, leaving nobody out, which shows that we have a good squad.” In terms of looking to the future Grosber is hopeful of success for the team. “At the start right now, I think and hope we will do very well this year. Winning the first game at home was very important and we hope we can continue in the same vein.”
Pro Evolution Soccer launches UK KONAMI have announced details of the UK’s first ever Pro Evolution Soccer League University Championship, which will be open exclusively to university students. Partnered with GAME and Adidas, Konami will be offering a regular supply of prizes as well as the chance for the winner to play PES 2015 on a world stage. Students can also become PES League Ambassadors. The role would involve working with Konami, organising campus tournaments and updating the website. For more information, visit www.pesleague.com. To enter, visit www.pesleague.com/uni.
nineteen twenty COMING SOON!
30 I SPORT
thewaterfront 20.10.14
Reaction: Swansea students excited for Welsh Varsity’s Liberty Stadium return Varsity 2015
by Laura Fiteni & Niamh Ollerton waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
EXCITEMENT has been building on campus since it was confirmed that Varsity, the pinnacle of Swansea University students’ sporting year, would be returning to Swansea. The buzz around Varsity returning to Swansea speaks wonders for the tight knit community we have here, and it is obvious that there is a lot of excitement over Varsity as always. After a four-year stint in Cardiff, the students of Swansea, for the most part, cannot wait to have the most iconic Sporting event of our University calendar on home soil. Since the beginning of the tournament in 1997, Cardiff has won five times, Swansea have emerged victorious 12 times and a draw was reached once at Cardiff Arms Park in 2001. Having lost only twice on home soil, playing at home has always proved an advantage for the Swansea side. Last year, 14,000 people sat down to watch the rugby in Cardiff’s colossal Millennium Stadium meaning that the majority of seats remained empty in the 74,000 capacity venue. With a much smaller capacity of 21,000, spectators at the Liberty Stadium can expect an electric atmosphere as they settle down to watch the
green and red armies collide. Sports Officer Charlotte Peters said, “It’s hugely exciting that the Welsh Varsity shall be returning to Swansea for the first time in five years and the fact that our athletes get to play in front of a home crowd on home soil is fantastic”. And it seems like the
Swansea Uni Sports Officer Charlotte Peters
Charlotte Peters Swansea Sports Officer “I think it’s hugely exciting that Varsity is returning back to Swansea, it will be an amazing experience for all competitors to play on home soil in front of such a large crowd. “Sketty Lane and the Sports Village are ideal locations for the day games with all sports being so close together there will be no missing any of the goings-on. “The smaller capacity of The Liberty should amplify the already electric atmosphere that has been present in The Millennium, and as always, playing in a premiership venue is a huge accomplishment for the Men’s Rugby 1st’s.”
long-awaited return can’t come quick enough. Such a breakthrough provoked many Swansea University alumni to express their disappointment at missing the opportunity to witness a Varsity match on home soil. Students who studied in Swansea between 2011 and 2014 would have only ever competed and watched matches in Cardiff. Alex Mackenzie, who graduated from Swansea last year, tweeted, “To think an entire generation of Swansea Students graduated without seeing Varsity on their own turf. Envious of all those going this year.” However, the majority of those still studying in South Wales are already looking forward to Spring 2014 with excited anticipation. Student Laura Armistead said, “I can’t wait for it! It will be such a refreshing change to have the whole of Swansea supporting our teams (many of us don’t make it to the rugby after a long day travelling to and around Cardiff).” Student Tony Jones said, “I think it’ll be a refreshing change to have it in Swansea, especially for me as a fourth year student who has only had Varsity in Cardiff!! I’m really looking forward to it!” Adam Traynor, also a student, said: “I think that it will be really good having Varsity here, because it’s my last year in Swansea and it’s the home crowd.”
The Swansea City Council-owned Liberty Stadium, home to Swansea City AFC and the Ospreys, seats just under 21,000 spectators.
Only the bottom tier of the Millennium Stadium was occupied by spectators for Varsity 2014
Liberty Stadium Having hosted the Varsity rugby match only once before, a spokesperson on behalf of the Liberty Stadium said: “We are very excited to bring the event back to Swansea and look forward with huge anticipation to hosting the pinnacle of what is looking like being a tremendous sporting day.” But there are mixed opinions. “I don’t think it’ll be as good but it’ll be much easier for us. It means Wind St. will be buzzing,” said Toby Naylor. Master’s student Angelique Karditzas said “It’ll be my first taste of Varsity and I’m excited for it to be in Swansea.” Third year David Nginilla echoed these sentiments. “Varsity returning is an absolute stunner.” Although there is a lot of eagerness about the return of Varsity, some students do not seem quite as enthusiastic and not all have bought into the idea. Usman Arshad said, “I think it’s a bad move, I don’t think that the atmosphere in the Liberty will be the same as in the Millennium Stadium and I think the appeal of the day will be lost.” Another student, Jass Sidhu said, “If I’m honest I’d prefer to travel to Cardiff and make a day out of it. Part of the fun was being an away fan & outnumbering Cardiff supporters for most of the day.” Alex Patch, a student from Cardiff University, does not share the opinions of many Swansea students, “I think it’s fair for all other sports except the rugby.
“All the rugby players both Cardiff and Swansea would all be devastated that they’re not playing in the Millennium Stadium. If I was a rugby player I’d be furious.” Swansea students Jess Nesbitt and Em Wood seem to share his opinion, saying respectively, “Not sure how I feel about varsity in Swansea” and “Not impressed with Varsity being in Swansea at all”. With a change in venue after so many years, students were bound to have mixed thoughts. As Varsity creeps up on us, more and more opinions will be voiced.
Cardiff Uni AU President Bryn Griffiths
Bryn Griffiths Cardiff AU President The decision has spurred on Cardiff to work harder than ever to fight for that all-important win. Cardiff University’s Athletic Union President Bryn Griffiths said, “Varsity 2015 will undoubtedly be the climax of the year for Team Cardiff and I’m sure our teams will be eager to lay down the gauntlet to Swansea on their turf after four successful years at home. With a new head of rugby in post, our eyes will be well and truly on the cup as well as continuing our dominance in the shield.”
waterfrontonline.co.uk
SPORT I 31
First XV start season in style with victory over Cardiff Men’s Rugby
by John Fanning waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
SWANSEA 1st 18 - 8 CARDIFF 1st Wednesday 8th October
SWANSEA got their BUCS Premier South Division A season off to a winning start in trying conditions against rivals Cardiff with a hard fought 18-8 victory at Sketty Lane. The first half was a close affair, with the wet and windy conditions not making things any easier for both sides. Having said that, both teams played some good rugby and enjoyed some periods of dominance without being able to create any clear cut opportunities. The only points scored were through penalties, with Spencer Cawley putting the hosts ahead before Cardiff levelled with a penalty of their own to go into half time with the score at 3-3. With the change of ends, Swansea now had the wind in their favour and were looking to make it pay, and they did courtesy of two tries early in
after the restart. Following a Cawley penalty to put Swansea 6-3 up, some slick passing saw Jedd Evans pick a gap in the Cardiff back line to allow Sean McDonnellRoberts to score from just a few yards out. With the conversion, Swansea had built a 13-3 lead, and it was not much longer before Swansea crossed the try line once more. Winger Peter Moore left the opposition in his wake in a breakaway attack from his own half to touch down. With Swansea in control the game broke up a little bit, with both sides seeing a man sin binned. Cardiff did rally towards the end, James Phillps produced a try-saving tackle to deny the visitors a consolation score. However Cardiff did get their try at the death, but by then it was too little, too late.
Captain Ollie Young was happy with the way his side gelled after a promising performance against Swansea RFC at St Helens the previous week, and was pleased to see the match go as planned. Hooker, Young, felt that the
game plan was executed well: “The game went to plan after holding them for the first half and then opening them up second half and playing some running rugby”. A week after the win, Swansea faced a trip to Exeter and Young
was keen to be keep everyone’s feet firmly on the ground. “A lot went well [against Cardiff ] but there were things to work on which we’ve done in the past week to travel down to a strong Exeter side. It is always a difficult place to go and win.”
Swansea’s upcoming league fixtures Bath (A) 22/10/14 Bristol (A) 29/10/14 Hartpury (H) 12/11/14 Cardiff Met (H) 26/11/14 Cardiff Uni (A) 26/11/14
PHOTO: AMIN KARIMIAN
Swansea have now won three of the last four encounters with Cardiff, including a 28-0 victory last November and the 2014 Varsity triumph.