Issue 243

waterfrontonline.co.uk

NEWS I 05

A third of female students report being groped while at university

by Hilary Webb

waterrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk THE students’ union is clamping down on ‘Lad Culture’ on campus, following an NUS survey that showed that more than a third of female students have been groped while at university.

The results of the online survey of 2156 male and female students has prompted strong calls from the NUS for universities to take action to stamp it out.

An investigation carried out by The Waterfront earlier this year found that sexual violence was becoming alarmingly normalised on nights out.

A third year student reported being groped between her legs by a complete stranger as she danced with her friends in Sin City.

“I was so shocked and I pushed him off and when I had a go at him he just laughed. He did it again later and I managed to get him kicked out once I explained to the bouncer. But it was genuinely disgusting.”

Another student said: “I was out

on Wind St with my friends and boyfriend, and someone came up to me and stuck his hand all the way up the front of my playsuit and actually started to touch me in *that* area. I pushed him away and he just laughed in my face.”

Swansea University Students’ Union president Ceinwen Cloney has pledged that the union will tackle the problem.

Since the reorganisation of the students’ union officer structure earlier this year, SUSU no longer has a full-time women’s officer. However the president said she would be working with part-time women’s officer Stephanie Lockwood to identify ways to stamp out sexual harassment on campus and venues.

“Since their Lad Culture Summit in February of this year, NUS has been working to ensure that unions take responsibility and tackle this lack of awareness,” she said.

“In Swansea this isn’t an issue we are ignorant of, in fact the opposite is true. For three years now we have had a zero tolerance policy in place for our venues… and you can report

harassment incidents to our staff at the time.

“As a union we welcome the NUS response and research in this area and look forward to hearing of further support and strategies to ensure that this is the last time we see statistics such as these.”

The university is also working on the problem. The director of student services Kevin Child said: “I am aware of this NUS report and concerned about its content. To increase discussion I intend to put this issue on the agenda of the Healthy University Group, which I chair.”

He added: “More work needs to be done in partnership with the students’ union to tackle sexual harassment. It is also important to remember that it can occur of women by men, men by women, and between members of the same sex.”

The NUS’s Lad Culture National Strategy Team lead by Ambassador Laura Bates is concerned by the normalisation of sexual harassment at universities in the UK. Concerns focus around the presence of pages on Facebook encouraging Lad

Oceana’s gone, but new Fiction Club on Wind Street fills the gap

by a Waterfront reporter

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk THE new venue for Monday and Wednesday nights opened in a blaze of glamour in the first week of term (pictured).

The new Fiction Club/Myu Bar on Salubrious Place, Little Wind Street, will be the venue for SUSU Ents nights After Dark and Play On. The new venue replaces mega club Oceana on The Kingsway, which closed at the end of May. An Oceana Swansea spokesperson confirmed the closure was due the “location at the end of The Kingsway has proved too much of a challenge to attract the neccessary footfall.”

Fiction’s general manager, Jon Jackson, said: “Fiction will bring an entirely new and surreal clubbing experience to Swansea.

“We’re creating a place where people can step away from reality and the daily pressures of life and enter a world of ‘Fiction’, full of fun, theatre and escapism and come together for the very best clubbing experience.”

The main Fiction room will feature a lighting and video mapping wall of vision and sound.

Throughout the club there will be pre-bookable booth seating and VIP areas featuring table service. And there will also be a stylish Myu cocktail bar where customers can enjoy freshly prepared cocktails by specially trained staff.

Culture, pages such as ‘Unilad’ and ‘The Lad Bible’.

In fact 55% of the students surveyed agreed that these online communities contribute to the unfair representation of women and 62% of the students have witnessed jokes about rape and sexual assault at university.

According to Laura Bates, Lad Culture is: “a set of behaviours and attitudes that dominate social behaviours - social norms that belittle, dismiss, joke about or even seem to condone rape and sexual assault.”

The survey comes in the same month that independent events company Climax Productions have been providing new Cardiff University students with ‘shagcharts’ as part of their welcome packs. The cartoon drawings on the poster include condoms and half of a woman’s body.

The university’s students’ union has condemned the posters.

This month the NUS will be kickstarting a pilot scheme working with students’ unions to drive Lad Culture out of campuses.

Student forum is set for Oct 9 by a Waterfront reporter

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk THE first student forum of the new term will be held in The Hive in Union House at 6pm on Thursday, 9 October.

The forum is your chance to ask questions about what is going on with the union.

Thursday’s meeting will be an introduction to the students’ union and its officers and there will also be a free buffet.

Student forums happen every month.

Any Swansea University student can attend and any student can submit a motion which students then vote whteher to adopt.

The forums are also a great source of information and an opportunity for students to hold their full time officers to account.

This year’s full-time officers are president Ceinwen Cloney, education officer Ilana Cohen, societies and services officer Jerry Isokariari, sports officer Charlotte Peters and welfare officer Joel Gascoyne.

Find out more at www.swanseaunion.co.uk

waterfrontonline.co.uk

NEWS I 07

Formerly banned Pole Fitness Society gets a new lease of life as a SUSU sports club

by Laura Fiteni

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk THE previously banned Pole Fitness Society has been accepted as a sports club following a unanimous vote at this year’s captains’ training.

The vote was taken by committee members of the university’s 50 sports clubs that were attending a training day in Faraday Lecture Theatre.

Captain Darcie Whitfield and Vice Captain Johanna Parkin gave a short presentation in a bid to persuade the club captains to accept Pole Fitness as a sport at Swansea.

Last year, the students’ union’s trustee board banned the society in a controversial decision on the grounds that Pole Fitness was ‘inextricably linked to the sex industry’ which ‘bolstered sexist attitudes and behaviours’.

Since then, its members have worked tirelessly to create a place for Pole Fitness at Swansea University.

A petition created on charge.org received over 1,500 signatures and their Facebook group accumulated nearly 500 supporting members.

The issue was widely covered by student media and also featured in national and international publications including The Huffington Post, The Mumbai Times and the Daily Mail. The producers of The Wright Stuff on Channel 5 also debated the issue live on air with the then treasurer Heidi Muir.

After first refusing to reconsider the ban, the students’

ON THE WAY UP: Pole Fitness Society. union eventually invited the Pole Fitness Society to a student forum where they were able to put forward their case. A referendum held to decide the future of the society went live and was passed with a majority of student votes allowing Pole Fitness its right to exist within the students’union.

This year the club made the executive decision to

Swansea University will host 2015 Rugby World Cup teams

by Laura Fiteni

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University has been announced as one of 41 team bases to host teams of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. England Rugby 2015 has already spent the past 12 months searching across England and Wales for the best accommodation and training facilities to prepare the 20 teams for the colossal competition ahead.

Paul Robinson, Deputy Director of Estates and Facilities Management, said: “We are delighted to be a training base for Canada and Fiji for the Rugby World Cup and to have been selected as one of just a handful of universities with the outstanding sports facilities necessary to host teams.”

Sport’s Officer Charlotte Peters said: “Having World Cup Teams based here in Swansea is an exciting prospect and one which should set the sporting calendar off in style. Given the nature of the event students will at least be seeing some world class players and coaches around campus.”

The search for Team Bases was launched via an open tender process in May 2013 and over 90 bids from across England and Wales were received. Only five of the 41 bids accepted are locations in Wales, highlighting the university ‘s achievement to be awarded the privilege.

In order to put forward a tender, bidders were made aware of the expectations and requirements each team base would need including an outdoor pitch, indoor training facility, a swimming pool, gym and hotel.

All of which are to be on a par with international team training standards and located on site or within close proximity of one another. Bidders

also had to consider the distance between base and the match venue location.

Robinson said: “This (opportunity) will help to increase Swansea’s profile as an international sports institution. It will also develop our reputation for hosting major sports events, such as with the recent IPC Athletics European Championships, funds from which can then be used to enhance our sports facilities and services for students.

“We hope that there will be opportunities for our students and the local community to engage with Fiji and Canada during their stay with us, and we will ensure that there is no impact on student sports during this period.”

Other Welsh team bases include Sport Wales National Centre, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Celtic Manor in Newport and The Vale Resort.

Eight teams will be based in Wales during part of the Pool stage alone with further arrivals during the knock-out phase.

The Wales Team itself will be split between two locations during the pool stages namely The Vale Resort and London Irish RFC in Hazelwood, Dublin. They will begin their RWC 2015 campaign at the Millennium Stadium on September 20 against either Russia or Uruguay.

return as a sport rather than a society as they were previously categorised by the SU. As a physically demanding sport, the club wanted students’ athletic achievements and competition performances to be recognized. However another big motivation was the inclusion of a Pole Fitness competition against Cardiff at Varsity.

President Darcie Whitfield said: “We spoke to the Cardiff Pole Club at the Inter University Pole Dance Competition at the beginning of this year - they had just become a sport for 2013/2014 - and we discussed competing at Varsity together.”

The girls are now busy establishing Pole Fitness as a club; creating a logo and SU page, designing kit, negotiating a sponsor, and scheduling classes.

They also have two big tournaments in the upcoming year - the South West Pole Competition and the Inter University Pole Dance competition (IUODC) - to prepare and practice for.

As standard procedure, the club will not receive any funding from Sport Swansea in their first year and are planning on a showcase to help fund competitions but with over 300 students showing an interest during the Freshers Fayre, it doesn’t look like the show will be short of performers.

Vice Captain Johanna said: “It is our chance to prove how serious we are about our sport and next year we hope to achieve much more for the club with the help of extra funding.”

Taught by four-starred community instructor, Dawn Roberts, the club trains at Circadian Fitness Dance Studio in the town centre.

Darcie said: “Our committee has worked so hard as a team, to get to where we are today and we are so proud of what we have achieved already. We really feel a part of the Swansea Sport family already and it was great to see that we had the backing and respect of the students.“

08 I NEWS

thewaterfront 06. 10.14

WELSH Hwyl Y Gŵyl; Eisteddfod Sir Gâr 2014 YR EISTEDDFOD, trysor genedlaethol gyda dros ganrif ac hanner o hanes yn ei ffurf presennol. Ac hyd at dri chant o stondinau a gweithgareddau wedi’i gwasgaru dros gae yn barod i’w cael eu darganfod gan ymwelwyr o bob cwr Cymru sydd wedi dod er mwyn cael blas ar draddodiadau a diwylliant Cymru.

Eleni roedd gan fyfyrwyr Abertawe reswm mwyaf erioed i ddathlu’r wyl.

Nid yn unig roedd yr Eisteddfod yn ddigon agos atom am y tro cyntaf ers 2000 ond hefyd Dr Christiine James, darlithydd yn ein prifysgol ni roedd yr archdderwydd benywaidd cyntaf erioed i arwain yr orsedd.

Dywed Dr James, “Rwyf wrth fy modd yn cael bod yn rhan o ddathlu’r cyfraniadau positif yma i fywyd ein cenedl”,.

Nid oes gwadu’r ffaith y bod yr Eisteddfod yn wrthi’n ffynnu, tyfu a datblygu. Eleni daeth 16,694 o bobl drwy’r gatiau Eistddfod ddydd Sadwrn yn unig!

Mae’r lleoliad agos wedi cynnig cyfleoedd o’r newydd i lawer o fyfyrwyr Abertawe. I rhai, sef Rebecca Jones, Sam Griffiths, Rebecca Davies a Lauren Evans, dyma oedd eu tro cyntaf i’r maes.

Dywedodd Lauren, “Dyma’r tro cyntaf i mi ddod fel ymwelwr a gwirfoddolwr hefyd! Roedd hi’n well

by Laura Fiteni

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk na’r hyn a oeddwn i’n disgwyl! Dw i wedi bod yma trwy’r wythnos i gyd ac mae dal pethau y hoffwn wneud a phrofi.

Fel rhywun sydd wedi dysgu Cymraeg fel ail iaith, roedd hi’n braf i fynd rhywle lle mai Cymraeg yw’r iaith gyntaf! Ches I ddim lawer o gyfleoedd dros yr haf i ymarfer siarad yr iaith ac ar ôl i mi dreulio awr ar ôl awr bob dydd gyda siaradwyr iaith gyntaf, dw i’n teimlo’n fwy hyderus nawr.”

Un myfiriwr sy’n gwneud gradd meistr, Christian Kelsey oedd yn gweithio ar stondin yn y maes fel rhan o’i lleoliad gwaith gyda Academi Hywel Teifi.

Dywedodd, “Roedd angen i mi hybu’r prifysgol fel rhywun sydd wedi bod trwy’r proses cofrestru ac sydd wedi blasu beth sydd gan y prifysgol i’w chynnig “Mwynheuais i dros ben ond hefyd, roedd yn brofiad eithaf od yn gweithio ar yr un lefel ag un o’m hen ddarlithwyr, Gwyn Lewis, profiad od ond grêt yn gweithio gyda Llŷr oedd e!”

Wrth gwrs, nad yw Llŷr Lewis yn ddieithryn i’r Eisteddfod can eu bod ef wedi llwyddo ennill y gadair yn Eisteddfod Urdd Gobaith Cymru am ddwy flwyddyn yn olynol yn 2011 ac

yn 2012.

Dywedodd, “ Roedd ennill Cadair yr Urdd y tro cyntaf yn brofiad arbennig ac yn fythgofiadwy! Fe gefais ddiwrnod arbennig yng nghwmni teulu a ffrindiau, a’r haul yn tywynnu.

Ond yr unig broblem oedd bod y diwrnod wedi mynd yn llawer rhy gyflym. Felly roedd cael ennill am yr ail dro yn brofiad braf iawn, er mwyn i mi allu cymryd y cyfan i mewn a gwneud yn siwr fy mod yn mwynhau.”

Disgrifiodd Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor Gwaith Eisteddfod 2015 Beryl Vaughan y gwyl, “Mae tref y sosban, Llanelli, wedi rhoi ‘Steddfod arbennig iawn, dwi ‘di ‘neud ffrindiau newydd a fyddan nhw’n ffrindiau oes.”

Hoff profiad llawer o’r ymwelwyr ifanc (ac hen hefyd!) yw i fwynhau bandiau iaith Gymraeg mwyaf poblogaidd Cymru ar llwyfan Maes B .

Un fyryriwr blywddyn 3 a ymwelodd â’r maes oedd Rebecca Jones. “Ar nos Wener gwyliais berfformiadau Ywain gwyndd, Cadelas a Bryn Fôn.

Roedd pawb o oedrannau gwahanol yn mwynhau’r gerddoriaeth gyda’r machlud haul yn y cefndir”.

Eleni, gwnaethpwyd llawer o waith er mwyn harddu’r maes gan gyflwyno enfys o liwiau llachar.

Mae mwyafrif y newidiadau wedi bod yn bosib diolch i grant o £50,000 gan Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru wrth iddynt cynnig yr arian er mwyn

Eisteddfod Cyntaf myfyrwyr blwyddyn tri Rebecca, Lauren, Rebecca Jones a Sam Archdderwydd Dr Christine Jones. gwella olwg y maes mewn prosiect cydweithredol mewn cwmni artistiaid a phlant lleol.

Yn ogystal â harddu’r maes, bwriad y prosiect oedd hyrywddo adnabyddiaeth a diddordeb yn yr Eisteddfod ymhlith pobl ifanc a’r gymuned leol gan sicrhau gwahoddiad iddyn nhw gymryd rhan yn y darpariadau.

Ers yr Eisteddodd mae hi wedi dod i’r amlwg y bydd y trefniadau harddio yn cael eu hailadrodd ar gyfer Eisteddfodau y dyfodol. Meddai trefnydd yr Eisteddfod Elen Elis y byddai y “camau bach” yn parhau er mwyn sicrhau llwyddiant yr Eisteddfod yn y dyfodol.

Mae trefnwyr Eisteddfod Maldwyn a’r Gororau eisiau sicrhau “eisteddfod i’w chofio” yw’r Eisteddfod 2015, yn ôl

cadeirydd y pwyllgor gwaith 2015.

Mae Rebecca yn annog unrhyw un sy’n meddwl mynychu am y tro cyntaf, “ Wnes i ddim ddeall popeth ond does dim rhaid i chi ddeall pob gair i fwynhau a phrofi cyffro’r seremoni. Roedd awyrgylch y maes yn drydanol wrth i bawb yn mwynhau dathlu ein hiaith a diwylliant.”

Gwelwn ni chi ym Maldwyn a’r Gororau blwyddyn nesaf felly!

Cyfweliad archdderwydd Dr Christine James

by Laura Fiteni

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk MAE archdderwydd yr Eisteddfod a darlithydd y Prif Ysgol Abertawe Dr Christine James yn sôn am arwain y prif seremonïau a chwarae foozeball yn erbyn chwaraewr pêl-droed Lee Trundle!

Sut wnaethoch chi deimlo wrth gael eich ethol yn Archdderwydd Cymru?

Rhaid i mi gyfaddef, daeth yr holl beth fel sioc , braidd – digwyddodd y cwbl mor gyflym! Ar y naill law roeddwn wrth fy modd wrth gwrs, am fy mod i’n ymwybodol iawn o’r fraint a oedd yn cael ei hestyn i mi, ond ar y llaw arall roeddwn ychydig yn bryderus, gan fod rôl yr Archdderwydd yn un mor amlwg yn y Gymru Gymraeg. Roedd y ffaith mai fi fyddai’r Archdderwydd benywaidd cyntaf, a’r un cyntaf hefyd i ddod o gefndir hollol ddi-Gymraeg, yn ychwanegu at fy mhryderon ar y dechrau, gan y gwyddwn y byddai popeth y byddwn yn ei wneud a’i ddweud yn dod o dan y chwyddwydr!

Beth yw eich cyfrifoldebau a dyletswyddau fel Archdderwydd Cymru?

Y rhan fwyaf gyhoeddus o’r gwaith – y rhan y bydd rhai o ddarllenwyr Waterfront yn gyfarwydd â hi efallai – yw arwain y prif seremonïau yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, sef seremonïau Coroni a Chadeirio’r Bardd, a gwobrwyo’r Prif Lenor. Mae’r rhain yn seremonïau hyfryd o liwgar, a Gorsedd y Beirdd yn eu gwisgoedd gwyn, gwyrdd a glas yn llenwi’r llwyfan. Ond mae llawer iawn o waith i’w wneud “tu ôl i’r llenni” hefyd – trafod a threfnu a phwyllgora – sy’n llyncu sawl dydd Sadwrn yn ystod y flwyddyn rhwng y naill Eisteddfod a’r llall.

Beth ydi’r rhan orau?

Fy mraint fel Archdderwydd yw cael gwobrwyo ac anrhydeddu pobl eraill ar ran yr Orsedd.

Gwobrwyo enillwyr y prif gystadlaethau llenyddol, fel y dywedais eisoes; ond hefyd rwy’n cael y fraint o dderbyn aelodau newydd i’r Orsedd – pobl sydd wedi gwneud cyfraniad arwyddocaol i bob math o agweddau ar fywyd Cymru yn ei holl amrywiaeth, yn genedlaethol ac yn lleol. Er enghraifft, yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Sir Gâr ddechrau Awst eleni, ces i’r fraint o groesawu i’r Orsedd chwaraewr rygbi rhyngwladol, darlledwr teledu adnabyddus, bargyfreithwraig a merch sydd wedi gweithio’n galed yn lleol i godi miloedd o bunnoedd i elusennau.

Beth fu eich profiad gorau ar y Maes hyd yn hyn?

O diar ... anodd penderfynu. Mae llawer o bethau hyfryd yn digwydd i mi – pobl yn dod ataf i er mwyn cael sgwrs, ac yn blaen. Mae’n siŵr mai’r profiad mwyaf annisgwyl a gefais ar y Maes eleni oedd fy nghael fy hunan yn chwarae foozeball yn erbyn Lee Trundle o dîm pêl-droed Abertawe.

(Aeth y sgôr i 3-1 cyn i mi benderfynu bod angen galw eilydd oddi ar y fainc ...)

Pa gyngor y byddech chi’n ei gynnig i bobl nad ydynt wedi ymweld â’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol o’r blaen?

Mewn un gair – dewch! Mae’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn ŵyl sy’n cynnig pob math o brofiadau, beth bynnag yw eich diddordeb. Cewch fwynhau llenyddiaeth, cerddoriaeth o bob math, chwaraeon, gwyddoniaeth a thechnoleg, bwyd a diod, ac mae digonedd o bethau gwahanol i’w prynu o’r cannoedd o stondinau sydd yno!

NEWS I 09

www.waterfrontonline.co.uk

ENGLISH All the fun of the Eisteddfod 2014 THE Eisteddfod has become our national treasure.

Celebrating over a century and half of tradition and with over 300 stands and activities waiting to be discovered, thousands of visitors every year come together to immerse themselves in Wales’ rich culture. There’s nothing quite like it.

And this year, there was a better reason than ever to celebrate. Not only did the Eisteddfod come closest to home for the first time since the millennium but also Dr Christine James of our own Hywel Teifi Academy was the first female archdruid to ever to lead the celebration.

“I was delighted to be part of celebrating such positive contributions to the nation,” Said Dr James.

In the past few years, the Eisteddfod has thrived; growing and developing in size and attendees and this year no less than 16,694 walked through the Eisteddfod gates on Saturday alone.

This year’s convenient location proved popular with students at Swansea. For many students such as Rebecca Jones, Sam Griffiths, Rebecca Davies and Lauren Evans it was their fist time visiting the ‘Maes’ (the site of the Eisteddfod).

Lauren said: “This was my first time at the Eisteddfod as a visitor and volunteer. It was even better than I

by Laura Fiteni

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk expected. I was there all week and there are still things I’d like to do and experience.

“As someone who’s learnt Welsh as a second language, it was great to go somewhere where Welsh is the mother tongue. I haven’t had many opportunities over the summer to practice speaking Welsh and after spending every hour of every day with first-language speakers, I feel much more confident.”

Graduate student, Christian Kelsey was working on a stall as part of his work placement with the Hywel Teifi Academy.

He said: “It was my job to promote the university from the perspective of someone who’d been through the enrolment process myself and experienced what the university has to offer.

“I really enjoyed it but it was also quite odd to work at the same level as one of my old lecturers, Llŷr Gwyn Lewis – an odd but great experience!”

Of course Llŷr Lewis is no stranger to finding success at the Eisteddfod himself, having won the chair two years running at Eisteddfod yr Urdd in 2011 and 2012.

He said: “ Winning the chair at The

Above, the Gorsedd of Bards.

Urdd the first time was such a special and unforgettable experience. I had an exceptional day in my family and friends’ company and the sun shining down.

“But the only problem was the day went so fast. So, winning it the second time was just great, it meant I could take it all in and make sure that I enjoyed it.”

Chair of the Eisteddfod Preparation Council 2015 Beryl Vaughan said of the festival: “Llanelli has put on an extra special Eisteddfod, I have made friends for life here.”

For lots of young (and older) visitors seeing some of Wales’ most popular Welsh language bands live was the

Interview with archdruid Dr Christine James

by Laura Fiteni

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk ARCHDRUID of the Eisteddfod and our very own lecturer at Swansea University, Dr Christine James, talks about leading stage ceremonies and playing foozeball against footballer Lee Trundle!

How did you feel being named Wales’ Archdruid?

I must admit, the whole thing came as quite a shock – It all happened so quickly. On one hand, I was totally delighted and I’m very aware of the honour that was placed upon me, but on the other hand I was quite nervous being that the role of the Archdruid is so prominent amongst first language Welsh speakers. The fact that I would be the first female Archdruid and the first to come from a totally non-Welsh speaking background added to my nerves at the beginning because I knew that everything I would do and say would be under the spotlight.

What are your responsibilities as Archdruid?

The most public part of the role – the part that most Waterfront readers will be familiar with perhaps – is the leading of the main ceremonies, such as the crowning ceremony and the chairing of the winning poet at the National Eisteddfod. These ceremonies are full of lovely colours, with the order of Poets dressed in white, green and blue. But there’s lots of work to do behind the scenes too – discussing and arranging councils – it consumes a lot of Saturdays between one Eisteddfod and the next.

What is the best part?

My privilege as Archdruid is awarding and honouring other people on behalf of the Order. I also have the honour of receiving new members of the Order – people who have made an exceptional contribution to all aspects of life in Wales – nationally and locally. For example, at the last Eisteddfod this past August, I had the honour of welcoming international rugby player, renowned tv presenters, a barrister and a local lady who has worked relentlessly to raise thousands of pounds for charity in her local community.

What was your favourite experience on the Maes so far?

O dear....difficult to choose. Lots of lovely things have happened to me – people coming to me for a chat and such. For sure the most unexpected experience I had at the Maes this year was ending up playing foozeball against Swansea City Footballer Lee Trundle. (The score was 3 - 1 before I decided that I needed to call for help from the bench!)

What advice would you offer people who haven’t visited the Eisteddfod before?

In one word – go! The National Eisteddfod is a festival which can offer so many experiences, whatever your interest. You can enjoy literature, all sorts of poetry, sport, science and technology, food and drink, a variety of stalls and a hundred and one other different things.

And if you’re not confident speaking Welsh, don’t fret – there’s always someone who will be willing to help you, take the opportunity to practise the language and hear it being spoken by thousands of people around you.

cherry on the cake. Third-year student, Rebecca Jones said: “On Friday, I watched performances from Ywain gwyndd, Cadelas and Bryn Fôn. People of all different ages were enjoying the music with the sunset in the background.”

This year a lot of work was done to spruce up the Maes by introducing a big splash of colour.

The majority of the changes are thanks to a grant of £50,000 by the Arts Council of Wales in order to improve the Maes’ appearance in a project which collaborates with local children and artists.

As well as making it more attractive, the project was designed to raise awareness and interest in the

Eisteddfod amongst young people and in the local community by inviting them to take part in the preparations.

It’s obvious that there will be further changes in the years to follow.

Organiser Elen Elis said that small steps would continue to be taken in order to ensure the future success of the Eisteddfod.

Rebecca reassures anyone who’s thinking about going for the first time, “I didn’t understand everything but you don’t have to understand every word to enjoy and experience the excitement of the ceremonies. The atmosphere was electric; everyone was enjoying celebrating our language and culture.”

So, see you there next year, right?

www.waterfrontonline.co.uk

NEWS I 11

FRESHERS’ FORTNIGHT PHOTOS

See more photos on Facebook Student Swansea Events.

front!

Leading the cheer for societies and sport >> 24

careers 26-27

travel 25

societies 24

fashion 22-23

student media 21

culture 20

eurovision 19

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freshers 16-17

6 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

features 14-15

L i f e s t y l e f o r S wa n s e a s t u d e n t s

6 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

14

with hilary webb

features DJ Joel Corry is at Fiction on October 17.

Plenty to howl about this autumn S

WANSEA may have missed out on the title as the UK’s City of Culture for 2017, but that doesn’t really diminish the fact that Swansea is bursting with it. For new students, and for those returning here’s what’s new to explore in Swansea this autumn, writes Hilary Webb.

The nightlife is a huge part of Swansea and as students; we’re pretty keen on it too. Many were heartbroken at the end of last term when it was announced that the much loved Oceana was shutting down. Don’t fear though, we haven’t been left with one less nightclub.

As you’ve probably noticed a new club called Fiction has now opened on Little Wind Street. The £1.2 million club is said to be a place ‘where people can step away from reality and the daily pressures of life and enter a world of ‘Fiction’’ according to the club’s owner Jon Jackson.

The big event for Fiction this autumn is happening on Friday 17th October, when international TV star, fitness model and more importantly DJ, Joel Corry will be headlining as well as having a meet and greet with Fiction fans.

Meanwhile, SUSU’s dedicated city centre live music venue Sin City has just undergone a rebrand and refurbishments. The venue is the home of established club nights; Sin Savers, Monsters of Rock and Sink, as well as playing host to many big names.

Here’s a word from the boss, Big G, regarding the new look: “This summer has been the most exciting in Sin City’s history. We’ve rebranded the venue and have invested into key areas of the club, after listening to student feedback about what was important to them. The venue is much cleaner and much more comfortable than it used to be. Head over to the new look website www.sincityclub.co.uk to check out what’s going on.”

Coming up on November 2 is surf band Sunset Sons,

who will be visiting Sin City as part of their UK tour. The British–Australian quartet are huge amongst Europe’s surfing community.

For a night out that’s a little more alternative, there’s a new event taking place at Mozarts every second and third Thursday of the month. Organised by third year English literature student Tyler Zammit, HOWL is a chance for budding writers and poets to perform at an open mic night.

Tyler describes it not as an event but as a ‘platform for anyone in Swansea to perform and promote their own works’. HOWL is not limited to just poetry though, the event is open to spoken word, short fiction, even journalism and monologues. The writers that participate in HOWL also have the opportunity to perform at Uplands Market on Saturday mornings.

The Dylan Thomas Centre, not far from Wind

Street, has some exciting events on the cards this autumn. You can’t come to Swansea without being bombarded with the fact that we are currently celebrating Dylan Thomas’ centenary year, but this October 27th is the big day, his 100th birthday. The Dylan Thomas exhibition is being re-launched on this day following a HLF funded refurbishment including a 3D interactive timeline of his life.

Another exciting exhibition that’s open until December is a collection of manuscripts and black and white photos on loan from the US of Dylan Thomas’ time in New York. This exhibition is one not to miss as many of the manuscripts and photos have not been widely reproduced or displayed before now.

As well as all of this the 12th December is a date to save as poets Carol Anne Duffy and Gillian Clarke present two readings at the Dylan Thomas Centre.

With all this and more happening in Swansea this autumn we have no excuses to be bored.

Sunset Sons

What to do when all you want to do is go home...

S

TARTING university is a unique experience for each individual.

There are new challenges to face having to fend for yourself, living in a new place, making new friends, preparing your own meals, paying rent and learning how to manage your money, writes Emily Maybanks.

Finding the balance between working hard on your degree and having a good social life is one of the keys to success at university.

For the most part, starting university is a highly exciting time for young people.

However, it can also be a very scary time and some new students find it harder to adapt to student life than others do.

I hope that this article will provide new Freshers at Swansea University some reassurance that it’s perfectly natural to find things daunting and even upsetting at times.

When I started university this time last year, one of my most pressing worries was that I didn’t really drink alcohol and I had never stepped foot in a night club in my life. I was worried that people would judge me, especially my flatmates who appeared to enjoy that lifestyle. I was relieved that they didn’t seem to mind that I wasn’t into drinking and going out.

However, I still felt that I didn’t really fit in with them, so I joined the wonderful Hogwarts Society and I made some amazing friends through the society.

My first main piece of advice is to join a society that interests you; there are so many societies and sports clubs to choose from. I really enjoyed the Hogwarts Society because it was a lovely way to meet new people without feeling pressurised to drink alcohol.

Some students may feel homesick during their first term here. This too is normal. I got very homesick after about a month of leaving home, when the initial excitement and adrenaline of starting university had worn off and the essays and independent study of lectures was in full swing.

I don’t believe that there is a right way of coping with homesickness as everyone is different. I shut myself in my room an awful lot, which actually made things a lot worse. I spent more time in my room on Skype or Facebook, or texting my friends and family at home in Reading than I did talking to my flatmates and other friends here.

Eventually, I plucked up the courage to talk to the welfare wardens on campus and they were really helpful. They’re postgraduate students living in university halls and in the student village and they’re

Photo by Penelope Waits

Ways to beat the blues • Walk on the beach • Read a good novel • Watch favourite TV programmes • Meet up with friends • Listen to calming music • Talk to family or friends at home • Go to a society event • Cook a nice meal • Pursue a favourite hobby • Count your blessings there to listen to any worries you may have and point you in the right direction to access further support. I felt a lot better after talking to someone about how I was feeling.

I was concerned that if I visited home for the week-end, I wouldn’t want to come back to Swansea. However, at the start of November, I went home for the weekend and while I struggled a little bit going back to university, I managed it without it being too difficult. I also started to find it easier to talk to the people in my flat which helped me enormously.

Coping with the independent study and the workload of lectures is also a huge challenge for some students. I had a week where I really struggled with everything and the welfare wardens suggested talking to my personal tutor, which initially I was very nervous about but it turned out to be a great idea because he was really understanding and even let my lecturers know that I was having a tough time and they all managed to put my mind at ease. So if you’re finding the course work overwhelming, I would

certainly advise that you don’t suffer in silence, but let your personal tutor know as soon as possible because they do understand that it is a stressful time, starting university with all the new changes and challenges to overcome.

To conclude, my main piece of advice to new students would definitely be: do not suffer in silence. If you’re finding any part of starting university difficult, then talk to someone. You could talk to your flatmates, friends from societies, your personal tutor, the welfare wardens.

The Wellbeing Centre in the Horton Building is very useful and so is the Advice Centre in Fulton House; I’ve been to both and I would certainly recommend them to students who are having a difficult time.

However, I would also say to not give up on university; I had times where I really wanted to quit but I kept going and I’m now really looking forward the adventures that my second year will bring.

Emily Maybanks is a 2nd year student studying Translation with French and Italian.

For help and advice on any kind of problem visit www.swansea-union.co.uk/support/advice

careers 26-27

travel 25

societies 24

fashion 22-23

student media 21

culture 20

eurovision 19

freshers 16-17

15

features 14-15

6 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

St. Vincent Liverpool O2 In previous interviews, St. Vincent, aka Annie Clark, has been quoted as saying that her gigs, with Talking Head’s musician, David Byrne were not rock concerts but performances.

It’s safe to say that St. Vincent encapsulated both the rock, psychedelic and theatrical at the Liverpool O2 date on her latest UK tour.

The band requested ‘please refrain from digitally capturing your experience’, echoing the satirical hit, featured on her 2013 self-titled album, ‘Digital Witness’.

She arrived on stage in a netted dress covered in giant sequined eyes and managing to pull off some impressive scalp plaits. Opening with ‘Rattlesnake’ and ‘Cruel’ she whipped out her futuristic moves with her fellow band members.

Having released five albums, once collaborative with Byrne, since 2007, Clark is well accustomed to the alternative pop scene. Critics were surprised she’d made it into the mainstream but this gig proves that her performance will always be sitting on the edge of different.

She has transformed from the brunette, preppy lyricist to the mesmerizing, platinum blonde robot on stage, whilst maintaining her talented guitar skills and enigmatic lyrics.

However, her gigs aren’t just about the music. She wonders off into a philosophical, existentialist spiel about the wonders of the cosmos to finding porn under Photo of St. Vincent by Tom Porter your parents’ bed, which in many ways makes her incredibly relatable. You could be listening to your drunken friend babble about the things they think about but never tell anyone else.

Annie Clark is a powerful woman in the music scene after embracing the ‘queer, feminist scene’.

Her voice is instantly attractive and the notes she can reach are clearly easy work for her. Her voice is not the pretty, feminine voice of other female singers. Alike to Ritzy of The Joy Formidable, she embraces a certain power in the singing, taking the stage into her control.

She almost became goddess-like in her performance of ‘Cheerleader’ when she mounted the pyramid of steps at the rear of the stage, belting out the chorus.

I’m notorious for saying ‘that was the best gig I’ve seen in a while’ after every show, but truly, this has to come in the top five gigs that really rocked my world.

The encore of ‘Chloe in the Afternoon’ and ‘Your Lips Are Red’ saw Clark, to the audience’s delight, climbing through the front rows, nailing the crowd-surfing most other leads would be afraid of.

You’re in St. Vincent’s universe in this gig. You’re expected to keep up to her stamina and ‘down to Mars’ mindset. After all, she prefers ‘your love to Jesus’.

St. Vincent’s self-titled album, ‘St Vincent’ is out now.

By Samantha Booth

Union helps secure best deal for students on second campus THE year 2014-15 will be an incredibly exciting one for Swansea University, your union and even for you, writes SUSU president Ceinwen Cloney.

Over the coming months the whole university will be preparing for the opening of the Bay Campus and I’m here to tell you a bit about what’s going on...

In August all of your brand new full-time officers were able to visit the Bay Campus site where we had a tour around one of the new accommodation blocks, the site and the Great Hall. The first thing we were all taken aback by is the sheer size of the site and the amazing facilities for both academic and recreational use. The second thing we all loved was the location by the sea and of course the prospect of having use of the amazing space that will be the Great Hall.

We had a really productive visit, getting up to date with everything that’s happening and even getting involved in a couple of key decisions.

Following on from the visit we also had more of an idea about where the new students’ union facilities will be located. We have been able to secure students’ union space on two floors of one side of an accommodation block, next to the new sports hall and gym and alongside the nursery.

As a union we will be working hard over the next year (and have been over the past two) to ensure all Swansea University students, regardless of the location of their home college, have the best experience here in Swansea. As a result of this we have so far made progress on the provision of:

Swansea University Students’ Union full-time officers visit the Bay Campus.

• a reception so you have somewhere to go to ask all of your questions • a finance depository so all clubs and societies can deposit their funds • a second advice centre facility so you have somewhere to seek independent free advice on everything from your studies to your housing contracts • a second nursery facility will be on the Bay Campus helping support student parents by providing child care during lecture hours • several meeting spaces and bookable rooms for societies, clubs and student groups to use for projects, meetings and social activities • a multi-purpose media room with facilities for radio, TV editing, and blogging for all of our budding student journalists and music lovers

• a students’ union hot desk office for officers and staff to use when spending time at the Bay Campus • a whole host of chillout areas, study areas and most importantly electric points for you to charge up your phones, laptops and ipads The students’ union is also hoping to be involved in providing some of the other services that students have grown to know and love on the Bay Campus, these are still in progress but we’ll keep you updated.

So after all of that I hope you’re a bit more clued up and as excited as we are for the new campus and rest assured that we’ll be taking advantage of this fantastic opportunity to ensure that you’re enjoying student life whether that be on the Singleton or Bay campus.

Some TLC for Singleton too OPENED in 1920, Singleton campus was the UK’s first campus-based university. Several periods of development since mean that we have buildings of lots of ages and styles, all of which need a little TLC from time to time. In recent years the university has: • Re-clad Keir Hardie and Faraday Tower in blue and installed new windows • Updated the lab facilities in Wallace • Built the Horton and Penmaen residences, ILS1 and ILS2 • Transformed the ground floor of Fulton House • Updated teaching spaces with modern projectors and clickers • Remodelled work spaces in the library and elsewhere to suit students’ needs • Re-clad Faraday from grey to multicoloured We can imminently look forward to the opening of the Outdoor Research and Community Learning Environment (ORACLE) in the Botanical Garden, and the construction of the Data Science building is well underway and will open next year.

Once the Bay Campus has opened, those of us staying at Singleton can expect a bit more space, and of course the chance to visit the Bay Campus too. There are plenty more plans in store for Singleton, as we look towards demolishing some of our old and inefficient buildings to make way for new buildings and green spaces to enjoy.

6 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

20

w it h EM MA JAM ES

culture

From theatre to football, Swansea’s got the lot!

A

S a fantastic Freshers’ Fortnight comes to an end, it is more than likely your workload will pick up, however that does not mean all your fun has to stop, writes Emma James.

If you are wondering how else you can entertain yourself, apart from a wild night out, I am here to tell you that there is plenty to do.

Swansea is an amazing city to explore, but first of all you have got a fantastic venue right on your doorstep.

The Taliesin Arts Centre on campus shows ground-breaking theatre and up to date films.

Most of the performances held in the Taliesin offer amazing students discounts that are great value for money, which is always a bonus.

Upcoming events at the Taliesin include a live performance of ‘Crazy Gary’s Mobile Disco’ on October 9, which tells a story of an average Saturday night in a small Welsh town.

This particular show was written by Gary Owen, the award-winning writer of hit shows such as ‘The Baker Boys’.

It starts at 7:30pm and costs just £10 for students.

Films are also feature regularly in the Taliesin, with new screenings every week. This makes it a lot easier and cheaper to be able to watch a must-see film, rather than trek into town.

Even though the Taliesin Art Centre is located on Swansea University’s campus, it is open to everyone.

On October 22, Mr Morgan’s Last Love, starring Michael Caine, will be screening in the Taliesin at 7:30pm. Ticket prices for students are £5.30.

Further afield, the Dylan Thomas

The famous statue of Dylan Thomas in Swansea’s marina. Photo by Jon Curtis.

Centre is one of Swansea’s biggest and most relished cultural artefacts. If you are curious about the work that Dylan Thomas achieved during his life, here is the place to visit.

The centre, which is located in Somerset Place, is also a great place for aspiring writers, with regular workshops and classes.

Keep an eye out for some great art pieces and events around the city because too Swansea is celebrating the centenary of Dylan Thomas’ birth.

Beginning on October 27 and ending on November 9, this festival will be open all day to everyone at a cost of just £5 to £10. To find out more information visit www.dylanthomas.com.

If you are interested in seeing a live

classical concert, the Brangwyn Hall is more than likely to cater for this. They also stage popular music acts, with Elvis Costello performing in the summer.

Swansea’s beautiful Grand Theatre, in the city centre, offers a wide range of shows from comedy to drama to tribute acts. This week there’s ‘I need a Doctor: The Whosical’ on October 9 at 7pm.

This is a great opportunity for fans of Doctor Who to enjoy a night of laughter by watching talented fans themselves belt out tunes as the Doctor and his villains.

Concession tickets are £8.50 and 50 pence of every purchase goes towards the theatre’s restoration fund. www.swansea.gov.uk will keep you updated on future events.

Swansea City Football Club is a must see attraction. Unfortunately, you are less likely to get a ticket for the Premier League Football games.

However, tickets for cup games are much easier to get hold of and luckily for you, they are usually sold at a discount for students. Keep an eye for the stand in Fulton House foyer.

The club’s home is the Liberty Stadium, Landore, and is definitely worth a visit.

LIVE Thursday 9 October 7.30pm Crazy Gary’s Mobile Disco - a play by Gary Owen Sunday 12 October 7.30pm 2 Guitarras Malagueñas - Juan Martin & Chaparro de Málaga Monday 13 – Saturday 18 October Afrovibes Festival Tuesday 14 October 7.30pm The Soil – an a cappella vocal group Wednesday 15 October 7.30pm Rainbow Scars – a play set in post-apartheid South Africa Thursday 16 October 7.30pm Dark Cell / Uncles and Angels – a dance double bill Saturday 18 October 7.30pm Biko’s Quest – a dance/drama event FILM (All films start at 7:30pm unless otherwise stated) Monday 6 October Camille Claudel 1915 (PG) Juliette Binoche, Jean-Luc Vincent, Robert Leroy Monday 13 October 6pm Felix (U) - part of the Afrovibes Festival Okwethu Banisi Monday 13 October 8.15pm Dear Mandela (12) - part of the Afrovibes Festival Mnikelo Ndabankulu, Zama Ndlovu

Afrovibes celebrates 20 years of democracy The Taliesin is hosting the exciting Afrovibes Festival this month.

The aim of this event is to celebrate the second decade of democracy in South Africa through the art of dance, music and performance.

The shows begin at 7:30 pm from October 13-18. In Rainbow Scars, one of South Africa’s most brilliantly incisive playwrights, Mike Van Graan, confronts the question of racial identity head on through the story of a black teenager adopted by white parents.

Other performances include the story of Steve Biko in ‘Biko’s Quest’, Dark Cell and Uncles & Angels, a dance double bill, while The Soil is an award-winning three-member a cappella group coming

TALIESIN THEATRE LISTINGS

to Swansea direct from the Apollo in Harlem.

During the festival, the bar will be transformed into a township cafe.

Student tickets are £10. Find out more at www.taliesinartscentre.com.

A scene from the ‘Rainbow Scars’ performance.

Monday 20 October The 100 Year Old Man who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared (15) Robert Gustafsson, Iwar Wiklander, David Wiberg

Writers wanted Are you interested in writing?

Always dreamed of having your name in print? Here is your chance to get published!

The culture page is looking for all sorts of writers, whether you want to review a film or performance, or even advertise an upcoming event.

We are also asking students to send us their poetry and short stories for publication.

To send work or to find out more contact: waterfrontculture@ swansea-union .co.uk

student media

careers 26-27

travel 25

societies 24

fashion 22-23

student media 21

culture 20

eurovision 19

freshers 16-17

your guide to susu media

21

features 14-15

6 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

Would you like to be a journalist or a presenter? Join a media team Xtreme Radio

Would you like to learn valuable new skills and increase your employability by volunteering for the student media team? We are looking for people to join the newspaper The Waterfront, the SUTV television station and Xtreme Radio. There are also opportunties to write for The Siren, an award-winning, independent student publication.

The Waterfront A team of student volunteers produces the fortnightly term-time publication The Waterfront and its online presence, www. waterfrontonline.co.uk. The team is led by professional journalist Kay Byrne, whose career has spanned newspaper, television, radio and online media outlets.

If you would like to get involved there are opportunities to write for news, sport and features, as well as learning how to design pages using InDesign software.

Laura Fiteni, news editor, said: “This is my third year at The Waterfront. I was made assistant news editor in my first year, in my second year I introduced my own Welsh-language section and now in my third year I’m editor of the news and Welsh sections. As an aspiring journalist, I couldn’t hope for a better experience and its awesome to be part of such a great team! “ Hilary Webb, features editor, said: “Now in my second year at Swansea and The Waterfront, I’ve moved from Food editor to Features editor.

It’s fantastic to be a part of student media, especially if you think you may want a career in journalism. Some can find it a little daunting but we have an amazing team who are always willing to guide and advise, it’s great if you have experience but you’ll soon pick it up if you don’t. Being part of The Waterfront gives you so many opportunities; to get experience, learn a load of new skills and make a tonne of new friends.”

Sports editor Ned Bristow said: “I joined the Waterfront at the end of my first year, and it has since been a gateway to a number of invaluable experiences. I have enjoyed covering a selection of the 50+ university sports, with my personal highlight coming last year as I reported on the Varsity rugby from the Millennium Stadium press box. Thanks to constant peer feedback from a great, patient group of writers, I am now in a position where I can apply for journalism courses with a wealth of experience and a portfolio of published work under my belt.”

The experience and training you gain at The Waterfront is second to none. Our reporters have won NUS Wales Student Journalist of the Year for the past two years - crime and investigations editor Chris Flynn in 2013 and features editor Samantha Booth in 2014.

•If you would like to get involved in The Waterfront, please email editor@swanseaunion.co.uk.

MEDIA TEAMS: Above, Hilary Webb, Laura Fiteni and Ned Bristow of the The Waterfront. Below, members of the Xtreme Radio and SU-TV teams.

Welcome to Xtreme Radio 2014/15!

We are very proud of our heritage as the second oldest student radio station in the United Kingdom and the oldest student radio station in Wales.

We’ve been broadcasting for 46 years in November and over the years we’ve had some fantastic experiences, such as interviewing legendary BBC presenter John Peel. We also have a strong heritage of being on the cutting edge of new music with interviews with artists such as Bombay Bicycle Club, Alt-J, Scouting for Girls & Ed Sheeran to name a few.

You can interview your favourite bands, broadcast your favourite music across campus, or just be part of our Music, Promo, Sport and Engineering team. We are completely run by students and have had a successful past, with some members of our station going on to work in professional radio around the country.

Our studios are located on the third floor of Union House. Listen in at xtremeradio.org •Come and see us or email: radio@swanseaunion.co.uk to get involved.

SU-TV SU-TV is Swansea University’s first studentrun television station, founded in September 2013. The station is fully run by students at the university, and all post production, filming and editing is done alongside our studies. The station covers Swansea University events run by societies, the union and the university.

They include Varsity promotional videos, employability events, charity fundraisers, Hogwarts Yule Ball and many more. We are also venturing into our first short film, which is set in a zombie apocalypse Swansea University!

We capture what the students of Swansea University achieve during their time here, while enhancing our skills for the media industry. We have many exciting projects coming up this year. Watch us at su-tv.co.uk •If you’d like to get involved, please email manager@su-tv.co.uk.

The Siren

Vacancies on The Waterfront WE currently have vacancies for several section editor posts on The Waterfront. Section editors run a team of volunteer contributors to produce a page for each issue of the paper.

Vacant posts include Music, Games, Film, Societies, Food, What’s on, Relationships. If you are interested in applying for one of the posts, please email editor@swansea-union.co.uk

The Siren is Swansea University’s award-winning independent student publication. Helmed this year by Tori-Ilana Evans (Swansea Student Union, NUS Wales officer) and Olly Treen (once played Snowboy in West Side Story, six-time Millie’s Cookies loyalty card completer), The Siren remains characteristically punchy, down-to-earth and authentically understaffed. You can find them on Facebook, on Twitter @thesirenswansea, or at thesirenswansea.wordpress.com. The Siren is 100% run by volunteers, so we would love to hear from you.

• If you fancy getting involved, please email us at thesirenswansea @hotmail.co.uk.

6 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

22

w it h na ne t t e t u r k s o n & C Rysta l r o se

fashion

MEET OUR NEW C0-FASHION EDITOR: CRYSTAL ROSE The Success of Topshop Crystal Rose

Would you like to write about fashion? We are looking for contributors to join our team, so please get in touch at waterfrontfashion@ swansea-union.co.uk

ent to introduce like to take a mom st ju d ul wo r for this year I ! llo He w co-fashion edito ne e th as to u yo of I will be working myself to all ther, Nanette and ge To in . nt rta te fro en er at to W at The information t fashion fantastic produce the mos you all. ing cond year of study Rose, I’m in my se l ta ys Cr is e m na My ol. and I’m from Brist English Language p oment, I can’t sto line skirts at the m A y th m wi e ar ve lo ial in nt I am robe esse and my one ward shopping at asos own ankle boots. urban outfitters br

Topshop - there’s no denying the popularity of this British fashion clothing and accessories retailer, not just among students but worldwide, writes Nanette Turkson.

It’s a brand that has become universally recognised. If you’ve ever had the pleasure or displeasure (depending on how you feel about swarms of crowds) of shopping in the Topshop flagship store in London’s Oxford Street, you will be well aware of the fact that tourists venture from far and wide to scour the rails of the store, and very rarely do they leave without bags full of clothes, shoes and accessories. But how did this shop go from high street store to a worldwide phenomenon?

I firmly believe that Topshop as a brand epitomises the culture of innovation that is unique to the British fashion scene and in particular London. The diversity in the clothing within Topshop guarantees that it caters to each individual style within their fashion conscious demographic. Not only that, but Topshop as a brand is especially interested in nurturing and supporting emerging talent within the fashion sector. Since 2001, Topshop have sponsored the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN scheme. The NEWGEN scheme is platforms whereby up-and-coming designers are provided with sponsorship for catwalk, exhibition, presentation and installation opportunities.

NEWGEN has supported many designers who are now regularly showcase their collections during London Fashion Week including Ashish, Mary Katrantzou, Meadham Kirchoff, Gareth Pugh and Erdem to name a few. This has been pivotal to Topshop’s success. Speaking of fashion week, Topshop is the only high street brand to show on schedule at London Fashion Week with in-house designed Unique. The SS15 Topshop unique show was to me one of the standout shows from this season.

With the attendance of the most important woman in fashion, Anna Wintour, as well as models Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn walking the runway, Topshop has most definitely certified its position as no longer just another high street store, but a worldwide phenomenon!

CARA DELEVINGNE ON THE RUNWAY AT THE TOPSHOP UNIQUE SS15 SHOW

careers 26-27

travel 25

societies 24

fashion 22-23

student media 21

culture 20

eurovision 19

freshers 16-17

23

features 14-15

6 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

G et Ready for the Student Lock-In !

SWANSEA’S Quadrant Shopping Centre is to hold a late night “student lock in” event on Thursday October 9 from 7pm to 9pm, , writes Nanette Turkson.

The one night only event will be filled with in store entertainment, prize giveaways and most importantly EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS just for students from the participating stores within The Quadrant CentreWith leading retailers such as Superdry, Schuh, The Body Shop, Burton, New

Look, Blue Inc, and Dorothy Perkins all promising discounts of 20% on the night, as well as additional freebies, this event is the ideal way to stock up on all your wardrobe and beauty essentials for the new term and is definitely not to be missed!

So head on down to The Quadrant centre on Thursday whilst there is still money remaining from your student loans and take full advantage of the bargains for the night.

Don’t forget to bring a valid form

of student identification, in order to receive the discounts on the night.

For full details of all the participating stores and discounts available on the evening, check out the official student lock website on: www.studentlockin.com and the Facebook and Twitter pages on: www.facebook.com/QuadrantStudentLockIn https://twitter.com/QuadrantLockIn

BURGUNDY CABLE KNIT JUMPER £19.99

Ou r Student Lock-in Top Picks NEW LOOK

ORIENTIAL WRAP SKORT, £14.99 The burgundy trend is the undisputed champion for the “it colour” of the Autumn/Winter season in the fashion world, and it is making yet another.

It’s not hard to see why Burgundy is such a popular colour within the fashion world, it compliments almost any other colour imaginable, (my particular favourites to pair it with being camel or white) not only that but unlike many other colours it flattering to every skin tone!

MENSWEAR FASHION!

DOROTHY PERKINS

With that glowing reference, what’s not to love about Burgundy trend?

Keep an eye out for these stylish Burgundy finds from New Look at the student lock in event.

BURGUNDY PATENT RUCKSACK, £19.99

BURTON

IDEAL FOR WINTER!!!

WARDROBE STAPLE!!!

GREY LONG LINE BOYFRIEND COAT, £69.00

LEATHER MONK SHOES, £44

NO WARDROBE SHOULD BE WITHOUT A STURDY PAIR OF BLACK LEATHER SHOES. THIS COAT WILL SEE YOU THROUGH THE COLD SWANSEA WINTER.

6 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

Enhance your student experience

societies

Freshers fayre not the only chance to sign up for societies and clubs D

ON’T worry if you didn’t get around to joining your favourite society or sports club at Freshers Fayre.

While the 88 clubs and societies at the fayre did brisk business, they are keen to stress that membership is still open and you can join any time at www.swansea-union.co.uk/societies or www.swanseaunion.co.uk/sports/.

If the society you want to join doesn’t exist, you can start one yourself.

For the first time this year, Freshers’ fayre had an accessibility hour prior to general opening on the first day, to allow people with mobility problems a chance to browse the stalls in comfort.

“The acccessibilty hour worked really well and was taken advantage of by a good number of students,” said Annie Cottam, the students’ union PR and Marketing manager.

“In fact, the whole fayre was a big success, particulalry for ENTS who sold out of their Platinum and Gold packages.

“I spoke to a lot of students and they all said they really enjoyed the event.”

Winner of the best stall at the fayre was The Clash Society, who are pictured right.

At Freshers’ Fayre: Photography, Disney, Women’s football, Mass, Chinese, and Wargaming.

24

careers 26-27

travel 25

societies 24

fashion 22-23

student media 21

culture 20

eurovision 19

with EDDIE BISKNELL

freshers 16-17

25

features 14-15

6 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

travel AMERICAN SOJOURN: From left, the Congress building in winter, the Statue of Liberty, and Eddie attending an American football match in a blizzard.

Highs and lows of a year abroad O

NE of the main reasons I chose to apply to Swansea University was its outstanding year abroad option for the American Studies degree.

My year abroad in 2013-2014 always seemed very distant; a long time in the making and forever on the horizon.

Finding it finally in the present tense was a lot to take in and I of course ended up leaving all the organisation and preparations until the last minute.

The study abroad programme provides a brilliant opportunity to spend time at one of 21 universities in North America. From these you select five, then you present your choices to your year abroad coordinator who questions your choices. “What are your academic reasons for choosing that university? Would you like to be kept together with another course mate?

Have you have looked over the financial requirements?”

Health insurance The financial requirement question becomes extremely real when you are asked to provide proof that you can pay the tuition for your selected university; in my case around £12,000.

While studying abroad you only pay half the Swansea tuition fees, but then there is also US health insurance, which at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, was compulsory and £1,000.

Arriving in America, my first impressions revolved around scale: the sheer size of the cars, the supermarkets (stores), the food, roads and sometimes, the people. But what struck me next was the resounding friendliness of its people. Yes there are a few crazies harping on about stuff outside Walmart, but apart from this, and especially at

Eddie Bisknell, 22, from Buxton, is a fourth year American Studies student who has just returned from a year at a US university. He explains how studying abroad was one of the best choices he could have made.

UMBC, I met nothing but great people.

The kind of friendly folk just as willing to strike up a spontaneous conversation with you as on board the bendy bus into Swansea’s city centre.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County – on the outskirts of Baltimore, on the east coast of America, 45 minutes from Washington DC and roughly four hours from New York - proved to be a fantastic location choice for sightseeing, history and, of course, a fair amount of politics.

Weather-wise I faced polarised conditions, either 30-35C heat or powerful winds and minus temperatures and snow. So if you choose Baltimore, bring a mixture of shorts and hoodies.

Highlights from my year abroad included attending the National Christmas tree lighting outside the White House, and seeing the Obama family (from afar, but nonetheless, seeing them!), visiting the Big Apple and DC, seeing a Ravens game (Baltimore’s American Football team) in the midst of a blizzard, and finding love across the pond.

Girlfriend Whilst over at UMBC I met my girlfriend Samantha, we both attended the same welcome week event which was a free trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore’s Inner Harbour.

Later that day there was an outdoor foam party on campus, after which I gave her a hoody and walked her the “couple of blocks” to her house, and the rest as they say, is history. Finding companionship - romantic or not - when you are so far away from home cannot have its importance exaggerated, and I know that without my attachment to Sam the year away from home would have been much more of a struggle.

Especially for the times where I fell ill and I had someone to care for me. This also helps reassure your parents that you are ok and are being looked after, instead of being alone so far from home.

Journalism Whilst over there, I also tried to narrow down my future a little through my module choices. I chose feature writing to explore an interest in journalism and another, American Political Development, my most intense class to date, surrounded by graduates, most of whom were aged 45+.

My feature writing professor put me in touch with the student newspaper, The Retriever, which offered me a position as foreign correspondent, in which role I wrote 18 articles for the paper.

US universities approach the academic year a semester at a time instead of taking up the entire year. For instance, students can simply attend for the Fall semester (August-December) and then skip the Spring semester that follows (January-May). Students accumulate credits over whatever length of time they choose to attend and these eventually add up to a degree. Students can also take credits over Summer and Winter semesters to get ahead.

Another difference is the approach to

assignments, essays were shorter (2,000 words max) but more frequent, around one every 3-4 weeks. Participation in classes is graded, encouraging every member of the class to offer opinions, with classes heavily based on class discussions. Higher university fees may also contribute to the pressure to participate.

My experiences made me far more independent and gave me a better sense of where I want to go career wise.

I also decided my dissertation topic and garnered as much extra knowledge on that as possible.

The distance from home is very different. Studying in Swansea, it is always possible to go home, however arduous the journey, whereas in America this option is just not available.

Because of this you find solace in friends and develop greatly as an individual, one of the main reasons I recommend studying abroad.

•Next issue : A year in Hong Kong

WHAT THE CAREERS SERVICE SAYS “In addition to getting a good degree you need to be able to demonstrate you have the skills and mindset that employers are looking for. Spending some of your degree abroad provides you with the opportunity to develop your skills set. It also enables your confidence, optimism, perseverance and resilience to grow. These contribute to a ‘growth mindset’ which is invaluable to employers.”

6 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

26

YOUR FUTURE MAPPED OUT

careers

Careers and Employability Fair 2014 Date: Friday, 10 October 2014 Time: 10am – 2pm Venue: Study Hall, Library and Information Centre, Level 3

O

UR annual Careers Fair is your chance to come and talk to representatives of a wide range of different types of employers all in one place. Many of the people whom you will meet at the various stands are young graduates who have been through the recruitment process and training programmes quite recently, so they are in a good position to understand your perspective and explain the opportunities available, writes Jo Davies.

For detailed information, please visit our events information page on MyUni at http://myuni.swan.ac.uk/careers/ whats,on/.

Prize draw A short survey form will be handed out to all students attending the fair because your views are important to us and help us improve future Careers and Employability events. Everyone who completes the form will have the option to be included in a prize draw for a dining card worth £100 which can be used in Fulton House.

CV Clinic Careers advisers will be on hand to give you tips and advice on improving your CV, so bring a hard copy along with you. It doesn’t have to be near-perfect – if you haven’t written a CV before and would like some help, get a draft CV ready and bring it along.

Preparing for the Careers Fair Tuesday 7 October 12noon– 1pm Workshop: Making the most of YOUR Careers & Employability Fair Preparation will help you make the most of the opportunities the fair provides. It’s a chance to meet employers, start building relationships with them, learn what employers look for and find out about the opportunities for internships, employment etc that they offer.

This workshop will help you to: • identify organisations to target • develop questions to ask • know what to take with you.

To book online for this event please go to http://swansea.prospects.ac.uk/ index.html.

To make the most of the day it would be a good idea to: • research the employers you wish to speak with.

The Careers and Employability Team – friendly, approachable and here to help you!

• update your CV. • be open-minded – you will meet employers whom you may never have considered. Do not assume that employers will look for graduates with specific degrees. Many employers consider graduates from any discipline as they are interested in the wide range of skills you have gained during your time at university.

Think about it as a networking event.

You will be meeting employers in a relatively informal setting, but even so you need to do some preparation beforehand, think about the questions you need to ask and consider how you want to present yourself to the organisations that you’re interested in. To help you we’ve put some ideas together about the kinds of questions you may wish to ask.

Graduate training programmes often have closing dates between October and January for final year undergraduates, so the fair is an ideal opportunity to talk to people and gather information before you apply.

•See more information at http:// myuni.swan.ac.uk/careers/ job,hunting.

What to ask the employers 1. Do you offer a graduate training programme and, if so, what does it involve?

2. Does your organisation offer work experience?

3. What type of previous skills, experiences and attitudes do you look for?

4. What is a typical working day like?

5. How do I apply and what activities are used in your recruitment process?

6. How many positions are available this year?

7. What degree subjects and degree classification do you require?

8. How do you view postgraduate qualifications and do these override the need for a first degree classification / UCAS points?

9. What development opportunities will be available within your company?

10. Where are you located?

11. What support/training will I receive on the job?

12. Is there a way to bypass the online system to submit an application if I don’t have the stated UCAS points?

13. What is your advice for a successful application and interview?

14. What is the best way for me to develop my commercial awareness and knowledge about your company?

15. What makes an excellent candidate stand out from others who apply?

16. How is your company planning to develop over the next five years?

careers 26-27

travel 25

societies 24

fashion 22-23

student media 21

culture 20

eurovision 19

freshers 16-17

27

features 14-15

6 October 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

Lucy Williams

Chris Baillieux

Simeon Smith

Nicola Stanton

AS part of our careers and employability programme the university has a Work Placements Team to connect our students to employers for graduate level placements.

Come and meet us at the fair.

We offer work tasters and paid internships through our Week of Work and Swansea Paid Internship Network. Longer internships with SMEs are also available through our Santander Programme. All participating students receive a free employability master-class and are assessed via an assessment centre. For full information visit our website www.swansea. ac.uk/work-placements and follow us on Twitter @swanworkplaceme

what we do, helping students develop their employability skills.

manages larger placement relationships, such as the Welsh Government.

Likes: Family and friends time. Exploring Europe.

Performing Arts. Any food that’s bad for you.

Claim to fame: I had a few pints once with Brian O’Driscoll and Matt Dawson.

Slogan for life: “What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Las Vegas met Mike Tyson. I lived to tell the tale.

Slogan for life: “Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” – Sam Ewing

Come and meet the work placements team at the fair

The Team Okay, so we’re an odd looking bunch, but we’re helpful, friendly and our mothers love us. We enjoy working in a diverse team but we all have one thing in common; we’re passionate about

Chris Baillieux Chris was the first member of our team, originally setting up the WoW programme.

He enjoys meeting employers and is currently reviewing our methods for assessing students at interview and within our assessment centres.

Likes: Haverfordwest FC. Meteorology. Macro Economics. Sausage rolls and chips.

Claim to fame: When I was ten, I heckled the King of Norway.

Slogan for life: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there” – Lewis Carroll Lucy Williams In addition to bringing together employers and students, Lucy supervises our programmes’ processes, guidance and evaluation. She also

Nicola Stanton Nicola is the newest member of the Work Placement Team. She is the lead for the Santander SME Programme alongside working on SPIN and WoW Placements. She also has written an article for the Evening Post and greatly enjoys promotion and marketing around the work placement schemes.

Likes: Travelling. Cooking. Eating out. Bert, her 10-month-old puppy.

Claim to fame: I’m a keen traveller and once in

We’re looking forward to working with you WELCOME, new and returning students.

Employability might be the last thing on your mind at the moment. However, the careers & employability team are here to help you negotiate the employability maze and develop your employability mindset, writes Jennie Jones.

Careers and employability is little bit like preparing for a marathon: it’s all the little things that you do that make up the bigger picture.

These little things could be doing some voluntary work, being a student ambassador, being a student employability representative, holding down a part-time job or coming along to activities organised by the careers & employability team.

Careers and employability is something that could happen alongside your studies, your part-time work and even your social life.

Careers and employability doesn’t have to be a scary subject that you only start thinking about at some point in your final year, it can be something you quietly develop throughout your time at university.

Consider attending our employer talks

programme every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 5pm - 6pm. This term we have some really exciting employers attending such as Teach First, Civil Service Fast Track, IBM, John Lewis Partnership and PwC amongst others.

The employer talks are an informal forum and students usually have the opportunity to ask questions and gain a real insight into a role or careers within an organisation. Book your place via swansea.ac.uk/careers or via myuni. swan.ac.uk/careers/whats,on If you’re keen on gaining some hands-on work experience why not find out more about our work experience programmes such as Week of Work, SPIN and more. As we have a total of four different work experience programmes, there is something for everyone to choose from.

Over the last academic year our students benefited from placements with Blake Morgan, ABMU Health Board, Welsh Assembly Government amongst many others.

If you’re beginning to think about your future prospects, we are running workshops on Tuesdays or Thursdays throughout the academic year covering a wide range of

topics such as ‘Decision Making’, ‘Applying for Teaching’, ‘Writing your CV’, ‘Developing your Interview Technique’, ‘Gaining Work Experience’ and ‘Preparing for Assessment Centres’. Book a place via swansea.prospects.ac.uk.

We continue to offer a one-to-one advice and guidance service to all students, with fully qualified and experienced careers advisers. Our service is recognised by AGCAS (Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) and accredited through the Matrix Standard.

Check out www.swansea.ac.uk/careers or www.myuni.swansea.ac.uk/careers for more information. Don’t forget that each college has its own qualified career adviser who will run events specific to your college and will be really keen to work with you.

We would like to help you along the careers and employability path, so that you can decide what steps you might like to take; after all it is your choice. You never know all this ‘stuff’ might actually turn out to be useful and quite fun along the way.

Looking forward to working with you this year.

Simeon Smith As well as his role meeting with students and employers, Simeon looks after the team’s web presence and twitter account.

Likes: Gower Beaches. Electronic music.

Community. Old cameras.

Claim to fame: I once played bass in front of 30k people at Madrid Bullring.

Slogan for life: “If you copy from one author, it’s plagiarism, but if you copy from many, it’s research.” - Austin Kleon.

•Visit myuni.swan.ac.uk/careers/ for more information under the Employability & work experience tab.

30 I SPORT

thewaterfront 06.10.14

Peters aims to fulfil promises during second stint Sports Officer

Having been re-elected as Swansea University’s Sports Officer for 2014-2015, Charlotte Peters outlines her vision for further improvements to sport at Swansea.

One of her key continuing

aspirations in her role is to increase participation in sport at the university, whatever the level of competition.

As an experienced sportswoman herself, who has played and participated in a

RE-ELECTED: Charlotte was voted in for a second term as Sports Officer by students back in March.

by Claire Claire Cuddihy Cuddihy by

waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

wide variety of sports from school to regional level, Peters understands the importance of participation, whatever the ability of the individual.

“My one piece of advice would be no matter what and even if you’re not from a sporting background, make sure you join a club even if it’s just to try it!

“Joining sports at Freshers’ Fayre is not only the reason I’m in this position now, but it’s also why I made the friends I did and why I enjoyed uni so much.”

Charlotte has already made a considerable mark as Sports Officer for 2013/2014, most notably with her success in securing a greater subsidy for facility fees, thereby reducing costs for individuals.

This year in the role, as well as encouraging increased participation in sport Charlotte hopes to complete all of the points in her manifesto, including her calling for more sports-specific sponsors for teams.

In addition to this, she aims to overcome kit supplier issues,

which affected clubs last year.

Charlotte is determined not to disappoint her voters, and when asked if there was anything she would change in her manifesto shortly after her victory, she said: “I just want to make sure it’s all done.”

Charlotte has been particularly busy over the summer, not only with preparations for the start of the academic year, but also with her involvement in the organisation of the biennial International Paralympic Committee Athletics European Championships, which were hosted by Swansea University in August.

“This summer has been full of training and events so planning has been a bit difficult, but luckily my experiences from last year mean I have been more efficient with my time and have been able to get the ball rolling on some projects.”

Charlotte appeared optimistic when asked about her hopes for Varsity this year.

“I’m confident that this year we will build on last year’s success at Varsity and once again claim more some

Men’s Rugby

First XV looking for solid league start after head coach’s departure

by Jack Taylor waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

After a tough pre-season of training, the men’s rugby union first team are looking to kick off the new season with a win.

Last year’s Welsh Varsity winners will be captained by hooker Ollie Young this season.

The 20-year-old was a key player for the club last season and will lead the team against Cardiff University this Wednesday in the first league game of the season at Sketty Lane.

Young said: “Pre-season has been good, we’ve had some tough sessions with Gareth Beer who’s the new strength and conditioning coach.

“Gareth’s had experience with Llanelli RFC and the Scarlets so to have someone of that calibre has really boosted our fitness levels.”

The men’s rugby club have been in pre-season training since the start of the month and the new skipper says

the team are ready for the 2014/15 season.

“The boys have been really enthusiastic and excited to get back playing,” said Young.

Swansea Men’s 1st team’s BUCS victories in 2013/14 28 - 0 vs Cardiff,

06/11/13 @ Sketty Lane

24 - 3 vs Bristol,

04/12/13 @ Sketty Lane

16 - 11 vs Bath,

12/02/14 @ Sketty Lane

50 - 31 vs Leeds Met,

12/03/14 @ Sketty Lane

Last Wednesday the men in green and white faced Swansea RFC, a side coached by former university coach Richard Lancaster.

After seven years at the university, Lancaster has swapped Sketty Lane for St Helens where he is head

coach of the Swansea Whites.

Since Lancaster’s departure the university team is still left without a head coach.

But SURFC captain Young has insisted the team is still ready for the new season.

The Cardiff-born hooker said: “Wednesday is a good warm up game for us and a good opportunity for the boys to get used to the way each other plays and how we want to play.

“Lancy (Richard Lancaster) has come in when he can to help out which has been good and what we’ve needed is just an outside influence.

“It has obviously been frustrating not having a coach but myself and a few of the senior boys have been getting together and taking training sessions.

“It’s times like these where the leaders in the squad have to step up and take responsibility and the younger boys in the squad have responded well.”

The hunt for a new head coach continues and Sport

Swansea are currently conducting interviews.

But despite being coachless the team head into Wednesday’s game against Varsity rivals Cardiff looking to improve on last season.

The two teams last faced each other in the Welsh Varsity match Swansea beat Cardiff 19- 15.

However, despite the Varsity triumph it was not an easy season for Sketty Lane team who finished 6th in the league and just managed to avoid relegation.

Skipper Young said: “We’ve already set high standards and we’re aiming for a top five finish or possibly a top four finish which would get us into the BUCS cup.”

- Swansea 1st vs Cardiff 1st, Wednesday 8 October, 2pm, Sketty Lane.

- Swansea 2nd vs Bristol 2nd, Wednesday 8 October, 2pm, Sketty Lane.

victories in not only the rugby, but also in the day games - we can definitely turn around some of the narrow misses of last year.”

Charlotte’s Manifesto - Aim to get club-specific sponsors for equipment, training, etc. (as extras to bars or restaurants).

- Continue work with intramural leagues to get a successful and sustainable structure established.

- Ensure that sporting provision is a key feature on the second campus.

- Push the university to keep their word regarding the facilities our clubs should be able to use at Fairwood, and if they can’t, ensure they provide a comparable alternative.

- Create a handover week before the summer for new committees so clubs are completely prepared.

- Monitor the new kit provider and work hard to cement an efficient ordering system.

BUCS

Year starts in earnest as BUCS returns

by Ned Bristow waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

THE British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) season is back on the programme, with a large chunk of the 2014/15 fixture list kicking off last Wednesday (1st October) across the UK. BUCS offers a platform for organised higher education sports teams to compete, with the service offering both league and knockout cup formats.

This week, Swansea sees its first piece of 2014/15 BUCS action, as the men’s rugby union first and second sides host Cardiff and Bristol respectively on Wednesday.

Last season, Swansea University entered 53 teams into competitions, finishing 27th in the overall standings with 1070 points.

Of these points, 547.5 were obtained in league competitions, 184.5 from cups and 338 won by individuals.

Swimming was the university’s most successful sport competed, with 280 points coming from the sport.

waterfrontonline.co.uk

SPORT I 31

Archery club looking to build on last year’s success Archery

A competition-driven team, Swansea University Archery Club train together twice a week to prepare for some of the largest archery tournaments in the UK, including the BUCS Indoor and Outdoor Championships.

Both championships provide events in four different archery disciplines; recurve, compound, longbow and barebow for competitors to enter and prove their worth.

Last year’s Swansea entries Luke Ingham and Sarah Roderick certainly stood up to the challenge, flying up the BUCS leader board to 1st place in Novice outdoor compound and 2nd place Novice indoor bare bow respectively.

Outside of BUCS competitions, archery is continuing to bring medals home.

Last year’s Novice Team did well in both indoors and outdoors, claiming an overall 1st place at a regional tournament and hauling in several individual medals.

Experienced members, many of whom supplement their weekly training with additional

by Laura Fiteni waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

practice sessions with a local club, claimed further medals at competitions around the UK. Captain Dave Jenner explained the club’s winning strategy.

“Determination and practice; all of our members show an amazing amount of dedication to the club and this is reflected in the stats.

“Despite our fierce competitive streak, everyone within the club gets on well and as a result you can always find someone who is willing to give you a hand should you need it.”

Hoping to capitalize on last year’s success, this year’s committee is setting its sights even higher.

By using last year’s achievements as motivation to expand and improve the club, the club aims to promote archery as an alternative and exciting sport and a thrilling spectator event in order to entice more budding archers on board.

Jenner said, “As proved by

our novices last year, you don’t need any experience to join in and do well.”

It appears to have been a successful campaign with approximately 240 sign-ups at last week’s Freshers’ Fayre.

“If our sign-up sheets were anything to go by, we are hoping to get a lot of new members this year. We have two new coaches who are looking forward to getting stuck in and our old novice team will now be experienced too.”

After helping to win the regional SWWU Novice League trophy, one member of last year’s novice team, Gavin Tsang, is preparing to take on a coaching role this year.

“Last year, a friend at home forced me to join a local club and give it a go. After a single session, I got hooked and never looked back.

“Then I joined Swansea Uni Archery Club and discovered the competitive side of archery as well as the social side.”

Despite the competitive nature of the sport, both captain and coach were keen to express the fun social side

CHAMPIONS: Members of the novice team with the SWWU Novice League Trophy. that Archery has to offer.

“Even though archery is a very self-centric sport, there is a lot of strong team spirit within the club. That’s the best bit,” said Gavin.

“There’s a lot of encouragement between everybody to perform well at competitions, even rivals in opposing clubs will have a chat and a laugh between ends.”

Jenner agreed that teamspirit was important to the club.

“Whilst winning competitions is nice, we also want to maintain the relaxed and chilled out atmosphere that the club members enjoy.”

With Cardiff failing to provide an opponent team in previous years, Varsity is yet to see an Archery match.

However, looking further ahead with the development of a rival Cardiff team, the prospect of Archery joining the ranks of the Green and White Player’s Army is looking more and more promising.