Waterfront issue 247 by Waterfront

02 I NEWS

thewaterfront 1. 12. 14

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

Liam Turner waterfrontmusic@swansea-union.co.uk Film

Joshua Vaughan waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk Culture

Emma James waterfrontculture@swansea-union.co.uk What’s On

Ben Rees waterfrontfrontrow@swansea-union.co.uk Societies

Sophie Wiggins waterfrontsocieties@swansea-union.co.uk Fashion

Nanette Turkson & Crystal Rose waterfrontfashion@swansea-union.co.uk Food

Sophie Berman

waterfrontfood@swansea-union.co.uk Games

Declan Murphy

waterfrontgames@swansea-union.co.uk Relationships

Sophie Wiggins waterfrontrelationships@swansea-union. co.uk Website

Andy Pover waterfrontweb@swansea-union.co.uk Advertising

Annie Cottam (01792) 602496

Societies facing a battle to get off the ground by Sophie Wiggins

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk IN order to create your own society at the university you have to present the society you want to create, what it will do and collect 20 signatures in order for it to be approved. However a few students have had difficulty getting their societies approved, despite having all these elements. Andy Pover, a first year computer science student, wanted to set up a Cheese and Wine Tasting society and although his society has now been approved, it proved difficult. Andy said: “On the 28th of October I proposed the Cheese and Wine Tasting Society to the student’s union. It was finally approved on 20th November, so it took over three weeks. “The proposal was put on hold for so long because the society was associated with alcohol. Societies such as ‘Beer Pong’ already exist, which actively encourage consumption of alcohol regardless of what spin you put on it. Whereas my proposed society revolved around the ‘tasting’ of

wine, not the consumption of it. I had the 20 signatures required and I explained what my society was about but still had difficulty.” Charlie Trotman proposed a Hospital Visiting Society which would involve visiting patients in Singleton Hospital, but was turned down. The SU PR and Marketing Officer Annie Cottam told us: “The decision was taken to refer the idea of the hospital visiting society to the Discovery charity on campus, as they facilitate a large network of student volunteers to help support the Swansea Community. If this isn’t possible the Exec will definitely reconsider the proposal as we see it as a very worthwhile cause.”

Pool Society Charlie confirmed that he is now in talks with Discovery to get the scheme off the ground. The Pool Society also had issues while trying to set up their society. Richard Davis, the student who proposed the society, told us:“We’ve received an email from Charlotte in the students’ union and we have now been approved. The issue was they wanted us to see if we could tag on with Gaming

Society, however after speaking to their president it became apparent that our aims were very different. “I think the students’union did everything they should have. I did get a little annoyed because I had gathered over 50 signatures.” Students have started to run ‘illegal’ societies if the union doesn’t approve them. One student who asked to be anonymous told us:“My friends set up the Social Society at the end of last term, it got rejected by the union but they did it anyway. They run it mostly through Facebook and they’ve got almost 400 members on there. “I can see why the union rejected it, as the common interest of the group is drinking. Thought they’ve cleverly called it Social Society it’s clearly very popular.” Annie Cottam said: “We’ve approved 15 new societies this year so far, however some activities do take a little longer to approve. This can be down to causes such as similar societies already existing, union policy or affiliations with other university departments. “We’ve now increased our committee meetings to take place fortnightly instead of monthly, so hopefully we can create a quicker process for new committees.”

Dancers shake a leg for charity by Emma James

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University’s Dance Society has raised £732.63 for three charities this term. They are Parkinson’s UK, Breast Cancer Awareness and Children in Need. Members of the society raised £50 by wearing pyjamas for week to dance classes at the Hive. They also collected £55.28 for Breast Cancer Awareness by wearing pink for a week to classes. Their biggest success came from their Strictly Come Dancing event in which members of the society and the students’ union performed competitively against each other. The event, held in the nightclub Fiction, was extremely popular and raised £627.35 for Parkinson’s UK. Steph Dalton, the president of the

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk XTREME Radio have been back up and running for over a week now with help from the students’ union and SUCS. The society had been hit by technical and financial problems, which meant they were not able to broadcast for the first few weeks of term. Jack Page, a new member of the society, told us: “The studio is looking better than ever and the variety of

by Jacques Kenedi

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University’s Money Advice & Support Office (MASO will be closing its applications for the Hardship Trust for the Christmas period on the 5th December. The office received between 700 and 800 applications last year and gave £250,000 to help students who were struggling financially. The office assists students with the cost of travel, childcare, rent and utility costs as well as unforeseen circumstances such as emergency travel home, emergency repairs and when required to move property unexpectedly. Rob Ellis from MASO said: “The Swansea University Hardship Fund is available to UK and EU students (including full time, part time, postgraduate, undergraduate). “If you are a student struggling with day-to-day living costs you have nothing to lose by applying. The fund does not take into account parental income when assessing applications.” It will still be possible to apply for the fund after 5th December but applications will not be reviewed until after the New Year. Application forms are available from Student Services reception in the Keir Hardie building or on the MASO’s website: www. s wa n s e a . a c. u k / m o n e y- a d v i ce / swanseauniversityhardshipfund/. Students can also email MASO at moneydoctors@swansea.ac.uk.

Freedom Church is banned

IN THE PINK: Dance Society members. Dance committee said: “With such a large number in our society we hope we can make a positive impact on the community. The committee are thrilled to have raised so much

money for a range of charities. We have worked hard to make sure we create awareness whilst putting on exciting events and opportunities for our dancers.”

Xtreme Radio members get shows back on air by Sophie Wiggins

Deadline for hardship applications

shows will appeal to everyone.” Alex Poplawska, who runs the ‘Swansea University Rock and Metal’ show said: “I don’t think anything shows passion more than being a part of a radio station. It took a lot of effort to develop, but it means the studio is better than ever. The committee created something from nothing.” The station has shows like ‘You need to hear this,’ ‘The Wright Time,’ and ‘Polyglot’ with genres ranging from heavy metal to alternative, electro, and rock.

Station manager Tim Morizet said: “I’m happy that we’re finally back. Radio has been part of my life for the past five years and it’s so good to see so many new faces on the station. And really talented ones as well. I think we can create something big over the next couple of years.” If you fancy having a go at doing your own radio show or one with a friend please email radio@swanseaunion.co.uk. •Get the schedule and listen in at www.xtremeradio.org

from page 1 attend the Catalyst meetings, I was pressured to and constantly asked why. I felt I was judged a lot. I didn’t think paying £1500 for the academy was good value for money too.” Our anonymous source said: “It’s all flattery and false words. I feel embarrassed as I was a key communicator for making new people feel welcome and I want to alert other students to this matter.” Our other anonymous source said: “They all said the same phrases: ‘Wow’ ‘Come on’ and ‘Yes Lord’ and if you didn’t say these things clearly you weren’t showing the ‘right’ kind of dedication, which I never liked but again just ignored as I didn’t really want to see it because then I would have to admit I wasn’t completely comfortable with it.” A university spokeswoman said: “Swansea University is committed to the protection of its students through its Safeguarding Policy and the UK PREVENT Agenda, which urges public bodies, including education institutions, to have a critical role in preventing extremism, terrorism and radicalisation.”

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Your 12 days of Xmas start here by Kay Byrne

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk SWANSEA University Students’ Union is making sure everyone knows Santa’s coming this year with their Very Merry Union Christmas. A whole host of festive events is taking place, so get your Christmas jumpers ready. The undoubted highlight will be a visit by Santa’s reindeer on December 11! On the same day there’ll be a carol sing song around the 15ft Christmas tree that is being put up in front of Fulton House. “We want to do something for the overseas students who can’t go home at Christmas and for students who may not be able to put up Christmas decorations in their accommodation because of the terms of their lease,” said SU president Ceinwen Cloney. Celebrations kicked off on Nov 30 with Res Net Twelve Days of Christmas. This will see something Christmassy taking place every day until the end of term. Don’t miss today’s (Dec 1) Fulton Outfitters Shopping Day when there will be a 10% discount on all your Christmas shopping. Tonight everyone is gathering on Wind Street for the first of the night time festive celebrations. The Santa

Cause is a fancy dress night that also raises money for local charity Shelter Cymru. You get your Santa costume included with your ticket, so get your tickets from: www.swansea-union. co.uk and collect your suit from Fulton Outfitters on campus. On Wednesday night there’s a coach trip to Swansea’s Waterfront Winterland and on Friday (Dec 5) it’s Christmas Day in JC’s with turkey lunches, mulled wine and Christmas movies on the screens. It’s Sink’s Xmas Party featuring Mistajam on Dec 6, the dress-up Snow Ball at Fiction on Dec 9, and Sin Savers Xmas Party on Dec 11. Swansea University’s Christmas Carol Service is being held in The Hive at 7pm on Dec 9. The Choral Society are also putting on their Christmas concert at St Paul’s Church, Sketty, at 7.30pm on Dec 6. “Departments across the union are getting in to the Christmas spirit and putting on a variety of festive events. These range from Christmas quizzes, Santa Cause night and a reindeer petting zoo, so we hope all students can join us to celebrate this December,” said Annie Cottam, SU PR & marketing manager. Other events: Dec 2 - Treasure Hunt on campus and in the student village.

by Liam Turner

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk

Dec 4 - Mince Pie giveaway at campus’ newest cafe – Nineteen:Twenty (Formerly Xtreme Lounge). There’s only one condition, you must be wearing a Christmas Jumper. The cafe opens between 10am-3pm. Dec 7 - Visit Wales’ capital for a shopping trip, leaving at 10am. Dec 9 - Gather at the student village for The Wonky Sheep’s annual Christmas party.

Global entrepreneurship week a winner for lucky two by Chloe O’Connor

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk TWO students earned the chance to work alongside Wales’ best known entrepreneur during Swansea University’s Global Entrepreneurship Week. The week from November 17 saw many events led by IfEL (Institute for Entrepreneurship Leadership). Events such as the Scalextric Business Challenge, Start Up Market, Big Ideas Booth and Start Your Own Business Bootcamp, to name but a few, ensured a great turn out and resulted in an outstanding success. It was an inspirational experience being able to attend the Start Up Market event with guest, Sir Terry Matthews. Witnessing the suitedup students ready to propose their business ideas to the Welsh hero and world famous entrepreneur was great. During the Start Up Market event, Sir Terry not only spoke personally to aspiring student entrepreneurs, but he also awarded them their winner’s prizes and shook hands with each winner and posed for a photo opportunity, something each student will undoubtedly cherish and remember for many years to come. The afternoon event also saw the reveal of the two Canadian Challenge winners, who together with a further two revealed in early 2015, will get to spend four weeks in Ottawa, Canada. Working alongside Sir Terry Matthews, the winners will be learning all the tricks of the trade and gaining a fantastic insight and first-hand experience into what being an entrepreneur is really about. The elated winners of this challenge are Carys

Students abseil to help educate African children

Carys Chambers with Sir Terry Matthews, and inset, Paul Shillaci. Chambers, 19 who studies mechanical engineering and Paul Schillaci, 23 who studies sustainable energy as a postgraduate degree. Carys said: “I am overwhelmed and excited about such a fantastic opportunity to broaden my horizons.” Paul said: “I’m absolutely ecstatic. An opportunity like this will allow me to be the change in the world I want to see.” Sir Terry also gave an inspirational and thoughtprovoking speech to aspiring entrepreneurs, encouraging them to ‘Think big, think global and go for it’. His motivational speech was the icing on the cake of an incredible day.

The SU’s full-time officers get in the festive spirit. From left Jerry Isokariari, Ceinwen Cloney, Ilana Cohen and Joel Gascoyne. Correction We would like to correct a mistake in the last edition of the paper which stated that Lib Dem MP Jenny Willott voted to increase tuition fees. This is untrue. Ms Willott voted against an increase in tution fees.

SWANSEA University’s volunteerled organisation Discovery is hosting an abseil to raise money for children in Africa. The abseil is a 120ft descent from Swansea’s Civic Centre. Fundraisers in teams of six will attempt to complete the challenge one-byone. Team members are encouraged to dress-up in festive garb. Hannah O’Brien, a Discovery volunteer and project coordinator, said: “We are asking for sponsorship and all money raised will go straight to these wonderful education projects in Africa - the SwanseaSiavonga partnership and SOS Africa. It’s super easy to donate.” Although the event is for charity, fundraisers do have the chance of winning something for themselves: the team that raises the most money will get two flights to visit one of the charity’s projects in Africa. The event is from 9am to 4pm on December 6 & 7 and is open to anyone. For more information email info@SOSafrica.com, or drop-in to the Discovery office on campus. •Donate at: https://www. justgiving.com/teams/ SwanseaCivicCentreAbseil.

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Wondering where to live next year? by a Waterfront reporter waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk

IF you are going to be studying at the Bay Campus from September 2015 you will want to know about the accommodation options available both on the Bay Campus and the surrounding area. You will need to consider your own preferences with regards to access to the facilities you enjoy whether it be sport, the city centre and of course Singleton campus. What are the areas around the Bay Campus like? The Bay Campus offers fantastic accommodation for students who will be based in brand new ensuite self-catering accommodation in a safe environment with facilities on their doorstep. For students living at the Bay Campus, the closest residential areas are St Thomas and Port Tennant, SA1 and the Marina followed by the city centre. Living in more traditional student areas such as Singleton CampusUplands, Brynmill and Sandfields are also feasible, factoring in transport time. St Thomas and Port Tennant St Thomas and Port Tennant are not traditional student residential areas although there are a number of postgraduate students and staff

living here. Properties are mainly smaller with two and three bedrooms and there are currently only a small number of landlords and businesses targeting students. There are lots of council houses in this area and there is a strong community feel. There are also local shops, post office, doctors and dentist surgeries, schools, pharmacy etc. SAS lettings do have a small number of properties in the area. . SA1 and the Marina SA1 and the Marina do have larger numbers of students, particularly international students, and benefit from proximity to the city centre, shops, restaurants and bars. Properties are mostly in one and two bedroom modern flats and can be more expensive. City centre City centre living is increasingly popular amongst students in purpose built blocks and converted buildings as well as traditional houses. If you are a student who likes night life as well as the facilities offered by the city centre then this could be a good option. Sandfields Already a popular area for students studying on the Singleton Park Campus and convenient for the city centre, Sandfields could be a popular option. With mostly two and three

by a Waterfront reporter

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BAY CAMPUS: The new halls of residence are under construction. bedroom properties the Bay Campus bus can be caught on the seafront or from the Guildhall. Uplands and Brynmill These are very popular student areas close to the Singleton Park Campus with good local facilities, including pubs, shops and takeaways. Accommodation is mainly flats and shared houses that have at least five bedrooms. Although further from the Bay Campus the bus routes will enable students to live here and travel to the Bay Campus.

New halls named after Welsh castles THE new student residences at the Bay Campus are to be named after Welsh castles and the princes and princesses of Wales. Whilst the development programme heralds a new era for Swansea University, the recognition of the role that Welsh heritage and culture has on attracting both local and international students has been firmly acknowledged. Ceinwen Cloney, the President of Swansea University’s Student’s Union said: “Honouring Welsh history through the naming of the residences is a great way to inspire new students to learn more about the rich culture of Wales.’’ The residences are being built around courtyards that connect each of the buildings, providing a community feel. The architecture of the student residences also reflects the ‘Castle’

themes with detail such as archways and balconies. Another similarity is that historically castles were built at strategic locations next to the sea, students living at the Bay Campus will be able to enjoy sweeping views and access the beach from their own doorstep… Ceinwen added: “Having seen the plans and the current building works going on, students are set to have an amazing space to live at the new Bay Campus.” Students will be allowed to apply for accommodation at the Bay and Park Campus from January 2015. The names of the thirteen residences are: Cadell, Cardigan, Carreg Cennen, Dinefwr, Dolbarden, Dryslwyn, Emlyn, Ewloe, Pen y Bryn, Gruffydd, Gwenllian, Llywelyn Fawr and Manorbier.

What are they running away from? Turn to page7 to find out.

Find out about living on the autism spectrum

•For info about lettings and the areas, contact Student Accommodation Services lettings on sas@swansea.ac.uk or 01792 295328. •Turn to page 19 for a four-page pullout of houses an d flats available to let with Student Accommodation Services (SAS). •New bus routes between the campuses and the town will be in place from September 2015 - turn to page 7 for information and a map.

STUDENT and autism ambassador Rhys Jenkins is giving a talk on autism awareness on Thursday (4 December) at 6.20pm in the West room of Fulton House (formerly Café West). Rhys, who is studying for an MSc in Autism and Related Conditions, will be explaining what it’s like to live on the autistic spectrum. The talk is entitled ‘friendship is a two way street’ and aims to revolutionise how the public thinks about autism and mental conditions as a whole. “The talk concerns friendship and the challenges and benefits it brings with it. In order to gain the most out of this talk you need to go into it being prepared to think differently and keep an open mind,” said Rhys. “The talk looks at the world of someone on the autism spectrum, a world that is vast and unbelievably complex. It looks at a person’s life and shows that when you put in effort you will get someone’s respect.”

08 I NEWS

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WELSH Rhdych yn unig yn lasfyfyriwr unwaith! by Laura Fiteni

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk AR ôl i mi wylio’r darllediad diweddaraf o ITV Freshers a ddangosodd y glasfyfyrwr Amelia Barnsley yn cwrdd ag aelodau staff Academi Hywel Teifi (adran Gymraeg y brifysgol) am y tro cyntaf, cofiais pa mor nerfus yr oeddwn i ar ddechrau fy astudiaethau gradd Cymraeg. Yn ystod y raglen, eddai Amelia bod erbyn pryd iddi hi wedi cyfieithu’r hyn a ddywedodd y darlithydd yn ei phen a wedyn cyfieithu ei hymateb ei hun hefyd, yr oedd y sgwrs wedi mynd ymlaen eisoes. Gall cyfathrebu yn eich ail-iaith gyda phobl nad ydych yn eu hadnabod bod yn frawychus iawn. Dwi’n gwybod ei bod hi’n bosib teimlo fel pa baech yn cael eich asesu. O acennau newydd i dafodiaith ryfedd ac yna eich cael eich cymysgu gyda siaradwyr iaith gyntaf. Tybiwn fod glasfyryrwyr ar bigau’r drain wrth geisio cofio treiglo wrth gyfieithu cannoedd o ymatebion lle nad yw’r Saesneg yn ddihangfa posib. Dywedodd myfyriwr ôl-raddedig Christian Kelsey sy’n astudio MA cyfieithu yn y brifysgol, “ O’n i’n nerfus gan nad o’n i’n nabod unrhyw un. Mae pawb o wahanol lefelydd. Yn y dechrau, roedd pawb yn ofn gwneud camgymeriadau fel dweud

Myfyrwyr Cymdeithas Y GymGym geiriau Saesneg ond gan bo fi’n dod o Lanelli, o’n i’n lwcus i wybod bod pobl ddim yn becso am pethau fel na. Yr egwyddorion gorau y byddwn roi yw bod siarad Cymraeg yn wahanol iawn i ysgrifennu Cymraeg. Peidio ag ofni gwneud camgymeriadau neu defnyddio geiriau Saesneg achos hyd yn oed siaradwyr iaith cyntaf yn dweud geiriau Saesneg weithiau, os nad ydynt yn gwybod y gair yn Gymraeg”. Ond mae gennyf newyddion da. Mae yna golau ar ddiwedd y twnnel. Dim ond ychydig o wythnos y tu mewn i’ch cwrs, byddech yn sylweddoli gwelliant safon eich Cymraeg. Bydd sgyrsiau anffurfiol yn magu hyder yn eich gallu i siarad â’r dosbarthiadau gramadeg yn gwella’ch gallu i ysgrifennu. Erbyn y gwyliau Nadolig, bydd siarad ac ysgrifennu’r Gymraeg yn teimlo’n

gynyddol naturiol. I ddechrau, mae staff Academi Hywel Teifi yn barod i gynnig cymorth i chi ar bob lefel – o adborth academaidd a sgyrsiau cyffredin ar ôl darlith i ymholiadau dros e-bost neu yn eich cyfarfod tiwtor personol. Mae’r staff pob tro yn gwneud popeth yn eu gallu i sicrhau bod eich profiad chi yn un sy’n foddhaol, ysgogol ac yn un sy’n arwain at yrfa yn y dyfodol. Ond y cyngor gorau gallaf gynnig i chi yw sicrhau eich bod chi’n siarad Cymraeg tu allan i’r dosbarth cymaint ag y bydd modd. Siaradwch gyda’ch ffrindiau cwrs yn y Gymraeg ac ymunwch â’r GymGym. Sefydlwyd y gymdeithas hon ar gyfer siaradwyr Cymraeg yn benodol. Os ydych chi’n ddysgwyr ac yn edrych am rywle i ymarfer mewn

Hospital visit scheme by Charlie Trotman

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk amgylchedd cyfeillgar, yna mae’r GymGym yn eich croesawu i’w gweithgareddau cymdeithasol gyda breichiau agored. Mae hyd yn oed yn sesiynau arbennig ar gyfer ddysgwyr, er enghraifft cwisiau tafarn. Dyma’r gymdeithas ddelfrydol ar gyfer siaradwyr iaith-gyntaf sy’n astudio cwrs trwy gyfrwng y Saesneg sydd eisiau rhywle i ymarfer eu sgiliau ac yn defnyddio yn eu mamiaith . Dywedodd lywydd y GymGym, “Mae defnyddio’r Gymraeg yn bwysig iawn yn y brifysgol er mwyn hybu mwy o fyfyrwyr i’w ddefnyddio. Mae cael cymhwyster o allu siarad ac ysgrifennu Cymraeg drwy eich graddau yn rhoi mwy o fantais petaech yn chwilio am swydd yn Gymru ar ôl graddio. Ar yr ochr gymdeithasol mae’r Gymdeithas Gymraeg yn rhoi amser i chwi ymarfer eich Cymraeg drwy gymdeithasu. “ Ond heb swnio fel eich athrawes, dylech hefyd gwrando ar gerddoriaeth Cymraeg a gwylio sioeau Cymraeg. Yn ogystal â datblygu eich sgiliau ieithyddol yn raddol bydd hyn yn sicrhau nad oes panig munud-olaf yn eich blwyddyn olaf. Dweud y gwir, mae rhai bandiau a sioeau Cymraeg yn eithaf da ! Rhowch gynnig ar Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog ac Yr ods, neu cwtshwch lan i wylio Beca lle mae’r pobydd ‘GBBO’ Beca Lyne-Pirkis yn serennu. Y Clwb Rygbi? Wel... mae pawb yn hoffi Y clwb Rygbi!

ENGLISH You’re only a fresher once! by Laura Fiteni

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk AFTER watching the last episode of ITV Freshers which showed Fresher student Amelia Barnsley meeting member of staff from the Hywel Teifi Academy (the Welsh language department of the university) for the first time, I remembered how nervous I was starting my Welsh language degree. What really struck home was that during the programme Amelia says that by the time she has translated what the lecturer had said in her head and then translated her reply as well, the conversation had gone on without her. Conversing in your second language with people that you’ve never met before can be very intimidating. Especially when it feels like you’re being assessed. From new accents to strange dialects to being mixed with first-language speakers, it’s no wonder that new students are a bag of nerves trying to remember vocabulary and mutations – let alone recall the hundreds of responses for ‘yes’ and ‘no’! Graduate student Christian Kelsey who is now studying for an MA in

Amelia Barnsley from the show ITV show ‘Freshers’ translation at Swansea said: “I was most nervous because I didn’t know anyone and everyone was at a different level. At the beginning, everyone was afraid of making mistakes and slipping into English. But luckily being from Llanelli, I already knew know that people aren’t concerned about things like that. “The main thing to remember is that speaking Welsh is so different to writing Welsh. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes or using English because even first-language speakers use English words sometimes if they don’t know the word in Welsh.” But there is good news. There is light at the end of the tunnel! Just a couple of weeks into your course, you’ll come to realise how much your Welsh has improved already. As casual chats boost your confidence and enhance your speaking abilities, grammar lessons will improve your written language. By the summer holidays, speaking and

writing in Welsh will be second nature to you. For starters, the Hywel Teifi staff are more than willing to provide you with the right support – from academic feedback to personal tutor meetings, to informal discussions during lectures and answering your personal questions over email - they’re there at every stage. The department staff will always do everything in their power to ensure that your experience is not just satisfactory but also challenging and that your current education will lead to your future career. But the best advice that I can offer you is to make sure that you speak Welsh outside the classroom at every opportunity. Talk to your course mates in Welsh and be certain to join GymGym - a society that was set up specifically for Welsh language speakers. If you’re a learner looking for somewhere to practice your language skills in a friendly environment, GymGym welcomes you to join in the fun of their social events. There are even special sessions for learners, such as the infamous pub quizzes. Of course, this is also a perfect opportunity for first-language speakers studying courses via the

English medium to practice their skills and use their mother-tongue. President of GymGym Rebeca Lois Roberts said: “Using Welsh is really important at university especially in trying to encourage more students to use it. Also, having a qualification that says you can speak and write Welsh definitely gives you more of an edge when searching for a Job in Wales after graduating.” On the social side of things, the Welsh Society affords you the time to use Welsh to socialise and make friends. On a final note, without sounding too much like your high-school teacher, you should definitely listen to Welsh music and watch Welsh programmes. As well as gradually developing your language skills it will also prevent a last-minute panic in your final year when you realize you haven’t spoke or heard a word of Welsh outside the classroom. And to be quite frank, there are some really good Welsh-language bands and shows out there. Give Cowbois Rhos Botwnnog and Yr ods a listen. Or you can cwtch up to watch Beca – one of the stars of BBC’s Great British Bake Off on S4C. Furthermore what about Y Clwb Rygby? Now which Welsh man or woman doesn’t like rugby?

BEING in hospital requires patience, waiting for a check-up, the newspaper trolley or even a decent cup of tea goes at the pace of a heart rate. For some people, there are no relatives left to visit them, to keep them focused on their recovery or let them win at draughts. The curtains only close around their beds for nurses, needles and tubes. It was not their illnesses that inspired me to want to start the Singleton Hospital Visiting Scheme, it was the stories. Doctors can keep track of your blood pressure, but life should be measured in much more than the medical. Some are admitted, put on permanent bed rest and left to become part of the furniture of a hospital. Wouldn’t our lives seem so much richer if we knew that, not only were we cared for medically, but that we each had somebody to just ask how our day went? With that in mind I’m trying to set up a hospital visiting society. Basically, the whole crux of the project would be to meet with those in need in Singleton, once a week for an hour. All it would cost is the effort to visit. The good news is that Discovery, the student volunteering charity, want to meet up and discuss the project in early December. Just in time to spread some Christmas cheer at what can be the most lonely time of year. I’m confident pateints will appreciate the scheme.

Globe Cafe

by Andrea Thomas

waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk ON Wednesday 26th November Globe Café, a hangout for international students, was holding an event to bring the festivities of Thanksgiving to Swansea University students. Even though Thanksgiving is commonly only celebrated by Americans, the Globe Café event would be enjoyed by students from various different countries coming to learn about and enjoy the many customs and culinary delights of the American holiday. Globe Café is run by Christian Union and is a chilled weekly meeting where students have a chance to make new friends, practice their English and enjoy various activities in a welcoming environment. Students from all over come together to have fun and learn about different cultures, most of which are student-led sessions with a range of snacks offered. Globe Café meets every Wednesday from 12-1pm in the Mandela Suite (3rd floor of Union House) and welcomes all.

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Duke of Edinburgh scheme rewards what you are already doing by Derek Sheehan waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk

DID you know that many of the spare time activities in which you are currently involved could be eligible to be incorporated into a GOLD Duke of Edinburgh’s Award? You can register for a Direct Entry Gold Award, which is a fully accredited programme of spare time activities which has a significant ‘currency’ in the field of employability. A number of students who are undertaking volunteering work with the university charity ‘Discovery’ have recently registered to include this as the volunteering section of their GOLD Award and it’s worth 20%. Alternatively, you may be participating in sporting activities on campus and, possibly, also be developing a new skill – that could also be worth 20%. Many of you will be helping to run societies, coaching sports or volunteering [with Discovery, or another organisation], during your time at the university. All of these things could be counted towards the achievement of a GOLD DofE Award. Being a participant in the award

scheme and having achieved some of the sections can be seen as a big plus by many potential employers. Some of the larger employers incorporate completion of the scheme in their graduate development schemes. In order to register to undertake a GOLD DofE Award, the only actual requirement is that the student is 16+ and under 23 and that they register with an operating authority [the local authority in your home area] and then make progress through the appropriate sections of the award which they have decided to undertake. The latest age for completion of a GOLD Award is your 25th birthday. On completion, all participants receive an invitation to St.James’ Palace or Buckingham Palace with one guest, to receive their GOLD AWARD. Participation in the award scheme is intended to be an enjoyable and challenging experienceso why not get accredited for the things you are already enjoying doing? The sections to be completed are: -Volunteering, Skill, Physical Activity(Sport), Residential Project and an Expedition. Each of these will count as 20% of the final award. Most active students will find that

Swansea University students on a recent DoE expedition. they are already undertaking much of what is required to achieve a GOLD Award and just need to register themselves to gain accreditation of what they are doing under the award scheme. Students will need advice on whatever they decide to do. Discovery [volunteering section of the university] is supporting this initiative and would be pleased to speak with interested

Experts probe the Dark Web by Hilary Webb waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk

THE mysterious Dark Web was the subject of a recent conference at Swansea University. Three research units at the university hosted the event, the Cyberterrorism Project, the Global Drug Policy Observatory (GDPO) and the Language Research Centre (LRC). The Dark Web is an untraceable internet not accessible by standard means populated by a range of criminal organisations such as arms dealers, drug traffickers and terrorism networks. Asked if the Dark Web posed a threat to students in particular, cyberterrosim expert at Swansea University Stuart MacDonald said there is no way to use the dark web to avoid plagiarism, or to hijack university resources, mostly because they are easily accessible anyway, but added that the ‘there is a diverse

Wales day by day

community of users on the dark web - both lawful and unlawful’. Accessed via ‘The Onion Router’, users can log onto the Dark Web to buy illicit goods such as weapons and drugs relatively easily, using the virtual currency ‘bitcoin’. Director of the GDPO and professor at Swansea University, Professor David Pewley Taylor, said: “This burgeoning form of e-commerce, often referred to simply as the ‘Silk Road’, is beyond government regulation and is booming.” He added: “In the UK alone, 15,000 people log into the Dark Web daily, this virtual space is providing the perfect platform for criminal organisations to trade almost anything.” The conference attracted high profile external colleagues such as Francesca Bosco of the United Nations Interregional Crime Research Institute (UNICRI) who described the Dark Web’s involvement in organised criminality as a ‘worrying growing phenomenon’.

GRETCHEN Kessler, an international student from Loveland, Ohio, USA, is keeping a record of her time in Wales by taking a photograph every day and posting it on her blog awaleaday.tumblr.com. Gretchen studies Film and Theatre. She said: “The Photography Society had a workshop at Swansea Beach, where we experimented with steel wool photography with the direction of Adam Sayner, another student at Swansea University. You can see the lights of the city centre far in the background of this photograph, visible thanks to the long exposure time necessary for this kind of photography.”

students to answer any queries and advise on registration. However, the most important thing is to get yourself registered with your local authority DofE Awards Officer during your Christmas. •For more information: discovery@ swansea.ac.uk, www.swansea. ac.uk/discovery or check out the DofE website at www.theaward.org

Lights out on campus by a Waterfront reporter waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk

DID you know that switching off all non-essential equipment can achieve energy savings of 1020%? As part of the December ENERGY & WATER AWARENESS MONTH campaign we need YOU to help the university reduce its energy use over the holiday season. On Friday evening, 5th December, the Sustainability Team in collaboration with the student’s union is going to run the Big Xmas Blackout. The challenge is to turn off all non-essential equipment in offices (i.e. computers, lights,chargers, etc.) before the start of the weekend. Afterwards, we will rank the switch off rate in all audited buildings and compare energy usage during the ‘Blackout’ with energy use on a comparable weekend. The event will run from 5.30pm to 8pm followed by an Blackout after party variety show from 9pm to 11pm in JC’s coffee side with poetry, live music, circus and other performances. Volunteers will receive a free pizza and a surprise Xmas goodie. Sign up as volunteer or performer by contacting the Sustainability Team at sustainability@swansea.ac.uk.

Merry Christmas

Image: Benicio Murray on Flickr

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

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careers 34

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travel 28-29

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food 24-25

film 23

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front row 15

music 14

features 12-13

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

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1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

with LIAM TURNER

music

A casual chat with Welsh rockers Skindred... A

RYA Goggin (drummer) and Mikey Demus (guitar and backing vocals) from reggae-metal group Skindred took the time to answer a few questions for the Waterfront’s Lili Thompson and Morgan Davies before their Sin City gig. Here’s what they had to say. Lili: So you’ve just got back from the European dates of the tour, what was it like? Was it peculiar being so far away? Arya: Well we’re sort of used to it now, we did our first headline shows in Spain ever and we’ve done festivals there that were really good, we were really impressed with how many people showed up, full rooms, rocking crowd, really, really exciting. We did festivals there last year so it was nice to go back and do our own headlining stuff.

used by Kanye West in 2010. Why and how did you manage to use that sample? Arya: Well we actually recreated it, it’s not actually a sample. We got Jenna G who sang on ‘Open Eyed’ (album Kill The Power) to actually do the vocals and we all clapped! It was actually a little different but we still had to get permission to use it. When we were writing the track we had the rhythm for the bass and the drums going and one day the producers said it needed something. The producer just came in and said ‘hey, what about this?’ Mikey: Then we just changed the key, and that was one of the last songs we wrote for the album and musically one of the last songs finished for the album, it didn’t have lyrics or anything, it was getting left at the wayside.

Lili: Have you had any funny moments on tour so far? Arya: Plenty but nothing I can share! We’ve had some drama actually. People have been partying a lot on this tour and vomiting for no reason, we’re not really a party band!

Arya: With that sample it all came together and then Benji came in and was like ‘Oh I’ve got it!’ and it became Kill the Power and then the album became Kill the Power!

Mikey: All I’ll say is there was one night, there was four bottles of Jager, that got drunk by a small amount of people and the rest is very messy history.

Arya: Swansea.

Lili: I wanted to ask about the new album. In your track ‘Kill the Power’ you used a sample from ‘Afromerica’ by Continent No. 6, which was also

Morgan: Where do you prefer playing the most, Swansea, Newport or Cardiff? Lili: Are you just saying that though? Arya: I’m just saying that yeah –laughs-. Mikey: Cardiff’s a weird one actually. Newport is my favourite because that’s where the band started.

Gig Review SKINDRED @ Sin City Skindred are an innovative reggae-metal four piece containing Newport native frontman Benji Webbe, bassist Dan Pugsley, drummer Arya Goggin and guitarist and backing vocalist Mikey Demus, writes Lili Thompson. The unique group continued their UK dates of their tour and stormed up a riot at Sin City on Saturday, 22nd November. The set began with hilarious usage of the ‘Imperial March’ from ‘Star Wars’ as the members went on stage, proceeded by one of Skindred’s most well known songs ‘Rat Race’ (from album ‘Roots Rock Riot’, 2007), which went down a treat among dedicated fans, who began to release energy by moshing and pushing as close to the front as they could. Newport born frontman Benji Webbe consistently kept the audience entertained with his interactive

Nickelback

No Fixed Address

Skindred

style of performing and wasn’t afraid to cuss out members of the crowd who didn’t raise their hands when instructed, all in good nature. He projected a serious message that racism and all forms of discrimination need to end, whilst instructing we need to accept ‘even the English’, which ensured there was a light hearted atmosphere throughout the performance. The standout moment of the entire set was the

Album Reviews

Canadian rockers Nickelback have had incredible success since their inception in the nineties, however, all of their fame and fortune hasn’t exactly translated into universal acceptance, writes Liam Turner. In fact, some critics refuse to even review their newest release ‘No Fixed Address’, and, after having given the album a few listens, it’s really not hard to see why. Although relatively heavy opening tracks ‘Million Miles An Hour’ and ‘Edge Of A Revolution’ are somewhat sonically pleasing (emphasis on ‘somewhat’), they belie the fact that there is very to be offered elsewhere on the album. Ballads ‘What Are You Waiting For?’ and ‘Satellite’, for example, are so unbelievably generic that you will be mistaken for thinking you’ve heard them before. What’s more unbelievable is the album’s lyrical content. On the one hand lead-singer Chad Kroeger advocates meaningful change (‘Edge Of A Revolution’), on the other, he seems to endorse serious acts of crime, singing, “This is a robbery now get down on the floor/We’re here for all the shit that you don’t need no more”, on the musically stale ‘Get ‘em Up’. It seems Kroeger can’t quite decide what direction he wants to point the band in. There is nothing to be gained from listening to this latest release and, honestly, the world of rock music would probably be better off without it.

Arya: That was probably the best! Also we never really do Swansea so we’re excited about tonight! We haven’t played Swansea in 10 years. Cardiff and Swansea are sold out as well, so well done Wales! Lili: And are we going to have the Newport Helicopter tonight? Arya: It depends how everyone behaves! If you’ve been good you get it! Lili: What’s next for Skindred? Arya: In January we’re going in to do some more writing and hopefully we’re going to record in February. Then we have the Steel Panther tour in March. We have just confirmed some really cool stuff, in April but I can’t tell you about that just yet, but that’s the stuff to look out for next year.

encore performance of ‘Warning’ (album Union Black, 2011) which gave the audience what they desired most - the staple of all good Skindred shows, the famous ‘Newport Helicopter’. Almost every single member of the audience removed an item of clothing and waved it in a rapid circulator motion like a helicopter, which looked incredible from a distance and was highly amusing for the eager fans. The charm of this band makes joining in irresistible. Their ability to fire up and include the crowd makes their live act high quality, even if one does not enjoy their music on record. The show reflected the diversity of Skindred musically, crushing the constraints of genre, meaning that the audience could enjoy the vibes of dub, metal and punk all in one fast-paced performance. On the other hand, this diversity means that their shows are unpredictable for those who prefer to stick to one musical genre. The event was a successful return of Skindred to Swansea for the first time in 10 years and has shown that Swansea isn’t done with Skindred yet.

Tigers Jaw Tigers Jaw

Tigers Jaw is the self-titled eponymous LP by the American emo punk pop outfit which boasts angst fuelled lyrics that throw their hearts out to anyone in the ages of pubescent disgruntlement, writes Morgan Davies. Before the band’s split from five members to just two in 2013, they released this album in 2008 with raw harmonious vocals from Ben Walsh and Adam McIlwee which – despite their lacking in vocal talent – create an emotional connection with the listener and their unpolished vocals are what make Tiger’s Jaw so pleasing to listen to. Accompanied by typical four chord guitar riffs, simplistic drums and organ sounding keyboard chords, most of the songs on this album will have you humming them all day long with their unbelievably contagious choruses and simple lyrics. The track and ‘Never Saw it Coming’ has become a favourite among fans with its acoustic campfire feel and teenage relatability. The opening track ‘The Sun’ throws the audience into a punk pop riot with no introduction which excites the listener within seconds of turning the album on. Overall the album provides an easy listen with its short 29 minute runtime in which you’ll be quick to replay if you’re a fan of raw pop punk and fun.

front row

After Dark Presents: The Snow Ball 2014 Fiction, Monday, 8 December

Starting Saturday, 29 November

Divas, Tuesday, 2 December

Mistajam. Sink join in the celebration of the end of term, as they bring BBC Radio 1 and 1 Extra DJ and Speakerboxx founder Mistajam to Sin City. Mistajam is well known for his eclectic sets, journeying through party anthems from across the spectrum. Expect everything from Dubstep and Grime, to Hip-Hop, House, Garage and Drum & Bass. Last year’s Xmas party was a big night for Sink, as they hosted a set from Bondax. This year promises to be even bigger, so remember to get your tickets in advance early before they sell out. Head over to the Sink Swansea Facebook and Twitter pages to keep up with all things Sink, they’ll be launching their New Year calendar soon after this event. You can find them here: Facebook.com/SinkSwan @SinkSwansea. Tickets will be available from www.swansea-union. co.uk

Fiction, Revolution & Bambu, Monday, 1 December

Our Santa Cause night raises money for the homeless charity; Shelter Cymru. The first 1500 tickets reserved will receive a free Santa suit for the event, so don’t hesitate to grab yours from: www.swansea-union. co.uk. Tickets are £6 and £1 from each ticket goes to charity.

gadgets 35

The partnership of the Students’ Union and the University’s Residential Services bring you 12 days of celebration in the run up to the Christmas holidays. Highlights include a trip to Winter Wonderland on Wednesday the 3rd, JC’s Chrismas Day on December the 5th, a shopping trip to Cardiff on Sunday the 7th and the Wonky Sheep’s Christmas party on Tuesday the 9th. Keep an eye out on ResNet’s Residential Officers’ pages for more information!

Tight Tuesday’s Apres Ski Xmas Jam

Santa Cause

careers 34

Class act - Hannah Wants.

The 12 Days of Res Net Sin City, Saturday, 6 December

societies 33

Not since the Freshers’ Ball has there been an opportunity to really dress up and celebrate with your friends, so we invite you to suit up one last time before we leave for home and the Christmas holidays. The Snow Ball is your chance to shake off the stress of deadlines and revision. Our very special guest on the night is in-demand DJ Hannah Wants. Championed by the likes of Annie Mac, Skream, B.Traits and Mistajam as well as many more of the UK’s finest, Hannah Wants has experienced a meteoric rise in 2014. First catching ears through her collaborations with fellow brum Chris Lorenzo, Wants’ talent for both production and selection has cemented her place as a firm favourite. Hannah stormed the UK & Europe’s festival season, with standout performances at Parklife, Outlook and Global Gathering. Gold & Platinum members: this event is included in your package; however you must reserve your tickets online. A VIP bar will take place in Bambu for Gold & Platinum, while Societies committees and Club Captains will get VIP in Revolution. Tickets are £10, and include a champagne reception, casino and chocolate fountain. Tickets from www.swansea-union.co.uk.

3. Sink’s Xmas Party with Mistajam

relationships 30

travel 28-29

games 27

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with Ben REES

features 12-13

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

The Tight Tuesday team top off a successful first term since their launch in Freshers’. Apres Ski is the theme of the night, which comes in association with Swansea Snowriders. The night doubles up as the pre-trip social for the Snowriders, so for those of you that will be heading to Alpes Du Huez with the team, this is your perfect chance to meet some of the people you’ll be spending the week with!

•If you’d like to feature your event in the What’s On Guide, please send an email to waterfrontfrontrow@swansea-union.co.uk.

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

w it h EM MA JAM ES

culture

A fascinating and talented artist shines on the big screen

OULD Vivian Maier like this film? The question is offered to the audience from the outset of Finding Vivian Maier and rattles in their minds for the next hour and a half, writes Luke Rees. The recent posthumous fame of an unknown street photographer has intrigued thousands worldwide. Her works are displayed in the most important cities in the world: New York, Los Angeles and London. She has exhibitions in Germany, Denmark and Chicago Cultural Centre, where the exhibition of her work caused “The biggest turnout, for any artist, they’d ever had”. Vivian Dorothea Maier was born in 1926 New York to a mystery family of French origin. Very little is known about Maier’s upbringing other than it was likely financially challenging. This may have resulted in her uncanny ability to identify with the poor. Though the film focuses mainly on the artist and not her art, Maier’s photographs

do not disappoint. Some are shot from below, giving the subjects a towering magnitude. They capture people, cars, buildings, monkeys and anything else on the streets of 1950’s America. Although Maier’s art contains single moments of merriment and justness, some are dejected and give out a tender, instant alertness to tragedy. She is described as “damaged”, “unusual”, “private” and more than anything else, “mysterious”. As the film progresses, it gradually becomes obvious that nobody really knows Vivien Maier. Nobody knows why she took pictures, why she would change her name, or why she dressed like a hipster fascist. What this film tells us is we do not and will never understand the artist, but it is our role as the audience to try to understand her works. We will never know if Vivian Maier would have enjoyed her posthumous fame. But her mystery is perhaps her greatest quality. Mystery fascinates us and pulls us towards things

we would not otherwise turn to. It drew me to Vivian Maier, and I’ve not turned back.

The

Tuesday 9 December 8pm National Theatre Live Screening John – dance theatre on adult themes

Vivian Maier capturing the streets of America. Photo credit: jiaworks

Since they began performing this showcase in 2011, audiences from all over the country have been delighted by such a wonderful and beautiful performance. Director, Paul Davies, has rebuilt the idea of Alice in Wonderland around an older version of Alice. However, the audience will still see the dark side of the upside down world that we all know and love. This brilliant production has stayed true to the main story and characters from Lewis Carroll’s famous novel. Students are advised to arrive 15 minutes before the show begins. Tickets are also likely to sell quickly and a student identification card will be needed on purchase to receive the deal. •Visit the Taliesin box office to get the £5 offer. For more details visit www. taliesinartscente.co.uk

Coca Cola truck is coming to Swansea Students get ready for a Christmas treat, writes Emma James. Start the Christmas festivities with a drink and some music to enjoy in a wonderful snowy setting. The famous Coca Cola truck will be arriving in Swansea on December 7 and will be parked from 11am until 7pm on Princess Way. There is no need to buy a ticket beforehand. Just turn up and

enjoy the area around the truck that will be transformed into a Christmas winter wonderland. There will also be an opportunity for you to have your photo taken with the truck itself; however there may be queues so I advise you to get there in plenty of time to avoid disappointment. www.swanseabayfestival.co.uk has more information

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 Thursday 4 December 10am & 1pm The Experimentrics – live science and physical theatre

£5 deal to see Alice in Wonderland Royal Opera House has teamed up with the Talisein Arts Centre to offer students a great discounted price of £5 to see a live screening of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’, writes Emma James. This live screening will be shown twice; at 2:30pm and 7pm on December 20 in the Taliesin, based on Swansea University’s campus. The Royal Opera House is allowing some cinemas in the United Kingdom to screen the extremely popular ballet performance and fortunately for students there will be an opportunity to enjoy it in the Taliesin. Some of the magical characters that all students are sure to recognise will be a part of the show, including the Queen of Hearts, a white rabbit and the Cheshire Cat. This ballet production by the Royal Opera House is their first fill length show since 1995.

Student offers at the Taliesin The Taliesin Arts Centre on campus

Thursday 11 December 7.30pm County Youth Dance Company FILMS Monday 1 December The Riot Club (15) Tom Hollander, Max Irons, Sam Claflin Tuesday 2 / Wednesday 3 December Magic in the Moonlight (12A) Colin Firth, Marcia Gay Harden, Emma Stone, Eileen Atkins Monday 8 December Gone Girl (18) Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris Wednesday 10 December The Judge (15) Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton Monday 15 / Tuesday 16 December The Hundred-Foot Journey Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon Monday 22 December What We Did on Our Holiday (12A) Billy Connolly, Celia Imrie, Annette Crosby, David Tennant

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: waterfrontcultue@ swansea-union.co.uk

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gadgets 35

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travel 28-29

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with Joshua vaughan

features 12-13

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

film

Can movies recreate our festive spirit? A

S a 20-year-old student, it is now apparent to me that with each passing year I become less and less excited about Christmas. Now I do love the holiday, don’t take me for a Scrooge, yet the unintentional change in enthusiasm is one which I’ve begun to notice on a daily basis, writes Joshua Vaughan. For instance, if I were to get socks or pyjamas from my grandparents when I was eight years old, I would probably kick off in a fit of disappointment and crushed childlike dreams. If I were to get a new pack of socks this year, it would probably become my favourite present of them all. Anyway, I digress. Christmas is slowly becoming a materialistic, privately owned holiday which rams Coke adverts down our throats and tarnishes the meaning of the term ‘family’. The festive Eggnog and Ginger Spice Latte are added to the Starbucks menu, and boxes of mince pies are sold in Tesco a month too early. However delicious these festive treats may be, and through all the other holiday festivities, it still appears that commercialism has replaced the true reason behind why we buy each other Christmas gifts. Although visiting those closest to our hearts is one of the greatest parts of Christmas, it seems as though the true gift is no longer found in spending time with a loved one, but rather in being reasonably accomplished with wrapping paper. However, don’t feel down about yourself if you feel the same discomfort as I do, as there still may be hope for your Christmas after all. So the main question is, how do we rekindle our love of the spectacle of Christmas? The answer can be found in the title of the page -

Movies! Whatever your age or gender, there is no question that the typical Christmas-moviemorale-ridden ending will remind you of your long-lost true Christmas values. Whether you enjoy Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) or Will Ferrell’s Elf (2003), there is no question that a few laughs can help you on your way to Christmas cheer; even the slightly darker Christmas films such as Gremlins (1984) or The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) can help bring loved ones closer together. White Christmas (1954), Home Alone (1990), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) and Miracle on

FESTIVE FILMS: White Christmas (above left), Miracle on 34th Street (above right) and Elf (left). 34th Street (1947 or 1994) always provide a few giggles and a few tears. If all else fails, I hear Guardians of the Galaxy is out on DVD on November 24th. You could always just watch that.

Film Reviews Fury

By Luke Walker

Since the days of Saving Private Ryan, barely a war film goes by without the cinema screen being filled with the blood and guts of friends and foes alike. This certainly rang true with Fury. This David Ayer (End of Watch) directed piece, set during the last months of World War II, follows the journey of the quiet, recently enlisted US Army typist Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman), as he joins the crew of the aptly named tank ‘Fury’. Lerman puts in a fine performance as Norman who, as it it turns out, has never seen military action and is quite appalled at the sheer horror of tank warfare. The rest of the crew are made up of war-weathered Staff-Sergeant Don Collier (Brad Pitt), bible-quoting Boyd Swan (Shia LaBeouf) , quicktempered Grady Travis (Jon Berthnal) and the resolute Trini Garcia (Michael Peña). The veteran team initially resent Norman's lack of experience but grow to accept him as the tank battles through the last defences of Nazi Germany. Fury is a solid film, with good all-round performances from its actors - particularly Lerman. Despite never quite matching the intensity of Apocalypse Now or the sheer magnitude of Saving Private Ryan, Fury makes for good-viewing and is much recommended.

Interstellar

By Alex Roden

As I write this, my mind is still attempting to put together the pieces that, combined, create the time-warping jigsaw that is Interstellar. Walking into the cinema expecting the predictable sci-fi flick of explosions and perhaps the odd alien, I was utterly blown away. My expectations were not even close. Brought to us by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), we are invited on a journey led by former pilot, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) to save the human race by travelling through a worm hole in search of a new planet they can call ‘home’. Accompanied by Amelia (Anne Hathaway) and the rest of his crew, Cooper battles the struggle between saving the species and keeping the trust of his two children he has left on Earth, in the search for finding salvation and hope for their future. All actors give solid performances and in particular McConaughey certainly stands out, providing us with an often emotional figure but certainly possesses the traits of the ‘hero’. The special effects are nothing short of mind-blowing and I can promise you that although you will be left with countless questions, confusion and arguably even frustration, it will be worth every one of its 169 minutes. Watch it.

Would you like to review a film? if so, get in touch on waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

with Sophie Berman

food

Christmas dinner with the housemates Cooking a Christmas dinner with your housemates is an essential aspect of university life. Here are some recipe ideas to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year, writes Sophie Berman.

The Best Roast Chicken Let’s face it; turkey can be pretty bland and also very expensive at this time of year whereas chicken is always cheap and cheerful. One chicken should serve four people. .alongside all the traditional trimmings. Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, roughly 1.5kg 1 onion 2 carrots 6 cloves of garlic 1 lemon Fresh or dried thyme Olive oil Butter Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 190C. 2. Roughly chop the carrots and onion and scatter them over the base of a roasting tin. Add the whole unpeeled garlic cloves. 3. Pour a little olive oil over the

4. 5.

vegetables and season. Season the chicken and then stuff with the lemon and thyme. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and rub some butter over the top. Put the roasting tin on a middle shelf of the oven and leave the chicken to cook for one hour and 20 minutes (it will need longer if you use a larger chicken). You can check that the chicken is cooked by piercing it with a skewer; the juices should be clear. Gravy can then be made from the juices in the tin, mixed with chicken stock and flour.

SUCCULENT: Roast chicken makes a practical alternative to turkey.

Perfect Roast Potatoes Roast potatoes are the best part of any Christmas dinner and should be made in abundance. This recipe makes enough roasties for eight people. Ingredients: 1kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper Olive oil or goose fat Method: 1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Parboil them in boiling salted water for about five minutes then drain and toss in the saucepan to roughen the edges which will make them

crispier once cooked. Add a generous amount of olive oil or goose fat to a roasting tin and put in the oven until it is smoking. Take the tin out of the oven and carefully add the potatoes. Cook in the oven for about an hour until golden and crunchy. Ensure to turn them over from time to time so that they are evenly coloured.

VERY TASTY: Adding bacon gives traditional Brussels an added zing.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Whilst Brussels sprouts aren’t the nation’s favourite vegetable, they are an absolute must at Christmas time and, of course, bacon makes everything taste delicious. You could also substitute the Brussels sprouts for cabbage or green beans. Ingredients: 500g Brussels sprouts 8 rashers streaky bacon Butter

Method: 1. Cook the Brussels sprouts in a saucepan of boiling salted

3. 4.

water until soft. This should take approximately 6 minutes. Place the bacon in a frying pan and cook until crisp. Add the cooked Brussels sprouts along with some butter and fry until lightly browned. Serve as a side dish.

CRISPY: Roast potatoes are an essential part of any Christmas dinner.

Have you got a recipe you’d like to share? Email editor@swansea-union.co.uk

gadgets 35

careers 34

societies 33

relationships 30

travel 28-29

games 27

food 24-25

film 23

culture 18

fashion 16-17

front row 15

with DECLAN MURPHY

music 14

features 12-13

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

games

Console wars: which side are you on? I

T’S time to wield your controller, put on your game face and prepare for a Black Friday blood bath, because once again... It’s time for console wars, writes Sunil Bajaj. This year, it’s not surprising that all over again it has come down to a three horse race between Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft to see who will become the coveted Christmas best seller. Without a doubt, the winter holidays are the most influential for gaming companies to make their profits. This is why typically new hardware for any technology-based company will be released from September onwards. We are currently in the 8th generation of consoles with the Wii U, Xbox One and PS4 being the powerhouses of this cycle. But which one of these should get your purchase this holiday? If the success of the last year is a foreshadowing for this coming Christmas, then Sony has already won. Talk about an undefeated season of absolute pwnage over its competitors. With its slick interface, easy share feature and all around general awesomeness, it has rightly so dominated the glitchy, unresponsive and temperamental Xbox One. This has been reflected in the updated October sales figures to retailers. With the PS4 at 13.5 million units sold compared to the Xbox One which has just surpassed 10 million.

Three horse race: Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. Meanwhile the Wii U has just entered its third holiday selling period and has sold fewer units in two years since its launch than the others have in one, at 7.29 million units. For the first time, in a long time, gamers have been given some promising new titles for the Wii U; these being the long overdue Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart 8. These two titles are sequels to some of the best selling Nintendo franchises ever. So Nintendo’s introduction of them to the exclusive platforms of Wii U and 3DS should absolutely sell units of both their hardware.

Xbox, without a doubt, struggled last Christmas period. Most likely due to their uncompetitive pricing strategy compared to Sony’s PS4. The Xbox One demanded that the consumer receive a Kinect with every console, which wasn’t welcome at all by consumers as it made the Xbox One more expensive. Since this blunder, Microsoft has to some extent found its feet again, now having available a Kinect-less Xbox One with a cheaper price tag of £349.99 to match the standard PS4 pound for pound. And with exclusives and special edition bundles of Titanfall, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Sunset

Overdrive there are plenty of factors to make it more competitive against its rival. For the first time in 12 months Microsoft is outselling the PS4 with their Xbox One. This could very much be a modern retelling of the tortoise and the hare; resulting in Xbox pulling ahead in the latter stages of December while Sony snoozes off. Fortunately many games are universally released so it doesn’t matter what system the consumer buys, as they will be available on most platforms. Games such as Destiny, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, FIFA 15, Assassins Creed Unity, The Crew and the re-released GTA-V for current gen consoles. In summation, who should win? Sony really deserves to take this one. Who is going to win? That could be the current underdog Microsoft. Finally what should you buy? Really whatever you choose, you’re bound to enjoy your experience this Christmas, but with its new exclusive games I’d say right now more than ever, purchase a Wii U. Regardless of which system you choose and who wins the war, let’s just hope that on Christmas Day, Call of Duty players on the PS4 and Halo players on the Xbox One can take a minute to stop fighting, put down their guns, and just play a game of football together, on FIFA.

Card games for beginners

Pokemon doesn’t disappoint

Magic the Gathering is a collectable card game where you summon gigantic creatures and powerful spells to destroy your opponent, writes Alex Barnes. It was the very first trading card game released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast, with a PC, Xbox and Playstation. Magic the Gathering is a game for two or more players called “Planeswalkers”. Each Planeswalker has 20 lives, and you lose if you either run out of life, or run out of cards in your deck. A deck can contain a minimum of 60 cards, which will consist of Mana, Artifacts, Creatures or Spells. In Magic the Gathering, mana is required to cast spells, or summon monsters. Only one mana may be played per turn, and to use the mana you turn it sideways, showing it has been used this turn. This allows you to build up mana as the game goes on, allowing you to put down bigger creatures, and better spells.

This has been possibly one of the most anticipated games of the year and easily one of the most wanted Pokémon games since the conversion over to the 3D format, writes Declan Murphy. Needless to say, the game is as good as we’ve come to expect from a Pokémon game. Like with the original and all main games in the series, it follows the gym format. The game stays very true to the original story wise; we have the two factions depicting their want for either an expansion of the land or of the sea. This is where the similarities end however. From then on we are treated to the new 3D system the series has adopted, which adds spectacularly to the immersion of the Hoenn region. We also see the addition of several new features to the Hoenn region, one such being the ability to freely fly around the region, something we haven’t seen before. Personally my favourite game from the first six instalments I’m very glad that they decided to reboot this particular generation. The advantage as well being that any Pokémon you have obtained in the previous games can be transferred over, given that you have either Pokémon X or Y, meaning that any Pokémon added

There are five colours of magic in the game - Green, Red, White, Black and Blue. Green is about nature and growth, large creatures that get bigger as the game goes on. Green lets you play large creatures quickly, and contains many buffs to keep your creatures alive. Red is the colour of emotion, big spells that blow up your opponent’s creatures, before dealing a huge amount of damage to your opponent. White is the colour of equality, full of healing yourself, and disabling your opponent’s creatures. Black is the colour of power, it weakens your opponent’s creatures, and destroys the big ones. It has vampires and demons that get stronger when they kill your opponents creatures. Blue is the colour of knowledge, opportunity and possibility. Blue gives you many interesting decisions every turn, though games tend to drag on a lot longer than usual.

after generation three (all 333 of them) can now adventure with you in Hoenn. All legendries will now be obtainable across the two latest releases in the series too, excluding event based legendries. The game has surprisingly been met with a weird mix of reviews. In fact one such review, coming from IGN, stated “7.8 Good – Too much Water”. Needless to say, I think they sided with Team Magma. However the wide reception seems to be positive. The game, having already been released in every continent but Europe at the time of writing this, has been met with a lot of love from fans. So if you’re looking at picking this up for a sibling for Christmas or yourself to relive those childhood memories the game is retailing for £34.99 on GAME.co.uk. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the series and looking for a new time passer in those revision breaks. Gamefreak are also currently running a promotional giveaway to all owners of ORAS. The giveaway being a Shiny Beldum with a Megastone for Metagross (coincidently my favourite Pokémon too). The promotion runs until January 14th so don’t fret too much, you still have over a month to get hold of your shiny new pal.

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

STUDENT JOURNEYS

travel PEDAL POWER: With the city containing more than 70,000 bikes, what better way to explore than on two wheels? Top right, Sophie and her friends.

How I fell in love with Amsterdam W

HEN my friends and I decided to go to Amsterdam with the Travel Shop I had no idea what to expect. Of course, no trip is complete without a long, tedious bus journey. But when we got there it was breathtaking, with tall, elegant buildings and water everywhere, writes Sophie Wiggins. With the city containing more than 70,000 bikes you had to be careful not to get hit as they zoomed past you. The three days were pretty packed as we wanted to do as much as we could. We explored the countless narrow roads and trams, and the friendly residents were more than happy to help us when we got lost multiple times throughout the weekend, and teach us Dutch words like ‘Dank je wel’ which means thank you well.

friends Logan, who got stuck behind a lorry when we were cycling. While we decided what to do to find Logan we took photos on our bikes, the right thing to do when you’ve lost one of your friends in a foreign country!

Timeless beauty

There was lots of walking, and biking and getting lost but it didn’t matter as we were in such a timeless and beautiful city. We went to try out some Amsterdam pubs and clubs, one in which the bartender poured us Dutch beer to try until we tasted one we liked. I loved the sweet ‘De Blonde Barbier.’ Exploring the streets of Amsterdam we walked through streets like Kerkstraat and Rokin and explored

the Dutch shops and culture. We went into sweet shops where they sold toffee waffles which they dipped in oozing Nutella from a giant tub and had giant dinosaurs made out of sweets. Souvenir shops where they had giant Buddha statues holding miscellaneous substances. Cheese shops where the shop owner informed us they only sold full Dutch cheese and told us cheese in Dutch is ‘Kaas.’ We tasted Boerenkaas cheese and Leyden cheese and Texalarr cheese, some of them were very odd but still good. I wanted to take some home with me but, alas, the cheese would not survive the 11hour journey back home. The streets were filled with street

Seeing the sights

The Anne Frank Museum is definitely a must if you ever go to Amsterdam. It was one of the most surreal experiences to be standing where she once stood. Finding the Amsterdam sign on the first day we got there and climbing on it for photos was lots of fun. I loved it so much I bought a mini model ornament to take home with me. One of the best things about the trip was renting bikes for a day and biking around the city. One thing we didn’t plan on was losing one of our

performers and magicians. I was given a flower by a pink man and pretended to be sliced for a photo by a man dressed up for Halloween. The palace in the town centre was one of the richest buildings I’ve ever been in, consisting of giant paintings, maps, chandeliers and hand-crafted walls – incredible art and craftsmanship. Of course we got some souvenirs, even though Shaun was insistent they were tacky. An Amsterdam jacket is a nice keepsake of my time there! The canal boats were so majestic and going on a tour was so much fun. Seeing aspects of the city from a different perspective really made you appreciate the city for what it was (and of course there were lots of opportunities for selfies.) Turning up at 11:30 when we were supposed to be there at 11:10 to leave was a bit of a nightmare but we made it onto the coach home.

Fantastic memories

OLD AMSTERDAM: Historic buildings nestle along the banks of the famous canal.

All I could think about on the way home was what a fantastic time I had and how lucky I was to spend it with such a great group of people, thank God Allison brought her camera to capture all the fun! We are already planning to go back to Amsterdam soon. Thank you to the Travel Shop for organising such a fantastic trip and thanks to our chaperones Alex Fish and Charlotte Peters.

gadgets 35

careers 34

societies 33

relationships 30

travel 28-29

games 27

food 24-25

film 23

culture 18

fashion 16-17

front row 15

music 14

features 12-13

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

ENCHANTING: Above, a street in Transylvania. Above right, Peleş one of Romania’s Royal castles.

Put Romania on your holiday wish list I

THINK the best way to find out about Romania is to invite you on an imaginary trip through my country. So, sit comfortably and try to suppose that we’ve just landed in Bucharest at Henry Coandă Airport, named after the Romanian inventor of the world’s first jet. We hurry to the exit in order to jump into the nearest taxi. First of all, you have to know that Bucharest is called the “Little Paris” or “The Paris of the Balkans” because of its neoclassical architecture, which can be found especially in the old buildings such as the University Palace, the Athenaeum, the Central Army House, the Palace of Justice and the well-known Arc of Triumph.

Royal connections

You may well have noticed that these important buildings all have the word ‘Palace’ in their titles. This is because Bucharest was a kingdom until 1947 when the Communists came to power. However, did you know that our Queen Marie of Romania (1875-1938) – who was one of the most respected queens of our times – was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom? I was surprised when I found this out for the first time and I wondered if that was the reason a lot of Romanians study in the UK. Many of us feel attached in a way to this country. You never know... But let’s get back to our trip. We are in a taxi, on our way to the train station (called after the famous Gare du Nord in Paris), where we’ll take the first train to other regions different from the tumultuous Bucharest. Yes, the countryside, where traditional culture has been preserved and the wild nature landscapes and the old peasants’ stories are enchanting. Our next stop will be Bucovina, a region in the north of Romania. This area is famous for its monasteries built by the ancient voivodes (local rulers) and each has an individual colour. We also have the opportunity to travel with an old train with a steam locomotive, called Mocănița, which slowly wends its way through the mountains.

Dracula country COLOURFUL: Above, Romania’s national dress. Top, the Mocănița steam train.

Unfortunately, we don’t have time to linger because we have to visit Transylvania, which is one of the most prosperous and beautiful regions of Romania

Today is Romania’s National Day so what better time for second year Law and French student Catinca Iftime to give an insight into the best places to visit in her home country. and known as well in Europe for its Dracula legends. The most interesting places here are Bran Castle in Brașov, the Peleș Castle in Sinaia, (the seat of our royal family), the Corvin Castle in Hunedoara, the Retezat National Park, and the ruins of our Dacian ancestors, Sarmizegetusa. But the most beautiful experience is to tarry in Romanian villages with peasants who will always welcome you with their old stories and with a glass of our traditional alcoholic drink named “pălincă”. Prince Charles is a big fan of this region and he campaigns to protect these lands. Our journey could continue to other beautiful regions but I will let you discover them in a real trip. I love my country, and I started to appreciate it more when I come to study here in Swansea. I think this happens to many foreign students. Maybe this kind of cultural and educational experience makes us realize what beautiful countries we live in. If my words are not too convincing I invite you all to watch the documentary “Wild Carpathia” which will give you a perfect insight into Romania. Oh, and I almost forgot the most important thing, today, December 1, is Romania’s National Day and we celebrate 96 years from the Great Union of the Romanian territories, so HAPPY BRITHDAY, ROMANIA!

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

with SOPHIE WIGGINS

relationships

Blind Date When Antonia met Lewis

Antonia Panayoti, a final year Media Practice, PR and Communications student met Lewis Edwards, a second year Geography student at JC’s bar.

Antonia on Lewis

Shannon Jones, a second year American studies student, and Faye Vlietstra, a second year criminology student, are The Waterfront’s agony aunts.

Ask our Agony Aunts Dear Shannon and Faye, During sex my boyfriend smothered my face with a pillow. Should I be concerned or not? Chloe Hi Chloe, first of all you need to figure out if he’s trying to kill you or not. If you come to the conclusion that he is, then the number you should ring is 999! If not, there could be a number of reasons for his behaviour. One of the reasons could be that he’s trying to spice up your sex life and has developed an appetite for kinky endeavours, after all the 50 Shades of Grey trailer has been featured quite recently. Another reason, to put it bluntly, is volume control. You may not be aware of it, but to your boyfriend you could be ‘waking the neighbours’, and this is his subtle attempt at containing it. Our advice to you is to keep the noise down if you don’t want to encounter another pillow to the face, and if it continues, remember the number or ask him what he’s up to.

What were your first impressions? He arrived right on time. I thought he was really handsome and tall. He held the door for me, which is a plus side. Though unfortunately me, being clumsy didn’t help a lot since I spilt a bit of coke on out table (not a good first impression of me for him I guess, but he has to tell that)

Any striking conversation points? Actually there was no time when we remained silent. We spoke quite a lot about friendships, football, family, values, my broken Xbox (which was really funny), his love about Geography, societies, all kind of things really. Any awkward moments or silences? Not really (if we don’t count when I spilt my coke). We both were quite talkative. Did you wonder why he wasn’t in a relationship at any point? I kind of did just briefly because he seems like a great guy to be with, but then of course, it depends on the time and the person. If you were to be married and have babies with the other, what would you want your baby to inherit? Oh God! It’s a hard question! Probably his eyes and his good manners. Any potential for a kiss? I don’t really kiss on a first date. But I think we were both cool with no kisses! ;) Would you introduce him to your parents? Oh yeah, my mum would love Lewis, because he is such a gentleman! Would you like to meet again? Yes I wouldn’t mind.

Lewis on Antonia What were your first impressions? She was nice, starting speaking a lot straight away.

Dear Shannon and Faye, My girlfriend has taken to not wearing a bra on nights out, while I do enjoy it, she’s quite busty and they can’t seem to hold their own. A couple of people have mentioned it to me, how do I tell her without offending her and more importantly without her not showing me her breasts again? Gareth Gareth, we regret to inform you that this question has divided our opinions. Faye: I believe that she should be allowed to let them be free, as women didn’t burn their bras for nothing! I personally enjoy the feel of a bra-free outfit and, let’s be honest, it saves you that awkward 10 minutes of trying to undo the bra. I think you should stop moaning and just embrace those boobs. Shannon: Whilst I agree with Faye on the easy access, it remains to be said whether you would want the access if the boobs are saggy, thus unappealing to you. It seems to me Gareth that you feel cheated, as you thought by dating a youthful girl you would get a youthful body i.e. perky boobs. If others are starting to mention the sag, it seems as though the issue is now becoming a cause for concern. I do believe that people have the right to express themselves in whatever way they feel comfortable, but when others start to become offended and it’s hampering your relationship, maybe reign of the sag should come to an end. (Aunts Shannon and Faye, although knowledgeable, are unqualified to give real advice and so all responses are intended to be more amusing than serious. )

Any striking conversation points? She spoke about five languages and we both seemed keen on the same things. Any awkward moment or silences? She still seems cut up about some guy breaking her xbox, so that’s probably it. Did you wonder why she wasn’t in a relationship at any point? None at all over the 2.5 hours. If you were to be married and have babies with the other, what would you want your baby to inherit? Her language skills, my English is remedial at best. Any potential for a kiss? Nah, I’m not a slut. Would you introduce her to your parents? Possibly Would you like to meet again? Maybe •If you are interested in featuring in the blind date, email your name, age, course and level to waterfrontrelationships@swansea-union.co.uk.

gadgets 35

careers 34

societies 33

relationships 30

travel 28-29

games 27

food 24-25

film 23

culture 18

fashion 16-17

front row 15

music 14

features 12-13

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

Modern dating: bunch of roses or shagatuni ? D

ATING is something we have all experienced in some shape or form, but long gone are the days when your date would ask your father’s permission to take you out. In today’s society modern dating seems to have moved online. Online dating used to be something that was kept a secret for people who couldn’t meet people in the real world. But now online dating has gone mainstream and it’s something people openly admit to using frequently. Some students believe online dating doesn’t work and mobile matchmaking apps such as Tinder are “ridiculously shallow”. A second year biology student said: “I wouldn’t and don’t use online dating because although I know I am a nice guy and can make girls laugh, because there is a screen between the girls and the guys I would be instantly dismissed because I’m not the best looking. It’s the same in a club, it’s too loud to speak properly and girls just go for the good looking guys. I don’t

Sophie Wiggins explores the world of online dating get a chance to try.” Other students have found Tinder is a successful way to date. “I think there is less of a stigma around online dating nowadays. It’s a good way to meet new people, it was perfect for me when I first moved here and didn’t know anyone at all.

You have to sift through quite a few people but me and my boyfriend have been together over a year and a half now and it’s wonderful so it can definitely work,” said one second year English Literature student. Many students still prefer to date through common interests. James Creswell said: “Even in the modern world I still think it’s best to date someone through a friendship first, which is probably established through a common interest.” A final year Zoology student agrees with James: “Young people shouldn’t be using online dating, it’s a bit pathetic. Face to face is much better way to meet someone whether it’s from your course, friend of a friend or on a night out.” Student Ryan May, who is setting up his own dating website just for university and college students, says many online sites don’t offer a good experience for students. “The issue I have is with the validity of some of the people on the websites.

Was I talking to a computer-generated profile? How did I even know that the person I was talking to was who they said they were? Did they look like their profile picture?” Dating has definitely evolved and online dating allows you to meet more people and it is easier platform from which to speak to people if you are shy. However many of these sites come across as looks orientated, which puts a lot of students off using them. On Shagatuni.com the profile set up consists of you choosing your favourite sex position. It seems the majority use dating sites for fun as opposed to actual dating. One first year Politics student told us: “Student dating is pointless, students just want to have fun while at university, they don’t want to settle down into a serious relationship. Students don’t really date.” Ultimately It seems students use both the old fashioned and modern ways of dating. A recent Law

graduate told us: “Everybody wants a gentlemen, but sites like Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and Tinder makes people too accessible, which is why I prefer real effort not just a quick message online. We’re in a modern world, but the best way is still the old fashioned way.”

Blurred Lines - what is yes? what is no?

Comment by Ina Pace

SWANSEA University defines sexual harassment as “any form of unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading or offensive environment.” This includes physical contact, like touching the private parts of another’s body without consent. Since I have not come across much about consent itself, I want to analyse why it is difficult to define, specifically in the atmosphere of night clubs where we get the chance to lose our inhibitions through alcohol and dimmed lighting, and flirt with one another, perhaps unsure of when flirting crosses the line. Ever noticed when the club closes and the lights come on that “couples” spring apart and the heavy petting stops? I’m writing about strangers flirting with each other when one is unsure about what the other wants. I want to talk about this on behalf of both men and women of whatever sexual orientation since harassment and issues about consent cannot be confined to one specific group or gender. With consent, lines are literally blurred. You may be able to relate to Robin Thicke’s lyrics and question their morality, even looking past the fact they are written to spark controversy for the sake of marketing. I think they have an element of truth in them about the mentality particular types of men: “If you can’t hear what I’m trying to say/If you can’t read from the same page… you’re an animal baby, it’s in your nature… talkin’ about getting’ blasted/I hate these blurred lines/ the way you grab me/ must wanna get me nasty/ I know you want it (I hate them lines).” It seems Thicke is voicing a man’s choice to cut to the chase, ignoring the difficulties of asking a

and are sober enough to distinguish what is acceptable behaviour. If this is a controversial issue, then why do some people assume that everyone is ok with it? I have had my opinions on this topic unfairly belittled in the past. Is it fair that I have been labelled a bitch who demonizes men simply because I struggle to accept what is apparently normal - that it is ok to cut to the chase? If this kind of touching in public were universally acceptable then surely it should be easy to deem women like me man-haters who make a fuss over what should be an innocuous situation? I simply wouldn’t get very flirtatious with someone I wasn’t interested in, but it would never occur to me to put my hand down someone’s trousers whatever the situation, no matter how drunk I was. To me this is a step beyond flirtation, not part of it. Does this attitude make me a more civilised human being, or someone who is oversensitive and too conservative for the present time? I predict a typical response from some people would be “so why do you go to night-clubs?” I can tell you that I do not go to accept this culture of harassment. I find it invasive. Do I have the right to go to these places? Night-clubs are what you make of them; they are not treated by everyone as a strip-club or a brothel. Whatever society learns to accept or does not, there will always be controversy. In writing this, I want to produce something thought-provoking; a voice that questions the consequences if we accept this harassment culture. Whether such behaviour will continue to spread beyond the night-club; whether boundaries will continue to be loosened, or lines blurred, until there are none left?

Ina Pace examines the thorny issue of consent. woman whether or not she wants to be touched, encouraging (supposedly) what she does not have the confidence to pursue, using animal instinct as an excuse. If the woman grabs him in a suggestive way, is this an invitation to cut to the chase as you perhaps would in the bedroom rather than just flirt back? I personally do not think that the offer of a dance is the equivalent of an invite into the bedroom. Even if you look flirtatiously at each other from across the room, I don’t think that the man has the right to get angry with the woman (or vice versa) when she doesn’t allow him to touch her private parts. Is it fair to argue that she is leading him on? Should we assume that men are wired up differently and thus respect that? Am I being fair when I say “particular” types of men think like this? To me, one who overlooks these “lines” is rash; if you are unsure, don’t make that move, or preferably don’t consider it in the first place. It is most difficult to analyse scenarios where men and women mutually begin “grinding” on each other, reciprocating the same level of heavy

intimacy: are we inviting one to touch the other or is this simply only a type of heavily flirtatious dancing where you should recognise the “lines” regardless? This comes down to personal choice and personal boundaries and should be made very clear (perhaps you should guide your partner’s hands to where you want them to be?) What is raised here is the question about whether groping in public remains an indecency. Have times changed just like they have done for public kissing? Should we accept that sexual contact has become the social norm in certain environments like dim nightclubs? For me, touching each other’s shoulders or hips suggestively, even kissing is ok, but your private parts are off limits except in the bedroom. I’ve heard a mixture of opinions about this from both men and women. From what I gather, some people in today’s society overlook these “blurred lines” simply by thinking of it as innocent experimentation: One or the other must make the first move, if she/he doesn’t like it they can

‘Does this attitude make me a more civilised human being, or someone who is oversensitive and too conservative for the present time?’ simply remove the harasser’s hand from their private parts, say no and all’s well. This is an easy solution, and the amount of people who think like this surprises me. Are night clubs places of loose rules, where we let go? Not always, many people are still aware of their surroundings

gadgets 35

careers 34

societies 33

relationships 30

travel 28-29

games 27

food 24-25

film 23

culture 18

fashion 16-17

front row 15

with sophie Wiggins

music 14

features 12-13

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

societies

Dance named Society of the Month T

HERE were eight applications this month and Charlotte West, the societies and activities coordinator, and Jerry Isokariari, the students’ union societies officer, had an hour of debate over the winner, writes Sophie Wiggins. The winner this month is Dance Society. It put in a massive amount of effort this month, organising a range of events for both members and nonmembers, as well as raising money for different charities. Here’s just a taster of some of the things they got up to: A Hip Hop workshop with Oliver Engele from Trilogy Dance Group. This workshop was held in The Hive and organised by committee and a professional dancer Oliver, who is part of a group called Trilogy, who has performed on Got to Dance. The workshop time was spent on learning techniques, how to use these in freestyle, building confidence with your free styling and learning a piece of choreography. The tickets were £4.50 with 50p of every ticket going to Alzheimer’s Society. They also had a donation bucket where people could drop spare change. During this workshop they raised £17.58. Strictly Come Dancing 2014. Dance teachers were paired up with

sports captains/committee members and SU officers and given two weeks to learn a short routine. There were eight performances in total; Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Salsa, Irish, Commercial and Bollywood. The night was hosted by SU Welfare Officer Joel Gascoyne and previous dance society member and teacher Elise Worthington, and judged by three committee members; President Steph Dalton, Social Secretary Abi Jones and Competition Direction Christel Karmin. After the interval there was a performance from five saxophone players from the Musicians’ Society Big Band. The performance then resumed with the rest of the couples. The audience was then invited to vote for their favourite act. All performers were invited back onto the stage. They were thanked and everyone who took part received a certificate. The runner up was announced Jerry Isokariari (Hip Hop) and the winner Rhian Perry (Ballet). The night was in aid of Parkinson’s UK, a charity close to the heart of many committee members. £3 from every ticket went to the charity, with donation buckets also placed around the room during the event. In total £627.35 was raised for the charity.

There was a photographer, Joe Moody, whose photographs will be put on the Dance Society’s Facebook page. Plus the event was filmed by SU-TV which will be put on the Dance Society’s YouTube page. The night itself was a fantastic opportunity for dance teachers to perform, different societies to get to work together, officers and sports committee members to try something new, members and non members to meet new people, plus most importantly raise money and awareness for a brilliant charity. Every week there have been social events for Salsa, Swing and Kizomba. These are opportunities for members to take what they have learnt in their class and put it into practice. A selection of music is played and members are able to dance with each other, or simply watch and socialise. This is a brilliant chance for people to get to know others, make new friends and learn more about these dance styles. The Dance Society have also raised money for Children in Need, put on a Swing Workshop, and hosted a social night out which involved inviting their sponsor to bring a stall. Altogether, the society have gone above and beyond their normal day-to-

Choral all set for Christmas concert THIS academic year the Choral Society had the largest sign up ever at the Freshers’ Fayre! The choir now has a total 53 members, half of which are new members this year. The society holds two-hour rehearsals on a Monday and Tuesday, and have now learned all the pieces for their Christmas concert on December 6. There are a range of songs, many of which people will recognise, but also some that you may never have heard sung by a choir before. During the term they also held auditions for the Chamber Choir. The Chamber Choir is brand new for this year and will be a smaller group of students who will be learning a range of different, more difficult pieces separately from the main choir. They will only be performing one piece in the Christmas Concert, but plans are coming together to have a joint chamber concert with the Musicians’ Chamber Orchestra in the Spring. The society have held different socials throughout the term including their first meet and greet in JC’s; a quiz, Lazerzone, a sin city social and a Christmas meal. The society are not only rehearsing for their Christmas concerts but also performances with the chaplaincy. A small group of returning members

day activities, so we wanted to say well done Dance! That isn’t to say the other societies that applied haven’t also put in a lot of hard work. Ancient Studies Society organised a visit for their members to the British Museum, which included a tour of the basement archives. Geography Society held a pub quiz in memory of one of their former presidents, Jeremy Suter, who passed away recently, with over 158 members involved. Gaming Society has run three weekly events: card gaming, board gaming and a general meet. They run at least three events weekly to appeal to all our members and help people find others who share their gaming interests. St John LINKS have held two Fresher’s First Aid events this month, as part of the presidential campaign to provide all freshers with a basic understanding of first aid. Baking Appreciation did a Mad Hatters tea party which featured bakes that you would expect to find at a tea party. Members bought along various items including carrot cake, lemon drizzle cakes, mocha iced buns and a fruit loaf which were enjoyed by all. I’m so proud of all the societies here at Swansea – keep up the great work!

Choral Society alumni Nathan Jones conducting his setting of the Dylan Thomas poem, The Hand That Signed The Paper. Photo by Chris Lowe. and committee performed at the first Chaplaincy service of the term on Wednesday 15th October. The society were asked us to sing at the plaque unveiling and Remembrance Service on November 11 in The Hive. On October 25 the members sang at a charity fundraiser in Aberdare Rugby club for one of their players who unfortunately is seriously injured. The society were asked to sing by one of our members who is from Aberdare so knows the family well. The society had a warm reception at the event which raised over £2500.

Most recently the members sang at another remembrance service in Brynmill Community Centre where they were privileged to meet members of the Royal British Legion who complimented the members on their Welsh singing. It’s clear that Choral Society have put in a lot of effort this term already and have performed at many different events. If you would like to attend the Christmas concert or want to know anything else about the society please email choral@swansea-union.co.uk

1 December 2014 waterfrontonline.co.uk

careers

What to do after your law degree D

URING my third year of studying law, the important decision of what to do after graduation grew ever more important, writes Michaela Smeaton. There are two main career options for prospective lawyers, these are the LPC (for aspiring solicitors) and the BPTC (for aspiring barristers). Both courses come with hefty course fees, ranging between £10,000 and £18,000 (depending on where in the country you study the course). Both courses run a high risk, as there is also a vocational stage of training (which is necessary to qualify as a practising lawyer), meaning that undertaking either of these courses could land you in thousands of pounds of debt, with nothing but a piece of paper to show. Most of my friends had decided to take a year out to earn the money for the course, or were lucky enough to have their parents pay for them. Sadly, most people do not have this luxury (certainly not I) and a gap year is not always an option – and so the decision arises whether it’s feasible to endure a serious financial burden, all in the hope

for a better, more successful future. There are various means of financing the course, the first port of call for many seems to be the bank of mum and dad. There are also many scholarships available from law firms and the Inns of Court, however, these are fiercely competitive and only the brightest and best students are successful in attaining them. Alternatively, the government offers a career and professional development loan of up to £10,000 for students in order to support them for fees and living costs. This, however, is a commercial bank loan and although the government will pay the interest whilst you study, you are liable for full repayments when you finish the course whether you are in employment or not. It took a while to decide between the two courses, eventually applying for the BPTC through the clearing rounds in March, after having earlier in the year applied for the LPC and receiving an offer. I applied mainly for part-time courses in hopes of finding pupillage or a training contract to gain time to earn money by working full time while studying part time. I did apply for one

full time course at Cardiff, as I knew a few people going there and thought it would be a great city to live in. I received offers for all of the submitted applications and had the difficult decision of choosing between Cardiff full time and Bristol part time. Cardiff was my first choice, but I would have to take out a commercial bank loan of £20,000 in order to cover a year’s worth of living costs and the fees, meaning I would be crippled financially upon leaving graduate school. Because of this, I felt I had to go to Bristol to study as it was more affordable. I was angry and upset at the system, being unable to go to the course provider of my choice merely because of a lack of funding. There is always talk of diversification of the law profession, yet it seems there is a long way to go before there is a flawless system. I had to go to what I felt was a worse university all because I couldn’t afford the fees at my first choice. Despite this, I am making the most of my time in Bristol and the course is taught by experienced tutors. I am happy at Bristol and hope that anyone thinking of studying one of the courses

Academic success programme paves the way to a better degree MY history tutor recommend the Academic Success Programme to me and it has been one of the best choices I made, writes Rhiannon Morris Jones. Located in Grove, they offer a variety of language, presentation and skills classes for all abilities. The service is free and open to all. I have used several of their services, including the basic grammar class I attended in second year. We examined grammar, amongst other features, and how to correctly apply it to academic writing. This class would be most suitable for students who wish to recap previous grammatical knowledge, or learn simple methods that will improve academic writing. The benefit of this and many of the academic classes is it’s not just prescriptive learning. The classes are interactive with exercises such as examining essays of varying grades, and suggesting how they could be improved. Furthermore, I attended the advanced academic writing class in third year. The class was for two hours a week and ran for eight weeks. This allowed us to focus on one area of development at a time. This was an effective way of covering the key aspects of essay writing. In our class we had pupils of different abilities and strengths, highlighting the diversity the Academic Success Services provide. Due to their amalgamation of teaching, discussions and practical exercises this class is a useful tool, enabling pupils to learn new skills and achieve their full potential. I booked 30 minute one-on-one appointments with staff members, and during these they were able to

Rhiannon Morris Jones. advise me on the strengths and weakness of sections of my academic work. It has definitely aided my essays and having an impartial but skilled individual examine my essay has definitely developed my proofreading skills. The staff have been approachable and offer techniques that will allow you to notice and rectify mistakes in future essays or work. For example, I am learning to recognise when I am using redundancies (even if I make mistakes still) and other issues which detract from the valuable word count. The staff work tirelessly to assist students and deserve credit. The Academic Success Services helped me develop the skills I needed to achieve the grade I wanted. They provide students with transferable language skills, which is useful in many contexts. For these reasons I encourage students to make use of this service. They are here to help, so why not see what they can offer you and get involved? Find out more at www.swansea.ac.uk/asp

should go for it - as long as you budget and work hard, it is doable. I have been working 58 hours a week for the past month to give me a head start, but have recently found a legal job which will make my life much easier and more enjoyable.

Training to be a barrister: Michaela Smeaton.

Employability Week starts January 26 THE Careers and Employability Service will be hosting a variety of events and workshops during the week beginning Monday, January 26 covering a wide range of topics to help you develop your employability, explore career ideas and make successful applications. Details of the programme will be available on MyUni at https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/careers/ in due course, and you will be able to register/login to book your place to attend events through our online booking system at http://swansea. prospects.ac.uk/index.html/. Here are some examples of the kinds of workshops and other events planned for Employability Week:•Writing an effective CVs and cover letters •Finding and preparing for graduate jobs •Interview skills •Getting into teaching •Careers and Cakes - informal drop-in event •Week of Work placements (WoW) Please note that 26 November 2014 was the application closing date for WoW placements taking place during Employability Week. However, the application process will open again early next year for summer WoW placements. Please visit https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/workplacements/ for more information about WoW, SPIN (Swansea Paid Internship Network) and Santander work placement programmes. Employability Week will also include a mock interview competition run by PwC. For details of PwC’s graduate recruitment programmes, visit www.pwc.co.uk/careers/index.jhtml.

36 I SPORT

thewaterfront 01.12.14

Taekwon Do

Huge medal reward in Cheltenham tournament byLaura ClaireFiteni Cuddihy by

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

SWANSEA University Tae Kwon Do captain Laura Fiteni was pleased with the bounty taken home by the five-

strong team that competed in Cheltenham last weekend. The club took home more medals than competitors, leaving the GTI open tournament with a total of seven medals; three gold, two

silver and two bronze. The day began with patterns in which yellow-belt Timothy Luk medalled for the first time in only his second competition. Having scored in the top three in round one, he was

BIG BOUNTY: (from left to right) Michelle Ahazie, Tim Luk, Laura Mullins, Laura Fiteni, Matt Clements and Sam Mason.

asked to repeat his pattern a second time. A strong second performance earned him an impressive gold-medal finish. Vice-captain Laura Mullins continued her long tradition of patterns success with yet another silver medal. Sparring proved to be even more successful with a bronze for Luk – his second medal of the day and 2 golds for captain Fiteni in continuous and pointstop sparring. However the best fight of the day goes to committee member Matt Clements, who took home his first medals as an adult competitor. After a bout of brutal rounds against some extremely strong contenders, his eighth fight of the day saw him win silver and then bronze in both sparring categories. Clements said, “The whole team put in a good performance. With the tournament being of such a high standard it’s great to see people being rewarded for their training efforts and coming back with medals.” The day’s results mean that two new names have appeared

on the Hall of Fame with Luk straight up to 16th position and Clements into joint 19th. Fiteni became the first person in the Hall of Fame to achieve double figures in gold medals, and extends her lead at the top to a massive 10 points ahead of alumni Sam Mason in 2nd position. Laura Mullins also finally knocks veteran competitor Lewis Bray off his perch to move into 4th position, with her eyes now firmly focused on breaking into the top three. The team are now looking ahead to Saturday the 6th December, when they will attend a tournament in Cardiff organised specifically for colour belts. This is the first time they will meet the Cardiff Varsity squad head-on in a clash that will weigh heavily on previous and upcoming results. “It was important that we did so well in Cheltenham last weekend going into a tournament hosted by Cardiff so soon after,” said Fiteni. “We need to show Cardiff that we’re going to be bigger and better than ever this year.”

BUCS

BUCS so far...

Current position: 28th (742.5pts)

information correct as of 27th November 2014 at midday.

F eatured result : Women’s Tennis Swansea 12 - 0 Cardiff Met

204 victories 32 draws 198 losses

waterfrontonline.co.uk

SPORT I 37

Firsts overcome seconds in inter-club clash Badminton

byNiamh Claire Ollerton Cuddihy by

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

SWANSEA University Women’s first and second teams played against each other within their BUCS Western 2B league. The firsts took the spoils to move up from second to first place within the league, while the seconds dropped a place in the league table. Chelsea Ambrose, the second’s captain said of the team’s games, “Katy Clarke and I lost all of our doubles, but the second game against Jemima Cheetham and Alex Johnson was really close! (2220). “Obviously the games could’ve gone better, as the games against Sophie Ttophi and Rebecca Jones were disastrous; they won by a lot.” First team captain Sophie Ttophi spoke of the day’s activities, saying, “Some of the games were close today, but the majority we won comfortably. “Our second team has improved a lot since last year and did really well to take two games off us.” The interclub will be revisited again soon as Ttophi tells: “We have a rematch next week.” All of the players played very

well, but when asked if any players stood out from said matches, Ttophi said, “Nazanin Khammar (of the seconds) was the one who took the two games and played amazingly.” The atmosphere of the day was light-hearted; two university teams playing against one another allows the sense of club feeling along with friendly competitiveness. As the games were inter-club matches, Ttophi was asked if she thought that the matches were good practice for future games in the league and against other universities. “Yes of course! It actually is really good practice because I can see how they all perform when the pressure is on.” The matches enabled players to get into the match spirit, and use some pressure to get the best games out of one another. Some players high-fived each other after games to show support of each other and the club: all players knew what they were playing for and brought their best efforts to the courts. And there was also obvious professionalism, which can sometimes be difficult when

playing against members of your own club at home. All of the women showed great sportsmanship. The doubles all fostered a good team spirit and there were intense rallies between teams.

The players made some fantastic serves, good smashes, used quick feet and agility. Good use was also made of the court along with a variety of movements. Being able to play as members of a club against one another has

prepared the players for matches in the future. The games were pleasant to watch and the players looked like they were all enjoying themselves, and they will be able to re-visit their friendly rivalries next week in a rematch.

38 I SPORT

thewaterfront 01.12.14

Student-run league funds primary school kit Intramural Football

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

THE UNIVERSITY’S student-run Intramural Football League has harvested the fundraising power of its more than 350 members to provide a brand new kit for primary school students. After liaising with the Swansea School Football Association, intramural league chairman Adam Osmond organised a 7-a-side tournament for teams within the university which raised £250. “There was a huge response to the 7-a-side tournament with over half the teams attending and some even entering two sides,”said Osmond. After donating the money to Swansea Schools FA, Osmond and members of the league committee visited Blaenymaes Primary School to present pupils with their new kit emblazoned with the intramural logo. “It was great feeling to see our name on the shirts, but that’s not what it’s about,”said Osmond. “It is about giving children an opportunity to play football against other schools. “And who knows - we may find the next Gareth Bale at this school and have given them this opportunity!” Swansea Schools FA chairman Martin Evans was extremely impressed with

the students’ continued willingness to help out since links with the university were established two years ago. “The link started with [former head of sport] Gwyneth Diment and [Student Sports Development Officer] Nick Bowen, and subsequently we have received help from a number of clubs and societies. “The intramural football league were asked if they would be willing to run a pre-season fundraising football festival with the proceeds being donated to the Swansea Schools FA. “I met with members of the league’s committee, who have been exceptional in their efforts to help us.” Evans strongly believes that structured exercise such as football is vital to young students’ development, helping not only their physical but also mental wellbeing. The children at Blaenymaes Primary School love playing for their school, and to have a brand new kit to play in is just an amazing thing to happen,”he said. “When Blaenymaes played in their first Festival in September, no two players had the same top and they had to wear bibs just to look slightly similar. “Now, not only do they look great but the children are even more inspired to participate and enjoy the honour of representing their local community.” While typical Swansea weather has

prevented the kit’s use thus far, Evans is confident that changes are already being seen within the children as their school participation levels has improved. “Since being given the new kit they can’t keep quiet about playing and are desperate to wear it. Unfortunately, the

weather has stopped it from happening so far,”he said. “We have also noticed a renewed enthusiasm in the classroom. The link between sport and educational achievement is not recognised enough, but our players are definitely progressing on the pitch and that attitude is reflected

in the classroom too. “I cannot begin to express how grateful we, as an Association, are to the students of the University. Their effort and commitment has been inspirational and has helped significantly improve the levels of participation at primary school level in the space of just two years.”

Committee members Joey Allison (top left), Adam Osmond (second from left), and Jamie Ridley-Smith (top right) present pupils with new kit.

Intramural football: Ashleigh Road round up SOCIAL MEDIA

TABLE

LEAGUE RESULTS

information correct as of 13th November

Wednesday 8th October

Ajax Treesdown 5 - 3 Avengers

Swansea Medics 1 - 7 Sully Sports FC

Pitches & Bitches 2 - 3 Crayola

Golden Showers 0 -2 Hangover 96

Golden Showers 0 - 6 SUMFC 6s

Sunday 19th october

(SHIELD) SUMFC 7s 2 - 4 Team Sloth AFC

Sunday 12th October Sloth 7 - 1 Photosinthesis Sully Sports 0 - 4 SPR Ladzio 1 -2 Armadillo Avengers 2 - 3 Hangover 96 Swansea Medics 7 - 0 Kents FC

PTS

Crayola FC

Hangover 96

Ajax Treesdown 4 - 6 Ladzio

Swansea Medics

Pitches & Bitches 1 - 2 Swansea Medics

Team Armadillo

Golden Showers 1 - 0 St Helens Athletic

Team Sloth AFC

Hangover 96 2 - 0 SUMFC 7s

SUMFC 6s

History 0 - 3 Crayola

Sully Sports FC

Kents FC 3 - 5 Sully Sports

SUMFC 7s

Singleton Park Rangers

-3

Ajax Treesdown

-6

History FC

-2

FC Pitches & Bitches

-2

Ladzio FC

-7

Golden Showers

-11

Kents FC

-12

16 PhotoSINthesis Grasshoppers

-11

St Helens Athletic

-4

Avengers FC

-11

Photosinthesis 3 - 4 SPR

SUMFC 7s 8 -0 Ajax Treesdown

SUMFC 6s 3 - 1 Avengers

St Helens 1 - 2 Pitches & Bitches

Team Armadillo 3 - 1 Team Sloth

Crayola 3 - 1 Golden Showers

Sunday 26th october

History 1 - 0 SUMFC 6s

Photosinthesis 2 - 2 Swansea Medics

Wednesday 15 October

Ladzio 3 - 4 SUMFC 7s

Photosinthesis 1 - 5 Sully Sports

Sully Sports P - P St Helens Athletic

Team Sloth 7 - 0 Ladzio

Team Sloth 6 - 0 Avengers

SPR 1 - 8 Swansea Medics

SPR 2 - 3 Crayola

Team Armadillo 3 - 1 SUMFC 7s

Team Armadillo 0 - 0 History

Kents FC 3 - 1 St Helens Athletic

Kents FC 1 - 6 SUMFC 6s

waterfrontonline.co.uk

SPORT I 39

Water Polo

Water Polo club taste victory in inaugural fixture by Nathan Phillips waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk

THIS month saw Swansea University Water Polo club play their team premiere match against the strong Bath University water polo team. 14 players showed brilliant skill on the day: Ryan Casey, Will Cornish, Claudio Donofrio, Henry Hall, Dmitry Lipceanu, Mike Lismore, Dan MacDonald, Tim Robson, Petros Valiantis, Joe YorkFisher, Ed Mercer, Joe Tucker and James Mulchany. It is the first time Swansea has had a water polo team in 20 years; the comeback of a Swansea water polo team sparked the interest of local businesses which helped to keep the club running and later sparked the interest of Swansea University, establishing Swansea University Water Polo Team. Back in 2012, a water polo training team between friends began under the coaching of Paul Killa - who still coaches both the club and the university team today - in the small Gorseinon pool. As word spread this small group of 14 friends grew and grew, eventually moving to the Wales National Pool after joining with

Swansea Aquatics and now it “has grown immensely,” says Mike Lismore, who played in their first BUCS match in a squad of over 30 players including 14 students. He went on to say how Sue Thatcher is the saviour of Swansea’s Water Polo club. “[She is] the founder of Swansea aquatics and an instrumental figure in working with Paul Killa in bringing water polo back to Swansea.” Training only twice a week under coaches Paul Killa and Martyn Dimmet, they triumphantly beat Bath University, who have a strong sporting history in the pool, 10-9. Lismore said that the team “started strong in the first quarter,” building up a 9-6 lead in the first half. However in the final quarter Bath scored three consecutive goals and in a dramatic finish, team captain Claudio Donofrio scored Swansea’s winning goal with 15 seconds to go. It was clear that it was a strong team effort and, despite not being together long, the team had quickly built up a connection that saw them work effectively together and become a team envied amongst the Swansea University sports

teams for their bond and strength. The whole team gave an outstanding performance but five boys stood out from the rest, four being the top goal scorers of the day: Henry Hall, Dan Macdonald and James Mulcahy and of course, scoring in the last 15 seconds of the match to win, Donofrio. They all proved extremely skilful

on the day, all playing a part in the 10 goals to take the win over Bath. A key player was goalkeeper and international Greek student Pedros Au who proved very skilful in stopping Bath’s many attempts to score. Lismore also commented on the future plans of the team, including to “win the BUCS league,” but also

“to increase the popularity of the sport.” We can certainly see that this team is one to watch and, with a brilliant opening match, we can expect to see a lot more. Newcomers Ed Mercer and Joe Tucker are showing particularly strong potential along with the rest of the newly established team.