waterfrontonline.co.uk
NEWS I 03
Bay Campus will cost students time and money by Laura Fiteni
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk WITH the Bay Campus scheduled to open this September, students are getting restless as questions about transport links between the two campuses remain unanswered. Previous discussions about a free shuttle service for staff members caused uproar amongst those students who were made aware of the suggestion. In a meeting on 2 February which was held to discuss the ‘Dual Campus Experience’ it was outlined that university staff would be given access to a free shuttle service but students would not receive the benefit. However at the second Bay Campus Forum which took place on 9 March, the full-time officers of the students’ union were quick to deny the truth of this claim and confirmed that these plans would not be going ahead. In an open letter to the university top dogs overseeing the transition, one College of Engineering student has voiced his reservations about the costs in time and money that students will be faced with during the relocation to the Bay Campus. Professors Richard B. Davies, Iwan Davies, Alan Speight and Steven Wilks heard how students, especially those studying joint honours (at least 328 students), will be forced to travel between the two campuses with costs of up to £5 per round trip. “How does Swansea University expect students to afford this on top of the ever-growing amount that it costs students to come to university?” the
open letter asked. The Student Partnership Agreement states that the university agrees to provide students with clear information on any additional costs that they may incur whilst studying at the university yet at this time there is no information available which notifies students of the changes taking place. Student Tori-Ilana Evans said: “It’d cost something like £3 million to provide a free shuttle service between the campuses. I have no idea where you’d get the money to provide a free shuttle service for everyone. “I think we need to find a solution for students but that it’s not really a financial feasible one to provide a free shuttle service for all students.” The letter also detailed the time taken up by travelling: “Each student will also lose or waste approximately 20-30 minutes each way in travel time, time that would be better used toward their academic studies”. Second year Philosophy, Politics and Economics student Declan Murphy said: “I feel left in the dark, I’m still not even sure whether I will have to commute from one campus to another given I’m in different departments for different modules. “What about time constraints? I can’t be expected to attend a politics lecture at 1pm and then a economics lecture on the new campus at 2pm.” Another worry facing students is that the teaching facilities being built on the new site will still not be able to accommodate the large numbers of students on core modules. The Waterfront has heard reports that the Great Hall on the Bay Campus would have to
Bright spark wins Mensa prize
Joe Paish receives his prize from Mensa’s Jackie Lyndon.
by a Waterfront reporter
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk BUSINESS management student Joe Paish proved a bright spark when he entered a Mensa competition on campus recently. The first year beat off all comers to win a Mensa Connections board game challenge at Fulton House last month. Mensa were on campus to talk about the benefits of joining the international organisation for those with a high IQ. Joe says he will be challenging his housemates to play the Mensa Connections boardgame he won. He said: “Taking the Mensa test was something I enjoyed and because of that I will be attending
another test when they come to Swansea. “As for the prize, I have only played it a few times with my flatmates but it is clear that we’ll be playing a lot more in the future!” Jackie Lyndon, the publicity officer for Mensa Cymru/Wales said: “Being a member is a great way for those who move to a new area after leaving uni to make new friends and meet like-minded people at events such as pub nights, quizzes, sports challenges and regional gatherings, as well being able to contact international members and stay nearly anywhere in the world whilst travelling.” To take the Mensa test, £24.95, book online: http://www.mensa.org.uk/why-people-joinmensa. The next two-hour Mensa test session in Swansea is 2pm, Saturday 30 May
BAY CAMPUS: Students fear extra travelling costs. be used, along with broadcast technology to deliver lectures to up to 750 students. However, at The Bay Campus Forum, education officer Ilana Cohen reassured attendees that students needn’t worry about the quality of teaching. She said: “SALT are working closely with lecturers to help them adapt their delivery and their learning and teaching materials. “‘Also, where there are especially large numbers of students on one module, there are initial plans underway to potentially have lectures repeated to smaller numbers throughout the week.” However the same open letter brought to light the issue of examinations and the inconsistencies that inadequate exam space could cause. “As an ever growing university, it is becoming
harder and harder to provide accommodation for examinations. From the information available it seems highly unlikely that there is going to be adequate space to facilitate the examination period for all Engineering and Management students. “Using figures from the January 2015 examination we saw a staggering 1,108 Engineering and Management students sitting exams on the afternoon of 15 January at Swansea Campus. “The biggest room currently on the Bay Campus will only be able to facilitate between 400 - 500 students in any one sitting, leaving modules that have in excess of 700 students studying them a dilemma as to which campus they’ll be sitting their examination.” Students are also questioning whether they will have access to facilities and services across dual campuses. The letter highlighted that only those with the money to afford the travel costs will be able to make the most of university provisions. “Coming to university is not just about academia but also about a wider experience where students can develop character as well as intellectually. This is through sports, societies, clubs, other recreational activities or volunteering. “However if the means are not in place for students to be able to access these from campus to campus, then it brings into question the integrity of the partnership framework and only those who can afford the transport costs and the time restraints of traveling will benefit,” said the letter.
waterfrontonline.co.uk
NEWS I 05
Get ready for University Fighting League by Laura Fiteni waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
THE entrepreneurial Swansea duo who brought you Mr University, Max Kalu and Sean Lee Rice are back in business with a new venture which aims to showcase the best martial arts performances that the student population has to offer. Kalu and Lee Rice launched the University Fight League in February in order to provide a platform for fighters from universities across the country to compete against one another. On 22 March Fiction and Myu night club will play host to the UFL’s inaugural event The Swansea Showdown. Max and Sean have since enlisted the help of SU Kickboxing coach Lance Jones due to his extensive experience in martial arts. With 19 years experience in free style Kung Fu and kickboxing and two world championships under his belt, ‘Caveman’ as he’s known on the competitive circuit has all the expertise needed to arrange all the details ringside. Spectators on the night will watch a flurry of fights between boxers and kick-boxers, exhibition matches and demonstrations from traditional
martial artists. Swansea students can expect to see fellow students in the ring with a strong presence from the SU kickboxing and boxing societies getting behind the event. Inspired by international sporting culture and in particular, the level of competition between university sports teams in the States the ambitious duo Kalu and Lee Rice aim to bring the same excitement and recognition to university sport in the UK. “With the UFL we hope to take British university sport to a new level – quality events not just hosted in sports halls, but at amazing venues, with hundreds of students coming along to support the athletes, “ said Max. “It’s more than just a fight night, but a celebration of university sport.” The young entrepreneurs say that previous experience creating and organising Mr University has been invaluable in teaching them how to build a brand and organise events. “After starting Mr University we always planned on starting other student events”, said Max. “Although we loved every minute of Mr University we always knew that there was only so far you could take a student bodybuilding competition. With combat sports a lot of the barriers we ran into with bodybuilding don’t exist and we believe we can take this
a lot further.” Both from sporting backgrounds and with a wide range of experience competing for Swansea university, Max said: “I’ve always liked martial arts and fighting sports. As a child I did karate. More recently I have done Silat, Muay Thai and Kickboxing.” “I don’t actually have a martial arts background, but I’ve always been sport crazy and have competed in various sports ranging from athletics to rugby, and pretty much everything in between!” said Sean. Swansea students competing in the fight night have been training hard at the gym and in the ring. Kickboxing coach SMILE FOR THE CAMERA: Cute pets like this Jones said: “The Swansea one are set to make Elliot Thomas a business competitors stay in good shape year round as I put prepare for ‘knockouts, high energy a lot of emphasis in my classes on bouts, and a great atmosphere’ as the Fitness. UFL competitors get the chance to “We also have two dedicated fight for victory. sparring classes per week and a Fight enthusiasts should remember competition team training once a week and attend regular competitions that The Swansea Showdown is not just a stand-alone fight night but a to great success.“ With four fights per hour with 15 precursor to the full league structure and one and half minute rounds, they plan to launch next year. Watch spectators on the night should this space!
Minister warns of damage to university’s reputation by a Waterfront reporter
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk WALES’S First Minister Carwyn Jones has weighed in to the row over Swansea University’s School of Management, warning that failing to take action to solve the problems could damage the university’s reputation. During First Minister’s Questions in the Assembly, Plaid Cymru’s Bethan Jenkins mentioned revelations published in the press about a paper produced by the school describing some staff as “a cancer that must now be removed”. Mr Jones stressed that concerns raised were “entirely a matter for management and governors” and given universities are autonomous bodies “they are responsible for their own affairs”. He added: “I am aware of some of the issues which have been reported in the press in respect of the School of Management at Swansea University. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment in detail on those issues with regard to an autonomous HE (higher education) institution. “What I will say, of course, is I hope that these managerial issues can be resolved swiftly to the satisfaction of staff and students, because if this continues it will be detrimental to the good reputation of the department and the university. “So I would encourage all those involved including the university itself, of course, to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”
First Minister Carwyn Jones. Suzy Davies, Conservative AM, said it was a shame to see issues in the management school being broadcast in the public arena and asked the First Minister whether the exchanges had made the university “less attractive”. Mr Jones said: “Swansea University is considered as an excellent university to study at and what’s important is that that should continue and that the problems that have been raised this afternoon do not have an impact on the reputation of the university.” The remarks follow a turbulent period for the school. The students’ union and university have received hundreds of complaints and a 1000 name petition calling for action over the abrasive management style of the school’s dean, Prof Nigel Piercy, and his son pro-dean Niall Piercy.
waterfrontonline.co.uk
LIBERATION by Andrea Thomas waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
Spotlight on BME students
Welcome to the NEW Liberation column! A platform for upcoming events, success stories and to discuss important issues relating to BME (Black and Minority Ethnic), LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender), disabled, women and international students, particularly but not exclusively. This week we focus on BME students.
NUS Wales Black Students’ Conference FIVE Swansea students attended an NUS Wales Black Students’ Conference earlier this month to hear different speakers talk about issues, such as Islamaphobia, the future of education in Wales and the representation of black women. (Note: Black students refers to all students of African, Arab, Asian, Caribbean and Hispanic heritage) Swansea’s BME officer, Robiu Salisu, along with four delegates, Akosua Darko, Asta Uba Mshelia, Ditonmene Churchill and myself, travelled to Merthyr Tydfil for an exciting and informative Black Students’ Conference, the first in Wales for three years. There were representatives from all over Wales and the NUS Wales Black Students’ officer, Saint Owubokiri, noted in the welcome that this was the most well attended Black Student’ Conference in Wales to date. The conference kicked off with a speech from Malia Bouattia, the NUS Black Students’ officer who had travelled from London to speak to us about Islamaphobia and the ways in which students can prevent Islamaphobia at their institution. She started off by talking about the new permissions the government had given to the police to take away passports from people they thought suspicious of being terrorist, which they are allowed to detain for up to two years solely based on “suspicion”. She then moved on to inform us that educational institutions had been encouraged to “spy” on their students for links to terrorism and that it was key for students and staff, alike, to speak out against this, to prevent disproportionate prejudice towards Muslims. Malia then moved on to speak about the future of education in Wales, focusing on the question “Why is my curriculum white?”. Her talk delved into the issue of university curriculum, in particular, being very Eurocentric and upholding white privilege. She highlighted the need for curriculum to be diversified in order to be relatable for non-white students, which would lead to a decrease in the attainment gap between black and white students. The question and answers segment at the end of Malia’s talk revealed that many students agreed that they would feel much more comfortable and more involved if their curriculum wasn’t “homogeneously white”. There was a short talk on Ebola and how, as students, we can help to remove the stigma attached to the disease by emphasising “it’s not where it came from but where it can go”. After lunch it was then time for the keynote speaker, Guilaine Brutus, who spoke about how the starting points for black and white students are very different, and generally unequal. She commented on the differences between conversations in black and white families, with black parents promoting functioning in order survive above all, as well as black families having a greater community spirit. For this reason, she noted, for black students, success isn’t individualistic and black students should work within their black community and create alternatives to the current Eurocentric education system to inspire others. This was then followed by a motion debate which saw the passing of two important motions: to improve the representation of black women within the student movement in Wales and improve the activity of the Black Students’
NEWS I 07
MAKING AN IMPACT: The Swansea University delegates at the NUS Wales Black Students’ Conference. Campaign in further education institutions in Wales. This was followed by the election of the NUS Wales Black Students’ officer, steering officer and committee for 2015/16. The conference ended on a fantastically bright note with all attendees feeling appreciative of the opportunity to learn about and discuss such important issues pertaining their race, creating a wave of optimism about the upcoming year. A great and inspiring day for all that attended and leaving Merthyr Tydfil with the sun shining vibrantly seemed to indicate the bright days ahead for black students throughout Wales.
Election success at the Black Students’ Conference Swansea University had three delegates elected into positions within NUS Wales Black Students’ committee. Asta Uba Mshelia was elected as the women’s representative in the committee, Ditonmene Churchill assumed the role of steering officer for the committee and Akosua Darko reigned supreme as the NUS Wales Black Student Officer for next year. In the closing remarks, Darko said: “I’m so excited. I’ve been inspired by the conference. It’s so nice to see black people so passionate about increasing their representation in higher and further education institutions. I will work to ensure that black representation increases and to get more black students passionate about their representation like I saw today.” This is a great achievement for Swansea’s black students, and the university at large, and means that the university will have a pivotal role in the progression and uplift of black students throughout Wales.
Three black full-time officers With the new full-time officers for the students’ union being announced recently, it was refreshing to see three black students – Ajing Jipur (President), Robiu Salisu (Education) and Felix Mmeka (Sports) – being elected into fulltime positions. This a great move in the right direction regarding the representation of BME students within the union and should encourage more BME students to run for full-time positions in the future so that BME students continue to be represented. We wish all full-time officers the very best in their positions in the upcoming year and look forward to seeing the positive transformations that will come out of this new administration.
Black Students’ Forum The first Black Students’ forum in three years took place on 5 March, led by Robiu Salisu, Swansea’s BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) Officer, in collaboration with the equal opportunities research department. All attendees were split into small groups each headed by a member of staff from the equal opportunities department. They asked questions pertaining to student experience and satisfaction
at Swansea University for BME students, in order to assess ways to deal with the attainment gap. Most students were happy with their experience at Swansea but all agreed that there could be a lot done to improve their experience. One major, recurring point was the need for the curriculum to be diversified to include authors, books, philosophers etc. from other ethnicities or cultural backgrounds outside of Europe. One student, specifically, said that they know they would perform much better and be much more interested in their studies if they were able to study literature from places, such as the Caribbean and Africa, for example, instead of just white, European works. The information given to the equal opportunities department will be used to create a report for the university which can be used to look at ways in which to address the attainment gap at Swansea. It was a good start to the Black Students’ Forum series and Robiu promises that as they continue, they will become bigger, more eventful but most of all more informative. The aim and the importance of these forums is for BME students to have a safe, comfortable and open platform in which to discuss issues which affect them, increase awareness and lead to a more united, well informed BME student body. •If you would like to get involved in writing for the Liberation column, contact Andrea (702712@swansea.ac.uk) or Akosua (cosidarko@yahoo.com)
thewaterfront 16. 03. 15
08 I NEWS
WELSH Tîm pêl droed GB? DIM ETO? fath protestio yn cael - h.y dim o gwbl. Ynghyd â hollti’r undebau mae’r penderfyniad hefyd wedi llwyddo hollti barn y cyhoedd gyda dadleuon cryf ar y ddwy ochor.
by Lewys Aron welsheditor@swansea-union.co.uk
Ail-ffurfiwyd tîm pêl droed GB yn arbennig ar gyfer gemau Olympaidd Llundain 2012 ar ôl degawdau o beidio â chystadlu. Fe ymddangosodd nifer o Gymry blaenllaw yn y tîm megis Craig Bellamy ac Aaron Ramsey gyda’r Cymro Ryan Giggs yn gapten. Ond, gyda ffraeo rhwng Undeb Pêl Droed Cymru, Undeb pêl Droed yr Alban ac undeb Lloegr am y syniad, roedd llawer yn meddwl mai creu hollt pellach roedd effaith y tim unedig yn hytrach na uno’r gwledydd o dan y faner Brydeinig. Yn ystod cystadlu 2012 cafwyd sawl cyhuddiad o ddiffyg teyrngarwch a pherfformiadau siomedig gyda’r tîm yn methu i ddod yn agos at ennill medal. A ydych chi’n cofio’r helynt pryd na chanodd y chwaraewyr Cymreig God Save the Queen? Un tro yn unig oedd y bwriad ond ymddengys bod yr FA, am i dîm pêl droed GB dod yn ddigwyddiad ar gyfer pob gemau Olympaidd.
Datganiad trawiadol Mewn datganiad sydd wedi synnu nifer a gwylltio undebau pêl droed Cymru a’r Alban mae’r FA wedi cyhoeddi ei fwriad i ddanfon Tîm pêl droed GB i Rio2016. Nid yw’r penderfyniad wedi boddhau’r undebau eraill.
Will we see the world’s most expensive player in team GB? Mewn cyfweliad gyda’r BBC, dywedodd lywydd Undeb Pêl droed Cymru, Lloyd Hughes ei fod yn ‘gutted’ o achos penderfyniad yr FA;
syniad y tro hwn. Mae deiseb ar wefan Change.org yn galw ar chwaraewyr Cymreig i foicotio’r tîm wedi dwyn dros 1,000 o lofnodion eisoes.
“Os maent [yr FA] am gydweithio gyda ni mae rhaid iddyn nhw fod yn fwy agored parthed eu hamcanion. Nid yw’n ymddangos fel eu bod nhw’n cadw at eu haddewidion. Rwyf wedi fy ngwylltio’n llwyr”
Beth gall undebau Cymru, Iwerddon a’r Alban gwneud am y sefyllfa felly?
Rhaid ystyried wrth gwrs bod Undebau Pêl droed yr Alban, Cymru ac Iwerddon wedi gwrthod cefnogi Tîm GB yn swyddogol 2012. Go annhebyg felly y byddent yn awyddus i gefnogi’r
Yn anffodus, dim llawer gan mai i’r FA roddwyd yr hawl i benderfynu tynged tîm GB gan Bwyllgor Olympaidd Prydain. Yr unig beth all yr undebau eraill gwneud yw protestio o’r ymylon a gwrthod rhoi cymeradwyaeth i’r penderfyniad. Ond, rydym wedi gweld eisoes (yn 2012) yr effaith mae’r
Mae’r ddadl wedi codi cwestiynau ar wefannau cymdeithasol gyda llawer yn labeli’r Pwyllgor Olympaidd yn ‘Bwyllgor Olympaidd Lloegr’ yn hytrach na Phrydain. Yn ôl un arwyddwr ar ddeiseb Change.org mae’r penderfyniad yn fygythiad i dreftadaeth ac annibyniaeth Undeb pêl droed Cymru. Dywedodd; “[Mae] rhaid amddiffyn treftadaeth Undeb pêl droed Cymru a sicrhau ei annibyniaeth o Loegr. Rhaid hefyd sicrhau bod yr undeb yn parhau i fod yn annibynnol o Loegr ac i sicrhau nad yw penderfyniadau ynghylch ei ddyfodol yn cael eu cymryd yn Llundain.” Ond ar y llaw arall mae llawer wedi tynnu sylw at y ffaith bod y Cymry yn fwy na pharod i gefnogi taith y llewod, y ‘british’ lions h.y. Onid oedd chwaraewyr Cymru (rhan fwyaf o dîm y llewod) yn hapus i chwarae fel Prydeinwyr? Mae hyd yn oed capten rygbi Cymru, Sam Warbuton yn ystyried ei hun yn ‘Brydeiniwr’. Beth yw eich barn chi? Byddaf wrth fy modd yn derbyn yr ymateb mwyaf posib i’r erthygl hwn. A’i frawdoliaeth yw cystadlu gyda’n ‘frodyr’ o Loegr, Yr Iwerddon a’r Alban neu sarhad i Undeb Pêl droed Cymru?
ENGLISH A footballing team GB – AGAIN? by Lewys Aron welsheditor@swansea-union.co.uk
TEAM GB was reformed for London 2012 after decades of not competing. It had many prominent Welsh players such as Craig Bellamy and Aaron Ramsey with Ryan Giggs captaining the team. But with arguments erupting between the Welsh, Scottish, Irish and English football associations many thought that the event caused a feeling of separation rather than a feeling of unity under the British flag. There were many accusations during the competition in 2012 including a lack of patriotism among the Welsh players. Do you remember the row that erupted after the Welsh players didn’t sing God Save the Queen? The general poor performance in the team meant that all involved were send home without a medal. This was supposed to be a one-off event but it appears that the FA have other ideas and want ‘team GB’ to become a more permanent fixture in Olympic football.
A shocking statement is released In a statement that has shocked many and angered the footballing governing bodies across the home nations the FA has announced its intentions to send a GB football team
to Rio 2016. It’s safe to say that the announcement has done little to satisfy the other home nations. In an interview with the BBC, the president of the Welsh footballing association said that he was ‘gutted’ with the decision; “I am absolutely gutted with the English FA. If they want to work with us they have to be more open with us and they don’t seem to be keeping to agreements. I’m livid about it.” One must also consider the fact that the Irish, Scottish and Welsh footballing associations had previously refused to support the idea of team GB in 2012. It is therefore very unlikely that they will warm to the idea this time around. A petition on change.org calling for a boycott of the team by the FAW has already been signed by over 1,000 people.
So what can the Welsh, Irish and Scottish footbaling associations do about this? Unfortunately, not much. The FA has the sole power to decide on the future of team GB from the British Olympic Committee. The only thing that the other unions can do is to protest from the side-lines by refusing their rubber stamp. But the ineffectiveness of this tactic can be seen with 2012’s failure to have any impact on the decision. Along with creating disagreement
THE FA: Riding roughshod over the home nations? amongst the footballing associations the decision has also created disagreements among members of the public with strong arguments on both sides. One of the signatures of the Change. org petition said that the decision is a direct threat to the heritage and independence of the FAW. He said: “To protect the heritage of the WFA and to ensure it is independent from England and decisions on our future are not made in London.” But on the other hand many note that the support for the British Lions in rugby is widespread. Weren’t the
Welsh players who made up the majority of the Lions on their last tour happy to play as Brits? Doesn’t Sam Warburton, the captain of the Wales rugby team, identify as British? What’s your opinion? I’d be delighted to receive as wide a response as possible to this article. Is a team GB football team a show of our unity with our English, Irish and Scottish ‘brothers’ or is it an insult to the Welsh football union? Email welsheditor@swanseaunion.co.uk or post on https://www.facebook.com/ thewaterfrontswansea
Why science can believe in miracles by Jacques Kenedi waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk
MONDAY, 9 March saw the latest instalment of Swansea University’s Pubic Theology lecture series. Professor Sir Colin Humphreys (pictured) of Cambridge University gave the lecture on the following question: Can scientists believe in miracles? To answer the question, the Materials Science Professor and Director of Research at Cambridge University tried to determine if miracles were understandable through the laws of science or if they inherently go against those laws. The professor examined four miracles, the crossing of the river Jordan, water flowing from a stone, Jesus walking on water, and the Resurrection. The first two miracles, he argued could be explained within the laws of science. Indeed strong earthquakes around the river Jordan have been observed to create mudslides that block the flow of the river for several days, thus making the biblical account plausible. Concerning the miracle of water flowing from stone, Humphreys explained that certain stone types can hold water, especially when subjected to desert weather. For Sir Colin, the miraculous nature here has more to do with the timing of event. He argued that the separation of natural and supernatural miracles is rather recent, and that the concept of miracles of timing can be traced back to Aristotle. However for the miracles of walking on water and the Resurrection, he was unable to find any scientific explanation. The professor concluded by saying that it is possible for a scientist to believe in miracles even though some remain unexplainable. The lecture was followed by a Q&A between Professor Humphreys, students and other members of the public. The talk was introduced by the Pro Vice Chancellor and, as always, organised with the help of the Reverend Nigel John, the chaplain of Swansea University. The next talk is schedule to take place mid-May.
NEWS I 09
www.waterfrontonline.co.uk
Student’s business helps put writers and film makers in touch by Francesca Hobson
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk ARE YOU a budding script or short story writer who just wants to get their work seen and read by people across the globe? Well student-run website ‘Great Worqs’ is exactly what is needed. The newly set up company allows people to send in film scripts and short stories to collaborate with film makers across the country. Second year Business Management student Tope Balogun created the website to expand the world of film to make it easier for script writers to collaborate with filmmakers. “I figured if there was a way for filmmakers to connect for free and possibly collaborate this would increase the quality of certain films and allow writers to expand their network.” Tope speaks of his influence for producing the website which was first sparked when creating the film ‘An Oversimplification of Her Beauty’ as there were hardly any sites offering just film synopses and short stories of great quality.
The Xtreme team during their live broadcast outside Fulton House. A problem Mr Balogun was aware of was that there was hardly any funding for films “because the trailers uploaded are usually inadequate due to not having the right teams in place to create a great trailer.” This is where ‘Great Worqs’ steps in and as of 13 March the site was reopened for filmmakers to join forces with writers and crowd fund their stories to be turned into films on the platform. Members of the public will be able to check the credentials and previous films made by each filmmaker to reassure them that their money is being put into good hands. The
collaborated team members are able to see first-hand how the public are taking to their stories available in order to gage how popular they are. Great Worqs is trying to overcome the problem of distribution of films. With only around 300 films usually making it into cinemas every year out of around 10,000 being made. Great Worqs wants to help change this by aiding filmmakers to get their films to a good quality and then put onto the website where they can be purchased for £3.99 ($6.18), cheaper than any British cinema ticket. This fantastic website has a strong team helping it rise to fame, with Tope
being the lead curator of the site. The talented crew consists of the COO Emmanuel Powell-Clarke, the CMO Dominic Jeffares, the CCO Nick Yau, the CFO Michael Chwu and the editor for the works Francesca Hobson. Tope has already received awards for the site such as the Sir Terry Matthews Business Challenge Award and winning the Business Plan Competition at the university. The site is looking to have over 4,000 profiles on the new platform by June with 100 profiles already currently in access on the beta site. The site is expected to rise in numbers with its new release as currently a tenth of the viewership is from Japan and the majority of the rest of the traction coming from the UK, the USA and smaller mainland European countries. Check out the website for how to get involved: www.greatworqs.com/ Make sure you like the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ greatworqs Get following @greatworqs and don’t forget to #greatworqs
Band makes it to big time by Laura Fiteni
waterfrontnews@swansea-union.co.uk WHEN Damon Jones went on Facebook and posted on the University’s Freshers page asking if any other student musicians would be interested in starting a band, he didnt think just a year and half later he would be headlining a gig at The Scene on April 30. Despite playing their first gig nameless, Atlas have now played at venues across Swansea including JC’s, Flux, The Garage, Swansea University Fashion Show and The Scene. Atlas are 6-pc quirky NU wave rock band made up of students Damon Jones (guitar and vocals), James Palaczky (guitar) Douglas McGarvey (drums) Stephanie Karim (keyboard) and Johnny Base (Bass) and Melanie Paul (vocals) With an indie pop and electro-rock sound, Atlas compare themselves to bands such as Joy Division, New Order, Two door Cinema Club and The Vaccines. “It all feels pretty damn good”, said Damon. “After so much hard work we’ve become a full six piece band. We’re hoping this can lead to even better things; more headline gigs, festivals, suporting bigger bands.”
front!
The man who made us reach for the stars >> p 19
societies 27
careers 26
games 25
relationships 24
creative 23
culture 22
food 21
travel 20
film 19
fashion 16-17
11
front row 15
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
features 12-14
L i f e s t y l e f o r S wa n s e a students
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
with hilary webb
12
features
Is your degree value for money?
C
ONSUMER research company Which? has investigated whether UK universities are offering students good value for money, writes Hilary Webb. In the report ‘A Degree of Value’ published in November 2014, Which? found that approximately 3 out of 10 undergraduates thought their experience was poor value. Which? noticed that 58% of the students who did not consider their degrees to be good value for money had experienced some kind of change to their course after enrolment, leading to dissatisfaction. Curious that universities might be exploiting the terms and conditions of their degrees to make these changes, Which? sent 142 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to universities and received 139 responses. Which? discovered that 20% of providers use terms that are considered to be unlawful and that 31% use terms that are considered to be bad practice
and likely to be unlawful. Just 5% of providers were considered to use terms or policies that were of good practice and only one provider, the University of York, met their best practice criteria. So where does Swansea University fare in these statistics? Swansea actually belongs to the sixth category of results, the 37% of universities that did not provide adequate information for Which? to analyse, leaving Swansea students in the dark about where they stand. I asked the university why they the information they had given Which? had been considered inadequate and the university sent me their responses to the FOI. Most of the responses consist of links to documentation on the university’s website, but it seems the reason the information is considered inadequate is due to the issue that Which? ‘could not access the documents referred to (e.g. because a password was needed or hyperlinks
were broken) or there was a lack of clarity as to which document was being referred to.’ This is one of the four reasons stated by Which? to class the information as inadequate. The links in the document the university have sent me still fail. The university did say, however, that they will ‘ensure that policies and procedures comply with the new guidance from the Competition and Markets authority (CMA) once it is released later in this year’. In the original report, ‘A Degree of Value’ the value of higher education was measured in three categories: social and personal, academic and the labour market. Taking into account 2012’s rise in tuition fees as well as additional costs such as resources and accommodation, Which? estimated that students will graduate with debts in the region of £45,000, and research showed that 55% of students worry about how long it is going to take to pay that loan back.
Which? concluded that ‘while overall satisfaction is high, many students also report concerns.’ They added that due to the financial costs of university, ‘without reform it will be increasingly difficult to guard against students feeling that they have had a poor value experience’. So with students potentially leaving university at graduate level with £45,000 in debt, before they’ve even considered going onto postgraduate study, is it not the least universities can do to practice lawful terms and conditions when we enrol? Let alone provide research companies like Which? with adequate information so we can be informed of just how much we’re being ripped off? The Which? research shows the risk that students will invest tens of thousands of pounds into a degree that might not even be what they signed up by the time that they graduate.
Swansea Uni students give their verdict Scott Cooper: I have six timetabled hours of lecturer/tutor interaction a fortnight. Makes you wonder where £9,000 actually goes as we even have to pay to use the library printers. Faye Vlietstra, level 2 Criminology: Not good value at all. Me and my course mates worked out that we pay around £270 per hour lecture, so please find me someone who will tell you that’s worth it! And if you want to know why I have time to work out how much I’m paying, it’s because my lectures are clearly not challenging enough to make me want to pay attention. Magnus Warren, level 1 Civil Engineering: Definitely not, if you end up paying the full fee over the duration of your career. The people who do are the ones that move into jobs that are in high demand. The government got that very backwards and should have arranged fees depending on how useful the qualification is to the UK. As for my degree at Swansea University specifically, the facilities are good, as are the lecturers, and an entire new campus is being built for next year, so you could also paraphrase my answer as ‘yes’. Anonymous student: It’s a little bit disappointing to spend tens of thousands of pounds on my education to then be confronted with paying £50 in printer charges to submit my dissertation to the requirements of my department. Ashleigh Guy: I learn more sitting in my room on my laptop than when I’m sat in a lecture! Jim Tildesley, level 2 Business and Managment: Great value for money! I’ve loved every bit of unay and made so many friends and memories.
Gavin Wilyman, level 2 Mechanical Engineering: Swansea uni has really helped my Clash of Clans progress.
Christopher McMullan, level 4 MSC Nanoscience to Nantechnology: As an undergraduate I was paying between £5-10 per hour of lecture/lab. Overall it was definitely worth it. Had some bad lecturers but the good ones made up for it. Shannon Jones, level 2 American studies: In terms of my degree I actually quite like it and find it challenging and actually learn new things unlike some other degrees, plus I get a year in America, and we have lecturers from America that come over to teach us. So when you look at it like that, my course is actually quite good. But then I only have 8/9 hours a week and only attend uni three days out of five, so I’m wasting a lot of money. Adam Pugh: I have 126 days of teaching time meaning that I’m paying roughly £42.86 per hour. Consider that some lectures are cancelled and one module was only running for four weeks with no seminars and it’s even more than that. Now multiply it by the number of students per class that means at most £1,285.71 per hour. Now considering the depth of our modules and the importance of this year, I feel I should be getting one hell of a lot more for this money. Quite simply, although I understand the issues that the education system is facing, I don’t think I’ve got enough bang for my buck, but I suppose this will be proved when I graduate.
50 Shades of Grey: abusive or tame? F
ifty Shades of Grey onto our screens, took in £53 million in its opening weekend but there has been a lot of controversy over the erotic story, writes Sophie Wiggins. Many perceived the film as a romantic love story while others raised concerns of the glorification of abusive relationships. So I decided to ask students at Swansea University what their views on this issue were and here’s what I found out. A student who wished to remain anonymous said that she believes the film and franchise does glorify abusive S and M. “In S&M there are safe words, but in the story those safe words are ignored However this is definitely a global and the line is crossed. Therefore it portrays S&M and manages to sell an issue affecting a lot of people. A 19-yearabusive relationships as some sort of old student at the University of Illinois epic love story. This is why it has caused at Chicago, Mohammad Hossain, was offence for so many different members arrested on 21st February for allegedly raping and beating a 19 year old female of the public.” Ben Dorrian-Clark, first year student; according to the Chicago environmental engineering student, Tribune, in a re-enactment of scenes believes everyone has the right to from the film Fifty Shades of Grey. Claire Wiggins, a recent graduate from express themselves. “If it’s consensual all sex is ok, people Swansea University, said: “I have mixed want to express themselves in different feelings on it, it is more the tracking and ways it’s fine as long as it’s a happy buying her car without consent that relationship. Being human is about bothers me. It is very manipulative and being individual, expressing yourself controlling.” A final year student who wishes to in a different way. Everyone likes to experience things in a different way remain anonymous told us she doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about. because that’s being an individual. “Documentaries like Downfall which “I have read Fifty Shades of Grey - I is about WW2 from a Nazi’s point of read it with the mindset of trying view is a much more important issue to understand what all the fuss was yet didn’t get the media Fifty Shades about. I, personally, find aspects of BDSM sexually stimulating, and, whilst has.” Rhydian Morris, Psychology postgrad, reading, I thought that Mr Gray was being tame with believes it is her. This book an incorrect “Everything in the world is and this film depiction of about sex except sex. has attracted BDSM. “It’s so much media Sex is about power.” terrible in attention - it all aspects. It misportrays BDSM as just being doesn’t deserve it. “Signing contracts, dominant and submissive to someone dominant, but in reality BDSM has safety and submissive and so on are all things that consent emphasised, as otherwise it happen in healthy relationships, I used is abusive. You must also consider that to be in one. But regardless of this, Fifty the narrative is that the main character Shades of Grey is a story.” It is clear there is a very mixed reaction is curing Christian Grey of the damage from students about the Fifty Shades of his past. Giving the impression that you must be damaged in order to enjoy of Grey story. More than 60% of the students I asked were furious of the this type of experience”. Thomas Bungard, a first year History depiction of women. While 20% were and Politics student, said: “I would like unsure and had mixed feelings about to think people could decipher that it. The other 20% believed the concept the ethics portrayed in fiction are not was tame and doesn’t deserve the necessarily congruent with acceptable attention it has. As Oscar Wilde said “Everything in the real life practices. Unfortunately this requires a skill called critical thinking. world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power.” Stupidity hurts people, not a film.”
societies 27
careers 26
games 25
relationships 24
creative 23
culture 22
food 21
travel 20
film 19
fashion 16-17
front row 15
13
features 12-14
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
STUDENT EXPERIENCES
Why are students’ stories of poor service so normal? I LIVE in a fairly normal student you will not be receiving the full house, writes Will Jefford. service until June. This is when The murky grey exterior is the repair work will take place.’ engulfed by browned dead ivy, Let me clarify for you, the as if the earth is reclaiming the reader, as I clarified to the woman house back into the sodden down the phone. So, I have been Swansea dirt. paying the full price for a 158MB The inside isn’t much better service that you knew, for a fact, with hissing pipes and creaky you weren’t going to be able to floors voicing the house’s need provide me. for a summer of repair. So Not only this, you have dishevelled is the house that it continued to post half a forests has become a battle ground for worth of paper through my the war that has since begun door advising me to upgrade to between me, my house mates a better Virgin service, that yet and our letting company. again you knew you could not Between various skirmishes supply. over damp and broken bulbs Again, our hands are tied. I have now appeared more wish I could cancel the contract, significant clashes, broken Now, I’m going to try and stay walking away with both my radiators and faulty showers that calm. I’m on a busy train and I middle fingers pointed directly after several weeks of disrepair don’t want to make a scene. This at their head office. But I can’t. have become serious problems. year, my house mates and I made There isn’t another affordable I guess it was naïve of me to the stupid decision to pay Virgin internet company in the area so, expect anything better. Media to supply our internet. We yet again, I am metaphorically I shouldn’t have been handcuffed to my bed expecting Buckingham frame in some 50 Shades “I am metaphorically Palace-esque rooms with of Grey internet dominatrix handcuffed to my bed frame scene. plush patterned carpet and 12 foot ceilings. I am very angry. So, I now in some 50 Shades of Grey After hearing the horrific address this directly to the internet dominatrix scene” stories that every student bosses of Virgin Media. seemingly has included I hope you feel the guilt in their memory, snuggled up decided that, with a house of six that should be poisoning every alongside the menu for their lads, 158 Megabytes should be cocktail you consume because local kebab shop and the dance enough to satisfy our needs and we are students. At any point moves to the Macarena, I should it would have been, if that was in the year we can’t gather up have predicted this letting battle what we were actually getting. enough money to buy anything royal. Ever since September we other than Dutch pork and Aldi But, why should I expect it? have been receiving on average own brand chips. As of February Why is it that every student has a six MB, with highs of 30 and your net worth was 4.7 billion story to tell, that some landlords considerable lows of 0.03. This dollars, mine was -£78.63. get away with poor service just isn’t acceptable, so I thought I’d How does it feel to be taking because it’s the norm? give Virgin a call and express my advantage of some of the most They take advantage of the anger. vulnerable people in the country, high demand for student After battling through the the ones already facing one of accommodation and abuse the horrible, horrible automated the most expensive educations power and responsibility that service they provide, I managed in the world? comes with housing the 2.3 to talk to a human who put This goes out to any company, million students in Britain. me through to the complaints be it a small letting agency or a It isn’t only letting companies department. multi-billion pound organisation. that are bleeding us dry. Large Taking advantage of students I expressed my problems with multi-billion pound organisations the service and suggested how because it is the culture is wrong. are also out to scrape the last few they could make it up to me. To Remember, we are at university pounds out of our overdrafts into this, the delightful helper replied, to get an education so we can their bank accounts. Businesses ‘Sorry Mr Jefford, we have been then contribute to society in such as Virgin Media. Virgin. aware of the issues in your area future years. Bloody. Media. and I’m afraid to inform you,
front row
Turbowolf Sin City, Thursday, 9 April
1
Welsh Varsity collection days 17-19 March
societies 27
careers 26
games 25
relationships 24
creative 23
culture 22
food 21
travel 20
film 19
with Ben R ees
fashion 16-17
15
front row 15
features 12-14
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
3
Here’s when those of you that have purchased packages for this year’s Welsh Varsity can pick up all your supporters gear, match tickets and after party tickets. Varsity fever should really set in by this point – it’s the biggest sporting day of the year for us, a big opportunity to show Cardiff what we’re made of when they come down to Swansea on April 22nd. If you’re yet to buy your package and need a bit of pushing, here’s what you get: Your Match Ticket - £12.50 Your supporters T Shirt Return Bus to and from the Liberty Stadium An After Party wristband for Play On A promotional supporters item You can grab them online at www.swansea-union.co.uk and they’ll be available for collection from Diva’s on campus.
Those of you still around at Easter with dissertations and coursework are sure to appreciate a break, and this one’s looking to be the perfect remedy to the workload. Turbowolf have been receiving tremendous support from BBC Radio 1 over the past couple of weeks, with their track ‘Nine Lives’ being track of the day on the station. It’ll be followed by Sin Savers, which also continues throughout the Easter holidays to give you a break and some time to enjoy the holidays. Grab your tickets from www.sincityclub.co.uk
Sink presents: My Nu Leng Sin City, Saturday, 21 March
2
We’re proud to announce that My Nu Leng will be joining us for our fourth show of the year. The boys joined us at the Summer Ball last year, and their sound has played a huge part in Sink. In 2015, the boys from Black Butter Records look set to rise even higher, with bookings at Annie Mac’s brand new Lost & Found Festival, Snowbombing, and Love Saves the Day to name a few. The Bristol-based duo have a hard-to-categorise sound, drawing on many varied influences without kowtowing to one in particular. Whilst traversing the whole spectrum between pitch shifted vocals and bass heavy rumbles, their sound is always deep and on point with the vibe. A core part of the Black Butter crew, My Nu Leng have two releases on the label. Garnering strong support and attention from these, the duo have gone on to produce a slew of high rolling remixes for the likes of UK No.1 “La La La” by Naughty Boy, the summer smash “Right Here” by Rudimental, and the wildly popular “Mozart’s House” by Black Butter family friends Clean Bandit. You can grab tickets now from: www.swansea-union.co.uk and www. sincityclub.co.uk
Varsity 15 - Swansea Rugby Captain Poster A3.indd 2
Easter Ball 2015
Fiction, Monday, 23 April
27/01/2015 23:23
4
This year’s Easter Ball finishes off the term in style at Revolutions and Fiction & My Swansea. Keep an eye out on the Student Swansea Events page for full info, it’s set to be a great finish to the end of the term on a Monday night!
•If you’d like to feature your event in the What’s On Guide, please send an email to waterfrontfrontrow@swansea-union.co.uk.
16 March2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
16
with nanette tur k s o n & C Rystal r o se
fashion
Welcome to WNDRLAND: The biggest student fashion night in Wales!
By Jessica Amy Summers
S
WANSEA University’s Fashion Society brought the WNDRLAND fashion show to Swansea Grand Theatre on Tuesday, 10 March, combining dance, music, and more importantly, fashion, to raise money for Shelter Cymru. Shelter Cymru not only helps those facing homelessness, but also aims to obliterate the stigma attached to homelessness by offering valuable advice and support to those who require it. Reinventing the traditional runway show, WNDRLAND incorporated dance, performed by rhythmic gymnast, Ines Nearchou, and live music by both Tom Martin and Cad Rhind, to compliment a whimsical fashion show that showcased London brands and celebrated local designers. Paying homage to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, models
walked down a runway that was constructed through the use of quirky lightbulbs, flowers, quaint teacups, and grandiose stone statues, transporting the audience to Swansea’s rendition of WNDRLAND. Beginning the show in style, models strutted down the runway wearing Moda Collections and Versus by Versace. Utilising the distinguished black, white and gold Versace colours, Versus by Versace used playful lion motifs and luxurious chain-prints to embellish classic wardrobe pieces. Transitioning into vintage styling, the show also featured clothing from Swansea boutique Hobo’s and student-run Worse 4 Wear, showcasing lace dresses with flamboyant bows, mixtures of denim, boho prints and colourful suede pieces that were complimented by chunky brown loafers. Capturing student style perfectly, Time is Gold clothing exhibited effortless styling, with simple fitted shirts, beanie hats and smart boots. Based in Cardiff, all their pieces are designed and crafted locally at an affordable price, making Time is Gold the perfect brand to check out if you want to get the laid-back look
Above, dance performance at WNDRLAND fashion show. Left, models on runway at WNDRLAND fashion show. Photo Credits: Sean Markwei, Twist Photography
for a lot less. Combining innovation and style, The Young Designers section of the show inspired Swansea to be more ambitious with fashion. Rhian Mair Protheroe presented a pioneering collection of clothing that combined pale, delicate colours with geometric prints, and focused on inventing distinctive shapes with a range of materials. The real game changer was Maisie Andrews’ collection that combined vivid design and colour, to create a psychedelic range that sparked imaginations. Inspired by the 90s rave scene, Andrews’ collection was fresh.
Mixing metallic patent fabrics with sequins, whilst using eye prints and crafted fabric hands to add body to the pieces, this collection will undoubtedly set Maisie Andrews on the road to fashion success. Swansea University’s Fashion Society undeniably set the bar high this year to organise a show that was a wonderland to raise money for such an important charity. It was exciting, pioneering and popular. After experiencing WNDRLAND, there is no doubt that the show was a huge success and will be a popular annual event in Swansea for years to come.
campus fashion E
very weekday across the globe university campuses fill to the brim with thousands of students, each carrying out the same monotonous tasks. In a sea of similarities there is one thing that never ceases to create individuality and diversity among students; fashion.
In both the US and UK the winter months can be an unglamorous time, especially for those in university. Lectures are consuming all freedom, the weather is uninviting and the mention of summer break is the only thing that seems to keep anybody going. Despite all of this students still manage to show off their personal style and keep universities lively with the latest fashion trends. After attending school in the US and now for a short time in Swansea, I have noticed how student fashion trends have evolved and fluctuated travelling across the Atlantic. With European-based clothing shops such as Primark, Topshop, River-Island and Zara just a short bus-ride from campus, it is easy for Swansea students to access some eclectic and trendy pieces not common on US shelves.
societies 27
careers 26
games 25
relationships 24
creative 23
culture 22
food 21
travel 20
film 19
fashion 16-17
17
front row 15
features 12-14
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
By Helen Shuping
One of the biggest fashion differences I have noticed among UK and US students is their choice of outerwear. Back home just a fleece jacket or university/sorority hoodie was the main trend to fight the chilly walks to class. Outerwear is simple, streamlined and casual. Vests are also a popular pick on US campuses. They’re often layered over flannels, simple oxford shirts or long sleeved t-shirts.
OUTERWEAR
Patagonia Women’s R1™ Full-Zip Fleece Jacket, £130
Both countries’ campus fashion offers a lot of various trends and statements. Not even tests, essays, and studying until the early-morning hours can prevent university students from showcasing their personal style.
J. Crew Excursion Quilted Vest, £96
A major fashion variation is footwear. In the US, tall brown riding boots with blue jeans are a go-to look every winter, often dressed down with a simple t-shirt or sweater for class. Vibrant colored running shoes paired with athletic clothing are also widely popular on campuses. A wonderful trend I’m glad exists back home. Did you really work out? Nobody has to know. After class you could hit the elliptical at the gym or hit the play button on Netflix, but either way, you look put together and are the epitome of comfort.
FOOTWEAR
In the UK outerwear is more abundant and diverse. Leather jackets and structured duster coats of vibrant colors are layered over chunky knits and patterned scarves. The outerwear is edgier, bolder and much less casual.
Victoria’s Secret Pink Yoga Crop Legging, $54.95
Topshop Waterfall Front Parka Jacket, £60 Shop Hopes Your Side of Town Boots: Camel, $38.99
Topshop Longline Jacquard Duster, £69
Ankle boots and statement boots are more prevalent in UK shops and campuses. Boot selections are full of rich shades of burgundy and black, patent leather, bold cutouts, buckles, chunky heels and so much more. Usually paired with distressed jeans or juxtaposed with tights and dresses, ankle boots are a wardrobe staple.
New Look Boots, £29.99
New Look Boots, £29.99
Classy loafers and trainers also double as every day class wear. The simple slip-on canvas style trainers are very popular and a great spin on a sporty look. Pairing them with ripped jean is my favorite combination. Cold knees aren’t stopping anybody from looking chic and effortlessly casual on campus.
Hi my name is Helen Shuping. I’m a spring study abroad student from UNCW in Wilmington, North Carolina. I am perusing a major in EnglishProfessional Writing with a minor in Journalism. I am so happy that I have been given the opportunity to be a part of Swansea University this year!
societies 27
careers 26
games 25
relationships 24
creative 23
culture 22
food 21
travel 20
film 19
with Joshua vaughan
fashion 16-17
19
front row 15
features 12-14
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
film
Legend who made us aim for stars As the half-Vulcan, half-human Mr Spock, actor Leonard Nimoy inspired a generation of astronauts, scientists, screenwriters, directors and actors, and even the odd Amercian President. Joshua Vaughan pays tribute.
A
life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP.” That was the last tweet sent from the late Leonard Nimoy’s Twitter account (@TheRealNimoy), who died on 27 February. The late actor is renowned for starring as the half-Vulcan, half-human Mr Spock on the popular Sci-Fi adventures of Star Trek. However, under a new light, you may be surprised to discover some more about the man, the Vulcan, and the legend. Most would see the Boston-born Nimoy as solely a sci-fi icon, but his influence spans over so much more than this. Nimoy could be classed as a director, a poet, a singersongwriter and a photographer. His inner beauty and creativity, encapsulated by his final tweet, can be seen by the impact he has placed on the lives of other actors, critics and fans.
disease which was the cause of his death was attributed to a smoking addiction he conquered 30 years earlier. More than 300 people attended his funeral service, with celebrities such as Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, JJ Abrams, members of William Shatner’s family and many others with whom Nimoy had worked. It is not often when one short life can influence the many, yet this can be attributed to the life of Leonard Nimoy. Not only did Nimoy inspire countless young and old viewers, who boldly wanted to go where no-one had gone before, but he inspired millions of our best and brightest minds. Without his influence, dozens of our astronauts, mechanics, physicists, doctors, screenwriters, directors and actors would not have found their inspiration for their craft. For this, we say thank you. Thank you, to the man inspired us to aim for the stars.
Encouraging Us To Boldy Go
President and NASA pay tribute
Although his list of career works includes a monumental amount of Star Trek films and television appearances, he appeared in works such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers (for which he received a Saturn award nomination), was a great influence on the recent Transformers film series and had a voice-acting role in Atlantis: The Lost Empire. In the latter, it is said that his co-actors and crew members would watch and listen to Nimoy in amazement during his readings as the King of Atlantis. Nimoy also directed the hit comedy Three Men and a Baby, and had narration roles in documentary, movie and video game formats. Nimoy passed away due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at the age of 83, and was in and out of hospital for many months prior to his death. He died in his Bel-Air home and his funeral service was held on 1 March. The
William Shatner, co-actor with Nimoy in the original Star Trek franchise, wrote the following from his Twitter account: “Leonard and I seemed to be bound by fate to be friends. We were born four days apart.” President Barack Obama also expressed his grief, stating that “Long before nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy”. Quinto, who now holds Nimoy’s mantle as the latest actor to portray the character of Mr. Spock, starred with Nimoy in the recent Star Trek movie Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013); Quinto recently stated that “[Nimoy] was like a father to me”. George Takei, who starred alongside Nimoy and Shatner in the Star Trek original series, commented “The word ‘extraordinary’ is often overused, but I think it’s really appropriate for Leonard”. NASA, via their Twitter account, paid tribute: “RIP Leonard Nimoy. So many of us at NASA were inspired by Star Trek”.
Film Reviews
CONTROVERSIAL: Bradley Cooper stars as deadly sniper Chris Kyle.
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER: Leonard Nimoy, alongside co-actor William Shatner, in his most famous role as Star Trek’s Mr Spock.
American Sniper The release of American Sniper, a biopic that details the military career of Chris Kyle, the ‘deadliest’ sniper in history, was met with mixed reviews and a backlash of commentary from celebrities and critics alike. In the context of recent history, the film prompted an outpouring of patriotism from Americans who saw Eastwood’s film as the embodiment of the American spirit. On the other hand, there was an inverse outcry against the ‘Republican’ cinema doing its best to dehumanise the ‘enemy’ and spread an anti-Islamic message. Sadly, there is much to do with American Sniper as a film that is lost in the wake of the controversy it has caused. As a piece of cinema, the film does so much right. The filming is at times intense and Eastwood as a director does well to capture the
By Daniel Tombs claustrophobia and dynamic of warfare. That being said, at times it seems that the film is carried by its leading man Bradley Cooper, who puts in a performance that – whether or not you see Chris Kyle as national hero or ‘gun-toting’ bigot – you’d have to respect. Desperately attempting to shake off his much remembered role in The Hangover Trilogy to take yet another swing at a more dramatic role, Cooper provides the audience with an immersive movie experience, capturing what seems to be the essence of the man fighting in a war. However, it’s unfortunate that no audience member would be able to watch this film without having an opinion on the film’s subtext beforehand that could leave them blinded to excellent cinematic work achieved in American Sniper.
Would you like to review a film? if so, get in touch on waterfrontfilm@swansea-union.co.uk
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
20
STUDENT JOURNEYS
travel
Trip is brush with Italian history
ANCIENT AND MODERN: (Above) The view from Ponte Vecchio over the River Arno; (Top right) Banksy- like graffiti appears on a Florentine backstreet; and (Below, right) A Renaissance mural at Fra Angelico’s Annunciation, in the Convent of San Marco. By Ina Pace, Third Year History student.
T
he third year History module Art and Society in Early Renaissance Italy comes with a rather large incentive: a study trip to Florence in Italy, lasting an entire week. This is an opportunity to see Renaissance art first-hand, rather than off photocopied sheets or Google Images in the seminar room. Expert Knowledge From 5-12 February Dr John Law took his group of students (myself included) on the trip funded partially by the College Office. Whilst Dr Law organised our accommodation, conveniently in Florence’s centre, and our transport from Pisa airport by coach, we organised our own flights and leisure time. There was plenty of the latter as Dr Law acted as our personal tour guide for usually a few hours per day. This was rewarding, not only because it gave us first-hand knowledge about 15th century Renaissance art and architecture, but also the chance to absorb the information and balance our time over the course of the week.
Visiting one museum or church after another several days in a row would have made for an exceedingly tiring, and rather monotonous trip. We had most afternoons and evenings to do as we pleased, and we were trusted and able to wander when and where we pleased, even if this meant straying outside of Florence, for example to Arezzo or Rome. The trip is therefore not only rewarding academically, but also in terms of personal development. Cultural Highlights We visited places relevant to our syllabus like the Basilica of Santa Croce, in which there is Michelangelo’s tomb. We also visited the Medici Palace (a renowned family of art patrons) and various galleries like the Academia in which there is the original Michelangelo’s David, and also the Uffizi, home to an immense collection of Renaissance art, including paintings and sculpture. The Bargello museum I found to be of particular interest since it consisted of a greater variety of artefacts like pottery and fabrics dating from the Ancient world and the Orient. For our assigned coursework we are encouraged to write
about one of the places or sites we visited. Our other activities included walking up the bell tower and dome of Santa Maria Del Fiore, going to a lookout point over the city called Piazzale Michelangelo, and visiting the gardens of Pallazo Pitti. All of which consisted of the most spectacular views of the city and surrounding Tuscan country. The snowy Appenine mountain range was visible in the distance. Sightseeing and Shopping Of course a major highlight for us all was the shopping and the food. Florence is renowned for its leather industry, and the local Tuscan Pecorino cheese is also something to look out for. Shops range from designer (Florence is the founding place of Gucci) to marketplaces. We found that we came to Florence at a good time of year. February is essentially a quieter time: the tourist season begins around Easter, and in summer it is meant to be heaving. Of course, Florence still remains a tourist attraction throughout the year; I have never been bombarded by so many offers of “selfie” sticks in my life… but visiting in the colder season means faster entry to the attractions (in summer the queues are significantly
longer). There is also a good chance the sales will be on in the shops: I managed to get a 20 per cent discount on some items. February is chilly in Florence, and considering we spent most of our time outdoors, it’s a good idea to bring lots of layers, for us it varied between 5-8 degrees Celsius. We were lucky to have spectacular sunny weather every day, using the excuse to eat plenty of gelatos (Panacotta and Florentine custard ice-cream is to die for.) Our group tended to eat together at various restaurants in the evenings, and on the last night we had Dr Law join us at a pizzeria along with one of his colleagues. This gave us a good opportunity to reflect our thoughts on the trip to each other and helped us to bond as a group. Long-Term Benefits By all means, this study trip is not compulsory, and certainly you will not be doomed to fail your assignments if for some reason you are not able, or do not wish to go. But like our previous study trip to London, such a trip furthers one’s appreciation, and in my case general interest, in studying the course’s syllabus.
societies 27
careers 26
games 25
relationships 24
creative 23
culture 22
food 21
travel 20
film 19
with Sophie Berman
fashion 16-17
21
front row 15
features 12-14
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
food
Treats put the spring back in your step Easter is the perfect time to indulge in chocolate after the lengthy Lent period. Here are two simple and cheap ways of celebrating your new-found food freedom, writes Sophie Berman.
Chocolate nests
Choc cheesecake
Transporting you right back to your childhood, these crispy cakes must be the easiest and most delicious things to make. This recipe makes 12.
This no-bake chocolate cheesecake is incredibly rich and calorific, but worth every single mouthful. Ingredients: 150g x digestive biscuits 45g x butter 110g x caster sugar 120ml x whipping cream 150g x dark chocolate 2 tablespoons x cocoa powder 200g x cream cheese Method: 1. Crush the biscuits and mix with the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. 2. Press into the bottom of a cake tin or tray and put it in the fridge. 3. Melt the chocolate and leave to cool. 4. Whip the cream until soft peaks form and add the cooled melted chocolate and the cocoa powder and mix well. 5. In a separate bowl, add the remaining sugar and cream cheese and mix well. Fold into the chocolate cream mixture and ensure all the ingredients are mixed together. 6. Spread the mixture on top of the crushed biscuits and leave to set for at least an hour.
Ingredients: 225g x plain chocolate 2 tablespoons x golden syrup 50g x butter 75g x cornflake 36 mini chocolate eggs Method: 1. Line a fairy cake tin with paper cases. You will need a tin with 12 holes. 2. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt with the golden syrup and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Ensure that the base of the bowl does not touch the water. You can also do this in the microwave but keep an eye on it and stir regularly until smooth. 3. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the cornflakes, gently stirring until all the cereal is covered in chocolate. 4. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and add three chocolate eggs to the top of each cake. Chill in the fridge for an hour and enjoy.
Restaurant Review
SHEER INDULGENCE: (Above) Easter nests; and (below) chocolate cheesecake.
The Kitchen Table, Mumbles 626 Mumbles Road, Mumbles, Tel. 01792 367616 Open daily: 9.30am - 4.30pm Evenings: Fri - Sat 6pm - 11pm Having visited this quaint café for a brunch in December, it was the obvious choice for a lunch date with friends on a sunny afternoon in Swansea. We decided to take the coastal route and walked to Mumbles which took just over an hour and it was certainly worth it. Luckily, we were just in time to get a table as the café does not take bookings and it soon became incredibly busy. Breakfast is served all day and alongside the standard full cooked breakfast are vegetarian and vegan options or bubble and squeak. The smoked salmon and scrambled egg is
simple and delicious and the portion sizes are nothing to complain about. This particular lunchtime I opted for the heavenly halloumi burger, which absolutely lived up to its name. The burger was fresh, reasonably healthy and served with three different salads for only £8. The Kitchen Table also serves salads, sharing platters and sandwiches, all very reasonably priced. The next time the sun is shining, make sure you take a walk down to Mumbles for a lovely lunch. The Kitchen Table is open every day between 9.30am and 4.30pm and until 11pm on Friday and Saturday.
HOME FROM HOME: (Left) The vintage-style decor of The Kitchen Table; and (above, right) the appropriately-named heavenly halloumi burger. Have you got a recipe you’d like to share? Email editor@swansea-union.co.uk
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
22
w it h EM MA JAM ES
culture
The powerful story of Still Alice M
ANY students may already be familiar with the story ‘Still Alice’, mainly because it has recently been adapted into an award winning film, starring the wonderfully Oscar winning Julianne Moore, writes Emma
James. The book, unsurprisingly, is even better. The story demonstrates the struggles people with Alzheimer’s face and how it can occur from a younger age than most people expect. Alice, a successful business women and mother, at 50 years old, gets diagnosed with a life changing illness, which ultimately turns her life, along with her families and friends, into uproar, with devastating consequences. I expected this book to be more emotional than it was, but in fact it shone a light on Alzheimer’s without being completely dark and negative, showing that while it is a nightmare to live with, the person you believe you have lost to the illness still lives on, even if it is hard to see sometimes. It will still leave some readers in tears. Although this is not the best written novel, the impact it has on the reader is strong and lasting, which makes it a fantastic read. Not only is it highly educational, and may shine a light on the illness for many people, it is a fascinating story. ‘Still Alice’ is currently in cinemas everywhere.
Student offers at the Taliesin The Taliesin Arts Centre on campus offers a limited number of tickets at £3 for all of their live shows. Live streams from various London and other theatres are priced at £5 for students. All cinema tickets are £5.30 for students. Take your student ID to get the discount.
LIVE PERFORMANCE / LIVE STREAM
High Tide gets its premiere
Norwegian Wood: Review
Tuesday 17 March 7.15pm ROH Screening – Swan Lake
The long-awaited debut film from Long Arm Films, directed by former Swansea University student and lecturer Jimmy Hay along with James Gillingham, premiered on Friday 27 February, writes Natasha Marsh. Poignant and captivating, it portrayed the mental toll domestic abuse takes on a family, made even more real, intimate and personal by the setting of the Gower beaches, the small cast of characters who use local colloquialisms, which make you feel like you were taking a peek into their world and conversations Melanie Walters’ portrayal of a mother struggling to hold on to her relationship with her son (played by Samuel Davies, who will probably end up on the big screen one day) whilst hiding the bruises both physical and mental left by her husband, was portrayed with such sincerity that it left me in tears and emotionally drained. There was humour to elevate the atmosphere with great performances from Clair Cage who hosts a hippy house party and her on-screen daughter played by Charlotte Mulliner.
It took me a while to start reading Norwegian Wood, writes Luke Rees. In all honesty, the recent idolisation of Japanese culture somewhat rankles with me. I always found it hard to associate myself with a place so geographically and culturally distant from my own life. However, after reading Norwegian Wood, I’m all ears. Murakami tears the curtain separating east from west Each character possesses an instantly relatable persona, encouraging the reader to live and breathe every part of the plot. If one cannot find answers in a particular character, certainly they can be found in another. Perhaps the most striking aspect of this book is its exquisite ordinariness. The language reads like Hemingway and the plot is inherently simple. Watanabe, the protagonist, is often described as ‘ordinary’, by himself and the author; yet there lingers beneath an overwhelming sense of desolation. Neither the reader nor Watanabe can quite clutch onto any kind of certainty, whether it concerns the character’s inevitable catharsis, or your own. Its reflective approach conjures a much more solemn state of ichi-go ichi-e (known to us, unfortunately, as yolo) and a greater respect for the fragility of latter adolescence. It would surely be a great shame to pass the opportunity of reading such a book before it proves too late.
Thursday 19 March 7.30pm Dreaming in Code – contemporary male dance
See it in the Taliesin, based on campus, and the
Calming music for every student Il Divo is a multinational operatic pop vocal group, writes Emily Maybanks. They were formed in the UK by Simon Cowell and have been active for over a decade, since 2003. The band Il Divo is a group of four male singers; French pop singer Sébastien Izambard, Spanish baritone Carlos Marín, Swiss tenor Urs Bühler and American tenor David Miller. The term Il Divo is Italian for star. Il Divo sings in a variety of languages; English, French, Italian, Spanish and Latin. So far, they have released seven albums which include Il Divo, The Promise and A Musical Affair, as well as a Greatest Hits CD in 2012. The band has achieved worldwide success. Previously they have collaborated with a range of well-known singers such as Céline Dion, Michael Ball and Nicole Scherzinger. They have also performed on TV with Leona Lewis. The first time I listened to Il Divo was in an A Level French
lesson nearly three years ago in 2012. I remember returning home from sixth form that afternoon and listening to all of their albums The song I was introduced to by Il Divo was Pour Que Tu M’Aimes Encore, which is sung in French. I instantly fell in love with not just the song, but their voices and the magic of their singing, it was beautiful, and to this day, I am moved every time I listen to that song. Other favourite songs by Il Divo are My Heart Will Go On which they sing in Italian, Alone which they sing in Spanish, I Believe In You (Je Crois En Toi) which they sing with Céline Dion. I would certainly recommend that people listen to Il Divo because their music is very calming and soothing as well as powerful and emotional. I would definitely recommend that students studying languages listen to Il Divo because they sing popular songs in foreign languages.
Friday 27 March 7.30pm The Royal Bed – an English language adaptation of Siwan by Saunders Lewis Sunday 29 March 7pm Hamlet – Maxine Peake in the role – screened from Manchester Royal Exchange CINEMA Monday 16 March 5pm Theory of Everything (12A) Wednesday 18 March Wild (15) Mon 23 March 5pm & 8pm Unbroken (15) Tuesday 24 March Birdman (15) Wednesday 25 March 5pm & 7.45pm Into the Woods (PG)
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: waterfrontculture@swanseaunion.co.uk
societies 27
careers 26
games 25
relationships 24
creative 23
culture 22
food 21
travel 20
film 19
fashion 16-17
Express yourself
front row 15
23
features 12-14
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
creative showcase
The Tiger or The Lady? by Thu Ya Win T
HE youth stood before the two doors. Behind one of the doors was a ferocious tiger, a hungry beast that would leap upon him and end his life in a second. Behind the other was a lady, who the young man had been seen talking to. If the man opened the door to the lady, a priest would emerge into the arena, followed by a band of choristers and dancing maidens blowing joyous airs on golden horns. The pair would be wedded on a spot in a joyous occasion. The youth had to choose: The right door or the left? A single choice. The man’s heart was pounding. His stomach was doing somersaults. Icy sweat rolled down his chin. All the audience’s eyes were on him. Silence befell on the arena in anticipation. He looked towards the princess. Their eyes locked and he pleaded silently for a sign of which door to choose. The princess knew what was behind each door; she knew which door contained the tiger and which the lady. The princess kept her face hard and expressionless. She was determined to not let even a small grimace take upon her features. With a solemn expression, she raised her hand and flicked it to the right. A discreet movement that nobody spotted. Just like that, with a quick rightward motion of her hand, she sent him to his fate. The man’s eyes glittered up at her with thanks, and he confidently walked up to the door on the right hand side of the stadium. With a quick inhale, he placed
Today we are featuring the work of Thu Ya Win, a Year 1 Aerospace student at Swansea University. Thu, who is also the Year 1 Aerospace Student Representative, says: “When I’m not studying, I sometimes dabble in a little writing. You can see the rest of my writing at http://tyw7.DeviantArt.com”
to run away. But the tiger was too fast. It latched on his throat and bit, puncturing the windpipe. The man gasped for air but none came. The man stumbled and fell. The arena was stained red from the man’s blood. He took a final glimpse at his lover. Tears formed in his eyes. The man put all of his trust in her decision, his mind never hesitating to command his body to seal his fate. That meeting with the other woman was just a quick chat, nothing more. She was his old hometown friend and they hadn’t seen each other for a long time. He had never been unfaithful to the princess and loved her deeply.
She looked away from him. Although she knew her beloved would be killed by the tiger, she did not want watch him live happily with another woman. She knew that she could not live with herself after what she had done that day, but she also knew that she could not live knowing that the man she loved, would be in the arms of another. The young man’s eyes closed and he was put out of his misery.
This is Thu’s alternative ending to Frank Stockton’s classic short story The Lady Or The Tiger?
a firm grip on the handle and gave it a hard pull. The door sprung outwards and out jumped the tiger. It lashed out at his chest, its claw digging deeply into the man’s flesh. Blood gashed from the wound. The man yelled out in pain. “Why?” he screamed. The man stumbled backward and tried
Have you got a story, poem or photo you’d like to share? Email editor@swansea-union.co.uk
Poetry by Thu Ya Win First Flight Dawn is breaking. The sun peeks over the horizon. Covering the entire plain with its pink-orange light, Warming the young bird’s face with its gentle ray. The day has come. Test his strength, he must. Today, he will fly or fall. Hopping out from his nest Grasping the branch with his slender legs Stretching his wings, Wriggling his tail, Preparing for his first flight. Calculating the wind speed, Figuring the wind direction. Making sure that everything is just right.
Glancing back, he could see his mother, Filling with pride as well as worry. Standing beside his mother is his father, As stern as a commander. Cheering and encouraging him are his brothers and sisters. Focusing ahead Wind blowing in his face, He spreads his wings. Inhaling deeply To muster his courage With great determination, Courageously, cautiously Leap! A mighty flap of wings A screech of power Shoots up in the air Soaring over the tree tops, Through the clouds. Almost touching the sky. Exploring the world.
In Honour of Myself My life begins with a string of unique genetic codes, which keep a little note; How long I live, I may not know, But just for me, my life span is set already. I am nobody but myself. Being alive is a common road. Though there are many diverged ways to take, Everyone has his own path, And I have mine. I am nobody but myself. To well match my life challenges I face, I acknowledge the distinguished abilities I have: My great determination is my basic force, My temperament is my reliable strategy,
My fear is my meanest enemy, My mistakes are my outstanding teachers, My perseverance is my strongest strength, My honesty is my true friend, My intelligence is my trusted extrapolator, My self-control is my immense power, My knowledge is my loyal torch. Through my experience and hardships, Moment by moment I have developed. Now I can treat triumph and disaster as the same imposters. I am nobody but myself. I live, I learn. Love and be loved. I am not perfect; I am not the best of the best. Nevertheless, I am proud to be me. I am nobody but myself.
This page is showcasing the creativity of Swansea University students. From short stories to photographs, and poetry to cartoons, if you would like to see your work in print, please write to editor@swansea-union.co.uk
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
24
with SOPHIE WIGGINS
relationships
Blind Date When Bea met Ope Bea Joyful a 21-year-old, first year entry Medicine, met Ope Ore, a final year Chemical Engineering student.
Bea on Ope 1)What were your first impressions? Great, he seemed really friendly and he was good at making me feel comfortable.
Ask our Agony Aunts
2) How did you feel about taking part in a blind date before and after? Initially was dreading it, I didn’t really love the idea of a blind date but he definitely superseded expectations. Now I don’t really have anything bad to say about blind dates . 3) Any striking conversation points? Since he’s on the uni radio, I got lots of tips on the now music and tv series
Shannon Jones, a second year American studies student, and Faye Vlietstra, a second year criminology student, are The Waterfront’s agony aunts.
4) Any awkward moments or silences? A few, coupled with a screamingly loud rugby match, but when they settled down and the conversation got flowing, all was good.
Dear Faye and Shannon, Supposed to go on a date the other night, with a guy I’ve been talking to a while on Tinder, but he never showed up. Should I give him another chance? Lucy
6) If you were to be married and have babies with the other, what would you want your baby to inherit? Probably his friendliness and his laughter...there’d be one joyful baby.
Hey Lucy, don’t sweat it, it’s only Tinder after all. This guy clearly has something wrong with him, as we’re sure you’re a hot piece. If you really like this guy send him a message saying how you feel. However in our opinion we think you should move on and give this asshole hell! He isn’t worth your time or effort. Don’t stress about it, keep swiping right and we’re sure you’ll find your prince charming. Dear Faye and Shannon, There’s this guy I’ve been sleeping with for a while now, I’m not ready for anything serious, but at the same time don’t want to stop seeing him. What should I do as I don’t want to lead him on? Rosie It sounds to us that you’ve got an FWB turned into an FWF: friends with feelings! We’ve all been through this, and as much as you try to avoid it, someone always gets feelings. In our experience it’s not always the girl, so don’t go thinking you’re a bitch. The best thing to do is to make your intentions clear, and if they can’t handle that then maybe it’s time to stop. However if you feel you want something with this guy, then there’s no shame in taking it to the next level. At the end of the day, as long you’re having a good time, that’s all that matters. Dear Faye and Shannon, I am a 21 year old final year and I don’t know what to do with my love life now I am leaving in two months. I hate Wind Street and prefer to spend my time obliterating players as a Death Knight on World of Warcraft. How can I put down the axe and meet my warrior? Hilary Sounds like you need to level up! There is nothing wrong with not liking Wind Street, there are plenty of other ways to meet people. If you like gaming why not join the Gaming Society? On another note, there’s no need to panic you are still young and have plenty of time to meet some brave death knight. Hope this helps! (Please note aunts Faye and Shannon, although knowledgeable, are not qualified to be giving real advice and so all responses are intended to be more amusing than serious. The Waterfront recognises that occasionally they can’t even do that so please take all answers with a pinch of a salt and refer to proper grown up professionals for real advice)
10) Generally how did you think that date went? Was good, he’s an amazing guy. 11) Would you like to meet again? Sure thing... always happy to hang out as mates.
Ope on Bea
1 1) What were your first impressions? Delightful! Had a nice smile on her face! We couldn’t find each other at first.! She thought she was late but I only arrived five minutes earlier (which she doesn’t/didn’t know.) 2) How did you feel about taking part in a blind date before and after? I’ve never taken part in a blind date but would definitely do it again. It was a great experience getting to know somebody new. 3) Any striking conversation points? Yeah I found out she’s training to be a doctor and that she knows my cousin through her previous uni’s gospel choir –small world! Spoke about musical interests, a lot of TV shows especially our love for ‘Scandal’! 4) Any awkward moments or silences? In hindsight picking JCs as the choice of destination for our date wasn’t the best idea as France v Wales was on and there was so much noise! As soon as the match was finished though the conversation flowed really well and she was very easy to chat to. 6) If you were to be married and have babies with the other, what would you want your baby to inherit? It would have to be her smile and her brains. 10) Generally how did you think that date went? It went smoothly, we had lots to talk about and I’m glad to have made a new friend. 11) Would you like to meet again? Yes, most definitely would like to meet again. If you are interested in featuring in the blind date, email your name, age , course and level to waterfrontrelationships@swansea-union.co.uk
societies 27
careers 26
games 25
relationships 24
creative 23
culture 22
food 21
travel 20
film 19
fashion 16-17
with DECLAN MURPHY
front row 15
25
features 12-14
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
games
Get set for a virtual apocalypse I
N the last few years the virtual reality market has been growing at a steady rate. With the main market leader being Oculus’ Rift, Valve now wants to pitch in, writes Declan Murphy. Called Vive, Valve have teamed up to with technology giants HTC to produce the headset which they hope will be enough to knock off Oculus from its podium and keep the rest of the market at an arm’s length. The specs of the device are better than that of any other headset on the market. In addition to outdoing the current competition, Vive also features specs which go above and beyond anything in the pipeline from other developers. Terrifying zombies The first, and most noteworthy, is the ability for the headset to copy your movements in an area (15ft by 15ft) to give an even greater immersion. The headset also boasts a larger display
(2x1200x1080) at 90 fps to cover a greater field of view and “eliminate jitter” according to a press release from HTC. As a result, it is the only unit on the market to offer an experience which covers your entire field of view. What is also getting people hyped is the integration with upcoming titles from the Valve studio including the heavily rumoured Left 4 Dead 3. I’m not sure about you but zombies running at me and actually having it look realistic would be pretty sweet, if not terrifying. Pricing wars What is causing a few issues is the possible pricing for the device. The device, as I stated above, is hugely advantageous on its opposition in terms of real world tracking and better displays but all the gadgets it takes to do that, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc. cost a good bit of cash to make and implement into a relatively small headset given the size and weight of
UNDEAD COOL: Can you imagine doing epic battle with a bunch of terrifying virtual reality zombies? Nope, neither can we...
HEAD IN THE GAME: Valve and HTC’s new headset.
some of those components. The Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 is currently sitting at the $350 (£227) mark on Oculus’ site and, given the fact this new headset looks to top the specs, it is fair to say the device will need to top the price point, too, to remain a viable option in the eyes of Valve’s and HTC’s investors and shareholders. On a similar note, another issue is the need to a large profit margin for both HTC and Valve. Both will be looking to bring home a large slice of any profit and could as a result see the consumer suffer, however this is yet to be seen and won’t be until a price is confirmed, probably at E3. A large price, however, will leave it in a tricky spot in relation to competition with not only Facebook-owned Oculus
but other emerging products like Google’s Cardboard (literally cardboard) and Samsung’s Gear VR. Apocalypse now Overall I’m really excited for this new product and can’t wait to be running from GLaDOS in 3D or seeing my face get ripped to shreds by a witch while zombies curb stomp me from all angles (needless to say I’m not very good at Left 4 Dead…) What will be interesting is how Valve will market it, and what launch titles it will feature. The rumours of Half Life 3 at last week’s GDC were quickly demolished, so it remains to be seen if Valve will actually confirm a title of their own for the device or if third party games will be the norm come release.
So, what’s ‘appening in the world of online apps? If you’re looking for something fun and relatively mindless to waste your time with whilst you procrastinate about your latest essay crisis, there are apps aplenty available to download. DECLAN MURPHY introduces us to two of his favourites... Crossy Road: Definitely one of the less intelligent games on the store but don’t get it twisted, this game is infuriating! The premise is simple enough, avoid traffic, including alligators and trains, and progress as far through the city as you can. Available on iOS and Google play.
CROSSY ROAD: Why did the chicken cross the road? Answers on a postcard, please.
Yik Yak: Probably one of the funniest Apps I’ve seen to date. Yik Yak offers users the ability to post anonymous statements in which people can up vote or down vote. The best way to describe it is if Reddit and Google maps had a love child. Check it out on iOS and Google Play.
YIK YAK: Because it’s good to talk, even if it’s mostly nonsense.
WRITERS WANTED: Would you like to review a game? Email waterfrontgames@swansea-union.co.uk with your idea
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
26
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Confucius
careers
Tracking down your dream job Which employer would suit you? Finding an employer whose ethos and working style suits you is just as important as choosing the right type of occupation, and interviewers look for evidence of strong interest in the organisation you’re applying to, so it’s essential to research information about prospective employers thoroughly, writes Jo Davies. Find out about the culture and working style of the organisation you’re thinking of applying to – have a look on their website and see what you can pick up about their mission, vision for the future, aims and objectives in order to determine whether they would provide what you want in your working life. For instance, if the idea of pursuing an ethical career is important to you, does their website include things like a policy on Corporate Social Responsibility? Graduate Prospects has a feature on finding ethical employers at www. prospects.ac.uk/job_hunting_ethical_ employers.htm.
When to start looking for jobs It depends on the type of job or employer you’re looking for. The larger, ‘traditional’ graduate recruiters often have work experience programmes that are directly linked to their main
recruitment programmes. So you need to get a placement/internship with them in your second year with a view to applying for their graduate recruitment schemes in your final year, and closing dates can be very early in the Autumn term. Smaller organisations and employers in some sectors such as not-for-profit or environmental organisations tend to recruit as and when vacancies come up at any time of year. It’s well worth considering SMEs (Small and Medium Size Enterprises) because they often provide opportunities for taking on a wide range of responsibilities at an early stage, although salaries may be lower than in large organisations. For careers in professional fields like Psychology, Law or Teaching, it’s essential to get relevant experience so that you can include it in applications for the required postgraduate professional training to enter these careers.
Where are jobs advertised?
Look under the job hunting tab at https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/careers to find key sources of information on many different types of jobs and placements, including the database of vacancies notified direct to the Careers & Employability service. Our careers events programme provides
opportunities to meet potential employers and hear first-hand about their current graduate opportunities – visit https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/careers/ what’s-on/. You may find it beneficial to try recruitment agencies too, as many of them specialise in particular employment sectors. See www. prospects.ac.uk/recruitment_agencies. htm. If you’re planning to look for jobs in another UK region, it’s worth contacting university careers services in that area to ask if they can give you access to their information on local jobs.
Creative job hunting - networking Over half of all job vacancies are not advertised, notably in fields like the creative and media industries. So it’s well worth taking an active approach by cultivating a network of contacts and making speculative applications see https://myuni.swan.ac.uk/careers/ job-hunting/networking/.
Where do you want to live? You may be limited to job hunting within a certain geographical area for good reasons. But if you can be flexible in terms of location, then obviously there will be more opportunities open to you. In certain situations, information and communications technology can
support teleworking/telecommuting and virtual teamwork, making it easier to balance commuting and home life.
Advice and support Remember, the Careers and Employability Service is part of your support network – if you need further help once you’ve done some research of your own you can make an appointment for an informal one-to-one chat or even a mock interview. Bear in mind that nobody succeeds with every job interview, and even if you don’t get the first few jobs you apply for, you will be increasing your understanding of the job market, what employers want, and what you yourself really want from a job.
Don’t miss these workshops: Tuesday 17th March 12 – 1pm Finding graduate jobs This workshop will help you get a clearer picture of timescales, where to look for vacancies and develop a plan. Thursday 23rd March 12 - 1pm How do I develop my interview skills? Feel you’d like to brush up on your interview technique? In this session our careers advisers will provide you with hints and tips on how to survive job interviews.
My Week of Work at the BBC by Ina Pace FROM 26th-30th January, I took part in Swansea University’s Week of Work scheme (WoW), which is hosted by the careers department. I requested to be matched with the for a TV production placement and fortunately I was matched with BBC Cymru in Llandaff, Cardiff. I undertook a placement in their broadcasting house, in the Factual and Music department with the Business Management team. My role in this placement was mostly a shadowing one but it was very diverse. This enabled me to observe the processes of TV production (shooting and editing mostly) and helped me in deciding whether the industry is right for me. Prior to shadowing, I had to do some basic online training: a multimedia health and safety and a data protection course, both of which are compulsory to any worker at the BBC. I later undertook relevant courses to my placement for general interest like an informative one on how the BBC handles the issue of diversity and equality. They are likely to ask you about diversity during interviews. I spoke to virtually everyone I could about how the BBC was structured, and how the staff and workers got to where they are today. They took me across various departments so I barely stayed
in one place. I visited the in-house graphics department for example. The designers there are usually all from artistic backgrounds and work on different projects simultaneously, like Doctor Who and Casualty. I observed the production of TV shows like Coast, The One Show, and X-Ray as well as various features on BBC Radio Three. For BBC Radio Three, I shadowed an interview with the artistic director of the Cardiff Choir, and also watched the editing process in making the music and the presenters sound coherent. Most of the BBC radio material is broadcast from London, with local branches making their own shows. When shadowing the editors for The One Show they explained to me how their script was used for editing instead of logging (noting down the action on camera to facilitate the editing process.) They would copy the exact dialogue
into word format and send it to London to be approved. For the show Coast, I had hands-on experience in logging the details of the music, like the name of the piece and the artist, (for the sake of copyright), into the BBC’s database. For the show X-ray, I was able to go on shoot in a village near Ebbw Vale for a day. We filmed at the local cinema, a cinema preserved from the 1930s. I was a runner on set, observing and even advising the camera angles, fetching relevant objects, making hot drinks, and taking photos for the BBC’s Twitter account. My supervisor’s job role was technically that of an editor, but he also took on script-writing, filming, directing and researching. He described how the BBC has now had its licence frozen. This means that the BBC are cutting budgets, therefore there aren’t as many teams in the industry and it is now more important for job applicants to have a range of different skills. He described the creative aspect of the media industry as being the hardest, though very rewarding. My other experiences included sitting in on a brainstorming meeting for the show Long Live Wales. I was able to contribute ideas for their autumn season. We each got to write words on a whiteboard and play around with them as a result of thoughts and feelings or
passing around random objects: it was essentially like a fun classroom exercise. I also observed the 6 o’clock news broadcast, live from the in-house studio. I shadowed the directors and vision mixers in the gallery. They are sent edited news stories and clips on a playlist straight from the newsroom. I was also able to stand with the presenter and crew in the studio where they use robotic cameras. This news broadcast was fast-paced but fascinating in comparing the televised result to the reality of the broadcast. The BBC strives to maintain its historic reputation, yet I was impressed by how non-elitist its people were, which goes against a common misconception. The workers are of diverse ages and backgrounds: a postgraduate degree is not essential for example but the right attitude is! They were all very welcoming to me, open-minded and exceedingly down-to-earth. I had the tea made for me more so than vice-versa! Significantly, I was not told what to do during my placement. I had no set schedule. I had to take initiative in developing contacts, asking questions and seizing opportunities when they arose. These sorts of placements are what you make of them. I would recommend the WoW scheme to anyone.
societies 27
careers 26
games 25
relationships 24
creative 23
culture 22
food 21
travel 20
film 19
fashion 16-17
with sophie Wiggins
front row 15
27
features 12-14
16 March 2015 waterfrontonline.co.uk
societies
Congratulations Law and Debating S
WANSEA University Students’ Union societies and services officer Jerry Isokariari and the soceties and events co-ordinator Charlotte West were faced with yet another close call this month for society of month. Due to the hard decision they decided that two of the societies that put themselves forward both deserved to win. The winners of society of the month for February are Law Society and Debating Society. Both societies have had a fantastically active and exciting month, and Jerry and Charlotte have high expectations for them. They believe they have a lot more to offer. So what did these societies do to win society of the month? Law Society held workshops, participated in competitions, launched a peer mentor scheme and hosted a networking dinner with the Bar Society. Jessie Cohill, the Law president, wrote: “We have received some great feedback from the guests, for example a message from Benny Neil who attended. He said: “Congratulations on a superbly organised event tonight, Swansea University Legal Networking Dinner.” “Everything was outstanding from food & drinks, to inspirational speakers and a great variety of interesting legal professionals at each table. Thank you.” “We raised over £200 for Ty Hafan, a local children’s cancer charity. We are still collecting donations on request of those who didn’t have cash on them on the night and consequently the total is ever increasing.” She also noted that “We are currently in pole position
to win the competition for the Barclays Legal Tea. Barclays Legal is a huge player in the legal profession and somewhere that many students dream of securing contracts. To win ten places at a networking event hosted by Barclays Legal would be absolutely amazing for both our society and our university as a whole. “It is a truly fantastic opportunity and is incredibly important that companies such as Barclays start to fully recognise the abilities of students from Swansea. I believe this will really put us on the map and fingers crossed we win!” Overall the Law Society has put on some fantastic events, and we’re sure they’ll continue to thrive in the future. Meanwhile, the Debating Society has also had a very successful month. Most notably, they hosted the Swansea Open – a competition between English and Welsh debating groups. Georgia Turner, Debating Society President, wrote: “We played host to two new societies (Bangor & Plymouth) amongst others who had never competed before and have had only high praise from the organisers and those who competed. “The event, as with the one in November, took months of preparation and truly showcased Swansea University to a larger group of students than before. More students are now looking to Swansea University to continue their further education into masters because they are aware of the professional and friendly debating society that is running here.
“That may seem a little over the top but the truth is that just as some students may be influenced by the sporting teams at a University, Swansea is beginning to earn a valuable reputation as the university to study at if you wish to progress and do well on the debating circuit.” She added: “Throughout the day connections were made and networking was rampant. This all occurred in a setting where students simultaneously improve their speaking, argumentation, analytical and listening skills through practice. These are skills essential for a well rounded CV as well as many subjects studied at university and we are proud to have helped improve the student experience in this way. “This was not just a one day tournament in terms of student experience but a part of something much bigger and beneficial to all those who took part. We have met students who have debated and gone on to work for major corporations such as KPMG, HP, The ESU and a variety of law firms and teaching placements.” This month has clearly been a productive one for Law and Debating. Well done to you both! Do you think YOUR society has done better? Do you go to weekly events that you think deserve to be celebrated? Do you sit on a committee with other dedicated members and think your efforts should be recognised? APPLY NOW for Society of the Month for March!
Below, Law Society Ball. Photo by Gretchen Kessler.
How you can be society of the month SO what is this society of the month business really about? Basically every month societies can put forward an application telling the university all the great events and times the society has had throughout that month. This can be one big event the society has organized and hosted, for example German Society and the Oktoberfest, or it can be events the society do on a regular basis that affect and benefit the society and its members. The societies that apply are then judged by the Swansea University Students’ Union societies and services officer Jerry Isokariari and the societies and events coordinator Charlotte West.
It is a basically a way to reward societies for all their hard work and giving something back to that society so they can continue to do more. The winners get a £50 cash prize into their society account and an article in The Waterfront. The winner is chosen based on which society Jerry and Charlotte feel have done the best in that particular month. The first society of the month was named in October 2014 and the winner was ISOC after they raised a lot of money for charities and organized some huge events for the society. The November society of the month was Dance Society after they held their Strictly Come Dancing
competition for Parkinson’s UK charity. The December society of the month was Musicians who are always playing at as many events as they can. The society even played for Prince Charles. The January winners were Hogwarts Society when they went on a trip to the Harry Potter studio tour in London, showing dedication to the society event during the stressful exam period. There were joint winners for February, which were Law Society and Debating Society who both put on a number of events throughout February. The applications for March are now open so get in your applications to get rewarded for all your hard work as a society.
waterfrontonline.co.uk
SPORT I 29
PITCHES & BITCHES win and we scored another, making it 3-1 at the interval. Within twenty minutes our lead extended to 4 but we started to ease off towards the end. The final whistle sent the team and our substantial support into uproar and jubilations.
Referee: Luke Braiden Assistant: Dave Martin Assistant: Russell Taylor Fourth Official: Nick Taylor
Possible line up (4-4-2): B. Phipps L. Parker S. Froom C. Evenhand C. Betts B. Marshall F. Spinney J. Hazell (c) A. Nicol O. Verghese J. Pipp score is on the day everyone involved looks back on a great day with some good friends and some good football. A special night under the lights at St Helen’s makes running the league worth it, but nights like these don’t happen without the work of others who volunteer their time. I am grateful to every last one of them.” - League Chairman Adam Osmond
Pitches and Bitches are similar to their opposition in that they are relatively new side, this year being their second in the league. Despite standing mid-table in the league, captain Brett Phipps of the self-proclaimed cup specialists will be eager to prove that they are more than the underdogs that they are made out to be: The season so far… BP: Our season started off in good spirits with a good preseason, where we reached the final of the 7-a-side charity tournament, where our opposition that day, somewhat ironically, was Hangover. After a win on opening
day we endured a run of five defeats which could have damaged morale but that simply is not our way. Instead we focused on the cup, which helped motivate us to break to losing streak and go on a run of four wins out of six. It’s a good time to be a Pitches and Bitches player. The semi-final… BP: Having drawn against the 6s in the league the game before we went into the semifinal with a real buzz and a belief that a place at St. Helen’s was ours for the taking. A great start saw us go two goals but the 6s pulled one back. This did not deter our belief, however, that we would
KEY PLAYERS
Road to the final… BP: A favourable draw saw us avoiding the top teams in the league and playing in a group with Ajax Treesdown and History FC. We beat Ajax 7-2 in our first game and the win against History was a tighter affair. A 7-0 win in the quarter-final against Kents was a great display of the team’s hunger and desire to reach the final. The final, and the opposition standing in their way... BP: The thought of playing at St. Helens has created a real buzz amongst the squad, and is the reward for our hard work this season. One thing for sure is that the game will be close judging by the league game which we narrowly lost. There is no doubting the quality of Hangover’s squad; they are well-drilled side. But, as with every top team, they have weaknesses which we will look to exploit.
Pitches & Bitches 1. Brett Phipps 2. Ben Marshall 3. Liam Parker 4. Sam Froom 5. Chris Betts 6. Luke Cassidy 7. Tom Stevenson 8. Bruce Jones 9. Will Burton 10 Joey Hazell 11 Harry Darer 12 Fraser Spinney 13. Christian Evenhand 14. Bradley Flatt 15. Joe “Pipp” M-G 16. Ollie Verghese 17. Alex Nicol 18. Will Smith 19. Andrea Terzi 20. James Morgan 21. Rob McWilliams 22. Alec Fisher 23. Tom Rees
Current Standings 9th - Crayola FC 10th - PITCHES&BITCHES
Alex Nicol LM
Joe ‘Pipp’ CM
Christian Evenhand 11th - Ajax Treesdown CB
30 I SPORT
thewaterfront 03.03.15
Badminton
Badminton brillance sends Swansea teams to finals by John Fanning waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
SWANSEA men’s badminton 1s cruised into the final of the BUCS Western Conference Cup with a comprehensive 7-1 victory over Aberystwyth at the Sketty Lane Sports Hall to set up a date with Cardiff Met. Club president Christopher McMullan and teammate Leung got off to the best possible start in the singles to put Swansea in the driving seat. McMullan had few troubles against number 1 James Holder, but it was less straightforward for Leung, who was taken all the way by his opponent before prevailing 21-17 in the deciding set. This, according to McMullan, was testament to “focus on endurance and training, which had paid off
here”. The doubles matches also went Swansea’s way and half way through the tie Swansea had a 4-0 cushion behind them with a straight sets for the pair of Pang and Foo, but it was a closer affair for Gyton and Chung who brilliantly fought back from losing the first set to claim Swansea’s fourth win of the day. In the second round of singles Yin had the chance to finish the tie off, but it wasn’t to be as Aber got their first win on the board with a straight sets triumph for Holder. However, Swansea didn’t have much longer to wait to confirm their place in the final, which will be played in Exeter. In the final singles rubber, McMullan came from a set down to easily take the final two sets and end the tie. Aber refused to go down without
a fight though, and that led to a close set of double matches to round off the afternoon. Both games were straight sets wins for Swansea but the sets were very competitive with just a couple of points in them. Swansea now have the very real prospect of spending this season undefeated, as they have two more matches to play in the league. According to McMullan, that game will be “perfect practice to test out our team format for the cup final the following week. “Our previous results against Cardiff (Met) have been really close with a 5-3 win and a 4-4 draw. They have been our biggest rivals this year. With them having a Welsh national and an internationally seasoned player, beating them is never easy, but we look forward to playing them in the final next
by Akosua Darko waterfrontsport@swansea-union.co.uk
SWANSEA women lost just two games en route to beating Aberystwyth 6-2 in the BUCS women’s western conference semi final. The women captain Sophie Ttopi was pleased with the win, and already has high hopes for the final. “It was great to beat Aber in the cup, as they are our biggest rivals in the league,” said Ttopi. “Everyone has really come on strong the past few weeks and we are improving with every game. Fingers crossed for the final.” If it was anything like this match with their biggest rivals, I’m sure the final between Swansea and Bournemouth will be a treat for Swansea fans and the badminton society. Nazanin Khmmar and Samantha Llewellyn, the two players not to win their sets, put up a good fight against the number 1 singles girls from Aber. The intense matches could have gone either way, but unfortunately the Aber girls beat them at the last hurdle.
Rifle
Swansea shoot to score higher than expected SWANSEA University Rifle Club travelled to Penarth for the Welsh Team Championships as tournament novices, but left with their heads held high as Welsh University champions. Despite the majority of the club having never previously shot competitively, The Green and White ‘A’ team claimed the University Team Championship, while captain Annie McAteer came away with three titles. McAteer, whose training has taken a backseat recently with her focus firmly on leading her team, said the club went into the competition with no expectations of silverware. “The majority of our competitors had never been to a competition before, so we entered just to get people accustomed to the procedure; it was viewed as practice for the upcoming Varsity match.” But the team put on a phenomenal performance to walk away with titles in hand, and McAteer says this is as a result of the strong bonds all members share away from the range as well as on it. “I couldn’t be more proud as captain,” she said. “The team held such composure on the day, and it’s positive to see they were rewarded
for all the hard work they’ve put in over the months”. “We have created such a solid friendship base within the club and I believe this helps at competitions as we all look out for each other”. “I can’t express how proud I am of all my members. The vice-captain and I are really impressed with the way our members held themselves
in the competition, the way they never fail to attend training and the drive to always achieve more.” As well as a brilliant team effort, there were exceptional individual performances with Dominic Hill coming 2nd in his class and captain McAteer winning the Welsh, University and Ladies Championships.
And in doing so, she has joined some illustrious names on the trophy. “Ever since I started shooting I’ve seen Commonwealth Games medal holders win the championship year after year. Looking at the trophy there are some really impressive names engraved so I’m just proud to have mine on there.”
PHOTO: @SUATHLETICSCLUB/TWITTER
But the women’s first team redeemed themselves with their doubles matches. Ttophi and her partner Rebecca Jones and Alex Johnson and her partner Charlotte Savory both won their sets; they played excellently to beat their biggest rivals and secure their place in the final. The sportsmanship between the two teams was admirable, with both teams working hard to play the best game they could and they seemed supportive of each other’s efforts. This made the match even better to watch and you could see both teams clearly enjoyed badminton and respected each other. The Swansea team will now challenge Bournemouth in the final; 16 teams started with an aim to get there and hopefully win the title, now only two teams remain. With improvement shown in every game, Swansea look a force to be reckoned with in the final.
Netball club raises huge sum SWANSEA University Netball Club recently held their annual charity netball tournament. Fourteen university teams took part, including Ultimate Frisbee, Basketball, Football, Intramural Football, and Women’s Rugby, and the money raised went to MacMillan Cancer Support. Last year SUNC raised £220 for Macmillan with their tournament, and the club were successful in raising more this time, raising £358.65 altogether. The main organisers of the event were SUNC’s RAG Rep Sarah Jane Turner, Rachael Risdale (club captain) and the Chloe Jones (vice-captain), with a number of SUNC girls helping out on the day. Risdale said: “It was a great laugh and so great to see so many teams get so involved and to see the friendly competition between teams and the great team spirit and sportsmanship. “Many had never played netball before but got really stuck into it and improved. “I am very proud of the SUNC girls and I am very happy we raised such a substantial amount of money for a worthy cause. “Many have joked that they are going to be practising now ready for next year’s tournament, so it will be one not to be missed!”
waterfrontonline.co.uk
SPORT I 31
Felix: It’s about adding to the current system Sports Officer
AFTER a long and arduous campaign, Felix Mmeka emerged as Sports Officer-elect for 2015/16. Sophie Wiggins spoke to him about his efforts on the campaign trail, as well as his hopes heading into next year. How are you going to change the sport scheme at Swansea University? Before you can change something, you must have a good understanding of the current scheme. During my four years at this university the sports scheme has improved, but it still needs more work. It is not about changing it, it’s about adding to the current system. One thing I think definitely needs to be added is a wider variety of sports with students. I love the system, but I want to give more people a reason to play sport. What parts of your manifesto are you most looking forward to putting in action? Organising the first disability sports section at Varsity next year - we have the largest number of disabled students in Wales at Swansea, but we have no disability sport. I would be so happy to bring tthat to Varsity and will be working with my Cardiff counterparts as soon as I can. I also want to work on shuttle
buses for sports teams between the two campuses, which I hope to implement before September. The other thing I think needs attention straight away is feedback; during my campaign I learnt of many issues teams were having just by speaking to them. For example, Swansea Ultimate and their training facilities, and badminton raised concerns about having to physically book rooms every week. What was the hardest part of your campaign? There was no easy part! Campaigning isn’t easy; everything was difficult. The manifesto, the t-shirts, the campaigning, all of it. I barely slept and had very strong opponents, but it was worth it and I am very grateful. What was your favourite part of the campaign? It has got to be when I went to speak to students in the student village - I wanted to speak to them sober! However I went on a Wednesday night and there were not many people there, but it was still helpful and funny.
Which teams are you looking forward to working with? One of the teams I am most looking forward to working with is basketball, but I think I need to focus more on the smaller sports which don’t get the funding or support they deserve. I feel some teams are neglected and I need to make sure I give support to all teams as much as possible. Are you excited for Varsity to be in Swansea this year? For the first time I don’t have to Cardiff, so I am very excited. Even though I haven’t done anything yet I feel part of the team now. I hope next year’s Varsity will be the most amazing! Are you excited for Varsity to be in Swansea this year? Holding the position for two years, Charlotte has done a fantastic job and I know she will give me a great handover. I don’t want to be the next Charlotte, I want to make my own stamp in my own way, and I am very excited for the next year.