Issue 20 Wednesday 26.11.08
Surf Club go Southwest
Laura Marling Gig Review
Life & Style » p8 & p9
Arts & Ents » p13
The defence of X Factor
Comment & Opinion » p6
New students targeted for ID cards UK ID Cards •
ID Cards can hold millions of pieces of information.
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Biometric data is a unique identifying characteristic. Examples include face recognition, iris patterns and fingerprints.
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The government is denying claims that the cards will hold information on race, religion, sexuality, health, criminal record or political beliefs.
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The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are against the scheme and both say they would scrap it if they win power.
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The initial fee for a standalone ID card, in 2009 and 2010, will be £30 or less.
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From 2009 foreign nationals will be issued with cards and from 2010 identity cards will be issued on a voluntary basis. The new controls allow for the Home Office to hold incredible amounts of details on students coming into the country. The campaign group No2ID also points out that the system implemented by the recently formed UK Border Agency is an attempt to establish the proposed National ID card in part, beginning with particular targets and gradually seeping into society in general. This is a proposal which has raised fears of a surveillance state. A spokesperson said: "All students allowed to come here will need to obtain a biometric ID card, so we know exactly who they are and what they are entitled to do". The plan is intended to tackle the problem of students applying with "Bogus Colleges"
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(fake overseas institutions) in order to gain access to the UK. Other security measures are to be taken later next year; from March 2009, all overseas students will need to have registered with the UK Border control agency to stay within the country. Next Autumn will see the most intrusive measure introduced however, with universities ordered to monitor the attendance of these students to ensure their immigration status as a student is valid. Last year, there were 313,000 applications for student visas, of which 217,000 were actually issued. Phil Woolas, the recently appointed Border and Immigration Minister, commented "This new route for students will ensure we know exactly who is coming here to study and…will stamp
out bogus colleges which facilitate the lawbreakers". Over 300 Bogus Colleges were exposed earlier this year, but these new measures have been criticised by several sources. The higher education representation body, Universities UK, has warned that the new regulations are likely to deter overseas students, and has raised concerns over the difficulties in the proposed system. With just six identity centres in the UK, they point to long journeys and an apparent lack of a functioning booking system as major obstacles for foreign students. It is estimated that overseas students make up one UK student in seven, and bring over £8.5bn to the national economy.
News » Societies
News » Local
News » Careers
UPSU Media
Purely Robbed
Pyramids Centre to ice over?
Career Search
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Southsea's Pyramids Centre may be turned into an ice rink later next year. The distinctively shaped building is to close in 2009, and, though nothing has been finalised, the council has confirmed it is in talks with bidders. Council leader Vernon-Jackson has suggested turning the main hall's pool into an ice or roller rink if it proves too costly to maintain the swimming facilities. "What we do know is that there will be a leisure facility and it will be publicly accessible" he said. However, the group Friends of the Pyramids is campaigning to save the pool, and has refuted the suggestion, arguing that anything other than a swimming pool wouldn't be good enough.
The University of Portsmouth Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair is a major event organised for all undergraduate, postgraduate and new graduates to explore placement and graduate job opportunities. The event is an ideal starting point to explore your options and provides an opportunity to talk to your prospective employers about the reality of the work place and the benefits of working for them. The event will run from 11am 3pm on Wednesday 26th November at the Guildhall, Portsmouth. Please dress smart and ensure to bring along your CV.
Pugwash News / Purple Wednesdays is the Union’s student newspaper. If you have something to shout about, from burning issues to match reports, comment to features, or you want to photograph, design or help lay it out, get in touch!
William Hobson Head of News
All new overseas students wanting to come to a UK university or college will now have to give their fingerprints for a new identity card. This comes under plans to tighten immigration control from the Home Office, in what has been described as one of the biggest intrusions into human rights in recent years. Overseas students - classified as those from outside the European Union - have become an important source of income for universities, particularly as they pay higher fees than UK students.
On Thursday 6th November, representatives from the Pure FM committee past and present piled into two cars and drove to London to attend the Student Radio Awards 2008. IndigO2 in Greenwich was the venue, and it didn’t disappoint. The people and the room were both dressed to the nines, and the buzz in the air was one created by a mixture of nerves, tension and excitement. The biggest night in the student radio calendar saw many big names from national radio, including the chair for the night Huw Stephens, as well as the hosts Fearne Cotton and Scott Mills, all from Radio 1. The Awards were handed out, and the Pure FM crowd waited patiently
until the award for Best Marketing/ Branding was due. Up against last year’s winners 1449AM URB, there was also stiff competition from the other nominees, and unfortunately Pure FM narrowly missed out. However, Pure’s Executive Producer said “It’s OK that we didn’t win this year. This was our first year, and our first shortlist, which is an achievement in itself. This won’t dampen our spirits, and we will return next year with more nominations and hopefully pick up some awards!” The PureFM crew were true to their word about not being disappointed, and stayed and mingled with the students from other stations well into the early hours of the morning.
More at: www.port.ac.uk/setupforlife
ID cards would be used more for surveillance than security issues, and adds to the feeling of a “Big Brother” government
Read more on the debate: p6
For more information, see: upsu.net/p/2166
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Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
News
Editors
Lacrosse girls bare all in aid of RAG Charities for the Naked Calendar - OUT NOW!
Photo of the Fortnight
Jacob Leverett Editor pugwashnews@upsu.net
Tom West Comment & Opinion Editor comment@upsu.net
Peter Allsop Design Editor paperdesign@upsu.net
Elke Morice-Atkinson Life & Style Editor lifestyle@upsu.net
William Hobson Head of News news@upsu.net
Tallie Kane Arts & Entertainment Editor artsents@upsu.net
Laura Patricia Copy Editor copyeditor@upsu.net
Ben Endley Sports Editor sportnews@upsu.net
Sub Editors News Henry Tipping
Sports Chris Hewett & Carl Jackson
Life & Style Sarah Beer & Nina Tennant
Design Sophie Abbott
Arts & Entertainment Dominique O’Mahoney & Jack Kane-
photo: Tom Worman
Contributors Felicity Barnes, Sarah Beer, Johnny Bell Caz Bird, Eloise Brodin-Thornhill, Dan Brooks, Kenny Burke, Will Calderara, Nadine Rogers Callan, Matt Calmus, John Cashman, Ben Cataldo, Carol Creasey, Abbey Dixon, Andy Donohoe, Maz Elsahar, Lucy Henry, Amiar Kamal, Katie Leaming, Marty McKinlay, Chris Mineham, Sarah Morcam, Jack Palmer, Rachael Penycate, Gerrick Reyes, Sam Rhode, Ali Roff, Elaine Rollins, Christina Saez Malla, Paul Tilley, Anna Wardell, and Jamie White. With thanks to:
Universities Round Up Mike Cooter, Katy Gavan, Becki Gosling, Kate Hyder, Will Oldham, Clare Ryden, Sian Wait, Tom Worman, and Danni Young In last issue, photos attributed to Andy Donohoe were in fact Laura Callan’s. We apologise for the mistake
Dates for the Diary Victorian Christmas and Festival 28-30 November Historic Dockyard
Market
Juggling - Theory and Practice; Demo & Feature lecture 27th November, 3-4pm Anglesea 2.08
University of Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra and Big Band 29th November, 7.30pm New Theatre Royal. £7
NHS Blood Donation 2nd December, 13:30-15:25/16:3019:15 Guildhall
Love Music Hate Racism Gig; 3rd December, 7.30pm Little Johnny Russel’s
Union Council Meeting 2nd December, 5pm The Union
Epigram (Bristol) Students working for the University of Bristol have been offended by the request that they donate their wages to the University coffers. Despite the fact that they already pay upwards of £3,100 in tuition fees every year, the University has asked them on repeated occasions to donate further money for “urgent priorities around the University”.
Student Direct (Manchester) Two thirds of Manchester students with children are dissatisfied with the amount the University does to help them, according to a poll. Lack of information about their rights (things like childcare and funding) is the main complaint, as is the fact that “Family Friendly” Policies existed for staff, but not students. 140 students in total replied to the survey.
SCAN (Lancaster) Lancaster students have been praised by the Unite Against Fascism Movement, for their “brilliant” turn out and participation in a recent protest march. It coincided with the BNP’s Party Conference, and representatives from the University Labour Cub and and their Student Assembly Against Racism attended in large numbers to voice their opinions.
SU (Oxford Brooks) A petition is circulating at Oxford Brooks currently, opposing the potential rise in tuition fees. The Vice President of Academic Affairs is taking the document around campus personally. This is an issue that Pugwash News has reported on on numerous occasions, and appears to affect students up and down the country.
Varsity (Cambridge) A new cataloguing system at Cambridge Uni Library is set to put an end to established student hearsay and rumours that the tall tower of the building contains a large and extensive porn collection, as claimed in Stephen Fry’s novel “The Liar”. Librarians insist that the tower contains “nothing racy”, and that the new system will prove this once and for all.
bath.ac.uk (University of Bath) Researchers at Bath University, in association with a food and drinks research centre at Campden BRI, are currently trying to develop a new high speed environmentally friendly packaging process that will use recycled material, reduce the amount of packing used, and cut amounts of waste going into landfills. Half a million pounds is being invested in the project, trying to improve the type of packaging used for dry foods such as rice, pasta and crisps, by designing a more efficient way of sealing the packaging.
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Design your own Nike trainers with your name on them It’s not Christmas until you’ve seen this Coca-Cola video
Portsmouth vs AC Milan on Thursday 27th. Find out more on our city’s football team Buy a camel for Christmas and make a real difference to someone’s life Leaking Wiki’s all over the place
P
Another video website, this time featuring the funniest adverts on TV
The Guardians top 10 Christmas gadgets Hollywood’s most-hated website; the queen of all media, Perez, lets loose on celebrities Ever wondered what you would have looked like in the 80’s? Find out here. Random junk, but pretty funny.
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Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
News
Pudsey in Portsmouth! Spammers somehow make a profit, if they make just one sale in every 12.5 million messages sent. Who the heck is still paying attention to “DrUgS aaT L0w pr1CEs!”?
China has welcomed a statement by the UK that “we [the government of the UK] regard Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China.” Some believe this will encourage China to support the UK's international financial plans, while China states it's simply a “recognition of an already existing objective fact.” Earlier this year there were protests held in London and around the world over the Chinese occupation and alleged abuse of the province, which is home to the exiled Dali Lama.
Get ready to throw out your TV; Sky have announced plans for their own version of the BBC iPlayer - though they will want your money before they let you use it. China’s fattest man has lost about half of his original weight (38 stone), thanks to a “strict acupuncture regime” though cutting his meals from 4lbs of rice and meat per sitting probably helped too...
Misshapen vegetables will be back on sale as of next July within the EU, due to over two dozen rules being scrapped by a recent committee decision. Among them will be curvy cucumbers and knobbly carrots, though it remains to be seen whether the big brand supermarkets will change their carefully selected stock for the more natural produce. The move was welcomed by Prince Charles, and it has been suggested that it marks the beginning of a more practical approach to food resources in the EU.
70,000 poppies were placed at the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the First World War. Placed by friends and family members of the fallen soldiers, each one had a personal message attached. The WWI was the bloodiest conflict in History in terms of military deaths, though the WW2 had a larger death toll due to civilian casualties. Though there are few survivors of these conflicts still alive, the British Legion (and Remembrance Day) helps those affected by modern wars as well.
The G20 summit of World leaders met in Washington on the 15th and 16th of November to try and reach an international agreement on the current economic crisis. They want to make sure the situation doesn't get worse, as well as plan for improvements in the world economy. President Bush stated that “This problem did not develop overnight, and it will not be solved overnight”.
Research says people go for good looks over personality when they’re in large groups - not exactly news for anyone who’s ever been clubbing!
Nadine Rogers Callan
Many people may have noticed a lot of yellow bears with one eye and a patch on Friday. They may have been serving you coffee, or perhaps you have passed them in the hallway on the way to lectures in the form of posters. This is because it was Children in Need day on Friday 14th Nov. It would have been hard to miss this, as many establishments promoted the event, even if you managed to miss the dozens of television spots for the charity. St Paul's Gym allowed people to have a go spinning round their “fit poles” for a £1, and gave people the chance to play the game “scratch cards” - where the aim was to find that yellow bear, Pudsey. They rose over £100 and said there was a good turnout of people. But the most impressive and unique event was held by the University of Portsmouth Underwater and Diving Club Slightly ahead of schedule, on the 12th November they held a 24 hour game-a-thon in the Pyramids Centre, during which six people were in the water for hourly shifts playing
Ludo, Snakes & Ladders, Scrabble and Dominos whilst submerged! The organiser, Liz Clarke, said that “Everyone involved had a brilliant time”. The club even appeared on BBC Radio Solent and BBC1, and can also be found on YouTube. They raised about £1000 and are still counting the proceeds; Rory McKenna, an equipment officer, the won a pair of fins for raising the most sponsorship money individually. Meanwhile, in SCAFM's Wiltshire Building, receptionist Jennie Hogg sold a variety of homemade Pudsey inspired cakes and biscuits - gingerbread bears, blueberry muffins and Rocky Road cake - baked by herself and staff members Jennie Holloway and Imogen Geoffrey. They raised around £50 from voluntary donations from passers-by. Via Lattea, the Cafe next to the Union had a fun day dressing up as Pudsey while serving coffee to students and staff. They held a raffle in which the winner won cakes and other savouries. Along with staff from The Waterhole in the Union they also went round with a bucket, collecting money from customers. The Assistant
in Via Lattea did encounter a small problem though - where to get a Pudsey bear from! “It was very difficult; both Woolworths and Argos didn’t sell Children in Need bears, the only place was Asda”. Despite this, Via Lattea still pulled off the day well, with the staff saying they enjoyed dressing up as Pudsey. The University's catering outlets all did something for Pudsey, raising £307.87 between them - Via Lattea managed to net the biggest individual haul at £74.40, followed closely by the Anglesea refectory at £67.00. Rees Halls also hosted an Open Mic night at Langstone. Although only one person performed (Tim from Rees), Karen Murphy (Rees Halls community support officer) said “The event raised about £200 and about 60 - 70 people attended”. A video of his performance is found on YouTube. It seems Portsmouth Students will always spare a little money and time for charity, no matter how strapped for cash they are. See the divers online at tinyurl.com/6qbuuk
An American student was saved from a mugger’s bullet, by her handbag. Who says fashion isn’t practical? A Japanese man has been sleeping rough at Benito Juarez International Airport for three months. He flew in from Tokyo in September with a tourist visa and a return ticket and has never left. A woman from Essex has spent over £40,000 on her Yorkshire Terriers. Among the pups’ pricey presents are an 18-carat gold dog collar (£3000), a £2000 four-poster bed, Italian leather collars, and cheetah-print coats; as well as meals of an £8-apacket luxury food. If only students really did live like dogs, eh? Mexican scientists have done the incredible and turned tequila into synthetic diamonds for industrial use.
News » Societies
People of the planet, show yourselves Henry Tipping
The University of Portsmouth’s People & Planet society urgently needs members. Since many of its members graduated last year, the group has been left with only three members this year to continue the good work. The largest student network in the UK, People & Planet is an organisation designed to get students across the UK actively involved in campaigning to end world poverty, defend human rights and protect the environment. There are campaign groups at 63 of the UK’s colleges and universities, but at Portsmouth the society's future is in question.
A member of P&P UoP division said “the problem is our society relies on people who are interested in the subject; it’s not a sport that you can try or might be interested in, you have to believe in environmental causes, human rights and have a passion for the campaigns.” “It is an accommodating group, which is seeking members who will contribute to active support and raising awareness amongst other students. You don’t have to know about any of it before you join; I knew nothing when I joined, just because one of my best friends was the president.” Last year a society could run on just four members, according to previous sabbatical guidelines, but after a
budget meeting, the Union said they wanted at the absolute least 10 members per society. “They have given us 2 weeks to find these members’ says People and Planet society. So with the possible threat of being axed, the P&P group of three current devotees are in real need of more support. They had a good response at the Freshers’ Fayre at the start of the year, but those who showed interest have not followed it up with commitment. If you are concerned about the environment, or support human rights around the world, or just want to do what students do best and campaign for everything, then get in touch with the group - anyone and any idea is welcome.
The UoP branch was established three years ago by Elle Grey, and works within the student body by running debates, quizzes, colourful demonstrations, boycotts and club nights which all help to voice the opinions of young people on humanitarian and environmental issues. P&P have had many achievements since the main body was established in 1969 to help raise money for overseas aid. Their five year “Treat AIDS Now” campaign saw success this year, persuading the UK government to lead an international commitment to provide treatment for all by 2010 — millions more are now receiving treatment around the world because of this. Before that, in 2007, they contrib-
uted to the Fairtrade Fortnight campaign, coordinating a series of protests at Primark stores across the country. The Portsmouth group got involved in this, as Jess Wheeler describes: “it brought all the societies together, with the Boxing Club providing models and other societies providing entertainment and stalls, all promoting that fashionable ethical clothing is out there, and charity shops do sell decent clothes”. It was an effective campaign which had a lot of support “but most of all it’s about having a bit of fun; this year we had a request to do recyclable clothing which, given the chance, we will do”. UK Website: peopleandplanet.org
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Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
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Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
News
Why do I need to sign in to see the current vacancies? You are asked to sign in for the Job Shop webpages to ensure that only students at Portsmouth University are able to view the full vacancy details.
To register for your login for the Job Shop, you will need to register for your Union or the NUS card - go to upsu.net/registration. After you have completed this, you will then receive confirmation of your registration by email, and then you need to come along to the Union to collect your card. For one more week only, this will be from 10am-2pm in the foyer of the Students' Union.
Current Vacancies Are you Spanish speaking? Wild Recruitment are looking for Spanish speaking customer service agents to work in Portsmouth. You will need to be fluent in Spanish and English and have previous customer service experience and good PC skills. You will be taking incoming calls from customers dealing with all enquiries and also booking theatre tickets. Our client offers full training, along with an hourly rate of £6.92 per hour. For more information see the website. Part time Administrator YMCA Little Whale Nursery (Portsmouth) are looking to recruit a part time Administrator to join their friendly team. For more information see the website. Accounts Assistant Interested in accounts work? Healthy Accounts provide Payroll and Bookkeeping services to small businesses in Hampshire. Healthy Accounts is looking to recruit a part time Accounts Assistant to work in Widley, Portsmouth. For more information, see the website. Healthy Accounts need an Accounts Assistant for approx six hours a week. Hours can be flexible ie mornings or afternoons. The work will involve using Excel Spreadsheets, entering Customers' and Suppliers' invoices onto Sage 50 Accounts and reconciling Bank Accounts. Graduate Recruitment & Placement Fair Wednesday 26th November 11am-3pm.The Guildhall Casual Employment Opportunities. Are you looking for casual employment? Menzies are distributors of National Newspapers and Magazines who need people who can work for us when we need them, by arrangement. The dictates of the business creates the need for us to have a flexibleworkforce. The company is based in Farlington Days - £5.85 and twilight - £6.81.
Agency Workers: Know Your Rights.
Do you know your rights as an Agency Worker? Examples of your rights as an Agency Worker include paid holiday, to be paid the National minimum Wage and to be issued with written terms of employment. For further information about the laws governing employment agencies, please contact the Helpline or visit either of these websites:
direct.gov.uk businesslink.gov.uk/employingopeople
Healthy Living Week just in time? Sarah Morcom
Just before the Union’s latest campaign of “Healthy Living Week” was launched, four Portsmouth University students fainted in their lectures. Five weeks into the first semester, four separate people fainted on four separate occasions, and in each case the cause was identified to be the same; malnutrition. It then seems rather apt that a drive to curb unhealthy habits among students went ahead. Five days of campaigning saw students’ bag free fruit and veg from the Sabb officers, undergo a body MOT and have the chance to go to free yoga and aerobic classes.
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One of my flatmates ate Subway every day
Caz Bird, the Union’s Student Support Sabbatical Officer says: “This is probably the first time a lot of students are away from home and the first time they’ve had a grand in their bank account; I just want people to know they can eat healthily.” She added: “With obesity on the rise, it’s something that had to be done. We had a free fruit giveaway students love free stuff, so this worked really well.” So why are some people finding it so hard to look after themselves? Lack of money, time and interest were some of the suggestions I got after speaking to students. A first year student said: “One of my flatmates ate Subway every day for the first two weeks they arrived here - it can’t be good for you, he’s never been ill though.” She pointed out one problem with student life that you might not have thought of; “Not having enough space to keep fresh food is the hardest problem – we have half a shelf each, so you can’t get much on it. I pay so much money to live in halls and all I get is half a shelf!” “I don’t think it’s the University’s responsibility to tell us about living healthily, to be honest, we should be old and mature enough to know how to look after ourselves.”.
News » Technology
News » Law
Turbine of Trash
Why speed?
A recent graduate of Portsmouth University has built a wind turbine for £20, using only recycled materials. Max Robson, 22, focused his final project in Product Design on constructing the wind turbine, with the intention of the device being used in the developing world. Using the battery of a Ford Fiesta, an old bike frame, wheel bearings and a magneto from a Vespa, the wind turbine is fully functional, the creator claims. “It can be built in less than a day - it’s so simple”. It relies upon wind to power the battery, which in turn converts the energy into electricity, producing an output of 11.3 Watts - enough power to run typical lighting apparatus for 63
hours, or a radio for 30 hours. Robson stresses the importance of the inventions transferable quality to the developing world, saying that “it cost [him] £20 to build the prototype, and in the developing world it would be a lot less. The nearest alternative wind turbine on the market costs £2,000”. He understands that it is not going to change life in the developing world dramatically, but nevertheless it “could make their lives a lot easier”, he says. His father, Ashley Robson, who also studied at Portsmouth University, came up with the idea of a recycled wind turbine originally. But it was his son Max who directed it towards help-
ing the developing world: ‘I wanted to build something worthwhile and I am interested in design being environmentally friendly.’ Max Robson was awarded a First class honours degree from the University and recognises that although he has always been interested in mechanics, it was his father’s enthusiasm that inspired him to carry out the project. His father said he was “delighted his son was following in his footsteps.” It just goes to show how important young innovation is to adapting our new technologies to the world of the future. www.port.ac.uk/news
Just two speeding offences could spell disqualification under new proposals published on the 20th. If the plans go ahead, motorists would lose all 12 points of their license if they broke the speed the limit significantly twice, earning six points for each offence. Examples of “significant” speeds were going 50mph in a30 zone, or 90mph on the motorwaysIt would be part of several changes to the current laws, where motorists are issued a fine and three points for all offences, with a court required for any further action. The stricter measures are one end of a proposed “sliding scale” system for offences, which would place the emphasis on prosecuting the most dangerous drivers.
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Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
Comment & Opinion
The Editor reserves the right to edit and omit contributions. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not of UPSU Media. E-mail to comment@upsu.net I'll try to tell the world about your views!
ID Card comments It would appear that the current British government has a penchant for regulating almost everything, so how students have (mostly) escaped this fate for so long is nothing short of a miracle for many. Here, students who have studied abroad as part of their degree, or have come here from overseas to study, offer their views on plans to "bag and tag" non-EU students by means of biometric ID cards and tighter visa controls. As a languages student here at the University, I meet students of different nationalities every day. They are no different from British students, in that they do the same amount of work, they have the same aims in finishing the courses, they have the same problems with workloads and exam worries. However, the one thing that distinguishes them is that they have to work very hard in order to get here, harder than most British students, and they pay far more in tuition fees. So why should they be subjected to
the indignity of being treated almost like criminals? The ID cards are slowly being introduced for non EU students wishing to enter the UK in order to study. These students are issued with visas which allow them to come to the UK, and in total they bring over £2.5bn to British universities; a huge amount which many universities rely on each year. Now, with these new measures, more pressure is being placed on universities in Britain to regulate their students, which doesn’t seem right to me. If tightening immigration is the aim of the introduction of ID cards, why are the universities given the job of regulating students? Why is this not the responsibility of the immigration authorities? I can understand the reasoning behind the ID cards; only a year ago the media reported a huge amount of "missing" students who had applied for student visas purely to enter the country. 3,064 of these have come from Portsmouth University alone since 2004. However, the
suggestion of institution-specific visas – a process which seems much less accusatory – has been shelved it seems, and the ID cards have been implemented in its place. Having said this, I am not completely against the idea of ID cards. Used in the correct way, especially once they have been introduced to the whole nation, they could be helpful with immigration problems, security issues and more personal problems such as identity theft, for example. However, the government seems to be going about it the wrong way – ID cards would be used more for surveillance than security issues, and adds to the feeling of a “Big Brother” government watching every move. Even the fingerprinting issue itself is not such a problem; fingerprints are used for passport applications in other countries. However, the use of such personal data, both from international students and from British citizens once the ID cards are introduced in full, is a worry for many people. Having spo-
ken to friends and family, the ID card seems to be an unpopular, frightening prospect. In my opinion, ID cards are not necessary – they are an extra expense, trying to plaster over a problem which could be solved by addressing the faults in the government. As for international students, if there is such a problem with false applications for visas, maybe these should be regulated more carefully. International students should have the same rights as any student in Britain; the problems seem to lie in the immigration rules and regulations. Felicity Barnes (Ex-Erasmus student [2007/2008]) So, non-European students who make the conscious choice to pursue their education in the UK contribute £2.5bn each year in tuition fees. What do they get in return? An education? Perhaps. But now, they’ll also be treated as criminals. A least that’s what it feels like to
me. Fingerprinting relates more to being arrested and the tightening up of visa legislation, or the control of illegal immigration than overseas students, if you ask me. Why should they be treated like this simply for not belonging to a country from that “club” known as the European Union? I think it’s disgusting. These people leave behind their friends, families and countries to come here from such places as China and India and are labelled as the “foreign students” – that is, until they use their degree to make something of themselves, in which case they’ll no doubt be “the student that went to the University of (wherever)”, and any trace of this humiliating process will be long forgotten. One last thought – how much is this stupid process going to cost? Probably a lot, which will no doubt have to be paid by – guess who – the very same people who are going to feel humiliated by it. Cristina Sáez Malla
I would just like to put you right on a few things regarding Gareth Gates, who some of you obviously know absolutely nothing about. He was the very first Pop Idol from a reality show and was never off the TV or out of the media for two whole years. He was idolised by millions and it was somewhat like Beatlemania all over again. Contrary to popular belief, he has disappeared into the ether, but has had and is still having a very successful career and also has a very large fan base. He won world fame after Pop Idol and acquired fans all over the world during his tour, becoming the most successful artist ever in Asia. He was filling arenas up and down the country whilst Will Young was only doing small theatre venues. He has also brought out three successful albums; the last and best only entered the charts at number 14, an amazing feat after virtually no airplay for his songs due to the prejudice of Gareth being a reality star. He has had about four or five number one singles and seven in the top five. Yes, he did go away for a rest after two years of hardly ever having any free time, but was away longer
than expected due to being dropped rather famously by Simon Cowell, the man who also once dropped Kylie Minogue. While he was away he wrote lots of songs and also not only got his own stammer under control but qualified as a Speech Coach for the McQuire programme. Then came his third album "Pictures of the Other Side". Since then he has appeared very successfully at Hyde Park Calling and Manchester Pride, where he went down a storm (and I should know as I was there). He also had a very successful run on the TV show Dancing on Ice, and then the Dancing on Ice tour round the country, and also made his debut on the West End Stage in a preview of the Styles and Drew production of Soho Cinders, proving yet again how versatile he is. He will soon be appearing in a pantomime along with an all star cast at The New Wimbledon Theatre, as Charming in Cinderella. All this and he even found time to get married this year to his long term girlfriend, and will become a father in April next year. Not bad for someone who, according to some, stammered himself off the face of the earth, eh? Elaine Rollins
Gushing to the defence of Gates A little controversy was whipped up when we discussed whether music had lost its X factor due to TV contests in issue 18; a couple of readers felt compelled to write in, offering their points of view on the subject, leaping up in defence of their favourite star... Firstly, I would like to say that there is nothing charismatic about Will Young and that his time is nearly up, as the sales of his recent single and album have proved. This is simply because the man is a diva, and in my opinion so up himself that he thinks he doesn't need his fans. I believe that his music has been totally banned from Radio 1 because of his attitude, something for which he has only himself to blame. As for Michelle McManus; she's set up her own recording company - good on her! Now for Gareth Gates. Although he was the runner up on Pop Idol, he has had more overseas success than Will Young, who has never ventured out of the UK to sing. He is a multi-platinum selling artist and the youngest male singer since Frank Ifield to have four consecutive number ones in a twelve
month period. He is also the youngest male artist to have a number one, ever. He has won numerous awards, far too many to mention here, the most notable being that he was the only male singer to achieve Record of the Year in 2002. He has a huge fan base and has been extremely busy this past year. He took part in Dancing on Ice, proving that he is more than capable of captivating a crowd, and when that finished, he went on the tour, helping to swell the audiences even more. In July he took part in a charity golf event in the Algarve and he also was the headline act in Stiles And Drew's Soho Cinders. He brought the house down, and if you read your papers you would have seen the amazing write-ups and admission of his talent by journalists. Then, in September, he took part in Soccer Aid, passing the ball to Alan Shearer to enable him to score one of England's winning goals. On the 5th December Gareth will be starring as Prince Charming in Cinderella at Wimbledon Theatre, with Joanna Page, and Alistair McGowan. This is an amazing achievement, because even though he still has a stammer, he passed the audition and won the part against many other
contenders. Now I go on to the achievement that Gareth values more highly than any of his fame. He has raised awareness of stammering problems, by showing people that even with a stammer, you can achieve your dreams. He had the guts to stand up and sing on stage in front of the nation, knowing that some cruel people would taunt him, just as many of you have. But he has more courage than any of you. He faced up to his difficulties, enrolled on the McGuire course to try and master his stammer, and has helped many other people to do the same. People's spiteful comments will not affect him, as it's something he has had to put up with all his life. He's simply taken it in his stride and look what he has achieved! If he retired from the business tomorrow he'll have made enough money to be set up for the rest of his life. However, as he carries on showing us just how talented he is, you can rest assured that Gareth will be around for a long time! Just think, this is all because he was on Pop Idol. I've met him on many occasions, so I know what I'm talking about! Carol Creasey
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Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
Life & Style
Surviving the credit crunch
Life & Style Guide to… Bicycle Safety Elke Morice-Atkinson
Portsmouth City Council says that as a compact, generally flat city, Portsmouth is ideally suited to cycling. Cycling levels are higher in Portsmouth than in many other cities in the United Kingdom. It’s not us heating up the planet! Good on ya’ Portsmouth...read on for our guide to bicycle safety. Protect your brain: wear a helmet! While it isn’t against the law to ride without a helmet, it is a stupid idea to put your bum on the saddle without a helmet on your head. But you may as well wear a beer carton on your head if you are wearing a poorly fitting helmet. Your brain starts low on your forehead - if you did the "lo-ser" sign to someone, the place where you naturally put your thumb is where your helmet should sit, just above your eyebrows. Girls, helmet hair is a problem, but so is being in a vegetative state after your forehead hits the kerb. Wouldn’t you rather have helmet hair than undergo rehabilitation so you can speak again? Pack a hairbrush and a hair tie
in your bag – helmet hair will be no more. When onr your bike, remember you're less visible than you think. Wear light coloured clothing or reflector strips (even in the day time). You are not visible to a car driver if you are wearing dark clothing and cycling on a dark night, or even a grey day. Make sure drivers can see you. If they don’t see you, they assume you’re not there. Fluorescent yellow isn’t everyone’s colour, but it should be if you are riding your bike. It's imortant to be seen and heard. Lights, lights, lights! Bells, bells, bells! Don’t even think of riding your bike without lights (or a bell); the bigger the better. You don’t need to spend loads of cash to get a set of lights. Go to Argos in Commercial Road and buy some (if you don’t own any) as soon as you finish this article. They may just save your life. Light your bike up like a beacon. Your bike should be visible from space. Get helmet lights, jacket lights and wheel reflectors. Just remember, if the police see you without lights at night, they will make you get off your bike and walk it home.
While you’re walking, you can think about how to pay the £30 fixed penalty notice they issued you with (it does happen!) Remember the other cycling laws too. Think of your bike as a car. The Road Traffic Act 1988 lists all sorts of things that you are not allowed to do on your bicycle. You cannot ride on footpaths, unless they are marked as part of a cycle track, or carry more than one person on your bike without proper equipment to do so. You shouldn't ride your bike recklessly, or without due care and attention, or consideration for the other persons using the road. It is best not to race your bike with a mate's, and you must never ever ride your bike under the influence of drink or drugs. Riding a bike can be a fun and fast way to get around Portsmouth, but do it carefully. Wear a helmet, get lights, wear bright clothing and reflector strips and keep it legal. No more popping wheelies on the footpath. The choice is yours, but if you do nothing else, wear a helmet. If something terrible happens at least it gives you a fighting chance.
It was three am when my phone rang, and I thought, why is my phone ringing and why am I answering it? “Hello?” I mumbled. Nothing. “Hello?” Through my bleary eyes I could just make out my friend's name on the screen. He’d gone out for with some mates for a social and was now calling me, at three am, drunk. “Can I come over? I’ve fallen off my bike, I’m bleeding. I’ve hit my head, I don’t know where I am,” were the first words I heard. I asked him where he was for clarity, he said he really didn’t know. “Talbot
We all know that now is the time to tighten our purse strings a little bit, but what does this actually mean for the average student? And how can you get help if you need it? The credit crunch is affecting us all, especially the first time students who have never had to be financially independent before. The ones who think that a student loan is enough to get you wrecked for a semester until the next instalment comes into the bank, and that interest free overdraft is for an extra large doner kebab with peppers and cheesy chips after a late night drinking sesh or whatever else your vice is . We’ve all been there! Say you drink eight pints or alcopops a night. At an average of around £3 a drink, that adds up to £24. Add in a few £1 shots, entrance fees and food for the way home, a night out can easily cost around £40, just for the average drinker. But that £40 could be a week’s rent, or over two week’s worth of food. Now, I’m not saying students
shouldn’t drink, because we all know that’s not going to happen! What I am saying is, think about what you’re spending. Write down every single thing you buy for a week or two. That’s drinks, a pack of chewing gum, a magazine, groceries, everything. That way you’ll get to see exactly how much you spend a week, and what on. If you’re having trouble with budgeting, why not contact The Money Doctors on the 2nd floor of the Nuffield Centre? They can help you manage your money more easily, so you have more left to spend on the things you want. I’m starting to sound like a self help book now, so I’ll stop, but really think about how much you’re spending each week. Next time you hand over that fiver for an extra large cappuccino with cream, a flake and a shot of caramel, think whether you really need it. You don’t want to end up broke before the year is out. Uni is for going a bit crazy and having fun - you don’t want to be spending your second semester sitting at home eating value bread. You have been warned!
Love lost... or not? Sarah Beer
photo: tico_bassie at flickr.com
Bicycle Accident Elke Morice-Atkinson
Sarah Beer
Road maybe?” Then his phone went dead. I tried to call him back, but I got voicemail. Knowing he was out at three am, bleeding and with a head injury, and I would never know if he got home safe, I panicked. I called the police (not 999, the other number) and told them a friend of mine had fallen off his bike and was now disorientated and asked if they could go and look for him. Because I’d mentioned the words "bike accident", "blood", "disorientated" and "possible head injury", they sent an ambulance too. About an hour later I got another phone call. “Hello, this is Hampshire Constabulary. We’ve found your
friend. He managed to get home after a fall off his bike. He’s taken a good knock to the head and the paramedics have had a look, he’s alright.” Phew. The next morning we took him up to the hospital, where he had his lip glued back together, his grazes cleaned up and was given a pamphlet about head injuries. Do you know what the first question they asked him was? “Were you wearing a helmet?” He said no. They said the injuries would never have been that bad, had he been wearing one. So I know everyone thinks they're geeky, but just wear one.
Relationships; never easy, but during university they can be especially hard. A lot of people have come to uni still having a long term partner either back at home, or at a different university. Many people get through their three or so years having a long distance relationship and it works fine, but many more fail. With uni comes a lot of new experiences. For most students, it will be the first time they have lived away from home - the first glimpse of adult life. I started uni last year with a boyfriend. We’d only been together a few months before I left, but I knew he was worth staying with. Our sisters were best friends so we’d known about each other for a while. We’d take it in turns visiting each other on alternate weekends, and spent almost every day together over Christmas. At New Year I met his extended family. But in February, things just went downhill. He was working full time up in London
and had a lot of pressure on him to do well, while I was having the time of my life at uni without a worry in the world! In the end, the immense differences between our two new lives drew us apart and we broke up, which actually did turn out for the best. Some couples can’t stand the changes and break up, but others stay together through it all. However, many of these cases can end up with heartbreak as one or both of the people will begin to look elsewhere. Uni is a very different lifestyle, and with all the pressure to go wild and party every night, it’s inevitable that these things happen. But the strongest relationships withstand all these pressures. Separation only seems to make them stronger, and I admire those people. I’m a great believer in fate, and if it’s meant to work out then it will. Uni changes people, and with the winter blues kicking in at this time of year, we are bound to re-evaluate our situation. But whatever happens, we need to make the most out of our time in Portsmouth. You only live once!
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Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
Life & Style
Surf Club go Southwest
P
revious trips for the University of Portsmouth Surf Club have involved a minibus and a very full car or two. This time, however, a 60-seat coach was needed to accommodate all the new members, plus a transit van to carry all the boards. The Surf Club has expanded, and this certainly showed on their trip to Newquay two weekends ago. The size of this trip was such that President Jim Legge decided that a photographer was needed to document the weekend’s activities, which is how I ended up in a van, driving southwest at six o’clock on a Friday night. Surfing is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK, with over 2.5 million surfers nationwide. There is now more media coverage than ever before, with more money being ploughed into the sport. One of the best examples of this is the Newquay Boardmasters competition, which is a now a full blown three day surf and music festival held at the world famous Fistral beach. The Surf Club is the second largest extreme sports club at Portsmouth, with 130 members. They send an A team to various competitions across the country, with the nationals being held in Newquay every year. They also run trips away throughout the year, and have a big emphasis on getting everyone involved, both in the water and socially. This “get involved” attitude is something I saw a lot of in Newquay, meaning a good weekend was had by everyone that I had the time to meet! This was the biggest surf club trip ever, with 60 people in a party mood arriving at Belushis surf hostel, located right on the cliff top above Towan beach, in the centre of Newquay. Following a great night at Koola Bar, it was an early start. The learners went to their lessons and the rest of the guys got straight in the water. I chose to shoot the learners for bit to let the others warm up, which meant I was on the beach when one of them, Andy, came out of the water in a lot of pain, holding his dangling arm, which had been dislocated at the shoulder
on his first wave! Not a good start. Undeterred, the other learners went straight in, and I got some great shots of them learning to balance and catch waves. Towan is a great place for learners and experienced surfers alike, due to it being sheltered from the strong south-westerly winds by Towan Head, which is the headland next to Fistral. It is a beach break, which means quite simply that it breaks directly onto the beach, with the swell wrapping round the headland into Newquay bay. After lunch, some of the more experienced surfers decided to head a bit further north into the bay, to surf Tolcarn beach, which is popular with skimboarders, bodyboarders and surfers alike, due to its naturally punchy wave and high tide shore break. After another great night, partying in a few different locations around Newquay, the learners were up and ready for their second lesson of the weekend on Sunday morning. Building on skills learnt the day before, by the end of the lesson everyone had managed to stand up, which was testament to the high level of coaching from the Escape surf school. With the swell bigger than Saturday, it was a low tide session for the more experienced riders, enabling me to get some good action shots from Belushis’ cliff top patio. A few hectic hours later, and everyone was on the bus ready for the 5 hour journey home. I had an excellent weekend with the Surf club; very welcoming people and attitudes, and two really good nights out, getting fully involved! Thanks to Jim for inviting me along, and I promise I will get in the water next time! The Surf club would like to thank the Belushis’ team, and the Escape surf school.
Jim Legge.
Article and photos - Andy Donohoe For more information on the Surf Club, and their upcoming events, visit: uuopsc.com
Fistral Head, looking west out to the Atlantic.
Ella Duran
Learning to surf with an amazing backdrop, and glorious early morning light.
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Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
Life & Style
Nightlife!
The view from Belushi’s Hostel.
Jamie Gatley
Towan beach at low tide, 9 o’clock on Saturday morning
The satisfaction of catching your first wave.
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Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
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Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
Life & Style
Life and Style Reviews...
Giving to charity’s no loan, is it?
Kitsch ‘n’ Dor
Elke Morice-Atkinson
Eldon Street
5/5
William Hobson
This tiny French bistro is just off Middle Street, a little ways past the Eldon building (and the pub of a similar name). At first glance it just looks like a pub, but take one look at the menu outside and you'll probably be pulled right in by the offer: a fiver for a two course meal between 11am and 3pm. Bargain! And trust me, once you've eaten here you'll never look at a Spoon's beer and burger again. You have the option of a main and a starter or a main and a dessert, and though both are tempting, I recommend you save your sweet tooth and sample what's on offer from the grown-up section of the menu, because frankly, it's lush. Each day the menu changes, with a range of delicious food on offer. I was lucky enough to have my parents down for two days in a row, so I had an excuse to try it out in quick succession. On the first day sweet, sweet French onion soup started me off and was followed by Provencal lamb stew - a rich and tasty
Persian Palace Albert Road 0/5 William Hobson
The new middle-eastern restaurant at the end of Albert Road looked so promising; it stood out from the dozens of Chinese takeaways and seemed to offer something different from the few fairly identical Indian resturants dotted around Portsmouth. Unfortunately, it’s possibly the worst takeaway I have been to in my time on this little isle I call home – and as we waited half an hour for the food, I cannot imagine the restaurant being any better. I purchased the stuffed vine leaves starter and the mixed kebab meat
dish served with wonderfully crisp roast spuds and fresh salad - and my parents’ choices both met the same excellent standard. Dad had a frankly superb steak and Mum went for a more pedestrian but still superb chicken in herb sauce. On the second day, it was Venison in red wine sauce for me and Dad (amassive portion of steak, though the boiled spuds didn't quite do the same treat as the roast ones), and two ridiculously large Toulouse sausages in sweet onion sauce pour ma mere; added to the fine Charcuterie to start (a selection of cold meats and salad) it was extremely classy. To sum the place up effectively, I'd have to say cosy and classy, with extremely friendly staff, and superb food for an absolute bargain price. Just so I'm not falling into a habit of nothing but overwhelmingly positivity, I have to offer a little criticism; there's no beer on draught (though there will be soon), and on the second day the small set-up struggled to meet the needs of the busy tables. But they handled it well, and it's one place you should never feel bad about politely mentioning a mistake - they'll deal with it as they rush around, and with a friendly smile too. Gourmet food at its finest, and it's most economic, though it is the kind of place you need someone with you or you'll look a bit dodgy...
You’d buy your mate a drink if they had no cash, on the proviso that they’d do the same, right? You’d go down the shops if your housemate made an urgent toilet paper request, wouldn’t you? So how come we as students sometimes don't fancy donating to charity? We don’t want to know the charity collectors we meet in Commercial Road. (Except the hot ones; maybe we might be interested in saving the whales, if it involves a phone number and a drink down at Gunwharf next Friday night.) We come back to uni after summer, our pockets stuffed with hard-earned cash and our student loans, yet when someone asks for three quid a month to sponsor a child, dog, cat, clean water source, whale, forest or whatever, we just continue on to Primark instead. The Charities Commission, the official regulator of charities for England and Wales stated that at the end of March this year, 190, 387 charities were on their register. You may have met perhaps three or four of these, depending on how often you cruise down Commercial Road. But what do you really know about them? I asked a charity worker who approached me once if they had a website so I could research them later, he said no. I asked if I could have a pamphlet instead, he said no – and so did I. I would not sign up for something I hadn’t at least searched for it on the internet first. Maybe that’s the problem; we just don’t want to donate. You probably wouldn’t give your coursemate that three quid if you knew they’d never ever pay it back. Cue the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website – Kiva. I heard about Kiva thanks to my Mum, and Bill Clinton. He described Kiva as a website through which two young people (the creators are Matt and Jessica Flannery) decided to make it possible for people of modest means to become micro-credit bankers to the world. Kiva lets anyone lend money to the working poor. But we are the studying poor... Yes we might be, but here’s the difference: according to the Make Poverty History campaign, millions of people are stuck in the trade trap. No matter how hard they work they earn less every year –
(charcoal lamb and chicken) and saffron rice for the main, costing me about £14. Which was pretty steep, but I was intrigued by the menu and the venue. Unfortunately it was absolutely unwarranted; the rice was hardly "saffron", just a splash of yellow on the substandard takeaway norm. The vine leaves were pallid, bland and, though you got five portions for your money, they were tiny. The worst part, however, was the main – three bits of chicken, one bit of lamb, all of it lukewarm and barely spiced at all – and with no salad beyond two tomatoes, there was nothing to make up for it. In short, it’s vastly overpriced for the size of your portion, extremely unimpressive flavour-wise, and definitely not worth your time. Try the Turkish place up the road if you’re after a more authentic and satisfying meal, for pretty much the same price.
Life & Style » Columns
half the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day. That’s about £1 – the cost of entry into the Union if you decided to pop down in the lateset fancy dress theme. After Mum commented on my new jeans (skinny, £29.99, H&M) she whipped out her laptop, showed me the website and the two entrepreneurs she’d lent to already. The Kiva website was a bit like what would happen if Facebook and eBay had a secret lovechild that did a whole lot more than poke and sell BNWOT Warehouse skirts. Soon enough one entrepreneur caught my attention – Hortencia Diaz from Honduras, who was trying to grow her business selling hygiene products to women to provide for her family. All she asked for was $275. I clicked LEND NOW and lent her the final $25 she needed to reach this amount. Her status changed to "raised" and I was whisked away to PayPal to hand over the cash. A few weeks later I got an e-mail from Kiva telling me that the money had been given to Hortencia and soon I would get an update on how her business was doing. A little while after that I received another e-mail that Hortencia had written herself, telling me that the money I contributed had helped her business grow a little and how thankful she was. Soon enough the loan period was up and another e-mail arrived telling me I had gained some Kiva credit I could lend to another entrepreneur. The cycle was complete; Hortencia grew her business and I got my £12 back. I almost withdrew the money, thankful that Hortencia hadn’t defaulted on her loan (that’s the bad thing about Kiva, the loans aren’t guaranteed), but instead I lent the money to Mustafa Kargbo from Sierra Leone. A few months later, after getting it back, I lent it out again to Mariela Altamirano De La Cru from Peru. My £12 went around the world three times and actually helped people. I'm so glad I took the chance and made a difference. You had better buy your mate a drink if they had no cash, on the proviso that they’d do the same, right? You’d go down the shops if your housemate made an urgent toilet paper request, wouldn’t you? You’d lend £12 to Hortencia Diaz from Honduras if she asked you, right?
Life & Style » Recipe
Englishman in France - Winter Time Thai-style tuna burgers Johnny Bell
First of all, I would just like to apologise for the lack of news from France in recent weeks; it’s due to a number of reasons, including bad communication, but mainly because I’ve been trying to study for upcoming exams. However that’s going fine now, so I have no real reason to not write my column. What have I been doing, I hear you ask? A couple of weeks ago we had a half term, and rather than exploring new parts of France I decided to come home to Pompey. The highlights included seeing Frank Turner at the Wedgewood rooms, going to the MIG
Soc Halloween Ball and playing at the first School of Rock acoustic night of the year. Since returning from Portsmouth, things have started to get a little more serious - exams have started and people are getting more into work mode. But I'm still managing to find time for the odd party here and there though. The weather has been less than impressive: there’s only been one day of sunshine since I’ve come back and that was over two weeks ago! I shouldn’t complain though. I embraced the rain when playing football with the international students last week. It felt good to run and slide and tackle in the mud. Tuesday 11th of November, as we
all know, was Remembrance Day. I was intrigued to see how the French remembered their dead. Strangely, almost identically to us it seems, except it's another excuse to close everything, even university! So, my English compatriots et moi decided to mark the day by doing something typically French - we cooked a roast dinner. It was rather splendid. So that’s what I have been doing recently. Who knows what the next few weeks have in store for me on my adventures in France... Revising for exams probably - merde. Find Johnny’s previous columns at upsu.net/news/pugwashnews, or email him on johnny.bell@upsu.net
This cheap and easy light burger will help boost your omega 3 levels, and taste like it’s from a greasy spoon (because it's so tasty), but without the calories…go on give it a try! You will need; small tin of tuna in brine, 2 pitta breads, 1 egg, 1 lime, 1 tsp chopped chilli, 1 tsp of ginger, a fistful of mixed salad leaves, mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce, a dusting of flour and a shot of olive oil. Squeeze out as much brine as possible from the tinned tuna and place into a bowl. Zest the lime into the bowl with finely chopped chilli and ginger.
Crack in the egg and mix it up. Pack and shape into 4 burgers.
Dust with flour and fry in oil in a pan till crisp, golden and hot right through.
Warm the pitta breads in a toaster, cut into halves and open pockets.
Spread mayo, chuck in salad leaves, slot in a burger and top it off with chilli sauce. Serves 2 £0.80 per portion 5 mins prep, 5 mins cooking
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Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
Arts & Entertainment
Singles Tallulah Rendall - Lay Me Down
Albums 3.5/5
There’s a touch of Kate Bush in Tallulah Rendall’s latest release, Lay Me Down. Her acoustic single is sinister, strangely soothing, yet awesomely addictive. The instant impression this British singer offers through her record is that she easily could captivate a large audience live on stage, though probably only as a support artist right now. Not to suggest that she couldn’t headline, one day; this track, though, wouldn’t have the mob screaming at the top of their lungs during Glastonbury weekend. Then again, Rendall never promises us anthemic rock ballads, even if the opening riff here almost evokes Muse at their mellowest. Although winding piano and violin accompaniments create a spooky resonance, the song never really builds, which is great shame. To make it big, Rendall needs groupies to go with her obvious talent. At £5 each, I’d suggest her upcoming series of small London gigs are well worth a punt. Matt Calmus
DORP - London Out There
After four full-length alums and a series of EPs, UK-based alternative rock band DORP hit our shops with the single London Out There. Why should you care? Well, probably because it will grab you by the ears and compel you to enter the wonderland where techno fusses with funky rock. This three-minute standard carries itself frantically, fizzing and bleeping away through the speakers like there’s no tomorrow. The three-piece hint at obvious frustrations behind being an underground act in a very vibrant city. They also offer an equally memorable B-side called Extreme, written by guitarist Keith Floyd. The A-side is perhaps the most relevant musical exposé of another aspect to the world’s busiest capital since Lilly Allen sang about city life in 2006. Meanwhile, the flipside track confronts an oft-acknowledged hypocrisy surrounding the American Dream. Potentially heavy stuff. It’ll speak to students, though, since it speaks to me. Give it a spin. Matt Calmus
4/5
XL In a change of direction for Adele, this reworking of a Bob Dylan classic has much more of a reminiscent feel than her previous singles. Performed entirely to a piano alone, it has a much more classic, mature feel to it. She has created the perfect cover, by making the song her own, rather than sounding like a failed X Factor contestant. Her vocals are soulful and haunting, creating a very different tone to her previous singles and a beautifully simple song. The problem that this song has is that it is instantly forgettable. The song has been so stripped back to basics that it lacks the charm that makes a song memorable. Though impressive in terms of musicality, it doesn’t have the energy and catchiness that make Adele such a successful artist. Abbey Dixon
3/5
Guns ‘n’ Roses - Chinese Democracy
Rating:
Katie Learning Looking at the cover - a woman gazing thoughtfully up from under neon orange eyelashes, it’s hard to know what to expect. 45 minutes later I realise I’ve been sitting spellbound by the intriguingly spine tingling vocals of this Irish singer/songwriter. Sitting somewhere between Bjork and KT Tunstall, out on an enchantingly understated
little island with the likes of Imogen Heap, the strong, melodic and slightly experimental acoustics combine with Scott’s distinctively haunting voice to create songs that are melancholy, emotional and upbeat all at once. A little Wikipedia research reveals this is the second album from the lady twice nominated for Best Female by the Irish Meteor Awards. Released by her own independent record label, it’s a breath of fresh air for the indie scene - a lifebelt in the sea of overrated indie-pop currently drowning the charts. Every track is uniquely beautiful but Mountain and new single Imelda stand out above all, with uplifting choruses and electro beats thrown into the mix. The intelligent, emotional lyrics are almost
insignificant – Scott’s sultry, ethereal voice could sing you a shopping list and still have you captivated.
their songs better. Admittedly, lovers of the old Keane will find the title track, along with tracks such as You Don’t See Me and Love Is the End, a welcome return to the piano/vocal norm, but in order to find these you must wade through a synth-heavy sea of robotic noises. Without a hope of making it to electro, songs like The Lovers are Losing, Better Than This and Pretend That You’re Alone sink instead into the genre of badly re-made 80’s pop, with possible influences from Bowie or the Pet Shop Boys doing them no favours. One saving grace of their new found synthesizer addiction is that the often preachy lyrics are occasionally drowned out of recognition. Undoubtedly this is a band with a huge fan base but I’m sure even
the most diehard fans will struggle to explain the random French lines that pop unexpectedly into Black Burning Heart. It’s just plain bizarre.
attention from the start; Deerhunter have synthesized their post punk and shoegaze influences to create a soaring, intelligent record which left me seeking artists of similar genre. It is for the most part euphoric; ambient sounding guitars make up the backbone of the songs, permeated by Bradford Cox’s soothing yet eerie singing. The beginning track, Cover Me, sets the tone for the album, immediately throwing the listener into its immersive atmosphere. This prevails until the middle tracks, where a lull into melancholy tones occurs; the contrast created by this new quieter sound is used to great effect in the truly haunting Activa. Soon after they return to form with livelier songs which are the best yet, ending with the ambient yet abrasive finale of Twilight at Carbon Lake, a great send-off that fades into tastefully shortened noise.
The vague lyrics resemble a stream of consciousness, with occasional catchiness and repeated phrasing that serves to enhance the immersive effect of the record. Deerhunter’s Microcastle is an album to turn up loud and enshroud yourself in.
4/5
Caned and Able
Adele - Make You Feel My Love
Ann Scott – We’re Smiling
3/5
Geffen After thirteen years of anticipation, the first taste of Axl Roses’ perfectionist personality has been shown to the world, and the album’s title track does not disappoint.When the first chord is played, the mood for the track is set, fast, mean and undeniably Guns ‘n’ Roses. With impressive ability, Axl has managed to keep the elements that made the original Guns ‘n’ Roses so attractive; catchy choruses and impressive solos.However, the song does not stand out on its own as anything fantastic. It does not really break the ice for the modern music scene like Appetite for Destruction did back in 1987.It may have been a long while in the making, and yes, it is a good effort on Axl’s thirteen years labour, but it doesn’t have the ability to make itself an instant classic unlike Sweet Child O’ Mine or Welcome To The Jungle. 4/5 Chris Mineham
Pure FM Show of the Fortnight: Joe Vs. Nick
Keane – Symmetry
Perfect
Rating:
Katie Learning Two years after the release of Under The Iron Sea, the piano pop/rock trio are back with a slightly more adventurous, if no more appealing, third album. While it is encouraging to see the Sussex boys try their hand at instruments other than the piano, they now seem to be suffering under the illusion that adding as many other sounds as possible will make
Deerhunter – Microcastle Rating: Ben Cataldo
If you haven’t yet heard Deerhunter, you are excused; as under the British independent label 4AD, their third album, Microcastle, is the first to be released this side of the Atlantic. Don’t hesitate to check them out though as we’re clearly in for a treat. Hailing from Atlanta, Deerhunter occupy the lighter side of the rock spectrum, bringing a wave of refreshing ingenuity to an increasingly stagnant “indie” rock scene. This album certainly demanded my
Arts and Ents Stereo
Here at Arts & Ent’s HQ, we got bored of Internet generated charts, so we decided to put a playlist together of our own. We asked our contributors to give us the track they are listening to most this fortnight, so we can share it with you; get listening! Nickleback - Gotta be Somebody (Matt Calmus) The Dead Kennedys - Holiday In Cambodia (Chris Mineham) Antony and the Johnsons - Cripple and the Starfish (Tallie Kane) Iggy and the Stooges - Some Weird Sin (Will Oldham)
Thursday 12pm- 2pm
Fake Blood - Mars (Jack Kane)
Blurring the line between banter and bickering, Joe Malone and Nick Akass, in their third year with PureFM, play listener requests and some their own eclectic tastes whilst previewing new releases and discussing the latest music news. Plus week by week challenges to help decide who is best, Joe or Nick. Audience participation is more than encouraged, so listen in and get involved.
Alesha Dixon - The Boy Does Nothing (Katie Learning) Britney Spears - Womanizer (Abbey Dixon) Explosions In The Sky - First Breath After Coma (Ben Cataldo) Snow Patrol - Crack The Shutters (Anna Wardell) Slipknot - Gematria (Gerrick Reyes)
13
Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
Arts & Entertainment
Gigs Laura Marling Wedgewood Rooms Rating: Jack Palmer
I’ve come to that point in my life now where incredibly talented people of a similar age are bursting onto their respective scenes and are being hailed as the new saviours of British pride. Personally, I’ve got mixed feelings about it. My spiteful side resents their virtuosity, but my more usual thankful side reveres these people for their gifts. Theo Walcott has done it with football, promptly awarding him with the weight of a nation’s admiration and anticipation. Laura Marling, as ridiculous as it may sound, has done the same for folk music. Hardly the most fashionable music genre of recent years, especially with
Film the young and the hip, yet they have turned out in their numbers tonight and are accountable for the “sold out” sign by her name in the box office. She has them in the palm of her hand. From the moment she comes out, armed with just a guitar and her heartbroken, feather-soft voice, she is enchanting. She floats through songs from her Mercury-nominated debut album, “Alas I Cannot Swim”. Ghosts and Cross Your Fingers are obvious audience favourites, but the most touching moments come when it’s just Laura, her guitar, and her portentous and beautiful aura; moments like Shine and Your Only Doll. It ends way too soon – after just an hour in fact. But she’s already won the audience over, and I’m sure she will deliver her promise. I’m sure it takes a very strong person with great maturity and a quiet, unassuming wit to carry the hope of a nation. Laura Marling showed tonight that she will do it for British folk music. If only she had showed it for longer.
Quantum of Solace Rating: Abbey Dixon
Quantum of Solace is a very apt title for the latest Bond film to hit the cinema, as it hardly leaves you feeling positive. The plot is a simple idea, which is complicated by a production which seems to want to use as many special effects as possible, despite compromising the overall impact of the film. The villain lacks any kind of menace, meaning that you never re-
High School Musical 3 Rating: Anna Wardell
High School Musical is a franchise which divides opinion. Predictably cheesy, it’s definitely not for everyone. However, for what it’s worth, I thoroughly enjoyed the third outing. Making a smooth transition to the big screen, High School Musical 3 deals with the graduation year of the Wildcats, and the predicament that
Burn After Reading Rating: Laura Marling at the Wedgewood Rooms
photo: alterna2 on flikr
Comedy Russell Howard Portsmouth Guildhall Rating: Sam Rohde
You thought he was funny on Mock the Week – just wait until you see him live. Currently on his biggest ever tour, Russell Howard seems to be putting himself on the map, and the man really does deserve it. It’s hard to believe Howard is 28 sometimes; the baby-faced comedian bounces his way to the microphone like a hyperactive school kid. Straight into the set, Howard’s childish humour is demonstrated throughout and he evidently thrives on seeking hilarity in everyday situations. Like an overactive youngster, his enthusiastic delivery is razor sharp, barely finishing a re-creation of one of his crazy experiences before another one itches at his brain. His conversational rollercoaster of experiences seem almost completely unrehearsed, almost like he’s just turned up in Portsmouth and been told to talk to an awaiting audience. And, talking of Portsmouth, the Bristol born Blondie has plenty to say on what he makes of Portsmouth so far; not all is positive but the banter
is warmly received. He even briefly humours the student lifestyle: “you think it’s going to be all sex, drugs and rock but it’s more like...who took my milk?” Much of Howard’s set tonight pays homage to his family, who are the subject of many of his stories, but apart from that his constant overexcitable delivery leaves no room for an underlying theme. No matter what the topic is, the audience are left in stitches and there’s no way he’ll stop and wait for the laughs. Howard races through like a train and he is just infectious. Tonight Howard even makes reference to the American elections, commenting that John McCain looks “like someone has just sprinkled icing sugar on a ballbag.” Russell Howard’s presence, delivery, enthusiasm and material are spot on and you can’t help share his joy for the funny side of life. A brief encore really shows his talent for improvised comedy. As he opens to the audience for any questions, it’s funny in itself hearing the crazy remarks that are blurted out. Highly amused by the bombardment of random remarks, such as “How big is your knob?”, Howard goes off on endless tangents, culminating in roars of laughter from the audience. Without a doubt one of the best stand-ups in Britain today, let’s hope that he will be acknowledged, because it’s a crime that he is often just referred to as ‘that guy from Mock the Week.’
Gerrick Reyes
This film is a depiction of the dysfunctional people that walk among us. It has tones of an off-beat comedy that has insane, yet believable, characters. It’s a game that sways from successful to disastrous results between desperate idiots that play each other for
ally care about his evil plot. The camera work means that even those with 20:20 vision will struggle to keep up with what is happening. The editing doesn’t help, having been cut so tightly that the film loses all credibility. The saving grace of the film is the fabulous Judi Dench, who gets a more substantial role than in Casino Royale, but even she isn’t enough to save this film. With Daniel Craig at the helm once again, this had the potential to out-do the frankly amazing Casino Royale. However, Quantum of Solace lacks any kind of depth and scale that you expect from a Bond film, and smells more of a failed Bourne rehash. The world may not be enough for Mr Bond, but a decent film would have done for me. Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabby (Vanessa Hudgens) face when they discover their universities are thousands of miles apart. Cue multiple songs about the ordeal, with the characters breaking into dance at every opportunity. What particularly stands out in this film is the choreography and singing, both of which have improved vastly since the first film. The one annoyance I found was the new British girl, who, as seems to be the norm in American dramas, fits all the British stereotypes perfectly, and as a result is teeth-grindingly irritating. By-passing this though, the catchy songs and heart-warming plot leaves you grinning from ear to ear long after you have left the cinema. fools. The film uses very insignificant characters that try to con CIA personnel for their own personal gain. These characters interconnect with great dialogue that eventually leads up to utter confusion of the motives of the characters. Even the CIA didn’t know what was going on: “Whatever we did, we shouldn’t do it again. That’s if we even know what we did in the first place.” This rollercoaster ride can have an audience member laughing their heads off one minute, to being in complete shock the next. This comedy-thriller is a considerably delightful piece of work.
Games
Rating: William Hobson
Fallout 3 is possibly the ultimate RPG – can you name another game where you get to play a character literally from birth? But there’s much more
to the game than a brilliantly original way of creating a character. There’s the huge range of choices you face as your character wanders the atomic ruins of Washington DC in search of his/ her father, from the typical decision of what weapons you’d like to smite your foes with, to niggling petty decisions like whether to defuse or detonate nuclear bombs (and naturally, save or destroy a whole town). More than almost any other title I can think of, you truly are free to do what you like when you like – and to a great extent, exactly how you’d like. You can do what I did and be a wandering hero of the wastes, saving the few shattered remnants of civilised humanity from the cruel hordes of supermutants and raider scum who terrorise the land. Or you could play as a vicious mercenary scumbag, doing nothing without reward, or you could even shape your character into a vicious cannibal. Or of course, neither, simply doing what you want whenever you want. It’s truly up to you how you handle any
situation that calls for some kind of decision, and for once these decisions truly do have an effect on your later experiences. Aside from the sheer natural brilliance of the RPG side of the game though, Fallout 3 also manages to mix in a solid FPS game engine, with the nifty ability to target individual limbs of your enemy in a sort of “bullet time” (called VATS here), offering an intriguing way of having level-based stats effect mix with the normal twitch reaction skills of a shooter. I’d say Fallout 3 was nigh on perfect apart from the terrible problems you will inevitably encounter when using your GPS to navigate the ruins of Washington; nuclear bombs appear to have a predisposition towards blocking easy routes, and I’m damned if I can work out a better way of getting around these obstacles than aimlessly wandering until I can vaguely go in the right direction. Still – compared with what else is on offer, that’s so damn near perfect, you’ll happily put up with the nuisance.
14
Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
Sports
Behind the Scenes with the ...
Cheerleading Committee
Intro / Blurb
Women's Lacrosse Win Rachael Penycate
Want to see your club committee team here? Email: sportsnews@upsu.net
Name: Danni Young Role: President Comment: You will generally find this OCD Barbie upstairs in the Union with her sunglasses on. She’s always at the front of a routine making eyes at the judge for extra points!
Name: Kate Hyder Role: Vice President Comment: Always found in the Union talking people’s ears off about Super Wednesday. This AU Exec encourages a balanced work/play ethic, and is rumoured to enjoy socialising with Hockey in the library
Name: Eloise Brodin-Thornhill Role: Coach Comment: Likes to play the scary coach, and has Freshers convinced that the gothic attire she wears every Wednesday is for fancy dress purposes only.
As the Lacrosse ladies arrived at Langstone on Wednesday morning, they knew that a difficult test lay ahead for them against one of their league’s most formidable opponents, Kings’ College. Following ongoing confusion over fixtures, the girls faced off later than originally planned, and this delay ensured the Kings players were riled up to play in the dirtiest possible manner. Centre Gaby Bennett successfully won the face-off draw, which ensured Portsmouth’s possession for the majority of the first quarter. Gelling together in a most appetising way, the ladies played better than ever before, and within five minutes Bennett had scored the first goal of the game, thanks to some great play by the team as a whole. Fired up by a rare lead, the girls continued conquering the Kings’ players, whose captain was increasingly becoming more agitated by the lack of drive from the rest of her team. The quarter finished with a 2-0 lead in Pompey’s favour, after captain Suzy Pope added another goal to the ladies’ growing collection. Dominique Shaw opened the second quarter as Portsmouth’s Centre, and the determination exhibited by the team from the first quarter did not falter as Fresher Nicola Davey upped the score to 3-0 following a very skillful shot (praised later on by the referee). Obviously fuming at the prospect of losing, the Kings’ team launched an attack plan of their own, breaking
through Portsmouth’s defence unit and scoring one goal for themselves. Their tempers ensured that they were soon catching up on Portsmouth’s lead and thus the second quarter ended with a 3-2 score-line. The third quarter, this time with goal scorer Davey taking over as Centre, didn’t see much action in Pompey’s favour, as it was evident that the girls were beginning to get tired and the Kings' players were able to take great advantage of this by gaining the chance to score another goal. The most notable occurrence in this quarter was defender Kayleigh Greenland’s not-so-elegant attempt at “mounting” a fallen Kings’ player. Goalie Emily Crockford performed some spectacular saves during this turbulent quarter, and, combined with the efforts of the other defenders, they all managed to fend off the advances of the Kings’ team to ensure the score remained as a draw by the end of the session. This meant somewhat of a fresh start for both teams in the final quarter. Nail biting seemed to be the new favourite pastime on the Pompey sidelines, as the subs and supporters urged the girls to keep trying for another goal - luckily for them it was not a long wait, as Bennett added another goal for the team, forcing her way through the lagging Kings’ defence. Ob-
Chichester indoor tournament
Name: Sian Wait Role: Events Captain Comment: Loves any excuse to do the splits or bend in strange directions, and enjoys shaking her pompoms at American Football every weekend.
Dan Brooks
Name: Katy Gavan & Becki Gosling Role: Social Secs Comment: They may aspire to be the next two Ronnies, but these two love a bit of a Fresher abuse on a Wednesday night.
It was 7am when the alarm went off; not a good start to any day, but off we went to the station for the start of this year's indoor cricket. We got to Chichester at 8:45, only to realise we had no clue where the uni was. Up pipes "Beano" (Dan Hewitt), who pretends to know every landmark in Chichester. After a long winded "short cut", we got lost! After the help of a few locals we finally arrived, just on time, only to find out that Bournemouth and Surrey hadn’t even bothered with the trip. So
we played with just us, Southampton, Southampton Solent and Chichester. The first game for us was versus Chichester, who we saw off with relative ease; Dale Pane got us off to a great start with the bat, and Dan Hewitt and James Scott with the ball. Next came Southampton, and this is where it all went wrong. A bad start just got worse when Fresher spinner Ed Lye managed to be hit for 18 in two balls! I blame the indoor rules! Needless to say, we lost, but thanks to other results we could still win if we beat Southampton Solent. After keeping them down to 137 with some tight bowling and sharp fielding, we failed
Sport » Awards
Sport » Squash
New Sports Scholars Announced
Men Squash Opponants
Paul Tilley
Student athletes were presented with their Sports Scholarships for the year by Professor John Craven, at an event in the Students’ Union. The event was attended by ProVice Chancellors John Turner and Rebecca Bunting, plus other senior management, lecturers and athlete mentors. The scholars were presented with their certificates and helped celebrate Sports Scholar Dan Bentley's Gold medal success at this summer’s Beijing Paralympics. The hour long event recognised the scholar’s achievements and allowed senior management to meet
viously feeling comfortable with their lead, Portsmouth grew more in confidence and were thrilled when Pope fired another ball into the net, ensuring a two goal advantage with only a few minutes left until the match was over. After an agonising few seconds following a stoppage for injury, timekeeper CJ Millington blew the whistle and... wait for it... the Woman's Lacrosse Team actually won a BUCS match! Yes, you did read that correctly. The Kings’ Captain couldn’t believe it either, demanding an appeal because the pitch was in such appalling condition, when really she just didn’t believe it either. So there you have it, fellow Sportos. Please congratulate us, and revel in the fact that this year someone else might win the Wooden Spoon at the AU Awards! Very well done girls! Sticks up; look sharp!
the future stars of University Sport. It also allowed the opportunity for the presentation of a framed Paralympics T-shirts. The framed shirt will go on permanent display in the Nuffield Sports Centre. The aim of the Sports Scholarship scheme is to give scholarship holders the opportunity to develop their sporting performance alongside the pursuit of academic studies. This year’s scholars include members of Olympic Development squads and National, European and World Champions in a wide variety of sports from Alpine Skiing to Kayaking. www.port.ac.uk/sport
Portsmouth Firsts Sussex Seconds
5 0
Marty McKinlay
After a convincing 5-0 win the week before, the Squash Firsts were willing to play against a stronger team, to prepare them for their upcoming match against Brunel. Sussex were the team faced with living up to that task, and immediately failed by sending a mere four players, putting Portsmouth 1-0 up before even setting a foot on court. Good times for Portsmouth, but bad times for poor Amit, who has now had two walkovers in as many weeks.
Jack, aka “Goggles”, was first up, and began a lethargic match against a newbie. After some “kick up the arse” comments from the balcony, Jack stepped up a gear and took the game 3-0. Dan returned from his walk around Isle of Wight to play against a player that looked like he’d been beating other squash players literally, due to the amount of bruises on his face. Portsmouth’s own angry man Dan tried to out-power his opponent, which resulted in him losing a little but he soon regained his composure to take the game in the end. Arj was up next, and showed us what he’s capable of, playing some technical shots and devastating volley
to match up with the bat and fell just a few runs short, therefore having to settle for second place. After the cricket was over, all teams were heading to the Chichester Union - or that’s what we thought anyway! It ended up just us, in their Union, on a quiet Sunday evening. One snakebite lead to another, and we ended up with a rendition of Pompey ranger, the odd forward roll on the dance floor, and a very memorable train ride home! Although the tournament was not won, it proved to be a great night and a good warm up to the first round of the BUCS indoor tournament on the 6th December.
drops to finish off his match before Sussex had even realised what was going on. (However, Arj’s pride was cruelly taken, as he was embarrassed in front of a full crowd against the visiting girls’ number one.) Marty barely had time to warm up due to Arjs whitewash, but this proved to be no problem as he also took a no nonsense approach to the match and duly dispatched the Sussex player in less than 15 minutes - all thanks to his new magic socks! Portsmouth continues their rout of the league with nothing less than a perfect record of 20 wins and no losses! Beat that Badminton!
15
Pugwash News Wednesday 26th November 2008
Sports
Tennis team face tough test in Surrey Jamie White
The Portsmouth tennis Second team had a slight change in routine as they faced opponents Surrey in a second round Cup game. After a very successful league run, Portsmouth’s spirits were high and the team was ready to keep up their undefeated season. First up in the doubles were George Calderara and John Miles, against tough opponents from Surrey's First team. To begin with everything looked like it was going Portsmouth’s way; John clinical with blistering shots and George lightning at the net. After a very close first few games, the Surrey pair began to capitalise on their chances, and unfortunately Portsmouth lost 5-8, despite a great game
by both players. In the second doubles Jamie White and Matt Ross suffered a similar fate, dominating from the back of the court but failing to deliver the final result at the net. Usually Portsmouth’s pace and agility around the court is enough against most opponents, but they suffered a surprise defeat against two very consistent players. The singles saw John Miles and Jamie White facing up against two of Surrey's First team players. Both players went in confidently, as there was everything to play for. John had a great game, beating his opponent in an epic battle, full of consistency and flare. Despite President Andy Trott and his crew's great touchline support, Jamie was unfortunately unable to mirror John’s performance, playing his op-
ponent off the court at times, but he lacked the cool head necessary in a tough cup fixture. George Calderara and Matt Ross were also both beaten in even affairs, as Surrey confirmed their Third round place. The future of Portsmouth University tennis is looking brighter than ever. With the introduction of a new Second team, and an ambitious committee, there has never been as much time and effort spent on tennis club members. The social side is becoming ever more exciting too, with social tennis, increased training sessions and a inter club tournament introduced. Socials are also attracting many club and team members, which is really adding to the experience that the committee has created. So put down the stick, pick up a racquet, and get involved!
This week in our own version of “Step Up 2 ‘The Streets’”, the girls go toe to toe to see which club has the better bragging rights on the dance floor!
Name: Sian Wait Club: Cheerleading
Name: Clare Rydon Club: Dance Club
What has been your most embarrassing moment? Once I was on the Richard Hammond show, and was chosen to dress up in full mountaineering gear. I have a bit of a crush on him, and when he went to speak to me I completely froze up. The camera was right on my face and apparently I just looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights!
What has been your most embarrassing moment? I did a skid all the way across the Union dance floor into splits and ripped my jeans once...spent a long time in the toilets afterwards trying to stitch them back together!
When were you last naked in front of someone? I went along for the front cover shoot for this year’s Naked Calendar on Guildhall steps. Had to get up at like half seven; was very cold and had nothing but my pom poms to cover myself!
When were you last naked in front of someone? Err - would have to say it’s more recent than the Naked Calendar, a couple of weeks ago after a Purple Wednesday...(further details given were un-printable!)
When was the last time you cried? Well, I’m sad to have to admit that it was actually this morning! Had a monster of a hangover, was tired and had a lecture hating crisis! Us cheerleaders aren’t always that easy to break though!
When was the last time you cried? I actually cried a couple of days ago, over a text I received - don’t really feel like we’re giving us girls a good name with this question!
What’s been your most expensive night out? I never have expensive nights out; I always try and get people to buy me drinks! Probably never spent more than a tenner - the joys of being female!
What’s been your most expensive night out? Probably about 50 quid in Tiger after the loan had come in, never a regular occurrence though - I’m all about the £15 challenge!
If you were invisible for the day, what would you do? I’d spy on certain people all day (no names of course), and probably wait until they jumped in the shower or something!
If you were invisible for the day, what would you do? [Call from her housemate: “She’d go straight to Men’s Hockey!”] I’d probably sneak on a flight to Vegas and spy on Michael Jackson!
What was the last lie you told? I don’t lie very often really, just gossip! I can’t really tell you about them cos no one knows that I’m lying! I often tell blokes that I’m interested in them just so I can ensure my cheap nights out!
What was the last lie you told? I blagged my way through an entire seminar last week and the lecturer thought I had done all the work; was a proper real hustle moment!
Who was the last Sporto you chatted up or got chatted up by? My old housemate always tries to chat me up when he’s had a few! He knows who he is, so no need to name names!
Who was the last Sporto you chatted up or got chatted up by? Just anyone from the hockey team... ANYONE! Particularly the tall ones!
On starting a University club Kenny Burke
One of the brilliant things about starting university is the range of new opportunities that are available to you. With the wealth of different sports and activities provided by the Uni and its students there is something for almost everyone. If, however, your particular activity of choice is not represented, do not despair. I found myself in that position last year; below I detail my experiences in setting up the Aikido Club. For most of my life I have practised Aikido. Aikido is one of the youngest of Japanese martial arts, formed in the early 1920’s, it is relatively unknown in the UK by those who are not already interested in the martial arts. What makes Aikido unique is the philosophy behind it. Aikido is sometimes known as the art of peace, as its movements focus on blending with the energy of an attacker and moving them effortlessly off balance without opposing them or attempting to cause harm. We do not block and there is little emphasis on strikes, save those we practise to defend against. Some may call it a true defensive art. When I knew that I would be coming to Portsmouth to study, I immediately began looking for somewhere to continue my training. My first port of call was the UPSU website, where I
was somewhat disappointed. Having reached 1st Dan (Black Belt) by this point, I realised that my only option if I was to continue practising was to start my own club, a daunting challenge to say the least. After receiving my teaching certificate I began a small weekly class in a local sports centre teaching the basics of the art to a few friends. During this process the benefits of becoming a university club became more and more apparent. The process for starting a university club is simple in its offset. After meeting with the relevant Union exec I found that all I had to do was to write a description of my proposed “sport” and acquire 50 signatures supporting the formation of this club, not something that proved difficult. Before I could quite track my progress I was due to propose my idea in front of the Athletics Union AGM. I was to attend the AGM in Richmond Building and approached with a fairly relaxed attitude. All I had to do was to go into a room in front of about five people and explain why I thought it was worth starting an Aikido club, not a hard task in the slightest. I was expecting some questions, but on the whole had done very little prep. I sometimes wonder how many times I’m going to have to learn that assumptions can seriously bite you in the arse! The AU AGM was not, as I had
Sport » Fencing
Close Calls for Men’s Fencing John Cashman
Mens' Fencing team hosted their first home match of the season, and quite an event it was! Unfortunately one of our team, Morgan Morey, dislocated his shoulder in his first match, postponing the event by nearly 30 minutes while we waited for the paramedics. Luckily, Stu Lee was on side to take Morgan’s place and we made it to a frustrating 45-44 loss in Epee. The Brunel Foil team had an excellent 45-14 victory over us, but from their standard it was well deserved. Another disappointingly close 4544 loss followed in our last match.
expected, in front of the five strong executive committee for the Athletics Union but was in fact in front of all committee members for every individual club in the AU, a number closer to 200 sportos; not something I’d been even remotely prepared for. I’ll not hide the fact that as I stepped up to speak it took all my focus to keep my body from shaking, though I’m sure I did a pretty poor job of that. In hindsight I’d say that opening with the fact that my chosen “sport” is non-competitive may have been a bad idea, though I felt I dealt with the questions thrown at me by those sat in the theatre quite well considering. In the end it came down to a vote, which certainly added to the level of discomfort I was feeling; thankfully I was back amongst the ranks at this point and the feeling of 200 people staring at me can be put down mostly to your run of the mill level of paranoia. Votes were cast by the AU Executive Committee (the five people I had originally thought I would be speaking to) and it was a tight one, mostly, I think, due to the non-competitive aspect of my “sport”, and not my atrocious presentation. But, my martial art and I were allowed into the University of Portsmouth Athletics Union by the narrow margin of one vote. Now the real work starts.
Boxing Club Defeat Rivals in Latest Bout
Ben Endley
Boxing Head Coach, Wayne Gardiner, saw his side, including eleven home fighters, triumph over opponents from across the country on the evening of Thursday 13th November. The Students’ Union played host to the eleven bout event, in front of a packed 500 capacity LUX bar, transformed for the night into a Las Vegas style Boxing coliseum. The atmosphere of nervous anticipation in the build up was only intensified by the simultaneously gyrating female forms of the University’s own dance squad, performing the first of two routines during the night. The first all student bout saw Matt Wilcock taking on Mills of UWE. There was little doubt that Wilcock had a reach advantage over his dwarf-esque opponent. The home fighter also displayed far superior technique, evading many of his opponent’s poorly aimed blows, and in return delivered power-
P WDL Hockey Men’s 1st
7 700
Basketball Women’s 1st
5 500
Squash Men’s 2nd
5 500
Netball 1st
5 410
Lacrosse Men’s 1st
5 410
Rugby Union Men’s 2nd 7 6 0 1
photo: Lucy Henry ful combos, one of which caused the referee to pause the fight as the blue head-guard was reattached. At the final bell, the judges unanimously saw Wilcock as the superior fighter. Second up was Adam Insam, who looked to extend the home side’s lead against Andy McRanahan, vociferously supported by a small group of Southampton supporters. One of the most evenly contested bouts of the evening, it saw an extremely high intensity start from both boxers in the first round. With neither fighter willing to give an inch, the contest came down to fitness and determination. In the end the Judges handed a deserved majority victory to Insam. Koumourous was next up in his first ever bout and fought excellently against another strong opponent. Following a shaky start, Koumourous maintained a commanding performance in the latter two rounds. Despite this, the judges unanimously handed the victory to Howe of Swansea. This was the first of a number of controversial decisions by the Judges, and
will have left the young fighter feeling disappointed. Dave Lawson followed with another even contest that was unfortunately handed to the visitor, Gumbrell of Horsham. Hickey had his work cut out against Atwell of UWE. Fighting hard, he even achieved a referee’s count on his opponent, but although Atwell was able to finish the fight, the victory belonged to Hickey. Following the defeat of Leigh in bout eight, Portsmouth began to assert their dominance. Michael Isaccs made his fight look something of a mismatch by bringing Simpson to his knees in the first round before knocking his opponent to the deck in the second; at this point the referee wisely stopped play, handing the victory to the home side. Bout ten was arguably the highlight of the night, thanks to a second round knock out by Mick O’Sullivan, his opponent spending several minutes on the deck before regaining consciousness, much to the relief of officials and supporters alike. With the evening almost at a close,
Walker demonstrated excellent speed and guile to defeat his opponent on a unanimous points call. Great things are expected from this sports scholar, who is already demonstrating a prodigious talent in the ring. With the scorecard showing six wins to three defeats thus far in favour of Pompey, both Ash Leigh and Mark Coombs suffered narrow defeats to bring the night to a close. A couple of harsh points decisions not going in Pompey’s favour did little to deter the deserved celebrations of the whole Boxing Club, following what can only be described as an excellent night’s work. Particular credit must go to the fighters making their competitive debut tonight; they deserve a great deal of respect. Head coach Wayne Gardiner was particularly pleased with his side’s result, commenting: “This was an excellent result for the boys, who’ve all worked really hard to get here. It’s also a brilliant warm up to hosting the English National University Championship in December.”
Football Men’s 6th
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Football Men’s 3rd
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Football Men’s 2nd
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Badminton Women’s 1st 5 3 1 1 Football Men’s 4th
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5 302
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