Pugwash News - Issue 19

Issue 19 Wednesday 12.11.08

Guide to Employment

Funeral For A Friend gig

2009 Naked Calendar

Life & Style » p5

Arts & Ents » p11

Out on November 24th

Police welcome pedestrianisation of Guildhall Walk Tom Worman

National Protests over Top Up Fees Students around the nation took part in a protest over the top-up fee system this Wednesday. The “Students in Red” day of action was organised by the National Union of Students (NUS) to urge the government to scrap its current system ahead of a government review. Local demonstrations were made in over sixteen cities, with members of students’ union’s as well as concerned members of staff taking to the streets in a concerted attempt to show support for the NUS and register their dissatisfaction with the system.

Over six hundred students from Newcastle, Durham, Bradford and Teeside Universities gathered at Northumbria University for a rally, following actions at their local institutions. A giant banner was hung from the Millennium Bridge in Gateshead, spelling

out the average student debt of £25k.

In Liverpool, students campaigned via buses on the streets, whilst in Leeds students marched through the town square accompanied by a giant globe and helium balloons.

However, in Portsmouth no action was taken, and there seemed to be little interaction with the issue. “I’ve never even heard about it” said a second year pharmacy student, Ottun Ajibola.

Steve Topazio, Education and Representation Officer, says that the late start date of Portsmouth University’s academic year meant there was little time for him to organise a campaign for action. “In addition to this, I don’t think students at Portsmouth are particularly aware about the topic” says Topazio. “I get the impression a lot of students ‘just accept’ that they have to pay fees.” “I don’t think that Portsmouth is a particularly political SU the main focuses of our students seem to be sport and activities... We do pay

News » Notices

News » Finance

Service of Rememberance

Graduate careers hit by credit crunch

The annual "Act of Rememberance", to commemorate the lives of those students and staff who have died during the course of the year, takes place on Friday 14th November at 1.15pm, in the Chaplaincy Oasis Suite on the ground floor of the Nuffield Centre.

During a quiet twenty minutes we have time to recall and give thanks for those whose untimely death has affected us. Sadly, this year we have lost, through tragic circumstances, a higher than usual number from our university community.

I hope the friends and colleagues of those we have known and lost will come together to remember all of them. Refreshments at 1.40pm.

Students graduating in 2009 face unprecedented levels of debt and will struggle to find employment in the contracting economy. The introduction of top-up fees in 2006, along with the rising cost of living will mean that this year’s finalists will graduate with the highest level of student debt ever seen in the UK. According to a survey conducted by the independent university guide, Push.co.uk, in 2008, Portsmouth students will graduate with an average debt of £12,249. On top of this, the Student Loan Company doubled its interest rate to 4.8% earlier this year, bringing it to its highest level since 1991 meaning that finding a well-paid job straight from university is absolutely essential.

William Hobson Head of News

£46,000 a year to be part of the NUS, so I would love to see more student involvement in the movement.”

The NUS president, Wes Streeting, has slammed top-up fees as “completely unfair”, and called upon the government to “stop tinkering with grants and fees every year” and to undertake a serious reform of the entire Higher Education funding system. Organisers and demonstrators pointed to the NUS report “Broke and Broken” published earlier this year at the Higher Education Summit.

The report was a detailed critique of the current system’s failings, and highlighted concerns over the lack of advice and guidance offered to students about their options in what has been called the “increasingly complex and rarefied environment” of Higher Education, forcing students to make long-term and expensive decisions without appropriate and accessible information. The claim that the current system is financially unsustainable by

“

the government itself was also made.

A spokesperson for the department of Innovation, Universities and Skills responded to the day of action: “There is no evidence that students are being put off going to university because of a lack of finance”, and pointed to the alltime high number of students applying and being accepted to universities, as well as the average starting graduate salary. On this figure of £19,000 per year, graduated students would pay only £6.92 per week - though the NUS report makes the argument that “it is unreasonable to expect people from a background of no wealth to consider taking on such enormous debts in the face of huge risks”, as well as drawing attention the inequalities between predicted earning powers of different degrees. At this rate it would also take more than 50 years to repay the entire average debt.

The NUS proposes the implementation of a new bursary system to continued on page 2 .

News » Environment

A new scheme in place will see the popular bar-filled street Guildhall walk closed to traffic from 6pm to 7am, entirely pedestrianising the area. This will make it not only safer for those visiting the bars, but will also mean that police officers do not have to be constantly watching for traffic when policing Hampshire’s most violent street.

Figures uncovered by The News in August 2008 show 1,557 people were verbally abused, harassed or assaulted on the 10 worst streets in south-east Hampshire in the 12 months from July 17, 2007. Top of the list is Guildhall Walk in Portsmouth, on which 357 incidents were reported to Hampshire police in the period; 106 of those incidents were physical attacks.

The hope of pedestrianising this zone is that it will make it easier for the large police presence to respond more efficiently to incidents that happen on Guildhall Walk.

Rachael Dalby, head of community safety for Portsmouth City Council, said: ‘Freeing up road space will mean more space for party-goers, making the area feel safer’, whilst Cllr Lynne Stagg, the council’s cabinet member for traffic and transportation, comments: ‘Guildhall Walk is being pedestrianised as an experiment to see if it reduces the problems there at night.’

The area will be blocked off by barriers on both Friday and Saturday nights and will see new no-entry signs in place; the temporary traffic order is on an experimental basis and can last up to 18 months. It is likely to be reviewed in six months’ time. Radio links, taxi marshalls, pub-watch schemes and banning orders are just some of the other measures that have been introduced to tackle alcohol- related violence in Guildhall Walk and other popular drinking areas.

UPSU Media

Arrested Want to write for within No mugging around minutes of with the environment Pugwash News? the election A road show for University Staff will Pugwash News / Purple Wednesdays be touring campus, issuing a free is the Union’s student newspaper. If result, for “mug for life”. Each member of staff you have something to shout about, will receive a 15 pence reduction on from burning issues to match reports, celebrating the the price of a cup of Fair-Trade tea, comment to features, or you want to coffee or hot chocolate when they use photograph, design or help lay it out, Obama victory – their “mug for life”. The scheme hopes get in touch! encourage staff to be recycle conthey ran round to scious and help to reduce the 116,000 For more information, see: or paper cups used by the Uni- upsu.net/p/2166 their neighbour- plastic versity each year. Head of Catering, Leach, said: “In an institution hood completely Nick as large as ours with over 3500 staff, small changes to the way we naked... making operate can make a huge difference.”

Find out more about the American Elections in our special on page » 4

Don’t worry that as a student you will miss out; Pugwash News has learnt that the Students’ Union is working towards a similar project.

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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

Category

Editors

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

‘At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them’ Photo: Tom Worman

Sub Editors News Amiar Kamal & Henry Tipping

Sports Chris Hewett & Carl Jackson

Life & Style Sarah Beer & Nina Tennant

Design Sophie Abbott & Oaha Berdah

Arts & Entertainment Dominique O’Mahoney & Jack Wells

Contributors Xan Atkinson, Sarah Avison, Felicity Barnes, Sophie Billyard, Leonella Buella, Peter Burjan, Matt Calmus, Virginie Caminade, Laura Callen, John Cashman, Laura Climmer, Laura Crotty, Maz Elsahar, Darren Evans, Wayne Gardiner, Amanda Greenwood, Joel Growney, Greg Heather, Pete Hooley, Jay Matthams, Afia Miah, Liam O’Mahoney, Martin Plappert, Elliot Platts, James Phillips,

Universities Round Up Andrew Roach, Oyeniyi Olugbenga Samuel, Isabella Stockwell, Donald Vass, Chris Wheatland, Tom Worman, and “Fresher Jack”.

With thanks to: Martha Beck, Claire Brooks, Emily Crackford, Henepola Gunaratana, Simon “Darby” Leach, Dan Morgan, Mariesa Pickwell, Claire Sambrook, Gemma Yendall.

Dates for the Diary Southsea Christmas Lights 13th Nov.

Commercial Rd Xmas Lights 20th November, Commercial Road

Gunwharf Christmas Light’s 15th Nov.

Super Wednesday 26th November, 12-4pm, Langstone

Farmers Market 16th Nov. Southsea Shopping Centre

Victorian Christmas Market 28-30 November, Historic Dockyard

Student Art Sale 17-21st Nov. 5-7pm, Eldon Building

Hamlet 19th - 22nd Nov. The Third Floor Arts Centre - £7

Each fortnight we have a brief scan through other student publications

Epigram (Bristol University) A student at Bristol Uni has been arrested after trying to recreate the car stunts from “The Italian Job” whilst drunk. Six security staff, two police cars and a helicopter were deployed after he drove his brand new Mini down a flight of steps outside a hall of residence.

Felix (Imperial) Staff at Imperial have expressed disappointment over a clash of events both a Masquerade Ball and a gig by a Radio DJ were scheduled for Halloween night. Despite efforts by the Union, the gig was depressingly underattended, as the students had already parted with £15 for Ball tickets.

Scan (Lancaster) The Union and the Chaplaincy at Lancaster are in a debate over a marketing campaign. Apparently the T-shirts featuring the slogan “I got Shagg-ed at the weekend” promote promiscuity, even though it’s just a play on words with the affectionate name for the Student’s Union.

SU (Oxford Brooks) Professors at Oxford Brooks and Leeds University have commissioned a survey into the experience of LGB&T staff and students. The findings will establish whether the higher education sector need to take more steps to engage with and support these groups.

AUSA (Aberdeen University) Students are organising an expedition up Mt Kilimanjaro in aid of charity.

They aim to take two groups of 30 students to spend a month in Africa, seeing the people they will be helping first hand, safari-ing and, of course, mountain trekking.

Student Direct (Manchester) Laptops and computers were stolen from inside a University of Manchester building last week. Security were called to the scene, where vandalism also took place on three floors of the building. Police enquiries are ongoing.

Durham 21 (Durham Uni) A former bursar of a college at Durham Uni has pleaded guilty to stealing just under half a million pounds of their funds. She siphoned the money off between April 2002 and December 2007 in a series of bank-to-bank transfers.

Varsity (Cambridge) In a survey conducted by their student newspaper, 49% of Cambridge students admitted to being guilty of some form of plagiarism. However, only 1000 students responded to the survey, and many were uncertain of what exactly counted as plagiarism under the university rules, so this may be an unfair representation of thier student body. The levels and types of plagerism committed varied widely between Colleges and degrees, suggesting that different types of students may be more likely to succumb to the temptation to “copy and paste” an essay. (Ironically, Law students were the most likely to commit the offence!)

Pugwash News & Purple Wednesdays

News » Education

“Small Print” Contact Us

National Protests over Top Up Fees continued from page 1

Produced fortnightly by the University of Portsmouth Students’ Union (UPSU).

Printed by Quotemeprint quotemeprint.com, 0845 130 0667, and printed on 100% recycled paper.

Pugwash News & Purple Wednesdays bears no allegiance to any political party and discriminates against no-one.

replace the current one, applied at a national rather than local level. This system is aimed at tailoring financial support to individual student needs, rather than the broader basis of where they are studying. Currently institutions at the top end have much bigger resources for needs-based bursaries than lower ranked universities - even though more low income students are more commonly represented in these institutions. For example, the Russell Group of universities can afford to pay out annual bursaries of £1,791 to individual students, but other universities are forced to drop their offers as low as £680. The difference can be huge when meeting the rising costs of Higher Education fees.

You can download back issues of Pugwash magazine and Pugwash News online at: pugwashnews.com

To get in touch with the Pugwash News & Purple Wednesdays team, please visit upsu.net/newsdesk, e-mail us at: newsdesk@upsu.net, call us via the Union’s Media & Publications Officer at: 023 9284 3657, or visit us at The Student Centre, Portsmouth Students’ Union, Cambridge Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2EF. Errors & omissions: while we take every care to verify our content, we may occasionally make mistakes.

Please contact us using the details above to report any inaccuracies or mistakes.

At the moment students at University of Portsmouth pay just over £3,000 a year to study, the maximum it can charge because of the Government cap on tuition fees. “If the government decide to lift the cap in 2009 or 10 then it could lead to students paying in excess of £6,000 a year - in some cases £10,000”, Topazio says, “I don’t think a lot of our students are aware of the possible changes, which I aim to combat when I run our own campaign in the New Year.”

“Lifting of the cap won’t affect students today, but it will affect those in the future and even student’s children, so it is important that people get involved and try and stop the government making those changes in the future”.

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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

News

A Watery Warning Russia took advantage of the euphoria over the US elections to strengthen its position in Eastern Europe, posing an immediate challenge for the new leader. Just hours after Obama’s victory, the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, revealed that short-range missiles had been deployed to the Kaliningrad region to ‘“neutralise” a planned US missile defence system in the area. Medvedev has vowed that Russia “won’t retreat in the Caucasus”, the region that also contains Georgia and several other countries approached by America as potential NATO members.

Fighting in the Gaza strip has broken a truce between Palestinians and Israeli troops that lasted for four months.

Israeli troops entered Gaza on Tuesday 4th with intelligence of anti-Israeli militant activity.

In an attempt to seize a tunnel, Israel claimed it was simply safeguarding its troops from further abduction by militant groups. The Palestinian militant party Hamas fired rockets and mortar into Israel’s territory in retaliation just hours later. This sparked further action from Israel, with a response of three air strikes targeted at Hamas members; such conflict has marked the region for generations and shows no signs of cooling.

The new commander of American forces in the Middle East has announced a more aggressive strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan.

General David Petraeus was appointed last week and has stated that US forces have the right to attack a target in any country without notification if the country is harbouring a threat to American interests.

This justification was used in the recent controversial raid on the bordering Arab nation of Syria.

Jessica Baird, who dressed as a chilli for the day on Mon 27th Oct. She was raising money for Children in Need.

Henry Tipping

The worldwide charity WaterAid has expressed serious concerns about the dangerous consequences of rapid urbanisation in developing countries.

The fear stems from massive water shortages which have been experienced in deprived areas across the developing world. WaterAid are adamant that this is due to the millions of people relocating to urban environments every week.

A recent report by the charity called on the international community to

take immediate action; populations in developing countries are predicted to increase threefold over the next thirty years. Timeyin Uwejamomere, the author of the report said "Sanitation and water are integral to urban development, and yet there is no coherent commitment by governments and donors to address this crisis."

WaterAid estimates that 5,000 children die every day due to either water based diseases such as cholera, or through a complete lack of access to the resource. It is therefore essential that city planners give sanitation and access to water higher priority.

The charity operates in many of the worst affected areas and says that "Since the mid-1990s, aid spending going to health and education has doubled; yet over the same period, the share of aid going to water and sanitation has [decreased]”.

The possibilities and realities of water shortages in the developing world are becoming a central issue in the global sphere. Other problems, such as disease and violence, will only thrive if access to this vital resource becomes a major concern, especially in areas already suffering from social deprivation.

Bomb-proof bins to be installed in London

Up to a million gravestones have been removed or “secured” by safety officers in the name of preventing accidents. This has lead to some saying they have no respect for the dead. Eight unlucky people have been killed in such accidents, in 20 years.

A 35-year old man was found superglued to a steel toilet in a West Midlands hospital; the victim of a suprisingly effective prank. The toilet was reinstalled after its removal, so watch out...

The Culture Secretary has recommended that churches with low attendance be converted into gyms or even restaurants, which would certainly help the body if not the soul.

The Communist Party of St Petersburg has condemned the latest Bond Girl, Olga Kurylenko, for aiding “the killer of hundreds of Soviet people and their allies.” The War is over Comrade, (and Bond isn’t real...)

Michael Crichton, the author of Jurassic Park, Congo and the SF classic Westworld has passed away from cancer. Crichton sold over 150 million books and was also responsible for the medical drama ER.

A new design for high-tech, armourplated bins has been proposed for the Capital.

Rubbish bins in London have been under increased consideration because of the security risk they pose in case of a terrorist attack (police are concerned that bombs may be placed in the bins.) They have thus been removing them from the street, which some environmental groups point to as a cause for public litter.

But a solution to the problem has been designed by Media Metrica, a British company; bins lined with steel armour plates, which are intended to contain at least 75% of a blast’s force and the fireball of the explosion.

The Capital's bins have a long history of suffering under security control; the Underground had most of its bins removed as far back as 1991, following an IRA blast in Victoria Station, and the more recent extremist attacks

of July 2007 saw yet more public bins removed from around the city.

As well as providing peace of mind and body, Media Metrica's design includes plans to install digital screens on each bin, relaying news, and financial and travel information to passers by. Whilst quite impressive, the bins each cost £30,000 and weigh around a ton, meaning that it is doubtful they will ever be a common sight in the UK or even in London.

A Jobseeker was asked if he “found it difficult to perform adequately or without embarrassment when involved in sex” - well, we all lie in interviews...

Ever wanted to run over Jeremy Clarkson, now’s your chance; head to t-enterprise. co.uk to see the game inspired by truckers enraged with the comments about supposed prostitute-murdering hobbies.

News » Alumni

News » Records

Are You Board of Potter?

UK Zombies devour Burning the midday oil competition

Rachel Lowe of Portsmouth has created the new Harry Potter board game, originally developed as another game using a grant from the University. The 31 year-old adapted the original design she developed there to the world of JK Rowling, and has been working on the project for three years.

Viewers of Dragon's Den might recognise Rachel; in 2004 the fire-breathers made her cry by pointing out she didn't know the difference between net and gross profit.

But since then she has won the Young BusinessWoman of the Year Award from The News, and her game has been adapted to 21 different versions.

The world record for the largest Thriller re-enactment was set in Nottingham this Halloween. 1,127 people performed the Michael Jackson hit in the city's Old Market square, using costumes and make-up organised by the GameCity festival organisation. It took Guiness World Record Officials over half an hour to count the number of cavorting cannibals.

This new record beats the previous holder's number of 1,124 zombies set by an American town in Pennysylvania just weeks before. It also marks the 25th anniversary of the Award winning Thriller video, which was first broadcast in December 2, 1983.

Originally the game was called Destination Portsmouth, inspired by the life of a cabbie, but now there are versions featuring The Incredibles, Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc, as well as the new game of quidditch, wands and death eaters.

News » Environment

The University's catering services are going to put their weekly haul of 260 litres of waste vegetable oil to good use fuelling their vehicles. A private company, Yately's Industries, will collect it from the refectories and halls around Portsmouth before converting the oil into biodiesel and returning it.

Nick Leach, our catering manager, says "It's a win-win situation for everyone. We save money, while the charity makes a profit". The University stands to save up to £200 per month, as well as further saving by removing the need to pay for waste oil to be disposed of. In an added bonus, Yately Industries is also a charitable organisation which directs its profits to train disabled people.

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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

News » Elections Special

Obama makes history William Hobson

Barrack Obama has won the 2008 Presidential Elections, defeating John McCain by almost double the amount of US electoral college votes. The first African-American president of the United States, and the soon-to-be leader of the free world, pointed to three major issues of concern for his presidency in his victory speech, which he delivered from behind bullet proof glass; "Two wars, a planet in peril" and "the worst financial crisis in a century", but the Democrat victor stayed true to his campaigned message of hope.

Around the globe world figures offered comment; Gordon Brown called the election "historic", whilst the French president Nikolas Sarkozy praised the "enormous hope" Obama

has generated among his supporters.

The reverend Desmond Tutu has said that the victory demonstrates that "for black people, the sky is the limit".

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran has expressed an unprecedented message of goodwill to Obama, in response to the offer made to open an unconditional dialogue with Iran over its nuclear programme. He called upon Mr Obama to adopt a policy of "non-interference" in the international community.

One thing that might be forgotten in the euphoria of the result is that Mr Obama does not take office until January 2009, leaving the current President, George Bush Jr, in office for another two months. Bush praised the victory as a sign of the "amazing progress" his country has made in the civil right movement for coloured people since the 1960's.

Dom Scott, the chief executive of the International Student Affairs body for the UK has already made predictions that the election of Mr Obama will lead to more competition with the US for international students, marking a shift in perception of the nation. "4/11 could end up being as powerful as 9/11" Scott said, referring to international concerns over the US's conduct since the World Trade Centre attacks.

The election on the 4th also decided who would control the legislative bodies of the American Government; the Democrats also claimed a victory in both houses of Congress. This means they have both the Presidential seat and the majority of congressional and senate votes, similar to the situation that George Bush enjoyed when he took office in 2000.

photo: Jeffrey Guterman

American Election Comment: U.S. & Our Sad State Of Affairs Matt Calmus

We loved it because they generally do things bigger in America. But Britain also loathed coverage of the 21 month vote-fight for the White House because of a negative legacy - the legacy of incompetency in Iraq, weapons of mass destruction and of George Bush's tripping tongue. Seldom has any nation felt as keenly as ours the appropriateness behind that old adage about America sneezing, but everyone else catching cold.

Your average Brit is still sick in an imaginary bucket whenever Churchill's Special Relationship slogan arises in conversation; by 2003, the BBC was branding the union "a transatlantic love story."

But the twist in the tale of how Barack Obama won enough hearts and minds to secure arguably the most influential job in the Western world should not lead us in old Blighty to muse on idealist chick-lit clichés about how everything's just wonderful across the pond. A healthily skepticalfriend of mine offered: "We don't have the American Dream in the UK, because we are awake."

The biggest lesson of the US electoral marathon from our perspective does not necessarily involve pining for hamburgers, lower fuel tax or bigger cars. It's about acknowledging that Obama triumphed in history's most costly political campaign because he did indeed help put "lipstick on a pig" - the political pig of apathy that is, and not Mrs Palin.

Is this actually Politics becoming sexy? The sheer magnitude of this movement has been snowballing in the collective consciousness for some time and seemingly smacks of an engagement in politics of which the UK may only dream.

Expenditure of around $1 billion over 24 months returned an approximate all-time record US turnout of 130 million ballots, comprising around 64% of the population. If that sounds similar to British figures of 61% in 2005's General Election, then it's worth remembering the UK has a comparatively low number of 60 million citizens. Obama also amassed an unpaid team of more than 1.5 million volunteers on his way to victory.

America is the Big Apple of the

News » US Elections

Times of Change, news from the aftermath William Hobson

Two men in Minneapolis were arrested within minutes of the election result, for celebrating the Obama victory – they ran round their neighbourhood completely naked, and were unlucky enough to bump into two policemen (who must have voted for McCain).

More than half of the babies born in Kisumu Hospital, Kenya, have been named after either Barack or Michelle Obama. The hospital is close to the village where Mr Obama’s father was born and raised.

The new President faces calls for action on US human rights violations even before he enters office; Amnesty

International has called for the President-elect to close Guantanamo Bay, ban torture and investigate the abuses alleged under the current administration’s pursuit of the war on terror. The group has made a request for Obama to tackle the issue in his first 100 days of office, challenging the new president to bring the US into line with international obligations.

The election decided more than just who would become the commanderin-chief, but also the fate of state-level proposals and legislation around the country. In California, voters chose to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples by a narrow margin of 52% support, reversing a court decision made just months previously. Washington

state voted to allow doctor assisted euthanasia for the terminally ill, while Michigan voted to allow the medical use of marijuana. South Dakota and Colorado both rejected measures that curtailed the right to abortion.

American corporations did their bit to help voter turn out this year - Starbucks, Krispy Kreme and Ben & Jerry's all offered freebies to people who said or could prove they had voted.

Goodies on offer included a free coffee grande, doughnuts sprinkled like the stars-and-stripes, and a free scoop of any flavour. An adult toy store in New York led the way for the nation's independent businessmen, offering... well, I'm sure you can guess! However, questions have been rasied over

the legality of such promotions under American election laws.

And a final word; Barrack Obama is NOT a Muslim, despite what some Portsmouth students insist. This was a rumour reporteddly started by some of McCain supporters early in the year's campaigning, and was reinforced by both Mr Obama's name, his Kenyan descent, and a near-slanderous front cover of the New Yorker magazine.

Barrack Obama is in fact a Christian, and has reportedly been active in his chosen church for many years; the real question is not is he a Muslim, but is he really a devout Christian or just playing politics?

political world right now, thanks to an injection of charisma and character from both sides during the war of words where the outcome really mattered. The election made these isles look like one huge rotten borough by comparison, because we saw passionate patriots participating with a true desire to improve the States.

We saw Americans who believed their vote was vital and potentially decisive; everyone here wanted to join in from afar, to catch the fever.

To care.

“

Obama triumphed in history’s most costly political campaign because he did indeed help put “lipstick on a pig” the political pig of apathy that is, and not Mrs Palin.

Around Portsmouth's student digs were smatterings of election night parties, occasions born from a genuine interest for the result and not simply to satiate the need for a buckshee pint (I assume). The US election, frankly, made hustings hoo-hah between two Westminster grey-beards look like a sketch squabble of Statler and Waldorf and Muppet Show proportions. These past months we have all been watching soap-opera politics with actual real-life consequences, and yet also not lacking in a certain amount of accountability apparently missing around this country's debating houses.

Only time will tell if the spark of excitement that caused the world's most expensive election ever to alight in our public's imagination will burn in the memory for long. Right now, though, in America at least, Liberty's flame shines bright.

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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

Life & Style

An Erasmus Story » page 9

Pugwash News guide to: Employment Employment Bulletin Information & Dates November New to the JobShop? Check out the current vacancies online at: upsu.net/jobshop

To ensure that only students at Portsmouth university are able to access the vacancy details, you will need to register for a JobShop online login.

First you will need to register for your NUS or Union card at: upsu.net/registration. You will then receive confirmation of your registration by email. Then come along to get your NUS or Union card from the Union. You will then be able to login to the JobShop online and see the current vacancies. Please check online what times you will be able to collect your Union card.

Employment Bulletin - Don’t forget to register online to receive the JobShop’s Employment Bulletin, or collect a copy from the JobShop.

Employer Presentation CCUSA - Monday 17th November Summer Camp & Work Experience opportunities Presentations start at 2pm

Telephone Interviewers required for the University Careers and Employment Service.

Would you like to help with a Telephone survey at the University?

Part-time Telephone Interviewers required for PURPLE DOOR CAREERS for DESTINATIONS OF LEAVERS FROM HIGHER EDUCATION. Purple Door Careers wishes to recruit motivated individuals who are interested in gaining some work experience.

The work will involve telephone interviewing from 12th January to 13th March. For more information and the days and hours to be worked, please login to the Job Shop website. There will be an opportunity to discuss the role in Purple Door Careers Centre, Guildhall Walk, from 5pm till 6pm on Monday 10th November. For more information login to the Job Shop website

YMCA International Camp requires Camp Counsellors and Support Staff to work on a cultural exchange programme which is recognised and authorised by the US government. Requirements for applicants: Fluency in English, must enjoy working with people (especially children), leadership abilities and Camp skills.

For more information login to the Job Shop website

Student Friendly Employer Awards Do you work for a good employer? then email the Job Shop for the nomination form, or collect one from the Job Shop, to nominate your Employer for these Employer Awards. The Student Friendly Awards will continue for the next few months

Elke Morice-Atkinson

Drum roll please…University of Portsmouth students got a mention in the Natwest Student Living Index 2008. According to the Index, University of Portsmouth students work the most number of hours (18.45) and spend the fewest hours studying per week (17.95), compared with other students nationwide.

Because we work the most and study the least (apparently!), the Life & Style team thought it only fitting to commend your part-time efforts at Tesco and the Co-Op. Read on for our guide to part-time work.

Getting the job: If you’re looking for part-time work, the UPSU Job Shop should be your first port of call. Check out their website (or our regular listings on Page 5 of every issue) and have a scout around for any positions that catch your eye.

Check out their notice boards in the Union too. Another great resource for part-time work is the Jobcentre Plus website. It has a great search function – you can even look for a job within your post code.

Pay: We don’t like to work for free. If you are, you are either a Saint or a volunteer! If you’re not either of these, make sure your employer is paying you. You should get paid if you are working legally in the UK, not self-employed and have a written, oral or implied contract of employment. Now that you know you should be getting paid, how much should you get? Commit this information to memory – National Minimum Wage. If you are 18-21 years old, you should be paid at least £4.77 per hour; if you are 22 years and over you should be paid at least £5.73 per hour. If your employer is not paying you the National Minimum Wage, you have a right to make a complaint to HM Revenue & Customs using their handy online complaint form.

“

If you’re looking for part-time work, the UPSU JobShop should be your first port of call

Hours: Make sure your employer is aware you are a student and there are only certain shifts or hours you can work. Also, if you are an adult worker (over 18) you have the right to a 20-minute rest break if you are expected to work more than six hours at a time.

Balancing work and study: Only you can know how many hours of work per week you can handle. Remember you are at university to get a good degree, not earn loads of cash!

Just don’t go overboard, signing yourself up for shifts left, right and centre.

Keep it balanced people!

Holidays: There is a statutory right to a minimum amount of annual holiday. At the moment the minimum is 4.8 weeks holiday a year, based on your normal working week. If you work two days a week for example, you would be entitled 4.8 weeks of two

days per week. This somehow works out to be 9.6 days of holiday. Ask your employer how much annual holiday you’re entitled to.

The P forms: If you’re an employee, your employer must give you certain documents.

These are known as PAYE forms: P45, P60 and P11D. The P45 is a form you receive when you stop working for your employer. It is a record of your pay and the tax deducted from it in the tax year. You are entitled to this form by law when you stop working for your employer. The P60 is a summary of your pay and the tax deducted from it during the tax year. You are entitled to this form by law and you may need it to claim back overpaid tax. It’s also good if you need to demonstrate

proof of your income. If you’re lucky enough to gain benefits from your employment, like a company car, your employer must tell HM Revenue & Customs using a P11D form.

Disputes: Sometimes you and your employer may enter into a dispute over something to do with your employment.

Don’t panic. There are many ways to resolve these. You should work out what the problem is exactly before attempting to resolve it. The best place to start dealing with the problem is to try to work it out informally with your line manager, personnel department or colleague. If this doesn’t work, you can make a formal grievance complaint. Find out what your employer’s grievance procedure is and evoke it. If

not, there is a statutory grievance procedure that all employers must follow.

It has three stages. Firstly, you have to make a written complaint explaining the problem. At the second stage, your employer should investigate the problem and invite you and if you wish, a companion, to a meeting to discuss the matter to reach a resolution. The final stage is to appeal if you are unhappy with the resolution. Again you will attend a meeting, but a more senior manager should lead it. If it all goes terribly wrong you can take your employer to an Employment Tribunal, but go to the Citizens’ Advice Bureau first for more advice.

For more information about your employment rights, check out: direct.gov.uk/en/Employment

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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

Comment & Opinions

Do we belong here?

We asked people to go bonkers on the topic of students and community. Our place in it, how we’re seen by and how we see others in it, how we see ourselves in it… Whatever they wanted to say on the matter, really!

In the three years I’ve been in Portsmouth, I’ve both heard and over-heard various comments from students and “the others” that show a mixed feeling about us being here. We definitely bring life to what is, in my opinion, an otherwise quiet city and must certainly help the shops, clubs and restaurants as we “waste” our loan, which has been no-

ticed by people here. But it’s also been noticed that some of us are also loud, up late, and drink a lot. We’re not the only ones that behave like this – some of Portsmouth’s own population can be anti-social as well. Even though we don’t help it sometimes, it’s not all our fault.

Myself and several students I know are involved in RAG and VIP. These continuously help Portsmouth’s people and environment, a recent example of how being a beach clean they undertook. These events show how students can help within the community. I also help in another way, by volunteering in Portsmouth’s theatres, which not only gives me some work experience, but provides an extra pair of hands for places that are run by Trusts, and not

the Council. During our time here I think we should offer our support for the community, or at least treat them with respect - after all we are kind of “using” their city.”

Amanda Greenwood As we all know, The University of Portsmouth takes great pride in its integration with the local community. Whether it is paid work or volunteering, it is implied that students are an essential part of Portsmouth. The University’s web page even has an entire section dedicated to the issue called “Community”.

Opportunities are often given to students to mingle with the locals; a good example of this being the RAG Raid that took place on the 9th November, where students dressed up as superheroes and collected money for their chosen charities. However, this did leave a certain amount of responsibility with the individual. People must choose to join in with this kind of activity. They did and I hope they will again. The more we do this, the more the local community will see the students of Portsmouth out there trying to raise money for a good cause; surely this is more positive than just associating us with anti-social behaviour? There are never enough good stories about the younger generation, so if we all grab a pair of tights and wear our underpants on the outside for more activities like this, I am sure the local community will love us even more.”

Laura Crotty We students make up about 10% of Portsmouth’s population.

Some us come and go during the holidays and some of us call it home. It’s big enough for all of us but I get the feeling that some of the locals don’t want to share.

We put life into this city, yet are labelled by some as disrespectful, lazy or drunk – I’ve seen many Portsmouth residents themselves exhibit these very traits. We can hardly be the most disrespectful when I’ve seen mothers swear at their children as they walk along the road!

It’s not hard to enjoy the odd drink when you’re in a navy town that has a pub on every street corner in some areas! I’ve seen young men in their twenties queuing up waiting for the pubs to open so they can start drinking.

People don’t understand how much hard work goes into a degree, especially if you want a chance of getting a good job after you graduate! I wish I had the chance to be lazy! There’s no rest for the wicked! However, the locals aren’t fully to blame for the opinions they have of us. We don’t help ourselves sometimes.

When was the last time that we saw an old lady struggling with something and offered help in whatever way we could? Or a woman with kids and a whole load of shopping bags and asked if we could help? For those of you who have said yes to those questions and it happened recently then good for you but for the rest of us, it’s simply shameful. Are we still wondering why they don’t like us as much?!

We don’t integrate into the Portsmouth community; we have never had any reason to think about it!

The University of Portsmouth has over 20,000 students. We make our own little town; probably only one out of every ten students may say that they have friends that aren’t from the University. I can say that I am on the majority and it’s shameful. All the friends that I have are from different ethnic cultures, nationalities and interests, but not one is a Portsmouth local that doesn’t go to the University.

What a waste we are! Consider how many different kind of personalities, interests and life experiences that we have; we have in no way made any impact in this small community that needs a bit of help and it fills me with disgust. I am mortified at being part of the next generation of leaders and trail blazers. Aside from economi-

cally, what impact has the University of Portsmouth had on the Portsmouth community?

There are so many young people here who could use a more realistic role model or even just someone to help with little things, like the projects involving a big brother or sister that some of us may have had at schools.

In some respects the locals are right. We can be disrespectful in the sense that we dare tread on their territory believing that we have absolute right to do what we want on someone else’s home. We can be drunk sometimes, albeit on self righteousness and the belief that we are better than them. We can be lazy. When have most of us ever lifted a finger to help this community in any way? Most of us probably don’t know that we have a student and community liaison.

These are the years of our lives that we have a chance to make a small difference, when our idealist view of life is still partially intact and we are wasting it!”

Leonella Buella

University in this country has little in common with university in France, where you will only find a university community spirit in a handful of big business schools.

In France we don't really get in contact with other students aside from the ones we know because we share the same class. We don't have welcome parties such as the Freshers’ Fortnight events. Well, nothing organised by the university itself or an associated body such as the Students’ Union. We only usually meet other students by going out to nightclubs or house parties.

We don't have that, because French universities have to save as much money as possible. We just can't afford these kinds of event. We can’t afford somewhere like the Union. I’ve found students here very welcoming.

It's very easy to meet new people and have a conversation with them, although staying in touch is a different matter.

In France, when you give your number, you can be sure that we will call you back, because for us it means that you want to keep in touch. But here, if we do the same, we may feel embarrassed when we call back (or even if someone calls us) as if we were pressuring them or something like that. I’ll give you an example of something that happened to a friend as well as myself: we wanted to join a sports team so we got in contact with them and the representatives told us, “yeah, no problem, I'll send you the form to apply” and “yeah, we’ll keep in touch and we'll see what you can do for the team”. We’ve not heard from them since…

There is potential for such a tightknit student community. Consider yourselves lucky that there are such wonderful means to welcome both British and International students, integrating them into the University.

Make use of them, for the benefit of every student.”

Virginie Caminade (Erasmus student) If something you have read has put a bee in your bonnet and you want it squashed before it stings you, e-mail me at: comment@upsu.net

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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

Life & Style

Students can go green on a retro roadrunner Portsmouth is the first and only university in the UK that has linked with Hemingway Designs to offer funky foldable Roadrunner bikes for just £50.

The Roadrunner bikes were created

by Wayne Hemingway, founder of the fashion label Red or Dead. His company, Hemingway Design, specialises in affordable and social design, and sells the bicycles in bulk to large employers such as city councils.

The single speed bikes weigh just over 13 kilograms and come with a bell, pump, integral pannier rack and basic tools. They are not the most advanced folding bicycles on the market, but for £50 the university hopes that students and staff will be encouraged

to ditch their cars and cycle to work.

Senior Lecturer, Claire Sambrook, from the School of Creative Technologies, contacted Hemingway Designs after purchasing her own Roadrunner a few months ago: "Portsmouth is a flat city so these Roadrunners are absolutely ideal as a method of transport. They also look trendy and come in a variety of colours, like hot pink or luscious lime, so hopefully they will appeal to different tastes. Students might also like to customise them as I have mine," she said.

For more information about getting yourself a roadrunner, contact claire.sambrook@port.ac.uk

Is it too late for the birds and the bees?

When it comes to sex, Britain is in meltdown. We've got the worst ever rate of sexually transmitted diseases among young people, the highest number of teenage pregnancies in western Europe and (according to Channel 4's The Sex Education Show) most worryingly of all, unlimited access to extreme pornography. A report in the Metro newspaper suggests that "teenage boys think it is okay to get a girl drunk get them into bed". Dr Mark Hayter, who undertook the research, said: "In one group, there was even a suggestion that it was okay for a boy to force his girlfriend to have sex". With the days of the "birds and the bees" story seemingly gone, is it that sex-education in today's schools isn't informing students to the level at which they really need?

YouGov's "Sex Education" survey suggests that "more than a third of teens say they rely on getting advice on sex from friends, the internet, magazines and via pornography" and that "nearly three in ten teenagers say they need more sex and relationships education". A recent discussion within the Sabbatical office at the Students' Union revealed that less than a decade ago the level of sex education wasn't particularly good either, with some officers remembering just an embarrassing cartoon video (which everyone ignored anyway) and others recalling being given a rolling pin to

try putting a condom onto.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families said a London head teacher, Sir Alasdair MacDonald, would lead a further review into how best to make Personal and Sexual Health Education compulsory, "ensuring that there is a place in the timetable and flexibility in the curriculum to take schools' ethos, pupils' needs and parents' values into account". Which, in theory, is great; however does that mean that only the areas where the majority of teenagers are sexually active will get taught how not to become a parent at 14, while bubble wrapping those who reside in, lets be honest, wealthier areas. Gary Eason, from the BBC, writes: "Sex is regarded as such an important but sensitive subject that any government which starts dictating what children should or should not be taught risks offending someone". Is the risk of offending someone worth the 40% of all 14-17 year olds who are sexually active potentially contracting an STI, becoming pregnant, or even, in their naivety, raping someone?

Sex is not simple. There aren't always easy answers, but why are our schools embarrassed to talk about sex, sexuality, and sexual health?

What's your opinion - make your comment online at: upsu.net/p/3764

Life & Style » Relationships

Bunny Boiler and Photo-Whore have now ended their relationship

Isabella Stockwell

Let’s not deny it; no relationship is without a little paranoia. Most people will wonder if their boyfriend or girlfriend is flirting, kissing or even sleeping with others behind their back at some point. And with social networking sites like Facebook becoming an everyday activity for most students, many are finding themselves scouring their loved ones profile for clues, even if their partner is completely trustworthy. In essence, it’s breeding a new, more in-the-know era of bunny boilers. This could be detrimental for all of us.

It is now easier than ever to stalk

other people; find out who they talk to, where they met them and what they are doing. Walls, contact info and history, status updates. Really, it is the stalker’s guilty pleasure. And there’s no point hiding it, we all do it - in fact, it’s hard to know what else Facebook is used for than to look at what others are doing.

But for many, the trend for Facebook-stalking is going that one step too far. Recently my friend’s boyfriend sat outside her house with his laptop, hacking into her internet server so he could get into her account and look at friend’s photographs which she wasn’t tagged in. Unfortunately, this meant seeing a picture of his girlfriend rather close to another guy. Let’s just say he

didn’t react too well, throwing stones at her house for three hours before setting the photograph as his profile picture.

Another friend logged into her account just to show me a picture of her boyfriend with a girl. To me, this picture looked innocent; it simply looked like two people posing for a photograph, but because she had analysed it so much, she decided that they were stood too close together for them to just be friends. This was not the case, but unfortunately the couple split up because of her lack of trust.

You may well be thinking that it actually seems to be saving us from relationships with cheaters. After all, it gives us a wider scope of access to

what our boyfriends and girlfriends really get up to on nights out than we did in the pre-Facebook days. I do think we should be a little more considerate about what pictures we pose for on nights out, and you know the ones I mean; the drunken boob-groping ones. Because there’s no denying we all know where they will end up, and even if your partner doesn’t see it, their nosey friend might. Despite this, I also think we should spend less time scrutinising our lovers’ profiles; after all, we could simply be throwing away a perfectly good relationship for nothing, and soon could all face the "you are now listed as single" notification.

U

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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

Life & Style

An Erasmus Story

Martin Plappert

There I was, standing in the airport terminal in Heathrow at the end of February, about to begin my Erasmus semester in Greece. The insanity of the whole undertaking suddenly hit me; I was about to fly to a country where not only did I not know a single person, but the only sentence I knew in the native language was “Can I have a beer please?” Luckily enough my flight was called at that moment and I was distracted from then on, due to my uncanny ability to be seated next to people who work in IT and snore like my mum.

After the initial disorientation of landing in a foreign airport, navigating Athens and noticing how bloody horrible the city was, I hopped on the bus to Zakynthos. There I was joined by four other Erasmus students from Turkey and one from Poland. Together we commenced our Erasmus semester

of awesomeness.

After a week of getting accommodated to the island, we started our courses at the University, which were both interesting and unique. This was due to the fact that the five of us were taught separately in English and did not take part in the Greek lectures.

Most lecturers really tried to help us out and to accommodate as best they could. I mean, who here has ever gone partying with their lecturers? They took us around the island in their cars and we even went to the beach with them, which was weird, but made the whole thing so much more “real”.

But even though we did learn a lot in our lectures, Erasmus isn’t so much about studying and more about the experience. The experience of travelling around a foreign country with people that you had not known just a month ago; the experience of having your eyes opened as I learnt not only about Greece, the people and their unique culture, but also about the lives of my

Life & Style » Health

University Counselling service to run stress reduction course Elke Morice-Atkinson Life & Style Editor

The buzz of the first month has worn off, you’ve had the all important meetings with your dissertation supervisor (and now the prospect of writing that dissertation is scaring the pants off you) and, to top it off, your housemates haven’t done their dishes, again.

This term the University Counselling Service are running an eight week stress reduction through awareness course. The “Mindfulness Course” will run on Wednesdays and take place in the Nuffield Centre and the Union

between 2 and 3.30pm. The best bit is it’s almost free for students (apart from a one off payment of £18 for the cost of CDs given to participants during the course).

Mindfulness, what’s all that about then?

Mindfulness is paying attention to ones moment-to-moment experiences, on purpose and without judgement.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction includes simple breathing meditations and stretches that are used to increase an awareness of the present moment.

All a bit too “airy-fairy” for you?

Not sure meditation and stretching will help deal with the mass of dishes in your kitchen and the fact you now

have looming deadlines? Think the counselling service is only for homesick Freshers and stressed out Masters students? Well, think again. The University Counselling Service says developing a greater awareness of our emotions can open us up to change how we deal with and approach our experiences, no matter what level we are at.

A writer in meditation and selfgrowth, Henepola Gunaratana, writes in “Mindfulness in Plain English” that mindfulness can make possible the growth of wisdom and compassion.

By understanding our emotions and physical states, we can disengage from them and respond to stressors skillfully, rather than automatically.

The course hopes to develop students’ self-confidence, ability to relax effectively and deal with stress and increase awareness of thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations so they are managed more effectively. Being aware of thoughts and feelings as they arise can put you in better shape to “nip them in the bud”.

To get involved contact the University counselling service on 023 9284 3157 or by emailing counselling@port. ac.uk. All they ask is that you wear loose, warm, comfortable clothes for the course and bring a blanket (or mat) and cushion with you once you’re on the course.

fellow Erasmus students.

I was also incredibly lucky to land a job in Zakynthos, working for the Hellenic Ornithological Society in co-operation with the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, where I got to work on the incredibly beautiful “Sekania” beach. You know you have it made when you get paid to watch baby turtles dig their way out of the sand and waddle their way into the sea. The other Erasmus students also stayed on the island, working various jobs, and we spent a really great summer together. We went to the beach so often that we nearly got sick of the whole sun and sand thing.

Six months away can’t really be summed up in a few hundred words, but I’ve tried. And you can do it too, have your own Erasmus experience which will no doubt be different, but hopefully equally amazing. Ask your tutor or lecturer about the possibility of going away for a semester or two.

Seriously, you won’t regret it!

Martha Beck’s Mindfulness Exercise Start by sitting in a way that doesn’t block anything: sit with your legs uncrossed and with your hands resting on your legs.

Become aware of the feeling in your toes. Wiggle them.

Now move that feeling up to your calves and thighs.

Close your eyes and breathe in.

Visualize air going into your body and travelling down into your legs and feet. This air is going to clean away all of the tension.

As you breathe out, visualize all of your tension as a dark cloud that that you just blow out into the air.

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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

Life & Style » Restaurant Reviews

Candela Steakhouse and Wine Bar William Hobson

The word “buffet” must be one of the best in the English language - especially when coupled to the words “£10 only”, and even more so when you put that together with the idea of a Moroccan Steakhouse. Candela Steakhouse on Albert Road lured me and my parents in recently with that tried and tested slogan, and opened itself to a possibly scathing review.

Frankly though, I can’t pretend anything but complete and utter satisfaction with it.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated, with vine leaves hanging lasciviously from the ceiling (fake, natch) and an ambience that manages to be cosy but not too intimate - you could take a date there but you don’t have to – which does a fine job of imitating an authentic Mediterranean bistro.

On to the important things in life the food. A brief word before I get “stuck in” (and trust me, I really truly did at the time) on what they offer beside the buffet; from the looks of things, great value for money. The mains weren’t exactly what you’d call cheap (£9 - £10) but from the size and quality of the steak and chips I saw wheeled past me to the table opposite - obviously people with a more refined taste than myself - they were more than worth it. But back to the

buffet, and what I actually tried.

There was an unlimited supply of fresh Lebanese style flatbread available to go with the two soups - a ridiculously spicy mussel phil phil and a rich, creamy lentil - and the dips, which truly stood out as something special. Aside from the hearty re-fried beans on offer, there was also the familiar addition of hummus, but I’ve never had hummus like this before.

Forget the stuff your veggie friends wolf down from ASDAs, that tub of congealed rubbish had nothing on this; fresh, zesty and slightly spiced.

I would have been happy with just bread, soup and a plateful of hummus and salad (which was remarkably fresh), but of course there was much more on offer. There were decentbut-standard BBQ ribs and breaded mushrooms for the unadventurous, nice and simple rice and cous cous to bulk out your meal, and then a whole range of wonderful Moroccan dishes.

The highlight was the exquisitely soft pork and Moroccan spices, which fell apart under your fork and in your mouth. But it was closely followed by the Tilapia fillet (a type of fish as far as I can work out!), with harrisa and charmoula sauce - less spicy than the pork, but with a rich and deeply flavoursome sauce that offset the fish well. Added to that were spiced meatballs in a rich sauce and some ridiculously good chicken wings in a harrisa

and tomato sauce, offering a different twist on the flavour that came with the pork. The only disappointment was the chicken with yoghurt, which would be be great if you made it at home, but was too bland in comparison to the other offerings.

When you top a meal like this off with a plateful of sticky, sweet and soft Baklava you have got a ridiculously good & massively sized meal for the bargain price of £10.

If you are already going to spend around a tenner on food not including drinks (i.e. you’re going somewhere other than your local fast food joint or takeaway), I say get down to Candela and let your taste buds try out something delicious and distinctive in the area.

However, be warned - you’ll want to go back for more. And More. AND MORE. The buffet offer operates during the weekdays only.

Visit their website at: candelasteakhouse.co.uk/ Address: 165-167 Albert Road Southsea Telephone: 023 9282 9707

Peckish: Sandwich Bar

Christmas dining

Will Hobson

Peter Hooley

With all the sandwich bars and delicatessens that have popped up around Portsmouth in the last couple of years, it's good to see this newcomer offer something special to make it stand out a little. Just opened in September, it offers a real deli's range of quality sandwiches and toasties, along with a decent fresh cup of coffee. Instead of the typical cold cuts and mayo choices, Stan (the friendly French face behind the counter) can make you a baguette, panini or toasty from a range of delicacies such as sundried tomatoes, blue cheese, black olives and chorizo sausage, plus good old fashioned bacon. It's a cut above the normal fare and, for the moment at least, extremely reasonably priced. As well as offering a delivery service, the shop intends to stay open till eleven at night, offering a much better (and healthier) alternative to the post-pub takeaway – as well as a student discount. I was told that Stan's more than happy to make something special and personalized, though if you want a bacon and cheese butty he'll cook that up for you too (I think he'd rather make use of his freshly made roast vegetables though). If you're down Albert Road, I'd give it a go.

As we approach the festive season, for many of you the question will arise “where should we go for our Christmas lunch?” It’s something of a student tradition to have that festive meal with friends, new and old, before heading off to see the family.

So if you want to avoid the haunts of chain restaurants, branded bars and Bernard Matthews turkey ham freshly marched through a microwave, here’s our top three recommendations for your yuletide meal.

The Old Vic (St Pauls road, by the Uni gym) oldvicportsmouth.co.uk A fantastic independent pub which produces all of its food in house. Offering 15% discount for students and Uni staff at lunchtime, you won’t be disappointed by this establishment.

Rosie’s Wine Bar (Elm Grove) rosies-vineyard.co.uk

A fantastic bistro with room for intimate and group dining, Rosie’s is probably one of the best restaurants in town. They have a fantastic menu and boast one of the best vegetarian selections in the city. As an added bonus, you can pick your meal (starter/ main/dessert), so if some of your group are on a budget and don’t want all the courses this is the place to go.

Work and travel in the

TM

USA or Canada Spend your summer holiday exploring North America, making lifelong friendships and gaining invaluable CV-enhancing skills

Where will your ideas end up? In hospitals? In schools? On the six o’clock news?

Become a Civil Service Fast Streamer and the answer could be all of the above. One thing’s for certain. Every different area you work in (and there will be many), you’ll be finding solutions to some of society’s most important issues. Some of which need answering right away.

Summer Camp USA is a low cost programme offering you the chance to be a role model to kids as a camp counsellor

Come and visit our stand at the following event at Portsmouth University: Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair 26th November 11am - 3pm, Portsmouth Guildhall

Work Canada provides you with a flexible working visa – exclusively available through BUNAC Work America allows flexible work and travel anywhere in the USA

faststream.gov.uk

KAMP sets you up with a summer placement in the USA helping with the day-to-day running of a children’s camp.

Summer Camp USA Interviews Southampton - 6th December 2008 Book your interview online

For more information visit

www.bunac.org

020 72513472 enquiries@bunac.org.uk

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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

Arts & Entertainment

Singles

Albums

Sky Larkin: Fossil I Wasting no time in engaging new listeners, Sky Larkin hurtle from the blocks in the opening few seconds of this track and leave you breathless.

Despite the confidence of a band much more established than themselves, none of the band’s infectious passion is lost in frontwoman Katie’s vocal delivery, and it’s difficult not to get excited about.

“Fossil, I” boasts a hook most chart-bothering guitar bands could only dream of, and having just signed to Wichita Records - home of Bloc Party, The Cribs, and Bright Eyes - it’s easy to see them following suit and gate crashing the charts themselves.

With their debut album due early next year, expect to be hearing lots more from Sky Larkin in the very near future. And with this teasingly short single making us reach for the “repeat” button on our MP3 players we can’t wait.

Donald Vass

James Morrison feat. Nelly Furtado: Broken Strings I gave this to one of our designers to listen to before I did, who described it as “The most bland piece of...”. I didn’t know why he couldn’t finish the sentence until I listened to it myself. It reminds me of an updated (and by updated I mean “in no way better”) version of Enrique Inglesias and Christina Aguilera’s “Tragedy”, and adds to a very long line of terrible and misguided duets. It unfortunately puts shame to all of those fantastic ones, Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, Sonny and Cher, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. It is indeed bland, and full of overused romantic cliches that detract from any sort of respect for songwriting that many people may have given either. I advise to you ignore it, however hard it may be, because this kind of drivel finds its way of being pushed into drive-time radio.

Tallie Kane

Gigs Funeral For A Friend Pyramids Centre 31/10/2008 Laura Callan

With three support acts, Funeral For a Friend’s Halloween night gig at the Pyramids looked to be a bit of a rock marathon. Pop-punk newbies Attack Attack kicked off the night, followed

by Northern Irish rockers, In Case Of Fire. Both gave exciting performances before Cancer Bats came on to really warm up the crowd. In full Halloween dress, the band really impressed; frontman Liam Cormier gave a hugely energetic performance, thrashing around the stage with true hardcore punk swagger.

Having seen Funeral For A Friend live with their past few albums, I knew I was in for a good show; the new album “Memory and Humanity” is a very good offering, slightly reminiscent of their more screamo beginnings, unlike their arguably lighter 2007 album, “Tales Don’t Tell Themselves”.

Dressed far more casually than their predecessors, FFAF took to the stage with a roar from their eagerly waiting fans, and played a succession of old crowd-pleasers and new material.

Singer Matt Davies kept it political, sporting a T-Shirt bearing the face of Presidential candidate Barack Obama, but was clearly looking to have a good time, joking with the crowd throughout the set. While the rest of the band were drinking bottles of beer, Davies sipped from a flask of “tea”, leading the crowd to call for “Tea! Tea! Tea!” Davies then enticed the whole venue into a singalong of Mr T’s “Mother”, exclaiming “That’s the only T you’re gonna get!”

In true Halloween spirit, a couple of diehard fans dressed up as the male and female heroes of album cover “Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation”, and were brought up on stage as FFAF slowed it down with “Your Revolution Is A Joke”. The tempo was soon built up again, with Davies calling for a circle pit to new album track “You Can’t See The Forest For The Wolves”.

After a lengthy show the band departed the stage, but came back for an encore of the eternal crowd-pleaser “Escape Artists Never Die”, sending the crowd into a moshing, circle-pitting, kicking, screaming frenzy.

Playing live, Funeral For A Friend give a fun and lively performance, playing their best anthems from past and present albums and giving the crowd what they want. They have arguably become more emo than screamo over the years, but still offer up great music, and even better live performances.

Rolo Tomassi: Hysterics.

Rating: Joel Growney

A little bit of research using your friend and mine (Wikipedia) shows that Rolo Tomassi are named after a character from James Ellroy’s novel “L.A Confidential”, described as “a criminal who is able to completely get away with his crime”.

Such a name couldn’t be any more appropriate. On the also fittingly titled “Hysterics”, this fresh faced Sheffield quintet tear apart the by now dog-

Q-Tip: The Renaissance Rating: James Phillips

It was a great day for black America, and the rest of the world. A breath of fresh air, indeed change is on its way.

That’s right: a new Q-Tip album. Perhaps the shrewd choice of release date seems an obvious one (coinciding with the US election, in case you’ve forgotten), there are clear comparisons to be drawn. A lot of history in both candidates. Both innovators. Two men who are bringing the message of change.

However, while Barack Obama’s hiphop career is heavily disputed, Q-Tip

eared rulebook of what current young British bands “should” be doing with such confidence that if there is indeed any kind of swindling going on, it’s easily overlooked.

Indeed, there is more than a hint of hipster novelty about this record; an 18 year old girl roaring away over what sounds like several Gameboys being thrown down the stairwell of a jazz club is never going to be covered on X Factor, lets face it.

But ignoring the oh-so-important scene points that “Hysterics” will earn you, what’s here to be heard is an impressive and fairly unique collection of jazz-tinged, flailing, writhing... something-core. You see, it’s hard to make out quite how to categorise Rolo Tomassi, and how their unafraid, defiant brand of heaviness fits into music at

the moment, but in the face of the distressingly ongoing torrent of rubbish high street indie bands, such madness somehow makes perfect sense.

thankfully still have the power to shake our minds and feet. The album opens the in the vein of Tribes’ “Award Tour” and it just gets better from there. Move, the album’s first single, asserts, once again, hip-hop’s place on the dancefloor, sampling Jackson Five’s “Dancing Machine”. There’s even a nod to one time awesome supergroup Lucy Pearl in “We Love/We Fight” (feat. Raphael Saadiq). Favouring on true talent, rather than commercial sounds (I’m lead to believe that this is known as “keeping it real”) is what has made Tip a great producer as well as artist, and the Norah Jones vocal on “Life is Better” goes so much to prove this. Whilst the album ethos is a new sound of hip-hop, hallmarks of classic track still remain: A funky break, an unmistakeable Q-tip vocal, sharp sampling and the feeling by the

end that there’s still awesome hip-hop music out there.

Out now on Hassle Records.

Out now on Universal Motown.

PureFM Show of the Week: The Excellently Cool Show Mondays 3-5pm The award winning "Excellently Cool Show" has been running since 2002 and, having just made its new home in Portsmouth, has already attracted listeners from around the world. The show lives up to its name by incorporating many exciting and entertaining

features including "The Excellently Cool Questions", "The Cheesy Choon", the weekly "Dan's Deception" competition and the infamous "Two Minute Campus Challenge". Add to this the listeners' choice in music, and interaction from start to finish, and you get an experience that can't be missed. It really is…excellently cool!

Funeral For A Friend at The Pyramids Centre

photo: Andy Donohoe

12

Pugwash PugwashNews News Wednesday Wednesday 12th 12th November November 2008

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Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

Sports

Tchoukball Club blasts headlong into first ever match!

Southampton University Portsmouth University

54 36

Andrew Roach

Last Wednesday saw the University’s Tchoukball Club compete in their first ever competitive away match to Southampton University, but despite a valiant effort by the team it was not enough to prevent the eventual loss.

The first third saw both teams trade early blows, with strong shooting from both sides. As with all Portsmouth vs Southampton games, the match concerned more than just points and league places. Portsmouth started well and stunned their, opponents putting

two points past them in a matter of seconds. Southampton quickly recovered and with a well organised team brought the score to within a point at the end of the third.

The second third featured several changes, with both teams bringing on newer players, allowing them to gain first hand experience in the fastest handball sport in the world. Both teams started the period well as they resumed the battle for the lead. However, Southampton started to show their experience and they used multiple switches to stretch the Portsmouth defence, which at times left them vulnerable. This enabled Southampton to establish a lead of thirteen points; at the end of the second period the score was 37-24.

As the final third started, Southampton reverted back to their starting line up, as they once again used the multiple switching to extend their lead. Despite Portsmouth scoring several points in quick succession and showing some well organised defending, it was not enough to prevent Southampton taking the lead. A few late errors by Southampton gifted Portsmouth a few points, but in the end the score finished 36-54 to Southampton.

Overall, it was a great first performance from Portsmouth as they showed that the future is looking bright, and the results will definitely improve as they play more competitive matches and gain more game time experience.

It’s the battle of the racket sports, as the lads go head-to-head to get their man points up and crown themselves champions!

Name: Chris Blow Club: Badminton

Name: Andrew Flynn Club: Tennis Team

What has been your most embarrassing moment?

Dumped on Southsea beach; with no clothes, it’s a long walk home!

What has been your most embarrassing moment?

I once fell down the whole flight of stairs in the cinema, in the middle of the film in front of a full crowd... popcorn everywhere!

When were you last naked in front of someone?

Naked Calender covers shot - the guys and girls in the civic offices loved it.

When were you last naked in front of someone?

Last Wednesday, when I went to Manchester to Old Trafford for the first time with my mates (Editors Comment: despite being a life long Man U fan.) Not in the stadium though, sadly!

When was the last time you cried?

Last week when we lost to Kingston 8 - 0.

When was the last time you cried?

When Man U got knocked out of the Champions League in the semi's two years ago. I was in Walkabout and all my mates caught me... never lived it down!

What’s been your most expensive night out?

The Casino, we are always dicing but never winning.

What's been your most expensive night out?

Probably around 100 quid after a night out in Liquid and a trip to the casino...

If you were invisible for a day what would you do?

Stalk Andy Leadbeater and constantly steal his fags for fun... I’m sad.

If you were invisible for the day, what would you do?

Errr... watching naked girls is too obvious right? Prob go and track some people down I didn't like and wind them up all day!

What was the last lie you told?

Yes mum I sent the b/day card two days ago, have you not got it?!?

What was the last lie you told?

Well, I promised my mates I'd go round theirs for a big night on Friday but I bottled it - they keep calling me Judas now!

Who was the last sporto you chatted up or got chatted up by?

I am regularly being chatted up by the Squash Club, they want to combine their balls with our cocks. Strange...

Who was the last sporto you chatted up or got chatted up by?

Well, being in the tennis team is not exactly a puller, mind you it might just be me! Probably a random one on a Purple Wednesday!

What did your last text message say and who was it from?

Have you sent your sister a b/day card? love mum x

What did your last text message say and who was it from?

Did you know that over 6,000 people have died from global warming in the last year....on a more serious note, Douglas the trombone player from the Lurpak adverts has melted!”

Mens’ Hockey snatch last grasp victory Hockey 3rds City University 1sts

3 2

Steven Dancey

The University of Portsmouth Mens' Third hockey team were looking at getting back to winning ways, following a draw in their previous match against Reading Thirds. In the first round of the Mens' South Eastern Conference Cup the Pompey boys were up against City Uni, This was the first time in their University history that they have entered a hockey team into the BUCS leagues.

It wasn’t long after the start when movement between Scotty and Fresher Rocky in the centre of midfield led to an excellent goal taken by Scotty to give Pompey the lead. City Uni responded brightly though, with quick movement up the right wing to feed their forward, but excellent communication between fresher Mike Elliott and Dancey ensured that their attack come to nothing. Pompey continued to play the pressing game well, which lead to City Uni having to flick the ball up in the air so they could ease the pressure out of their 25 - although in doing so they immediately surrendered possession back to the Pompey defence.

As the first half drew on, City began to prove their worth, with long spells of pressure on the ball and some of their players showing good skills and clinical passing. While Pompey were pressing high, City were able to counter attack in numbers and win a short corner, which lead to them gaining the equaliser.

As the first half of the game began to draw to an end, Dancey continued to think he was playing sniper. Tom Warwick was able to beat the defender and ended up one-on-one with the keeper, playing the ball underneath him calmly to regain the lead.

At the half time interval the Pompey lads took a few minutes to regain their composure. As the second half began, City came out hard and were now playing with three attacking outfield players. Despite this, Pompey still played for the win and continued to play the press. City were quick and dangerous on the counter attack however, and were able to play around the Pompey back line and win a penalty corner, from which they were able to score and bring the game to two goals each! By this point the intensity of the occasion began to get to some of the players, especially Dancey who, after numerous previous warnings, again found him-

self being told off by the umpire after expressing his opinion over some very questionable umpiring!

After serving his time in the sin bin, Dancey was able to rejoin the game with five minutes to go, and Pompey began to press hard, while being cautious of counter attacks from City; as the umpire blew the whistle for full time Pompey won a penalty corner.

This meant that once their penalty corner had been played then it would be the end of the game, and if the score was still 2-2 then extra time would ensue, followed by sudden death!

As it was the last action of normal time, every Pompey player minus the keeper surrounded the penalty D and up stepped Fresher Rocky to inject the ball, with Dancey waiting to stop the ball and Gosport lining up a drag flick. The pressure and suspense that surrounded this potentially deciding action of the game was unbelievable - the ball came in, was stopped to perfection and sent in towards the back post, while Fresher Rocky ran along the back line to deflect the ball past the keeper in at the near post!

A truly excellent result and one worth remembering, as we now say bring on Canterbury Christchurch in round two!

Sport » Tennis

Tennis Team Earn Vital Away Point Reading University Portsmouth University

5 5

Peter Burjan

A top of the table clash saw Portsmouth travel to main promotion rivals Reading university, knowing that a result in this game would leave them in a very strong position in the league.

The conditions were far from ideal; the courts were lit only by floodlights and the rain made them extremely slippery.

First to get underway was Matt Ross partnering Pete Raffaelli, against Reading’s number one and two. It was a

tricky start for the Portsmouth pair as they struggled to cope with the harsh conditions and couldn’t get any momentum going. In the end Reading ran away with this one, in a 8-0 whitewash.

The second doubles match saw Portsmouth captain Jamie White teaming up with Peter Burjan in a more even affair.

Both teams held serve up to 3-3, when Portsmouth managed to get a break of serve, leaving them 4-3 up. From this point on Portsmouth upped their game, with Jamie dominating at the net with solid, point winning volleys, whilst Peter was slipping and sliding (falling over) all around the back of the court.

The combination worked well, and they went on to get a convincing 8-4 win.

The first singles game saw Jamie

White dominate his opponent in a quick 6-2/6-1 hammering, whilst George Calderara was battling in a tricky match.

Unfortunately George was unable to get a win, and lost 6-0/6-2 against a very tough player.

Peter Burjan was able to guarantee a draw for Portsmouth when he breezed through his match 6-0/6-3, leaving Matt Ross battling in a tense final match to try and take the win for Portsmouth.

It was a very high standard match but Matt could not quite take the win, just losing 6-3/6-2 in a tight match.

Overall it was a good draw for Portsmouth, which leaves them just one point behind league leaders Reading ,with a game in hand against bottom of the league Roehampton.

14

Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

Sports

Behind the Scenes with the ...

Octopush Committee

Want to see your club committee team here? Email: sportsnews@upsu.net

This fortnight we Catch up with the Octopush Committee to find out who they are, what makes them tick, and who thought adding a swimming pool could improve Hockey!

Name: Emily Crockford (aka Emsworth) Role: President Comment: Always up for a laugh, you’ll always find her in the Union on a Wednesday night, propping up the bar or encouraging young men to undress for her amusement.

Name: Mariesa Picknell (aka Malteaser)

BUCS Partnership with Right To Play Elliott Platts

British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) has today announced a five year partnership with leading sport for development charity Right To Play – a deal that will provide Britain's university students with the chance to inspire social change on a global level.

The deal represents one of the most exciting partnerships in the UK charity industry and will centre around an innovative “Pay for your Right To Play” day on March 25th 2009, which will encourage students to donate £1 to take part in university sport.

Following the launch, Right To Play and BUCS will undertake a recruitment drive to secure a Student Ambassador in every university and college in the UK. These ambassadors will be tasked with representing Right To Play and will be in charge of leading their university's efforts to raise awareness and funds for the charity.

Chris Robinson, UK Director for

Right To Play, said: "This is an incredibly exciting partnership for Right To Play, as it not only provides us with an excellent way of raising funds but more importantly offers a partnership that uses the skills and experiences of Britain's youth and Britain's coaches to contribute towards development and peace throughout the world.

"Britain's university students understand better than anyone the sheer power of the language of sport to communicate to children around the globe and they also know better than anyone how important the right to play is.

BUCS, Right To Play and the students of the UK will be able to make a profound and meaningful difference."

Karen Rothery, Chief Executive at British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) said: "BUCS is delighted to be supporting Right To Play make a national and global impact on children's development through sport. This partnership is the first of its kind for BUCS and over the long-term will show how student sport can bring about social

change in disadvantaged countries and the UK. "It's an exciting venture for us and one which will not only raise money for an innovative charity, but will also contribute to students' skills and knowledge through the various volunteering and coaching opportunities on offer during the relationship."

BUCS becomes the latest high profile organisation to become an official partner of Right To Play, following the likes of Chelsea Football Club, Adidas, ATOS Origin and Reuters. Sports officer Simon “Darby” Leach commented "This partnership demonstrates that University sport is about more than Wednesday afternoons and will present Portsmouth students with a fantastic opportunity to make a difference in the local community."

For more information about the partnership between Right To Play and BUCS, or to get involved in raising money for the charity, log on to: students4righttoplay.org.uk

Thirds out class Seconds in Derby

Role: Captain Comment: Nicknamed “malteaser”, because she is blonde on the inside! Always the party animal, but never lasts past midnight.

Football Men's Seconds Football Mens' Thirds

1 3

Jay Matthams

Name: Dan Morgan (aka Tug) Role: Vice President Comment: Fast and Furious Welsh Water Dragon, who just loves to be in the water.

Name: Gemma Yendall (aka Minty) Role: Treasurer Comment: “Work hard, play harder” is her motto for life.

This Wednesday saw he dearby of the year between the University Seconds and Thirds teams. The Seconds were favorites, but in a game such as this anything could happen. The game started at a high tempo, with tackles flying in and passes going astray. It didn't take long for the game to heat up, when Paul Kirtley saw the red mist and tried to kill the Second team keeper. Unfortunately for Kirtley, this backfired on him, just like pretending to be a striker. Kirtley ended up injuring himself instead of his opponent, resulting in him having to be replaced five minutes into the game by the energetic Jamie Brown. Two minutes after this change, the ball found Nedjad Mehdic out wide on the left; he exploited the space in front of him, shooting from distance. The ball nestled in the back of the net from 25 yards, making it 1-0 to the Thirds and sparking pandemonium in the Third team ranks.

The Seconds kicked off, but looked rattled; the early goal was exactly what

the Thirds needed and they didn't stop there, with Captain Connor Self putting the defence under pressure and strongly winning the ball off the opposing defence. Jamie Brown, encouraged by the last long range effort, decided to try his luck and caught the keeper off guard again, only to see his strike come back off the bottom of the post.

The Thirds smelled blood and kept attacking, with Ned and Connor causing havoc out wide and linking well with Jamie up front. The three in the midfield were dominating proceedings, with Chris Mason contributing, coupled with the tenacity and bite of Dan Seldon and Lee Hamilton. The Seconds couldn't get into their stride due to the work rate of their opponents, and the Thirds should have got greater reward for their hard work, with a second goal for Ned which was ruled out for a close offside.

The second half started at a high tempo like the first, with both teams canceling each other out with some good football and defensive work.

With 25 minutes gone, good quality build up down the left saw Ned race towards goal, shift the ball to his left foot and slam past the keeper to make it 2-0 to the Thirds. The Thirds were

in Wonderland, but the Seconds made some changes that freshened up their attack as they started to dominate proceedings.

Continuous waves of attacks against the resolute defense of the Thirds didn't prove fruitful for the Seconds, with Tom Hardy, Nick Pritchard, Luke Middleton and Danny Thomas repelling everything and defending their goal with their lives. A set piece saw a late bundled goal for the Seconds which their pressure deserved; this goal was more than a consolation, and guaranteed that the last eight minutes would be unbearable for the Third team.

But relief was quickly on the way, as the Thirds broke quickly on the counter following a Second team attack, with the ball finding Ned attacking the last defender. Good skill saw Ned flick the ball round one side of the defender - he raced round the other side to collect it and then produced a composed finish, slotting home for a memorable hat trick sewing up the game for the Thirds.

At the final whistle, emotion poured out from every single Third team boy, all of whom thoroughly deserved the win, after putting in a performance to be proud of.

Sport » Hockey

Sport » Editorial

Mixed Hockey Enjoy Away Win

If everybody looked the same, we’d get tired of looking at each other

“Fresher Jack”

It all started on a wet Sunday morning, when petrol prices had dropped to 94.9p and lots of adrenalin charged people took to the streets; we all knew at this point that the day was to be unlike any other. “To Kingston my boy”, screamed Bejoy, “let’s play them at hockey”, so we did.

The warm up was off the hook, and we went charging out like cats out of a bin liner. The “Puk-Mister” was first on the scoreboard with her skillful goal that almost (but not quite) created a thunder storm, it was so epic!

Meanwhile “Ginge” pranced around, pulling out some incredible

skills and being hot-dog-hot with his recently shaven red nest. The rest of team Pompey were in wonderment and hypnotised, so much so that Kingston were able to equalise. This was the catalyst that the padster needed; after setting up the first goal he clinched it back, with a goal so outrageous that he should have been wearing stripy trousers with an orange polka dot knit jumper when he scored it.

Throughout the match there was great play by Emily and “Nuts” on the right, and Emma and Vicky on the left, who all put the Kingston guys to shame. There were also, I will not lie, some altercations with a member of the opposite team, who went to cry in her automobile at the sheer amazingness

of Pompey that had overcome her.

“Ginge” the HobNob binger scored the third goal, teasing Kingston along the way with some rip roaring, toe curling ball skills. He was a landslide winner of Man of the Match (although suspicions of a fix were raised, as he pulled his own MoM medal out of his manly purse).

Mark Pellat was the fourth and final goal scorer for Pompey. (He is also the proud owner of a luxurious cream hockey stick bag, suitable for all occasions, except maybe a funeral.)

Kingston then made one last ditch attempt to gain a little dignity, were marginally successful and scored a goal, to make the end result 4-2 to Portsmouth.

Ben Endley

This has been an exciting two weeks for sport. The AU Council has hosted its first meeting of the year, in which sportos were updated on the progress of attempts to unify of the AU under a single brand. This idea has many good points from a commercial perspective, the AU as a single organisation presents a more attractive prospect with regards to sponsorship. This is even more important considering the current economic situation, with far less cash going into commercial endorsements. Also, from a representation perspective a group of 5,000 students would instantly become the

largest membership organisation in the university and would be able to demand far more from the University.

Despite all this am I the only one who feels that we would lose something by doing so? I don’t think individuality can be valued highly enough until we lose it. Undoubtedly uniformity has its place in sport however individuality should also be strongly encouraged.

To walk into the Waterhole and be able to identify numerous different teams by what they are wearing is an important part of the experience. The question is when will this stop? If we became a unified brand, Would we be looking at a uniform for sportos?

Perhaps back to school is the future theme of the AU?

Pugwash News Wednesday 12th November 2008

Sports

University Boxers take Three County Titles

photo: Lucy Henry Wayne Gardiner

On 31st October 2008 the Southern Counties Novice boxing championships took place in Margate, Kent.

Boxer Brian Ogweno from Portsmouth University was competing against John Snape from Crawley ABC in the Welterweight Under 10s final.

Both boxers had won two bouts the previous week to reach this stage of the event and seemed really eager to impress. John Snape came out firing in the first round, putting the Portsmouth boxer on the back foot, but as the bout progressed through the rounds Brian showed his skill and knowledge, switching his tactics and forcing his opponent back using lovely straight punch combinations, scoring forcibly and accurately. The judges gave Brian a unanimous win, which now puts him in the last 16 boxers in this category across the country.

Also representing Portsmouth University in the finals was Heavyweight George Georgakakis against undefeated Irvin Pascal from Hove ABC. Both boxers were of a large stature and looked to posses some lethal

stopping power in their punches. In the first round Irvin came out with aggression, meaning to try and stop George within the first round. After a flurry of exchanges from both boxers, George managed to get the edge over his opponent and landed a couple of good quality point scoring combinations. In the second round George maintained his pace, edging the advantage in the judge’s eyes.

For the third round George slowed the pace and both boxers used their jabs to great effect; Irvin looked to be pulling it back with his longer reach.

As the decision was announced, both coaches knew it was close, but George was awarded a split decision victory, moving him through to the next round of competition.

Young Suraj Popat had a walkover in the Light Flyweight category, also moving him through to the last 16 in the country. The next round of boxing will be against the Combined Services on 22nd November in Aldershot.

Portsmouth University Boxing Coach Wayne Gardiner said: “I am confident that all three boxers can progress further and even stand a chance of winning this National Championship."

Sport » Fencing

Fencing performance improves five-fold!

John Cashman

It’s safe to say that the first fencing BUCS match of the season wasn’t a huge success, however, with a number of fixtures still to come, no one's heads were dropping just yet. In fact (to steal the upbeat, nineties pop stylings of D:Ream), "Things can only get better!"

Last Wednesday saw the Womens’ Fencing team take part in their third match of the season against City University. Despite losing the match Marina Hauer, Rhiannon Traynier and Sara Fletcher all gave an excellent account of themselves, scoring 44-45 in Foil, 41-45 in Sabre, and 43-45 in

Epée, resulting in an overall score of 128–135.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for the Men, who were fencing Imperial College. John Cashman, Stuart Lee and Morgan Morey got off to a fantastic start in Epée, frustratingly losing 42-40, but when it came down to Foil and Sabre, they just weren’t at their best, and lost out on 55 points, albeit to some frankly poor judging! Nevertheless, a good, if tiring, day was had by all. Girls, keep it up; guys, better luck next time!

Have you got a competitive side? Join the Fencing Club for only £30, more information at: upfc.co.uk or email: info@upfc.co.uk

15

Lacrosse settle scores against old rivals Portsmouth Southampton City

7 6

Liam O'Mahoney

On the wettest Saturday in my (short) memory, the Purple warriors pulled out an inspiring performance to clinch a dramatic victory against Southampton City. Having been convincingly beaten by Scummers in a pre-season friendly, and with four players missing through illness or other commitments, Pompey went into the game rightly seeing themselves as the underdogs.

"Perfect lacrosse weather” was the comment of one hardy player upon arrival at the drenched pitchside that was Langstone. Portsmouth made a very bright start to the game and looked determined to prove a point against the generally more experienced City players. An early burst of energy in the midfield gave Carl Joyce enough space in front of goal to slot away Portsmouth’s first goal of the game. As confidence began to grow in the Pompey attack, they controlled the possession and were able to carve out another two goals before the end of the first quarter.

As the second quarter got underway it became clear that goals would become much harder to come by, as the Southampton defence tightened up. Momentum looked to be changing as a few well-worked plays allowed Southampton onto the scoreboard.

But Pompey's infamous “fat attack” combined on several occasions to good effect. A precision feed by Dan Blackins gave Liam O’Mahoney a stunning quick-stick goal. Liam went on to add two more goals to the tally, eventually winning a joint Man of the

Match award with keeper Oli Bailey.

Blackins then added a goal of his own, firing a bullet on the man-up play to give Pompey a small cushion.

The second half started with less enthusiasm than the first. As rain continued to fall heavily, fatigue hit the short-staffed Pompey squad. Despite Mike Beatty once again dominating face-offs, Southampton began to dominate possession. The Portsmouth defence, led by captain Oli Bailey, had its work cut out. Effective organisation and strong individual work from the long poles kept the visiting side mostly at bay. A single goal margin going into the last 10 minutes of the game made a tight finish inevitable.

This was exacerbated by the Sommelike conditions that parts of the pitch had deteriorated into, making ground balls extremely hazardous.

Running on empty made holding the ball up in attack increasingly difficult, and on a couple of occasions Pompey found themselves giving away possession too cheaply, and subsequently sprinting back into defence.

Nerves frayed when Southampton collected the ball and looked to “fast break” up the pitch in the final minute, but a key interception by Beatty allowed the home side to run down the last few seconds on the clock and secure a priceless win for Pompey.

The final whistle was greeted ecstatically by the home side. This was the first ever defeat for the newly formed Southampton side. The victory pushes Pompey up to fourth place in West Division 1, a hugely impressive placement for the newly promoted side. Such a memorable win could not have been more deserved for the intense dedication and commitment of the team over the past few weeks.

Inside...

Behind the Scenes This week:

Octopush Committee p14

News: BUCS Partnership

p14

Three County Titles

p15

Sporting Achievements: Fencing

p15

Tchoukball Club blasts headlong into first ever match!

p13

UPSU to send record number of sports teams on tour : 540+ people

Sport » Diving

Sport » Events

Write for PWs

24 Hour Sub Aqua Game-a-thon

Super Wednesday coming soon

PWs needs your club news!

The University of Portsmouth Sub Aqua Club will be holding a “24 Hour Underwater Game-a-Thon”. Over a period of 24 hours, club members of all qualification levels, from trainees right up to experienced divers, will work in shift patterns to ensure that there are between four and eight divers below the surface at all times.

The divers will entertain themselves by playing a variety of games underwater, including dominoes, ludo, snakes & ladders and snap, all in an attempt to raise money for good causes.

The aim of the event is to raise money for two groups, each receiving an equal share of any sponsorship that is raised. The two chosen groups are

Simon ‘Darby’ Leach

Children in Need, and The University of Portsmouth Diving and Underwater Club (UPDUC).

Local companies have kindly offered to support the event. These include The Pyramids Centre, who are providing access to the pool, and The Dive Connection and Andark, who have agreed to keep the divers supplied with air free of charge for the duration of the event. Scubapro have offered a prize to the member who raises the most money.

The Game-a-Thon will be taking place at the Pyramids Centre on Southsea seafront from 6:30pm Wednesday 12th November until 6:30pm on Thursday 13th November 2008.

The University of Portsmouth Athletic Union will be hosting their first ever ‘Super Wednesday’ festival of sport between midday and 4pm on Wednesday the 26th of November at the Langstone Campus sports ground.

The carnival-style event held will see 17 Portsmouth teams taking on Universities from as far as Sussex, Buckinghamshire and London. All teams will certainly be looking to impress with results and performances in front of the anticipated crowds.

There will be performances from the Students’ Union’s Cheerleading and Dance clubs on a site that will in-

clude a bouncy castle, a refreshments tent and lots of fun and games.

Student radio station PureFM will be broadcasting live from the site as the students compete in numerous different sports. Some of the teams that will be competing over the course of the day are: rugby, football, netball, hockey and Womens’ lacrosse.

The event falls toward the end of the first sporting semester and will provide a boost to the growing spectator and support culture among the University sports clubs.

Transport will be provided from the Students’ Union throughout the event at a minimal cost.

More information will be available on upsu.net/superwednesday

...and features, and photos, and socials, and anything else you want to tell us about your club! It’s easy to get a mention in PWs - just e-mail everything to sportnews@upsu.net, visit www.upsu.net/newsdesk, or come in to the Sabb Office at the Union and have a chat with us any time!

For more information, see: upsu.net/p/2166