UniVerse | Volume 26, Issue 1 by Trident Media

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Volume 26, Issue 1, Special Heritage Edition Thursday 27th April 2017

#HertsHeritage

Celebrating the history of the University of Hertfordshire

2 Editorial •

A few words from the Editor-in-chief Shelby Loasby | Vice President Communications & Media

The University of Hertfordshire is celebrating it’s 25th Birthday this year. Although the institution has existed since 1952, Herts transformed from Hatfield Polytecnic to the University of Hertfordshire in 1992, and has continued to excel and grow. The University has links to the de Havilland Aircraft Company, and has countless awards for it’s academic reputation and research. To commemorate this milestone year, the University and Hertfordshire Students’ Union have pooled together to celebrate the rich history and heritage of this instituion and the amazing achievments that students, alumni, academics, and professional staff have made. A plethora of events are planned this year across the University and the local area, including; the

Elehouse 40th Birthday Party, the introduction of the ‘purple plaques’ on university buildings, the production of a series of artwork from students and alumni, as well as this special edition of UniVerse. Inside this issue, readers can expect a timeline of #HertsHeritage, stories from the past and present, as well as articles and images from across the University departments, and celebrations of the many faces of Trident Media. Please take your time to read through the articles, enjoy the coffee break section, and reflect back on your membories of the University of Hertfordshire. Let us know what you think and any comments you want to make at @TridentMediaUK and tridentmedia.org.

Written, designed & edited by students, for students, and provided by Hertfordshire Students’ Union

Editor-in-chief

Shelby Loasby vp.comms@hertfordshire.su

Head of Editorial Aimone Sharif

Editorial Manager Aiden Perrins

Contributors

Shelby Loasby

Bradley Johnson William Ahmed Ciaran O’Brien Aimone Sharif Shelby Loasby Julie Kelly Chloe Burrowes Aaron Hurst

studentmedia@hertfordshire.su VP Comms & Media Hertfordshire Students’ Union College Lane Hatfield Herts, AL10 9AB

Published by

Trinity Mirror Printing Ltd St Albans Road Watford Hertfordshire WD24 7RG @TridentMediaUK tridentmedia.org

Aimone Sharif Head of Editorial

Welcome to the heritage issue! We are very excited to be able to print this special edition paper in order to acknowledge every hard working writer that has entered our suite for the last couple of years and specially this year. Trident Media’s only wish is to represent the University of Hertfordshire’s students; their achievements, their initiative and their commitment.

This issue contains articles that celebrate major achievements at the University of Hertfordshire. Throughout the years we have had influential writers that have yearned to help students by implementing change and it is these writers we celebrate today. The University of Hertfordshire has the oldest media outlet in the UK and I am proud to represent the Print outlet this year and be part of this amazing legacy.

News 3 •

HIDDEN UNIVERSITY GEM IS FOUND Julie Kelly | Head of the Student Centre Just when you think you are going into work to have a normal day, something out of the ordinary happens. This is exactly what happened to us in the Student Centre recently. Every now and again the Student Centre has a “black bag day”, a general clear out when we have a tidy up and declutter the office. While the Place to Pay team were going through some old papers in our safe they came across something you don’t see every day. They stumbled across an original sealed document signed by the then Secretary of State for Education and Science, Edward Short, authorising the creation of the Hatfield Polytechnic dated 1st January 1969! I was fascinated by this document and started to do some digging into its history and to the

person who signed it. Sadly Edward Short died a couple years ago, but from his obituary I was able to ascertain he was a lifelong labour supporter, respected Leader of the House of Commons and Chief Whip during Harold Wilson’s government, he also went on to become Lord Glenamara in the House of Lords. The seal and certificate are bonded in a red leather folder and seem to have aged very well while in our “safe hands” for the last 48 years. It’s unclear at this point whether there were any other copies of the document on campus, but we will now be passing it across to the University’s Governance Services team for safe keeping.

Julie Kelly

TRIDENT MEDIA TURNED THREE THIS YEAR... ...BUT WHEN DID IT ALL BEGIN? Ciaran O’Brien and Shelby Loasby Crush Radio will always have a place in history. Starting in 1960 as CRH (Campus Radio Hatfield) on a ‘pirate radio’ basis, it was the first campus radio in the country making it the oldest in the UK. Soon it was renamed Crush 1278 and got its first broadcast licence in 1962, broadcasting on 1278AM. It was based in a portacabin in what was Hatfield Technical College, now the University of Hertfordshire. By the late 1970s it had three studios and a radio director, with its output being played in halls of residence, student bars and the refectories. Following a number of moves between Telford Court, the portacabin and the old EleHouse bar, it was rebranded to Crush for a short while but soon reverted back to Crush 1278. In 2008-2009 the name changed once again back to Crush and became a student society, being homed temporarily in the old portacabin before moving into a brand new media suite in the EleHouse Resource Centre. In 2009-2010 the next year, Crush Underground was launched and so Crush was re-launched as Crush Radio, the station we know and love today. In this same year UHSU Media was launched as a

society and combined Crush Radio and Crush Underground with the UnionTV Society and UniVerse newspaper print team. Following a turbulent year though, it was decided to disband the society but stay united as UHSU Media, and in 2010-2011 BlueMoon was introduced as our new student magazine. In the summer of 2013 the University of Hertfordshire Students’ Union (UHSU) rebranded, prompting the need to also rebrand UHSU Media. After consultation with media committee members for print, radio and TV, a final decision was made and UHSU Media evolved into Trident Media. During 2013-2014 a brand new media suite was opened in the refurbished Hutton Hall building, featuring two radio studios, a computer bank for print, a green screen area for Union TV and a social space. On Wednesday 26th February 2014 the Trident Media brand was born! Since then, Trident Media has evolved and development to incorporate every aspect of what used to be UHSU Media. Trident Media continues to represent students’ voices on campus. All images provided by HSU and members of Trident Media

Enrich your employment prospects by studying one of our exciting

Masters Degrees in the School of Humanities Creative Writing Global Film and Television (online) History Journalism & Media Communications Linguistics Modern Literary Cultures Philosophy TESOL For taught Masters programmes visit: go.herts.ac.uk/ma-hum For research Masters programmes visit: go.herts.ac.uk/res-hum

News 5 •

UNIVERSE: THROUGH THE FRONT PAGES Shelby Loasby | Vice President Communications and Media Your free student newspaper has been printing for over 20 years, and has continued to bring you the latest news and entertainment on and off campus. Each year over 100 students have come together to write articles and share their ideas and stories to the student population at Herts, as well as the University staff. Every year, the Vice Chancellor and colleagues have shown their interest in UniVerse, as it is a key indicator of what students are up to, what they want, and what they are thinking. The front pages of UniVerse have always been telling with some interesting and outrageous

headlines and images. ‘Welcome to Big School’ was the front cover when the Hatfield Polytechnic finally became the University of Hertfordshire. A milestone moment for this insitution. We have also seen front pages celebrating sex, national demonstrations, timetable difficulties, government changes, anc even ant infestations! Take a look for yourself at the different stories on the front pages. You can even see what students have had to say on the Trident Media UK Issuu account where you can find digitised copies of some of the newspapers. All images provided by HSU and Heritage Hub.

6 News •

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE THAT TIME WE WERE ON THE TELLY Shelby Loasby | Vice President Communications and Media University Challenge is a British Quiz show which first aired in 1962, and has continued to appeal to the masses ever since. It soon became an absolute classic TV show with millions tuning in to watch and attempt their chance at the competition. The questions are bizzare and difficult, and the contestants are highly intelligent and often crack a few jokes with host Jeremy Paxman. And in 2005/06 the University of Hertfordshire made their first, and currently only, appearance on the show. Herts made it through three rounds in the compeition, including a quarter final appearance. The report from UKgameshows welcomed Herts to the competition; “Hertfordshire may well be this year’s one token New University, granted status since 1992.” So who represented the University of Hertfordshire back in 2006? The team was made up of Adrian Lewis (Captain), Bob Chapman, Avril Day-Jones, Sarah Williamson, and reserve Kulvinder Singh. UniVerse caught up with the team to see how they found their experience and any advice they had for budding challengers. Chapman, Day-Jones, and Singh all knew each other before the process began, and soon met Lewis and Williamson during the preliminary application process at UH. Making it through the tough application stages, Herts were soon travelling up to the studios ready for their TV appearances. Chapman

recalls that they were very well looked after by the production team and Jeremey Paxman ‘was unbelievably friendly throughout.’ Singh also mentioned the friendly staff and said: “It was one of the best things I’ve ever done, and now I can say that I was part of Hertfordshire’s first ever team to appear on University Challenge. But the greatest thing of all is that I’ve got some lifelong friends out of this experience. All because I said ‘Why not?’” Singh went on to say that the Vice Chancellor at the time also praised them all at a special ceremony as it was ‘history-making’ for the University. The team were all positive about Paxman, each saying he was a delight to be around and was friendly and funny throughout the experience. The team had a few funny stories about Paxman. Chapman recalled; “JP read a starter question ‘Felicity Kendal in 1981, Suzi Quatro...’ at which point Lewis interrupted with the answer ‘Rear of the Year’ which was correct and caused JP to laugh and after applause quip ‘Are you able to recite them all?’” Singh also told the story: Singh: Jeremy, do you know what the best thing on TV was? JP: No, go on, what is that? Tell me? Singh: You interviewing Michael Howard [the ‘Did

you threaten to overrule him’ clip] JP: Oh that? That was ages ago. He’s not a bad guy really, I just think he’s a bit of a bastard! The team had an amazing experience and encourage every student to give it a go. “Even if you think you’re not up to the level of a show like University Challenge, so it.” Said Singh, “Be confident in yourself and say yes. For me this was completely unexpected and it’ll always be the highlight of my life. We need another team from Hertfordshire to go on!” Both Chapman and Singh urge anyone who cares about general knowledge or just want some prestige and be part of an amazing experience, to be bold, say yes, and go for it. So where are the team now? Singh studied astrophysics from 1998-2002, and now freelances as a science writer and works for the Royal Astronomy Society. Chapman was researching for a PhD in Astrophics at the time of University Challenge, and since continued his research with UH and the University of Iceland, and now runs his own IT support business. Day-Jones was also researching astrophysics and continued academia with UH and in Chile, and is now training to be a teacher. Williamson was studying Literature, and then went on to become a Dispensing Assistant, Massage Therapist, and recently taught English in Mexico and France! Lewis was studying for a Masters in Occupational Psychology.

Bob Chapman

News 7 •

newsbrief BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL OF LAW, CRIMINOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE Bradley Johnson International Marketing Officer

Top Left: Avril Day-Jones in the Green Room; Top Right: Jeremy Paxman with Sarah Williamson; Bottom; Team photo with Paxman; All images provided by Bob Chapman

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

Countdown Official Esther Garcia del Carpio UniVerse, 2011 A University of Hertfordshire student, Mark Deeks, participated in the quarter-finals of Channel 4’s Countdown. Mark became one of the shows ‘Octochamps’ after successfully winning eight games in a row with a total of 824 points, placing him at the top of the leader board for his season. Mark watched the show on and off throughout his years but only became a regular viewer after deciding to take part in the show. “In my first game, I trailed pretty much the whole way after my opponent got an early nine that I didn’t. Luckily though, I got it after about 5 seconds and won the conundrum. (All very Hollywood). I was all right after that! I won my first game by 5 and my last games by 82. It definitely got easier.”

Mark found the whole process amazing, and said the atmosphere and experience was great. Deeks said his appearance on Countdown was great for the CV and gave him the edge in the job market: “Prior to coming to university, I was making headway in a career as a basketball journalist - after appearing on the show, the producer of a Radio 5 Live show contacted me to ask if I would like to be a guest basketball expert on the show whenever they needed one.” “Just by being on Countdown, I have been able to make that connection and advance that career somewhat. It makes up for all the marriage proposals from middle aged women that being on the show seemed to get me.”

Although it seems like the de Havilland Campus has been here for years, many may not know that the School of Law, Criminology and Political Science was not always based in Hatfield. Before the construction of the de Havilland Campus and Law Court Building, the University of Hertfordshire School of Law, as it was once known used to be based in St Albans. The old building, once the University had departed the site, was taken over by the Alban City School, a new St Albans school as part of the 79 new state-funded schools project approved by the Department for Education. After announcing the new home in 2000 when Olivia de Havilland, cousin of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, visited the University to mark the inauguration of a project to build a new campus, the school made it’s plans to move into it purpose built facilities. Although the de Havilland Campus opened in 2003, it wasn’t until 2011 that the Law School moved into it’s new home. The new £7.1 million building project was completed in June 2011 and took just over a year to complete. The purpose built, state of the art teaching facility was home to the UK’s first fully functioning courtroom designed purely for training purposes. The award winning development saw it win many architectural awards including the Hertfordshire biennial Building Futures Awards 2011 for Most Sustainable Construction and RICS East of England Awards - Design & Innovation. The building was recognised for its positive environmental impact and achieved both an EPC ‘A’ Rating and BREEAM ‘Excellent’, meaning that it was great for teaching as well as the environment. During the construction project, the construction team achieved 90% recycling stats ensuring that 300,000kg of waste did not go to landfill, limiting the impact of such an impressive building project. Today, a landmark of the de Havilland Campus but the history of the Law School stems back further than the walls of the Law Court Building.

Herts.ac.uk

News 9 •

NEWS FROM THE PAST... newsbrief: 1996 newsbrief: 1997

ONE IN THREE STUDENTS MISS LECTURES TO WORK

Heidi King UniVerse, 1996 A new report into student employment published today has revealed that one in five students are missing lectures to work part time. Over 78% of students working during term time say their study has been affected. The survey which was commissioned jointly by NUS and the GMB published on the 25th March found that students were working for very low wages. Over 12% for less than £3 an hour. Jim Murphy, NUS President said “This report is the first one of it’s kind to look at student employment and the results make distressing reading. Records levels of hardship are now forcing the nations students to sacrifice study to take on paid employment just to make ends meet. Students are forced to skip lectures and miss essay deadlines in order to spend more and more time working in pubs, burger bars, shops and factories. If they don’t take on paid jobs in term time and the vacations, many students simply cannot afford to stay at college. Each statistic is a real life story of student hardship. This report is an expose of the lengths to which some students have to go to to survive. Over half of the students surveyed were working during term time and vacations just to pay rent, living and study costs. Three out of four students say their study has been effected because of having to take paid employment. The evidence in this report explodes the myth that students live a comfortable and easy life.

THE NEW STATUE

Eric Brooke UniVerse, 1997 Returning students may have noticed that a new statue has been built on the grounds of Hatfield Campus. The statue was unveiled by the Duke of Edinburgh on the 30th July. First and foremost the University did not pay for it, it was donated by the Sir Geoffrey de Havilland Memorial Fund. Sir Geoffrey was the man behind the Comet which was the first commas a result, with the object of sustaining an aeronautical tradition at Hatfield endowing post graduate studies in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Hertfordshire and erecting a statue of Sir Geoffrey in the University grounds. The prime mover in creating the Fund has been Mr Charles Caliendi, a former chief engineer at Hatfield. The Sir Geoffrey Memorial Fund will provide endowment to sponsor post graduate research

in aerospace technology with the specific requirement that it is lined to industry. Fixed term fellowships of a maximum of three years will be awarded in open competition by an interview panel including representative from one of the major funding companies. The ceremony itself has been subject to controversy as many former employees of British Aerospace (Hatfield) feel that they were largely ignored. In a letter to the local paper “Welwyn and Hatfield Times”, one of Bae’s long standing workers said “We did not need any tea, sandwiches or a drink. All we needed, in my opinion, was to be present at the ceremony. I cannot understand why this great occasion for Hatfield was up to a point wasted.”

newsbrief: 2004 UNIVERSITY’S MIGHTY ERECTION Tamir Astafani UniVerse, 2004 For those of you with an eager eye, you may have noticed some building work on campus. Particularly near the key centre on the slope that is affectionally called the travelater. This is the result of phase 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which comes into force from October this year. It’s primary purpose is for physical alterations to overcome access barriers. University of Hertfordshire constantly strives to ensure equal opportunities.

newsbrief: 2011

BBC RADIO 1 LIVE LOUNGE AT HERTS! Andrew Worby UniVerse, 2011 The day had finally arrived. The University of Hertfordshire played host to Radio 1’s Student Tour hosted by Fearne on Tuesday 25th. I think it is safe to say, and I know everybody who attended would agree, that the show was a resounding success. Having transformed the Style Bar into a makeshift studio, a group of lucky guests and I were witnesses to the show, which included many student-orientated activities, great music and archive footage of previous live lounge events that Fearne had hosted on her show. Zane Lowe also made an appearnace, but failed to show after the first hour, as he was having trouble getting to Hatfield. Everyone’s worries were averted

when he arrived wearing what he described as ‘leisure pants’, more commonly known as tracksuit bottoms. As Zane had been to the Forum before to play, he was happy to be back, and was looking forward to the main event of the day; Example in the Live Lounge. Along with one of his hits ‘Change the Way You Kiss Me.’ he also featured a cover of Rhianna’s ‘We Found Love.’ Despite stripping down his band to just himself and Eddie on the piano, the performance went down very well with the crowd, and acted as a precursor to Example’s gig later in the Forum.

UniVerse

WelHat Times

10 News •

THE HISTORY OF THE

Bradley Johnson | International Marketing Officer

Although the history of our University stems back to the bustling days of the de Havilland Aircraft Group in the 1940s, the University, in it’s current form, was born out of the introduction of the Further and Higher Education Act in 1992. Most universities that we know today gained their status in this year, giving birth to the plethora of universities in the sector today. When the former Hatfield Polytechnic became the University of Hertfordshire, it brought about a new era within Higher Education that saw the growth of the sector as we know it today. The University, in it’s early years, was led by it’s first vice-chancellor Sir Brian Corby. In the same year, everyone’s favourite bus company, Uno Bu,s was the first bus company fully owned and operated by a University. Jumping forward to 1995, the School of Law moved to a new location in St Albans and then in 1997, the College Lane LRC opened costing

1944 - Alan S. Butler, Chairman of the de Havilland Aircraft Company, donates 90 acres of land at Roe Green on the condition that it is used for educational purposes

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£16 million. The biggest landmark in the University’s history so far was when Olivia de Havilland, cousin to Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, visited the University to mark the inauguration of a project to build a new campus to be named after Sir Geoffrey, the de Havilland Campus. As the new millennium started, in 2001, the University broke ground on it’s massive £120 million project, the new de Havilland Campus, bringing together the schools of Business, Education and Humanities into one central location just a mile away from the College Lane Campus. In a busy year for the University, it was also the year that the The Key opened: a new multifaith, multicultural centre. Jumping forward two years, a new VC started, Tim Wilson and the de Havilland Campus opened, issuing a new era of ensuite halls of residences becoming available for students. As we moved into 2009, the Forum Hertfordshire opened its doors to over 2,500 clubbers replacing the much loved SU nightclub, the Font.

1960 - CRUSH Radio is founded, the oldest student radio in the country

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1976 - Wall Hall and Balls Park teacher training colleges merge to become Hertfordshire College of Higher Education

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1952 - Hatfield Technical College opens with 1,500 students. The college is officially opened in December by Prince Phillip

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1977 - Students’ Union social centre opens, and is named the Elehouse

1970 - An observatory is added to the Bayfordbury Campus

1991 - Following Prime Minister Hohn Major’s announcement that polytechnics will be abolished, Hatfield announces it’s intention to apply for University status

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1992 - The University of Hertfordshire is born - UniversityBus goes public - The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban becomes the setting for the University’s graduation ceremonies - £16 LRC opens on College Lane

News 11 •

UNIVERSITY OF HERTS Interestingly, the new Students’ Union office on College Lane was once the home of the Font. The Elected Officers’ office was where the old canteen in the font was located. In 2011, our current VC, Quintin McKellar took office and the Law School building opened, which included a state-of-the-art replica Crown Court. The last few year’s of the University have also been year’s of huge change. The brand new student accommodation on College Lane were a three-year project starting in 2014 which revolutionised the look of the campus. With the completion of the Science Building, new main reception and halls being completing in 2016, the major developments of the University came to a close. Looking forward, we may see more massive changes to the CP Snow Building, Wright Building and a new social space on the de Havilland Campus. One thing can be said that the University is constantly changing! All Images provided by the University of Hertfordshire. 2016 - New Science Building, and the new halls are built on College Lane, completing a large building project for the Estates team

2005 - Lord Salisbury becomes Chancellor of the University

1997 - Statue of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland is erected on College Lane Campus

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2001 - Multi-faith and Multicultural centre, The Key opens

2003 - £120m de Havilland campus opens

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2009 - The Forum Hertfordshire opens

2002 - 50th Anniversary of the University. There are now 21,695 students

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2007 - Maclaurin building, names after previous Chancellor Lord Maclaurin, opens to suppor the University’s business facing activities

2011 - Professor Quintin McKellar is appointed ViceChancellor

12 Features 14 Features • •

Hertfordshire then and now Aaron Hurst | Contributing Writer UniVerse conducted an interview with University of Hertfordshire alumna, Fiona BeLieu Williston, who graduated from Hatfield Polytechnic in 1986. While at Herts, Fiona completed a degree in Applied Social Studies with a Certificate of Qualification in Social Work, and is currently working for the Cumberland-Perry Drug & Alcohol Commission in Pennsylvania as a Prevention Program Supervisor. We were intrigued to hear that you graduated from Herts back in 1986! Did you enjoy your time there? F: Very much! I was at the Hertford campus and it was quite a lovely setting. I really enjoyed my course and fellow students. I looked at a lot of other campuses before deciding on Hatfield Polytechnic; the small town life and small campus appealed to me. What kind of skills did you develop while studying for Applied Social Studies with Certificate of Qualification in Social Work? And do they still hold value now? F: Individual and community assessment skills, interviewing skills, social work practice, advocacy, writing, outreach and community relations, policy change initiatives. I use all of these skills now. I expected to work primarily in a casework setting but my career for the past 18 years is mostly about change at a community level. Hertford gave me a good grounding for my professional life. I still have most of my course notes and only recently gave away some of the books and texts that I used in classes. How was your course set up in terms of its teaching and classes? Was it more practical-based, made up of lectures or a mixture of both?

blend of theory too! The first year of four years was almost all classes except for a community study that we did. For the remaining three we spent a lot of time in the field. I had four placements; a social services department in North London, residential facility for children with developmental needs in the Oxfordshire countryside, a community mental health facility in Banbury, Oxon, and a workplace substance abuse program at a United States Air Force Base. Lots of variety and it was easy to customise placements to suit my interests and where I wanted to be (I got married after my second year and my husband lived in Banbury)! I loved the classes too especially law. After taking maths and science classes through school to please my parents studying the social sciences felt like coming home. How easy was it to make friends while studying at Hatfield Polytechnic? F: There were only a few other majors at the Hertford campus which included business and surveying. I felt my course was a little odd man out because we all tended to be ideologically opposed to the mostly conservative probusiness majors during the Thatcher years! There were lots of heated debates! We also spent a lot of time off campus so almost all my friendships were within my course. I still keep in contact with a few. Hatfield Polytechnic was granted university status in 1992, and is now known as the University of Hertfordshire. It is now based over two campuses, each with its own multi-storey LRC filled with computers, study cafes and mac suites. Could you tell us about what the learning facilities at Hatfield Polytechnic were like when you studied there?

Heritage Hub

F: Pretty basic. It was just the start of computers and we were supposed to get a 6-week course but ended up getting a two day blast right before graduation. It was thought at the time that social workers wouldn’t have much use for computer skills!! So funny as I use technology all day long now. The campus and classrooms were lovely however especially the mansion. I had most of my law classes in the mansion and it felt very appropriate to be studying the law in that imposing environment. I also took advantage of the athletic facilities. I swam most mornings, played badminton, ran, and had my first introduction to kayaking. I still enjoy kayaking to this day! What did you do right after graduating? F: I worked for a large social services department in Milton Keynes. I had a job secured months before graduation unlike a lot of graduates today. I was lucky as there was still a lot of support for the goals of social work at the time. Despite the thoroughness of my course and the placements, it was quite a shock to enter real life and I was thrown in at the deep end!

F: Lots of practice but a good You’ve been living in the United States since 1988, why did you decide to settle there?

Heritage Hub

F: I married an American, actually my high school sweetheart! I had spent four years in Northern Virginia as a teenager. My husband was in the service. We stayed in the UK for as long as we could but eventually the USAF wanted him stateside. We lived in California for three years, five in the Maryland suburbs of DC, and Pennsylvania for the past 20! My family of origin remains in the UK so I am home often. From time

to time I have considered returning to live in the UK but feel that now my professional skills may not be so transferable. You’re now a Prevention Program Supervisor for the CumberlandPerry Drug & Alcohol Commission. What does this role involve, and what aspects of the role are rewarding to you? F: I love my current job! In a nutshell, my role is to plan and implement a comprehensive prevention strategy for residents of Cumberland and Perry Counties. We work closely with the State of Pennsylvania who in turn work with the Federal Government on Substance Abuse Prevention priorities. There is a lot of variety in who I work with and what I do. Every day is different. Recently, we have been moving to more databased decision making and I really enjoy this piece of my work. For years, we thought we were doing good work but now we can use data to demonstrate and improve our outcomes. My favorite part of my job is probably working on policy changes. I get to spend some time working with local, state, and federal legislators on initiatives that are important to the field. I was particularly involved in helping to get tobacco control measures passed in PA. Right now, we are in a battle to prevent the State Liquor Control Board from being dismantled and the introduction of medical marijuana. Pennsylvania, with its Quaker and religious heritage, has a very well-developed commitment to prevention and sobriety compared to other states. We’d like to thank Fiona for agreeing to this insightful interview. This just goes to show that the University has a history of providing

••Features 13 Features 13

A BRIEF HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE BUSINESS SCHOOL Bradley Johnson | Business School Alumnus Today, Hertfordshire Business School is largest school of study at the University of Hertfordshire. The School has a rich history which includes long standing courses, various campuses and a well-known face as a former Head of School. The early years, from Hatfield to Hertford The Business School’s history began in 1962, when the Department of Business and Social Studies at Hatfield Polytechnic offers its first programme, a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Business Studies. Today, the BA (Hons) Business Studies, which was formally launched in 1966, is one of the most popular programmes at the school, offering a varied and flexible set of modules, giving students the power over the direction of their business education. In 1967, the Department of Business and Social Studies moved its teaching base to from Hatfield to Bayfordbury, Hertford. After its successful move and following the first cohort of BA Business Studies student completing their studies, the first cohort of 22 students graduates in BA Business Studies. Just three years after the first graduation,

the Department introduced their Diploma in Accounting and Finance, a pre cursor to the incredibly popular Accounting and Finance degree. Having been at Bayfordbury for 11 years, the Business School moved from Bayfordbury to the Balls Park estate in Hertford in 1978, which became home for nearly 25 years before the move to the newly built de Havilland Campus. In 1981, following the success and strength of the business programmes, the School of Business and Social Sciences created to reflect the growing strength of business programmes. After many successful years, in 1987, the Master of Business Administration, often known as the flagship of postgraduate business courses at the University was launched. Today, the course runs as an AMBA accredited Executive MBA that develops senior managers’ strategic skills and combines academic theory with top-level strategic business thinking. A new era, the University of Hertfordshire In 1992, Hatfield Polytechnic became the University of Hertfordshire and launched its

first franchised programmes signed with BA Business Administration in Greece and MBA in Sweden. Twentyfive years on, the University of Hertfordshire is celebrating its 25th Anniversary with a series of events and celebrations. In 1995, a formal agreement to provide franchised programmes with INTI College Malaysia was agreed. INTI is major partner for Hertfordshire Business School and nearly all business courses are taught in Malaysia at INTI University. Many Malaysian students who come to the University to top-up their degree come from INTI. Julie Newlan MBE A year later, a well-known face at the University, Julie Newlan MBE joined the University’s Business School in 1996 as a Senior Lecturer in Business Strategy. Having held many posts within the Business School, Newlan was appointed Head of the Business School in 2006. After successfully leading the school for many years, Newlan became a Pro Vice-Chancellor of the whole University and now oversees innovation, international partnerships, marketing and business development.

Newlan’s academic career began at the London Institute in 1993, after achieving management success in the hotel and restaurant sector. This included running a chain of high street cafés for Martin The Newsagent, and subsequent strategic marketing and merchandising positions with Guinness when it acquired the business. Bringing it back to Hatfield In 2003, after a construction project that began in 1995 after the University took out an option on 48 acres of aerospace land for a new campus, opened the de Havilland Campus. The Business School moved back to Hatfield to set up camp in the new state-of-the-art campus just on the other side of the A1(M) to College Lane. Today, the Business School is led by Professor Damian Ward and offers a variety of undergraduate, postgraduate and professional qualifications. Not many people know of the vast history the Business School has had, but it is clear to see that as a school, it is steeped in history and we’ve only touched the tip of iceberg.

Features 14 • 14 Features •

FRESHERS’ WEEK 1853:

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ‘FRESHMONNE’ Shelby Loasby | Vice President Communications and Media There’s often a joke said about Freshers’ week, that no one can ever remember what happened, so you can imagine how hard it is to find anything about its origins. All we can be sure of is that Freshers’ Week is a rite of passage for any new student to a university and must have always existed in some form or another. Although our ancestors may not have had the typical drinking games of beer pong and ring of fire to play, they still managed to entertain themselves with various games, sports, societies and of course alcohol. Edward Bradley, a famous English novelist in the 1800s, created a semi-autobiographical comic strip about a ‘freshmonne’ at the University of Durham. The comic is a satirical view of a freshers first few days at University and even shows the young student finding his halls, meeting girls, and getting so intoxicated that he has to be carried home, and is found ‘passed out’ the next morning. Not much change there then. The comic formed the basis of Bradley’s book, “The Adventures of Mr. Verdant Green, an Oxford Freshman,” in 1853. The book builds on the comic strip and shares stories that have a surprising resemblance to a fresher’s university life today. Just like today’s students, Green complains about the size of his room and the amount of money he has to spend on his ‘scholar’s gown’ and books. He also finds himself being shown around town and going out with new acquaintances to parties that are filled with ‘glasses of wine’, ‘jugs of buttery beer’ and people

having a ‘great consumption of tobacco.’ Green also meets a man with several golden tassels on his cap which he explains are ‘badges of intoxication.’ There are many points in the book where alcohol is mentioned and shows that getting drunk at University is no new thing. The story goes on to show the different activities and sports that Green can take part in at the University. These include; rowing, archery, cricket, billiards, fencing and boxing. However, Green fails to grasp any of the activities and grows weary of all the drinking and partying and decides to ‘terminate his existence as an undergraduate.’ Fortunately, today’s students do not tend to drop out of university after the first week! So it seems that Freshers’ in the 1800s was all about making friends, trying new things and getting drunk. This sounds extremely similar to freshers in the 2000s, the only difference being the entertainment available. The modern perspectives of freshers’ week with club nights and big acts is relatively recent and probably began in the late 20th Century. A freshers’ guide for the University of Glasgow in 1994 shows several ‘discos’ and ‘pubs with jukeboxes’ where students can go for a night out. Luckily now we have well-known acts performing at universities, making freshers even more memorable. We also have freshers’ fairs, sports fairs and day and night-time activities to adjust new students to university and to hopefully make their time here as enjoyable and worthwhile as possible.

Edward Bradley’s semi-autobiographical comic strip: The Adventures of a Freshmonne.

FRESHERS’ 2015: WHAT WERE FRESHERS MOST EXCITED ABOUT?

Parin Patel Age: 18 Course: Business Studies excited about: I want to get my wristband so I can start partying asap and meet lots of new people

Lydia Moulding Age: 19 Course: Sports Studies Excited about: Freshers’ Week! And I want to join the football team and meet new people!

Alec Roeper Age: 19 Course: Sport and Exercise Science Excited about: Meeting new people and getting involved with football or societies

Melissa Gahamnayi Age: 19 Course: Int Tourism Management Excited about: Settling in and joining a sports team!

• Features 15

FRESHERS’ WEEK THROUGH THE YEARS Aimone Sharif | Head of Editorial We like to drink with Freshers’, coz Freshers’ are our mates... Freshers’ Week is one of the most celebrated times in a student’s life cycle at University. Over the years, Hertfordshire Students’ Union has worked with the University to provide a week full of exciting events, activities, ice breakers, and outstanding club nights. Flicking through old copies of UniVerse we can see some of the antics and entertainment that students at Herts have experienced over the years. So let’s take a trip down memory lane. Back in 2000, students were doing the usual Karaoke and Bingo nights, as well as enjoying Beach Parties, Cabaret Nights, Barn Dances, and something we should bring back: The Teddy Bears Piss-up Pyjama Party. Headlining acts also included The Monkees and Crush Radio DJs. Going forward to 2008, events involved pool competitions, PS3 competitions to win crates of beer, and a Detention - Back to School Party. Students were also witness to Lost Prophets on

The Forum Hertfordshire

the main stage, with appearances from Chrisessence, DJ Josh Roberts, and Mohammed George AKA Gus Smith from Eastenders. It seems that students have always had the same formula for Freshers’ Week; music, games, competitions, and more often than none, alcohol. Jumping forward to the last five years, Hertfordshire Students’ Union has diversified their Freshers’ Week offering with non-alcoholic events like Roller Disco, Colour Runs, Obstacle Courses, and British Tea Parties for International Students. They have also continued to run Freshers’ Fairs to introduce students to socieities, freebies, and the Students’ Union as a whole. The Forum Hertfordshire also brought in a whole new plethora of artists including DJ Fresh, Florence and the Machine, Little Mix, Example, Wheatus, Tyga, One Direction, and even Ed Sheeran! Freshers’ Week will always been the first major event in a students’ life and it seems to be getting bigger and better every year.

HSU

DID YOU KNOW? ED SHEERAN AND RUPERT GRINT FILMED LEGO HOUSE AT THE FORUM HERTFORDSHIRE Shelby Loasby | Vice President Communications and Media We have a fair few famous faces at The Forum Hertfordshire over the years, but Ed Sheeran and Rupert Grint was a combination no-one was expecting. Back in 2011, Ed Sheeran chose The Forum to film his new single Lego House, and co-starred with Harry Potter’s side kick, Rupert Grint. The filming coincided with Sheeran’s October 8th appearance at The Forum - and the University of Hertfordshire can clearly be seen throughout much of the video. The Forum Hertfordshire’s commercial director at the time, Max Ross, said: “The first half of the video was filmed during his appearance, and various areas around the venue, including the Auditorium and stage where Ed and Rupert performed, our backstage areas and even our service yard!” Additionally, a number of UH students, who were in the audience for the performance, were filmed as well. “We are thrilled to have our venue appear in the video.” Said Ross. “Ed Sheeran, Rupert Grint and the team were great to work with on the day and we couldn’t’ be happier with how the video turned out.” You can catch a behind-the-scenes video of the action on YouTube. Make sure you check it out and see what you recognise!

WelHat Times Rupert Grint and Ed Sheeran backstage at The Forum Hertfordshire, Pintrest

16 Features 18 Features • •

WATERSTONES VS. AMAZON

SHOPPING FOR BOOKS IN THE 21ST CENTURY Rachel Lane UniVerse, 2001 There has been the debate about buying books in store or online for sometime. It’s a question that people are still wondering, but back in 2001, one student took on the debate for herself to see what the benefits for either option are. Here is what she found out, 16 years ago!

In an attempt to make myself feel better I decided to go online to Amazon and compare prices. Surely, I reasoned, the post and packaging costs of mailing books would mean I saved money buying directly from Waterstones. See for yourself what I found out:

In the interest of research I went shopping for books. I wandered into Waterstones, spent an hour or so browsing and struggled home, carrier bags stretching under the weight of my newly acquired tomes. As I poured the books out on to the table to gloat, I noticed the receipt £139.93. Scream. I felt sick. Did I really just spend all that money in one hour of booking buying gluttony?

Waterstone prices for some of the books I chose: Design of the 20th Century £16.99 50 products £24.99 Macs for Dummies £16.99 Total: £58.97 Amazon: Design of the 20th Century £13.69 50 products £19.96 Macs for Dummies £13.59 Post and Packaging £6.88 Total: £54.12

That was a total saving of: £4.85 Let’s just weigh up the pros and cons here. If you shop at Amazon you save money but you do have to wait for the books to arrive. A useful thing is that most of the books have reviews by other readers which can help you decide if the book is really as good as it purports to be. You can buy a book, CD etc, in a few mouse clicks without having to traipse about the shopping centre and it is open 24/7. So if you fancy buying that book on eastern sexual positions at 2.37am in the morning without any embarrassment, you can. The biggest minus is that Amazon is not an option at all if you have not yet been initiated into the online shopping groove. Maybe you’re scared that somebody will get your credit card

details and run amok with them. A fair point, though you can pay by cheque or postal order too. Also, not all the books have descriptions or pictures of the cover which is pretty useless and annoying at times. Now let’s look at Waterstones. At Waterstones you can wander around, take your time, and come out with a book there and then, no waiting. You could also say that it is more sociable than sitting goggle eyed in front of a computer screen and some branches have very nice coffee bars where you can meet up with your bookish buddies! In conclusion, buying a single book from amazon is probably not that worthwhile as the saving would most likely be absolrbed by the cost of post, but for more than one the savings start to make sense.

MEET THE STUDENTS: MY HERTS STORY Chloe Burrowes The most important part of any university’s heritage is the students and the impact they have on shaping and creating the university experience. We have spoke to some final year students to find out the highs and lows of their time here, as well as grabbing some useful advice for any students getting ready to start at Hertfordshire in September. Name: Imogen Sida-Page Course: Accounting and Finance Best Memory at Herts: Pub Golf around both campuses for a friend’s birthday dressed as golfers and taking over the shuttle bus. What I’d Change: I’d make the most of going out and try to get involved with a few more societies during my time here. Advice for a Fresher: Don’t worry too much about studying in your first year and have fun! Make sure you don’t go home too much and get involved with as much as possible, you make your experience better by getting involved.

Name: Robert Gammon Course: MA By Research Favourite Memory at Herts: It has to be the Student Union Awards, getting drunk and enjoying everything there! Or, another memory is completing Resident Evil 2 with my new flatmates in first year on an old CRT television. What I’d Change: I wouldn’t have spread mysef so thin in first year between people that I was just trying to fit in with. What makes Herts different: It’s unique because it isn’t obnoxious or pretentious, the teaching and facilities (despite my day-to-day moaning) has been excellent.

we convinced people we were part of the cast of Game of Thrones. Favourite Place: The Forum! I’ve had so many good memories there! Some of the funniest times and I don’t think I have grown out of it. I mean I study a Masters and I still go. A lot. Advice to a Fresher: Read, read and read! All the facts are there, your lecturers aren’t trying to trick you. I’ve heard many people leave their work to the last minute and blame the lecturer, they will guide you but aren’t prepared to do the work for you. Start work early, read up on the facts – doing that is way easier than a 20 hour shift in the LRC… Trust me.

Name: Adam Ross Course: MA Audio Engineering Best Memory: I’ve had so many great memories. Halloween always makes the best memories; last year dressing up as Vikings with my mate, growing out our beards, making our full costume with leather and fur, drinking beer from tusks, going to a Halloween Party and getting so drunk at the Forum that

Name: Andy Marshall Course: Physics with Industrial Placement Favourite Place on Campus: My favourite place would have to be either the LRC (geeky as that is) or the 4G football pitches. I know loads of people from other universities that complain about their libraries whereas ours has areas for silent study as well as group areas. The sports facilities are also very good

and some of my best memories are from being part of a football team or having a kick about with mates on the pitches. Advice to a Fresher: Make sure you go and try new things at university. There are loads of societies to join and various opportunities for you to try and gain a wider experience. Don’t leave university feeling like you just got a degree, there’s so much more to it – enjoy that! Benefits of a placement year: Absolutely, I feel like my placement year really made my degree worthwhile. It allowed me to trial an area of work that I could get into after my degree, and this has encouraged me to progress into further study to be able to get there.

• Features 17

FAMOUS ALUMNI OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE For many of you, finishing your degree or the thought of finishing your degree is probably a bittersweet moment, pride and excitement mixed with trepidation at what on earth comes next. Hertfordshire has a global network of more than 160,000 alumni including some well known faces. Images provided by Wikipedia and DailyMail.

KATE BELLINGHAM British Engineer and BBC Presenter

Bellingham is an English engineer and television presenter most well known for her role presenting the BBC science show Tomorrow’s World, from 1990-1994. She earned her MSc in Electronic Communications Systems from the University of Hertfordshire

SANJEEV BHASKAR British comedian, actor, broadcaster

Bhaskar is a British comedian, actor and broadcaster, best known for his work in the BBC Two sketch comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and star of the sitcom The Kumars at No. 42. He earned a degree in marketing from Hatfield Polytechnic before landing a job as a marketing executive at IBM.

CLAIRE WARD British Labour Party politician

Ward is a British Labour Party politician. She served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Watford from 1997 to 2010, and was a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice from 2009 to 2010. Ward studied at the then newly created University of Hertfordshire where she earned an LLB degree in Law in 1993.

FLUX PAVILION (JOSH STEELE) British dub step musician

Joshua Steele, better known by his stage name Flux Pavilion, is an English DJ, EDM producer, singersongwriter and label owner who has been performing since 2008. Steele earned a degree in Music Composition Technology before embarking on his successful music career.

SARAH WEST First woman to be appointed to command a major warship in the Royal Navy

West was a Royal Navy officer, the first woman to be appointed to command a major warship in the Royal Navy. West was born in Lincolnshire and studied mathematics at the University of Hertfordshire before entering Britannia Royal Naval College in September 1995. She joined the Royal Navy as a warfare officer

HELEN LEDERER Comedian, writer, and actress

Sporting Alumni of the University of Hertfordshire

Lederer is an English comedian, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s. Among her television credits are the BBC Two sketch series Naked Video and BBC One’s Absolutely Fabulous, in which she played the role of Catriona. Lederer graduated in 1978 with a BA in Applied Social Studies

Rugby seems to run through the University of Hertfordshire’s famous alumni list, many of England’s rugby stars have graduated from the University of Hertfordshire. In 2016, University of Hertfordshire students have helped Saracens to victory in both the English Premiership and the European Champions Cup this season. Saracens captain and England centre Brad Barritt who is a graduate from the University’s Business School with a Masters in Management while the 2016 Rugby Players Association Player of the Year Billy Vunipola is a current Hertfordshire student studying for an online degree in Business and Sport Management. 26-yearold Sarries and England player George Kruis is also a University of Hertfordshire Business graduate. Other famous sporting names include England rugby union player, Owen Farrell; Football Manager Iain Dowie and Gavin Fisher, former Chief Designer of the Williams Formula One team.

DIANE MACLEAN Sculptor and environmental artist

Diane Maclean is a sculptor and environmental artist, she is a Fellow and council member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors. Maclean gained a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art from the University of Hertfordshire. Originally a portrait painter, her initially sculptures tended to be in wood and stone, but much of her recent work uses stainless steel.

18 RAG •

WE HAVE RAISED OVER £200,000 FOR RAG IN THE LAST 25 YEARS! Shelby Loasby | Vice President Communications & Media Thousands of students have taken part in both voluntary activities and fundraising on behalf of charities with the help of the Students’ Union. This important work started back in 1955, and continues to support both the University community and the general public. Students have supported charities both in the UK and overseas, gaining valuable lifelong skills and experiences whilst giving up their time to help others. Fundraising activities have included the annual RAG hitch (Jailbreak) with winners getting all the way to Casablanca in Morocco, raising money along

the way. A group of students also travelled to Uganda as part of the East African Children’s Playgrounds Charity while others climbed Mount Kilimanjaro as part of their support for the Hope for Children charity. Zombie chases, Elehouse 48 hr Weekenders, Bar Crawls, and many more student friendly and innovative ideas have come out of RAG over the years. These life changing experiences provide students with memories that will stay with them forever. Annabel Mabin, Vice President Student Acitvities 2015-17, is so proud of the work the students have done over the years she has

JAILBREAK:

WHERE IN THE WORLD HAVE YOU BEEN? Shelby Loasby | Vice President Communications & Media Over the last few years, Hertfordshire Students’ Union and RAG, have hosted the popular, and nationwide compeition, Jailbreak. Jailbreak encourages participants to travel as far away from the University of Hertfordshire as possible in 36 hours. Sound Simple? Well, not quite - they have to do it all without spending any money. How does it work? Students have to team up and are tracked through a monitoring system and must text during the challenge to update on their progress, and they must not do anything that puts them in danger. Not only are teams aiming to get as far away from Hatfield as possible, they also have to fund raise money – there’s even a prize for the team who has raised the most cash before the challenge begins! Each year, the money raised through Jailbreak is distributed between various charities of the

teams’ choice, such as; Teens Unite Fighting Caner, as well as Haven House Children’s Hospice & Young Minds. Previous teams have made it to Milan, Morocco, Cazech, Denmark, Scotland, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, and the less exotic, but equally impressive, Watford! Team names have also been the focus of students’ attention. Over the years we have seen everything from Team Unite, to The Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies. Jailbreak happens every year around the Easter holidays so if this sounds like the challenge for you,

been involved. She said: “RAG is a fantastic opportunity to do weird and wonderful things all in the name of charity. We have put on some incredible events the past few years and it wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of all our student volunteers. From dressing up as zombies, to staying away all day and night in the Ele, these guys don’t stop and are always up for the challenge. I honestly believe that it’s getting involved in these activities that make your university experience, so thank you to everyone who has!”

â&#x20AC;¢ RAG 19

20 RAG •

HERTFORDSHIRE STUDENTS’ UNION HOSTS RAG CONFERENCE 2016 Bradley Johnson | Former RAG Conference Director In August 2015, President and Vice President of Hertfordshire Students’ Union, Jack Amos and Bradley Johnson successfully bid for the 2016 RAG Conference to be hosted at the University of Hertfordshire. RAG Conference is the annual event that recognises university students and students’ unions from across the country for their fundraising efforts towards good causes within the UK and internationally with opportunities for them to share their best practices. RAG Conference welcomed all University Union Raise and Give societies to come along, learn from the best, meet like-minded people from other universities, and have fun! The conference was also a fantastic opportunity for charities who are veterans or completely new to the world of student fundraising – a sector that is responsible for raising millions of pounds for causes every year.

The national conference continues to grow in popularity each year and the 2016 conference was branded as celebrating ‘The Magic of Student Fundraising’ with the theme running throughout the event. The event was led by President and Vice President of Hertfordshire Students’ Union, Jack Amos and Bradley Johnson but supported by SU staff, the Elected Officer team and various departments of the University. The event was an impressive show of collegiality and showcased what can be achieved when teams, staff, students and external suppliers work together seamlessly for a common goal. Over the four days the event featured a number of workshops, keynote speakers and was home to the 2016 National Student Fundraising Awards which celebrated student fundraisers and charitable organisations. The Awards Ceremony was hosted by award winning comedian and TV

personality Matt Richardson and saw RAGs from around the country taking home national awards. Notable speakers from the University of Hertfordshire included Dr Peter Lovatt, reader in Psychology and Ann Campbell, former Media and PR Manager. The University of Hertfordshire was the perfect home for the 2016 event as the campus had state-of-the-art student accommodation, excellent conferencing facilities and for the first time in many years, the Awards Ceremony was held on the campus of the host university. The event not only showcased the Students’ Union but also put the University on a national stage in front of student leader from around the country. At the event of the event, the 2017 host, Southampton University was selected by delegates and will be the home of the event until it changes hands again in August 2017.

• YOUR ELECTED OFFICERS 21

YOUR ELECTED OFFICERS

Your full time elected officers work in the Students’ Union every day. They each have specific portfolio responsibilites and are trustees of the Students’ Union. They work closely with the part time officers to ensure your voice is heard by the University and local community. The Elected Officers sit on various committees and meetings around the University to represent students on every level possible. Below is a full list of all the Elected Officers since 1988.

1988-2017

VP EDUCATION AND WELFARE FORMERLY VP STUDENT SUPPORT 1992-93: Cathy Brennan 1993-94: Gina Humphrey 1994-95: Michael Crane 1995-96: Paul Burns 1996-97: Sam Fawcett 1997-98: Sam Fawcett 1998-99: Tina Countouris 1999-00: Kate Allen 2000-01: Liz Poll 2001-02: Liz Poll 2002-03: Michelle Stephenson 2003-04: Gemma Borwicj 2004-05: Ali Hills 2005-06: Laura Mudge 2006-07: Rebecca Green 2007-08: Hedley Gabriel 2008-09: Dawn Hamlet 2008-10: Dawn Hamlet 2010-11: Yasmin Bastow 2011-12: Yasmin Bastow 2012-13: Amy Washington 2013-14: Amy Washington 2014-15: Rana Omer Farooq 2015-16: Rana Omer Farooq 2016-17: Ciara Spillane VP EDUCATION 2017-18: Sarah Kwedi

VP STUDENT ACTIVITIES FORMERLY SPORTS AND SOCIETIES 1992-93: Lester Bunn 1993-94: Dave Patrick 1994-95: Andy Roughton 1995-96: Stuart Ellecker 1996-97: Matt Coppinger 1997-98: Rob Jackson 1998-99: Rob Jackson 1999-00: Gemma Noon 2000-01: Gemma Noon 2001-02: Chris Harrington 2002-03: Tim Price 2003-04: Sam Bull 2004-05: Katie Wilde 2005-06: Katie Wilde 2006-07: Mike Thomas 2007-08: Jonathan Chew 2008-09: Jonathan Chew 2008-10: Laura Yeoman 2010-11: Laura Yeoman 2011-12: Martyn Gray 2012-13: Martyn Gray 2013-14: Bella Colafrancesco 2014-15: Bella Colafrancesco 2015-16: Annabel Mabin 2016-17: Annabel Mabin VP ACTIVITIES 2017-18: Rosy Vega

PRESIDENT

UNION FELLOWSHIP ROLL OF HONOUR 2011-12: Ben Butters 2012-13: Alan Borgas 2013-14: Jack Amos 2014-15: Brad Johnson Maria Walker Sean Ryan 2015-16: Alex Lowry Shelby Loasby Darshaalini Nadarajan 2016-17: Joseph Emmerson Oliver Read Bethel Yohanis

1988-89: 1989-90: 1990-91: 1991-92: 1992-93: 1993-94: 1994-95: 1995-96: 1996-97: 1997-98: 1998-99: 1999-00: 2000-01: 2001-02: 2002-03: 2003-04: 2004-05: 2005-06: 2006-07: 2007-08: 2008-09: 2008-10: 2010-11: 2011-12: 2012-13: 2013-14: 2014-15: 2015-16: 2016-17: 2017-18:

John Hayes Sharon Greenholt Spencer Codie Leonie Howard-Pillips David Filmer Petular Moore Richard Gale Jane Melville Eric Brooke Eric Brooke Suresh Pulandaran Neo Combarro Steve Bottomley Kate Griffiths Richelle Brundle Katie Buckley Tarquin Stephenson Tarquin Stephenson Adrian Walker Stephen Newnham Ricky Valdiny Sree Dasari Nica de Koenigswarter Erika Masefield Erika Masefield Michael Gillet Gurpreet Singh Jack Amos Grainne O’Monghain Shelby Loasby

VP COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA 1992-93: Melissa Daniels 1993-94: Mark Jones 1994-95: Mark Jones 1995-96: Heidi King 1996-97: Rhoda Kennedy 1997-98: Chloe Burnett 1998-99: Tom Pitt-Chambers 1999-00: Tom Pitt-Chambers 2000-01: Gareth Beard 2001-02: Iain McLaren 2002-03: Sam Bull 2003-04: Ollie Cadman 2004-05: Marek Nusl 2005-06: Marek Musl 2006-07: Claire-Michelle Pearson 2007-08: Alec Sammon 2008-09: Alec Sammon 2008-10: Nica de Koenigswarter 2010-11: Thom Palser 2011-12: Thom Palser 2012-13: Michael Gillet 2013-14: Shannen Rock 2014-15: Shannen Rock 2015-16: Bradley Johnson 2016-17: Shelby Loasby VP COMMUNITY 2017-18: Mansoor Hakimyar

VP DEMOCRACY AND SERVICES FORMERLY VP UNION DEVELOPMENT 1992-93: Vicky Southwell 1993-94: Richard Gale 1994-95: Justin Beaumont 1995-96: Dominic Beever 1996-97: Dermot Corr 1997-98: Dani Philp 1998-99: Corrina Nicholson 1999-00: Corrina Nicholson 2000-01: Kate Griffiths 2001-02: Chris Tedore 2002-03: Chris Tedore 2003-04: Digby George 2004-05: Ian Williams 2005-06: Adrian Smith 2006-07: Adrian Smith 2007-08: Ricky Valdiny 2008-09: Steven Butler 2008-10: Adam Flint 2010-11: Adam Flint 2011-12: James Bowers 2012-13: James Bowers 2013-14: Gurpreet Singh 2014-15: Jack Amos 2015-16: Grainne O’Monghain 2016-17: Cynthia Ekezie VP SERVICES 2017-18: Adil Rehman

SO WHAT HAVE WE DONE FOR YOU? Over the past three years, your Elected Officers have been celebrated for helping to improve your University experience. Below are just some of the success stories that our officers have been responsible for! • Wednesday Afternoons FREE from Lectures • Cheaper, Easier and Better Bus Journeys • £10,000 extra for Freshers’ Week! • Improved Computing Services

• University agrees to NOT increase fees! • Access to the Duke of Edinburgh Award • FREE Printing • Fruit and Vegetables in SU Shops • LRC Opening Times at Christmas and Easter • Launched Mental Health Awareness Campaign • Renamed and Rebranded Trident Media • £20,000 extra for Further Weekend and Calendar Activities

22 SOCIEITIES •

32 HOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE SU DRAMA SOCIETY Andrew Skinner UniVerse, 2006 Hello and welcome once again to the safe refuge of the thespians within the scripture that is the universe! I must apologise to anyone who witnessed our social to the font on Saturday night, all I can say is that it was the red-stuff’s fault! It has been a busy few weeks for us in the drama society, what with the Freshers’ Fair being put on the day before our first production of the year! You may have seen as in the smaller tent on that Friday reciting song from hit musical from 2006, ‘Roehyde! - A tribute to those fallen halls’. This flurry of activity led our members straight into the first

production of the year the ‘32 hour challenge’! For those of you missed it, the 32-hour challenge is played through thusly . . . The actors and tech arrive at 10 AM on the Saturday morning not knowing which script will be preparing and performing (only I know). The script I revealed to them was Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’. Quite a challenging script, but I don’t think it would have been right to have had an easy script for the challenge! As you may have guessed from the title, the guys only had 32 hours until they performed the production in front of an audience at 19:00 on the Sunday

night! Hastily, the actors bustled off under the direction of Moritz Buck and read through the script, whilst lent my support to the tech crew, helping them to paint, build and erect the set. We held our first social that evening in the form of a buffet and film (Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey! Excellent!). Unfortunately, the year we were not allowed to stay in the hall over night, giving ourselves a maximum time to work on the set and lighting, so at 23:00 we agreed to re-convene at 08:00. The second day saw repeated rehearsals on set and completion of the rigging. When the curtains were

raised, it was very difficult to tell that the actors had never seen the script before, the day previous; they truly brought to life Stevenson’s characters, the eccentric Dr. Jekyll and the equally maniacal Mr. Hyde! It was such a brilliant 32 hour challenge because, so many people appeared to view the performance, that I had to put out a half a dozen extra chairs! And, so, this leads me onto the society’s plan for the rest of the year. The next production will be our musical in December, Steven Steinman’s ‘Vampires Rock’, a rock’n’roll musical set in a Vampire’s nightclub.

SOCIETY SNAPSHOT: ADULLAM FELLOWSHIP Hannah Bicknell | UniVerse, 2015 Hertfordshire Students’ Union has over 160 societies ranging from subject-related and active to religious and music, all for the purpose of socialising and making students feel at home while on campus. Below are snapshots of two societies, one an upcoming cultural society and the other a well-established religious society, growing in popularity. The Adullam Fellowship Society. This is a religious society that is part of a larger network of religious organisations, overseen by the Open Heavens Church on Bishops Rise. The society meets at the Linhop Building every Tuesday and are devoted to helping the surrounding area. They aim to get students involved by providing activities and events that allow them to become a bigger part of the community, which everyone automatically joins when they move to Hatfield. The society is all inclusive, despite the cultural or religious backgrounds their

prospective members may come from, so everyone can get involved. The Open Heavens Church holds a big event for the freshers every year, as a welcome to the University of Hertfordshire and the community. They aim to provide a home away from home, counselling and other facilities. After Freshers’ Week, the first meeting will be the Big Bang Service, dubbed ‘King of Kings’, which new or interested members can attend and enjoy live music and performances. All year round, the society offers religious services, and holds social events and debates along with volunteering opportunities, such as being able to help out at the local food bank. If you are interested in joining the Adullam Fellowship Society, more information can be found via their Facebook page: Adullam Fellowship, or on the SU website: www.hertfordshire.su K-Pop Society. The K-Pop Society stands for Korean Pop and will officially begin after Freshers’

Week. Despite being brand new, they have already gained 16 members and have seen a lot of interest from the international students. The society prides itself on being open to anyone and everyone who enjoys Korean pop and dancing, but it is primarily about introducing the Korean culture in a fun and active way, quoting the society’s page, K-Pop is not just about music, it is “a lifestyle”. After Freshers’ Week, their plan is to hold social events for their members that range from dance events and classes, BBQ nights, language exchange corners, and many more to really immerse their members in the world of Korean music, dance and culture. If you would like to get involved, you can add the society on Facebook: HSU K-Pop Society or get more information on the SU website: www.hertfordshire.su

• SOCIETIES 23

SOCIETY ROUND-UP 2016/2017 BIG BAND SOCIETY HOLD CHRISTMAS CONCERT

HERTS POOL AND SNOOKER PLAYS AT EAT OF ENGLAND POOL TOURNAMENT Will Tuffin | Contributing Writer

Aaron Hurst | News Editor On the 12th December, the university’s Big Band society put on a festive performance for students, family and friends in room B01. The performance, which saw the performers all looking quite Christmassy wearing Santa, elf and turkey hats and being surrounded by tinsel and lights, included big band renditions of well-known jazz, funk and pop songs, as well as some festive tunes in the second half, following an intermission. In the first half, amongst some prominent jazz songs such as Blues in Hoss Flat, The Jazz Police and Cute were covers of Stevie Wonder’s Superstition, and Feelin’ Good, originally by Nina Simone. The second half was purely made up of Christmas classics such as Let It Snow and Silent Night, the latter of which was beforehand described by conductor Duncan Fraser as ‘contradictory’ to the expression of silence that the original rendition provides. According to conductor Duncan Fraser and the society’s secretary Daniel Akinbosede (otherwise known as ‘The Cowbell Kid’ to his bandmates), the band, which consisted of a mixture of students and ex-professors, had been rehearsing every Monday since the beginning of this semester not only for the Christmas concert, but also for other gigs around the university. “We did a gig for the Pole and Aerial society, they were having a showcase” Daniel explained. “They had a few societies, featuring the Ukulele society and ourselves. “We played a 35 minute long set at the Attic, it was quite good.” However, Duncan said

that rehearsals of ‘the Christmas stuff’ come ‘a little bit later, sort of November time, three or four weeks before the concert’. When asked about whether the band had any challenges that they had to overcome in the leadup to the concert on the 12th December, Duncan explained that the band had ‘a very mixed ability group’. “There’s no performance course, as such, in the music department. There are some very talented music students, but equally we’ve got some older members, ex-professors and ex-students at various stages of their musical development.” “I suppose another challenge is that every year, we have people who have been with us for three or four years who graduate, and we’re back to our bare bones again and have to rebuild, and that was especially true this year.” society secretary Daniel added. In addition, for the benefit of anyone who may not know what ‘big band’ music is, Duncan was keen to explain. “A big band is a jazz orchestra, so it’s a collection of horns, brass and reeds, which make up the majority of the band, as well as having a rhythm section, drums, bass, piano, guitar. “They’re all combine together to play lots of different forms of music.” It was clear that everyone who attended the Big Band society’s Christmas concert left feeling very entertained, festive and, in the case of family members, very proud of their loved ones, and the band themselves certainly seemed like they enjoyed themselves, too.

PUB SOCIETY BEER FEST Refreshers’ Week, running from 18th-24th of January, saw many different events across campus ranging from the Refreshers’ Fair, to special guest appearances at The Forum Hertfordshire. One such event was the Beer Festival, held by the pub society between 21st-24th. Being held in association with the EleHouse, it

was set up ready to begin trade on Thursday morning. The event encouraged people to try a range of different beers, all provided by Hertfordshire brewers, Red Squirrel, based down the road in Hertford. The Milk Stout, Citra, and American Pale Ale all seemed to be popular choices, selling the most throughout the event.

On the 15th of November, four teams comprising of 20 members from the Pool & Snooker Society travelled to Cambridge for the East of England Pool Championships. The tournament’s introduction last year brought success for the teams from University of Hertfordshire, with the A team finishing as runners-up for the plate once they were knocked out of the main competition and the B team 3rd in their respective competition. Fresher, Liam Memmott, defied expectations to bag runner-up in the individual trophy. With revenge in mind, the teams competing this year were determined to show the country exactly what we were capable of. The morning session proved invaluable for the A team, winning all but one of their group stage matches. All five players showed composure and aggression in their wins over Cambridge, UCL, Roehampton and Brighton, with Warwick only winning by one frame. While the A team were dominating the group stages, the other three teams were beginning their individual campaigns with little success. Richard Watson, Ryan Smith and Henry Green made it through to the second round along with Han Lip Tan, Vinh Vu and notably Jack Duffus, who played outstandingly, making it through to the quarter finals.

The afternoon brought mixed results for the rest of the team matches. Herts B team managed to squeeze through the group stages remarkably in 1st place, beating Cambridge 3rds and Essex 4ths, only losing to Essex 2nds who, in a surprising turn of events, ended up not qualifying from group stages. Herts C only managed one win in their group against Essex 5ths and lost to Roehampton 2nds and Sheffield Hallam 2nds. By finishing 1st in their group, B team saw themselves straight through to the semi-finals where they were drawn against Essex 3rds. After a tough few games, Herts B came out on top winning 6-3 to claim a place in the final against Cambridge 2nds. Vinh Vu, Han Lip Tan, Sam Johnson and Karl Hall all showed incredible determination by winning all of their games, which then gave Captain Will Tuffin an opportunity to secure the trophy which, after a tactical game, he did with composure. To win 6-0 in the final was the cherry on the cake and wrapped up a fantastic day for Herts. The support that everyone gave in not only the team games, but the individual matches as well, was fantastic to see and all who played were a credit to their university. It’s safe to say we will return next year with even higher expectations!

Tom Boon | Contributing Writer When asked about the event Liam Collingbourne, President of the society, commented: “It was a success, we encouraged lots of people to try new beers … and more importantly showed what a friendly and enjoyable society we are,” he added, “Each year our beer festivals get bigger and bigger, I’m looking forward to seeing what we can

accomplish [in future years].” The event saw huge engagement with over 64 hours of volunteering put in by society members, as well as a huge level of interest from non members visiting. The society meets for a trip every other Thursday, with a number of smaller events in between trips.

24 Health and Science •

KASPAR: THE SOCIAL ROBOT Shelby Loasby | Vice President Communications and Media

Kaspar, the social robot, has been designed and developed by the University of Hertfordshire’s Adaptive Systems Research Group, a leading international robotics research team. The University first started developing and researching robots in 1998, by a team led by Professor Kerstin Dautenhahn. They were researching the use of robots as therapeutic toys for children with autism who struggle to interact or communicate with the outside world. The Kaspar project was born in 2005, with the aim to create a social robot companion that would improve the lives of children with autism through play. Kaspar was given a human-like but very simplified and child-friendly appearance as robots which look too life-like were found to be unnerving. Kaspar is the size of a small child with a neutral expression, not specific to any age, or gender, making it easier for children to interpret Kaspar however they wish. Based on years of findings and feedback from users, Kaspar has gone through several iterations and has been built using parts created by a 3D printer. Professor Dautenhahn explained how Kaspar works; “We have programmed different types of games for children to play with the robot and there is always somebody else present - a teacher, a parent or another child - so Kaspar can help a child with autism, via the robot, to interact with other people.” To date, there are 28 Kaspar prototypes in existence which are being used in schools and nurseries of specialist early learning. The team who created Kaspar aim to introduce the social robot into schools across the UK and internationally. Recently, Kaspar appeared at the Science Museum in London for a new Robots exhibition. The robot will also be travelling around the UK, as

Image provided by herts.ac.uk well as Australia, Asia and Japan. Kaspar has been well received by teachers, industry experts, and of course the children who have interacted with the robot. The founder of TRACKS, a specialist early years centre in Stevenage, explained the benefits and impact of Kaspar: “We had a child who refused to eat or sit with the other seven children at the school. His mum sent him in with a box of biscuits, and with Kaspar’s encouragement over the course of ten weeks, he eventually got to the stage where he would put a biscuit on the robot’s lap and sit with him and the other children at the snack table and eat a biscuit himself. We have has a lot of wow moments since Kaspar became a permanent part of our school, and if he can make this kind of difference to a child, he has got to be worth having.”

UH DISCOVERY: 60 NEW PLANETS FOUND An international team of astronomers, including Dr Mikko Tuomi of the University of Hertfordshire, has found 60 new extrasolar planets orbiting stars close to Earth’s Solar System. The team also found further evidence of an additional 54 planets, bringing the potential discovery of new worlds to 114. The team say the planets are in our ‘immediate Solar neighbourhood’ and one in particular, Gliese 411b, is of particular interest. Gliese 411b is a hot superEarth with a rocky surface located in the fourth nearest star system to the Sun, making it the third nearest planetary system to the Sun. The significance of its discovery demonstrates that virtually all the nearest stars to the Sun have planets orbiting them. Planets that could be like Earth. The results are based on observations taken over a 20 year period by US astronomers using the Keck-I telescope in Hawaii as part of the Lick-Carnegie Exoplanet Survey. During that time the team obtained almost 61,000 individual observations of 1,600 stars. Dr Tuomi, who was the only Europeanbased researcher working on the

project, led the group’s data analysis efforts that revealed the existence of the newly reported planets. Dr Tuomi, from the University of Hertfordshire’s Centre for Astrophysics Research, said: ‘It is fascinating to think that when we look at the nearest stars, all of them appear to have planets orbiting them. This is something astronomers were not convinced about, even as little as five years ago. These new planets also help us better understand the formation processes of planetary systems and provide interesting targets for future efforts to image the planets directly.’ Crowning achievement as an Astronomer The Lick-Carnegie Exoplanet Survey was started in 1996 by internationally renowned astronomers Steve Vogt and Geoffrey Marcy from the University of California and Paul Butler, from the Carnegie Institute of Science, in Washington. Dr Butler said: ‘This paper and data release is one of my crowning achievements as an Astronomer. It represents a good chunk of my life’s work.’ For over two decades the Lick-Carnegie survey has steadily increased scientists’ understanding

of planets beyond the Solar System by enabling them to study the tiny wobbles of nearby stars caused by orbiting planets. Dr Tuomi added: ‘Keck-I telescope and its instruments have been wonderful tools in establishing the current consensus that virtually all stars have planets orbiting them. These new discoveries will further help us characterise the population of planets in the immediate Solar neighbourhood.’ The group’s results were based on measuring small periodic changes in the target stars’ colours, indirectly revealing the existences of the planets. They detected the signatures of planets using the iodine cell radial velocity technique, which superimposes spectral lines from an iodine gaseous absorption cell onto the stellar absorption lines. While the lines of the star move very slightly in response to orbiting bodies like planets, the iodine lines do not move, providing a precise reference point. This radial velocity method has been used to discover hundreds of new planets orbiting nearby stars, including the recent discovery of Proxima b orbiting the nearest star to the Sun, Proxima Centauri,

a discovery Dr Tuomi was also involved with. Another aim of the astronomers was to democratise the search for planets. By making all the data taken with the Keck-I telescope publicly available, it ensured that the possibility for anybody to verify the team’s results by simply re-analysing the data and seeing the planets’ signals themselves. Dr Tuomi added: ‘These results are possible thanks to the great efforts by the giants of the field, such as Paul Butler and Steve Vogt in painstakingly making observations over the years and developing instruments enabling the discoveries. The Keck planet survey has become an intergenerational project that keeps yielding important discoveries more than 20 years after it was initiated.’

herts.ac.uk

• Health and Science 25

SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE: WHERE DID IT ALL BEGIN? William Ahmed | Computer Science Alumni The roots of Computer Science at Hertfordshire can be traced back to the earliest days of the University, or as it was known then, Hatfield College of Technology. The first computer purchase by the college was an Elliott 803 b back in 1962, which was the size of a room and cost £29,201. To put this into perspective, the average house price in 1962 was £2,670, making the Elliott computer a sizeable investment for the new College. The Elliott 803 b was far more complex than modern day computers, it had no screen or keyboard, and instead any input had to be printed onto paper tape and fed into the computer, with additional input being done via a control console.

The output was then printed onto more paper tape after it had been processed by the computer. This paper tape then had to be run through a teletype reader to get readable printed output. An interesting side note to this story, is the partnership formed with the Hatfield Grammar School for them to offer Computer Science to their students. Hatfield Grammar School was based in what we now know as the Hutton Hub on College Lane Campus, which is interestingly named after the head teacher, Dr Hutton. An agreement was formed between the school and college to allow students at the grammar school access to the Elliott computer, in return for which, students at the Technical

College would be given use of the schools swimming pool. The pool has since been filled in, but can still be seen under a classroom next to the night route on College Lane Campus. Since the days of the Elliott 803 b, the Technical College has become Hatfield Polytechnic, and later the University of Hertfordshire. The Grammar School buildings are now part of the University campus, and there is more computing power available in a phone than there was in the room sized Elliott 803 b. The University has also created some world leading computer based systems, including; Kaspar the robot, an internationally recognized robot football team, and a host of industry leading research.

Our Hatfield Our Hatfield

Left: Old Hatfield Grammar School, Above: Elliott 803 b

HERTFORDSHIRE STUDENT TO DEVELOP INTELLIGENT SOFTWARE SOLUTION WITH LOCAL COMPANY

What the swimming pool looks like now

The University of Hertfordshire and local company Advanced Collection Systems (ACS) have been awarded a Knowledge Transfer Partnership Grant (KTP). The grant will be used to co-develop and implement an innovative software solution in the field of debt collection that will enable ACS to be leaders of applied technology in their business. Paul Moggridge, PhD student from the University, has been appointed to work on a three year KTP project part funded by Innovate UK, the government’s innovation agency, supported by Dr Na Helien from the University’s School of Computer Science as Academic Supervisor. Dr Helian says the project will draw on the University’s expertise in data mining, machine

learning, and the psychology of cognitive processes to develop a new expert system. The system will be capable of absorbing, manipulating and analysing large and complex data sets, increasing collection efficiency and improving personal data confidentiality through cybersecurity measures. Dr Helian added: ‘This development challenges the accepted practise of the call-centre approach to debt collection and promises significant cost saving and increased productivity. This KTP is a great example of the scheme working in practice by sharing knowledge and unlocking the potential of local companies through co-collaborative projects with the University.’

26 Coffee Break •

COFFEE BREAK WHAT IS COFFEE BREAK?

TWEET OF THE YEAR

Coffee Break is the section for you! Use this space to read, reflect, and give it a go at our Halls themed Wordsearch! If you have any photos, tweets, poems, short stories, or recipe ideas, please submit them to studentmedia@ hertfordshire.su so we can include it in the next issue!

PHOTO OF THE YEAR The Photo of the Year goes to Hertfordshire Students’ Union on the night that the elections began. The elections are such a core part of what they do, and this photo shows all of the candidates running for the various positions this year! Congratulations everyone!

#THROWBACK This section ‘celebrates’ some of the weird and wonderful comments students have made over the years in the pages of UniVerse. Here’s some throwbacks to the FONT days! 2008 You’re off down the FONT, what do you do to prepare for a potential night of passion? “I used to spray Lynx on my ‘John Thomas’, but err, I had a few complaints!” - Sam, 20 “When I started Uni I used to down a bottle of vodka to get in the mood. But I ended up with a minger.” - Ben, 20 “Put my best pulling pants through the wash!” - Simon, 19 “Floss.” - Joe, 25

COMIC STRIP

• Coffee Break 27

WORDSEARCH

Sophie Joaman | Contributing Writer As accurate as astrology gets.

ARIES The stars are aligning for you this month Aries, Not quite sure if it will bring you good news, but who knows for sure. It’s not like the stars can predict the future, right?

TAURUS Ermmm... I’ll let you find out for yourself.

GEMINI It’s too embarrassing to even mention. Still your friend WILL put it on YouTube. *crying with laughter emoji*

CANCER I have a brilliant secret that will change life as you know it Cancer. But it’s a secret so I can’t tell you.

LEO I didn’t have the time to consult the stars about you Leo, but I’m sure there’s nothing important to report.

VIRGO Beware of the angry Aquarius you borrowed a tenner off last year.

LIBRA Remember that YouTube video you uploaded, you know the one of your friend’s embarrassing incident? Yes, that one... it’s going to go viral. VIRAL!

SCORPIO Oops… oh well, eyebrows are overrated anyway. who needs them? Not you by the looks of it.

FIND ALL THE HALLS

ALDENHAM ASHWELL BELLINGHAM BROAD COALES HADHAM

KIMPTON LEMSFORD MACLEAN NEWTON REDBOURN ROBERTS WAY SANDRIDGE

SARRATT SCHOFIELD SHENLEY SPALDING TELFORD WATTON WELWYN

CAPTION COMPETITION! Can you think of a witty, funny caption for this photo from The Forum recently? TELL US YOUR ANSWERS AT @TRIDENTMEDIAUK

SAGITTARIUS The planets are not feeling your “new look” honey. Not everyone can rock it, that’s just the way it is.

CAPRICORN Good luck Capricorn, you’re gonna need it.

AQUARIUS You are still missing that tenner that you last saw sometime in 2015. You are seeking payback... Literally.

PISCES You will find a tenner in the LRC. Enjoy but don’t spend it all at once.

28 Sport •

THIS GIRL CAN: THE IMPORTANCE OF FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN SPORT Aimone Sharif | Head of Editorial In January 2016, Sports England released their “This Girl Can” video, reaching out to girls nationwide. Since its launch, the perspective and subsequently the entire dynamic of female sports has undergone a complete overhaul, much to the delight of female-sports lobbyists up and down the UK, of which there are many millions. An unprecedented 36 million views of the video has given way to a remarkable upsurge of female participation in sports since January. This magnitude of growth seemingly overnight, has set pulses racing and, understandably, has also sparked curiosity amongst many as to just what is achievable with so many enthusiastic young women on board. Counties, local organisations and schools have taken notice and are now striving to increase female participation in sport making the aforementioned group their main demographic Active students, a sporting organisation working alongside Sports England to promote a sport centred lifestyle, decided to launch their very own “This Girl Can” week. From the 19th through to the 25th of October 2016 students and citizens of Hatfield alike assembled

at the University of Hertfordshire to celebrate female participation in an event-filled week dedicated entirely to and aimed exclusively at young women. As Active Students prepared themselves to embrace their biggest challenge so far, promoters and marketers were out and about spreading word of the event, exploiting a plethora of promotional avenues ranging from the more well trodden social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter to more old fashioned promotional tools such as t-shirts and kits, no stone was left un-turned and no avenue unexplored. Active Students worked diligently to spread their message as far and wide as humanly possible. A need to promote female participation comes from recent research indicating that that the discrepancy between active men and their female counterparts sits at a surprisingly vast two million (41.7% of men participating in sports as opposed to the 31.6% of women) and while the UK ranks a very respectable third in Europe for male participation in sports, the numbers for female participation are less impressive, especially given the facilities at their disposal.

A recent study shows that 75% of women would like to participate in sports but for various reasons cannot or do not wish to do so. At the University of Hertfordshire, girls were questioned as to what constituted those ‘various reasons’. “I am body-conscious sometimes but I adore sports, I am scared of being judged by men in the gym or at football because they are “male dominated” environments but I love them too much to stop” admits Abby Sanderson, University of Hertfordshire student. Not having enough time, money, and general convenience were listed as recurring phenomena that stop women from participating. Nevertheless, a Hatfield student admits:

A study focussing on data recorded between October 2014 and May 2015 has recently shown that 43% of female students attend their sessions which are in stark contrast to the 57% of males who attend theirs. To tackle this issue, they have organised their own female football week thereby targeting more and more women to join in order to reach an equilibrium once and for all. These campaigns show that the women of England are active and ready to go. Working together, we can bring gender equality to the world of sport if we remember that this girl can.

“I think female participation is so low because of the media and the image of the perfect body, leading girls to feel fat, ugly or very selfconscious.” Active Students is celebrating 5 years in Hertfordshire and is determined to reach out to as many students as possible.

NO SIGN UP NO COMMITMENT NO COST GET ACTIVE AT

ACTIVESTUDENTS.CO.UK

/ACTIVESTUDENTS

/UHACTIVESTUDENTS

/ACTIVESTUDENTS

/UHACTIVESTUDENTS

• Sport 29

WE ARE THE (NATIONAL GRAND) CHAMPIONS! Martina Bearnes, Sam ‘Peg-leg’ Bond and Rebecca ‘Nemo’ Small | UniVerse, 2006 This summer [2006], the Sirens took part in Future Cheer nationals and then British Cheerleading Association (BCA) International Championships. The first of these competition was held in Brighton by Future Cheer. The sprung floor gave the squad extra height for our jumps and the tumblers were able to complete clear and precise back tuck somersaults. Then it came to the results. They were announcing who had finished 3rd, the squad sat in a circle beaming smiles, only to hear our own names being called out. At Sirens, we have always maintained that we would rather come last and have the crowd saying we SHOULD have won, rather than win and people say we didn’t deserve it. And we kept this in mind as we left the Brighton centre, slightly disheartened. However, we’d already improved ten-fold on last year and

wanted a trophy to reflect it. We had literally worked through blood, sweat and tears. At BCA, in Nottingham’s Ice Arena, we had to perform a routine twice over the two days. Rebecca remembers how “after the first day I came of the mat and couldn’t remember doing the routine!” At the end of the first day were 28 points ahead of the other teams in our division. The seniors knew from experience that this meant nothing. It all rested on how well we performed the routine the next day. Martina states that, “waiting to go back onto the mat that second day was nerve racking but so exciting.”. The second performance was brilliant. Everything a good cheer squad should be. We loved this routine and showed. We all came off of the floor beaming and hugging each other.

Then we had to wait till the end of the day for the results. They started announcing our division by starting at 3rd place and . . . it wasn’t us! Great! We hadn’t finished bottom. We listened out for 2nd, again not our name! We all looked around, trying to control our excitement; you can imagine the havoc that broke loose as they called our names in first place. Sam reflects that, “This is not where my story ends! Somewhere between our names being called and Pat, our then president collecting our trophy, I ran towards a Siren nicknamed Nemo (because of her fear of fish) to hug her. Next thing I know, I hear a crunch and I’m hitting the deck! Flip comes up to me and screaming “YES! YES!” and I’m screaming back “NO! NO!”. To cut a long story short, I hurt myself . . .bad!” While Sam was off in the first aid room with two torn ligaments,

a slight tendon tear and two small fractures in her foot, the rest of us watched as one of the competition directors walked over to our head coach Katie with an envelope. Within the envelop was an invitation to one of the biggest competitions in America! The Sirens had not only won a competition for the first time, but were also going to America! Just as we thought all our birthdays had come at once, we were also asked to come back the next day as National Grand Champions. Shocked cannot begin to describe the emption running through the group. This accolade basically meant that not only had we beat the ‘All girl university’ scores, but also the Co-Ed (male and female competitor) teams scores. What’s more-we are the first all-girl squad to do so! It should also be pointed out that the National Grand Champions trophy is in fact a 4 foot statue!

HURRICANE STRIKES TO BLOW AWAR STALLIONS FOR RECORD 4TH COLLEGE BOWL WIN ANON, UniVerse 2004

The Hurricanes have defeated the Staffordshire Stallions 27-6 to win College Bowl XVII at Rams Stadium in Dewsbury. For the second day in a row a Hurricane has swept through Yorkshire! On Saturday, 70 mph winds tore down a goal post at Rams Stadium, but it was not enough to deter the College League who improvised a replacement to enable the 18th College Bowl to take place. Hertfordshire were playing in their 5th College Bowl in 7 years, while Staffordshire were playing in their first.

The teams traded possessions in the first quarter which remained scoreless despite good drives by both teams. The Hurricanes took the lead with 4:58 remaining in the half when RB Andy Cochrane scored on a 4 yard run. Cochrane went on the rush for 20 yards and received the Game MVP for his efforts. RB David Hartley extended the Hurricanes to 14 with just 2 seconds remaining in the half when he capped an 8 play 58 yard drive with a 1 yard plunge. The Stallions were unable to get anything going in the third

quarter and went further behind with 14:53 minutes to go in the game when QB Junior Price rolled in around the right from 1 yard out to put the Hurricanes almost out of sight. Price secured the victory with a 20 yard pass to WR Richard McHugh on a perfectly timed pass in the corner of the end zone. WR Stuart Wren got a consolation score for the Stallions who refused to give in. Wren scampered in on a reverse from 33 yards out with 4:50 left in the game. The stallions then recovered an onside kick but failed to capitalise

and the Hurricanes secured their 4th title in the last 7 years. Congratulations to the Hurricanes and all the BCAFL teams for another successful season. The league will start its twentieth anniversary season in October but before that will come the North vs South game as well as another GB Bulldogs summer fixtures calendar.

30 Sport •

20 YEARS OF RACING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE Bill Ahmed | Computer Science Graduate UH Racing is formed of a team of students at the University of Hertfordshire who compete in the international competition Formula Student. Every year a race car is designed, manufactured and built by University of Hertfordshire students, with support from the university, partners, and our alumni. Nearly all of the team is made up of final year students from the School of Engineering and Technology because Formula Student is integrated into their respective degrees, however students from other Schools of Study get involved with Formula Student activities, including the business, marketing and PR aspects. UH Racing was founded in 1997 by a small group of students at the university with a passion

for motorsports and the aim of competing in the Formula Student UK competition the following year. In twenty years since the team was founded, it has competed internationally with success and grown to be a major part of my Engineering students lives at the University of Hertfordshire. Not to mention, the numerous awards the team has brought home for the University. One of the teams’ greatest achievements to date includes producing the first hydrogen powered Formula Student car, in addition to continuing to be the most successful UK Formula Student team of all time. Their car UH2, was featured on an episode of Top Gear. In 2017, UH Racing

will be designing, building and competing with UH20; the twentieth combustion powered car and twenty-fourth car built by the team. In addition to this, UH Racing will strive to finish as top UK team at all competitions they compete in this year, improving upon the fantastic results they achieved with UH19 in 2016. The team is currently led by Team Manager, Katie Dobson and Technical Director, Jack Holden. Their driver for UH20 is Ramon Piñeiro, a final year student who has broad motorsport experience finishing third in the FIA Formula Two Championship and holding a Formula 1 Super Licence in 2012 and 2013. All images provided by UH Racing

Recent Achievements 2016 Formula Student UK (UH19) 9th overall, 2nd UK team 2016 Formula Student Germany (UH19) - 14th overall, 1st UK team 2016 Formula Student Germany (UH19) – Best Prepared Car for Scrutineering

First Achievements 1997 Formula Student UK (UH1) – Best Presented Car 1998 Formula Student UK (UH1) – Best Fuel Economy, Best Wiring Harness

• Sport 31

ENGLAND FOOTBALL TEAM CALLS ON HERTS LECTURER

Joel Harris, Senior Lecturer in Sports Therapy at the University of Hertfordshire, has been appointed as Soft Tissue Therapist for the England football team. He will be providing support for the men’s senior team and will be travelling with them for international games as well as attending training camps and being on pitch side during matches. Joel, a former Metropolitan Police detective, has been involved with elite football for several years including 10 years at Arsenal and four years working with the England U20 and U21 squads. His first international match was yesterday where he was on duty at Wembley and the hosts won 2-0 against Lithuania in a World Cup Qualifier. He will be working with the players such as Marcus Rashford and Jermain Defoe to guard against injury through the management of their muscles, tendons and ligaments as well as treating any soft tissue damage which

occurs during training or games. Joel fits his England responsibilities around his day job which is based at the University of Hertfordshire where he teaches undergraduate Sports Therapy students. The Sports Therapy degree at Hertfordshire includes a sandwich year where students can work on placements in the UK or abroad. Many students choose to work with elite sporting teams and several follow careers in this field. Joel said: “I am delighted and extremely proud to have been asked to work for the England football team. It is a real pleasure to work with such a dedicated group of people including Gareth Southgate who is doing a fantastic job. I’d like to thank the University, especially Richard Southern the Dean of the School of Life and Medical Sciences for being so supportive and enabling me to balance my two roles effectively.”

GO INSPIRE GO COMPETE GO ACHIEVE #GOHERTS Join a sports club and represent us well. hertssportsvillage.co.uk

@UniOfHertsSport /UniOfHertsSport

herts.ac.uk

UniVerse

SP ORT

HUSKIS WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS TWICE Steve Gatesy | Huskis Secretary | UniVerse, May 2005 Finally a UHSU team wins a national title and we came away with two. After a successful year winning the London and South League, HUSKIS A made the travel with a small army of followers to Wycombe for the national final. It was an early day for all involved leaving Hatfield at 7.30. The first race got underway at 9 with the HUSKIS first race coming up shortly after. We didn’t know what to expect from the first race as we had never heard of team, cunst (carefully spelt!), and 2 of our racers hadn’t done any racing for 4 months. It turned out to be one of the easiest races of the day with the team not showing up which gifted HUSKIS a first win and guaranteed entry to round two. Watching some of the favourites such as Bristol who have won every year for the past 4 years, to Newcastle who have won every major event this year, and other big Universities dampened my belief that slightly but after a comfortable win against Surrey2 this was soon restored. After an overpriced beer and burger, the racing continued against Natives, a team that we had battled with all year and shared the honours with in the London league. Once again another team realized it wasn’t worth trying to challenge the superiority of the HUSKIS with only one opposition skier turning up. Manchester known as SKUM, who over the year we have developed a slight rivalry with, were the next opponents to stand in our way. Although I was confident, the race was the first real test that we had and one that we had to win, not to progress but to shut them up for 5 minutes!!! As you can probably guess, we won, with relative ease. Then… the moment I had been dreading all day, the first semifinal…HUSKIS vs Newcastle. The clear favourites with a lot of people, in the semi. We knew it would come but we still didn’t want to accept it. The race came… as a team we have got too used to brushing aside teams with ease, the Newcastle race was different, for possibly the first time

this year I felt we could lose. After 3 racers it was a dead heat, after 4 if I remember we were a fraction of a second ahead, we had done it, we had beaten Newcastle, no one could

matter, Manchester beat Bristol, everyone was cheering, Manchester were celebrating being in the final, others were celebrating because Bristol wasn’t, we were celebrating

stop us, expect possibly Bristol who were in the second semi against Manchester. We were all watching the race with nerves, we knew we could beat Manchester but Bristol would easily beat them, was there any weaknesses in Bristol’s team? But it didn’t

because we could be Manchester easier than Bristol, then the worst news, an appeal by Bristol for the poor reason half of their team were still on the ski lift, this resulted in a re run and a win for Bristol. Everyone now wanted HUSKIS to win, even Manchester,

our yearlong rivals!!! It was the final people wanted. But could we win? Both teams knew this would be a final to remember, there was obvious tensions in both teams, with Bristol seeming the more confident, but they are a bunch of arrogant… We knew it would be tight, but if our first two skiers could match theirs, we stood a real chance, the first two down, everyone seemed to stop moving, the flags went down together, this is where it would get good, could the last three HUSKIS racers get in front, a fraction of a ski is all that is needed, but then, we had Bristol’s third skier hit a gate and crashed out, we had won, HUSKIS were champions, all we had to do was complete the course but the pressure was off, we had won! The next 30 minutes is a blur of celebration, walking up the slope from our spot half way down to congratulate our team, everyone stopped to congratulate us. The jubilation was plastered all over the racers faces as they came up the lift to celebrate with us. It was the perfect end to a perfect year. And to add to the team national championships, somewhere Zoe and Nicole had found time to complete in the individual slalom and come in first and third , with the quote of the day being from Zoe, ‘it was a good line but too slow.’ Slow isn’t a word you associated with the world famous RB’s!!! Another national trophy! My final bit is to thank Zoe, Dean, Nicole, Jack, Aaron, James and everyone that has raced or been involved with the HUSKIS this year. I would also like to congratulate all the other team that have done well this year such as the Hockey club and the Sirens, whose efforts seem to have gone un-recognized this year.