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Volume 25, Issue 1 Movember Special Wednesday 4th November
tridentmedia.org NEWS
HEALTH
FEATURES
Flare Awards 2015 | pg 6-7
What’s Up Herts? | pg 16
Emily Stevens
Emily Stevens
Emily Stevens
Emily Stevens
Movember | pg 22
SPORT
Herts goes to Albania | pg 23
Trident Media
Ant infestation in Telford Court Laura Slingo | News Editor Oliver Price | News Manager Student tenants at a flat in Telford Court have been disappointed by non-responsive staff at The Oval Accommodation Centre regarding their ‘ant infestation.’ Emily Stevens, final year Psychology student at the University of Hertfordshire, reported an issue regarding the cleanliness of her flat in Telford Court shortly after moving in at the beginning of the academic year. Stevens describes the state of the flat she was greeted with: “The floor was dirty, the fridge wasn’t clean; there was still food in there. I picked up… a carton of orange juice and it was so mouldy that it started to eat through the carton.” She also revealed that the flat has an ant infestation. Stevens later gave a more complete list of the issues with her flat.
“My housemate, Ryan, in his room when you turn the tap on ants come out of it; we also have the ant infestation in the kitchen which can be quite bad... The microwave has been washed so much that all the labels came off so we don’t know how to use the microwave; the oven, inside and outside, was filthy… the fridge had food left in it... and the shelves had not been cleaned in it; food had been left behind in the cupboards as well as pots and pans in the kitchen... the phone is really sticky; the floor had not been cleaned at all so that’s filthy; there’s mould in my room [which she says has now been cleaned], which is quite bad… our letterbox is broken… that’s been fixed; we’ve got a broken drawer… that’s been fixed.” When asked if she thinks the maintenance team were being proactive enough, Stevens said: “Personally I don’t think so because I’ve gone down [to The Oval]… at least two or three times [and] other
residents, who I’m living with have gone down at least once or twice.” She felt like, “nothing’s been done to sort it out.” Stevens went on to reveal her feelings regarding the condition of her flat, stating: “It isn’t on to be honest. We should move into a clean area, it’s our responsibility when we make it dirty throughout the year to clean it obviously, but I shouldn’t have to move into somewhere and pay £115 a week for somewhere that is filthy and there is stuff left behind because now it’s up to us to do all the cleaning.” UniVerse also spoke to one of Emily’s flatmates, Craig Patterson, a first year Film and Television Production student. He comments: “[The flat is] in one hell of a state really, we’ve got an ant infestation, the kitchen was a mess when we moved in, some of my flatmates have ants coming out their sinks.” When asked what he thought caused the ‘infestation’, Patterson
said: “The kitchen wasn’t cleaned when we moved in so it could attract the ants [to] all the food that was left.” Patterson said he hadn’t personally reported the issue but his flatmates had. When UniVerse approached The Oval, they revealed that they had no record of the issues with the flat. However, during our visit, they did log the issue on the computer. UniVerse made an attempt to speak with the Soft Services Manager at The Oval but he said that he was unable to comment. For now, Emily and her flatmates will have to wait until their problems are resolved. If you are experiencing similar issues in Halls please contact Hertfordshire Students’ Union at campaigns@hertfordshire.su
2 Editorial • Tweet of the Week: Maddie @Mgooderham_ Loved looking round @UniofHerts today! :P
Photo of the week: Salsa Masterclass with Hertfordshire SU
Yik Yaks of the Week:
Written, designed & edited by students, for students, and provided by Hertfordshire Students’ Union
Ignoring the lecture your /\ mum is giving you because 80 you know she’ll upload those\/ slides to Studynet later
Head of Print
Shelby Loasby headofprint@tridentmedia.org
Picked up a pound in the /\ library. Thanks University of 84 Hertfordshire, only £29,999 \/ to go
HertsSU
Print Editor
Huriyah Quadri
Sub Editors
Robyn Cleo (Design) Laura Slingo (News) Charlie Pearson (Sports) Hannah Bicknell (Features) Robert Wheatley (Lifestyle) Betleham Fekade (Innovation)
Contributors
Louise Hal-Fead Jacqueline Linares Eleanor Pilcher Tom Boon Saskia Brüske Catie Allwright Lara Owolabi Lloyd Henley Lashara Van Heerden Oliver Price Jackon Beckingham-Wells Aimone Sharif
Editor in Chief Brad Johnson
Copy Editor
Kealie Mardell
Contact Us
vp.comms@hertfordshire.su
Welcome to our second issue of UniVerse this year! We are Shelby: Head of Print, and Huriyah: Print Editor. All of our committee and members have been hard at work preparing your free student newspaper and can’t wait to share all our amazing content with you. We have a new features section dedicated to all of the schools around the university; What’s up Herts! We also have an exclusive interview with our TV Director, Jacob Beckingham-Wells,
about his own media company, and a behind the scenes look at College Lane Accomodation. It is also the month of Movember! Check out our Movember health spread and quiz, and keep an eye out for little moustaches scattered through the newspaper. Count them as you go through, tweet us with a number at @TridentMediaUK, to be in the chance of winning a prize! Enjoy your latest issue!
VP Comms & Media Hertfordshire Students’ Union College Lane Hatfield Herts, AL10 9AB Published by Iliffe Print Cambridge Winship Road Milton Cambridge CB24 6PP @TridentMediaUK tridentmedia.org
• Editorial 3
Your Part Time Elected Officers Your part time elected officers are volunteers and collect views of certain groups of students at the University. They each have specific responsibilites and work very closely with the full time elected officers to ensure your voice is heard by the University and local community.
Michael ensures that the voices of international students here at the University of Hertfordshire are heard. He worked with the full time elected officers on campaigns and collects the views of international students In his pre-election manifesto, Michael said: My name is Michael Onuorah; I am an international student in my third year studying Computer Science. I think it is fair to say that I have a unique insight of the challenges International students face when they come to a different country to study. I think this would be the best role for me to show what my experiences can make a great difference for the International students in the University of Hertfordshire, I wouldn’t hesitate to go extra mile to support the students in a positive way so as to make their university experience an unforgettable one. Our strong International community is one of the features that make our university special – let’s keep it that way! Michael Onuorah International Students’ Officer
Email Michael at: officer.international.students@hertfordshire.su Website: hertfordshire.su/michael Oluwaseyi ensures that the voices of postgraduate students here at the University of Hertfordshire are heard. She works with the full time elected officers on campaigns and collects the views of postgraduate students In her pre-election manifesto, Oluwaseyi said: “My name is Oluwaseyi Akanbi, I am mostly known as Shey. I am a full-time second year Law student at the University of Hertfordshire. I am running for the post of a Postgraduate Students’ Officer. I am very passionate about being a Postgraduate Students’ Officer because I feel postgraduate students are not well represented and do not have a forum where they can get together to discuss their ideas and air their views and complaints.”
Oluwaseyi Akanbi P o s t g r a d u a t e Students’ Officer
Email Oluwaseyi at: officer.postgrad.students@hertfordshire.su Website: hertfordshire.su/oluwaseyi
Jigar ensures that the voices of part time students here at the University of Hertfordshire are heard. He worked with the full time elected officers on campaigns and collects the views of part time students. Email Jigar at: Jigar Gangdev Part Time Students’ Officer
officer.parttime.students@ hertfordshire.su
Website: hertfordshire.su/jigar
The Students’ Union hold elections for students to appoint the officers to lead the Students’ Union. These officers set the direction of the Students’ Union. The next by-election will be in November 2015 and next full election will be in March 2016!
Ebiye ensures that the voices of de Havilland students here at the University of Hertfordshire are heard. He worked with the full time elected officers on campaigns and collects the views of de Havilland Students In his pre-election manifesto, Ebiye said: “I am Ebiye Otokolo, currently studying business administration second year at the University of Hertfordshire. I love working with different people from different cultural backgrounds. I am a stand-up comedian, which is what I love to do most.” Email Ebiye at: officer.dehav.students @hertfordshire.su Website: hertfordshire.su/ebiye
Ebiye Otokolo de Havilland Campus Officer
News 4 •
Olivia Hellings
Olivia Hellings
Olivia Hellings
Coales Hall vandalised by suspected drunk student Oliver Price | News Manager At around 00:30 on Monday 5th October, students temporarily living in Coales Hall were subject to a suspected break-in where various food items had been stolen from the kitchens. These stolen items, along with what appears to be the contents of several bins, were then thrown around the flats and a communal staircase by the alleged vandal, leaving a very big mess. The vandal was thought to be drunk at the time of the incident.
One student reports: “I literally was woken up to screaming and laughter and glass smashing.” When asked if they saw the commotion they said that they, “only heard it,” and that they were, “Too scared to go out.” They added: “It was like manic laughter and screaming.” In response the situation, the student said that it was “literally terrifying,” and that they, “did not feel safe.” The alleged thief and vandal has not been found and their identity is currently unknown. They are believed to be a University of Hertfordshire student.
Security were called after the break-in, they arrived swiftly and took notes on the issue. According to UniVerse’s source, the flat was cleaned up by 11:00am on Monday. UniVerse approached staff at the Oval but they declined to comment but they said they would issue a statement. The statement had not been released at the time of print. Any updates will be available on tridentmedia.org
#BallsUpInHalls campaign continues Shelby Loasby | Head of Print The campaign to improve the standards of temporary accommodation is still ongoing. On Thursday 8th October, Hertfordshire Students’ Union Vice President of Democracy and Services, Grainne O’Monghain, sent the following letter in response to complaints from students about the standards of temporary accommodation on College Lane campus. The letter was sent to: Martin Smith – Chief Executive of U-Living at Hertfordshire Plc, Neil Cutting – U-Living, Warren Forsyth – Director of Campus Residential Support Service at DerwentFM. Dear . . . We are writing to express our deep concern with the state of accommodation on the College Lane campus. Our concerns are threefold: • The condition of the temporary accommodation provided to student tenants at Broad and Coales halls; • The communication between student tenants, the University, and the residences providers/ management; • Quality and availability of pastoral care and security at Broad and Coales halls. Please find attached a brief report detailing these concerns and providing supporting evidence from current student tenants. This evidence paints a troubling picture of life on the University of Hertfordshire College Lane campus, and the true impact of inadequate management, staffing and preparation prior to the start of Semester A. Students at the University of Hertfordshire deserve to feel safe and supported, and we believe that on
this issue all parties involved have fallen short of their promises and responsibilities to students and student tenants. In an effort to recompense the affected tenants, we are asking that the University and its partners commit to the following: • A promise to ensure timely, responsive and informative communication with student tenants; • A refund for the three weeks stayed in temporary accommodation, as recommended in the ANUK/Unipol National Code of Standards for Larger Residential Developments (3.8); • University staffing to support tenants moving to their full-session accommodation; • Delivery on promises made to student tenants, including food vouchers; • A review of temporary accommodation measures for students with the view to avoiding a repeat of these circumstances as the 2020 Estates Vision project progresses. Due to the severity of this issue, we would appreciate a response as a matter of urgency. Yours sincerely Grainne O’Monghain Vice President Democracy and Services Hertfordshire Students’ Union, on behalf of students in Broad and Coales halls Since sending the letter, O’Monghain has recieved a response and the conversation is currently ongoing. The Campaign Coordinator told UniVerse that all students have now been moved out of
Coales and Broad Halls, and due to the short period of time the students were in temporary accommodation, changes have not necessarily been made. It is also yet to be confirmed about students staying in hotels. To find out more or to watch UnionTV’s video interview, head over to tridentmedia.org and hertfordshire.su/broadcoales
Trident Media
• News 5
6 News •
Operation Balsam tackling noise in Hatfield Robert Wheatley | Lifestyle Editor As we are all aware, the beginning of the university term is often loud and hectic. Freshers’ Week opens up students to meeting new friends, and many are free of assignments and duties, which means the EleHouse and The Forum see a great deal of visitors; some of which contribute to noise complaints. From the 25th of September to the 10th of October, Operation Balsam, an initiative consisting of the University of Hertfordshire, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and Hertfordshire Constabulary went underway to make sure students were abiding laws around noise pollution and public behaviour, as well as ensuring their own safety. To do this, officers patrolled key student areas of Hatfield, responding to noise or behavioural complaints. Students living off-campus received a letter detailing proper etiquette when living in student houses; advice on respecting their nonstudent neighbours, some of which were younger children. It was determined that those receiving noise complaints would be visited by an officer of
the policing team, as well as the University’s Support Officer and Community Liaison to clarify these points. This was not one sided: students were given an open platform to discuss any difficulties they may be facing as residents as well. “The important thing is having people’s voices heard,” said Emma Lewis, the University of Hertfordshire’s Community Liaison and Support Officer.
“This partnership initiative has worked well in previous years and we hope that running Operation Balsam at the start of term helps to influence students’ behaviour longer term... encouraging them to consider their impact on neighbours.”
“Residents have someone to phone when they have issues or want to highlight anything positive. If there are off-campus issues I can be there to follow up and I carry out house visits with the support of the local council and the University’s dedicated police team.”
The operatives of Operation Balsam hope its policing team, and the repercussions of not following the guidelines set out by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, will make clear what is expected of UH students and what it means to be a member of the local community. The website details what can be viewed as noise pollution here: welhat.gov. uk/neighbourhoodnoise.
The University of Hertfordshire already has a pre-existing noise nuisance service on Fridays and Saturdays, but Executive Member for Governance and Public Health at Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, Councillor Roger Trigg, said this would further support Hatfield’s community at the beginning of the university year.
Help our campus pharmacy get a dispensing contract
Got any concerns about noise, or anti-social behaviour in your residential area? This can be reported to the council on 0800 1114484, or 01707 357242 during office hours, or the police on 101.
Your student radio listings Crush Radio is the longest running student radio in the UK. You can listen in at: tridentmedia.org or download the app: TuneIn Radio.
Fellow students are invited to sign a petition that will help push for College Lane pharmacy to dispense NHS prescriptions.
Robert Wheatley | Lifestyle Editor Despite having existed for over three years, College Lane’s campus pharmacy continues its struggle to gain an NHS dispensing contract, allowing it to dispense NHS prescriptions. Pharmacies must align to strict criteria in order to have this ability, and must have evidence to support that the local community will need such services. Students are often seen as healthy and not of immediate concern, hence the difficulty gathering evidence towards the need for it, but this fails to take into account the students with special requirements for both physical and mental health. Students with special needs may find it difficult to access other pharmacies within Hatfield, meaning a local one could highly benefit those with diabetes, asthma or mental health issues, especially if they were receiving treatments like counselling. While some students can use local pharmaceutical services in Hatfield, not everyone can. Those with a pharmacy outside of Hatfield may have to travel home to pick up medication, potentially missing
classes, or they may lack reliable transportation services that can take them there, thus potentially delaying or missing medication. A full pharmaceutical service would also be highly beneficial for those actually staying on campus, meaning both de Havilland and College Lane students can attend a pharmacy that is a very short walk or bus ride away. The Campus Pharmacy are therefore going to be creating a petition that any student can sign and would only take a couple of minutes to complete. The petition would show an individual’s support for the pharmacy to have this NHS dispensing contract, as well as an opportunity to give their opinion on the idea; hopefully aiding the facility to gather the evidence they need. To sign, the student can simply turn up to the pharmacy, located to the left of the Students’ Union office in the Hutton Hub building.
Monday
10-11am: Tom and Rae 1-2pm: Crystal 6-7pm: Kieran T 7-9pm: Gammon and Jo’ess Notorious Show 9-11pm: Notorious Afterpary
Monday
10-12am: Gabrelle and Amira 12-2pm: Edward H 6-8pm: Nerd Heard 8-10: The Music Exchange 10-12pm: Bryony
Tuesday
2-3pm: Stephanie 6-7pm: Jwaher 7-9pm: Late Night Lionel
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2-4pm: Tom Boon 6-8pm: Jerred 8-10pm: Matt Gazzard
Wednesday
9-11pm: Sports Breakfast 5-7pm: Drivetime with Alex and Matt 7-9pm: Chart Show
Wednesday
2-4pm: Stephanie 4-6pm: John Holt 6-8pm: Koulla 8-10pm: Meagan Swann
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9-11: Hangover Breakfast 4-5pm: Amy 5-7pm: Ramble on the Radio 7-9pm: Hannah
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12-2pm: MIchael O 6-8pm: Glen on Underground 8-10pm: Owen, Jeffries and Adam
Friday
10-12pm: Nariece 8-10pm: George Willis 10-12pm: George S, Elshus and Josh
Saturday
4-6pm: Mesh 6-8pm: Adam and Jake 8-10pm: Jwande
Friday
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Sunday Pixabay
10-11pm: Steward and Jacky 5-7pm: Hollie, Joe and Vicky 7-9pm: Greg 9-11pm: Lakota Rock 1-3pm: Oluwatoyin Olufemi 4-5pm: Oliver G 6-7pm: Lakota Films
Sunday
Interested in your own show? Email headofradio@tridentmedia.org to find out more or go to our website tridentmedia.org.
8News News6••
University of Hertfordshire
University of Hertfordshire
Flare Awards 2015 Robert Wheatley | Lifestyle Editor
We asked him what the hardest part of the competition was:
Launched in 2005, Flare is a competition run by the University of Hertfordshire to give budding entrepreneurs the ability to launch or develop their business idea by providing them the training they need to kick-start it; from writing a business proposal to support with finances and marketing their product. As a business-facing university, UH has an excellent reputation for supporting its students to achieve the skills they need, so contestants can be assured they will receive great support throughout the three competition stages. The winner will receive a cash prize, a year’s free membership to the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, and runners up will have their work showcased at the Flare Awards. Awards include: Best Idea, Best Growth, and of course, the overall winner of Flare! We attended the Flare Awards 2015 on the 24th of September, and were able to interview a few of the contestants, including one of its winners, Samuel Dallimore, with his Health Hut business idea. Samuel’s products contain none of the chemicals store-bought protein bars often have; are full of nutrients and, what’s more, are delicious. He said:
“I’d say the business plan because it was quite challenge to put in specific bullet points and paragraphs, and assess yourself. I had the strategies in my head, but to put down on paper in a cohesive manner in the same way was difficult will this make sense to someone reading it? Questions and templates require you to be very specific on some points.”
“I started off by making healthbased snack with a friend, making recipes - I gave a few samples to friends and they said they were amazing,” Samuel replied, when asked about what inspired his business idea. “I wanted to do a better job than what current protein bars offer as they are very dry. They’ve not got the same shelf life, but they are better tasting.”
“For now, this has changed my outlook on things. Financial basis does drive direction, but the direction I want to head in now is rebranding; advice from the Enterprise team. I’ll be purchasing equipment for production; more industrial scale stuff. I’ll go to heath shops and hand out boxes of samples, and see if can get orders based on that – possibly within Welwyn Hatfield and St Albans in the beginning, and then Hitchin and Stevenage. I wanted to offer for healthclubs and premium gyms, but that will be further down the line to get to more corporate clients and elite gym chains.”
Despite this, it had certainly helped him with his business:
“Without a shadow of a doubt. Going through the process has helped me. It was the first time I did a pitch… it can be intimidating when you realise how much talent there is out there – you need to be on your A-game. I can pursue different areas I’d outlined in the business plan, and having received the prize fund will help speed up the process, so I can produce more orders.” Samuel has big plans for the future, desiring to expand his product’s outreach and network with gyms across the county:
There were many fantastic business ideas, from clothing lines to photography to security devices. We spoke to Holly Parsons, manager of SnapTracker: a developing product that will allow customers to buy customisable tracking devices for security purposes. The team were inspired by a report from Dog’s Trust which, in 2009, found that 110,000 strays were getting lost each year - one of them being every hour.
“We believed in our product so much that pitching about it and talking about it just comes naturally. It is a challenge, speaking to people that know what they do and know the business and the industry; that’s a challenge, but getting them to believe you, and when they do believe you, gives you the satisfaction that your product is good and you do know what you’re doing.”
“I mean I’d be devastated if it was my dog and just because I couldn’t find him he got put down. This made us think how could we stop this? And how could we make it better and stop this many people losing their dogs?” Like Health Hut, SnapTracker had to go through the three stages of the Flare competition, and she too found writing the business plan, the second stage, the more difficult one. “I think it was the business plan stage. We’d never started our own business before so the whole idea of ‘OK, let’s think about finance now; where are we going to get the money from, what are we going to do with it; what are we going to do with our marketing?’ You’ve got to start from scratch and you’ve got to make yourself stand out, that was really a challenging section. “As a group we were part of an enterprise model, so that’s where our idea originally came from… so that’s where we got our original business plan from, so we kind of had written one. When we entered, we had this business plan that was down to the tee; we did so much research and put so much energy into it. ” When asked about the third round, Holly claimed that while they were nervous,
University of Hertfordshire Holly found Flare to really boost the SnapTracker business:
“When we started Flare it was really just an idea. We all believed in it, we were all committed to it, but it was just an idea. But it’s actually given us the belief and the resources to be able to think we could do this, and we could have an office in Maclauren; it really gives us a platform to leap ourselves off of.” Speaking further with her, we discussed the benefits of the tracker device: not just for pets, but for use within healthcare, and she hopes their company can be of influence to the tracking market.
• News 7
University of Hertfordshire
“You get old people that have dementia and run away, or younger children in a theme park that could get lost or run away, and it just gives you a method of monitoring things… We want to go into the business industry and have parcel tracking, even tracking your car - if you place it in a car park and you can’t find it, as it works up to 1 foot. “When I was at university, I had literally two different bags; one for my laptop and boots, and a different bag for foods, and from that was my inspiration to come up with the idea where I can put everything together in one bag,” said Yasir. Radoslav backed this up: “Both of us exercise, and like to eat our own food so it has less fat. We couldn’t find a bag that combined these two features, so we decided to start a platform where we attached one bag to another one so we have two bags in one. It’s split into sections, so we have one bag for food and for shoes as well.” Asked what the hardest round in the competition was, Radoslav answered:
“The hardest for me was the business plan as it was a lot of writing, and you had to select what you wrote carefully as on the pitch day they always read your business plan.” Whereas Yasir found the third round the hardest.
“They checked our business plan, and we had to give a presentation in front of three judges; a three minute speech, following by five minutes question and answer section. There were people from different backgrounds; mostly business backgrounds which related to the business, so they have expertise… that was pretty tough, as we had to be really specific and show them we know about the business. “One of the judges really liked our idea, and actually said ‘this was actually my problem’, and even sent an email to the University Enterprise team with some advice with what we can do to predict the idea and design.” Yasir noted that Flare gave him the chance to try things he would not otherwise have access to: “We did some recording; they made a short film about our products. When you want to start your own business, and want to be an entrepreneur, you have to go through these sort of things in the future - I wouldn’t get the same opportunity out there if I had to pay for it, so it was a really good experience.” “It pushes you to do stuff,” said Radoslav. “We had two of us which was better, because when I was doing it alone it was far more difficult, because I entered Flare last year; but now with two of us, we can help each other, and because there’s deadlines it makes you do stuff.” We asked Radoslav where they wished to take the product in the future, to which he replied,
“We’re still developing it, so we’re going to see how they can help us find a manufacturer who can help us to develop what we want, then we can see which one can be done and which one is too much.”
University of Hertfordshire
And finally, an absolute testament to creativity: Big Bear Cafe Studio. The facility is to be a recording studio and production house with a cafe within: people will be able to work on software, films, television and games; as well as make sample libraries. The concept will provide hospitality on top of creativity. The inspiration behind it was quite simple: “A really, really big, stuffed bear in our house,” revealed Jack Hughes, one of three team members behind the cafe-studio design. Greg added: “I always wanted to make a studio with another space within the studio, so we came up with a cafe.” Their hardest round was the final stage, but for a very interesting reason: “I was there in person, and those two were on Skype,” said Bradley, who explained that the other two were across the pond in the USA as the competition went on. “I was terrified especially, just beforehand, as we were meant to meet up and go over it slightly, over Skype. You [Greg] got up in time, but I don’t think you [Jack] did; your alarm didn’t go off.” “It was pretty challenging because Greg was in New York and I was near Washington - two time zones away. We had to get up at 7AM, as it was 12PM there, as we were 5 hours before them; so we had to get up dressed in a tie and a shirt so we could Skype - It’s never going to be ideal trying to communicate through Skype, especially when there’s two of us.”
“...it’s taught us we have to be precise with everything, like absolutely to the bone. Even just being able to define our business was a struggle enough.”
Jack added: “It’s more getting everything concise, so it’s solid throughout. We had to articulate it in a way that it’s all going to show what it’s about in its sentences - it was probably one of the more challenging parts.” They wish to eventually open up their studio for apprenticeships to help gain musicians the work experience they need. Greg revealed plans for the studio to be a good place of support for creative types: “We want to use it as a platform, so that anyone can come to us with an idea that they want to do we can help them out.” There were so many fantastic ideas at the award ceremony, and there was no doubt as to why they had been chosen as finalists. They all offered products the world most certainly needs, and we wish them all luck in their entrepreneurship. Interested in the competition?
Check out Flare’s information page on the University of Hertfordshire website: herts.ac.uk/flare/
News 8 •
Girls’ happiness plummets as they reach teenage years Laura Slingo | News Editor A report by researchers at the University of Hertfordshire shows that British schoolgirls are less satisfied with their lives than boys. The World Health Organisation collaborative Health Behaviour in School-aged Childrenauthored report reveals that girls who rate their happiness as high dropped from 81 per cent at aged 11 to 55 per cent at aged 15. Comparatively, boys experienced a smaller decrease in happiness, results showing a fall from 81 per cent at aged 11 to 74 per cent at aged 15, suggesting that young girls are overall less satisfied with their lives once they hit their teenage years. The Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care at the University of Hertfordshire revealed additional shocking statistics in their report. Results show that nearly three times as many 15-year-old-girls than boys said they self-harmed, and with that, are more likely to report selfharming on a frequent basis. Worryingly these results continue to reveal concerning issues, highlighting that half of 15-year-oldgirls also said their body was ‘too fat’
and that as they aged from 11 to 15 they were more likely to experience feelings of loneliness, lack of focus and tiredness in comparison to their male counterparts. The report also explored aspects of physical health. It found that only 15 per cent of girls and 22 per cent of boys were able to get the recommended 60 minutes of exercise per day, a concerning result all-round for the younger generation. In addition, approximately a fifth of minors revealed that they were not getting enough sleep to feel awake and concentrate at school, suggesting that personal health standards have slipped over the years for this age range. Professor Fiona Brooks, an author of the report and Head of Adolescent and Child Health Research at UH, said: “This report tells an important story about young people’s health right now in England, traditional risk behaviours are in decline which is great news but what will be of concern to teachers, parents and families are the more negative results of emotional wellbeing and positive behaviours such as physical activity.”
The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children report highlighted more positive results too in that levels of drunkenness had fallen from 55% in 2002 to 32 per cent for girls and 29 per cent for boys in 2014. In addition, rates of smoking fell, with only 6 per cent of boys smoking weekly compared to 21 per cent in 2002 and eight per cent of girls smoking weekly compared to 28 per cent in 2002 too. What’s more, rates of sexual activity have been on the decline with just under 15 per cent of 15-year-olds reporting having sex compared to 38 per cent in 2002. Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Public Health, Jane Ellison, comments:
Graduating from the University of Hertfordshire is in the blood for Broxbourne woman, Belinda Cuffaro who recently became the tenth member of her family to graduate from the University. Belinda, 22, celebrated gaining a 2:1 degree in Accounting and Finance last month at St Albans Abbey and was accompanied by her parents Gill, 54, and Alf, 56, who fell in love and graduated from UH three decades ago. Keeping graduation a family affair, Belinda now joins her mum and dad and fellow family members Vincenzo, Francesco, Nicola, Guiseppina, Maria, Franco and Peter Cuffaro as University of Hertfordshire alumni. Since departing from the University, Belinda has secured a job at a large London law firm just weeks after finishing her course, only
adding to the University’s already high employability rate. She said: “The placement that I did as part of my Accounting and Finance degree at UH gave me great experience and helped me get a great job in a large London law firm three weeks after I finished my course.” Her mum, a senior lecturer at the University, said: “The University of Hertfordshire is not only an inspirational place to study but is also a great place to work. “It was the stepping stone for my career as a dietician and now I am able to teach and support the UH dietetic graduates and dieticians of the future.” Belinda celebrated her academic success with 4,000 other graduates and 10,000 guests at the awards services which took place over seven days. Vice-Chancellor at the University Quintin McKellar said: “It is amazing to see so many members
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“We should welcome the fact that many young people are making much healthier life choices as this will lead to a healthier future of the UK as a whole. However, there is much yet to do and we remain vigilant to the pressure young people and especially girl’s face, and by 2020 we will invest an extra £1.25 billion in children and young people’s mental health services.”
Broxbourne woman becomes tenth member of family to graduate from UH! Laura Slingo | News Editor
The result of this report therefore offers a basic framework for an action plan to improve the future of the UK’s children, their health and their welfare.
The friendly team of specialists at the Student Wellbeing Office based at Hutton Hub are here for you if you feel the need to speak to someone. They offer a wide range of services varying from counselling to health promotion. You can email them at: studentwellbeing@herts.ac.uk
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collaboration event Robert Wheatley | Lifestyle Editor
of one family have passed through the university, gaining the education they need to succeed in life. “This shows the University is at the heart of the community, and has played a vital role in the life of one Hertfordshire family. “ Is the University of Hertfordshire a family tradition for you? Tweet us @TridentMediaUK
A collaboration between three societies will take place in November, in which they will partake in a large discussion of the mind. Abbreviated to KP2, The Krishna Consciousness society, Philosophy society and the new Psychology society will be holding an open floor discussion, about the quirks of the brain. It is set to take place in Hutton Hall, on College Lane on the 25th November. The societies have decided on these questions by establishing a topic each can equally debate, but also one in which they can bring their own perceptions and understanding of either the physical meaning of the brain or the ambiguity of consciousness and what it can produce. The societies will ensure that the discussion remains just that, and wish it to be known that it will be void of argument or competition. Follow the Psychology, PhilSoc and Krishna groups on Facebook to keep up to date!
No more missed deliveries Shop anywhere online and use Doddle as your delivery address Sign up before 15th November to get 12 months free Doddle Unlimited. Free parcel collections and 10% off sends.
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Huriyah Quadri
Women in politics 2015 Lashara van Heerden | Features Manager This year has seen the highest number of women reported in political power since 1995 and it seems wonderfully apt that the film Suffragette has been released, this month, in cinemas. Historic feminists, I am sure, would be proud. The development and progress on women’s political empowerment and equal involvement has been going at tortoise pace considering that women over the age of 30 got the vote in 1918. It was only when the Equal Franchise Act of 1928 was passed that all women over the age of 21 could vote. Now 87 years on, United Nations Women (UNW) reports that the percentage of women has doubled in the last 20 years, however, this only translates to 22 per cent of women in parliaments today. Men are still haring ahead of women in the workplace and politically. With so much progress, why are women still being held back? Women in leading roles, such as in politics and corporate positions, face many challenges. A study by Pew Research Centre has looked at women in leadership and found that many Americans believe women are capable, if not more so, at leadership roles than men, The Economist reports. Due to women being more likely to reach a compromise and being better communicators than men. However, gender ratios are still not reflective of the merits of female leaders as noted by the report. Mothers often face double standards in the workplace; research shows that they are often perceived as less committed than women without children. Fathers are viewed as more committed than men without children and are more likely to be, “recommended for management training than men without children”. Researchers call this phenomenon ‘motherhood penalty” and “fatherhood bonus.” To make matters worse, research has found that pregnant women are seen as, “less authoritative and more irrational, regardless of their actual performance” says The Economist. Other issues like maternity leave, someone replacing you while you are away, going back to work full-time, and childcare make it challenging for women to climb the career ladder, let alone stay on it. That is why I take my hat off to any women (and men, for that matter) who manage to juggle family life and a demanding job at the same time. The outcome of the recent UK election saw a new record of 30 per cent of female MPs taking seats. In the previous election there was only 22.7 per cent of women elected. This means that a third of MPs in the UK are now women. Okay, so it isn’t completely equal, but it is a huge step in the right direction.
“If today’s leaders front-load gender equality, if they start now to make good on those 20-yearold promises, we can look forward to gender equality by 2030 at the latest.” The Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, has said, “If today’s leaders front-load gender equality, if they start now to make good on those 20-year-old promises, we can look forward to gender equality by 2030 at the latest.” A lot more needs to be done within our society to support and encourage more women to be able to achieve this. I think the idea of feminism and the meaning behind this word is evolving with the changing times. Our perception of women and their roles is advancing, as society develops and expands. Old-fashioned ideas and stereotypes need to be challenged and refashioned in order to allow more equality within the workplace, as well as at home. Here are some facts about women in politics from the United Nations Women: • Only 22 per cent of all national parliamentarians were female as of August 2015, a slow increase from 11.3 per cent in 1995. • As of August 2015, 11 women served as Head of State and 13 served as Head of Government. • Rwanda had the highest number of women parliamentarians worldwide. Women there have won 63.8 per cent of seats in the lower house. • Globally, there are 37 States in which women account for less than 10 per cent of parliamentarians in single or lower houses, as of August 2015, including six chambers with no women at all. You can read more at unwomen.org
These are five of some of the most influential women in politics in the United Kingdom at the moment: Nicola Sturgeon, SNP Twitter: @NicolaSturgeon Here is a woman on a mission; Nicola Sturgeon the leader of the SNP is the first woman ever to hold the position of first minister of Scotland. Which means she is also the first person to lead a devolved UK administration. She became a member of the SNP at the tender age of 16 and has been committed to the cause since. Nicola attended Glasgow University where she studied Law and went on to work as solicitor before she was elected to the Holyrood parliament in 1999. Theresa May, Conservative Twitter: @TheresaMay_MP Theresa May has been Home Secretary for five years and was first elected to parliament in 1997 as member of parliament. She has recently come under a lot of flack for her hard opinions on the migrant crisis and has been condemned by Yvette Cooper for her ‘cowardly’ asylum policy. Yvette Cooper, Labour Twitter: @YvetteCooperMP Cooper is a British Labour Party politician and the former shadow home secretary. Following the resignation of Ed Miliband, she ran for Leader of the Labour Party and came third out of four to Jeremy Corbyn in the election. She resigned as shadow home secretary when Jeremy Corbyn won the Labour Party leadership contest. Mhairi Black, SNP Twitter: @MhairiBlack Mhairi Black is the youngest member in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, making her the baby of the house. When she was elected in May 2015, she was just 20 years old and still busy completing her undergraduate degree in Politics and Public Policy. Black defeated Labour Shadow Foreign Secretary, Douglas Alexander, and is now member of parliament at Renfrewshire South. Natalie Bennett, Green Party Twitter: @natalieben Bennett is both a politician and journalist. She has been the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales since 2012. However, she is not a member of parliament, unlike Caroline Lucas who is a member of the Green Party and is also a member of parliament. There has been much debate about whether Lucas should replace Bennett as leader.
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Herts student the founder of a new men’s magazine Shelby Loasby | Head of Print There’s a new kid on the block in the world of men’s magazines; Copper Thorn. The online magazine was just founded in June this year and has ambitious plans to overtake its inspiring companies; GQ and Esquire. We caught up with the man behind Copper Thorn Media Ltd, Jacob Beckingham-Wells, and he just so happens to be a second year student at the University of Hertfordshire. At just 19 years old, Jacob is the Founder and Managing Director of his own media company, producing Copper Thorn online magazine once every two months. Studying Business and Sports Science, and working in men’s design and retail for the last few years, Jacob had the knowledge and drive to start his own venture. “I’ve always been interested in media and I wanted to be my own boss and earn money on the side,” said Jacob. Whilst setting up a business and getting it running can start off
costly, Jacob has already made a profit through advertising. Although the magazine is completely free to download and read, advertising deals with Mykryptor, HV3 and AEC has allowed the company to make money. “I would want to pick up a free magazine, so why not make it free for everyone else?” He added, “No-one wants to pay for anything these days.” Jacob admitted to charging the maximum amount for advertising but found that companies took him more seriously when he did it. “Business is about credibility, so it’s important that you go in with confidence and professionalism,” he said. Being taken seriously has been an issue for Jacob so far due to his young age. “People just don’t take me seriously. I’ll go in and the first five questions are about my age and how I’ve managed to set something up.” He added, “They actually listen when I start to talk - I know everything about my company and I want them to know how they can get involved.”
The origins of the name ‘Copper Thorn’ actually makes for a funny little story. Jacob explained that he was walking to the train station one day, and is one of those people who fiddle with things and brush their hands against things whilst walking we’re sure plenty of people can relate to that! He then pricked his finger on a thorny bush and, instead of worrying about the pain, thought of the name ‘Green Thorn.’ ‘Green Thorn’ sounded too agricultural, so Jacob went back to the drawing board, and eventually decided on Copper Thorn – because of his ginger hair. With a target audience of 2540 year olds, the magazine covers fashion, news, business, tech and men’s lives in general. Ideally, Jacob would love for Copper Thorn to become a printed magazine as well as online. “I would try and have a type of kickstarter campaign,” he said, “So you would have to invest in the magazine and then receive a free subscription and a T-shirt or something like that.” His plans don’t stop there, however, and include a five year plan as well as the scope to branch out into film and production. “I’m hoping to use Copper Thorn Media Ltd. as my selfplacement for next year,” he said.
“In that year I aim to have two strands of the company; Copper Thorn Productions, where we will have short films and promotional videos for events and companies; and Copper Thorn magazine, which, ideally, I won’t be running myself in three years time.” If Jacob is successful in securing his own company for placement he will build it up so it is fully ready for when he finishes university. “It will give me the time and necessary advice to take it forward. I would love to be my own boss at 21.” Jacob started his journey by writing his own men’s fashion blog. His advice to students also looking to start their own businesses, is to develop something they are already good at. For the full article go to tridentmedia.org. If you want to see what Jacob has created so far, go to his website: copperthornmag.co and check him out on Twitter and Instagram @copper_thorn.
The Jabberwock! Brand new UH literary magazine! Eleanor Pilcher | Contributing Writer There is a quote from Alice in Wonderland that says: ‘If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense.’ It seems suitable then that the name of a new Literary Magazine on campus is The Jabberwock. This literary magazine, started by a few undergraduate students, is open seasonally to submissions of prose, poetry, drama and artwork from any Hertfordshire student. Experience, a specific degree and ‘sense’ is not required and feedback is offered wherever possible. Each season a new theme will be released online with submission guidelines. For the first edition (submissions now closed) this was ‘Gothic’. Each magazine will be published online at The Jabberwock website, which also includes the latest events, competitions and submission guidelines: thejabberwock.wix.com/hertsuni Each genre of work, be it short stories or script or poetry has a dedicated editor who will choose, edit and work with writers to help them improve. All entries are free and there is a prize for the Top Entrant of each addition.
Many students approached The Jabberwock stall at the Freshers’ Fair and voiced their concerns that they were not good enough writers to be published, but how do you know? And how do you get better? By submitting! The team are keen for the aspiring writers out there to know that no one will get better at writing, or know if they’re good enough, if they don’t try! So have a little faith and fall down the writing rabbit hole. Prose submissions can be sent to: prose.editor. jabberwock@gmail.com (up to 2000 words) Poetry submissions can be sent to: poetry.editor. jabberwock@gmail.com (under 50 lines) Drama submissions can be sent to: script.editor. jabberwock@gmail.com (up to 2000 words) Artwork/illustrations can be sent to: art.editor. jabberwock@gmail.com (pdf. form) Keep up with the next theme by following The Jabberwock Team on Facebook: The Jabberwock or Twitter: @thejabberwock_UH.
At Trident Media, we love showing off talent, so we aim to work alongside The Jabberwock by occasionally featuring some of your awesome submissions! Sieze the chance to have your work noticed by submitting it.
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Study Abroad Blogs At the University of Hertfordshire we are lucky enough to have an extensive study abroad programme, allowing us to travel to a large variety of different universities all over the world. Our Study Abroad blog series will meet different people along the way – some who are joining us at UH this year, and others who are off around the world.
Jacqueline Linares | Contributing Writer
Stonehenge meant finally seeing those rocks in person, instead of having them as my background on my Windows 2007 desktop.
Jacqueline Linares
Jacqueline Linares
In the U.S., when and IF we ever learn about British history, we learn about mostly how we gained our ‘freedom’ and became a nation or whatever. I think it was in passing that I learned in my 10th grade world history class that London was founded by the river Thames by the Romans. That’s all I learned. So when I learned that there was an excursion to Stonehenge and Bath for international students, I was more excited about the former, rather than the latter. Bath to me was, prior to seeing it, a place I could go to the BATHroom on the way home to Hatfield from the Stones.
The tour guide took us to the markets of Bath, that reminded me of the swap meets in L.A. Vendors were in charge of selling things from books, to jewellery, to yarn, to cookware. From street corners, the occasional smell of food made my stomach grumble during the tour. We went to the assembly rooms, which was where the parties happened and gossip was exchanged. Eggcolored houses that looked identical in the front had variations of work done in the back. Cobbled streets that made me feel like a horse-drawn carriage might appear and it would not look out of place. Tourists taking pictures of the iconic parts of the city, like the Royal Crescent for example, have no need to put the pictures through a filter. Due to the golden colored Bath stone used to make most of the buildings, it gives the city the same color as the pages of an antique book.
Saskia Brüske | Contributing Writer
Tip 2: Make use of Skype This obviously depends on yourself and what you’re used to, but for me, skyping a lot with my family helped immensely. Some days they would just place the phone somewhere where I could watch them and feel almost like I was with them at home.
Watch this space for more about Jacqueline (Jacky) Linare’s experience!
Jacqueline Linares
Tip 4: Get involved Besides skyping a lot, I tried to get equally involved with the many activities and opportunities offered on the campus. The Overseas Students’ Orientation Programme definitely helped me settle in – from supermarket trips, food nights, bowling evenings and different trips, the lovely team offered help and hosted events for all us international students and I am so glad I got involved with that.
Back in February, when I had been offered a place at Herts to study abroad, I couldn’t imagine what a great adventure would await me. It has always been rather hard for me to settle into new surroundings, so I was both excited and terrified. Now that October is in full swing, I decided to look back at my first few weeks at Herts. So if you’re anything like me and tend to get homesick quite easily, here are my personal ‘Top 5 Tips’ on how to survive your very first week living hundreds or thousands of miles away from home. Tip 1: Unpack your bags Now, this may sound ridiculous because, naturally, you’re going to have to take out all your belongings. But that’s the point: when I arrived at my room on campus, all I wanted to do was grab my bags and head straight back to the airport. It was not until I started to unpack that I noticed it made me feel more at home in this very un-me room.
The buildings are also styled as something called Georgian architecture and were built in the Palladian style that was popular back in the day. It was strange and ethereal to walk on streets where Romans walked. The closest thing I had come to walking in the footsteps of past giants was just knowing that Steven Spielberg had gone to my home university in the U.S. and that I guess I had walked the same cement paths to class as he did. I remember getting a pamphlet in the beginning of the trip that described Bath as, ‘The most romantic city in the UK!’ and laughing with my friend. It sounded so corny, and who names a city Bath anyway? I regret laughing, and I didn’t see the famous Roman Baths on purpose so that I would have a perfectly adequate excuse to return to the city.
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Tip 3: Find people from your home country Of course you’re going to want to meet new friends from your host country. I actually put so much pressure on myself that I avoided getting to know people from my home country during the first few days, just to prevent myself from talking too much German. It then occurred to me that meeting up with fellow Germans (or any other international students, really) helps a lot with feeling more comfortable.
Tip 5: Shift the pressure Last but surely not least: try to enjoy being away from home but don’t pressure yourself. The whole situation of being on your own in a country you actually don’t know too well is challenging enough, so if there is anything you don’t want, it is mental stress. Keep your head up in moments when you are feeling low and don’t isolate yourself. Get outside, explore your new surroundings, enjoy yourself and most importantly, feel comfortable in everything you do. Of course, everyone is different and everyone has different things in life that may help, but seeing as I managed to get through my first few weeks with the tips above, you might want to keep them in mind when studying abroad yourself. If you do so: I hope you will have a wonderful time and make memories that will last a lifetime. I know I’ve already got some of those.
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Staying safe online Shelby Loasby | Head of Print With the rise of new devices and social media platforms, students are spending more time latched to technology than paying attention in lectures. Recent statistics have proven that university students spend more than 27 hours a week online, 95 per cent own smartphones, 91 per cent own laptops and nearly 50 per cent have tablets. But do they know the risks and how to protect themselves online? Trident Media caught up with Nick Shaw, General Manager, EMEA at Norton, who is an expert in online safety. Shaw narrowed down all the threats to students into three categories: passwords, protection and hidden bugs. 1. Always choose strong passwords and keep them safe Whilst this sounds obvious, it is still the biggest threat in online safety. In an age where you need a password for everything, from ordering food to online banking, the ease of hacking into someone’s account is at its peak, so it is essential you stay clear from the predictable password or easily guessable words. Pet names, family names and favourite sports teams are still the most common, and most
hackable passwords, especially considering a hacker could take one look at your social media and know how to access all of your details. For the best password you need to select an abstract password that you change on a regular basis – at least every 90 days. You can use a password manager to help remember multiple strong passwords across all your online accounts. One example of a strong password is to remember a phrase from a favourite play, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Use the first letters to create your password: AAADKTDA. You can even swap out some of the letters for numbers: AAADKTD4 Adding an extra layer of security will also significantly increase protection. This could include a combination of a password and fingerprint scanning or voice recognition. 2. Protect your privacy and personal information Again, this is another obvious point, but who actually knows how to protect their privacy? The first thing to remember is to always be cautious when it comes to sharing personal information, such as your name, address, phone number, etc.
Make sure you only divulge personal information on legitimate websites that you have chosen to access. Think of your data as a valuable asset and think carefully about how you would want to trade it; always look at the small print when signing up to things or shopping online. There’s always a sneaky box that you have to untick if you don’t want to share your information with other companies. Also remember to look for the ‘https’ on the URL when you’re online shopping or banking. The ‘s’ stands for secure and is sometimes accompanied by a padlock symbol. If you’re ever unsure about the safety of a site you can always use SafeWeb, a specially designed website, to check the security of the link.
ordered from, your address, credit card details or other payment information you’ve tapped into the most recent ‘secure’ shopping. Luckily there’s a quick fix for this one – keep your security software up to date and any bugs lurking on your computer, laptop or smartphone will be detected and can be removed. If you do ever find yourself in an online security situation, make sure you sort it out straight away, instead of letting a virus fester or a hacker get away with what they are doing. There are services available at the University, including a laptop fixers shop on College Lane. Need some online Tweet us @TridentMediaUK
3. Be sure to watch out for hidden surveillance bugs when online shopping Online shopping can bring you joy and misery, especially if your device becomes infected with a keylogger or Trojan. Once your device is infected, this insidious software sits behind the scenes – unbeknown to you – and records every keystroke, secretly sending back information to the cybercriminals who planted the bug. This includes the websites you’ve
advice?
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Society Snapshots Hannah-Rose Bicknell | Features Editor Katie Noble | Entertainment Editor
Vegetarian/Vegan Society: The Vegetarian/Vegan Society is a newly established society, which originally started out as a Facebook page. The society was set up to be a social space for all vegetarians, vegans, and other individuals interested in alternative plant-based diets. At the time of making the Facebook page, the now Chairperson Zara Fisher, only knew two other vegans. Now, the society’s Facebook page has over 50 members and the society itself is growing in popularity, with its first meeting being dubbed as very successful, with a great turn out. As the society is for like-minded people, it focuses mainly on being social, but does provide support for people continuing with a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. To keep things interesting, the committee for the society are looking into the possibility of more external outings, including looking to ask for more affordable alternative eating options in Food Hertfordshire outlets. Two events have already taken place including a group outing to VegFest London and a meet & greet at the Elehouse. Membership is £5 for the year and if you want to get involved with the society you can follow them on Twitter at @VeggieVeganS.
Theatre Goers Society:
Caroline Jennett
This society was started, as many are, through the love and passion for what they are about, in this case: it is the love for the theatre. The society is for all students at the University of Hertfordshire as a platform to attend the theatre more often, whilst taking advantage of their readily available group booking discounts. They enjoy attending a mixture of productions from musicals to plays, shown in the West End and other outlying theatres. The Theatre Goers society have previously attended shows such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and Matilda. With well over 60 members, the decisions on which plays to attend are decided by a vote; with so many plays popping up every month, they have a lot of trips planned. The society has also previously teamed up with the Hertfordshire Students’ Union’s Give it a Go! event, which they deemed a success; tickets sold at an increased rate and they hope to do something similar again in the future. You can join the society for £5 at the SU office in deHav or College Lane. You can also find out more information on their Facebook page.
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Meet your lecturer: Dr Gwyneth James Hannah-Rose Bicknell | Features Editor Humanities lecturer Dr Gwnyeth James gave me an insight into the life behind the PowerPoint slides. Having been teaching for 15 years, I spoke to Gwyneth to get an insight on her role as a Senior Lecturer in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of other languages), English Language Teaching, and Programme tutor for Master’s students in TESOL. What do you do in your role for TESOL? In the Programme Tutor role, I have overall responsibility for managing the Master’s programme. I deal with any queries students have and issues that may arise. I am admissions tutor for the Master’s programme as well, so I’m still trying to find my feet with it all. How have you found working here and coming into your roles? In terms of my role as MA Programme tutor, I was external examiner for the Master’s programme so I had a good overview of it, but I hadn’t taught it before, so the teaching was very different. In terms of lecturing, I have a lot of teaching experience so in that sense it’s not different, but the students are different and the university culture is certainly different. What has really impressed me is that the University of Hertfordshire is very efficient and I can get a lot of things done because of it.
How did you decide that teaching English was the route you wanted to take? After my degree finished, I went to South East Asia for the first time. While there I taught the cello, a lot of the teachers had left, and I happened to be there. While I was there, I got to know an American lecturer who was teaching English at one of the universities. She helped train me at a university in Cambodia. I then taught English as a foreign language, I then moved into universities and taught there. What kind of strategies did you use to succeed at university all the way to your Master’s? I’d say I wouldn’t recommend working because it was exhausting and at the end of the day you have to be absolutely focused. You’ve got to prioritise like nothing on Earth and you’ve got to be very careful that you don’t say no to family and friends. I think at the end of the day organisation is just crucial. Setting yourself deadlines, being motivated are also big ones. What is the best and worst part of teaching for you? The best for me is the actual teaching - it’s my favourite bit, because of the students. Their enthusiasm for their learning, in turn, makes me more energetic and enthusiastic about my teaching. The worst thing is all the admin. There is a lot of paperwork and a lot of hoops to jump through.
Hannah-Rose Bicknell
Could you describe a typical working day? My teaching falls on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and, although the teaching falls on different times in the day, I always come in around 9am just so I can prepare for the day ahead. Once I get in, I check my inbox for recent emails, I chat with my colleagues and I make sure that I have all the preparation for my classes complete. Most of my time is taken up by preparing for the levels separately. Have you ever published anything i.e. textbooks, articles, papers etc.? I’m what they call ‘an early career researcher’. I have written two articles and I have published one article, but the other is still pending. I do frequently go to conferences in London and give presentations on what I’m currently researching.
Grumpy Corner: it’s too early for Christmas lights! Katie Noble | Entertainment Editor Before I start, I would just like to confirm something with you all. It’s definitely November, right? Halloween has literally just left our doorstep and people are already putting together their entries for ‘most obnoxious Christmas lights ever’. I’m definitely not a Scrooge but I don’t like Christmas songs, and I definitely don’t like overzealous displays of flashing Christmas lights. We’re not even close to the festive season and we’re already swapping our neighbours’ sanity for a glowing snowman. I mean, I’m all for some pretty icicle decorations but I’m just not on board with the whole creating your own Santa’s grotto trend. If I’m completely honest, it just seems like a royal waste of time, energy, and money putting them up this early. People must spend HOURS putting up metres and metres of lighting. Why? Why do it now when waiting until December could actually save you a considerable amount of money?
As a rule, you should be waiting until at least after Bonfire Night before setting up your displays. And if you want to get even more specific, the proper ‘advent’ season doesn’t even begin until the fourth Sunday before Christmas: 29th November. Putting your lights up early takes away from their true festive impact. There’s nothing better than driving around a week or two before Christmas to see all the lights. So sort it out people! Do you think it’s too early for Christmas lights? Let us know if you agree or disagree with Katie by tweeting us @TridentMediaUK. Keep a look out for the upcoming Christmas lights competition where we will be looking for the best display of Christmas lights!
Charlotte Mullin
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Keep calm and ace your assignments When it comes to coursework, remain cool and collected with these tips from someone who has learned the hard way through being anything but. Catie Allwright | Contributing Writer
5. Find your zone. Your ideal study spot, your perfect soundtrack, your most productive time of day. Get in the habit and train your mind to Whilst there’s no first class formula realise that when you’re in that zone, and different study approaches work it’s down to business. for everyone, here’s what kept me sane during my undergrad. 6. Plan your study hours wisely. You’ll have plenty of free time to party, 1. Find out all your deadlines, jot Netflix or nap sans guilt. It’s amazing them down or stick them on the wall. how much time there is in a day if you Many of them will fall during the same maximise it! weeks – usually half way and at the end of each semester – so you’ll need to think ahead! 2. Read the assignment brief. Even if you’re not ready to get cracking, make sure you know exactly what is eventually required. When it comes down to it, there won’t be any nasty surprises, “It’s how many words?!” 3. Be present. Turning up to class, having done the reading, and participating will be invaluable when it comes to writing because you will already have a good idea what’s up.
- Researching. When you think you’ve researched enough, do some more. It will hugely improve your writing even if you don’t directly reference every source! - Planning. Having a rough idea of the content and direction of an essay will guide the writing stage. - Drafting and editing. Always come away from an essay before doing a final check, fresh eyes will catch out any lurking errors. - Formatting, i.e. free marks! Don’t be that person who misses out on a grade boundary by losing marks on referencing. 8. Go beyond. Just enough is not enough if you’re aiming high. Utilise that upper 10 per cent boundary on the word limit to clarify every point and spend that extra hour proofreading. Hard work shows!
Pixabay 9. Finally – stay calm! You wouldn’t
have made it this far if you weren’t 4. Communicate with your lecturers! 7. Deadlines: In the face of an impending capable, and your lecturers wouldn’t They know their subject inside out and deadline, break an assignment down have set an impossible task. You’ll be will be grading you, so ask questions into more manageable chunks to and request feedback; they’re there to help track your progress, such as the swell, trust me. help. following...
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Top five Student Discounts Lara Owolabi | Contributing Writer Being a student is probably the only time in our lives where we get an endless amount of amazing discounts. Personally, I have five favourite discounts that I use. 1. NUS CARD - This is my favourite out of all the discounts I use mainly because you get 10 per cent off a majority of shops; including Topshop, New Look and so much more. What’s better than being able to walk into your favourite clothes store and know that as a student you get a special discount? Nothing! Get yours from Herts SU! 2.16-25 NATIONAL RAILCARD This is a godsend if you’re like me and travel on overground trains a lot, whether it’s going to spend the weekend with your partner or going back home for a while, you get a 20% discount and it actually makes a huge difference in price. 3. UNIDAYS - This is just like the NUS card except it’s free and works for online shopping. The discounts vary from 10 per cent - 20 per cent and covers a wider range of stores. All you need is your uni email address to sign up. I love this for last minute shopping plus it’s super easy to get the discount codes. 4. CLUB DEHAVILLAND LOYALTY CARD - In my first year I was on de Havilland Campus and after a couple of months I discovered the Loyalty Card. It’s promoted everywhere on campus and it’s free! You get discounts on food and drinks at Club de Havilland so perfect for a night out with the guys. 5. CHIQUITO’S STUDENT CARD I have used this a few times on a night out with my partner and Chiquito’s food prices are not exactly ‘student-friendly’ however, with the special student card you get 25 per cent off your bill which can do wonders.
16 Features •
What’s up Herts? ‘What’s up Herts?’ is UniVerse’s brand new monthly feature. We aim to bring to light what the various wonderful schools of study across the University of Hertfordshire have been up to and what they’ve got planned.
Oliver Price | News Manager
Let us know if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see mentioned in the next instalment! You can contact us @TridentMediaUK Huriyah Quadri | Print Editor The School of Health and Social Work welcomed Danielle Carter’s return in October. Carter impressively played for Arsenal L. F. C. as well as the University of Hertfordshire whilst studying for her BSc in Physiotherapy. She praised the support she received from the sports staff including: Nick Brooking, Sarah Grybowicz and Di Davies, and proved to all that hard work leads to success! The School of Education have been in preparation for their next intriguing instalment of their flagship lecture series, ‘Logically Illogical: Information and Insight in Autism’. The lecture will be held on the 25th November by Ros Blackburn, who will discuss her own experience with education as she is an adult with autism. The lecture will aim to provide insight into the world of education and care from the eyes of someone who has experienced them, thus allowing Blackburn to impart some advice on what to do and what to avoid for both recipients of educational and care services and as providers. Huriyah Quadri
Daisy Butcher
The aim of the prize is to recognise the women engaged in STEM subjects, with the hope of inspiring more women to aspire to contribute in STEM. To apply, entrants simply need to fill out and submit the application form available on StudyNet under News and Events. The applications are open until 6th November, 2015. Eleanor Pilcher | Contributing Writer The School of Humanities unveiled the new creative writing magazine The Jabberwock in October and began collecting their first submissions. The aim of the magazine is to provide an opportunity for all students to have their work published and to add something to their CV. They are also planning a SSAHRI conference in November on ‘Urban Utopias’ in Letchworth, an exciting and intriguing conference for History students and anyone who wants to learn more about this fascinating subject. Tom Boon | Contributing Writer The School of Engineering and Technology will be having a STEM careers day on the 4th November along with the School of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics, and the School of Computer Science. The fair, hosted by the Careers, Employment and Enterprise service, will be taking place in The Forum between 11:00 and 15:00, featuring employers such as Airbus Ltd, E2v, IBM UK Ltd, as well as many others.
Hertfordshire Business School had a session on “Rational Decision Making” in October. The session was led by Professor Darren Dalcher, Director of the National Centre of Project Management who used, “practical problem solving situations and real world examples to highlight the impact of framing and biases on the choices we make whilst also featuring research, insights and conclusions.” Those who participated reflected on their ability to evaluate risk, results of professional decisions and biases that creep into their choices. There will also be a free STEM Careers Fair on the 4th of November, 11:00 to 15:00. This will be a great opportunity to network with businesses and could potentially land you a graduate job! The School of Law will be having a free lecture commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta on the 9th of November, 18:15 to 20:30 in the Weston Auditorium in de Havilland. The lecture will be given by Robert Key, Chairman of Salisbury Cathedral’s Magna Carta and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. The lecture is entitled: “From Last-Minute Peace Treaty to Memory of the World - bewitched by Magna Carta for 800 years.” Shelby Loasby | Head of Print The School of Computer Science has lots of exciting events coming this month. On Tuesday 10th November at 7.30pm in the Lindop Building the British Computing Society will be hosting a talk from Nasser Abouzakhar, senior lecturer at the university. He will be discussing ‘Cybersecurity for Critical Industrial Systems.’ The BCS will also be holding a talk from Jen Rodvold in County Hall, Hertford on Thursday 10th December at 7.30pm. She will be discussing ‘Left behind: how digital exclusion is a drain on the economy, society and your business.’ You can book your place at herts. bcs.org. The School of Computer Science has also just developed a state-of-the-art rehabilitation robot that works and adapts with stroke sufferers, helping them to learn to walk again.
Lloyd Henley | Social Media Manager
The School of Life and Medical Sciences held a Life Sciences Careers Conference in October. The conference provided an extensive showcase of the variety of career paths available for Bioscience students and featured speakers and a CV workshop to help students stand the best change possible in being employable. The event was a great opportunity to network and engage with experts, and attendees left with free goody bags! The School of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics have been encouraging female STEM students in their first year of study to apply for the £1000 Ford Prize for Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Study.
The School of Creative Arts have a lot in the pipe line further on in the year like Jam Jar and May Fest (or Sonic Herts), but they also had a very busy summer. The beloved John Lil centre that sat quietly at the top of College Lane for music students was sadly lost to us and was demolished. The music students have been moved to the FMM building, brand new features have been added to the already impressive building, like the lecture hall. New spaces for the rehearsal of steel pans have been added with wonderful acoustics also. This has given the music students a brand new space and has given the course a more professional well rounded overview. Lloyd Henley
•Health and Science 17
24 Health and Science •
Don’t Panic! The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Asteroids
Amazon and The Delivery Drones Betlehem Fekade | Innovation Editor Progress is unstoppable. Every day the boundaries between science and science fiction are fast becoming indistinguishable, and the latest news coming out of Amazon headquarters is another step towards that bright future. Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos has recently revealed their latest innovation - delivery drones. Propelled by their booming Prime offer of 1 hour delivery in some major cities, Amazon are making major strides towards the creation of autonomous, unmanned vehicles which use a series of sophisticated GPS tracking systems, an autonomous flight path, the ability to communicate with other drones within the same area zone and a sensor-based system which allows them to bypass obstacles like birds and other drones - all of these to deliver your packages to your door in less than 30 minutes. Now in 30 minutes, you can go from ordering whatever DVD or textbook you had on your mind, and be watching or reading it before you can say Amazon Prime Air. For the impatient souls like myself who are wondering when they can jump on the bandwagon
Are you working on an interesting project? We’d love to hear all about it and we might just feature you in our next issue! Contact our Print Editor at printeditor@tridentmedia.org. Alternatively, you can reach us on Twitter @TridentMediaUK and on Facebook.com/TridentMediaUK
Pixabay
of super fast delivery then you might have to hold your breath just a little while longer. As is the case for all new technology there are several kinks to be ironed out and laws to be worked around, but this is just one of the promising technologies being currently developed. It seems robotic convenience will be abundant in the near future – even our very own UH is involved in a project that will help the elderly remain independent for as long as possible. The senior lecturer working on this project, Dr Farshid Amirabdollahian, shed some light on project Acceptable Robotics Companions for Ageing Years (ACCOMPANY). Aside from helping the elderly, the prototype for ACCOMPANY helps to engage children with autism through the use of their robot KASPAR: a humanoid robot created with the purpose of aiding autistic children with interaction and communication. It seems that robotic development is taking off, both in large scale companies and in our local areas. If you are interested in finding out more about these upcoming technologies then go to herts.ac.uk/kaspar.
Pixabay
Betlehem Fekade | Innovation Editor The threat of human extinction is a fascinating prospect often theorised about in fiction, with Doomsday predictions and fears hovering over every society since the beginning of civilisation; nothing presents a more realistic and plausible apocalyptic scenario than the threat of giant asteroid impact. The internet was set alight by a rumoured asteroid that was set to make a very close pass with our little blue rock earlier last month. The asteroid in question, 2015 SZ2, was said to be a gargantuan two miles wide, and came within 309,000 miles of the Earth, putting our world an astronomical hair’s breadth away from being on the wrong side of a Bruce Willis movie. Before you pack your belongings and find the nearest fallout shelter, rest easy. This story was found to be nothing more than a sensationalist rumour, grounded in neither fact nor science. NASA has announced that the chance of these so called ‘Near-Earth Objects’ (NEO) striking the Earth in the next 100 years is around 0.01 per cent. Nevertheless, NASA, the European Space Agency and other national space agencies from around the world are working on a pre-emptive mission, the Asteroid Deflection & Assessment (AIDA), to launch a space probe which will study the effects of crashing a space probe into an asteroid to divert it away from Earth. The mission, which is set to launch in October 2020, will aim to send two space probes (AIM and DART), to a nearby pair of asteroids and observe the kinetic effects of crashing DART into a small asteroid. For those of you who are prone to anxiety, don’t panic – this is not a near-Earth asteroid and does not present any danger to the world, but presents a brilliant chance to observe the effects of impact on the trajectory of an asteroid something that just might save us someday. For those of you who would like to fancy your chances at looking at NEO’s then you don’t have to look too far, the Bayfordbury Observatory keeps an eye out through their large optical telescope. So if an asteroid really was a little too close to home, the Bayfordbury Observatory would be just the place to see it happen. You can learn more about the Bayfordbury Observatory’s research and open days on their website: herts.ac.uk/bayfordbury
Health andand Science 18• • 22 Health Science
The four areas of the Movember Foundation Prostate and Testicular Cancer Movember are fighting for a world where no man dies of prostate and testicular cancer. Globally, testicular cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with prostate cancer is a close second. For those who are diagnosed, the foundation are investigating in research that will result in new tests and treatments to better diagnose the disease and stop it progressing. They are also partnering with the medical and scientific community to improve treatment and care, as well as connecting the global medical and scientific community to achieve results faster.
What are the Symptoms? Men may experience few or no symptoms of testicular cancer, however important warning signs to watch for include: swelling or a lump in either testicle, a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, change in the size and shape of the testicles, pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum
Poor Mental Health Mental health is an integral part of health. With suicide being the biggest killer of men aged between 20-39, Movember are passionate about raising money to tackle the issues and to encourage men to talk about their mental health. They do this by encouraging regular contact with friends and family, as well as challenging the idea that a ‘strong man’ is the only way to be ‘manly’. Focusing on how to get men to feel comfortable about talking about the big stuff is a huge task, and Movember are always on hand to help with those tough moments.
Physical Inactivity Physical activity promotes better all-round health; including mental health. Moving around on a regular basis can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabeties, and cancer by up to 50 per cent and lower the risk of early death by up to 30 per cent. Movember has launched their new initiative this year with MOVE that focuses on all things physical.
Change the face of men’s Our Head of Print and Movember Student Ambassador, Shelby Loasby, tells us everything we need to know about Movember 2015. There’s so many ways to get involved, from simply growing your moustache, to running around in boxers in the middle of winter to raise money for charity!
What is Movember? The Movember Foundation is a global men’s health charity that disrupts the status quo and advocates for men. They aim to have an everlasting impact and to change the face of men’s health. Too many men don’t talk, don’t take action and die too young. The whole ethos behind Movember is to help men live a happier, healthier, and longer life.
The Hairy Tale Movember started back in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia. Two mates, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, met up for a quiet beer and struck up a conversation about the lack of the moustache in fashion. Could they bring it back? They accepted the challenge and found 30 guys willing to take up the challenge of the re-birth of the Mo. In 2004 the crew decided to take things to the next level, with Adam Garone stepping up to register the Movember Foundation and create a website, and Justin Coghlan (JC) kickstrting things in Queensland. All the funds raised that year went to the Prostate Cnacer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). At the time, that first Movember cheque was the largest sinlge donation the PCFA had ever recieved. Now, 13 years later, Movember Foundation is ranked 72nd out of the top 500 non-governmental organisations in the world, and is the globe’s leading men’s health organisation. From humble beginnings, the charity has grown to become an inspirational support base for over 5 million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas - and have the reputation for throwing the best parties. Regardless of what city you’re in or what your life is like, when you become affiliated with Movember, you are a part of a larger, united community dedicated to helping change the face of men’s health.
Movember
Get Involved! There are so many ways for you to get involved with Movember! The whole idea of the foundation is to challenge men to grow moustaches (and beards) during November, in the hope that people will start talking about the cause, spread its ideas and donate. At the start of the month, men can sign up with a clean-shaven face and then attempt to grow a moustache for the next 30 days. They are then basically talking billboards for the month, and can receive sponsorships and donations through the Movember website. All you have to do is sign up, get added to the University of Hertfordshire’s network and start rasing money through your Mo Space as an individual or as part of a team. Whether you want to join as a society, part of the Athetic Union or with your friends, everyone is welcome to sign up - even Mo Sistas!
The role of a Mo Sista is to support the men in their lives and encouraging them to speak about their health issues. To show your support you can help out at events, take your own #MoSelfie and tweet it to @HertsSUMovember. Alternatively, you can draw your own or stick one on each day! Movember are also running MOVE this year, where people are sponsored to take part in a sport or bit of physical activity every day during November. Take a look at the Movember calendar on page 19 as an example. You can even download their app; Run Mo Run. It’s free to download and play on your phone, but any in-game purchases support the Movember Foundation. To sign up go to uk.movember. com, and to get more information tweet us @HertsSUMovember, find us on Facebook or email us at movember@hertfordshire.su
• Health and Science 19
health this Movember How it all works MOVE: The Rules
Lashara Van Heerden Features Manager
1. Sign up at Movember.com
2. Move everyday for the 30 days of November
3. Challenge your collegues and friends to match your moves
4. Share updates throughout the month on your Mo Space and social media
5. Raise vital funds for men’s health initiatives
6. Make your own calendar! Find free empty MOVE calendars on the Movember website! Movember
Growing the Mo will result in partial humiliation, but hey, its for a good cause! It’s a bit of fun every year and you can raise moey for an amazing cause in the process of simply growing facial hair. However, you do need to abide by some important rules:
1. Once registered at Movember.com each Mo Bro must begin the 1st November with a clean shaven face
2. For the entire month of Movember each Mo Bro must grow and groom a moustache
3. Don’t fake it, no beards, no goatees, no fake moustaches (unless you’re a Mo Sista - the rules can bend for the girls)
4. Use the power of the moustache to create conversations about men’s health and to raise funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and physical inactivity
5. Each Mo Bro must conduct himself as a true gentleman
asthma inhaler research
Style Guide
Growing the Mo: The Rules
MOVE focuses on the physical inactivity sector of the Movember Foundation but can affect every part of your life. Movember chose this initiative and the images of eldery men to show that talking about your health can result in growing old and living a long and happy life. So how can you get involved with MOVE?
Research Spotlight:
The University of Hertfordshire has given Ms Antje Illner and Prof Mark Bloomfield (School of Creative Arts) and Dr David Chau and Ms Roohi Mehra (Department of Pharmacy) the UH Diamond Fund 2015 Award. Sarah Guirguis, a third year MPharm student, will also be part of the program. The funding will support their project to explore the feasibility of designing and making asthma inhalers that are stylish and user friendly. The aim is to develop a better relationship between the patient and their medication. For instance, children’s inhalers are not gender specific, but are instead targetted at different ages. There are animals, like bunnies and foxes with ears, to make the inhalers look visually appearling and to encourage users to take the medication more regularly, promoting confidence whilst doing so. Share your Movember Selfies and stories throughout the month of November! @TridentMediaUK
“For blokes the inhalers are a bit more rugged, for older people a bit more tactile, for women a bit more elegant for when they go out. So that the medication itself looks good and people feel much more confident using it in public, instead of: ‘No, I don’t like that and don’t use it really,” says Antje Illner, subject group leader for the Contemporary Design Crafts degree. The designs are elegant, approachable and handy with little hooks at that can be clipped to clothing or bags. “I am part of a team. I work with the pharmaceutical guys, they know how the medication works and what needs to be addressed, but they don’t know about the creativity of the design itself. We create these from a rapid prototype and get them done with new technology. It can be one piece and it is cheap. They can be produced quite reasonably,” says Illner. The ambition is to improve patient compliance with devices such as asthma inhalers, hearing aids and insulin pens, by creating medical apparatuses that are attractive and not objects of embarrassment.
Take our Quiz!
Which Moustache suits you? Jacob Beckingham-Wells | TV Director
Movember is the perfect time for all you hairy men out there. Whether you’re taking part to support the cause, to change the face of men’s health, or to simply grow the best Mo you can, then take our quiz to find out which hairy accessory suits you!
How do you take your coffee sir?
Last but not least. Are you gunna fight that guy?
A) Flat White, as all modern people should. B ) Why have coffee when you can can have a Jasmine & Ginseng Tea? C) Black, strong. D) White, sugar. I’m kinda a big deal. E) I’m either not cool enough or don’t even like coffee.
A) If he provokes me enough, I will be forced to. B ) Peace and love. All about that. C) I will tear him into small pieces. D) ‘I love Lamp’-ing people in the face. E) Don’t hurt me. Please.
They say you can judge a man by his music taste. What do you listen to?
THE RESULTS
A) Anything slightly off the mainstream, but not too out there. Your Jamie XXs out there. B) I don’t really know how to describe the music I listen to. I don’t think anyone can. C) Rock, Rock, Heavy Rock. The Creed. D) ‘70s, because I’m in a glass case of emotion. E) Charts, ‘90s Cheese, and Jason Derulo.
Mostly A’s Handlebar. A must for all fashionistas and cool people alike. You may not be described as ‘manly’ as such, but the chicks dig it.
A man is only a sum of his parts. Or his diet. Depending on your source. What is your diet most likely to consist of?
Mostly C’s Horseshoe. Just like Hulk Hogan, you’re a man. And everyone needs to know that.
A) Vegetarian/independently sourced
Mostly D’s Painter’s Brush; Anchorman style.
foods. B ) Anything vegan. C) Meat. Steak. Chicken. D) Jell-O. E) Smiley faces and chicken drumsticks, as mum suggests. Legend states that your choice of shoes directly correlate to your Moustache choice. What are you most likely to wear? A) Suede Boots. Gotta love suede B ) Anything, but barefoot is best. C) Trainers. Do you need more in life? Huh? D) Leather, not pointed smart shoes. E) Light-up shoes/Nike Heaurches
Mostly B’s Dali. A strange one at best, reserved for the hipsters and people who want to be very different.
Mostly E’s What even is that? Either you can’t grow a beard, or shouldn’t because it looks silly. Mo Sistas! You can take part in the quiz too! Find out what Mo you could draw or stick on your face each day throughout November! Support the cause and help get men talking about their health!
Movember
DELIVERING
UNTIL
4AM FRI-SAT EVERY DAY
WORDSEARCH
Coffee Break 22 • Huriyah Quadri | Print Editor As accurate as astrology gets. (Images by Charlotte Mullin)
ARIES Maybe you should stop believing everything you read. Except this. This is all real.
TAURUS The blagging will hit the fan this time.
GEMINI If there’s an opportunity, take it. If not, eat a banana.
CANCER Yes there were cameras there and everyone saw you. I foresee a month of awkward embarassment.
AUTUMN
THANKSGIVING
CHILLY
LEAVES
CHESTNUTS
FOG
PUMPKIN
CIDER
WINDY
HALLOWEEN
APPLES
ACORNS
GOLDEN
HARVEST
HIBERNATE
LEO Why must you cry? You’re not a dove.
VIRGO Don’t waste money trying something new. You’re going to hate it and wish you’d ordered the usual instead.
LIBRA
COMIC STRIP
The planets are all whack or something. Respawn in LRC x 100.
SCORPIO Cake cake cake.
SAGITTARIUS You’re going to see someone today and have a very uninteresting conversation.
CAPRICORN Dedicate your energy into establishing a dedicated Park and Ride spot. Trust me on this.
AQUARIUS A pack of squirrels will eat your coursework and attack you in your sleep.
PISCES The ending of Hachi is brighter than your future right now.
• Sport 23
Hert’s Judo goes to Albania with both the Albanian people we met, and the other members of Marshalswick Judo Club, some of whom I didn’t know so well at first. Doug Seabrook: For me, the highlight was to be able to meet Anton Shkoza, a seventh Dan and former Olympian, introducer of Judo in Albania. For me that was one of the most inspirational moments of my career. The enthusiasm he still has for the sport and the dedication in his lessons despite of his paralysis.
Judo Club - Matt Aimone Sharif | Sports Manager This year, Hert’s Judo club flew all the way to Tirana to be able to promote, train and meet the initiator of Judo in Albania. Here we interview Dough Seabrook, Athletic Union’s Coach of the year, and two members of the club. Could you give a brief summary of what summer as a Judo performer looks like? Matthew Hammond, 22, (Chairman at UH Judo and BSc Hons Sports Studies Year 3): Summer for me is always a busy time. I like training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo both at my academies and in the gym. This summer, I competed on my 22nd birthday weekend at the Ne-waza Championships in High Wycombe, where I won the gold medal. Ne-waza is a Japanese phrase defining groundwork. After that Championship, I got a lot more confidence in my game and it helped me become better. You need confidence and a positive attitude to win a fight. Scott Barnes (Member of UH Judo and FdSc Paramedic Science Year 2): Martial arts wise, I’ve been going to Marshalswick Judo Club in St Albans twice a week. I have also been trying to get back to my old weight category (u66kgs) so I’ve been integrating running and strength training as well as working and doing placement for my university course.
When did Judo become a passion? Matt: I started Judo at the age of 14 and I have always been a sporty person. I quickly began to love everything grappling. It’s hard to remember or pinpoint when it became a passion, it’s just something thats ingrained in my mind. Scott: I couldn’t put an exact day, or even year on it, I’ve been doing Judo from a very young age. I began to realise I was taking it more seriously than some when I was 13, when people started dropping out of sessions. I tried my best to always keep Judo at the centre of my life, and by the time I left school at 16, there was no other options but to keep on going! Why is Judo special to you? Matt: It was the first sport I medalled in. When I was younger I would never win and most generally end up really upset and sometimes cry, that’s how much winning meant to me. For me, Judo gives me a purpose, a mission in life and goals to strive for. Scott: To me? What’s unique about martial arts as a whole is that you can instantly trust someone. You trust them not to hurt you when you are training, or to let go of whatever arm lock or choke you’re practicing. ‘Dan grades’ (black belts) regularly train with lower grades becoming their training partners and teacher at the same time. That quality, for me, is unique to martial arts and I really appreciate that. I’ve found myself, several times doing ‘Randori’ (free exercise) with double Olympic judoka,
Craig Fallon, at open Randori training at the University of Wolverhampton. How was the training experience in Albania? Matt: Training in Albania was awesome! The young Albanians who we shared the mats with looked at me in a way that said they were inspired and motivated. Each one of them earned my respect. There is a lot of bad press about Albania, when I mentioned I was going there people had a concerned and baffled look on their face. The reality is that it is a wonderful country with wonderful people. You cannot judge a book by its cover my friends. Scott: It was great fun! The training itself wasn’t that much different, a warm up, some technical work, before finishing off with Randori. What was different, was the conditions over there. The dojo we were training in was incredibly warm with very little air flow, meaning that we all were rather sweaty by the end of the warm up. Another difference was the style of Judo practiced over there, the Albanians were more strength orientated that most UK judoka, but they didn’t have the speed or flexibility What was the highlight of the trip? Matt: The highlight of the trip for me was when I first stepped on the matted area. I loved their academy grounds. I felt important and inspired throughout the whole training session. Scott: The highlight of the trip would definitely be socialising
How does it feel to train internationally? Matt: Knowing I’m training in a different part of the world was exciting. Looking out of the window to see the different landscape and architecture whilst training made me feel positive, excited and confident. The facilities, even though they were humble, were great. I am used to using and respecting what I get given. Scott: Judo is Judo, no matter where in the world you go, there will be different styles, but it’s fundamentally the same. The language barrier was hard to cope with but when you train, all the vocabulary is in Japanese and so you know what is going on. What does the future hold for Judo at UH? Matt: As this year’s chairman of University of Hertfordshire Judo, I have entered the role with many ideas and aspirations. I hope to be able to leave the club in a better state than when I joined. I wish to create an environment where everybody has the right to improve and be recognised for their achievements and effort. Throughout the summer I have planned out many ideas and strategies to move the club forward. The most important aspect of the club, in itself is for it to be a home to people that are looking for improvement, or looking to join because that’s when a passion starts forming. Are you interested in joining the Judo club? Check their social media pages: Facebook.com/UHAUJudo and Twitter: @UHJudo Training is every week Mondays 4pm until 6pm in the Hertfordshire Sports Village, See you there!
UniVerse
SPORT
What Find more is it like sports to beonline a football at tridentmedia.org referee? | pg 31
Herts Judo goes to ALbania. | pg 23
Football Fun Fest
Campus Football
Aimone Sharif | Sports Manager
Charlie Pearson | Sports Editor
As Women’s Football Week came to an end, we talked to a relieved Abby Sanderson for a recap of the event. Statistically speaking, Abby ran five sessions in five days, 89 ladies participated including 79 unique numbers (those who do not normally particpate in sports). She received some amazingly positive feedback from students.
For the last five years, the University of Hertfordshire has been running UH Campus Football, an inter-university football programme set up to allow students to play in a league format throughout their time at the University. UH Campus Football offers a variety of different games, including 6-a-side and 11-a-side football, as well as Futsal, 5-a-side football played indoors. The wide variety of competitions available allows more students to get involved and enjoy playing with friends and people they know, whilst at the same time, experiencing the competitive nature of a league set-up. As another semester is now underway, it is time for the fun, enjoyment and competitiveness to begin. However, as a captain of a campus team myself, Hangover 96, I know it was not as simple as that to begin with. Internationals going home, players leaving and a number of other things led to us to only having six players committed to signing at one stage, with just two days to go before the deadline. However, the annual event of Get Into Football Day was our saving grace.The event took place on Wednesday 14th October and was dedicated to players finding teams for all of the different for-mats: 6-a-aside, 11-a-side and Futsal, and even for players to create their own teams for the se-mester ahead. The 11-a-side set-up allowed students to go along and participate in a number of matches, whilst captains on the sidelines desperately tried to make additions to their squads.By attending the event, we were able to add eight players to our squad, and start building on last year’s rather disappointing fifth place finish! 11-a-side Campus Football will be running, as it was last year, on Wednesday afternoons on the de Havilland New Generation pitches. The aim, at the time of writing this article, is to have two leagues with each team playing one another once and matches lasting 30 minutes each way. Trident Media’s UnionTV aims to cover the event through the Recap Show, which was a big hit among viewers last year. The show goes out every week with all the Campus Football action from those Wednesday afternoons, so be sure to check out tridentmedia.org for Trident’s answer to Match of the Day!
How do you think this whole week went? I feel overall, the week went very well however, certain events attracted very few numbers which is disappointing but now I need to look at the feedback from the girls who attended to understand what they want to get from participating in football at the University of Hertfordshire. What was your favourite day? On Thursday night we had, GOALS 4 GIRLS, that was most definitely my favourite event! It was a recreational session with Active Students run by a Tottenham Hotspur coach. The session was good fun with music and combined a lot of different aspects of football and, most importantly, it was a welcoming environment for beginners but allowed players to progress and all the girls had FUN. What do you think you can do better in the future? I would do some research before organising the events as to what the girls want to participate in, rather than me guessing what they would like. I would also try to do more marketing, promoting and education around the event to ensure that girls that are going to participate know exactly what is involved, making them more comfortable in participating. Did you reach your target? The target for the week was 20-30 unique girls and we managed to hit 78 unique girls so we smashed the target and I am very excited for the future of women’s football at UH! What are your future events to promote female participation? Following on from the success of this week we are hoping to organise a women’s football tournament. Most importantly to retain our numbers we are continuing the activities which were successful as a permanent fixture at UH.
Are you our next Contributing Writer for UniVerse Sport? We are on the lookout for contributing writers, who have a true sporting passion and are full of enthusiasm! As a writer for Trident Media, you can produce content for the sports section, mainly by covering sports events and societies that happen around UH. The best part is that working for Trident Media means you get handson experience writing for a publication, seeing your work be printed, and more so: you can write about what truly matters to you in the world of sport. As you would be a volunteer, the amount you choose to write would be entirely up to you. You get a certificate highlighting your contribution to Trident Media at the end of the year, which you can show to future employers. If you’re interested, you can find out more information and purchase your membership at: hertfordshire.su/tridentmedia.