Swansea October 2016

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DAN SMITH: It all started at university

SWANSEA EDITION

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October 2016

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Freshers Special

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AURORA Draws us into her world

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BLOSSOMS Are feeling different now

INTERVIEW

Patrols to fight club sex crime

Students trained to help SU partygoers @ JAKE CLOTHIER and EMMA MAZEY

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TWIN ATLANTIC Speak the brutal truth

An army of volunteers has been recruited to patrol club nights and protect students from sex attacks.

The specially trained ‘club crews’ have been recruited by students’ unions in Swansea, working with the charity Drinkaware and the police, to help those vulnerable to assaults and harassment at student nights.

The scheme has been set up in

response to three women being sexually assaulted within five days of each other during freshers’ last year.

In an attempt to stop similar attacks, the student volunteers will talk to partygoers, check high risk areas such as toilets and stairwells and ensure people leave safely after closing.

Ciara Ryan, a third-year English student at Swansea University, said: ‘I think the volunteers will lower the rates (of sexual assault) because hopefully it’ll make potential

I feel safer knowing there’s a pair of sober eyes keeping watch

Ciara Ryan Student

attackers cautious. I feel safer knowing there’s a pair of sober eyes keeping an eye out for people.’

Olivia Tucker, a third-year history and geography student at Swansea, said: ‘I think the use of students in the scheme is the right approach as it’d be them who would have been in recent similar situations.

‘Although I have never come across sexual harassment myself on a night out I realise it’s a problem that often Continued on Page 3

IZZY BIZU Is still figuring everything out

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MICHAEL BISPING Relishes the pressure

NEWS | GOSS | COMMENT | MUSIC | FASHION | FOOD | YOUR LIFE | TECH | YOUR NIGHT | GAMES | COMPETITIONS | FILM | SPORT | DIGS

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October 2016

Rugby legend tests his mettle before gruelling Ironman @ John Shaw If you took a dip in the swimming pool recently you could have been exercising next to a Welsh legend.

Former Wales rugby star Shane Williams has been using the facility at the University of Wales Trinity St David ahead of IRONMAN Wales.

The wonder wing looked to improve his technique and has been working with Geraint Forster, programme director of BSc outdoor fitness at UWTSD. The 39-year-old said: ‘The work we’ve been doing has helped me immensely, that’s why I keep coming back for more training.

‘When I was playing rugby we did a lot of work in the lab and on treadmills, but less so in the water, so I was out of my comfort zone with swimming.

‘I know my swimming is now stronger and that will help me during the IRONMAN.’

Cash boost of £100k for student

The work we’ve been doing has helped me immensely, that’s why I keep coming back for more

A PhD student has been awarded more than £100,000 for her studies.

Swansea University’s Amy Jenkins was given £103,343, which will allow her to study why some older adults experience subjective, detrimental change in their memory and cognition.

The psychology student was granted the award by charity BRACE-Alzheimer’s Research and said she was delighted she would be able to continue studying at Swansea.

Shane Williams, Wales legend

For more Swansea news, go to www. unipaper.co.uk

Ultimate wing man: Shane Williams takes a dip in the pool

Swans up for Oscar Excellent teaching recognised in prize @ Jake Clothier

Swansea University has been nominated for an ‘Oscar of the higher education world’.

The Welsh institute has been put up for the Times Higher Education DataPoints Merit Award, given to universities that make exceptional achievements in teaching and research missions.

It will be challenged by fellow nominees Loughborough University, the University of Kent and the University of Surrey.

Swansea students’ union

education officer Robiu Salisu said: ‘The fact Swansea has been shortlisted for this category highlights the massive work that has been, and is still being, carried out by the institution to improve the teaching and research quality at the university.

‘Nominations such as this will encourage more students to choose Swansea as the university of their choice.’

Swansea’s reputation in the field of research has grown hugely in recent years thanks to numerous research projects and its collaboration with the Welsh government on the Institute of Life Science, a purpose-built

IN BRIEF

medical research facility. The institute formed one of the largest ever investments from the Welsh government on a university campus.

As well as research achievements, the award also recognises the university’s teaching standards.

Mark Fennah, a third year history student, said: ‘The teaching standards at the university are excellent.

‘My lectures provide me with vast amounts of information and whenever I am stuck with my studies I can always count on contacting my lecturers to help me.’

Elsewhere, the University of South Wales has had one of its

lecturers nominated in the Most Innovative Teacher Of The Year category while Cardiff University is up for four awards and Cardiff Metropolitan University is shortlisted for three awards.

Abertay University, City University of London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Loughborough, the University of Nottingham and the University of Worcester will go up for the big prize on the night: the University Of The Year.

The Times Higher Education Award winners will be announced on Thursday, November 24 at the Grosvenor Hotel in London, where there will be 1,000 guests.

CONTACT US EDITOR: JAKE CLOTHIER Email your stories to editor@unipaper.co.uk

Crew trials ‘successful’ « Continued from Page 1

gets overlooked as ‘normal’ and expected behaviour.’

But Aimee Donovan, 19, who is also at Swansea, said: ‘I may be a bit weary of the volunteers themselves, as you can never be too careful.’

Chief executive of Drinkaware, Elaine Hindal, said the club crews had worked well elsewhere.

‘An initial regional pilot has shown that the crew have been effective in supporting vulnerable customers who have drunk too much, potentially preventing those becoming victims of crime,’ she added. ‘Many customers have reported feeling safer as a result.’

Albert Hall is eyed for digs A historic monument could be saved from the bulldozers by being converted into student halls.

The 152-year-old Albert Hall has been empty since 2007 but an inquiry has been made to transform the site. The project would see the upper floor become student accommodation and the bottom used for retail.

Wales taste for guests German youngsters have been getting a taste of Welsh living thanks to Swansea University.

A group of apprentices from Hamburg spent time in south west Wales to gain experience in their chosen profession and learn some English. The scheme was organised

by English Language Training Services at the university.

4|News

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October 2016

IN NUMBERS

Activists are preparing to take to the streets to demand free education – we ask how far marching will get them @ Amy Denman STUDENTS will face fresh tuition fee hikes if Government plans go ahead – and many are planning a protest through London to try and stop them.

But can the rises be stopped by street protests and should we even be opposing higher fees?

The Government proposed a raft of changes earlier this year in its higher education bill. The most controversial was to allow some universities to raise tuition fees above £9,000 a year, starting with £9,250 in September 2017.

The bill is currently going through Parliament and if it becomes law, fees will be linked to teaching quality, measured by the National Student Survey and graduate employment data.

Institutions judged as having high quality teaching will be able to match fees with inflation and some have already said they plan to do this if they get permission.

Universities minister Jo Johnson, who supports the bill, said it would ‘for the first time link the funding of teaching in higher education to quality and not simply quantity – a principle that has long been established for research’.

But the NUS fears the changes would make it easier for profitmaking universities to be set up, turning students into consumers.

NUS president Malia Bouattia said: ‘The HE bill claims to put students at the centre of its policies, but in practice it will result in higher fees, less resources, and less security for students.

‘It claims to empower students through providing greater choice, but reduces student involvement to student satisfaction surveys and simple numerical scores.

‘Worryingly, high student satisfaction can be used as a rationale to raise tuition fees.’

The NUS and University and College Union, which represents lecturers and other staff, have announced a national rally for November, backed by The National Campaign Against Fees And Cuts.

per cent of graduates will never pay off their student loan, which is written off after 30 years.

per cent of graduates who were the first to pay £9k fees have moved back home

Debts demo: Students gathered in London to protest cuts to maintenance grants last year

For more national news, go to www. unipaper.co.uk

Ana Oppenheim from NCAFC said: ‘We believe that teaching can be improved through democratising universities and investing in staff, not through marketisation and privatisation.

‘Allowing universities judged to be the best to increase how much they charge will lead to even more inequality in our education system, as well as the closures of less profitable courses at the expense of students and staff.’

The group organised a march of thousands of students through London in December in a bid to stop maintenance grants cuts, which went ahead in August this year.

Not all students believe the demo,

planned for November 19, is the best way to tackle the issue.

David Browne, a postgrad studying international human rights law at Exeter university, said: ‘What the NUS should surely be doing is lobbying or trying to get into the corridors of power, rather than throwing tantrums outside of them.

‘It looks like an equivalent to the May Day rallies, which do little to make communism more attractive to the British electorate precisely because the march seems like an exercise in vanity.’

He added that asking students to pay more than £9,000 a year was not necessarily a bad thing.

‘We can’t ignore the fact that

The NUS should try and get into the corridors to power, not throw tantrums outside

David Browne, Exeter university student

inflation renders the £9,000 cap increasingly difficult for universities,’ he said. ‘Student loans are at very competitive rates.’

The NUS said its demo was ‘about sending a clear message to the government and Theresa May to invest in further and higher education’.

It has faced criticism for spending a reported £60,000 on organising the rally, but a spokesperson said it was still finalising the costs.

‘Once we have done that, we will be working with partners to ensure every penny spent contributes to a powerful statement of support for improvements to education for all,’ they added.

per cent of students feel they are getting their money's worth at uni

ANOTHER WAY?

A group of lecturers didn't like the new bill and wrote their own – here is the original and the alternative version The Government's reforms: If successful, these will be put in place from 2017

The Alternative White Paper: A team of academics and activists put together these alternatives

n Universities will be made to publish admissions data.

n Additional funding to improve the student to staff ratio

n A teaching excellence framework will be put in place to judge

n A reduction in research demands so academics can spend

the quality of teaching in universities. n Universities with a high quality teaching rating will be allowed to raise their fees in line with inflation.

more time with students n Financial support for students from lower income backgrounds

will be the cost of tuition fees per year by 2020, a 2015 report estimated

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6|Research

October 2016

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Cricket mating calls may be answer for hearing aids Creepy crawlies may develop sound tech @ Amy Denman We’re all familiar with the chirrup of crickets on a warm summer’s evening.

Well, researchers at the University of Bristol have been studying whether this distinctive sound could hold the key to advancing hearing aid technology.

‘The secret to their loud calls is their wings are corrugated in specific patterns which makes them very stiff, which in turn makes them very loud when they are rubbed together,’ said Bristol’s Dr Rob Malkin in a blog on website The Conversation. ‘Using laser vibration systems and advanced computer

modelling simulations (more often used to study aerodynamics), we can replicate this idea by tailoring the stiffness of a speaker surface.

This creates an efficient way to make tiny speakers very loud indeed.’

The study brings together the three separate disciplines of biology, medicine and engineering.

Dr Malkin said although the three areas have been traditionally separate by combining them, the researchers can develop new solutions based on discoveries made many years ago.

He added: ‘While bio-inspired hearing aids may not be about to arrive on the shelves, this innovative new field of study could find more ways to address the needs of people with hearing loss.’

This innovative new field of study could find more ways to address the needs of people with hearing loss

Dr Rob Malkin, University of Bristol

Sound solution: Cricket love calls could help improve hearing aids

Just one joint will make you lazier @ Amy Denman

@ Amy Denman

Smoking is an expensive habit, but it’s not just the till prices burning a hole in smokers’ pockets.

The cost of treating the smokingrelated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will exceed more than £2.3billion per year in England and £200million in Scotland by 2030, research from the University of Edinburgh suggests.

Cocaine addiction can be cured by administering a drug currently used in cancer treatment trials, a Cardiff University study has found.

The experimental therapy treats cocaine addiction by inhibiting memories responsible for drug cravings.

The new treatment, which was only tested on mice, can destroy the memories of joy associated with drug use, which the study found are the key to turning recreational drug use into an Ana Iliescu addiction.

‘Test mental health early’ The children of parents with severe psychiatric disorders are three to four times more likely to develop violent and suicidal tendencies, recent research has suggested.

The University of Manchester study proposes early intervention should be put in place through the medium of screening tests to determine whether the child is predisposed to any mental health problems that would result in violent or suicidal behaviours.

Emily Stables

Hazy and lazy: One spliff can demotivate you

to carry out a task that, if completed, would earn them money.

In each trial, the participants were given the choice of a more difficult task for higher cash rewards or an easier task for lower rewards.

The researchers found the participants who inhaled the cannabis were less motivated to do the more difficult task and would

settle for the easier option.

Researchers compared the participants’ results to a group of cannabis addicts in an observational study and found the same results.

This could suggest there is no difference to a person’s motivation if they are a long term or one-off user, however the effects seemed to wear off after 12 hours.

Rio 2016 was a historic Olympics for Team GB, with a whopping 67 medals, 11 of which were from the cycling track.

Although much of the success is down to the athletes themselves, the bikes also played a big part.

So it is fair to say University of Bristol lecturer Prof Stuart Burgess, who played a key role in developing the chains for Team GB’s bikes, deserves a pat on the back.

He said: ‘The riders are the main reason for the success at Rio but it is important to optimise every part of the bike because every country is continuously improving their bike technology.

‘At Bristol we have had an excellent

team of researchers and technicians who have contributed to the project and they now feel they have a connection with the Olympics.’

Prof Burgess was the principal investigator in a project to develop one of the world’s most accurate test rigs for measuring the efficiency of bicycle chain transmissions.

The refined tests were used on Team GB’s Olympic bikes to optimise and measure the efficiency of the chain drive, to ensure the bikes were at their peak performance level.

He added: ‘We were quite nervous at the start of the Olympics but then really thrilled when the cyclists won so many medals.’

Lung disease treatment will cost billions in 15 years Aging population to blame for increase

Cancer drug cures habit

Team GB’s biking wins helped by Bristol test The end is

PICTURE: BHAGESH SACHANIA

Afroman’s popular 2001 song Because I Got High could reveal some truths, according to two UCL studies.

Researchers at the London university found just one spliff will make you less motivated for an entire day.

Will Lawn a researcher at UCL, wrote in research website The Conversation: ‘After years of being told that getting high makes you lazier, we’ve provided some of the first solid evidence that it’s true.

On the bright side, your long-term cannabis use may not erode your drive like some people claim.’

Under a controlled laboratory environment, the study gave some participants the equivalent of one spliff’s worth of cannabis, inhaled through a balloon, and some a placebo.

The participants were then asked

No easy ride: Dr Burgess

IN BRIEF

The study predicted cases of COPD will rise from just over one million in 2011 to more than 1.3million by 2030 in England and 100,000 in 2011 to 120,000 in 2030 in Scotland.

Edinburgh researcher, Dr Susannah McLean, said: ‘Our findings suggest there will be a substantial number of frail, elderly people living with COPD in the coming years, I hope advances in healthcare technologies will help meet this rising demand.’

Academics from the university

used a mathematical model to estimate the number of COPD diagnoses in England and Scotland by 2030.

The study looked at smoking rates, disease severity and rate of deaths and concluded the main factors for the rise in costs is a longer life span rather than an increased rate of diagnosis.

COPD is the name for a collection of lung diseases that are caused mainly by smoking. Sufferers have difficulties with breathing and Stub it out: Cost of treating COPD is set to rise persistent coughing.

Planet Nine The mysterious Planet Nine could destroy our solar system when the sun dies, research from the University of Warwick suggests.

Dr Dimitri Veras from the Physics Department predicted the hypothetical planet, which might exist in the outer solar system, could create a pinball effect, hurling other planets out of the solar system when the sun dies.

However, the catastrophic event is seven billion years away, so no need to panic just yet. Ana Iliescu

Bad air can lose money Air pollution can negatively impact exam results and affect future earnings, research shows.

The study revealed taking an exam on a day with increased pollution could lead to a 3.8 per cent decline in student test scores.

Researchers from LSE, University of Warwick and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem looked at Israeli school students’ entrance exams over a two year period, the pollution levels at the time and their wages eight to ten years on.

Shannon Whittall

Comment

9

October 2016

Want to have your say about a current event? Email your comment to editor@unipaper.co.uk

Going into the new academic year can be a nerve-wracking time. As you embark on the next stage of your degree, new worries appear, from money to dissertations. We asked eight students what their biggest fear was for this year.

This month’s question:

What makes you most nervous about this new academic year?

Georgia Welch, University of Manchester

Adult life and all its tasks are looming Rosie Davidson, University of Sheffield

Money worries could get in the way of my studies Carly Stevenson, University of Sheffield

Jump from first to second year is daunting Zoe Thompson, University of Bristol

Perhaps the most terrifying thing about my third year is the looming prospect of what lies beyond education.

I’m sure I’m not alone in finding the world of employment and decision making following university extremely daunting.

Not only is settling on the right career for me a difficult choice, but it’s also tricky to work out whether or not employment is the next step.

After what will have been 17 years spent in education, a gap year is beginning to sound more and more appealing.

Sacrificing my social life to study will be hard

These past two years at university I have been in a naive daze, believing my degree will not count towards anything, or it will only count towards 30 per cent.

This naivety prolongs the inevitable – entering the real tax-paying world. The dawning realisation is these are probably the last few years of your young adult life, when you can get away with watching hours of Come Dine With Me, skipping countless commitments, while nursing a hangover with your housemates.

What is most worrying is your parents’ worries, which have always been background music, will be yours in a few years’ time.

But above all of these worries is the concern that I will look back on my three years at university with feelings of remorse or regret over what I should or should not have done.

Preparing to survive in an all-girl house

It’s the same as it has been since starting my PhD: Finding ways to support myself while studying.

As a self-funded student, it can be challenging to find the right balance between paid work, studying and a social life, especially on a limited income.

I’ve always felt compelled to seek out as many opportunities for paid employment as possible, often at the expense of my research.

Recently, however, I have made a conscious effort to avoid taking on too much ‘extra’ work. Money worries have kept me awake at night on several occasions last academic year and I imagine it’ll be the same now, but somehow I know I’ll overcome these obstacles and (hopefully) make some progress with my thesis. Did I mention the importance of staying positive?

Juggling work and social life will be tricky

As I transition to my second year of university, my biggest fear for the upcoming year is my potential academic vulnerability.

While the comforting fug of the freshers’ 40 per cent pass-rate clears, the performance-focussed environment of second year, which ‘actually counts’, is daunting. In line with this, after an aimless four-month summer, I’m nervous about feeling disengaged and overwhelmed when rejoining my course. Rumours often circulate about how second year is a significant step up from first year introductory modules.

Similarly, the academic confidence and social focus of first year, with the offered guidance from university support networks, is likely to be replaced by challenging curriculum demands and an attitude of ‘you should really know this by now.’

Graduate jobs are easy to find – right?

Louisa Kendal, University of Bristol

Imogen Guild, Newcastle University

Jessica Ginting, University of Bristol

Jessica Farrington, University of Sheffield

With my third year here, I am really worried about one thing above all others… the death of our social lives.

We’ve heard the warnings from those in the years above us: ‘Enjoy it while you can’ and ‘you don’t know how good you’ve got it’.

Despite our hope that nothing will change, we all know that with dissertations and finals looming over our already frazzled heads, we’ll be struggling to drag ourselves from the library every day.

Although we may attempt to do freshers’ week and kid ourselves that we our no different to our younger companions, we all know we will be anything but fresh as we wake up for that 9am ‘Introduction To Your Dissertation’ (or as I like to call it, the extended essay of evil) seminar.

s 0 0 1of0students

h t n o m every

Living in a house with six other girls.

If I wasn’t fearful when I signed the contract, I sure am now.

Every time I tell someone about my housing situation this year, I’m met with the same reaction of horror mixed with pity, as though I’ve just signed my death warrant. I’m also quite a paranoid person so it got me thinking: ‘What if our periods end up in sync?’ I’ve heard that can happen.

On the plus side, the girls I’m going to live with are all great and really chilled. There may be obstacles that come with living in an all-female house but I’m confident the good times we are going to have this year will outweigh those.

Going into my first year at the University of Bristol, I didn’t know what to expect.

My goal was just to experience university life to the fullest and to learn as much as I can, both academically and socially.

My biggest fear for this upcoming academic year is being constricted by overwhelming expectations – the pressure to perform academically, the pressure to maintain friendships, and the pressure to constantly work towards building a career.

Being a fresher was liberating in the sense that I was allowed to (and expected to) make mistakes.

Having high expectations can be very motivating, but I think it’s important to keep things realistic without letting them fester into something harmful and counter-productive.

A lot of students will constantly be told that university is the one time they won’t have any true troubles to deal with.

But when you’re heading into the third and final year of your degree, as I am, the pressure does step up a gear. My one fear for the academic year is whether I’ll be able to find work after I graduate.

People taking arts and humanities degrees often wonder this because the skills you learn can be transferred to many areas, so you could apply for almost any kind of job.

Then again, at least this means we have lots of job options to consider.

Third year? Bring it on.

To find out how you can advertise with us CONTACT CHRIS@UNIPAPER.CO.UK

Harshil Shah

Coming out of education is unnerving

y b n e e Be s

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October 2016

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@ Future Finance OU’VE sat the exams, got the grades and secured your place at university.

But there’s still a tonne of things to do before you start the new term, such as making sure you have enough clothes for freshers’ week, perfecting your selfie game and, most importantly, making sure you have enough money to last the whole term without falling into your overdraft.

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Planning how much money goes out and when will really be key in ensuring you don’t touch that overdraft. n Don’t bottle it up: Your stress that is. We did a recent survey which showed students mainly worry about their finances which could lead to mental health issues. If you need someone to talk to about your finance fears, give us a call at Future Finance and we will talk you through your options.

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Future Finance, the UK’s first specialist student lender, provides competitive tailored loans to students in the UK and Germany whose government loans and bursaries are not enough to cover the cost of higher education.

Future Finance is facilitating access to education through its proprietary lending platform, which factors granular data on continuation, employability and earnings into its lending decisions, enabling it to lend but it’s the start of a new journey to students who in many cases would not be able to in your life as a young adult, so obtain loans from banks. you want to make sure you can Future Finance provides loans to undergraduates can make the most of all the money Be cash savvy: Planning how much money goes learn important life skills such as and postgraduates of between £2,500 and £40,000 Become a out and when will really be key budgeting and money management. you can save. each academic year to help them pay for tuition costs master of in ensuring you don’t touch that Which is why we’ve put together n Student-only shopping events: and living expenses. Loan periods are for ten years money this Why wouldn’t you take advantage overdraft. some top tips to help you manage after graduation although borrowers can settle early freshers’ week n Don’t bottle it up: Your stress that of extended discounts? your first student loan installment at any time with no early repayment charges, and n Mainstream doesn’t mean cheap: is. We did a recent survey which without having to swallow your reduce the amount of interest that they pay overall.

Shops like Wilko and B&M have showed students mainly worry pride and visit the bank of mum Loans include up to four payment holidays of three great back to uni bargains. Step about their finances which could and dad. months, which provide students with flexibility as they outside your comfort zone and try lead to mental health issues. If nGet an NUS discount card: This establish their careers. something different, you might be you need someone to talk to about little beaut will come in handy in Future Finance is authorised and regulated by the www.merlincareers.com/graduates /merlingraduates @merlingraduates surprised with what you can pick your finance fears, give us a call at most major online and high street Financial Conduct Authority. up.

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@ Future Finance OU’VE sat the exams, got the grades and secured your place at university.

But there’s still a tonne of things to do before you start the new term, such as making sure you have enough clothes for freshers’ week, perfecting your selfie game and, most importantly, making sure you have enough money to last the whole term without falling into your overdraft.

Not only is this a new term,

So when you’re on nights out, you

n Become a spreadsheet master:

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Your Life

11

Students reveal their unique experiences at university. Email editor@unipaper.co.uk to tell your story

I knew I had to follow my heart

Shingi Rice, 23, describes how the 50/50 chance she would survive surgery inspired her to study fashion photography

T

AKING PHOTOS was aways something I had enjoyed, but I saw it as more of a hobby than a career option.

But in 2013, when I was 20, a fairly common condition turned into a serious one and helped make up my mind on my career decisions.

I was in my final year of college.

I began to look for universities and although I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do for a career, I decided to visit universities anyway.

At the beginning of 2013 I began to get pains in my left arm.

I had previously been told by doctors I had a hole in my heart valve, but that this was quite common for young adults.

But in October 2013 the pain came back, my limbs began to swell up and I was rushed to the emergency room.

After a while in hospital, the doctors did some tests and I was told I had a blood clot. While I was there they wanted me to have a

heart scan to make sure everything was OK. I had a quick scan and it turned out one of my heart valves, which normally helps blood flow through the heart, was missing.

Then I found out I was going to have surgery, it was a really surreal moment, I remember my parents leaving to go and have dinner in the hospital cafe and I was just about to go to sleep when the doctor came in and told me that I needed surgery the next morning.

I had to choose between a pig’s valve or a mechanical valve. The pig’s valve meant I would need surgery every few years and a mechanical valve meant being on medication my whole life and hearing my heartbeat 24/7.

I chose the mechanical valve – the thought of having my chest open every few years was daunting.

I called my parents and they came rushing back. They were distraught.

I remember being wheeled into the surgery room scared for my life,

my mom wouldn’t stop crying and my dad had a lost look in his eyes.

My surgery was eight hours long and it was the longest eight hours of my parents’ life.

The first time the doctor came out, he said that there was a 50/50 chance I’d survive. I can’t really imagine what my parents went through.

My name was then called out and the doctor said I was very lucky. My mom kept on hugging and kissing the surgeon – she still does when I go back for my yearly check up.

I was in hospital for three months.

At the beginning I was giggling 24/7 – it was the drugs they were giving me – but after a few weeks they wore off and I was back to normal. Then a few more weeks after that I started getting really depressed. I couldn’t go outside and I missed hanging out with my friends.I began to realise that I had to study what I was passionate about at uni.

I think because I had a 50/50

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I can still hear the valve ticking all the time

Shingi Rice

Did you have an unusual path to the course you took?

Email editor@ unipaper.co.uk

Shifting focus: Risky surgery led Shingi to pursue her passion

chance of making it through the surgery, I just thought ‘I might as well spend my time doing something I enjoy’.

I didn’t want to wait for another year and I felt it was manageable to start university, so I thought ‘just go for it’.

Although I didn’t pass my second year at college, I managed to get into the University for the Creative Arts in Epsom, Surrey, to do a foundation year.

Then last year, among other courses, I applied to the London College of Fashion to study fashion photography, and I have just finished my first year.

The surgery has had some negative impacts on my life. I’m not allowed to exercise anymore and I used to be quite active.

I also put on quite a lot of weight because I like to snack.

But the experience has also brought me closer to my family and although my mum has always helped me with my studies, we have grown closer since my surgery.

And every time something goes wrong in my life, my family always remind me I’ve been through worse.

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What’s On

13

The Lowdown

October 2016

AURORA

P18 & 19

BASTILLE Uni made this happen

P23

BLOSSOMS On making fans shake

P25

TWIN ATLANTIC Pay tribute to their city

I love to sit in silence

Nature-lover Aurora reveals how being alone in Norway’s forests inspired her OUR SUMMER Fond festival flashbacks

P27

IZZY BIZU Growing up is confusing

A

her family knew of her talent.

World Away, used by John Lewis for after that day they said they knew I ‘I didn’t know it was a talent,’ she their Man On The Moon Christmas had it in me,’ she says. Armed with a URORA is enchanting says. ‘When you are a child it’s just advert last year, discovered her love collection of her childhood songs and – I can’t help but feel a hobby. of music at a young age. melodies, she put together her debut drawn in by her aura as ‘It was like a diary about my own ‘I started writing melodies on the album All My Demons Greeting Me ON TOUR and others’ experiences.’ she reflects on her freepiano when I was six,’ she says.

As A Friend. spirited childhood.

The first time she revealed her ‘Then, when I was nine, my English And a 20-year-old Aurora could not Oct 3 Glasgow, Although her youth sounds like skills to her family was at 14 or 15, got better and I added lyrics.’ be happier with the response to the The Art School a solitary one, Aurora Aksnes, who when she wrote and sang a song for As a child, Aurora’s music was record, which reached the UK top 30 Oct 4 Manchester, goes by her first name, found her her confirmation – a coming-of-age inspired by her experiences growing and No.1 in Norway.

O2 Ritz fascination with nature was all the ceremony in the church. up in the historic district of Os, near ‘It was fun making the album,’ she Oct 6 Newcastle *DiscountNorway’s only second redeemable in size? stores until 31st October 2016 says. when purchasing full company she needed.

‘I wanted to tell my parents we largest city, Bergen.

‘Writing music is like giving University ‘It’s such a magical feeling being can’t be afraid of time and change ‘We lived in a house in the birth, just without the pain.’

7 priced product and accompaniedOctwith a valid student ID. Full TermsThe & turmoil conditions apply. alone in the forest,’ she says. can be a good thing,’ she says. ‘I’m countryside,’ she says. ‘It was a very Birmingham, O2 has paid off though – Institute ‘When you’re with people, you the smallest of three children, so I idyllic place.’ this October Aurora is embarking on Oct 8 Bristol, always have to give something, knew it would be hard for my parents a headline tour of the UK, starting off But she didn’t spend much time Trinity Centre whereas nature doesn’t demand to see me grow up. exploring with friends. ‘I know it in Glasgow and ending in Leeds.

Oct 13 London, anything of you. I really enjoy ‘I wrote them a song to tell them I sounds sad but I didn’t enjoy playing O2 Shepherd's For someone who likes to be alone, Bush Empire silence, it makes me very happy.’ would always be their child.’ with other children,’ she explains. she’s making a lot of friends.

Oct 16 Leeds, Aurora, whose angelic voice was It struck a chord with Aurora’s Instead, she would sit in her All My Demons Greeting Me As A Brudenell Social behind the cover of Oasis’ Half The family. ‘There were a lot of tears and Friend is out now on Decca. bedroom and write songs – not even Club

@ Amy Denman

PICTURE: KNUT_AASERUD

P26

size.co.uk @sizeofficial

The Interview NATURAL & CRUELTY FREE SKIN CARE

I was quite a shy kid and I moved to Leeds to go to university and had a really good time Dan Smith

ON TOUR Oct 28 Bournemouth, BIC Oct 29 Plymouth, Pavilions Oct 31 Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena Nov 1 London, The O2 Nov 2 London, The O2 Nov 4 Leeds, First Direct Arena Nov 5 Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena Nov 6 Manchester Arena Nov 8 Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena Nov 12 Glasgow, The SSE Hydro Nov 13 Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena

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The Lowdown

Hello

19 15

October 2016

D

@ Henry Edwards

AN SMITH answers the phone with a warm and cheerful ‘hi there’.

The Bastille frontman has come from a solid day of rehearsals and radio sessions, promoting their second album Wild World.

But you wouldn’t know – the singer sounds as if he’s taking a relaxed stroll along a river in t he early evening sunshine.

But he puts me straight: ‘We’re on our way to Amsterdam to do an album playback.

Well, haven’t things changed this summer?

‘It’s an exciting time because Since the last edition of The University Paper came out in May, we’ve hadallthe we’re involved in every little bit of theAndy album, and we’re trying Brexit result, we’ve got a new prime minister, Team GB flew at the Olympics, to organise Murray won Wimbledon, Chris Froome claimed the Tour de France and Icelanda lot of fun things like pop-up shops.’ beat England in the Euros.

He describes the band’s next Oh and don’t forget f**king Pokemon Go dropped. destination as ‘one of those And while all the s**t has been hitting the fan this summer, The University Paper really characterful cities team has been working extra hard to make this year our best so far... and we’re offthat can be whatever to a good start with this freshers special. you want’.

He adds: ‘If We’ve got our biggest interviews yet, chatting with Bastille lead singer Dan Smith you want about his time at university (p18-19), speaking to Blossoms frontman Tom Ogden

from The University Paper

about his whirlwind summer (p23) and chewing the fat with Twin Atlantic singer Sam McTrusty about his hometown Glasgow (p25).

On top of that, we chatted to jazz-soul singer Izzy Bizu about being starstruck by Will Smith (p27) and even spoke to UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping about his up-coming title defence (p31).

Elsewhere, we look back on some of the highlights from festivals our student reporters attended this summer (p26), take a look at the best gigs taking place near you (pp16-17) and check out some of the incredible sports developments going on around the UK (p31).

And, if you’re still craving more head to www.unipaper.co.uk where you’ll find more incredible entertainment interviews plus all the latest news and sports from your university.

Much love

The TUP team

23-24 Margaret Street London W1W 8RU 020 7580 6419 www.unipaper.co.uk @TheUniPaper

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-chief: Sam Murray sam.murray@unipaper.co.uk Deputy editor: Clare Hardy clare@unipaper.co.uk Sub editor: Amy Denman amy@unipaper.co.uk Online sub editor: Tom Gellatly tom.g@unipaper.co.uk

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to go completely mental it’s good out when I won,’ he says. ‘It was a for that.’ And does he prefer to take bit of a big bombshell. in the culture or go completely ‘Up to then it had been bedroom mental? recordings and I had to work out He laughs. ‘I think we all like a how to do it live. bit of both,’ he says after a pause.

‘It’s taken me a long time to get ‘Quite often we don’t have a large comfortable playing shows.’ amount of time in a city,’ he adds.

He says he had ‘the best time’ at ‘But we always try and get a sense Leeds, where he studied English. of where we’re playing and see ‘I met so many good friends,’ he what the city’s like, not just stay adds. ‘I really enjoyed my course, I backstage.’ did student radio and the paper and Bastille – also made up of Kyle I used to work at the bar and see a Simmons and Will Farquarson on lot of free gigs that way. guitar, bass and keys and drummer ‘It’s a cliché to say, but the course Chris Wood – are one of those is almost the least important bit.’ bands who seem to have been well Leeds also helped Smith widen established ever since you first his musical tastes and come out of heard of them. his shell.

Hotly tipped as an emerging ‘I used to go to the West Indian band from 2010, their debut album Centre and see a lot of dub music Bad Blood reached No.1 and their and at the same time, I’d go and first big single, Pompeii, sold five see a lot of indie bands,’ he says. million copies in America alone.

‘Leeds is amazing and has so much But Smith never expected to be Samples make our album a musician and it was only while like the imagined soundtrack to he was at the University of Leeds a film that doesn't exist that a friend threw him into the limelight.

Dan Smith ‘Music was always a private thing for me. At uni, all the mates I made diversity and I guess me and my were in bands and on a drunken mates had a varied range of tastes. night, someone heard one of my ‘I guess I was quite a shy kid and songs and, without me knowing, I moved to Leeds and had a really entered it into a competition good time.’

Leeds Council ran.’

So does he recommend other He didn’t find out about students give music a go at uni? the competition until he ‘I would never see myself as was told he had won worthy of giving any advice to it and part of the prize anyone,’ he says humbly. ‘For included playing at The me, that was the time when it Faversham in Leeds. happened.’

‘It put me into situations His description of life with the where I felt uncomfortable band after they formed in 2010 and nervous but a part shatters any illusions that Bastille Backinto to it,’ Biz-ness: Weup spoke to singer Izzy Bizu of me was really rose overnight. he says. ‘I definitely don’t ‘It was a gradual curve,’ he says. think, if I hadn’t gone to ‘We went up to every venue in uni, I would’ve done music.’ London and all around the country.

I wonder how he felt ‘Before our album came out we about his mate secretly worked up to Shepherd’s Bush putting his music Empire and sold out for two nights. forward.

‘That was before Pompeii and I ‘I only found guess that’s testament to how much we used to tour.

‘We worked really hard, putting out mix tapes and

CDs. We used to drive around the country in a car we borrowed from our friend’s mum because it was big enough to fit all our stuff in, and we used to crash on floors.’

Perhaps one reason Smith seems so carefree is he never presumed a music career would take off.

‘What’s been nice is that no-one was expecting, least of all us, to have this success,’ he says.

In fact, before he was dragged out of the musical closet at university, Smith wanted to be a film journalist and admits he is still ‘massively’ thefilms. two girls sharing a cubicle intoTocult in the library toilets, is not It’s a passion that hasthis made it into at Pryzm, youform don’tofneed theQuids band’sInmusic, in the someone hold while samples, not to least onyour Wildhand World. you pee University of Leeds ‘The samples help add to the little world we’re trying to create Am I really having nightmares – some are from well-known about newunknown flatmates? films andmeeting some aremy from My god, it’s high school all over documentaries,’ Smith says. again University of Liverpool For forthcoming single Send Them Off! the band wanted a clip When theItalian queensci-fi. dies, what will from an old happen todrove the national anthem?

‘Someone to Milan to try wethe getfilm a new one? but we andWill find company, Coventry University couldn’t find them, so we had to change it,’ Smith reveals.

Moving into a house month ‘It’s about making theaalbum before your housemates is not evocative.’ fun University of Manchester He adds rather poetically: ‘It’s like the imagined soundtrack to a Everyone seems to be moving on film that doesn’t exist.’ in life and I’m still at uni, living in Despite being a big fan of his halls again, having to make new soundtracks, the 30-year-old friends again while my friends refuses to be drawn on his favourite study abroad, I’m single and have Quentin Tarantino flick. no money to travel or do anything ‘What I love about Tarantino, and University of Nottingham [Stanley] Kubrick, is they don’t make millions of films – they make Goodbye £500 overdraft, summer a few and they’re all iconic in their kind of ate you all up own way,’ he says.

Swansea University ‘It’s great to have a director who can put a stamp on things. To put Getting paranoid in Sainsbury’s, a clunky parallel on it, it’s like our worried people know your high, songs – we make them ours and we while buying half the sweets aisle, don’t really have a genre. four muffins and trying to pay ‘It would be cool if our albums gym card. feltwith likeyour a series of different films University of Leeds by the same director.’

And with characteristic warmth you student loan for andThank self-deprecation, he finishes into university, I don’t ourgetting call byme saying: ‘Sorry if I think I can ever repay you chewed your ear off!’ of Birmingham For detailsUniversity of Bastille’s upcoming UK arena tour, go to Kids on my street have started bastillebastille.com.

OVERHEARD ON CAMPUS

calling me the Pokemon lady because of my Pikachu backpack, how cute

University of Nottingham

Singer may have kept his tunes hidden if it wasn't for the help of a drunken mate Think my Tinder is broken, I can’t get any matches

I thank uni for the music

Coventry University

Coming to the library for the free wifi because you haven’t set it up in your house yet, #studenthacks

Swansea University

Someone just randomly complimented my hair as she walked past and now I’m worried that a bird has shat on my head or something

University of Manchester

Back to uni, back to one sheet of bog roll at a time

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by The Uni Paper Ltd, at the address above, and printed by Newsquest, Oxford. We distribute 200,000 copies in 16 cities. We’re committed to putting errors right.

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Josh Widdicombe has invaded our radios and TV screens with his appearances on comedy shows and this autumn he takes to the stage.

His new tour is called What Do I Do Now... and the answer seems to be share the annoyances of everyday life.

Although he has been rather busy of late, with projects including sitcom Josh and chat show The Last Leg, he has found plenty of time to jot down his daily irks.

Anything from cash machines to Argos Extra – the 33-year-old loves to stand with his hand on hip and have a good old moan.

However, this rather familiar brand of observational comedy has won him a number of awards recently, so it should not disappoint.

Catch the comedian who loves to complain at Swansea Grand Theatre on Wednesday, September 28.

THEATRE Two words you never thought would go together sum this show up: Genital origami. Yes, you did read that correctly.

Two men have travelled all the way from Australia to manipulate their special parts into funny shapes just

for your entertainment – aren’t you lucky? It might sound gross, but the show Puppetry Of The Penis has proven to be something of a guilty pleasure, as it has been performed in more than 35 countries.

See it at Swansea Grand Theatre on Saturday, October 1.

THEATRE If you are interested in South Wales’ history, this play is a must-see.

The Revlon Girl is set eight months after the Aberfan coal tip disaster, which killed 116 children and 28 adults in 1966. The play is based on the true stories of bereaved mothers.

It focuses on the women’s healing process as they meet once a week to talk, laugh and cry in private.

One night, the members decide they could do with some beauty tips, so they secretly invite a Revlon make-up rep to a meeting – but her impact is more than skin deep.

See The Revlon Girl at Pontardawe Arts Centre on Thursday, September 29 and Friday, September 30.

COMEDY Romesh Ranganathan is famed for

his witty and sarcastic one-liners and unimpressed expression.

The comedian’s latest tour, named Irrational, shows his comedy game is just as strong as his beard game as the dates were extended before the show started.

In his standup show, Romesh discusses issues close to his heart, such as iPhone vs Android and cinema popcorn portions.

His quick wit and clever gags mean these tickets are selling fast, so don’t miss your chance.

See Romesh in action at St David’s Hall, Cardiff, on Saturday, October 15.

For more Swansea entertainment and music news, go to www.unipaper. co.uk

THEATRE

First World faultfinder: Romesh Ranganathan’s comedy show explores everyday issues

PICTURE: ANDY HOLLINGWORTH

COMEDY

October 2016

Have you ever wanted to trek through the Amazon or climb Everest?

Globetrotter and survivalist Bear Grylls has conquered these formidable habitats and more.

He even took on Piers Morgan when the early morning chat-show host jokingly jumped up and attacked him.

Now Grylls is bringing his exotic adventures to the stage.

Using special effects, the occasional pee drinker tells his stories of survival in the most extreme of conditions.

From climbing mountains to swimming in shark-infested waters, you will be taken on a worldwide adventure for just 25 quid.

Catch Bear when he parachutes into Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena (maybe...) on Tuesday, October 25.

What’s On

17

October 2016

If you would like to write for The University Paper, please email editor@unipaper.co.uk

I find the happy in sadness MERICANS are more approachable and savvy than Brits give them credit for, Jay Nudd is telling me.

The Lake Komo singer has recently returned from a roadtrip around the States, where he filmed the video for the band’s single Milwaukee.

‘I think the perception that we have of Americans isn’t quite right,’ he says.

‘I mean, they’re very loud but they’re warm and they’re more tuned into politics than we are over here. In general, they’re quite tuned in. So they’re good people.’

After taking a roadtrip from LA to San Fransisco with a film crew to shoot the Milwaukee video, Nudd travelled around the country for three weeks on his own.

‘The people I met along the way were amazing,’ he says.

America has a strong presence in the single, which shares its name with a city in Wisconsin. In the chorus, Nudd sings ‘I was born on the fourth of July’.

But he says the song is less a nod to American Independence Day and more about the summer before his final year studying film at Lancaster University – when he decided to focus on making music.

The single is uplifting for one widely seen as a breakup song, I suggest.

But it’s only ‘sort of’ about the end of a relationship,

according to Nudd. ‘It’s more about figuring out what you’re doing with the rest of your life,’ he adds. ‘[The breakup] sort of happened side by side.

‘It allowed me to focus on the right music and just doing that.

‘I really love film and I made films at uni but I really enjoyed music and I was just trying to figure out what I wanted to do once I’d left uni.

‘It’s a big decision, ‘cause you’re going to be doing it until you retire, hopefully.

But he veered away from making such a reflective song too melancholy.

‘I’m trying to either convey something that’s quite sad in a happy way or something that’s quite happy in a sad way,’ he explains.

‘I am always trying to battle with happiness and sadness.

‘It isn’t just happy, happy, happy – or sad, sad, sad.

Both can be a bit boring and everyone’s heard it before.’

Nudd says he hung around a lot of musicians at uni and admits to being a bit of a party animal.

‘I had a lot of mates, had good social groups,’ he says.

‘We were lucky because we had a good year.

‘We were fun. I went out a lot, when I was younger, between about 17 and 20, but I sort of mellowed at a middle age – at the grand old age of 25!’

The band played their first gigs at Lancaster’s SU and were spotted after their record label Colombia found out

Well travelled: Lake Komo’s (l-r) Jess, Pete, Liam and Jay

ON TOUR Oct 8 Manchester, Neighbourhood Festival Oct 11 Birmingham, The Sunflower Lounge Oct 12 Swansea, Sin City Oct 15-Oct 16 Manchester, A Carefully Planned Festival Oct 19 Leeds, Lending Room Oct 25 Glasgow, Stereo Oct 28 Newcastle, Think Tank?

Nov 3 Sheffield, Picture House Social

about them online.

‘All the major labels came to the shows,’ Nudd says.

‘So we just ended up meeting them and we were like “yeah”.

‘We talked about it for a long time. From the emails we got to when we got signed was about 12 months.’

Following his trip round America, Nudd has been on the road again for the past few months, this time touring the UK with fellow band members Liam Maxwell on drums, Jess Gould on keys and Pete Bentley on bass.

One of his favourite stops on the tour has been Hull.

‘They were really enthusiastic,’ he says. ‘We have played there three times and every time it’s been amazing. It’s a good town.’

The fourpiece have recently moved to Manchester to make touring easier.

‘We were trying to progress and thought it would be better to try and get into a centralised hub for music,’ Nudd explains.

‘We’ve been there about 18 months now and I’ve really enjoyed it.

‘Good town, well rounded.

It has a bit of everything.’

Despite being so welltravelled, the singer’s heart seems to lie in Lancaster, where he met the other members of the band while they were performing.

‘It’s got a good live music culture,’ he says. ‘There is a lot of live music in pubs, open mic nights and things like that. It’s amazing.’

PICTURE: ROB BLACKHAM

A

@ Emily Sudbury

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The Interview

wasquite quite IIwas shykid kidand and aashy movedto to IImoved Leedsto togo goto to Leeds universityand and university hadaareally really had goodtime time good DanSmith Smith Dan

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19

October 2016

D

@ Henry Edwards

AN SMITH answers the phone with a warm and cheerful ‘hi there’.

The Bastille frontman has come from a solid day of rehearsals and radio sessions, promoting their second album Wild World.

But you wouldn’t know – the singer sounds as if he’s taking a relaxed stroll along a river in t he early evening sunshine.

But he puts me straight: ‘We’re on our way to Amsterdam to do an album playback.

‘It’s an exciting time because we’re all involved in every little bit of the album, and we’re trying to organise a lot of fun things like pop-up shops.’

He describes the band’s next destination as ‘one of those really characterful cities that can be whatever you want’.

He adds: ‘If you want

to go completely mental it’s good for that.’ And does he prefer to take in the culture or go completely mental?

He laughs. ‘I think we all like a bit of both,’ he says after a pause.

‘Quite often we don’t have a large amount of time in a city,’ he adds.

‘But we always try and get a sense of where we’re playing and see what the city’s like, not just stay backstage.’

Bastille – also made up of Kyle Simmons and Will Farquarson on guitar, bass and keys and drummer Chris Wood – are one of those bands who seem to have been well established ever since you first heard of them.

Hotly tipped as an emerging band from 2010, their debut album Bad Blood reached No.1 and their first big single, Pompeii, sold five million copies in America alone.

But Smith never expected to be a musician and it was only while he was at the University of Leeds that a friend threw him into the limelight.

‘Music was always a private thing for me. At uni, all the mates I made were in bands and on a drunken night, someone heard one of my songs and, without me knowing, entered it into a competition Leeds Council ran.’

He didn’t find out about the competition until he was told he had won it and part of the prize included playing at The Faversham in Leeds.

‘It put me into situations where I felt uncomfortable and nervous but a part of me was really into it,’ he says. ‘I definitely don’t think, if I hadn’t gone to uni, I would’ve done music.’

I wonder how he felt about his mate secretly putting his music forward.

‘I only found

out when I won,’ he says. ‘It was a bit of a big bombshell.

‘Up to then it had been bedroom recordings and I had to work out how to do it live.

‘It’s taken me a long time to get comfortable playing shows.’

He says he had ‘the best time’ at Leeds, where he studied English.

‘I met so many good friends,’ he adds. ‘I really enjoyed my course, I did student radio and the paper and I used to work at the bar and see a lot of free gigs that way.

‘It’s a cliché to say, but the course is almost the least important bit.’

Leeds also helped Smith widen his musical tastes and come out of his shell.

‘I used to go to the West Indian Centre and see a lot of dub music and at the same time, I’d go and see a lot of indie bands,’ he says.

‘Leeds is amazing and has so much

Samples make our album like the imagined soundtrack to a film that doesn't exist Dan Smith

diversity and I guess me and my mates had a varied range of tastes.

‘I guess I was quite a shy kid and I moved to Leeds and had a really good time.’

So does he recommend other students give music a go at uni?

‘I would never see myself as worthy of giving any advice to anyone,’ he says humbly. ‘For me, that was the time when it happened.’

His description of life with the band after they formed in 2010 shatters any illusions that Bastille rose up overnight.

‘It was a gradual curve,’ he says.

‘We went up to every venue in London and all around the country.

‘Before our album came out we worked up to Shepherd’s Bush Empire and sold out for two nights.

‘That was before Pompeii and I guess that’s testament to how much we used to tour.

‘We worked really hard, putting out mix tapes and

CDs. We used to drive around the country in a car we borrowed from our friend’s mum because it was big enough to fit all our stuff in, and we used to crash on floors.’

Perhaps one reason Smith seems so carefree is he never presumed a music career would take off.

‘What’s been nice is that no-one was expecting, least of all us, to have this success,’ he says.

In fact, before he was dragged out of the musical closet at university, Smith wanted to be a film journalist and admits he is still ‘massively’ into cult films.

It’s a passion that has made it into the band’s music, in the form of samples, not least on Wild World.

‘The samples help add to the little world we’re trying to create – some are from well-known films and some are from unknown documentaries,’ Smith says.

For forthcoming single Send Them Off! the band wanted a clip from an old Italian sci-fi.

‘Someone drove to Milan to try and find the film company, but we couldn’t find them, so we had to change it,’ Smith reveals.

‘It’s about making the album evocative.’

He adds rather poetically: ‘It’s like the imagined soundtrack to a film that doesn’t exist.’

Despite being a big fan of his soundtracks, the 30-year-old refuses to be drawn on his favourite Quentin Tarantino flick.

‘What I love about Tarantino, and [Stanley] Kubrick, is they don’t make millions of films – they make a few and they’re all iconic in their own way,’ he says.

‘It’s great to have a director who can put a stamp on things. To put a clunky parallel on it, it’s like our songs – we make them ours and we don’t really have a genre.

‘It would be cool if our albums felt like a series of different films by the same director.’

And with characteristic warmth and self-deprecation, he finishes our call by saying: ‘Sorry if I chewed your ear off!’

For details of Bastille’s upcoming UK arena tour, go to bastillebastille.com.

Singer may have kept his tunes hidden if it wasn't for the help of a drunken mate

I thank uni for the music

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The Interview

23

October 2016

Fans shake when meeting us Psychedelic five-piece getting used to adoring followers who tremble when taking photos with them

W

@ Tom Gellatly HEN The University Paper last spoke to Blossoms’ lead singer, Tom Ogden, in January he told us he hoped their debut album’s release would ‘propel them to the next level.’

Nine months and dozens of gigs later, Blossoms – which also includes bassist Charlie Salt, Josh Dewhurst on lead guitar, drummer Joe Donovan and keyboard player Myles Kellock – have a number one album and are about to embark on their biggest tour yet.

I ask if the band feels different after their new found success.

‘It definitely does, yeah,’ he says. ‘We always thought when the album comes out, that is when everything would properly start. It feels like everything up until now has been a dress rehearsal.’

He adds: ‘We can’t wait for our headline UK tour and to play the

ON TOUR Sept 23 Birmingham, O2 Institute Sept 24 Bristol, Bristol Bierkeller Sept 29 London, O2 Forum Kentish Town Sept 30 Manchester Academy Oct 1, O2 ABC Glasgow Oct 3 Newcastle, Riverside Oct 4 Sheffield, The Leadmill Oct 5 Leeds Beckett SU Oct 7 Nottingham, Rock City Nov 30 Leicester, O2 Academy Dec 2 and 3 Manchester, Albert Hall Dec 5 Edinburgh, Potterrow Dec 13 London, O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire

tunes back to the fans.’

The tour will mark the end of the festival season, so I ask if the fivepiece are looking forward to getting back to regular gigs.

Ogden tells me: ‘Festival season is great for the big crowds and the exposure, but you only get 15 minutes to set up and it’s quite a rushed thing.

‘When you’re doing your own shows you’ve got all day to set up and you know everything's going to run smoothly, it’s a little bit more relaxed.’

Reminiscing over the past few months, in which they've played festivals across Europe, Ogden tells me: ‘Leeds or Y Not Festival were the two highlights for me.

‘The crowds were very receptive and all singing along, and they both had a good vibe.

‘Funnily enough, we did a gig in Romania which was surprisingly really, really good.’

The band’s Reading and Leeds Festival performances this summer received rave reviews from critics.

Looking back, Ogden tells me: ‘They were everything we expected them to be. They were two really, really good gigs.

‘At Reading, it was nice to go back to the BBC Introducing Stage and do something there too, because they’ve helped us loads along the way.’

I tell him about a fan’s tweet in which she admitted to crying with happiness the whole way through Blossoms' Reading set.

Surprised by the adoration, Ogden says ‘wow!’ and adds: ‘Stuff like that is a bit mad to be honest, it’s surreal.

‘But you can’t control how you make people react, and that can only be a positive thing, can’t it?

‘I’ve never reacted like that to a gig myself, but fair enough, it’s cool!’

With a fan-base rapidly growing much further than their home town of Stockport, Ogden tells me they are starting to become accustomed to fans’ reactions.

‘You get people going all shaky when they pose for a photo with

Blossoming career: (l-r) Josh Dewhurst, Myles Kellock, Tom Ogden, Charlie Salt and Joe Donovan

We were playing in Japan and they had cut-out masks of Myles’ face in the crowd, it was so strange.

Tom Ogden

us, and we’re like: “Why are you shaking? We’re just normal people!” But it’s great,’ Ogden says adding: ‘We were playing in Japan and they had cut-out masks of Myles’ face in the crowd, it was so strange.’

The band discovered the loyalty of their fans when their self-titled album went to No.1 in August.

‘We found out when we were at Boardmasters,’ the singer says.

‘We were with our management and people close to the band so that was nice.

‘When the album came out we were more excited about the fans’ reaction to it. But when we found out it might have been No.1 we were made up, and when it actually happened it was surreal.’

On the back of that success, Blossoms are embarking on their biggest tour yet. ‘It’s everything we wanted, Ogden says: ‘We always said from the start we wanted to be a big band, so these are the sorts of shows we want to be playing.

‘We’re not just going to become

complacent because we’ve booked a fairly big tour: we want bigger and better after this! We’re dead focused and we’re enjoying ourselves.’

The tour takes them from the UK to Europe and America.

When I ask if he is excited about playing in the USA, he says: ‘I’ve always wanted to go to New York so it’ll be brilliant!

‘It will be good to be able to start again over there. It’s great to do big shows here, but when we go over there it’ll be like starting again at the small shows.’

With a successful year, you could forgive Blossoms for giving themselves time off to celebrate, but Ogden isn’t interested in slowing down, saying:‘I’m writing for what will be a second record.

‘It’s important to me that I keep on top of it and stay creative and look for stuff to influence me. We also wanna do more touring and bigger shows. There’s no limit to it, we just want to keep working hard. And we definitely want to follow up with a second record fairly quickly.’

24|Your Night

Enjoyed a big night in Swansea? We have all the pictures from the city’s hottest nightspots... see if you can spot yourself

October 2016

Music

25

October 2016

Singer Sam McTrusty reveals the band have started a new chapter

@ Alicia Boukersi

H

AVING emerged from a genre seemingly lacking anything new, alt rock band Twin Atlantic are currently celebrating their tenth year together.

And what a spectacular year it has been so far, from selling out highcapacity venues in minutes to the release of their new album, GLA. However, it all seemed quite unlikely not so long ago.

After a hectic time creating the Great Divide album in 2014 and then touring, the Glaswegian four-piece of singer Sam McTrusty, guitarist Barry McKenna, Ross McNae on bass and Craig Kneale on drums, returned to Scotland to take a break.

The period could have been the death of Twin Atlantic and McTrusty admits the big climatic gigs from their Great Divide tour in 2015 felt like an ending.

Thankfully, it wasn’t.

‘Spending time back at home with our families, made us more comfortable with what we were producing,’ he tells me.

‘We just needed to take some time out and kind of bask in our achievements.’

He makes it clear their subsequent year long hiatus from music was never going to last forever.

‘Let’s face it, I was never going to be a zookeeper,’ he jokes.

‘I was asked to write songs for other artists, but it never really happened. I guess, in my heart of hearts, I knew the band wasn’t over.

It wasn’t the end of the band, just the end of the first chapter.’

Since then, four-piece has been working on their fourth album, GLA. Named after their hometown, the band believes unequivocally that Glasgow influenced the record, both literally and figuratively.

‘GLA was the first album we’d

Robust rockers: Twin Atlantic's (l-r) Ross, Sam, Craig and Barry

I was never gonna be a zookeeper written at home, so it has a hip-hop style production to it,’ he says.

Writing the record at home also meant the band could be ‘more real’ with their music.

McTrusty says: ‘With this album we felt we could speak from the heart and talk about the brutal truth.

‘Being surrounded by hard, gritty edges of Glasgow painted the way the music looked in my mind.’

Twin Atlantic had recently said they want GLA to represent their experiences of living in what they called one of the most exciting yet dangerous cities in the world.

When I quiz Sam about why Glasgow is dangerous he laughs and says: ‘The drinking culture, the fights on the way home, it’s laced through generations and means people are fiery, bold and able to speak their mind.

‘Glasgow is such an interesting

city. It’s working class and has 1,000 bars, which means people can really let loose.’

He adds the city is ‘the epicenter

Hometown tribute: The GLA album cover

for politics and the referendum really showed how passionate people are.’

‘It can get a bit too much,’ he adds. ‘The people are so passionate and mixed with everything else, it can create a spark.’

These feelings are captured in GLA, which features a mixture of glam rock anthems and heavier tracks. ‘The album came so naturally to us,’ he says.

‘We were bored of people saying rock music is dead and not relevant.

‘It takes balls to show your true colours, and I think we’ve done that.’

Asking him about his favourite track from the album, he reveals Ex El is his top pick and describes it as being a cross-section of the whole record.

‘We never thought we’d have a song like that,’ he says.

‘It’s an excellent element, and it’s got an artistic edge which we love.’

Although Twin Atlantic have been together for a decade now, providing radio-ready emo-pop with pained yet majestic lyrics, they

We’re gonna put our heart and soul into the shows

Sam McTrusty

ON TOUR Oct 7 Newcastle University Oct 8 Manchester, Neighbourhood Festival Oct 9 Cardiff, Y Plas Oct 11 Birmingham, O2 Institute Oct 12 London, O2 Forum Kentish Town Oct 15 Leeds, Leeds Beckett students' union Dec 13 to 15 Glasgow, Barrowland

still look up to younger and newer bands.

Counting Spring King and Blossoms as inspirations, McTrusty says: ‘Young indie bands are smashing it at the moment, and getting us hyped. It’s amazing to see.’

However, their own successes have galvanised the music scene in their hometown.

Selling-out King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in minutes earlier this year shows hometown loyalty can breed success.

‘You can be from here and play among heroes,’ he says.

The band is now eager for their tour to begin in October.

‘I’m excited to play our new music. We wrote the album with a live atmosphere in mind, and we’re proud of it. It’s gonna be mental,’ he says.

I ask if there are any venues he wishes to play.

‘Yeah, there’s quite a few,’ he admits. ‘But we’re gonna put our heart and soul in the shows that we are playing.’

26|Our Summer

October 2016

Being a TUP reporter can be tough... here’s our festival highlights

LEEDS FESTIVAL

F

If Coachella is the David Beckham of festivals (sleek and well-groomed), Leeds Fest is the John Terry (dirty but gets the job done).

The weather was atrocious and the tent we bought was so poor we might as well have slept in a leaky shower cubicle.

However, if we had the chance to go again we would, and here’s why.

While an outsider may think it’s the music that makes the festival, it’s really the people that bring the music to life. Personal favourites include the Power Rangers, Bananaman, Harambe the Gorilla and a rather hairy nun.

The icing on the cake was a magical performance from Red Hot Chili Peppers on Sunday. So yes, the toilets looked like something from a post-apocalyptic nightmare.

But, the crowd and the worldclass bands turned Leeds Fest 2016 Putting a spring into a festival that will live long in in your step: Lost the memories of all those who were boys at LeeFest part of it.

Elliot Mulligan

ROM fake beaches to laser domes, the organisers of this summer’s festivals gave us plenty of weirdness and wonder. We’ve been digging sand, moshing and generally getting stuck-in to bring you the best bits.

Beer brand Corona turned its hand to festivals as Meridian Quays in London was transformed into a sand-filled manmade beach.

The effort put in by my fellow guests added to the holiday vibe – even in not-so-summery temperatures, the shorts and sandals were easy to spot, accessorised with facepaint and glitter galore.

We were treated to a line-up of DJs, including Robin Schulz, Felix Jaehn and Sam Feldt, who played perfect summer tunes.

The festival had its own sunset moment as a view of Canary Wharf graced the background of the stage – a reminder that London can transform itself into a romantic Maya Jundi festival spot.

LEEFEST In the dying embers of a July heatwave, somewhere secret near Tonbridge, pirates and Peter Pan’s Lost Boys listened to live music and downed copious amounts of Frontier lager.

The LeeFest story started ten years ago in Lee’s back garden and has grown in popularity each year.

There were some great acts, from Loyle Carner to Ghostpoet, and you could watch each one from the comfort of one of the hay bales dotted around.

If that got too sedate, there was always The Goldmine, a large pit playing non-stop club music, and Pieces of 8-bit, a shack full of retro games and consoles.

Being intoxicated while killing Jaws with a guided missile on 007 Nightfire is the closest I’ll get to being ten years old again. Sam Toller

PICTURE: ANDREW BENGE

CORONA SUNSETS

Sun, singalongs and secret parties Q&A LOYLE CARNER I catch up with rapper Loyle Carner as he sits across from me in a backstage tent at LeeFest, looking excited but cool.

You’ve started a cooking school, how’s that going?

It’s good. We started last week. It’s for kids with ADHD from 14 to 16. It’s healthy, accessible stuff for the kids.

Stuff that’s exciting: chicken ramen, salmon en croute, beef wellington.

How do you use your ADHD to your advantage?

It’s just who I am. I don’t know what it’s like to not have ADHD so I don’t recognise that I’m different. I took tablets when I was younger, which kind

ILLUSTRATIONS: JESS JENKINS

LOVE SAVES THE DAY A wedding, ballpit party and danceoff in a boxing ring: I definitely attended a Bristol festival.

On entering LSTD, I was dragged into an inflatable church with a DJ at the back, where I witnessed the ‘nuptuals’ between two mates.

The weirdness didn’t end there.

READING FESTIVAL of dulled down my ADHD but meant I couldn’t be creative. I decided that I was much better with ADHD. Everyone’s got their own quirks and as you grow up you learn how to work with them.

This years been pretty big for you. Have you had any ‘pinch me, I’m dreaming’ moments?

A few. It’s weird. I don’t really notice much of it. I notice it at the shows but, I live in Croydon, I don’t really see much of the hype around myself. It’s kind of like getting fat, you don’t know you’re fat until you’re fat. I met Corinne Bailey Rae recently, which was one of the times recently and I had to pinch myself, I’m wildly in love with her.

At points, I also found myself in a boxing ring danceoff, blindfolded in a makeshift tattoo parlour (the tattoo was fake) and diving into a ball pit in the middle of a tent where a DJ was playing ‘90s classics.

Stormzy was an energy-fuelled grime masterclass, but Chase & Status played a disappointingly timid set that moved away from the drum ‘n’ bass many of their fans love them for.

Luckily, I left in time to catch Dizzee Rascal’s rendition You Got The Dirtee Love – an appropriate song to end LSTD on.

Jake Hirst

My mum keeps me pretty grounded.

I still live at home and I’ve got a lot of responsibility there, and that’s really what takes priority in my brain. But I just don’t look that online stuff, the comments, I just create and move on.

How do you keep yourself as grounded as you seem?

I don’t see myself as any different to before the music started taking off.

GOTTWOOD It would be hard for me to adequately review my four days at Gottwood without churning out a novella, gushing over the long weekend.

As I stepped into the woods on

Have you ever thought of going for any really different sounds that interest you?

I’ve been interested in punk for a long time. My dad listened to a lot of punk back in the day. But it’s the same kind of stuff, it’s anti-establishment, like rap, it comes from a pure place, its not meant to be conventional. There’s a much closer link between punk and rap music than people think.

Sam Toller

the first day, the festival took on a magical air that would fill the whole weekend.

The organisers did a great job of setting a mystical tone, but the unambiguously titled Laser Dome proved to be one of the most frequently enjoyed areas as its laser beams flickered in and out of existence in time to the aggressive tunes played.

Gottwood prides itself on being so much more than just a collection of neat stages and this year’s festival was such an energetic, life-affirming affair that I hope that it has a few more years in it yet.

Tom Gellatly

5 things we learned at festivals this summer 1. Wet clothes are no fun – bring a waterproof bag 2. Record TV coverage of the festival so you can relive it 3. Take some time for yourself to just look around 4. Don’t cling to your schedule 5. Never camp near the toilets (or hedges).

Daniel Cowen-Rivers

I couldn’t help but feel relieved we bought a pop-up tent after witnessing so many people struggling to set up theirs.

However, on Friday morning I woke up covered in a mixture of sweat and rain which had managed to get into our tent over night. It was then I realised our tiny two man tent wasn’t the best idea.

However, this little detail did not bring down my mood.

Saturday was the day I was looking forward to the most as I would finally get to see my favourite band of all time, Red Hot Chili Peppers, live. They made an electric comeback nine years after they last performed at Reading.

Later on we checked out the silent disco. While the queue was long, we managed to entertain ourselves by free styling with beat-boxing and singing, which got us a round of applause.

Our egos were definitely boosted by this experience and we felt we should have a stage to ourselves.

Sunday, the final day, began with a long walk to Tesco and I’d never seen a longer queue in the supermarket in my entire life.

We finished the night by exchanging stories with our new friends from the weekend. I can say Reading was one of the best weekends of my life.

Masha Milovanovic

Music

27

October 2016

TUP speaks to singer Izzy Bizu about her parents, living in the Middle East and turning growing pains into an album

I

@ Justine Jones WAS like “I can’t, I just can’t”,’ – Izzy Bizu is describing the one time she has found herself starstruck.

Despite having toured with Justin Bieber and supported Sam Smith, the 22-year-old says it was only when she saw Will Smith in the flesh that it all got too much.

‘We were doing a soundcheck for Justin Bieber and Willow Smith was performing as well,’ she says.

‘Then Will Smith came on to the stage and I didn’t know what to do – I grew up watching Fresh Prince.

I crumbled.’

If you’ve managed to miss out on seeing Bizu, born Isobel Beardshaw, at festivals such as Glastonbury and Secret Garden Party, or you haven’t had her single White Tiger stuck in your head all summer, you may recognise her voice from the BBC’s theme song for its UEFA Euro 2016 coverage – a cover of 1950s singer Edith Piaf’s La Foule (the crowd).

You may also have seen the Londoner performing alongside Rudimental, Foxes or Sam Smith, who she says was her favourite to work with and describes as ‘a really cool and an amazing person’.

‘He’s got a great sense of humour,’ she adds. ‘I was so inspired when I first heard him sing, he’s unreal. We had a really good time being on tour with him.’

Maybe her ability to stay cool around big names is down to her small, close circle.

‘I’ve got two awesome friends, Ollie and Leo, who tell me the

My album is about coming of age. I didn’t go mad or anything but I was confused and conflicted. I was just growing up – I realised everyone goes through this phase absolute truth, even when I hate it,’ she says. ‘The day after I always agree and go “yes you were right”.

They know me so well.’

The only time she gets close to gushing about people is while talking about her mum, who is from Ethiopia, and her English dad.

‘He’s awesome,’ she says. ‘I didn’t expect him to support me as much as he did. He saw I was putting 100 per cent effort in so he backed me. He’s a bit older so I thought he would be old fashioned about it but he was so nice.’

For four years, she lived with her dad while he was working in Bahrain, a small island nation off the coast of Saudi Arabia where temperatures can reach the high 30s.

‘Bahrain was perfect, it was palm trees and sea,’ she says. ‘Life’s a lot slower out there in the Middle East.

‘It’s hotter – great weather.

Sometimes it can be unbearable and you don’t want to move but it was really nice. The food is really different, which was cool. The

I used to be such a wuss

language is also really beautiful.’

Despite describing herself as a ‘daddy’s girl’, when I ask who first supported her career, it takes her no time at all to say her mum.

‘She never said “you were amazing” – that’s not how it started.

She was just like “Izzy, finish a song, just finish one”.

‘She would advise me on what was good and what wasn’t. She always made me work a bit harder to get the best results and when she was really happy she would tell me.

She’s been a sweetheart.’

And she says her parents were understanding when she shunned uni in favour of music. ‘It can be hard for parents to see their kids not going to university,’ she says.

‘I thought they’d be like “she might be a homeless busker” but they sucked it up and embraced it.’

If she had become a student, she would have done psychology or Busy gigging: Izzy Bizu, above, has to compromise on parties

trained as a chef. ‘I get so much joy from cooking,’ she says.

Despite not going to uni, she still has to juggle work and socialising.

‘I’m still trying to figure it out if I’m honest,’ she says. ‘You want to party but you have a gig the next day and you look haggard! I don’t know how some girls do it.’

The compromise is paying off though and Bizu has recently released her debut album A Moment Of Madness, which she wrote when she first moved away from home, fell in love and got a job.

‘It’s about coming of age,’ she says. ‘I didn’t go mad or anything but I was confused and conflicted. I was just growing up. I realised later

on that everyone goes through this phase. Now I look back and think “oh, I was such a wuss”.’

She says there was no single story she wanted to put on the album. ‘It

all comes together in the end and I look back on it and think there is a story there,’ she says. ‘They all connect in their own way.’ Sounds like writing an essay, I tell her. ‘Man

you guys work so hard,’ she replies.

‘My friend’s just finished a 10,000 word dissertation.

‘I don’t know how you do it.’

A Moment Of Madness is out now.

Digs

29

October 2016

www.unipaper.co.uk | t @TheUniPaper | f TheUniPaper

Your horrific housing stories

W

E all know that student houses aren’t the cleanest of environments, but some of these housing horror stories will turn even the strongest of stomachs.

below par condition of my third year house.

Emily Geyerhosz, University of Nottingham

An early Christmas gift

It was just before the Christmas holidays when our kitchen ceiling began to leak.

At first we didn’t think much of it, as it was just a small drop of water falling every few minutes.

Around two hours later, the leak had spread across the entire room.

We lost power in half the flat, including my bedroom.

The next day, when our maintenance guy arrived, he proceeded to tear down our ceiling.

Luckily, the power was brought back after three days.

House of hazards

I’m pretty sure my second year house was a death trap. When we moved in, the horrors were incredibly obvious to us.

There was a waste pipe running directly through one of the bedrooms, the wiring for the electric shower was also exposed in the bathroom, one splash of water and we’d have been frazzled.

To make matters worse, the whole place was damp and mould grew everywhere. I’m so relieved to be rid of that place.

as flat pets. One time they invited around 80 people (to our small six bed halls flat) and had a party that lasted five minutes before security was called.

After everyone left, the flat stank of smoke and was full of mud, someone also bizarrely stole our vacuum.

Needless to say, I moved out after a month.

My housemates had a funny shaped mouldy pepper as the flat mascot

Helen Clegg

Helen Clegg, University of Salford

Deposit disputes

Joe McDermott, University of Salford

My housemates weren’t the cleanest but occasionally they’d go on a cleaning spree and the house would look pretty good.

Apparently though, even our endof-year clean wasn’t enough for the estate agency, who took things such as ‘dusting the skirting boards’, ‘wiping down window sills’ and ‘hinges on the fridge door’ off the deposit to clean.

They also tried charging us £35 to fix the vacuum, claiming it was a fair charge for emptying the bag.

They later took off some charges after a lot of emails.

Jessica Farrington, University of Sheffield

Living with lice

Hellish housemates

It’s a horrifying moment when you first realise you didn’t look hard enough at the house you viewed and chose to rent.

Especially when you discover

hidden mould, a woodlice infestation, a dodgy boiler that makes menacing noises all night, festering grime in the kitchen and incurable smells coming from the

drains, which resembles the stench of rotten eggs.

It’s odd how conditions can build your character. I can now shrug my shoulders at the better but still

Little house of horrors: From mice infestations to mould

My housemates in halls used to leave condoms full of mayonnaise on the kitchen table. They also had a funny shaped mouldy pepper as the ‘flat mascot’.

They also wanted to keep the mice that all the rancid food attracted

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Sport

Unis building for success

Millions poured into new sporting facilities @ Molly Williams, Tom

W

Gellatly and Eleanna Zanga

ITH the Olympics, Euros, Wimbledon and Tour de France keeping us busy this summer, it was easy to forget about university sport.

But, while we were cheering on our nation, a number of institutions have made huge investments in their sports programmes, costing millions.

In Scotland, the University of Strathclyde has been given the go-ahead for a £33million sport, health and well-being facility.

The hub will include a six-lane swimming pool, a gym, sauna and steam rooms, physio consultation rooms and an academic space.

It will also provide a new area for the university’s sports clubs to train and compete in. Construction will begin in November, and the centre is expected to open in 2018.

Principal Prof Sir Jim McDonald said: ‘At Strathclyde, our students and staff are at the heart of everything we do. Together, we are creating a first-class facility that will provide health and wellbeing benefits for the university community, as well as improving participation in sport.’

In the north of England, Newcastle University are positioning themselves to challenge BUCS heavyweights Loughborough and Bath with a £30million investment.

A new state-of-the-art facility will include an eight court sports hall, four squash courts, a strength and conditioning suite and two exercise studios and will open in September 2017.

There will also be two artificial

31

October 2016

IN BRIEF

We’re lifting our game... and you can be involved The University Paper will be expanding its sports coverage in the 2016/17 season and you can get involved.

We’re dedicated to growing the national interest in university sports and will be looking to send reporters and photographers down to as many matches as possible.

If you’re a budding sports journalist and want to join our team send your contact details to editor@unipaper.co.uk.

If you’re part of a sports team and want to send match reports to us (which will be uploaded on our fantastic website www.unipaper. co.uk) get in touch with editorin-chief Sam Murray on editor@ unipaper.co.uk.

Our vision is to build Newcastle into one of the top sporting universities in the UK

Colin Blackburn, Newcastle University’s director of sport

turf pitches plus improved changing facilities at the Cochrane Park Sports Ground.

Director of sport, Colin Blackburn, said: ‘Our vision is to build Newcastle into one of the top sporting universities in the UK. ‘Our sports teams under the banner, Team Newcastle, performed well across the board in all sports in the last year, with outstanding performances from our basketball, fencing, rowing, rugby union, squash and water polo clubs.’

Work has also begun on a £5million cycling facility at the University of Leeds.

The one mile-long outdoor track and refurbished sports pavilion will

provide a traffic-free environment for cycling and should be ready early next year.

Patrick Craig, the university’s assistant head of sport, said: ‘This new track reinforces our vision of becoming the No.1 provider of higher education sport and physical activity experience in the UK.’ Elsewhere, De Montfort University has broken its sports spending record by investing £1m.

At the heart of the project will be the new DMUsport department.

From its headquarters at The Watershed, it will combine DMU’s sports performance team and De Montfort students’ union.

Two of its aims are to increase

the number of teams entered BUCS leagues and to create more opportunities for students to represent their sport.

Vice-chancellor, Prof Dominic Shellard, said: ‘I believe sport is an essential part of student life and has so much to teach us about how we achieve our goals. We are looking forward to developing the potential of our teams and inspiring them to achieve, as well as offering new opportunities for students who may not have thought of joining a team.’

Finally, the University of Salford have acquired four football pitches and changing facilities, which they plan to improve by adding flood lighting and fencing.

Green light: Strathclyde will get a new £33million sports hub

Budding sports journalist? Write for us by emailing your contact information to editor@ unipaper.co.uk

UK’s top city is... Leicester The city of Leicester continued its meteoric rise towards the top of world sport by being named ESPN’s Greatest Sporting City 2016.

The home of the University of Leicester and De Montfort University moved up 17 places to claim top spot in the ranking, which was created by the University of Bath and sports broadcaster ESPN.co.uk.

The city was scored on 12 factors, gaining the maximum rating in five: success, matchday atmosphere, local talent, community and social.

Sport psychology lecturer, Prof Thomas Curran from the University of Bath, said: ‘To score top marks in five factors is a great achievement.’

William Green

UFC champion Bisping is thriving on the pressure Gym beats

British MMA fighter happy on home soil

‘I do not want to just be won and done,’ UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping tells me. ‘I want to win the belt and defend the belt, and I want to do that in England.’

I’m chatting to the 37-year-old from Lancashire ahead of one of the biggest fights of his life – the first defence of his title, which will be against American Dan Henderson on Saturday, October 8.

The Count, as he’s also known, will have pressure on his wellmuscled shoulders – as he’s the first ever British UFC champion and he’ll be in front of an expectant home crowd at the Manchester Arena. His belt win against

PICTURE: IMAGES COURTESY OF MANCHESTER UNITED

@ Arike Idris

American Luke Rockhold came as a shock to some (Bisping was a last minute call-up after Rockhold’s opponent dropped out), but now the Englishman is leading the way for

a little bit of pressure, but I am the type of person that thrives off that pressure.’

The much-anticipated fight will also be a rematch between the two rivals, with Bisping looking to exact revenge after losing to Henderson at UFC 100 in 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Henderson brutally knocked out the Englishman in the second round with a big right hand punch.

However, Bisping feels he is now a different fighter. ‘[UFC 100] was a long time ago, Fighting talk: Michael it was like a different version of Bisping says he is too myself and that version of myself tough for Dan Henderson does not exist to this day. This is like a rematch of a totally different British fighters. ‘It is a childhood fighter, there are no lessons to be dream and I’m really happy to learned, that version of myself does represent my country on the world not exist anymore, I’m too fast, I’m stage,’ he says. bigger, I’m better.’ ‘[Being on home soil] does bring There’s no doubt that Bisping has

developed since that knockout, both in and out of The Octagon.

Early next year Bisping will star in the movie xXx: Return of Xander Cage, which features stars such as Vin Diesel and Samuel L Jackson.

However, for now, the British champion is focused on his MMA career.

He says: ‘I want to defend the belt three times, which is a difficult task. I won the belt, I would love to be a reigning defending champion, defend it three times and retire as world champion.

‘It is a hard thing to achieve, but I’m certainly going to try. [Acting] is great but it is my fighting career that has opened these doors, so I’m very much focused on being the best fighter I can be and hopefully opening more doors.’

UFC 204: Bisping vs Henderson 2 will be available live on BT Sport.

partying

Students are putting protein shakes before shots, a new study has revealed.

Socialising with friends is British students’ favourite past time, a survey by UniDays has revealed.

But more people prefer hitting the gym (41 per cent) than partying (39 per cent) or going to the pub (27 per cent).

The survey used data from almost 60,000 18 to 24-year-olds and found, socialising, listening to music and shopping were the top three ways students like to pass their time.

Other popular hobbies included watching TV, reading, cooking and John Shaw blogging.

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