Swansea Edition October 2015 by The University Paper

WIN

SWANSEA EDITION

FREE

October 2015

RISE Festival tickets

P33

RIDDLE OVER CRASH DEATH

THE MACCABEES: A DECADE AND WE’RE STILL A BIT HIT AND HOPE.............. PAGE 15

JOHN SHAW

UN-BAY-LIEVABLE: The blood supermoon hangs in the sky, appearing to usher in a new era for Swansea University. It was seen over the new £450million Bay Campus, which finally opened in September after two years of building PICTURE: JAMES DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY read more on p5

THE family of a Swansea University graduate are still in the dark as to why he was driving on the wrong side of the road when he had a fatal collision. Trainee maths teacher Oliver Davies was travelling to his work placement in Gloucestershire when he collided with a BMW car. The 21-year-old, who graduated from Swansea last year, was killed instantly, while four occupants of the other car were hospitalised, including three children. However, an investigation into February’s crash concluded there were no traces of

Family man: Oliver Davies alcohol or drugs in Mr Davies’ system and he had not been using his mobile phone. He had fainted twice in the past year, possibly because of

hypoglycemic shock – when the body’s blood sugar drops too low, his GP told the inquest. However, blood tests could not be taken at the time of his death. Coroner Katy Skerrett concluded there was no clear evidence why Mr Davies was on the wrong side of the road and offered the family her condolences. His mother, Trudy, told the Gloucester Citizen: ‘Sadly, the inquest has not reached a conclusion, and neither does it bring Oliver back. ‘We will not be able to enjoy many things we planned to do with Oliver but are grateful for having him in our lives.’

WE ARE HERE

STUDENTS We have the

BEST selection of Student houses

We have Student rooms, Studios and 1 to 3 bed apartments

All properties are

fully licensed and quality checked

Book a viewing today

01792 464757

48 Uplands Crescent, Uplands, Swansea.

www.freshsales.co.uk

Luke’s inspirational picture goes viral

www.unipaper.co.uk

JOHN SHAW

Snap happy: Luke Bennett

A SELFIE taken by a Swansea University student with his colostomy bag has been viewed by millions of people. Luke Bennett, who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis four years ago, shared the picture to help others going through the disease. The 20-year-old posted the image, which has been viewed more than 2.4million times, on to the Crohn’s and Colitis UK Facebook page. He added a message that read: ‘I hope for the people reading this with young children who

are suffering with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, or for young people themselves living with the disease, that my story helps you in any way to not feel frightened if surgery is ever offered to you or if it is your only option. It has definitely changed my life.’ Luke was diagnosed with the disease at 16 years old and was hospitalised after a flare-up in 2012. He was prescribed a number of drugs to put him into remission but his body did not respond. Luke then took the decision to have a sub-total colectomy – a resection of part of his colon. He said: ‘I feel like a different person. Yes, the first two to three weeks of

the surgery is all aches and pains – but nothing like the pain I had been experiencing before.’ He took the photo five weeks after having the operation. He added: ‘The thought of having a “bag” is terrifying as most of the young people you see around you are confident with their bodies and it’s the time in a person’s life when they should be enjoying life without any worries. ‘However, life isn’t always kind to us and the decision for me was either to have surgery and live with a stoma bag, or continue with this disease until I was going to need emergency surgery in the future.’

RELEASE THE HOUND: This is the world’s most powerful racing car – BLOODHOUND SSC. The jet- and rocket-powered vehicle, which was partly tested by Swansea University engineers, has more than nine times the power output of all the cars in Formula 1 combined and was revealed to the public at London’s Canary Wharf. The team behind it will attempt to break the land speed record in South Africa next year, with PICTURE: STEFAN MARJORAM driver Andy Green taking the hot seat

contactUS EDITOR: JAKE CLOTHIER Email him at swanseaeditor@unipaper.co.uk

DID YOU KNOW? YOU COULD BE ENTITLED TO FREE NHS DENTAL CARE*

October 2015

inBRIEF

Judges agree to court digs SOMETIMES you can feel like you are being judged in halls. And, for the future residents of a recently approved student accommodation block, that feeling could be about to grow. Swansea’s old county court is going to be turned into halls with 22 flats after plans were approved by the city and county council. The grade II-listed building has been empty for nearly a decade and planning officers say the new student tenants will help secure its long-term future.

Flying Fiji set up base THE Fijian national rugby team graced Swansea University turf ahead of their Rugby World Cup game against Wales. The side, who lost the tournament opener against England, hosted an open training session where members of the public could watch them prepare. They then mingled with locals and members of the Swansea University community. The Fijians will play their final Pool A match against the Uruguayans at Stadium MK in Milton Keynes.

For all advertising enquiries, please call: 020 7580 6419

655 PRACTICES NATIONWIDE, FIND ONE NEAR YOU AT

www.mydentist.co.uk

*Terms and Conditions apply

October 2015

The ‘rents are what we miss the most JAKE CLOTHIER and ANTONIA CUNDY IF YOU miss having your mum and dad around – or even just the full fridge they provide – you are not alone. Just over half of students say their parents are what they miss most when they move to a new city to study, according to a survey. Two in five yearn for home-cooked food, while one in three wishes they had learned to prepare it themselves before they arrived at university, research

by The Student Housing Company found. But, fear not – a separate study found more than one in three of those who have completed their degree say living independently was almost as useful as earning their qualification. Nearly one in four says going to university helped them to develop their people skills. But fewer than one in ten said they were better at managing their money after their time studying, the University of Surrey poll

www.unipaper.co.uk

Being dyslexic, I was told by classmates and even English teachers that I would never be able to deal with academic work in university – that it was a fact of life and I shouldn’t even consider going. With the help of my family, I applied to Swansea, was accepted and I am starting second year with a just above-average grade, so it gives me a lot of pride studying and living at university knowing I proved so many wrong. Cameron Fitzgerald, second-year ancient history and Egyptology student, Swansea University

My biggest achievement at university is probably being elected part-time women’s officer – it’s a huge privilege. What I probably missed the most being away from home at first was the familiarity of it. It was strange coming to university where everything was so new. Heather Wood, second-year English student, Swansea University I miss my mummy. My biggest achievement would be still being here, considering. Amelia Webb, third-year philosophy and theology student, University of Oxford

of more than 1,000 of the nation’s graduates found. Vice-president and registrar Dr David Ashton said: ‘For many new students, this is the first time they have ever lived away from home and it is a big achievement to be able to live independently.’ Many current students could identify with the

findings. Molly Dowrick, a second-year English student at Swansea University, said: ‘My biggest achievement is learning to be independent. ‘When I’m away, I miss my family.’ Saad Satti, a second-year Swansea law student from Pakistan, said: ‘One of the things I’ve missed about

what they say I really miss having a full fridge. My biggest achievements have been writing a play and finding a boyfriend. Lamorna Ash, third-year English student, University of Oxford

My biggest achievement is probably being able to pass second year after being very ill for a long time. The thing I most miss about home is just that I don’t get to see my school friends a lot, since I get to go home all the time. Ryan Bamsey, third-year psychology student, Swansea University

I miss my local coffee shop. Matilda Armstrong, second-year English student, University of Bristol

home has been the homecooked food. ‘I guess my biggest achievement at uni has been becoming the only Asian to get a spot in the university cricket team, which is usually dominated by local students.’ Flora Hadaway, a secondyear French and Spanish student at the University of

Edinburgh, said: ‘I miss my cats. My biggest achievement has been joining lacrosse.’ But for some, just facing the elements in their university cities has proved enough of a challenge. Third year Alice da Costa said: ‘My biggest achievement is surviving the Edinburgh winters.’

Download the GBK app to unlock your 30% Student Discount gbkapp.co.uk/uni

www.gbk.co.uk

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

NEW CAMPUS A WINDOW ON TO BAY’S FUTURE? Piercy’s parting ‘a relief’ THIS is the first stage in what authorities hope will be a £3billion transformation of the city. Swansea University’s £450million Bay Campus – which includes halls and a library, as well as a new home for the schools of engineering and management – has opened on the city’s beach front more than two years after work started. Bosses at the University of Wales Trinity St David hope they will be next to benefit from development, with new buildings planned as part of the Swansea Waterfront Innovation Quarter and a partnership with the bay’s proposed tidal power plant on the cards. Swansea Council said the regeneration projects that had taken shape over the past nine months amounted to £3billion of investment. Sea change: (clockwise from top) Students outside the new campus; the Bay Library, with space for 650 students; plans for a new University of Wales Trinity St David campus in the city’s SA1 waterfront area; and an artist’s impression of the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon renewable energy plant, which was given planning consent in June

THE reputation of Swansea University has been ‘seemingly tarnished’ by controversy around its school of management, a union has claimed. In a letter to its members, Swansea’s branch of the University and College Union said Prof Nigel Piercy’s leadership had led to a ‘hellish’ two years, calling his departure a ‘relief’. Prof Piercy, who was dubbed ‘Niggly Nigel’ following disagreements within the school and was criticised for describing trade unionists as ‘grubby little people’ in a blog post, stepped down as dean earlier this year after citing ‘differences’ with the university over the school’s future. The UCU described his comments as ‘highly offensive’ and said negative publicity around the school had ‘bruised and wounded’ it. However, the union said it had received positive feedback about the new acting head of department Prof Marc Clement.

Safer than we thought JAKE CLOTHIER SWANSEA students could be less likely to fall victim to crime than previously thought, new figures show. The area around Swansea University’s Singleton Park campus was named 32nd on a list of 94 English and Welsh institutions, excluding London, for burglary, robbery, violent and sexual crime. It reported a rate of 26.78 of these crimes per 1,000 residents, compared with 39.96 at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music, which topped the table. However, the figures contrast with a report published earlier this year that placed Swansea second only to Brighton for all

types of crime in student-heavy areas. The latest data, published by The Complete University Guide but taken from official police statistics, was made up of 19.13 violent and sexual offences, 0.36 robberies and 7.28 burglaries. Edward Mercer, a second-year aerospace engineering student at Swansea, said: ‘The violence and sex offences surprise me because I’ve never even heard of these incidents from other students or locals.’ He said he felt safe on nights out, adding: ‘There is a high police presence on the big nights.’ Fellow engineering second year Michael Bunyan added: ‘Crime will be an issue for

students. However, I believe that with security measures from local police and the university, it is prevented from being a problem. ‘As a student living in Swansea, it makes me feel safe.’ Swansea fared better in the study than Cardiff University, which recorded 29.89 crimes per 1,000 people near its campuses. But this came as no shock to Heather Wood, a second-year English student at Swansea. ‘As Cardiff is a much larger city, it doesn’t surprise me that our crime rate is lower,’ she said. The University of Buckingham had the lowest crime rate, with 8.58 incidents per 1,000 people.

In world’s top 4%...

...and our students are the happiest in the country STUDENTS at Swansea University are the happiest in the country, according to a poll. More than nine in ten of those who took part in the National Student Survey said they were

satisfied with the experience of going to Swansea. The university shared top spot for Wales with Bangor University. Chris Li, a second-year media and communications student

at Swansea, said: ‘It’s because everything is in one place. ‘Next year most of my friends are within walking distance because we all live in Brynmill or Uplands.’ While Molly Dowrick, a second-

year English student, added: ‘There’s something for everyone – lots of clubs and societies to get involved in and lots of studentfriendly events.’ Jake Clothier

SWANSEA University is among the top four per cent of institutions in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings. It jumped 69 places from last year, bringing it into 400th position. Matthew Cousins, a second-year electrical engineering student, said: ‘I was aware that Swansea was a strong university for my degree but I didn’t realise quite how strong it was on the world stage. ‘It’s maybe not a city that jumps into people’s heads across the UK, so it’s amazing that students are coming from all over the world.’ Jake Clothier

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

focusPOINT

Our monthly in-depth look at the issues on campuses across the country

Fighting to party on Club and bar bosses in battle to keep the night alive

NANCY BAUGHURST and GEORGIA GREENHALGH TRY to imagine freshers’ week – or any night of the university year – without clubs, bars, pubs or gigs. Long-lasting friendships, music that will stay with you forever and people you will do your best to avoid for the next three years can all be found under the cover of darkness in whichever student union or dingy basement floats your boat. But revellers face having their nights out cut short by authorities anxious to reduce the noise and violence associated with clubs and bars. A recent casualty was The Arches, in Glasgow, a cultural hub that comprised an arts centre, theatre and live music venue alongside a bar and club. It saw its closing time brought forward from 3am to midnight in April following more than 200 drugrelated incidents and several ambulance call-outs. Without the revenue from the club to prop it up, the rest of the centre – including the arts venue – was no longer financially viable and bosses were forced to close, despite a petition attracting 40,000 signatures. The Night Time Industries Association, which represents clubs and bars, says it is time to recognise the value of nightlife, which is worth £66billion to the UK. It also wants

Fair play: Alan Miller, of the NTIA, says councils should stop blaming venues for punters who get drunk or violent

Clubbing casualty: The Arches, in Glasgow, was shut after a clampdown on late-night opening hours earlier this year to stop authorities blaming venues when individual party-goers get violent, drunk or rowdy. Director Alan Miller, whose London bar The Vibe closed last year after a late licence clampdown, said events held at night were treated differently. ‘If someone is at a daytime event like an F1 race and they drink a lot of pints and keel over, they’re just called stupid,’ he said. ‘Interestingly, the night-time economy is held accountable when individuals behave irresponsibly.’ Now, the association is pushing for the benefits of the night-time industry – which includes theatres, restaurants and live music venues, as well

as clubs and bars – to be taken into consideration by decision-makers. A report the NTIA published earlier this year, Forward Into The Night, concluded that crime should be seen as being committed against venues, not by them, and called for an end to ‘knee-jerk reactions’ to disruption at nightspots. Mr Miller said the night had become more peaceful with 24-hour drinking and the trend for consuming less, better-quality alcohol. ‘You talk to the police and they talk about night fights on Saturdays in the old days,’ he said. ‘Now everyone is tweeting about their gazpacho-infused cocktails.’

I don’t think the issue is the time clubs close – I think rowdiness and violence are caused by people who are too drunk. Controlling how much alcohol people are served will improve behaviour when leaving clubs. Florence Clarke, 19, international business student, Sheffield Hallam University

I understand that it would be hard to live in a city – particularly a student city – as there’s something going on seven days a week. But if my favourite club closed at 2am, I would be a bit disappointed. It’s never really the club music that causes a problem – it’s the drunk people. Heidi Harrington, 19, events management student, Coventry University

Amarjit Kullar, co-owner of popular student club Kasbah, in Coventry, said: ‘Our view generally is if people don’t like the noise that bars or nightclubs generate, then don’t live near one.’ But he added: ‘We have never been affected by complaints from residents as we have always been mindful that they live quite close, so have measures in place to keep any noise pollution to an absolute minimum.’ Ian Leete, an expert on licensing for the Local Government Association, agreed bars and clubs had a lot to offer – but added councils still had to balance different people’s needs. ‘Councils are governed by the

People choose to live in a particular area at their own risk, so it’s selfish to take business away. People are used to staying out late, so even if they closed clubs earlier, they would still be out being noisy on streets and causing more problems. Katie Lonsdale, 19, English language and sociology student, University of Sheffield

PICTURE: FLICKR

Licensing Act,’ he said. ‘It covers public nuisance, which will include noise; the protection of children and young people from harm; crime and disorder; and public safety. If you get a lot of door slamming, for example, it creates issues for neighbours.’ But he insisted that shutting down clubs was a last resort for councils. ‘It’s at the extreme end of things,’ he said. ‘If there are ways of doing things informally, they will do that first. A lot of councils help premises to join up to best-practice schemes. ‘There’s the Purple Flag scheme, which is designed to make areas more attractive at night time and get a balance.’

what they say

In student towns, money is being ploughed into the city by students’ patronage – money that the cities may not otherwise have. Sarah Tarran, 19, psychology student, University of Warwick Shutting clubs earlier would fuel the rowdiness. There is security and rules in a club to keep residents and customers safe, whereas if they shut early, then people would go back to someone’s house, where there are no regulations. Dave Bissett, 19, journalism student, Sheffield Hallam University

October 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

Stop playing the blame game... REBECCA CORNISH GAMING has always occupied a bizarre place in society. The media has often used video games – particularly violent ones, such as Call Of Duty – to prop up its lazy stereotypes. But no studies have proven that video games cause long-term psychological issues or encourage violence. In fact, some research suggests those who play video games are more perceptive and better at making decisions. The website Prescription Pixel, which provides a positive environment for gamers who struggle with mental

Escape: Games can be good PICTURE: ARISTOTELES SANDOVAL health issues, found that of 873 people surveyed, 80 per cent were helped through difficult periods by video games. I play games to block out the stress of reality – to save the universe, make friends and escape a world in which

I don’t have any. Nothing is as exhilarating for someone like me as playing a game for the first time and experiencing not anger and aggression, but joy, sadness – or whatever else the writers of these masterpieces will me to feel. It is up to parents and guardians to decide what their children access instead of mindlessly blaming the industry. Perhaps providing accessible aid for any underlying mental health conditions and lifting the stigma that demonises gamers for enjoying a hobby might go further towards tackling the alleged monster in the machine.

If you spot an error, we are committed to putting it right. Contact us at corrections@unipaper.co.uk. If you do not wish to receive a copy, then email us with your address at nothanks@unipaper.co.uk. We print 200,000 copies in 16 university cities. The University Paper is published by The UniPaper Ltd, 23-24 Margaret Street, London W1W 8RU. Printed by Newsquest, Oxford.

talkingPOINTS ROT RAGE: I’m angry at the house. My housemates decided to sub-let despite suggestions that it might be a bad idea. I spent two days trying to claw the place back to a state just above one resembling nuclear fallout. The girl we had in managed to get grime and grot into every possible corner. I tidied it up after she left, then came back the other day and the boys had left it in a state again. There are bins outside that have been rotting for about three months. It’s a jungle of filth-loving creatures, ranging from slugs to maggots and worms. I’m up to my elbows in rain-sodden pizza boxes, half-empty hummus pots and other things that no longer resemble food. We have mice Jordan Watkins

LIBERAL LOGIC: Liberals. Weed-smoking liberals, Greenpeace liberals, counterculture liberals, Miliband’s-too-left liberals. Reality liberals, liberals on a page, liberals with rage, against-the-machine liberals, student liberals, hand-up-inclass liberals, that’s not fair – be liberal, deserving-more liberals, ‘I have talent’ liberals, Lidl’s-doing-my-head-in liberals. Fight-the-right liberals, anti-Tory liberals, liberal Tories and liberal welfare is a scare for liberals. Me, you, we are liberal in the liberal beehive bubble of the classroom, taught by liberals, learning liberality in society. Losing meaning is liberal, back to class a liberal Morgan Hinton

PICTURE: MINTO

TRAIL BLAZERS: Did you know cannabis is legal? It’s far more legal here than in The Netherlands and Portugal, where highly publicised legalisation attempts have been made. Of course, on paper, possession, consumption and distribution is a criminal offence and can lead to 14 years in prison – but this is far from the case for so many offenders. The Misuse Of Drugs Act categorised the way police and the courts deal with such offences, leading to the term ‘soft drug’ being used extensively. This is a dangerous misrepresentation, making people think this hazardous substance is perfectly safe. I’m baffled as to how the pro-drug lobbies can claim there is a war on drugs Christopher Cunliffe

PERFECT PERK: Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross may not have been singing about the free coffee a MyWaitrose card entitles you to each day in their hit The Best Things In Life Are Free – but the sentiment certainly applies to the perk well enough. Because, honestly, when you’re running late for a morning lecture with the rain pouring down, there’s nothing quite like a free, laetificant latte or comforting cappuccino to make it feel as if life is still worth living in those most desperate of moments Tom Gellatly

NORDIC DISCOVERY: I found a Norwegian family in my kitchen this morning. When they tried to engage me in conversation in Norwegian, I had to break it to them that I only spoke English. So, in halting English, my flatmate’s father (it turned out) told me he’d been to Scotland once and he’d loved it. ‘Which part did you visit?’ I asked him. ‘Newcastle,’ he responded. And that sums up life as an exchange student in Oslo so far. In Norway, it’s typical to see a man roller-skiing, whereas in Glasgow, it’s typical to see a man stumbling round drunk before midday. Little things like this are what’s special when you’re living abroad. Finding beauty in the mundane and everyday is so much easier when you’re in an unfamiliar place Marie-Louise Patton

PICTURE: INTEL FREE PRESS

LET THERE BE NOISE: Sitting in a restaurant the other day, there was a family across the room with two young children. The food had been cleared and the kids got bored, but mum and dad still had a glass of wine and a natter to finish, so they handed their children an iPad each. After a few taps, the kids were silent, happily engrossed in separate games. It made me feel old and nostalgic. What happened to the days of colouring pencils and paper? Parents are giving children these devices to entertain them, rather than encouraging them to entertain themselves. If the kids were drawing in electronic format rather than on paper, for example, then OK. But when mindless video games are chosen over siblings jabbering at each other, it’s a great shame Antonia Cundy

You can read fuller versions of these pieces at www.unipaper.co.uk. Then, let us know what you think; email us at editor@unipaper.co.uk

www.unipaper.co.uk

talkingPOINTS

October 2015

Comment, opinion and the occasional wild rant from our student writers across the country

Clamp down on real scroungers SOPHIE MCNAUGHTON

Hand-out: There are claims more people are relying on food banks because of government cuts

A POLITICIAN calling someone else a scrounger – oh, the irony. Looking at the headlines about MPs claiming for their £100,000 cars, luxury holidays and houses for their mothers on expenses, and then having the nerve to put their taxpayer-funded wages into offshore accounts to avoid paying taxes themselves, it’s astounding that they can still point the finger at those depending on food banks and tell those living on the breadline that they are the scroungers. Secretary of state for work and pensions Iain Duncan Smith, who seems to have a bit of a personal vendetta against

the poor (did I mention he’s a Tory?), absolutely loves using the word ‘scrounger’. Yet he refuses to utilise the term in a more appropriate context – by directing it at himself, for example. On the BBC’s Question Time in June 2014, former Respect Party leader Salma Yaqoob ripped him apart on austerity. She said: ‘One million people in one of the richest countries in the world face the indignity of relying on food banks. ‘Yet I’m sitting next to Iain Duncan Smith, who quite happily labels the poor people as scroungers.’ She added: ‘You claim £39 just for a breakfast – like you can’t afford your own breakfast when you live on your wife’s estate and have taken £1.5million of taxpay-

Labels: MP Iain Duncan Smith PICTURE: NI EXECUTIVE/FLICKR ers’ money. That’s what I call scroungers.’ With Mr Duncan Smith’s villainous plans to force the ill and disabled into work, tweets of Yaqoob’s argument have been circulating as we ask: how does this heartless, sponging MP have any right to call someone else a scrounger? It’s an unrealistic argument that politicians should try

living on the minimum wage but just imagine how quickly their views would change if they had to scrimp by without their precious expenses on £6.50 – or even less – an hour. Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn also spoke out against Mr Duncan Smith’s medieval policies. After it was revealed that thousands of disabled people had died after being declared fit to work under his disability benefit tests, Mr Corbyn said: ‘He should resign because these figures are so frightening and so disgusting.’ We can always count on public uproar over people dying at the hands of politicians. But we can also count on the likes of Mr Duncan Smith not to care in the slightest.

SUPREME PERFORMANCE NATURAL GROOMING Available AT

NOW IN STORE www.mancaveinc.co.uk

Student Discount valid Sunday to Thursday (excludes Bank Holidays). Usual discount of 20% off food will be doubled to 40% off food from 14/09/2015 to 11/10/2015 with a valid NUS card or photographic Uni ID and promotional code. Valid for Dine In only at Pizza Hut Restaurants (not available at Pizza Hut Delivery). Not combinable with deals, promotions, kids meals or buffet. Products subject to availability. Limited to a table of 4. Photography for illustrative purposes only. Pizza Hut reserves the right to remove or amend this offer at any time. Further terms apply, see in Hut for details or visit bit.ly/hutterms PZ742_2267_External_Poster_325x259mm.indd 1

07/09/2015 15:01

the lowdown

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

The Maccabees: We’re still a bit hit and hope Where’s your head at? Cocktails for under a fiver – and the best cures for the morning after P24

Lotions and potions Sophie Powell decodes the science behind your

favourite beauty quick fixes P27

Gadget girl

We chat to Holly Brockwell, the brains behind women’s tech website Gadgette P31

WIN!

A trip to RISE Festival in Les Deux Alpes, France P33

PLUS... Hurts – Peace – Shura – Victoria – Ask Alice – Freshers’ fashion – Design disasters

O T R E F F O ’T N O D S T N E WHEN YOUR PAR E M O H T E K IC T IN A R T R PAY FOR YOU

Free Railcard ø n o s t n e d u t s r o f

a free 16 – 25 Railcard. ith w ss le r fo e m ho et G and data with a phone, s xt te , es ut in m f of % As well as 20 ø Refresh contract. an on ce vi de ifi w ile ob tablet or m

Be more dog

ffer’ or Search ‘O2 student o ore details m visit any ø Shop for

20% off O2 Refresh Airtime Plan, with selected devices, plus one free 16 – 25 Railcard when students apply for their 20% off from 27 August to 7 October 2015. 18+, subject to status, eligibility criteria and exclusions apply see o2.co.uk

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

theLOWDOWN

We fill you in on everything that’s been going on at The University Paper – the good, the bad and the downright stupid

It’s good to be back

T’S all over: the sun, the festivals, the boozy picnics. We’ve packed away our sunnies, ditched our beach towels and replaced them with umbrellas and raincoats. But while it’s true the summer is now behind us, the memories – although many of them slightly blurred – remain. While everyone was off, forgetting everything they learned at uni the previous year, the TUP team were out and about, bringing you updates from the biggest student parties around (and also forgetting what we’d learned the previous year). We got down and dirty at Secret Garden Party, braving the mud to skank to Gentleman’s Dub Club. We nearly got wee’d on at Parklife while watching Ella Eyre and we took a (very rowdy) trip down memory lane at Reading Festival to see The Libertines. It wasn’t all partying, though – we also mastered the art of making a burrito, joined an early-morning rock choir (singing Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer) and drove a car with a drunk suit on. But although festival season

is over, fret not – we’re keeping the party alive at TUP. In this edition, our first of the new academic year, we’ve got fashion advice for freshers, tips on how to make cheap cocktails and the facts on what goes into your beauty products. We’ve also been chatting to some of the nation’s biggest bands and DJs. Chart-toppers The Maccabees spill the beans on their latest tour and Hurts talk about gunshots in America. Indie rockers Peace reveal all about clubbing in Ibiza while electropop singer Shura passes on her advice for first years. And for those who just can’t hack another night out, we’ve got something for you as well. We’ve put together our pick of the best flatshare sitcoms, warned you of halls decorating clichés and got the lowdown on ladies in tech – while our agony aunt Alice is on hand to dish out her unique brand of sarcastic advice. Yes, the past few months have been nothing if not eventful – but if you haven’t been following our exploits,

Parklife

I expect a good portion of my student loan to be spent on £1 Domino’s

– University of Manchester Freshers’ week – meeting hundreds of people and remembering about two names

– University of Manchester

TUP stars: Indie duo Hurts you can make up for it by visiting www.unipaper.co.uk, where you’ll also find all the latest news from your city. And, don’t forget – if you fancy joining our team, drop us a line at editor@unipaper.co.uk. Big love – The TUP team

Stupid stuff we’ve be en talking about this mo nth

n whether to hyphenate the phrase ‘d**k pic’ n how to pronounce Adidas n the best way to kill someone (the sales team win on violence, editorial on cunning) n how to convert centilitres to litres (duh) n pesky apostrophes (we must be the only people who can’t wait for freshers’ week to be over) n how brilliant a d’n’b/Sing-A-LongA-Sound Of Music mash-up would be (if only because we could call it Nun ‘N’ Bass)

I’d never been to Secret Garden Party before, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Somehow, somewhere, I’d got the idea into my head it was just a bunch of hippies off their t**s on acid, dancing around woodland fires, possibly while wearing kigus. Turns out there’s music, too. Oh, and mud. Lots of mud. The highlight had to be Gentleman’s Dub Club. Setting aside the fact they’re all gorgeous – it’s difficult to know which one you’d pounce on first – they’re truly talented musicians. It may only have lasted

‘Love travelling so much, such an eye-opening experience!’ Calm down girl, you’ve only spent the week in Magaluf

– University of Nottingham

Bristol uni problems: not being able to go to your friend’s yacht in Greece because your passport has expired

– University of Bristol

Freshers’ tip – leave passive-aggressive notes EVERYWHERE. Your flatmates will respect you for it and do as they’re told

– University of Nottingham Wizards don’t have halfterms either

– Cardiff University

Do American cool kids wear ‘Coventry Poly’ sweatshirts?

– University of Nottingham Third big spider in two days. My house is officially uninhabitable

– University of Manchester Highlights: Secret Garden Party; inset, The Libertines 20 minutes, but their dub/ reggae set was a high-energy performance with a healthy injection of silliness (it’s difficult not to crack a smile when you’re being serenaded by a brass section who, resplendent in tuxedos, are dancing with all the energy of a group of hyperactive toddlers

who’ve snorted sherbet). Waiting at the train station to have our wellies hosed down the following Monday, I reflected that it’s this theatrical element that makes SGP special. It’s fun, it’s silly... and it certainly ain’t gonna stop for the rain. Kirstin Knight

Reading Festival Ten years ago, I pleaded with my mum to buy me a Reading Festival ticket. No, I wouldn’t do drugs, and yes, I would behave myself. After much to-ing and fro-ing, she relented and I got a pass to Little John’s Farm to experience my first festival. There, I found thousands of GCSE-aged youngsters chanting and getting up to no good – I loved it.

The silliest things students have been saying this month

– University of Leeds

Secret Garden Party

techno, drum ‘n’ bass and house to charted pop, it was no different this time. Ella Eyre, the lioness that oozes sex appeal, bounded onstage dressed in a fitted purple all-inone jumpsuit, which had the boys hypnotised and the girls green with envy. Opening with Comeback, she went on to wow with hits including If I Go and new single Together. What, I ask, has Eyre not got going for her right now? But a quick message to the guy standing next to me – relieving yourself in a large crowd will see people kick off. ‘Let’s go f*****g mental, Parklife!’ Eyre shouted – but you went too far, my friend. Nathan Salt

overheard on campus Have recently lost weight due to the arrival of my overdraft limit! I call this the poverty diet!

It was the best of times... The sun was shining; the bucket hats (criminal) and wellies were out. It meant one thing – the wait for Parklife 2015 was over. At any two-day festival, the issue always lies in acts clashing; it’s inevitable. More annoying was the fact that the set times inside the programme lanyards set you back £7 (which, bizarrely, my sister was happy to pay). But, with set times in the bag and a wealth of talent on display, the big decision rested with who to see and, with a mainstream sister in tow, my thirst for DJ talent was unlikely to be quenched. Parklife has always been known to cater to every musical taste and with everything from grime,

A decade later and not much has changed. Over those years, I like to think I have grown up – and, to keep up with the competition, Reading probably has to as well. The food stalls could be better, there could be more things to do outside the music and they could allow alcohol into the main music area... but I’m being picky. It’s still the hedonistic weekend that made me fall in love with festivals all that time ago. Sam Murray

I was stalking my uni crush’s dad’s Facebook and, without realising, liked a post!!!!

– University of Leicester

Goodbye second year, hello second year

– University of Nottingham

STAR YAK

Sometimes I just wish I could text my cat and tell him that I love him and I’m thinking about him

– University of Edinburgh

n Student comments are courtesy of anonymous social media app Yik Yak, available on iOS and Android.

October 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

theBEAT

Uni does get better, take it from me Rising electro r’n’b star Shura speaks to JOHN SHAW about writing from the heart, life in the limelight and the stresses of being a fresher...

‘E

VERYONE tells you university is going to be the best three years of your life,’ Shura tells me, looking at back at her time at University College London. ‘But what they don’t tell you is that the first six months of it are f*****g difficult and you question everything: “Why am I here? What am I doing?”.’ It’s a feeling most freshers go through and one the former English student can definitely relate to. She advises: ‘If you’re having a weird f*****g time and feel really

depressed that’s totally normal – they still will be the best three years of your life.’ Now out of uni, Shura, 28, is producing a mix of electronica and r‘n’b, combined with lyrics from the heart. ‘I would find it very difficult to write songs that weren’t personal to me,’ she says. ‘It’s the way that I’ve always written, so it’s very natural. ‘When you’ve finished writing a song, even if it came from an emotional place it ceases to be your experience, because you’ve

given it to other people to carry on their shoulders – it’s like a problem shared is a problem halved. ‘In this case, it’s a problem way more than halved.’ As she prepares to head out on her first headline tour, she admits she’s still getting used to living in the limelight. ‘I enjoy that people care when I put out a new song – that’s really nice,’ she says. ‘I find having my photograph taken or press shots a bit weird because it is a bit weird – it doesn’t happen to anyone else. I don’t love that side of it.’ ‘I love being in the studio, making music – I love having people enjoy my music... but that’s as far as it goes.’

Sept 17, London, Electric Ballroom; Sept 23, Nottingham , Rescue Rooms; Sept 25, Manchester, Gorilla; Sept 26, Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut; Sept

tourDATES 28, Leeds, Brudenell Social Club; Sept 29, Birmingham, The Oobleck; Oct 2, Bristo l, Marble Factory

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

theINTERVIEW: The Maccabees

Return of the Macc Together for a decade, the cheeky chaps with the charm of rising stars

Busy as bees: (l-r) Orlando Weeks, Felix White, Sam Doyle, Rupert Jarvis and Hugo White

N A world of flash-in-thepans and Twitter spats, The Maccabees have quietly gone about their business for more than a decade – no negative headlines, no nonsense. As I stand and chat to singer Orlando Weeks and guitarist Felix White, it feels as if I’m speaking to an up-and-coming band keen to charm – not a group who have just claimed a No.1 album. The pair, who keep flashing smiles at each other like schoolchildren up to no good, admit Marks To Prove It was a tough record to make. ‘Part of the reason for that was we rushed into it,’ says Orlando. ‘The head space that you need for a record and the head space you need for a tour is very different.’ I ask whether they were

The Maccabees’ Orlando Weeks and Felix White chat to JOHN SHAW about their No.1 album and controlling your destiny... thinking about their next album at all – they catch each other’s eye and let out a laugh. That’s a no. Felix explains: ‘When you’re writing records, it gets to the point where you’re doing it because someone is telling you you have to, so it’s nice to be able to play for ourselves – and slowly it comes together.’ And although it feels like a long time coming, Felix tells me the band – which also consists of guitarist Hugo White, bassist Sam Doyle and drummer Rupert Jarvis – haven’t had a chance to reflect on their No.1 spot. ‘We were flying to Romania when we heard,’ he says. ‘But the nice thing about it is

Nov 18, Nottingham, Rock City; Nov 19, Newcastle, O2 Academy; Nov 20, Norwich, University of East Anglia; Nov 22, Cambridge, Cambridge Corn Exchange; Nov 23, Brighton,

your grandma or someone the other side of the world is like: “Woah, your album is No.1 – that sounds like it is pretty successful.” So that was the nice thing.’ The record’s success marked the pinnacle of a triumphant summer packed with festivals – but now the south London-based band have announced they are going back on tour. Felix says: ‘It’s going to be nice to get into an enclosed Maccabees environment. ‘Whether they’re big shows or small shows, the spirit always seems to be quite consistent and there’s a context to do slightly different things.’ Orlando adds: ‘It’s a treat doing

Brighton Dome; Nov 24, Southampton, O2 Guildhall; Nov 27, Reading, The Hexagon; Nov 28, Bristol, Colston Hall; Jan 15, Glasgow, Barrowland Ballroom; Jan 18, Manchester,

festivals because it means you get to go see things you wouldn’t otherwise, and to see some old friends who, because of touring, you don’t get to see very often. ‘However, I think you have a little bit more of a chance to see how the songs matter to the people they matter to.’ The people they ‘matter to’ are The Maccabees’ fans, who will undoubtedly be out in force – but what changes will they have noticed since the band released debut single X-Ray in 2005? Orlando says: ‘We are still a little bit ramshackle in our approach to all things. We have a fantastic crew with us now and the atmosphere is really good. ‘I hope we know how to make our set work better – it is still a little bit hit and hope.’

Ramshackle they may be but the pair agree unity is the driving force behind the band’s longevity. Orlando says: ‘I think we all want to look after each other really – it can be very claustrophobic some of the time and that’s no-one’s fault. ‘I don’t think we’ve ever had a disagreement that wasn’t because everyone was trying to get the best result out of something – whether that be the recording or when we are on tour, wanting to make things work a bit better.’ He adds: ‘I’ve seen other people who are so tied into one moment in their music career or the sound of their band that, suddenly, that starts controlling them rather than them controlling their destiny. That sounds a bit grand but in a sense it is true.’

Albert Hall; Jan 21, London, O2 Academy Brixton; Jan 22, London, O2 Academy Brixton n For the full list of dates, visit www.themaccabees.com.

tourDATES

October 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

what’sON pick of the month MUSIC TIRED of scratching a living as an independent artist, singer–songwriter Jack Savoretti gave up making music. Strangely, the desire to quit was superseded by a surge of creativity. Born from the angst of not quite making it came Before The Storm. The album landed him his first record deal, which led to current album Written In Scars. The Savoretti storm is well and truly here and the man from London, who has also lived in Lugano, Switzerland, is out on tour. Catch him when he plays Swansea’s Sin City on Sunday, October 4.

MAGIC MIND-readers are, let’s be honest, terrifying. What happens if they find out your deepest, darkest secret? Like that time you ate dog biscuits after a big night out in freshers’

winger will bring his expert analysis to the Rugby World Cup, running throughout the tour. Hear him when he speaks at the Liberty Stadium on Thursday, October 15. Henry Edwards

week. What, just me? Or, what happens if they reveal to your date that you’re in love with them? Well, we can’t promise Luke Jermay will keep his mouth shut, because he knows everything. The telepathic Essex man is one of the best in the business and he’s bringing his Sixth Sense show to the Swansea Grand Theatre on September 24. Just don’t attend if you’re hiding any serious crimes... John Shaw

COMEDY

SPORT JONAH LOMU is widely considered one of the best rugby players of all time, if not the best. The former New Zealand union player became the youngest ever to wear the famous All Black jersey when he made his debut in 1994 at the tender age of 19. Despite never winning a World Cup, he is the tournament’s highest-ever

On the ball: Jonah Lomu will re-live his glittering career try scorer, touching down an incredible 15 times. The 6ft5in man-mountain was inducted into the International Rugby Hall

of Fame in 2007 and the IRB Hall Of Fame in 2011. Now out of the game, Lomu is on the Unstoppable Tour 2015 – a

PICTURE: WIKICOMMONS/FABIÁN GASTIARENA

night where the great man will talk frankly about his life on and off the pitch. Plus, the former Auckland Blues and Cardiff Blues

We make bills this easy

Student bills from £9.99 pppw www.dividabill.co.uk!

POLICEMEN aren’t known for their humour – that is, apart from the Laughing Policeman, who chuckled way too much. But stand-up Alfie Moore is a bit different. The Sheffield-born comedian is a serving police sergeant who uses his sense of humour on the beat. Raised on a council estate, Moore served as an apprentice in the steelworks before joining the police, where he’s been gathering stories to make your belly ache. In his show, The Naked Stun, he reveals the true story behind his dogged determination to track down a serial flasher. Catch this arresting comedian at the Swansea Grand Theatre on October 16. Eileen Forster

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

what’sON

Our comprehensive guide to entertainment in Swansea. If you have an event you would like included, please email editor@unipaper.co.uk

Keeping it in the family Husband-and-wife duo Oliver and Miriam Baines of Flight Brigade chat to JOHN SHAW about their close bond, re-telling wartime tales and being told to eff off...

F THERE’S a band who can claim a closer bond than Flight Brigade then, frankly, we don’t want to know about it. Lead vocalist Oliver Baines and fellow singer Miriam have known each other since birth... and now they’re married. I know what you’re thinking: ‘That’s pretty close... but not exactly the Von Trapp family.’ Well, add in the fact that Miriam’s sister, Dorry Hughes, also plays in the band, while the remaining members – Thomas Pink, Neil Blandford, Tom Clay and Jonny Barker – went to school together, and you have the tightest group in folk rock. Miriam says: ‘I travel around with family and close friends and that’s the best thing in the world – travelling with a troop of people you are really close with.’ Oliver adds: ‘I’ve been in bands before where it’s very tense, so even though there’s seven of us, we get on incredibly well – which is a huge thing, because otherwise it’s a nightmare.’ The close ties provide

a never-ending source of emotions for writer Oliver to draw upon – but, perhaps sensibly, he steers clear of that. He says: ‘I tend to write stories about other people that I find interesting. One of the tracks from the new EP, Stealing Fire, is about World War II. Some Czech factory workers, who were making the German bombs, were sabotaging them. ‘All these bombs fell around London and they didn’t go off. It was an amazing story of bravery and defiance – that track is called Our Friends Are Enemies. ‘I think it’s important to write lyrics about things that move and inspire you – there are far more interesting things than my relationship with Miriam. ‘She recently told me to eff off and it wasn’t even 6am yet – that was probably the most interesting thing that’s happened recently.’ Oliver puts his love of stories down to reading and listening to songwriters such as Paul Simon. He adds: ‘If you have a story, you learn a lot. Your vocabulary changes because

Taking to the skies: Folk rockers Flight Brigade will be heading out on tour after their new EP release you are writing about different subjects, situations, time periods and people. ‘Every song should have a self-contained identity of its own. If you write about how you feel about your girlfriend all the time, it gets a bit boring.’ n Flight Brigade play Swansea’s Sin City on Saturday, October 24.

Music with the strings attached THINK of festivals and, naturally, mud, beer and tents spring to mind. But Swansea International Festival couldn’t be further from that cliché – you’re much more likely to find harps and violins than drums and guitars. This celebration of all things classical has been running since 1948 – that’s 38 years before the first Glastonbury. This year, musical acts include the City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Edward Gardner, who play Brangwyn Hall at The Guildhall on Saturday, October 3. You can also catch folk singer Max Boyce at the Grand Theatre on Thursday, October 8. For those who enjoy their dance, the award-

GROSVENOR SWANSEA A NIGHT OUT WITH A DIFFERENCE Call 01792 655227 for more details

No mud here: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra winning Ballet Cymru will be performing their version of the fairytale Cinderella at the Grand Theatre on Monday, October 5. Or, for something completely different, join artists Jason and Becky

for an interactive audio walk around the city on Sunday, October 11. For the full list of events for the festival, which runs from Friday, October 2 to Saturday, October 17, visit www. swanseafestival.org.

*FREE drink for every student new member (with student ID card). *Live sport shown on 116" Big Screen *FREE WiFi, soft drinks and membership *Weekly special offers on Facebook and Twitter

11am 6am

Please ask a member of the team for more information

keepitfun.rank.com Over 18s only. Photo ID is required. www.gambleaware.co.uk

FDD4822176/1.1

www.unipaper.co.uk

theBEAT

October 2015

Love your music? So do we! Tune in here for all the latest interviews, previews and reviews

I’ve learned how to stay sane... Harry Koisser, lead singer of Peace, speaks to JOHN SHAW about techno, clubbing in Ibiza and functioning as a person...

tourDATES Sep 24, Liverpool, O2 Academy; Sep 26, Glasgow, QMU; Oct 1, Manchester, Academy; Oct 2, Nottingham, Rock City; Oct 3, Cardiff, Great Hall; Oct 6, Leicester, O2 Academy; Oct 9, Brixton, O2 Academy n For the full list of dates, visit www.peaceforeverever.co.uk

OU’RE a darling of the music media, lead singer of the hottest indie band around and about to head out on another headline tour. So stick to the triedand-tested formula – right? Not if you’re Harry Koisser, lead singer of Peace. ‘I want there to be some sort of rhythmical connection with techno – I want to get that in,’ he tells me. ‘I used to work in a techno club and I went to see Ricardo Villalobos play – he is mental. ‘He’s flying in all this different stuff I want to bring to band music – I’m still trying to.’ He adds: ‘I really wanted to cover Paul Kalkbrenner – we did do it once in London.’ Did it go down well? ‘Well... I don’t think so... there were around 30 people there.’ Techno is a passion that seems at odds with his band’s catchy pop riffs and their long scruffy hair – the

Peace and love: (l-r) Doug Castle, Harry Kossier, Dom Boyce and Sam Koisser latter being closer to another of Koisser’s heroes, Kurt Cobain, than the top-knot style seen in Ibiza, where he recently went on holiday. ‘I went for three days and reconnected with that,’ he says. ‘I haven’t been clubbing for three

years but I went to DC10 and I was like, oh god, back in the room. ‘I had absolutely no idea what was going on but I was loving it. ‘It was good – I really enjoyed it. I had three days off and I was like: “I’m just going to go out and do it.”

PICTURE: JONNIE CRAIG

I was considering staying and being a d**k but I ended up making the flight – I had to go. ‘Maybe I’ll go back out this year...’ For now, however, Peace – completed by Harry’s brother, Sam, along with Dom Boyce and Doug

Castle – are heading out on tour, playing cities across the nation. ‘We’ve been doing this for a while now, just the four of us and we all get along – it’s strange,’ Harry says. ‘I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to but we do. ‘We just kind of hang out and have a laugh. I know a lot of bands play cards or make cocktails or roll dice or watch films but we just hang out and talk – it’s strange.’ And what has he learnt from previous tours? ‘How to get along with people and how to not go insane,’ he laughs. ‘How to function as a person in the strangest of places.’

LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR A

CHANCE TO

WIN

£2000 WORTH OF APPLE PRODUCTS facebook.com/TheUniPaper

13” Macbook Pro | iPad Retina | iPhone 5S | iPod Touch

October 2015

yourNIGHT

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

̦̤ε

�eeeeeeeeeehungryhousee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

ĕîî

�eeeeeeeee

hungryhouse Cheap Chow eeeeee

www.unipaper.co.uk

let’sTALK

October 2015

Our agony aunt makes the mistakes so you don’t have to...

ask

Alice

’M worried about my friends. Since we finished A-levels, they’ve all really got into class As – especially ketamine. Now we’re off to uni but all anyone seems to care about is getting messy. They tell me it’s normal and I’ll need a truckload of highs to see me through freshers’ week. I’m scared the first term will be all about getting on it and I’ll feel left out. Jess, Leeds

Ah, the fresher f**khead myth. Take it from me – as someone who turned up to uni with a 20 bag and some dodgylooking pills, only to be ostracised by my far more sensible peers – it is simply not the case that students are constantly off their faces on illicit substances. (Sadly, my failure to grasp this saw me try to consume my stash in its entirety, resulting in a tedious evening where I accused my flatmates of not ‘getting my vibe’ – ugh – thus ruining any friendships before they’d even begun. But that’s another story.) Ask yourself – what is it you’re really

scared of? It sounds like fitting in is your main concern. Your friends may be moving in a direction you don’t want to go in – don’t just follow them out of fear. Part of the beautiful thing about uni is the breadth of experience you’ll have and the range of people you’ll meet. This is the perfect chance to carve out your own path and be whoever you want to be. Plus, if you’ve ever witnessed a kethead chat someone up, you’ll know their inability to remember the sentence they uttered mere seconds ago, much less their target’s name, doesn’t make for the fiercest chirpsing. Even if you do manage to secure the deal, the drug’s effect on your motor functions means the sex act itself is more likely to resemble a pair of elderly tortoises mating than anything you’ve seen in porn. At any rate, you’re unlikely to be invited back for more. Take it from Alice. Just don’t.

Y boyfriend and I met in first year and have spent every minute together since – but we split up in the summer when he told me he’d met someone else. Now the idea of starting third year with barely any friends

is killing me – and, to make matters worse, the girl he’s seeing is my coursemate. I feel like dropping out. Vicky, Bristol

Not all they’re cracked up to be: Drugs PICTURE: MARCOBELTRAMETTI

First, let me make a measured assessment: What. A. D**k. Not only has he stolen two years of serious shagging off you – he’s making up for his own lost time right on your doorstep. I can understand if things seem hopeless right now. But don’t quit your course because of some bloke – I promise you’ll regret it. What you need is a plan. My strategy would be to pickle my brain in tonic wine before going out and accosting strangers with aggressively friendly banter – but I’m not sure I

should be recommending that to a vulnerable individual such as yourself. Step one: find some sympathisers. You say you haven’t many friends but, chances are, if you’ve had your head buried in your boyfriend’s, ahem, armpit for two years, you haven’t noticed all the potentials. Why not join a society? Third year is the perfect time, as people start feeling that perhaps they could be doing something more fruitful than p*****g their lives away down the local and sign up to anything going in an attempt to allay their guilt. Then, the coursemate question. This is tricky. Try not to vilify the poor girl – it’s not her fault your ex is a first-class knobber (and, to be fair, she’s the one stuck with him, so count yourself lucky). Can you avoid her, or do you share seminars? Your tutor may be sympathetic if you ask to swap. Lastly, be kind to yourself. A breakup is horrible whatever age you’re at – and the pressure of uni supposedly being the best time of your life can make you feel guilty for not enjoying every second. Don’t. You will get over this – but it’ll take time. And, if all else fails, there’s always that tonic wine.* Good luck and Godspeed, sista!

* Always drink responsibly. Alice’s definition of ‘responsibly’ is stopping before you pass out or vomit on your own shoes. (Other people’s shoes are fair game, obvs.)

HATE my new tutor. He’s condescending, rude and talks to his students like we’re dirt. I know it doesn’t sound like big deal but he specialises in the area I’m writing my dissertation on and I’m dreading being stuck with him for the rest of the year. What do I do? Liam, Glasgow Dear me. You’re right, it may not sound like a huge deal to some – but, as a hugely intolerant individual myself, I quite understand your predicament. If he is the specialist you say he is, then it would be short-sighted to seek out another tutor to oversee your dissertation – but are you sure there aren’t any alternatives? Have an investigate – you may be surprised to find some less well-known names who are interested in the subject. If he really is the only option, then my only advice is to suck it up, give a grin and take it on the chin. It’s good preparation for the world of work, where you’ll regularly have to tolerate – nay, be actively pleasant to – people you think are utter bellends. Sadly, it’s par for the course and not a totally useless life lesson to learn. Dig deep, my friend, dig deep.

In need of some sarcastic advice? Email our agony aunt at askalice@unipaper.co.uk

SUPREME PERFORMANCE NATURAL GROOMING Available AT

NOW IN STORE www.mancaveinc.co.uk

FROM THE CRE ATORS OF BOARDMAS TERS

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST EVER SNOWSPORTS AND MUSIC EVENT FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP & INTERNATIONAL SKI INVITATIONAL

JENNY JONES: OFFICIAL EVENT AMBASSADOR PRESENTS

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Q U E E N E L I Z A B E T H O LY M P I C P A R K L O N D O N SAT 14TH NOVEMBER WITH MUSIC FROM

PLUS MORE ACTS TO BE ANNOUNCED

WORLD’S BEST SNOWBOARDERS & SKIERS IN LONDON FOR ONE DAY 120 METRE RAMP 360 TONNES OF REAL SNOW THE SUMMIT & THE LODGE APRES-SKI BARS HOSTED BY RESIDENT DJS ALPINE STREET FOOD : RACLET TE, FONDUE, TARTIFLET TE & MULLED WINE ALL TI CKE TS O N SALE N OW AT FREEZEBIGAIR.COM

#RIDEINTOWINTER

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

theBEAT

The two sides of Hurts Theo Hutchcraft, lead singer of Hurts, chats to JOHN SHAW about the dark side of travelling, the band’s new positive outlook and escaping Manchester’s Curry Mile...

YNTH-POP duo Hurts fancied a change of scene to write upcoming album Surrender, their previous two records having been written in the bustling student hub of Manchester’s Curry Mile. So singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson left the neon lights, cheap curries and shisha smoke of Wilmslow Road to hop from one stunning location to another: the Swiss Alps, Ibiza, Montreux, Sweden, New York... Then, on their first morning in an isolated house in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills, they were reminded about the dark side of travelling. ‘There was police helicopters circling the house,’ Theo tells me. ‘Someone had been shot three doors down. So we were sat there and it was a boiling hot summer’s day and then all of a sudden it was like: “This is more interesting than we thought it was going to be.” ‘It was very useful and indicative – police helicopters and the baking sunshine.’ Were they scared? ‘No! We lived in the suburbs of Manchester – that sort of stuff doesn’t frighten us,’ he jokes. ‘LA and New York: they’ve got two sides to them which appeals to us. ‘They are like paradise but they’ve got very dark

undertones. There’s lots of tragic people and lots of strange things going on. ‘At first we were like: “Oh, it’s really nice – how’s it going to fit us?” ‘As soon as we saw the darker side, it made perfect sense.’ The album that resulted, Surrender, perhaps unsurprisingly is one that combines LA’s bright sunshine with the city’s sordid underbelly. ‘We’ve injected a different energy into the album,’ Theo explains. ‘The last one was dark, intense, introspective – I think it was an album we really wanted to make. ‘There’s a lot of light on this album but it retains a lot of what people know and like us for. It’s got moments where we try to express different sides of ourselves – it’s not all doom and gloom.’ The yin and yang of Surrender is best highlighted in the first two tracks released by the Manchester-based duo. Their first, Some Kind Of Heaven, is a pop-dance love track reminiscent of their Under Control hit with Calvin Harris, while their second, Rolling Stone, is a morbid anthemic ballad that ends with the repeated line: ‘They’ll never take her alive if they take her home.’ ‘I think we’re drawn towards darker themes and chord

patterns; that’s why this album still has lots of that on it – we can’t escape it,’ Theo adds. ‘What we always try to do is be honest with the music and our emotion. If we tried to make an album darker than the last one, it would have been false. It would

have been a bit weird because we weren’t in that space.’ So, is this a change to a more positive, happy-go-lucky Hurts? Theo says: ‘What we always try to do is make the boundaries of the band quite wide. It sort of frees you up. Three albums

in, you need to make sure you can still move forward, so we shift the goalposts each time. ‘For there not to be a blueprint for a Hurts song is very exciting for us. We are now not tethered to anything – it’s very liberating.’ n Surrender is out on October 9.

Rockers’ reign is about to begin Review: Victoria at The Barfly, Camden

VICTORIA were tipped to rule the British music scene at the start of 2015 and their show at Camden’s Barfly proved why. But the riotous indie pop group – made up of Alex Thomas, Harry Johnson, Charlie Martin, Joe Housley and Chris Moore – seem oblivious to their success, shrugging and saying they ‘just hope we’ll still be around’. They were on fire for their second gig at the London venue, playing a catalogue of highly infectious tunes, including Summertime, which recently received the Made In Chelsea seal of approval. Speaking to TUP backstage, they revealed they were ‘buzzing’ when they heard the track featured on the

hit TV programme, an experience they described as ‘surreal’. It’s an exciting start for the Londonbased band, who have promised many more releases in the months to come. When asked what they thought was special about their bandmates, the guys singled out guitarist and vocalist Alex for his impressions. Embarrassed at first, he proceeded – egged on by the rest of the group – to do a Gollum impression, followed by Elvis Presley. He later joked: ‘That’s the only reason I’m here, really.’ Whether it’s for the impressions or for the feel-good anthems, Victoria are worth checking out before they become the kings of Britain’s pop scene. Andy Gorman

In line for the throne: Victoria wowed the crowds at The Barfly with catchy pop anthems PICTURE: JASMIN OJALAINEN

October 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

foodBREAK

Stir it up at pre-drinks... Ever fancied a Cosmopolitan on a night out but been put off by the price? RICHARD GODWIN shows you don’t have to spend a fortune to appreciate cocktails...

HERE’S a simple reason why British students do not drink as many cocktails as their labours deserve. When a bar menu presents the choice of commercial lager for £3.50 or a Sazerac for £13.50, the prudent reveller will opt for the former – no matter how curious they might be about the latter. The gifts of our heritage remain untasted. Imagine if the same were true of burritos or dubstep. There’s no point blaming the bartenders for this generational tragedy. Their profits are marginal and the mark-up on cocktails

cheapest spirit there is and helps to pay the wages of is reliably decent, even at honest people, many of them the supermarket own-brand students. end. Vermouth is dirt cheap However, there is also a lot – even if you go for a decent of pretence and nonsense that goes into justifying these bottle of the French stuff like Noilly Prat, it’s still only £12 prices – a sort of conspiracy for 750ml. that would have you believe You will discover that you ‘mixology’ is a sacred rite can make a serviceable with which the people are Martini in your own home for not to be trusted, a bit like about 95p – less than a can of pre-Reformation Bibles. Red Stripe. Let’s take When you the Martini, consider, too, a crucial part that you can of the cocktail pick up vintage gospel. For all glassware for pennies the mystique in charity shops, stir that surrounds its cocktails that need construction, a Martini stirring in pint glasses is, quite simply, 50ml purloined from pubs, gin mixed with 10ml dry and shake cocktails that vermouth, diluted with a need shaking in jam jars, little water and chilled to the price of entry drops a very low temperature. still further. It’s not so hard. Or So there really is expensive, if you no excuse. Have you make it in your seen the price of own kitchen. beer these days? Gin is the PICTURE: CHRISTOPH KAFFEE

Negroni THE most voguish of drinks is also the most economical. The initial investment is steep – but since you need equal parts from each bottle of alcohol, your supplies will run down without wastage. After arduous experimentation with fancy brands, I’ve found the combination of Beefeater, Martini Rosso and Campari to contain the most magic. Ingredients: 25ml gin, 25ml Italian vermouth, 25ml Campari Method: Stir together over lumps of ice in a large tumbler. Garnish with a lemon slice. Price per drink: about £1.40 Whisky Mac A SIMPLE after-dinner drink, the Whisky Mac tastes much more expensive than it actually

is. Stone’s Original Green Ginger Wine is a favourite of English grandfathers, and rarely costs more than a few quid. Teacher’s is an uncool but reliable blended Scotch whisky – infinitely superior to the sort that retired footballers lend their names to. A dash of bitters sets it off a treat. Ingredients: 50ml Scotch, 25ml ginger wine, a dash of Angostura bitters Method: Stir all the ingredients in a glass over ice. An orange or lemon zest garnish would be appropriate, or leave it plain. Price per drink: about £1.25 Gin Sour IF YOU learn one cocktail recipe off by heart, let it be this. Once you’ve mastered the art of balancing its sweet, strong and sour elements, you’ll be well on your way

to making everything from the Margarita to the Last Word. Ingredients: 50ml gin, 15ml lemon juice, 10ml golden sugar syrup Method: For the syrup, combine two cups of golden caster sugar with one cup of water in a saucepan. Gently heat, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the stove and allow to cool. For the cocktail, shake up everything with plenty of ice and fine-strain into an ice-cold cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon zest twist. Price per drink: 85p

n The Spirits, by Richard Godwin, is out now, published by Vintage.

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

foodBREAK

We’ve all got to eat. So whether you fancy preparing something at home or popping out for dinner, we have the recipe for a great meal

Then eat away the pain So you’ve mastered cocktails but now need to shake off the after-effects of one too many. MILTON CRAWFORD, author of The Hungover Cookbook, tells you how...

HANGOVER is an opportunity. Feeble-minded people will often tell you that all they want to do when they have a hangover is to sit on the sofa watching trash TV and eating junk food. I admit, this may apply even to me very occasionally. But in general, I resist it. I wrote The Hungover Cookbook

because I have always had many of my best ideas when I have had a hangover. There is actually something rather liberating about it; it removes the straitjacket of everyday routine, makes you think differently. Perhaps the main premise that lies behind this

Hang in there: Eggs bhurji ingredients PICTURES: KATIE MORGAN Shakshuka

POPULAR dish in North Africa, Israel and other parts of the Middle East, shakshuka combines a spicy tomato sauce with baked eggs. Ingredients: Four eggs; two large pitta breads, cut in half; one 400g tin of chopped tomatoes; a pinch of sugar; half an onion, diced; two cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped; half a sweet red bell pepper, chopped; two bay leaves; one jalapeno pepper, finely sliced; one tsp of ground cumin; one tsp of smoked hot paprika; a good slug of olive oil (about two tbsp); flat-leaf parsley to garnish Method: 1. Heat the oil in Melon, feta, mint and ham salad

HEN hungover, it is sometimes more important for our palates to be refreshed than for our stomachs to be replete. Sometimes, especially if you have that most feared of all hangovers – the kind PG Wodehouse christened the

a frying pan on a medium heat and add the onion 2. Cook the onion for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has softened and taken on a slightly golden colour 3. Add the bay leaves, jalapeno pepper

and garlic and stir. Cook for a further minute, then add the cumin and paprika 4. Continue stirring for a further minute before adding the tomatoes and Gremlin Boogie – a gentle salad is about as much as you will be able to handle. This is best served outdoors with lashings of sunshine – as good a natural cure for a hangover as anything else.

Ingredients: One small ripe honeydew melon, flesh cut into cubes; one tbsp

unusual celebration of a much-maligned state is that there is as much truth to be found in pain as there is in joy, as much to be savoured the morning after as the night before. That may sound a little masochistic – but if you want to be more than an air-headed hedonist, try seeing a different side to your hangover. When it comes to cooking this means that you can discard any lazy notions you may have had that a bacon sandwich and a bottle of Lucozade will do. Why not try something new? What about a majestic climb in the hills, rather than a stagger to the corner shop? Make the most of half a teaspoon of sugar 5. Stir the tomatoes in, with a pinch of sugar to balance the chilli. Season with salt and pepper to taste and leave to simmer on a low heat for about seven minutes, stirring occasionally 6. When the sauce has thickened, make four

small craters in the tomato mixture and break the eggs into each of them 7. Leave the mixture on a low heat for two minutes, until the egg of good-quality balsamic vinegar; a small handful of fresh mint, finely chopped; salt and pepper;

half a small red onion, very finely diced; 100g of feta cheese, cut into cubes;

your hangover rather than simply trying to survive it. My cookbook includes a diagnosis section to work out which of PG Wodehouse’s six different types of hangover you may be suffering from – the Broken Compass, the Sewing Machine, the Comet, the Atomic, the Cement Mixer or the greatly feared Gremlin Boogie. But let’s keep it simple. You might want to try one – or all – of these three quick-to-prepare recipes – an Indian take on scrambled eggs (eggs burji), a melon, feta, mint and ham salad or North African baked eggs in a tomato sauce (shakshuka). All recipes are for two: you and your hungover comrade-inarms.

whites begin to set; then, place the frying pan under a medium grill for three to four minutes, keeping careful watch to make sure the egg yolks don’t fully set – runny yolks are essential 8. Take the frying pan from under the grill, season your eggs to taste with salt and pepper and set aside 9. Toast the pitta breads under the grill 10. Place two eggs on each plate and spoon the sauce alongside. Garnish with a little parsley. Add the pitta breads to the side of the plate and make sure you use them to dip into the delicious spicy sauce and the egg yolk

four thin slices of Parma or serrano ham; two sprigs of fresh mint (optional) Method: 1. Put the melon, feta cheese, onion, mint, balsamic vinegar and seasoning into a bowl and gently mix the

Eggs bhurji

HIS is a pepped-up, spicy version of classic scrambled eggs and is popular as a breakfast dish in India. It is best served to combat the type of hangover where you feel lacking in direction and purpose in life (described by PG Wodehouse as the Broken Compass) and contains just enough spice to cut through your woolliness and general lack of vigour post-cocktail experimentation. It is one of my favourite things to eat with a hangover.

Ingredients: Two tbsp of unsalted butter; one tsp of mustard seeds; a few small curry leaves; two spring onions, finely chopped; half a tsp of grated fresh ginger; half a hot green chilli, de-seeded and very thinly sliced; a quarter of a tsp of turmeric; half a tsp of cumin; one medium tomato, skinned and diced; four large free-range eggs; beaten and seasoned with salt to taste

Lost: The Broken Compass PICTURE: MATT BAXTER

ingredients 2. Serve the mixture on plates in a tasteful mound and artfully tear the ham over the top of the salad. If your hangover is mild enough that you still have any kind of aesthetic sense, you may want, à la Jamie,

Method: 1. Melt the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat; then, add the mustard seeds, stir once and add the curry leaves and the spring onion 2. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the onion is soft, before adding the ginger, chilli, turmeric, cumin and tomato 3. Gently fry for a couple of minutes before adding the eggs 4. Cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally until the eggs are set, as you would when making scrambled eggs 5. Serve immediately on fried bread or hot buttered toast to drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over the top and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Et voilà!

n The Hungover Cookbook, by Milton Crawford is out now, published by Vintage.

#BeAnOriginal | originalpenguin.co.uk PER15079 OP UNI PAPER AD 259x325_3.indd 1

07/05/2015 15:05

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

inSTYLE

Want to look great and stay up-to-date with the latest trends... all on a sensible budget? Check out our monthly guide to the best buys for students

Get set for party season F

ROM freshers’ week benders to sports socials and Christmas balls, this term is going to be party central. Make sure you’re ready by choosing some classic but glamorous staples and keeping it fresh with inexpensive accessories as

the nights draw in. Bear in mind a few golden rules for effortless elegance. Go for luxurious fabrics such as satin and fake fur, stick to one sequinned item at a time – and find shoes that won’t pinch your feet all night.

Club snug: Fake fur scarf, £18, Dorothy Perkins

Grey to night: Waffle shirt, £15, Farrell

‘80s vibe: Sequin jacket, £25, Primark Disco boots: Stilettos, £15, Primark

Suited: Chelsea boots, £16, Primark

Net this: Mesh insert tassel dress, £75, Miss Selfridge

FRESHEN UP! SOPHIE POWELL uncovers some freshers’ week heroes... YOUR alarm is shouting at you. You have a 9am lecture and you should have been on the bus ten minutes ago but you’ve only had three hours of sleep – again. Let’s face it, we’ve all been there. Freshers’ week is great fun but alcohol and late nights can leave you feeling less than perky the morning after. When every precious minute in bed counts, this trio make for a great quick-fix and will leave you looking bright-eyed and ready to take on university life – even if you don’t feel it... n Not content with studying for a PhD in protein biochemistry at the University of Manchester, Sophie Powell, 24, is on a mission to decode the jargon used by the beauty industry to explain the science behind cosmetics. Check out her blog at www. thescientificbeauty.com.

Ruff night: Pug necklace, £20, Finest Imaginary

Heart this: Clutch, £7, Primark

Rehydrate skin and even out complexion with L’Oreal Skin Perfection Anti-Fatigue Perk-Up Cream. This product contains a host of moisturising agents to replace moisture lost from the skin. Lentil seed extract, one of the key ingredients, has been shown to control oil production by reducing the size of pores, which should help keep shine at bay during a full day of lectures. It also has an SPF of 20 – handy if you encounter some late summer sunshine in your first weeks on campus. It moisturises thanks to specially designed micropearls: as you apply the product, they take on a skincoloured tone, giving a healthy glow. L’Oreal Skin Perfection Anti-Fatigue Cream, £7.99, www.superdrug.com

Shimmy shimmer: Gold jeans, £13, Primark

Banish dark circles and eye bags with Benefit Puff Off! Eye Gel. It will leave you feeling ready to absorb knowledge, attend socials and make friends on your new course. It comes in a clever applicator with a metal iron-shaped tip, which you glide under your tired eyes as you squeeze out the gel – the coolness of the metal feels amazing. The high content of moisturising ingredients keeps undereye skin soft and hydrated but the ingredient you’ll be most thankful for is menthoxypropanediol – a derivative of mint – which has a wonderful cooling sensation. All that’s left to do is add a slick of your favourite lipstick on the bus, grab a coffee-to-go and get ready to rock. Benefit Puff Off! Eye Gel, £22.50, www.boots.com

Remove all traces of the night before with Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Pads. Glycolic acid is the substance used in a chemical peel as it removes the very top layer of skin. Although it is used at a much lower concentration in these pads, the effect of exfoliating this top layer is the same. Skin cells at the surface are older, dryer and more dull in appearance, owing to increased UV exposure and water loss. By removing these, you will reveal cells underneath that are newer, plumper and lighter in appearance. The pads are also great at unclogging pores, so no-one will guess you spent the previous evening in Smurf fancy dress. Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Pads, £13.00, www.asos.com

first come, first served.

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

onSCREEN

Love a night out at the movies? Or perhaps you need to chill in front of the TV? Read on to find out what’s on...

You can’t live with ’em... Housemates. Love them or hate them, you’re stuck with them for the year. To celebrate (commiserate?), JOHN SHAW has picked out five of the best flatshare sitcoms...

OUR flatmates are going to be a big part of your life this year. And if you haven’t lived with friends before, here’s a secret: they are going to drive you crazy. To bring some harmony, sit down together and watch these five box sets about groups even more dysfunctional than yours... New Girl

After breaking up with her boyfriend, Jess answers an ad and becomes the new girl in an apartment full of boys. As it’s a US sitcom, there has to be a love interest – and Jess and Nick’s will-they-won’t-they is one of the best on TV. The pair face a difficult battle against their own immaturity and outside forces, including other potential suitors. But the laughs really come from not-so-smooth talking Schmidt who falls for fashion model Cede. WATCH IF: Your new housemate is a bit, er, quirky. Fresh Meat

This bunch of misfits, thrown together after missing out on a place in halls, go through the full spectrum of life in a shared house. There’s bed-hopping, rubbish parties,

Suffragette, October 7 THE Suffragettes’ tale is perplexingly undertold in the cinema world. It has all the hallmarks of a blockbuster: suffering, violence, death and heartbreak. Meryl Streep plays leader of the British movement Emmeline Pankhurst, while Carey Mulligan plays Maud, a soldier against the state. Helena Bonham Carter also stars as Edith New in what promises to be one of the most powerful films of the year.

bust-ups and, of course, bantz as they make their way to graduation at the fictional Manchester Medlock University. WATCH IF: You’ve just spent a drunken night snogging your flatmate. Peep Show

The pinnacle of awkward British comedy, Peep Show follows the lives of neurotic nerd Mark Corrigan and laidback wannabe musician Jez Usborne. After meeting at university, the pair end up living together in Croydon, where they struggle to get on – and to make a living. Thankfully, we haven’t finished the story yet, with series nine on its way later on in the year. WATCH IF: You’re feeling like life couldn’t get much worse. Spaced

What a long way Simon Pegg has come. These days, you’re just as likely to see him in Hollywood’s biggest franchises as anything else. But it all began with a show called Spaced, which he co-wrote with Jessica Hynes (back when she was Stevenson). This cult classic sees Tim and Daisy pose as a couple to secure a cheap flat

Steve Jobs, October 9 IN ALL lecture theatres, someone will be on their iPhone – whether the lecturer is talking or not. But there was a time when the mobile was just a twinkle in Jobs’ i. Michael Fassbender plays Apple’s co-founder in the film, which is set backstage at three product launches. Seth Rogen plays Steve Wozniak, the other co-founder, and Kate Winslet plays Joanna Hoffman, ex-marketing chief of Macintosh.

Best buds: The oddball New Girl crew and, inset, Simon Pegg of Spaced

PICTURES: CHANNEL 4/WIKICOMMONS/DUDEK1337

and follows the pair as their relationship develops. WATCH IF: You find yourself with an unexpected housemate. The Young Ones

The original and, some would say, still the best. The Young Ones is anarchic, surreal and constantly named as one of the funniest British sitcoms ever. The mismatched students spend their time in grubby digs while studying at Scumbag College and causing havoc. WATCH IF: You want to go back to a time when there were no student fees.

out soon SPECTRE, October 26 THE build-up to the 24th Bond movie has been as gripping as the film should be. Hackers got their hands on an early version of the screenplay by infiltrating Sony’s computer system. The script was leaked but that hasn’t quelled – the anticipation for Daniel Craig’s fourth outing. This time, a message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to reveal the truth behind the secretive group SPECTRE.

Teach English in China!! • 12 Month Contract

• 25 hours per Week

• £800 - £1000 per Month.

• 5 - 12 students per Class

• Bonuses and Overtime Available.

• Teaching Assistant in Every Class

• Accommodation Provided

• Free Chinese Language and Culture Classes

• Flight Reimbursed

• Free Placement Service

• Training Provided Candidates must have a degree (in any discipline) and be a native of an English speaking country. We are looking for friendly, enthusiastic graduates who are excited about becoming part of our team in China. We can guide you through the visa process and are happy to provide contact details of native English speaking teachers at our school so you can chat to them before signing our contract. We are proud of our friendly atmosphere both in and out of the classroom and will do our best to help you settle in and get to know your surroundings. TO APPLY Please email your cv and a recent photo to placement@ﬂying-cows.com For more information please feel free to get in touch by email placement@ﬂying-cows.com or call 01158240824 for a chat.

DO ING ETH T M SO EREN DIFF H IN C – TEA A! CHIN

Flying Cows is a UK based company which was founded by a UK graduate in 2004. It specialises in finding graduates teaching positions in China and South Korea. There are no placement fees. 2015 Teaching Placements also available in South Korea & Columbia

At Specsavers, if you are an easycare direct debit customer you can get an even better deal, including a free pair of glasses, free delivery. Your eye test and aftercare are also included in the price.

Voted the UK’s most trusted optician Need an eye test? Visit specsavers.co.uk or call 0800 0680 241

Cannot be used with other offers or exchanged in part or whole for cash. Initial 3-month payment required from new easycare direct debit customers. One free pair of £45 range glasses with scratch-resistant PENTAX single vision lenses every two years. Current prescription required. Alternatively, an eye test will be required at our standard charge. easycare benefits are redeemable only by named scheme member. Source: YouGov Plc online survey, 2014. ©2013 Specsavers. All rights reserved.

704376-1_SD_UniversityPaper.indd 1

11/11/2014 12:30

www.unipaper.co.uk

hiTECH

October 2015 The latest in everything gadgets and gaming

Stalkers, sexism, cyberbullies: A woman’s guide to the web

HY do some men send d**k pics? How do people really meet the loves of their lives? What were the pranks that got Google Map Maker taken offline? Holly Brockwell set out to answer these questions and many more when she launched tech news website Gadgette.com, which also covers new apps, products and style with a focus on women, while taking a feminist stance on issues such as cyberbullying. ‘I decided it was about time we had a female-focused tech publication for women,’ she said. ‘A lot of the mainstream tech sites – that aren’t necessarily meaning to, and they are getting better – are male-focused. ‘We wanted to say, “It’s cool to be a woman who likes tech”.’ She has worked on another tech site, ShinyShiny, and wanted Gadgette to be more openly aimed at women. But she came up against criticism after launching the site in the summer. ‘One of the points was that rather than making their own stuff, women should go and

work for mainstream tech companies,’ Holly said. ‘I couldn’t disagree more. ‘No-one would ever say that to a man. When Shortlist was launched, no-one said, “Why do you need a magazine for men?” ‘If you come out for women, you get abuse. It’s pretty sad.’ As a site covering tech and the internet from a female perspective, it is perhaps unsurprising that Gadgette has already run articles on creepy Tinder stalkers, Twitter sexism apologists and online bullying. Its agenda has been lost on some, however. Despite making a point of not covering parenting, motherhood or marriage – ‘we’re not trying to be Cosmo’ – Holly said companies pushing products for children and parents had already started asking her team for coverage. ‘That really vexes me,’ she said. ‘They don’t go, “Well, men are required for the process of making babies, so we’ll send them kids’ stuff”.’ So far, the site’s preferred method for fighting stereotypes has been to take the mick out of them. It

Rock Band 4 (Oct 6) LIKE all good rockers do at one point in their career, the Rock Band series took a long break – probably to rediscover its love of the music. Now it is back with the fourth big installment and new tracks. Play along to classics such as The Cure’s Friday I’m In Love and modern hits like Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk. There is also a new freestyle guitar solo feature which will have you feeling like Slash in your living room. Available on PS4 and Xbox One Guitar Hero Live (Oct 20)

Gadget girl: Some of the stories on the site and, inset, founder Holly Brockwell published a satirical guide on how to use headphones without messing up your hair after Holly overheard someone at a conference say women were only worried about style, not sound quality. ‘That article was so much fun and it got a really good response,’ she said. ‘It was a

satirical way of saying “this is not OK”. ‘The company has offered me an interview with the man who made the comments, which I will probably take them up on.’ She said a ‘psychology of the d**k pic’ piece – which unearthed opinions of penis

portraits ranging from ‘nice’ to ‘that’s like something the cat dragged in’ and examined the motivation behind sending them – was another favourite. ‘The writer did offer to send me some of the d**k pics in question,’ she said, adding: ‘I declined.’

A seeing computer: It’s the future of fashion COMPUTER genius and fashion guru Jenny Griffiths has created technology that helps computers to ‘see’ – setting up Snap Fashion, the first visual search engine for clothes and accessories. The University of Bristol computer science graduate was awarded an MBE aged just 27 for services to digital innovation in the fashion industry, after developing an idea she first worked on as an undergraduate. Her honour will be considered well-deserved by any man or woman who has ever seen someone wearing something amazing in the street, on a night out or in a film and struggled to find something similar. ‘Visual search comes naturally to humans but to computers it’s just a bunch of pixels, so we’ve managed to program a computer to see colours, shapes and even textures,’ she said.

out soon

Drop it in: Take a snap and upload This is how it works: 1. Take a picture of the piece of clothing or accessory you want to find and upload it. You can also drag and drop the picture into a box on the Snap Fashion website, paste a link of the image or download the app for Android or iPhone. If inspiration comes while sitting on the bus or walking through the park, ask the person for permission or be very discreet when snapping them.

2. Cut around the item you want the search engine to see. To help find what you want, click around the edges of the item you are interested in, including the sleeves (if it has any). You don’t have to be a pro with Photoshop – a rough outline is fine. On iPhone, you can also find things in similar or clashing tones, while a separate Android app lets you search for exact colour matches.

Cut it out: Highlight the clothing

Click to buy: View your results 3. Get your results and start shopping. The site will display suggestions and you can filter the results by price, or choose only to view items of the same colour or shape, for example. Click on the item you fancy to add it to your wishlist, share with friends or re-snap for similar results. You can also click ‘buy’ to be connected to the retailer. Head to www.snapfashion.co.uk to try it for yourself.

ANOTHER plastic guitar rocker – so what’s different? There’s the obvious – different tracks, such as Wolf Alice’s Moaning Lisa Smile and Tenacious D’s Tribute. But gone are the classic five colourful buttons to be replaced with a stylish six-button challenge. The game also offers the chance to play in front of a real crowd. Available on PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U Halo 5: Guardians (Oct 27) RECORD-breaking franchise Halo returns for its fifth major outing. This time an unstoppable force threatens the galaxy – but the Master Chief has gone missing and Spartan Locke has to hunt him down. On top of that, there are two new multiplayer modes to continue the series’ development. But who cares about all of that? If you’re a gamer, you’re going to get it. Available on Xbox One WWE 2K16 (Oct 27) IF UNIVERSITY deadlines or untidy housemates are stressing you out, then relieve some tension with the comeback of the WWE 2K series. There will be new superstars, divas and legends, plus ladder tag team, handicap tag team and tornado tag matches – all of which were taken away in the previous year’s WWE 2K15. You’ve even got the chance to play as Hall Of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator – now, who wouldn’t want that? Available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

w w w. fa r a h .c o.u k

earlham street â&#x20AC;&#x201D; covent garden

www.unipaper.co.uk

October 2015

competitionCORNER

Your chance to win fantastic tickets, trips and treats

Snow, ski and songs WIN F

ANCY conquering the slopes by day, before partying all night with one of your best buds? Well, TUP are offering a festival package worth £1,000 to RISE Festival 2015 in Les Deux Alpes, France. We are giving one lucky reader and their plus-one a six-day ski pass, full festival access, accommodation, ski hire and return travel from the UK. Music this year comes from Skream, High Contrast and many more. To be in with a chance, email win@unipaper.co.uk with your name, university and year of study. For more information on the festival, which runs from December 12 to 19, head to www.risefestival.co.uk.

On Fire: Tribal Sessions is coming to the capital

Residency will be hot, hot, hot Après-ski: Brave the cold of RISE Festival 2015

THE legendary Tribal Sessions is making a new home in London with a residency at Fire in Vauxhall. The house and techno party, which launches weekly from Friday, October 9, will feature sets from Booka Shade (live), Juan Atkins, DJ Pierre, The Revenge and many more. If you want to be at every show then here’s your chance... TUP are giving away a pair of season tickets to one lucky reader. To enter, email your name, university and year of study to win@unipaper.co.uk. For more info on the night, check out www.firelondon.net.

LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR A

CHANCE TO

WIN

£2000 WORTH OF APPLE PRODUCTS facebook.com/TheUniPaper

13” Macbook Pro | iPad Retina | iPhone 5S | iPod Touch

October 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

yourSPACE

Steer clear of the student look...

NIVERSITY draws people from all sorts of different backgrounds. But, look around most student digs, and you are likely to find the same tired decorations. To make your room unique and somewhere you (and others) might actually want to stay, avoid these five clichéd clangers... 1. Dreamcatchers – University can be stressful but you won’t be able to get rid of those night terrors with one of these. The best way forward is to do some breathing exercises and lay off the booze for a couple of weeks. 2. Empty alcohol bottles – If you’re using a JD bottle as a candle holder or lining your windowsill with dead Stellas, get a bin bag and chuck them away. It looks cluttered and gives away too much to the parents when they come and visit. 3. Wacky cushions – Let’s face it – no-one has ever laughed at a cushion. No-one has ever said: ‘That person has an amusing pillow, let’s be friends.’ Just get rid of it before anyone sees. 4. Guitar – If you have a guitar hanging on your wall, you’d better be able to play it like Jimi Hendrix. No-one wants to invite guitar douche on a night out. 5. Posters – Some can look good but unless you actually know what Che Guevara did, don’t put a picture of him on your wall. The same goes for Albert Einstein, Audrey Hepburn and that tennis player scratching her bottom.

5 4 Ditch ‘em: Be original at university PICTURES: WIKICOMMONS/RAMA

We make bills this easy

Student bills from £9.99 pppw www.dividabill.co.uk!

"Despite the fact that England is already the fourth place where I have settled down, thanks to Student Mundial, for the rst time in my life I feel like I've got my "home, sweet home" here. Brand new accommodation, perfect location, aďŹ&#x20AC;ordable price. I'm loving it!!!" Jake: Maidstone, UK - Lisbon, Portubal "Thanks for your help, the place is great, sharing with some friendly people."

hola@studentmundial.com

studentmundial.com

+44 (0)207 193 2377

October 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

yourSPACE

Split before you quit...

VER had to chase your housemates for their portion of the electricity bill or had the sneaking feeling you might be the only person in the house who has ever bought toilet roll? The co-founder of a new app wants to make these problems history by helping sharers sort out their finances. Nick Katz set up Splittable after an argument over bills when he moved out of a shared flat. ‘I was living with my best buddy in a two-bedroom apartment in Dalston, in east London,’ he said. ‘My now-fiancée, who was then my girlfriend, lived there too. ‘When it came to settling everything, my buddy put a bunch of things we didn’t know about on a spreadsheet. ‘He said I owed him a couple of hundred pounds and my girlfriend owed about £900. This

blew our friendship apart – it took it over the edge.’ Nick, who had worked in real estate since graduating from uni in the USA a year earlier, decided to put his knowledge of housing to good use. ‘I know how to write a lease – but when you’re a student, you’re a bit coddled, maybe having lived with your parents or in student accommodation,’ he said. ‘You suddenly have to negotiate a short-hold tenancy and find housemates. ‘You also have to work out how to live with people and not claw each other’s eyes out. ‘We want to remove the conflict points in the home, such as money.’ The app works by plotting whether each housemate is in credit or debt on a graph, which adjusts itself each time they buy something. So, if one person buys cleaning

Divide and rule: Splittable founder Nick Katz wants to stop housemate disputes products, for example, you could pay them back by buying the food next time you have takeaway, which will be shown on the graph. You can also request payment in cash through the app, which will send an email reminder to whoever owes you. There are sections that record monthly costs such as rent and bills,

and the deposit for the house or flat. Costs and payments are displayed on a timeline, so everyone can see who has paid what – and you can choose to get real-time updates or a weekly round-up. It may not sound like the most exciting invention ever but it has to be better than sorting out finances through face-to-face confrontations

or passive-aggressive sticky notes on the fridge. Nick also has some good housemate credentials, having shared nine rented homes in London. ‘I’m in a house-share right now with six people and I’m using Splittable,’ he said. ‘Sharing should be a brilliant thing.’ Henry Edwards

Download the GBK app to unlock your 30% Student Discount gbkapp.co.uk/uni

www.gbk.co.uk

Changing the face of construction

www.mwgroup.net

M+W Group is growing. For more information about the wide range of career opportunities available please email careers@mwgroup.net

Sarah, Head of

Jo,

Talent Management

Head of HR UK

Francys,

Raka,

Process Engineer

Architectural Technician

259x325mm MW Careers in Construction Uni advert.indd 1

Jo,

Senior Architectural Technologist

Frances, Architectural Assistant

11/05/2015 15:09

October 2015

www.unipaper.co.uk

sportNEWS

Medal table

Triumphant trio: Medal winners in the 200m breaststroke (l-r) Kazuki Kohinata, for Japan; Josh Prenot, for the USA; and Team GBR’s Craig Benson PICTURES: BUCS

1 2 3 4 5

Korea Russia China Japan USA

47 34 34 25 20

32 39 22 25 15

29 49 16 35 19

All 108 122 72 85 54

Team GB athletes... Archery Ashe Morgan – University of Birmingham Alex Smith – University of Oxford Tom Hall – University of Warwick Sally Gilder – Chipping Camden Academy Jordan Mitchell – Ulster University Matthew Dale – Warwick Phillip Tucknott – University of Edinburgh Stephanie Clason – Edinburgh Hope Greenwood – Edinburgh Georgie Brown – Birmingham City University Badminton Matthew Carder – University of Glasgow Kerri Scott – Loughborough University Victoria Williams – Loughborough Chloe Birch – Loughborough Patrick Machugh – University of Strathclyde Angus Pedersen – University of Bath Martin Campbell – The Open University Rebekka Findlay – University of the West of Scotland Caitlin Pringle – Strathclyde Diving Rhea Gayle – University of St Mark and St John Robyn Birch – St Mark and St John Clare Cryan – Sheffield Hallam University Jack Haslam – University of Sheffield

Fencing Alex Tofalides – University College London Amol Rattan – London School of Economics Kristjan Archer – University of Notre Dame

Cameron Brodie – Stirling Kathryn Johnstone – Heriot-Watt Jay Lelliott – Bath Max Litchfield – Sheffield Hallam Calum Tait – Edinburgh Olivia White – Edinburgh James Wilby – Loughborough

Gymnastics Kelly Simm – Southampton Solent University William Trood – Loughborough Gabriel Hannah – Loughborough Thomas Gibbs – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Lynne Hutchison – Open University Stephani Sherlock – The Lesgaft National State University

Table Tennis Evangeline Collier – Nottingham Trent University Sean Doherty – Edinburgh

Golf Michael Howard – Edinburgh Craig Chalmers – Strathclyde Katie Bradbury – University of Exeter Hannah Mccook – University of Stirling Gemma Batty – Stirling Henry Tomlinson – Stirling Shooting Kristian Callaghan – Bath Coral Kennerley – Cardiff University Holly Lay – University of Reading Seonaid McIntosh – Heriot-Watt University Finbar Ryley – Newcastle University Swimming Joe Patching – Auburn University Craig Benson – Stirling

Taekwondo Jordan Gayle – Manchester College Christian McNeish – Connell College Lutalo Muhammed – Middlesex University Harriett Akeroyd – Leeds Beckett University Jade Slavin – Northumbria Bianca Walkden – Manchester College Tennis Darren Walsh – Southern Methodist University Joe Salisbury – University of Memphis Mark Whitehouse – Imperial College London Alex Walker – Bath Daneika Borthwick – The Florida State University Olivia Nicholls – Loughborough

Taking the plunge: Team GBR diver Jack Haslam

www.unipaper.co.uk www.unipaper.co.uk

October October2015 2015

Tetraplegic student completes punishing 12-mile challenge sportNEWS All the highs and lows from the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea

Mudder shows Stars of Rob the future us he’s toughboost stuff get a Korea TOM GELLATLY

433

Focus on students, Golden not cash

from p1 summer for hosts of WUG pointing to its 89 per cent satisfaction rate in this area. Prof Judith Squires, pro vice-chancellor for education, said investments as the SOUTH Koreasuch proved new study andwith learning to be the hosts hubmost being planned the after coming forof Beacon House, the top the World former Habitat building University Summer in Clifton, showed Games medal table. student satisfaction was They claimed 47 golds, being taken 32 silvers andseriously. 29 She added: ‘The off bronzes, holding university is committed second-placed Russia. to providing highChina finisheda off the quality and positive top three, while Japan experience all and the USA for finished students.’ fourth and fifth Recent Bristol graduate respectively. Harriet D’Souza, 21, About 10,000 said: ‘The teaching competitors from staff were always more than 150 professional, countries tooksupportive part and in theknowledgeable. contest, which she added: isBut recognised as ‘If the the university had second-largest multicared more sports gamesabout after the students and Olympics. Theless nextabout revenue, then I feel will be held in Chinese students like myself Taipei in 2017. would have had more positive feedback.’ UWE fared slightly better than Bristol, hitting the 85 mark to put it in the top 100, along with Leeds Trinity, the University of Liverpool and Manchester Metropolitan. UWE’s vice-chancellor Steve West said its onepoint increase ‘shows we are moving in the right direction’.

SHAW A JOHN WHEELCHAIR-bound student has become the world’s first TEAM Great Britain recorded tetraplegic to complete a Tough their most successful World Mudder challenge. University Games in more Rob Camm, from the University than a decade this summer. of Bristol, finished the gruelling The 66 British students 12-mile course in a wheelchair he secured three golds, four silcontrols with his chin. vers and four bronzes on their The politics and philosophy way to a 17th-place finish in student, 21, who was left paralysed Gwangju, South Korea. from the neck down after a car crash They were inspired by rising two years ago, said: ‘I wanted to do star of British gymnastics and a Tough Mudder before the accident Team GBR flagbearer Kelly and still want to do it now. Simm who won gold in the ‘I’ve got a wheelchair that’s all-around, silver in the capable of doing it, so I thought: vault and bronze in the floor “Why not?” exercise. ‘I’m happy that I’ve done it but The Southampton Solent a bit tired now – but probably not student rated the Games as as tired as all these guys who have her best yet and is now lookbeen round with me.’ ing towards securing a place Rob was raising money for on the full Team GB 2016 Rio technology company SpecialEffect, Olympics squad. which provided him with the Speaking to BUCS, the wheelchair robust enough to take 20-year-old said: ‘It’s the first on the trials – dubbed probably the time I’ve won three medals at toughest event on the planet. a competition. Tough Mudder vice-president ‘To see the look on my coach gold: (l-r) Joe Salisbury and Darren Walsh celebrate their gold medal and, below, Christian McNeish John Fidoe, who accompanied Netting Rob and parents’ faces was such a around the course, described him as Jones, were also great – beat Korea’s Hyeon doubles, losing to Belarusians 18-year-old, who only took Chris special feeling. inspirational. Chung and Jisung Nam Lidziya Marozava and Andrei up the sport two years ago. ‘The World University towards me.’ ‘We were thrilled to have Rob join Elsewhere, Heriot-Watt 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 to secure Vasilevski in straight sets in Lelliott’s teammate, StirGames has helped me masus at Tough Mudder South West University’s Seonaid McInthe final. the title. sively and I’m really proud ling University’s Craig and watch him become the Benson, first tosh set a personal best and Walsh PICTURES: said: ‘We’ve Speaking to fellow BUCS Mudders secured with the way it has gone.’ Allalso done: Rob Camm, inset, celebrates with FACEBOOKhad a tetraplegic in the world to complete after the perfor- really good tournament but Scottish national record In the pool, the University of bronze in the 200m a Tough Mudder course,’ he said. SpecialEffect, provided Robgoing in in the 50m rifle prone. and cousin,and Simon, were with him we didn’t quite get mance, Salisbury which Bath’s Jay Lelliott took gold in breaststroke ‘His strength, determination 100m and throughout with an eye gaze computer throughout the event – a gruelling trek n British Universisaid: ‘This rep- that first set, which put us on – where he the 400m freestyle, silver in courage have inspired all of us comprising tunnels to crawl through, hismy 96-day stay in Frenchay Hospital’s ties and Colleges Sport the back foot. resents biggest the 800m freestyle and came was edged out by at Tough Mudder and Mudders intensive care unit. To were donate, visit walls to scale, and yes, lots of mud. victory ‘They good today and (BUCS) is the governing ever and second-placed James fourth in the 1,500m free. around the world.’ Rob’s father, Wilby, Ian, of They www.justgiving.com/Rob-Camm. are hoping to give back to it is probably not made very few errors – but it body for higher educaLoughborough He said: ‘The games were far off for Darren as is still a fantastic achievement tion sport in the UK, repextremely exciting and were University. well, so we are both to get this far and walk away resenting 170 institutions Not to be outdone, also a great stepping-stone EDITOR: TOM GELLATLY bristoleditor@unipaper.co.uk For advertising enquiries, please call: 020 7580 6419 and all facilitating 52 sport with a silver medal.’ absolutely delighted. Team GBR’s tennis team Email him at meet. The final medal came programmes. ‘We will be return‘The team at the pool was beat hosts Korea to win BUCS sent a delegation Connell College’s ing to the UK with a from incredible and helped me out gold in the men’s douhuge amount of con- Christian McNeish, who of Great Britain’s next genbles final. big time. fidence and our heads secured bronze in the 68kg eration of elite athletes The pair – Joe Salis‘I can’t thank my coach Mark to the World University taekwondo. held high.’ Skimming enough for getting bury, from the University The medal represents Games, including 66 athWalsh also netted a of Memphis, and Darren me to this point. silver with Bath’s Alex an astounding rise for the letes in 12 sports. ‘The other coaches out Walsh, from Southern Walker in the mixed there, Dave Hemming and Methodist University

contactUS

PROMO CODE: STUDENT1 JOIN ONLINE TODAY!

STUDENT

MEMBERSHIPS JUST

Â£9.99 PER MONTH*

MORE STAFF MORE EQUIPMENT MORE FREE CLASSES MORE PERSONAL TRAINERS FREE PARKING BETTER VALUE

*Available ONLY during Freshers week to students with valid Student ID