Huddersfield Student_Huddersfield Student 09/09/2009 11:11 Page 1
huddersfieldstudent The University of Huddersfield’s best, and only, monthly student newspaper September 2009 || FREE || hslive.co.uk
Meet the boys in charge The new executive team tell us their plans for the year ahead and beyond POLITICS » 6
Summer refurb gives life to Students’ Union Overhaul of SU ‘long overdue’
Students welcome brand new venues
What’s On? Brand new section gives a rundown of everything happening in the Union and across Huddersfield during September ARTS » 16
Goodbye Yellow Brick building
NEARING COMPLETION: ‘The Graduate’, one of the three major new spaces in the new-look Students’ Union
Ben Hall EDITOR The Students’ Union building has had a massive refurbishment over the summer months, with its three major venues given facelifts and a new direction.
The Students’ Union Bar, formerly SU:Venue, has undergone one of the biggest changes, reborn as The Graduate. The refurbishment was undertaken to provide students with a better service after a survey was
undertaken in 2008. The Graduate, boasts a full food menu at great value prices. The Graduate is taking its first steps into social media by offering performers and bands the chance to send a link to their work or
‘MySpace’ to be placed on the list of acts to perform live. DJs can take part in the Saturday Night Survivors competition in the hope of becoming the resident DJ for Term 2.
After election defeat Nathaniel Grant, former UHSU Council Chair, waves goodbye to Huddersfield
Continued NEWS » 5
NEWS >> 2
Not that easy being green? News » 3
4PAGE PULLOUT »
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Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Grant gets Honorary Life Membership
Former UHSU Chair Nathaniel Grant talks to current Editor Ben Hall about his unsucessful Presidential campaign. Photo: Anothony McLoughlin
Ben Hall EDITOR Ask anyone about Nathaniel Grant and you're bound to receive a mixed bag of responses. In March, as the then Union Chair, Grant fought a campaign to become UHSU President. Utilising all the bells, whistles and fireworks he
could find, Grant, with team Action, narrowly missed out on victory with only one member of the team, Haydn Stead, winning a seat. For his contributions to Union life, Grant has been awarded an honorary life membership; constitutionally given when a person or member of the executive committee
deems a person worthy based on their outstanding effort. "I myself, as Union chair, I think, have expanded the role of more than it has previously ever been used", speculates Grant on the reasons for his nomination. In a year that saw the resignation of three of the five exec officers, Grant became a de facto
member of the exec, parttime. "Really we had to steer through a very difficult year" he says of the experience. "I think it was basically things like that and other things I've organised here, like debates on Britishness and different aspects of politics" that persuaded people he was worthy of
the life membership. "It's nice because there are a few illustrious honorary life members like Tony Benn. It's nice to be in that line of succession." Grant met, and interviewed Tony Benn in 2007. The interview was printed in the Huddersfield Student, and Grant recalls ...fondly meeting the Continued FEATURES » 15
New Faith Centre now open on campus A new Faith Centre has opened up on campus. The large Community Room has comfy sofas, free drinks facilities, games, regular film screenings & a Wii ! Next door there is a Quiet Room that can be used by anyone for worship, prayer, meditation or just to be still. Separate male & female prayer rooms with washing facilities on the lower floor, which can be accessed via the Wakefield Rd car park, are available. The Centre is an oasis where you will find a friendly face and somewhere to relax. You can gain access with your student card and one of the chaplains is likely to be p Students enjoying the Community Room of the new Faith Centre on results day
Continued NEWS » 4
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Editorial: Finding and funding our own future
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Former HS editor calls for Union car park to become ‘grassy quad’
Ben Hall EDITOR
Toward the end of the last as year, academic RadioHudd began kitting studios, its out Huddersfield Student was tightrope a walking between two futures. At one point, it wasn’t certain whether our paper would make it to the other side, have to go backwards, or simply fall through the gap. Thankfully, the Students’ Union stepped in and saved the paper- in its printed form- and brought it, not only from the brink of extinction, but to a place where significant progress can be made. Naturally, I would like to be able to take credit for this. Truthfully, I cannot. It does; however, once again bring the question of student apathy to the forefront of the mind. If it was the Venue, newly refurbished and re-branded ‘The Graduate’, whose future was uncertain, things would certainly different. been have Though usually attracting just enough customers to avoid being classed empty, faced with closure it would not be difficult to gather a huge team of campaigners to fight for its future. At the other end of the spectrum sits Huddersfield Student. From the several thousand copies that lay untouched under the Union stairs each month, it is clear to see that the same enthusiasm campaign incredibly be would difficult to come by. And therein lays my challenge for the coming year. Last year’s Editor, Anton Jidkov, and Vice
of President Communications Lauren Stewart- who rejoins us as a subeditor this yearworked hard towards the end of 08/09 to ensure that a few foundation stones were laid to make this job a lot easier. All going well, you’ll now be able to pick up a copy of Huddersfield Student from most, if not all, of the school buildings and library. A step in the right direction and one that confounds me as to why it was not taken sooner. This is all fantastic news but is unfortunately only half of the battle. This year for critical is it Huddersfield Student to show you that it’s worth reading, starting with a whole new outlook. Furthermore, this year our independence needs to grow. We are obviously indebted to the Union for supporting the turning point of Huddersfield’s student media scene and should use this as a foundation for further growth, led and financed by our own means. The launching of our website, for instance, just one of our steps forward. With a student base of over 22,000 we have huge, untapped potential to raise capital that can make a must We difference. become more than a newspaper and engage in the activities of the SU to maintain any sort of future. With a massive fountain of student talent we will be able to pull off something spectacular, becoming less of a news product and more of an institution.
The Garden of Jidkov: Car park of Union transformed with turf
Former editor, Jidkov, calls for President Ejaz to make car park green for one-day summer trial Anton Jidkov Picture yourself in the middle of May, Huddersfield is hot and bright. A rare, but lovely, day to meet friends and frolic in the great outdoors. More likely than not, our university campus is desolate with a few stray students and staff navigating the campus paths. If you have been to any other university that values its students you will notice that there is always a central meeting place that is pleasant to inhabit, especially at times such as the one I have described.
The University of Huddersfield does not have such a place. In fact, the area crossed by most students on a daily basis, the area that is the most logical congregational place- the heart of this university- is a student-hostile, concrete mess. A car park that cannot be used by students. No student wants to stay on campus for longer than they need to. It feels uncomfortable and we feel uncomfortable in it. The solution is simple: grass over the car park. A green space for meeting and relaxing; between, before and after lectures.
Clearly the university has money available – just take a look at all the recent renovations. Yes, they’re trying – but not very hard. Or, at least, not in a very intelligent way. It all leads us logically to my proposition. Grass it over, make it pleasant – make it a forum where students can go to meet and greet. This is not pie in the sky thinking. We have the power do something about it. Log on to www.hslive.co.uk/grassour-campus to sign the petition.
Huddersfield Student to hit cyberspace Harry Stewart The Huddersfield Student is due to launch its first website in early October to make news more relevant and accessible to its readers. The website, promised by current editor Ben Hall in
his election campaign, follows a growing dissatisfaction with print dates. “The website,” Hall said, “will allow us to report news between print dates. “It will pick the Student up to its feet and help it become something bigger and better.”
The website can be accessed at hslive.co.uk. Launched in 2001, the Huddersfield Student made its web debut last year as part of the Union website. A number of other measures to increase the paper’s profile are rumoured to be in the pipeline.
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Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Information overload? Chinese sucess through University the web, more prominent. partners We will not be dishing
Kathy Sherlock HEAD OF REGISTRY At this time of year we are normally busy having handbooks printed, printing CDs and updating the Registry website to reflect any changes to the Students’ Handbook of Regulations – and even then some students and staff cannot find it. The Handbooks/CDs are normally given out at enrolment and forwarded by Schools to students in partner institutions.
out handbooks or CDs; as from 2009/10 all new enrolling students will receive a student ID card that has the regulations URL on the reverse of the card. The URL will take students directly to the regulations website where each section is easily identifiable. There are some other useful URLs there as well. To review the regulations that cover areas such as: examination procedures, submission of extenuating circumstances, appeals, complaints and academic misconduct visit www2.hud.ac.uk/regs and remember when you want to read the regs the URL is on the reverse of your student ID card.
We are very aware of the...dangers of information overload We are very aware of the amount of information that is provided to students at enrolment and the dangers of information overload so this year we have decided to make the student regulations, available via
The University of Huddersfield was proud to award over 100 graduates with degrees from partner institutions within China in June. Representing the School of Education and Professional Development at the graduations was: Dr. Pete Sanderson, HOD Community and International Education, Ms. Lyn Hall (Course Leader B Ed Education in Development) and Mr. Glynn Jones (Senior Lecturer, International Education).
Continuing students who received the handbook/CD last year are reminded within that Handbook/CD to visit the Registry The University website each year to check successfully runs its BEd for any changes. (Education in Development) degree at
the Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University (GPNU), Beijing USA College of English and Beijing Huijia College. Over the last five years more than 500 graduates have achieved a degree through this programme with the University of Huddersfield. The degree from GPNU is also approved and recognised by the Chinese government for employment processes. The collaboration between Huddersfield and the Chinese institutions is especially beneficial from the students’ point of view. Students can take their
degree top-up year in China through studying with a British university. The top-up degree is designed for the students of Chinese universities and colleges who have passed at least 2 years of their higher education studies. This is then accepted as part of the entry requirements for the top-up degree. After the top-up degree, successful students receive a full UK degree from the University of Huddersfield. Furthermore, after passing the degree, students are able to apply to do their Master’s degrees here in the UK.
All welcome at Faith Centre, now open Continued from page 2 ...present throughout the day. They are always happy to talk things through with people as available or to make appointments to meet them when & where convenient. We are keen to promote spiritual reflection and faith on campus and as part of that we support the The Hindu Society celebrating the nine day festival of various Faith Societies in Navrati their role in student life. We also encourage wider
participation in charitable activities such as the Shoe Box appeal. As part of our role is to promote a caring community through developing mutual trust & understanding we hope, in the near future, to create the University of Huddersfield Interfaith Forum & to host events which will encourage interfaith dialogue. If you are interested in faith, spirituality or
community building we look forward to meeting you or hearing your ideas about what might take place here. You can find it by following the path to the right of the Sports Hall, just after the International Study Centre. Contact us: faithcentre@hud.ac.uk 01484 47 2090 WHAT’S ON » 15 SPORTS & SOCIETIES » 30
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Three new venues for Freshers’ 09
Oldham and Barnsley campuses not left out of the loop
Matt Short
Coffee Bean and iZone mid-refurbishment
Cntd. from front page The Graduate is also catering for sports lovers with season tickets, £1, entitling owners to discounted drinks and food when any advertised live match is showing. Sports teams and socities will also benefit from the new location, with a designated S&S nightWednesday, and discounts for team meetings and events. Open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Coffee Bean will see you through your day whether its an espresso to get you going or a hot chocolate to forget the day this space offers a quiet place to relax, meet with friends, do group work or hold a meeting. With a fabulous barista coffee menu we will perk you up to survive your day. The iZone was set up to create a “one stop shop” for you to find out about ways to get involved with the Union and wider community, and get to know more about the local area. There’s a team of four permanent staff, plus help from the Exec officers, so there’s always someone to talk to about
getting involved. A new area has also been created to encourage involvement within the SU, becoming the new hub for sports clubs and societies at Huddersfield. The Vice President of Sports & Societies, Haydn ‘Tank’ Stead, will be working with iZone staff to help students find and set up societies of interest to them. The iZone is also the place to come to find out about being a course rep. Every course will have at least one rep for each year group. They are an important link between academic staff and the student population. You can also come to the iZone to find out about volunteering opportunities. There are a whole array of volunteering projects in the local community, and also internationally. Volunteering is a great way of putting something back into society, but also of boosting that all-important CV and gaining new skills. One of the Union’s most successful volunteering projects is the READ book project. Students volunteering on this project raised money through a
series of events, like cake sales and a battle of the bands, to fund the collection of text books from local secondary schools which are then boxed up and sent over to Tanzania for use in schools over there. One of our students was lucky enough to go over to Tanzania to deliver the books to the schools. The volunteers on the project said that it was hard work, but worth it to see the good work that’s been done over there with books they have collected. It’s a worthwhile project on so many levels – education, personal development, and even recycling! Matt Short, who works out of the iZone is Outreach Development Worker. He is responsible for boosting Union activities and involvement at the campuses at Oldham and Barnsley, making sure that students at all three campuses get the chance to take part in activities run by the Union. Matt’s normally out and about at Barnsley and Oldham, so you can catch him there and get involved.
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The end of last year saw over 220 students celebrate a year of success at the University Campus Ball Barnsley and Graduation Ball Oldham. This year Barnsley and Oldham have a lot to look forward to from the Students’ Union. Matt Short is a new member of staff that is going to be focusing on bringing you brand new and fresh opportunities to not only get involved with the Students’ Union but with the wider community as well. There is more to life than studying, so what are you going to do with all your spare time? Do you play sports? Are you interested in music, arts or computer games? Is it politics, religion or the environment that really gets you going? Or is it that you want to get involved with the community and raise money? Whatever it is that excites you there are almost certainly other students that share your interest, so register your interest and get involved! We already have a Music Society and a Film Society in Barnsley and a Football Club in Oldham but we could have a Rugby Club, Hockey Club, Dance Society, Radio Society and the list
goes on. There is money to apply for to help keep the costs down, web space, marketing assistance and any other help and assistance you could need. From your first day back you will be able to buy a University Campus Hoodie available in a range of colours selected especially for you! There are a whole load of trips set up for you to get involved with through our Give It a Go programme. Trips include Alton Towers to paint balling, bowling, skiing, snowboarding, Amsterdam and much more. If you’re into music and fancy a spot of journalism then Lucorum are giving a hand full of Barnsley students the opportunity to get free exclusive access to gigs at their band nights! The Campus websites have had a revamp with loads of funky new stuff for you to come and check out! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to make sure you have everything you need for the year ahead. We have our own facebook groups that will also be keeping you up to date with fresh info to make your time at University the best it can!! Search for UCO Students’ Union or UCB Students’ Union. See you around campus soon.
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Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Looking at the year just passed, planning for the year ahead
Executive Team Keep the cap and anonymity in grading campaigns Sohail Afsar VP INTERNAL AFFAIRS
Junaid Ejaz UHSU PRESIDENT My name is Muhammad Junaid Ejaz your new president for 2009/10. I would like to welcome you on behalf of Your Students Union and the University. I am overcome by a warm but ‘tingly’ feeling which reminds me of this time last year when for the first time I was writing this
Over the summer your Students’ Union has been through refurbishment and has been changed for your benefit. We have the new and improved ‘The Graduate’ and ‘Coffee Bean’ which will serve healthy food and provide an area to get away from all the books. Not only these two but we have an ‘I-zone’ for help and information. Since the
socialising activities and above making your voices/ concerns heard. In order for us to help you we need your help by getting involved and informing us on how we can grow as a Students’ Union. I’ll be out and about speaking to students so come and get in touch, otherwise you can click on the ‘Virtual Junaid’ for my regular update blogs,
It is impossible to acheive high turnout, to raise student issues, to campaign for them unless you get involved in your SU... column but as the VP Internal Affairs. That experience was very unique and challenging as I took to the office and didn’t know my role but as the year went by I grew in my role and here I am as your President. Myself and the other Sabbatical officers, are here to improve your learning experience and your student life so come and get in touch regarding ANY issues at all.
Sabbatical officers have taken to our jobs we have been on various trainings and residential so we are well equipped to help you the students, which has brought us closer meaning we will work closely in conjunction with each other to get better results. We have agreed to endeavour to the best of our abilities for making The students’ Union a truly democratic organisation, campaigning, providing
which can be found via students’ union website. All we need is ‘you’: It’s impossible to achieve high turnout of students during elections. It’s impossible to raise students issues and campaign for them. It’s impossible to make a truly democratic organisation. It’s impossible that your student voice is heard. Unless you get involved In peace and unity.
I would like to give a warm welcome to those of you who are stepping foot into the University of Huddersfield for the first time, and welcome back those of you who are continuing students. As some of you may be a little unclear about my role as VP Internal Affairs, I am the campaigns officer at the Students’ Union. I was elected at the end of the last academic year 08/09 and took office in July. Over the summer period I have been working very closely with fellow sabbatical officers’ on my annual planner. As a result of some of the challenges students have faced in previous years we have come up with some priority campaigns for the year ahead. For the first term, we aim to deliver two major campaigns, “Keep the CAP” and “Anonymous Marking”. The Keep the CAP campaign is based on the issue of tuition fees and
the government’s proposal to lift the current cap. Through the Anonymous Marking campaign we aim to persuade the University to implement a fairer marking structure which reduces the risk of biased marking. Plans for the second term include a week of action on the issue of student accommodation and ways in which we can work collectively with our local community to diminish any negativity that is associated with students. I will also be making regular visits to our satellite campuses in Oldham and Barnsley to keep a check on things, making sure that they are equally represented. I am very enthusiastic and passionate about these campaigns and looking forward to your support. Please do get involved and feel free to make any suggestions, and do not hesitate to come and see me at the SU. Wishing you all a successful year ahead.
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Student representation for all campuses Haneef Rashid VP EDUC. & WELFARE Welcome Back and Greetings to Our New Freshers As your Education and Welfare officer I will be the Union's representative on aspects such as teaching quality, student support and academic appeals.
The Student Advice Centre is also available to anyone wanting to find out more about financial, housing or educational issues, as well as how to lead a healthy lifestyle whilst being at Uni. Over the course of the summer, my efforts have been concentrated on the following:
• Assessment and Feedback • UCO & UCB Student Experience Survey • Safety Week • Student Representation • Anonymous Marking I wish you all a fantastic year and hope you enjoy studying at the University as much as I did. If you have any
problems, comments, ideas, or just anything you want to say, don't hesitate to come and see me in our office on the first floor of the Students Union, or drop me an e-mail. It’s all about student representation.
New building, new staff, new societies Haydn Stead VP SPORTS & SOCIETIES To those returning to Huddersfield welcome back to the mad house. To you ‘Freshers’, welcome to the beginning of a great journey. I hope you all had a good summer and just want to take this opportunity to tell you about some of the
things that have been going on over the summer. The SU has been busy over the summer; we have had a face lift, and personally I think we now have a bar in The Graduate that we can be proud of. It’s not just the building that has changed, we have brought in some new staff in the new iZone- this will
be an area where you can go to learn about different activities and ways of getting involved in the Students’ Union. About me now, well, I am your Sports and Societies Officer Haydn Stead, or as everyone calls me: Tank. My job is to give support to all the Societies and Sports teams at the union (for
more information come to Freshers’ Fayre on 24th September 24 or go to www.huddersfieldstudent.c om). If you don’t see something that interests you then come and see me and we can look at starting a new club. Here’s to a great 2009/10.
Student media for the 2009/10 year Zeshan Iqbal VP COMMUNICATIONS After a long and interesting summer comes to an end, the kick-start to another academic year begins. Over the summer myself and the other officers have been on various training courses to best help you the
students (lets hope they have worked). This year as you can see we have made many changes in the Students Union, by introducing ‘The Graduate’ & ‘Coffee Bean’. We are hoping that these will provide a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere for you to
come and have fun or to just ‘brew the night away’. The other notable change is the size of the newspaper, from A3 to A4, done to make it more student efficient and more student like. ‘RadioHudd’ will be starting this September and we have some great shows
ready to entertain you, so log on and listen to your radio. We are always on the look for contributors, so if you feel you have something to offer, then why not get in touch by emailing me on Sucomms@hud.ac.uk, or come to the students union and speak to me personally.
Student Reps scheme expands with addition of iZone An expansion of the current Student Reps scheme is underway for the next academic year, with the newly formed iZone in the SU providing the increased resources necessary. The Student Rep scheme was started to give students a chance to voice their
opinions, concerns and let the University know of their needs. Course Rep elections take place over the first few weeks of term and will be organised by course leaders. Course Reps are responsible for representing their course
peers and colleagues at meetings organised throughout the year. By-elections for Student Union positions will take place in October for students who wish to represent students on a broader scale. The general elections, held in March, elect a
President and five Vice Presidents to represent the entire student population, along with various parttime positions. With the impact of the recession due to continue for the foreseeable future, the NUS suggest thatextracurricular activities such as the ‘Rep’ scheme may help
differentiate individuals at job interviews and on their CVs. For more information on becoming a course rep, or standing in the upcoming by-elections, contact Haneef Rashid (VP Education and Welfare) at su-aandwelfare@hud.ac.uk or drop-in to the iZone.
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Politics
Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Promises: The lowdown on the sabbatical officers from election to office Andy Blunt POLITICS EDITOR The new academic year of 2009/10 is finally upon us; with it a whole new team of sabbatical officers who are there to push for the issues that matter to you – the student body. As you will have read in their beginning of term statements, the Sabb team has been busy all summer with various training programmes, travelling across the country to network with other Students’ Unions and to develop their ‘game plan’ for the year, to push the issues that matter most to students. With regards to the progress of this year’s executive team thus far, however, I can honestly say ‘leaps and bounds’ does not cover it. The guys, from two opposing election slates, have clicked together seamlessly, striving to achieve as much as possible before we all return. All are agreed that the SU should be approachable and interactive – aiming to increase participation from the student body – and this has been achieved with the brand spanking new website that the SU techies have developed, leading to a Presidential Blog from our President Junaid, along with an interactive ‘Virtual Junaid’, allowing instant message contact with the President when he is online, or via email when he is out of the office. Furthermore, Sports and Societies Officer Haydn ‘Tank’ Stead has even been given a desk in the new iZone to help with any queries, allowing an 'even-
with thus far either, with Zeshan beginning his term of office with the foundation of the newspaper being in somewhat serious peril. The printing contract ended with the previous printers unwilling to renew, but Zeshan, and the back office team, managed to secure a new place to print the paper without it affecting a single edition of printing. The majority of the summer break for the sabbatical officers is similar to a sports team’s pre-season training, get the preparations ready, make any needed changes and wait for it all to kick off, and if the 2009/10 Sabb team keep up this pace, it's currently looking like it’s going to be a playoff season.
Question everything
Andy ‘Frodo’ Blunt POLITICS EDITOR
I applied to be the politics sub-editor because modern media frustrates me. I am sick and tired of purposefully misconstrued facts to push further the agenda of the media conglomerates. The media no longer consistently bases its arguments in facts, but in opinions disguised with facts certain facts having somewhat dubious backgrounds. For instance, in early August the BBC released news about how excessive drinking habits can lead to The team are located in the oral cancer, and yet their office to the left of the iZone main feature article of this in the SU was based around a woman who smoked and drank... The BBC with their mission objective aiming ‘Tank’ Stead and Zeshan Iqbal, VP Sports & Soc. and VP Comms, in Exec training and team-building mode to "inform, educate and moreentertain" combined with open-door' policy with What will our their company values of, I sports teams and societies. quote, "Trust is the The entire Sabb team ‘Sabbs’ do? foundation of the BBC: we will this year be setting students to see what they are independent, impartial aside a few hours a week of The different officers will would like to see in the and honest"... Well I don't their time for their Go Out undoubtedly utilise this newspaper or hear on the know about you, but a And Talk (GOAT) and, time in a position-specific radio and increasing sufferer of oral cancer with more importantly, Listen manner: an excessive drinking habit Stead will push the idea student participation. (GOAL) initiatives to raise who happens to smoke - to Sohail Afsar will be the profile of the Sabb of sports and society me it seems more likely looking for interacting with students that the latter is to blame... positions. Given their forums with the sole intent of monumental importance in innovation from sports ensuring that he can push just throwing that out teams and society leaders. all things SU related both campaigns the there... Haneef Rashid will be the on and off campus, this So basically what I’m student body of shows the team are hitting training Student Course saying is, think about what Huddersfield wants. the ground running with Representatives, aiming to you’re reading – you are at President Ejaz will be ideas to increase hit his goal of over 400 to university, you should be be newly trained for the enlisted in all of the questioning where the facts participation. above, as well as pushing Foundation laying is not academic year. to raise the profile of the are coming from and what Zeshan Iqbal will be all that the sabbatical the agenda is behind them. Students’ Union. officers have had to deal meeting and greeting
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National news in a nutshell: The massive year ahead for our UK politicians Jordan Walmsley This academic year sees a big year for British Politics. We are still experiencing the worst economic recession since the war. We have seen the MPs expenses scandal erode any faith the British people had in British politics. We have seen Gordon Brown and David Cameron squabble like children in the House of Commons. And we are approaching a general election. But with so many different opinions on British politics, and with the ‘top dogs’ forever being opportunistic and taking personal digs at each other, what about politics really matters?
After the resignation of Tony Blair in 2007, Gordon Brown became Prime Minister and hoped to win the next general election. His main opponent, David Cameron, became leader of the Conservative Party in 2005 and has given his party new life after years in the political wilderness. As everyone in the country knows, Gordon Brown is not having the time of his life at the moment. Since taking office in 2007 he had a short honeymoon period in which he showed the country that he was in charge and was a man with a plan. Since then the picture has changed. Labour lost the lead in the opinions polls after the
Northern Rock fiasco and have never been able to recover. David Cameron, on the other hand, always looks so excited about being the leader of the Conservatives. He’s towards the running general election and believes he has already secured his landslide victory. But has he? And would David Cameron and the Conservative’s be good for Britain if they won anyway? Labour is seriously suffering because of a series of events. Firstly, on their watch the British (and worldwide) economy has suffered a massive blow. Due to horrific greed and no regulation of the banking sector (both here and abroad) the British
people are facing rising unemployment and little financial help. Though the Conservatives have criticised the government for this, the question is: would they have done differently? anything Would they have gone against the majority of the industrialised world and settled for less growth? Maybe not. The MPs expenses scandal also hurt Labour. It must be said, however, that the Conservative Party were perhaps more guilty than others. How MPs think they can spend tax payers money on cleaning out there MOAT is beyond anybody - unless you happen to work in Westminster. MPs can claim for maintenance to
their garden, and so this expense was able to be justified, but how MPs can spend our money without asking themselves if it is morally right is something that baffles me. As we are approach a general election, it’s the policies of each party that should matter the most. Which party will make the most acceptable cuts to public services is ultimately what this election should be about; though I suspect it will be more about ‘Punch and Judy’ politics and media charisma than actual substance.
Campaigns, campaigns and more campaigns
President Junaid Ejaz and VP Haneef Rashid campaigning to keep the cap in 2007
Andy ‘Frodo’ Blunt POLITICS EDITOR With the big push from the 2009/10 Sabb team, this academic year will see numerous campaigns springing up from the Students’ Union. First and foremost, for the year, will be Sohail Afsar's newly thought out
Tuition Fees campaign which will be happening between the 5th and 9th of October aiming to push the work done last year that bit further. This campaign will involve two days of a truck on campus to "get the buzz going" for the campaign. Once the campuses are sufficiently buzzing about the campaign, marquees
will be around the entire three campuses of Huddersfield. Inside these marquees Sohail shows his innovative style by getting students to sign up and paint their hand to ensure a more 'hands on' approach from the students. The campaign will be finalised with an open debate on the 9th with guests from the government, NUS and local figures of influence who will have to answer questions from the students, by the students, about why we are paying more and more each year for our education. This will give everyone who turns up an opportunity to have their say and get an answer to the questions that they have, so make sure that you free your calendar - I
know I will, I've already got my horribly awkward questions for the officials ready in mind. Another campaign that we will see early in the year is the reignition of Haneef Rashid’s ‘Anonymous Marking’ campaign. After progressing soundly last year in a campaign that aimed to ensure assessment feedback was received by students within three weeks, Haneef is now finishing what he started towards the end of his last term, attempting to ensure equal and fair grading across the board and is intending to pilot a programme of anonymous marking on campus to prove its effects. Not only that, but Haneef will be utilising the student
reps and the iZone to push the campaign which is aiming for students to pledge their support by writing on anonymous marking postcards across all three of the University of Huddersfield campuses. Campaigning is a monumental part of what the Students’ Union does, constantly fighting for what we need, but the campaigns are only as strong as the students who get involved and support them so please, spare a few minutes and keep your eyes open for advertisement posters from the Students’ Union, free up some time in your timetable and support the officers who are trying to make your university experience that much better.
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Politics
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Interview with an Ex-President: Why you should get involved in UHSU being “a bit of a mouthful”, will put him on the front line of Students’ Union staff in the newly refurbished iZone, which is the new place to go for any queries about student
term dealing with the newspaper and directly seeing the problems around student politics every time he put the paper together, he decided to run for President to make a
competition, but with the fun side of the Students’ Union in various campaigns and a general sense of satisfaction in making a positive difference. The interview
The purpose of the SU is to give students a voice
John in his new position as Democratic and Student Representation Co-ordinator
Andy ‘Frodo’ Blunt POLITICS EDITOR In the 2005/06 academic year, the Students’ Union President was John Goodwin - which is, granted, before most of our time at Huddersfield. Amongst the active members within the SU, he is well known within the Union as one of the better
‘Democratic and Student Representation Coordinator’. John has come back to us after three years and is still pushing for the student body of Huddersfield to get active in student politics, which he suggested would be easier with the Students’ Union now being much more focused towards the representation of the
representation, sports and societies, volunteering and student media – but John’s specific role is to raise interest amongst students and make it easier for them to get involved in the Students’ Union. He will be working alongside other staff and the VP Sports and Societies, Haydn ‘Tank’ Stead, who will be spending parts of his time in the iZone. When asked why he got initially got involved in SU politics, he openly said that he was not a politically active student at the
beginning, but between working – and of course socialising – in the SU bar, he decided to run for VP Comms and during his
change. John did this with ended with John saying “I the goal of ensuring what may have got involved by he believes the true accident, but it ended up purpose of the Students’ being one of the best things Union is: “to give students I ever did”, so if anyone a collective voice and would equally like to improve their University stumble into Students’ experience” and I have to Union politics, or would say, I agree. like to build their CV, head John’s message was clear to the iZone and say Hi to as to why students should John. get involved, as he once did, as not only are things such as Course Reps and Volunteering excellent CV fodder, which will substantially help students when searching for a job postgraduation by having more skills to offer than their John Goodwin as President of UHSU,
earn in a year. Who then is to blame for the scandal? Numerous papers would suggest that the MPs are at fault, and with claims such as Douglas Hogg's of £2,115, for clearing the moat on his estate, and Sir Gerald Kaufman’s of £1,800, for an antique rug imported from New York, who could blame them? But, as a student who has studied politics and a selfdefined pragmatist, I would suggest that the root problem of this scandal is that of the Civil Service and the Speaker of the
House of the time Michael Martin. I suggest this purely because these are the people who approved every claim, either by not checking the validity of the claims, or by looking the other way as, for example, MPs ‘flipped’ their second home addresses to refurbish multiple houses at the tax payers’ expense. However, I would like to suggest another side to this debate, one that has had very little air-time, if any at all, and that is if you had the chance to claim on expenses, would you? Travel expenses for petrol
...it ended up being one of the best things I ever did Presidents in recent history - and is now working in the newly created position within the Students’ Union for this year, the
students and increasing student activism than it was during his terms of office. John’s new job, despite
Defending the expenses scandal
Protestors plant a ‘£’ in MP Alan Davies’s garden
Andy ‘Frodo’ Blunt POLITICS EDITOR The University of Huddersfield’s Harold Wilson lecture of 2009 was given by Lord David Steel and when the expenses issue was raided during his
question time he pointed out that when he first became an MP, in the mid 1960s, MPs were paid pittance and expected to make the bulk of their living outside of their duties of the job. Today we've not only got to the point where to be an MP holds a substantial pay packet - being anywhere between the basic salary of £64,766 to a whopping £197,689 for the Prime Minister in 2009 - but furthermore, the MPs have claimed expenses of larger amounts than many people
2005/06
in any job or trip tends to overpay the driver by measuring a price per mile travelled, and yet that does not hit the papers as scandal. Now I am by no means excusing the actions of MPs, but I am suggesting that the MPs were in a system where it was not only easy to claim, but a common norm to claim for these things, therefore I would suggest that the system is a massive contributor to the scandal, coupled with a good number of horrifically immoral choices from certain MPs.
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Features
Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
The woe of a summer deadline lays on us all Richard Wood FEATURES EDITOR I’ve been sitting here in my room for a good few hours racking my brain for something to write about in my first personal column. I’ll admit that the entire time hasn’t been spent thinking of something to write. Some of it has been spent checking Facebook,
don’t want to be is in a darkened room with a laptop tapping away a beautiful summer's day, as I am doing now. Sadly, despite its holiday status, many of us have been given work to do over the summer, and that sucks. I feel for all of you as I am in the same
Words of Wisdom: Ten things I’m learning Richard Wood FEATURES EDITOR Since I became a student, I have learned a great many things. I’m going to share the 10 important life lessons I’ve picked up from student life. These aren’t in any real order, you can order them yourselves if you feel the need.
I feel for all of you as I am in the same boat...Even if it was done the day before the deadline, I mean, it’s still done, right?
1. Never confront a housemate if you can leave a note instead Mainly because they just love to read you’re well another good portion of boat. It needs to be done thought out and passive that time was spent though, and those of us aggressive attempt to have rearranging files on my with any amount of them to clean the toilet. laptop. I think I’ve gone to restraint have eventually get a cup of tea twice. managed to sit down and 2. There is always time It was when I got up to get something done- the for later straighten a picture for the fact that you are reading No matter how late it gets fourth time that I was this is proof alone- and I and how close deadlines struck by a moment of salute the ability of all get, there is always time to pure genius; why not such peoples to turn away do it later. After going out write about how I can’t from the summer and on several deadline nights think of anything to write. spend a day getting some and still managing to get I am well aware that this work done. Even if it was work handed in the next is a totally uncreative and done the day before the morning, I believe there is unoriginal idea, but give deadline, I mean, it’s still no such thing as ‘too late’ (recommended to experts me a break, I was really done right? only.) ...nobody wants to lift a finger, it’s
the Summer Holiday. We want to be in a tent in Leeds... struggling. When I’m in my house in Huddersfield, it usually takes me about half the time to get settled and finally get some work done. The reason behind this isn’t too hard to figure out; nobody wants to work during the summer holiday. It’s for that exact reason that nobody wants to lift a finger, it’s the Summer Holiday. We want to be in a tent in Leeds or on the beach in um… Blackpool? Where we
3. For every 500 words written, a cup of tea must What I’m trying to say be consumed one is self here is please don’t hold it This explanatory. against me if this first issue sucks. Being stuck in Staffordshire, coupled 4. Guitar Hero takes with the fact that most precedence to over all student aren’t at other matters university, there isn’t a No matter how urgent whole lot of Huddersfield work is or how close a deadline is, if there is a student news to cover. Future editions will be knock on the door and chalk full of student- Guitar Hero is called, related goodness. For played it must be.
6. Carling is nectar of the gods Especially when it’s a £1 a pint, cherish it; you’ll never get it that good again.
about to end. If Dixie Chicken is mentioned and you’re not done drinking, steer clear my friend.
9. If socks were meant to match they would have a 7. All food and drink not bit of string between under lock and key is fair them game ‘I know my socks don’t Who needs money when match, stop telling me.’ you’ve got a midnight raid. Lastly 10. Taxi Drivers 8. A take away is a sure don’t care that it’s mostly now, I leave you with fire night ender water summer offerings before 5. 1.00 am is still early If, on a night out, anyone Seriously, don’t bother we all get back into the ‘I can still make that 10.15 suggests take away, it is a arguing, just run for it. lecture’ swing of academia. sure sign your night is
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The recession is but a state of mind Student job market looking scarce
Richard Wood FEATURES EDITOR The Credit Crunch, the Financial Crisis, the Recession. Call it what you will, but anyone not living under a rock is all too aware of the current financial difficulties the world is going though at the moment. Claiming the jobs and businesses of many, its easy to say that it sucks, because, quite simply, it does. Over two years in and the recession is finally coming to an end for countries like Germany, France and Japan who have managed to pull themselves free of it and stabilise their economies. Britain, unfortunately, is a different kettle of fish altogether as it seems to be getting even worse. Unemployment is at an all time high and more people than ever before are finding themselves hunting Xbox Achievements rather than a regular wage. The recession has been
more poorly timed for some more than others though; namely the common British student. Just on the cusp of venturing out into the wide, grown-up world we are given a cold hard slap of reality in the face, with all of its credit crunch might. The countless career opportunities we once had begin to shrink, savings begin to run dry and we have to make the important decision between our studies and our finances. Those of us who choose to work have no time for our studies and eventually sacrifice our degrees for a job at Subway. Those who don’t or can’t work continue to eat into their savings until they have no money for rent nor foodcold and hungry in the streets, thousands of students around Britain die. Failure and death are our only prospects. Now, while that previous paragraph was quite obviously a huge over-
Positive thinking dulls effects of recession
exaggeration, I have honestly read articles in the Guardian and the Times making very similar speculations to the one I just have. Everyone it
what are said to be the best years of life. Coming out of the summer holidays, which are typically seen as a time to unwind and maybe earn some more money for the upcoming year of further education, a lot of people have struggled to get work and may be starting with less penny in pocket than they would have liked. A fellow student who has just begun his final year told me about the uphill battle he had over summer getting work. "I have far less money than I did last year. Most of my money went to drinking last year, I really ate into my savings. Now I don’t have a cushion to fall back on. "I applied for work everywhere I possibly could over the summer but I couldn’t get work
told me, he would comfortably make it though the year. Most returning students I’ve spoken to claim to be much more aware of their finances than they ever were previously. One such young lady went through her first and second year barely scraping enough money together to pay her rent each term. After living off her friends throughout April and May she decided to go crawling back to some old employers over the summer and made literally thousands of charts and graphs about how much she could spend each day in her 09/10 year. Despite many students’ reckless spending habits in their previous years none of them are letting it affect them. The opinion that regardless of the countries’ economic state we are all
Figures (above) show student debt from 1994-2004. Graph from House of Commons library ‘Student and graduate debt statistics’
seems has very little faith in the student population to figure something out and somehow make it to their late 20s. Speaking to fellow Huddersfield students I found out that none of them are letting the recession get them down, in fact some of them aren’t even going to let it effect
anywhere, not even sweeping up." Despite his bleak summer, he assured me that he wouldn’t be going into his final year with his head hung low. Despite the difficulties, he didn’t want to have a dark cloud over his head all year. As long as he kept one eye on how much he was spending, he
still going to end up owing the banks money seems very popular amongst the people I’ve spoken to, and I totally agree. There is little point getting bogged down over finances if it’s going to affect your work, we all might as well not worry about it and get on with life. I mean, its only money after all.
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Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
HLM for Grant
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Money Matters: Tips on managing your money
Nathaniel Grant talks of his time at Huddersfield and being mistaken for an African. Photo: Anthony McLoughlin
Continued from page 2 former 'nearly man'. "He was illuminating", Grant beams. "I was given more access than I ever thought I would." "Tony Benn, as a guy, is always nice to meet anyway. He's always up for a chat and a good long one at that. But I got to interview him. So I spent most of the day with him, and he's so easy going it's beyond belief.
"'You interview Tony Benn, we understand you have your political leanings, but please, he's an old man, don't have a go at him'" was the basic line most who knew him took. "When you meet him you don't see a Labour Politician,"- the final two words spoken in a fauxYorkshire accent- you just see Tony Benn- great statesman, great campaigner, great peace activist. It was in no way
Excuse me young man...are you from Africa? "The man has a sharp mind and he is keen to remind people that the first politician he met was Ghandi. When you start meeting politicians like that, or peace activists if you will, at that level, you realise that you're with living history- you loose any political lines you would have drawn for anyone else." The interview, Grant reveals, was a point of concern for some of his colleagues and peers. Dipping between political parties, at the time Grant confesses an inclination towards the Conservatives.
political in that sense." "Hearing his stories, hearing his view on things and getting to spend as much time with him as I did, was a great priviledge. And I gave him a box of Yorkshire tea. He sent me a message saying Thanks for the tea and a great interview. "I've got his email, I still message him from time to time. He's a lovely guy." To read the rest of the interview go to hslive.co.uk/grant
Sam Preest S. FINANCE OFFICE With the current economic climate in Britain the worst it has been in many years, lots of continuing students have found themselves unable to find employment over summer. For new students, starting the first term at university can be an exciting but nerve-racking time. In both scenarios it is important to take some time and think about your finances for the first term. Putting together a budget can help you plan ahead, and mean that in December you’re not left wondering how you’re going to afford to buy Christmas presents for your nearest and dearest, or even how you’re going to afford to travel home for Christmas. Budgeting is a matter of working out what money you have coming into your bank account and what money you have going out and then making sure that your expenses do not exceed your income. It may sound boring, but it’s a lot better than not knowing what state your finances are in.
The easiest way to do a budget is on a monthly basis, dividing the student finance you receive (loans, grants, etc). Don’t forget to include all your income such as student loans and grants, earnings from parttime work, any parental support you receive and any benefits you claim. Be realistic with your outgoings and make sure you include everything you spend money on, such as rent, utility bills, food, books and course costs, entertainment, and travel. Remember – there may be some one-off costs such as travel home to see family, birthdays, and the loan and grant payments you receive in September will have to last from the start of term, over the Christmas period, until January 2010. Part of student life is making your money go as far as it can, and mean you’re not emptying out your copper jar by October. Use some of the tips below to help you save some cash: Do your supermarket shopping with a friend,
take advantage of any 2-41 offers and share the saving Take a shopping list to the supermarket with you so you’re not wasting money on things you don’t need Never do your food shopping on an empty stomach Try second hand book shops, or the internet for books needed for your course – these will be cheaper options than high street book shops If there is anything that you have to buy, always ask if there is a student discount Take some time to learn some simple recipes, this is a lot cheaper and healthier than take-aways and ready meals The finance section of the university website provides more information and tips on budgeting, and can be found at www.hud.ac.uk/student_fi nance/budgeting. If you have any queries regarding any aspect of student finance, email the university finance at studentfinancialsupport@h ud.ac.uk
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Features
Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Swine Flu: Is fear itself more dangerous than the ‘beast’? Media headlines lack a necessary perspective Dr Nik Georgopoulos “Got flu? Stay at home” says the poster I see at the train station every morning. “Flu” yes, but not just any flu. This is a special ‘variety’, not the one you and I normally might spread – though unintentionally or by coincidence – every winter. Since its first appearance last March, swine flu has hit the headlines almost daily. By May 20, worldwide cases of Swine flu had reached 10,000 and on the
if the worst case scenario happens. Was it a blunder to discuss such a daunting scenario? Perhaps not awareness is vital and better than ignorance. What may be debatable is the way the media present such scenarios. What the headlines fail to provide is perspective. Flu pandemics have happened in the 50s and 60s and in all of these cases most patients recovered. Equally importantly, in a conventional winter the flu virus will kill up to 20,000 people in the UK and between 250,000 and
itself but due to severe super-infection with streptococcal bacteria. Nowadays we are in a position to treat such infections with (relative) ease. In addition, it is worth pointing out that the H5N1 avian flu virus, despite all the fear surrounding it and the potential catastrophic consequences its spreading could have had, has still not caused a pandemic. Do all of these facts mean we should simply not worry about it? Not at all. It is important that the medical and scientific
“Got flu? Stay at home” advice should be the same for chesty coughs, runny noses and sore throats June 11, the World Health Organisation raised the pandemic alert level 6, representing and official declaration of the first fullblown human pandemic for 41 years. At the time of writing, approximately 60 people have died in the UK because of swine flu. The encouraging news is that since the end of July the virus has shown clear signs of a downturn. Yet, a few months back, the government’s Chief Medical Officer said that the UK could face three quarters of a million deaths
500,000 in the rest of the world- deaths we never hear about. Also, it is still unclear why at this stage swine flu cases outside Mexico have been no more serious than seasonal flu. Therefore, with the exception of high risk patients (older people, infants and people with severe health problems), most people are expected to recover easily. Also of note, it has been suggested that the deadliest pandemic in 1918 that killed more than 50 million people worldwide may not actually be due to the flu
worlds remain vigilant, because the virus might change again next winter. Yet, in the meantime, we must make sure that common sense, and not fear, prevails above all. “Got flu? Stay at home” says the NHS advice on the poster. Well, just think how many chesty coughs, runny noses and sore throats it would save us if someone had the common sense to suggest the same thing every winter.
The science behind swine flu
Dr Nik Georgopoulos Swine flu H1N1 virus is more related to the conventional flu than avian flu, prominent a few years back. Different variations of the virus arise due to the major property of the Influenza virus to constantly, and spontaneously, mutate. These genetic variations can affect the two important viral proteins Haemagglutinin (H) and Neuraminidase (N). Haemagglutinin is the protein that assists the virus in finding, sticking to and infecting its target cells in the body. Following infection, Neuraminidase helps the release of progeny virus from infected host cells, thus allowing new infection of neighbouring cells and hence the virus to spread. The initials of these two proteins are what provide the name to each virus. Due to the ‘messy’ way viruses reproduce, errors to their genetic material can occur. Normally, this is disastrous for the virus, but once in a while the reshuffling of genetic material results in a virus with improved properties. The swine flu virus was the result of combination
of two or more viruses simultaneously infecting a pig (‘host’). Due to a very rare genetic event, genetic material from the pig, bird and human combined in the same host. The antiviral drug Tamiflu blocks the ability of the virus to escape from infected cells and attack new cells, thus it hinders the spread of the virus. However, it does not prevent the infection and there have already been some reported incidents of viral resistance to the drug. The pharmaceutical industry has now focused on the production of a vaccine, which is expected to be available by September. Like any vaccine, the swine flu vaccine will mimic viral infection, so when the body is invaded by the real virus the immune system will recognise and attack the virus. However, the vaccine has faced controversy in terms of effectiveness and safety. Sceptics have expressed fears on its safety. Big markets, USA and UK have already placed mass orders for the vaccine spreading fear that lessdeveloped countries will have to wait even longer.
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Library floors 2 and 3 get rennovation
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Staying in ‘Off the Hook’ student comedy by Auntie Beeb
The rennovations to floors two and three of the = Computing and Library Service are due to be completed for September 16. The restructuring, part of the rennovation of the library, was started in April. Floors 4, 5 and 6 have plaid host to most of the lower floors’ resources
since. From September 21, the library will be open 24 hours a day MondayThursday, closing at 10pm on Fridays and 9pm on Saturdays and Sundays. For more detailed opening times, drop-in to the library or visit hud.ac.uk/cls/library Richard Wood FEATURES EDITOR
Careers and Employability Services announce first dates The University Careers and Employability Service (CES) has released details of careers events ahead of the start of term. In the current economic climate the Service is warning it is now even more important for students to be prepared for the increasingly competitive world of work. Some previous graduates of the university are to be offering undergraduates professional experience and acting as mentors. An event promoting
postgraduate study will take place on October 19. An event to meet employers has also been scheduled for November 4, in which students will be able to network with professionals across the spectrum of employment. The CES is located on Level 4 of the Central Services Building. The CES website can be found at hud.ac.uk/careers. For more information, contact careers@hud.ac.uk or 01484 472124.
Those of you lucky enough to have BBC Three in your house should keep an eye out for a new comedy series that starts this month focused on the trails and tribulations of a group of Fresher’s starting their lives at University. The new series is called Off the Hook. Initially, it was a lowly five minute short on the BBC switch website, an online archive of BBC commissions aimed at teenagers. It gained enough popularity amongst audiences that it made the jump from being an internet series into a fully fledged TV series. In doing so Off the Hook, originally called Fresh, is the first internet series to be commissioned into a full series by the BBC. Starting in September, the series has been likened to the next step after the sixthform antics of the Inbetweeners on C4. Off the Hook is full of
fresh, young British actors. Whilst a lot of the faces seen in the show are in their first roles, there are still going to be a fair few you may recognise, like Jay from the Inbetweeners as Fred. (better known as James Buckley). Fellow stars playing the main house are Jonathan Bailey as Danny, Danny Morgan as Shane and Joanna Cassidy as Scarlet. The series centres mainly a group of University newcomers, from all different walked of life. Thrown together whether they like it or not they are experiencing their first taste of independence. The ups and downs of student life are put up on screen and we, as students, finally have a chance to lift the rose coloured glasses and have some light shed on what might have been the cause of those very patch memories in the few weeks. While a continuation of the internet series, potential viewers need not feel like
they have missed out on something. The entirety of the online series has been condensed down to become the new pilot episode. The series will take the form of six, 30-minute episodes to follow the internet episodes. So we can all start from square one and not have to click through pages and pages of nothing on the BBC website. This is another step in the BBC’s crusade to expand their young adult audience; Off the Hook will (hopefully) give fellow students the opportunity to see people like themselves on TV. Some people may get a sense of nostalgia of their own first few weeks living away from home. You never know, it might turn out that their Freshers’ week is tame- you might have been able to teach them a few things about what it means to be a student.
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Vice Chancellor, Bob Cryan Ben Hall EDITOR For anyone that doesn’t know, how would you describe your job? The title Vice-Chancellor is generally used in Commonwealth countries and it refers to the Chief Executive of a University. I once asked my son (then aged 10) what he
As Vice Chancellor you represent the University at the highest level and meet some amazing people, not least, Her Majesty The Queen. What is that like? It is a really interesting part of the role and a real honour and privilege. I always enjoy having VIPs come to the University because there is
life and I believe in what we stand for. We give life changing opportunities to all who can benefit and we Inspire tomorrow’s professionals and that is certainly what happened to me. My first degree equipped me for life and led to me becoming the youngest Professor of Engineering in the country and also the youngest Vice-
You have a life-changing opportunity –make the most of it thought that I did, he reflected for a moment and then said that you are the ‘top banana’ dad. The University of Huddersfield is a £125m organisation with nearly
so much that we can be proud of and having the Queen for lunch is certainly one of the highlights. I am also always delighted to welcome our
Chancellor. I have worked at a number of Universities but none as friendly and supportive as Huddersfield- that is why I came back.
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also want us to be an international University so that students from all over the world come to study at Huddersfield and our students from the UK also have the opportunity to study abroad. Working alongside students from different countries is a truly enriching experience and it gives us all a far more broader perspective on world affairs. A new Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Peter Slee, takes up his post in January. What will he bring to the Uni? The Deputy ViceChancellor is a key role within the University as they have day-to-day oversight of all of the key resources including Finance, Estates and Human Resources and they also run the University in my absence. Our current Deputy ViceChancellor, Professor Mike Page, has done a fantastic
Vice Chancellor, Bob Cryan
than ever before. How do you feel the refurishment work will benefit students? All of our new build and refurbishment programmes are about making the University an even better place for our students to study in a modern, vibrant and exciting environment. Recent projects include the Creative Arts Building (£15m), the Oldham
I have worked at a number of Unis...none as friendly as here...
Vice Chancellor, Bob Cryan and Chancellor and Professor Patrick Stewart OBE outside the Creative Arts building
24,000 students from 100 countries. The role includes leading on the Vision and Strategy for the University and ensuring that our students get the best possible experience. Our Vision is built around the 3i’s: inspiring, innovative and international and we want all of our students to benefit from this. We do all we can to support them to succeed.
past graduates and this year we had George Buckley, Chief Executive of 3M (a $25billion company) open our new Buckley lecture theatre. It was thrilling to see one of our past graduates fly in on his private jet. You graduated from and lectured at this uni. What is it that brought you back to Huddersfield? The University of Huddersfield changed my
You are passionate about postgraduate and international study. What have you got planed for the future of these areas at the University? I want to give our students more study opportunities and so we have already developed a whole range of new postgraduate programmes that will be running for the first time in 2009/10. There will be more new programmes for 2010/11. I
(£5m), the job and I am sure that Peter Campus Business School (£16.5m), will do the same. the Library refurbishment (£4m) and the Ramsden What other plans do you have for the University Building refurbishment over the 09/10 academic (£2.5m). We aim to ensure that the year? facilities and equipment To continue to grow and develop. During 09/10 our that students encounter latest building, the within our buildings are Business School, will be similar to those they will completed which be using in their careers in represents a £16.5m the outside world. investment by the University and will give our students outstanding facilities. We will also be developing new undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes and we will be welcoming more students to than University
Do you have any words of advice to students? You have a life-changing opportunity – make the most of it. Believe in yourself, invest in yourself, be determined, be motivated and be successful!
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Music
Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Best of the best: Live music venues in Huddersfield
Ashley Martin MUSIC EDITOR
«Bar 1:22, located just opposite Wilkinsons, is a great place to go to immerse yourself in the local music scene. Every Tuesday the pub hosts an open-mic night, well received by newcomers and regulars alike.. Notable performers include: Enter Shikari, The Feeling and The Pigeon Detectives. Bez from The Happy Mondays will be there September 25.
The Grove, located just north of the bus station, is what some might refer to as a classic British Pub. It offers a great selection of ales and plays hosts to all sorts of live music. www.groveinn.co.uk/
The Head of Steam is part of the main buildings of the Huddersfield train station, making it a great stop-off. Every Monday at 9pm the pub puts on live blues. If blues isn’t your thing, pop down on a Wednesday for brilliant jazz shows. Great meeting spot and you can always hop on the train to Manchester or Leeds. Handy that. www.theheadofsteam.co.uk
Despite sporting tats, spiky belts and piercings, most of the people you meet at Parish are just up for a laugh and share a common interest – music. The P2 venue situated behind the pub has put on the likes of OPM and Blaze Bayley whilst not turning a blind eye to up and coming local artists. . www.myspace.com/ parishpub
Home-grown ‘Hudd’ heroes: Wobbly Bob Rob Evans Bands come and go, especially in a student town like Huddersfield. But ever since guitarist Pete Dawes and drummer Jay Walshe met in Halls three years ago and formed Wobbly Bob, they’ve been determined to last. After moving through a revolving cast of characters, bass player Alex Simpson and horns players Lucy Elmer, James Harvey and Brian Dickson have finally come together to complete the Bob’s lineup, and they’re here to harass you all with their catchy ska punk whether you like it or not. Taking influence primarily from Ska classics like Madness and the Specials along with more modern third-wave heavyweights like Streetlight Manifesto and [spunge], the band are also determined to keep things fresh. ‘We're still definitely a Ska band, but we love trying new ideas all the time’, says Pete (who was, by the way, Environment & Ethics officer and Trans representative for the University last year. And he’s very proud of it). ‘I get
a lot of influence from unlikely sources - a lot of Funk, Disco, Psy-trance and Folk - and it all goes into the creative mix.’ And it works, too: ‘Plenty of people think Ska is dead, but I don’t. It just moves from one demographic to the next. It's one of the most fluid genres of popular music.’ As many ska bands are prone to do, Wobbly Bob break out their fare share of ironic covers. To make things worse, they often wear matching clothes on stage, and two fifths of the
Yorkshire led by Sonic Boom Six, who Wobbly Bob are particularly proud of sharing a stage with. ‘We've supported a whole tonne of bands - big and small, good and bad’ says Pete. ‘But we've always had a good time. Last year we played with awesome Mexican Ska band, Los Kung Fu Monkeys. Absolute legends. We put them up for the night and partied HARD!’ Wobbly Bob’s favourite gigs, though, are the ones when the crowd comes down and has as good a
We can think of nothing better than getting up onstage, playing our music bands have dreadlocks! Although they’re aware of the clichés, the band are unafraid: ‘It's our job to keep things interesting. We love playing Ghostbusters, Under The Sea, Power Rangers, and it gets the crowd dancing. As long as we keep writing bouncy tunes of our own as well, then it makes for a good gig.’ The band have gigged furiously throughout the UK, especially taking advantage of the strong Ska community in
time as they do. The band reminisce fondly about a headline gig in Scarborough: ‘There was so much energy in the room, it was our best crowd so far. There was an extra bit of stage jutting out at the front where you could walk into the crowd for a solo. We got an audience member to do a backflip off it to win a tshirt!’ You won’t have to go to Scarborough for a piece of the action, though; Wobbly Bob have been tearing up
Huddersfield whenever they can, from gigs at our very own SU to what is essentially the Ska capital of the town, The Parish. ‘Since Mikey Shiraz took over the music side of things at The Parish, the scene is booming again!’ says Pete. ‘It's all here, you've just got to be brave enough to venture off campus and try something new.’ So what does the coming year hold for Wobbly Bob? ‘We've started up our own Production Company, Happy Tree Frog Productions and we're recording stuff all the time. We plan to keep gigging, keep getting interest from fans and people in the industry, and keep releasing music and getting our songs to as many people as possible.’ The band already have their first EP, ‘Bob’s Your Uncle’ under their belt, and are working on an album. Other than that? They don’t really seem to care. ‘We can think of nothing better than getting up onstage, playing our music to however many people turn up, and having a damned good time in the process’ www.myspace.com/ wobblybobmusic
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Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
The might of the minimalists
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The death of the festival, and the moonwalk Ashley Martin MUSIC EDITOR
Chrik playing at Huddersfield’s Parish in August 2009. Photo: Paul Camera Smith
Alex Diffley The more the merrier? Whatever. Two Huddersfield bands, that couldn’t disagree more, are creating the mightiest of sounds with the least people. Both two-piece bands ‘Chrik’ and ‘Aged Yummy’ create hard-hitting rock for all to enjoy, and both will be playing in Huddersfield really soon. Chrik, consisting of Chris (Guitar) and Rik (Drums), majestically marry a virtuosic guitar style with some block rocking beats. Having self-released three demos the guys have made their mark on the UK, being selected for Steve
Lamaq’s unsigned BBC radio show recently. They have toured the nation this summer with ‘Monsters Build Mean Robots’ and are know settling into the musical city of Liverpool to expand their journey – but don’t worry they’ll be back in Huddersfield as soon as September 18 to gig once more. London-based, now University of Hudderfield student, Leighton Padley (Bass) has rejuvenated the lost soul of ‘Aged Yummy’, a now reformed two-piece band, along with fellow student Xander James (Drums). The duo, along with production help from David Rodger, perform an electric show of
REAL Drum and Bass – how it should be done. After 2008’s mini-album release ‘Hey Fever’, ‘Aged Yummy’ are ready to hit the road and studio again with this new north-bound direction. With shows in the pipeline across the country the band are sure to be shaking some bones and raising some eyebrows. Be sure not to miss out when they hit ‘the Hudd’ in the very near future. If you want to check out this month’s bands on the interweb, both have fashionable myspaces for your listening pleasures” www.myspace.com/ chrikmusic agedyummy
Sleepers Bar, for a little oo-la-la
Ashley Martin MUSIC EDITOR We students aren’t particularly renowned for our sophistication or wealth, but that’s not to say that we can’t enjoy the odd bit of jazz at a flash bar. Now you will be paying over £3 for a pint, but that blow is somewhat softened by the great live music you can go and see twice a
week. Every Tuesday Sleepers holds the ‘Live Lounge’, inviting people to come and perform acoustic music, whilst Thursdays you can usually find some jazz. The bar is situated opposite Tesco’s car park, far from the hustle and bustle of the town centre. Okay, so you will have to walk a little way to get there, but on the plus side you won’t find yourself
shoulder to shoulder with the next pisshead to fall out of the nearest club. Whilst Sleepers may attract a more mature audience, it’s certainly not unwelcoming. If you’re into jazz/acoustic music check this place out, if you’re not, well there’s no time like the present. www.sleepersbar.co.uk
Cor! What a summer. The king of pop died, Britpop came back from the dead, then urm...died and my faith in festival directors, you guessed it, died. Now, I know the Michael Jackson story has been covered to death, but I just can’t stand the way his passing was made into some sort of commercial goldmine. Walking down your local high street to find shops selling socks
introduced a sickening Guitar Hero stage at Sonisphere, which invited nerdy, 15-year-old ‘moshers’ to perform (aka. kill) their favourite Metallica tunes in front of a real crowd. This initially came across as a novel idea but, once you realised that these mock-metallers were drawing attention away from the real bands, you soon started to question
At least we won’t be subjected to any more band-endorsed, faux-music ad campaigns... with ‘wacko Jacko’ embroidered on them, felt in more than a little bad taste. Okay, so knock-offs and press coverage were inevitable, but alt rockers Alien Ant Farm seemingly re-emerged just on the basis that their band had previously covered MJ hit ‘Smooth Criminal’. What’s more, they suddenly appeared on the Sonisphere festival line-up, confirmed to play the main stage. I was fortunate enough to have won my tickets, but I’m sure a lot of people who had paid full
what the hell was happening. Do we really live in a world where people would prefer to see live gaming as opposed to live music? Even if you avoided the Guitar Hero stage you couldn’t escape it altogether- festival staff dressed as characters from the game paraded around on stilts. Oh and did I mention that competition winners were invited onto the main stage to play Guitar Hero, in between almost every act? Blasphemy. At least we won’t be
You couldn’t escape it altogether... price questioned where their money was being spent. If that wasn’t enough, Sonisphere headliners and general bigwigs, Metallica shamelessly spent the first half of the holiday period plugging their new video game ‘Guitar Hero: Metallica’. The band even
subjected to any more band-endorsed, faux-music ad campaigns this year. What’s that? The Beatles Rockband? Fuck off. P.S. If Oasis don’t reform to play a string of sold out dates in the not-so-distant future, I’ll ingest my testicles.
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Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
The Transforming face of Hollywood
Film Summer Inglourious Basterds
Escapism rules Gary Young FILM EDITOR Looking at the top ten films, in terms of all-time box office takings, an interesting pattern emerges: of these ten, only one film is based in reality (though few would accuse Titanic of being a piece of gritty realism) The other nine are a combination of fantasy, comic-book and sci-fi films.
Few would accuse Titanic of being ...gritty realism This pattern goes some way to explain the appeal of film, it seems that what we want above anything else, certainly above realism and characters we can relate to, is escapism. In a world dominated by news of unemployment, the credit crunch and (most worrying of all) student loan repayments who can blame us for heading down to the Odeon on a Friday night and shelling out a tenner for a bag of popcorn and a superhero movie? However this begs the question; what does this say about the psychology of modern society? Should we be worried that in times of social problems we retreat into the arms of Michael Bay and Harry Potter? Would it be healthier to look to the realism and emotionally articulate world of a Mike Leigh film? To share your opinion or contribute to the section, email u0761020@hud.ac.uk
story we already knew Gary Young from the original, FILM EDITOR Tarantino Wolverine made roughly Quentin no sense in between all the delivers his unique take If you happened to have distressing explosions and on World War II and it is taken a trip to the cinema Fast And Furious proudly an undeniable success, over the past few months, declared itself as a ‘New blending visceral thrills, there’s a strong chance Model’ with ‘Original classic dialogue and, at you’ll have seen the Parts’, implying the film is times unbearable tension. immensely popular The film follows the just a rusting old banger Transformers: Revenge Of that’s been polished up- it eponymous troop of The Fallen. Jewish soldiers, and their is. Starring Megan Fox and These films all have one efforts to spread terror perm-haired irritant Shia problem in common. All through the ranks of the Labeouf, the movie we seem to get these days Nazi army in occupied managed to break multiple are remakes, sequels or France. Their story is box office records. If you adaptations of only the intertwined with that of were lucky enough to have Shosanna, who survives missed that nightmarishly warped Hasbro advert, I’m The majority of films coming out of her family’s massacre at won’t bother summarising Hollywood suffer from the same the hands of “The Jew Hunter”, SS officer Hans the dreamt-up-by-toddlers problem Landa. storyline. That’s because The film is split up into the real plot of Trek, despite being fun, is most popular material. The reason? They all come with five half-hour segments Transformers 2 is this: the still a little bit thick. producers assembled a It wasn’t always this way. an audience before the film which are typified by a script in two minutes then There was a time when has even been made- long period of dialogue gave Michael Bay millions blockbusters were both fun guaranteed profit. That is punctuated by extreme of dollars to blow things up and clever - Jaws and the the only reason Hollywood violence. While this so the trailer would look original Star Wars trilogy makes movies these days: episodic technique may be seen as overly good enough to attract were pulpy pieces of money. cinema that nonetheless It wouldn’t be so bad if simplistic it allows the attention. endless these films offered a good film to remain concise The majority of films possessed free from coming out of Hollywood imagination. Now, we get story with all the action. and Unfortunately, they often unnecessary exposition. Brad Pitt’s Aldo Raine don’t, because, when robots pounding on each is a master-class in comic other looks that good in the timing. If the film has one flaw trailer, they don’t have to. Hopefully one day it lies with Mike Myers, Hollywood will return to who’s English general A Hollywood ‘classic’: The Godfather producing such classics as reeks of Austin Powers. Basterds is a fantastic suffer from the same movies where more effort The Godfather, Taxi Driver problem - the realisation is put into merchandising and Alien, which happened film which showcases a to be made in a time before director who is maturing that Hollywood is now the than the plot. not only studio executives realised into a powerful force in only major force in cinema It’s makes it even more Transformers 2 that suffers they don’t have to put serious cinema and as is easy to depressing. Even the best from a lack of storyline. effort into a film for it to such recommend. film of the year so far, Star Terminator 4 gave us a make money.
Brogan Morris
Trek, was low on story and heavy on the action. Although there hasn’t been a movie as yet in 2009 that matches up, it’s not for the lack of trying; Public Enemies and Moon, for example, were two smart pieces of entertainment. It’s a sad tale, however, when that original and, perhaps more crucially, intelligent film proves unpopular at the box office, when any old Hollywood garbage shoots straight to the top. Star
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2009 Roundup X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Leon Somi Since former X-men director Bryan Singer left the franchise back in 2004 many fans and critics alike were starting to believe that the best X-men films were in the past, however X-men Origins: Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman was keen to state that this is a completely separate film which will delve and explore Wolverine’s past.
With a fluorescent cast of Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Liev Schreiber (Sabretooth) and Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) the film is given a very good chance of being an enjoyable summer romp. However, director Gavin Hood fails to contain the initial promise that Jackman had made and disappointingly this film does slide into becoming yet another X-men film.
Terminator Salvation
The saviour of cinema? Leon Somi Set after judgement day, the film looks at the raging war between both machine and man. As the story delves deeper the shift of narrative moves to promising actor Sam Worthington, whose past slowly comes to fold in an interesting story arc that’s
reminiscent of the past Schwarzenegger movies. Despite his poor credentials McG does direct and contain some great ideas within Salvation; however it is the lack of boldness that prevents the film from truly creating its own identity within the franchise.
Star Trek
Gary Young FILM EDITOR 2009’s Star Trek is an undoubtedly populist take on the franchise, but it is unashamedly so, revelling in quick-fire dialogue, exciting visual action
scenes and a clever (if slightly shallow) romantic subplot. The film’s unwillingness to pander to “Trekkies” allows it to be a rare thing, a sci-fi film which can be enjoyed by any audience.
Karl Benecke The film industry has performed well in past economical downturns. Hollywood enjoyed its golden age around the time of the Great Depression between the 1920’s and 30’s, as audiences looked to forget their financial woes and spend what little money they had on the ultimate escape, a trip to the cinema. Due to competition from home entertainment systems, cinema needs a saviour, something that will continue to not only make the industry profitable through times of hardship, but make it flourish. Could the answer to this problem be the 3D film? This year alone the top three 3D films, UP, Monsters vs. Aliens and
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, made combined revenue of over $680 million worldwide. This is staggering given the current instability of the economy. 3D is not something that can be easily replicated in home entertainment systems given that it costs a cinema chain about $30k per screen to convert a digital screen to one that has 3D capability. This means that audiences are buying a unique experience for their money, something they would not be able to experience at home. Later this year look out for James Cameron’s $180 million 3D epic Avatar, starring Sam Worthington, Michelle Rodriguez and Alien star Sigourney Weaver. The protagonist Jake Sully (Worthington) is paralyzed from the waist
down during a combat mission on Earth. He is inducted in to the Avatar programme, which if successful would restore his health. The Avatar programme involves travelling to a lush rainforest environment on the planet Pandora, where vital minerals to aid his recovery can be found. Pandora is also home to a host of other weird and wonderful creatures, namely the Na’vi a humanoid race that are not too happy to have their homeland encroached by the mineral-seeking humans. Conflict becomes inevitable and an epic battle to decide the fate of a world ensues. This is Cameron’s first feature film in 12 years. Avatar hits screens on December 18 2009.
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Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Games & Technology
Summer in Dead Space A new dawn for Games & Technology Carly Street GAMES & TECH EDITOR Hey there, I’m Carly; your new games editor. I’m 5ft5, short blonde hair... wait! No. What you want to know is that I have an Xbox360, a fair few retro consoles and a hunger for good game play. I am doing my final year of games design this year and hope to bring you word about new games and local things, for instance, ‘Retro Reunited’ is in Huddersfield on the September 12-13 at the Cedar Court Hotel, Ainley Top, and is a massive retro games exhibition. Sadly it has an entrance fee, but it’s loan day soon after, so don’t worry about that. Now, I want this section to be different; not just something you can find in a normal games reviewing magazine. This is for those out there who do animation, games design and games programming courses, and even just for those who want to spend their hard earned cash on games that deserve it; not waste it on games that magazines say are good, just because they have been paid to, but actually suck- I’m looking at you GamePro and Wolfenstein. Don’t be afraid to say hi if you see me roaming; or email me at streetyweety@hotmail.co m to contribute to the section. I don’t bite. Much.
Chris Tarrant There was only one place I wanted to be this summer; stranded on a derelict ship in deep space, amidst a scene of utter and bloody carnage, struggling for survival against the most inhuman and monstrous creatures that I’ve ever seen. But that was fully booked, so I had to make do with Dead Space. I missed Dead Space when it was released last year, so I picked it up cheap this summer and fired it up to see what all the fuss was about. There are only so many times we can be made to jump by an unseen enemy jumping out from every nook and cranny in the level (Doom 3, I’m looking at you). This is where Dead Space excels. It left a strong first impression; the first level
Ishimura, the deep mining vessel where the game takes place, creaks and breathes like an old house, you truly get the sense that the monsters that lay in wait aboard the ship could strike from anywhere, at any time, and because of this you are kept on the
looked so beautiful. For a game that is so relentlessly dark, the artists have done a terrific job of keeping the environment aesthetically interesting. The very few, dwindling light sources shed just the right amount of illumination onto the game world to paint a
The one place I wanted to be was stranded on a derelict ship...that was fully booked edge of your seat for the entire ride. Instead of relying on the cheap tricks of old, the game draws you in slowly and drip feeds you a sense of incoming dread. Even when you’ve racked up 10+ hours of play time, the game consistently finds new ways to keep you scared. Just when you think you’ve got the game’s antagonists sussed, they toss a new enemy into the mix that forces you to reassess your strategy and play the game
nightmarish image that stays with you long after you switch it off. Of course, the stars of the game are the monsters, and these monsters have raised the bar for others to follow. Lord only knows what’s going on in the head of Ben Wanat, the concept artist behind the Necromorph, because what he’s come up with for Dead Space is utterly horrifying. The ship’s monsterous inhabitants lumber towards you, their limbs broken and contorted into hideous,
There are only so many times we can be made to jump by an unseen enemy...Doom 3, I’m looking at you was pretty scary, but it was also deeply atmospheric. The sense of claustrophobia is overwhelmingly convincing. The USG
menace. This game has earned its 18 certificate. So, we’ve established that the game is scary, atmospheric, disturbing and graphically impressive. It’s also a lot of fun. The controls are fluid and the action is intense. Beneath its survival horror
differently. No other game has kept me on my toes quite so well. Each level within the game has been expertly crafted; bleak has never
twisted poses. Heads have been split down the middle to reveal far too many teeth, and empty eye sockets stare you down with an unblinking
exterior lies an extremely polished 3rd person action game worthy of a place in anybody’s collection. To be honest, any faults I could pick with it are niggling little things that are hardly worth mentioning. But I will anyway. The weapons aren’t particularly interesting (except the Ripper, which is awesome) and half of them I didn’t even bother collecting. Zero G basketball could have been a lot more fun than it was. But these faults bare very little significance when you’ve allowed yourself to be immersed into Dead Space. In other words, the pro’s by far outweigh the cons, and if you haven’t already, I’d highly recommend you buy Dead Space.
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Batman Arkham Asylum
Head in the cloud Google provides the answer to life’s biggest annoyance
Ben Hall EDITOR
Carly Street GAMES EDITOR Batman needs a shave. Seriously, the first thing i noticed in this game was the lack of smooth skin on the famously strong chin. But then I realised the rest of the graphics; the torrential rain, the paperstrewn streets, the ominous Arkham Asylum sign, and a classically creepy Joker. I have never known a smile as unnerving as his. As you can guess, the delivery of the Joker to his new home doesn’t go exactly to plan, but hey, without some hitches and a well thought out plan, we wouldn’t be sat in front of our console, twitching fingers, and eyeing up our limited edition Batarang for later, would we. Within minutes the battle system is enforced, and you get to see batman punching and kicking some psychopaths as X is furiously battered and a slow-mo zoom in of him chinning a thug with
roid-rage. The controls are so easy to use that if you somehow manage to lose the first fight, you should give your console to me, because I would do it justice. Next is the tutorial, which will make all of you collectors run outside and aim at squirrels... THE BATARANG. It’s pretty useful for long distance take-outs, and ridding Arkham of those pesky chattering teeth. However, in my opinion, the coolest weapon is the grapple hook, letting you climb to the rafters and jump on your prey like a winged ninja. Combine this with Detective Mode, which lets you sense useable objects and people and you can sneak around like the invisible psychic man. The fluidity for this game is amazing; the kicking and punching blends into one beautiful, deadly dance, leaving the unfortunate participant unconscious. Also, the lighting for this
game is brilliant; my housemate thinks that you need to turn the lighting in the game all the way down to get the creepy effect, and I can see where he is coming from, however I don’t think every game has to be pitch black to achieve the ominous atmosphere intended, the suspense of knowing Batman is not bullet-proof when against armed enemies causes enough anxiety. Sadly though, the lip synching is poor; not fitting the words at all, however this is more than made up for by the fact that the entire cast of the animated Batman series voice the characters for this game, yes, even Mark Hamil as the Joker. The second point is that the camera is too close to Batman, obscuring your vision when you are in non-combat mode, yet this is sorted out when it all hits the fan and he needs to do some kicking of the rear end.
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It's a sad fact of University life, or maybe just life, that at some point you will be forced against your will to work with people whose work ethic is non-existent. How frustrating it is, during this turbulent time, that when you email the work-shy member of your team the powerpoint presentation you've painstakingly put together they choose 11 am on the big day to send it back to you with their mediocre input added to the end. A frantic download, proofreading and USB exchange mission ensues. Until recently this was just the way the world worked. There was no alternative. But, like email killed the messenger pigeon and like Facebook
killed all face-to-face, social interaction, so Google will kill the frustration of group workor some of it, at least. The solution, then, can be found in Google Docs and in the ability to save, edit and access files on the fly, on the web. This means, with just a few clicks, you can create word, excel and powerpoint documents that can be accessed from virtually any computer in the world. It saves you the humble space afforded you on the university's servers and, in the unfortunate case of house burglary, means you'll always have the most recent draft of your document saved where it cannot be stolen. No more slacker-related frustration. No more lastminute Powerpoint surgery.
Fallout 3
Carly Street GAMES EDITOR Starting off in the game as a naive youngster, new to the outside world, you travel around exploring the devastation that still shows 200 years after the nuclear war, collecting weapons, learning special abilities and finding out what is really going on out there. The main bulk of the story is set in Washington D.C. (or what is left of it) and contains over 100 locations for you to search, but whether you choose to do good or evil for the
citizens of the Wasteland is up to you. If you want to know what all the fuss is about, there are three ways of getting it; buy Fallout 3 from a shop (GAME) then download each add-on from XBOX Live (sorry PS3 users!) for 800 Microsoft Points each, or buy the two add-on packs that are out now for £14.99 each, or wait till October when the Game of the Year edition comes out with all the add-ons with the game. Believe me; it’s worth it, but not around deadline time, you hear?
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Fashion
Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Hudd-couture We’re not Vogue, but we are fabulous
Huddersfield fashion...in Paris
Lauren Stewart FASHION EDITOR Good afternoon to you lovely Huddersfield students, my name is Lauren Stewart and I’m your Fashion Editor for this academic year. This year I want to take the Fashion section to a new level - a local level. This paper is for you, not the entire nation, so the contents will be for YOU. We have here everything you need for this year’s hottest Student looks including where to get it on the cheap, (we all have
This paper is for you, not the entire nation budgets to TRY and keep to) and who’s looking hot round town this month. The Trend for this month is the 1980’s, it’s hot and we all seem to be wearing something 80’s inspired. See if we spotted you. Hudd-Couture - the only fashion supplement tailored to the students of The University of Huddersfield - aren’t you special?
Lauren Stewart FASHION EDITOR The University of Huddersfield is pleased to announce a major academic link with the world-famous fashion industry in Paris. Premier Paris fashion college MOD’ART International School of Fashion & Art will now offer the final-year of one of the University’s fashion degrees to its students. Parisian students who successfully complete the College’s three-year fashion diploma courses will be invited to take the Huddersfield course to boost their qualification to an honours degree. The students can take these awards in either Paris or Huddersfield. MOD’ART is one of the leading fashion colleges in Paris with links with the fashion industry in the city. It also has operations in Buenos Aires, Lima in Peru and Shanghai. Huddersfield is the only university in the UK to
have a franchise agreement with the Paris college. Leading the negotiations for Huddersfield is Associate Dean of the School of Art & Design, Professor Tim Moscovitch (pictured). “This is a major coup for the University,” said Tim. “MOD’ART is a very prestigious, private fashion institution in the centre of Paris. On their industrial advisory group, they have the MD of Burberrys, the VicePresident of Gucci, one of the main directors of Christian Dior, and so it goes on. The also do ‘live’ projects with top fashion companies like Jean Paul Gaultier. “The opportunities for our students in working with a college like this will be fantastic. Our students will be doing joint projects with the college, and using the college as a base when they go to the major fashion trade show in Paris, Première Vision, which takes place twice a year. Our students will also be able to go to Paris to
research their final-year project, either to the college itself or to one of the fashion companies they link with.” MOD’ART has many international connections and approached Huddersfield about the possibility of a link two years ago, as Tim explains. “They came to see us several times, and eventually chose us because of our reputation and the fact that Huddersfield is a textile town. It will certainly raise a few eyebrows – a University of Huddersfield degree in Paris! “What they are aware of is that there are so many successful examples of the best of British and French fashion coming together, like for instance, John Galliano and Stella McCartney. The combination of British eccentricity and inbuilt French style makes for a very successful recipe, and this is what MOD’ART is looking for with us.”
University of Huddersfield graduate fashion show
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Trend-O-Meter is months’ hot Trend is inspired by the 1980’s. Who does it well in Huddersfield, and who just can’t make it sell??
HOT
Leggings and skinny jeans have been a staple in our wardrobes for a good few seasons now, but there is more to the 80’s than showing off those Jerry Hall pins. The 80’s was all about glitter, faux leather, motif Tees and being BOLD.You Huddersfield Fashion watchers have grabbed the style by it’s squidgy bits and RUN!
Sarah looks gorgeous in this blue number. The big floral print and puff-ball skirt are pure 80's, but tailored and toned down to fit with today's trends. »
Check out this month’s Hudd - o – Meter to see which Huddersfield students does it well, and who just can’t make it sell.
« Not terribly 80's, but the idea of bold graphics deffinitely is. White jeans would have got you to the HOT spot.
1980’s Fashion Icon Vivienne Westwood
Love the leggings and ankle boot combo »
« This tragic person is Joe Yeadon. An early 80's look with the perm and hair band. Bad choices for our generation- maybe for the Dad's out there?
SIMPLY NOT!
One of the 80’s most prolific designers, with Malcolm McLaren made the Sex Pistols the punk band of the decade. LEFT- From her Pirate Collection
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Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Ethical fashion and the ‘War on Want’
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Lauren: As England watched the opening of the country’s second biggest Primark store last month, Huddersfield Student asks just what will it take for shoppers to become Ethically Fashioned?
Lauren Stewart FASHION EDITOR Huddersfield’s Primark store has been a student haven of cheap clothing for as long as I have been at this fine institution. From more recent Carnage night costumes to ye olde school Visage foam party get-up, if for nothing else, Primark has been and continues to be the one-stop-shop for inexpensive, throw-away clothing. But what are we really paying for? In the first of Hudd-Couutre’s Ethical
floor, 90,000 square feet shop opened on Thursday 13 August. The protestors were there to compare Primark's financial success with workers in Bangladesh producing its clothes for as little as 7p an hour for up to 80-hour weeks, well under a living wage. According to War on Want research, workers interviewed toiling at three Primark factories in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka received on average only £19.16 (2280 taka) a month, under half a living
extra hours, often unpaid. Workers complained that in the fast fashion rush to produce the latest styles, many of them suffered verbal and physical abuse as they struggled to meet unrealistic targets. Yet the Dhaka workers said none of their factories was unionised. Ifat, who toils in a factory, said: "I can't feed my children three meals a day." Labour Behind Label spokesperson Anna McMullen said: "Primark sell clothes at rock bottom
“Primark has reassured shoppers its garment workers earn a living wage...our research exposes these claims” Fashion columns, HudStud looks at the real cost of cheap clothing, and asks whether knowing the price of Primark fashion will make an impact on the way we shop. War on Want give us the facts. The launch of Primark's second biggest UK store in Bristol be marked by a demonstration over the conditions faced by 7p an hour workers making its clothes. The Bristol-based campaign organisation Labour Behind the Label and the anti-poverty charity War on Want led the protest as the four-
wage. Some employees were paid only the minimum wage, £13.97 (1663 taka) a month, far less than the £44.82 (5333 taka) needed for nutritious food, clean water, shelter, clothes, education, health care and transport. The vast majority of employees lived in small, crowded shacks, many of which lack plumbing and adequate washing facilities. Though forced
prices by driving down suppliers' costs, trapping garment workers in poverty. It must stop paying lip service to ethics and ensure decent wages and conditions for the people behind their success." War on Want spokesperson Seb Klier said: "For years Primark has reassured shoppers its garment workers earn a living wage. Yet our research exposes these 7p an hour... claims as nothing more than cynical attempts to £13.97 a month mislead the public. It is overtime is illegal in high time the British Bangladesh, employees government stopped this said they were made to toil abuse."
Queen of Charity Shops It may be a short journey to big city shops in cities like Leeds and Manchester but, as a local student, where can we find clothing on the cheap, that follows this month’s trend? CHARITY SHOPS Black lace dress 'For every Madonna wannabe the lace dress is an essential. Bought from Cancer Research for £6.99. It should make every 'vogue' star feel 'Like a Virgin'. Team with pearls and leggings for a real 80's feel.
Military Style Jacket For anyone who aspires to the Adam Ant look, the military jacket is a must. Bought from Oxfam for £12.50
Stone wash Jeans The 80's staple. Wear with graphic Tee, lace gloves and over-sized bow for your hair - gorgeous!?
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Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Sports & Societies
Football review, events and casual alcoholism Rob J West SPORTS EDITOR Hello, welcome newbies. I say newbies, it’s freshers week and your reading this paper hoping for a insight into student life. Well, we aim to please! Step One: Look around. Anyone without a paper is at least a second year, so beware of them- they know what happens in this week of madness! Step Two: Put this paper down, and go get a pint. (I don’t care if it is 11am, go get a beer) Got one? Good Step Three: Either read closely all of this section (and the rest of the paper, of course), or pretend to read it whilst desperately looking round for someone you may know. Enough of the step system, over the year this section will include many different things, all as
timers, we can’t give you up to date news all the time, but some of our features aim to educate (i.e. random sport random league random team) and we’re the only place to find out how our small Yorkshire University; which was built on the sites of old mill’s and farmyards, is faring against the big heavily funded Uni.’s in head to head matches. However, as a HuddStud special for our first issue, we can reveal a brand-new weekly 'Football Review' on YouTube run by former H.U. student Matt Abbott, who with a cocky smile and a soppy hair-do filter's through to the best 5 games of the weekend. So, in the hope of provoking thoughts in your
Huddersfield Hawks in action. For more information on sports teams and societies, contact Haydn ‘Tank’ Stead (VP Sports & Soc) in the iZone or visit huddersfieldstudent.com
Random sport, random league, random team
Put this paper down and go get a pint...I don’t care if it’s 11am... farfetched, pointless and humorous as the next. Anything from a personal rant about any sport that I decide is worthy, or interviews with the student sports teams' star players. Themes include the typical Halloween and Xmas editions, but look out for ‘BullDog Tournaments’, which will no doubt happen at a variety of places- starting with a S.U. Bar Pool Championship this month and; with enough interest, could even lead to a Go-Karting Championship later in the year. With being a monthly rag; and also with being run by lazy student part-
fresh, college-educated minds, I’ll leave you with this: “Some people say that natural evolution has left human kind at the top of the pile. The Dominant Species. Some people would put this down to opposable thumbs, or technology. Well, they’re all wrong. The key to being; not only the dominant species, but being the leading runners in that species is Knowledge. So today you started University; containing a fountain of knowledge in your chosen subject. Welcome to the top of the food chain.”
Rob West SPORTS EDITOR Head to the one small country in Asia who, like a 6 year old geek, stood up to the biggest of the year 10 bullies and, with a lucky shot, sent him crying all the way home. So, Vietnam's very own, Đồng Tâm Long An. A football team with a great track record of winning championships and national cups, along with developing a lot of the nation's star footballers. Some of their home grown talent, playing for the national side include the striker Nguyen Minh Phuong who’s prolific strike rate regularly see’s him as the first choice
number 9. A real star who seems to have matured of late is Phan van Tai Em, who is a fast paced, tricky winger who dares to take on an entire team at times, very Giggs-like. In a developing country it’s still difficult to gage them against a similar British team, but think Ipswich in the 1990’s. Đồng Tâm Long An, are much more important than Ipswich though, in the South Province of Vietnam they are the capital city and as such have a huge fan base. Antonio Carlos, currently a coach/player and exBrazilian international star, is still going at 40.
Famously played for Roma, and became known as ‘The Terminator’, for taking no prisoners and being sent off less than 9 minutes into his debut. Also known and loved in Britain for punching Diego Simeone (who we all hate from 1998) in the face during a local derby, Diego went down like a wet blanket that time as well! So, Vietnam is a new league having only been formed in 2000, with much untapped talent but with a rapidly developing youth setup, much like South Korea in 2002 could cause a upset in the near future against unsuspecting big name.
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Huddersfield Student | September 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
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RobFiction’s Football Predictions Rob J West SPORTS EDITOR Now, we could spend all year bringing you out of date football news, like the Man City/ManU result from three weeks ago. But if you’re really that into a sport, you’ve got the Daily Sport. Here at HuddStud, we’re not going to lower ourselves to that level, we’re at university, and we can pronounce more than two syllable words. If you want yesterdays results go online, if you want some outrageous predictions, for one month only we're here, The biggest and most open competition in the world, and amazingly the fourth most watched league in Europe, is literally anybodies choice. The Championship, sporting such teams as Newcastle, the sheep friendly Cardiff and the flat capped Barnsley folk. Newcastle by rights should walk away with this little title, but we all thought that about Leeds, and many others, so there’s the first bet, Newcastle to get relegated! As for the front
runners, take your pick between Reading, Sheff U, and Middlesboro’ and find the longest odds! Then we have the best Cup competition in the world. The FA Cup, where anything can, and will happen. Theres always a club you’ve never heard of, Emley? Havant & Waterloo? Barnsley? To name but a few, put a bet on them getting to semi and losing to someone equally pathetic having beaten the best clubs in the country. As for the European Cups; I don’t think people bother watching til the final comes round, so aslong as there not French; or German; or actually from anywhere off our little island, back them! Why not? The England National Team won’t win anything, so we’ll just have to have a bunch of foreigners win in our name with ‘Liverpool’ written on their shirts. Moving nicely on to the England team, there is just one tiny flaw. People will tell you the players are all overpaid, underworked,
and couldn’t care less about pulling on that special white jersey. However it’s not the players’ fault they’ve lost all passion for the game, much like I lost a passion for learning when I hit Uni, and no doubt you will as well. The problem is a clash of cultures, England and the manager’s Italian methodology. Defend, defend, defend, with carefully well thought out build up. Sorry Fabio, this isn’t working, you may spend all day slaving over a pan of spaghetti but this is a country of pot noodle eaters. We don’t take our time and have long lunches. We get in, get the job done, get out and then spend all night at the bar; getting completely hammered and chatting up women waiting for their dates. Lastly we’ll move on to the Premiership. You can get 6-1 (or less) on most of the ‘big four’. Pointless, skip the bet and spend your money chatting up Fabio’s missus at the bar instead.
Afro Carribbean society aims to hold more events The Afro Caribbean Society (ACS) is hoping to hold more events during the 09/10 academic year than previous years to make the university experience more memorable. The society, ran by President Kelly Metelwa, aims to enlighten Afro Caribbean people about Afro Caribbean ways, cultures and history. Previously, the society
took part in the ‘Radical Eon’ fashion show and has collaborated with other ACSs in different universities in the area to co-host social events. ACS meet on the first week of every month though specific dates are yet to be confirmed. For more information, contact Kelly Metelwa on 07944380715 or visit huddersfieldstudent.com
Budhist meditation group The Budhist Mediation Group meet regularly in term time to practice meditation. Dates and times for the 2009/10 academic year are still unconfirmed. Interested parties are recommended to visit the
Faith Centre in Freshers’ Week (page 2), where the group will have its first meeting on Thursday 24, at 2.30pm. Alternatively, contact faithcentre@hud.ac.uk for updates and information.
Freshers’ drop-in for Hindu Soc
Islamic Soc. open for all
The Hindu society provides an opportunity for Hindu students to learn and practice their faith. Over the past year they have taken part and been involved in a number of events, celebrations and festivals. One of the festivals we celebrate is the 9 day festival of "Navratri" (see photo) We also include debates on interesting topics in Hinduism. As
The Islamic Society, ‘ISOC’, commits itself and strives to be a source of Islamic knowledge to both Muslims and NonMuslims. It is the aim of ISOC to be the voice of Muslim students on university and union level and provide services that facilitate the practice of the Muslim faith. We welcome all people, Muslims and non-
well as these events there are also social events at the end of each term such as a trip to Alton towers. Freshers’ Week drop-in session is in the Faith Centre on September 23 from 2:30pm and runs for an hour. For more information contact Pritesht89@hotmail.co.uk or visit the SU website.
Muslims alike. To become a member of the Islamic Society and sign up to our mailing list, drop us an email: hudislamicsoc@hotmail.com
Alternatively, visit the SU website for more information on joining societies.
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huddersfieldsport Could you be the next Lewis Hamilton?
New society set-up for September to celebrate Auto-motive racing
Zeshan Iqbal VP COMMUNICATIONS Team HARE, A new and exciting society is starting this September, who are looking for students with that bit of HARE ability.
Huddersfield Automotive Racing Enterprise has been the name adopted by the University of Huddersfield’s formula student team since the first competition in 1999. Could you be the next
Lewis Hamilton, the next engineer working for Ferrari? Well team Hare can give you a speeding chance of doing just that. The next obvious question is how?
The team are looking for students that will help testing, production and promoting of the car/s that are going to be built in the near future. So don’t miss this great opportunity in a world where opportunities
are hard to come by. To get in touch or for more details get in touch with Kenny Delaney BEng u0404841@hud.ac.uk Tel: 07968998709
The next issue of Huddersfield Student will be available:
Monday, October 19
Tell us what you think of this one at hslive.co.uk