huddersfieldstudent
The University of Huddersfield’s best, and only, monthly student newspaper October 2009 || FREE || hslive.co.uk
The truth about RadioHudd The long and winding road that put the Union radio station back on air after years away FEATURES » 14
Debt Wall paints picture of student finances
News Byelection dates announced Dates for this year’s University of Huddersfield Students’ Union (UHSU) by-elections have been announced. »2
Arts Search for Fashion editor After the resignation of its current Fashion Editor Huddersfield Student is looking for a student to lead the section. »28
News Reform for UHSU constitution A committee is discussing the Students’ Union constitution and the job roles and titles of the fivestrong Executive team »4
Arts What’s On
POLITICS » 10 Danny McLoughlin comes
Wall of Debt shows combined debt of £10m
Petition to ‘Keep the Cap’
to LBT’s Comedy Cellar on 12 November »17
for news as it breaks www.hslive.co.uk
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News
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Union ignited by Safety Week If you missed it, then you suck at life because it was awesome. It smelt a bit, granted, but whenever there's fire and a man who is willing to make the fire go bigger (in a perfectly safe way) an event is rarely going to be boring. As day two of the student safety week being promoted by the Advice and Information Centre, the Fire Safety day combined what not to do with a chip pan fire, which resulted in us getting a fantastic demonstration of what happens when you do (see the picture of fire), and a demonstration of a car crash and how the fire service cut you out of a car in an incident. When you combine the day of fire with the Home Security day where there was be a robber with a bag of 'swag' mooching about campus and Monday's
Condom Fairies dishing out free condoms whilst shouting out slogans such as "Don't be a fool, wrap your tool", "no glove, no love!" and my personal favourite "you can't go wrong, if you cover your dong!" or asking people the question "condoms or the clap, you decide!" It's not everyday that you really hear from the Advice and Information Centre, they are always there to help but the advertising is rarely as out there as it has been this week and I can honestly say that it was great to see. Considering the fact that the service covers housing, money problems, health and wellbeing, and all things that can crop up with overseas students, it just is not given its due and because of this I would like to say that we salute you.
The devestation of a chip pan fire in the Union car park
News wire opened for students to report news Ben Hall EDITOR Huddersfield Student has opened a new online news wire service to allow individual students, societies and teams to submit news for consideration in the monthly newspaper. Huddersfield Student editors urge students to use the service, accessible by
email, so that important news and sports results are not missed. Students wanting to report news to Huddersfield Student should send an email with details of the news or event to: newsire@hslive.co.uk. Further details on using the news wire service correctly can be found at: www.hslive.co.uk/ newswire
newswire@hslive.co.uk
Islamic Society’s freshers’ dinner deemed a huge success Love and unity prevailed at ISoc annual dinner Ben Hall EDITOR The Islamic Society (ISoc) welcomed a new and existing students to celebrate the festival of Eid. 1 October saw ISoc’s annual, and first, event of the year. The night was filled with
icebreakers, three speakers, a free three-course buffet meal followed by a chocolate fountain with strawberries and marshmallows and rice pudding (kheer). For many international students who are away from their homeland, family and friends, it was an opportunity to celebrate
Eid with their fellow Muslims. "There was so much love, warmth and unity prevalent amongst the nonMuslims/Muslims that evening", said Humaira Azam, ISoc VP. Anyone wishing to join ISoc can do so through the iZone on the first floor of the Union.
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
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For sale: Student loans
Editorial: Finding and funding our own future Ben Hall EDITOR
T
This month marks the first month, of what is hopefully many to come, of the RadioHudd broadcasting schedule. Fourteen months of hard work have come to a head, as pointed out by Richard Wood on page 14, for the core of dedicated
Campus news working... students who have fought to get their voices heard across the Huddersfield airwaves. It is something of a shame then that two things seemingly hold it back. Technology, man's best friend and worst enemy, is the first of these factors. As computer-literate as I am, or at least pretend to be, I have not been able to listen to much of the schedule due to having incorrect plug-ins and browser settings. The fact that we are required to log-in is bad enough, but unable to listen when I've finally gained access is nothing short of frustrating. The second factor is, of course, that the radio is not being streamed to The Graduate or Coffee Bean.
interacts with the Union and its activities. Via our website, Huddersfield Student has the ability to report news as it happens and stream live video to the internet. In future, it should be Huddersfield Student and RadioHudd who are kept
isn’t
particularly
informed of campaigns. As the student media should it not be our job to comment on and stream live debates? There seems to be some miscommunication. We’re a group of students and we’re here, and we’re joined together by a desire to engage in media activity- why aren’t we being utilised properly? Campus news isn’t particularly working it would appear. The offer is therefore laid for any sabbatical officer who reads this column and who wishes to take it up for any future campaigns or events. Invite us along. We will stream it to the internet, without the need for complex plug-in downloads and log-in walls, and give our verdict.
We are starting to look a little more like a student media network In short, why not? Looking at the offers of help in my inbox and the amount of students who signed up to RadioHudd at Freshers' Fayre on page 14, there's a growing interest in student media. We should be leading this base to create something that
The newspaper is now only part of what Huddersfield Student is. Mixed with our website, and with a little help from RadioHudd, we are starting to look a little more like a student media network. Exciting, isn’t it?
editor@hslive.co.uk
Gordon Brown converses with Barack Obama in September
Ben Hall EDITOR In a move that has been dubbed by the Lib Dems the “largest sell-off since the 1980s privatisation”, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced the sale of several public
assets, including the Student loan book. The government had planned selling around one-third of the £18bn loans earlier in the year, but feared it would not get “good return for the taxpayer.” “I think it’s ridiculous,”
said University of Huddersfield Students’ Union President Junaid Ejaz. “It just shows that the government isn’t serious about student issues and are just concerned with short-term measures.”
University of Huddersfield welcome publishersin-residence, Comma Press Media had considered the Clive Simpson possibility of a ‘publisher I’NATIONAL & EU OFFICER in residence’ for some time n the evening of before being approached the 1 October, 40 by Comma Press-by people gathered to coincidence their publisher celebrate the launch of a of choice. Comma are now new partnership between permanently resident the University of within West Building. Huddersfield and Comma Comma Press are a small Press with an evening of publishing company, literary readings, visual originally from the poetry and general chatting Manchester area. They and conviviality. specialise in short fiction Entertainment came in but also publish poetry. the form of a reading, from Included on their list of our own Gaia Holmes, and authors are Gaia Holmes collage of visually and Simon Armitage who interpreted poems from are both established Comma’s collection, Huddersfield writers. displayed on the screen. So what is the purpose of Michael Stewart and the partnership? For David Gill, creative writing Comma the advantages are tutors of the School of fairly obvious, direct Music, Humanities and access to talented students
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involved in creative writing, being on a campus, and a bit of desk space. For students there will be the opportunity to get involved in editing and publishing, the possibility of an internship after completing their studies plus a direct door to a publisher for wannabe writers. But for the university itself the benefits seem a little more ephemeral, consisting mainly of kudos. For future students with an interest in creative writing, having a publisher on the premises will probably make Huddersfield a more attractive option than alternatives without.
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News
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Constitutional reforms planned for UHSU 2010/11 Ben Hall EDITOR A series of constitutional reforms for the 10/11 academic year are currently under discussion by a Union committee. The committee, made up of the five members of this year’s executive team and Union management staff are discussing the change of roles for next year’s exec. Plans are still in discussion and subject to change. Under current plans, the
role of VP Internal Affairs will be removed. The role of VP Education and Welfare will be split into two separate roles. The President will take a line-management position and oversee campaigns. Huddersfield Student also understands that the role of VP Communications, currently held by Zeshan Iqbal, will be changed to include PR activity and involvement in the elections process. Plans will be presented to an EGM later in the year. More info »7-8
Friends of Palestine vow to continue their work into future years Ben Hall EDITOR The Friends of Palestine Society is the first society to campaign for Palestine on Huddersfield University campus. The brainchild of just three dedicated students, it has now become a group with an agenda to educate students on the Palestinian issue. The Society became official on the 20 May
2009 following four events beginning in February. “We have plans to be an active society this academic year ahead and the many to come,” said FPS President Tahira Alia. “We’ll be campaigning against the oppression and dispossession suffered by the Palestinian people, supporting the human rights of the Palestinian people and their struggle to achieve these rights.”
International & EU Office welcome students with events
Hill walk Sunday, 18 October
Clive Simpson I’NATIONAL & EU OFFICER From the UHSU International Office, a warm welcome to all our overseas students. We hope you are settling down into our uni and finding your way around. Our aim at the Students’ Union office is to try and make sure your stay in Huddersfield is as enjoyable and pleasant as possible, so if you have any queries there is always someone here who will be able to respond or find the right person for you to talk to. To help you get to know Huddersfield and the surrounding areas there are a few activities planned over the next few weeks.
President goes virtual, online UHSU President, Junaid Ejaz has entered the realm of cyberspace. Virtual Junaid now provides an online instant messaging platform for students to communicate with their President via huddersfieldstudent.com
Town treasure Saturday, 17 October
The Big Huddersfield Treasure Hunt is open to everyone; all you have to do is get together a small team of people, spend a couple of hours following clues around the town and perhaps winning a prize or two. Details can be found on the website www.townfirst.co.uk/ treasure-hunt
There will be a walk, organised by the Student Union, specifically for international students, their spouses and families. Meeting outside the SU building at 9:00 am then take a bus up the Holme Valley where we will begin walking. If conditions are good we expect to reach the Holme Moss before making our way towards a café down in Holmfirth; altogether about 12 km. Bring your boots, or stout waterproof shoes, some waterproof clothing in case of unfriendly weather and a flask to keep you going. The bus fare, if you haven’t got a bus pass, is £2.40 each way.
UHSU Annual General Meeting dates and times announced Ben Hall EDITOR Information for 2009/10 University of Huddersfield Students’ Union (UHSU) Annual General Meeting (AGM) have been released. The meeting will take place on 26 October at 12pm in the Quayside building. The AGM will feature a report from the President,
Junaid Ejaz, a report by the Union’s Board of Trustees and a review of the financial documents. The meeting is open to all students of the University of Huddersfield, who will need their campus ID to gain entry. Questions can be asked of the Executive team and the Board of Trustees. Minutes from the last AGM will be read.
HuddersďŹ eld Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
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Pro Vice Chancellor, Tim Thornton Zeshan Iqbal VP COMMUNICATIONS
P
ro Vice Chancellor (VC), Tim Thornton, is a gentleman who works tirelessly to make sure students at the University of Huddersfield are taught exceptionally and walk out with a dignified degree. From personal experience the VC has represented students and has gone out of his way to make the student experience improve. In Mr Thornton, we have a leader who will not only reach the top but will take this university to higher sights. What does the Pro VC Teaching and Learning mean? I'm the very fortunate person with responsibility for the quality and development of taught courses at the University so all undergraduate study and taught post grad study. I get to work with students, with staff, and with many external companies and organisations to improve the experience of our students, their achievement, their career outcomes, and their contributions to society and economy, local, nationally and internationally. My work is shaped by the Teaching and Learning Strategy, which was developed in 2008-9 through wide consultation, and which you can access at www2.hud.ac.uk/shared/sha red_tlwg/tl_strategy.pdf.
As someone who loves to teach, and to bring the process of my research before my Undergraduate students, it
is a particularly rewarding ensure that top-quality role. teaching and learning are more clearly based on You specialize in non- excellent research and English territories of the interaction with business Crown and have written and the professions. many books, are you still That gives all our students working in those areas? confidence that those who I am currently well teach them have a
Mr Thornton adds his print to the Wall of Debt
advanced in writing a book on the Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey and neighbouring islands) in the late medieval and early modern period, and am submitting a proposal for a major proposal on the political history of the Isle of Man. But my most recent article (in Northern History, 2009) was on King Henry VIII's visit to Yorkshire in 1541, so I do English regions too. In your view where is the university heading in regards to education and research studies? The University has recently made a very important decision - to
fundamental engagement with their discipline which will ensure the inspiring and innovative teaching which we all want here. You're the General Editor of the Chetham society, how is that? The Chetham Society publishes books on the history of Lancashire and Cheshire - it is one of the oldest and most distinguished societies of its kind, dating back to the 1840s. The general editor is responsible for advising on the choice of books to be published and then working with authors to develop their work so it is ready for publication. It is
enjoyable work, as it brings me into close contact with new work on the history of two counties on which my own journey in research began - my first book was on Cheshire. What are QAA and Institutional Audit and how are they beneficial to students? The QAA is the official body responsible for assuring the quality of the work done by higher education institutions. It is charged with ensuring that universities like us maintain academic standards and strive continually to enhance the opportunities for students to learn. This is mainly now done through a periodic audit called institutional audit – we have a very strong record with this, and the next is due in Huddersfield in March 2010. Students are at the heart of this process - the audit is designed to ensure that the standard of their degrees and other awards is maintained, so employers and others can have confidence in them, and that the support of all kinds available to students is continually being improved. As such, during the audit a student from elsewhere acts as one of the auditors, and students of Huddersfield help to present evidence of the ways in which University deals with these issues. What are your thoughts on tuition fees potentially rising? I personally find it regrettable that students have to contribute so significantly to the costs of their higher education; but
I also recognise that politically it would be impossible to move this cost back to the general taxpayer, given the huge (and welcome) increase in student numbers in recent years, and in investment overall in higher education. I have spent my working life doing all I can to ensure that the very best higher education is available to any and all who can benefit from it, and I don't want to see anything done which erodes that. Still, I know top-quality education costs - and we must look for inventive ways to share that cost between all who benefit, in society in general, in organisations who benefit from the abilities of graduate employees, and, still, in the graduates themselves whose prospects are improved substantially by their time in HE. Any last comments you feel are important? I love working for the University of Huddersfield - I suspect I am biased, but I know many other universities and I feel confident in saying they do not have the sense of purpose, warmth, community, and commitment to students, which is second nature here. Yet we can get even better - I know the Student Union is doing excellent work in building the involvement of ordinary students in everything from sports clubs to representation on university committees, and I would urge everyone to get involved.
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Executive Team
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Looking at the year just passed, planning for the year ahead
Campaign success, Wall of Debt and the live debate was aired and we received Zeshan Iqbal VPCOMMUNICATION
Junaid Ejaz UHSU PRESIDENT As we have started off for a very busy year with the aim to change lots of the things for students, these last months have been quite busy for me and my fellow sabbatical officers. I was quite nervous at one point, as we had planned many important things in the first two months. Thankfully, the engagement from the students was huge and the response we had was very warm, which was very encouraging for us. I would like to say that I am in a huge debt of gratitude to all the students and staff for making freshers’ fayre a successful event. For the first time it was on campus this year and the entire campus was absolutely buzzing. I hope that students will show their commitment in future for other students’ union events – especially in the democratic process. Induction talks were an amazing experience. It provided me with a great
opportunity to talk to hundreds of new students across the campuses about the Students’ Union. It's always great to meet new students as they are fresh, energetic and ambitious they always value whatever you tell them. Now the important thing is to build on the initial contact that we have made during the induction talks and I would encourage new students to get involved in the Students’ Union because the Students’ Union has a lot to offer. As promised, we held the tuition fees campaign from 5-9 of October. The campaign ‘Keep the Cap’ was very successful. It is worthwhile mentioning that the campaign would not have been successful without the input from Sohail Afsar. Many students started university without any money in their pockets - the tedious and cumbersome loan process has left many students worrying about their year ahead. And even worst than this was the statement of the director of the
students finance calling the loan process ‘reasonable’. On 9 of October, we organised a Tuition Fees debate which was attended by some big names. We had all the parliamentary candidates for the three big parties including our MP Mr Barry Sheerman. I was very much offended, if not outraged, by his views on the issue of tuition fees. Because the ‘Top-up fees’, known to us as the tuition fees system, was introduced by the government when Barry was chairman of the select committee for Higher education. Nevertheless, students need to come forward and get involved so that we could make a change. October is very important as we have got many important things lined up. On 26 of October, we have planned an Annual General Meeting (see page 4). Also, the By-elections will commence 2 November. In peace and unity
After a gruelling few weeks we finally get some time to gather ourselves. For the first time the fresher’s fair was on campus (and what a buzz) that was. It certainly improved the atmosphere at the University. We have had more students making new societies such as Team Hare and the Golfing society. A great big thank you to all the students that have supported the Graduate and Coffee Bean, and also keep supporting us when we have competitions like the DJ competition, which we held on 10 October. We have officially launched our own RadioHudd at the University, located on the first floor in the Students’ Union building, so start tuning in. From 5-9 October, we were campaigning on Tuition fees, on which we held a debate on 9 October at T5/09 2-4pm. The Students’ Union in arms with myself, embarked on a new venture to stream the debate live on the Students’ Union website, and also we had a text wall. The debate
good feedback from students and staff who could not attend but watched via the SU website. The debate will also be out on to YouTube as well as Face book, these will be the highlights of the event. Our own PRO VC, Tim Thornton also took part in the wall of debt to show his support and commended us for our continuous strive for helping students. The debate included Members of Parliament (Barry Sheerman), local politicians and NUS delegates. This was a good mix and brought about some good questions. I would like to thank and commend the staff members and students that made this event a success. But a special thank you goes out to Matt Philips, John Adamson, Matt Short, Mark Handscombe and Oldham Digital students, David Butterworth, Ian McNaught, Julian Schofield, Helen Harris, Robert Leon Felix, Warren Copland and everyone else that helped out- thank you very much. For any comments ideas email me on sucomms@hud.ac.uk
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
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New building, new staff, new societies Haydn Stead VP SPORTS & SOCIETIES I hope everyone is settling back into uni life after a busy few weeks. The start of the year is always the most hectic time for Sports and Societies Officers. Firstly, we have the madness of Freshers’ Fayre, which for the first time we did on campus and had just a few teething problems, but I feel it was a success and created a great atmosphere on campus. Also, we have had an
increase in interest in the extra curricular activities that we have to offer at the SU. Secondly, with all of this extra interest comes a shit load of paperwork – hence why whenever you see me in the iZone, I’m surrounded by it or filling something out. Finally, we have kicked off the BUCS season and as your reading this we should have had the first round of games – to those that won well done, and to those who didn’t do as well better look next time. So what else has been
going on? Well we have had two sports and societies forums for the captains and chairs of SU clubs, which has been a great success with some good feedback and exchange of ideas. The weekly sports and societies night is gathering momentum – this could have been helped by the fact that the teams can now see pictures of themselves on the plasma screens and also compete in a man of the match drink off. I hope these nights continue to be well supported and a laugh,
after all we are a small university in sports and societies numbers – so it’s important that we support each other (of course with a little banter thrown in the mix). It’s not to late to join a club or society, but remember you need to register on the Students’ Union website to sign up and get involved. If you have any questions, come up to the iZone and we’ll help you out. Z.E.B.R.A. for life
Student representation for all campuses Haneef Rashid VP EDUC. & WELFARE Hi guys, I hope you’re all well. It’s been another busy month for myself as I will be training some of you lovely students to become student reps. To all the students that have not registered with the I-Zone, please approach the I-Zone on the first floor so we can
book you in for training. Over the past week, the executive officers have been campaigning on the Tuition Fees issue on all the campuses. We have had the Wall of Debt on the Oldham and Barnsley campuses and we had a debate on tuition fees. A big thank you to everyone who got involved. In February we will be
holding a Question Time session and, on the back of the tuition fees debate, Barry Sheerman has confirmed as a guest. Don’t forget the Amsterdam trip. It’s £109 on the 26-29 November. Come to SU for more information or contact me via email or phone. My plans for the forthcoming months will
be: Promoting and engaging with the students for our By- Elections, UCB and UCO campus surveys, which will give us a good indication of the issues we need to combat, anonymous marking campaign, AGM, training Student representatives
Consitutional reforms planned for Exec of 2010/11 Andy ‘Frodo’ Blunt POLITICS EDITOR Granted this might seem like horrifying politicsness of doom that no one would care about other than a politics nut, and you are probably right to assume so, but here’s the thing – the changes proposed could significantly improve the student voice. The Students’ Union is mandated to review the constitution regularly to ensure its relevance to the ever changing student demographic and is looking to introduce and change numerous things of
every day importance. The most important of which are the reforms to the Board of Trustees, which in essence can veto new policies of the Students’ Union. Now then I don’t expect most of you to know what this is off the top of your head but think about this, these reforms are aiming to shift the current 50-50 split of the deciding power between students and external influence in the favour of the students, giving more like a 60-40 split in student favour AND make the President of the Students’ Union the chair. This will not only bring the power of
agenda setting at the Board of Trustees to the students, but also make the students have the final say! Another area of reform is that of the Union Council, another deciding body within the Students’ Union structure, with the aim to increase the members who have a vote to thirty. This will hopefully include one ‘school rep’ from each of the seven schools at the university, more demographic representatives, a sports teams representative and a society representative, all of which will be elected by the students, for the students. Cont. on »8
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Politics
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Interns: Overworked, underpaid, unappreciated? Kimberley Hobson
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he exploitation of workers is often something we think happens elsewhere, far away in the sweatshops of the third world. However, for our generation a new kind of exploitation is fast emerging and materialising in more and more sectors. A degree is simply not enough to get a job anymore. Work experience is vital and this has led to an increasing trend in companies and organisations offering undergrad and graduate internships. Doing an
internship can be a great way to gain professional experience, make contacts and get ahead when it comes to jobs postgraduation. Paid internships, however, are few and far between, and working for free is becoming more and more common. So, at what price does this much needed experience come? How are students expected to fund internships and why do employers expect us to work for free? I want to investigate the the world of the unpaid intern, the advantages, the disadvantages, how interns survive, what skills they
learn and if the experience is worth it. I'll be talking to employers who offer unpaid internships, as well as getting the opinions of organisations working to improve the rights of interns. I want to incorporate the real life experiences of our lovely Huddersfield students. So, if you have ever done an internship, or you're currently doing one, paid or unpaid, I want to know about it. It doesn't matter how long or short or even what sector it was in. All information can be treated anonymously.
Student loans: Tax in sheep’s clothing?
K
eeping in line with other parts of the section, I thought that for this paper, I would share my thoughts about student loans with you. Whilst surfing the web about the system to pay back our student debts, I found that the average debt is around the £17,500 mark and something occurred to me – most people will not even remotely cover their loans in the time we are to Contact me via email on pay it back. interns@hslive.co.uk We are given 25years to pay back our loans, and when put into basic maths, say you earn £500,000 in No, really, that’s really what this article is about that time (averaging at 20k «Continued from pg. 7 student elections, the your say, then keep your a year) you will only pay Perhaps the most newly created forums and ear to the ground, turn up £11,250, some £6,250 interesting of reforms is the public image are all and be one of the voters short of what you that of the job descriptions exactly what the Students’ who makes a difference. for the five full time Union wants. Finally, the sabbatical officers. Despite VP Sports and Societies being working titles, the should change to Activities which will changes to the roles show officer, the need for change within basically combine all of the the structure of the things that the iZone has to Students’ Union. Firstly, offer, and put it under one the VP Internal Affairs will officer’s remit: sports societies, most likely be taken away teams, and take the Welfare side volunteering – basically of the current Education anything extra curricular. and Welfare job role, due These changes are in to the large workload. The their early draft stages, but Education officer will deal the idea is to refocus the with all things education: job roles and give a clear student reps, course issues mandate to the future and disciplinary sabbatical officers to representation. The provide a better service for Welfare officer will work you, the student body. For proposed new with the advice centre and these reforms to pass, once they push for better housing, personal safety and aim to have been finalised and increase student awareness. redrafted several times, the The VP Comms should be Students’ Union has to an Emergency changing to VP Comms have and Democracy which will General Meeting and have give the Comms Officer a it pass there, so if you want larger remit to ensure to get involved and have Constitution available at huddersfieldstudent.com
UHSU Constitutional reform
Andy ‘Frodo’ Blunt POLITICS EDITOR borrowed. Furthermore, when I happen to know that on a 26k job, you pay back less than the interest you rack up on your loan, very few of us will actually pay up the full amount before the 25years. So, why is this? Well I think it’s pretty simple, we are paying a graduate tax. But whenever the media reports the government introducing a tax, opinion polls tend to drop, it has been concealed. Is this why student debt is not considered in a credit check? Because even the banks know that it is really a tax? Read my blog at www.hslive.co.uk for more information.
politics@hslive.co.uk
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Jordan Walmsley
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t's that time of year- the time of year that people get 'flu. But, it’s also the time of year that the major political parties in Britain have their annual conferences. If you’ve missed them this year then the next couple of hundred words will attempt to fill you in with some of the major points. First things first, The Liberal Democrats. Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat treasury spokesman announced that if his party is elected he would introduce a tax on homes that value above £1m. Next came the Labour Party conference which did not get off to the best start but was kicked into gear with Lord Mandelson’s speech in which he announced he was adding extra money to the pot that is funding Labour’s ‘Car Scrappage Scheme’. A good policy but not one he had to announce like he was eradicating world poverty. The speech by PM Gordon Brown, said to be his make or break speech (again), went well with a standing ovation within 3 minutes- after reeling off many reasons why Britain is a better place because of the Labour Party. He
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National news in a nutshell: The Conference Season
Socialist students plan march on Town Hall
announced help for young mothers and announced that tax breaks for the middle-class would be cut to pay for it. He announced reform for the electoral system, Parliament and the House of Lords, and said he will scrap the ID cards scheme. He didn’t really generate a ‘buzz’. Overall, the Labour Party conference was a week of anti-climax but with substance nonetheless. Finally, the Conservative conference kicked into gear and started off with the euro-sceptics picking up the pace and causing delightful trouble. In an interview prior to the conference, Cameron would not commit to a referendum on the Lisbon treaty, even though he has constantly criticised the government for not holding one. The Shadow Chancellor George Osborne announced that a Conservative government would raise the retirement age to 66 and would introduce a public sector pay freeze, both accepted measures by the Labour Party. Mr Cameron’s speech was less policy and substance and more direction and ideology. He set out, in a structured way, how he would like to see Britain in the future and his desire to change it. One would have to decide for themselves as to whether his views are relevant and
Chris Parkin
if his way of changing Britain will work. One important point to make is that there was certainly an emphasis on reducing the size of the state,, with an emphasis on giving more power to his ministers. Unlike Brown’s, Cameron’s speech generated a lot of buzz- a good way to finish. The two conferences were quite different. One was well received in the media, well presented and went as well as any leader could hope, with some cracks showing regarding divisions on Europe. The other didn’t look great in the media, with turnout looking rather low. It was presented fairly and the leader's speech was decent. But which one will generate votes for the upcoming election? For me, it is the Labour Conference. Labour spoke on how it has helped Britain over the last 12 years, how it will continue to do so and didn't worry about whether Brown looked like a celebrity. The Conservative Conference on the other hand was Cameron's predictably media-friendly event. Post-conference, the Conservatives lost points in a YouGov poll, leaving them with a nine point lead- are the British people starting to see through Cameron's image before he has had the chance the to be elected?
Visit the politics blog online: www.hslive.co.uk
I
t is certainly no secret that today’s economic climate is looking pretty bleak. The latest figures revealed by the government show that unemployment has reached 2.5 million. Of the total unemployed almost 1 million are young people aged between 16 and 24 years – a 14 year high. With job losses continuing to rise and vacancies falling we, as students and future workers, are facing this grim reality. A reality in which 1 in 5 young people cannot find work. Jobs are being cut left, right and centre. By the end of 2009 it is estimated that three million people will be unemployed. Now we are facing a future of mass unemployment and young people tend to be among the first to be thrown on the
mainstream political parties advocate cuts to public services. In Kirklees alone the latest plan is to cut public services by anywhere between £250 million and £400 million in the next five years. All the government is offering young people is the Future Jobs Fund (FJF). However, this fund is a temporary scheme lasting for just six months and you have to be on the dole for a year to qualify. This fuels the suspicion that the FJF is all about massaging the unemployment figures rather than providing real jobs. Real jobs and free education is what Youth Fight For Jobs are campaigning for. The Huddersfield demonstration aims to pressure the council to do more to create and maintain proper jobs, as
“Now is the time to stand up and fight. Now is the time to fight for our future” scrap heap. That is why the Youth Fight For Jobs campaign have organised a local demonstration in Huddersfield on 21 October. In spite of finding hundreds of billions of pounds to rescue failed banks, the government’s response to solving youth unemployment has been totally inadequate. Just a fraction of the money used to bail out the banks could be used to take hundreds of thousands off the dole queues and train them to carry out vital public services. Yet all the
part of the wider struggle for justice. The march will assemble at 5pm outside the Students' Union and will make its way to Huddersfield Town Hall. The Socialist Students Society would also like to invite anyone who is interested in discussing issues like the one raised here to attend its meetings. These are held on Tuesdays at 4.30 upstairs in the student union. Now is the time to stand up and fight. Now is the time to fight for our future.
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Politics
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Campaigns3: ‘Keep the Cap’ Andy ‘Frodo’ Blunt POLITICS EDITOR
A
Campaign van became base centre for students to sign the petition slips
Average debt at £18,998
s the first campaign from the Sabb team this year, the Tuition Fees campaign showed many things. Firstly, that the Sabb team know how to throw one hell of a debate.
Combined debt of over £10m
The first two days saw a campaign I can tell you Huddersfield. I myself white van on campus with that on a whole it was a took great pleasure in massive banners on either mixture of having a small joining the other five side telling all students campaign team and student hundred and fifty two who walked past about the apathy. Students are often students in painting my events of the week. What judged as flippant and hand, as red as the socialist was the information? It apathetic, and I always ideals behind the was telling YOU that if you thought that we just had campaign, slapping it on don’t get involved you’re bad press until this the wall, and marking the likely to be paying, in the campaign – but now I somewhat minuscule extreme, £9,000 a year for The stepping stones that will lead to change tuition fees, which could know, on a whole we amount of £17,000. When start next year. The Sabb actually are. Fingers the average was around the team did the best with what crossed when the next £18,998 mark across all they had, continuing even campaign rolls around three campuses, I realised in the rain, and managed to students will actually that I’m actually better off get five hundred and ninety mobilise and not just sign than most. two postcards written with up, but get involved and With the first four days the intent of posting them help with the campaign. finished; myself and other to the Rt. Hon David After all, the Sabb team is observers saw a lot to be Lammy, the chairman of only five guys with a lot of desired. This was by no the select committee other responsibilities, they fault of the Sabb team, but making the decision. can’t do everything for us by an increasingly visible However, despite this we need to get involved. apathetic attitude of the number not being as large The third and fourth days students of Huddersfield. as we would hope for from saw Sohail Afsar’s ‘hands When you look back at the such a vast student on’ campaign design excel history of the Students’ population as we have in with the ‘Wall of Debt’ Union, where it stopped Huddersfield; with the which was for all of the the nation in its tracks on combined efforts across the student body to paint their issues that mattered to not country this will hopefully hand, put it on the wall and just the nation, but the be one of the stepping make their mark aka write entire world, this turnout stones that will lead to how much debt they will did not just make us appear change. be in by the time they as a shadow of the former Why was the number not finish their studies here in union, but a shadow of a as high as we would hope? the wonder that is shadow. Well as one of the helpers for the But then, day five arrived: The Debate...
Secondly, that they have some serious initiative and a sincere innovative style which enhances the fun side of campaigning. And finally, that they have a great working model for future campaigns, but with room to improve – as alas, there always is.
Campaign success?
Students spent the day adding to the Wall of Debt
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
The debate was genuinely one of the best I have seen in a long time, and coming from a politics student, I’d say that that was a pretty gleaming recommendation. Not only did we have naïve idealists speaking out – I kind of mean this in a nice way – but we had pragmatic politicians speaking somewhat honestly, setting facts straight and engaging with the audience in a way that I would love to see more often. The delegates for the debate were: Karen Tweed of the Conservative Party; Michelle Atkinson of the Green Party; James Blanchard of the Liberal Democrats; Barry Sheerman of the Labour Party; Aaron Porter the NUS Higher Education Officer; and last but not least Bellavia RibeiroAddy the NUS Black Students’ Officer. The debate began with Barry Sherman running late, a sincere lack of bodies in the audience and Andrew Mycock of the Politics Department chairing the debate, attempting to spice up that which started horrifyingly slowly. I was genuinely sat in there wondering how I was going to stay awake for the full two hours; and then it kicked in. Not only was there the standard inter-party bickering, the Lib Dems attempted to secure votes by pointing out that their official stance is free education; of which
Ribeiro-Addy stated that tuition fees policy is the only thing that the two organisations have in common; but the ‘pièce de la résistance’ was that of Barry Sheerman. Sheerman arrived in
confidence in their environment. He defended his actions in his position on the select committee that designed and enacted the top-up fees system, which we all racking up debt from, with flawless
Union President stepped to the plate and pointed out that for real change the Union needs to go back to the old school tactics of demonstrations, sit-ins and petitions utilised when the Students’ Union was truly
Keep the Cap mastermind Sohail Afsar behind contributors to the debate
typical showbiz style, late and just in time for his own speech. Accompanied by his own photographers and personal aid, Sheerman started with old school tactics of moving to make himself as visible as possible, losing his suit jacket and looking as casual and approachable as a politician could be to a lowly student. He perfectly articulated his stance on the issue, borderline showing up his competition with their seemingly lack of
political style and managed to keep the entire room engaged. Other notable points were that of Ribeiro-Addy who stated that Scotland have free education, why can’t we? The obvious answer being that Scotland’s education is subsidised by the UK, the money they spend on education is there because England covers all of the national security costs, but it still instilled a large debate. Also, Assed Baig, the Staffordshire Students’
listened to. Sheerman responded, in kind, by enthusing that he would love to see the Students’ Union in its former glory, but to begin a national demonstration on such a campaign as tuition fees as the first in a decade or two, would be merely proving the fickle, selfish nature of students. He pointed out that the old school tactics that Baig was talking about were about international or national change: the war in Vietnam, Global Nuclear Disarmament, the
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government of Rhodesia and fighting against racism, not about “me me me”. So the debate not only covered issues with the top up fees possible increase, to which even Barry Sheerman stated that he is worried about a further increase than we pay now, but it also covered general issues with the NUS and what the local government think about the Huddersfield student population. After all, there are 24,000 students registered at this university, almost all of whom are legally allowed to vote. That makes us literally the swing vote. If the students in this university united and all voted for one party, I guarantee you right now that that party would win. Sheerman’s majority in the 2005 elections was 8,351. As a voice, the students have just under three times that amount of political capitol in the elections, so one thing that really came across in the debate, was that if we register to vote, the local MPs will have no choice but to listen to us. Hopefully this will inspire some of you to get involved, but one thing shines through to me from this event, what I’d like to see is the same political delegates regularly on campus, telling us why we should register and vote for them on a variety of issues so that for the first time in a long time, our swing vote can truly be utilised.
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Politics
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
By-elections: Why you should get involved Andy ‘Frodo’ Blunt POLITICS EDITOR
L
adies and Gents, Boys and Girls, the next month or two at the Students’ Union is to be positively buzzing for all those who care to know - with the By-elections which will hopefully see 13 part-time officers elected to the Union Council.
for grabs at the Huddersfield campus are eight Union Councillor positions, Disabilities Officer, Environmental and Ethics Officer, Part-time and Placement Officer, Mature and Postgraduate Officer, Multicultural and Faith Officer, and Charities Officer. The Barnsley campus has a Committee member up for grabs, as well as the
13 Union Councillor positions available on Queensgate campus The part time officers are literally the most important part of the Students’ Union, excluding the Executive team, all of which are given a remit by the constitution to oversee relevant campaigns, vote in the Union Council and ensure those that they represent are represented equally and fairly. Amongst the positions up
position of Chair. The Oldham campus has three committee member positions available. So what is the point in getting involved? Sohail Afsar, current VP Internal Affairs Officer, said that he attended a couple of Union Councils and realised that he wanted to not only be more involved, but have a vote in what happens at the
Students’ Union. The Union Councillor position fits perfectly into the hard-working students’ timetable, with the main responsibility of attending the Union Council which happens around about once a month on an evening. When I asked Sohail if it was worth getting involved, he told me that, as a Union Councillor, he acquired a real understanding of how the Students’ Union works – it is not just a bar and a shop, it’s a massive system which he saw problems with. From his position as a Union Councillor, Sohail chose to run for the Internal Affairs position last March and was elected. Sohail continued by pointing out that he is very passionate about the Students’ Union and wants to see a more active student movement.
Stand as a candidate or just vote. Either way, get involved in the future of your SU
In his new position he has started the move towards a more active union with a simple philosophy- getting more personal with the
Students’ Union works, and believe that you have something to give the student body that you can represent, then pick up an
Sohail [is] very passionate about SU student body, getting in our election pack from the SU faces and telling us the reception desk after 15 facts – not just handing out October, and get involved. leaflets – but telling us why For more by-election he is campaigning for you, information visit: and asking you to get www.hslive.co.uk/ involved. tags/elections09 If you fancy understanding how the
Student Finance: A fantastic thing isn’t it? Lack of loan may spell disaster
Suzanne Carroll
I
t has taken 87 minutes on hold, three phone arguments with some very rude and unhelpful Scottish people at Student Finance England (ironic isn’t it) and I still do not have my loan. Turns out my local council, who used to sort out the loans, decided “problem” applications would be deleted from the system and all knowledge of the student ever applying would be denied during the change over to the new company.
Of course, mine was considered a “problem”, resulting in me having to spend countless hours listening to SFE’s very poor choice in hold music, namely Liberty-X’s “Just a little” on repeat, on a very bad connection. After being shunted from department to department, supervisor to manager and back to someone on the “help” desk, I was told I would have to fully reapply and that it would take 6-8 weeks for my application to be processed. This was on a Friday. My landlord was collecting my first term’s rent on Monday, resulting in the most girly, and uncharacteristic, hissy fit
cum nervous and mental breakdown in history. I can literally say my blood, sweat and tears have gone into trying to get my student loan this year and, comforted only slightly after reading that it wasn’t just me that hadn’t received their loan on time, and that around 170,000 other students- mainly first years- had also been stranded by the masschangeover that has taken place. Should such a big change have happened on such a large scale? I feel it would have maybe benefited everybody if the change had been made a year at a time, starting with just new applicants this year, leaving the other years to
‘Problem’ files deleted deal with their local council’s attempts at sorting their finances out. I am not trying to criticise SFE, I’m sure any other company trying to take on the sheer amount of student finance applicants the first time would encounter the exact same problems; it’s just left a hell of a lot of students up a certain creek without a certain paddle. Luckily for me, my landlord was very understanding as she had more tenants with exactly the same problems, but some people may not have been granted the same luxury. I’m sure that somewhere, some may not have been so nice and demanded the money or evicted their tenants.
Head of SFE, Seymour-Jackson
Ralph
Luckily my Knight in shining armor arrived in the nick of time in the form of my 70-something Grandmother, who gladly lent the rent money to me until I do get my loan. Whenever that may be.
: Authentic Home Made Curry with fresh baked naan and your choice of drink for only £6. Grants go further at the Slubbers! : Award Winning pork pie or a variety of alternatives, home made mushy peas and a drink of your choice for only £6 : Our full Menu is served from 12-9, special promotion on Wine & Bottled beers with Student ID. : Quiz Night at the Slubbers with free supper for all entrants : FRYDAY at the SLUBBERS come and try our fantastic Fish & Chips! Beer-Battered Haddock Fillet home made chips & Mushy Peas. Cooked fresh to order for you . : Crepe & Souffle Night choose one savoury and one sweet crepe made in house by our French Chef for £9.95 : Sunday Lunch and our full menu sereved all day
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Features
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Barriers thrown up at first
Union finally came to the rescue
Interest booms
The true story behind
Kris Lockhart and Matt Christie (left) with Kevin Smith and Kieran Elsby at the launch of RadioHudd on Wednesday 30 September 2009
Richard Wood FEATURES EDITOR
T
he RadioHudd team stood in front of their stall after Freshers' Farye, delighted that their project was finally going to become a reality. With 215 new students signing up to work on the student radio station
during the day, it seems foolish that the ambitious project has only just been introduced into student life. The story of the creation of the student radio station, however, isn’t an entirely happy one. With the initial idea coming into existence as early as 2007 it has taken a hell of a lot of dedication and general
stubbornness to get the project to the finished state it is now, almost two years later. The main driving force the radio station have been Radio Journalism students Matt Christie, Kris Lockhart, Kieran Elsby, Music Journalist Kevin Smith and second year fashion student Rebecca
Herd. A few days before the first ever broadcast of RadioHudd Matt and Kris were kind enough to sit down with me and talk about the history of the radio station including all of the ups and downs of making it a reality.
the time to sit and chat with me, you seem to be really busy today. Matt Christie: No problem, it’s been hectic, I’ve doing test broadcasting, and listening to some fresher’s giving 15 minute demos of shows, it’s not tight, but it’s Huddersfield Student decent. (HS): Thanks for finding
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk HS: How did you first come up with the idea to make a radio station? Kris Lockhart: Well the idea was first germinated in our 2007/08 year when a
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rolling in a way. We were HS: So, what happened? KL: there was a lot to get in a real mess to begin What eventually turned a grips with, a lot of with, we didn’t know if we things around? technical knowledge. The were going to be a society MC: We eventually got wiring has been a or a part of the Union like sick of sitting around and nightmare. the newspaper. When it formed a student protest, MC: We don’t know was eventually made into a we got between 50 and 60 anything about running a There was a lot to get to grips union-led project it looked students behind us ready to radio station *laughs* with...a lot of technical knowledge like we were getting kick up a fuss for our We’ve had to go and learn somewhere- that is until all cause. a lot of things for ourselves group of third years were KL: We started from fresh, these barriers started to get things running HS: So the Union really smoothly. asking for people to help almost all the work from getting thrown up. them with their practical the previous project was had to do something to? project in making a student thrown out, we did contact HS: Where were these MC: Exactly, when this HS: So now you’re about radio station. people who had signed up barriers coming from happened, the people who to go on air how are you MC: The union seemed to to work on the previous then? had been blocking us feeling about your work? see this as a short-sighted station though, most of MC: We’re idea. They obviously them seemed eager to Some sabbatical officers weren’t too keen on launching weren’t going to care about continue working with us. the idea...barriers started getting thrown up this the station after their MC: Last year’s [VP Wednesday, dissertation was finished so Communications] officer, MC: Well, as it turned out before were suddenly I’m really exited about the the project fell though. We Lauren Stewart set the ball that some Sabbatical coming to us and trying to project at hand. We had all decided that it was a great idea and brought the idea forward at the beginning of our second year and [decided to] make the station ourselves.
September 2001 - June 2002
MeltFM broadcasts from Milton Hall, the previous Students’ Union building. March 2004
A final year project sees the University of Huddersfield Students’ Union (UHSU) open up another radio station, ULTRA FM broadcasting on a month’s license from Milton Hall with an FM Link Receiver. March 2007
Lauren Stewart elected VP Communications and vows to rekindle the radio station during her year in office. December 2008
UHSU allocate RadioHudd a room and the new radio station looks now like a reality 30 September 2009
RadioHudd broadcasts its first show over the internet. Matt Christie, Kris Lockhart, Kieran Elsby and Kevin Smith are the first voices on RadioHudd.
officers weren’t too keen on the idea of a radio station. While a lot of them were for it, it turns out the one who didn’t want it to happen was the only one that really mattered in the end. KL: At one point it looked like the station might not happen at all and the project would collapse completely. MC: I was getting really frustrated by this point because we couldn’t get anything done. We were stuck in this situation for about six months. It really seemed like we were fighting a losing battle.
help us get the radio sorted. KL: It was when Jenny Haigh (Deputy Manager of the Union) got involved that we started making real progress- she was a great help. MC: If she’d have worked with us from the start we would have gotten everything up and running within four months. We want to thank everyone who helped us out though, specifically Jenny and Max Easterman (Radio Journalism tutor) who gave us sound advice throughout the entire process.
around 215 Freshers’ sign up. We are going to look into expanding our programming into starting earlier, maybe at ten in the morning.
HS: What have you got planned for the coming weeks? KL: We’ve got music shows of practically every genre. Obviously not things like Acid Jazz, but we’ve got most genres covered. MC: We’re covered for drama too, there are some drama students who have written a few episodes for HS: So this must have us- enough to last till taken up a lot of time? Christmas.
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What’s On?
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Arts & Culture
Entertaiment 12 November
Comedy Cellar @ Lawrence Batley
Theatre (LBT) MC Anthony J Brown introduces Mundo Jazz and Danny McLoughlin Doors @ 7pm, Show @ 8pm STUDENTS: £5
Every Wednesday
6 November
Societies night With 90’s and 00’s DJ, games to play and drinks offers for those with their sports or societies card come and get stuck in with drinks offers from £1.50
Unity through comedy Have you ever wondered why the state of your hair is the root to your struggle? This award-winning comedy sketch show brings you a host of characters from across the East Midlands. Pieces of music, comedy, physical comedy, just pure comedy and a belly full of laughs.
Official Sports &
The Graduate FREE 15 October
Pieces:
LOL: Comedy night First and third Thursday of 8pm @ LBT: Syngenta Cellar the month from 1st Tickets from: £6-8 October our official Comedy Club, we bring the humour, you bring yourself, LOL and take advantage of our hospitality….win £10 worth of bar vouchers on our door entry competition. This time: Vince Atta, Andy Watson, Adnan Ahmed and MC-Bryan Lacey. The Graduate Tickets: £2 on the door 1 November
Pub Quiz night With the chance to win £100 at just 25p per person. The Graduate Tickets: £1 per team
Danny McLoughlin @ LBT’s Comedy Cellar on 12 Nov
When dance meets deadly crime in Justitia 3 November 24 October
Justitia A daring, sharp-edged piece of physical dance theatre, Justitia delves into the depths of the justice system, inviting the audience on an investigative journey as it unravels the multiple truths concealed behind a gripping crime story 7.30pm @ LBT Tickets from: £8-14 2-3 November
Romeo & Juliet Separated by their fathers’ bitter rivalry, Juliet and Romeo experience a first love that is truly forbidden. This modern dress production evokes memories of being young and focuses on youthful innocence versus adult cynicism.
A Taste of Honey This modern classic is a moving portrayal of life in 1950s Northern England and continues the tradition of realism that characterises ‘kitchen sink drama 7.30pm @ LBT Tickets from: £8-14 Buy tickets for both ‘Romeo & Juliet’ and ‘A Taste of Honey’ and get £4 off 10-14 November
Kes Stage production based on Ken Loach film, Kes. The classic film was set in Barnsley and told the story of Billy Casper, a boy who finds an escape from the cruel realities of life by raising and training a kestrel
Mon 7.30pm, Tues 2pm @ Alhambra, Bradford Tickets: £11.50 Lawrence Batley Theatre Call 01274 432 000 for more Tickets from: £8-14 info & times
For up-to-date event listings and reviews: www.hslive.co.uk or tell
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Academic 22 October
2-5 November
Britishness MC Anthony J Brown introduces Mundo Jazz and Danny McLoughlin
Union by-elections Run for any of the available positions across Queensgate, Barnsley and Oldham campuses
New Perspectives on
Doors @ 7pm, Show @ 8pm STUDENTS: £5
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Events & Activities
Pick up or download your application pack from October 15
Showcase your work in Huddersfield Student with the open studio day 13 November 1 November 26 October
UHSU Annual AGM Have your say in the running of the University of Huddersfield Students’ Union at the Annual General Meeting Quayside 12pm
Five-a-side football Pub Quiz night With the chance to win tournament £100 at just 25p per person. Prizes to be won, include The Graduate memberships to the Fitness Tickets: £1 per team Centre and a trophy 5 November
Open studio for
University Sports Hall £15 ENTRY
fashion work Would you like to have The Hallowe’en your work in the next issue Happening of Huddersfield Student? Ever wanted to spend your Whether you’ve made Hallowe’en in a haunted pieces from scratch or have theatre? Fancy dress is the next big charity shop essential find- come along. All you Lawrence Batley Theatre need is your work and 7pm - 2am someone to wear it 31 October
£15 IN ADVANCE
Photography Studio 11am-12.30pm FREE
Don’t forget to vote between 2-5 November
us about events you’re hosting or attending: newsire@hslive.co.uk
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
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Thrown in at the deep end of the features pool Richard Wood FEATURES EDITOR
S
ince I started writing for this paper and its accompanying website I’ve had some trouble defining to people what my section is actually about. Countless times I’ve told people that I’m the new Features Editor and they respond by asking what that actually means. Now, if I was at all competent in my position I would instantly be able to summarise my function within the media glob that is the student newspaper in
if you think about it- pretty much anything can be a feature. Anything from a scandalous news story to helpful advice can qualify as one, even an angry scathing rant can go in as long as it’s entertaining. Getting into the groove of writing for something can really give you a boost in other areas of your education. Not only does it improve your writing but you can also show it off to your mummy and daddy when you’ve written a
“Sadly we do not live in a perfect world......I ramble on, describing the loose understanding of my position” a simple few words; leaving both the recipient of the information and myself satisfied about our interaction. Sadly we do not live in a perfect world and, when asked what I do, I instead ramble on, describing the loose understanding I have of my position- most likely giving whoever asked the question a headache before they hear a solid answer. It’s only now I’ve given my position a good deal of thought that I am confident in my job, I didn’t want to be the one guy on the paper who didn’t know what he was doing- it would make me look pretty bad. I now know what it is to be a Features Editor, turns out I was a total idiot and it was pretty easy to find out with that magical resource that is the internet. So features what are they? They are a wonderful thing
damning comment on the welfare of small bunny habitats in the university grounds. Those of you astute enough to see through my meaning will have already guessed what the point of this editorial is. For those of you who didn’t know, this was a test I’ll just lay it down for you: The student paper is a great opportunity to get some of your work published and read. Journalism and English students, I’m looking at you (figuratively). There is surprisingly little interest in writing for the paper at the moment, and personally I’m shocked. You should be queueing up to get articles printing in this paper, think of yourselves, your futures and, perhaps more importantly, think of me.
features@hslive.co.uk
Best Freshers’ week ever? In spite of the long queue, big smiles dominate at Freshers’ Fayre
Richard Wood FEATURES EDITOR
T
hose of us returning to Huddersfield ready to start our second, third or seventh year here may have noticed that there seem to be an awful of people around, much more than usual. That is because it was Freshers' fortnight my friends. You remember? Those first two weeks where you got drunk every night? No, I don’t remember mine either, but there is proof on Facebook so it must have happened. Fresher’s fortnight came to a head with a three-day series of events outside the Students' Union building, in a big white marquee. On the Wednesday, various sports teams and societies showed off their stuff, making use of the wide spaces to display American football and jujitsu as well as a few challenges set by the University's own gym. Thursday saw Freshers' Fayre, the event where all students can come and sample tastes of student life, like free Dominoes pizza, while signing up to all manner of different societies. This year’s fayre was the busiest one I’ve
ever been to- people were waiting in line for two hours just to get inside, and even then it was a struggle to get from one place to another. You couldn’t move from the crowds of people. With giant olives, jalapenos and smoking camels walking around there was definitely a circus-esque atmosphere around the Union. It made for a very enjoyable day for fresher’s and old students alike. For a slightly more in-depth look at Fresher’s Fayre go to hslive.co.uk/freshers-fayre
Friday wound down with a big sale, selling all sorts of
essential items, such as vintage clothing and enough posters to cover the SU building twice over, although I’m sure they don’t want us doing that again so soon. Students got to get these very important items at a low low student discount price- those who missed it should be ashamed. With the Freshers' events all a little closer to home this year it made for a fantastic atmosphere that probably won’t be seen again until next year. Fresher’s Fayre was undoubtedly a success and, in spite of the long two-hour waits, I didn’t hear a single complaint all day- at least not from the mouths of freshers anyway. « Elvis makes a guest appearance at Freshers’ 09 on Thursday 24 September
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Music
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Seek and destroy
Is music piracy really the end of the world?
The songs kicking up a storm this month Ash Martin MUSIC EDITOR Japanese Voyeurs – Dumb Taken from the band’s recent Sicking & Creaming EP, ‘Dumb’ is a chaotic romp through grunge nostalgia. Though formed in London, Japanese Voyeurs hark back to that familiar Seattle sound made famous by the likes of Nirvana and Alice in Chains. The vocals are twisted and childlike; as soon as you hear them they immediately throttle you by the neck and demand attention. This is not to say the raw and simplistic songwriting will appeal to everyone. Japanese Voyeurs have one of those singers that will split opinions like Moses parting the sea (excuse biblical metaphor). ‘Dumb’ is, however, packed with enough distorted guitar, driving drum beats and angsty rebellion to make it the perfect post-school anthem for any pissed off teen.
soft voice. Spiers accentuates and extends almost every word he sings, crooning (as much as a Scottish man can) lyrics about ‘black cloud’ and ‘another wet day’ that manage to sound honest rather than clichéd. Perhaps I’m just a sucker for the accent, but this band is growing on me more and more each day. Besides who can resist a song about 1997? This track is so sugary sweet and shamelessly filled with twinkly guitar parts, I just can’t stop listening. Ian Brown – Stellify ‘Stellify’ which apparently means to be turned into a star, is the newest offering from NME Godlike Genius winner (oo ah) Ian Brown. Punchier than a pistonpowered boxing glove and fuelled with Brown’s familiar thought provoking (nonsensical?) lyrics, this single is sure to get many the body moving as it purges the airwaves. I still can’t decide whether I love or hate the brass section, but that aside Mr Brown (not the Scottish one) is definitely a master of his craft. Not quite as good as F.E.A.R. (my personal favourite) but still catchy enough to go the distance.
Flood of Red – Home Run (1997) Just another Scottish rock band? Before you yawn lazily and dismiss them as another Glaswegian Biffy Clyro spin-off, take a moment to listen to their latest single. ‘Home Run’ opens with soaring, delaysoaked guitars which set the tone perfectly for vocalist Jordan Spiers’s
Alphabeat – The Spell This song marks the return of the Danish powerpoppers Alphabeat. It’s got early nineties dance written all over it, which isn’t
necessarily a bad thing (although I do get a little confused as to why everything seems to be moving backwards rather than forwards). ‘The Spell’ ticks all the right boxes to make it an instant success. The lyrics are dumb but cute, the synths are repetitive yet infectious and the ‘whoa-oh-ohs’ mean that anyone can sing along. It may be irrefutably unoriginal, but I guess that’s part of its charm. One for the playground rather than the pub.
Rosie Marsh Falling Without Knowing – Tilly And The Wall The newest single from American 5-piece tweepop group Tilly And The Wall is designed as much for the dreamers as it is for the dancefloor. The lyrics are innocent and sincere; Stuart Murdoch would be well within his rights to sue, yet the heavy synths and uplifting vocals ode more to the pastel shades of a Japanese anime cartoon than the grey skies of Glasgow. With unusual instrumentation, including Jamie Pressnall tap dancing her way through the percussion section, this feel-good song about falling in love will stick in your head after just one listen; the alternative autumn anthem.
Ash Martin MUSIC EDITOR
I
’ve been listening to a lot of hip hop recently. Not because I’m the local council estate MC with more Adidas than sense, but simply because I can. Whilst the glum-faced Lily Allens and Patrick Wolfs of this world slump miserably into the leather couches ranting on their blogs, I am happily sucking the internet dry of all its mouth-watering content without a care in the world. ‘Nobody pays for Spotify’ grumbles Wolf, ‘the industry is dying’ whines Allen, while millions- perhaps billionsof people are busily gorging on a veritable smorgasbord of music, thinking life has never been better. It’s not our fault Eminem only gets 9 cents from every track he sells on iTunes whilst his label gets 70. Perhaps these groaning, misanthropic musicians should take a better look at their contracts before signing them? Consumers don’t want to be spoon-fed anymore, and they sure as hell don’t want to fork out £12.99 for CDsa form of media, which, from a technological viewpoint, is ancient history. Instead, iPods are filled to bursting point, files spread like swine-flu and entire discographies are streamed online. The music industry can complain all it wants, this is not going to
change for a long time. I mean, what did suing Napster really achieve? That was nearly ten years ago and has the ‘problem’ been fixed? No. I’m sick and tired of reading about all the new ‘methods’ that will supposedly stamp out piracy. Don’t get me wrong, I still buy CDs if I think they are worth buying, but it will take more than an arsey letter from my ISP to stop me from plundering online gold. Sweden’s Pirate Bay had the right idea, the torrent site was essentially the Mecca for downloads. Predictably, bloodsucking corporate types didn’t like this and took the Pirate Bay boys to court, landing several of them in prison. The point of this, however, eludes me, as the website is still online and I’m still using it. Maybe I’m an exception and others are now shaking with fear, wiping their hard drives and writing their confessions. Who knows? All I do know is that I can’t download Glastonbury, I can’t download Hyde Park and I certainly can’t download Reading festival. Perhaps there should be more focus on this ‘live music’ I hear so much about- just an idea. P.S. Budding DJs should check out the weekly comps held at the Graduate on Saturdays.
music@hslive.co.uk
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Grammatics @ Bar 1:22 Ash Martin MUSIC EDITOR
T
he Bluelights open proceedings at my first trip to 1:22 this year, one of three local opening bands on the night’s bill. With a heavy garage indie sound and shades of jerky math guitar, they make a whole lot of noise for a threepiece band and remind me a little of Marvin’s Revolt, getting things off to a good start. Charlie Barnes, the human manifestation of Radiohead’s ‘Kid A’ is on fine form too, building loops of piano, synths and his own beatboxing in to crashing electronic waves that ebb and flow to provide a
backing for his massive voice that can probably hold a note for about an hour. Trace are a nice surprise in that they absolutely blow me away. With a piano and plenty of jangly guitars, they play amazing melodic power pop influenced by the good kind of Drive-Thru style pop punk and The Anniversary-style 90s indie rock. Shaky stage banter adds to their charm, their songs are perfectly catchy and fun, and they rightfully earn the title of my new favourite Huddersfield band. I go over to congratulate them on successfully upstaging Grammatics, but the Leeds-based headliners do their best to fight back. The crowd gathers round
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the stage as they begin, opening their set with ‘The Shadow Committee’, the first track from last year’s self-titled album. Haunting cello parts fill the room as the bass player creates a rhythmic wall of noise for the guitarist/singer to play over whilst belting out his high-pitched but powerful wail. Some songs are massive and eerie rock epics, others take on a catchy, danceable indie-pop sound. With the singer trading his guitar for a couple of synthesizers, though whatever they do, it’s all tied together by that gorgeous cello sound. Grammatics are something a little different, and so is 1:22. Both make for an amazing gig, so you’d do well to try them for yourselves.
Huddersfield Uni duo, Metonym, create ‘schitzophrenic’ dynamic Ash Martin MUSIC EDITOR
M
etonym are the grammar-loving musical duo of Frazer Merrick and Hali Santamas, two students who met right here at Huddersfield as freshers last year. Wasting no time in making friends and forming a band, they have already found themselves with a sound that is a confident and fully-formed take on that whole folk-pop trend. Acoustic guitars, pianos and soft voices drown in a sea of noisy drones, hazy synths, glocks, horns, field recordings and anything else they can get their
hands on for their astounding EP, ‘Fields’. Something of a schizophrenic team, there are two strong personalities on show from each of the two, that battle with one another throughout their music. Self-described “Ambient Pop”, Frazer handles the Pop whilst Hali handles the Ambient, and songs tend to feature either aspect more heavily than the other. Some tracks are heavily driven by acoustic guitar and take on a more standard structure, whilst others are stuffed with contemporary or post-rock influences, pushing the other element in to a supporting role. ‘Passions’
and ‘Rooted’ are fine examples of the mix, with delicate acoustic guitar and dreamy synths weaving in and out, whereas ‘Rain’ is a pure electronic, ambient freakout in which laptopenthusiast Hali shows off his ability to create beautiful soundscapes and atmospheres. ‘Final Call’ is, again, totally different, with a dark and haunting feel and almost choral vocals from the duo. With each member pulling so hard in opposite directions, there is an incredible dynamic which will hopefully yield some more recordings before they tear themselves apart. http://www.myspace.com/ metonym
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Film
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Why would anyone pay to be petrified?
Are you afraid of the
Gary Young FILM EDITOR
P
erhaps appropriately, I have been considering the appeal of the horror movie. Why is it that we are willing to spend our hardor otherwise- earned money on an experience designed to terrify us? An archetypal film genre, horror has remained consistently popular throughout the history of film from the days of Dracula and Frankenstein to the contemporary obsession with torture and brutal violence seen in the Saw and Hostel films. Cinema’s great luminaries have not shied away from horror, Hitchcock’s Psycho and Kubrick’s The Shining are regarded as not only great horror films but great films in general. Even Martin Scorsese, often regarded as
greatest director the working today, will be dipping his toe into the blood-drenched genre with his next offering Shutter Island, due early next year. But the question remains, what makes horror films so appealing? From a medical point of view, the “Horror film experience” is likened to extreme sports like bungee jumping or skydiving. These experiences trigger a chemical response in the brain giving us the “rush” that extreme sports fanatics often refer to. Horror films have been shown to trigger the same chemical response. It seems that even the “simulated” brush with death that we get from One of the most iconic pieces of cinema imagery ever: The Psycho shower scene Horror movies is enough to Karl Benecke Hitchcock directed what the most widely get our hearts going. was considered to be his recognisable scenes in
film@hslive.co.uk
Kes: Live on stage Gary Young FILM EDITOR News for lovers of film and theatre, the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford will be showing a stage production based on the acclaimed 1970 Ken Loach film Kes. The classic film, a staple of British cinema, was set in Barnsley and told the story of Billy Casper, a young working-class boy who finds an escape from the cruel realities of life by raising and training a kestrel he finds as a chick. The play will feature a number of faces familiar to
viewers of British television including Katherine Dow Blyton, who played Sally Hunter in Hollyoaks and David Crellin familiar to fans of Emmerdale as Billy Hopwood. Kes is produced by ‘The Touring Consortium’, one of the UK’s leading touring companies. The play will be showing from 10-14 November and tickets are available to students from £11.50. For more information contact the Alhambra box office on 01274 432 000
Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock made an outstanding contribution to the aesthetic of film, his body of work displays an immaculate articulation of image and sound . He said, in a lecture at the American Film institute, “I have no interest in pictures that I call photographs of people talking. I have that white rectangle to fill with a succession of images, that is what makes a film a film”. After a career spanning six decades and a catalogue of over 50 feature films, you could say the white rectangle was filled with perhaps some of the most iconic images in cinematic history. In 1960, Alfred
masterpiece, the suspensefuelled Psycho. This was just one of many masterpieces the king of suspense had created, but it certainly stood out for its chilling topicality and some fantastic imagery. Psycho stars Anthony Perkins as the very
cinematic history. It took seven days for Hitchcock to perfect the shower sequence, which, in total, accounts for 45 seconds in the film. Hitchcock refrains from showing the knife plunge in to bare flesh; rather he creates an illusion through montage, which
“It took seven days for Hitchcock to perfect 45 seconds in the film” unstable Norman Bates, whose motel on a secluded highway is not the best place to spend the night. On the run with $50,000 entrusted to her, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) seeks refuge in the Bates Motel. The perpetrator of a crime soon becomes victim of the ultimate crime, as Marion meets her demise in one of
allows the creative mind of the viewer to imagine the rest. Psycho is a film that must not be missed and, if you’re staying in on Halloween this year, there are few films more chilling than this to dim the lights down low and curl up on the sofa to.
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
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dark?: Hallowe’en films you must see
Dead is debatable. Evil is fact.
A face only a mother could love. Leatherface 1974.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was directed by Tobe Hooper in 1974, and is inspired by the true life story of American serial killer Ed Gein. In 1954 Gein was arrested after a robbery at a local hardware store and was connected with the disappearance of the hardware store’s owner. After searching his rural Texas farmhouse, local law enforcers were horrified to see severed heads as ornaments, decomposing body parts hung from beams in the kitchen and a suit made entirely from human flesh. Hooper uses the Gein story to produce a
psychologically disturbing and graphic horror film. On an idyllic summer afternoon, a group of teens stumble across a secluded farmhouse, looking for petrol for their van. As each teenager enters the house they are butchered by Leatherface, a chainsaw-wielding maniac and his family who are all also mentally unstable. Perhaps the most graphic part of the film is the psychological terrorisation of the character ‘Sally’ in the final third of the film. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a great example of low budget horror film, costing only $80,000 to make but
having such a lasting impact that resulted in a remake of the original 1974 film in 2003. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is not for the faint-hearted, but is a fantastic horror film and definitely a Halloween film to
Jaws $470m worldwide
The Exorcist $402m worldwide
Alien $203m worldwide
shock and fright.
The Evil Dead If you haven’t seen The Evil Dead you should make it a must see this Hallowe’-en. Directed by Sam Raimi (Spiderman 1,2,3) in 1981, this was his first attempt at filmmaking and had a meek budget of $375,000. Starring B-movie King Bruce Campbell as ‘Ash’, the film focuses upon a group of teenagers who travel to an isolated log cabin in the woods on vacation. Not a very original topic for a horror film I hear you say? The dynamic style of Rami’s film-making- the inventive camera angles across the woods, the first person shots in the log cabin-
catapult the audience on to the set of the film. During the film, the group unknowingly release a Kandarian demon after replaying passages from a tape recording (found in the basement of the cabin) from the ’Book of the Dead’. Each teenager then becomes possessed by a Kandarian demon resulting in their demise, the demise of their friends and ultimately a demise of their souls. Bruce Campbell is fantastic in this film and its two sequels Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn, and the comedic Army of Darkness- both worth a look.
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Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
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A horror for people who don’t like horror Gary Young FILM EDITOR
R
eleased at cinemas in April this year and out now on DVD, Let The Right One In is a powerful film- one that blend’s the iconography of the vampire film with a touching story of young love and friendship. The story, set in 1980s Sweden, tells of Oskar, a young tormented boy who befriends an enigmatic young girl named Eli one evening on the playground. As their friendship blossoms, Oskar’s hometown is beset by bloody violence and terror and as Eli’s vampirism becomes apparent the pair are forced to confront what this means for their newfound relationship. The film takes a vastly different approach to the trappings of contemporary horror. Rather than revel in
endless gore, the film uses violence sparingly and, as such, the violence is much more effective. The film does, however, contain moments of extreme violence, but it is the way the character’s relationships are constructed that makes the gory moments stick with you long after the film’s extraordinary finale. The film’s major strength lies with its two lead actors. The gentle romance between the two is carried off without seeming sentimental or overplayed, their impressively subtle performances able to convey their unique love story without the need to resort to cheap filmic tricks. Their performances are a testament to the direction, Thomas Alfredson’s ability to coax such performances out of such young actors marks him out as a director worth keeping a close eye on.
The direction itself is flawless, Alfredson makes effective and eerie use of his unusual setting to produce a film unlike any most audiences will have ever seen. The direction is mature, Alfredson knows when to let the performances take centre stage, but this is combined with impressive visual flourishes that are reminiscent of David Fincher’s early work (albeit on a drastically reduced budget). Let The Right One In is a film that’s easy to recommend, a horror film that can be enjoyed by those who don’t like horror films. Blending a touching, tender story of young love with a tense and brutal vampire tale, it is a film which will stay long in the mind of any who see it. A word of warning, see it before the Hollywood remake strips the story of any nuance or subtlety.
New Moon will be box office hit but will it be any good? Brogan Morris
T
wilight’ was the movie phenomenon of last year, making $383 million worldwide. It turned the youth of this generation vampire-crazy and made Robert Pattinson the undisputed king of the Earth, with the inescapable image of him and his impossibly tall hair popping up everywhere. Unfortunately for those looking for their next fix of R-Pattz, however, ‘Twilight’ sequel ‘New Moon’ may be a bit of a disappointment. The plot this time has
Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) vampire beau Edward (Pattinson) leaving town, seeing Bella sinking into depression and seeking increasingly dangerous thrills. It’s when one of Bella’s life-threatening stunts wrongly leads Edward to hear of her death that ‘New Moon’ really takes off, though. Devastated, Edward takes on vampire royalty the Volturi in a reckless suicide mission. The focus undoubtedly centres on the blossoming relationship between Bella and Jacob. Whether or not ‘New Moon’ will be successful is a no-brainer
in spite of this. The question is: will it be any good? The promising additions to the cast and crew are a reason to think so. Behind the camera, new director Chris Weitz carries with him experience in the fantasy genre, while the Volturi are played by some quality acting talent, including the fantastic Michael Sheen, Cameron Bright and Dakota Fanning. If the trailer is anything to go by, ‘New Moon’ will amp up the action significantly. Released: 20 November.
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Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Games & Technology
Retrospective Evil
All’s fair in love, war, gaming and hair
Do the games that scared us as children have the same effect now?
Carly Street GAMES & TECH EDITOR
H
Chris Tarrant
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s a 21 year old I feel it’s probably inappropriate go out trick or treating. After all, it is a seasonal pastime that grants kids a licence to hide their identity and effectively mug people at their own front door for sweets and nibbles. However, I still reserve the right to carve a silly face into a pumpkin and indulge in a couple of scary films, much as I would have done as a minor. After I got thinking about what frightened me when I was young and naive, I decided to re-play two of the computer games that kept me up at night, and see how they affect me now I’m all grown up. So, I’m drawing the curtains, switching off the lights, and firing up the Sega Saturn. Watching the first cinematic of Alien Trilogy, and playing the first few levels of the game, has made me realise that this game is still extremely unsettling. Just the music
in the main menu brings back memories of the dark labyrinth that is LV426, and the monotonic beep of the motion sensor has already placed me firmly on the edge of my seat. I’m also aware that the fear of what’s to come is fuelled by a sense of nostalgia- I’m scared because I know I was before. Obviously, as a game that was released in the midnineties, Alien Trilogy has aged considerably when compared to more recent first person shooters, especially those within the Alien franchise. Facehuggers slide off of Ripley’s face proving to be nothing more than a mild annoyance, and the Aliens themselves stagger towards Ripley like drunks and do little to convey the malevolence of their big screen counterparts. However, as atmosphere goes, not a great many games released nowadays have anything on this title. Along with Goldeneye, it’s also a benchmark for how games from films should be done. This game is a solid, if dated,
ey hey hey, it’s information ask Ian Carly again. Atkinson of the Games Design course as he is This month, I have got going. brown and pink hair. No Now if it is the doubt it will be a different EuroGamer Expo that you colour in November. are interested in, then come On to more important along; I shall be going. It is things; GameCity is on this on 27-28 of October in month from 27-31 October Leeds and 30-31 October in Nottingham- it’s like a in London- £6 per person smaller version of E3 and per day is not a bad offer. open to the masses. You I got a SNES for my don’t need an invitation to birthday. How fluffing go and it’s definitely worth awesome is that? representation of the Aliens the trip. If you want more series. For pudding, I’m going to fire up the original Resident Evil. I first played movie from the 70s, you loved this game first time Resident Evil while I was can tell the developers had around felt that the newer in primary school, and it a lot of fun with this farce, games had lost something. was like nothing I’d ever and seeing as nobody I’m surprised to say that I played before. I’ve since seemed to get the joke they found Resident Evil a lot played it’s numerous dropped this approach less scary than I remember. sequels and spin-offs, the from all subsequent games. Maybe it’s because the good ones and the bad As far as gameplay goes, game relies on the idea that ones, and have to admit I Resident Evil is a series you don’t know which haven’t touched the that evolved and by monsters lurk around the original in about 10 years. replaying the first game I corner, and replaying the Resident Evil is often miss a lot of the game removes the dread of used as an example of bad enhancements I was taking the unknown. But it could voice acting within games. for granted in Nemesis and also be the aforementioned I didn’t realise until I Code Veronica. I’d cheese that must have gone revisited Resident Evil this forgotten that, in this game, over my head when I evening just how atrocious you have to do a three- played the game as a child. it is. Not just the acting, but point turn to turn around in Compared to similar the presentation of the a corridor. Now, I’m sure games, such as Silent Hill, entire game is just about that the clunky controls are Resident Evil feels almost the cheesiest thing ever to designed to install a sense like a parody. grace a console. The best of panic but I’m just In the coming years bit is when it introduces the finding it irritating, not hopefully advances in characters; you get the scary. technology and some Grindhouse-esque music, Playing Resident Evil innovative design will the “man from the movie after having grown used to produce some more titles trailers” voiceover, and a its sequels really illustrates that will scare us as much real “actor”, dressed as a how Capcom made the as these did back in the character from the game, franchise easier and more day. We’ll have to wait for gawping at the screen like accessable to wider the new Aliens VS they’ve just stepped out of audiences. Personally, I Predator next year to find Hollyoaks. It’s truly prefer the newer games but out... wonderful. I can imagine that survival PS: The Sega Saturn Like a hammer horror horror enthusiasts who really did suck, didn’t it?
games@hslive.co.uk
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
Top 10 scariest ever game moments
#10: The Berserker from Gears of War
10. Gears of War “GRARGH.” *Splat.* No, its not last nights curry repeating- it’s just what you needed; a Berserker. Not just a locust, but a more violent, much larger female locust with PMT, charging around like it’s YOUR fault she has to breed with these ugly brutes. Awesome. 9. Fallout 3 I don’t think my favourite game is relatively scary, but the one enemy that creeps me out is the ghoul; the once-human-nowzombie that is intent on eating your brains. However, once Broken Steel is installed, a new breed of ghoul emerges; the Reaver. Not only do they lust for your grey matter, but they spit radioactive gunk, run stupidly fast and take up a lot of your ammo reserves to kill. Lovely. 8. Bioshock You find yourself lost in an underwater city and stumble upon a man trying to steal from a little girl. I don’t think that’s very nice. Neither does the monstrosity that crashes through the wall and
proceeds in mauling the man, flinging guts everywhere. I’m sat there in shock as the Big Daddy walks away. Then I get told I have to fight them. THEM. Multiple. Maybe I can throw my soiled underwear at him, screaming “You did this to me.”.
mind-altering gas, a My best friend wanted to morgue and some body show me this game in a bid bags, what would you do? to scare me, so we played it until the section in the basement. With the 6. Doom 64 The first time I played this combination of creepy I was sat in my aunties’ music, dark surroundings basement in Germany and and previous scares, the decided to play it on the ghost of the girl crawling hardest difficulty. I took out of the well made us one step forward in the game and then I was flying into my Mums arms, crying at her to make the bad monsters go away. Do you want to mentally scar some children? Then sit them in front of this game for a while.
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in a video game. Then they tend to follow you around like ninja cat, which isn’t really what you need at midnight when you’re sat by yourself in the dark. Especially if you work in a clothing shop. Best hope you don’t have to work late with them.
5. The Legend of
Zelda: Ocarina of Time Although this game has an older type of graphics and bright colours, the monsters still managed to #1: Top spot proudly awarded to Resident Evil get the desired effect from 7. Batman: Arkham scream and cry in a way me as a child. The that would make “The 1. Resident Evil Asylum creeping, invisible Ring” proud. I think she Did you really expect traded this game in after anything else to be my that. number one spot in this top 10? Everyone who has played on a PlayStation has 3. Silent Hill Your radio at home can’t crapped themselves find a frequency, no big because of this corridor. If deal right? Well in Silent you haven’t, then you’re Hill, this means someone lying. I broke a controller wants your blood. And that because of those damn someone is very near to dogs. As if the first zombie you. Once you get used to isn’t bad enough, then you this feature, it isn’t scary, get to walk down a it’s just the first few times seemingly deserted when you have no idea corridor only to have dead #6: Oldies but goodies, Doom 64 what’s going on and then dogs jumping through Freezards, the paralysing Stop reading this if you shriek of the Re-Deads and BAM. A winged… thing… windows to get at your medulla oblongata. This have not played Batman giant hands (Wall Masters) is chewing your neck. game should come with a AA. This will spoil one of that fall from the ceiling warning for those with the best parts of the game. and carry you away, all 2. Condemned Mannequins are generally weak hearts, as I’m pretty Most people think of fear contributed to many rather creepy; they are sure it shortened my life and it conjures up images sleepless nights. expressionless, span by a bit. Well done of physical violence, emotionless and Capcom, you definitely however Scarecrow’s 4. Project Zero 2: motionless; unless you’re secured a way to never be tactics involve messing in an abandoned building forgotten. with the mind. If you had a Crimson Butterfly
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Arts
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
A lack of testosterone and patriotism
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urprised to see the face of a different gender on these pages? Me too. Unfortunately, our previous Fashion subeditor, Lauren, has departed these pages for the forseeable future and, with not enough time to recruit her sucessor before this issue went to print, I felt it only fitting that I steal a little more space to bore you with my inane ramblings. There’s a point to be made here, and one which I am sure most females will disagree with. Where’s all the interest from the guys? Carly might not be aware but, as far as the newspaper achives would have me believe, she is our first female Games Editor. Why then, is there not a stitch of
Ben Hall FASHION EDITOR interest in a male taking to the fashion driving seat? All of the new applications I have been perusing lack testosterone. On a slightly different note, I have always been quietly disappointed with the fashion section of this very newspaper. While there is no denying the talent of Lauren’s fashionista ‘foremothers’, there is a distinct lack of coverage for our actual students. There has not been a year, in my memory at least, that has featured a photoshoot of students work. Therefore, I have a studio booked. Anyone who wishes to have a chance to showcase their workwhether University-led or personal- in the next issue come along. Info »29
fashion@hslive.co.uk
How to do art greener and cheaper Costs can spiral Harriet Bilton
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ne of the key problems that I have frequently come across during my two years at University is the cost of art materials, they can easily spiral out of control without you realising. I am studying Textile Crafts so my budget for materials can be stretched to the limits at times. I have found several ways to cut the cost of materials and I’ll share my secrets with you so that you don’t have to learn it the hard and expensive way like I did. Like many of the other
Use alternatives and litter textiles students who use an extortionate amount of paper, I try and reuse as much of it as possible. This not only helps the environment but it’s also a lot cheaper than having to buy fresh pieces again and again. Obviously you need to go to specialist art stores for some of your more particular items but I find that by shopping for equipment in Wilkinson’s DIY section whenever possible, I have been able to both lower the cost of my shopping and learn about unconventional materials to use in my sketch books. For more heavy duty work I recommend using
products like cement, polyfiller and corn flour mixed with paint instead of purchasing expensive ‘texturising gels’ – they do the same thing and you are able to control the thickness and coarse quality better with these cheaper alternatives. It’s a good example of an alternative that’s both cheaper and gives a better final product. Something else I tend to use are discarded objects. This might sound nasty but they are free and give work an interesting quality- and sometimes a three dimensional form- and you’re again helping the environment by picking up litter.
Retraction (September ‘09 issue): Search for Fashion Huddersfield fashion...in Paris Editor now on Harry Stewart
Creative Arts Building: Home to the School of Art, Design & Architecture
Ben Hall EDITOR Huddersfield Student would like to apologise to the School of Art, Design and Architecture (ADA), and our readers, for inaccuracy in ‘Huddersfield Fashion…in
Paris’, an article referring to an academic link that ended in 2007. While ADA were pleased with the article’s positivity, its inaccuracy could not go ignored. Huddersfield Student guarantee to ensure the accuracy of all future
articles before publication and assure ADA, and our readers, that such mistakes will not be repeated. Huddersfield Student has since been invited to interview staff and student of ADA and will feature new developments in future issues.
The search for Huddersfield Student’s next Fashion Editor is on after the current editor, Lauren Stewart, resigned her position for personal reasons. Huddersfield Student is looking for a new Fashionforward student to lead the section in a way that will reflect its new image. “We’re on the lookout for someone who isn’t just looking for CV fodder,” said Editor, Ben Hall. “We
need someone who will be able to engage with students in the University’s fantastic School of Art, Design and Architecture and bring us news from home- not tell us what Vogue is saying this month.” Potential applicants are asked to visit www.hslive.co.uk/contribute
to find details of how to apply. Applications must be completed and returned before 26 October to be considered for the position starting immediately.
Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
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So you think you can do better? In the past, it would seem, Huddersfield Student has missed out on bringing its readers the best of their peer’s work. This month, as Editor, I vow to work with the next Fashion Editor, and a few more dedicated people,
to ensure that we make this section something to be proud of. If you, like the creations left and right (photographed by Fashion Media and Promotions students Michael Williams and Natalie Shaw), want to have your work showcased on these pages, all you have to do is show up- with your creations and someone to wear them, at the Trend Hub photography studio on 5
November from 11-12.30 We will be photographing and including as many fantastic pieces as we can so, if you think your work deserves some display time- whether it’s part of a Uni project or just a personal attempt at creating couture or styling something you’ve found in an inventive way, come on down.
Go East: Discovering the lost traditions of China through classical dance Tony Chen
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hina was once called the Land of the Divine. Its 5,000-year civilization is rich, diverse and profound, and is believed to be inspired by the Gods. China’s ancient spiritual tradition of valuing virtue and kindness, represented by Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism and other cultivation practices, permeates all facets of Chinese culture. Unfortunately, China’s spiritual and moral traditions have suffered unprecedented destruction under 60 years of communist rule, and are in
urgent need of a revival. “Journey to the East” society is one of the efforts to re-establish and rediscover traditional Chinese culture lost during the communist era in China and to promote cultural exchange between the East and the West. The society has been proudly authorised by New Tang Dynasty Television, the largest Chinese cultural event producer and promoter in New York City, to show its beautifully and uniquely produced programmes and films about Chinese Traditional Culture. Main content includes:
Classical Chinese Dance, Han costumes, Chinese Martial Arts, Chinese traditional Qigong exercise, and more. The society will also look at Chinese Traditional Qigong exercises and support human right and raise awareness of human right violations in China. From September to October , the society is going to start by introducing the dynamic yet graceful Chinese Classical Dance.
Sports &
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Huddersfield Student | October 2009 www.hslive.co.uk
What constitutes a real sport?
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Team HARE’s car is off and about across the country. Why can’t it stay put?
Rob J West SPORT & SOC EDITOR First off, I’m happy to include my first contributor: Karl ‘King’ Benecke has given us his players of the year. Then Dave ‘Banger’ Broster, Team ‘Hurry-up’ HARE and the Cycling ‘Save-aTree’ Society who co-operated in differing ways. Also, our sports website of the month who gave us an impressive full season racing review in as few words as possible. However, I’d like to remind you lazy gits, sat there reading this for a bit of light entertainment or just to pass the time, that I’m a part-timer too, so give me a hand. You’d think writing something creative would be fun for you lot as you muddle
essays and through dissertations as grey and boring as Eeyore’s arse. I'd like to clarify something as well. Barring Uni sports, which get priority over everything given the wisdom of our Chief Editor, which is questionable, a sport with a stick is not actually a sport. Tennis, badminton, golf, cricket? They're not sports. There’s no challenge, they're just a pointless exercise. Motor racing is about bravery and consistency. Rugby challenges your strength and nerve. Football is about perfecting diving techniques. These are real sports. Rant over. Oh, by the way, enjoy this month’s section.
sport@hslive.co.uk
The HARE boys work on the engine of their baby
« Continued from 32 and, sorry Team HARE, organisation as well. The motley engineers have no idea how to get sponsors, or how to tell the University to stick their promotions, for the need of testing time. As a bunch of hammer-wielding parttime mechanics they have little voice. But with some help, maybe a law student reading the riot act to the
University governors, a PR Manager organising contracts and events, a driver with skill, electronic specialists with new ideas on TC or Launch Control, a few wise old heads to steer the youthful enthusiasm in the right direction and, most importantly, a few cheering fans to let the lads know we care; Team HARE, and I’m not even exaggerating, will win. To contact Team HARE
I want to ride my bicycle Rob J West SPORTS & SOC EDITOR
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’ve never been one for bikes. Bicycles, motorbikes, trikes, mini motos- I’ve tried them all, and they all had one thing in common, they all chucked me onto the floor face first. So when I was ordered, sorry, asked to attend the Cyclist Society meeting I duly ignored my responsibilities and went home. Turns out that, like any society, it's a group of likeminded people with a near-fanatical passion for
something. People who want to see if there’s any others out there that think similarly. Amazingly, there’s quite a collective, but they’re quiet- like Trekkies. They might not admit to it, but I’ll bet there’s at least one cyclist in your next lecture. And when, on a Monday morning, you talk about Top Gear, they desperately act as if they don’t want to shoot Clarkson as the symbol of all things that kill trees. Now I’m not saying all cyclists are echo-maniacsthat would be a terrible
generalisation- but it’s probably true. There’s a cyclist in my last lecture, nice fella really considering, I won’t embarrass him and put his name in the paper, but he’s adamant that cyclist’s just like to get together and go on a big ride out to wherever their legs can take them, safety in numbers so to speak. So Tour de France, mountaineering or just a crap version of RedBull XFighters? Either way, it’s all a lot of fun. For more information, visit the iZone.
you can walk in and talk to the oil-soaked engineers in the workshop T4/05 or the Engineering design studio in West Building. Or there’s always a website, where you can learn more about HARE and the Formula Student Competition www.teamhare.co.uk , and www.formulastudent.com. To see the car in action, go to www.hslive.co.uk/HAREvideos.
sports&societies The pride of the Uni, so why isn’t it here?
The pride of Huddersfield University that’s everywhere but in Huddersfield
Rob J West SPORTS & SOC EDITOR
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ou may have seen Team HARE on the back of the last issue. But you probably saw them at the Freshers’ Fayre with the car, all mocked up looking really racey, and thought, “Man, I’ve got to drive that”. Well, you can. But don’t expect to be the next Lewis Hamilton, strolling in fashionably late with a Pussycat Doll on your arm. Oh no, not by a long shot.
I moseyed over to the workshop, helmet in hand expecting this to be my first road test- next stop, Top Gear to replace Clarkson as ‘the loud one’but it was not to be. The car, the teams entry to 'Formula Student', a worldwide miniature F1 series was out of town, and the lads who are running the project were mimicking their pit-crew heroes by playing football out the back. Last year’s masters students, who designed and
built the car as their final year project, have built a fine machine that is now being rolled around the country at the University's leisure, to promote our 'Formula Student' Team. This year’s batch aim to develop the car, which ran in the top 20 at Silverstone last year and can match a Lamborghini on 0-60 times using new technology and high-spec. tyres. This year’s lads are wearing Brawn GP shirtsnot an official uniform but its fitting. Brawn came out
Discover the lost arts of China Learn about the lost traditions of China the ‘Journey to the East’ society ARTS » 29
of the garden shed in March this year, stood up against teams with multimillion dollar budgets and has all but won the World Championship in the first year. HARE are similar to them. There are barely any sponsors aside from the suppliers. There’s no organisation- all parts are begged, stolen, or “justborrowed”. And they’re up there with the best of the best- the racers of Finland, the engineers of the Rhine, and the passion of Italy. Huddersfield may be a
small no-nonsense town in a no-nonsense county with a bad accent, but there’s no need for us to allow the only team we have with a chance of winning anything continue that trend. Let’s make a go of this as a University, not just as an engineering project. Anyone at all in the University who links up with HARE in some way could incorporate it into their final year project and would receive such a boost in the marks for ingenuity Continued »31