theknowledge The Official Student Newspaper of UPSU May Issue 2014
News/ Opinion/ Life/ Culture, discover more inside theknowledgeplymouth.co.uk
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Editor’s note
Well, we have made it! Welcome to the final issue of The Knowledge for this academic year and my last one as Editor-in-chief. It has taken a draft or three to put this little note together, so much has happened it is daunting to know where to begin. After a wasted first year (in a multitude of senses), I stumbled into writing for The Knowledge. A couple of years later, it has been the best thing I ever did. But twelve months ago, when I took over the publication, it was just me and another editor left. Our writers had vanished and we had a website that was getting less than fifty hits a month and a print copy which never seemed to come out (and never seemed to get read…). I worked part-time last summer but in the evenings I would be writing articles and trying to get together a team of editors for the upcoming year. Slowly, the readership started to grow as I focused on content which was more interesting. By September, we were in a good position to take Freshers Week by storm and signed up over 150 people to our society page 2
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in one day. Nine months on, here is The Knowledge’s year in figures: 1 website 1 rebrand and relaunch 6 print issues 18 editors 141 writers 862 articles 1,500 daily readers 137,027 readers in total … Across 165 countries We have come a long way in a short space of time but there is still progress to be made. With over 30,000 students at the university, the next generation editorial team led by Lauren Chivers have lots of plans to involve with more students than ever before. Whatever your skills or interests, The Knowledge is open to you to join and be a part of. This open door policy has been testament to its success this year and has brought together talented designers, writers, business and computing students all contributing to making us bigger and better than before. As well as delivering the most important news and student opinion, we’ve hosted events like the speed-dating for charity and have brought the national debate of the No More Page 3 campaign to campus. Something I have felt passionate about from the beginning is the sense that Plymouth students are ‘apathetic’ or ‘disinterested’ and I’m pleased this year The Knowledge has safely proven student politics is alive and well. Our thriving opinion section reflects the diverse and culturally rich makeup of our student population, with varying views on a multitude of topics. This is healthy and will continue to be encouraged. My parting message is one of thanks. I would like to thank every single student who has helped with the paper this year and issue six May 2014
furthermore, every single reader of our website and print issue. Keep reading and keep letting us know what we can do to improve, we read every single comment! I’d like to thank the Student Union and the University too. We haven’t always agreed but they have respected (if grudgingly at times) That we are students writing for students, who care first and foremost, about students. Lastly, thank you to my editorial team who have been with me from the beginning and to my friends and family who have endured me talking about The Knowledge at every available opportunity. I have learned more in a year as Editor-inchief than three years as a humanities student theknowledgeplymouth.co.uk
(which is mildly alarming). My fleeting piece of advice to anyone who is interested is anyone can purchase a degree but experience is free (and priceless). Make use of the opportunities which come your way at university because it’s only during this three year hiatus that such things will exist. Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy this summer-themed issue. Keep in touch over the summer by liking us on Facebook www. facebook.co.uk/theknowledgeplymouth.co.uk. All the best, Katie Xo page 3
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News
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News
Plymouth Varsity raises £10,000 for charity
The Naked Debate: the results
by Lauren Chivers
by Madison Taylor
The annual Varsity event between Plymouth University and University of St Mark and St John tends to be known around the city as spurring up intense competition, but this year, the sporting fixture has been recognised as raising £10,000 for charity. The event, held between 15th March and 27th March, saw 21 matches covering 11 different sports with an overall score of 23 to 19 points to Plymouth University, extending its winning streak to 3 in a row. When talking to The Knowledge, VP Societies and Sport, Richard Evans, said: “UPSU thought the event was a great success and were delighted for Plymouth University to be crowned varsity champions once again in 2014 as it really showcases how sport has progressed at the Union over the last couple of years. Aiding to this, the event created great camaraderie between our team and helped raise over £10,000 for charities which
Yesterday evening, The Naked Debate took place at Plymouth University bringing together four speakers to present their views about the topical discussion of media representation of gender and The Sun‘s Page 3 feature. The key note speakers were made up of The Knowledge‘s Opinion writer Phil Ives, UPSU Vice President of Welfare Charlie Green, UPSU Women’s Representative Jessica Horner and founder of the No More Page 3 campaign Lucy Holmes. The leading motion for the evening was whether Page 3 should be removed from The Sun. As the audience arrived, they were asked on their position whether they agreed, disagreed, were unsure or abstained. The results before the debate were:
Plymouth University students support.” The money raised by the event will be going to two charities: Reverse Rett and CLIC Sargent. Founded in 2010, Reverse Rett is a parent-driven charity that aims to find treatments and cures for Rett syndrome and related MECP2 disorders. CLIC Sargent is the UK’s leading children and young people’s cancer charity, which provides clinical, practical, financial and emotion support to help cope with all stages of cancer. The majority of money was raised through donations and the selling of tickets for matches held at Plymouth Albion and Plymouth Argyle for one of the closest battles in the last few years.
48% were for the removal of the feature. 17% were against the removal of Page 3.
After a rather heated debate at times, and the speakers had presented their views, and had been probed with questions for the audience; the same question was asked to those in attendance: asking on their stance on whether they still thought Page 3 should be banned. Here are the results: 64% were for the removal of the feature. 22% were against the removal of Page 3. 14% were unsure.
35% were unsure.
Unsure 14%
Unsure 35%
Yes 48%
No 22%
Yes 64%
No
17%
This initial tally showed that to approximately every eight audience members who wanted to see the removal of Page 3, there were three who wanted to fight for the daily feature. page 4
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The results showed an 8% increase for the support of the No More Page 3 campaign but showed that nearly 1 in six people were still unsure as to where they stood on the debate. Where do you stand on the debate? Let us know in your comments . page 5
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News
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News
Modafinil: Study drug that a quarter of final year students take
Plymouth placed in the top 50 of modern universities in the world
by Madison Taylor
by Madison Taylor
Research has shown that final year students have taken to prescription drugs in order to complete and succeed in their university finals in the UK. However, what are the risks of doing this? It is a Bradley Cooper in ‘Limitless’ scenario or are students going to be feeling the side effects? Modafinil is a drug used to treat narcolepsy. The NHS says: “Modafinil is a central nervous systemstimulant and works by preventing excessive sleepiness during waking hours.” A survey conducted by The Tab, where they asked almost 2,000 students, showed that a fifth of UK students have tried the study drug, whereas over a quarter of final year students have used it. The students who have been using it the most are at Oxford University, followed closely by Newcastle University and the University of Leeds; Architecture, Maths and Law students being the most dependent. From those who admitted to taking Modafinil, 20% of them said they take the drug on a daily basis. But what is that going to be doing to your body? The drug can cause side effects; from chest pains, increase in blood pressure, dizziness, fainting, mental depression, memory problems, shortness of breath, uncontrolled anatomical movements. And thats just the light ones. It can also cause hair loss, damaged skeletal muscle tissue, paralysis, a stroke, a heart attack, kidney damage and schizophrenia. Are these risks worth taking to gain a better grade? But what about succeeding in the work you are doing? Professor Andrea Petroczi from Kingston University said: It’s not a magic pill, it doesn’t work without putting the work in. It helps you put more work in.” This is obviously a worry for some students as page 6
9% of the study drug users said that they feel that it is cheating, but regardless, do it anyway. Another study conducted by York Vision showed that 1 in 5 students at university have taken the prescription drug, but a massive 79% said they would consider taking it. But what do our counterparts on the other side of the pond think? The majority of Ivy League students use Modafinil and they do not consider it cheating. Nearly 70% of students in Ivy League schools said that they have taken the drug in order to complete an essay and 2 in 3 said they do to revise for exams. We spoke to a graduate from Cardiff University, who now works at World Bank and still regularly takes Modafinil: What is it like taking Modafinil? “It basically has quite a subtle effect. You don’t really have a conscious feeling that you’re taking anything, but when you compare your levels of concentration or tiredness to a ‘normal’ day, you realise that in fact, you are quite alert and more productive.” Why did you start using it? “I started taking it because I wanted to be able to focus more on the task in hand, instead of my mind wandering or just being too tired to mentally apply myself. I wanted it to help me with too things, my job and my dissertation rewrite.” Have you felt any side effects to taking Modafinil? “Nope. I need to take it early in the morning otherwise it keeps you up at night [...] 7 or 8am is usually fine. No side effects that I have felt and no addiction… I mean, apart from thinking that its effective and so wanting to take it on ‘big’ days.” What do you think about Modafinil? Do you think the students of Plymouth University are trying to aide their study hours? issue six May 2014
The Times Higher Education ’100 ‘Under 50’ has placed Plymouth University (PU) 42nd, 11 places up from 2013, of those institutes of higher education under 50 years of age. Only 14 universities in the UK have made it to the list, with PU ranking 6th amongst its British counterparts, but ranked the number 1 post-1992 university in the country. The summit, held in Miami, Florida, brought together more than 1,000 delegates, 250 speakers and 50 exhibitors from higher and further education sectors to discuss the future of universities world-wide. The Times Higher Education, invited PU to co-host its inaugural Global Young Universities Summit, chaired by Professor Wendy Purcell, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of PU, who gave the keynote speech on the role of distinctiveness and brand in a competitive global market. Professor Purcell upon reflection of PU’s rise in the league table said: “Older is better they say about wine, and they used to say that about universities too. But the emergence of an ambitious group of worldclass universities is changing that perception. Plymouth, along with other members of this modern global elite, is formulating ways to stand out so that we can succeed in an increasingly competitive global market. It’s about moving from self-interest to public service, becoming less ‘ivory tower’ and more connected, inclusive, distinct and successful on the global stage.” Global modern universities were judged and analysed extensively on a list of criteria. Phil Baty, the Times Higher Education rankings editor said: “The young universities celebrated in the 100 Under 50 2014 are bullish: they have no fear of the future or of older rivals.” The Times Higher Education 100 Under theknowledgeplymouth.co.uk
50 used the same range of 13 performance indicators to rate institutions as the World University Rankings but with the weighting placed on subjective indicators of academic prestige was reduced. The five headline categories are as follows: - Research: volume, income and reputation (30%) - Citations: research influence (30%) Teaching: the learning environment (30%) International outlook: people and research (7.5%) - Industry income: innovation (2.5%) Out of these categories, PU scored 40%, scoring highest in Citations. The Times Higher Education website speaks of PU of having ”a strong record of excellence, enterprise and innovation across its teaching and research activities.” page 7
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Features
Opinion
Local Elections: What did the candidates say?
Was the winner of Eurovision really the Wurst?
by Simon Stone & Madison Taylor
by Jess Horner
On Wednesday The Knowledge spoke to several representatives from each of the parties in a bid to win your vote in the local elections. Here is what they said: Tom Pashby – Green Party When asked why people should vote for the Green Party, Tom replied: “The Green Party will fight for the end of tuition fees, a reversal to cut services and a million new jobs nationally.” He wanted to stand for 3 things: “Reduce air polution, by improving public transport systems and bring it back into public hands where possible. Improve cycle lanes in Plymouth, and the introduction of the Plymouth Pound, a local currency to protect local jobs and businesses.” TUSC (Trade Unionist and Social Coalition) - George Fidler George wanted to “campaign against the raise of tuition fees.” He went on to say that Plymouth needed a higher ”living wage for people, which should be £7.50. I feel that young people are being completely disenfranchised, not only from politics, but in the future when they graduate they have no opportunities to go into, and we need to change that.” When asked how they differ from the other parties, he responded ”We’re against the austerity cuts. We feel we’re the only party with a clear economic program, which is there for the people, not just for profits.” Labour – Dena Rafati Dena wanted to “support the building of new student accommodation. The council recognise that students bring a lot to the economy in Plymouth. There’s concerns from residents about the students living among them, and with this, we can accommodate students with great high quality care.” When asked why it was important for page 8
students to vote, she said: “Plymouth is your host city and where you live for 3 years. People see Plymouth as their second home, that is where you become independent and grow. It’s important to have your own democratic voice, and balance the views of everyone.” Liberal Democrats – Peter York When asked Peter what his aims were, he said that he would strive to do”the best for the students of Plymouth.” He followed on by saying that, ”Students are important and invest millions into Plymouth into such practices as research and development in renewable energy. Peter also wanted to represent the best possible quality accommodation for Plymouth students. Conservatives – Steve Ricketts When asked about a previous article about his seemingly lack of dedication to students, he responded “I would never prioritise any group of people over another. If re-elected, I want to represent everyone in the community. One of the big issues at the moment is student accommodation, when these proposals come in, it won’t be passed if student accommodation isn’t to the highest standard, or has decent space, and communal areas. If the facilities aren’t what they should be, then I’ll oppose it as it’s not good for the students or the locals.” He wanted to build upon refurbishments, and support any improvements to campus. He went on to say that the sports facilities were of “a high standard. We’re a huge University and we don’t have the sports facilities to match.” You can vote in the local elections on Thursday 22nd May between 7am-10pm issue six May 2014
Some people’s reactions to Conchita winning Eurovision really were the Wurst, but nonetheless she has certainly transformed the views of others. I don’t normally watch Eurovision, but after a rubbish day I felt that the combination of hilarious dancing, incomprehensible lyrics and a bottle of Rose would do a cracking job of lifting my spirits. I was not wrong. France scored a measly total of 2 points but I still can not get their catchy ode to facial hair – which also sounds like it should be used to teach year eight French – out of my head. Iceland were equally amusing with an array of colourful suits that made their act resemble children’s TV characters and a cute song called ‘no prejudice’. However the true star of the show, and the winner of the competition, was Conchita Wurst. Conchita Wurst is the drag alter-ego of Tom Neuwrith. She made her first public appearance in 2011 on Austrian talent show ‘Die große Chance’ and has been incredibly well received in her home country, which she says shows Austria’s “tolerance and acceptance“. Despite an attempt by Russia theknowledgeplymouth.co.uk
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to petition the European Broadcasting Union to ban her performance, the rest of Europe embraced her and it was apparent, quite early on during the scoring, that everyone loved Conchita, including ex-eastern-bloc country Georgia who awarded her a score of 10. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before bigots on social media began to rain on the parade with vile homophobic and transphobic remarks. Some tried to play these snide comments off as a joke, but let’s be clear, there is nothing funny about laughing at someone being incredibly brave and showing the world that it is okay to be different, especially when we live in a society where transgender people are disproportionately likely to be harassed, threatened, verbally or physically assaulted or murdered. Conchita won’t let the haters ruin her glory though, she even said if Vladmir Putin was watching she would like to tell him “we’re unstoppable“, and whilst some may still remain bigoted, for many, what Conchita has done is open their minds, start conversations and prove that Europe is a beautifully tolerant place. page 9
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Opinion
Opinion
“The time has come. University is over, and it’s time for the next chapter to begin”
We need to bring politics back into the hands of students
by Vikki Patis
by Davide Bertelli
The time has come. University is over, and it’s time for the next chapter to begin. But what are we going to do; continue with education or start on the career ladder? It feels like being 16 again, wondering what to do, and stressing about how to get there. It’s a scary time for many of us;particularly for those of us who are moving back home. When I started university I moved over 250 miles away; from a small-ish town near London, to the beautiful city of Plymouth. It was scary, but I was excited and nervous, yet keen to begin university life. I moved down with a car-load of stuff, and was left in my student room wondering if I’d just made the biggest mistake. I only knew a handful of people and knew little about the city itself. What the hell had I done?! I found my feet pretty quickly. I made and lost friends, found my way around, and set up a life. Friends to make cakes with, to go on days out with, and people who shared common interests. A decent mechanic, good hairdressers, knowing where to park for free, and of course, knowing all the decent places to eat. How can I leave all of this behind? Now I’m making the journey back home, to angry drivers and polluted air, with several car-loads of stuff (ahem, books), and a sense of trepidation. Starting an MA at a new university is scary enough, without squeezing myself back into the family home. After living away for three years, I’m used to keeping my own schedule, looking out for myself, and having a lock on my bedroom door to ensure privacy. Making the transition back home and living back within the bosom of the family, is going to be much harder than leaving it. The positive points include; seeing old friends and family members, and being closer to my long-suffering boyfriend. The negatives of course include; having to adapt
On Thursday 22nd May more than 40 million Britons will be asked to renew their representatives both in the European Parliament and in their local councils. Many opinions about the (ir)relevance of the EU have been exchanged already and plenty more are to come (yes, I too, could happily get used to the weekly “Farage vs What’s-his-face” TV debate). However, I am going to spare you my personal thoughts, as the point I want to make is different. Only a small minority will turn out to formally express their voting choice, it would simply be naïve not to think so. They will be the ones determining future policies affecting every fellow citizens. The saddest aspect of all will be the shamefully disappointing students’ participation in the vote. All the efforts of the “Cool Britannia” generation to turn away from political activism have brilliantly succeeded and now we have to pay the consequences: tuition fees skyrocketed from £0 to £9,000 in a matter of a mere fifteen years and that is only the tip of the iceberg. Yet, the majority of us students have more or less passively sucked anything up or quite simply got over it: please, raise your hand if you still don’t feel a bit awkward for having proclaimed a new 1968 a couple of years ago. I am not here to say that we are the only ones to blame for our generation’s disbelief and disenchantment. A considerable amount of students seem to be appallingly unenthusiastic about politics due to our representatives’ failures. Quite right. But maybe far too many of us indulge in talking about our latest piss-ups and find the blurred memories of a glorious night in “Oce” much more stimulating than a political debate. Like it or not, somebody needs to administer communities whether locally, nationally or internationally. We have the choice: we can
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to someone else’s rules, living as a family again, and a stubborn cat that likes to headbutt your bedroom door so he can come in for a cuddle (No? Just me then). I’ve loved my time in Plymouth, but in some ways, university felt like a holiday romance; fun, exciting, and way too short. I wanted it to last forever. But I guess I was always aware of the possibility of moving home – I just don’t want to do it. Sorry Mum, but I like living on my own! issue six May 2014
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let an increasingly smaller and self-serving caste make every decision for us, or we can get involved. I know which one I’d rather. Young generations have the greatest gift of being challenging, critical, engaging, visionary, active, radical, enterprising: let’s not drown our creativeness! I am pleased to know that students at Plymouth, one of the biggest Universities in the UK, are offered a genuinely democratic platform through the activities of Labour, Socialists and Greens. But it is not enough: we need to step in. And it all starts by registering to vote. I personally know three students that will contest the Plymouth City Council elections in May. They may be worth my vote or yours or maybe not. Far from me to suggest whom you should vote for: what is important here, though, is that they are giving an example. For the very fact that they are contesting an election they are being politicians, proving that politics can be different and diverse. Participation is what we need. page 11
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Opinion
Lifestyle
A bleak future looming for nonprivileged students
6 ways to use old textbooks
by Jessica Horner
by Matthew Thomson
Supposedly, the days of Universities only being higher-education institutes catering to those of privilege are over; but is that really true? Increasingly Universities are behaving like business and treating their students as customers – customers whose welfare doesn’t matter to them. Our own institution is planning cuts to vital student services, which include disability assist, student counselling and the Learning Gateway and other Universities across the country are also facing cuts to vital areas, whilst University ‘fat-cats’ are receiving massive bonuses. The Guardian reported: “In the Russell Group, basic pay for bosses jumped by an average of over £20,000 last year, to nearly £293,000. Chuck in pension contributions and that goes up to £318,500.” Okay, so we are no Russell Group University, does this mean that this sort of thing doesn’t happen at our University? No, is the simple answer. In the autumn of 2008 Plymouth University cut 220 staff in a bid to reduce overspending – however less than a year later Vice-Chancellor Wendy Purcell was awarded a 20% pay hike supposedly given ‘in recognition of exemplary leadership’, at the time it was the largest pay rise for a ViceChancellor in the country, bringing her wage to £283,000. In fact Vice- Chancellors are paid more than the Prime Minister – political opinions aside, do you really think that that is fair? They however feel no guilt in cutting the services students’ value most and also insisting their staff accept a paltry 1% pay increase, which actually with inflation is a cut to their pay. Is it not the students, the lecturers and the support staff who work hardest? Yet they are effectively footing the bill for these huge pay increases. And whilst these cuts affect all students, they
Some lucky souls have finished their exams. The rest are toiling away, praying the sun won’t disappear the second they step out of the Pavilions. The summer is more or less about to start, which means that after living indoors for the last few weeks, people can go outside again, enjoy life and remember what it was like before the indoors times. It also means there’s probably a bunch of
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hit people from minority groups and those with mental or physical health problems or a form of learning disability hardest. Universities are breaching their power and putting money before education. At Birmingham their board of trustees, which is a non-student board and unelected, recently decided to overrule the democratic decisions of the student guild and opted to remove several positions, including those of ‘Ethnic Minority Students’ Officer, Disabled Students’ Officer, Women’s Officer, LGBTQ Officer, Mature and Part-Time Students’ Officer, International Students’ Officer, Anti-Racism and Anti-Fascism Officer.’ These roles are vital for representing the views of the most underprivileged students, and ensuring their experience of University is a positive one. With Vice- Chancellors behaving more like Bankers, undervaluing their hard working staff and depriving students of the services they need to help them achieve their best, what future is there for students, especially those who already face hardship? It looks like a bleak future to me. issue six May 2014
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textbooks that were ridiculously expensive at the start of the year lying around somewhere. During exams they are crucial, without them you’d be lost and foetal in a corner praying to God you had taken better lecture notes. Once exams finish, they are dead to you. Heavy and redundant. A burden. Well worry not, because being the sustainable university we are, here are 6 ideas on how to utilise those massive paper bricks: Book Desk Pro: Sturdy as you like and you always know where your books are. Con: If you move house you’re going to need a crane to lift it out. Book Bath If books can hold water in does it mean they can keep it out too? Book boat anyone? Book shelf Because IKEA shelving will fall apart. Whoever heard of a book falling apart? Book Igloo Or you could build an igloo. Why not? That looks safe. Climb on in. Start a fire to cook your dinner. What could possibly go wrong? Christmas tree Doesn’t leave a mess and can be stored away neatly for another year. Almost looks like the real thing. Sell them to Enactus Plymouth Or, you could turn those unwanted textbooks into cash. Enactus Plymouth are buying used textbooks from students on the 20th to the 22nd of May from 9am to 5pm on the ground floor of the Roland Levinsky Building. Enactus is a non-profit organisation made up of students, who start projects in the local community and internationally to help those in need. The textbooks will be sold to new students in September and any profits made will be used to make the projects even more successful in the future to help more people. If you want any more info email: enactus@plymouth.ac.uk. page 13
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Lifestyle
Lifestyle
It is never too early to start planning your summer
How to succeed in a job interview
by Kathryn Goddard
by Samantha Lees
With summer fast approaching I am sure that you all have a few ideas of how you would like to spend it. Whether your idea of a perfect summer is relaxing at the beach, taking a road trip with close friends or going to an endless amount of festivals it is never too early to start planning it. Do you remember the weather last summer? Well the sun in Britain definitely had its hat on and created truly gorgeous weather for us all to enjoy. Let’s hope it will be like it again this summer, because sometimes going abroad for a holiday isn’t always a must. Britain can be just as beautiful when the sun shines over its beaches and even though our surfs may not be like that of Miami, we can do a top notch fish and chips or decent cream tea. For those of you who don’t fancy staying in one place, why not plan a road trip with great friends? Your urge for travelling can be cured by spontaneously hitting the road. It is such a great way to cruise the coast and find places that you normally wouldn’t think to visit… plus you ALWAYS find the best places to eat. Set up camp at a beach, go body boarding, hunt out that amazing ice cream van and cook up a BBQ for the evening. Go to a music festival. In my opinion this
Work is on everyone’s minds, especially at this time of the year: 3rd years are thinking about career choices, 2nd years are frantically trying to get as much experience possible before next year’s workload kicks in, and 1st years have realised that loans can’t fund both food shopping and nights out. To bag that all-important job it’s essential to know how to succeed in selling yourself and how to ace an interview. Unfortunately, being able to down a pint in under thirty seconds isn’t recognised as a specialist skill on your CV, and it’s dubious that you’ll land a decent job anytime soon if you show up to your interview smelling of last night’s vodka and wearing questionable fashion choices. Here Lifestyle gives you a few pointers to help you along the way. Before an interview: Check out the Plymouth SU page, and the @ PlymUniJobs twitter feed if you’re struggling to find vacancies. CV. Your curriculum vitae (or application) is the biggest advertisement of yourself. A poorly structured, misspelt and empty CV doesn’t scream the type of person who takes the position seriously. Consistency of design and format is key, and bullet points as opposed to rolling prose makes information accessible. A CV should include all current personal details, education information, previous employment with a brief role and responsibilities overview, your skills set, personal interests and contact details of one or two people prepared to supply references. It is also advisable to start your CV with a bit about yourself (in a formal manner) to introduce yourself as a person. Make sure to include a tailor-made personal letter to each CV you send. It may take a little while extra if you’re applying for many jobs,
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should be on everyone’s to do list for the summer. With so many to choose from, you are sure to be able to find your favourite artist. It is such a great atmosphere and way to meet new people, plus nobody will judge you if you decide to wear flip flops when the mud is reaching your knees. For all the students out there who are short of cash, don’t think that the expensive ticket prices mean that going to a festival if out of reach. Stewarding with Oxfam is a great way to visit all sorts of festivals on a budget and they are always looking for eager new people to join the team. Visit their website http://www.oxfam.org.uk/stewarding The best thing about summer is all the memories that will be created, so make sure you have a way of documenting them all. Why not buy a plain notebook and fill it with all the photos that have been taken, ticket stubs from random train rides and funny things that have been said by friends? Guaranteed that flicking through this in a couple of months time will bring a smile to anyone’s face! So, on that note start planning your summer. Do what you have always wanted to do, whether that is drink something out of a coconut, fall asleep in a hammock, eat endless amounts of ice cream or hang out by a fire and roast marshmallows. issue six May 2014
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but saying a few reasons why you want to join that particular company, why you like them and how you’d fit in to the team shows you have real passion and drive for the role. Tread carefully though – there is a fine line between showing panache, and simply sucking up (cringe). During the interview: Congratulations for getting this far! First and foremost – breathe. It’s perfectly natural to be nervous. A few deep breathes and gentle reminders that you are going to excel should help you through. Be polite and approachable. Interviewers are potential employers, but human beings too! It’s okay to have to small talk to ease yourself in. You’ll tend to find for student jobs these interviews are slightly more informal. Dress accordingly. It is always important to dress smart. But this doesn’t mean buying a new suit or dress – from personal experience, a black dress, sensible black shoes, cardigan and accessories has always served me well. Listen to questions, and think before you speak. Taking a few moments to consider your answer allows you to construct more than simple babble, which tends to happen when we’re nervous. Sell yourself! Apply previous situations to problems they ask how you’d overcome. It doesn’t have to be work related – if this is to be your fist job, speak about how you planned your DofE expedition, or how you executed initiative in the recent group work you took part in. It’s okay to show your skill set – an interview is not the time and place to be overtly modest. Hopefully, these tips will help you bag that job. Confidence, professionalism and a great smile go a long way. Good Luck! page 15
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Lifestyle
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Kavos: are you thinking about doing a season abroad? by Maddy Taylor
We are in the midst of that time of year. That being stressed faces, camped-out library goers and deadline hell. All you can think about is handing in that last bit of coursework or finishing exams so you can ponder about your summer plans. Two years ago, I spent the summer in the hedonistic (I hate that word, but there is no other to describe it) town of Kavos in the south of Corfu. I know that Kavos, in particular, gets painted by the media in a pretty shameful way, especially Channel 4’s What Happens in Kavos. However, I didn’t choose to down pints of urine, get tattoos of ‘I love Kavos’ and get so smashed that I couldn’t remember why I was in A&E. Your trip is what you make it and I am intending to share mine. Around mid-February I decided to head to Kavos that coming summer with three friends that I had met as a Fresher. Flights were cheap and the hotel was even cheaper. After seeing BBC3’s Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents and having been on holiday to Ibiza the year before I still didn’t really know what to expect. page 16
Working, or at the very least, attempting to get work once there, isn’t smooth sailing. Two of the girls I went with, had been the year before so had their job lined up. I never thought it would be difficult, but with a struggling economy in Greece, it was evident the locals were feeling it. Tip number one: Be confident when looking for jobs, ask around not just at bars but as all the locals know each other, ask the staff at your hotel etc. and see if they know anyone looking to fill jobs. Once you secured your job (it did take me a while as I was more interested in just having a good time for the first couple of weeks), make sure you do a good job. I worked as a PR on the strip trying to entice you into the bar to buy drinks. If you didn’t bring enough people in, you didn’t get paid well. Tip number two: When you go out there, make sure you have a couple hundred euros saved. Wages are pretty poor, though you do get free drinks whilst working (such a good bonus). Being a worker has upsides. In Kavos, there were workers pool parties every Friday and booze cruises twice a week, which I went issue six May 2014
aboard for three months without fail. Tip number three: All the locals will eventually get to know you but before that happens, make sure you tell people when you are buying drinks, food, water or whatever that you are a worker as you will get discount. It’s also a great way to meet people (such a cliché). I shared a room with a girl from Scotland who I had met, and it was like we had known each other for years. It is clear to see why British workers keep going back. Tip number four: Just like the locals, all the workers know each other. Try not to get on the wrong side of anyone or say something you regret later. It is such an enclosed bubble that everything gets heated and seems worse. Stay away from the drama. Tip number five: You will be drinking everyday. Regardless of what you promise your mother before you go; temptation is everywhere. €2 for a bottle of ‘champagne’, €2.50 for a ‘headf**ker’ (and trust me it does what it says.) Just pace it; don’t get ruined in your first week and end up in the Doctor’s clinic, with a £500+ bill to pay. Tip number six: If you do end up having to seek Doctor’s advice, the last thing you want is to be without travel insurance. Take it out before you leave, because most medical clinics in places like Kavos are private and your E111 card is redundant. Tip number seven: Make sure you venture out of the British party strip. I only did once, right at the end, and I wish I had done so more. There are going to be times when you just want to go home; away from mosquitos, drunken tourists throwing up on the side of the strip, hot bedrooms, leering teenagers and chicken gyros’, but stick it out because they aren’t the things that you remember when you are home (your memory will be hazy, granted). You will remember swimming off the pier at 7am, dancing on a boat in the middle of the Mediterranean with a cocktail in your hand,
pre-drinking with €2 Ambassador, topping up your tan everyday, talking to random people all night, taking a trip on quad-bikes to the middle of nowhere and doing tequilas straight after you have just woken up.
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theknowledge
Style & Beauty
theknowledge
Style & Beauty
Campus Style of the week: May 16th by Rachel Chima Charlotte 4th year Primary Teaching Charlotte oozes glamour with classic statement trousers, showing how a single item can set off your whole look. Like many of you, Charlotte is heading to the Summer Ball next week, before she spends the summer saving for an Inter-railing trip through Europe. Cardigan: New Look Top: New Look Trousers: Primark Sandals: New Look Bag: Ollie & Nic
Summer has finally arrived and the sunshine in Plymouth this week certainly brightened up the end of term! The Campus Style team was out once again, enjoying the rays and checking out how you fashionable bunch decided to make the most of the beautiful weather. What are your plans this summer? Are you looking forward to a sun-filled break before next year? Olivia Barton 3rd year Educational Studies Like us, Olivia can’t resist a vintage bargain, and she’s worked the style to perfection today. She’s bought VIP tickets for the Summer Ball with the hopes of finishing her uni career with a bang, and is eager to start saving for her travels around Australia after Christmas. Dress: Vintage (1920s style) Socks: Topshop Jacket: Urban Outfitters Shoes: Topshop Bag: Topshop
Dan, Don & Sam Plymouth College of Art students Dan, Don and Sam are avid festival-goers, and are looking forward to going to as many as possible over the summer. When we asked them what their end-of-term plans were, they replied with a simultaneous “party!” – we can’t help but agree! Dan (left) Top: Death, Hell & the Grave Shorts: Primark Shoes: Vans Sunglasses: Primark
Danielle 1st year Criminology Danielle looks effortlessly stylish, showing how fashion can be just as effective when done simply. Danielle wasn’t lucky enough to get tickets for Summer Ball, but she has plenty to look forward to this summer with a trip to Thailand planned in a few weeks. Top: Miss Selfridge Bag: Charity shop Jeans: Topshop Rings: Primark Bracelet: from Ghana Shoes: Primark Kirsty 2nd year Social Work Since all of Kirsty’s housemates are in their final year, she’s avoiding the emotional farewell at the Summer Ball next week. She’s about to embark on a 6-week volunteering trip in Uganda, which is sure to be a life-changing experience! Cardigan: Vintage Shorts: Topshop Shirt:Charity shop Shoes: Primark Earrings: Evolution page 18
Don (middle) Top: Primark Necklace: from Spain Sunglasses: Primark
Shorts: Vintage Shoes: Vans
Sam (right) Top: Vintage Jeans: Urban Outfitters Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
Shoes: Vans Watch: Triwa
Photo Credit: Cat Tunsich & Doug Grigg
issue six May 2014
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theknowledge
Style & Beauty
Fashion essentials for festival go-ers by Kathryn Goddard Exams are almost over, the academic year is coming to an end, and many of us are packing up, slipping on the shades and heading home for summer. Many of you will be heading to summer music festivals as a way of potentially replacing the idea of coursework and allnighters in the library. Style & Beauty have put together a festival fashion guide to help you guys and girls look great, whilst still baring the essentials… Shorts Shorts are a festival must! When it comes to girls, denim goes with everything and although the thought of having to get out those pasty legs sends shivers down the spine, shorts are comfortable to wear and really light to pack. For all those fashion conscious lads out there, festival fashion is all about bright, loud colours that see you standing out from the crowd, so embrace a pair of shorts that dare to be different, whether it’s their colour or print. Shoes When it comes to festivals you need footwear that is practical yet stylish. For girls, wellie boots, ankle boots or even jelly shoes, are great for tackling the great British weather. They can be slipped on at a moment’s notice and accessorize perfectly with a baggy t-shirt and floppy hat. When it comes to boys, it’s not worth spending a fortune on your favourite canvas hightops just for them to get destroyed. Flip flops are a no hassle, no fuss, slip them on, flip them off kind of footwear. If you can’t bear the mud, invest in a funky pair of wellies that will undoubtedly get you through those mud wrestling fests. Hats Hats are an easy way to accessorize an outfit, as well as keep the sun out your face during the hot summer months. For girls, bowlers and fedoras are perfect for summer music festivals. Not only do they go with everything, they also hide bad hair days. For boys, page 20
snapbacks or basketball caps are so versatile and are so easy to throw on with any outfit.
‘I predict a riot!’ Kaiser Chiefs announced for MTV Crashes Plymouth
Professor Green still performing at The Summer Ball despite cancelling UK tour
by Simon Stone
by Madison Taylor
Kaiser Chiefs are announced as the first act to play at ‘MTV Crashes Plymouth’ on 15th July. The event celebrates Plymouth’s Three Towns centenary, marking 100 years since Devonport, Plymouth and Stonehouse joined forces to form Plymouth. Kaiser Chiefs’ front man Ricky Wilson said: “We are looking forward to this gig. Plymouth Hoe looks like a pretty great spot to play.” A representative added: “We are delighted... Kaiser Chiefs are coming they are a great act.” Tickets to the event have been a clean sell-out with 15,000 tickets being snapped up within minutes. Some of the original £5 tickets can now be found on eBay with one user attempting to sell 3 tickets for £250.00. Those who have missed out will be happy to know MTV will be airing the gig at ‘Britain’s Ocean City’ in over 35 countries and is going to be broadcast across MTV’s UK music channels including MTV HD. More announcements of acts are set to follow, stay tuned for more information.
Read all about it: recent headlines have donned social media, informing that Professor Green has postponed his summer tour until November and December of this year, leaving Plymouth University students in a state of confusion as to whether he will still be headlining at The Summer Ball. His tour has been postponed due to claiming he has had a crazy busy few months: “The last 18 months have been mental, turbulent, up and down, round and round, amazing, horrible, happy, sad, frustrating, testing, trying and above all incredibly stressful.” Therefore his new album is not ready for the planned summer tour. Professor Green said: “I’m not gonna come out and perform the same set I have been since the last album, it wouldn’t be fair to you – at least not until I’m doing a greatest hits tour when I’m on my third marriage, have twelve kids and a huge tax bill.” But what does this mean for UPSU’s own summer ball on the 24th May, where Professor Green is supposedly headlining? The SU have confirmed that Professor Green is still booked in, and the cancellation of his tour does not affect The Summer Ball. Clint Stephenson, Event Manager at UPSU, confirmed this by saying: “Yes, Pro Green’s tour has been cancelled due to his new album not being ready. His new tour was for his new album. We are classed as a closed gig, i.e. private booking and not open to the public. So this does not affect us at all. The line-up will be online shortly.” For all those who queued for hours to get your ticket At Your Inconvenience, to then celebrate Professor Green (and maybe Millie) coming to Plymouth, fear not! There is a Remedy and you can be those Kids That Love To Dance.
Girls
Topshop £28
Missguided £19.99
Missguided £16.99
Topshop £46
Topshop £25
Newlook £9.99
Boys
Fatface £35
River Island £32
Hunter £34.99
Billabong £17.99
River Island £12
Surfdome £24.30 issue six May 2014
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Arts, Entertainment & Culture
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Sports & Societies
Sports & Societies
Societies and Volunteer Awards: The Winners
University American footballers wax for charity
by Simon Stone
by Rhiannon Daisy
The Societies and Volunteer Awards took place at the National Aquarium on Friday night. The results are as follows: Societies Person of the Year Highly Commended - Chris Carter from the Education Society. Winner – Jo Briffitt from the Zoological Society. Best New Project Award Highly Commended - Plymouth Marrow for setting up Split Clinics. Winners – Hindu Society for Sewa Week. Team of the Year Highly Commended - Geography Society and Education Society. Winners - The Musical Theatre Group. Best New Society Highly Commended – Plymouth Marrow. Winners - Knit Fast, Die Warm.
Event of the Year Winners Amateur Dramatics Christmas Showcase. Community Involvement Award Winners Engineers without Borders for their Schools Outreach Project. Charity Champions Award Winners Plymouth Marrow. Leadership Award Winner Simon Stringer. Dedication to Volunteering Award Winner Simon Stringer. Outstanding Contribution Award Highly Commended- Zoe Maddison from UPSU Radio and some more recognition for Simon Stringer, ViP, Fundraising and Allotment. Winner - George Taylor from Sexpression Society of the Year The Knowledge Half Colours
Adam Toon – Alan Nicholls – Alex Baker – Anandi Casanova – Callum Browne – Callum NashIngram – Callum Tqohig – Chen Bao – Chris Carter – Christina Colwell – Daniel Young – David Brown – Dean Cogger – Devisha Karadia – Elise Downing – Ellen Lamb – Emma Shipsides – George Taylor – George Wilcow – Hugo Beaumont – Jake Hughes – James Brown – Jonathan Debenham – Kate Sparrow – Kathryn Henny – Kerry Vautier – Lily Gould – Maia Ridley – Matthew Callaway – Nicola Tyrer – Oliver Neville-Payne – Pelham Grosvenor-Stevenson – Peter Lord – Porsche McGregor-Sims – Richard Watters – Rob Gaskell – Robin Evans – Scarlett Woodwards – Sophie Bennett – Yang Zhou – Zoe Maddison
For three hours on bank holiday Monday, the peace and rest for those enjoying a drink in the SU was interrupted by ‘manly’ screams and loud laughter in return. Members of Plymouth University’s American Football team Blitz stepped forward, one by one, to have differing parts of their bodies waxed, as part of their annual charity fundraiser. This year, Blitz chose to support Meningitis Now, as a team member, David Waldron, sadly passed away from the virus in February. Students have been found to be a group most affected by the virus, leading the team to have also hosted a fundraising match in April to promote the charity. Over the course of three hours players were waxed, with some giving up leg hair, under arm hair and chest hair, amongst others who bravely had their bikini line waxed. Tom Bond gave up an eyebrow, a decision he very quickly questioned when he was reminded of the upcoming UPSU Summer Ball.
Full Colours Chloe Maclay – Hannah McCausland – Roxane Dunbar – Sarah Redford – Simon Stringer – Zoe Sayer
Photographs by Jay Stone page 22
Well done to all the winners, and thank you to those who organised such a fantastic night of achievements. issue six May 2014
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The event was kindly aided by Plymouth hair and beauty salon Upper 38, who donated their time, with staff member Gemma fearlessly waxing each of the team. She said of the team; “they were really good sports. There was a lot of screaming and quite a few swear words being thrown about – guys are certainly not as brave as us ladies! It was good fun and all for a really good cause. This was our second year running and we were pleased to have been asked to help”. Blitz president Simon ‘McIntyre’ Edwards said of the event: “After having to deal with such a tragic event earlier in the year, it is great to see the guys come together to raise awareness and money for such a great cause. The support we received from Upper 38 and the Storm cheerleaders was also greatly appreciated”. So far, the team has raised £940.08 for the charity, with an amazing £233.08 having been raised from the waxing event. page 23