WesternEye - Issue 6 - March 2011

WesternEye w w w. we s te r n eye . n e t

UWE’s Student Voice - Issue No. 6 - March 2011

Professor David Nutt

Former Government drugs advisor lectures at UWE, and takes time out for an interview with our regular columnist Neurobonkers >> 5+28

Life: My big, fat, guilty, gypsy pleasure >> 8

Comment: Gender stereotypes in advertising >> 14

Features: The science of sleeping >> 29

Sport: Steve Wright memorial match report >> 30

CRIME

Inside WesternEye

IN THE

“Let’s examine the world of dating in chronological order...

You’ve arrived at the bar and been struck dumb by the love of your life; we form an opinion of someone within a few seconds of clapping eyes on them. In the past it was just the girls who were the overly vain ones, but now it seems guys are joining in on the action too.”

‘The perils of dating’

CITY

> New police map gives insight into prevalence of offences in Bristol > Analysis of popular student housing areas shows how likely you are to be a victim

Life >> 9

“Whilst Theresa May may have advocated the use of water cannons in December, they were, thankfully, unnecessary. The brutal tactics employed in the Middle East hardly sound like British policing tactics.

Kettling and the like may be wrong, but imagine if the British police opened fire on one of the peaceful student protests? Britain would be in a state of panic.”

‘A state of denial’

Sam Butler newsandpolitics @westerneye.net

A

recent article in The Bristol Evening Post claims that a number of locations in Bristol have been granted the dubious honour of being high up in the national tables for certain aspects of crime.

Belvoir Road in St Andrews was named as having the third highest burglary rate in England and Wales, after ten were recorded in just one month. Stapleton Road was allegedly ‘the most dangerous street in England and Wales’ during December 2010, possibly due to two murders occurring in fairly quick succession.

But just how well do these two anomalies represent Bristol’s crime rate as a whole?

Given that most students are now looking for a place to live next year, WesternEye has assessed the areas most popular with students when it comes to choosing a place to live using the new online Police interactive crime map.

From looking at the table (page 2) and map of Bristol, it is plain that most crime is concentrated in the city

Comment >> 12

Total crimes for December 2010 shown on the interactive Crime Map system at www.police.uk centre.

Certain areas experience higher levels of particular crimes. St Andrews for instance experiences a higher burglary rate than other areas. One reason for this is cited by the Bristol City Council is that students, who form a significant portion of the population in the area, are “particularly targeted because they often possess valuable

ELECTION

SPECIAL

property such as laptops, computers and musical equipment.”

25% of burglary victims, in what is termed by Avon and Somerset Constabulary as ‘the zone’, are students. The zone is comprised of the Redland, Cotham, Bishopston, Ashley Down, St Andrews and Montpellier areas.

Police ‘target hardening’ teams

have been visiting houses in the zone, to assess and offer help on security, since 2003.

Offering free security measures such as alley gating and tougher door and window locks, the measure is said to be particularly cost effective within the context of multi-occupant student dwellings. This is due to each individual and their stolen

“Hard running from Marco ‘everyone tackles me high’ Mlendovic and carries through their backs and forwards meant St Matts had a real chance of scoring. Solid defending from Glenside broke up this attack, with Brussow and Gormley finally turning the ball over in mid field after some indifferent passing from the St Matts number 9.”

‘Glenside win charity clash’

Sport >> 30

continued on page 2

Meet all the candidates, read their manifestos and make your decisions about who you want representing you next year for UWE Students’ Union >> 15

2

News & Politics

THE ISSUE

IN STATS

3000

The amount of Turkish nationals repatriated from Libya by the day’s end 23rd February, as opposed to the UK’s 0.

NEWS >> 6

20

Weight in stone of the wedding dresses in ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’

LIFE >> 7

38

The amount of candidates running for positions in UWESU’s elections this week

ELECTIONS >> 15

6

The years that Patrick, later to become a saint, was held in slavery by pirates before dedicating his life to religion

COMMENT >> 27

90

The approximate time in minutes it takes for the average sleep cycle, from Stage 1 to full REM sleep

FEATURES >> 29

WesternEye 07.03.2011

“

Type and number of crimes committed in student living areas in Bristol, December 2010

continued from page 1

possessions having to be treated as a separate incident, sometimes costing as much as £10,000 per burglary or more.

Although, it is not just the zone that suffers from burglary. Third year UWE Environmental Science student, Tom Carey, 28, told WesternEye “I live in Horfield in a house owned by a friend of mine. We’ve been burgled three times in four years.

One time they broke in and stole two really valuable bikes and another time they nicked my friend’s car keys and took his car.

We’ve now got CCTV cameras at the front and back and have installed some tougher doors.”

UWE police officer, Matt Holloway, told WesternEye “Students get targeted wherever they live.”

The City Centre has understandably the highest rate of car crime. According to a survey by Carrentals.co.uk, 30% of Bristol motorists reported being a victim of car crime at some point.

Bristol ranks 12th on the theftprotect.co.uk car crime league, with just over 20 vehicle thefts per 1000 members of the population and constitutes a ‘high-risk’ location.

We’ve been burgled three times in four years

It should be noted that car crime can include many things such as roadrage, car-jacking and other forms of non-theft related car crime.

St Pauls has the highest level of violent crime and is typically seen by some as being ‘a bit rough’. This has become less true in recent years as the area has become more bohemian and popular with artists, musicians and students.

St Pauls also sees the highest incidence of ‘anti-social behaviour’, although this ambiguous term can refer to anything from urinating outside your neighbour’s front door to running down your stairs too loudly.

The other ambiguous statistic relating to St Pauls is the high level of ‘other crime’. These include criminal

Corrections/Clarifications 1. In the article ‘UWESU AGM 2010’ written by John Howell on page 5 of Issue 5, February 2011 of WesternEye we stated that “heavily abridged” minutes of UWESU AGM were available online.

WesternEye did not mean to insinuate that any wrongdoing had taken place in the recording of the AGM, and that it is standard practice of all companies, court rooms etc. to abridge minutes of meetings in such a fashion.

2. In the article ‘In a diet decline?’ written by Emillie Forrest-Jones on page 9 of Issue 5, February 2011, in a sub-box entitled “A healthy drinking option” we gave a cocktail recipe which included a bottle of vodka.

WesternEye was not asserting that drinking a bottle of vodka is healthy in itself, but that the cocktail described had a lower calorie count when compared with e.g.. a sugary cocktail such as Sex on the Beach.

WesternEye UWE’s Student Voice <<

Editor George Rowe george2.rowe@uwe.ac.uk

Sport Editor Jake Procter

News and Politics Editor Sam Butler Sub Editors John Howell, Jake Martin

WestWorld Editor Sean Guest Creative Director James Somerfield Sub-Editor Alice Palmer Brown Illustrator Alex Green

Life Editor Ashleigh Searle Sub Editor Christina Smith Debate Editor Henry Stoneley Sub Editor Vicki Ward Features Editor Yuliya Yegorova Sub Editor Mike Whiting

Photography Editor Ellie Kynaston Broadcasting Lulu Vallano Online Editor Alec Herron

damage, shoplifting and drug offences. Although what proportion of each crime is unclear. This does however make St Pauls the area with the highest overall number of offences.

Clifton, Horfield and Bedminster appear to be the safest areas to live in. They have the lowest recorded incidences of robberies and although Bedminster appears to have a slight spike in burglaries compared to Clifton and Horfield, it does have a fairly low incidence of violent crime

and ‘other crime’.

There is no infallible way to avoid being a victim of crime, wherever you live. But taking measures to lessen the chances of it is a significant factor in protecting yourself and your property.

Students looking for information on making themselves and their belongings safer should get in touch with PC Matt Holloway on (0117) 3282669 or visit: http://www.uwe.ac.uk/hsv/ security/police.shtml

Photo: Kafziel

We are always looking for new people to get involved with WesternEye. Please get in touch with the editor for more details: editor@ westerneye.net

For advertising info please contact : Luke Sutton at The Student Media Group on (0117) 3179370 or luke.sutton@ thestudent mediagroup.co.uk

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WesternEye is published by University of the West of England Students’ Union, 4th Floor F Block, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol. BS16 1QY. Some elements of this newspaper are distributed under a Creative Commons License; please get in contact for more details. WesternEye is printed

by Mortons Ltd, Lincolnshire. We believe in making WesternEye as accessible as possible. You can access this publication in PDF format at www.westerneye.net. If you require a different format please get in touch with the Editor (below).

The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent that of UWESU. We are all human, and sometimes we make mistakes; any problems please contact the Editor at editor@westerneye.net.

News & Politics 3

WesternEye 07.03.2011

VOTING SURVEY

WesternEye would like to know whether you voted or not and why, if you know who the current executive are, and a whole host of other interesting and exciting things....

For more info visit www.westerneye.net

No ‘Stoke’ without fire > Local residents have lodged complaints with UWE about the behaviour of student drivers who use their estate as a place to park, and a number of other grievances Newsdesk newsandpolitics@westerneye.net

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esidents of the Stoke Park estate, near Frenchay Campus, have lodged several complaints against UWE students relating to allegations of anti-social and inconsiderate behaviour.

Students regularly use the estate as an alternative parking area, when UWE car parks are either full or they wish to avoid buying a ticket.

Residents concede that students have a right to park in the estate as it is a public highway, but the actions of some students are causing serious problems.

The most pressing issue is one of safety and access. Recently a fire engine was unable to negotiate a street in the estate due to poorly parked cars (see image) allegedly belonging to students.

Parking is not the sole issue raised by the residents of the estate. A significant number of incidents of antisocial behaviour by students have been alleged.

UWE Community Liaison Manager, Nigel England, told WesternEye “I have had resident complaints about students urinating in their gardens, about fights in the street in the night, rubbish thrown everywhere and glass smashed on neighbour’s patios and then pet dog injured from the glass.”

Residents have also claimed that, when challenged on their behaviour, some students had become aggressive and on occasion abusive.

One estate resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, told WesternEye about one particular incident.

Cars obstruct a removals lorry

One resident told WesternEye of concerns that emergency vehicles would not be able to access her street.

“I am a parent of premature twins; an ambulance might be needed to attend medical needs. But at present, they would be unable to reach our house due to the parking of student cars on both side of the road.”

It appears that emergency vehicles are not the only ones to have been hampered by, what residents claim are, inconsiderate student drivers.

Dustbin and delivery lorries are also reported to have been prevented from accessing the estate.

One resident is alleged to have been charged an additional £80 delivery fee after the lorry was unable to access his house for a third time.

“As I was driving along, four students promptly wound down a window [of the car] and discarded three or four empty fizzy drinks bottles which literally bounced into the road in front of me. I stopped along-side their car, blocking them from leaving, as they were about to, and challenged them about it. After getting the obligatory verbal abuse, I wouldn’t move my car until they got out and picked up after themselves, which they eventually did.”

Nigel England assures WesternEye that the litter issue was being dealt with.

“I am just organising a litter pick following resident complaints of students throwing down litter; which is being organised with the help of student volunteers. Myself

“

A fire engine is impeded by parked cars and the Accommodation Team are also helping, along with the local councillors and South Gloucestershire Council.”

Mr England further states that the University takes community relations very seriously.

“The University highly values its community links and civic responsibility and as such encourages its students to be proud of their University, their community and to be good neighbours. Many students and staff regularly volunteer to be part of community events and action days to help local communities.”

UWE Director of Marketing and Communications, Keith Hicks, said on the issue: “The University understands that there are problems regarding parking on Stoke Park and its Community Liaison Manager is working with residents, South Gloucestershire Council and Local Councillors to resolve these issues.”

The UWE ‘Guide to Community

Under no circumstances ...park in neighbouring residential streets

Living’ is supplied to students across all campuses at the start of each year.

It is also available to read online.

Issues discussed in the booklet include excessive noise, parties, cars and refuse.

Regarding parking, the guide states that “Under no circumstances should UWE staff and students park in neighbouring residential streets.”

It also adds some food for thought: “You as UWE students have not only your own reputation but the reputation of the university to consider and uphold.”

Parking congestion

image removed

Bristol in brief Details were released last week by the Ministry of Defence of an ‘alien invasion’ of the Bristol Channel in 1967.

Police, army and MoD forces were all scrambled before it emerged that the six saucers sighted were, in fact, part of a RAG jape by engineering students from Farnborough Technical College.

Bristol City’s bid to build a new ground has gained a boost, with Bristol City Council granting Sainsburys PLC the planning permission to build a superstore at the Ashton Gate, the current home of the football club.

Local residents of the area are concerned that the new store may lead to traffic congestion, but a spokesman for Sainsburys have said it is also not in their interest for this to happen.

The plans still need to get the final approval of Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Avon and Somerset Chief Fire Officer Kevin Pearson has agreed to a 22% pay cut to help with budget cuts.

Mr Pearson, who earns £130,000 a year, has agreed to give up £37,000 as part of the £2.6 million cuts programme in 2011/12.

In a report for the Fire authorities, he said: “I promised to start at the top and that was not rhetoric. I meant what I said – the savings that will arise from this decision will protect jobs in the longer term.”

A local mum has claimed in court that she had ‘no idea’ her home was being used for a kidnapping.

Marrissa Campbell said she originally refused friend Ashley Pritchard’s request, before taking a friend of Pritchard’s to her house in Bath the following day.

Four men from Bristol and one from Weston-super-Mare have been charged with conspiracy to rob, after allegedly bursting into a property in Weston-super-Mare and demanding “money and weed”.

After finding no cannabis, they set about robbing the four inhabitants of the house.

The trial continues.

4

News & Politics

The end of an era

WesternEye 07.03.2011

> The long running Bristol and Bath music and culture magazine has hit serious financial difficulties and is to close, following a major drop in their advertising revenue John Howell newsandpolitics@westerneye.net

V

enue, the Bristol & Bath entertainment and listings magazine, is set to close after 38 years.

A statement by editor Joe Spurgeon on the magazines website says “A relatively small decline in readership coupled with a thundering decline in advertising revenue has meant that what we do is no longer sustainable”.

However, Mr Spurgeon went on to add “We are looking at solutions and rescue packages”, giving some hope for the magazine’s survival.

The magazine, which was founded in 1982, was sold to the Northcliffe Newspaper Group (which also runs the Bristol Evening Post and Western Daily Press newspapers) in 2000.

Northcliffe is itself part of the Daily Mail & General Trust group.

Dave Higgit, Group editor of Venue Publishing, told BBC Bristol: “This year’s budget required Venue to hit all targets to merely break even.

This has not happened. In fact, the downward trends have accelerated.”

When elaborating on the reasons for the magazines closure, Mr Higgit went on to say, “The market has changed, reading habits have changed, spending habits have changed”.

The closure is a blow to local bands and clubs, as the magazine comprises an exhaustive listing for all gigs and cultural events in the Bristol and Bath area. Lead singer of Bristol band RIOT:NOISE, Martin Hughes, told WesternEye “For most local bands, Venue magazine was the first chance you had to gain any real press coverage. Getting a review in Venue was something that you would be really excited about”.

“Venue has been really supportive

of RIOT:NOISE and in 2008 they ran a double page article about our US tour. We had loads of people come to watch gigs purely off the back of that coverage, so we are extremely grateful“.

The magazine helped champion many of Bristol’s most famous bands including Massive Attack, and Mercury Music Prize winners Portishead (1995) and Roni Size (1997).

Bristol studio Aardman Animations, creators of Wallace & Gromit, expressed their dismay at the closure. A statement on their website states “We were saddened to hear that a long-running Bristol and Bath magazine, Venue, announced its closure today. The magazine has been running since 1982 and it was the inspiration behind one of Aardman’s earliest short films, Late Edition, which was part of a series of animations called Conversation Pieces”.

Fans of the magazine have taken to the internet in an attempt to save it. Almost immediately after the announcement, a Facebook group titled ‘Save Venue Magazine’ has gathered over 2,500 members in support and a free entry ‘Rescue Venue’ awareness gig has been arranged for Sunday 27th March at The Lanes in Bristol to help keep the magazine in print.

Blogs from bristolculture.com have expressed their unhappiness at the closure. “Venue continues to be relevant, irreverent, vastly knowledgeable, clued-up, pluggedin, well-respected and trusted.

When I first moved to Bristol it was the best way to be made aware of everything going on in our city. With the Evening Post now only having

Newsdesk’s world round up Bahrain - The Shiite (a denomination of Islam) opposition groups in Bahrain seeking to loosen the Sunni (another denomination of Islam) monarchy’s grip on power said on Thursday they are ready to negotiate with the Gulf nation’s rulers about political change after weeks of protests.

The two-week standoff, in which seven protesters were killed, has rattled one of the wealthiest countries in the Middle East, where it was long assumed that oil riches would stave off the kind of unrest that has roiled Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya.

Nigeria - A bomb exploded near the venue of a ruling party election rally in Suleija near Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja, killing three people and injuring 21.

Unknown attackers lobbed a bomb from a moving vehicle on Thursday. The bomb exploded near women selling goods to those attending the People’s Democratic Party rally.

Colombia - Authorities have seized another submersible vessel in southern Colombia capable of transporting seven tons of cocaine.

The vessel which is 59 feet long and 10 feet wide, was found close to the Ecuadorean border in the southern province of Tumaco.

Colombian naval troops also discovered a campsite capable of housing more than 20 people and more than 300 pounds of material used to make cocaine.

According to the Colombian Navy, 63 submersibles have been discovered since 1993, the most recent of which was found in the remote jungle region of Cauca.

United States - The US army has filed 22 new charges against the soldier accused of leaking thousands of classified documents published by the whistleblower website, WikiLeaks.

Bradley Manning is facing life in prison if found guilty to the charges which include aiding the enemy.

one full-time member of staff writing entertainment news (down from three in only two years), the outlook for printed coverage of Bristol’s cultural scene is looking increasingly bleak.” writes one blogger.

However, Mr Higgit has stressed the positives of the magazine’s impact on Bristol & Bath’s culture.

“I believe the magazine has enriched the lives of the people of Bristol and Bath in countless ways. We should be enormously proud of its many achievements”.

The last issue of Venue to be published will be issue 962 and will be on sale from March 16th.

Photo: nrkneil (cc)

What do you think?

I’ve read Venue since its first publication and I’m very disheartened to learn of its closure. The magazine has had a huge impact on my social life since it began and I’ll be sad to see it go.

- Greg Morris, 50, Director Coming from Kent, I found Venue a useful tool in finding out about Bristol’s club nights. The magazine provided a boost to some of the relatively small clubs I play in, and without the advertisement and promotion of such nights, it will be a huge detriment.

- Pete Bailey, 21, UWE student and DJ Venue was the only place to find out about bands like ours.

Whenever we played in Bristol, we always had help from the magazine to promote us.

- Ellis Sims, 24, lead singer of The Giants The internet has taken over printed media. It’s a shame; it’s a magazine I always bought and read on the bus to and from university.

You could always find a venue in my bag.

- Katie Bedford, 20, UWE student

Comment on any story on our new website The end of the line for Venue after 38 years?

The army said that if Manning were convicted of all charges, he would face life in prison, plus reduction in rank to the lowest enlisted pay grade, a dishonourable discharge and loss of all pay and allowances.

Prosecutors have stated that they would not be seeking the death penalty, which is the maximum punishment for a number of the charges.

South Korea - Four of 31 North Koreans held after their boat strayed into South Korean waters have asked to stay in the South, officials said Thursday, a move likely to draw an angry response from North Korea.

South Korea planned to repatriate the other 27 North Koreans to the North on Friday, The Red Cross conveyed those plans to its counterpart in the North but got no immediate response, South Korean Red Cross officials said.

The 31 North Koreans were aboard a small fishing motorboat that drifted across the Koreas‘ western sea border about a month ago.

Cote d’Ivoire - Security forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, Cote d’Ivoire’s disputed president, have shot dead at least five women at a demonstration in support of his rival, Alassane Ouattara.

Thursday’s shooting took place after several hundred women gathered in the Abobo neighbourhood of Abidjan, the country’s commercial capital, shouting “Gbagbo, get out!” and “Alassane for president”, a resident told the AFP news agency.

Mohamed Dosso, an assistant to the mayor of Abobo, said an armoured personnel carrier and several pickup vehicles showed up as the women were protesting and opened fire.

The United States has denounced Gbagbo’s “moral bankruptcy” after the incident.

France - The British designer John Galliano is to face trial for racial and religious insults after being accused of making anti-Semitic comments during a drunken rant at a Paris bar.

Prosecutors have ruled that the star couturier must appear in Paris’s criminal court in the coming months and could face up to six months in prison and a €22,500 fine.

www.westerneye.net

He will face allegations of “public insults based on the origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity” against three people.

Galliano, axed by the French fashion house Dior following his arrest last week, has apologised “unreservedly” for his behaviour and said he was “seeking help”. The New York Times reported friends had persuaded him to go to rehab.

Pakistan - The assassination of a second high-profile critic of Pakistan’s blasphemy law Wednesday snuffed out any hope that the government will amend the decree that prescribes the death penalty for those insulting Islam.

Shahbaz Bhatti, minister for minorities affairs and the only Christian in the Cabinet, was gunned down in the back seat of his car while leaving his mother’s home in a residential neighbourhood in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

News & Politics 5

WesternEye 07.03.2011

Professor David Nutt speaks at UWE

> The government drugs advisor, sacked following his contraversial report on the harm levels of drugs and alcohol, gave an open lecture at Frenchay campus in February Tom Williams newsandpolitics@westerneye.net

F

ormer government drugs advisor Professor David Nutt gave a revealing lecture at Frenchay campus entitled “My life on drugs” last month in an open lecture for the UWE Psychology Society.

The talk predominantly made reference to his 2009 lecture ‘Estimating Drug Harms’ - which covers some of his proposals on changes to government drug regulation, policy formation and classification.

Professor Nutt was forced out of the Governments’ Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) after claiming in 2009 that “horse-riding is more dangerous than ecstasy”.

In fact, he ranks ecstasy as the 18th most harmful substance – out of a list of 20 drugs.

When comparing mean harms, Professor Nutt states that alcohol is the 5th most harmful drug, above tobacco (9th) and cannabis (11th). He also suggests that under today’s drug classification system, alcohol and tobacco would be a class B drug.

In his lecture at UWE last month, Professor Nutt claimed that he is “not a radicalist” trying to legalise all drugs, but to use scientific evidence to influence decisions on government drug lawmaking.

As a criminal record can ruin job prospects, he questions why the possession of a drug with relatively low negative social and health consequences (such as cannabis) should carry the risk of a damaging criminal record.

The legal consequences of the

“

Current drug legislation is based largely upon distorted ‘moral values’

consumption of alcohol are minimal, or nonexistent – which makes no sense, considering that under current legislation, alcohol should technically be banned, claims Professor Nutt.

He also claims that criminalisation leads to a lack of progression in drug research.

This includes the prevention of drug research. Once a drug is banned, pharmaceutical companies will not

research it – potential cures for illnesses could be derived from some banned drugs, but we will never know if companies do not research them.

The talk also made heavy reference to the short and long term health and social consequences of alcohol and the dangers of an alcohol industry exerting an enormous amount of power over policy.

“The alcohol industry has managed to make alcohol look like it isn’t a drug – when in fact it is” said Professor Nutt at UWE. Professor Nutt also used the talk to claim that the alcohol industry was responsible for distorting reports of ecstasy-related deaths for their own benefit.

Leah Betts died in 1995 after drinking a large quantity of water to counter the effects of ecstasy. The media reported her death as a result of the ecstasy itself. Soon after, a poster campaign was launched with an image of Leah in a coma – many people thought this was a campaign put out by the government.

It was in fact, Professor Nutt claims, put out by alcohol and energy drink producers who feared ecstasy could replace alcohol as the “party drug”.

The corrupt, haphazard, behind-thescenes processes of drug legislation were also revealed in this talk.

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 states that drugs may be added or

removed to the list of class A, B and C, provided a report by the ACMD has been commissioned. However in this talk, Nutt cited an instance where Tony Blair set up a committee of ‘nonexperts’ all with little or no knowledge of the effects of the drugs they were banning, all without consultation from the ACMD. Current drug legislation is based largely upon distorted ‘moral values’ (‘if teens are having fun with this, it must be bad!), lobby groups put out by members of the alcohol industry, and the governments’ fear of potential Daily Mail headlines.

With Prime Minister, David Cameron’s history of drug usage at Eton, Professor Nutt speculated that we may be headed towards more liberalised drug laws.

He also stated that the Liberal Democrats are “quietly thinking” about drug law reform. “If you want to make a difference to drug law, I’d advise you to vote Liberal Democrat” he said.

Talking it members of the audience, it has been generally agreed that the government has been imposing their own view of right and wrong with no regard to scientific evidence when it comes to drug laws.

Steve Stevenham, a third-year Robotics student was attending the talk because he was bored: “I tend to agree with what he said –

Oxbridge academics appeal to Vince Cable Sam Butler

newsandpolitics @westerneye.net

6

81 academics from Oxford and Cambridge have written a letter to Coalition Business Secretary, Vince Cable, calling for a public inquiry into the rise in tuition fees.

The letter cites “deep concerns” over possible “random effects” that the new higher education economic model may have upon the sector.

Suggesting that universities are being asked to “fly blind”, the letter suggests that some courses will be starved of income streams as “the money follows the student”; relating to the issue of the ‘marketisation’ of education (WesternEye #1-#3).

The ever present issue of diversity is raised and a forum for open public debate is called for the by the group and a moratorium placed upon the current plans.

Labelling the proposed legislation as “enormously risky” and suggesting that it was brought in with “undue haste”, the letter further suggests that an inquiry would allow for “the possible outcomes and consequences of these proposed changes to be coherently and rigorously examined.”

UWE Senior lecturer, Dr Lee Salter,

sees the issue of funding as being part of a larger economic trend.

“Western capitalism is in utter crisis, not some short-term bust, but a long-term decline in profitability and had looked to education as a new industry. The venture failed, and now they don’t really know what to do. The fees issue isn’t about funding, but about privatisation and marketisation.”

The letter marks a clear position by a collective of academics at the universities deemed most likely to apply to set their fees at the maximum of £9,000, indicating that they see the higher fees having an adverse effect on the quality of Britain’s academic future.

Although it should be noted that it is not only Russell Group, including Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol and Edinburgh among others, which has decided to set fees at £9,000; Exeter University recently became the first ‘1994 Group’ institution to apply for the highest fee bracket.

Universities proposing the highest fee levels have predominantly suggested a system of fee waivers and bursaries for students from less affluent backgrounds, with some even suggesting full scholarships for those from the poorest backgrounds.

Whether this address has any effect on the erosion of academic plurality remains to be seen. But it is symptomatic of the ever growing gulf between the government’s intentions and the needs and concerns of those working in the higher education sector.

wow.

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he can inflate the harms of alcohol a bit, but in fairness, that’s what people need to know” said Simon “I’m glad he’s so critical of media practice”.

Christine Robins is a second-year student at UWE: “I cannot believe how badly the media report drugrelated deaths...I was shocked when he [Professor David Nutt] talked about the way the media give so much prominence to deaths of white middle-class girls.”

“What got me thinking was the way the alcohol industry persuade you to think that alcohol isn’t a drug, when it is” said second year student Chris Broomfield.

“I don’t think he [David Nutt] should have been sacked” Christine said, “there needs to be a sensible and rational voice on drug laws in the government.”

Chris replies “I thought Professor Nutt was well-informed and very knowledgeable, I’m glad we could hear him speak for himself rather than through the media, especially considering the slur they’ve put upon him”.

READ AN INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR NUT BY WESTERNEYE ON PAGE 28.

Professor Nutt’s blog can be read at: www.professordavidnutt.wordpress.com

6

News & Politics

WesternEye 07.03.2011

Britons in Libya: whose responsibility?

> Just who should pay for the evacuation of Libya’s contingent of British oil workers? This special news feature looks at the implications of Libya’s unrest and the responsibilities of Britain to its citizens, and the oil industry to its employees Toby Cryne newsandpolitics@westerneye.net

A

t the centre of the latest, and so far most bloody, uprising in what is being termed the ‘Jasmine Revolution’, Colonel Qaddafi waits anxiously anticipating the almost certain end to his rule.

Ironically, it was through the 1969 coup‘d’état that Muammar al-Qaddafi or ‘Brother leader and guide of the revolution’ as he likes to be known that the country was seized. It seems that, certainly at least for him, all hell is breaking loose and the people of Libya wish to oust their own despotic leader as have those in Egypt and Tunisia.

It seems then in the simplest of terms that the proverbial has well and truly hit the fan for Qaddafi and his somewhat questionable regime.

The world only has to watch and wait to see what unfolds in the coming weeks. It is in times such as these when riot is in the air however that the country is at its most volatile.

One only has to look at the ‘peaceful protests’ that occurred in London a few months back to see that within this promise, only the latter usually hold true. As such every non-Libyan, and even some natives, appear to be fleeing the country at the speed of flight or boat and although every effort seems to be being made by the various the governments involved, what are the consequences of this?

At the very least, revolution is a messy business with both the state and the people often involved in physical clashes with one another over the issues at hand. In this case, there will be blood.

The main danger to the people of Libya however seems not to be the army itself but the African mercenaries that Qaddafi has hired to fight his own people. These mercenaries, who have allegedly been hired from countries such as Algeria, Chad, Ethiopia, Niger and Tunisia, all have one thing in common; they cannot be charged

nor be accountable for any crimes against the people that they are hired to kill.

This is due to a new piece of UN legislation that immunises individuals from countries outside the International Criminal Court membership to which these all fall. In short, they could potentially commit atrocities by day and sip on a beer at night, safe in the knowledge that they would be irresponsible for any wrongdoing.

Some argue however that these ‘mercenaries’ are nonexistent and simply the fictional result of North African racism towards sub-Saharan Africans such as those previously mentioned. Either way, people are dying.

Sub-Saharan Africans are reportedly killing the Libyan natives on orders from Qaddafi’s regime, with the promise of work after the uprising. Libyans are allegedly killing many ‘black Africans’ from Chad and Niger with the fear that they are mercenaries sent to eradicate them and quash the resistance.

Libya is clearly in a state of pandemonium and the danger of the uprising, to those still stranded there, is that when the time bomb eventually explodes into full scale revolt the death toll will rise steeply and citizens of all nationalities will be in danger regardless of their ethnicity.

Reports suggest that the majority of British nationals and other Europeans, that are currently still in Libya, are employed by various oil companies and are, due to nature of the industry, very well paid. Thus begs the question: does the government, and as a result the taxpayer, have an obligation to retrieve ex-pats from such situations or if they jump ship, do they swim without a life jacket?

Now of course, basic human instincts would suggest that as people of Great Britain ‘we’ should have an

active role in retrieving any British national in danger from wherever they may be. But at a time when spending cuts are so rife, unemployment is high and taxes have risen, can the tax payer really afford to do this?

After all, these workers have crossed the seas to Libya for financial benefit, not due to Qaddafi’s allure and grandeur. One of the possible explanations for the sincere lack of British haste in the rescue attempts so far is the possibility that Mr Cameron could have been hoping, instead of enduring the costs gained with the use of military vehicles that passenger airlines could in fact retrieve those stranded, minimising the cost of evacuation.

Thankfully it has not panned out this way and British Military vehicles are currently being used to rescue those that are stranded, restoring

“

Is it an unfair to believe that the responsibility for these British nationals lie in the hands of the oil companies who employ them and not the tax payer?

some sense of faith in the state.

But who then should foot the bill?

It has already been reported that the government has had to endure large costs to land in Tripoli airport and pay ‘bribes’ in order to get nationals home.

One can only imagine the cost of such operations, add to that the proposed Photo: Jack Taylor (UWE grad.)

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Libya’s Colonel Gaddafi ‘special forces’ involvement, allegedly by the SAS, in retrieving those in hard to reach areas and a figure could only be imagined.

Is it an unfair assumption to believe that the responsibility for the welfare of these British nationals should lie in the hands of the oil companies who employ them and not the tax payer? Surely an employer holds a duty to take care of its employees in situations of high risk and danger, so could it be argued that it is actually the oil companies, who by the way are never short of money regardless of what you may hear, that should be at least financially accountable for those who are in danger?

In a recent BBC interview Mr Cameron stated over and over again that the security of British nationals was the utmost priority, avoiding the question of costs wherever possible.

This sense of responsibility was at least a refreshing change to witness but still there are those who debate as to whether Britain is obligated to help in such situations.

Is it unfair to argue that once these people have left the shores of the United Kingdom, avoiding British taxes and pulling in larger salaries than the majority of their tax paying contemporaries that they are no longer the responsibility of the tax payer? On the other hand should it be viewed as a fundamental right that

being a citizen of the United Kingdom is enough to entitle you to help from the state wherever you are in the world?

As previously alluded to, Mr Cameron in his interview with the BBC claimed that the priority was in retrieving British nationals from Libya.

But it seems that the oil companies whom these nationals are employed by have only recently started to react after scoping the reaction from the public with chartered airlines being sent out by the day. Again this begs the question, should not they have been the first to do so?

If there was a fire at your workplace you would like to think that your boss would be instrumental in the preservation of your safety. By day’s end on Wednesday 23rd February, the Turkish authorities had retrieved over 3000 of their 10,000 nationals from the country and France well over 400.

So why has it taken the government and the oil companies an extra two days to begin to rescue their employees? Forty-eight hours may not seem like a great deal of time, but for those stranded in Tripoli, a city on the brink of revolution, it must seem like a lifetime.

One thing is clear however, the retrieval of nationals is of the utmost importance but it will be interesting to see what happens after the evacuation and if the government will pressurise the oil companies to reimburse them with some form of financial compensation. Or will Mr Cameron just accept the costs and will taxes rise even higher in the next budget?

The only certainties in the foreseeable future are that Qaddafi will fall and the death toll will rise along with the price of crude oil, which has risen to $115 a barrel from pre-uprising prices of around $100.

How far the unrest in the middleeast will push the price of oil and by association all other commodities, is uncertain. What is certain is that if Colonel Qaddafi, with his willingness to use violence and hired guns, is not safe from revolution, there must be many an autocratic ruler across the region not getting a lot of sleep these days.

What do you think?

“Official literature from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, states that they cannot: make travel arrangements for British nationals; or make sure that they will be safe in a foreign country.

Laying the blame on a group of people (for whom the Libyan situation was equally a surprise as it was to the general population) may be tempting, but ultimately it does not help the situation.”

Samantha Ashman, 24, English Literature

Protesters gather in the Libyan capital Tripoli

“Having lived as an ex-pat in Asia with my family for some time, in agreeing to work abroad for a company (Britishbased or foreign), one of their guarantees is an assurance of their responsibility for you. My family was evacuated by my father’s employer from Indonesia when rioting broke out. In the end, companies should first and foremost protect the interests of their employees even if it is only inherently to protect the interests of the company.”

Joe Buzzard, 20, English Language

Students’ Union &

My Big Fat Guilty Pleasure

Life

> Twenty stone wedding dresses and bizarre ‘grabbing’: a look at one of the UK’s most insular communities Kim Parker

life@westerneye.net

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or the past four weeks the nation has been enraged, entertained, disgusted and delighted by Channel 4’s fabulously crude reality show, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. With over 7.5 million viewers an episode, making it the eighth most successful programme for Channel Four ever, viewers were privy to “unprecedented access to the UK’s most secretive community”.

A quick glance over a few tabloids and magazines in your local shop, and you’re presented with numerous brides and brides-to-be who were featured in the show (not to mention the recent controversy surrounding the shows self confessed hard man Paddy Doherty’s court case). But why was the show such a hit and was it a fair representation of a self-professed proud culture?

Channel 4 has always had a knack for pioneering new types of television, Big Brother being a case in point. BB has been called a social study into human behaviour, a freak show, and a ‘cruelty parade’ for media hungry contestants who are still continuing to form the Z-list of celebrity parties; Nikki Grahame of “Who is she?!” fame being the obvious example.

Gypsy Wedding has been met with similar reaction of both wonder and horror, perfectly fitting into the genre of ‘car crash’ television. On the one hand, viewers get to witness life within the travelling society, in a way that ‘settled’ communities never

have. Traveller’s commitment to celibacy, lack of divorce, and religious and parental commitments were all extremely interesting to a fairly ignorant audience who had previous assumptions about the Gypsy way of life. Not to mention the initial shock and awe at the Princess-Barbie style gowns which all Gypsy brides-to-be covet.

Predictably, the main focus from the media has been on the more negative aspects of Gypsy life, such as the blatant sexism, the early age of marriage, and of course ‘grabbing’. Whilst some elements of Gypsy tradition may become lost in translation, no one could deny the uncomfortable sight of watching a young teenage girl (Cheyenne) be physically assaulted as a method of flirting. After it was aired, 15-yearold Cheyenne claimed, “the whole ‘grabbing’ thing. That was all blown out of proportion”, but to us as viewers, and as a culture, it seems frightful that this is practised behaviour. This was proved by the

Spicy red lentil soup

> A healthy option on a cold day...soup-erb! ben.taylor18@live.co.uk

T

his recipe is a really easy, really quick and really tasty. It’s also a great winter warmer for these cold days and at only approx. 200 calories it’s pretty easy on the waistline too.

For added warmth follow with a shot of tequila!

A dash of oil for frying,

a pinch of ginger powder,

1 tsp cumin seeds,

a pinch of chilli flakes,

1 onion, diced

2 large carrots, peeled and grated

150g red lentils

1l vegetable stock (fresh, cube or concentrate )

1 lime , juiced to taste

Paprika

Bacon (optional) Heat some oil in a large pan and fry the spices for a couple of minutes (If you really need some meat in your meal add some bacon at this point and fry). Add the vegetables and cook

for 5 minutes more then add the lentils and stock.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then until the lentils are tender. You can now blend until smooth or leave chunky it’s your call.

If you’re feeling fancy squeeze on some lime and sprinkle some paprika over the top.

Soup + reading = rock’n’roll Photo: Susy Morris (cc)

Ben Taylor

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Who are we to claim their traditions are wrong?

outrage on message boards after the airing, with some angry viewers claiming to be “disgusted by the sexual harassment of underage girls”.

But these controversies and outrages are what makes viewers tune in every week, the shock appeal has worked for Channel Four since its launch, and it is doubtful the broadcaster will change a winning formula anytime soon.

Another part of Traveller life that was met with controversy was the treatment of women. It seemed these girls were basically bread for marriage. Education, independence and employment all paled in comparison against a ‘Jordan &

Peter’ style celebration. To the girls, in a strange 1950’s throw back, life after marriage is based around serving your husband and family and cleaning your caravan. But isn’t this all culturally relevant? Who are we to intrude into an ethnic group and claim their traditions and, in effect their culture is wrong, that they should alter in order to fit within our society.

However, this is the confusion that arises when dealing with travelling communities who are part of our society, but at the same time not.

This is also the reason why ‘Gypsy Wedding’ was so popular. Their heritage is a mix of the familiar and unfamiliar. The young girls claim to learn their provocative dance moves from popular music videos

by Lady Gaga and Beyonce; they are similarly obsessed with celebrity culture, with their idols being women such as Cheryl Cole. The dresses worn are a gaudy exaggeration of ‘Disney-Princess’ gowns. Travellers are constantly claiming they are so private because they have a great

need to preserve their culture, yet seeping in are these elements which are becoming common place in Traveller celebrations.

Whether Channel 4 truly portrayed Traveller life is debatable. There are claims in various tabloids that Travellers are proposing legal action, and many participants in the show say they would not partake in the programme again, with the finished product causing “too much aggro”, being a “mickey-take” and an “exaggerated” version of the truth.

And then there are the ongoing debates that are left as an aftermath; where do they get their money from?

Should the girls be allowed to leave education early? And what can we make of the “Munchkin Strip Club” sexualised children, with their barelythere style clothing, suited more to Spearmint Rhino’s than to primary school.

Whatever your own opinion of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, there is no doubt it has left a huge impression on the country. Only the other day after switching on the television, two of the happy couples were chatting casually to Alan Carr on his celebrity chat show.

No doubt there will be more drama connected to the show, and to the travelling community in general; however I believe the programme was at least a step into understanding this normally socially outcast group. And no one, not even a television snob could criticize the entertainment value of the show, guilty pleasure or not, it certainly wasn’t dull.

Philosophical matters > In light of the recent slashing of government funding for Arts

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subjects, UWE and Bristol Uni philosophy departments are staging an event to answer a fundamental question: does philosophy matter?

George Rowe

editor@westerneye.net

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n recent months public debate about the cost and value of higher education has been at the centre of national interest. The value of the humanities and other non-vocational subjects has been questioned, and reduced to its economic and social impact.

The philosophy departments of the University of Bristol and of UWE have joined forces with the Royal Institute of Philosophy to host a discussion that will go beyond the economics of higher education in order to discuss the ways in which philosophy matters in individual and public life. The event will be free, open to all and aimed at the general public.

The panel will consider the narrow economic value of philosophy, and also to consider whether ideals nurtured by philosophy such as those of free, democratic and open thought and critical reflection, are essential components of a free society. The discussion will examine the contribution philosophy has

Annual Royal Institute of Philosophy Event Philosophy matters Monday 21 March 2011 Great Hall, Wills Memorial Building, Queen’s Road 6:00-7:30pm Speakers: Professor AC Grayling (Birkbeck College, University of London) Professor Baroness Onora O’Neill (House of Lords & University of Cambridge) Professor James Ladyman (University of Bristol) Dr Havi Carel (UWE, Bristol) Chair: Dr Julian Baggini (editor-in-chief, The Philosophers’ Magazine) Organised by Professor James Ladyman and Dr Havi Carel

Why study philosophy? Is philosophy valuable to those in society who don’t engage with it directly? Is a degree in philosophy a good preparation for employment? How does philosophy contribute to civic life and culture, and can it help us be happy?

The event is free and all are welcome, but booking is required on Philosophy.Matters@uwe.ac.uk The event is funded by the Royal Institute of Philosophy, the AHRC, UWE, Bristol and the University of Bristol.

brought to society, question the view of the Brown report that higher education is a private good aimed solely at increasing the earning power of the individual, and provide concrete examples of ways in which philosophical and critical thinking contribute to our society.

One of the organisers, UWE’s Dr. Havi Carel, said: “The value of a philosophy degree does not lie in

Is a degree in philosophy good preparation for a career?

increasing the earning power of the person taking it; it lies in the kind of person it will shape him or her into.

The current public discussion of higher education and in particular of the humanities has reduced tertiary study to the economic benefits of obtaining an academic degree. The debate has left out everything that is important about philosophy: its reflective and questioning nature, its critical role, and its contribution to civic values and society. We decided to organise this event to give these other views a chance to be heard.”

The event is on March 21st, at 6pm at the Will’s Memorial Building, is free and all are welcome, but booking is required on: Philosophy.Matters@uwe.ac.uk

SU & Life

Let’s laugh for Comic Relief

> Students reveal plans to raise some dosh for charity Sarah Adams life@westerneye.net

honk!

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omic Relief 2011 is upon us and UWE is preparing to ‘do something funny for money’ this Red Nose Day on Friday 18th March. The badminton and cricket clubs are joining forces with the organisation RAG (Raise and Give) and are welcoming any other clubs to help them try to collect as much money as possible. Comic Relief raises money for both the UK and Africa. In the UK the areas focused on include local communities and refugee and asylum seeking. In Africa the money will go towards street and working children and people affected by HIV/AIDS among other important aspects to thousands of people’s lives.

The main activities will take place in the Centre For Sport on Frenchay Campus from 2pm, but you can expect to bump into some silly games being played around other parts of the campus too.

President of the Badminton club, Kurtis Saddler, says “The whole point of the event is to come out, have some fun and raise money for charity”, planning to raise £750 this year, they need “everyone to help out and dig deep”. This won’t be hard with the fun they have planned. So far sumo wrestling, dodgeball and a school styled tuck shop are lined up, with rumours of an inflatable assault course and, yes you guessed it, a ‘Krispy Kreme’ doughnut stand. Kurtis adds that “it’s a great way to have some fun whilst helping out those less fortunate than ourselves”.

So make sure you check it out for a little LOL, a bit of ROFL and maybe even a LMAO.

Fun loving Kurtis Saddler

WesternEye 07.03.2011

Happy 21st! Now what?

> Whether you are looking for a cheap and simple night with close friends or the party of the year, Bristol’s bars and clubs have something to offer whatever the size of your wallet Jo Sear

What did/will/can you do?

Photo: Ross Pollack (cc)

8

life@westerneye.net

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urning 21 can often be more stressful than enjoyable; you can spend what feels like forever searching for a venue offering a good deal for you and your guests; good drinks, good food and a good location for a great night out.

Personally, I decided on The Clifton (16 Regent Street, Clifton), paying £50 for the hire of a private room, (which held up to 50 people) and my own private section of the bar. A selection of ‘small bites’, such as mini burgers, calamari and flatbreads were served, which can be ordered in advance and cost around £4 for 6. The drinks were very reasonably priced and the staff are really helpful in organising the night. Later on in the evening, heading down to the triangle to Po Na Na (67 Queens Road, BS8 1QL) where a queue jump, guest list and free entry for the birthday girl/boy are available. There are tables and areas available to hire, although they are pretty pricey. So, you can just stick to the bar and the dance floor and have a brilliant night. (Contact The Clifton on 0117 974 1967 or Po Na Na on 0117 925 6225) There are currently upwards of 15,000 students at UWE who have not yet turned 21, so it’s lucky that there is a wealth of venues in Bristol to suit all these budgets, styles and tastes. We have come up with a small selection of venues to offer you some inspiration and hopefully, save you a little time.

If it’s a stylish and simple to organise night your looking for, then have a think about Amoeba (10 Kings Road, Clifton Village, BS8 4AB).

Describing themselves as “Bristol’s best party venue”, Amoeba is tucked in the heart of Clifton Village. The bar offers a “funky, laid back style”, offering a huge range of drinks from all over the world (many of them are speciality beers…one to look out for is Blue Moon). The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and the cosy, sumptuous décor create a night never to be forgotten. With live DJ’s every Friday and Saturday night, playing “funk, soul and old school hip-hop”, the bar offers an intimate space, with plenty of dark corners- perfect for a party of any size. A free bottle of Prosecco is on offer for parties of 20 guests or more (Sun-Thurs) and you can get two cocktails for £9 every night before 10pm, catering can be arranged on request. The downstairs room is free to hire any night of the week, for up to 100 people. (Contact Amoeba on 01179466461 or info@ ameoba.co.uk) If you fancy a more quirky and

unusual celebration, with a retro theme, Rocotillos (1 Queens Row, Triangle, BS8 1EZ) is an American style diner, famous for its award winning milkshakes and American style food. The venue isn’t huge, but has plenty of seating and standing areas, with blue, mosaic and mirrored retro décor. Why not celebrate with one of their gorgeous milkshakes (£3.65) topped with a shot of your favourite tipple (for an extra £1.50).

The venue is available to hire privately free of charge from 7pm Thursday to Saturday. There is no minimum spend; the only condition is that you have 20 or more guests. (Contact Rocotillos on 01179 297207) The Park Bar (37 Triangle West, BS8 1ER) is open until 4am on Friday and Saturdays, and 2am Wednesday to Friday. The Park has resident DJ’s most nights of the week, playing anything from funk to rock ‘n roll. The downstairs room can be hired free of charge any week night for up to

100 of your nearest and dearest. On a Friday or Saturday night, there is a minimum spend at the bar of £300 as well as a deposit of £50; but, if the £300 at the bar is spent, then you get your £50 back. The Park is known for its cocktails, and has a huge selection priced around the £6 mark.

So, if you have 50 guests who each buy a cocktail- that’s your minimum spend sorted. Plus, being open until 4am, it’s a one-stop night! (Contact The Park on 0117 940 6101) If you have a bigger budget for your 21st party, and are looking for a sophisticated evening, have a look at Hotel Du Vin (The Sugar House, Narrow Lewins Mead, BS1 2NU). Hotel Du Vin is a sumptuous and luxurious hotel situated in the centre of the city.

Furnished with old oak floors, brown leather and chunky fabrics, this venue is heavenly. There are three rooms available for private dining, and a large library room perfect for a drinks party or as an after-party chill out. This venue does not come cheap, but you can be assured that you’re in for a treat! (Contact Hotel Du Vin on 0117 925 5577).

And finally, if none of this sounds like your kind of thing, how about making the most of the latest student offers at TeamSport and go Go-Karting (Avonmouth Way, BS11 9YA). The centre is new to Bristol and boasts a brand new fleet of 200cc petrol carts- which reach 40mph. The centre is currently offering a student deal of £20 per person for 30 minutes track time. It will take you around 20 minutes to reach TeamSport by car from the city centre, so you will need to arrange transport for this one.

(Contact TeamSport Bristol on 08444 108 108 or info@team-sport.co.uk)

Disability Awareness Week at UWE

> Society aims to raise awareness with series of events in March

Jessica Winter

life@westerneye.net

E

quality in the law is improving, thanks to the Equality Act 2010, which aims to consolidate all types of Equality Legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 into one act. Equality legislation affects everyone and everybody. I doubt that a person cannot fall in one of the non protected characteristics: age, religion/belief, race, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender reassignment and marriage and civil partnership. At the One Society Many Cultures event that took place on the 8th February 2011 one of the last speakers made that point by saying things such as ‘stand up if you are black; white; Asian’ etc and eventually went through most of the protected characteristics in the act.

We learnt several things from this activity: firstly everyone is affected by this act in some way or other; secondly we all managed to identify with one another which made us feel somehow connected even though some of us had never even spoken to one another.

Due to the revolution of equality many student groups have formed at UWE such as religious groups,

international groups, OUTUWE society and the Disability Awareness Student Society. It just so happens most of these groups next year will be networks due to the changes in the UWESU constitution. Perhaps this constitution is linking all groups that represent equality in one way or another. We are all of the belief in a right to be equal and for minority groups to stand up for ourselves.

Last month we had the LGBT month at UWE. This was a time when people who had not ‘come out of the closet’ could, and those who had could know how they truly felt about themselves.

I am treasurer for the Disability Awareness Student Society and our aim is to make more people aware of disabilities and increase understanding of those people who either have a disability or have relatives with a disability. If you’re a Glenside student I am sure this society would be of interest to you due

to the work you do with people who have severe disabilities at hospitals.

The Disability Awareness Society is currently setting up a Disability Awareness Week at UWE Bristol from the 14th - 18th March, 2011. We are linking up with the Equality and Diversity Unit who are in the process of launching their disability initiative due to the result of the Equality Act 2010 which directly affects us as students at UWE. We have various groups of activities that will be held during the week and would encourage each of you to come to at least one of our events or even more.

Monday 14th March 7pm Well Being and Living Centre (the Octagon).

A debate on one of the following motions a) This house proposes that we abolish disability funding and support in UK Universities b) This house believes that the UK Educational system fails to provide adequate support for disabled youth. c) This house thinks that if disabled students cannot get into university by the same standards typical students go through, then they shouldn’t go to university.

Decide on what you want to see by sending a vote of A, B or C to disability. awareness.society@gmail.com by the

10th March: Tuesday 15th March, 6 pm Scene it Cinema (2D07).

1) Children of Lesser God 2) My Name is Kahn 3) Gattaca Send a vote of 1, 2 or 3 to disability. awareness.society@gmail.com by the 10th March to choose what’s shown.

Wednesday 16th March We are planning to have a sports event in the afternoon and a social event in the evening. Details of which are still to be confirmed. Therefore I recommend that you join our Facebook group for more details: UWESU Disability Awareness Society.

Thursday 17th March We are planning to run workshops during the day, details of which can be found on our Facebook page: UWESU Disability Awareness Society Friday 18th March Disability Conference, 6pm, Glendenning lecture theatre (2D67).

A conference inviting a variety of representatives from different universities and charities to give talks on disabilities and equality.

I hope you can come to at least one activity and if you wish to get involved in organising any of these events come to our next meeting in the Well Being and Living Centre on Thursday 17th March at 6pm.

SU & Life 9

WesternEye 07.03.2011

Degrees and trees Newsdesk

life@westerneye.net This week UWE students have been involved in celebrating the 10th anniversary of national Student Volunteering Week. A variety of events and activities have been taking place across campus, including the 2nd year of the V-fest volunteering festival which featured local voluntary organisations, free soup for your friends created by a bike pedal powered blender, a fundraising cake sale, balloons, an Oxfam clothes swap and creating art for a local children’s centre.

Wednesday saw the launch of the Degree Tree project with some student volunteers planting trees by car park 19. If you are graduating this year why not donate £3 to plant your very own degree tree! Kirsty Smith, who first dreamt up the project said: “I thought that if every graduating student could plant a Degree Tree, it would both offset the paper they use during their degree, and help promote sustainability among other students”.

Photo: Ian Chittick

> 10th anniversary of student volunteering marked at UWE

The trees will be planted in Malawi by the Bristol based charity Temwa and in future also in the UK. The project, kick-started by one student’s idea and funded by UWE’s Better Together Fund, resulted in 6,000 trees (one for every graduating student last year) being planted in Malawi. The trees will

grow fruit for the local community and help with education and community development.

The project is now being developed by another student, Chloe Langham studying Geography and Environment, supported by UWE Volunteering and the Better Together fund team. If you would like to get involved and to find out more please visit: www.uwe. ac.uk/degree-tree Helen Seacombe, Students’ Union Volunteer Support Officer said “The Degree Tree project is a great way for graduating students to benefit their international community and make a small difference to the environment through their donations.” A team of 20 student volunteers also got their hands dirty on Saturday to renovate a local school’s outdoor area building vegetable patches and a fire pit.

Volunteering can boost your CV, teach you new skills, allow you to interact with new people, be lots of fun and more!

For more information on volunteering see: www.uwe.ac.uk/ volunteer and http://www.uwesu. org/get_involved/volunteering

The perils of the dating game

> Sweaty palms, forced conversation and making an absolute tit of yourself; student advice in the minefield of courtship

Sarah Adams

adams291@hotmail.co.uk

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hen it comes to dating we all feel a bit lost when it comes to the opposite sex. How we interact with the other gender appears to depend on a number of factors; do girls with 30JJ sized boobs in a lycra dress actually turn a guy on? Do females swoon at a man wearing a checked shirt and skinny jeans?

nowhere. James Web, 22, studies Journalism and Criminology and says “chat up lines never work, I usually just buy the girl a drink and that’s normally fine”. However, 19 year old Safia Yallaoui, studying Journalism, Media and Cultural studies, says “if a guy ever uses a chat up line on me I just think ‘get a life’. They’re just so annoying and cheesy”. When playing the dating game, the best advice is just to try and find a common interest and enjoy the flirting.

Bald on bald action

Gail Wilson SRC Vice President Time really flies as a President, and with just over 4 months left in office there is still lots I want to get done before July. Firstly, I have just completed a report into students’ experience of the Graduate Development Program, compiling data from the National Student Survey and Student Experience Survey plus student feedback from Student Representatives Council. This has been presented to the University and actions are being taken to hopefully improve GDP. I am also on the project group working to develop online submission on Blackboard; our goal is to make the system as student-friendly as possible, delivering real improvement from current papersubmissions feedback processes.

I’m also organising the 6th annual Student Rep Awards, now confirmed for the 6th April at the Thistle Hotel.

Rep Awards is the night where we celebrate all the amazing hard-work and achievements of our student and halls reps over a glass of sparkling wine in our best frocks! More details on how to buy tickets and nominate for awards will be available soon.

I will also be working with the rest of the Presidential team to continue to try and improve communication to students, making use of blogs, video, facebook and Hub radio to let you know what we are up to and how you can get involved. We are also working on finishing an online policy database which will be easy to search and provide updates on policy passed, making the SU more democratic and accountable.

We also have to make sure the new constitution is ready for implementation in July, ensuring our democratic structures are ready to change, students know what is happening and we have the support necessary for the new positions.

Finally, as I’m sure you have noticedits Election time! Once the dust settles I want to make sure that the new Vice President Education and Education Officer get a great handover and have all the insider knowledge so they can do a great job in 2011/12.

“

You have to avoid awkward silences at all costs...

Let’s examine the world of dating in chronological order...You’ve arrived at the bar and been struck dumb by the love of your life; we form an opinion of someone within a few seconds of clapping eyes on them. In the past it was just the girls who were the overly vain ones, but now it seems guys are joining in on the action too.

So what style works for us? Jamie Anderson, 20, studies English and Journalism and believes “if the girl’s good looking it doesn’t really matter what she’s wearing, Jessica Alba would still look hot wearing a bin bag.” According to 18 year old Rosa Sherwood, it’s a different story; the Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies student believes that “a guy who looks stylish and cool wearing designer clothes” is the look to make her head turn. As students, maybe designer attire isn’t an option, but it does prove how times have changed and that guys now prim their hair and enjoy shopping just as much as girls.

It would seem that the stereotype is officially dead.

Now, back to the bar: you’re making your way over to the object of your desire, and suddenly realise you have to interact with them. Small talk can be tough enough during an actual date, and now you need to somehow spark up a conversation from

So, the guy or girl has said yes to a date, and the choice of location is your first chance to show them what you’re made of. A first date can reveal a lot about the type of person who planned it; Geography student Will Harvey, 22, admits “I would take her out for a casual drink at a nice bar because it’s relaxed and you can get to know each other”.

In general it seems we want somewhere we can feel at ease, which isn’t surprising request really - you’re essentially talking about new things with a stranger, and taking them to a place you know well means you can control at least one aspect of the date. On the other end of the scale, 20 year old English and Journalism student Emillie Forrest Jones says “I’d probably choose to go to the cinema. Then you don’t need to talk and afterwards you can just talk about the film. You have to avoid awkward silences at all costs”.

Now, the last phase of the game has come. Even if you’ve survived the whole night without spitting out food, snorting when laughing or punching an usher, not many of us are clear about how to deal with the big finish.

Lean in for the kiss, or not? Invite them in for the symbolic coffee?

The end of a date is a minefield of potential embarrassment and rejection. Christina Smith, 22, who studies English and History, thinks that “a peck on the cheek is fine. You want to play hard to get a little, and if the other person had fun then they will definitely get in touch!” However, Russell Heideman, studying Product Design, reckons “just go for it! If they are into you, then great, and if not then at least you know.”

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UNIT-5318-11 Bris-Western-Eye.indd 1

26/01/2011 11:41

SU & Life 11

WesternEye 07.03.2011

Moonlighting for mercy

“

> Being able to talk to a fellow student when times are hard is an invaluable commodity, and one charity offers a friendly ear throughout the night for any student in need. WesternEye spends a night with one of the volunteers... life@westerneye.net

T

oothbrush - check. Modest pyjamas - check. Large volumes of deodorant - check I step out into the night and keep my head down as I briskly walk to the Nightline flat, hoping not to be spotted by an acquaintance earnestly beginning their two hour queue for the questionable delights of a night at Lounge. If questioned, the excuse of a sleep-over would be unlikely to hold weight, and the strict confidentiality policy of Nightline prevents me from revealing my true destination for the night. I opt for a route that avoids the stilettos and cigarettes of Whiteladies, more importantly for the purposes of avoiding recognition and the implausible lies that would follow.

Lights on. Heating on. Kettle on.

Phone line switched on. Computer on. Kettle boiled. Answer machine messages checked and logged.

Apparently Nightline has won a week’s cruise in the Caribbean; regretfully I fear the budget won’t stretch to calling the premium rate phone line required to claim it.

The Nightline flat, its location a closely guarded secret, is the HQ from which every night of term, between 8pm and 8am, a pair of trained student volunteers spend the night answering phone calls from fellow students.

As a ‘listening service’ we primarily offer non-directive assistance and an opportunity for callers to talk to someone in confidence who won’t judge them or probe beyond their comfort levels.

Although our beds for the night are on opposite sides of the room my fellow Nightliner and I convene in the gender-neutral centre of the room next to the phones. We settle down with a cup of coffee and start the inevitable overdose on sugar-loaded

Our conversation is informal and relaxed, the pace and tone controlled by the person phoning

treats that will form the basis of our nutrition for the night. Kit-Kats and coffee are essential to being able to answer the phone at 5am.

I drop my Kit-Kat, losing it into the indeterminable depths of my coffee as the deafening telephone rings.

MARCH Mon 7th

Monday Lock In - Escape- Frenchay SU, 5pm-close Monday Lock In: St. Matt’s SU,5pm-close, free.

Monday Lock In: Glenside SU, 5pm-close, free.

Zoology: Thekla, 10pm-3am, £3

Mon 14th Monday Lock In - Escape- Frenchay SU, 5pm-close Monday Lock In: St. Matt’s SU,5pm-close, free.

Monday Lock In: Glenside SU, 5pm-close, free.

Zoology: Thekla, 10pm-3am, £3

Mon 21st Monday Lock In - Escape- Frenchay SU, 5pm-close Monday Lock In: St. Matt’s SU,5pm-close, free.

Monday Lock In: Glenside SU, 5pm-close, free.

Zoology: Thekla, 10pm-3am, £3

I stifle my disappointment, sure in the knowledge that the caller will have a far less trivial problem than a soggy biscuit they wish to discuss.

Our conversation is informal and relaxed, the pace and tone controlled by the person phoning. That call was from a student struggling with their workload, a problem I felt I could relate to all too well as we each try to manage our flow of work and other opportunities university presents us with. After a while, hopefully feeling a little reassured, he hangs up.

The next caller fears her housemate may have an eating disorder. The caller after that wants to talk about the loss of his grandparent. At 3:30am a fresher asks for the University security phone number as he’s locked himself out. He puts in a secondary request for the contact details of a pizza delivery company that might make his wait more bearable and satiate his post-Lounge hungers too.

I sit back for an hour, finding some time in the still of the night to relax.

I make a futile attempt to start the dust-ridden novel that’s lain dormant

What Nightline do...

The clue to welfare services is in the name: their function is to advise students that seek their help. They can inform individuals about the relevant options available, offer ongoing support and, where necessary, help the student to seek further assistance.

But what about the problems without a straight forward solution? What if the waiting time to see someone to talk to is too long? Dealing with university life is not always as simple as walking into a clinic and following the recommended action.

Nightline takes on a wholly unique role in the midst of all of these welfare provisions in that it is the only confidential, non-advisory, nondirective service available, and it is open every night of term.

The jargon boils down to this: Nightline is there to listen, to help you talk through your problems and to provide information. Nightliners do not judge or offer direct advice. They maintain absolute anonymity and utmost confidentiality. Not everyone has the skills required to be a Nightliner, and only those who qualify undergo the rigorous training required to answer calls.

There is no such thing as a typical Nightline call. Some people will call and chat for hours about their feelings, concerns and expectations, while others may not want to talk much at all and will simply take solace in knowing that someone is present on the other end of the phone. In this way, the charity is incredibly important because it provides a unique type of conversation for people who simply cannot face any other kind of discussion.

If a caller would like to talk through their options, the Nightliner will help guide them while being non-advisory and non-directive. Likewise, it is a little known fact that we can also provide information from a database of phone numbers available to callers on request, ranging from welfare organisations to how you can satisfy your stuffed crust pizza cravings at three in the morning.

Nightline works for all students each night from 8pm till 8am and lends an ear to thousands of students across the country each year.

Enough about us, let’s talk about you. Our number is on the back of your student card.

Photo: George Rowe

A. Volunteer

Tue 8th

St Matts Question Time for Campus Officers at 12pm Movie Night at Glenside 7pm – Close Cocktail Night-8pm Escape bar-Frenchay Pool Comp at St Matts 8pm – Close

Tue 15th Battle of the Bands at St Matts 8pm – Close Film Night at Glenside 7pm – Close

Tue 22nd Pool Comp at St Matts 8pm – Close Film Night at Glenside 7pm – Close

beside my bed for the last two years of my undergraduate studies, persistently maligned by the more tempting offers of iPlayer. Predictably, twenty minutes later, I’ve given up.

The phone rings again. It’s 4.30am.

I recognise the voice from a call earlier in the evening. She’s been thinking about some of the things we’d said earlier in the night and has thought of a couple of solutions she wants to talk through. We chat through until sunrise.

8am. I turn up my collar and step out into the silence of the morning, perhaps tired, but in the knowledge that I’ve helped somebody else avoid a sleepless night...

If you would like to get in touch with Nightline, simply use the number on the back of your UWESU membership card.

If you want to get involved and volunteer with Nightline, please email: nightline@bristol.ac.uk

Students’ Union

what’s on at your...

Wed 9th

Thu 10th

Quiz Night at St Matts Movie Night at St Matts – 7pm – Close 7:30 – Close Battle of The bands at Glenside 7pm – Close

Pool Comp at Glenside 8pm – Close Battle of the Bands Heat 1-Red bar- Frenchay-8pm

Wed 16th Quiz Night at St Matts 7:30 – Close Pool Comp at Glenside 8pm – Close

Wed 23rd Quiz Night at St Matts 7:30 – Close Pool Comp at Glenside 8pm – Close

Thu 17th Movie Night at St Matts – 7pm – Close Quiz Night at Glenside 7:30pm – Close Open Mic Night- Frenchay

Thu 24th Movie Night at St Matts – 7pm – Close Quiz Night at Glenside 7:30pm – Close Battle of the Bands Semi Final-Red bar 8pm

Fri 11th

Sat 12th

Flirt! – The UK’s No.1 Student Night RED 10pm – Close Free Entry DJ JNo

Fri 18th

Eton and Haze Quiz: 8pm £1 per person on

Pub Quiz In Escape from 7.30pm £1 per person (maximum team 6 people) Win up

to £100!

Sat 19th

Flirt! –RED 10pm – Close Free Entry DJ JNo St Patricks Day Party at St Matt 5pm - Close St Patricks Day Party at Glenside 5pm – close

Fri 25th Flirt! – The UK’s No.1 Student Night RED 10pm – Close Free Entry DJ JNo

Sun 13th

Sun 20th Eton and Haze Quiz: 8pm £1 per person

Pub Quiz In Escape from 7.30pm £1 per person (maximum team 6 people) Win up to

£100!

Sat 26th

Sun 27th Eton and Haze Quiz: 8pm £1 per person Pub Quiz In Escape from 7.30pm £1 per person (maximum team 6 people) Win up to

£100!

Comment &

Debate

The state of denial

> With the Egyptian army passing a draft of constitutional amendments to be submitted for a national referendum, the country, and indeed most of the Middle East, remains in turmoil. What is next for the region, and at what cost?

Photo: Kodak Agfa (cc)

Vicki Ward comment@ westerneye.net

U

ntil February 11, Hosni Mubarak was the final representative of the way the West did business, but after eighteen days of protests and riots he finally stood down from his ruling position and Egypt fell into the hands of the military.

The repercussions of this fall have felt all over the Middle East, from Bahrain to Libya, who are brutally repressing protests using tear gas and other dubious means, legitimately imported from Britain.

However, the British company NMS has defended its business practice, stating that the armoured, heavy duty vehicles they sold to Libya were not designed to be used in any hostile fashion, but instead to safely transport police officers.

In the last four years the company have sold ten of the vehicles to Libya, and were also hired to train the Libyan police force in the use of ‘non-lethal weapons’, including teargas canister launchers. A interesting definition of non-lethal, then.

A director of the company said that they only taught the Libyan police in accordance with the British policing system; methods which involved not carrying any lethalweaponry and giving protesters “lots and lots of warning” before more forceful weapons were employed.

Despite these assertions, riots in Egypt, Libya and Bahrain have been brutally contained. On the February 18, a video depicting peaceful protesters walking down a road in Bahrain was uploaded to YouTube. As soon as the protesters arrived within a short distance of a blockade on the road, they came under attack from police. Yet more civilians to add to the rapidly rising overall death toll number in the Middle East since the riots began.

Whilst Theresa May may have advocated the use of water cannons in December, they were, thankfully, unnecessary. The brutal tactics employed in the Middle East hardly sound like British policing tactics.

Kettling and the like may be wrong, but imagine if the British police opened fire on one of the peaceful student protests? Britain would be in a state of panic.

All of this uproar has resulted in the United Kingdom revoking arms export licenses to Libya for the time being which could potentially cause the country more problems, it may yet help to solve those of other countries. The protesters are confronting rulers who have been wooed by generations of Western

“

This is a crisis that involves an entire region. A crisis, it could be argued, of unprecedented scale

Proof: protesting - photoshop = win politicians, resulting in a challenge to a post-war foreign policy. Is now the time for a new era of shared values; an end to partisan national interest?

It remains to be seen what reaction this response would have, but Foreign Secretary William Hague has “promised” that export licenses will be closely scrutinised from now on and has called on Arab leaders to show restraint and reform. The noises coming from the UK are mixed. Aside from the terrible planning and execution of the evacuation, and Hague’s decision to shut the Embassy with Briton’s still in the country, these restraints on licenses could prove to be an effective solution, if a little late for the hundreds who have already died.

The real power though, as always, lies in Washington. The dilemmas that the Egyptian crisis has caused have been worrying for the administration at the White House, and it’s visible for all to see.

That Washington’s fingers are in may be coming back to haunt them once again. They’re already trying to solve everyone else’s problems, so do they have time for those of the Middle East? Quite frankly nobody knows at this point in time.

Egypt is now at an economic standstill, and protests continue in the streets. The military have politely asked for them to cease, but it seems unlikely that will work. The worrying thing is that no-one is sure of what steps they may take next.

In neighbouring Libya, the situation is getting progressively worse, with the country on the

brink of civil war. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader has lost almost all support with drastic results. The resulting footage of the riots have shocked the Western world; the same Western world whose countries supplied the Libyan army with their means of containment. Security forces have started to storm into the hideouts of protesters and there have been reports of the military using live ammunition in the numerous clashes.

With tens of thousands of migrant Egyptian workers trapped on the Libyan border with Tunisia, in is hard to argue that the riots and uprising can be contained to individual countries. This is a crisis that involves an entire region.

A crisis, it could be argued, or unprecedented scale.

Since February 17 at least two hundred and thirty-three people have died, although the Libyan government quickly defended this, claiming the numbers have been highly exaggerated. There are reports from several of the country’s cities which demonstrate that it is in fact in crisis. In Az-Zawiya, only twenty five miles from the country’s capital Tripoli, witnesses say police have fled, government buildings have been burnt down and the city is in the hands of rioters and looters.

David Cameron’s visit to Egypt on February 21, is the first of a world leader since Mubarak was toppled. However, as always, not is all as it seems. Cameron was already intending to visit the Middle East before all of the rioting took

place, but to discuss something far more ‘important’, Britain’s trade relationship with the Middle East.

Courteously, he decided to change the itinerary of his visit and will try to assist with the country’s chaotic crisis.

However, he has been attacked and criticised for this ‘ill-timed’ visit, with some exclaiming he should have cancelled. It is believed that Cameron will exploit the current situation in a bid to promote trade links. The same trade links, perhaps, which facilitated the sale of armaments to the Middle East.

Clearly he feels the region is lacking in that area.

Ironically, Cameron wasn’t even joined by the Defence minister Gerald Howarth on his trip, as he was preoccupied at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, which is aimed at governments in the Middle East and North Africa. Cameron was instead joined by people such as Rob Watson, regional director of Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce, for those who remain bemused by the luxury car marques involvement in any military matters, makes engines for numerous military aircraft.

It’s unsure what will happen now that Mubarak has been ousted, and no-one wants to think of how long these riots will continue for in Libya and Bahrain. As Ed Miliband noted in his column in The Observer, for a government in domestic crisis to reduce foreign policy into the pursuit of profit is at once hypocritical and deplorable in the extreme.

Debate 13

WesternEye 07.03.2011

Media, makeup and reality Suki Bentham comment@ westerneye.net In the media, the battle between the ‘real’ and the ‘fake’ rages on.

Adverts for ‘real’ men and programmes about these men are shown alongside products that rely on the claim that they, and only they, use ‘real’ women in their advertising (an excellent marketing tactic). These adverts come up against the ‘science’ of skincare (have you ever listened to an advert for moisturiser?) and the ever increasing cosmetic surgery promotions at the back of magazines and on television.

It’s only when you start questioning such campaigns that their serious flaws become apparent. What is a ‘real’ man?

Must he like sport? If this is the case, is rugby a sport ‘for real men’, in comparison with, say, football?.

Are ‘real men’ truly not afraid to show their emotions, even, dare I say it, cry? Or do ‘real’ men never act like such ‘girls’? What about crying at a football match (clearly rugby fans would never cry at a match): is this somehow allowed? Did Paul Gascoine’s tears in World Cup 1990 broaden the boundaries of public emotion for men? Weekend magazines discuss the Alpha male; the metrosexual; the man ‘in touch with his emotions’

and the (often heavily stereotyped) gay man. All ‘types’ of men range in description and are often contrasted. But all are men. So which are ‘real’?

For women it is, arguably, more complex. The Dove campaign shows ‘real’ women… of all shapes, ages and sizes, moving away from the waif-like (one of the industry’s favourite phrases) models often used in fashion promotion. High Fashion is, of course, dominated by the aptly nicknamed ‘coat hangers’.

Despite protests, slimmer models will, I think, always be used to display the Seasons’ latest and greatest. Again: which women are ‘real’? Most would say those that ‘don’t starve themselves’ are true women and, having studied the female form a great deal, (read 25,000 Years Of Erotic Freedom), I would agree to an extent. It’s only in the last 30 years that much slimmer women have dominated photography and advertising. Years ago, larger, convex stomachs were considered features of the ‘real’ woman, as well as the -perhaps more expected- wide hips and full, round breasts.

Nudity aside (I’m sorry to say), the products that clothe us in various ways are perhaps all ‘fakeries’. Tattoos, hair dye and style, vajazzling (my new favourite word) and make up are all ways of portraying personality and of disguising ourselves: faking it, if you

“

Photo: KnobbyKneez (cc)

> As brands like Old Spice and Dove attempt to trade on the inconsistencies surrounding gender stereotypes, the debate surrounding gender typecasting rears its head. Does the alpha male even exist? And what are ‘real women’?

Makeup or fakeup? Can advertising lead to discontent, or worse, body dysmorphia?

I’m not quite sure how an eyelash colour can be sexualised… but somehow, marketers have managed it

like. It’s not uncommon to find bras which claim to ‘enhance’ assets by ‘TWO WHOLE’ cups: something I can perhaps understand in smaller sizes, but personally cannot fathom as a DD+. Yet there are still gelfilled and inflatable F cups, which, frankly, I find frightening. Similarly, lip glosses can no longer simply ‘gloss’ lips: they must now offer hours of plumping or ‘collagen’ effect, whilst moisturisers produce a ‘sun kissed’ look. The advertising that really fascinates me, however, is mascara promotion. I’m not quite sure how an eyelash colour

can be sexualised… but somehow, marketing experts have managed.

The ‘real’ woman aims to achieve the ‘false lash’ effect because, clearly, having longer, fuller, thicker, curled lashes means you’re sexier and more powerful. Yet all these adverts use fake ‘lash inserts’.

Confused?

It seems the twenty-first century woman should stick to what is ‘real’ and ‘natural’; yet, in order to better herself, she must fake it.

Which brings me on to orgasms.

Just kidding

Patriotism still reigns at the Six Nations

“

Khiam Barry comment@ westerneye.net

W

ho went crazy when Chris Ashton went over for his first try against Wales in the opening match of the Six Nations in Cardiff?

There is a fair chance that a few of you would have done, and no doubt those of you who are Welsh supporters would not have been so happy. Either way, you can’t help but be swept up in the emotion and passion that the games in the Six Nations create.

In the crowds at the venues throughout the tournament, from Paris to Rome, Dublin and Edinburgh, Cardiff or Twickenham, you are sure to find people donning something patriotic. A daffodil hat, a beret, a St Patrick’s hat, someone dressed an English knight, a Scottish hat on top of a ginger wig or an Italian with their tricolour painted on their face.

This passion or national pride is enhanced by the fact that the six nations is a competition, with each nation vying to win all of their games and so win the championship and the grand slam. Even if you lose a game,

It’s no secret there is an Anglo-Welsh rivalry

the incentive is still there to win the remainder of the games with the ‘triple crown’, another trophy available to win for the ‘home nations’. Also, there’s the wooden spoon, the title that no team wants, awarded to the team that loses all of their games.

For this reason, the incentive is there for each nation to compete in every game regardless of previous results in the competition.

To suggest that they would do otherwise would be insulting to the twenty two players representing their country, all very proud men, some of whom are not afraid to shed a tear whilst singing their respective anthems before a game.

This national pride is shared by both fans and players, and the intensification of this patriotism in the build up to a big test match is huge, and the passion of the

respective supporters contagious.

Take the build up to the opening game of this year’s tournament; England’s fullback Ben Foden made comments along the lines of England being the older brother of Wales coming to Cardiff to teach them a lesson. This of course did not go down too well in Wales and the Welsh head coach Warren Gatland’s comments about England hooker Dylan Hartley being England’s weak link, all added spice to an already mouth watering contest.

It is no secret that there is an intense Anglo-Welsh rivalry, and a rivalry between England and every other team in the tournament for that matter. History and past encounters between the respective countries account for these rivalries and the supporters always want to win the bragging rights for the bar after the game. For the home nations that make up the British Isles, it is a chance for them to directly compete against one another, not something seen in most other sports in a major competition, to show how good they are in their own right. It is this national pride and unreserved patriotism that makes the Six Nations such a great tournament.

Photo: Walt Jabsco

> The Six Nations is thundering toward its conclusion, and the patriotism it inspires is more apparent than ever before.

Few other European competitions can claim to match the tournament for pure, unadulterated national pride

Chariot hatred aside, Wales were roundly trounced in Cardiff

14 Debate

WesternEye 07.03.2011

Keys & Gray: sexism and stupidity Michael Hart comment@ westerneye.net

P

rehistoric and out of touch yes, but I’ll still miss Gray and Keys.

Disgraced former Sky Sports host Richard Keys identified ‘dark forces’ working behind the scenes at Sky that prevented himself and Andy Gray from making public their apology to Sian Massey, the female referee’s assistant at the centre of Football’s latest scandal.

In an interview with TalkSport (before the broadcaster employed them), Keys claimed that this made any chance of reprieving his job untenable.

“Having done that [apologised, I] asked could we make people aware of the fact that we both had a conversation and that both parties felt it was best to move. I was told ‘No’”.

For those who don’t know, the short story is that Keys and Gray, Sky Sports hosts, questioned Ms. Massey’s ability to do her job because she is a woman, and were stupid enough to keep their microphones on whilst doing so.

However, it is important to remember that when all the poking and probing surrounding the

controversy has finished, we will be left with one incontrovertible fact, that we will forget however many vengeful enemies they may have trodden on to reach the top of their now fallen Sky Sports empire. Whatever the rashness of Gray’s decision to sue the News of the World and BSkyB share holder Rupert Murdoch for alleged phone hacking, they do only have themselves to blame.

Along with Soccer Saturday host Jeff Stelling, Keys and Gray were the pillars of the sports broadcasting company that for all intensive purposes ‘owns’ football.

Yet, by their own admission they were practitioners of “lads’ mag” banter who, by the sounds of it, would not be out of place should jobs on the testosterone fuelled channel Men and Motors become available.

However with adjectives such as ‘prehistoric’ and ‘boorish’ still reverberating, the pioneering work they represented as the two most visible front-men for Sky’s football coverage these last 20 years, not to mention their own talents as broadcasters must not be forgotten. In truth, Gray’s match day analysis could sometimes pall. His work however still shone compared to fellow Sky pundit Jamie ‘Gareth Bale literally has

Photo: James Cridland

>Decent pundits are hard to come by, with the market saturated by mono-syllabic ex-players. In Richard Keys and Andy Gray, Sky had a winning formula. Whilst their conduct was inexcusable, will the broadcaster live to regret its decision?

Fired for sexism, but the interview with TalkSport? Smashed it. three lungs’ Redknapp and the BBC’s embodiment of stating the bleeding obvious Alan Shearer.

Redknapp has since appeared in a Nintendo Wii advert where he openly mimics the duo’s “Smashed it” antics, a move which could best be described as tasteless, and at worst as disrespectful to his peer’s contributions to sports

broadcasting as Keys and Gray’s comments were to Miss Massey.

Gray and Keys pioneered the use of technologies ranging from the complex, such as measuring the distance and speed of a shot to the technological advances that saw the score line and clock appear in the corner of the screen.

It is indeed difficult to recall a time

before Sky Sports controlled live football and a time before Keys and Gray guided you through from first whistle to last.

Of course some viewers of the beautiful game and more particularly non-viewers will disagree, but I for one don’t mind admitting that I will miss the Keys and Gray double act.

The dangers of protest apathy

> Every cause worth its salt seems to have marched on, or set fire to, something recently. Stocks of cardboard are running dangerously low, as placard creation levels rise to unprecedented levels. Frankly, it’s all got a little bit dull... comment@ westerneye.net It was the straw which broke the camels back, and I don’t take that saying lightly. My family keep camelids after all.

I sympathise with our lecturers.

In fact, I’m going to go all out and say I support UCU. Sorry Steve, but cutting huge reams of our lecturing staff doesn’t actually make much sense to me, no matter how much sugar you coat it with, or how many times you blame the government.

It would be nice if you could grow a pair and take some responsibility for your actions, rather than passing the buck, but never mind.

Back to my crippled camel though. It wasn’t a Eureka moment.

There was no flash of lightening.

No thunderclap. All it took was an imaginary line and a poorly timed gathering of angry Italian women.

It was St.Matts what done it. I hate blaming St. Matts. I love St. Matts. It’s like your great aunt who wets herself at family occasions. It’s decrepit, perennially cold, nothing works, and such is its resilience to closure that it could happily write a three tome epic on coffin dodging.

Nonetheless, it was St.Matts’ fault, and all because I “crossed a picket line”.

Protestors in Belize, circa 2005, before it was a bit...passé Photo: Belizean

Henry Stoneley

“

Protests should be regulated with quotas. If you’re not going to set fire to a historic building, at least sacrifice a goat

Actually, I didn’t. I went to the library. But f*ck me sideways was I made to feel like scum for doing so. I’m sorry for crossing the picket line. It was in the way. There was no political motive behind it.

Unfortunately, this had another effect. At that precise moment I stopped caring about any kind of protest. It wasn’t UCU’s fault. As I’ve already said, I support the union, and their action. It’s just that protests have become, well, a little bit dull. Everyone has been so busy protesting recently that they’ve ceased to mean anything.

It was all going so well to start with. The protests seemed purposeful, angry, full of meaning.

Fire extinguishers aside, the student protests had the country sat up and watching. Those of us

sensible enough to look beyond the mainstream press found a wealth of support for the majority of their actions. Stuff got set on fire.

There were fights. Something nasty happened to a horse. It was all a bit medieval. This was old school protesting. This was exciting.

Then along came Egypt. They put us to shame. Over here placards were hastily hidden, fires were rapidly extinguished, and the river of anger dried to a pathetic trickle.

Suddenly protesting didn’t seem worth it. Nobody here was dying, or burning themselves alive. Egypt’s protests made ours look pointless.

We’d been going on like spoilt school children demanding more money from our strained parental state, while our neighbours were trying to stab their own motherland in the neck. Our protests were a bit wet.

Pathetically most of trudged back to Twitter. Veni, Vidi, #Egyptoutdidus But it took the Italians to hammer the final nail in the credibility of protesting. Normally any straight male would be pretty excited by the site of thousands of impassioned Italian women in the same square. This was a protest against the undignified ways of Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi. For those who don’t know, Berlusconi is a combination of Hugh Heffner & Rupert Murdoch & similarly Neanderthal views on women’s

rights to most former Sky football pundits. Logically I should hate him.

I don’t though. He’s hilarious. His list of recent antics reads like the plot of a porno film, and he’s in charge of a massive EU country. Genius.

And that’s where the protest failed.

Thousands of women gathering in different piazzas across the land and shouting his name whilst carrying placards with his name on it (however negative) isn’t going to make him think twice. It’s going to give him a hard-on.

Protesting has been returned to the hands of those who made us hate it in the first place. The kind of people whose points are undoubtedly valid, but have been so relentlessly droned into your ears over the last few years that you’d rather be talked at by Richard Littlejohn for half an hour. Trust me, I get it, you’re right. Stop telling me, I’m happy as a sheep. Apathy is comforting. Conforming even sounds like comforting. Baa. There is a remedy though.

Protesting should come with quotas and stipulations. If nobody is actually going to die, then you at least have to sacrifice a goat. Oh, and somebody has to burn something, anything, in a disused oil drum. It’s not a strike until there’s an oil drum on fire.

Will someone please, please set fire to something?

ELECTION SPECIAL .

Meet the Candidates...

Who will get your vote?

Voting takes place: Mon 7th to Fri 11th March

16 Election special

WesternEye 07.03.2011

President

Colin Offler

Wil Harris

Sam Barnard

Hello, my name is Colin and I am your current SRC President. Before I got elected I was an Education Studies student with a vision to make an impact on UWE. I play Ice Hockey, cocktail bar flair and as a person I am driven by change and opportunity. I believe that University is more than just a hub for studying; it is an experience. I want to continue to make that experience better. Over the last year I have made UWE take some big steps forwards. The 8.30am starts have been scrapped, the 24hour window brought back and UWE have invested in our libraries and recycling provision. I have made UWE hand out more bursaries than ever before and had them freeze the price of Ulink.

But there is still more to do and I believe I am the person to do it. Vote Colin - making things happen.

Manifesto It is time the University recognise and act upon the issues that affect students. UWE must ensure that all courses and activities are treated equally because we are all paying the same extortionate fees to be here.

We need a strong Students’ Union to make this happen. I am the person to continue to lead that voice. I will constantly remind UWE that you’re not just a student number.

It is crucial that our Students’ Union is accessible to you at all times so that you can express your voice and have your say. I will make sure that door is open. I will also make sure module criticism is listened to, student feedback acted upon and contact time is maximised. I will ensure UWE improves our car parks, focusing initially on Car Park 20. I will

make certain that the Ulink is made more frequent, flexible and reliable and cycling provision will continue to improve. Our campuses will be more comfortable and learning spaces more inspiring and dynamic.

Recycling provision and sustainability will continue to grow and you will get cheaper deals on campus. I will also bring together UWE management and students so we can hold the University to account.

I am committing to running an election campaign talking about student issues and our future.

If elected as Students’ Union President I will continue to focus on getting honesty, respect and clear communication from UWE. Our Union will be a powerful voice.

Vote Colin - making things happen.

As a UWE student over the past 3 years I have been afforded the opportunity to experience a lot, all thanks to my University and SU. I have been lucky enough to spend 2 years as a Governor of the University, allowing me to see development of the highest order, including the purchase of HP. I have been Vice-President of UWE Snowsports, a role that I will never forget. Nothing has been so much fun, all be it hard work at times and now am campaigns officer for the SU Sports Executive. I have fully enjoyed studying Law and all-in-all have had the time of my life at UWE. I feel it is time for me to give something back, by drawing on my skills from Uni and from extra curricular activity I feel I can represent students better than anyone and make for a truly great (words cut – exceeded limit)

Manifesto There are dark clouds looming for education nationwide and it is important that the person in the position of Union President is truly ready to step up to the challenges that face us. It is my intention to ensure that the student populous is heard loud and clear and that students true feelings are represented.

Firstly I will ensure that all is being done with regards to education cuts to keep and improve upon the quality of learning offered by UWE. To fight to keep contact hours with lectures up in the light of looming cuts. To fight for the less represented subjects to keep them an equal to the core subjects of the university and to ensure that all students get the degree they want and deserve.

To put forward the students opinion on what should be done with the new HP land, so much planning has already happened and most student don’t even know, let alone have an input on what is happing there. I will make sure your thoughts are represented to the Board of Governors.

I will listen to what the student body wants, my ideas are exactly that, my ideas and not necessarily what the student populous desires. I am here to show you that the student body can and will be represented to the very highest order.

In closing I am here for you, the student to make sure you enjoy what should be some of the best years of your life Vote Wil

I am a human being. I have needs, wants and interests similar to those of most other human beings. I am genuinely just like you, unless you live in a mansion with a swimming pool. Then I’m nothing like you. I want to live a fulfilled existence of social interaction with the growth of knowledge through discussion. I like a breadth of music, not all. Everyone else seems to like all music, I don’t believe them. I have an observational interest in politics but since the ConDem government it’s become clear that the public voice must be proactive and so I live up to this. I can do this, that and the other yet most of these things I can do everyone usually seems to laud as some exceptional set of skills that lend themselves to the role so I may as well just say “ditto to the person above”.

Manifesto I pledge that, if elected, I will do whatever management tells me. I will pass on their message to the student as best I possibly can, using the best of my rhetoric and hyperbole to make it sound as motivationally uplifting as possible despite the destruction it’s causing to the university system. I will aid them as best possible in turning the place of learning into the market place. I will make sure that when you go to the bar you’re forced to listen to music you don’t want to listen to and watch TV adverts that have no relevance to your lives.

I will do my best to buy a clown suit so that when I go to governor meetings I can wear it, to show what a mockery of student politics I’d be making. I will bring a horn, for when I disagree with what’s being said, and

a bell, for when I agree with what’s being said. The horn won’t be used much; dissent leads to questions and complications and that could take time and effort away from making sure the student body is kept nullified and content.

Above all, I will make the buses run on time. Late buses are really annoying and easily fixed by making a pledge in your manifesto. The bus management aren’t really doing anything about it already, Clearly they need me, with no prior experience, to come in and fix the Bristol road network for them.

- Make our Students’ Union a commanding voice for students, getting respect and honesty from UWE. - Guarantee module criticism is listened, student feedback acted upon and our contact time maximised.

- Ensure stronger, ecofriendly, non-spam and clear communication between students and UWE. - Get a well deserved fair deal for part-time, postgraduate, mature and international students.

- Continue to improve transport provision - more reliable busses, proper cycle storage and better car-parks.

- Maintain upon the level of contact hours offered by UWE by facing the education cuts.

- Represent your thoughts on the development of the HP land (Swimming pool?)

- Continue to tackle transport issues plaguing UWE - Work closely with Sport/ Societies to keep high level of student participation.

- Represent your views on the topics you consider most important.

- Do what management says.

Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir.

- Copy management rhetoric, use their slogans, pass on their messages.

- Dress like a clown occasionally, because student politics is all a big joke anyway.

- Don’t feel like voting me? At least I’m not making claims I can’t keep.

- Buses, buses, buses. Ok my last point may not have been wholly accurate.

Or No Suitable Candidate for any position

www.uwesu.org/vote

Monday 7th March at 10am to Friday 11th March at 3pm

Election special 17

WesternEye 07.03.2011

VICE-PRESIDENT COMMUNITY & WELFARE

Matthew Driver

Louise Goux-Wirth

Tom Renhard

Jason ‘J’ Yannacopoulos

Hi, my name is Matthew Driver and I am a second year Psychology student.

I am already involved at UWE in various ways. I am the chairman of the Halls Representatives and a Marketing Officer for the Student Volunteering Executive Committee. Both of these roles allow me to engage with current students, which is something I enjoy greatly. As well as my involvement with current students, I am also a Student Ambassador for the Faculty for Health and Life Sciences, speaking to prospective students at open days and other events. Helping people find the right university for them has been both enjoyable and rewarding.

Outside of the university I am involved in various charities and campaigns. I work a lot in the field of mental health as this is something I am extremely interested in.

UWE has helped change me and now I want to help change UWE.

Hi UWE - I’m Louise, currently finishing my degree in Education Studies. I believe that student welfare is so important to our wellbeing and our academic success - but that UWE and the Students’ Union haven’t got it right yet. I am the person to change that and make it happen. So far in my student life I have represented UWE students at national conferences on student welfare, representation of women and student crime and safety.

I have been part of the UWE equality forum and I am currently doing work experience with the UWE equality & diversity unit. I was also the organiser of the “One Society Many Cultures Conference” event in February discussing issues about racism in our society. I understand student welfare, I understand this elected position and I have the drive and the skills to be

a strong leader within the Students’ Union. Vote LOUISE.

Hey I’m Tom! I am a very enthusiastic, motivated individual in the final year of my history degree. I have had many experiences during my university life, both positive and challenging.

I love to play sports including football, badminton and squash as well as being a part of the Live Music Society as its social secretary.

I spent a year on exchange in the USA whilst also studying Caribbean history and culture in Barbados for three weeks.

During my time in Virginia I became President of their history society, which helped to expand and improve my leadership qualities by teaching me better communication with a diverse group of people, which has made me a more cultured individual.

After the passing away of two of my friends suffering with depression over the last twelve months, I have become

deeply involved in improving available help for people struggling with mental health issues.

Hi there! My name is Jason Yannacopoulos, I am a sixth year student studying for a Masters in Intercultural Communication.

During my time at UWE I have been a Student Rep (twice), a Halls Rep, A President of a Society (Disability Awareness), Liberation Officer (Societies Executive) and part of the RAG team.

Before I came to UWE I was part of the Berkshire branch of the Dyspraxia Foundation, the Berkshire Autistic Society (member of the National Autistic Society) and was a Staff member of a youth club in my hometown of Maidenhead, Berkshire I have also taken part in a couple of demonstrations of Colin Newton’s ‘Circle of Friends’ Scheme in front of

worldwide Autism experts.

Manifesto UWE is a fantastic university and I want to make sure that all students get the most out of it. That is why if I am elected I aim to make sure that all students are treated equally. This means that irrespective of a student’s background or ability they should receive the same treatment and experience as every other individual.

I believe in the importance of the student voice and therefore it is imperative to continue support of the student newspaper and radio station.

The representative schemes must also be valued and where necessary improved upon as we must not fail to listen to students.

The student’s union has great

Manifesto The Vice President Community and Welfare position is absolutely crucial to the Students’ Union. It is impossible to ignore the fact there is a flip side to the glossy “student experience” that UWE sells. Ignored student welfare equals poor academic achievement. This position is all about communication and partnerships between students, our students’ union, student support services, accommodation services and the local community. These relationships must be successful; I will ensure that the services within our University are better signposted, more accessible and offer practical advice and support. The Students’ Union has the potential to truly act

Manifesto From firsthand experience I believe that there are serious problems with the way UWE as a whole communicates with us, the students. For this reason I intend to pursue the following policies concerning student welfare, as they are very close to my heart: To have more focused staff training at the university’s staff development days to improve recognition of student needs. This would work by building new strategies in identifying and helping struggling students as well as underrepresented student groups. This would dramatically improve the student experience in regards to welfare, mental health, equality and diversity.

Create an “Atlantic Triangle”

Manifesto Equality and Diversity: To ensure that UWESU remains a stable, diverse union for all students, I will support and promote the internal structure that allows all voices to be heard.

To do this I will: Form a Liberation Council, to support, encourage and listen to all Students’ and to ratify and welcome new ones and encourage and promote the events they put on and stabilise our ties with the Equality and Diversity Unit. Be open, harmonious, passionate and present at all times, so that any student can come to me with their issues Accommodation: Accommodation has been a topic for many years, if elected, I will ensure that all, campus

facilities across their campuses that students are not always aware of.

More promotion is needed of what is available to students as well as a more welcoming atmosphere to encourage people to use the facilities more.

Volunteering is extremely beneficial to students as it shows future employers that they have a genuine interest in their field and that they are hard working in general. Students need to be made aware of these opportunities.

Student’s health needs to take a priority as they are a high risk age group. UWE needs to improve its awareness campaigns of mental health issues and if elected this is something I hope to focus on.

Vote for Matthew Driver, because together we can.

- To make sure all students of any background or ability are treated equally.

- Continuing support to student media and maintaining the student voice.

- Increasing awareness of mental health issues that are most common amongst students.

- Maximising knowledge of student union facilities across all campuses.

- Promoting the benefits that volunteering can bring to students.

as a platform and turn any student’s idea into a reality. I will be open to students and support any individual who feels passionate about making things happen in our University. I will support under-represented students at UWE: Student parents; international students; part-time students; mature students and postgraduate students - all deserve a strong voice within the Students’ Union. I will work to broaden UWE’s community feel; I aspire to make it a more welcoming place for all students. With the current UWE funding cuts it is essential that student welfare is not forgotten.

If elected, I will: fight to ensure that a fair share of UWEs money is used to support students; create a safer University; improve students’ ownership of our campuses; empower UWE’s communities through building

capacity. I will make it happen. Vote LOUISE for Vice President Community and Welfare Officer.

between UWE, VCU, and the University of the West Indies, which would raise awareness and understanding of other cultures in a multicultural society such as ours.

Radically increase the visibility and availability of welfare services to International Students studying at or away from UWE to help them integrate into a new culture; reducing feelings of vulnerability and isolation.

I am strongly principled that any person should be able to feel safe and secure wherever they are so I will have a specialised self-defence class for women created to boost confidence and peace of mind, preparing them with basic skills in the rare event that they would ever need to utilise them.

No longer will the voices of students be ignored or our well being overlooked by the complex bureaucracy of our university.

It’s time for change! Vote for me, Tom Renhard, the man with the master plan!

or otherwise, are followed up and sorted out to their full extent. To do this I shall: Support and expand the Halls rep network, oppose any illegal flyering and/or promotion, promote Student Lettings and stabilise our ties with Accommodation Services.

Ensure any issues with Landlords are properly resolved Welfare: Welfare is a central issue to the Student’s Union. If elected initiatives will be taken to ensure the well-being and future for all students.

Leaflets will be produced to detail the consequences of irresponsible drinking and about graduation and going to the real world.

Volunteering: Volunteering has been part of the SU for quite some time but has been overlooked for too long. If

elected, I will promote Volunteering through advertisement methods.

Community: I will support and promote the development of a Student Community

- Ensure that the Students’ Union and UWE are accessible, approachable and accountable.

- Make the Students’ Union a platform - building students ideas and passion into reality.

- Be the champion and provide a voice for underrepresented students: postgraduates, student parents, part-time, mature (words cut exceeded limits) - Challenge the flip side of UWE’s glossy ‘Student Experience’ - student welfare won’t be forgotten.

- Guarantee practical and effective advice and support is available to all UWE students.

- Establish an “Atlantic Triangle” to heighten awareness of cultural diversity within UWE and wider community - Get staff better trained in recognising student needs by identifying and helping struggling students - Create a specialised self-defence class for female students - Radically increase availability of welfare services to International Students studying at or away from UWE - Work closely with student groups feeling the least represented, ensuring equality as a top priority

- The development of the Liberation Council is key to building the role.

- Supporting and developing the existing halls representative council.

- Continue supporting the wellbeing of all students.

- To strongly promote student volunteering and develop awareness in the future.

- Promote and support the student community in a positive and dynamic way.

18 Election special

WesternEye 07.03.2011

VICE-PRESIDENT EDUCATION

Chris Nelson

Olly Reid

Dom Mottram

Paul Saville

From Sixteen, I have worked from a Butcher in Tescos to managing high class Cocktail bars, with Silver Service waiting in between. All of these lines of work have required excellent communication skills, on all levels, which I believe to have attained. As clear concise communication, will be needed in this role to help get the students and the tutors opinions across, I think this will be a valuable asset. Through regular football I have honed my abilities to work excellently both on my own and as part of a team, improving my decision making skills along the way. Having run the half marathon last year, I proved to myself how much determination and drive I have. I have been my course rep since the second year, chairing Rep meetings at Bower Ashton and have

recently been asked by my module leaders to assist them in interviewing new students.

My name is Olly Reid. I’m 27 and a 3rd year student in Education Studies.

You may have noticed me hopping round on crutches with a metal leg like Forrest Gump, but now I’m ready to hit the ground running.

But here are some thing’s you probably don’t know about me!

I’m a Student Rep, Student Ambassador and I’ve been a Student Associate in addition to working in Core 24.

I have almost 7 years Management experience including being a Course Director for an International Education and Travel School.

I injured my knee representing AUWE FC and was a first team player for the Uni. That’s the serious stuff……..

I used to do ballet (but so did Ronaldo and look where it got him). I once

dressed up as Scary Spice (ok maybe twice). And I love good bit of Banter Vote for Olly + Reidesign UWE Education

Hi, I’m Dom a third year Geography student and the current elected Frenchay campus chair. Over the past year I have done many things to help students on campus. I have taken the Frenchay student voice and haven’t stopped shouting about it; but now I want to represent more students!

I captain Bristol-UWE hockey club, however, if I’m not on the pitch, I can be found in the students’ union, running, supporting, taking part in, or just enjoying what’s going on, from Monday lock-ins to Sunday night’s quiz! As well as student events, I love student media and contribute to our student radio station. I want to make our education more rewarding, fulfilling and worth it. We should have a university that gives us a proper

education so we can be the sort of students we want to be. Vote Dom.

I’m Paul and I’m 25 years old currently in my final year - where I am studying Sociology & Criminology.

Over the last five years I have been actively campaigning on a wide range of issues – On a local, national and international level.

I love living in Bristol, as I’m sure you will agree - it’s a great place to live. I like being part of the creative, diverse community Bristol has to offer.

I consider myself a people person and I enjoy making differences in the community. I find this particularly rewarding.

I have had an interest in politics for some time and this has been heightened through all that is currently happening to our education.

I work hard and I’m passionate about what I do. I stand up for what I believe in.

I would be honoured and very proud

to represent your interests here at UWE.

Manifesto Carrying on from the great work that Gail has put in over the last year, my goals as VP for Education come under three categories: Communication, Consistency, and Clarity.

Communication: I intend to increase the number of reps allowed per course per year, to help you the students tell us good and bad practice. This in turn will allow us to improve the running of your courses in the day to day, and resolve the bigger issues higher levels. I intend to make bi-monthly Programme Leader/Rep Meetings mandatory and minuted, so that minor problems can be fixed immediately, and bigger issues can

Manifesto I am extremely passionate about UWE and Education.

Growing up as a mixed ethnicity child from a poor background I was given the impression that Higher Education was not for people like me. Not because we were unintelligent but because financially it was just not possible.

The previous Government took strides to achieving Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in the Education system.

Unfortunately the current government have other plans and the rise in tuition fees have affected us all.

I cant change the increase in tuition fees, but I can make sure we get the

Manifesto The one thing we all share at UWE is an academic journey. If elected I will make sure the journey is the highest quality it can be. One of the main things I will change at UWE is the variation that leads to good vs bad experiences. It is shocking how much there is across the University.

The quality of teaching we experience is so broad - from amazing, inspiring - to shoddy, unreliable and useless. I will make sure our module feedback is not just listened to, but acted upon right now to improve our experience. The same effort will be put into timetabling - I will ensure that flexibility, promptness and practicality

Manifesto As many of you will know, our higher education faces rising tuition fees, course closures, reduced lecturer contact time and financial cuts to higher education - here at UWE and nationally. Our education is under threat and we must defend it.

It’s now of utmost importance that we have strong student union leadership. We need a students union that believes and actively campaigns to protect our education.

I believe in being realistic about the changes I can make as a student vice president. Whilst not making wild claims impossible to keep, I can promise that I will listen and represent.

Now is the time we stand up for our futures.

be taken to higher levels. I also intend to make these open forums, so that it is not just paid reps who carry our opinions, but all students who wish to attend.

Consistency: comes under three main things: tutoring, feedback and marking. With your help, I want to find out what is going wrong, areas of good and bad practice across courses and modules, so we can collate examples and improve all of your courses, and in turn your degrees.

Clarity: With the changing governance, there have been many issues regarding clarity: and if those above us don’t know what exactly is being asked of them, it will be reflected from them all the way down to the students, and your modules, courses and degrees will be affected.

Together, we need to highlight and resolve these issues at the higher levels for the benefit of all students.

Education we are paying for and deserve.

I will do this by holding regular meetings with Reps from each Faculty and actively working on Today’s problems Today!

I will fight for each and every students right to a quality Educational experience both inside and outside the classroom.

I will work alongside the other elected presidents to ensure students are represented professionally and passionately on all fronts.

I will lobby to improve Assessment feedback. It is unacceptable to hand in a 3000 words essay and get 15 scruffy handwritten words back.

You should not be disadvantaged for being a member of a sports club or society. Timetabling should support these clubs and understand the importance, not just on a sporting level

but on a social level. 8.30am Lectures after a Wednesday night social is unacceptable.

Education is far more complicated than the ability to read and write.

So VOTE REID and do the RIGHT thing :)

is at the heart of everyone’s timetable.

The different levels of service from student advisors needs attention.

Students see a huge difference in the quality of advice, this total lack of constancy is just not fair - I will change this. There also needs to be a review of how exams are run; the ECC also has some problems that have to be fixed.

As a student who spent a year studying abroad on Erasmus, I understand the issues that arise for international students. I will fight and ensure that the support and infrastructure is there for all students. Finally, the cuts are terrible for students and the future of higher education, but here and now, things have got to go from bad to good. So

Vote Dom.

We need to see an end to UWE making hidden, sneaky charges. For example: expensive library fines. These should be reduced, considering how much we pay in tuition fees already.

Student life is already expensive enough. This is unfair and has to be stopped!

Without us, UWE wouldn’t work. It’s us who should have the loudest voice – so let’s use it! We should create new ways that allow our voices to be heard – ways that are simple, effective and reliable.

I believe in a truly democratic, inclusive, representative and transparent students union. We need union representatives that are prepared to listen.

If you vote for me, I promise to be your representative - who is accountable and acts in the student community’s interest first and foremost.

This is the year of change at UWESU! VOTE PROGRESSIVE, VOTE PURPLE, VOTE PAUL.

- To IMPROVE REPRESENTATION for all by increasing numbers and highlighting the importance of Reps - To improve CLARITY at ALL levels, to enhance the student experience - To improve COMMUNICATION between the university and you, exploring all new avenues and media - To encourage CONSISTENCY in both assessment and feedback - To represent ALL, To be there for YOU, whichever campus you’re at.

- Fight for UWE students rights, to have the best possible education experience.

- U’link and Car Parks need a massive boot in the bum! ASAP - Standards of contact time and assessment feedback improved.

- Timetabling changed to be more realistic and encourage attendance.

Goodbye 8.30 Lectures!

- Improvement of the whole UWE experience. Making changes happen fast.

- End to the good/bad variation in education quality - it must all be good.

- Make sure UWE is flexible and open to meet the needs of modern students.

- Practical timetabling. Better exam experiences. Comfortable classrooms. Useful assessment feedback. Reliable student advisors. ??

- Keep fighting nationally against outrageous University fees and ensure current students get value for money.

- Force UWE to listen and act on student feedback about the quality of teaching.

- If elected, I will donate part of my salary (£3000) back to the education budget.

- Continue to oppose rising tuition fees, cuts to our education at UWE and nationally.

- Bring down cost of UWE library fines - in line with UK public library fines.

- To bring back paper based course readers and module handbooks for students that require them.

- Restructure the student rep system, to make sure students’ opinions are truly being heard.

Election special 19

WesternEye 07.03.2011

VICE-PRESIDENT EDUCATION My name is Iain Stevens and I am a third year Biology student here at UWE. I believe that UWE is a great place to be and although we all came here to get degrees, UWE offers a lot more than just education.

At UWE I have had so many different experiences, including; playing sports, living on campus, enjoying the Bristol nightlife and studying hard. I owe UWE a lot for the last few years and would love to have the opportunity to make it an even better place for all of us.

Iain Stevens

Manifesto Education is the fundamental reason why we all came to UWE. The education we receive here will affect the rest of our lives and our future career prospects. I want to ensure that education standards are at the highest level they can be

Jo Jackson

About me: Jo Jackson, 23, final year BSc Psychology and Linguistics student. I am outgoing, friendly, enthusiastic, hard- working, dedicated and sensible. Anyone at UWE who knows me would probably describe me as always on the move and getting involved in everything! I decided to become a Student Rep in my second year as I have always believed in acting on suggestions and issues and seeing a project through rather than sitting back and not making the effort to improve things. The Students Union is there to support the students and therefore I believe I am the right person to take on the role of VP Education, and work alongside their values in doing this. I have always been involved in different things happening at UWE, with a focus on improving the student experience and listening to

and that UWE graduates have the ability to reach the top of their chosen professions.

Academic reputation is key to ensuring graduate employability. As this is the case I will work hard to improve UWE’s academic reputation and improve awareness of the high standards at UWE. The next few years will be financially tough for UWE. It is vital that teaching standards are maintained regardless of these issues.

We should not lose out because of national cuts. UWE has students from a variety of backgrounds and is all the better for it. I want to ensure that studying at UWE is an option for students from any financial situation.

I believe that students deserve good value for their degree and should fight against any increase in fees

until they are justified and reflected in an increase in quality. With this in mind, I will insist on being involved in any fee changes and will be your voice against unfair changes. My last objective is a simple one, to make sure your education is UWE’s top priority. I will work to make sure that above all else you get the education that you deserve VOTE IAIN STEVENS FOR VICE PRESIDENT EDUCATION Thanks UWE

and representing the student views from Faculty level through to senior management meetings.

of the National PAL Conference held at UWE in 2010. I also work for UWE finding out students views about learning spaces, which will form the basis of the design of new spaces.

I have a wide range of knowledge about University project groups such as the Library, Blackboard, and GDP, and I am aware of where problems exist and need improving.

If I were elected I would work at realistic aims, adapting to the current changes happening around UWE. I would try and make the transition of students across campuses a smooth one. I want to focus on improving GDP (Graduate Development Programme) and factors such as careers and employability services for all students across all campuses. I would spend time getting to know students and making sure all students were

Manifesto Why should you vote for me?

I believe would be the right person to become Vice -President Education as I have been involved as an enthusiastic Student Rep for the last 2 years attending faculty meetings to management change conferences, workshops on topics such as assessment and feedback, and student experience committees.

I was the Winner of the Student Rep Award 2010 for my dedication and involvement as a Rep and for implementing a Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme into Joint Award Psychology. I work as an Intern in the PAL Office and was a main organiser

- Improve UWE’s academic reputation - Maintain teaching standards regardless of financial cuts - Ensure that higher education is available to students from every background - Insist on being involved in all course fee changes - Make sure YOUR education is UWE’s top priority

aware of who I am, what my job role is, and encourage active student participation- after all it is YOUR university!

- I will aim to represent all students across all faculties across all campuses.

- I will aim to develop the Student Rep. system to create further student participation.

- I will aim to improve the contact time and communication between UWE staff and students.

- I will aim to improve facilities and services for disabled and international students.

- I will aim to lobby the University into providing more up to date resources.

EDUCATION OFFICER I am a drama student currently studying at the St Matthias campus.

My hobbies include stilt walking, poi spinning and any aspect of performance. Before I came to university I worked full time not only as a performer but also in a variety of roles in many interesting jobs. I am an incredibly headstrong person with many professional skills and am wanting to commit to a role within our SU. I am an active campaigner at UWE and want to ensure that we, the students get the best educational experience from our university.

Terri Hammond

Manifesto As Education officer I promise that I will fight to ensure all students get the education expected at University level.

I believe that No degree is more important than the other and the university needs to respect that fact.

Based on this I want to work with the university to ensure courses that will be losing government funding are not put behind courses that the University believe will make them more money.

I also will be opposing the loss of teaching posts as this will result in losing contact time and larger class sizes.

I want to try to ensure the university provides facilities required for courses especially In light of the campus closures over the next year. I will also push to protect courses that require specific space or equipment.

I believe in the continued Campaign to halt the move to make HE

inaccessible to people from poorer backgrounds and will continue to work with groups at UWE to fight this.

I will also work with the full time Education president to ensure that the promises I make are not unrealised. I will be looking out for the interests of members of UWESU and if elected will speak to students on a regular basis to get a picture of what the students of UWE want from their representatives.

If you vote for me I promise to be an officer who works for and is accountable to the members of UWESU.

No Suitable Candiate?

If you are unhappy with all the candidates standing for a position and would like the election to run again with new candidates then you can choose to vote for ‘No Suitable Candidate’.

Samuel

(word cut exceeded limit) This indicated where words may have been cut when candidates have exceeded the permitted word limit.

- Fighting to ensure all students get the education expected at University level.

- Oppose losing teaching posts and oppose losing contact time.

- Ensure the university provides facilities required for courses offered.

- Continued Campaign to halt the move to make HE inaccessible to people from poorer backgrounds - Continued and honest communication with the student population

20 Election special

WesternEye 07.03.2011

VICE-PRESIDENT SPORTS

Georgie Debenham

Jacob Jacob Morris

Nick East

Toria Harley

I joined UWE in 2008 - studying Geography and Environmental Management - and it has always been more to me than just ‘a university’.

I have always been an ambitious, confident student and my time at UWE has cemented this.

I have fully engaged in my studies as both a student rep and SRC member, but it is the recreational opportunities UWE provide that have shaped my overall university experience.

As current Sailing President, and ‘Events Officer’ on the Sports Executive, I have gained a full understanding of how UWESU operates. Being an active volunteer for WESPORT has also provided me with a wealth of experience and ideas for involving EVERYONE in sport.

My time at UWE has been incredible.

Through experience, drive and passion,

I would relish the opportunity to become your next Sports Vice President and enhance your time at UWE through sport.

Vote Georgie

My name’s Jacob and I’m a second year criminology & psychology student.

When I came to UWE I viewed it as an opportunity to develop all aspects of my life including sport performance.

I like to keep myself busy as I feel this is a good way to lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I’m VicePresident of the ice hockey team (yes there’s an ice rink in Brsitol!), I’ve also taken part in badminton, trampolining and kickboxing, and was massively into snowsports last year. On top of all this sporting madness I’ve also written articles for the Western Eye on sporting events and I give up my Monday evenings for voluntary work.

Getting involved in sports and activities is what university life is all about and we should make the most of the fantastic opportunities offered

to us during our time here.

Enjoy the freedom of choice!

Manifesto Sport is essential in enhancing your UWE experience. I aim to ensure all UWE students feel sport is accessible to them be it at BUCS National Finals or a friendly kick about. UWE sport is ready for change and a new face, while continuing to build on its current success.

Ensure the AGM motion ‘Wednesday afternoons for Sport’ is adhered to; ensuring all students have opportunities to participate.Develop an active intramural program to include inter-hall sports. This is vital for ensuring all find sport accessible,

Manifesto University is a chance to explore and expand your repertoire of skills that will carry into your future with confidence and determination, and participation in sport is one of the best ways to do this.

UWE has an ever-growing selection of sports and societies that leave sporting enthusiasts spoilt for choice. I am especially inspired by sports clubs that do their best to encourage and cater for all abilities and that’s why I will be supporting the development of beginners clubs and disability clubs.

Keeping pressure on the University to develop sporting facilities for the future will be a common theme among candidates for this role, but

whatever their ability. Apply severe pressure on the University for multipurpose facilities (+swimming pool) especially on the HP land, ensuring Sport is high on their agenda when making decisions about our campus.

Develop an Alumni Society. Sport plays a major role in many UWE students’ lives. After graduation there is currently nothing to continue the relationship with UWE Sports. This will continue your student experience beyond your time at UWE. Develop participation and enthusiasm for Varsity. Continue developing fitness campaigns, working on the success of BODY BEAUTIFUL and providing a variety of campaigns that will include all. Ensure Centre 4 Sport is working with us to enhance sport and it’s financial accessibility.

Create a ‘fundraising team’ to help limit the effects Union Cuts have on

UWE Sport, ensuring it’s for all. Ensure SPORTS NIGHT is a SUCCESS. It’s your night, and your decision. Make no-one feel there are social/physical barriers between them and sport.

this is very important if we are to be taken seriously as a Union and to maintain the high levels of sporting excellence already present at UWE. It is also essential that we make space for clubs moving from St Matts and do our best not to ensure their schedules are not disrupted.

Better advertising, a dedicated sports night at Red Bar once a week and more inter-sport competitions will help make sports more social and inclusive within the University.

Sport is what I do, it’s what I live to do, and if I only had enough time and money to do only one thing in my life I’d take part in some sort of sport.

There are many others out there who share this passion and I’m confident that in this role I will be able to spread sporting excellence throughout (word

cut exceeded limit)

to outside institutions, making the students the main focus- after all, the facilities are yours.

My name is Nick East; I am in my fourth year at UWE, currently doing a Masters degree in Lifelong Learning.

Having been here for quite some time, I have accrued much experience of UWE sports clubs, which I can use to improve this essential part of university life for all of us. I have been on the committee of golf, Hub Radio and Amnesty International, meaning that I understand how clubs and societies are run; I also have experience working in UWESU, in the media office, during my time with Hub Radio. Additionally, I do have a history of being involved with sports externally to UWE. As well as playing badminton, football, volleyball, squash and tennis both inside and outside the uni, I am a qualified football coach and referee, meaning I know how the administrative side works- it’s something that has to be done!

Manifesto If elected to Sports VP, I will…

Increase opportunity for people of all abilities to get their chance to play various sports, doubling the number of social sport events that currently take place.

Raise the profile of and attendance at varsity events and other interuniversity competitions in all sports, giving the clubs more opportunities to compete with other universities and prove that they are among the best in the country.

Increase membership and modernise facilities in all sports clubs.

Fight to keep Wednesday afternoons free for sports clubs and societies, working with the activities Vice Presidents and SRC President to achieve this. This time needs to be free of lectures to allow people to engage in

sports and societies, a vital part of the university experience.

Campaign against any cuts to the sports budget, whether due to government policy or university decisions. That money is yours, as are the facilities and opportunities that result from it.

Lobby the university to increase provisions and facilities for sport- the recent all-weather pitch is a great start but, if this can be continued, we can make UWE one of the greatest universities in the country for sport and athletics.

Seek external funding and sponsorship for societies with higher running costs, freeing up the sports budget to spend on enhancing your sporting experience.

Lessen the amount of UWE sports facilities that are owned by or hired

Hey, I’m Toria. I’m 21, a forensic science student and pour pints for a living.

I am trampoliner as well as skier and now snowboarder. I’ve also played most sports at one time or another. From football in primary school. Netball, hockey, basketball, and volleyball at high school. Rugby and golf at 6th form. I’ve played tennis, been surfing and tried power kiting. I’ve tried it all. And I like it all, whether it is watching or taking part.

My friends describe me as: Fun, Bubbly, Intelligent, Enthusiastic, Kind, Considerate, Crazy, A party animal, Competitive, stubborn, hard working and committed. This sums me up pretty well. I work hard and play hard.

I’m committed to doing this job and doing it well, I want to give back to the

university. So remember Score with Tor.

more theme nights and more drinks deals. Coupled with this I want more sports clubs and societies to socialise together. With the success of the link between the university and Bristol academy women’s football club. I want to make more deals of this type.

To develop the universities sporting links with professionals, to develop our teams to become the best in the country. To bond the freshers and raise money for charity. I want to start inter- campus and halls competitions early in the first term. And throughout the year more charity matches between halls and campuses.

Most of all I want to carry on the good work the Nadia has been doing for the last two years.

Manifesto Sport can be a big part of the university experience, whether for fun or to compete, it encourages a sense of belonging. If elected, I have many plans for what I would like to do with my time in office.

Varsity, it makes a lot of money for charity. It could make more. I want to increase the number of teams and sports involved in the scheme. To fully embrace the rivalry! Sport isn’t just for competition, its fun as well.

Social sport is fun. I want to make more sports available in a social setting rather than a competitive one. Sports night, lets face it, no one wants to go. I want to make it awesome. I’m thinking better clubs,

- Ensure that UWE sport is inclusive for ALL with no physical, social or financial barriers.

- Create a fundraising team to help limit the effects Union Cuts have on OUR sport - Develop an active Intramural programme and Alumni society to enhance YOUR sporting experience - Campaign for multi-purpose sporting facilities on HP - ensuring sport is high on planning agendas - Ensure the University adhere to Wednesday afternoons being FREE for SPORT, so all can participate.

- Encourage participation in sport at all levels through increased advertising and taster days.

- Build a stronger sporting community through friendly’s, joint socials and ‘sport swapping’ - Increase confidence in the Student Union by communicating more effectively and making decisions more transparent - Maintain pressure on the University to develop sport facilities on Frenchay, the New Campus Project (words cut exceeded limit) - Have a dedicated sports night in Red Bar where clubs can advertise their sport.

- I am a qualified football referee and coach, so I have valuable experience - I will double the amount of social sport opportunities in all sports - I will increase the profile of varsity events and other interuniversity competitions - I will campaign against all cuts to the sports budget, whether governmental or otherwise - I have been on the committee of golf, Amnesty International and Hub Radio at UWE

- Introduce more sports to the varsity scheme.

- Increase the number of sports involved in social sports.

- Make sports night a more desirable event to attend.

- Increase the sporting links between university and professional teams.

- More inter- campus and halls competitions

Election special 21

WesternEye 07.03.2011

VICE-PRESIDENT SPORTS

Ryan ‘Buster’ Lightfott-Brown

Stefan Cubb

Sam Williamson

Ariana A Sefre

Officially Ryan Lightfoot-Brown, but more commonly known as Buster, I am a dedicated, passionate and committed member of the UWE Snowsports club.

Originally from Sussex, I played almost every sport going, competing at cross country running to county level, before finding my passion within skiing not without playing football, rugby, cricket, tennis, badminton, equestrianism and swimming before my university career.

Within this time at university, I came from a novice skier through to a first team member as well as having a spell on committee as treasurer, stepping into race captain and presidential duties when they were away on competitions. I would like to bring this spread of experience, from beginner to committee into the job. Combining this with the knowledge and appreciation of the many sports I have played, I feel

I can empathise with a lot of the clubs UWE has to offer.

HEY! I’m Stefan Chubb - one of the candidates vying to be your representative for sports next year. I am in my third year studying politics; loving every moment of the course, University life, and the city of Bristol.

There is no place I would rather be right now! Anybody who knows me knows I’m passionate about sport. I have spent many years kicking balls, swinging clubs, and falling down snowy mountains. I have spent this year learning how sport is run at UWE through my presidency of the Men’s football team, and have developed a deep understanding of the hard work put into running a club and for the difficulties our clubs are facing. I now feel ready to tackle those problems as your VP Sports. I am hardworking, organised, sociable, friendly, open and, most importantly, determined to

drive sport at UWE forward.

I decided to come to UWE to pursue a career in Sports Therapy.

Having done Karate from the age of 5 and trying every sport I could since, naturally I chose a sports related degree! Alongside my studies I’ve been a dedicated member of the Fencing team, where I am currently both Vice-President and Secretary.

I have also been working with the current Sports President as the Combat Sports Officer on the sports executive. This role allows me to work with sports clubs and the SU to make sure the clubs needs are met. Sport isn’t just something I’ll leave behind at university. As a (almost) qualified Sports Therapist, it’s my life! With my enthusiasm and dedication to sport, I feel I could be the Sports President this SU needs. UWESU Sport has enhanced my university experience

and I feel I could help it do the same for you!

I’m a very sporty, enthusiastic and well-organised person, currently squad coordinator for our universities two dance squads. In the last year I’ve gained a fluent understanding of how uwesu operates, and the demands on the presidents. Being a PAL leader and running a successful events business have given me strong leadership and organisational skills, which I want to utilise in enhancing UWE Sports!

My sports background is in dance, athletics, swimming, horse riding and netball- so I understand the dynamics of a team, and I know that a sports club needs to focus on doing their sport and excelling at it, not worrying about money!

My passion for sport, project management skills and open personality has earned me a place on Nike’s 2011

Selects team. So I’ll be working with Nike to bring unique events, sponsorships and excitement to UWE, as well as elite opportunities for current teams and (word cut exceeded limit)

Manifesto With the Olympics just 18 months away, sport will have one of the most prominent roles in society for a generation. Because of this, I want to make sport an integral part of university life.

I aim to rapidly increase participation.

We have many talented athletes competing for UWE, but some forsaken; so by making the sports union a simpler, comfortable and less exclusive place, I want to get as many people involved as possible. By promoting sports better and building on the fantastic ‘Free Sport’ campaign, I want to inspire a desire to participate.

This promotion includes having a link from the UWE homepage, a video-

Manifesto Sport is cherished by so many of us, for reasons surpassing a drive for success: sport provides confidence, escapism, freedom and, most importantly, togetherness. Sport defies language and cultural barriers; beckoning a truly global society. That is what I want to emphasise at UWE. With drawbacks in funding, extracurriculum activities have been hit hard. I feel this is unjust: over half of learning comes from outside the classroom. We must respond proactively. The spending cuts have brought students closer together than ever before, and I aim to capitalise on that power we possess; not the power to smash through the windows of Parliament, but the power to influence

Manifesto Sport has the ability to benefit everyone, from those who have never played sport, to those who have participated in its competitive elements throughout their whole life and all of us in between.

To help this happen, I will: Negotiate with the Centre for Sport regarding the cost of the gym, lobbying for yearly payment plans, special rates for UWESU sports clubs and society members and decreasing the cost of gym sessions. Make the Students Union, the STUDENTS Union – Improve the transparency and communication between the SU and the students regarding decisions made about the running of your union. Do Sport, We Are

Manifesto Sport is about an active lifestyle, healthy living and finding enjoyment through physical and personal development. I will make sure EVERYONE gets a first class sporting experience!

What can I promise you?... Promote participation in UWE sports to a much wider audience. I’ll be creating exciting campaigns that will encourage those who do not usually involve themselves in sport and engage our smaller religious, cultural, age, and disability groups.

Budget or no budget, I create ways to get what we need. No one will say you can’t

blog highlighting sporting success and utilising sub.tv in the SU bars for promotions. Furthermore, I hope to create an online pay system for all activities as with club membership aiming to benefit people without access to Frenchay and make organising and booking trips much easier.

With the rise of tuition fees, the valuefor-money aspect of university has never been more prevalent. Therefore, I intend to lobby the university to provide the best sports facilities possible on the Frenchay campus redevelopment, creating a great sporting legacy for years to come.

I also aim to raise substantial funding from sponsorship to generate funds for Sports; lowering the burden on our athletes.

With this manifesto, I hope to promote the quality and accessibility of

all sports. With the talent and passion at UWE, there is a huge opportunity to push sport into another league.

the stakeholders of education and sport at UWE. With that collectivism, we can convince our local communities, businesses and employers of the benefits sport brings to our society. My proposed financial initiative scheme will go some way to achieving this.

I believe UWE sport must improve through wider participation, greater presence, and fundraising that balances flair with efficiency. Some initiatives I shall launch if elected to serve for your clubs: (1) More expansive coverage in the Western Eye, Hub Radio and local media, covering the latest happenings within all our sports clubs; (2) A bigger, better Sports Night where ALL students want to go; (3) An abolishment of late fees – so much money is needlessly being taken from our clubs; (4) Develop Sports Council and Committee Training so they are

worthwhile; (5) More healthy initiatives like the Fruit & Veg market.

All Athletes – enhance the accessibility of sport for everyone, including less represented groups, through methods such as expanding the Social Sport scheme, larger recruitment drives and free taster sessions. Lobby the bus company and local council to extend the timetables so busses run late enough to allow students to attend Sports training sessions without needing to leave early to catch the last bus. Introduce an InterCampus Competition as a warm up to Varsity for all students, regardless of ability. Continue preparations for the relocation and accommodation of students that train and study at St. Matts and Glenside to make sure that no one is left behind with the upcoming closure of the campus.

Scheduled drop in sessions, making myself available on all campuses to

discuss your SU facilities and services, visiting all campuses where possible.

Vote Sam for Sports!!!

do something because of lack of funds; I will devise a way to make the funds.

My plans include- allowing each club to run one of the student union events in return for the profits made. This means we wouldn’t need to hire staff, and you make money for your sport. Win win!

Continue working with the disability group, and involve local charities to enhance sporting experiences, such as ‘riding for the disabled’. To expand and continue 2010/11’s successful campaigns, such as Body Beautiful.

Introduce a ‘UWEthon’ to raise money for RAG! Run classes and workshops at ALL campuses- NO ONE is getting left out! Nike: Involve Nike and bring many unique events to uwe- inc. Nike Training Club! Motivate and drive our competitive teams to new heights- ensure they get the best support in the build up

to competitions and tournamentsIncluding Varsity!

Vote Ariana for a fresh, exciting enhancement to our SU!!!

- Increase participation through stronger promotion and more accessibility.

- Raise sponsorship funding, locally and nationally to lower the financial strain on clubs - Improve the profile of sporting success through SU and online media outlets - Lobby the University to provide sports facilities on the Frenchay redevelopment, creating a sporting legacy - Create an online pay system for all activities to ease and improve trip organisation

- Emphasis on funding for sport during the spending cuts. Sport is just as important!

- Accountability – students must be able to know the tangible results of their representatives.

- Financial Initiative Scheme – easier for clubs to raise money from sponsors/fund-raisers/ competitions/events.

- Encourage more student involvement in all sports, making aware facilities available to you.

- A greater sporting presence – website development, on-site facilities, equality amongst all our clubs.

- Improve the transparency and communication between the Students Union and the students.

- Negotiate with the Centre of Sports about lowering gym prices and setting up payment plans - Increase the accessibility of sport, by expanding social sports programme and supporting the disability group - Lobby to enhance the bus service by extending the timetables to accommodate clubs training times.

- Explore the possibility of Varsity warm ups, in the form of InterCampus Competitions.

- Use encouraging and exciting campaigns to open Sports to EVERYONE- ages, cultures, religions and disabilities.

- Run events, workshops and classes at ALL campuses- No one is getting left out!

- Engage 100% with all clubs and provide plans to ensure budgets never diminish opportunities.

- Introduce fantastic events to raise money for RAG- including a ‘UWEthon’ and more!

- As a Nike Select I will bring us world class opportunities and support from NIKE.

22 Election special

WesternEye 07.03.2011

VICE-PRESIDENT SOCIETIES & COMMUNICATION

sports

Dan Belsher

Nick Williams

My name’s Dan, but everyone calls me Belsher. I’m a third year Accounting and Finance student and also the Flair Instructor for Bar School.

The last three years have been absolutely amazing and I have loved my time at UWE; I’ve made new friends in all forms including some real lifelong friends. I’ve helped organise trips to London and Amsterdam, had some mesmerising nights out including fresher’s and pub crawls with RAG. My only regret is that I wish I could have done more.

I’m honest, hard working and very loyal, most importantly, I am proud to say I’m at UWE and I will fight for it no matter what.

I feel like UWE has given me so many opportunities and now I’d love

the opportunity to give something back to everyone at UWE who have made my experiences so enjoyable.

Why should I be elected?

As soon as I came to UWE, I got involved in the Students’ Union, not as a Fresher propping up the bar, but as an elected representative on the Halls Rep system and as a member of the Halls Rep Executive, part of the first team elected in the history of UWESU. Why did I get involved? Because a Students Union is at the heart of a student’s University career.

I have also had the experience in the Students’ Union as Activities Vice President in 2009/2010, and also as a bar worker in Escape and Red Bar. This year I have been active as Event Officer on the Societies Executive and have played an active role promoting societies on campus.

In short: I have 3 years experience in various roles

I am passionate about societies and media I will be wholeheartedly dedicated to the job

WITHDRAWN

Manifesto As we are all aware the coming year is going to be tight financially. my main aim is to make the most of YOUR money, this includes money within societies and the SU. As a finance student I feel that this gives me a solid base to work from. Additionally numerous treasurers have informed me of the difficulties with finance and I think more clarity, help and information will make societies easier to run and much more enjoyable.

Communication and awareness between societies, students, the presidents and the SU have been lacking. Therefore amongst other things, I aim to be an active VP who

Manifesto If elected into the position of Vice President of Societies and Communication, I will aim to: Societies: Encourage members of the Students’ Union join and participate in societies, by means of further promoting the benefits of joining. Promote the idea of societies showcasing their events on campus to further promote themselves and increase participation, Start a radio show that is dedicated to societies, showcasing a different society each week, Promote the ‘one society’ feeling by encouraging societies to attend sessions put on by other societies, Actively attend at least 3 sessions per

is seen, always willing to listen and to know what societies are actually doing.

I want to make information easier to find and I want people to know that someone is there to help them when in need.

I have also found that a surprising amount of clubs/societies/students that I have spoken to are unaware of the offers and events they are missing out on. This needs to be resolved as I want every penny and minute that’s available to improve the UWE experience. I want societies to have more help whether it’s information on deals, help with publicity or organising fundraising events.

I myself volunteer for Oxfam, and I would like to see more opportunities for students to improve their own CV

through things like volunteering and our amazing RAG society.

Finally, the UWESU website needs improving; to be more relevant to students (words cut exceeded limit)

society over the academic year myself.

RAG: Help build the growing reputation of the RAG committee, promoting RAG week and all events, Encourage all Societies and Sports Clubs to help fundraise for RAG through showcases, Enhance the student participation into RAG and volunteering, through highlighting the benefits Media: Actively pursue a way to increase student listening of hub radio, through the means of SU Bars and around the university, Look into increasing the radio bandwidth to broaden the range in the local area, Bring back the dedicated societies page in the Western Eye, Build upon the already solid base the media is set upon Green Impact Code: Ensure that motions in force for greener sustainability are mandated, Promote sustainability within the SU and wider networks,

Look into ways the SU can reduce and maintain its Carbon Footprint Student Representation: Strive to ensure no voice is left unheard. Be available approximately 18 hours a day, 7 days a week

- Communication; clarity, availability and simplicity - Awareness; get the most out of your money and don’t miss out!

- Fundraising; more help, more publicity, more money for you - Ensure finance issues are kept to a minimum and/or are resolved quickly - Improve the UWESU website; needs to be relevant and useful

- Encourage all societies to showcase to increase and promote society members - Encourage all societies and sports to help raise money through rag - Find a suitable way to reduce and maintain the students union green impact code - Promote the su media and societies, including a radio show dedicated to societies - Be available for communication approximately 18 hours a day, 7 days a week

Election Results Friday 11th March From 4pm - Red Bar - Frenchay Campus Watch the live announcements of the results Join in the Celebrations & Congratulations!

Mia Bunge

Tom Ingrem

My name is Tom, I’m a third year student studying Business Information Systems. I have been at UWE for four years and have been involved in UWESU from the start – as a Society committee member for my first two years before placement; and as SAGUWE president this year.

I have a keen interest in the SU, and want to give something back.

I have been the Activities Council representative at the Finance and General Purposes committee this year; and I have worked with the current Activities President and the Sports and Activities Centre over the years; so have a good understanding of how Activities at UWESU works.

My current concern about the University and UWESU is communication – there is so much that your Students’ Union does for

you but it’s not communicated well enough and I’d love to opportunity to revolutionise the way that you can talk to your union.

Manifesto I want to work with the Students’ Union. I could have a hundred things I’d like to do but I can’t do them without your involvement.

Your Students’ Union is about you, and there are a number of things I’d like us to achieve during the next year, if I am elected: Societies: Sports & Societies Membership Explore the introduction of a membership card, avoiding multipayment of insurance premiums when you join. Increase involvement in UWESU Activities: Publicise societies across all campuses, and play an active role in their development, giving

them a wider audience and you more opportunities. Develop Raise & Give (RAG): Ensure that RAG is given a higher profile within the University, and becomes a key part of your Students’ Union culture.

Communication: Event Advertisement: Keep you, the UWESU student membership, up to date with events which interest you. UWESU Communication Hub: Put plans in motion to create a communication hub for UWESU, where you can find out all you want to know about your Students’ Union, and discuss it. Communication De-clutter: Simplify the current methods of communication that exists within your UWESU. I want to improve your Students’ Union as a whole, putting your interests first. UWE Student’s Union has so much to offer, and I want to

make sure that everyone has the opportunity to experience it – give me the opportunity to show you want we can do together.

U. We. Us. – Working together for UWESU. - Communication Hub to allow all UWESU members to discuss what your Students’ Union is doing.

- Develop Raise & Give as part of UWESU culture, showing our commitment to our community.

- Sports & Societies Membership Card, to reduce your membership fees.

- Develop Societies across all campuses, allowing you to get involved, no matter where you study.

- Work with you as part of your SU. U. We. Us. – Working together for UWESU.

Election special 23

WesternEye 07.03.2011

VICE-PRESIDENT SOCIETIES & COMMUNICATION

Safi Henderson

Shane Reidy

My name is Safiyyah Henderson; I am an adventurous student, with creative flair and an ability to build strategies. From early childhood some of my main strengths have been my self-discipline and determined nature. I believe that these qualities will shape my decisions as well as contributions towards the student body.

In my short-lived student life I have come to discover that I do possess that strong willpower which has been a benefit to those around me. Working as a PAL leader has enabled me to experience the overwhelming feeling of satisfaction in seeing others succeed. I have an innate understanding of cultural differences; this will be beneficial towards exercising an objective view

on decisions. At the same time, I will be making sure that student voices are heard and that we focus more on solutions rather than the problems.

Hello - my name’s Shane and I’m a final year robotics student. My time at UWE has shown me so much more to University life than just essays, lectures and exams. UWE is full of opportunities. I’ve had some great times here working in the SU bars and getting involved with the student newspaper, radio station, societies and RAG, and I’ve met some amazing people along the way. Unfortunately though, because UWE and the SU simply don’t listen to us and are so bad at supporting and communicating to students, I fear many others have missed out. I have some clear plans to change this and make sure it all works. There is so much potential for both UWE and the SU, and given a bit of dedication and hard work – I’ll make sure this is achieved and we all

get listened to. Use your brain - Vote Shane.

Manifesto SU Nights-Having had an experience of running successful events at the SU, I want to transform the nights at UWE. Universities around the country are holding amazing events and it’s about time we make our presence felt. At the same time using some of the profits to add to the society’s budget.

“What do we want? when do we want it? Now!”- I want to put that spring back in every students step, by enhancing our voices and ensuring that everyone leaves a footprint at UWE. As vice president for societies and communication I would be the

Manifesto I am standing in this election to make UWE a better place. I will ensure the University is open, honest and better for students. Communication from UWE and the SU is a mess - irrelevant communication fills our inboxes up with junk, while important information like room changes; timetable alterations and harsher academic rules fail to be properly publicised. I will make UWE disclose the true cost of going to University and I will fight to scrap sneaky additional costs like the £50 re-sit charge and £3 NUS card.

The distinct lack of recycling points in areas of campus will be top of my list to sort out, closely followed by the daily car parking tokens which are

dynamic force that will help the student body strive to fulfil their potential.

Increase funding opportunitiesThis year a lot of societies struggled to achieve what they wanted due to a tight budget. With me in charge, this wouldn’t be an obstacle; I will look to do more than give good advice by putting forward ways to fundraise and give societies the opportunity to do so by putting these opportunities on a plate.

Build a closer relationship with societies-Unless you make a personal effort to engage with the SU, it is difficult to put a name to a face. As vice president I would have a greater involvement with the societies, and take part in their activities. This will enable me to have an insider’s view unsustainable and litter the campus.

The number of lights left on in empty rooms on campus is also disgraceful and will change. Students will be able to voice their concerns and make sure that voice is both listened to and acted on, via strong and reliable media. If I am elected, extracurricular activities will be much bigger, more fun and easily accessible. Societies will receive the support they deserve – with more promotion; funding and development. The student newspaper and radio station will have funding secured, student charity fundraising (RAG) will become much more than a few bar crawls and student volunteering opportunities will increase. I’ll also work to give students back the campus, so we’re able to promote societies, events and

of the societies and as a result be in a position to make well informed decisions.

- Boost and support fundraising opportunities for societies.

- Act as a supporting force to help the student body in anything they wish to (word cut exceeded limit) - Continue to promote societies to help increase their membership.

- Improve UWE’s night scene.

- Increase awareness of activities on all campuses

campaigns much more freely. Use your brain – Vote Shane - Guarantee UWE properly communicates important messages to students and scraps junk mail - Make UWE disclose the true cost of University and fight the sneaky hidden charges - Install more recycling points, turn off unused electrics and scrap daily car parking tokens - Spark life into extracurricular activities, societies, events and campaigns with effective promotion, funding and development - Introduce a strong and reliable feedback system so student issues are actually sorted out

SOCIETIES & COMMUNICATION OFFICER

Chris Holgate

Why do I feel I should be elected?

I have vast experience within the Students’ Union through various activities. Sat on the committee for Finance and General Purposes last year, as elected through the Activities Council.

Part of the first Halls Rep committee and Halls Rep Executive, winning the first Halls Rep award for outstanding achievement Committee Secretary for OutUWE for the last 2 years. Was elected as Campaigns Chair by the Activities Council for this year.

What were my reasons for getting involved? The Students’ Union plays an integral part of the experience gained by a student at university.

I intend to use my past 3 years experience, contacts and more to further add to the development of the

Student Union, it’s members and the student body as a whole.

ButthefactthatIloveourStudentUnion, which is a trait I wish everyone to share!

Manifesto If elected into the position of Societies and Communications Officer, I will aim to: Offer full support to the elected Societies and Communications VicePresident, in order to help have a team dedicated to helping societies, media, RAG and student representation more effectively than ever before. Promote societies to my full ability, encouraging them to put on more showcasing, events and help them to increase student participation by promoting the benefits to employability these experiences can offer.

Aim to implement a 24 hour

How to Vote

emergency contact system even outside of term time for societies away on trips.

Streamline communications between members and committees to get more things done with more efficiency.

Liaise with the RAG committee and help promote the benefits seen by becoming involved with charity fundraising.

Help to increase the growing reputation of RAG to help them to become a crucial foundation stone of the Students’ Union.

Promote diversity and equality within all societies by liaising and organising awareness and funding raising events through RAG, SU and the Equalities and Diversity Unit.

Promote the student media, including Hub Radio, Western Eye and the website, encouraging sutdents to get involved,

1) Find out all you can about the candidates.

2) Then go to www.uwesu.org/vote & click on the “Vote Now” buttons.

3) Login with your UWE login & password.

Cast your votes! And you are done!

Voting Process Explained!

Want to know more about the UWESU’s voting process?

See our NEW entertaining & informative video... http://www.uwesu.org/voting_explained

whether it be a radio show, regular newspaper column or contributor to the web site.

Support the elected Societies and Communications Vice-President in ensuring the green impact code is kept, and will look into ways of making the Students’ Union a ‘greener’ place as a whole.

- Aim to implement a 24 out of term emergency contact system for societies - Introduce further diversity and equality into societies - Promote RAG and other fund raising events - Heighten participation in societies as a whole - Streamline communications between members and committees

24 Election special

WesternEye 07.03.2011

BOWER ASHTON CAMPUS OFFICER

Sarah Hickie Sarah Hickie

Peter BeckwithWilson

As a level two Art and Visual Culture student as well as one of your two Deputy Student Chairs for our Faculty of Creative Arts I feel I have a lot to offer the positions as your Campus Officer. In these jobs I represent your interests at Student Representative Council and feedback your thoughts to the staff and students of the University. This role has taught me a lot about the running of Bower Ashton and has helped me gain the contact within the University staff and student body to help get us all what we want as part of our experience here at our lovely campus!. I am very organised and driven and know plenty of people to assist me in this role as a result of meeting a lot of you already. As a

fellow student I have a lot of passion and motivation to help make the student (words cut exceeded limit)

For those of you that know me, you know my viewpoints and know I am willing to debate them with you. For those of you that don’t know me I’m a 20-year-old Media Practice Student; I am in my first year. I have an interest in politics and current affairs. I have made several short documentary’s about the government Cuts. I do not feel I am judgemental and feel that I am easily approachable by anyone and everyone.

Before University I had no really conclusions towards a lot of issues and situations arising. University has given me a voice; I’ve found my beliefs and found the person that I wish to be. I am actively campaigning within

UWE and I stand opposed to cuts.

I Wish to make all Bower students experience a memorable and fulfilling time within our University.

Manifesto I want to make this coming academic year our best one yet, whether it be your first year or your last at UWE. I want to help us to set a shining example to the rest of the university and to show those who need to know what fantastic, dynamic and exciting Campus we are; one that is really going places.

I have lots of fresh ideas to help to get us to know each other even better, get the absolute most humanly possible from our events budget (I assure you I am very good at getting something out of nothing, a lot from

Manifesto As Bower Ashton campus chair I pledge to defend and ensure students get the most from University life. I will stand as your voice. You thoughts will be heard.

One of the main aims I wish to fulfil is to improve the U1 service in particular. As a first year I have experienced on several occasions, a full bus missing stop due to max capacity. Firstly ways to improve this would be to either run more buses

a little!) and to develop as a body of talented individuals. I plan to organise events that aim to make a profit so that this can be used to help fund even more Campus or off Campus events, for example more exhibitions and the parties after once all the hard work is done! I want to encourage more collaborating, more getting to know each other and more awareness of what each individual course brings to the table so that we can utilise on another’s skills for gain both as a Campus and as future graduates. We can organise new and exciting events that Bower has not previously played host to before but fit in with what we as Art and Design students want to spend our time doing.

I want to work hard to ensure Bower Ashton gets the recognition we deserve.

during the morning or replace existing bus’ with a double-decker service.

This would fix a lot of issues around the campus timetabling and would ease a lot of stress for students having to travel in.

The opening times of the SU shop and Art shop have been raised a number of times. I feel that both shops should be open from 9 -5 enabling all students’ access to these facilities through out the day.

Supporting actives run by students within Bower, I think creates a dynamic and interesting campus and I believe that is whatever one else wishes too.

Furthermore I stand opposed to

budget cuts from both management and government. I will and that is a promise to voice student views.

WE ALL NEED TO FIGHT FOR OUR FUTURE and those of the less fortunate than ourselves.

- To make the events budget go even further, to make events sustainable - To encourage cross course interaction and opportunities for collaboration - To organise more new and exciting events Bower Ashton has not yet seen - To represent the interests of all ALL courses fairly and encourage involvement - To ensure Bower Ashton and its students is/are recognised within the university

- I will listen and voice out issues amongst the students of Bower - Opening time of Art shop and SU shop - Improve transport to and from the campus - Support activities run by Students - Defend the campus from Cuts to courses and staff.

FRENCHAY CAMPUS OFFICER

Catherine Reeve

Hi, I’m Catherine. I’m a first year student studying Primary Education and have lived in Frenchay student village this year. I’m a very friendly, bubbly, organised person and have a strong drive to get things done. I have been part of a charitable organisation at home for the past 8 years within which I have held voluntary roles enabling me to organise social events which have been huge successes raising thousands of pounds. I am a sporty person which brings out my competitive side and I am keen to try anything new, including being campus chair. I would like to think I am a very sociable person who has supported UWESU a lot so far this year and I have had a wonderful time doing this and would like to continue.

I am a student rep and would like to take this further by representing the campus.

Manifesto Living on campus I have had first class experience of what the fresher’s experience really has been like at UWE. I feel I have an upper hand when it comes to knowing what worked, didn’t work and what can be done to improve the campus experience for all years, especially first year students. If you elect me for Frenchay campus chair I will strive to make your opinions heard. Through my rep role I have made valuable contacts which will help me contact the relevant people to voice your opinions and get feedback. A direct

point of contact between yourselves and me will be set up and no opinions will go unnoticed. I really want to see Escape bar and Red bar do well, not just a couple nights a week, but every night of the week. It is important that support for YOUR S.U is consistent and that’s what I want to achieve.

Having my faculty on Frenchay as well as living here I understand that campuses can become isolated, so working with neighbouring campus chairs I would like to improve the social relationships between campuses.

University is such an important time in your life and I have only just started appreciating the facilities available to me which has come about too late, and I don’t want first years or anyone feeling the same next year.

Thank you, and don’t forget to vote for Catherine, Frenchay Chair.

- To strengthen the relationship between UWESU and the student village.

- To make more 24 hour PC labs available.

- Take part in and promote voluntary work available to improve your university experience.

- To increase inter-sport opportunities in the student village.

- To work with other representatives to link campuses together more regularly.

HARTPURY CAMPUS OFFICER

Rachel Kent

Hello, my name is Rachel Kent. I’m a 20 years old student at Hartpury college, currently in my second year of an equine foundation course.

I have taken the unconventional route through my course by doing a sandwich year in America, travelling across the country working with horses. The year out opened my eyes to many new potential careers and futures, as well as developing my people skills.

Having returned to Hartpury, I feel that these skills can be applied to improving the student social scene.

The position as campus chair seems to be the perfect opportunity to get more involved, and encourage other students to do the same.

I feel Hartpury has so much to offer to new and returning students.

As campus chair, I hope to inspire students to become more involved with the social scene by promoting exciting opportunities and events available to all on and off-site students.

Manifesto After living on-site for my first year and now off-site for my second year, I understand how Hartpury can often feel like a world unto its own! I’d like to see the social events held at Hartpury being advertised to off-site students, as well as the transport availability. I hope to build the relationship between the college

and students by promoting exciting events over the year, as well as continuing the good work done this year.

I intend to make every event accessible to all students, regardless of location, year or course. To improve accessibility, I will strive to the build on the communication between the student union and students, expressing any views or concerns as well as experimenting and exploring new event ideas.

The student social scene is an essential part of university life… it is my biggest intention to be sure that every student looks back on their experience at Hartpury with a smile on their face!

- Continuing the good work done in 2010 – and to make the events bigger, better and (words cut exceeded limit) - To ensure that all student voices matter, are heard and acted upon.

- Making sure the student social scene is accessible to both on and off site students.

- To improve levels of communication between students and the student union.

- Ensuring students have the opportunity to be as involved with the student union as they (word cut exceed limit)

Election special 25

WesternEye 07.03.2011

ST MATTHAIS CAMPUS OFFICER

Tach & Rosa Connolly (jobshare)

Dan Hinchey

Though we have both had different experiences and we come from diverse backgrounds, it was originally intended that we run separately.

However, the position of Campus Officer isn’t something we should necessarily compete for rather one that if shared, can greatly improve the capability of the role. By combining our ideas and skills we will provide the Campus with a strong, determined, honest pair of Campus Officers whose primary goal is to strengthen the legacy of Saint Matthias campus in every way possible. By making practical, realistic decisions, we are confident that we can meet your needs, and provide the students with the experience they have paid for.

Manifesto Having seen three campus officers I’m Dan, from Cardiff just across that river, and the main thing that made me decide to go to UWE was the awesome impression from the St Matthias Campus.

My interests include cycling foremost, and then comes my obsession with my amazing history degree.

Student protesting has recently become a preoccupation of mine too, and I believe more activism against important issues of national and local importance should be encouraged among students in all campus’ to show solidarity and stand up for the rights of students.

I believe I have the experience in life that shows I can work as a part of a team or as a leader to deliver results, while being an open and

represent Saint Matthias in previous years, should we be elected, we will strive to improve on their successes and correct their mistakes. We share the same fury and anxiety of all Saint Matthias students over the controversial executive decisions over the fate of this beautiful campus.

We pledge to pressure the University into halting the crippling removal of recreational equipment from Saint Matthias for the benefit of other campuses.

We promise that our aims will provide realistic and feasible outcomes and we are prepared to commit all available resources into the improvement of the campus.

We understand that the student experience here stretches beyond the fabric of the buildings. We will

encourage and support student proposed events and ideas.

This campus does not deserve the ending the executives have decided on. We feel that even till its last days, the opportunity to improve the campus aesthetically still exists.

We are prepared to beg, borrow and buy to make this campus more comfortable and beautiful.

The student union staff members are the fulcrum on which the campus pivots. We pledge to support them to help the campus prosper financially and atmospherically.

Finally, we will never accept that Saint Matthias is not as strong and as affluent in the UWE community as it once was. As long as we live and study here, we will not be ignored.

approachable personality.

Having been able to live in St Matt’s halls, study onsite and after frequenting the SU bar there much, I think I am perfectly able to understand this beautiful gothic campus.

backs is a disgrace. I want to know why voices were silenced over the issue of its closure. If there is one thing I know from taking history, it is that destroying it is backwards.

It’s sheer stupidity to eradicate such an important part of UWE’s heritage when the buildings serve their purpose just as well as they always have in the past. Presently however my main priority is striving to protect the SU services presently located at St Matt’s.

I wish to make St Matthias and UWESU adhere to an improved ‘green’ mindset and I will try to make sure St Matthias becomes a more sustainable environment. I also believe more can be done to provide better transport for St Matthias students such as cycling.

I will provide more information to

students at the campus to help them cycle efficiently and safely.

I will listen to students and act in the best interests of St Matthias, so vote for me!

the framework for Halls Representatives as designed by the previous administration, in order to broaden the student voice across Glenside and improve the opportunities for involvement with the Student’s Union.

We pledge to ensure that the views of Glenside are brought to the attention of the wider student body and to offer the best possible representation for this campus at Student’s Union meetings. We undertake to behave with openness, integrity and a commitment to the shared values and goals of our student peers.

We believe in supporting charitable causes to our fullest and are devoted to undertaking activities to support this, including a 2nd Annual Steve

Wright Memorial Rugby Match to raise money for worthwhile charities.

Manifesto I firmly believe after protesting over the issue of education cuts that there can be success in our cause to stop the mad cutting of education budgets. I believe University should be a place of learning, beneficial to society and widely available to all. If elected I promise I will uphold these principles adamantly.

St Matthias is a great campus with a real community that I want to protect. The fact that plans have been made and agreed upon - regarding to St Matt’s future - behind student’s

- Prevent the removal of recreational equipment for the benefit of other campuses - To only make feasible and practical decisions – nothing unrealistic will be missed.

- To provide support and encouragement for any student initiated events and ideas.

- To improve Saint Matthias aesthetically in as many ways as allowed.

- To encourage the recognition of hardship and work put in by UWESU staff.

- Protect and improve the SU facilities presently at St Matt’s - Increase support for student activism within the students union - Provide clear voice for St Matthias students on the rushed plan for St Matt’s closure - Give an open ear to all St Matthias students and act on what is heard - Create a more CYCLEFRIENDLY and GREEN university

GLENSIDE CAMPUS OFFICER

Christopher Palmer & Hollie Glover (jobshare)

Hello!

We are Chris Palmer and Hollie Glover, both current second year student Nurses on Glenside Campus.

Hollie: I joined UWE in September 09 and lived on Glenside Campus for my first Year. During my spare time I lead an active social life, including learning and teaching salsa, alongside learning sign language.

Chris: I began UWE in January 2010 and quickly became immersed in the student lifestyle. I enjoy graphic design work in my spare time and socialising with fellow UWE students!

I am politically minded and enjoy new challenges.

Having both experienced freshers week as freshers, we followed on to become Glenside Angels, most recently playing an active role in

organising part of the last freshers week. Through observation and feedback we have both seen what has been successful in the past and things we would like to improve as we represent you in the role of Campus Officer.

Manifesto We aim to provide faster, better access to your campus chairs through the use of Email, Facebook and Twitter alongside scheduled monthly surgeries to enable students to voice their issues with us in person.

We are committed to providing students with a wider choice on social activities with the introduction of online voting for new Freshers events and increased promotion across other UWE campuses to open events.

We are dedicated to implementing

- To provide faster, better access to your Campus officers including scheduled monthly surgeries.

- A wider choice of social activities and introduction of online voting for new Freshers events.

- Implementation of Halls Representatives to broaden the student voice across Glenside - Our pledge to ensure your views are raised with the wider student body - Support for charitable causes including a 2nd Annual Steve Wright Memorial Rugby Match

Or No Suitable Candidate for any position

www.uwesu.org/vote

Monday 7th March at 10am to Friday 11th March at 3pm

26 Election special

WesternEye 07.03.2011

CHAIR OF MEETINGS

Greg Iddon

Matthew Hollinshead

I’m a third year Computing student with a passion for all matters of discussion and debate. Having been active in debating throughout my schooling career, I was successfully voted in as Chair of Meetings in my first year at UWE and I have held that position since.

While I may be fascinated by programming syntaxes, obsessed with computer game history, and an avid guitarist – none of this matters.

As Chair of Meetings, all this goes out the window since, as I believe I am well versed in now, what makes a good chairman is a defocus on oneself and a focus on the debate or meeting at hand and to strive to ensure it operates as efficiently, fairly, and successfully as possible.

Manifesto I offer myself as a figure of authority that, during acts of duty, will be void of prejudice, bias, and opinion on anything of matter.

I believe that debate is the greatest method of decision making, and as such, promise to ensure that all debates under my chairmanship will be of the highest quality and to the book; I’ve worked with our University’s debating conduct for three years now.

I believe that, with my experience to date, I am the ideal candidate for this position and I hope that through reading my profile, manifesto, and through attending the AGM these past three years you will agree and vote for me to continue as Chair of Meetings

Hey I’m Matt a twenty year old Philosophy Student in my second year. I have been a political activist for the past 5 years in campaigns against racism, homophobia and recently the attacks on the welfare state and education. I am also member of the Live Music Society executive committee and an active member of the SU community. I have successfully competed in national debating competitions and have been involved with debates with MPs, Councilors and Government officials on several occasions.

I have a commitment to participatory democracy and widening participation in Student Politics at UWE and across the country. I want to ensure that every one is able to have their voice heard in democratic debate and that

total transparency is had in all stages of the democratic process.

Manifesto UWESU is plagued year after year with student apathy and an elected body which ignores the needs of students who want more than just a tacky club night. Too often do students with genuine causes from across the spectrum, from charitable to community; religious or political groups, receive substandard support from the SU. I commit to transparency and democracy. I will ensure all meetings are conducted democratically, widely publicised and whenever possible open to the wider student body. I will endeavour to ensure all minutes and summaries are available and easy to access in student media so that YOU

- To provide stern but fair chairmanship.

- To provide the utmost level of impartiality to the role.

- To ensure debates are balanced.

- To ensure meetings are as timely as possible.

can hold elected officials accountable to their membership, taking YOUR viewpoint into account The sovereign institution of the Union is the Annual General Meeting which yearly struggles to reach chorasy and was this year only saved by the activism of students outside the SRC. It is my opinion that this is as a result of the insular nature of student union politics. I aim to fight this by providing an open and accessible atmosphere for all students regardless of experience.

I will attempt to limit bureaucracy whenever possible and provide guidance to students who are unable or unwilling to wade through SU jargon. I will ensure that everyone has a voice at all meetings by publicizing the agenda for meetings within the

SU so that YOU can speak to the relevant people at the relevant times and bind them to the agreements you come to.

- Ensure all public meetings are widely advertised to ensure democratic accountability and scrutiny - Publish summaries of all UWE meetings In the Western Eye with full minuets online.

- Facilitate and advise students on the best way to access UWESU democratic system.

COMMUNITY & WELFARE OFFICER

Meenal Odedra

Hello, I’m currently a second year student studying Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies. I am also the present (and last!) Activities Vice President, as well as being lucky enough to be elected as an NUS delegate, representing UWE at the NUS conference in April.

As I have already worked within the SU I am now familiar with what works and what doesn’t, this is why this year (and I know everyone says this) I want to make some changes!

I’m not from a political background, nor do I wish to be the next female Prime Minister (!), I’m just your average student who wants to get the needs of a typical UWE student met.

As Vice President my role had me working with societies as well as highlighting and encouraging cultural

diversity within the SU, I want to continue this and create a community within UWE. Manifesto This is a great time to have such a role as this one available at our university. So much could be done with it! Below are just a few of my main goals. I want to create a role for there to be a BME (Black or Minority Ethnic) Officer at UWE. We are such a diverse university, we have students from over 100 different countrieswhy are we not fully representative?

The same goes for a Woman’s Officer.

I am already familiar with many of the societies, and so I will continue to help them fundraise, promote and boost membership. As Activities Vice President this year I have the knowledge already of how to do so.

I think one thing UWE is missing compared to other universities is a sense of community, I intend to try and organise events to break down these boundaries- inviting everyone regardless of their age/race/gender/ etc.

I want to create a home away from home for international students. I know that many people have worries in regards to accommodation, and so in my role I would like to try and make this as stress free as possible, sorting out any problems you may come across.

I will liaise with the rest of the UWESU, and get your voice heard!

No Suitable Candiate?

If you are unhappy with all the candidates standing for a position and would like the election to run again with new candidates then you can choose to vote for ‘No Suitable Candidate’.

Samuel

(word cut exceeded limit) This indicated where words may have been cut when candidates have exceeded the permitted word limit.

- I want UWE to be fully representative by introducing a BME & a Womans officer.

- I will continue to support societies, helping with fundraising, promoting and boosting membership - I want to create a community within UWE- putting on events in an aim to (words cut exceeded limit) - I want to create a home away from home for international students.

- I will liaise with UWESU and get your voice heard!

Debate 27

WesternEye 07.03.2011

‘Tis the season to get wasted

> St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. What have pirates, parades and shepards got to do with the Irish saint?

Sarah Adams comment@ westerneye.net hen quizzed over why we celebrate St Patricks day, or indeed why his life warranted such a drunk homage, most would probably answer because he downed all of his beers like a Zulu warrior. In fact, his story is quite different.

If you were told a story about an Irishman forced into slavery by tyrannical pirate overlords you’d probably think of Louis Walsh’s treatment from Simon Cowell.

Actually this is the tale of the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick, the man celebrated for introducing Ireland to Christianity. Personally, I would have preferred being introduced to a cure for cancer, or just anything else really, but the Irish seemed pretty happy so whatever floats your boat. Born in Wales around 385AD, Patrick was captured by pirates at a young age and after six years of slavery managed to escape to a life dedicated to his religion. Sounds like a story line from Hollyoaks.

Then we have the beloved shamrock proudly displayed across “all things Irish”. Is this because you can wear it while you drink your beer? No, it’s because Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to explain how the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit could exist as elements of

“ “

...managed to escape to a life dedicated to religion.

Sounds like a story line from Hollyoaks

The current trends of St. Patrick’s day have little to do with the original story: (from left) Saint Patrick in Milan, a pint of Guinness and a party casualty one being. The clover-like plant is plastered across every Clinton’s shop around the holiday and we don’t even know what it means.

All we focus on is the image of a pint of Guinness just to the left of it. When you drink your pints of the delicious black stuff do you ever think why? I know I don’t.

Basically we’re just using the day as an excuse to get very drunk and practice our terrible Irish accents.

The holiday is celebrated all around the world, and anyone wandering through Bristol on March 17 may wonder if the only way to do so is by drinking beer. In fact large cities across the world hold parades where everyone wears green and drinks loads

Photo: I Don’t Like Mondays (cc)

W

of Guinness. The most famous celebration is the four day festival in Dublin which takes up to 18 months to prepare. If you’ve ever been to Temple Bar, you can imagine the horrific aftermath.

It seems we’ve latched onto the only bit of the holiday we enjoy and ignored the meaning of why we’re doing it. I guess it’s the same with everything. Christmas is the perfect example of this. It is widely believed that Jesus was not born on the 25th December, if indeed he was born at all. Both religious and scientific experts believe the little lamb was born around springtime. Amongst other boring arguments, lie the questions over why shepherds would be working

in the middle of winter? As a keen shepherd myself, I don’t know about you but I feel both ashamed and deceived at this revelation.

If your questions throughout this article have been extremely beer related, I hope you’re disappointed in yourself, I know I am. It’s not your fault though; it’s our society.

Every year we just get smashed in the name of Patrick. Why don’t we do it for George? Do we prefer the Irish way of celebrating to our own? It’s simple really, we are a selfish and greedy nation picking and choosing at the bits of religious and cultural traditions we like to further our sins, by drinking alcohol and getting presents.

Bloody genius idea.

If the old slogan is right, and Guinness really is good for you, then come March 17 the world will be oddly hangover free. Can’t see that happening.

Mine’s a Guinness.

The Comments expressed in these pages are not necessarily representative of the views of WesternEye. comment@ westerneye.net

Sideswipe: custard Cleggs

> A satirical look at events going on in your worldsphere > Deputy PM’s biscuit failings exposed when he asked how much Mint Chocolate Viscount paid for his peerage Sam Butler newsandpolitics@ westerneye.net

T

he Coalition has recently become seriously divided over Nick Clegg’s apparent inability to get the lunch run right.

Tory rebels have stated that they will no longer follow party policy after members of the cabinet received incorrect sandwich fillings when Clegg went to the shop during the recess of a government meeting.

“I ordered coronation chicken and sweet corn” said Chancellor, George Osborne. “Nick came back with tuna and cucumber. This isn’t the kind of service expected from the Deputy Prime Minister.”

The culture of lunchtime blunders allegedly goes much deeper; even at number 10 the DPM apparently cannot get the order right. A senior member of security staff said to WesternEye: “Clegg doesn’t know a cheese roll from a Swiss roll; he didn’t even remember that I have eight sugars. And he’s been getting my tea since the coalition took power.

He’s f*cking useless.”

Prime Minister, David Cameron,

Clegg doesn’t know a cheese roll from a Swiss roll...

He’s f*cking useless

has refused comment on the DPM’s dismissal, but it is strongly suspected that his recent about face on the forestry sell off was due to Mr Clegg presenting him with an egg salad sandwich, when he ordered a cheese and pickle at a recent Green Party conference meeting.

Clegg’s biscuit faux pas are one of the Con Dem’s key failings

“This government is based on trust” Said Mr Cameron. “If my number two can’t even get my lunch right, how can I trust him with debating a replacement for the Trident system?”

It appears that the Lib Dems have a history of failed lunch policies. Ming Campbell is once quoted as saying that “You know you’re a Tory when you get what you ordered”, a statement that may have Mr Cameron realising that he is very much sharing power with the Liberals.

“We stopped at a petrol station on the way back from Hull last week” said Mr Cameron. “I asked Nick to get me a pork and pickle lattice pie, he came back with a peppered steak slice and a bag of Frazzles. I was mortified!”

Insiders say that the situation is currently untenable. A source said “If the Deputy PM cannot even get the lunch order right, why should the country trust him with tuition fees, or the economy?”

Many feel that Mr Clegg is obviously woefully under qualified for his role and should be replaced with the senior Bank of England tea-lady at the soonest possible opportunity.

Features Former ACMD chief talks exclusively to WesternEye...

Drug policy is just Nutts

> After a few high profile clashes with the Government over drugs policy vs. the social harm of certain drugs, Professor Nutt was unceremoniously sacked as chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs by Alan Johnson > Just before giving his lecture “My Life on Drugs” at UWE on the 21st February, Prof. Nutt had a chat with us...

Neurobonkers www.neurobonkers.com

you see some of the arguments that are out there in relation to the harms of drugs compared to the harms of alcohol, any sensible person has got to reason that the costs of alcohol is so enormous that I think that in time things will swing. Also the internet of course has been a huge influence because that really opens the debate up very wide and you can predict that in ten or twenty years the internet will be where all the debates happen and most internet commentators are behind me and sensible policies.

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Neurobonkers: Congratulations on your success in founding the Independent Scientific Council on Drugs. How has your role changed now that you work independently from the Government?

Professor Nutt: Well, one thing is for sure, it is much easier to say what you think. You don’t realise when you are working for the Government just how you align your thinking to theirs. There is always that subliminal pressure to give them the right answers so it is actually very liberating. The only problem is that I’m doing a lot more because now I’m doing this full time ISCD job as well as doing my academic work so I’m a lot more busy unfortunately… but for a good cause I hope.

NB: What do you consider the impact to be on scientific progress of the recent changes in drug law with respect to analogues? [Analogues are chemicals that are similar to other chemicals on a molecular level; they do not typically have similar properties and commonly have extremely different effects. Hundreds of analogues that have never before been synthesised were recently made illegal in the UK without any research being commissioned on their properties or medical applications] PN: I have to say it is quite concerning for us to go on the route of analogue laws that they have done in the States, it concerns me for a number of reasons. One, of course it is arbitrary and may actually push people down in to a field of less known drugs that could be even more harmful. Also, it interferes with medical progress, it stops the development of new treatments and also it potentially stops the development and the use of drugs as sources of pleasure that could be potentially less harmful than the ones we have at present, and I’ll talk about this in my talk today in relation to mephedrone and related compounds. I am firmly of the view that we shouldn’t ban something until we know it is harmful.

When you see some of the arguments that are out there in relation to the harms of drugs compared to the harms of alcohol, any sensible person has got to reason that the cost of alcohol is so enormous that I think that in time things will swing

NB: How do you feel about the Government’s plans under the ‘Police Reform Bill’ to remove from law the need for the quorum (minimum number for passing policy) of scientists on the ACMD? PN: I must say I am a bit concerned about this. Their arguments are that the statutory number of people with particular positions like vets for instance was cumbersome. If the vet was sick they couldn’t make decisions, but I think they’ve partly done it to make sure they can get the kind of decisions that they find most helpful because there are some key things that vets know about that other doctors don’t know about. We learned from the vets when I served on the council that there are quite a few drugs that are important to veterinary practice we could have banned without realising that we would have done a lot of harm to animal health. I think it is unfortunate that they are trying to change it, hopefully we will still be able to hold them to account but I am frightened science may be going out the window here NB: How do you feel about the media’s reporting or lack of reporting of these developments?

PN: The media have actually had a very interesting role in the hole saga. Clearly there has been a lot of misreporting of issues relating to drugs but I think the media are wising up now. Some of the broadsheets are becoming a lot more balanced in their attitudes towards drugs and I think that we can with that section of the media have a really mature, sensible discussion and I think it’s only a matter of time eventually before the red tops and the lower end of the media begin to come in line. Because when

NB: The UK was one of the first countries to have made Mephedrone and it’s analogues illegal, what do you foresee the impact being as this ban is extended globally?

PN: Well mephedrone is a very interesting case because it was illegal in some countries anyway under analogues legislation and some countries such as Sweden and France did ban it before us, but England was the first country in which it was widely used and then became banned and we now know that there is a recommendation to the European council that it be banned widely in Europe.

I think like I said in answer to the previous question there are a lot of possible down

David Nutt DM, FRCP, FRCPsych, FMedSci

Who am I?

David Nutt is the Edmund J Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology and Head of the Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Molecular Imaging at Imperial College London. David is Chair of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs and President of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), UK Director of the ‘European Certificate in Anxiety and Mood Disorders’ and the ‘Masters in Affective Disorders’ Courses jointly administered by the Universities of Maastricht, Bristol and Florence. In addition, he is the Editor of the Journal of Psychopharmacology, advisor to the British National Formulary and on the MRC Neuroscience Board.

Amongst many other appointments, David has previously been Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). In 2004-2005 he was the clinical scientific lead on the UK Government Foresight initiative “Brain science, addiction and drugs” that provided a 25-year vision for this area of science and public policy. He broadcasts widely to the general public both on radio and television and also lectures widely to the scientific and medical communities.

sides to banning it. You may find that other drugs come along to take over the market or you may find that the ban does nothing at all because maybe the police can’t enforce the ban. I don’t know, it’s going to be a very interesting few years and we’ll see how things shape out.

NB: Are there any urban myths regarding drugs that you would like to dismantle?

PN: Well, there are so many myths about drugs, one thing we do at the ISCD is try to make people understand that alcohol is a drug and that is the most important one because that is the drug we should really be targeting in terms of reducing health damage and improving health outcomes.

NB: Thank you very much David!

You can follow @ProfDavidNutt on Twitter, and see the website of the ISCD at www.drugscience.co.uk The recent ISCD paper on relative drug harms: Nutt DJ, King LA, Phillips LD, & Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (2010). Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis. Lancet, 376 (9752), 1558-65 PMID: 21036393 The paper that got the former home secretary in a huff: Nutt, D. (2008). Equasy — An overlooked addiction with implications for the current debate on drug harms, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 23 (1), 3-5 DOI: 10.1177/0269881108099672 You can subscribe to Neurobonkers’ (normally darkly comical) updates on the drugs news using Facebook, Twitter (www. twitter.com/ neurobonkers) or Google Reader.

Features 29

WesternEye 07.03.2011

What is it? Do we really need it? How does it work?

The science of sleep

> Despite engaging the attention of the scientific community, opinion is still divided on this most ancient of customs Toby Cryne features@westerneye.net

T

o most human beings the notion of sleep is to rest one’s body and mind at the close of each day, in order to regain the energy needed to participate in the next. A fact that is probably unbeknownst to the majority is that according to research, human beings spend nearly a third of their lives asleep and without it, simply would not be able survive, dismissing the popular belief that humans need only food and water in order to exist.

So why is it that we sleep?

The most common conviction is that humans sleep in order to conserve energy but it is also known that the body still burns

calories (amongst other energy resources) whilst asleep, and according to scientists the amount of energy that is actually saved over an 8 hour sleep is only around 50Kcal, roughly around the same as a Mini Babybel. Combine this with the fact that the body burns 50+ calories an hour whilst sleeping and your 8 hour ‘energy conservation’ sleep has just cost you 400 calories. Better reach for that burger...

Clearly then the primary goal in the process of sleep is not energy conservation. Could the act of sleeping be the maintenance of a healthy psychological state rather than the conservation of physical energy? It seems apparent that the human body outlasts the mind in terms of endurance as even a ‘healthy’ brain will fall well short of the mark when compared to meat and bones and is much more likely to make cognitive errors and consequently poor decisions when deprived of sleep. The truth is, after hours of scouring the internet there appears to be no clear consensus on why we sleep.

The scientists are baffled and so am I. What actually happens during sleep?

In layman’s terms there are two principal stages to ‘sleep’, both strangely having something to do with eccentric alternative rock band REM. Of course, in this case REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement and specifies which sort of sleep a person is undertaking. Firstly, non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep begins when an individual first falls into slumber and is split into four subcategories as follows: Stage one: In this period the individual is still in the process of falling asleep and can be wakened easily, usually by someone’s knee in the back or a low pitched snore.

Stage two: Within this period, both the breathing rate and heart rate begin to slow down, usually after ten or so minutes of ‘light sleep’.

Stage three: After twenty undisturbed minutes in stage two the individual is now well on their way to deep sleep and both the heart rate and breathing rate are at their lowest points. This is also accompanied by changes in brain waves patterns, amongst other technical jargon.

Stage four: This is the final stage before the individual falls under the hypnotic, slightly out of time reversed guitar solo of ‘what’s the frequency Kenneth?’ , or the REM sleep stage which is the most common time to wet the bed. In this stage the muscles reduce in activity and breathing becomes rhythmic. It is also common for the sleeper, when woken from this stage to be disorientated and groggy, and possibly experience headaches.

So then, you have made it this far. No snoring has woken you, your heart rate has dropped and you haven’t wet the bed. What next?

After stage four of non-REM sleep, the individual arrives at the bastion of REM sleep. REM sleep is in itself rather self explanatory; it is categorised by rapid movement of the eyes. It is in this portion of the sleep cycle, usually beginning after 70 or so minutes, that the individual begins to dream. This is due to the increase in brain function and a rise in the heart rate. At this stage of the sleep cycle memory processing is in full swing, transferring information from the short term to the long term memory or to the recycle bin. It is also believed that in this stage the limbs (arms and legs) are completely paralysed.

So what next? Well, after REM sleep the whole process will begin again with the whole cycle taking around 90-110 minutes to complete. The non-REM sleep stages will start once more and continue accordingly. It is thought that waking up during at the end of the cycle, when in REM sleep or just after, leaves you feeling more rested and invigorated.

If you wake up during the intermittent phases, it is likely that you will wake feeling groggy, with little inclination to get out of bed.

So then, if the aforementioned details surround the characteristics of sleep then what contrasts this? What is the dirty I word and what exactly does it entail?

Insomnia (noun): A chronic inability to fall asleep.

A

majority of people undergo a period of insomnia at some point in time leading the condition to become somewhat of a scapegoat for other underlying problems culminating in a lack of sleep. At some point in time every human being will succumb to some form of ‘sleep deprivation’ or another, and for a vast majority of the public sleep deprivation is a huge issue that can cause problems at work, at home and in the head. It appears that absolutely anyone is at risk from sleep deprivation and many will toil with drastic measures in order to obtain some form of rest bite from the world. So what can cause sleep deprivation and what is the difference between this and insomnia?

It is important to know when talking about sleep deprivation what exactly it is or perhaps more importantly, what it is not.

Sleep deprivation as defined by www.sleep-disorders-help.com is a ‘chronic lack of sufficient restorative sleep’ and is mainly caused by an individual staying awake for too long. This may be as a result of a deadline that needs to be made, simply not having enough time in a day to achieve certain tasks or possibly even a side effect of some form of depression or anxiety issue.

It seems that the main difference is the fact that insomnia is a state in which the individual wants to fall asleep but quite literally cannot. In contrast, sleep deprivation is the actual act of staying awake. This does not however automatically mean that sleep deprivation and Insomnia walk hand in hand, rather sleep deprivation it is a common by product Insomnia. Much like the characteristics of sleep that have been previously reviewed there are many traits of insomnia which fall into two categories commonly known as Primary and Secondary insomnia. Secondary insomnia is the most common form and usually buries its roots in medical conditions or substances induced (such as caffeine) whereas Primary insomnia is a condition in itself that is usually attributed to serious lifestyle shifts possibly due to high stress or emotional distress. As a result of their differences Primary and Secondary insomnia have to be treated with separate methods. Secondary may be treated by simply removing the last Mochachino from the daily routine, whereas Primary may need

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At this stage of the sleep cycle memory processing is in full swing, transferring information from the short term to the long term memory (or to the recycle bin)

the help of outside alternatives such as a psychotherapist. In a nutshell, Secondary insomnia is a symptom whereby Primary insomnia is the problem.

How many hours?

Human beings are naturally diurnal, that is we work best during the day in direct opposition with nocturnal creatures such as the humble Hamster, who does his best ‘work’ at night. If this is the case then when is the optimum time for sleep? 8 o’clock? 10?

And how many hours should one attain per night?

It seems that there is plenty of debate regarding the latter query. Some scientists claim that a mere 5 hours is enough to replenish the body, some say 8. There is even a saying, albeit a rather debated one that claims any more than 8 hours is actually detrimental to your health. One thing that scientists seem to agree on however is that the amount of sleep you need depends solely on the person and the strains of their daily lives. Much like other bodily functions some people simply need to sleep more than others. For some it may differ on a day to day basis regarding how strenuous their day/week/month/year/life is and for others bed at nine, up at 6:30am may be so engrained that it is impossible to alter the cycle.

Q&A Section Q: I rarely have uninterrupted sleep. What should I do?

A: Well to start with you have to ask yourself, does it bother you and your life significantly? From my research and personal experience it must be said that if possible sleeping pills should be avoided due to their high dependence levels.

However, if your sleep problems are bothering you and your life then seek help from your GP. Chances are that if the case is not serious they may just recommend a Horlicks or a shot of scotch but if sleeping pills are the answer, opt for the two a night version; they are half strength and many people find that one of these is plenty enough, as the one a night version will probably knock you for six.

Q: I think I have insomnia. I lay awake wondering why I cannot sleep and worrying about its effect on my life.

A: Before rushing off to the doctors think to yourself about your daily diet: do you take any supplements or caffeine based drinks? These should rarely be drunk after about five o’clock. If there are no obvious answers then definitely seek help from your GP. There may be an underlying health problem that is going unnoticed. DO NOT think it unworthy of seeking help for. Not sleeping can be exceptionally dangerous to your mental health.

Q: I just cannot seem to wake up in the mornings. I am missing lectures because of it and falling behind.

A: As previously discussed, everybody needs a different amount of sleep per night. It is not because you are “not a morning person” the problem is that you need more sleep but aren’t going to bed early enough. Listen to your mother and hit the hay. Also use the above information to try and work out your sleep cycles and aim to sleep in multiples of around ninety minutes. For example; bed at eleven, up at eight.

Q: I can regularly last on three to four hours sleep per night but every week or so I need a lie in day where I sleep for ten hours or more. Is this healthy?

A: Not being a doctor, I could not actually say. However, speaking from experience I can only say that eventually life will probably catch up with you and you may not be able to carry on like this, or maybe you will? As previously stated, everyone is different, if this works for you and is not disturbing your well being then it may be perfectly healthy for you.

Q: I hear all sorts of evil things about sleeping pills from addiction to withdrawal. Should I be taking them?

A: The fact that these are readily available over any pharmacists counter speaks volumes however the glare and investigative questions asked during purchase can put some people off. Pharmacists have to (probably for insurance reasons) tell you that they are for short term use and should not be used as a long term solution and though you may ignore them, they are right. Sleeping pills are a marvel of the medical revolution but they do come with side effects.

Common side effects are grogginess, nausea, memory problems along with addiction and withdrawal. In a nutshell, again not being a doctor and from personal experience, as a short term solution they are fantastic but if your problems are based on Insomnia then seek help as the side effects of night terrors and hallucinations are real so be careful.

Bristol & UWE

Sport

Glenside win charity clash

> Steve Wright inter-campus memorial match settled in a convincing 39-0 victory for Glenside Scott Gormley

sport@westerneye.net

T

he Steve Wright memorial match had been eagerly awaited by the staff and student communities of both Glenside and St Matts. Not only was this a rare opportunity to embrace the long lasting rivalry between the two campuses, but also, and more importantly, to commemorate Glensider Steve Wright, who tragically died in a climbing accident in 2009 and his mother Sherie who sadly passed away 2 months later. Steve was a popular and charismatic student who would always go out of his way to help others. As a student he had organised previous charity rugby matches at Glenside with great success. To his close friends on campus it seemed only fitting to remember him by organizing a Charity match in his honour against old rivals St Matts.

With a calm breeze in the air but white clouds above, it was finally time for Glenside and St Matts to do battle. An early 10:30 meet was planned outside Glenside, in true style Alex “could be a hooker” Homden and Toby “model material” Wicks were a fashionable 25 minutes late. the ravaged pack of players met outside Colston’s School, and in true Colston’s fashion the changing rooms were locked and it was left to a kind spirited member of SU staff to round the groundsman up and let the boys make any final preparations.

Hundreds of supporters had turned out on a cold afternoon, lining the steep banks at the sides of the pitch.

It was clear this was going to be a memorable event from the start as the Glenside cheerleaders warmed up an enthusiastic crowd.

Before the game got underway, both teams and the supporters observed a very moving minute’s silence in

kick deep into the Glenside half.

The opening exchanges were frantic with both teams looking to string some phases together and steady their nerves. An early chance for Glenside winger Simon Fitch drifted agonisingly forward on the final pass, squandering a 3 on 1 overlap and keeping the spectators on edge.

Early pressure was applied by Glenside especially by the pack, the front row who consisted of Matt “no neck” Francis, Tom “made of titanium” Tobin and joined by the inexperienced future Armani model Mr Wicks. The Front 5 dominated scrum time, taking all but one of the St Matts balls against the head!

With St Matts struggling to get a grip on the game, it was time for Chris “The Lion” Langley to bring his A-game. After a line out straight off the training field, Glenside moved the ball through Dave “ever so greedy” Jones, with slow ball in the middle of the park, the Lion picked and crashed through 3 St Matts tackles.

With numbers either side, a penalty was given for St Matts indiscipline at the breakdown. Dave “not willing to pass” Jones put the ball into touch after a fine driving maul Greg “Ricky Fatton” Fury boxed his way through to score the first of the games six tries. St Matts ill discipline and lack of preparation had cost them dearly as they struggled to establish their game, giving away multiple penalties in the first half, killing any momentum they had built up.

Glenside managed to retain possession and again piled on the pressure through their forwards, and despite some solid tackles from the St Matts defence, Glenside fly half Dave Jones found enough space in the corner to cross the line for another Glenside try and finish the half.

Half time came and it was up to Joe “the analyst” Croft to let Glenside know where they needed to improve. Both

The victorius Glenside squad

memory of Steve and his mother, followed by a minute’s applause. The referee then briefed the teams and made it clear that he would take no messing about by either side, possibly due to the fact he was ex SAS! The toss was done, which was the only thing that Glenside’s Scott “El Capitano” Gormley lost all day, apart from his dignity when was asked to consume alcohol at an alarming rate during the kangaroo court session after the game. St Matts No.10 Rob Brecon got the game underway with a lofted

teams made use of their bench and looked to improve their performances in the second half. With water taken on board and substitutions made, the second half was underway. St Matts sustained key injuries early in the 3rd quarter, forcing several players to play out of position. Injuries had taken their toll on Glenside too with the hooker Homden being sick for no apparent reason on the side lines it was left for the impressive Glenside Medical staff to tell him to man up.

Millie “matching underwear” Allen

Zumba takes centre stage at successful Women’s Active Campaign

St Matts on a rare break later dubbed as the ‘mouth from the south’ sprayed Alex with water and he returned to the fray.

Regardless of the situation, the enthusiastic St Matts back line combined well and managed to string together some very entertaining counter-attacks from deep in their own half. However they were certainly matched in effort by a very sharp looking Glenside back row with Warrick ‘Brussow’ making some notable steals and new to the game Max “the heart throb” Hartman also working hard. The score ticked over with Glenside showing great backs play and the forwards dominating most of the breakdowns. Dave “the trainer” Hastie combined well with his centres to make valuable yards for Glenside. The secret weapon was

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...the event raised over £1000 pounds for local charities

unleashed at half time with James “not sure what your real name is” Tron running hard and bouncing off tacklers! With a new number 9 now taking the mantle it was time for Glenside to go for the jugular. Gareth “the commander” Chadwick moved his pack around nicely with some hard running from all players. After Alex “the clinic” Homden had fallen over the line followed by “the trainer” it was 32 – 0!

In the following 10 minute spell St Matts had regrouped and were beginning to get a real foothold in the game. Hard running from Marco “everyone tackles me high” Mlendovic and carries through their backs and forwards meant St Matts had a real chance of scoring. Solid defending from Glenside broke up this attack, with Brussow and Gormley finally turning the ball over in mid field after some indifferent passing from the St Matts number 9.

At this point there was no need for another touchline pep-talk, fantastic support from all watching and notably

the Glenside cheerleaders meant the lads wanted more points. With “the analyst” now running rule over the cheerleading team, not the game, it was left to true rugby instinct to get Glenside through. A penalty was given and Dave Jones happily put the ball into touch, another perfect throw from Mr Titanium himself meant that Glenside had a perfect platform with the soon to be signed CK model taking a catch at 6. The forwards trundled on with the heartthrob and Francis munching through St Matts defenders, the ball was set and worryingly El Capitano and Ricky Fatton were in the centre. A trundle from the captain through the tough tackling St Matts fly-half set another good platform for Dave “can’t stop waving at his misses” Clover and Warrick Brussow to take more yards.

With a few picks and goes the ball was eventually released for another back to stumble across the line, DJ scuffed the kick through the posts and only minutes remained.

A clean take and drive off the restart was completed as Glenside let the clock run down, with the ref calling last play it was left for Greg “small man syndrome” Fury to get in the way of Mr Titanium and the ball was knocked on!

The relief was clear and elation was seen throughout the hundreds that had come to watch this fine game of rugby. Glenside were victorious in a comprehensive 39-0 win.

After hugs and handshakes all round, a final speech was delivered from McGeechan and the analyst Matts onout rare told us ofSthis scores of break.

10 for the cheerleaders. Lucy “loose legs” Bailey scored highly with a 7.34/10.

On a serious note a massive thank you to everyone involved, the event raised over £1000 pounds for local charities and proved to be a fantastic memorial to Steve and his Mum. Much of the credit for this must be given to Chris Langley, Scott Gormley, Paddy Besiris and Millie Allen who worked tirelessly to ensure the game took place. And of course a big thank you to the supporters from both campuses who turned out to cheer on the teams.

Nadia Harding sports.president@uwe.ac.uk

B

ody Beautiful has been my lead campaign throughout February.

The idea came up during a BUCS training conference over last summer, and was based on a motion past at sports council in 2009 that stated there should be more activity and programmes to encourage women to participate in sport and activity. The program has been led by me with a project team of 12 girls, and offered a variety of activity for women to participate in absolutely free! We have also utilised a lot of UWE sports to increase participation for them. I have thoroughly enjoyed the project and taken part in all the activities, it’s a fantastic way to make women feel confident and active in a fun environment and the sponsorship from HP was greatly appreciated.

The programme has been recognised by the Healthy University Group and Feel Good February as a vital programme that should continue to be implemented each year.

One of the motivating factors behind the campaign was the drive to engage women in a variety of new activities that stray away from the ‘norm’. This was certainly the case with classes ranging from Hip-Hop and Bollywood dance, to cricket and kickboxing. But the most successful class by a mile was Zumba, with 174 participants taking part over 4 classes.

As a result we have also decided to take on a New Year venture that can take place this year or at least be set up for next academic year. We have come up with the idea of doing a world record Zumba class over at the ECC. It will be run to raise money for charity and all students and staff can take part, and everyone will hopefully get in the record books!

Sport 31

WesternEye 07.03.2011

UWE 12 - 22 Hartpury

> Battling men’s rugby team succumb to defeat against local rivals after a spirited Hartpury comeback Jamie Anderson sport@westerneye.net

I

t is no secret that UWE rugby 1st’ transition to the Premier Men’s South division has been a turbulent one. The fiercely competitive division including local rivals Bristol and Bath Universities has often left UWE falling short of the mark.

With UWE’s form in mind, Hartpury made the short journey from Gloucester expecting to run rampant having already beaten UWE 57-8 earlier in the season; however they found themselves against a much improved UWE team, eager to make sure the visitors had to work hard for their victory.

UWE match facts

Tries:

Ben Sharpington (18) Will Drake (39)

Conversions:

Matt Humphries (18) Man of the match: Ryan Edwards

Hartpury almost made a dream start after an attempted clearance was charged down in the opening minute of the game and although the ball was held up bravely amongst a crowd of players, it was a clear sign of UWE’s shaky confidence. Hartpury could sense the opposition nerves and attempted to capitalise with sustained pressure, often leaving the home side camped on their own 5-yard line.

It was the job of the captain, Matt Humphries to lead from the front and brought UWE back into the game with some very impressive tackling. With UWE’s confidence building, Ryan Edwards seized on some poor ball handling and raced away down the left wing, drawing two players and artfully passing to leave Ben Sharpington to cross the line. Humphries made no mistake with the conversion.

UWE continued to play with confidence and tried to build on their lead with some fine runs from Glen Lewis and Spencer Sutherland, however a lapse in concentration in the 24th Minute, far too familiar for Coach George Tavner, saw Hartpury’s fullback Belbing pierce the defence with relative ease to score under the posts. The conversion saw the game draw level 7-7.

The game began to open up with both sides having opportunities. The Gloucestershire team were simply overpowering the home side at the breakdown and in the scrum, forcing UWE into errors and conceding penalties. UWE responded with

UWE Men’s team just lost out, despite leading at half time the backs showing great pace and energy that was rewarded just before half time. A good pass from scrum half Tom James, met the hands of an unlikely try scorer Will Drake, a second row forward to crash over the line. Humphries conversion was unsuccessful.

Cries from Tavner to keep it tight until half time seemed to fall on deaf ears, as Hartpury raced to the UWE try line only to drop the ball in a mistake that would make Robert Green’s world cup gaff seem understandable.

The reprieve gave UWE a deserved lead of 12-7 at half time.

The second half started much like the first with a rejuvenated Hartpury putting increased pressure on UWE.

The pressure took its toll with the visitors able to capitalise on a weak UWE scrummage with a prop piling over from a 5 yard scrum, amid angered cries from Tavner of “We spoke about defence at half time.”

With the conversion missed and the tie all square, the game began a period of scrappiness with neither team wanting to concede next. Humphries’ attempted kick was charged down by a Hartpury prop whose best attempts at sprinting to the try line resembled that of Gimli from Lord of the Rings.

Eventually UWE’s fatigue began to show and Hartpury’s Denning broke through the defence to take the lead to 12-17.

UWE were evidently running out

of ideas with weary legs charging into a very strong defensive line, occasionally impressive substitute Chad Collins and Edwards would break through the defence, however support would be lagging behind.

Eventually a blistering run from Hartpury’s full back Campbell saw the game put out of reach ending 1222, a score line that reflects harshly on a brave performance from UWE. After the game Coach George Tavern said “I can’t question the commitment of the lads, they all gave 100% and unfortunately were made to pay for missed opportunities.”

UWE will need to finish opportunities for next week’s match. Tavern must prepare for a fiery affair against top of the league and fierce rivals Bristol University.

The home of multimedia sports reporting at UWE

www.westerneye.net

Swimmers bring home the gold

> Swimming and Water Polo Club president reports on teams’ most successful competition haul Nick Fulton sport@westerneye.net

A

fter UWE Water Polo recently won their league it was time for the second half of the club, Swimming, to show that they were capable of producing the performances to get themselves to the BUCS championship finals. UWE had two strong teams in action; with the UWE A team competing in a tough Division Two and the UWE B team competing in Division Three.

Going in to the meet confidence was high, we knew that we had the talent to make the finals but also knew it would be difficult facing such tough opposition as Bath 2nds (who had brought down their strongest squad, full of international swimmers) and rivals Bristol.

At the half way mark UWE A team and Bristol were on the same points in joint second place leading to an exciting second half to the meet.

Unfortunately, they managed to somehow pip us by 2 points but we were still well ahead of London in 4th place so comfortably qualified along with the B team who also easily progressed to the finals in 3rd place in Division 3. A special mention must go to Bogdan Oleinik, Racheal Andrews,

All smiles for victorious UWE athletes and Sam Bailey who remained undefeated in their races. Now on to Loughborough for the finals on 19th March!

The following weekend it was time for the performance squad to show that all the extra pool time this year was working, as we hit the BUCS Long Course Championships in Sheffield where we would be up against the very best this country, and in the cases of Rebecca Adlington and Liam Tancock, the world has to offer!

...Bogdan Oleinik, the first ever male finalist from UWE

The weekend started on a massive high with the Men’s 4x100m free relay pulling out a massive club record to qualify for the clubs first ever relay A final. That sparked off the best showing of UWE swimming to date as we qualified for 3 further finals including the 4x100m medley relay.

The stand out performance of the second days swimming was from the Estonian beast, Bogdan Oleinik. He not only qualified for the final to become the first ever male finalist from UWE at BUCS, but also managed to gain his English National championship time meaning UWE will be represented alongside the very best in the country at nationals this year. Bogdan went on to finish in 6th place, gaining us much needed BUCS points. The relay boys produced another brilliant swim to finish 10th in the final. On to Sunday where we had another relay final to look forward to which was added to by yet another final appearance

by Boggers (Bogdan Oleinik) in the 100m breastroke. However I think the strain of the previous couple of days had taken hold both physical and mentally as Boggers went out well but started to flag in the final 10metres to finish 10th. There was a similar story for the relay boys who ended the weekend on a high night with a 10th place finish. We ended

the weekend with our highest points total ever at the championships where we finished 25th overall from over a 100 Universities. This weekend showed that UWE are a team to be reckoned with, and can compete with the best in the sport. I want to say a big congratulations to everybody who competed, especially Boggers, Lewis Cole, Terry Coopey, Tom Hill, John Egan and not forgetting the only girl Barbara Robeira.

Do you want to get involved in sports reporting?

sport@ westerneye.net

32 Sport

WesternEye 07.03.2011

Bullets gun down Varsity rivals > American Football team come out on top in close fought encounter with local rivals Ben Taylor

Stan Stalbow scoring the winning touchdown

sport@westerneye.net

I

t was that time of year again; Varsity series with the scene was set for a game of epic proportions.

Both University of Bristol Barracuda and our UWE Bullets went into the game with an unbeaten record in the league so far this year. The winner would most likely go on to win the division and make history.

The Barracuda had never previously beaten UWE Bullets and they certainly wanted to change that. The winner would have bragging rights over Bristol for the year as well as the coveted trophy that was at stake. So it’s safe to say that everything was resting on this game. Both teams were very well prepared for one another and eager to show who the best team in Bristol is.

The game kicked off into torrential rain and strong wind…Classic football weather! Barracuda’s offence were first to take to the field looking to score. The emotions tied to the game caused aggression from the Bullets that was deemed by the referees as excessive. This cost UWE major penalty yards, which put Bristol in a prime position to take the lead, which they capitalised on.

UWE bullets would not let this unfortunate early lead get the better of them. The Bullets offence took to the field and running back Sam Stalbow needed only a few plays to show the form that he is known for and ran nearly the length of the field to equalise the scores. It was obvious

“

Lifting the trophy at the end of the game for UWE was a great moment for us

at this point that this game was going to be close.

Both teams battled on through conditions that were steadily getting worse, the poor weather conditions forced both teams to run the ball at nearly every opportunity. The game became a fight for every inch of the field with both defences putting in bone crunching tackles. A few

mistakes by the Bullets put the Barracuda in another great scoring opportunity, which they took full advantage of and at half time the Bristol Barracuda had a 12- 6 lead.

The second half kicked off and there was everything to play for. The Bullets had some ground to make up but all it would take it was a touchdown to move in front. From the start of the second half it was like a different Bullets team were playing.

Obviously the half-time team talk had an effect, the penalties had stopped and the Bullets really took control of the game. The Bullets defence was shutting down the Barracuda’s offence and the Bullets offence was starting to really execute some good yards. Despite this the Bullets couldn’t quite finish their drives off and Barracuda managed to cling onto their lead for a little bit longer. This wouldn’t stop the Bullets, and after being relentlessly hit by the O-line and Ben Cooper the Bullets eventually

broke though and got that precious equalising touchdown. After neither team could take the lead in the dying moments of the game, the game was destined to go to overtime.

Overtime works by each team starting on the opponent’s 25 yard line and will try to score a touchdown or a field goal. If that happens the other team get one chance to equal it starting the process again, or better it resulting in a win. This game was already a tense occasion for anyone involved and with the addition of overtime it got knocked up another notch and fulfilled its potential to be a truly epic game. The Barracuda won the toss and got the first chance to try and score, however a stout performance by the Bullets defence (now including Fullback Ben Cooper going that extra mile and playing both ways) stopped the Barracuda.

The Bullets offence came onto the

field trying to end the game, the Bullets progressed down to the one yard line and after a few attempts Sam Stalbow once again used his speed to get around the defence and score the winning touchdown for the Bullets. The Bullets and their supporting sideline were ecstatic.

UWE had maintained their unbeaten record and shown their heart in a truly monumental game. The players that were given the credit of MVP’s were Ben Cooper, Sam Stalbow, Mark Hibberd and Dayne Robinson.

I had the chance to catch up with one of the captains, Adam Stenlake, and when asked about the team’s performance he had the following to say: “That was one of the hardest games I’ve ever played in, I’m so proud of the team for coming together to beat Bristol. Lifting the trophy at the end of the game for UWE was a great moment for us”.

UWE Bullets celebrate varsity win

Kings of the court

Charity Oz ride

Ben West

Sportsdesk

sport@westerneye.net

sport@westerneye.net

superb season continues as the UWE Men’s First team ease emphatically past the London School of Economics in the round of 16 of the BUCS Trophy. This clash saw a rematch of last year’s quarter final match which saw the London team blitz through UWE running out convincing 10-2 winners. However, this year’s encounter saw a very different story, with the UWE team of Ben Calnan, Dan Mock, Ben West and George Tripp completing a clean sweep of match wins to run out 12-0 winners.

The doubles matches saw a straightforward win for the second pairing of Dan Mock and George Tripp as they crossed the finish line for the loss of just two games, 6-0 6-2, meaning the duo continue their season long unbeaten streak. The top pair of Ben Calnan and Ben West had a tougher encounter, with just a single break early on giving them the first set. The second set seemed to be going all the way to a tie break but a timely break at 4-4 allowed West to serve out the set and take the match in two competitive sets.

It was in the singles matches, though, where the UWE team displayed their best tennis. With

WE student Jon Shorter is planning a sponsored 4,550km bike ride across Australia in July. He is teaming up with fellow fundraiser Chris Jones as they aim to raise not only awareness about, but money for the UK Prostate Cancer Charity and the Australian Prostate Cancer Foundation. The pair have set themselves the target of raising £15,000.

Shorter, who is no stranger to fundraising, cycled from London to Monaco last summer in the name of the Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Development charity, based in his home town of Chester. On that occasion Jon successfully raised £3,000. But this time he and friend Chris Jones are joining forces in the name of the fight against prostate cancer. Over the last 30 years prostate cancer rates in Great Britain have almost tripled, although much of the increase is due to increased detection through widespread use of the PSA test. Worldwide, around 913,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008. More than two out of three cases are diagnosed in the more developed regions.

The guys have a number of avenues to raise money, including

> Tennis team making strides in the cup after great league campaign

> UWE student fundraising at UpUnder 2011

U

A

UWE athletes holding court in BUCS cup each match stepping onto court at 3pm, each had shaken their beaten opponents hand before the clock struck 4, as the UWE team assertively dismissed the challenge of their London rivals for the loss of just five games in total, with wins of 6-0 6-2, 6-0 6-2, 6-0 6-0 and 6-1 6-0.

The regular league season saw an improvement on last year’s 3rd place in finish BUCS Western Tier 1 league.

Winning seven out of a possible ten fixtures, the regular team, with the addition of fresher James Barratt, managed a 2nd place finish, missing out on the top spot to Bournemouth University. The season saw perfect performances in 12-0 wins over the Universities of Gloucestershire and Bath 2nds as well as determined

displays in completing the double over the University of Bristol 2nds, UWE running out 8-4 winners both home and away. Other stand out results include an impressive 10-2 home win against the University of Exeter 2nds, who could only manage a 6-6 draw on the return leg.

With the league complete, the teams focus turns to going deep in the BUCS Trophy draw and the upcoming Varsity series against the University of Bristol. The next obstacle in the way of the UWE men getting to the 2011 BUCS Championships, in Sheffield, are Oxford 2nds, and previous results suggest it should be a close encounter. With the UWE men in such form, though, they are hopeful a trip to Sheffield is well on the way.

attracting corporate sponsorship by wearing logo’s on their jersey; a small logo costing £250 and a large one costing £500. On top of this they are a number of other ways to show your support. And as they say on their website ‘upunder2011 is about raising money to fight prostate cancer.

If you want to join us in that fight, our door will always be open to you.’

If you are interested in finding out more or looking for ways to donate then why not log on to http://www.upunder2011.com/

Got a question about UWE Sport?

Contact: Nadia Harding sports.president @uwe.ac.uk

8

Samuel Abrahams / Competition

Connecting with Samuel Abrahams

COMPETITION Win Tickets for Hercules and Love Affair

By John Howell

Bet you didn’t know that an ex-UWE student received a BAFTA nomination this year?

Samuel Abrahams’ Connect, which is about a young woman whose life is altered by a surprise connection with a stranger on a bus, was nominated for Best Short Film.

Although it didn’t win the BAFTA, it did receive the Jury Award at the Brief Encounters International Film Festival and also got selected for the Foyle Film Festival and the London Short Film Festival.

On behalf of Westworld, John Howell caught up with Samuel Abrahams in order to find out just what it’s like to receive an invite to the BAFTA’s...

So Samuel, what did you study at UWE and how do you remember your time there?

I studied my Foundation in Art, Design and Media back in 2000-01. The foundation is a one year course designed to help you figure out which area of art you want to focus on for your degree. Prior to this I thought I'd go on to study photography or painting, but during my foundation I started playing with video and was encouraged to pursue filmmaking.

I ended up studying Fine Art (New Media) at Chelsea College of Art, which gave me an artistic context to continue making films.

I loved my foundation course. I often look back and think I was very confident back then and I really did make the most of it. I made my first films on foundation and last year when I found myself in a bit of a crisis over what exactly I wanted to do, artistically speaking, I found myself looking back to the first ever film I made in my foundation Media class. The film was very deliberate and, without realising it, it was more 'my film' than anything I have made since. It’s a scary thought, but sometimes it can take a long time to figure out exact what your voice is, and for me I had already found it and then managed to somehow lose it along the way.

My recent short film, Connect has a much bigger budget and the scale of the production was huge in comparison to the film I made by myself on foundation, but in many ways my direction is very similar; the approach from a storytelling and visual point of view is very similar.

How did it feel to be nominated for a BAFTA? Receiving a letter through the post from BAFTA that reads...

"Dear Samuel,

Electropop hipsters Hercules and Love Affair will be smashing up Metropolis, Bristol, on Wednesay 16th March, and we here at Westworld have got TWO TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY! Amazing, isn’t it? All you have to do to win the chance to see this smashing band is draw a picture (in any medium) of Greek demigod Hercules having some sort of love affair, and send it to westworldinfo@gmail.com by Tuesday 14th March.

Best/funniest pic will win! Get drawing. NOW.

I am delighted to inform you that you have been nominated for a British Academy Film Award." ... is just incredible. To receive this kind of recognition from the industry is wonderful.

It’s a great opportunity for a young filmmaker and really opens a lot of doors.

What was it like to be at the award ceremony?

It was surreal. I remember when our driver turned to us and said, "we are three cars away, sir". I just freaked out a little. The idea of walking down the red carpet was a little daunting. But I'd be lying if I didn’t say it was fun. The ceremony itself was crazy and of course I was disappointed when we didn't win, but had a really great night going to all the after parties. My producer managed to get us into the Weinstein after party which was just filled with BAFTA’s. Everyone was there and in a weird way it was very inspiring. Making films isn’t about awards of course; it’s about telling a story and really connecting with an audience. But when you are in the same room as Christopher Nolan, Darren Aronofsky, Tom Hooper and Danny Boyle, you can’t help but be inspired.

What's next for you?

I'm working with an amazing young playwright on a bigger and more ambitious short film that I am hoping to direct later this year, whilst also developing a first feature for me to direct. Also, I've just signed with a great production company called Smuggler, to rep. me for directing commercials.

Connect will be going on a year-long nationwide tour with the other four films nominated in the Best Short Film category.

For more information on Samuel and Connect, visit the following: www.samuelabrahams.com www.facebook.com/connect.film

THIS IS

JOHNNY HARRIS

Johnny Harris / Out like a Lion

7

Out Like a Lion

By Hattie Barnes

By Sophia Jarvis & Emily McCorry

JOHNNY HARRIS IS a brutally honest, funny and friendly man. Don’t recognise the name? Well, it’s hard to forget his powerful performance as Lol’s abusive and manipulative dad, Mick, in This Is England ‘86. He has also appeared in such films as Gangster No.1 and Rock‘n’Rolla. Johnny recently visited UWE to talk about his TV and film roles.

Proving that there is no ‘correct’ path to success, Johnny left school at the age of 13 to pursue a career in boxing, winning the Junior NBA National Boxing title at 16. He then enrolled at Morley College in London to study acting, and it was there that he met UWE Drama lecturer Craig Snelling. After finishing college he began his acting career in the fringe theatres of London, where his raw talent was discovered and his determination to succeed was put to the test.

Johnny then landed bit parts in various films and adverts. He admitted to us that he found himself drinking heavily, whilst living on the dole and waiting for the right kind of work to come along. It was during this period that the casting directors of Eastenders came calling with a lead role, however, he turned down the opportunity because he believed that being a soap actor wasn‘t for him. For Johnny, this represented a decision between taking roles that he was passionate about and the stability provided by a five figure salary.

Through sheer determination Johnny stopped drinking and focused more strongly on his career. He heard that acclaimed director Shane Meadows was looking for actors to star in This Is England ‘86, a televised follow-up to the incredibly popular 2006 film This is England, and he jumped at the opportunity. Johnny auditioned directly to Meadows, who thought he was so perfect for the role of Mick that he was given the part that evening.

Johnny said that the role, which involved a number of extremely dark scenes, didn’t come naturally to him and that never before had he been forced to dig so deep into a character’s psyche.

Johnny was highly praised for his portrayal of Mick and his star continues to rise following an appearance alongside Sean Bean in Black Death. Not bad for a bloke that left school at 13.

Despite being a relatively young band, they have racked up an impressive number of shows all over the place and have recently returned from performing all over the country –

2011 HAS BARELY HAD TIME to establish itself yet, but it is already looking like a busy and life-changing year for this four piece from Bath. Out Like a Lion were formed when two successful local bands, Blackchalk and Mathematics, went their separate ways (due to musical differences) and two members of each band, Max and James and Richard and Matt, respectively, were left twiddling their musical thumbs. A mutual friend introduced people here and there and then, in the autumn of 2009 Out Like a Lion came into being. Despite being a relatively young band, they have racked up an impressive number of shows all over the place and have recently returned from performing all over the country whilst embarking on their ‘We Love Eggs’ tour, which included playing a show with Example (Eggsample, if you will!). In the very early days they recorded tracks in singer Matt’s bedroom, before uploading them to their Myspace. Because the songs were so enthusiastically received, they built up the confidence to upload them to the BBC Introducing page online and soon they were being played all over the BBC Bristol radiowaves. As a band they are a real example of how well the Introducing platform can work to support and boost the careers of young, charismatic and talented musicians. The four boys, Matt Aldus (lead

vocals/guitar), Max Blunos (drums), James Scott(vocals/guitar), and Richard Gully (vocals/bass), were signed to EMI in the summer of 2010 shortly after they played on the BBC Introducing stage at Glastonbury, which I hope you’ll agree are achievements that speak volumes about their talent and their potential.

At the beginning of this year the BBC decided to launch the profile of their Introducing scheme and played competitions on different Radio 1 shows where a snippet of a song was played everyday of the week until the Friday, when the DJ and the producers chose their favourite band and the song was played in full. Out Like a Lion’s song ‘Little Bit of Love’ won the first week, when the breakfast show had the decision. As a result the track was playlisted and played across the BBC for a whole week, a massive deal for any new band. The exposure that came with this has created a buzz of excitement for the band’s E.P. and has ensured they were listened to by people they wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise. Chris Moyles himself described the record as a ‘good song to drive to’ and whilst that, coming from him, might seem a little irrelevant, Moyles is listened to by a huge number of people who value his opinion. Also, as much as I hate to admit it, he is right. The tracks they’ve released

already are perfect driving songs, with a good beat and gently poppy hooks, reminiscent of summer and perfect for car sing-a-longs.

When the band recently opened their tour with a show at the Croft I went down for a cheeky listen. I was expecting to see the standard crowd of friends they have amassed along the way, being a firm local favourite, but I wasn’t quite expecting the whole back room of the Croft to be stuffed with expectant listeners, beers in hand. They are a band that are definitely worth seeing live, they are fun, definitely dance-worthy and the faces Max pulls while drumming are, quite frankly, spectacular.

Whilst there isn’t an exact date for the release of their E.P., xlovers, I have been promised that it will be out sometime during March, and it is eagerly awaited by old and new fans across the country. In the mean time you can find their music at www.Myspace. com/outlikealion and on Facebook, where they regularly post updates and details of new shows.

For more information about BBC Introducing go to: www.bbc.co.uk/introducing

6

Fontstruct interview

Brick by brick

Left: “Slice The Serif ” by Kathryn Evans Prosser “Crayon” by Chris Price

UWE take over FontStruct

Below: “Xavier” by Charles Allen

By Rob Meek An interview with: John Paul Dowling & Gabriel Solomons

EVERY AUTUMN, some remarkable visitors arrive on FontStruct. For a few weeks, a great storm of creative energy rages through the gallery. Our servers creak and groan. Bricks fly in all directions. And then, as suddenly as they came, they go; leaving behind some exceptional FontStructions and, everywhere, the mysterious tag: UWE. This year, we succeeded in tracking down some of the people behind this strange phenomenon. We asked them to tell us about their work, and they very kindly agreed …

Who are you, and what is UWE? We are the course team on the “Communicating with Words” module at The University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. Module Leader Gabriel Solomons with supporting lecturers John Paul Dowling, Jez Hattosh-Nemeth and Stephen Monger.

How do you use FontStruct in your teaching work?

The students who participate in the FontStruct project are in the first year of their three year BA in Graphic Design. In part one of the project they are tasked to choose one word from a list of themes such as “Dynamic”, “Reflection”, “Chaos” or “Decay” to then create a display face of at least 26 characters plus a basic set of punctuation. We encourage the students to spend time collecting information and materials from the environment. These will be used to inform the production of their digital typeface so they must consider how the materials generated (by sketching, photographing, etc.) can result in a modular, grid-based font. Students are encouraged to apply a wide range of image-making skills to the collection of their research. It is in the translation of these recorded visual elements from location to the making of letterforms, which provide the individual quality of the student’s typefaces.

Part two of the project then asks them to produce either an A2 type specimen poster, or multi-page type specimen booklet for their FontStruction that demonstrates the development, attributes, characteristics and usability of their font.

Why did you decide to use FontStruct for your graphic design course?

The structure of the typographic education over the first two years of the course begins with the history of alphabets, moving into the anatomy of type, character design, typeface design, words, paragraphs, pages, spreads, publications while also looking to promote and enhance experimental typographic interpretations. FontStruct gave us an easy and accessible way to introduce type design at an early stage.

Asking Level 1 students to use Fontlab and implementing the rigour of designing a full character set at the initial stages of a students graphic design education was decided to be too much too soon.

FontStruct is a public, virtual space with users discussing and rating each others fonts. There are also editorial interventions in the form of “Top Picks” and “Featured FontStructions” chosen by FontStruct Staff. Do you think this poses any challenges for educators?

We actually found these elements a positive from an educator’s point of view. Students had to write descriptions of their work, thus improving their written design vocabulary. They had to learn to take criticism or praise from other members of the community. They gained confidence and showed great attention to detail in the work they produced knowing it would be on display for the whole world to see. The ‘Top Pick” and “Featured FontStructions” served as a reward, and external acknowledgement of the work they created. There seems to be a very engaged community of “FontStructors” on the site all helping to support one another with considered feedback, suggestions for improvement and problems or glitches encountered. Our students really engaged with this public discourse and have learned to see the huge benefits of taking an active part.

Many of the UWE project themes (Chaos, Decay …) seem especially difficult to interpret given the grid-based, modular restrictions imposed by FontStruct. Was this intentional?

Yes completely! We felt that if had we given them a brief which asked for the design of a modular typeface, the results would be quite narrow. We decided to go in the opposite direction and choose words with an often ‘organic’ interpretation to see how far they could push their solutions using a grid-based system. Students had to begin their process “offline”, exploring the theme in the real world. Some initial sketches and ideas were often impossible for us to imagine resulting in a gridbased font but the students regularly came up with methods – many of them ridiculously time consuming – that would enable their ambitious ideas to translate effectively.

FontStruct is used by schools and colleges throughout the world.

Start with pen and paper. Research, research, research in as many and as vast subject areas as possible. Design on paper without the worry of how you will turn your design into a fontstruction. Use grid paper when first progressing your initial sketches into designs that will work with the modular system. Study the tiles and blocks, understand how they work on the grid system. Then and only then move onto Fontstruct and figure out how you can best stay true to your initial designs using the application. Once this has been achieved the typeface needs to be put through a number of iterations utilising feedback from staff, students, peers and the FontStruct community.

What do you think are the advantages of using FontStruct in teaching typography and graphic design?

The simplicity of using the program is a definite plus.

Students can quickly get a grasp of using FontStruct, which also effectively teaches them about the building blocks of typography and the elements of type design. Learning about the subject from books and admiring the work of others only goes so far in engaging students in what some still consider to be quite an esoteric strand of graphic design (type design).

FontStruct really does help students take that initial step and rewards their ambition (for display types at least) in a way that some of the more industry standard type building programs can’t.

Thankyou!!

To view the full interview, as well as more samples of work visit: http://fontstruct.com/news/2011/2/12/interview-with-uwe/

Can you explain why the students at UWE produce such a consistently high standard of work? Maybe you have some tips for other educators?

Shakespeare Interview

5

Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory Interviews:

By Sean Guest

John Heffernan

KING RICHARD II

Ffion Jolly

Richard II is less plot-focused than many of Shakespeare’s plays and instead relies upon a psychological engagement with the characters that permits both actor and audience to really get under their skin, what have you learned about yours?

I think Richard II is one of the most complex and psychologically fascinating of all of Shakespeare's characters.

His journey is vast; starting the play with an almost unassailable self-confidence that kingship has been granted to him by divine right. However, as his former friends and allies turn against him, his isolation grants him profound selfawareness. Through despair, he comes to learn that the crown is not protecting him but poisoning him and indeed all human structures and hierarchies are fundamentally superficial.

Eventually he is stripped of everything and comes to the realisation that the only search worth making is the search to become nothing.

The role demands that you capture both the humorous and harrowing sides of Richard II, often shifting between the two in the blink of an eye, how did you prepare for this?

Richard does indeed seem to suffer from some pretty violent mood swings! At its most extreme, as perhaps seen in the scene of his return from Ireland when he rocks from total conviction and authority to deep despair, I even wondered if nowadays he would be diagnosed as bipolar. He is hyperintelligent and super-articulate, and as an actor you are required to try and keep pace with the speed of those thoughts.

In fact as the play progresses, his exceptional facility with language is the only weapon he has left and it is one that he directs against both his perceived enemies and against himself.

It is one of the reasons that the character is so exhilarating for an actor to play.

You’re playing the lead in Richard II and have also appeared in King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, which of these is your favourite Shakespeare play and why?

QUEEN TO KING RICHARD Jack Bannell

HENRY PERCY You made your Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory debut last year in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest, how was that experience and what have you been up to since?

You trained with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, can you tell us a little about your time spent there?

I loved my time at the drama school. The quality of training in the basic arsenal of skills an actor needs is exemplary, but for me the best part was being given the opportunity to work and think like an actor for 3 years, working with professional directors and being exposed to the industry, all of which BOVTS delivered. It's a very professional institution that Bristol should be proud of.

You play Henry Percy in Richard II, can you tell us a little bit about him and how he fits into the grand scheme of things?

Henry Percy is the son of the Duke of Northumberland.

He is one of the chief instigators and allies to the rebellion against Richard II. He turns up enthusiastic and fresh faced to aid his father and the rebellion, but as the plot thickens his responsibilities grow and he finishes the play as one of the new kings (Henry IV) most trusted lords. Whether or not he trusts the new King by the end of the play is questionable.

Just keep acting. A busy acting C.V., whether amateur or professional, will always help you up to the next rung on the ladder. Also, you should always make the most of every opportunity as every character in a piece of drama is important or the part would not have been written. Sometimes the small parts are the most fun!

Just try and do as much of it as you can and if it ever feels like nobody is giving you the right opportunities, go ahead and put it together yourself. Sometimes you have to be utterly shameless and beat down doors but it's worth it!

Have you any advice for aspiring actors?

Well, I would have to say that at the moment Richard II is my favourite play, without question. I know this may sound incredibly pretentious but I think its insights into the human condition are so moving and so profound. I saw an amazing production of it at Stratford with Samuel West while I was studying at Bristol and I've just been in love with it ever since.

I also think King Lear has to be one of the greatest plays ever written and recently I've been intrigued by how Shakespeare has the word "nothing" echoing and reverberating through both plays. They seem to share a nihilism at times that isn't a million miles removed from Beckett.

Have you any advice for aspiring actors?

You recently played Franklin in Upstairs Downstairs; do you prefer acting on the screen or on the stage?

I feel more comfortable on the stage as I've been practicing for 11 years (you don't get much amateur T.V out there) and I enjoy it more as it comes most naturally. However, I am enjoying the degree of subtlety you can achieve on film and am hungry for more practice.

Last year was absolutely delightful. SATTF has to be one of the friendliest companies to work for and the cast last year were a lot of fun. They are this year too. Andrew has a talent for getting together casts that can work well together and also get on as people. I relished the opportunity to play two great Shakespearean women, who are both in extraordinary situations and go through incredible emotional journeys through the stories. Having to kiss Jack Hardwick and Ben Askew was a bonus!

Since then I have been in London doing various bits and pieces including a new sci-fi drama for the Microsoft 7 phone called Timedancer and a new fusion of radio and stage drama called Auricular. It's quite refreshing coming back to do Shakespeare, I couldn't have been doing anything more removed in the meantime!

You’re playing the Queen in Richard II, is she a character with whom you sympathise?

It is very easy to sympathise the Queen, having her husband and status taken away from her. What was difficult was trying to understand her loyalty to and love of Richard, which, at the beginning of the play, seems implausible given his behaviour.

However, the beautiful scene at the end of the play in which they part is one of true love and love is rarely rational.

You graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2008, can you tell us a little about your time spent there?

Bristol was three years hard graft and very rewarding because of that. There is a fairly gruelling timetable of dance, singing, voice, stage combat, and acting projects in the first year. The second year is spent touring around Bristol and the West Country with three different shows and then the third year is spent doing graduate shows, a London showcase and a couple of TV and radio projects. It's a very small school so you get plenty of attention, whether you want it or not.

Have you any advice for aspiring actors?

In the words of George Michael, you gotta have faith!

4

Shakespeare Review

Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory: Twelve Years and Counting

By Lucia Dobson-Smith

BRISTOL BASED Shakespeare theatre company, Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory (SATTF), are currently in the middle of a successful twelfth season, presenting a much lauded version of William Shakespeare’s Richard II at the Tobacco Factory Theatre in Bristol. A professional theatre company, SATTF have consistently received nationwide critical acclaim for their productions of some of Shakespeare’s finest material.

The company, which was established in 2000, typically produce a Shakespeare double-bill at the Tobacco Factory, between February and April each year. Their second offering for this season will be the delightfully confused identity farce, Comedy of Errors which will run from the 24th of March to the 30th of April.

Past SATTF productions include everything from Shakespeare’s ever popular comedies, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to the less well known, but the equally worthy of attention, plays such as Troilus and Cressida; The Tobacco Factory Theatre provides audiences with an intimate inthe-round setting that has proved perfect for the intensely provoking and emotional interpretations of Shakespearean plays produced by SATTF. Acting under the watchful eye of artistic director Andrew Hilton, the company itself is made up of a core of 21 actors, of which a handful are chosen to play in each production.

With the absence of celebrity names in leading roles, SATTF ensure the emphasis remains on the quality of the material in hand.

Over the years the company has branched out into new territory producing plays by other authors, including a 2004 production of Thomas Middleton and William Rowley’s The Changeling, and a 2005 production of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters. SATTF’s 2009/2010 season saw the hugely successful production of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, and Moliere’s The Misanthrope, both of which played on the main stage at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre. SATTF’s production of Uncle Vanya also went on to play as the centre attraction at The Galway Arts Festival in Ireland. Richard II marks SATTF’s first foray into Shakespeare’s history plays.

As an unsubsidised theatre company, receiving no government funding, SATTF rely entirely on ticket sales, patronage, and their friends scheme, through which members pay a small sponsorship, in return for special offers and booking privileges.

SATTF also run an annual program of season workshops for 12-17 year-olds, working in conjunction with local schools and colleges. The workshops are targeted at young people interested in theatre and professional acting, and many of the season workshop alumni have subsequently gone on to professional theatre training and colleges across the UK. SATTF have produced a grand total of twenty-four stage productions, and enjoy a nationwide audience. After four consecutive sell-out seasons, and playing to packed auditoriums, SATTF are hoping up to 20,000 people will see each of this year’s double-bill of Richard II and Comedy of Errors.

SATTF have consistently received nationwide critical acclaim for their productions of some of Shakespeare’s finest material.

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Richard II - Review SHAKESPEARE AT THE TOBACCO FACTORY Rehearsal images

By Sean Guest

Hilton relies on Shakespeare’s language, which he claims ‘entranced’ him at a young age, to create an image of medieval England – SOMEWHAT SURPRISINGLY, it has taken Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory’s esteemed director Andrew Hilton twelve years and twenty productions of the Bard’s finest to reach the histories. Whilst Hilton acknowledges that this is his first foray into the thus far neglected genre, he actually considers Richard II to be ‘one of Shakespeare’s first great tragedies’, which perhaps provides an insight into the thinking behind the selection.

Richard II is a play well suited to the intimate setting provided by the Tobacco Factory. The audience surrounds the action, which takes place on a small rectangular space in the centre of the room, and even become a part of the production when King Richard and his retinue sit briefly amongst them.

Hilton relies on Shakespeare’s language, which he claims ‘entranced’ him at a young age, to create an image of medieval England, rather than using props which are kept to a minimum. The subtle use of lighting and music are also a credit to the production and along with the elegant costumes, designed by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School graduate Harriet

de Winton, they further enhance Hilton’s vision.

Though not famous for its historical accuracy, Richard II provides an account of the king’s tragic decline following his decision to banish his cousin Henry Bullingbrooke, who eventually returns to dethrone the monarch, from his kingdom.

The simplistic plot permits Hilton and his cast an opportunity to engage with the characters psychologically, an endeavour in which they are extremely successful. None more so than John Heffernan, who deftly portrays the king at his most humorous, by glancing into the audience whilst delivering a delicious slice of the Bard’s wit, and at his most harrowing, by spitting out the vitriolic final tirade as if the words were his own.

Although Heffernan’s performance is faultless, it is in fact Benjamin Whitrow’s turn as John of Gaunt that steals the

show. The seasoned veteran, who played Harry Percy in the Bristol Old Vic production of Richard II in 1961, delivers an impassioned and moving portrayal that is unsurpassed on the night. Julia Hills also excels as the Duchess of York, exhibiting just the right combination of energy and emotion in tandem with a tearful Oliver Millingham as the Duke of Amurele.

The highlight of the production comes in the form of the play’s most famous scene, as Heffernan delivers the ‘scepter’d isle’ speech with an intelligent restraint that makes the subsequent loss of his kingdom, punctuated by a touching final embrace with the Queen (Ffion Jolly), all the more moving.

Engaging and intelligent, this production is at once loyal to the politics and poetry of Shakespeare’s prose and extremely modern. It is undoubtedly one of Hilton’s most triumphant interpretations to date. Long live the king!

EIGHT DRAWINGS

and ONEMAN TRAVELPLAN

By Alice Palmer Brown

Eight Drawings & Oneman Travelplan / Arnolfini

As 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of Bristol’s Arnolfini, Kate Bird takes a closer look at what makes the place such a success.

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Half a Century of Innovation

THIS FEBRUARY/MARCH Matthew Douglas, an MA Fine Art student at UWE, exhibits his work at the Christmas steps.

Believed to be ‘his most industrious and intricate work to date’, Matthew presents us with art produced during the latter months of 2010. Accompanying the exhibition is a limited edition catalogue featuring all drawings on the show.

Since 2002 Matthew has been making temporary work in the form of sculptures, actions and installations. Most recently, he has worked with steel both in Bristol and London and sculptures in Berlin all of which only existed for the duration of their exhibition. He currently lives and works in Somerset and Bristol.

YOU MAY KNOW BRISTOL’S CULTURAL HEART, the historic waterfront, more for its lively night spots than for its art galleries. Then again, the Arnolfini, located in the former tea warehouse opposite the Vshed, is so much more than just an art gallery. The building’s 3 floors and 5 exhibition spaces play host to some of the most innovative and experimental contemporary art around, encompassing everything from performance to sound art, from film to interactive sculpture, from the benign to the bizarre: truly something for every taste and interest. And despite celebrating its 50th birthday this year, the Arnolfini looks far from a mid-life crisis or an anticipatory gaze towards retirement.

Founded in 1961 by Jeremy Rees, Annabel Lawson and John Osborn, above a book shop on Clifton triangle, the Arnolfini aims to bring all aspects of contemporary art together in order to stimulate innovation and push the boundaries of existing art to whole new levels. Rees’ mission statement, ‘to seek out challenging, often controversial, sometimes relatively unknown artists and to provide a vital showcase for their work’,

3 still remains the adage firmly at the centre of the Arnolfini psyche, surviving relocations to Queen Square, the building that now houses the Watershed and to its current home on Narrow Quay.

This last move in 1975 was an especially brave yet insightful one, considering that the Bristol harbourside was far from the hub of activity that it is today. In fact the move here arguably catalysed the rejuvenation of the area as a whole; making the waterfront one of the city’s most lucrative districts and cementing the Arnolfini as a tie between its native Bristolian roots and the growing international community of the arts.

Despite exhibitions from local artists, interactive work and involvement with the local universities, the main aim for the Arnolfini’s director, Tom Trevor, is to do away with preconceptions and reach a wider demographic. He claims “it’s hard to change people’s mindsets: all we can do is to present these opportunities. If anything, we need to communicate better what we do here. We did a big survey of audiences recently, which found that we’re really good at preaching to the converted, but that there was an incredible opportunity to open up to new audiences.”

This anniversary year plays host to free exhibits exploring ‘The apparatus’, provoking a much needed discussion on the nature of contemporary art; its uses and its limitations. This begins with work, largely in textiles and wood, inspired by the deadly and all too familiar sin of ‘Sloth’, created by the German artist Cosima Von Bonin. Her work aims to link high art with popular culture, with some of her pieces reminiscent of Ikea furniture and deftly described as a ‘hallucinogenic menagerie of fatigue’.

If modern art isn’t quite your thing though, the list of other events taking place throughout the year is endless and includes Japanese film, spontaneous music making with the Full Moon Orchestra, a visit from the poet laureate at the spring poetry festival as well as lectures exploring Britain’s economic situation during the festival of ideas. Also, in conjunction with UWE, the venue is hosting a number of fine art lectures from the 9th of March with free entry for students and staff.

In spite of the reported 0.5% cuts (just under £6,000) on spending on the Arnolfini by the Arts Council, the gallery’s future continues to look bright. The support provided by loyal visitors and contributors helps to fund this 2 million pound a year space and enables it to continue offering a wide range of free exhibitions and diverse events.

Here’s to the next 50 years!

His exhibition at the Christmas steps opens Monday 28th of February and runs until Saturday 5th of March. Following this, Matthew will be curating ONEMAN TRAVELPLAN, at the same venue. This exhibition by Daniel le Mesurier presents a selection of art forms inspired by le Mesurier’s travels in West Africa. Out of this stimulating experience developed an abundance of material: ‘hundreds of photographs, drawings, an enriched travel diary and weeks of video footage’.

From this Matthew Douglas and le Mesurier have compiled an exhibition presenting a varied selection from this archive, of drawings, limited edition photographs and an edited film.

Now, two years after his travels, le Mesurier is working as part of ‘a growing collective of artists cultivating 'the island' into a strong, current centre of art’ and holds a studio in the old Bridewell police station, Bristol.

Both events will take place at 18 Christmas Steps, Bristol BS1 5PS. For more information email: information.douglas@gmail.com or visit www.matthewdouglas.eu EIGHT DRAWINGS - Exhibition opens Monday 28th February and runs until Saturday 5th March.

Opening times: 12pm until 5pm. A closing event will take place on Saturday 5th March from 13:00. Free Entry.

– ONEMAN TRAVELPLAN - Exhibition opens Monday 6th March and runs until Saturday 12th March.

Opening times: 12pm until 5pm

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Featured Artist - Sophie Madeline Waitt

Sophie Madeline Waitt Sophie Madeline Waitt is a third year Drawing and Applied Arts student.

This series of images aim to recreate the personal emotions felt in response to a specific site. Barrow Gurney hospital is a huge abandoned psychiatric institution, isolated by the surrounding landscape. It closed in 2006 after having been branded one of the dirtiest hospitals in Britain. It is currently being dismantled.

EXHIBTION INFORMATION: Barrow Gurney Institution Opening night / Private view 10th March 8pm 10 Mar - Apr 2011 Sublime Bar 31 King Street Bristol, Avon BS1 4DZ sophiewaitt@gmail.com 07707063415

Editors Sean Guest Alice Palmer Brown

Submission deadline for the April issue - March 20th

Publications Editor George Rowe

Submit Artwork westworldinfo@gmail.com

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Creative Direction & Design James Somerfield hello@jamessomerfield.co.uk Alex Green alexinleeds@gmail.com

Contributors Jonathan Granger Sophie Madeline Waitt Alice Palmer Brown Kate Bird Lucia Dobson-Smith Sophia Jarvis Emily McCorry Hattie Barnes John Howell Rob Meek

Contact UWE Publications Frenchay Campus Coldharbour Lane Bristol, BS16 1QY www.westerneye.net Typeset Grotesque MT Std Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk & Warnock Pro

March 2011

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Exploring Arts, Culture, Music & Film within Bristol.

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Jonathan Granger Eight Drawings and One Travelplan Arnolfini 50th year Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory FontStruct - Brick by brick Johnny Harris Out Like a Lion Samuel Abrahams Unheimlich Exhibition COMPETITION FEATURED ARTIST

Sophie Madeline Waitt

Front cover: Title: 'Time machine' Jonathan Granger Level 3 Graphic Design Jonathan's work is predominantly illustration based, with a strong use of colour and my his main goal when designing is to keep it simple and to the point. www.jonathangranger.com Jonathan_granger@hotmail.com