WesternEye w w w. we s te r n eye . n e t
UWE’s Student Voice - Issue No. 1 - September 2010
Talking shop...
UWE Vice-Chancellor Steve West discusses NSS results >> 3
Satisfaction drop leads to new 24 hour window
Photo: Ellie Kynaston
> 24 hour window returns, but grades will be capped > Backpedal due to poor student survey results
In News >> 6
A Tale of Two Reps: student representatives speak out
Sam Butler newsandpolitics@ westerneye.net Last year’s changes to the academic regulations were met with much wcriticism by many students. One of the most unpopular changes was the abolition of the 24 hour window for submitting coursework. The 24 hour window is to return as a direct result of student feedback, following UWE’s drop in certain areas of the National Student Survey (NSS) polls [see page 3] and an analysis of how the previous regulations have worked one year on. But there will be one major difference. Submissions made after 2 pm on the actual due date, but within the 24 hour window, will be capped at 40% for undergraduates and 50% for postgraduates. This move by UWE could be interpreted as backtracking on previous policy in light of the problems brought by throwing students in at the deep end last year. Vice-Chancellor Steve West told WesternEye that the sudden elimination of the 24 hour window had undoubtedly had an influence on UWE’s NSS results. “What we’ve done is responded to student feedback and you will see some changes this year.” Other changes made at the beginning of last year included a limit of one resit per student, for which students are charged a £50 fee, and the introduction of printable submission slips on Blackboard. WesternEye put it to the Vice-Chancellor that £50 seemed an arbitrary figure, and possibly
“Are domestic applicants being squeezed out in favour of lucrative foreign students? In a word, no...”
In Life >> 11
Every little hurts: is Tesco dominance getting too much?
In Comment >> 12
“A degree might get you an interview, but it won’t get you the job.”
Features Just what is humour? >> 26 unaffordable to some students. “It’s not arbitrary. There was a lot of research into what goes on across the country in terms of resit fees. This university, for years, didn’t have resit fees and other universities did, ranging all the way up to about £150. We went with the median.” Mr. West also stated that UWE implemented resit fees to cover the costs of running the extra exams,
but also to “encourage slightly different behaviour”; in reference to an alleged ‘resit culture’ among students. “What went wrong with the F12 regulation changes [last year’s academic alterations] was that we did not communicate it well. Although we did work with the SU, we missed some fundamental goals and we cannot afford to do continued on page 2
**** Freshers’
Pull-Out Inside
In Features >> 29
UWE Clubs look to the year ahead In Sport >> 30
Westworld returns: back cover
2
News & Politics
WesternEye 13.9.2010
Sections News and Politics
>> 2 Life
>> 8
Debate
>> 12
Sound
Video
Exclusives
Coming soon www.westerneye.net
Welcome...
...to a new year at UWE. My name is George Rowe and I have taken over the reins of WesternEye from last year’s sterling Editor Mr. Marcus Siddall. I thank him for all his hard work. If you are a returning student you may notice that WesternEye, your student newspaper, looks quite a bit different to previous years. Let me take you through just a few of the exciting changes that will be happening this year: 1. We have sadly lost funding for our sister publication, WestWorld,
but I feel that the content it featured is essential of UWE student media. Thus, to try and keep it in existence the former Arts and Cultures section has been merged with WestWorld to create a whole new magazine style section of the paper. Check the back cover. 2. WesternEye has always been conceptualised as strictly a newspaper, but considering that it is a monthly publication it seems nonsensical to consider it as such. To try and counter this, WesternEye will be featuring a new Features
section, containing longer, more in-depth articles from the realms of politics, science, philosophy and much more. 3. A complete redesign of the newspaper, reflecting the quality of student media at UWE. 4. The finalising of the charter of Editorial Independence and setting up of an Editorial Board, so that WesternEye is now formally independent of control from UWE and UWESU. 5. A complete overhaul and redevelopment of www.westerneye.net (see above). 6. Much more original photography by UWE students. It’s going to be an exciting year, and I want to get as many of you lovely people involved as possible. We are always looking for new writers, reporters, photographers, proof readers, web designers, videographers and more, so get in touch at george2. rowe@uwe. ac.uk. NOW!
- George
Freshers
>> 17
Features
>> 25
Sport
>> 30
WestWorld
40 <<
WesternEye
New developments in Bristol...
Photo: Hannah Ranken
UWE’s Student Voice <<
Editor George Rowe News and Politics Editor Sam Butler Sub Editors John Howell, Jake Martin Life Editor Ashleigh Searle Sub Editor Christina Smith Debate Editors Paul Saville Harry Stoneley Features Editor Yuliya Yegorova Sub Editor Mike Whiting Sport Editors Jake Procter Toby Prior
WestWorld Editor Sean Guest Creative Director James Somerfield Sub-Editor Alice Palmer Brown Illustrator Alex Green Photography Editors Ellie Kynaston Hannah Ranken Photographers Hugga Larusdottir Joe Williams Elly Peers Ellie Heaford Web Developer Alex Tiley
For advertising info please contact : Luke Sutton at The Student Media Group on (0117) 3179370 or luke.sutton@studentmediagroup.co.uk
NSS drop leads to new 24 hour window continued from page 1
that again.” The question of the University effectively offloading the printing cost of submission slips onto students has raised some eyebrows [see page 14]. UWE maintain that the new system is partly due to sustainability measures as, theoretically, there will be no surplus submission slips printed. This is a tad disingenuous as submission slips are standardised and do not change from year to year; therefore, a surplus of slips does not necessarily mean waste. Your correspondent was privy to a conversation between two lecturers at a Frenchay bus stop recently, in which the concept of totally electronic submission was floated as the ultimate goal, where appropriate. Granted, the benefits of paperless submission are great in terms of sustainability and UWE’s green policy. But in view of the technical difficulties that Blackboard often faces, perhaps this is some way off. Mr. West told WesternEye that electronic submission was something UWE was working hard towards, “If we can introduce electronic submission and electronic feedback, then this cuts out the need for anyone having to bear the cost of hard copies.” “This would also allow us to track more easily, when work is submitted, when it is returned and the quality of the assessment. It needs a bit more investment, but if we can do that then it would make life a lot easier.” Getting the formula right in a university of nearly 30,000 students is never going to be an easy task. Mr. West’s snowballing policy of “communication is the key” has some promising blueprints, and may well produce impressive results. The reintroduction of the 24 hour window, in some semblance, is a direct result of this communication and the VC was perfectly candid about admitting UWE’s previous failures in this area. How the new capped 24 hour window and other academic regulation changes are received by students in practice, is something that WesternEye will monitor closely during the assessment period of the autumn semester.
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 accesible as possible. You can access this publicaiton 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 western.eye@uwe.ac.uk.
News & Politics 3
WesternEye 13.9.2010
The customer is always right > ‘Overall satisfaction’ at UWE drops, according to National Student Survey newsandpolitics@westerneye.net
O
verall student satisfaction at UWE has dropped, according to the National Student Survey. The NSS, described on its website as ‘your opportunity to give your opinions on your institution and things that you felt could have been improved’, shows that UWE has dropped three percentage points in the area that it has always been most proud of. The student experience that UWE provides and drop in question 22 (overall student satisfaction), has raised serious questions over where things are lacking. WesternEye interviewed UWE Vice-Chancellor Steve West and asked him why students are less happy with their experience and what was going to be done about it. Mr. West puts the overall drop down to a variation in individual program performance across UWE. More specifically, while some courses are excelling, others are dragging their collective feet causing a drop in the overall level of satisfaction. Mr. West said: “I’m not happy with the results and think that they are disappointing” So how has such a varying degree of satisfaction been allowed to develop at a university that has always prided itself on its student experience? This does not seem inkeeping with the ‘marketisation of education’ analysis or the observation that students are now consumers. Recent events in the institutional and national spheres could be surmised to have affected staff morale. Course closures and mergers at UWE and the mad axe man,
Chancellor Osborne, swinging like a lumberjack on speed cannot make academic staff sleep easily. But Mr. West is adamant that this should not affect student satisfaction. “Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the student experience has not changed in terms of the student union, facilities and other things going on around them.” Evidence of staff dissatisfaction has filtered through students comments in the NSS. “Staff morale is important. Some of the comments that are coming back are clearly not ‘student comments’ but comments that they have picked up from staff. Cuts are a good example.” UWE Professor, Peter Broks, who is also Vice-President of the Universities and Colleges Union at UWE, stated in an article to The Guardian that complying with government demands had left UWE “being fairly average”. Mr. West refutes this statement strongly. “I don’t think that we are an average university. If Peter’s only measure of a university is against Oxbridge type metrics, then he’d be right, we are in the middle of the pack. But if you look at some other areas at UWE, such as arts research, these are world class.” Mr. West is adamant that, by expanding in these specific areas, UWE will begin to move up in the global league tables which he labels “crude”. Professor Broks stated in The Guardian that, “If we had stuck to what we were doing well – working hard, being efficient, running the sorts of courses we did well, I think we could have ended up in a better
position.” Mr. West replied: “Peter has his views and that’s fine, they might not accord with my views, they might not accord with other staffs’ views. But it’s my job to steer a course that is suitable for this university and that is right for this university.” Mr. West says that problems with certain programs will not continue now that they have become apparent. A breakdown in communication between teaching staff, students and program leaders has been discovered and is being addressed through action plans. These action plans will be signed off and monitored at the highest levels. The heads of department will be accountable for delivery of those actions as part of their performance indicator. Mr. West is adamant that if program leaders are unable to meet his standard, action will be taken. Tough words, but West maintains that if UWE cannot get the fundamentals right, then it has no chance of being a world class university. “Staff are going to say that this is a bit heavy. It’s not heavy it’s about getting the basics right in a university that prides itself on the student experience and having good learning and teaching. People are going to be held to account.” How this will translate into a trans-departmental shake up is unforeseeable. Invariably at UWE there will be a ‘guinea pig’ period that could result in some chopping and changing; ultimately it will come down to how students respond to any program changes. Mr. West’s mantra seems to be that a system of student feedback, assessment and action is the key to a successful UWE, he also outlines a strategy to take the elements that work from one program and trans-
UWE Vice-Chancellor Steve West ferring them to others that are flagging. “We don’t complete the loop of student feedback and implementation of changes.” he said. In an effort to gain a deeper insight into student needs and concerns, Mr. West suggests a ‘Vice Chancellor’s question time’.
Things of this nature have proved successful in the past and in theory offer an open forum between the university and what have become it’s ‘clients’. ‘Please take the time to fill out one of our customer satisfaction forms before leaving’ may well be printed on your degree certificate.
Car park 20
> The end is nigh, but where next? Jake Martin newsandpolitics@westerneye.net
T
By Yiannis Philiastides
Sam Butler
he temporary planning permission on car park 20 at Frenchay expires next year, sparking fears for commuting students and the growing need for parking around the campus. The 1200 space car park, situated on the Frenchay campus, is the most popular means of parking for students. However the expiration of the provisional use of the land, on the 12th June 2011, could mean that students may need to find alternative parking or use public transport. Nicholas Loughlin is the project manager of TravelSmart, a company in talks with South Gloucester council over car-park solutions. He told WesternEye that “Negotiations were currently happening with the council over permission to use the Hewlett Packard site as a temporary area for parking after the 12th June”. Loughlin stated that the
discussions were “very positive”; however factors such as cost will not be released this early in the talks and a contingency plan, should the discussions not succeed, has not been discussed. UWE Vice-Chancellor, Steve West, has also commented on the future of car park 20 suggesting that “There are two options. One is that we extend its use as a temporary car park; the second is how to develop Frenchay site and how to increase car parking on the campus side of the road.” Mr. West also informed WesternEye that UWE is in negotiations with South Gloucestershire Councial at the moment for the re-provision of car park 20.’ The future is still uncertain, but these talks show that students will hopefully not have to resort to other means of parking in the first semester of 2011.
WesternEye 13.9.2010
In the dog house
News & Politics 5
> Student accomodation can be a case of hit and miss. In some cases, it can just be a nightmare Jake Martin newsandpolitics@westerneye.net
A
disturbing account of inadequate housing, broken appliances and manipulative landlords in student accommodation has been revealed to WesternEye. UWE student Struan Farquhar told WesternEye of his nightmare experience as a warning to other students: “What happened to us was pretty horrible and I wouldn’t want it happening to anyone else” he said. Struan, along with four other students rented the accommodation with little knowledge of the premises and was subject to questionable property rules. “The problems started when the agents wouldn’t allow us to take the contract off of their premises.” The students were new to renting property as he described “The agents were clearly just taking advantage of the fact we were inexperienced at dealing with renting procedures.” “When we moved in there were tons of problems with the house, the whole place was a tip” Struan said. He went on to describe the horrors of an injury sustained by one of his housemates. “One of my housemates had a piece of glass stuck in his foot for the first two days.” The students came under
criticism after attempting to tidy the house and garden. “As we went on with our fixes the landlady became angry with us for cleaning the place, and we still don’t understand why. We had to repair a lot of bits and bobs inside the house and she complained to us about this for making changes to the house which weren’t allowed” explained Struan. As their time continued in the house they began to experience malfunctions in their electrical appliances: “Throughout the year things in the house broke down and we asked for them to be fixed, our land lady would always take the cheapest route, which we expected.” The students raised issues over the shower and extractor fan, both of which were in a state of disrepair, but were subjected to “patronising” conversations with the land lady. “The extractor fan she had in the shower room didn’t work” Struan explained; “Her solution to this was to place a label on the shower saying we should make sure to wipe the walls after every shower.” Struan, along with fellow students Mark Wilding, Adam Tengku, Kris Lau and one who wishes not to be named, were not prepared for the catastrophic events of the winter. “One night we heard a mighty crack and found that the roof in the
unoccupied spare room had fallen in. It turns out that the pipes had not been insulated properly and water had frozen in them, causing a break.” Struan told WesternEye that repairs took two months and that the landlady did not accept immediate responsibility for the shoddy plumbing. “She tried to blame us saying it was our fault for not having water running through the pipes often enough, and for not keeping the room warm.” Eventually the five students decided to leave the accommodation, but were then stung financially. “We made the house spotless before we left as we didn’t want to pay a cleaning fee and we also wanted to be good tenants.” “The next day as we were unpacking in our new house we got texts saying that she was appalled with the state of the house and how it was a mess.” The landlady charged the students for a missing key even though the students claim to have all returned their keys. Most unbelievably of all, the students were asked to pay a fee for a new vacuum cleaner. “This made absolutely no sense as the vacuum was right by the door that she had gone past twice the day we left. When we disputed the expense claims she started to get aggressive and as a group we decided to not get into another argument with her.” The students decided it was best to not to seek the return of their deposits.
Gumtree scammers
> Bogus landlords are targeting students on internet advertising forums Newsdesk newsandpolitics@westerneye.net
S
tudents are being warned of fraudsters posing as landlords on the internet advertising forum Gumtree. UWE Fashion and Textiles student Sabrina Tan, 22, from Penang, Malaysia and a friend were swindled out of £4000 when trying to rent a property they found on Gumtree. “It all happened back in June” Sabrina told WesternEye, “My previous accommodation contract was due to expire so I had to look for a new place. My friend and I had been looking for houses through quite a few websites and one of them was Gumtree. I saw an advert and sent an email to enquire about the property. The landlord replied and said that my friend and I had to prove our financial ability as I wasn’t employed back then and he suggested that I made a transaction through Western Union to a relative or close friend who I could trust, so he could confirm that I was able to pay the rent. I did what he said not knowing that Western Union’s security is so lax and that money could be taken out without a valid ID.”
The bogus landlord claimed that he worked in Ireland and would fly back to show the students around the property once he had verified their financial status. Following the transfer, the landlord then failed to turn up to the appointment. “My friend and I waited for almost an hour before deciding not to rent the property. We went back to check the money on Western Union’s website; the money was gone. We were very shocked and went to the Western Union agent, Royston Garden News, where we made the transaction, and asked what had happened.” Sabrina and her friend’s £4000 had been withdrawn that day in London using fake identification. Immediately, they made a police report. After two days the ‘landlord’ called again asking for more money to be transferred “Just to be sure”. Sabrina contacted the police again, who told her to string the man along as long as possible. She received no further advice from them. Since then Sabrina has been transferred from the British Trading Standards Agency to the Citizen’s
Advice Bureau to the police and back again. No one seems able or willing to help, and she may be forced to accept that she is yet another victim of internet fraud. International students are particularly vulnerable as they are generally a long way from home, English may not be their first language and they may be unsure of custom and procedure in the UK. “It is not easy to get over what has happened during the past few months, it is still so fresh in my mind. It makes me really depressed, but I try to look at it as a very expensive lesson that I’ve paid to learn. I am really lucky as I have friends and family who are always there to support me.” Sabrina was determined to make other students aware of the danger of internet landlords. “The University should provide details on cheaper private accomodation. Most of the students move out of the University’s accomodation because it is too expensive. Students should also be warned about fraud.” Students who think that they may be at risk of or have been a victim of this kind of fraud should contact the police followed by the Student Union Advice Centre.
“The landlady charged each of us £95 for the five of us. That’s £475 to cover for one key, one vacuum and a clean.” Farquhar described how he was not provided with a receipt for proof of the cost of each item, noting that they were charged three times the amount for the vacuum cleaner. “Rough figures put the hoover at £90; we were shocked, as we knew she got an Asda Smartprice hoover valued at £30. So she charged us treble the rate.” This story echoes complaints earlier this year about the Marketgate accommodation reported in WesternEye, April 2010, in which housing conditions and maintenance came under criticism from students. Complaints included the frequently broken lifts, extensive vandalism and substandard services. Struan conclusively says “This was a terrible first experience of renting at university and I would advise anyone to go with companies that are legitimate. If they (the property agents) hustle you to do things their way always question them. Also be confident when talking to them and they are less likely to muck you around.” UWE Student Services are always ready to help with any questions or problems that you may have with accommodation, and UWESU now have their own letting service solely for UWE students that charges no agency fees [see page 23].
Rental do’s and don’ts DO... ...make an inventory of all the contents of the house before you move in. ...list any pre-existing damage to the property and get the landlord/agent to sign off on them. Take photos if possible. ...get a parent or student advisor to look over a contract before you sign it. ...pay the deposit by cheque, banker’s draft or credit card so you have some proof of payment, get a receipt with the date, address of the property, signature of the landlord, amount received and a note of what the deposit covers.
DON’T...
...sign anything until you are sure you understand it. ...be afraid to question your landlord. They are providing a service. ...give your landlord grounds to evict you. know what these are, they include continually paying your rent late and trashing the place.
Fraud victim Sabrina Tan.
6
News & Politics
WesternEye 13.9.2010
The ‘knowledge economy’
> Some universities are actively seeking a bigger bite from the lucrative international student market to combat economic pressure Sam Butler newsandpolitics@westerneye.net
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unding cuts in the higher education sector are driving more British universities to take larger numbers of international students. As the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, takes gigantic chunks out of the public spending budget, universities have started to feel the squeeze. Places for home students are to be capped in an attempt halt the haemorrhaging of money from the sector. The number of UK student applications rose by 5.5% between 2008 and 2009, with the number of domestic applications having risen by 44% over the last ten years to nearly 500,000 (UCAS). In response to this belt tightening, UK universities are taking a larger bite from the international market to maintain financial growth. Britain is second only to the United States in terms of its international market share, taking 12% and 20% respectively. The international student market is worth approximately £3 billion a year to Britain’s economy, with international students paying up to three times the tuition fees of their domestic counterparts. The UK higher education sector as a whole is a £25 billion a year industry. Lyanna Asmadi, 20 and from Malaysia, is one such student. Asmadi is in the second year of an Accounting and Finance degree at UWE, as part of a twinning program with Taylor’s College, Subang Jaya, Malaysia. “I think it is unfair for us international students to pay triple the amount of the domestic students tuition fee. Though I believe that education plays an important role in life so for me, I think that the money spent on the education is worth it no matter how much it would cost.” But are domestic applicants being squeezed out of their home universities in favour of more lucrative foreign students? In a word, no; but with times of fiscal austerity here to stay, the need for international cash can only become greater as cuts begin to bite. WesternEye asked Vice Chancellor, Steve West, where UWE
stands on stagnant domestic places and a rise in international intake. Mr. West said “I have to look to the available markets, which are only the international, short course and part time sectors. While I don’t agree with the government policy of capping the number of domestic students and am concerned about reaching students who might not normally consider going to university, which is something we do very well with, I am capped at zero growth in the home market. The reality is, is that I don’t have a choice.” UWE is at the lower end of the international student scale, taking just 5% of its students from outside the European Union. The average for UK universities is around 11%, with the upper end of the scale reaching as high as 20-25%. “We are looking to build up to 10% over the coming years” said Mr. West. Foreign students are a crucial part of the higher education financial model. A recent article in The Economist (‘Will they still come?’ Aug, 5th) stated that universities in England subsidise domestic student revenue by charging students from outside the EU considerably more. Ergo, if foreign students are turned away, domestic students will either have to stump up more (the government is not going to any time soon) or accept a lower quality of education. Once again it would be students from less affluent backgrounds that would be penalised. “I’m really proud of what we do in terms of widening participation. My big fear is that with the proposed government cuts, this will be one of the first things that will be in the firing line. That will be a massive failure.” WesternEye was told by Mr. West that a number of schemes were being designed to accommodate a larger international market, but also to facilitate an expansion of the ‘knowledge exchange’ and that it is not a completely one-way street. “We are looking at working with overseas universities to deliver course where the first two years are done in the student’s home country and the final year is done
Newsdesk’s world round up Britain - The son of drum and bass legend Goldie has been sentenced to life for a gang related murder committed in 2008. Jamie Price, 23, stabbed to death a disabled rival, Marlon Morris, in Wolverhampton. Goldie has said of the tragedy: “I tried to give him opportunities; but he went the other way.” Price was told he must serve a minimum of 21 years before he is considered for release.
Iran - A women’s rights activist is on trial accused of ‘waging war against God’, as a lawyer for another activist is arrested. Iran has launched a fresh crackdown on human rights activists by arresting an outspoken Iranian lawyer and charging a young activist with “waging war against God”, a crime punishable by death in Iranian law. Several women and men await execution by stoning under Iran’s draconian religious laws.
By the numbers...
352,000
The number of students from outside the EU currently enrolled at British universities.
1,000,000
Logins to the UCAS website on 20th August 2009
10%
Percentage of UK students from outside the EU.
£9,700
The yearly cost of a laboratory taught full time undergraduate course to an international student at UWE.
£25bn
How much the higher education sector is worth to the UK economy.
44%
Percentage increase in UK university applications since 1999.
2
The number of UK universities in the world top ten (the US has the other eight spots). at UWE. We are also working that partnership in reverse, where our students can go and study in other countries, where appropriate. That for me seems like the right strategy in terms of the globalisation of knowledge and the knowledge economy” said Mr. West. “Compared to Malaysian universities the UK universities offers many more educational resources and that will really help in my studies. I’m also looking forward to studying in a new environment, which will give me great opportunity in learning new things like the culture and people” Lyanna told Mexico - President Fellipe Calderón has called for an open debate on legislation to legalise drugs in an effort to halt violence in Mexico. 28,000 people have died in druggang related clashes in Mexico in the past four years. “It is a fundamental debate,” he said. “You have to analyse the pros and cons and key arguments on both sides.” In 2009, three former presidents, of Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil, said the US-led drugs war had failed and that the legalisation of cannabis should be considered.
UWE Accounting and Finance undergraduate, Lyanna Asmadi WesternEye. In 2009 UCAS received nearly 3 million applications from just under 700,000 applicants. Figures for 2010 are expected to be even higher. Acceptances from outside the EU reached 56,000 in 2009, roughly 11% of the total number of new students. The two most populous nations on the planet, China and India, have flourishing middle classes despite the global economic downturn and provide a significant portion of the UK’s international students, 22% of all international students in 2008, up 32% from the previous year (The Economist). In addition to the economic influx, students from Asia and South Asia are famously hardworking and diligent, something coveted by universities eager to climb the greasy academic pole. Emerging education markets are also nipping
at the heels of the Anglo-American hegemony, Germany, Australia and Canada are all attracting larger numbers of foreign students than ever before. “Before I made the decision to further my study in UK, I wanted to go to Australia. My main reason was because Australia is nearer to Malaysia so I can visit my family. But I realised that I prefer the British Education system and Malaysians have been taught in school for 11 years using the British system” Asmadi told WesternEye. How 2010’s international student figures will be shaped by a handicapped domestic market and a thirst for outside capital remains to be seen. But one thing is certain; Britain is at the forefront of the international ‘knowledge economy’ and is showing no sign of relinquishing its place in the near future.
France - Thousands of people attended rallies in Paris and 130 other French towns to protest the government’s deportation Roma people. Police say the turnout across France was slightly more than 77,000 while organisers put the figure nearer 100,000. 11,000 Roma were expelled from France last year and returned to Romania and Bulgaria. Roma have a history of suffering persecution, notably under Nazi Germany. The EU parliament is monitoring the situation closely.
United States - The top US commander in Afghanistan has warned that troops’ lives will be in danger if an American church sticks to its plan to burn copies of the Koran. General David Petraeus said the action could cause problems “everywhere in the world”. Pastor Terry Jones, of the Dove World Outreach Center, plans to burn copies of the holy book to mark this week’s anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. There have already been protests in Afghanistan and Indonesia.
News & Politics 7
WesternEye 13.9.2010
History in the making
> University of the West of England: a family history John Howell
newsandpolitics@westerneye.net
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former UWE staff member, Bill Evans, has written ‘The History of UWE‘, a book which charts the history and development of the institution. Evans wrote the book in his own time and it was produced for the cost price of £10,000, which was taken from the Better Together Foundation, set up by the Development Office. The BTF uses donations for charitable projects
around the University and our local community, nominated by staff, students and alumni. All monies accrued from sales are put back into the fund. The BrisFest Community Arts project, described by Emma Sandbrook, Director of Development, as “Using graffiti as a way of connecting with vulnerable or disaffected youths aged 16 20”, is just one of many events
that the money raised from sales of the book has helped to put on. “Over the course of a week they will be supported to work as a group to plan and create a large- scale piece of artwork, to be displayed prominently on the festival site. So far the fundraising has been from projects like Bill’s book and donations from senior staff and governors but it will be widened to the whole UWE family so that we can support as many projects as possible”. The book was the concept of former staff member William
Evans, and was published in January 2010. “The book cost UWE nothing. I researched and wrote it for nothing, and will not take any royalty,” said Evans. Local charity Bristol Polytechnic assisted the university to cover all the printing costs. UWE was founded in 1970 as Bristol Polytechnic; however the universities roots can be traced back to 1595, through the Society of Merchant Venturers, a charitable organisation based in Bristol, founded in the 13th Century. U.W.E. Vice Chancellor Steve West commented on the book, “There
are two reasons for doing it, one is obviously to track the history of U.W.E. Another is that is a saleable item, but also it can be given to dignitaries and VIPs as a gift that promotes the university”. The History of U.W.E is available to purchase from all good bookshops for £20 and at a discounted price of £17.50 for staff and students of the university.
A waste of money or worthwhile investment? newsandpolitics@westerneye.net
Bristol Cycle Festival Newsdesk
newsandpolitics@westerneye.net
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Question time?
> Vice-Chancellor suggests live question and debate session Newsdesk newsandpolitics@westerneye.net
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ice-Chancellor, Steve West, has suggested a live question and debate panel session between himself and students. The concept, which mirrors the BBC debate programme Question Time, is in its infancy as yet. WesternEye is keen to hear any suggestions from students as to the format or topics to be discussed. The discussion could potentially be filmed by students or recorded for Hub Radio and other student media such as a podcasts. The suggestion comes as part of Mr. West’s drive for greater communication and feedback between staff and students, in light of the drop in ‘overall student satisfaction’ in the National Student Survey (see page 3). Panelled question and debate
sessions have proved successful in the past. Last year the National Union of Students Town Takeover fee increase debate saw the then NUS president, Wes Streeting, panelled with UWE Deputy ViceChancellor, John Rushforth, as well as Paul Smith and Paul Howard, proposed political candidates for Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively. WesternEye will keep students informed about developments, as well as information on taking part.
Do you think there should be a debate? newsandpolitics@westerneye.net
Get involved... WesternEye is for everyone, not just journalism students. One of the best ways you can get involved is to email either the Editor, George Rowe (western.eye@uwe. ac.uk) or the editor of the section that you would like to write for and let them know you want to be involved. You can then attend one of our monthly meetings where we deliberate about the last issue, decide on content for the next one and dish out stories to writers. If you can’t make the meetings (but it is recommended), then we can do things by email. You will be asked if you would like to write a particular piece, or you can pitch stories to us. It can be about anything you think is important and worth reading about. If you have a story, but don’t fancy writing it yourself, then get in touch and we can connect you with eager journalists. If you have the chance, pop in to the Student Media Office on the 5th floor of F Block (by Escape bar). George is there 9-5 (and beyond!). Being involved in student media is fun, fulfilling and looks great on your CV.
ristol’s first community organised cycling festival is under way. The event, described on its website as “A plethora of fun days out”, includes film, theatre, book signings, sport and photography. Having kicked off at 10 am on Saturday 11th Sept at Clifton suspension bridge, events run throughout September until the 26th. Bristol Cycle Festival will ultimately combine with the Bristol Festival which takes place over the weekend of the 25th. The concept is the result of collaboration between many Bristolians, and is one of almost 100 similar events taking place across the country and began with a charity ride to Amsterdam from Bristol. The trip will snake through England, France, Belgium
and Holland and pledges any funds raised to Macmillan Cancer Support. The aim is to bike all the way to Amsterdam city centre within 7 days, averaging over 70 miles per day. A cycling carnival sets off from Queens Square on Sunday 19th at 12 pm. The route will be about 30 minutes long, and weave its way through the City centre, past Broadmead, by Castle Park, and back to Queens Square for Cycle Sessions, a celebration including pedal powered stage, workshops, food and bike ballet performances. The Bristol Cycle Festival is shaping up to be one of the most talked about events on the Bristol summer calendar.
www. bristolcyclefestival.com
Bristol Cycle Festival - 11th to the 26th Sept
Students’ Union &
Tech Tips
Lesbian mice and internet ecstasy
> 3 simple lessons to make your passage in the digital world that little bit easier. George Rowe
1.
2.
Partition, partition, partition: There is nothing worse than pulling an all-nighter and spilling that last cup of coffee on your laptop. Not only is your PC fried, but all your hard work is dripping onto the carpet. There is no better school lesson than to backup your work by partitioning your hard drive; keep one partition for the OS and the other for your documents and data. Here’s how: open your Disk Management utility, right-click the existing volume and choose Shrink Volume, then just follow the Wizard steps to create and format your new volume.
3.
Unplug that thing: If your laptop is plugged in 24/7, your device is drawing power, not only costing you precious pound notes, but also damaging your battery. If your laptop is plugged in but already fully charged, it’s losing power capacity and its ability to hold a charge. It’s a simple fix, pull the battery out. All laptops can run off AC power alone, so keep your battery in pristine condition while saving money on your monthly electric bill, and £100 on premature
Ashleigh Searle life@westerneye.net
T
he Campus Trust is a charitable organisation that provides students with the tools to ‘eat better, live better and save money’. University has long been associated with socials driven by alcohol but the Campus Trust want to set the precedent that this does not always have to be the case. The Trust is trying to equip students with the skills and tools to put the ‘dinner’ back into ‘dinner party’. Through its portal campus.ac and the Campus Key students can access all the information needed to meet, eat and learn together at a Campus Cookin’. These events are specifically designed to help students adapt to university life and encourage them to lead a healthy lifestyle. Having a healthy body means that you’re more likely to be healthy mentally and emotionally too. All of which are vitally important when studying at university. Grab a Campus Key at the Freshers’ Fair and get cooking.
Neurobonkers neurobonkers@gmail.com t’s been an exciting year for Science and Psychology all over. We’ve witnessed the questionable high profile launch of the ‘emotiv’ - the world’s first brain controlled computer game (we’re also embarking on research in to the same ‘Brain Computer Interfacing’ technology here a UWE this term). We’ve seen the release of the first academic paper on ecstasy and its proposed uses for treating psychological conditions, and we’ve seen for the first time the beginnings of human clini-
Coming soon
www.westerneye.net
Hungry?
> Charity aims to help students eat better
> Regular psychology columnist waxes lyrical about recent developments in the field of neuroscience and the media
I
george2.rowe@uwe.ac.uk Use the ‘Cloud’: If you’re someone that can’t live without their music, then don’t. Upload your music library to the cloud and access it from any PC, virtually. Sites like blueTunes and TunesBag can help, and they’re free. Oh yeah, you can use the same concept for your work too – check out Google Docs.
Life
cal experimentation with magic mushrooms, right here in Bristol. We’ve seen scientists genetically engineer ‘lesbian’ mice and we’ve seen American news networks the Daily FaiI, *ahem* sorry, I mean the Daily Mail, go bananas over what they dubbed “Digital Drugs”. This was cocaine and ecstasy that was being apparently “downloaded” from the internet in the form of mp3 files... Don’t get too excited though, needless to say this was never remotely possible and was purely a case of the tabloids chasing their own tails. On a more serious note, we’ve just hosted a collection of the country’s most distinguished neuroscientists here at UWE for The British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience Annual Conference, which was a great success. One of the most enlightening symposiums at the conference, in my opinion, was on the worrying commercialisation of the polygraph (lie detector test) across the pond, and how a new rather misunderstood version of it known as the P300 is being used in American courts to free convicted criminals. Every month I’ll be giving you a roundup of the happenings in the psychology and science world and giving you your fix of nerd-news in general. I’ll also be tackling the
Tabloid science fails •
•
• •
Creating massive hype through sensational reporting of a dodgy paper by a bent scientist, essentially causing the MMR scare. Comparing ex-Government advisor and pro-reform Professor David Nutt to Nazi scientists. Being black/white/male/female gives you cancer. Social networking gives you brain damage. MEGALOLZ.
shoddy psychology reporting in the tabloids, as it comes. Due to the fact that I can’t actually take over the entire newspaper this will read as a rather quick-fire, shot-gun wedding affair. Not to worry though, if it’s covered here you can bet your bottom dollar it’s covered in its full uncensored glory, complete with sources and cheeky pictures to boot at my blog www.neurobonkers.com. Yes, that includes the lesbian mice. If you just can’t wait until next month to hear the latest, you can follow Neurobonkers on Twitter or Facebook. If you hear of a nerd story that you’d like to see covered here in tongue-in-cheek fashion please email me at neurobonkers@gmail. com. Until next month!
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Life 9
WesternEye 13.9.2010
It’s a hello from us...
> WesternEye invites you to say hello, take tea and break bread with your new Student Representative Council presidents. Hello! I trust everyone has had a crazy-good summer and is eagerly bouncing through Freshers’ like a mad bouncy thing! All new students, welcome to UWE and for everyone returning, welcome back! I’m your elected Student Representative Council (SRC) President 2010/11. This means I am here to ensure that your voice is heard as a member of UWESU and of the University of the West of England. Over the summer I have attended training courses, conferences and engaged in debates across the UK in order to develop routes to positive change
this academic year. Locally and nationally, I intend to enhance your student experience. If you have signed up to be a Halls Rep or Student Rep this year then you will be seeing a lot of me! You lucky blighters. I’m pleased to report that this academic year the U6 bus service has been introduced! This service has been brought in thanks to your feedback and future improvements to the U-link service will continue to be made based on your feedback so please keep it up. Upon taking office there were a few simple changes I wanted to achieve in order to
make the Students’ Union more sustainable. Having liaised with bar management, both Escape and Red Bar are now recycling 100’s of plastic bottles sold every week! A simple, cost effective step to the sustainable future of the Student’s Union and a healthy earth! Furthermore, I have drawn up plans to gather feedback from cyclists at UWE in order to discover the general of provisions currently in place, what the University could be doing better and what the barriers to cycling are for students in the modern day. As one of the most cost effective, as well as environmentally friendly
Gail Wilson Vice President
First of all a massive hello and welcome UWE-style to one and all; whether you’re a brand new Fresher or an old hand, it’s great to have you here. My name is Gail and I’m your Student Rep Council (better known as the more snappy title of SRC) Vice President. I was elected by you, the students, alongside Colin, Terry and Nadia to represent you and help make your student experience here the best it can be. The Students’ Union is run by students, for students, and is here to be a voice for you, to support you through the range of services we offer, and to give you
opportunities that can literally change your life (if you use them!) There is nowhere near enough space to go through everything we offer as a Students’ Union here, but don’t take my word for it; check out our website, the Freshers’ Guide or come along to one of our Freshers’ Fairs to find out how you can get involved. Remember: “Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.” Anyway, enough of the cheesy quotes (that isn’t the correct way to reference, by the way) more about me! My role includes working with the student reps to
find out the issues that affect you on your course and helping to get them improved. I believe that everyone deserves a top notch academic experience because, alcohol aside, we are all here to get the best degree we can and actually learn something! This year I will also be working with the other presidents to improve the way we communicate with you, so you know what we are up to and how you can shape the work we do. I’m also working on changing the structure of the Students’ Union so it is simpler and easier to get involved with, otherwise known as the
Nadia Harding Sports President
Hello UWE, I’m Nadia (aka Go Nads), and I am the Sports President for 2010 – 2011, re-elected alongside my trusty and knowledgeable Duck mascot. My role involves representing the Sporting voice, I coordinate the Varsity series, Sports Awards Dinner, Free Sport Week , chair the Sports Council and much more. This is my second year in office and I can’t believe Freshers’ is already here. I started at UWE in my original sport, canoeing, and over the past year have tried everything from climbing to skiing and loved every minute of it!
The last academic year was fantastic and I met some amazing people; BUT NOW IT’S YOUR TIME! You may be constantly bombarded by people telling you to ‘Get Involved’; I’m afraid I must also repeat this sentiment. I honestly believe it’s the only way to make the most of university life! Yes, your primary focus is obviously your studies and career. However, I believe recreational activity is hugely beneficial: it improves your wellbeing, you meet new people, get to try new things and enhances your CV. Come and see what the Students’ Union has to offer; there really is
something for everyone, whether it’s an activity or a sport you want to pursue, becoming a student rep or simply mastering pool with some beverages and your mates. If nothing currently appeals to you then simply come and speak to us, and tell us what you would like to see here at UWE. I have a great passion for sports and feel that activity is at the heart of a happy education, lifestyle and the key to a dazzling CV! We have 42 sports clubs at UWE so come along to Free Sport Week and Freshers’ Week to try out a sport before you join.
Colin Offler President
Terry Atkinson Activities President
Hey there, My name is Terry Atkinson (aka TerryAkkie) and I am your elected Activities President for 2010/11. I started here at UWE in 2006 and since then I have worked for the Student Union, be it on the Bar, kitchen, or as a DJ, I have always aspired to help students enjoy their time at UWE. By being elected into this position I can devote myself to that aspiration in a full time sabbatical role. What do I do? •
Support all societies within
• •
•
UWESU, We currently have 40 societies here at UWESU. Encourage the creation of new societies. Student Welfare (if you’ve got a problem, and noone else can help you, maybe you can hire...) No in all seriousness I am here to help, and if I can’t personally I can put you in touch with relevant people who can. Campaigns. Got a burning issue you want addressed? Or just simply want to get your voice heard? It’s my job
•
•
to help you do it. RAG. The raising and giving society is aimed at raising money for charity. This is done by various events staged throughout the year. I support this society and fully encourage anyone to participate. Ultimately I am here for you. If you want to talk about anything regarding the above mentioned points, or just want to chat, email me on activities.president@uwe. ac.uk.
and healthy ways of travelling to university I feel it brings a huge amount of benefit to the student lifestyle (money being worry numero uno for most of us!). In the near future we will be video blogging to keep you posted throughout the year (Gail’s ingenious idea) so keep an eye out to keep in the know! What can you expect from me this year? I will work hard for you, I will play hard with you, and we will make 2010/11 the best year that UWE has ever seen! Big love
src.president@uwe.ac.uk ‘constitutional review’. I also have specific responsibility for postgrad students, students studying part-time and those studying at either Hartpury or in any of our partner colleges in the Federation. If this is you then please get in touch to let me know how your time at UWE is going, and how we can make it better.
src.vicepresident@ uwe.ac.uk How do you want to remember your year? OK / Good / Really Good / Tremendous!? Only you can make the Tremendous happen so get involved, don’t waste your year... no regrets!! Have an awesome Freshers’. If you ever want to come and talk to me I’m based on the 5th Floor in the Students Union. Nads
sports.president@ uwe.ac.uk
activities.president@ uwe.ac.uk
119 Whiteladies Road, Clifton 10am – 5am, collection Sun – Thurs 1am, Fri & Sat 2am, 7 days a week
439 Gloucester Road, Horfield 10am – late, 7 days a week
Emersons Way, Emerson’s Green 10am – late, 7 days a week
Tel: (0117) 97 33 400 Tel: (0117) 95 12 777 Tel: (0117) 95 66 889
www.dominos.co.uk
HUNGRY? Call DomiNo’s WHitelaDies DeliVeRiNG
UNtil 5am 7 DaYs a WeeK
Student Life Never Tasted So Good
Life 11
WesternEye 13.9.2010
Missing links: found
> Two Student Reps talk to WesternEye about their experiences as intermediaries between UWE and the student body Sophie Charles-Rudwick life@westerneye.net
S
tudent Reps act as a link between the students and the University, they can raise issues when there is dissatisfaction or best practice to be shared within your Student Experience. Make sure you use yours. Last year Student Reps had some great successes from extending the library loan entitlement for Postgraduate students in Education, removing charges for face masks in Creative Arts and getting commitment from the Faculties regarding returning marks within 4 weeks. Here’s what 2 of our Student Reps have to say about the experience:
Jo Jackson
Psychology Student Rep “I became a Student Rep in my second year at UWE when my Psychology lecturer asked for applications for students to represent their course at various University meetings. I knew this was a great opportunity as it would add to my CV and would be a great way of learning more about UWE from a different perspective. I went along to the Student Rep office to meet the rep coordinators and was joined by another student who was doing the same thing. As it happens through my connection with the Student Rep office she is now one of my best friends! The role of a Student Rep is varied and is open to as much input as the
Jo Jackson receiving his award (left) and Joe Newman
Joe Newman
Law Student Rep “I aimed to become a Student Rep because I wanted to broaden my experience at UWE. I wanted to develop my skills in problem solving and resolution, attending meetings and workshops to improve the student experience at this university, but also to meet similarly minded people. With the subject I am studying, it is important that I build up people engagement skills, and how to apply knowledge in a particular subject area. Specific highlights have been the involvement on university run workshops, designed to improve aspects of the student experience at UWE, looking at a more creative space usage on campus, with the implementation of flexible learning areas. Apart from the projects, the main Student Rep work came from students approaching us with individual problems, trying to find out how widespread these issues were, and trying to liaise with the appropriate university department/committee to find a suitable resolution. Looking back over the past year, I would have to say it has been the most enjoyable year as a Student Rep.”
Student Rep wants. As a Student Rep you are given full training and information regarding the different meetings that you can sit on and the different levels of these meetings. I sat on a variety of meetings. It was very interesting to meet students from other courses and find out about the different practises that happen within other Faculties. I was very lucky and surprised to gain a Gold Certificate and The Student Rep Award 2010 at the Student Rep Dinner and Awards ceremony for my work during the year and look forward to being a Student Rep again next year! I would strongly advise any student regardless of course attendance status to sign up as a Student Rep- an added bonus is the never ending supply of sweets in the student rep office!“
Want to be a Rep? If you are interested in becoming a Student Rep please email studentreps@uwe.ac.uk or for more information about Student Reps please visit www.uwesu.org/studentreps.
Obituary
Shoba
> St. Matthias legend passes away at 133 Students and staff at St Matthias will be sad to hear that one of the St Matthias cats, Shoba, has died. The venerable gentlecat was a popular character and a familiar sight around the campus. Shoba lived at St Matthias since his kittenhood and is believed to have been 19 years old, making him a Methuselah of 133 old in cat years. He was cared for by Elaine, Angie and other members of the Cleaning Team. The other St Matthias cat, Boris, remains in good health.
Not much is known about Shoba’s so-called ‘wilderness years’, when he vanished from St. Matts for two years, but the interweb is awash with rumour. Many believe Shoba to have been instrumental to the election of Bill Clinton as U.S. President in 1992, but this notion has been subsequently challenged by uncovered journals, showing the cats penchant for nihilistic philosophy and seemingly communist leanings.
Artist’s impression
Debate Every little hurts? Comment &
> As Tescos dominance in the UK food and retail market continues to grow on a massive scale, what can the average consumer do? Will we one day be living in Tescoland?
Lucia Dobson-Smith comment@westerneye.net
T
esco, the supermarket that outstrips any other UK supermarket retailer, encroaches on almost every area of householdspending. You can get Tesco insurance for the Tesco house you live in. You can hop on the bus at the Tesco funded bus station; take a ride to Tesco to buy food for dinner, which you might eat at your Tesco dining table. In fact, you can buy most necessary household items from your local Tesco store, even the sofa you might sit on to watch that latest Tesco film. If you travel far enough, no doubt one day on a Tesco airline, you might even meet the kids who make your cut-price
Tesco clothing. Tesco is taking over the world; we’ve all heard it before. According to many activists it’s unethical to buy from Tesco, shopping there ruins local business“every little helps” only in Tesco’s bid to become a true ‘super’ market. If you live anywhere near Bristol, you might even have heard about the recent furor over Tesco’s plans to take over the Jester’s site on Stokes Croft. Of course officials and many locals too, will tell you Tesco actually brings jobs and money into the area and it’s really not unethical at all. There’s no denying it’s convenience in terms of pricing, especially for the penniless student, seeking the much sought after 29p tin of beans. But should we really fear for our local communities, and, if so, is there really anything the average consumer can do? Big supermarkets cut local jobs. According to Andrew Simms, of the New Economics Foundation think tank, for every single job created by a supermarket, 1.5 jobs are lost to the local community. That may not sound like a huge amount, but when you translate the figure into larger numbers, the results are
significant. Big supermarkets siphon money off from the local community. According to the same report, for every £1.00 spent in a supermarket, a whopping 90p leaves the local community. Tesco is growing at an unsustainable rate, meanwhile, local businesses that provide for the local community, are missing out. Those figures alone should be enough to convince anyone that Tesco, and every other big supermarket, can ruin local business and local communities. If we want to save our high streets, we must stop the rise of the supermarket. So what can we do about it? One of the few options that we have as a consumer lies within our buying power. Boycotts are a
“But should we really fear for our local communities, and, if so, is there really anything the average consumer can do?”
vital tool of democracy. Refusal to participate makes a statement, but it also costs the supplier dearly. According a 2009 report by the Co-Operative bank, in the year previous to the report food and drink boycotts alone were worth £1.69billion in lost sales. Boycotting a particular retailer, such as Tesco, can be a fashionable political statement, but targeted boycotting is pointless if you just switch to an equally unethical rival. It can be difficult to withdraw custom completely, especially when in dire financial straits, or in times of recession. Strict boycotters might come across as extreme to many, but it’s not the only way to go about reducing the grip that these supermarket superpowers have over us. You don’t have to commit to never spending a penny in Tesco again. The answer for many of us has to lie not in the full boycotting, but in reduction, as with so many things. Go for the 29p tin of beans if you really need to, but buy the bread from the bakery on the way home. When you can, support the shops that support the community, because, after all, “every little helps”.
University life: survival tips > Comment Co-Editor passes on some pearls of wisdom gained during his time at UWE
Paul Saville comment@westerneye.net
W
hen I first started at university, I tried to get everything down a lecturer said. When you are in a lecture, don’t do what I did in my first year and try to note don every single word a particular lecturer is saying. I found it to be a waste of time, especially when I read my notes back at home later on! Instead, make short yet comprehensive notes. When you get home you will be able to understand what’s written, instead of the rambling nonsense I have had to decipher sometimes. Or, you could even
invest in a dictaphone. OK, here is another thing that gets the goat of many students. The library is a place to study, the cafe is a good place to chat. Sshh!!! When you’re in the library keep your voices to minimum and mobile phones off, if possible. Show your fellow students respect, who maybe working really hard on something. Honestly, do you think that everyone wants to hear about how you think James is really fit? Or how your mums dog had fleas once, but now ithey have all gone now? I actually heard two people talking about this in the library. Like I said, the cafe is a good place to chat, the library isn’t. Where is the best place to get your food, drink and study equipment? Spend your money in your Students’ Union of course. All the money you spend within the Students’ Union bar, shop and Clubs gets reinvested into our students’ union. It’s a win-win situation; it’s a lot cheaper than the other places on campus. I hope you enjoy Fresherss Fair as much as I did. It is the beginning of
the university experience. Don’t be scared to try something new! With lots of societies and clubs there is lots to take in and get involved with. Also, have you heard about the dreaded Freshers’ flu? Tissues, Lemsips and Oranges sales always go up at this time. Don’t try to be anyone else. Be an individual. Be yourself. You are unique and special and nothing will ever change that. For me, difference and diversity is something to be celebrated. Be proud of that; to know yourself truly is a wonderful thing. People respect you for being yourself in my experience and they see through when you are not. I love living in Bristol. Its a place which offers so much. I’m sure you will feel at home pretty soon. If you’re finding it a bit difficult to adjust to moving away to a new place, speak to the people around you. Chances are, they are probably feeling similar to how you do. Saying that though, it’s definitely my new home! Since moving to Bristol, I have found so many things. Secret caves, a
fantastic gig and music scene, rope swings, carnivals, the City Farm in St Werburghs and Stokes Croft with all its fabulous graffiti art. The list goes on, with too many things to mention - look around! I have a monster underneath my bed. His name is the Procrastination Monster. He makes me leave my essays until the last moment...Have you ever met him before? Have you heard of the Procrastination Monster? Well, I have met him quite often in the last five years while studying. He seems to appear every time I have an important piece of
work. Honestly, the amount of times I have left work to the last minute and then panicked overit is unbelievable. Plan ahead, do a little bit every day, work towards your deadlines, and then everything will be fine. There is nothing worse than handing in a piece of work and then realising when you get home that you have written “ths Esay aims to adress...” (SIC) Good luck and enjoy your time at UWE. Get involved with everything life throws at you. Peace and love.
Debate 13
WesternEye 13.9.2010
Paying for a miracle
> Oscar Clarke discusses the Pope, the Church, organised religion, the nature of God and the Vatican
Oscar Clarke comment@westerneye.net
H
e sympathises with racists, and has intervened to protect those guilty of the most disgusting crimes imaginable from prosecution. But the “Infallible” Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, will visit Britain between the 16th and 19th of September to beatify yet another long-dead “miracle worker“. Beatification, for those not familiar with specific religious doctrine, is the third of four steps toward canonisation (sainthood). It is the British taxpayer who will be the benefactor of this lavish, tawdry, nonsense. What, amid all of the superstition, gluttony and hierarchy that seems to define the Catholic Church, ever happened to the humble Galilean carpenter upon whom all of this rests? I feel obliged to explain mysel. Here’s a short digression on the Pope… Ratzinger, to anyone who is shocked by my accusations, presided over the lifting of the excommunication of Richard Williamson, a member of Marcel Lefebvre’s sadist breakaway sect. The Society of St. Pius X. Williamson is outspoken in his view that the Jewish people are responsible for the crime of deicide (the murder of God in the form of Christ). He also denies that any genocide occurred in Nazi Germany. He was rightly excommunicated by the former Pope, John Paul II, but in January 2009, in the interests of the “unity of the church” the Pope brought him back. It was also in the interest of “church unity” that, while he was Archbishop of Munich, Ratzinger ordered discretion in child abuse cases in a signed letter that was sent to every Catholic Bishop. And this was before Conclave, including Cardinal Bernard Law (who received a Vatican promotion after he covered up child abuse cases in the US) voted him Pope! Now back to what we’re paying for…the “miracle”. Even with all the wealth of the Vatican behind it, the Catholic church will rely on British taxpayers to shoulder the spiraling cost of the Papal visit; bar a couple of million that they’ve managed to
“The utterly bizarre nature of this practice begs the question: do the most powerful church-heads really believe in all of this?”
scrape together from the pockets of the devout on Sunday mornings. But the disturbing thing is that we are not just paying for state business (though what business the Holy See has with our secular democracy, I don’t know). Our money will foot the bill for the beatification ceremony of Cardinal John Henry Newman. Who the Catholic Church wishes to make its ‘blessed’ (the title of the beatified), or its saints, is not in the slightest bit important to me. I might add though, that some of the figures celebrated by the Catholic Church appear, upon closer inspection, far from saintly. Thomas More, the patron saint of politicians, was the principle burner and torturer of those who dared to own a bible in their own language. The self-titled “Mother” Teresa called abortion “the greatest threat to world peace” in her Nobel Peace Prize lecture, and campaigned against the reconsideration of divorce law in Ireland. This was before congratulating close friend Princess Diana on her divorce from Charles - apparently, one rule for the rich and another for the poor. But to restate my
point, what we are funding here is the commemoration of an alleged medical miracle performed on a training Deacon in the United States in the 21st Century…by a man who died in the late 19th Century! Surely even devout Catholics cringe at this level of superstition - indeed Newman, who despised church hierarchy, would have. As John Cornwell illustrates in ‘Newman‘s Unquiet Grave: The Reluctant Saint‘, he‘d certainly have refused the honour. The miracle in question, one miracle being the criteria for this posthumous recognition (a second miracle is required for canonisation), was the curing of post-operative pain after a laminectomy. I won’t go into the story of Jack Sullivan, the patient who claims to have been the recipient of Newman’s divine intervention; or the 270 page document produced by the Vatican’s Consulta Medica (popularly ‘miracle police‘). They somehow concluded that a miraculous intercession had occurred - a consideration of Occam’s razor might have led them to a different conclusion. I trust the reader feels a little embarrassed here for the
dignity of this panel: 270 pages of considered drivel! If you do wish to examine the evidence you can find it in the Times online archive, in an article by Cornwell, titled: ‘Why Cardinal Newman is no Saint’ (Sunday Times, May 9th). Suffice to say, a few laminectomy experts were puzzled only by the Vatican council’s conclusion that a miracle had occurred. If the Catholic Church wishes to befoul Newman’s name by bestowing this unwanted title upon him then that’s their business, but why should we pay for it? Why can’t we pry the money from the greedy hands of the Vatican to fund this absurd activity? If a political organisation was making the claim that the universal laws of nature had been broken, in a way that only they had the authority to reveal, we’d probably have some pretty strong feelings about that. If that political organisation then asked us to fund a celebration of the miracle, this would surely become a major issue. What’s more, we’d probably be living in a theocratic state. The utterly bizarre nature of this practice begs the question: do the most powerful church-heads really believe in all of this? If they did share the conviction of their impoverished followers, whom they routinely exploit, they’d all be busy constructing the giant needle they could pass their collective shame through. And perhaps they would consider making a change to their Christian stance on ‘playing God’, which continues to stifle advances in stem cell research, if only to mutate the camel.
Disagree with what is written in these pages? Got an opinion on anything, from the meaning of life to the meaning of rolled up jeans, you would like to share with the student body? Get in touch: comment@ westerneye.net
14 Debate
WesternEye 13.9.2010
Big changes afoot at UWE?
> Grey patches start appearing on the walls, pillars, windows and doors at Frenchay campus, purpose unknown as of yet, but I say money well spent by UWE
Paul Saville comment@westerneye.net
W
elcome to UWE. ‘U+WE’ ‘better together’ and all
that. If you’re new to UWE you will probably have no idea what I am writing about here. I guess I’m one of those people who notice the small changes in the world around us. Maybe they are significant, maybe they’re not. Anyway, over the summer there have been many changes at UWE. We have seen the reinstatement of the 24 hour window. UWE took it away last academic year, but have put it back in place again. So
I hear, if work is submitted within the window though, marks will be capped at 40%. The continual hunt for Asbestos in most of the ceilings rages on. One of the more subtle changes I thought I’d bring to your attention is the recent addition to the decor gracing the halls of the building. Have a look at the photo to the right. Wow. This has I think fundamentally changed the whole vibe at UWE! This being said, I have no idea what these things are for. But I aim to find out. What purposes do these Grey rectangular patches serve? Until I find out, I will have to imagine what they are for. I asked a few people what they thought they were for. A few suggestions were thrown at me after I questioned people about it. A student who studies Robotics believes that the ‘patches’ have something to do with the balance or rebalancing of the building. All I had was a lot of theories, but I was no nearer finding out the truth. I tuned to the WesternEye Publications Editor for his insight. He seemed to have a wealth of knowledge on the subject for me.
He envisioned that they were probably something to make the walls more visible for the visibly impaired. He also added that they perhaps were put in place so that posters could be put up without the paint coming off. Well, who really knows? Perhaps, they are touchpads to another universe. OK, maybe not. Maybe, they are an attempt from UWE to make the place look more trendy, futuristic and appealing to the eye. That’s a little bit more feasible I guess. Another person who works for the Students’ Union suggested to me that perhaps the walls had been ‘attacked’ by one of Bristol’s most prolific street artists - Banksy. No, clever enough. So who put them there? What for? How did they do it? Whatever they are for, I think they are a very post modern statement. I say well done to whoever drew up the blueprints for these babies. I was still none the wiser, but my curiousity knows no bounds. still keen to know, I continued to ask people. UWE will never be the same again. I bumped into a recent computing graduate at
UWE who told me that he thought they were simply for putting up posters, so that the paint wouldnt be removed in the process. This also proved to be a good guess, but wrong. Whatever they were for I said to him: “money well spent” The future’s bright, well done UWE. Then, a week before this issue of the WesternEye went to press, I saw two workmen putting up these beauty spots. I made a beeline for them and asked them what they were for. I was told that they were to make the walls, pillars, windows and doors more visible. They mentioned that even they thought that this recent addition was undenialably funny and were sick of putting them up now. I think the world has gone health and safety mad. Gareth Keenan from BBC’s Mockumentary series The Office comes to mind: “Bend your knees.” Keep your eyes peeled, you never know when one of those dangerous doors or painful pillars might get in your way. U+WE = an accident is always waiting to happen. Better safe then sorry. A shrewd investment there.
I think we have already paid enough Paul Saville
comment@westerneye.net
> Tuition fees go up this academic year, as UWE externalises its printing costs to the student body: I think it is wrong
ith 600 courses both full and part time, and with thousands of modules across the board, UWE is a busy place. Sometimes, I feel it can be hard to be recognised as a human being around here. With such a large student population I feel much like simply another cog in the UWE machine. Recent changes at UWE have made me increasingly feel in this way. When tuition fees rose from last years fee (£3,225) to this years fee (£3,290), I began to question where all the money we pay to UWE in the form of these tuition fees actually goes. Following on from this, I started questioning. Why in March 2010 (the last academic year) was I now having to pay to hand in my work? If your new to UWE, let me explain. Basically when we used to hand in our work, there would be a stack of green A4 slips to put on the front of your work and you would sign and date it. This green slip would have a tear off part which would then act as a receipt that you had submitted it for marking. The new online system involves printing off the cover slip yourself. This, to be honest, is a much more efficient way of doing it and saves everyone a lot of time and possible confusion. The thing that I suggest is unfair is not this new system. There are many benefits to be reaped from the online submission system. What I am against though,
is making the student body carry the cost to submit our own work. We are having to pay extra costs on top of our now increased, tuition fees. Depending on who you ask, the student population here at UWE across all campuses is around 28,000. Therefore we have the potential to make our voices heard if we are not happy. If we were to unite over these unfair hidden charges that UWE have sprung us then perhaps we can start doing something about it and make sure our feelings and voices are heard. Only we can change it. Recently, I stumbled across a UWE Bristol Facebook group. It has been set up as a form of communication from UWE in which anyone can join to see what’s going on at UWE. I put some comments on there about the recent introduction of the new cover sheets. After speaking to two very charming members of staff here at the UWE Marketing department, they now tell me that you actually have the choice to either use the ‘myUWE’ submission option or you still can use the traditional (free) method. It seems to me that this new method is not currently happening across the board. A friend tells me he had to resubmit something this summer. He also mentioned that on St. Matts campus they are still offering the green slips to students. So why do I think it’s
W
such a problem? Well, on the surface, it’s only four pence per coversheet printed. Times that four pence by ten coursework submissions over an average students academic year and you get 40 pence. Times that by one thousand students...you get the picture. A lot of money externalised to the student body (it’s four hundred pounds, if your interested) I think UWE Bristol is a great place to study. However, I do think our education experiences should be fairer. For all. We all pay to come to university, and so I think we have a lot of weight on what happens around campuses here at UWE. It’s time to put our foot down and start making UWE accountable to us. Why do we the students have to pay to print out our own coversheets for coursework? This is disgusting considering we are paying so much in tuition fees already. I also have a friend who tells me that in his exam recently (resit) he not only had to pay for the resit module fee (£50) but even had to pay to print out his work at the end of his session/exam! Ok, I understand that UWE is on an efficiency drive and seeks to improve ‘the student experience’ (‘UWE’s’ words, not mine) I understand that David Cameron and the rest of the ConDems have made cuts in pretty much every public sector, which
also has affected the funds in which higher education institutions have enjoyed in recent years. I understand the need for efficiency here at UWE with such a massive student population. I’m the first to agree that the new system of hand in is actually a whole lot easier! It’s much quicker for everyone. I understand all this. But the thing I don’t agree with is the blatant attempt by UWE to save money- but in the process passing on the costs to us, the students. UWE in recent times has had a culture of people (purposely or not) resitting coursework and
not turning up to exams, which understandably could cause administration issues. But it’s not all doom and gloom. So I hear the 24-hour window is back. Well partially anyway. If you submit your work within the 24 hour window then you will be capped at 40%. So what do I suggest? UWE deposits the cost of submitting our work into our pharos accounts, Now that would be fair.
es
ti i n u t r o p p o r e e door to care
Open th
Meet the Employers Fair Thursday 14 October 2010, 10:00-16:00 UWE Exhibition and Conference Centre, Frenchay Campus
Whatever your degree, whichever year you are in, our employers are keen to meet you. Meet representatives from a wide range of organisations • Graduate and Placement Employers • Volunteering • Small Business Zone • Creative Industries
• ‘Meet the Experts’ Talks • Part-time Roles • Careers Advice ...and much more
www.uwe.ac.uk/employersfair
Prize draw Sponsored by
16 Debate
WesternEye 13.9.2010
Sideswipe: ASBOs
> A satirical look at the events going on in your worldsphere. > This month: The increasingly lucrative market for Anti Social Behaviour Orders. Sam Butler newsandpolitics@ westerneye.net
A
nti Social Behaviour Orders have become valuable collector’s items following their discontinuation by Home Secretary Theresa May. Any remaining ASBOs held by the Con-Dem coalition are being sold to the highest bidder in an effort to replenish depleted government
Comments expressed in these pages reflect the opinion of the authors themselves, and are not necessarily representative of the views of WesternEye
coffers. The sweeping change to one of the Blair government’s biggest social reforms has been received with cautious enthusiasm by those lucky enough to be in possession of one or more of the coveted civil orders. Phil Grouting, 25, of Lyme-InWater, Cumbria, was overjoyed to hear that his four ASBOs for common assault are now valuable family heirlooms. “I think it’s a really good move by the new government” said Grouting, who received his first ASBO at 18 after a drunken brawl at a local taxi rank. “I’m thinking of putting my ASBOs into an ISA or something, but with things as they are the market could change at any time, especially in light of the VAT increase in January.” The value of ASBOs could overinflate rapidly as thousands rush to swap with one another in an effort to gain complete sets in certain areas such as public order or nuisance behaviours. The market is currently swamped with alcohol related offences, with public urination and fly-tipping a close second and third.
What have been coined ‘Golden ASBOs’, those awarded to the over 60s, are fetching seemingly limitless sums. Mrs Dorothy Polyp, 76, of Enid Blyton, Surrey, sold her single 2006 order for repeatedly shouting at her television for a staggering £18,547 to an anonymous collector on eBay. “I couldn’t believe it” Mrs Polyp told us, “I’ve just been using it as a doorstop since I got it, I never thought it’d be worth anything. Obviously there’s the sentimental value, but with winter just around the corner and gas prices like they are, I just had to let it go.” “The police are never away from my nephew’s door, so I expect he’s got quite a nest egg.” Exotic specimens of ‘windmilling’ and ‘theatrical sexual intercourse’ are alleged to have fetched six figure sums, proving particularly popular among Russian oligarchs looking for new areas of investment. The current ASBO bonanza is the result of one of the coalition’s more popular reforms. With public confidence at an all time low and financial austerity biting at the ankles of all but the super-rich this will no doubt provide a much
Phil Grouting, proud owner of four standard class ASBOs
needed feel-good factor. Will the sudden creation of a nouveau riche result in a wave of ASBO yuppies? Only this week, the UK’s first Aftershock fountain was installed at a house in Portsmouth and there are reports, as yet unsubstantiated, of record sales of Intimately Beckham and 24 carat gold belly bars. The ASBO boom looks set to continue despite warnings from top economists of a tulipomania style
crash if rampant trading continues unregulated. The speculative bubble has been likened by BBC business editor Robert Peston to the housing boom under New Labour or those Pog things from years ago.
Learn a language If you are interested in learning a new language, building your existing language knowledge or simply wish to brush up on your academic skills then the UWE Language programme (ULP) has the perfect course for you.
Interested?
With flexible part-time courses that fit around your degree, you’ll be able to add to your portfolio of skills and enhance your employability.
Registration takes place between 23 September - 01 October
• Arabic • Chinese (Mandarin) • English for Academic Purposes (EAP) • French • German • Italian • Japanese • Portuguese • Russian • Spanish
Get in touch today!
www.uwe.ac.uk/ulp E-mail ulp@uwe.ac.uk 2236 UWE09 02e
Courses include:
Photo: Hugga Larusdottir
Pubs Clubs Bands Food Freshers’ week Bristolians Bristol’s best bits Students’ Union
**** Freshers’ Pull-Out
Badminton
Martial arts
Table tennis
Boxing
social+sport The UWE Centre for Sport
Would you like to have fun, meet new friends and keep fit? Then why not try our range of sporting opportunities: Leagues/Tournaments: Friendly competition Back to Sport: For those who have never played, played a little or just want to get fit playing sport Coached Sessions: For those who want to learn something new and/or improve their skills
All students, staff and members of the community welcome The Social Sport programme will run over two terms: 1st Term - September - December 2010 2nd Term - January - April 2011 Cost ÂŁ25pp per sport per term Active Card members get second term free when engaged with any first term social sport activity (Terms and conditions apply)
For more information on the Social Sport Programme and to join, go to:
www.uwesocialsport.co.uk
E-mail socialsport@uwe.ac.uk or call 0117 32 86200 with any queries
Freshers' 19
WesternEye 13.9.2010
Freshers’ guide to Bristol Clubs Photo: Ellie Heaford
Max Grobe
Clubber of renown If you’re reading this, it’s very possible you’re a UWE fresher and you’re itching to get out and explore one of the best student cities in the country. The university years are often hyped up as being the best years of your life. If you read this freshers guide, yours may well turn out to be. Below you’ll find a quick run-down on some of the most popular Bristol clubs. Oceana is a club much like many people’s idea of hell, and the swarms of eager twenty-something’s frothing at the mouth to get in can only reinforce this idea. The club boasts multi-cultured rooms such as an Aspen ski-lodge and an Icelandic themed dancefloor. Unsurprisingly though, you may find Oceana to be more cringe than culture. However, a little money can take you a long way at Oceana, especially with Monday night drinks deals. There is also a seemingly endless supply of kebab vans waiting for you outside. So that’s the no-no Oceana for a
Monday night out the way. However, since you have come to such a unique city as Bristol you’d be missing out if you failed to branch out into some of the city’s more unique nightlife. Located on Baldwin Street, Start the Bus is known for its good music and laid-back atmosphere within its
fairly small, intimate setting. The vintage furniture and contemporary art attracts a up-beat crowd of smart young things. However, the drinks at Start the Bus are a bit pricier than your average chain club. As a result the place serves as a perfect ‘pre-lash’ bar, and it also doubles
night before!). ‘The Anticipation EP’ is available on iTunes and they will be playing The Croft on the 21st September!
are also gaining an underground following in the US.
up as a café with fry-ups, platters and affordable roast dinners on a Sunday- perfect for the morning after. ‘Propaganda’ on a Wednesday is the club Syndicate’s big indie night. Regardless of what music you’re into, a bit of money and some good company can fuel a fun-filled night amidst the colourful audio/visual music facilities on the main floor. Syndicate also features a metal room for those craving something a bit heavier. You might find yourself spending most of your time in the smoking cage at the club. Even if you don’t smoke, people tend to accumulate there after dancing to talk nonsense and take photos. The novelty of being in a club on a boat might sound like a gimmick,
but the truth is, even if Bristol’s beloved Thekla was on land you would be hard-pushed to find a better place to be on a Thursday night. The music ranges from contemporary-indie through house to guitar-orientated Bloc Party style . With 2-4-1 drinks on Thursday nights, Thekla is definitely a must for your first week in Bristol. Freshers week is all about getting to know your new home. The best way to let yourself get to know the big city of Bristol is to immerse yourself completely in the vibrant night life. The extent to which you experiment with location and venue in your first week is going to reflect where you spend a lot of your nights in your first year at university. It’s very easy to slip into a routine, so make it a good one. You have brand new housemates with which you might have nothing in common. A good night out in the extraordinary, exciting and unique venues that Bristol has to offer can be the perfect way to bond with strangers, as well as getting to know your new home city.
Bristol Music: bands to watch
Mike Whiting Music taster
T
his year, while enjoying the festivities of alcohol and the anticipation of essay deadlines, many new students will be introduced to Bristol’s vibrant music scene. With a large scene focus on dance music, including dubstep, drum n’ bass and garage. The scene has given birth to such acts as Massive Attack and Portishead. However that hasn’t stopped a number of rock acts joining in. With a new student year and a new chance for artists to unleash their music, here is a rundown of some acts to watch from some of UWE’s top music lovers!
The Idles
A newly formed unsigned Bristol Band who are still yet to release their debut album, but are snapping up gigs no problem with a storming performance at this years Harbourside festival and a recent smash in Camden. Getting crowd going with moody vocals and an indie vibe, they are doing Bristol proud.
The Naturals
The Naturals have shared the stage with a number of impressive bands like Tubelord and Blakfish, so it’s always great to see another band adding to the ProgressiveRock-Pop genre. At their recent performance at The Thekla, the Naturals proved themselves to be a versatile band (Even if the guitarist lost his instrument the
Maps and Legends
Having formed in their first two weeks of UWE in the Brecon Court accommodation, the band are already one’s to watch having won UWE’s 2010 battle of the bands. They will be playing a set at this year’s Freshers’ All Stars alongside mainstream acts Professor Green and Bombay Bicycle Club. Their sound has been described as “Anthemic, progressive, melodic rock with wide diversity”.
Bury the Achive
Looking for a Bristolian hardcore act to worship in the next year? Look no further as Bury the Archive have already delivered on the metal scene, having supported the wellknown Sylosis at The Croft this year. Their EP - ‘A Knife in the Back Never Felt So Good’ - twists the familiar terrain of brutal riffs and breakdowns to create some new light in a dying genre.
Red Seas Fire:
Dubbed as the next ‘Sikth’, the Bristol/Bath based prog metal band’s sound revolves around polyrhythm’s and odd time signatures. Not only has the Lead guitarist laid down a solo on Periphery’s debut album, they
EVITA:
It was a shame for the metal/ post-hardcore scene when this band split in 2009, the simple reason being that they were that good. They left a gap in the UK progressive metal scene which has only been poorly imitated by those destroying it (‘Bring Me the Horizon, I’m looking at you!’). Not to fear though, as the band has reformed earlier this year and will be playing Bristol’s The Croft on the 27th October. Their album ‘Minutes and Miles’ is available on Basick Records.
Eccentric Bristol band Olo Worms perfom live
Emily Breeze:
Amongst her influences you’ll find the likes of Leonard Cohen and the Birthday Party, but Emily Breeze is a rockabilly nightmare, who has a stage presence to rival Cohen or Cave and songs to support the swagger. Her debut album ‘The Penny Arcade’ was released to great acclaim earlier in the year, following a sold out launch night at the Fleece. Catch her in Bristol while you still can!
Lady Nade:
Is it soul? Is it blues? Is it jazz? Does it matter? No. Lady Nade’s music combines all three with an incredibly beautiful voice that’s rich in emotion and incomparable to anything else Bristol’s music scene has to offer presently.
Olo Worms:
Olo Worms are an unorthodox four piece in that one of them often sits at the side of the stage painting ducks while the others play live. Signed to Fence Records, their music is impossible to define, as
they shape-shift too frequently to be pigeonholed. Their latest single, ‘Back From England’, is out now on Fence.
Featured artists chosen by: Pete Johnson Hub Radio Andrew May Head of Music Society Ash Cook Former Society Head Sean Guest Editor of Westworld
22 Freshers'
WesternEye 13.9.2010
Bristol’s best bits...
Famous Bristolians > In an attempt to save you good people some precious time, the Westworld Editor trawls the city, separating the wheat from the chaff and condensing his findings into this guide
W
hether you hail from another city, a town, the suburbs, a village, a hamlet or a backwater hell-hole that’s not even worth mentioning, you’ll want to learn about Bristol’s best bits. Obviously, over time you’ll learn where to go and where to avoid, but this handy guide will give you a head start, so read on...
Venues
Bristol is brimming with culture and, as a consequence, there are many excellent venues across the city that feature great local and national acts every night of the week. Here are some of the best... One of the most popular places to watch live music is the Thekla, a boat located in the Mud-Dock area. Just up the road you’ll find the Louisiana, a venue that attracted the likes of the Strokes and the White Stripes before they became international superstars. If it’s big bands you’re looking for, you’ll need to know about the O2 Academy, located on Frogmore Street. Just around the corner is the Colston Hall, where you’ll find everything from pop to stand-up comedy. If it’s theatre you love, head to King’s Street where you’ll find the recently revamped Old Vic Theatre, home of local and national productions. The Tobacco Factory is a little way out, in Southville, but offers many local and national productions, including the RSC, that make the trek worthwhile. If pantomime and west-end style shows are your thing, you’ll ned to locate the Bristol Hippodrome in the city centre.
Circus, it’s become more difficult to find independent shops in Bristol, but they’re there, you just have to seek them out... For example, Park Row offers shops like Booty and Bloom and Curl. The former sells books, C.D’s, vinyl and, for some reason, unorthodox hats, while the latter is quite probably the best independent book shop Bristol has to offer. When you’re done there you should head up to the Gloucester Road where you’ll first find Plastic Wax, a vendor of second hand L.P’s, C.D’s and DVD’s at low prices. A little further up the street you’ll find Re Psycho, a purveyor of second-hand clothing, unlike any other the city has to offer. If you fancy spending your loan in fancy boutique-style stores, head to Park Street where you’ll find them in abundance. Motel sells fancy ‘celebrity style’ threads, for ladies, that are causing a stir all over Bristol, while BS8 offers three levels worth of trandy gear for boys and girls who wish to dress to impress.
Pubs
Let’s face it, Bristolians enjoy a drink or two. For this very reason there are lots of great places to enjoy a variety of tipples morning, noon or night. Here are some of the best... Since it opened not so long ago, Start the Bus has been one of Bristol’s most popular watering holes. It’s a quirky little place that has drawings on the walls, funky furniture and a regular rotation of trendy club nights and DJ’s. Canteen is one of Bristol’s newest hotspots as it offers drinks and eats at reasonable prices. You’ll find it in Stokes Croft, opposite the infamous Turbo Island. If it’s cider you seek, head
Shops First week tips Since the completion of Cabot
F
reshers’ Week is not only the start of your Uni experience, but the rest of your life too! You’ll probably be going out every night, making new friends, and trying to adjust to your new surroundings. This can be a very daunting prospect, but don’t worry! These five Freshers’ Week tips will help guide you through:
1.
Initiate the conversations – it’s important to remember that nearly everyone else is in the same boat as you, and accordingly, they are also looking to meet new people. On the day everyone arrives, try inviting everyone in your flat to your kitchen for a beer and some music. Everyone will come, and you’ll straight away get a reputation for being friendly and approachable.
2.
Get your bearings - During Freshers’ Week, grab a new friend and go for a wander around
your new surroundings. By finding out where your lecture hall and the supermarket are, you will save time and won’t wander into the wrong room once lessons start.
3.
Take part in everything - Your Freshers’ Team have arranged plenty of events for you to take part in during Freshers’ Week; and you should try your best to get involved. This is your opportunity to make new friends, and after all, it’s only a week - after which you can do what you want.
4.
Prepare for a hangover - A week of heavy drinking will take its toll on you. You may benefit, therefore, from preparation for the morning after by having painkillers and cold fruit juice ready. You’ll thank me in the morning.
Photo: Joe Williams
Bristol toilets. Nice, yes, but not as good as all this stuff...
to The Apple, a boat that resides a stones throw from Bristol Bridge. They specialise in local ciders, but also sell lager and ale for those unable to stomach it. Mr Wolf’s can be located just off the centre, on Stephens Street. It’s a bar that features live music, serves noodles and has an excellent selection of lager and cider to quench your thirst. Just beyind the arches, on the Gloucester Road, you’ll find a little bar named The Prom. This place doubles up as a restaurant during the daytime and at night features a diverse range of musical acts for you to nod along to as you sup. The Old Duke, located on King’s Street, is not only one of Bristols oldest pubs, but it also provides some of the best jazz the city and the surrounding area has to offer on a daily basis, seven days a week. They
Eating
also host a legendary jazz festival every summer. Bristol is the home of many of the best restaurants the south-west
has to offer, but we’re students and can’t afford to blow all our cash on food, right? So here’s a list of places to eat on a budget... If you like tapas, jazz and eating by candlelight you should visit Tantric Jazz on St. Nicholas Street as it provides all three at a reasonable price. Just up the street you’ll find St. Niccholas Market, which houses a number of eateries that are open during office hours. From local produce to international cuisine, this place offers a little of everything, perfect for luncheon. If you’re a pizza lover you should head to Planet Pizza, a quirky restaurant that names its dishes after planets. There’s one on Whiteladies Road and another on the Gloucester Road, and they offer student discount too. One of Bristol’s most appealing independent chains is the Thali Cafe, which has restaurants in Montpellier, Easton, Totterdown and Clifton. They serve traditional Indian meals seven days a week and run an offer of the month, details of which are available on their website.
Post Freshers?
5.
Dodge ‘Freshers flu’ – The dreaded ‘Freshers flu’ is a major part of the experience, but one that’s best avoided if possible. It’s a result of lack of sleep, bad dieting, too much drinking, meeting lots of new people and being crammed with other Freshers in lectures, all of them ill with ‘Freshers flu’ too. Make sure you get some vitamins, drink lots of water, and keep your fingers crossed!
Yeah, boyee!
The weekend of September the 25th and 26th is the ever-successful Bristol Festival. Split between two fully licensed vessels, the Tower Belle and the smaller Flower, this year’s parties are hosted by a vast array of DJs and acts, spanning many genres. Confirmed performances include: TOWER BELLE - SATURDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 100% Old Skool Mash-Up with the Pioneers of ‘rave’, 2PM4PM, VINYL JUNKIE (Raindance/ Obsession/Warehouse Wax) THE FLOWER - SATURDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER Trip 2 - Slam Butlers Psychedelic Ginger Boat Experience (jacking funk and deep house), 3PM - 5PM, ft. JUNKIE SAM (Celebrity Bellend) and TOM (care in the community) CAREY. TOWER BELLE - SUNDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER Trip 4 - Duvet Vous? 7PM - 9PM, Bristol’s veterans of chunky house music bring you a plethora of smiling faces and the very best in 4/4 for the final boat party of the festival Many more acts and listings are to be found on the ‘Raves on the Waves’ Facebook group. Tickets are priced at £5 per boat, per person
> Some of Bristol’s most famous sons and daughters...
Cary Grant David Prowse erren Brown D Josie Gibson Ian Holloway
J Justin ee L Collins ee Evans L s s i v e MaAttack e p h e n StMerchant p h i e SoAnderton and Wallace romit G ulie Birchill
Students’ Union services The espressomaths drop by station, available free of charge to all UWE students and employees, will be available throughout the academic year at Frenchay OneZone and at Glenside Traders. At Frenchay, espressomaths will be available 1200-1400, Monday-Friday. The Frenchay campus location is adjacent to the espressomaths pillar in OneZone, the central Frenchay refectory. At Glenside, espressomaths will be available 1200-1400, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Glenside campus location is next to the computer lab’ entrance in Traders, the Glenside café. If you need help with a particular mathematical or statistical problem, then pop along to espressomaths, either at Frenchay or at Glenside, present yourself at the specially designated table (the one with the red tablecloth!), and then have a chat with the person on duty. On duty at each espressomaths session, there will be a member of the academic staff from Mathematics and Statistics. The main aim is to provide user-friendly advice in an easily accessible environment. In addition to the duty staff member’s professional knowledge and experience being available, the espressomaths station is also equipped with immediate access to the internet and to several software packages. Further information may be found at the espressomaths website, http://www.uwe.ac.uk/espressomaths/.
uwe students’ union
Student Letting Agency
A brand new student letting service opens/ed its doors on the 13th Sept. A free to service to students looking for private sector accommodation. Located on the 4th Floor, F Block, drop in and see Sally or Chris or call (0117) 328 2986 for some expert advice and take the hassle out of finding your new home.
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Your Students’ Union Advice Centre phone: 0117 32 82676 email: advice@uwe.ac.uk www.uwesu.org/advice 2F Patio (Next to JobShop)
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The Students’ Union Advice Centre provides information and advice to all UWE students. The main Advice Centre is at Frenchay and we have advisers who visit Bower Ashton and Glenside on a weekly basis during term time. We offer confidential, independent, non judgemental and impartial advice on a range of issues including academic and accommodation. If you have a problem then contact the e Students’r Union Advice Centre. i mT: 0117 32e82676 f naf iidr e n t i al c o p non ta a r ti a lt E: advice@uwe.ac.uk - judge me n e n the patio at Frenchay (in between the Print & d on n Or visit us e p inde Ticket shop and Job Shop) or via your site office
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Over 6,000 jobs a year Jobshop is at Frenchay Campus & each UWESU campus office. Email: jobshop@uwe.ac.uk Web: www.uwesu.org/jobshop Tel: 0117 32 82674
The SU bars at Frenchay, St Matt’s, Glenside and Bower Ashton offer great entertainment and events, and very reasonably priced food and drinks (including homecooked specials) in a safe, friendly environment. What’s more, all profits from our bars go back into the SU. Recycle your cash!”
Features Do the ends justify the means?
The charity business > Sponsored sport is undeniably a worthwhile activity, but how much of the money actually makes it to the chosen causes? Jake Procter, Sports Co-Editor sport@westerneye.net
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his morning of the 5th of September saw over 16,000 people from all over the world limbering up and changing into their running shoes before crossing the start line of the Bristol half marathon. Some will run for the challenge, some just for themselves, but a significant number will be running in aid of various charities and good causes. The event’s website says the runners were expected to raise “in the region of £200,000”. While fundraising events such as this occur all over the globe, unifying the local communities where they take place and providing charities with much needed opportunities for exposure, it is not often clear how much of the money raised actually makes its way to the good causes it is meant for. Do we really know about the methods charities use to raise money, and the true costs incurred in the charity business? Take, for example, the London Marathon - the largest annual fundraising event in the world. In the 30 years since its inception the total raised has topped the half a billion pound mark. While it would be foolish to assume that every penny raised goes directly to good causes, it is unclear whether those donating and competing really know enough about the costs involved in such an event. In April 2010, Channel 4’s Dispatches program investigated the organisation behind the marathon. It is itself owned by a charity: the London Marathon Charitable Trust. The feature (Chasing the Marathons Millions) unearthed some quite shocking information, revealing that of the total money that the marathon organizers receive, just one quarter of it actually goes to the marathon charity. In 2009, the figure raised by the race totalled nearly £18million; the Trust was left with the relatively small amount of £4.5million, compared with the staggering £13.5million apparently eaten up under the umbrella term of ‘costs’.
Is there need for more openness in the charity system?
“When you find out that lots of the money people worked so hard to raise apparently vanishes, it makes you wonder what was the point of it all?”
This certainly provides the London Marathon Charitable Trust (which shall from here on in be referred to as the Business) with a means of covering itself. It was uncovered, however, where some of this money was being spent: “Some £1.3m went to pay wages, pension contributions and social security contributions for its 23 employees - an average of more than £50,000 a head.” While £50,000 a head does seem an exorbitant amount for supposed charity workers, the breakdown of wages wasn’t that straightforward as “the London Marathon’s highest-paid employee was paid more than £240,000. That puts this unidentified person very near the top of the list of the highestpaid individuals in the entire UK charitable sector. It is more than twice the amount paid to the highest-paid people at big charities such as Oxfam and the RSPCA.” Though we may not know where large chunks of the money go, we certainly know where it came from. Not only does the business charge a standard £35 fee to all entrants, but it will also charge the charity for the privilege of having the entrant run for them. This cost is frequently passed on to the runner in either a further fee or a requirement of a minimum money raised, or all too often both. This was the experience of UWE student Charlotte Walker who ran the London Marathon in 2009. After having paid the £35
fee, she was then required to pay £100 to run the race, and was also told she would not be eligible to run for her chosen charity if she failed to raise at least £1500. These disproportionate fees occur all too frequently for fundraisers, and stem from the charities having to buy places in the event for their designated runner/s in what the Business sells as an ‘advertising package‘. These packages combine adverting space in magazines, whether it is desired or not, together with the all important guaranteed place for runners and presumably some sort of tacky goody bag. Some of these packages can cost charities upwards of £2000. So how does this impact on the fundraisers themselves? Speaking to WesternEye about her involvement with marathon fundraising, Charlotte says she was very surprised to find out that the London Marathon organisers are a charity as well, given how much of the rasied money they allegedly pocket themselves: “It is advertised as an event, they don’t make you aware that they are a charity themselves. With all the training and preparations, you sacrifice part of your life to run the marathon. A lot of dedication goes to into running a marathon, with raising money for a good cause the main motivation. When you find out that lots of the money people worked so hard to raise apparently vanishes, it makes you wonder
what was the point of it all?” By October, Charlotte will have ran her 8th long distance race, raising a total of over £2000, just enough to cover the cost of just one ‘advertising package’. This goes some way to explaining why she has chosen to run her next marathon for a non-registered, single issue charity ‘Footsteps 4 Abigail’ (www.footsteps4abigail. com) to hopefully ensure everything she raises goes directly to the cause. Running for single issue charities may not be feasible for everyone and registered charities are often people’s preferred causes, but the methods used by organisers such as the London Marathon Charitable Trust can make it necessary to check just where your fundraised cash is going. Yes marathons provide huge fundraising opportunities for charities and while the argument can be made that the charities are still better off even with the costs deducted, is this really the true concept of charity. Is it time we re-examined the way we donate to and raise money for good causes? Perhaps a system where more taxes go towards charities or greater regulation in the charity sphere would help, but until the real financial information is actually disclosed and there is greater transparency, the debate will remain a murky one.
26 Features
WesternEye 13.9.2010
Just what is it that makes us laugh?
A good sense of humour
> Everyone likes a joke, but the actual psychological mechanism of ‘funny’ is rarely considered or discussed in the mainstream. However, some fields of academia are paying attention... George Rowe, Editor george2.rowe@uwe.ac.uk
H
umour is a multi-billion pound business. Comedies are amongst the highest grossing films at the box office, standup comedians sell out massive venues every week and ‘humorous’ t-shirts enable us to identify idiots up and down the country. Humour is one of the primary characteristics in choosing which bag of flesh you spend your existence with. Humour is cited as one of the defining characteristics of human beings. Humour is a career, a defence mechanism, a release from the tension and banality of everyday life. Humour is a way of looking at the world and everything in it. Humour is all these things, but if asked to identify exactly what humour is, what would you say? Seriously ask yourself this question right now, what is humour? ‘Something funny’ or ‘something that makes me laugh’ are the most common responses, but under closer inspection they do not seem sufficient. What is ‘funny’? Is it funny because it makes me laugh, or am I laughing because it’s funny? What is it about this man’s refusal to accept that a parrot is dead that has caused my body to spasm in such a pleasurable way? Although humour is such a pervasive part of everyday life, people rarely stop and ask themselves these questions. It isn’t necessary to know what humour is to be able to enjoy it, much as you don’t need know the intricacies of physics for a pigeon defecate on you. Yet we know what we mean when categorising something as humorous or not humorous, and I am fully prepared to debate with those of a different (lesser) taste why ‘The Thick Of It’ is a far funnier show than ‘How I Met Your Mother’. This discrepancy between usage and understanding led me, in my third year of Philosophy at UWE, to sign up to writing 10,000 words about just what the heck humour is. I wasn’t the first. Beginning with the writings of Plato, philosophy has been attempting to answer the question of humour for 2500 years. It is by no means a simple question, yet because of its seeming unimportance compared with the grand problems of metaphysics (trivial matters like the nature of reality and the existence of God) humour is comparatively understudied in contemporary philosophy. However, in the past some of the very finest minds in Western thought have sat down and
“Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humour to console him for what he is” Sir Francis Bacon
contemplated just why statements such as “jizz-weasel” are funny. First of all, there are a couple of important parts of the enquiry that must be clarified before we can start trying to answer it. The question ‘What is humour?’ is objective in nature, asking what is the essential characteristic something must have to be funny, but as mentioned earlier different people can find very different things funny. Jokes notoriously do not translate across cultures and languages. The French find the Belgians hilarious, and so do the Dutch, but perhaps due to proximity we in the UK always preferred poking fun at the Irish, before they made us feel guilty about The Trouble and we had to stop. Perhaps humour is purely a subjective phenomenon. Australian philosopher D. H. Monro argued that humour is like fear; people are afraid of very different things, but we know very well what it is to call something ‘fearsome’, and fear has an objective characteristic, namely the sign of imminent mental or physical pain. This characteristic is not contained within the object itself but rather in our attitude toward the object; a tarantula is scary and a 100ft drop is scary, but it is not because they contain the same qualities but because they can both hurt me. Similarly, a fat man falling over is funny, and ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ is funny, but not because of the same attribute in both but rather in our attitude toward them. So humour is a subjective, personal experience which still maintains a degree of universality: how is this possible? Simon Critchley, an English contemporary philosopher, thinks that it is because humour is a form of sensus communis (lit. ‘common sense’), a shared or ‘intersubjective’ idea between people. When we describe something as ‘funny’ we are making a different kind of claim from describing it as ‘red’ or ‘nice’. We are creating a further shared description of a phenomenon that shows it in a new light, and this needs and demands the agreement of others. This is the degree of objectivity that humour achieves, and it is in this way that Critchley believes humour reinforces our place in the social space of the world; if other people understand and find the same things funny as us, we feel a sense of belonging. Are humour and laughter the same thing, are they inextricably linked, or are they two completely separate things? This may seem
like rather an obvious point: humour is a purely mental process, and laughter is the distinct physiological response usually caused by it. We can also appreciate humour without laughing, and laugh without experiencing anything funny (ever done nitrous oxide?) A recent article by the young American philosopher Joshua J. Shaw disputes whether such a distinction is so easily made. Shaw argues that humour should rather be thought of as a registering by the brain that the body is experiencing a significant amount of amusement. He gives the example of a baby and father both laughing at the pratfalls of Charlie Chaplin; surely the baby is not developed enough mentally to appreciate the violation of expectations (see the Incongruity tradition, below) that is causing the father to laugh? But having two different explanations for the baby’s and the father’s apparently identical response seems a very forced answer. I disagree with Shaw. His definition of humour as the mental registering of a state of amusement is circular: humour is caused
by laughter (amusement), but this laughter is initially caused by humour. Also, Shaw would have to count cases of non-humorous laughter (laughing gas, nervousness etc.) as humour. So, humour is a phenomenon distinct from laughter, and it is a shared description that verifies our place in the social sphere. So far, so fairly obvious, but we philosophers (can I call myself that?) like to be clear on these things. On to the classical theory.
T
heories of humour have typically been split into three main sub-categories: superiority theories, incongruity theories and relief/release theories. Superiority theories, which began in Ancient Greece, say that humour is pleasure felt by affirming you supremacy over another. All round pessimist Thomas Hobbes gave the superiority tradition it’s best known formulation in describing humour as the “sudden glory” felt when recognising “some deformed thing in another, by comparison whereof they suddenly applaud themselves”. Anthropologist Albert Rapp thought
The humour mechanism is rarely considered in day-to-day life
Photo: Elly Peers
Features 27
WesternEye 13.9.2010
Just what is it that makes us laugh?
Features
Humour can mean many different things to different people. Clockwise from top left: Mumbai humour, www. comixed.com,
It’s just a joke... How many elephants will fit into a Mini? Four: Two in the front, two in the back. How many giraffes will fit into a Mini? None. It’s full of elephants. How do you get two whales in a Mini? Along the M4 and across the Severn Bridge. How do you know there are two elephants in your refrigerator? You can hear giggling when the light goes out. How do you know there are three elephants in your refrigerator? You can’t close the door. How do you know there are four elephants in your refrigerator? There’s an empty Mini parked outside.
of it more as the “roar of triumph in an ancient jungle duel”. There are many ways to criticise the superiority tradition, but I shall just give one of the major ones. Many instances of humour occur where there quite clearly isn’t a subject to feel superior to; humour scholar John Morreal gives the example of finding a bowling ball in his fridge. Funny, yes, but it seems nonsensical to argue that the humour arises from feelings of superiority to the ball. Relief/release theories are much more concerned with the physiological process of laughter and its psychological ramifications. Everyone’s favourite penis obsessive Sigmund Freud is the tradition’s most vehement propagator, writing “Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious” in 1960. Freud wrote that there are three types of laughter situation: with, the comic and humour. In each there is a saving of ‘psychic energy’ summoned for the corresponding act: to repress sexual or violent feelings in wit, to perform cognitive functions in the comic, or to perform a negative emotion in humour. This now superfluous summoned energy is then transmuted into the physical act of laughing by the body. Freud’s theories certainly have merits as psychological accounts of laughter, but I believe they do not go anyway toward describing the actual humour mechanism, the first trigger for laughter and the conceptual core of what ‘funny’ is. So let us move on to the third and perhaps most influential of the classical humour traditions; incongruity theory. Incongruity is the state of something not fitting,
not being congruous, with something else. This is perhaps the broadest of the three traditions, incorporating ideas from mathematics, linguistics, philosophy, psychology and much more. The common feature that they all share is describing humour as some sort of perceived or presented incongruity and/or its resolution, and this incongruity itself has variously been described as ambiguity, inappropriateness, logical impossibility, absurdity and irrelevance. Incongruity theory is also the view shared by many of the West’s greatest philosophers: Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and Arthur Schopenhauer, to name but a few. All their theories differ in some way, but let me give you a very basic run down. One explanation of how incongruity works, primarily concerned with verbal humour (jokes to you and me) is thus; the first part of any joke (the setup) must be suitably underspecified and ambiguous so that it can support at least two different interpretations. A good joke leads you down the first interpretation path, usually the more socially ‘normal’ interpretation of the setup, before delivering an over specified punch line that forces you to reconsider the language used in the setup and flip to the second interpretation. It is this cognitive flip between the two interpretations that produces the feelings of amusement within us. Let’s examine a joke, and see how this might work: I sat down in the living room last night and turned Dave on. I don’t know how, I never did anything sexy.
“Three blokes walk into a pub. One of them is a little bit stupid, and the whole scene unfolds with a tedious inevitability.” Bill Bailey
Not the funniest joke in the world, but you should at least be able to appreciate that there is some humour in it. So, the language used in the setup line leads to the first interpretation of someone sitting down and switching on the TV, but the final word of the punch line, what is known as the ‘script switch’ trigger, makes us reconsider the ambiguous nature of the phrase “turned Dave on” in the setup. How does this cognitive switch happen, and why is it pleasurable? There are many conflicting explanations for this, but one I find convincing is from mathematician John Allen Paulos. Paulos uses a mathematical topological theory known as ‘catastrophe theory’, discovered by René Thom in 1975. The underspecified setup, he explains, creates the overlapping shape shown in the diagram (known as a catastrophe cusp), with the first interpretation on the top and the second on the bottom. We are led along the top level by the jokes setup, but then the punch line ‘pushes’ us off the edge and we fall to the bottom interpretation. This fall is that jolt you feel when you suddenly ‘get the joke’; the cognitive energy cascades off the side of the cusp, providing that enjoyable ‘rush’ feeling that we so strive for and can get from drugs, adrenaline, humour and many other pursuits. A problem for Paulos’ use of catastrophe theory is examples of absurdist or meta-humour (humour that utilises the traditional structure of humour to humorous effect, humour fans). These devices play exactly on the expectation that there will be a punch line that delivers some sort of incongruity resolution, and are funny precisely because they violate this expectation, like the example of a meta-joke from comedian Bill Bailey (left). The standard application of catastrophe theory would not work here; there is no incongruity contained within the joke text, no two possible interpretations. So, from the little we have delved into it, humour is a shared further description of a phenomenon, seperate from laughter, containing some sort of incongruity, and its resolution gives us a pleasurable rush. This is but skimming the surface of what is a massively broad and interesting pond but, alas, I am out of space... If you would like to know more, contact the Editor at george2.rowe@uwe.ac.uk.
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Features 29
WesternEye 13.9.2010
The necessity of experience...
A first-degree burn > Current economic climate is leaving many graduates with good degrees but unemployed > Can you set yourself apart from the pack, without compromising your degree score?
Shirley Welton
western.eye@uwe.ac.uk
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oday a degree is seemingly not enough for a graduate to be able to secure a job. Students are required to gain work experience alongside their degrees if they wish to stand any chance of getting a job upon graduation. But what do these added pressures mean for students and the degrees they graduate with? According to The Guardian, 20.3% of all unemployed 18-24 year-olds in 2009 were graduates. The unemployment rate of graduates has risen by 3.5% in the past year. This data would suggest that graduates must acquire extra skills or qualifications to distinguish themselves from the pack. Work experience, therefore, plays a very important role for students when they are trying to build up their CV. Sarah Proudfoot, an Information Assistant at the Careers Development Unit at the UWE said: “Employers look for people with degrees and work experience, and due to the economic climate it is competitive.” The Careers Development Unit at UWE supports students who are looking for work experience as, according to Sarah, they “often do not know where to start.” Kate Brooks, who is the module leader for the work experience module of Film and Media & Cultural Studies at UWE, said: “Students have their heads in the sand. They think a degree is
“A degree might get you an interview, but it won’t get you the job.”
enough and they are really going to struggle when they graduate.” Students do not seem to realise the extent of the problem. Today even graduating with a First Honours degree is not enough, as Kate maintains: “A degree will get you the interview, but it will not get you the job”. UWE is one of many universities who support their graduates and local graduates from Bristol, who are left unemployed. Sarah Proudfoot explains: “We offer the Graduate Internship Program, in which graduates who are unemployed get eight weeks paid work experience. We hope for a lot to lead into employment”. Work experience is therefore taken very seriously. Students who gain experience benefit in more than ways than one, as Brooks explains: “It’s a reality check, but can also be a confidence booster. The students become much more self aware and confident”. Work experience, however, does not have to be unpaid: “Having a part time job is work experience, though many students do not even have part time jobs”. Jo Toon, a Biomedical Science undergraduate, has a part time job as a nurse for the NHS alongside her degree. She explains: “It’s experience for medicine and generally looks good on a CV”. But Jo also explained: “I’m doing it mainly because of the money, because I choose to put it above university work”. When asked whether she feels
under pressure to gain work experience, she answered: “Yes definitely; to do everything and anything possible”. This would then suggest that student‘s degrees can and are affected in detrimentally by the pressures of having to gain work experience. The university is often a good place for students to start gaining relevant experience. UWE provides courses with either work experience modules or sandwich courses where students spend a year working in industry. The work experience module for Film and Media & Cultural Studies students is an example of this kind of opportunity. As Kate Brooks says: “This module is an attempt at trying to integrate work experience into the curriculum.” Students who take this module are required to take part in a work experience placement for four weeks, but these four weeks are flexible and can be taken over a longer period of time. Your courses are therefore a good place to start gaining some valuable experience. This is one of the ways in which students can gain their work experience but at the same time focus their efforts on their degrees, described by Sarah Proudfoot as: “Flexible around your work and adaptable to your lifestyle”. Scott Jefferies, who is an Aerospace Systems Engineering undergraduate, is currently on a work placement year offered to him by his chosen course of study. When asked what benefits this place-
ment has given him he explained: “It has given me a much better understanding of what goes on in the work place. I would definitely recommend doing a placement to any other students, as it will certainly maximize your employability at the end of your study”. Like many other students Scott has found that the pressures of a degree are limiting to the experience he is able to gain: “The course I am studying would not have allowed enough time anywhere else to gain the kind of experience I have gained on my placement year”. This is why students should carefully consider taking these placements years or the work experience modules that the University offers them, as they can gain valuable work experience as part of their degree. Even though Scott is not specifically required to gain work experience to be able to enter his chosen career path, he explains: “Engineering companies are always very wary of taking on inexperienced staff”. Some students, however, just simply do not see the urgency of gaining work experience. Miranda Grattan, who is a Film and Media & Cultural Studies undergraduate, explains: “I do not really regard work experience to be an essential part of my degree. I’ll just do work experience after my degree”. Miranda was also given the option to do the work experience module on her course but she turned it down. She explains: “Financially the work experience module is not feasible for me”. Like many students, giving up their free time to do unpaid work is simply not an option they can or wish to take. Miranda also explains: ‘My course has too much work at the moment to be able to balance it out’. Workload has to be a fundamental factor that students have to consider when looking to gain work experience. As we have seen some students decide to gain work experience and others decide to focus on their degrees. Work experience, therefore, is seemingly essential to better students chances of getting a job upon graduation. This is why universities are going through such measures, like incorporating work experience into the curriculum. Students need to start being fully aware of the competitive market that is out there, and looking at what is on offer to them. Without taking up these valuable opportunities they will struggle when they graduate and may find themselves joining the queue at the dole office
Sport
Bristol & UWE
Just friendly rivalry... > A brief overview and look ahead to the year’s exciting Varsity series Toby Prior sport@westerneye.net
W
ith the 2012 Olympics on the horizon, the profile of British sport is on the up. Many cities across the UK enjoy a rich sporting culture and Bristol is certainly no exception. From the professional player to the casual fan, there’s something for everyone. The city hosts two major football clubs, a rugby club that narrowly missed out on promotion to the premiership this year, a top flight cricket team, a healthy number of semi-professional teams, some world class sports facilities and some nationally recognised events such as the Bristol half marathon. And to top it all off, there are more pubs and bars to watch the action in than you could ever hope to visit during your time here. And then, of course there are the two universities and the inevitable rivalry and Varsity series that comes with sharing this great city. Let’s start with Bristol University, officially founded in 1909 giving the institution has had plenty of time to establish itself on the university sporting circuit. With a string of high ranking finishes for many of its teams each year, it could arguably be forgiven for looking down on its younger, less glorified
neighbour. But in the same way as Bristol University looks down from its perch in Clifton with a sense of superiority, UWE looks right back up at it with ambition and increasing ability. Our sports facilities match and in places out do Bristol’s, with yet more developments on the way. Our ranking in the BUCS tables have improved dramatically in the last few years, climbing from 65th in 2002 to 36th overall last season, and our sports teams continue to close the gap on the traditionally stronger Bristol outfits in the varsity series. With last years accusations of Bristol cheating in a very close boat race, it’s evident that they are feeling the heat. Expectations are mounting for this year’s series, and with several UWE teams performing better than ever before, it will surely be one of the highlights of the City of Bristol’s 2010/11’s sporting calendar. Anyone who’s ever been involved with the Varsity series will tell you what a truly great experience it is. Therefore, it’s no surprise how easy it is to get into the spirit of the occasion, with hordes of UWE students lining the terraces every season to support their friends, peers and student community. This, ultimately, is what sport at university is all about. Representing and supporting your community; either braving the cold from the stands
sport@westerneye.net
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vs. with a beer in hand or putting the hard work in on the pitch, it serves as a valuable escape for many from the pressure of academic life. Joining a team gives you an instant circle of friends which becomes invaluable when battling through those tough times that everyone will inevitably face at some point during their student lives. Being involved in the sporting side of student life in Bristol is something that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. It adds
something to you, something no lecturer can teach. For those who choose to pursue it, it can build confidence, reveal strengths, remedy weaknesses and help you discover more about yourself than you could ever imagine. It’s an extra dimension to the university experience you can never fully appreciate until you get out there and get involved, so if your even half contemplating about joining a club this year, just do it, you’ll be glad you did!
> Sword fighting club looks to expand in the new year, with a 2nds and womens team sport@westerneye.net
J
oining a sports team at university has a great number of benefits to it: you may find your hidden talent, enjoy the competitive aspect of it, or want to try something completely different. At UWE, there is a veritable wealth of sports teams available to the whole student body. If combat sports are something you could see yourself doing but don’t necessarily want to be punched in the face, then look no further than the UWE Fencing team.
Fencing is one of the four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games. The UWE team competes in all three types of weapon that are used in Olympic fencing (right). The team has been competing in BUCS Western division 2A for the past 3 years, coming up against universities such as Swansea, Aberystwyth, Bristol 2nds and Plymouth. The 2009/10 campaign proved to be the most successful in UWE’s history. Last season the group came second in the league, and won the division cup, beating Swansea in a dramatic final where they came from behind and snatched victory from the pointy jaws of defeat. An inspired display from Warren Shillingford helped UWE win by 4 points. Warren was also the standout performer at a universities competition in London during the summer; 4 of the UWE contingent competed, with Warren finishing 3rd in the Foil. On the back of this,
> UWE trampolining
Nicola Rowland
UWE Fencing Jake Procter
Fancy a bounce?
Choose your weapon
Foil
A light thrusting weapon; where the torso, chest and back are the target areas; double touches are not allowed
Épée
A heavy thrusting weapon; the valid target area covers the entire body; double touches are allowed.
Sabre
A light cutting and thrusting weapon; the valid target area is the saddle line, which is from one side of the fencer’s hip to the other, and up, this also includes the head. The target area does not include the hands.
the club is now looking at similar events at universities all across Europe. The aim for the next season is to build on last year’s successes, with the league and cup double being targeted. On top of this, the club is also looking at expansion, wanting to set up a 2nd and a ladies team. If you are already an experienced fencer or a complete novice who fancies some legitimate sword fighting then come along to the UWE Fencing club. Training on Wednesdays at 1pm - 4pm, and Mondays and Saturdays 4pm – 6pm down at St. Matts gym. The first session is completely free; keep your eyes open for introductory ‘girls only’ sessions.
More sport coming soon on
www.westerneye.net
rampolining is a fun and popular sport which allows you to make friends and learn new skills in a safe environment. We are a friendly club who welcome new members of all abilities, as our training sessions cater for both beginners and experienced trampolinists. UWE Trampoline club is a great club to join both competitively and socially. All members are given the opportunity to represent the club and to compete in many competitions throughout the year, which can involve weekends away. This includes BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sports), which many of our members enter this competition. In 2009-2010 three members qualified for BUCS finals, with 1 silver medal achieved for our club in the Advanced category. A number of different socials are organised by the club throughout the year, including our Christmas meal and our own Trampoline Awards night where our members efforts and achievements from the year can be recognised. There is also usually a social with at each competition, giving members the chance to socialise with students from other universities. Our membership fee is £40, which includes four 2 hour training sessions a week (Sunday 7 til 9pm, Monday 5 til 7pm, Weds 5 til 7pm (on a week by week basis) and the new fourth training session (weds 7.30 til 9.30am) coached by a qualified coach, Oliver Monro). These training sessions are held at the Centre for Sport on Frenchay Campus. If you are interested in joining or have any questions about the club, you can find us at both Frenchay and Glenside Freshers Fairs. We hope to see everyone there!
Sport 31
WesternEye 13.9.2010
Men’s hockey
> UWE gear up for a competitive year, attempting to beat last year’s 5th place finish Joel Holt sport@westerneye.net
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fter thrashing the University of Bristol by three goals to one in the Varsity series at the end of last season, the squad are determined to carry their winning ways through into the new academic year. On the 27th August, the squad was re-united for a gruelling pre-season training session in preparation for a difficult fixture list. The players’ fitness was thoroughly tested, and despite the team not having trained together as a unit since the end of May, the solidarity and commitment that had played such a vital role in the sides successes last season remained stronger than ever. The men’s 1st XI only have a few more sessions before they head off to Holland in two weeks time for their pre-season tour. However, England youth goal keeper, 20 year old Sam Cathie, will not be joining the squad after choosing to leave the university a few weeks ago. Despite being a massive loss to the side, Sam’s departure comes hand in hand with the news that the club has attracted its highest number of new recruits in recent years. This is surely cause for optimism for the team and increases the chances of discovering new talent. Already it is estimated the Mens 1st XI have four new players potentiawlly joining the squad, fighting for a place in the starting line-up. st In an interview with 1 XI Captain Michael Sharp, he was quoted in saying “Everybody is pushing themselves to the limit so they get there name on the team sheet for the first game of the season.” “We have always performed better at home, but with the confidence the squad has now we will improve our away record.”
The players are working hard on improving their fitness and look to increase the number of training sessions per week in order to better their 5th place finish last year. UWE Hockey team face the newly promoted Cardiff University on October the 20th in their first
game of the season, and will be desperately seeking a win to kick-start their league campaign. The home tie has a pushback of 1.30pm at the ‘Stadio de Frenchay’ (more commonly known as Frenchay Astroturf), and the club would welcome as much support
as the UWE student community can muster! The captain also stated: “We all believe that the strength and depth in our squad has the potential for us to be strong candidates of winning the league this year. The team will give 100% every Wednesday to ensure
UWE hockey attains and succeeds at the highest possible level.” As a competitive season lies ahead, this team has all the talent, ambition and potential to do UWE proud once again this year.
Last year was one of the “most successful seasons” in cricket club’s history
> 2009/10 was a flourishing season for all UWE cricket teams, who now look to the future Stefan Tyrie sport@westerneye.net
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or the members of UWE Cricket Club, the 2010 season will be remembered as one of the most successful in the club’s
history. Deserving winners of the title ‘Most Improved Club’ at the Sports Awards Dinner, their results sent shockwaves through the South West University cricketing circuit. The 1st XI, led superbly by Alex Vacher, became the unbeaten Champions of BUCS Division 2A and sent 3 representatives to the MCC Universities Tournament held in Loughborough, which gave the team the recognition it deserved. Throughout the season there were some admirable performances from opening batsman James Hollingsworth, centurions Kabir Kohli & Sukhi Kang, and bowlers Giorgio Rigali, Tom ‘Jesus’ Pantling and Stephen Love. Together with their team-mates they spearheaded a formidable attack on all fronts which resulted in notable victories over the likes of Southampton and Bournemouth universities, sweeping aside their opponents with relative ease. The 1st XI came agonisingly
close to becoming ‘double winners’ in the conference cup, but rain stopped play in their semi-final game against Southampton University, denying them the opportunity to chase their target and handing the victory to their opponents. Coupled with this, a disappointing loss to Bristol in the Varsity game will give added motivation to the side going into the new year. With their newly promoted status, the 1st XI will have plenty of opportunities to prove themselves against the might of top flight university cricket teams such as Cardiff and Bristol. But it was not just the 1st XI that were thriving over the last year. The club’s membership has doubled to 164 since last season; as a consequence the 2nd XI has been able to be more competitive than ever. Whilst not being able to mirror the results of their 1st XI counterparts, the 2nds managed to maintain a very consistent and competitive level and proved more than a
match for their opponents, losing a number of games by the narrowest of margins. With team regulars Tom Milnes, Dave Stacey and Mark ‘Snake Hips’ Willsher contributing well to the side in 2010, Captain Stef Tyrie will be looking to improve on his sides performances and live up to their potential this season. The women’s section of the club had a great debut year, capped off by winning their varsity game against Bristol University by 1 wicket, thanks in part to coach Vicky Barlow who trains the side every Tuesday night.
Report on your team sport@ westerneye.net
32 Sport
WesternEye 13.9.2010
Lions of the ice > UWE Bristol Lions Ice Hockey club
Geoff Tivendale sport@westerneye.net
H
aving finished with a reasonable result in the 2010 National competition in Shefield, and winning the Varsity Challenge for UWE means the Lions are looking for a 1st place finish in the 2010/11 BUIHA Cup Competition. The Cup Competition will begin in November and run through to 2011. Once again we shall be hosting at least 6 home games at the John Nike Ice Rink in the city centre of Bristol. Our fan base and crowd turnout last year was amazing, and will hopefully be better this coming season. Having lost a few of our prized players to the world
of work we are looking to draft some new talent at the beginning of the season so, if you play ice hockey then get in touch and get involved. If you don’t play ice hockey but would like to give it a try then we shall be holding two ‘Give it a Go’ sessions, so look out for our stall at the Freshers’ fair.
Got a question about UWE Sport?
Contact Nadia Harding, SRC Sports President: sports.president@uwe. ac.uk
Women’s football
> UWE enjoyed a highly succesful 2009/10 season, but graduation has left their 1st XI looking a little thin Jake Procter sport@westerneye.net
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or a lot of us, September can be indicative of that slight feeling of dread and apprehension that comes with the return to education. For the members of the UWE Women’s Football team however, it represents the challenge of a new season and the attempt to build on the achievements of the last campaign. Not only did the team win promotion, but they did so by storming the league without a single defeat. The women will now be competing in the Western Conference 1A League; the trappings of promotion will see UWE face a higher class of opposition, also throwing up a number of local derby’s including Cardiff 1st, UWIC 2nd, Bristol 1st and Bath 1st teams. As if this triumphant league campaign wasn’t enough, the team also pulled off a league and cup double, coming out 4-0 winners against Gloucestershire University in last season’s league cup. The girls also made their mark on the continent, touring Costa Brava’s coastal town of Lloret de Mar to compete in both a 7-a-side and a 11-a-side tournament. They were so successful that not only did they come out on top in both competitions, but the 7-a-side tournament saw UWE’s A and B team’s contest the final which, as well as being noted for this display of the dominance of the UWE women’s football team, was also officiated by former Premier League referee Jeff Winters. So where do the team go from here? Well, a major aim is to win this year’s Varsity match against Bristol, something that hasn’t happened for some nine years. A second big aim
is to recruit new players (yes, that means you!). The side has been decimated by that perennial thorn in the side of university sports teams – graduation; Nine of last season’s double winning starting XI are leaving for pastures new. If you are thinking of joining the UWE Women’s football team then perhaps you want to hear about the other side of joining a team or society at UWE - the social side.
President of the women’s team Nicola Johns spoke to the WesternEye about the off-pitch goings on: “Away from Football we are sponsored by Vodka Revolutions on Corn Street, where we go to after every game on themed dress up nights, as well as an end of season and Christmas party. Our initiations to the team last year were exceptional - the old members of the team dressed up as fishermen
and the Freshers split into teams of sharks versus lobsters. The groups played drinking games, bobbing for sea creatures in mushy peas and then rice, eating half soaked Weetabix in rum and biting balloons filled with water and then flour. An excellent night out, and there will be a secret theme this year as well!” Our free Training session during Freshers’ fortnight is Monday 20th September, 7.30pm to 9pm on the
UWE Astroturf pitch 1. Training is usually on a Monday night at the Filton Wise campus. Matches are on Wednesdays. We will be at Freshers fair too.” If all this sounds like something you would be interested in, then pop along and see the ladies at the Freshers’ fair.
organised by the bristol festival Community group, the festival, which last year drew thousands of visitors to the city, started life after the green field Ashton Court festival shut up shop in 2006 following a financial crisis. Bristol residents got together to create bristol Festival in 2008, before it was re-located to the city centre and eventually renamed brisFest. the festival draws solely on talent from across the south-West, and is almost entirely run by volunteers from bristol and the surrounding area. Also returning this year is the mighty Rave-on-Avon, a massive after-party clubbing event held on the saturday night of the festival. Rave-on-Avon incorporates 12 venues throughout the City Centre and entry is included in the festival ticket price. if you are new to bristol it might provide the perfect opportunity to check out some of bristol’s best clubbing venues.
if you’ve just arrived in bristol and fancy checking out the local talent, brisfest 2010, a three day urban festival extravaganza, might prove to be just the place for you. brisFest, which will be taking place from the 24th- 26th of september 2010, boasts headliners including the likes of
workshops and much, much more. the central hub of the festival will be located in the lloyds Amphitheatre in bristol City Centre, just a hop, skip and possibly a bus ride away from whichever campus you happen to be at.
Although the festival season is almost at an end, BrisFest 2010 offers one last chance to enjoy some live music, minus the mud…
Black Out JA, The Heavy, Aquasky +Ragga Twins and The Correspondents. With over 500 artists in attendance and a total of nine stages, brisFest also promises a wide variety of live music, art installations, food and festival tents, light shows, street theatre,
BRIS FEST 2010
A PREviEW! By Lucia Dobson-Smith
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if you’re a budding musician, you might also be interested in the music industry marquee, located just outside the main festival sit in millennium square, which will be hosting a series of talks, workshops and industry stalls aimed at providing information and inspiration for those interested in a career in the music industry. there will also be demo panel session hosted by notaries including matt booth (bristol music Foundation), mike smith (gorrilaz/blur), sean holbrook (Run boy Run label management) and more, willing to receive your pitch and offer their expert advice. For more information on the festival, or to find out how you can get your hands on tickets, check out www.brisfest.co.uk
Ticket prices are £15.00 for the three days of the festival with unlimited access to the site, or £20.00 including access to all Rave-on-Avon venues on the 25th of September.
bristolian playwright shaun mcCarthy’s tale of life on the road rolls into town... the event upon which shaun mcCarthy’s play is based occurred on Saturday 1st June 1985 and is commonly referred to as the Battle of the Beanfield. When police attempted to stop a convoy of, in the words of the programme notes, ‘new age travellers’ from attending the stonehenge Free Festival a riot broke out and officers attacked the procession, injuring hundreds and forcing them to flee to a nearby beanfield where they were arrested. the events depicted are based upon the accounts of several individuals who were members of the convoy and are relayed through the narrative of a traveller named steamer (ben Crispin), whose relationship with Annie (Katie villa), an upper class girl on the run, provides an engaging sub-text that serves to highlight the class battle at the heart of the tale. Whilst Crispin’s portrayal is powerful, earnest and often amusing, georgie Reynolds steals the show as diane, a working class girl who inadvertently joins the convoy during a night out. Reynolds’ convincing West Country accent reminds the audience that the events depicted occurred close to home and consequently draws them into the imaginary convoy, ensuring that a cast of five actors is more than adequate. bennie (ben simpson) and lex (Eli thorne) are also along for the ride, representing a more sinister side of the traveller’s life through their involvement with drugs and anarchy. however, simpson’s performance as a narrow-minded working class tourist from birmingham, who gets caught up in the convoy, and thorne’s depiction of an angry police constable, who spews thatcher’s rhetoric in a manner that turns the stomach, provide a claustrophobic political context that at once enhances the scope of the production and encourages the audience to side with the travellers. the threadbare set and sound effects, provided by a man sitting in an old car seat at the side of the stage, ensure that the characters and the narrative, into which they are neatly woven, carry the burden of enlivening a story that is simple, yet sincere. With the assistance of a handful of shakespearean quotations, numerous verbal assaults on thatcher’s reign and
some genuinely amusing dialogue they succeed and the boos and hisses drawn from the audience by the angry constable’s diatribe about an individual’s right to freedom reiterates the timeless relevance of the writer’s message. in fact, shaun mcCarthy’s programme notes reiterate the sentiment of those involved in the Battle of the Beanfield, ‘that people should be free to live how they wished, and that a happy life did not automatically equate to a healthy bank balance’, the essence of which is captured by his characters who are bold, genuine and at times a little rough around the edges, much like the play itself.
BEaNFIElD
At thE bREWERy thEAtRE By Sean Guest
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An intERviEW With
KOwTON
Deep in the murky depths of house and dubstep lies one of the freshest and most upcoming producers of 2010;
By Sammy Maine
Kowton, also known as Narcossist, has been signed to the Keysound and Idle Hands record labels since moving from Manchester to Bristol. Mixing seductive, sultry beats, Kowton manages to create dub that fans drool for, as well as playing the best spots in town such as Crash Mansion and our very own Westworld fundraiser. I met up with him on a very sunny Saturday afternoon for a chat about how this all came about, and of course a cheeky cider or three.
How did you first get into producing? i think i just wanted some turntables and couldn’t afford them. i read in a magazine that if you bought logic you could mix tunes together, so i bought that and started trying to time stretch tunes together; but anyone who produces knows that it sounds pretty awful. After about a year of doing that, i realised that actually making tunes was the way to go. Would you say the scene in Bristol has influenced your music? i guess so, it’s a great scene, it’s quite diverse - you’ve got Pev (Peverelist, owner of Rooted Records) who does his banging dubstep right through to guido and Joker who are doing very full-on rave music. So there’s a lot of things to be influenced by and they’re all great - there’s not many cities that have such a diverse and solid scene. i’m quite new compared to a lot of other people, but it’s been very welcoming. You produce under two names [Kowton & Narcossist]... what made you decide to do that? When i started out, i was making proper dubstep, which was dark and a bit scary or whatever... kind of 140 bPm. About three years ago i decided to start making slower stuff, like 120 bPm; maybe back then it wasn’t the same as it is now, it wasn’t normal for people to make slow and fast tunes at the same time. so i started basically making house derived dubstep and just settled with that name [Kowton]. maybe if i started making garage tunes again, i’d do the narcossist thing, but it makes sense, doing the tunes i’m doing, to produce under a different name. You’ve mentioned ‘what was dubstep’... how do you think it’s changed? All that mid-range, aggressive stuff is quite far divorced from the music i’ve started liking, what was called ‘dubstep’ in like, 2004 / 2005. But the genre name has been thoroughly appropriated by that scene; people would say ‘oh, we’re dubsteppers’ or like, 16 bit - that’s dubstep. i guess its moulding into a new genre now, but you wouldn’t want to give it a name. There’s definitely a lot of people who used to be part of the dubstep scene, that are still part of the same scene and are getting booked by the same people but they don’t make ‘dubstep’ anymore - everyone’s just moved on.
You’re studying Music Tech Masters at UWE, has that helped at all with producing? Well, the whole way that music tech is taught is more towards the developing of software and stuff to actually make music with. there’s very little help with making tunes in my experience. i mean it’s different, because it makes you think about the way you’re doing things and whether you want to be doing things that way. it’s cool in the respect that it can affect the sounds you make but i don’t think it really has any affect on the music itself. Would you say your music has improved along the way? i think with time you realise what you need and what you don’t need - you could bang everything in there and fill every little second of time, something that might persuade people that it’s interesting. But after about five or six years, you start to realise, hang on... leave that space, it sounds better than cramming something in there. i guess it’s just a maturity of sound. Where do you see your music going in the next few years? Just developing and working towards the idea, again, with the maturity of knowing what goes into a good tune... that i can maybe writing something that in ten years time people will listen back to and be like ‘yeah, that was a great tune.’ i don’t want to make tunes that are alright for this week, that’s not really an end goal to anything. don’t rush it... in the process of actually writing the tune, just take your time. sit on it for a while; don’t have the urgency... instead of that, just wait and see if it still sounds good in a week and then see what other people think of it. And again, a cliché answer but just do your own thing; so many people seem to be intent on how to recreate what’s already been done. Just take your time and enjoy it.
the invention of the spray can meant that tags could develop in size and colour; allowing for effects such as 3d and bubble writing, each artist began gaining a sense of their own style. by the 1970’s, writers started to paint larger pieces on subway trains, hence the name ‘subway art;’ with the chance for pieces to be seen miles away, artists would often compete to become the ‘King’ or ‘Queen’ of the underground graffiti scene. The genre of hip hop had a huge impact with this art form, with many rap video’s being strewn with colours and characters galore. As we all know, bristol played a huge part in the underground hip hop scene, acting as a home for the artists desperate to share their talents. if you take a stroll down stokes Croft, it’s hard not to notice the shapes and letters that adorn any free space; making this part of the city, the spray can’s favourite playground. midas is a young artist, currently studying graphic design at the university of the West of England. Realising his passion from a very young age, he’s been creating pieces for over ten years; some of his best showcased on trains around the world. i met up with him for a swift half to talk about his influences, illegal issues and how growing up on a farm can have its advantages... How did you first get into graffiti? i’ve had a habit of writing on things all my life - i always got into trouble for writing and drawing on anything i could. some kids called ‘the blue bandits’ came and tagged up my primary school and i just thought it was really good. because i lived on a farm, i got hold of some sheep marker and started writing ‘blue bandits’ all over the barns and there was an estate nearby so if they ever saw it, they would think it was the kids from that estate. Two years later there was a graffiti special on The Bill and that’s where i learned all the terminology , like ‘tagging’ and ‘Bombing’ - I had no idea what they meant at first. A couple of my friends had caught on and we were always competitive and we’d tag the school with board pens. there was a legal wall at my school so i just started practising there and through the internet i met some other writers and it all just spiralled up from there really. When I got to about fifteen I started taking it a bit more seriously,
it became less of a hobby and more a way of life. Tell us about the pieces you’ve done on the trains... When i used to get the train into cities, i’d go past the freight train yards and see how industrial and fast and quiet they were and i always thought it would be cool to get up at the crack of dawn and walk around there; so i did that basically with a couple of cans of paint and put my name up. i slowly started moving up the tracks and every couple of months i would get closer to where the real trains were kept and i eventually painted one of them. I remember seeing the first train I ever painted running to london and from then on i just thought i can either have a canvas up in my room or on a train that’ll travel 100 miles into the biggest cities. Would you say that Bristol is more accepting of graffiti? if you’re drawing in the smaller cities, then people might be shocked because they’ve never seen it before. it’s more in people’s faces here, so it’s nothing new to them but the reactions can differ. If I were to paint in Bedminster the first person that saw me would be likely to call the police but if i stopped and did a piece in stokes Croft hardly anyone would bat an eyelid. only the people chasing monetary figures that are after statistics would be bothered because they’re not living real life. What influences your work? i go through stages - i’ll start off with really simple stuff and then move onto things that are a lot more detailed and technical and then back again. you can go a couple of months doing really long pieces and enjoying it like that or doing really simple pieces and enjoying that side of things. My influences come from modern illustration, not illustration that’s supposed to look like something. if i was to give it a name it would be ‘uni-illustrationlol-chic;’ it’s not trying to look amazing, it’s just full of funny characters and funny fonts. i’d like to think i’ve created my own style in my artwork called ‘mistake-chic, which can be sometimes seen in my graff. you leave all the mistakes and often add things you know are going to look wrong, like drips and using the caps that come with the paint instead of the neat caps. i’m not into cleanliness within my work; i like it to be mix
-5media d.i.y. What would you say to people that think graffiti is purely vandalism? i’d tell them to read books that explain about the crews behind graffiti. It’s not just a couple of kids writing their names everywhere, these people have reasons for wanting to showcase their art. maybe the government hasn’t treated them right or they’re sick of seeing every blank space filled with an advertisement. so, you’re kind of going out of your way to advertise yourself and using your ingenuity like going out at night to advertise yourself for free. it’s strange that just because you haven’t got money in your pocket that you can get arrested for that. Finally, how would you justify the art of graffiti? one of the more well known guys just painted a load of freight trains for the background of a major film; so, if you think everyone hates it and thinks it would be nicer without graff, why are these company’s paying big money to include it? that’s because it’s part of society. in court recently, they told me that my actions damaged the rail company’s reputation by bringing fear and degravation to the company’s image and that people are intimidated when they see graffiti. My solicitor replied by saying ‘Isn’t it strange that he gets paid a lot of money to go to London and paint graffiti on the side of vans which has given the company an amazing image and popularity in the press?’ surely those vans would be making people intimidated, surely the company would be worried about their image. it’s not a well thought out argument, it’s just the accepted one against graffiti. No one’s thought, ‘would I really be scared if a big bit of colour with some characters rolled in on a train? Would i be happier to see the logo of the train i’ve seen everyday for six months? or would it be amazing if everyday as i sat there, i had a new piece of artwork stood in front of me?’ Check out some of midas’ masterpieces at www.midasyeah.blogspot.com
HE’S gOT THE mIDaS TOUCH Love it or loathe it, graffiti has been making a storm on the streets since the late 1960’s. Originating in New York, kids would often write their names along with their street name on buses and subway cars.
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lAUrIe rolItt laurierollit@blogspot.com
supreme biting horse flys is not many peoples idea of Isolating yourself in the Sweedish Swedish countryside with a game of monopoly and supereme fun, but inspiration can come in the strangest of places this is just the latest of laurieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tales. laurie Rollitt is a illustrator and designer who is currently studying at the university of West England. At a tender age of 21 laurie has already grabbed a lot of attention in the bristol area working for companies such as my yard and seven. his drawings have evolved over the past two years of study, yet he has maintained a traditionalist feel which has the ability to evoke his true talent. laurie studied at the well regarded Falmouth College of Art, which has a reputation for producing some of the finest and most talented illustrators in this new generation of designers. .
submit Artwork westworldinfo@gmail.com
BRISTOL
PRIDE This year, for the first time ever, Pride came to Bristol. For an entire week events took place all over the city, culminating with Pride Day on Saturday 21st of August. It began with a parade from the Hippodrome to Castle Park, where live music, refreshment stalls and inflatable genitalia awaited, and ended with a downpour typical of the British summer time. Following the event Sean Guest discussed its success with organiser and committee member Leighton De Burca.
W A ‘ O
H T S N
-3How long have the organisers been trying to bring Pride to Bristol? Pride bristol has been a few years in the making and much ground work was completed in previous years by various community groups. Preparation for this year’s Pride week started last June and was shared between lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (lgbt) Forum members, Community leaders, Committee members and also required the fantastic support of bristol City Councils Equalities team, Jo macdonald and simon nelson. Was the event as successful as you hoped it would be? the event was successful in many ways. the most important achievement for any Pride event is to bring the lgbt community together and raise awareness of lgbt issues, which i feel this Pride event managed to do. Was the bad weather a blight on proceedings? the weather was great for most of the day and bristolians are excellent at maintaining the party spirit despite the rain. i feel it added a festival feel to the event and as we are british, we should be used to the rain! Do the organisers intend to repeat the event and, if so, will it happen on an even larger scale next year? As with all Pride events they are for the community and have to be lead by that community. next year’s event should be similar to this year’s, but with hopes of an even greater attendance. What was your personal highlight? my personal highlight was the amazing attendance at the community tent, which received such amazing feedback. the tent was set up by simon nelson who did an amazing job, as the community is what pride is all about.
I B I t l
N r s o
if you’re new to bristol, or even not that new, it may be worth mentioning a few great things that are going on this month at some of bristol’s most earnest venues. The Arnolfini is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary next year and continues to deliver a wide variety of art, music and film. This month it’s worth checking out ‘Fun With software’, an exhibition that’s running from September 25th through until November. ‘Fun With…’ looks at the history of software, and its relation to humour and fun and focuses on the development of software over the past 50 years through experimentation and art. don’t miss the new play ‘A Western’ created by Action hero. this bristol based production company have toured all over the UK, Europe and the US and finally they’re back here in Bristol. ‘A Western’ is an attempt at a full-blown western with cowboys, saloons, prostitutes and all - but on a shoestring budget. this play delivers blood, guts and tears in one unique, ambitious, inventive feel good production. And if that isn’t enough to get your bum on a seat, the promoters are giving out free shots of whisky to all in attendance. so, get a ticket and get down early for a tipple… if checked shirts and cowboy boots isn’t your thing, head down to the big Chill in the city centre to see tru thought’s ‘hint’ on september 10th. it’ll be pure funk and electronic sounds to keep your pumps cantering around the dancefloor all night long. Best of all? it’s free. if soul’s your thing, also at the big Chill this month is ‘Root Elevation’ - a night that supplies the best in soul music; past, present and unheard every thursday.
Arnolfini / ‘Fun With’ / Sat 25 Sep - Sun 21 Nov Free Tobacco Factory Theatre / ‘A Western’ / Mon 13th Sep 8pm Tuesday 14th 8pm - Wed 15th Sep 9.30pm Full £10 / Concessions £7 Big Chill, 15 Small St, Bristol / ‘Root Elevation’s Type Sun’ / Every Thursday in September Free
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I N T R O D U C T I O N
Lots of love, APB.
Enjoy. Sean.
I hope you have enjoyed the holidays and are ready for the new year! I absolutely love my new role as sub-editor and I just hope I can live up to the last one! We want to continue to supply you with the juiciest Bristol gossip and latest news and reviews from the ever evolving arts and culture scene but we’ll need your help. We are forever looking for contributors so all you photographers, writers, music fanatics and fashionistas get in touch. We’re going to have an absolute ball.
Following the sad demise of the Westworld magazine last year, we have decided to revamp the concept of that publication and combine it with a more traditional approach to arts and culture for the new academic year. The all new Westworld section will incorporate music, film, theatre, art, poetry, photography, fashion and anything else we deem worthy of inclusion. If you’d like to get involved, please submit your ideas to westworld@westerneye.net
Hello readers!
Hello.
Publications Editor George Rowe Editor Sean Guest Alice Palmer Brown Creative directors James Somerfield hello@jamessomerfield.co.uk Alex Green alexinleeds@gmail.com
uWE Publications Frenchay Campus Coldharbour lane bristol, bs16 1Qy www.westworldmagazine.net A big personal thankyou to Marcus Siddall for all his hard work and contributions last year, Westworld wouldnt be here without you.
design James Somerfield hello@jamessomerfield.co.uk Alex Green alexinleeds@gmail.com
Sports and Gym Memberships at the Centre for Sport
Our membership scheme has changed! Available from the 1 September 2010.
All-new ‘ACTIVE CARD’ membership now available! Key Benefits of the Active Card membership:*
Free use of all aerobics classes
Free use of Squash, Badminton Courts and Climbing Wall. Subsidised use of other facilities (excludes astro-pitch)
Benefit from discounts on Social Sports, Coaching Courses other sports facility bookings
Full access to both, fully equipped, state of the art fitness suites; The Centre for Sport and Wallscourt Farm Gym
Staff, students and community all welcome! *Terms and conditions apply; member’s guest fees payable, suitable level of climbing wall experience must be proven to gain inclusive use of the climbing wall, stated benefits apply to Active Card membership.
Visit the Centre for Sport now to activate your Active Card!
www.uwe.ac.uk/sport Telephone 0117 32 86 200 E-mail centreforsport@uwe.ac.uk Find us on Facebook ‘UWE Centre for Sport’
2-3 y Activ ear memb e Card also a erships at dis vailable coun rates ted Apply s to st u m e m b ership dent only
ISSUE No.1 Autumn 2010
-1-
westworld
ARts, CultuRE, musiC & Film
FREE
Kowton
sAtuRdAy AFtERnoon ChAt
BrisFest 2010
thREE dAy uRbAn FEstivAl ExtRAvAgAnzA
Midas
hE’s got thE midAs touCh
laurie rollitt
FEAtuREd ARtist