WesternEye WesternEye 09.14 — Issue 01
UWE’S STUDENT VOICE
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INSIDE ISSUE 01 WESTERNEYE UWE’s Student Voice
NEWS
COMMENT
SCI-TECH
SPORT
The Only Way is Wessex An update
Freshers’ loneliness It’s ok to be lonely
The iPhone 6 The end to the rise of Android?
UWE Hartpury Preparing for Autumn
Continues on page – 06
Continues on page – 09
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THE GUARDIAN UNIVERSITY RANKINGS. ‘STUDENT FRIENDLY’ UWE RISES.
UWE student success and satisfaction soars PHILIP MANSELL
comment@westerneye.net
in deliberating over their choice of University, many students will have consulted numerous tables and rankings to help aid their decision. One of the most influential of University Rankings comes courtesy of newspaper The Guardian. According to the latter, by selecting uwe, students have made a great choice. In its 2015 University league table, published in early June, uwe rose a massive fifteen places to 49th position, based on a number of important factors.
Amongst these were student satisfaction with their course in general, teaching and feedback, as well as staff to student ratios and employability after graduation. As has been noted elsewhere, this rise is in contradiction with more famous universities such as Kings College London and our local rivals Bristol University, who fell 8 and 11 places respectively. Ranking at 49th out of 116 universities means that uwe is comfortably in the top half of institutions surveyed. It also shows that uwe is moving in the right direction, at a pace matched by very few universities.
The improvement of the last 12 months has reversed the slide of the previous academic year, where the university dropped from 54th to 64th place. The Guardian also adds that uwe is ‘very student friendly’ and that relationships with large employers such as Hewlett Packard and the bbc means its ‘graduate employment record is consistently impressive’. This is all great news for new students at the university, particularly for first-year students who may be concerned about whether they have made the right choice in pursuing further education. Particularly strong courses for
uwe were bsc Social Work, ranking 11th, ba Philosophy, where uwe ranked 13th, and ma Wildlife filmmaking, which is ‘arguably the best in the world’. Uwe Vice Chancellor Professor Steve West spoke with local newspaper the Bristol Post after the rankings were announced, and stated that he was pleased that students were satisfied with their courses value, “since the university places an emphasis on the additional assistance it provides students to do well”. Uwe ranked particularly highly in the Guardian’s ‘Value Added Score’ factor, coming joint 1st
with St. Andrews. This factor is designed to take students entry qualifications and show how much they have improved by their degree result. This statistic shows that teaching at uwe is amongst the most effective in the country. Hopefully any student nervous about the value of pursuing a degree at uwe will be pleased about what The Guardian has had to say. Uwe have a lot to celebrate this year, after a glorious victory against Bristol University in the 2014 Varsity Series. The challenge now is to close the gap in the academic stakes. Are you up for the challenge?
Tour of Britain visits Bristol BELINDA GEORGE
editor@westerneye.net
THE TOUR OF BRITAIN RIDES INTO BRISTOL JOE VENTON ©
this years’s tour of britain saw cyclists start in Liverpool and complete over 1,376 km culminating in two stages in London this month. Bradley Wiggins, the defending champion moved into the Bristol stage commenting: “there are still four stages to go before London. There is that run in to Brighton and Bristol. It could all change but if it stays like this until London we will give ourselves a good chance”. However, Wiggins finished third, after Mark Cavendish lost out by inches to Marcel Kittel in a sprint finish on the final stage, and Dylan van Baarle won the overall race. Polish national
Michał Kwiatkowski placed second overall. Locals lined the streets to welcome the cyclists on their fourth stage of the race which finished in Bristol. However, not everyone welcomed the race. Traders on a road in nearby Henbury which formed part of the route say they were given only a few days notice before it was completely shut for a week for resurfacing, losing them both customers and profits. For bike-loving Bristol Mayor George Ferguson this was a chance to show why Bristol is known as Britain’s cycling capital. The city is reportedly investing £35 million in cycling over the next few years, with this event hoping to drive interest in the sport exponentially.
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WesternEye 09.14 — Issue 01
UWE’S STUDENT VOICE
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BELINDA GEORGE EDITOR
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SO YOU WANT TO BE A JOURNALIST?
Letter from the Ed editor@westerneye.net
welcome to bristol, voted ‘best city to live in’ earlier this year. Bristol is a city splashed with vibrancy, rich in history and alive with feel-good vibes; what better place could there be to begin my career in journalism? Bristol is well renowned for bbc filmmaking and there’s always something to talk about. Bristol is a ‘doing city’. There are not many cities where people dance on boats. Where a man has a childhood dream to put a whacking great water slide down the street — and it comes true. Where there is an entire club devoted to the worst films in history — and people go to watch them. Where graffiti is a tourist attraction and where a temporary bus stop makes the national headlines because the painters managed to misspell the word ‘bus.’ Whether it’s a career you want, some crazy new mates or to truly find yourself… or just a pint of cider — then you’ve come to the right place.
and gather content for our media student media, as well as the use outlets. The most commonly of the Internet to your benefit. asked question was ‘how do I “Use a blog as your online portit was a hectic couple of days become a journalist?’ folio where you can out links to last month for myself and Anna Famous names shared their everything you’ve written”. Osborne with a collaborative experiences to inspire us, includTwo of the strongest messages 700 miles of travelling clocked ing Zoe Beaty from Grazia who to come out of the advice were up between the pair of us to stressed that persistence was key. ‘the student newspaper is one of attend the nus and Amnesty “I used to just call places up and say the best ways into journalism’ and International Student Media ‘I’ve got tickets to the Clotheshow, ‘online media is the way forward’. Summit 2014 in London. do you want me to cover it?’” she There was also a chance to The Summit was a two day laughs. Andrew Gilligan from The mingle with journalists from the event designed to prepare Telegraph admitted “the truth is, country’s top media production students for their next step in if you are good at finding news, companies including the bbc, The journalism. Attended by over 130 you will prosper”. Hannah Hope, Telegraph and Channel 4 News. student journalists from around entertainment journalist from This year, at WesternEye, we the uk, this was also the perfect the Mirror was the editor of her hope to implement the lessons opportunity to engage in inter- university paper and strongly learned, and take uwe student views, learn about current issues encouraged involvement in media to a new level. We want BELINDA GEORGE
editor@westerneye.net
ELENA MARTINEZ ONLINE EDITOR
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ON LIN E
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to enhance professionalism, embrace creativity and celebrate our achievements. We want to give all aspiring journalists, photographers and designers a platform by which to showcase their skills. We want budding reporters to be our ears and eyes to bring news to you constantly as it unfolds. It doesn’t matter whether it’s creative writing, news writing, graphic design, photography or even broadcast that you’re interested in — let’s make WesternEye a newspaper to be proud of. Get in touch now to see how you can help make this year the best year ever.
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WesternEye 09.14 – Issue 01
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WesternEye 09.14 — Issue 01
NEWS
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NEWS — UWE FACULTY AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Plans considered for zip wire down Bristol’s Avon Gorge RYAN DAVIES
assistantnews@westerneye.net
discussions have begun on the development of a giant zip wire that would take thrill-seekers down Avon Gorge and beneath Clifton Suspension Bridge at a speed of up to 70mph. Destination Bristol, a local tourism business, has led the talks which have involved the Swanseabased company ‘Zip World’, who provide oversized zip lines at two Welsh locations. The wire could bring a new wave of tourists to Bristol, which has already developed a
FRIDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER
reputation for quirky attractions following the ‘Gromit Unleashed’ project as well as the recent water slide on Park Street. Theoretically, the zip wire would extend to over 800 metres and take 60 seconds for a punter to go from Clifton Observatory to the bottom of the gorge near Bedminster. According to Zip World commercial director Sean Taylor (through the Bristol Post), the ride would likely cost around £30, assuming they can garner enough interest. However, Kelly Ballard from Destination Bristol warned that “at the moment it’s all in
£3.00 ENTRY BEFORE MIDNIGHT
discussion, nothing has been confirmed. There are so many different things we need to go through to make it a reality. We need to keep pushing through and keep fingers crossed.” Other issues facing the idea include a lack of local parking, boats using the river below and the potential negative impact on local wildlife. So whilst plans are by no means ready to be revealed or even finalised, it’s certainly an intriguing new concept for Bristol’s ever growing tourism industry. WesternEye will have more on this story as it develops.
BELINDA GEORGE
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the good food society won Best New Society 2014, awarded by the uwe Student’s Union. The society is open to everyone, and is not just about cooking. Although the group host lighthearted cooking competitions, they spend a lot of their time socialising, visiting new restaurants and of course, eating. President Allister Quinn tells WesternEye, “Essentially it’s an excuse to eat food and socialise”.
ZIP LINES HAVE BECOME HUGE INTERNATIONAL ATTRACTIONS COSTARICAPRO (CC) ©
Bristol Bad Film Club turns cinema sinkers into sellout success editor@westerneye.net
TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE & FROM THE BAR
Good Food wins Best New Society
the bristol bad film club was founded a year ago when friends Timon Singh and Tim Popple decided to share their life-long obsession with their beloved city. The two friends have devoted themselves to dredging up the worst films in history and screening them for charity in all their cringe-worthy glory. They boldly state on their website: “To watch a bad film, you have to have a certain level of schadenfreude — in that you take pleasure from watching the failure of others.” Singh defends this statement when he points to an example
in Samurai Cop where the lead actor’s wig falls off mid fight scene, and the said actor unashamedly adjusts it. ‘Because they try so hard, and fail so completely, it’s just unintentionally funny’. He argues “if you are offended by people laughing at it then maybe you should’ve tried harder, as some mistakes are definitely unforgivable.” It may not seem like the perfect date night drama, but the friends reassure us, “In all our screenings so far, they’ve all been sell-outs”. One Twitter user recently tweeted “I can’t believe I’ve only just discovered this — now it’s all I want to do”.
80s ACTION DOUBLE BILL: DEADLY PREY / HARD TICKET TO HAWAII Friday 19th September 2014 Redgrave Theatre, Clifton, 7pm Prepare for gratuitous levels of violence and nudity as we show two cult actions classics from 1987 — David A Prior’s Deadly Prey and Andy Sidaris’ Hard Ticket To Hawaii UNINVITED (1988) Saturday 25th October 2014 BristolCon2014, Doubletree Hotel, 8pm As it’s close to Halloween, we get into the horror spirit the only way we can… with a film about a killer mutated cat!
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BELINDA GEORGE
THE EXAM HALLS MAY BE EMPTY BUT THE EXAMS AREN’T OVER FOR EVERYONE PIXABAY (CC) ©
editor@westerneye.net
Student stands up to exam board is that if this is being allowed to happen, then how do you know who is getting the grades you the road to university can be deserve?” An ocr spokesperson has said a stressful and challenging experience, but some students may this in response: “we have offered have done much better than they our deepest apologies to Jack for thought. 19-year-old Jack Lane the incorrect result, for which an reveals that student’s A-Level individual examiner was at fault. grades may have been “severely Fortunately Jack’s experience is a rare one.” undermarked.” They continued by saying that Taking to the Internet he revealed his letters of correspon- “Ocr’s teacher examiners marked dence with the examination board more than three million A-Level ocr after receiving a remark result and gcse papers in the space of with “great disparity” from the just a few weeks. Errors occur original bringing his results up by on a very small percentage of occasions, but where they do we two grades. It wasn’t long after Mr Lane always treat them seriously.” JJ Clark, Vice President at uwe’s shared these disclosures that they gathered great interest on social su comments on this. ‘I would say media. In less than a week he Jack Lane used his right to appeal, had gained 19,863 likes and 1,681 which students also have at uwe and are encouraged to do should shares on his Facebook status. “You expect and trust a they feel a mark given to them is company like this who is in charge unjust in any way.’ Clark also explained how free of your future to do it accurately impartial advice from the su the first time round” Lane said. He explains how after posting Advice Centre could help “advise online he has “had messages from students on issues such as things people who haven’t got into uni that affected Jack lane.” Lane says that he is “happy to at first and now missed out on accommodation, it has a knock be a voice for people” and that he “want[s] some responsibility to be on effect.” “I know they mark millions of taken and to encourage others to papers, and it’s hard to not let stand up for themselves.” things slip through. The problem MATTHEW BRYAN
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WesternEye 09.14 – Issue 01
NEWS
work started in June 2014 on the new Students Union building in the centre of the university’s main Frenchay campus. The project will “demonstrate a close connection to the Plaza and becoming a way-finding landmark at the heart of the campus”. The building will take pride of place just east of uwe’s new central Plaza. The aim is to create an environment “fit for purpose”. It is expected to open to all students by summer 2015 and will house its own bar, café, shop, and terraces with outdoor seating as well as meeting spaces and an engagement area to allow all students a greater level of connectedness with uwesu staff and representatives.
UWESU centre of the new masterplan
ARTIST’S IMPRESSION OF THE NEW SU BUILDING TO OPEN SUMMER 2015
“The Only Way is Wessex?”: an update CHARLIE LA FORET
news@westerneye.net
you would only have to set foot on campus last year to hear the murmurings of unrest surrounding the bus services in Bristol. So much so that the su President, Charlie Roper, launched ‘The Only Way Is Wessex?’ campaign in a bid to improve the transport system. As Wessex look to rise from the cloudy smoke of discontent, there are a few changes in the offing for the new academic year. The research that Charlie and the su conducted on the bus
services showed that students want later running, more frequent buses. This has been addressed and you can take a degree of comfort knowing that changes have been made. An extension to the 13 Wessex service means that it will now run until half past twelve in the night. The outcome perhaps forcing students out of the taxi ranks and into the bus stops, or at least there is now a viable alternative. Also, the 12 and 13 services between city centre and Frenchay will now run more regularly, while the express 14 service will run at weekends for the first time.
Wessex Red isn’t the only service improving either, as the First service numbers 70 and 71 will now be leaving campus every 7 or 8 minutes. This improvement comes with a price, however. The cost of a Day Rider ticket has increased to £3.50 from £3.00, although a student return can now be bought for £2.70. Prompt buses and accurate timetabling was another cause for concern and while Wessex claim that changes have been made, it will take a couple of months to see if the bus service has really improved on the whole.
THE UWESU LAUNCHED THE CAMPAIGN AFTER A WAVE OF STUDENT CRITICISM AGAINST WESSEX RED KOD NGUYEN ©
WesternEye 09.14 — Issue 01
NEWS
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WILL PITTS
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To earn the Green Capital award, Bristol impressed the European Commission with its £540 million investment aimed at increasing the quality of life for people across the city. With £140 million being invested in a new energy programme and £400 million in transport infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions, “Bristol is an innovator in terms of the green economy, with a powerful communication strategy and the commitment and enthusiasm required to develop its role as a model for Europe”, as stated by the 2015 Jury Report by the European commission. According to the Institution of Mathematical Engineers, “There is an estimated 1.3 trillion barrels of proven oil reserve left in the world’s major fields, which at present rates of consumption will be sufficient to last 40 years.” With time running down on our conventional energy sources and a lack of dedication to nationwide environmental reform, the uk needs a revolution, and Bristol is leading the charge.
the students’ union will officially launch its campaign Green Leaders on the 23rd September in Hamilton House. The Leaders support sustainability projects across the university, encouraging students and staff to contribute to the green lifestyle, in tune with the green policy of Bristol. The city is fast becoming a hub for environmentalism, emphasised by the European Commission naming the city as the European Green Capital THE FACTORY WAS LOCATED IN A PRIME HIGH STREET POSITION RYAN DAVIES © 2015. A city is crowned annually to recognise its environmental achievements, aspirations and the inspiration it provides to others. The uwe Green Leaders have already initiated numerous projects, from recycling, to composting and raising awareness of sustainability. By leading recycling awareness programmes, composting food waste from campus cafés and even using more ethical materials to popular demand stayed another in building work, the Leaders are RYAN DAVIES assistantnews@westerneye.net two weeks.” a driving force in uwe’s growing As proven by the time exten- environmentalist culture. uwe economics student sion, the shop proved to be a Gregory Day, with help from significant success not only for students on courses such as the students, but also for Dan UWE student’s film about the armadillo marketing and events manage- Bradshaw whose Rollquick busi- showcases at Brazilian short movie festival ment, set up a pop-up shop in ness partnered with Gregory. Bedminster this August and early “I sold Greg a bike about three who was supposed to help him YULIYA KOSHAREVSKA news@westerneye.net with travelling around the counSeptember. months ago and he approached tryside wasn’t able to join him at The shop was a joint venture me saying that they are setting between uwe students and local up a shop through student enter- a uwe ma Wildlife and the last moment, so César had to businesses with an aim to help the prise” said Dan, “the shop has Filmmaking student will show his ask the locals for help. He travelled with cowboys students develop their business been amazing, to be honest (…) film ‘Armadillo: the wild ball’ on skills. ‘The Factory’, as the shop It’s given students an opportu- the Campinas Mostra Curtas film and enjoyed the experience: “The people were very kind and essenwas named, initially delivered nity to get involved with business, festival in Brazil. César Leite travelled to Brazil tial for the success of the film. In children’s activities, thereaf- making them more employable weeks after the World Cup to find the beginning not having transter focusing on the sale of used, and adding to their CVs.” vintage bicycles. The uwe enterprise depart- the mascot of Brazil 2014. He portation seemed the worst thing “I partnered up with a local ment provided support on the questioned the knowledge of the that could ever happen, but I business person to sell vintage project which has “generated locals about the animal and went ended up meeting amazing people bicycles,” Gregory noted, “after over £3000 in revenue for the into the wilds of Central Brazil to with excellent knowledge in the region who made my life much doing the initial research into the businesses involved” according find the unusual creature. “The hardest part of making easier and finding the armadillo area, I found that there were not to Gregory. With Bristol quickly any close competitors. becoming the centre for British the movie was after travelling in the wild possible.” Schools across Brazil are The first week of August was cycling, it’s not surprising to thousands of miles since I left the spent decorating the shop, the learn that used bike businesses uk, arriving in that small city in already showing César’s film, so second week was a bambini are on the rise. “Hopefully it the middle of nowhere in central that students can find out more (children’s activity) hub and the will continue” said Dan, “it’s the Brazil and not being able to travel about the ‘little armored one’, as remaining four weeks were a way forward.” For both cycling 20 more miles to go to the Tatu- is the translation of the name of the small animal. vintage bicycle shop — initially in Bristol and uwe enterprise bola’s sighting spots!” One of his main contributors planned to be two weeks but due schemes, this is hard to dispute.
UWE students open pop-up shop for vintage bikes
STEVE WEST UWE ©
UWE’s green campaign to revolutionise the way we see sustainability
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The ice bucket challenge — UWE style RYAN DAVIES
assistantnews@westerneye.net
ever heard of the als ice bucket challenge? Of course you have. Well staff at the University of the West of England and associated Student’s Union haven’t missed out on the opportunity to donate and get a bit wet. Leading the charge was su President Charlie Roper, who took up the challenge in traditional back garden form. “It was really cold but for a great cause” said Charlie, “nominating the Vice Chancellor and seeing him do it was worth it too!” Indeed, following Charlie’s nomination uwe Vice Chancellor Steve West poured a larger-than-usual tub of water over his head in support of The als Association. Other challengers include JJ Clarke, Vice President of Education as well as Hannah Khan, Vice President of Societies and Communication. You can watch their ice bucket challenge, as well as Charlie’s, online through the uwesu social media sites. The als ice bucket challenge is a social media craze that has taken the uk and other countries by storm all summer. The origins of the challenge are somewhat clouded, but the core idea behind the challenge has remained the same: the challenger must pour a bucket of ice water over their head and donate to charity. The American als Association charity is the primary focus for donations, although the Motor Neurone Disease Association (which is based on the same disease) has taken many donations from the uk. Others have chosen to donate to other charities that are of particular importance to them.
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COMMENT
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WesternEye 09.14 – Issue 01
COMMENT — OPINION AND TOPICAL DEBATE
ANNA OSBORNE
assistanteditor@westerneye.net
each time you upload a photo, write a status or tweet onto a social networking site you are providing information that the whole world has access to. You know this. However, would be so happy to find out that private usage on the Internet such as email and private messages are being viewed by someone other than your desired recipient? One of the liveliest debates that has taken place since the boom in technological advances is surveillance. A popular question surrounding this debate is ‘is depriving someone of their right to privacy a necessary means to an end to protect the public and security of the country?’ The Leveson Inquiry which was launched in 2011 following the News International phone hacking scandal published a report in 2012 which reviewed the ethics of the British media and made recommendations for a new, independent, body to replace the existing Press Complaints Commission, recognised by the state through new laws. The inquiry recognised the scandalous use of personal data for commercial benefit, often at the detriment of the victims involved — but how would you feel about your phone calls and text messages being monitored if it was for your safety? This poses the question — is it the use of the data that is important or the consent for the use of this data? Other topics of late which have provoked debate include id cards, satellite and cctv. The idea that ‘Big Brother is watching you’ is something that bothers some immensely. The level to which they are being ‘watched’ is a major factor — most people accept they are being filmed when in a shopping centre, but not many would be comfortable about it in their own bathrooms. Evan Davis, Newsnight presenter, recently commented on attitudes to freedom of information with the example, ‘There are things I wouldn’t want my mother to know, but I wouldn’t mind if the whole world knew them’. He concludes by stating a possible upside to the problem. ‘We should be open minded enough to think our society may benefit from much more free use of data’. Much of the debate comes down to the balance between privacy and safety. The state is increasingly observing our use of
the Internet and this has caused major concern among the public. However, some justify this by claiming it helps to prevent crimes like the purchase of illegal contraband such as weapons and drugs on the Internet. The ‘Deep Web’, an area of the Internet which cannot be found through search engines, is under increasing investigation from law enforcement agencies in order to crack into the ‘Dark Web’: a network of hidden Internet sites designed for illegal activity. However, the problem occurs when this extra ‘freedom of information’ causes information to fall into the wrong hands. The very act of increasing our safety comes worryingly close to jeopardising it when the Internet is concerned. As the name suggests, it’s an endless and untraceable ‘web’. As we spend an increasing amount of our time online, whether we are taking a break from revision or procrastinating while writing an essay, every extra little movement we make can be picked up by somebody. Many of us don’t stop to think about this — yet Government surveillance is still an issue that is deeply contentious in society. Rachel Logan, Law and Human Rights Adviser at Amnesty International UK, states that we have now found out about the enormous amounts of surveillance here at home in the uk. The government are now using fibre optic cables that can pick up all of your emails and phone calls. Internet surveillance less known by the public. Robin Jones, uwe student, believes that “the state shouldn’t be able to monitor peoples every day actions without a justified reason, however with increasing levels of crime I can see why the government may be keen to keep the levels of surveillance high”. Uwe student Steph Bridet has a contrary opinion, stating; “I appreciate both sides of the argument. Although people may feel it is an invasion of privacy, I believe a lot of people, including me, expect the government to be increasing our safety and perhaps Internet surveillance is an efficient way of doing so”. Famously, Banksy became involved with the surveillance debate. In June, Banksy confirmed that the painting of men spying on a phone booth near gchq in Cheltenham was his work. This painting certainly highlighted the issue of the ‘everyday man’ being spied upon. It’s no use looking over your shoulder.
SPY BOOTH CHRISTOPHER JOBSON 2014 ©
I spy with my little eye
WesternEye 09.14 — Issue 01
COMMENT
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It’s ok to be lonely during Freshers’
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T H E G R A D UAT E CO LUM N
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— Erica Toms share’s her thoughts on graduation, growing-up and grasping new success ABOU T E R ICA
WILL ANDERSON
comment@westerneye.net
freshers’ week can be, for many students, the first time away from home and for some that means fun, freedom and parties. However despite the high expectations felt by a majority of students, there are still those who suffer from loneliness and anxiety during Freshers week. This isn’t surprising when research published last year by the National Union of Students suggested that 22% of students suffer mental distress from feelings of homesickness whilst at university. Zoe from London talked about feeling homesick and the loneliness that came with moving away from home, she said “I did feel pretty lonely during Freshers’ week. I spent my first night locked in my room crying!” She also said however that she was able to make lots of friends at uwe and that the week was a lot of fun towards the end, adding “but I stuck with it and now I am so happy at university and never feel lonely at all.” To move away from home can be scary, and research published from the Royal College of Psychiatrists demonstrates it’s a common way to feel, with 60% of students suffering from a feeling of homesickness and one in three reporting feeling sadness or depression during the early weeks of term time. Contrary to the popular portrayal of first year students as party animals enjoying their first taste of freedom, the real story can be very different for many.
Rhiannon said, “I felt huge peer pressure to be someone I wasn’t. I’ve never been a party person and I felt like a loser. It seemed like the only way people would be interested in making friends with you was if you got completely wasted with them.” This is a common way to feel, with nus research again showing us that 27% suffer mental distress because of social pressures to fit in with their peers, and University of Bristol Students’ Union research also showed that 17% of students have reported ‘often’ or ‘always’ feeling nervous about attending events on campus. Moving away from home is often blamed as the cause for loneliness; however for lots of students who already live in Bristol it can still be hard. Marie, a second year Mental Health Nursing Student, told me her story of starting University a second time having had to leave previously. She said, “As Freshers Week closed in I felt really anxious, wondering if I would have the same experience again. I don’t think I would have coped with being rejected twice. I needed to make sure that I didn’t go into class not knowing anyone, but it was really difficult for me to meet people with a young baby.” Marie and other students set up a social media group for people living at home to meet each other — “the support I got from that group was fantastic, I do not think I would have made it through induction without them.” She also offers some advice for anyone starting university, “my message to anyone worrying
about moving to Bristol or making friends, is to realise that everyone feels the same. Starting university is a big deal, but you can get through it and you will make friends!” A quick Internet search on sites like The Student Room forum shows us that things like not having any friends or contacts, adapting to a new way of studying, missing family and pets, and not knowing their way around a new city are a common feature of stress at the start of the year. For students who come straight from A-levels the shock of starting university can be huge. Rosie offered her tips for surviving Freshers: “something that really helped with my worries was reminding myself although others may not have social anxiety, 99% of freshers are nervous and awkward and anxious. Just try your hardest to put yourself out there and smile/speak to people. Once you get over the initial fear it gets so much easier.” For more information support please visit:
Well I just googled ‘How to write a bio’ and I still have no idea what to say. I’m Erica Toms, 22 and a third year History student at UWE. I want to be a writer because I am a huge chatterbox and I want to change the world. In other words, I fancied sharing my views on undergraduate life in general from my wine-fuelled perspective. This column has no theme, its ‘untitled’, but as I seem to get myself in some clumsy Bridget Jones style situations I hope you will enjoy my personal mix of tales, ramblings and contemplations. I’m a people-person, but then what other kind of person can you be apart from a cat/dog person? I study history which is a lot of hard work. It’s enlightening but largely full of death and destruction. I’m always talking about the 18th century and feminism, which makes drunken conversations in bars a bit more ridiculous. I live in Clifton, it’s very pretty but there are a lot of snobby people and they make my life hell. Mainly taking all the parking spaces and frowning at me when I attempt a few manic-rushto-uni car manoeuvres. I’m applying to do a Creative Writing MFA in the States. Nothing big or anything… Hopefully they will teach me how to write. Well.
www.uwe.ac.uk/students/ healthandwellbeing/ wellbeingservice.aspx
If you’d prefer support off campus then there are plenty of places in Bristol which are listed here; www.wellaware.org.uk
TO R E AD MOR E … The long and short of this is written online at;
WWW.WESTE R N E YE .N E T Here I have discussed everything that I probably shouldn’t, including shoes, politics and tinder.
on ng youneed need onever everythi ythin g you
First forstudent student discounts discounts First for onthe all the stuff you needand andall all the the stuff £12 forfor 12 months on all stuff you need stuffyou youlove, love, £12 12 months
DISABILITY SERVICE
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one year on, not much has changed. Well, unless you count starting my career, moving 4 hours away from Bristol and managing to graduate. Outside of office hours I will endeavour to bring you something new to think about, or a new method of procrastination from coursework/revision. I t seems there can still be life after university, and it does involve the same amount of alcohol and drunken conversations in bars. My Graduate blood pressure is suitably lower than it was living in Clifton; I am now the proud owner of a parking space. After failing to find funding, I decided that I didn’t actually want to fail and deferred my attempt at Creative Writing in the States.
ounts 700ddis OOvveerr117 isccounts
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10
WesternEye 09.14 – Issue 01
LIFESTYLE
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LIFESTYLE — LOCAL AND NATIONAL TRENDS
DESIREE GOODALL WE ©
Four parks, four Jog spot seasons, one city The Bristol Half Marathon this Sunday will attract over 16,000 runners as it celebrates its 26th anniversary BELINDA GEORGE
editor@westerneye.net
Bacofoil launches ‘Student Cook of the Year Competition’ gone are the days where a student meal consists of baked beans and ketchup on a cling-film covered plate. In fact, a recent survey of over 2000 uk students revealed they now spend more money on food than clothes, travel of social activities. To celebrate the countries culinary undergraduates Bacofoil has launched its first ever ‘Student Cook of the Year’ competition and entries are now open. Foodie students can enter the competition by uploading a photograph of their dish onto Facebook or Twitter along with its name and the hashtag #BacofoilStudentCook. Entries will be judged on both their presentation skills and the creativity of the dish’s name. Finalists will be invited to a final cook-off at Cactus Kitchens in London, a high pressure culinary contest in which they will need to prepare their dish for the panel of judges. The winning cook will receive £1000 worth of groceries. The closing date for the competition is 31st December 2014.
BRISTOL BALLOON FIESTA CHRISUK 2004 ©
desiree goodall from Bath is in her final week of training for the event. She is pictured after completing 11 miles of the marathon route which includes Hotwells Road. She tells WesternEye “The last two weeks is when you have to train the hardest” and recommends beginning training on a reasonable to good level of fitness. “I began a 12-week programme to train for the event, running 5k three times per week” Her favourite training routes include the Bath Harbour, Hotwells and Bristol Harbourside. The half marathon has become country renowned and has attracted world famous names such as Paula Radcliffe and Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie.
CHARLOTTE PENKETH-KING lifestyle@westerneye.net
SPRING ASHTON COURT
For a day of revelling in the glory of nature, this is the park to visit. Ashton Court Estate’s wide mix of plants and wildlife make the park an absolute beauty in the spring. Some trees are nearly 1,000 years old, and the estate is home to both Fallow and Red Deer parks. A BioBlitz event in 2009 found 569 different species in the grounds in just 30 hours — come see how many you can discover! A popular event is the annual British International Balloon Fiesta — perfect for those with a passion for photography!
Free weekly cooking demos
Designed to preserve a sense of natural beauty within cities, parks have become a perfect destination for people of all ages to go and unwind, escape the hectic city and reunite with nature. AUTUMN STOKE PARK ESTATE
SUMMER CLIFTON DOWNS
WINTER CASTLE PARK
A beautifully serene escape, the Stoke Park Estate is home to the striking yellow Dower House, and the stunning Duchess Pond, ideal for fishing. Large wooded areas are perfect for long walks in the crisp autumn air. World War II gun emplacements makes the park an ideal visit for those with a love of history. Nestled within walking distance of Fishponds.
With the beautiful view of the Avon Gorge and the Severn Estuary, Clifton Downs are the ideal summer destination for a relaxing picnic. Kite flying is often seen at the Downs, and the children’s park makes it a great place for a summer adventure! The perfect place to exercise, with the Race for Life taking place here every year, and the occasional sponsored abseiling.
Wrap up warm for a winter’s day of history walking around Castle Park, gazing at the wonderfully preserved remains of Bristol Castle, with walls and vaults still on display to this day. Seven Silver Birch trees stand in memory of the seven beaches of the D-Day landings, near the bandstand that is used for events throughout the year.
BELINDA GEORGE
card every week. Our cooking demonstrations are also vegetarian friendly.” Recipes to learn throughout the year include dishes such as Morrocan chicken and lamb ražniči kebabs, moules marinière, haggis with whisky and mushroom sauce, and Russian chicken and mushroom pie. Puddings are not forgotten either — impress
your house mates or family with delicious Basil and raspberry crème brûlée. Demos are held in One Zone at Frenchay Campus every Thursday at 5pm during term time.
editor@westerneye.net
uwe are offering free weekly cooking demonstrations held by head Chef Darren Langley. He says “These lessons are perfect for perfecting your culinary skills for free or if you just want to learn to cook… Get free tasters and a step-by-step recipe
To register, go to www.uwe.ac.uk/ cookerylessons here you can also download a free cookbook.
WesternEye 09.14 — Issue 01
LIFESTYLE
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11
Eleanor Potter and Belinda George take a look at some of the most popular eateries in town
ZaZaBizarre? ZAZA BAZAAR’S FIRST FLOOR BUFFET RESTAURANT CERI AT ETHICAL BLOGGER ©
MADALINA CIOBANU lifestyle@westerneye.net
bristol is seen by many as the epitome of a ‘vibrant scene’, embodying art, culture, nightlife and diverse cuisines. One of the city’s foodie hotspots, appealing largely to the student population, is ZaZa Bazaar. It’s a must for any Bristol newbie. Open in December 2011, the establishment is, in its own words, a ‘passport to the world of food’ and celebrates adventure and flavours with top chefs and a unique atmosphere. Situated in Bristol’s Harbourside quarter, the restaurant is a two-story glass building, with waterside views and a staggering capacity of catering to 1000 customers at the time. It was the largest establishment in the uk at the time of its opening. The décor — although it looks like a rushed job in turning it from a dis-used warehouse into a restaurant, actually looks fantastic. Adorning both the outside and the inside is fun, quirky and colourful, incorporating everything from neon lights to leather ‘booths’. Its tasteful merge of interior design and six personalised stations for each continent’s
cuisine is mirrored by the innovative approach to service — a stylish all-you-can-eat buffet. Regardless of how broad a customer’s gastronomic palette is, this menu covers it with a diverse range of world-renowned dishes, including Asian, Italian, Mexican and American. The choice offers sushi, salads, noodles, curries, British classics, kebabs and an assortment of desserts including the tallest bucket of sweet’s you’ve probably ever seen and a giant chocolate fountain. Be warned though — you’ve only got 2 hours to eat it all. The colossal volume of choice is fabulous — but only in small doses. Dan, a third year uwe student, found it rather too tempting: “Going there for the first time, I was so overwhelmed by all the different amounts of food that I thought I had to try everything. I ended up being sick.” However, hindrance to the focus on quantity can be the loss of quality, as Andrei, also a uwe student, points out: “I’d say the actual flavour is lacking, the taste is a generic ‘savoury’ one, even when comparing a pizza to a curry”. However he does add, “The set-up of the place is great — it’s a novelty”.
The city of Bristol is the epitome of a vibrant metropolis embodying art, culture, nightlife and diverse cuisine
Zaza’s is a passport to the world of food, celebrating adventure and flavours with top chefs and a unique atmosphere
catch a ferry to the Cottage and chill out with a cider and some traditional English pub grub on a sunny afternoon. There’s never any seats left, so just sit on the wall or steps and perch your plate on your lap like everyone else. There are great views over the harbour and always an entertaining spectacle of capsizing boaters. For gluten free normality arrange a night with friends at Atomic Burger on Gloucester Road. It has a buzzing atmosphere, friendly staff and juicy triple layered burgers available, completely gluten free. For something in the city centre, The Stable on Bristol Harbourside serves gluten free pizzas — and they’re delicious. Capture the Caribbean island vibe at Turtle Bay with authentic dishes and 2-4-1 cocktails. It’s an environment inspired by laid back living and a menu packed with flavours from the Caribbean — try jerk ribs with sweet potato
fries and spicy slaw. And they don’t need meat to dish up a tasty dinner, they have delicious veganfriendly starters, mains and puds. Situated in the heart of Fishponds, just 3 miles away from the bustling city of Bristol, Porto Lounge is the perfect hangout venue. Its rustic and cosy interior is welcoming, while the bookshelves stacked with board games provides a relaxing form of entertainment. The cafe/bar regularly holds reasonably priced quiz and tapas nights, and boasts gluten free, vegan and kids menus. There really is something for everyone. With breathtaking, panoramic views of Clifton Suspension Bridge, The White Lion Bar Terrace is one of the most beautiful places to relax with a glass of wine in Bristol. The bar does fantastic meals, coffees, cakes and £2 student pints while also screening live sports. They even have a modern day Jukebox which uses an app called the ‘Secret DJ’ and allows users to choose what tunes they want playing in the bar area right from their own phones.
THE RELAXED ATMOSPHERE AT BRISTOL HARBOURSIDE WE ©
lifestyle@westerneye.net
CATCH A FERRY TO THE COTTAGE WE ©
ELEANOR POTTER & BELINDA GEORGE
12
WesternEye 09.14 – Issue 01
S C I -T E C H
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY — NEW AGE ADVANCES AND SCIENTIFIC CONTEXT
It’s dangerous to go alone — Ryan Davies takes a look at gaming whilst at university RYAN DAVIES
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university life can be cruel on a healthy gaming habit. The social focus and course workload make for horribly effective distractions for those who are used to spending time on their consoles or pc. Ironically though, it’s also a great time to get into, or get back into, gaming. Students across Bristol are going to be spending a lot of time with their flatmates or the friends they’ve made across the university, and videogames’ increasing popularity within the public sphere makes it easier than ever to play together. Studying at uwe for the past two years has made me something of an expert on videogaming and uni life, so allow me to provide a few pointers. In essence, playing alone isn’t really the university style. Multiplayer games are your friend, and they’re perfect for both chilled weekends and social occasions (and yes, I just got the term ‘social occasions’ into an article about university life). If you’re already into gaming, then it’s well worth spending a little bit of ‘early term money’ on a couple of extra controllers for your Xbox or PlayStation. It sounds obvious, but I don’t want to remember how many times I’ve been left victim of the ‘winner stays on’ rule because the console owner was lacking pads for everyone to play at once. Of course, there’s no point owning numerous controllers if you haven’t got the right games to use them with. Keep an eye out for the split-screen games around at the moment. They’re certainly not as numerous as they once were (welp), but there are some diamonds in the rough. Those with a ps4 need to take a look at Towerfall: Ascension, a brilliant little 8-bit style game that’s ideal for university gaming. It’s fun, frantic and supports up to four players — although at around £40 for a new ps4 controller, it might be worth seeing if any friends own some first. If you’re in what’s sure to be the majority of people who don’t
own a ps4 or Xbox One, then the classics are your best bet. Be prepared for the inevitable ‘if it’s not fifa it’s not worth playing’ people —and if that’s you, then you’ve got a good head start. Dig out your old copies of Call of Duty or order one online — everyone knows how to play cod and whatever your thoughts are on the franchise, they’re undeniably excellent split-screen games. As a very personal tip: ps3 owners look out for Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket Powered Battle Cars (seriously), it’s probably the best split-screen game ever made — because, well, it’s football with cars, people! If explosions and football aren’t really your bag, and you’re more of a ‘play with friends only’ kind of gamer, then it’s really worth getting hold of a used Nintendo Wii or maybe even the newer Wii U. Mario is probably even more famous than cod, and he’s certainly a lot less violent. Titles like Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros. are possibly the ultimate uni videogames. Just about everyone has either played them or heard of them, so it’ll be easy to get people playing. They’re also great for rotations and while most games of Mario Kart are anything but chilled, they’re not quite as ‘full-on’ as something like cod. If you’re a little unfamiliar with gaming, don’t be afraid to give everything a go. I dare say that the stigma once attached to the medium has all but vanished by this point, and while I’m certainly not saying you should jump into something as hardcore as World of Warcraft any time soon, joining in can never hurt. Who knows, you might find something you really, really enjoy. For those who already enjoy a bit of solo gaming, don’t be afraid to keep playing. Gaming with friends may be ideal for uni, but having a bit of alone time with a great single-player experience can be a great break from the norm. Have fun gaming this year, and remember that any dispute, and I mean any dispute, can be settled with a one-on-one game of Mario Kart. Guaranteed.
iPhone 6, the end to the rise of Android?
scitech@westerneye.net
this month saw Apple assault the market place with three new products. The Android market has seen continued growth over the past few years, and between January and July of this year has commanded nearly 60% of the Smartphone market in the uk and us, peaking at 82% in China. So now more than ever it is imperative that Apple once again shape the market with their latest offerings. Sidewalk campers have been stationed outside Apple’s Flagship stores since the first week of September. Paid by companies, these people were selling front places in the queue for over $1200 in order to gain maximum media coverage, while Apple had no problem at all with the extra publicity, allowing campers to use toilets and washroom facilities. So how did these companies know their publicity stunt would work? Because it’s Apple. The new iPhone 6 boasts larger screen sizes of 4.7 inch and the iPhone Plus at 5.5 inch after previously defending the
user friendly 3.5 inch and 4 inch myriad of functionality, a touch screen sizing for single handed pressure sensitive screen which is use. Research suggests the market able to tell the difference between has an appetite for the ‘Phablet’ light and heavier pressure, Siri which analysts speculate will be Apples voice controlled assistant, worth huge market share as they 11 different watch faces and interare now finally comparable in size changeable straps, all controlled with their lower cost rivals. by what Apple are calling a ‘digital The A8 chip features 25% crown’: a dial come home button faster computing performance, on the side of the screen which improved resolutions ‘retina HD’ allows the display to be zoomed. offering up 326 – 401 ppi (pixels However, this comes at a price: per inch) which is better but still $349 (£216), significantly pricier pipped by Samsung’s Flagships than other android rivals such as and the htc One. Samsung Gear, which retails at New sensors include a £169. The Watch is predicted to Barometer which, when used in become available in early 2015. conjunction with the fitness app Apple Pay relies on nfc (near will allow accurate tracking of field communication) chips also incline and the M8 co-processor found in the watch, and is hoped is able to estimate distances also to eliminate the use of wallets helping to improve accuracy for in the future. The technology fitness and gps enabled software. is listed as ‘secure’ but controThe Apple Watch, although versy surrounding the hacking of not the first of its type avail- the iCloud and leaked celebrity able has absolutely no problem photographs poses the question, re-inventing itself as though ‘is this a bad time to launch such it’s something we’ve never seen an unknown entity?’ before. Apple has an ability to The market await the next re-release and over-take key tech- chess move from Apple and for nological advances as seen with now this one seems to level the the rise of the iPad. playing field, however… is it too The Watch offers an impressive little too late?
S C I -T E C H
Bristol Bright Night: science brought to life A fantastic opportunity to engage with local science researchers in Bristol Harbourside, while populations in 24 other countries do the same across 300 cities SOPHIE EVANS
scitech@westerneye.net
between 3pm and midnight on September 26th 2014, the general public in 300 cities, across 24 countries, will be able to engage with public science activities simultaneously. The European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions scheme will host public science events in order to inform and
SOPHIE EVANS
scitech@westerneye.net
fresher’s week can be a bit of a shock, whether you’re diving in to the club nights, or taking a more reserved approach to the University semester starting. Leaving home, meeting new people, and having greater independence can be overwhelming, and it is common for students’ health to decline. Here are five tips for staying healthy this Freshers’ week, to make the most of it and feel ready for course at the end; DRINKING
If drinking, give your body a fighting chance at recovering Ideally, drinking in moderation limits damage, but to reduce dehydration and the ensuing hangover, eat carbohydrates and/ or fats both before and after a night out to limit alcohol absorption, and drink several pints of water to compensate for fluid loss. EATING
You can’t eat Dominos forever Drinking alcohol, altering your sleep/activity pattern, and a few meals with your flatmates can leave you in need of nutrition. Try to eat more protein (including eggs, dairy, lentils, and beans, as well as meat/ fish) than carbohydrates, aim for 5–9 portions of fruits and vegetables a day (check out the fruit and veg stand on Frenchay Campus!), and
engage the general public with research and innovation activities, and to encourage young people to embark on scientific careers. Uwe, the University of Bristol, and the Bristol Natural History Consortium have collaborated to host the event, which will be held at various venues around Bristol harbourside. Part of the emphasis will be on how local researchers’ work impacts Bristolians daily life,
including talks at the Watershed cinema, while other activities include exploring glow-in-thedark bugs, debating Robots vs. Humans, and even learning how to build a pedestrian bridge across Bristol Harbour. This prestigious event is an incredible opportunity for learning through fun, and is not to be missed. For more details; www.bnhc. org.uk/festival-of-nature-type/ bristol-bright-night
In order to enjoy Freshers’ week fully, and be prepared for the start of lectures, follow our five tips SLEEP
It is critical to get sleep Most adults need 6–9 hours of sleep each night. This can be difficult during Freshers’ week, with a busy schedule of Students’ Union events, and a new city to explore, but take time to catch up before the new academic year. Psychological tiredness can be caused by emotional stress such as anxiety, so be sure to take time to chat to fellow classmates about course anxieties, keep in touch with family, and try societies and sports to make new friends. SEX
Feeling amorous? Play it safe… Be responsible for your sexual health by keeping a condom/ dental dam in your purse or wallet to reduce the risk of contracting an sti. From the commonly
13
What difference has the Ice Bucket Challenge made? You’ve seen the videos, you know the name of the disease, but how much has your awareness of motor neurone disease really been affected by the Ice Bucket Challenge? SOPHIE EVANS
scitech@westerneye.net
the latter half of August has had our social media sites filled with ‘Ice Bucket Challenges’, in which people around the globe have tipped icy water over their heads in order to raise awareness and funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Celebrities including Bill Gates, Kim Kardashian, and Benedict Cumberbatch, among many others, have created videos, evidence has been found and and the nomination process has research continues to identify the ensured that the fad has spread as cause of the disease. rapidly as the ‘No Make-Up Selfie’ There is no cure or truly effeccraze to raise money for Cancer tive treatment for motor neurone Research uk in early 2014. disease. However, treatment with While the latter activity was prescription drugs, physiotherbased on the idea that in the time apy and speech therapy are often it takes to apply make-up in the used to help lessen the symptoms. morning, a female could have Eventually, patients with the checked her breasts and poten- disease need help with breathing tially helped to pick up on any and may need to be tube-fed to pathological changes early, the avoid malnourishment. origin of the icy water is less clear. Psychiatric and palliative care Despite accusations of is also significant in helping the ‘self-congratulatory slacktivism’, patient to achieve the maximal known, such as chlamydia and some say bringing motor neurone quality of life, and to prepare for gonorrhoea, to pubic lice and disease into the spotlight can only the end of their lives as it is a scabies, there is risk of annoying be a good thing. But how much terminal disease. symptoms such as itching and does the general population know It is very easy to be cynical burning, to more serious symp- about the condition since the about viral fundraising campaigns, toms such as infertility or lifelong explosion of the awareness rais- particularly when we see groups immune dysfunction, depending ing campaign? of people getting involved withMotor neurone disease is out donating money or seeming on the infection. a progressive degenerative sincere about the cause. MENTAL HEALTH condition in which the nerves We have all seen the struggling Do what is right for you to feel controlling muscle movement ‘chugger’ on a street corner with (motor nerves) are lost, and so a collection bucket doing their comfortable at University Your mental health can be is control over an individual’s best to get the general population affected by starting University, limbs and respiratory muscles as involved with their given chariand it is important to notice a result. table cause, and probably walked Symptoms include severely straight past with our money any significant or unexpected mood changes, or alterations in delayed movements and reac- firmly fixed on a bus fare or coffee. thought patterns. It is normal to tions, difficulty with speaking and However, anything motivates be excited, nervous, doubtful, or swallowing, increased tiredness large numbers of people to raise even bouncing off the walls at and pain from working so hard to awareness and funds should be the start of university, but if your control movement, and eventu- encouraged. thoughts and feelings are compro- ally an inability to keep breathing It will be interesting to see mising your daily activities, it is at an appropriate rate. which bizarre activity donators Motor neuron disease is rela- will be committing to film next. important to seek help via your gp, the University’s Mental Health tively rare, and affects 1–2 people So come on everyone, Movemberservices, or even through talking in 100,000 in European popu- ice-bucket-tree-planting-selfies lations, however no substantial all round. with friends.
Five ways to stay healthy this Freshers’ week stay hydrated with 6–8 glasses of water a day.
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14
WesternEye 09.14 – Issue 01
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Rosberg tyred after Hamilton’s victory Catherine Turner explores the highs and lows of the Italian Grand Prix and the Formula One season so far sport@westerneye.net
So we are over half way through the F1 season and we haven’t been disappointed. Drastic changes have been implemented this year with a move from the bold V8 engine to the quieter V6 hybrid power unit among them. However our fears of the sport becoming boring after Red Bull’s domination and Vettel’s four world championships thankfully haven’t been realised, with Mercedes and Williams getting on top of the new technology faster than their rivals as well as lots of wheel to wheel action from Rosberg and Hamilton in Bahrain and Button and Perez in Monza. The battle for the top spot in the driver’s championship this year has left everyone hot under the collar. Since karting together at a young age, friends have become foes throughout the course of this season starting with Rosberg’s debated yellow flag in Monaco, forcing Hamilton
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to remain second. Adding fuel to the fire was the collision between both drivers at Spa which saw Hamilton retiring from the race leaving executive director Toto Wolff and F1 legend Nikki Lauda enraged. Since then Rosberg has been scorned by mass booing whilst on the podium. With his
lack of popularity and Hamilton still able to take the championship, it’s all about the mind games now. Will Rosberg buckle under the pressure or will Hamilton’s unreliable car see the points slip away? MacLaren’s season continues to be at an all-time low with the
team battling against Force India as opposed to the big guns. Focus is now on the new package for next season with the return of the Honda engine to the sport. Button and Magnussen are in muddy waters with both driver’s contracts not secured for next season as of yet. Previous Brawn
world champion Button continues to be out-qualified by his younger team mate. Although Magnussen is currently in hot water after concerns that late action behind the wheel is endangering others and losing the team points. Monza saw heart break for some and elation for others. Chilton suffered a DNF (Did not finish) after launching over two sleeping policemen in to the barrier, damaging the front of the Marussia. Torro Rosso’s Kvyat also suffered when his brakes failed to get around the corner, seeing him narrowly missing Raikkonen and crashing straight on at high speed down an escape road. Ferrari couldn’t have picked a worse time to suffer from a DNF with Alonso retiring due to a mechanical failure, the first in five years. This saw Williams overtaking them in the contractor’s championship with former Ferrari driver Massa taking third place.
UWE Hartpury preparing for autumn after busy summer season UWE Hartpury preparing for autumn after busy summer season
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UWE’s Associate Faculty, Hartpury, set in an idyllic countryside location is the home of all equine and land-based courses. A pioneer for excellence and academic achievements, the Gloucester-based campus’ busy summer brought to stage a mixture of sporting competitions and events. The beginning of the season saw Hartpury decked in its finest ahead of the Festival of Dressage. July 9 marked the premiere of the five-day equestrian celebration, bringing together the world’s best dressage riders. Among those competing were Great Britain’s London 2012 Olympic gold medal winners, Carl Hester and
Charlotte Dujardin, along with Michael Eilberg on Woodlander Farouche. The event showcased riders from 19 nations which took part in more than 40 classes and celebrated their success with a Gala Performance. At the end of July, Hartpury played host to the RDA’s (Riding for the Disabled Association) National Championships. A UK charity dedicated to improving lives through education, therapy and fun, the RDA event harnessed a hugely successful performance from competitors from all over the UK. Ryan Gwilliam from Dymock, a pupil at Alderman Knight School in Tewkesbury, achieved a Double First while riding the Maisemore RDA Group’s pony, Billy. Between the 5th and 10th
of August, the Gloucester location hosted the NAF Five Star International Hartpury Horse Trials, a World Class equine event. The fast-paced competition brought in excellent results from Englishman William Fox-Pitt, New Zealand Rider Tim Price and Australian duo of Christopher Burton and Sam Griffiths. A blooming summer season concluded with an ode to Hartpury’s success: the campus will take centre stage in the Rugby World Cup in 2015, hosting two international teams. One of the 41 Team Bases across England, it will host the Scottish and the American squads for the duration of the tournament, which takes places in England and Wales between September 18th and October 31st 2015.
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Sky high students
A focus on Skydiving at UWE
UWE SKYDIVE - MICHEAL BRIGGS
BELINDA GEORGE
news@westerneye.net
Imagine leaving your lectures to hop on the bus and go skydiving every weekend. At UWE, this is perfectly possible. Skydive UWE offers numerous first jump courses for new members. For the more experienced skydivers, they offer coached
jumps to help you progress in your disciplines. There are also free parachute packing lessons available every other week for any level of jumpers. Michael Briggs, club president says, “we offer several first jumps courses at our local drop-zone (skydiveUK) which is located in Devon. We tend to make a whole weekend of it; driving on the Friday night, eating at the pub
then a few drinks around the fire pit.” He also adds, “Students can expect to do 2 or 3 jumps on their first day if the weather is good” If you’re still a little anxious, be comforted, as Michael reassures us “There is certain amount risk associated with the sport. However, it is no way near as great as assumed. It is a comparable risk to taking a long journey on a motorway, and is statistically safer than skiing! Once you are qualified, and have decided you can’t get enough of the sport, you don’t have to wait for briefings or for student gear. Michael says, “Six jumps a day is not unreasonable. Our club has 5 rigs for use exclusively by qualified skydivers” If you’re interested, beginners’ courses are affordable, and there is no long term commitment if you decide you don’t like it- but we bet you’ll be hooked. For more information visit: facebook.com/groups/UWESkydive
Bristol coaches give young footballers world cup skills Things seemed to go from bad to worse when he lost his job working with people who had learning difficulties. But a small pay-off from his previous job enabled him to sustain the coaching company. “They say necessity is the mother of invention, and that was truly the case with First Steps Soccer,” said Mark.
FIRST STEPS SOCCER - THE ACADEMY TAKES CHILDREN AGED JUST 2 TO 9 YEARS OLD
ILE JARRETT
sport@westerneye.net
A father and son are looking to the coaching styles of this year’s World Cup successes to train winners for a future England team. Mark Wenham, 50, and his son Joe, 20, are behind the family business, First Steps Soccer. The pair, from Horfield, train children aged two to nine across Bristol. “We studied the youth coaching methods of the clubs and countries we most admired, particularly those of Germany, Holland and Spain, and visited Manchester United and Ajax to see the skills sessions they do with their youngest players,” said Mark. “After this, we started putting together a coaching syllabus that
was designed for two to nineyear-olds. I did a lot of research to see if there were any companies offering football training for this age group in Bristol, which there weren’t.” With more than 8,000 hours of coaching between the two of them, it’s not a career, but a passion. But the business, which grew from the back of a garage in Horfield, was almost over before it started. Mark set up the company in 2006 and had to get through the recession to keep it going. “Looking back, we couldn’t have picked a worse time to start a business, and the first five years were a real struggle,” he said.
“In retrospect, being eased out of my last job has been the best thing that has happened to me as it’s given me the chance to run a business where the staff, children and parents are an absolute privilege to work with.” Fast forward to 2014 and First Steps Soccer is thriving, with many graduates being signed by professional football clubs when
they are nine. But for Mark, First Steps Soccer is about more than delivering players to professional clubs. He said: “I want every child that attends our classes, whatever their ability, to remember their time at First Steps Soccer as enjoyable and rewarding; the start of a lifelong love of the game that will be an important part of their lives forever.”
Supermarket complications delay UWE stadium BELINDA GEORGE
editort@westerneye.net
Bristol City Football Club are recovering and moving forward with their plans after “seven years of hell”, scrapping their move to an Ashton Vale site and instead opting for a £40m refurbishment, paying close attention to local interest. However Bristol Rovers are holding out for the big prize. The plans for the ‘UWE’ Stadium are still moving forward but with complications, that the club chairman Nick Higgs revealed has placed the club “back where they were last autumn before the judicial reviews” Sainsbury’s submitted plans
for the old stadium site, the Memorial Ground, but this was met by protests launched by TRASHorfeild, supported by Green Party Leader Daniella Radice. After action from the protest group was unsuccessful an individual attempt to list the grounds with English heritage as a war memorial also failed. The group fought against loss of business in Gloucester Road and increased traffic congestion; however they have since withdrawn opposition after the loss of two judicial reviews.Mr Higgs commented “It is extremely frustrating that these small minority groups have been able to have
such a massive impact on this project and associated projects that will bring so many benefits to the local area.” The club have assured that the recent relegation will not have an effect on the move as the plans are to be funded privately and by the sale of the Memorial Stadium grounds. If all moves go to plan, the club will be using this stadium by the start of the 2015/16 season. Bristol Rovers are upping the capacity to 21,700 and adding a range of supported facilities open to UWE students and is included as part of the “New Campus Masterplan”.
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WesternEye 09.14 – Issue 01
SPORT
@WESTERNEYE
Natalie King tells WesternEye why now is the perfect time to ride
RIDING IMAGE - KOD
Horse riding is often seen as an expensive hobby limited only to the wealthy. This portrayal is false and horses are accessible to even (poor!) students. The UWE riding club is open to everyone. We welcome all from those with a limited budget, to those who have never sat on a horse, to those
who compete successfully every weekend. Non-riders often assume that horse riding isn’t a sport and that “the horse does all the work” but I can assure them that this is not true! horse riding is classified as a moderate intensity sport, similar to cycling, tennis and swimming, and is a great
overall work out as it affects the core, arms, legs and balance. Furthermore, horse riding has been proven to strengthen the spine, improve balance and boost the cardiovascular system. Horse riding does not limit itself to able bodied riders either; those with a disability or long-standing illness can enjoy it too. Many riders
comment on the mental health benefits of horse riding too, stating that they are more relaxed and able to cope in a variety of situations – ideal for university students! You can join us to try it, so why not? How many other sports allow for your team member to weigh half a tonne with a mind of
its own? Please feel free to check out our facebook page ‘UWE Riding Club 2014-2015’ and our blog at uweridingclub.wordpress.com
PREMIERSHIP FOOTBALL AT ESCAPE BAR SEPTEMBER
Sun 21st Sat 27th Sat 27th Sun 28th
16:00 12:45 17:30 16:00
Man City V. Chelsea Liverpool V. Everton Arsenal V. Tottenham Hotspur West Brom V. Burnley
Sky BT Sky Sky
17:30 12:00 14:05 16:15 12:45 13:30
Aston Villa V. Man City Man Utd V. Everton Chelsea V. Arsenal West Ham V. QPR Man City V. Tottenham Hotspur QPR V. Liverpool
Sky BT Sky Sky BT Sky
OCTOBER
Sat 4th Sun 5th Sun 5th Sun 5th Sat 18th Sun 19th
Also Showing Live International Games, FA Cup, Champions league & much more
WesternEye 09.14 — Issue 01
P U Z Z L E PA G E
@WESTERNEYE
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Crossword giveaway! ‘Win a Palgrave book bundle with our Fresher’s crossword competition’ Palgrave Macmillan is giving away a bundle of study books for higher education to include the following titles: The palgrave student planner, The study skills handbook, and student
brain food, which is packed with healthy recipes. For your chance to win, send a photo of your completed crossword in an email to editor@westerneye under the name ‘crossword competition’.
For details on the titles, please visit westerneye.net or for the full range visit palgrave.com/studentstudyskills.
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