Issue 2 – 2011/2012 (Wessex Scene)

Southampton University’s Student Magazine

MONEY Borrowing it

8

Saving it

Spending it

14 20

Plus: Jesters; Free Education; Vintage Clothes; Human Rights; 3D Printing; Martial Arts & More.

2

Editor

Mike Fisher

editor@soton.ac.uk

Graphic Designer

Aaron Bali

design@wessexscene.co.uk

Image Editor

Nicola Manuel

image@wessexscene.co.uk

Features

Nile Davies & Charlotte Harwood

features@wessexscene.co.uk

Opinions

Samuel Gilonis & Fouad Al-Noor opinions@wessexscene.co.uk

I

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

n a letter to a British merchant in 1773, Thomas Jefferson wrote that “the glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money”.

I can’t help feel that if he’d directed his rhetoric at British students in 2011, especially in the weeks leading up to the day our student loans come in, most of us would have retorted that our one warm thought usually is money.

Ah yes, the student loan. The NUS have claimed it’s insufficient. Jo Fisher (p19) explores the reasons why women are less likely to pay it back.

And Charlotte Harwood (p8) finds out that the loan is all part of a more complex system as students evolve into ‘pre-professionals’.

As winter looms, we could do with other warm thoughts. I’ve heard ‘socialising’ is all the rage these days so we’ve got advice for international students hunting societies to join (p14) as well as a debate about our city’s most iconic institution, Jesters (p10).

But before all that, take a sneak peak at the front cover of a new, Southampton-based glossy magazine - which, sadly, will never be produced.

Mike Fisher, Editor

Politics

Richard Windsor & Luke Goodger politics@wessexscene.co.uk

Winchester

Emily Cotton

winchester@wessexscene.co.uk

International

Maja Hultman

international@wessexscene.co.uk

Lifestyle

Jo Fisher & Yara Silva

lifestyle@wessexscene.co.uk

Science & Environment

Alex Williams

science@wessexscene.co.uk

Travel

April Foot

travel@wessexscene.co.uk

Sport

Will Handley & Ellie Selwood sport@wessexscene.co.uk

News

Emma Chappell & Ashleigh Cowie vpcomms@susu.org

Involvement and Publicity Officer

Ciarán McManus

Illustration: Thomas Fummo

Freshers’ week saw record numbers attending the Freshers’ Fayre and bunfight, while beardyman and danny from mcfly headlined the freshers’ ball Becci Ford pause@wessexscene.co.uk archaeologists from the university of Online Manager southampton helped to uncover the remains of a Sam Whitehall suspected ancient roman shipyard in italy. online-manager@wessexscene.

Southampton police warned students to be vigilant co.uk due to a large volume of burglaries and assault in the Editor-in-Chief portswood area 0ver the past month.

Joseph McLoughlin an Nus report claimed that the student loan is vpcomms@susu.org not sufficent. publicity@wessescene.co.uk

Pause Editor

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

Design: Jamie Ryder-Phillips

3

Words: Mike Fisher Photography: Nile Davies Please don’t sue us: Hello!

4

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

The ‘Free’ University

5

Nile Davies

Lecture timetables are confus-

ing. At least that’s my excuse for ending up in the second half of ELEC6021, a remarkable 2 hour seminar on the intricacies of Technical Report Writing in Electronics.

Staring bemusedly at the folded scrap of paper clutched in my right hand, I’m expecting a gentle 45 minute intro to Anthropology. This definitely isn’t that.

Imagine going back to school, except this time it’s on your terms.

Turn up when you feel like it and only study your favourite subjects. Homework is optional, and the ill-fitting uniform they made you wear is buried deep in a closet back home.

With several thousand hours of teaching in over 70 subjects, taking place each week in hundreds of rooms across campuses, I set out to prove that it’s never been easier to wander into a lecture for a subject you don’t actually study, not because you have to but because you can.

The week starts badly.

The cool-sounding PHYS3005 (Lasers!) is in Semester 2, and I’ll have to wait a whole 4 months until I can successfully make my own WMDs in the kitchen, sell them to a rogue Arab state and pay off my student loan.

Leaving the empty lecture room, I have to make do with CHEM2013. Desperately recalling my GCSE Chemistry lessons goes little way in preventing

brain-ache within the first 5 minutes. ‘Utterly clueless’ is an understatement.

nothing to fear anytime soon.

There’s an enjoyable anecdote about Franciscan monks and the Crusades, but stealing lectures is tiring work and the University’s buildings have excellent heating...

But it’s not all bad news. Swotting up on the general eigenfunctions of Dx2 in a heady, hour-long orgy of quantum mathematics is the perfect way Who knows? Nod off lying across to make new and exciting three seats in the back friends, and an excelrow of the empty lent conversation theatre and you “Imagine going topic on nights out could wake up back to school, if bar-queue wedged between except this time small-talk runs a couple of it’s on your dry. (We know. friendly but terms.”

We’ve tried it.) bemused Chinese Economics students, Pass the handouts trying their best to down the aisle tenderly, continue taking notes on holding the gaze of the bracetheir matching Mac Books, all faced Chemist next to you just the while pondering the identity long enough to watch her blush of the mysterious intruder in behind her glasses. Because their lecture. nothing says ‘I love you’ like 42 slides on the applications of the It’s not all so grim. For your Schrödinger Equation. own weekly, intimate movie screenings look no further than Second year Law is more FILM2002, especially if you’ve interesting, but with an average always thought that 1898 was rate of 3 new terminologies per the best year for French Silent minute, the wild world of Equity Cinema. and Trust lawyers should have

6

Hungover from the night before?

Recover to the dulcet tones of Charles Mingus whilst brushing up on your Jazz History every Friday morning in MUSI2021, if you’ve wanted to know your Bird from your Basie.

argument is reminiscent of the American college system – an all-round, comprehensive approach to higher education, studying a small handful of subjects before ‘majoring’ in one of them.

“With Admittedly, In an age of nobody in their 50p pints and lectures planned right mind Freshers’ Flu, with the efficiency would want 100% attendof a German chess to spend ance records all day in are hard to tournament, good lectures, but, if come by. It’s organisation you wanted to, inevitable: duris a must.” you could. ing the three or more years of your Sceptics need look no degree that lectures/ further than the late Apple seminars/tutorials/workshops/ co-founder, Steve Jobs, who lab-time will be missed. dropped out of college after six months but stayed around This is all well and good, but campus for another year and a then degrees are expensive. In half, only attending (unofficially 2011/12, a year of teaching of course) the modules he was alone will cost you over £100 a interested in. week.

One of these included a lecture in Calligraphy, a decision which With the price tag of tuition Jobs himself described as “the rocketing and undergraduate best I ever made,” claiming in places scarcer than ever, it’s a 2005: wonder that university education isn’t seen as the valuable commodity that it is.

If I had never Lecture notes and coursework sell for serious cash on sites like myessays.com. The aims of higher education, once based entirely on learning and social betterment, have changed considerably.

Now we go to university because we’re told it improves our employability and future salary.

Genuine interest in a subject is an afterthought.

So, why study one subject when you could study seven? The

“

dropped in on that single calligraphy course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.

”

With next to no security measures in place in the large majority of university buildings, the result is that anybody, student or not, could be sitting in on your lecture.

Many of us have walked into the wrong lecture before, only to

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

turn away at the door when presented with a sea of unfamiliar faces and even more unfamiliar subject on the whiteboard, but how many of us have seen it as a potential career changer?

Loitering around a particular lecture theatre on a given day is probably your best bet for a bit of variety, potential subjects ranging from the mesmerising to the mind-numbing.

Modules descriptions can be deceptive however; so sit at the end of aisles, inches from the door, to ensure a quick getaway.

With lecture slots planned out with the logistical efficiency of a German chess tournament, good organisational skills are a must.

Which is where the hallowed timetable comes in.

With every scheduled minute of teaching allocated to a different room with painstaking accuracy in order to avoid clashes and overlaps, the good people at Student Services have arranged all the timetable details for every subject at the University of Southampton by course code and module, in a user-friendly drop-down list, freely accessible to anyone with a Sussed login.

So, whether your degree is leaving you unfulfilled, or you just have a spare hour or two to kill in between your own lectures, the quest for extra knowledge is alive and well at the University of Southampton.

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

7

8

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

“Impoverished” students: Do they deserve more money?

Charlotte Harwood

Drunk, idle, and greedy for be

more ‘free’ money: a common picture painted of the modern student. The hypocrisy of many of these critics, who attended university in the days in which they didn’t have to pay for tuition fees, is usually lost on them.

Just like everything from crime figures to A-Level pass rates, apparently the youth of today have never had life easier, whilst upholding a level of juvenile delinquency suitable for a Hogarth painting.

The NUS’s recent announcement that student loans do not sufficiently cover student living was met with no surprise by students, but with indignant disgust by much of the public. Funding latenight takeaways and vodka is not any taxpayer’s dream use of their money. As the great majority of students will know, the ‘student experience’ contains a far greater scope of activities than the manic oscillation between hangovers and binge-drinking that the media likes to portray.

The image of the student has evolved from the impoverished artist or the hard-working scientist to that of someone living a

life of zero responsibility. Financially dependent on both parents and the government, they cram Spark Notes between hangovers, FIFA and bizarre fancy dress pubcrawls. Why are all students being put in the same stereotype?

their sexuality? Or, should we as a country accept the right of able students to study for three years, and develop themselves into the graduate they want to be, first class degree or not?

No working adult enjoys the idea Unfortunately, it must be ac- of financing a three-year binge knowledged that a number of of sloth and intoxicating substances any more than students do enjoy a manithey would financing cally idle lifestyle, a benefits cheat. living only for so“Funding late-night To many of them, cialising, and not acting to organ- takeaways and vodka the similarities ise future plans is not any taxpayer’s between the two are striking. The or a grade above dream use of their main problem the critical 40%. money.” though is how to There are those define a hardworkwho many would ing, dedicated student perceive as taking the student lifestyle for granted, ne- who will gain suitably from a glecting the pursuits proper for university degree from a dangerously lazy lout. The expectations an undergraduate. of young adults to attend higher Now that such large numbers education cannot be easily reof students attend university, moved without severely damagand with the economy appar- ing many peoples’ potential. The ently unable to sustain them, the answer cannot be to remove tuiquestion of a university’s true tion fee caps and bring students purpose has never been more more debt before ingraining a pertinent. Should hard working sense of worth into other options taxpayers keep students in a ‘life of higher education, such as apof leisure’, studying a question- prenticeships. able degree whilst experimenting with recreational drugs and Our education system being far

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

9

ampton, like most universities for the university experience: the heady mix of new friends, new cultures and a sense of being responsible for oneself.

But should the experience which higher education brings be so affected by one’s parents’ income?

Student debt which The New York takes years to pay Times reported reoff is likely to deter cently on the mis- “We’re now ‘prerepresentation of professionals’ ... No those who cannot students and their longer are students be so staunchly supMaintenance loans rarely cov- attitude to universimply allowed to be ported by parents, and those who go to er the cost of accommodation, sity study, conclud‘students’.” university may not meaning students have to rely on ing that no longer have the same opparents and part-time jobs. But were students simportunity to dedithen, this article is not here to ply allowed to be mourn that students might have ‘students’. With a highly competi- cate extra time to their study and to hold down a paid job. Juggling tive job market, being a student playing the part of being ‘prepaid work, studying and other in- now translates into being ‘pre- professional’. terests has its benefits. Students professional’. With the need to learn how to time-manage, have get a good degree and hold down The issues surrounding our eduthe opportunity to meet people a paid job to keep financially cation system are so diverse and in new environments, and learn afloat, many students are failing so complex that no perfect soluas they do so the value of money. to do what will get them a job tion could ever be found. HowevSteep drink prices at Junk will when they do finally graduate: er, those with the decision-makonly seem ridiculous after work- internships, work experience ing power should consider the ing a £6-an-hour job, and the and involvement in directly rel- pressure that students are facing.

Ambition and genuine enjoyvalue of a student loan will not evant extra-curricular activities. ment of studying should be what be missed.

The great major- drives students towards success.

Student grant: But insufficient ity of our read- Not intellectual elitism for the £3250 student loans ers are students wealthy and the looming threat Cheapest Halls give those stuhere at the of insurmountable student debt. per annum: dents who have University of £2934.40 amply wealthy Southampton, parents an unand know full Average* house fair advantage on well that not per annum: those who cannot every student is £3640 afford not to work. In struggling to fit stuan increasingly competidious hours within the litive jobs market, a graduate’s CV brary alongside struggling with a needs to contain much more than part time job and being a society a degree to catch any employer’s President. Many come to South-

from perfect, the fact that the financial limitations university brings primarily affect those without guardians able to support them is a no-brainer. A raise in tuition fees has no doubt persuaded many potential students that university is not worth the money their families do not have, and insufficient support for students from poorer families will only dissuade others further.

eye. Although paid jobs do prove that a student is responsible and has a host of transferrable skills, the time consumed making money could be applied to extra curricular activities pertinent to a graduate’s chosen career.

*The average house amount is calculated at £70 a week on a 12 month contract.

10

Why Jesters Is Overrated Richard Windsor asks why we still go to Jesters.

Admittedly, I have darkened the door of Jesters far too many times for my liking - once would have been too many. But ignorance took me, as I assume it takes most first-years. The tale told is that its cheap alcohol and sterling attendance rates make it the best place to be. I can only consider this to be some sort of sick joke started by someone who just hates humanity. Both these things are undeniably true, though I can honestly say I’d rather pay a bit extra for a beer that doesn’t taste like it’s been left out in the rain over night.

There are so, so many horrifying things from the place that I could list here. But I’d need the rest of the magazine.

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

The owners must love it though.

Unlike a normal business, Jesters have no need to remarket, refurbish or even publicise their product at all. In fact they don’t need to do anything, not even clean it seems - and we’ve actually paid to enter. I can only imagine that the proprietor gets into bed at night laughing at how blissfully easy it was to fleece thousands of students on the basis of mass hear’ say. If you walked into a restaurant and your shoes were destroyed through just making contact with the floor, and you

E S T J The Scene looks at the opinions surrounding

Could there be a place more indicative of the Southampton Student nightlife? With its eclectic mix of people, budget drinks, and cheesy feel good music, it can’t be denied that Jesters nightclub is a staple of our social diet. Perhaps it’s the welcoming scent of alarmingly cheap alcohol which fills the air or the, more often than not, scantily clad women that invites interactions between students in a way no other nightclub in Southampton could even dream of.

Upon descending the dilapidated staircase of the grim UV lit underbelly of Clowns you might find yourself wondering what

this pit could possibly have to offer you. You might have even heard the exaggerated stories of the toilet floors consisting primarily of faecal matter or a stench which rivals a sewer and of course, my personal favourite, the questionable acts of debauchery which take place on the dance floor. Whilst the validity of these and other Jesters myths are open to discussion, the fact remains that this place has a lot to offer you. Not many venues can offer an ample selection of down-to-earth, like minded people that you can interact with, which is a sigh of relief when faced with the social Siberia that is most other

nightclubs in Southampton, with their limited space and unforgivably loud music rendering the possibility of talking to anyone near enough impossible.

Myths aside, the Jesters crowd is a fun loving, cheery bunch who go there to let go of their inhibitions and have a good time, and isn’t that what being a student’s all about? Having a chilled out night with a group of mates in Orange rooms is all well and good, every now and again, but since when do we need a reason other than being students for rowdy drunken revelry? Jesters is the place for this revelry, a place to let your hair down, a

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

were unable to even utilise basic hygiene facilities in the toilet, I’d gamble that you’d be so appalled you wouldn’t return.

I hope, at least.

Clubbing as a whole seems foreign to me as a leisure activity, yet I and many others like me continue on with the façade to sustain a social life through the university years.

This I happily tolerate - alcohol makes it tolerable - but I’m unsure if there’s enough alcohol in the world to make Jesters appear as though any effort has been made to make it feel hospitable. In a

world in which prices are high and continue to rise, consumers must be more demanding of businesses. I am certain that everyone who attends Jesters regularly demands high quality service in every other facet of their lives as a customer, but this attitude seems to fail them at Jesters - even after paying to enter.

This is not intended to insult or belittle anyone who attends Jesters, nor anyone who wishes to spend their money in this sector, as each of us is free to go and do as we wish. Jesters is but an unfortunate example of the effect of low expectations and acceptance of quality by

11

customers to a business. The business has relaxed and makes no effort to improve, because it realises it can retain its customers without doing anything. I merely ponder on why other nightclubs (as well as businesses from other sectors) must make so much effort in advertising, theme nights, deals and offers etc. yet Jesters (and Sobar to an extent) stands alone in having to do nothing. I can only wish - with no realistic chance - that at some stage, students of our university do begin to expect more from the businesses that target us and our loans.

TERS Southampton’s infamous nightclub

vessel for the escapism innate in all of us that drives us to break at least some social conventions and let loose. The slight imperfections of the setting for this emancipation of our reticence is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things because, if nothing else, you’re supposed to be so drunk when you go there that cleanliness is the last thing on your mind.

In my view Jesters is a synonym for hedonism and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. The real world is one where you have to be careful how you conduct yourself because you’re worried your boss is somehow checking

up on your Facebook updates.

The beauty of being a student is that we don’t have to worry about things like that yet, we’re just here to have a good time and experiment and occasionally learn something. If you go there closed-minded with tales of woe or the opinion that it’s overrated in mind then you’ll be forever looking for signs that validate that and in doing so missed out on what could possibly have been the best night of your life.

So do Jesters justice and have a night out without inhibitions before the real world catches up with you.

Jesters Justice

Roneil Rodney looks at what makes Jesters such a popular place.

the views expressed here are those of the authors and not those of the Wessex Scene

12

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

Tying the Knot

Would you let your family arrange your marriage?

Fouad Al-Noor

In many cultures it’s completely normal for the family of the man to support him in finding a good wife. This is quite necessary, as a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship is not allowed in some cultures and religions. The only appropriate way to court a woman would be to have the two families meet in the way outlined below: The family of the male is normally unaware that he has intentions of getting married.

They completely disregard the fact that the poor guy is in his midtwenties and the only form of real affection comes from his mother who tells him what a good boy he is for studying. Even when the poor sod does dish out several hints, like asking about the process of marriage in his culture and pointing out that the girl they met was very courteous (taking steps to ensure no mention of her physical appearance) the family are still clueless.

When the frustrated male finally summons the courage from the depths of his soul and announces that he is ready for a loving relationship, the family will probably laugh at him (this is frequently followed by telling him he needs to grow up and

Comment

to get a good career first) after which he decides that he will accept his fate and never feel the loving touch of a woman, and instead get used to the affectionate touch of his right hand.

Every member of the family will now play the role of Cupid, and this means calling up everyone they know who might have a potential bride-to-be. The mother has the traditional role of inviting distant relatives over for dinner, with the excuse that suddenly she remembered that they haven’t talked to them for the past three years (they made sure the nice, courteous girl will also be attending).

After the large meal (this

“

Every member of the family will now play the role of Cupid, and this means calling up everyone they know who might have a potential bride-to-be.

”

time the good plates were used for good measure) stories are exchanged over tea and where our hero is now able to flaunt his suc-

cesses and quickly cover up any failures he might have encountered along the way to adulthood.

If it seems that the pair like each other sufficiently then further get-togethers are arranged and more time is given to our Casanova to win over the heart of his beloved - and at all times courteous - woman.

If the pair do not see eye-toeye then the quest continues. In this mission, sisters and brothers, cousins and uncles are all involved in catching a good bride. Even if it means that they have to invite strangers from the food isle over for dinner.

Finally, I would just like to point out that I have exaggerated some bits a tad. I hope I didn’t come across as looking down on arranged marriage. I think in all seriousness it’s a great way to get married as your family introduces you to potentially great women, while at the same time thinking more clearly about the practicalities of marriage and if the two people are a good fit. It is more serious than a boyfriend/ girlfriend relationship and generally has a lower divorce rate than Western ways of getting married.

It also becomes a lot less about looks and more about what the person has achieved in their life and what personality traits make them a great person. It also assumes you are very close to your whole family and that no form of force is used.

The Scene takes a look back at some of the best comments from wessexscene.co.uk With Gaddafi’s death a new era will begin that is based on justice and democracy. By establishing the Libyan Society, we Libyans hope to represent Libyan students in Southampton University and to organise some events in which we introduce Libya.

Amin Ibrahem

With Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales blocking the doors from the inevitable onslaught of English students, what is to stop the rest of Europe from barring her doors from the rest of England, or was that the plan all along?

Emmanuel

As someone who enjoys access to any education I wish [sic] I find the above article worrying, why should anyone be denied their right to education?

Especially in a country as advanced as Iran. Here in this country we take these things for granted but we cannot sit by and do nothing while all over the world human rights are ignored.

Greg Jasion Who the hell puts dishes in the washing machine?!

You mentalist. Tom

14

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

Taking the Temperature how to be english Heather Adler Being English is an art. A subtle one at that. One that can even be learned if necessary. One need not be born and bred on the great island to be deserving of the demonym, ‘English’. After all, to be English means to live each day by the founding principles and unspoken delicacies that have governed the country’s greatest for hundreds of years, and will continue to define all that is good and worthy in the word, ‘English’. step one.

Speak English. The Queen’s English that is. Be cautious of the influence of the media, in which barbaric ‘American English’ dominates all. When in doubt, consult the Oxford English Dictionary; it can always be trusted as the ultimate authority on linguistic affairs.

step two.

Be polite. Always. Choose indifference over keenness any day and never get involved in anyone’s business unnecessarily. Propriety is key, concern acceptable, enthusiasm discouraged, for the chance of seeming overly impertinent.

step three.

Drink tea. But if you must drink coffee, at least do it indoors, where you are at the least risk of being seen, or sip your preferred beverage in a generic drink holder, as to disguise the nature of its contents.

step four. Develop a healthy appreciation and understanding of English culture, heritage, and politics. Subtle forms of patriotism, without making a fuss, are acceptable pastimes. These include enjoying quintessentially English foods like Marmite, sticky toffee puddings, and fish and chips; as well as showing regard for your selected region’s sports teams, and paying tribute to capricious English entertainment like that of Doctor Who and QI. A commitment to the BBC, the NHS, and support of the Royal Family are essential aspects of English loyalty.

Lastly, and perhaps above all,

keep calm and carry on!

Maja Hultman

International students can sometimes be perceived as an isolated group outside social student life at Southampton. Is it difficult for them to get involved in societies? Do societies need specific strategies to involve international students? The Wessex Scene investigates how ‘international’ our University’s societies are.

It’s a self-evident fact that international students are different from British students. Even though cultural and linguistic differences can be minuscule, the divergence still exists. This separation may stretch into social life, segregating international students from societies.

With this division in mind, the Wessex Scene approached twenty-two societies, picked at random, to report on their relationship with international students. Nine responded.

A third of the societies in question acknowledge the difficulties an international student can have when trying to get involved in societies. The Feminist Society link this to the British drinking culture: “If you are not open to that for a number of cultural reasons, it may be harder to feel welcome or integrated.”

The Medical Society (MedSoc) agrees, but also adds that English as a secondary language, and the difference between ‘socialising’ and main meetings can be other reasons. The Handball Club furthermore observes the cultural differences: “Many don’t know how im-

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

15

of Societies

‘To target international students would be to downplay the significance of other small communities within the union, like postgrads or mature students.’

portant [involvement] can be in the UK, because it might be different or entirely nonexistent in other countries.”

international students: “All students are given equal access to societies and this should be the case throughout SUSU”.

Other societies demonstrate, Still, considering that a third however, why joining Univer- of the societies interviewed sity social life is as easy for the believe that international stuinternational student as it is for dents have difficulties, should societies have specific the British student. The strategies on how Street Dance Socito involve them? ety comments on The majority of the universal“It’s a self evident the societies ity of dance: fact that international explain that market “It does bring students are different they their socipeople together and from British students.” ety to anyone who is interso internaested, includtional students ing internationshould have al students. The no trouble meetFeminist Society exing new national as well as international people.” plains this general focus: Wessex Films develops on the idea: “The difficulties probably depend on the activity in question”. Personality is likewise a crucial factor. The Life Sciences Postgraduate Society (LSPS) remarks that problem in joining societies depends on “if one is an introvert or extravert.”

Frankie Fry, the VP Welfare and Communities, comments on the possible exclusion of

Still, some societies have taken extra measures to involve international students. The Handball Club used to put flyers in international welcome packs, the Triathlon Club distributes flyers in the International Café, and LSPS holds events to celebrate international holidays.

A closer look at the percentage of international members in each society perhaps gives a clearer picture. Half of the societies surveyed showed an international membership of about 10 to 15 percent. Wessex Films and the Street Dance Society have higher percentages, with the Handball Club in the top with over 50 percent.

MedSoc and Wessex Films, furthermore, have international members on their committees.

It’s worth asking whether the exclusion of international students really is a problem.

And if it is, how do we solve it? Is it up to each and every student, or do societies have an altrusitic responsibility?

How many are we?

2 Percent of UK international students study at the university.

20 Percent of southampton students are international. That’s 4947 people.

The biggest international student community is china, with 1390 students.

16

THE CENTRE Isn’t rotunda a great word? It conjures images of people so fat their stomachs spill, poking out from between stretched shirt buttons, rolling to their job in a bank. The Rotunda building at Winchester School of Art is sadly none of those things. It doesn’t have a protuberance striving for freedom, nor does it have ruddy cheeks.

The Rotunda is the cherry on Winchester School of Art’s cake, the most memorable building, the one with the best views, the one with a moat.

The two stories of glass and concrete ice the structure perfectly, creating both a feeling of being ‘at one with nature’ and King/Queen of the castle.

The Rotunda inspires students, not just those who worked in the amazing building, as can be seen from the great site and project by Europa (www. historyrepeatsitself.co.uk) but also others that attend WSA.

p

o

p

-

OF OUR

It is the focal point of the campus, a bubble with fantastic light, a glass column making you feel outside, yet protected slightly - from the lovely British weather.

In 1962, Winchester School of Art moved from its home in Wolvesey Palace (Why?! Imagine being able to say you study in a Palace!) to the newly constructed buildings

a

t

e

UNIVERSE

on Park Avenue. Hampshire Council shrewdly decided to have the buildings specially designed to serve a second purpose if the need arose; a hospital. The School of Art’s corridors are long, the walls white and the rooms small; in the early Sixties nuclear war was deemed a possibility, so it was constructed to be easily transformed into a working A&E. Walking the corridors on a quiet evening, it’s easy to imagine shouts and screams emanating from the rooms, doctors and nurses running down hallways, alarms sounding - the whole code-redextra-heads caboodle.

Currently, it is being ‘refurbished’ and being turned back into a ‘study area’.

Meaning third-year Graphic Arts students can no longer survey their land and command their peasants from their white castle. Boring.

Graham Read

l

i

Winchester’s new style gallery

Tucked away near Winchester station is the wonderful, ‘everyman’ studio, Pop-Atelier.

It is a vibrant and energizing space where the city’s art community can exhibit and sell their work.

The Scene met up with Sally Ingram, founder and owner of this exciting and new style of gallery for the city, to find out about the November Student Show being organised for students from both Peter Symonds College and secondand third-year students at Winchester School of Art. This

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

not-for-profit

gallery

usually uses a hanging fee and sales commission system to provide what would otherwise be a publicly-funded space for local people to use as their own gallery (see the website, www. pop-atelier.com) for details.

The site isn’t large so for the upcoming one month Student Show. There is a limitation of 1 metre per piece, although there is a small amount of flexibility.

There are also spaces for sculptural pieces.

For a place like this to work there is the need for a small charge. The artist sets the price of their work and the

e

r

gallery charges 10% of this price per month, for up to three months; and then a 20% sales commission upon sale of work.

You don’t necessarily have to sell your work though, PopAtelier can be a place to simply exhibit.

If you’re not taking a place in the Student Show but are interested in using PopAtelier to break gently into the commercial world, simply email pop-atwinch@hotmail.co.uk or drop in to 44 Stockbridge Road, open Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm.

Sarah Benson

18

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

“We’re Not Bitches with Fake Tans”

After having only been set up just over a year ago, Health and Beauty Society’s President, Farley Pearce, talks tans, teamwork and total dedication.

Jo Fisher

Southampton University’s Health and Beauty Society is only just over a year old, but already it has its hands on an EVA Award and has high hopes for the future. Its president and founder, Farley Pearce, is a strong believer that if you feel that the university is in need of a society, you should simply do it yourself.

“It started at the end of my first year, when I was thinking about societies and what was missing,” she said. “After contacting a few people, we got going. We weren’t affiliated by September, so we couldn’t promote ourselves during Fresher’s Week, and we had no backing until we passed the nine week probation period.

After fresher’s week we had 200 people sign up. Once we were affiliated around March 2011, our sessions got bigger and better.

Through our work we won an EVA for innovation - we like to think of it as ‘Best New Society’.

It was a huge surprise, but we had worked so hard for it all.”

The Health and Beauty team have their sights set high for the next academic year, and it’s off to a good start. With a committee that has doubled in size, and samples and goodies from professional companies such as Elemis, they are well and truly an established and successful society. Not only this, but the

society has a strong link with Good Looks, the salon in Portswood, and Shine, the hairdressers on campus, both of whom are continuing to help with sessions during the oncoming year. The society is also proud to announce that nearly 800 people signed up with them at the Bunfight in September, deeming their promotional efforts a huge success.

Farley is keen to express that taking part in a society is the main benefit: “As a society you feel so part of something and it’s rewarding to help students and enrich their university experience, even something as trivial as painting nails.”

“We are a relaxed society. A place to get pampered. It’s not about being beautiful or being talented. It’s about having fun. I think a few people misconstrue us as bitches with fake tans and it’s not like that at all. We’re very chilled out.”

So is it just a room full of giggling girls? As with most societies at the university, H&B is open to all. “We have quite a few guys interested, especially sportsmen interested in massages. A few guys want tanning and male beauty – it’s growing!”

So what if you feel there’s room for one more society? “My advice? If you feel there’s a gap, don’t be scared to go forward and start one up. It makes for a better university experience and is great for your CV!” Contact the Health and Beauty Society via their Facebook page or Twitter, @healthbeautysoc Meetings are every Tuesday, 7.00pm - 8.00pm, in building 2 room 2043.

Upcoming events: 8th Nov: Ann Summers Party 15thNov: Eyes and Lashes beauty session

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

Ladies in Red: The Great Loan Divide

19

Paying back loans is never an easy task - but why do women seem to be worse?

Bex Beesley

causes as women will not have For the majority of us, the idea to repay their loans whilst takof repaying student loans is one ing time off work during which we’ve all pushed their pregnancy. Many to the back of our women also opt to minds. However, “70-80% of work part-time with tuition women and 30once they return to loans jumping 40% of men will work in order to up to a massive never fully repay care for their chil£9,000 a year their student dren, thus lowering for most uniloans.” their income. versities in 2012, the influx of new However, The Guardian undergraduates next suggests that the extensive gap September certainly have a lot between loan repayments for more to worry about. With jobs men and women is simply due to becoming increasingly thin on the fact that women still do not the ground, the road to repaying earn as much as men and that student debt is looking particularly long and daunting.

However, surprising statistics have been released which demonstrate that between 70-80% of women and 30-40% of men will never fully repay their student loans. A report has been published which stipulates that even 30 years after graduation when loan repayments are scrapped, “the average woman will still owe £26,500.”

This may be due to a number of factors; maternity leave and child care are considerable

“

”

Getting a reliable, stable career straight after university will be difficult with so much competition on average . Some reports show that the pay gap may be due to the fact men have a greater tendency to opt for maths and science qualifications which lead to higher paid jobs, whilst others cite that certain employers are less likely to hire women due to the possibility of maternity leave despite this now being illegal.

This matter is of great concern for many female students at the University. Second year student Sally Jensen, who is studying French said: “Getting a reliable, stable career straight after university will be difficult with so much competition, and it is especially worrying to think those chances are lessened simply because I am a woman.”

Although these are all valid suggestions, there are surely more reasons why more women never fully repay their debts. One thing is for sure, though: this is yet another statistic that emphasises the differences between the sexes.

Nicola Manuel: Illustration

20

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

GOING VINTAGE

Words by Anna Lucking. Photos by Yara Silva

Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair came to Southampton University in early October. Vintage enthusiast Anna Lucking reviewed the Fair for the Wessex Scene. A haven for all things fashion, from a selection of one-off, hand-crafted jewellery to luxurious 1920s coats to loud ’80s knitwear, the Fair has it all.

Judy Berger, the curator, started up the Fair six years ago, because she was fed up of going to vintage fairs and shops that had a ‘look but don’t touch’ policy. The Affordable Vintage Fair, then, is just that.

With prices starting from £1 for small things like rings and scarves, going up to £100 for a beautiful 1950s dress, the Fair caters to all budgets.

Each of the stalls also has its own tale to tell: Made at the Wishing Well, run by Felicity and Gemma, are local Southampton designers who make one-of-a-kind jewellery, recycling old toys, bottles and even Scrabble pieces to form their eclectic collection. Charming Magpies, based in Winchester, are sellers and buyers of vintage clothing with a popular range of ’80s knitwear from £15 - £25, plus a student discount.

Wessex Lifestyle spoke to some of student shoppers.

Erin Keen Second-year Illustration at WSA, with her brother, Charlie.

Were you looking for anything in particular today?

‘I wanted a tweed jacket and some denim shorts. And I’ve found both!’

What was your budget for today? ‘£50, but that includes travel.’

Do you have a style icon or someone you admire?

‘I like Alexa Chung’s style.’

Caitlin Jordan Second-year Medicine

Lucy Lieng Second-year English, with her friend Lucy.

What was your budget for today?

‘I took out £20 and I haven’t used all of it.’

Where’s your outfit from?

‘My playsuit is from Matalan and my sunglasses are from a charity shop.’

Were you looking for anything in particular?

‘Not really, but I found a shirt and some jewellery.’

What’s your style?

‘I wear a combination of high street and vintage. My outfit is Topshop with a vintage charity shop jumper’.

How did you know about the Fair?

‘I found out online, on Judy’s site.’

What are your favourite shops for finding vintage pieces?

‘I always find something in Cancer Research UK.’

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

21

Information to keep in mind when buying vintage: 1) Size. Depending on how old the clothing is, the sizing may be different, so make sure you ask the sales person.

2) Condition. The quality of older clothes has often deteriorated, so check for holes or missing buttons, etc.

3) Smell. Some vintage clothing has an undesirable, musky smell to it when you first buy it. Adding a couple of cups of diluted white vinegar to the washing machine or sink will generally get rid of any odours.

TSSL

Things Soton Students Love Yara Silva

House parties: They become much more common in secondand third-year, and are usually based in Portswood. The preferred method of house party advertising is via Facebook. Just make sure you know someone who lives in the house or someone who knows someone who lives in the house, otherwise you may feel slightly awkward and unwanted.

Domino’s Pizza: The best bit about Domino’s is that they always say it will take 40 minutes for your pizza to arrive, and it never does! Therefore, it always makes you extra happy. Though usually very expensive, on Tuesdays their scrumptious pizzas are 2 for the price of 1.

Queenie Lee Third-year Sociology Nikki McMullen Third year Psychology

Were you looking for anything in particular today?

Nikki - ‘I’m looking out for dresses but no particular vintage style.’

What are your favourite shops for finding vintage pieces?

Both – ‘Charity shops are generally good. Scope and Age UK in Portswood are both really great for vintage and vintage–looking pieces.’

Judy herself (pictured above) wears a mix of highstreet and vintage clothing and accessories.

She says her style icons include old movie stars such as Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, but she makes sure to always mix the old with the new. So, whatever your taste or budget, don’t rule out vintage, as there could always be something for you.

Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair will be back to the Uni in February

Pre-drinking: Ah, the cheaper way to lose your dignity. Predrinking is always a favourite among students, purely because of its money-saving qualities. There are also a number of drinking games to play which will ensure pre-drinking never gets boring.

Who Needs A Gap Year Anyway?

April Foot

With next year’s rise in tuition fees looming, many Southampton students have been forced to postpone or abandon their gap year travel plans. If you’re one of those who missed out, don’t worry: there are still plenty of opportunities to get away whilst you’re at university. Here, we take a closer look.

Gap year plan: Ski Season Uni alternative: SUSSC Christmas and Easter Trips If you were planning to spend your gap year snowboarding skillfully (or not so skillfully) by day and partying hard by night, you could look into joining Southampton University Ski and Snowboard Club (www.sussc.com) on one of their epic week-long trips. This Christmas they’re off to Mayrhofen, Austria, for a very reasonable £395. The club also offers plenty of opportunities for beginner lessons and practice sessions, so you’ll be fully prepared by the time you hit the slopes.

Gap year plan: Learn a New Language Uni alternative: Erasmus If you don’t already speak another language, most degree courses offer the opportunity to study at a partner university in an EU country, either for one semester or the whole year. As well as the chance to learn a new language, living abroad also allows you to immerse yourself in another culture.

Imagine living off of Italian food for a year or going clubbing every weekend with ‘la gente loca’ in Spain. Needless to say, it is also adds a great dimension to your CV. “In hindsight I do regret not doing it myself” says Alice Feltham, a member of the buddy scheme for incoming Erasmus students.

Remember you have to apply early - find out more information at www.erasmus.susu.org.

Gap year plan: Travel Europe on a Budget Uni alternative: Morocco Hitch If you’re pining for an adventure but on a budget, the Morocco Hitch could be the answer. The aim is simple: get from Southampton to either Morocco or Croatia without paying for any transport - apparently easier than it sounds! Hitchhiking is done in small groups and you get all the safety training you need before you leave. Once you reach your destination you’re then free to spend as much time there as you like, before flying (or hitching!) back home. The only condition is that you raise £300 for LINK community development in Africa, a worthy cause, and as the trip isn’t until Easter there’s plenty of time to organise sponsorship events. Last year’s hitcher Harrison Stubbs loved it so much, he’s doing it all again this year and sent us this photo to entice you! Go to www.facebook.com/ southamptonhitch for details on how to sign up.

Gap year plan: Live a Little Uni alternative: RAG Amsterdam trip For anyone seeking a weekend escape from essay writing, there are several short trips organised during term time, such as the RAG trip to Amsterdam in November. At £129 for three days, it’s great value for money, and also includes a donation to RAG’s chosen charities. Having experienced this trip myself last year, I can thoroughly recommend it. Beyond the infamous Red Light District and ‘alternative’ coffee shops, Amsterdam also offers plenty of cultural activities, including the Anne Frank Museum, canal boat rides, or even just a cycle around a beautiful city famed for its absence of traffic and pollution.

And of course, if none of this has enticed you, there’s always the four month long summer to make the most of - often longer than most people

Robin Celebi: Motion Graphics

1. Sleep on a rooftop. If it’s hot, some hotels will let you sleep on mattresses on the roof for as little as £1.50 a night – and you get the best view in the house!

2. Eat kebabs and pitas from a street vendor; they’re cheap and stuffed full of vegetables and various meats. Harira, a thick stew, and lamb head are also common alternatives.

who have a gap year actually end up spending travelling. So really, with this much on offer at university, who does need a gap year anyway?

Top 10 Things To Do In...

Morocco 6. Hang around the Djemaa el Fna, the bustling square in Marrakech’s Medina. Full of snake charmers and circus performers by day, food stalls and music by night, the epitome of Morocco’s craziness can be observed here.

7. Go surfing on the north-east coast, where the deserted beaches and strong winds provide ideal conditions for water-sports.

3. Drink freshly squeezed orange juice with a dash of salt, or a refreshing cup of mint or ginseng tea, all readily and cheaply available from the stalls that line the streets.

8. Grab a bargain in the markets and souks, where you can find anything from spices to jewellery, carpets to shoes, all for only a few pounds – less if you’re prepared to haggle.

4. Ride a camel over the Saharan desert – or if you’re more of a thrill seeker, take a quad bike.

9. See El Bahia Palace, an Eastern architectural masterpiece and sanctuary in busy Marrakech, which costs only 10dh (78p) to enter.

5. Visit Chefchaouen, a north-western town where many of the streets and buildings are painted blue, apparently to repel insects. It makes for a truly unique sight.

10. Trek to a waterfall – there are several in the High Atlas Mountains surrounding Marrakech, including Ouzoud Falls, the highest in Morocco.

If you want a guide, tours are easy to find.

24

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

Politics Debate: Human Rights Four parties discuss the ECHR

The issue of human rights,

and in particular the European Convention on Human Rights is polemic, fiercely dividing opinion. The argument is not over the humanity of the act, nor its intent to protect basic human liberties, but over the ECHR’s influence in Britain.

The ECHR affects all functions of British systems. The British judicial and immigration systems are are exhaustingly used as examples of negative influence.

Theresa May’s now infamous ‘cat’ story is a recent demonstration of this. However, many view Britain’s involvement with the act as positive, and refute any idea of a British Bill of Rights.

This Month in History

In this feature, we have asked representatives of some of the University of Southampton’s political societies to give us their opinion on the ECHR and Britain’s continuing involvement.

We’ve recruited opinions from across the political compass, enabling us to get as varied opinions as possible.

We always welcome anyone’s response or opinion, especially in relation to a debate feature such as this. Got an opinion, comment or rebuttal? Head to wessexscene. co.uk or email us at politics@ wessexscene.co.uk. Disclaimer: the opinions reflected in this section are those of the individual societies and not those of the Wessex Scene.

1929: The Wall Street stock market crashes, intialising the 12 year Great Depression, the worst financial crash in US history.

Conservatives My main problem with the European Court of Human Rights, (ECHR) is not that it gives the judiciary undue power over elected politicians, nor is it that Article 15 of the convention codifies when, for some reason, a human right is not applicable and nor even is it the fact that it asserts some civic rights are basic human rights - something I believe to be untrue. Although these are all fantastic reasons to oppose the convention, my main reason for seeking its abolition is that it increases the power of the European Union over the Parliamentary sovereignty of Great Britain. This means that the ECHR can sue this nation for something that they see as a breach in ‘human rights’.

These Rights are decided in Brussles and a breach of them can result in a case against a democratically elected body by a wholly unelected one [namely the ECHR] . The ECHR should be scrapped along with our ridiculous Human Rights Act. It is not only undemocratic, it is yet another system which saps power away from our Parliament and puts it in the hands of Europe. Let us decide what a human right is, not a bureaucrat in Brussels.

1935: Italy’s facist ruler, Benito Mussolini, deploys troops to invade Abbyssinia (modern day Ethiopia).

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

25

LABOUR The Human Rights Act is in place to prevent any public and/or private organisation from breaching the rights of people. I’d hazard a guess that almost everyone agrees with the idea of a Human Rights Act, it’s an idea ingrained into our collective consciousness of what is fair.

Personally, I’m in favour of retaining the Act in the form it takes now, I do not see the sense in totally re-writing the act based up on a story, which has been heavily disputed, about someone having to stay because of their relationship with a cat. The Act offers benefits in a number of forms.

Firstly, the UK does not have a single constitutional document where your rights as a human being are listed. The Human Rights Act brings together all of these rights. Secondly, the ECHR - the framework of the Human Rights Act - allows a European scale implementation of Human Rights, showing international solidarity. Lastly, any detraction from this framework would set a dangerous precedent of government control. In my opinion, the Human Rights Act, and the ECHR, is fundamentally fine in the form it currently takes. Based upon this reasoning, I cannot see any reason to change the Act.

FREEDOM ASSOC. At its heart the European Convention of Human Rights intends to do good, there is no doubt about it. Originally conceived to fight totalitarian government, its intentions at its conception must be applauded. Unfortunately though, the convention and more importantly the way in which it is enforced, poses serious questions in regard to its effectiveness and, what is worse, the sovereignty of our county’s judicial system. After all, who can deny the absurdity of feeding a wanted suspect who is hiding upon a roof, not to mention the latest Catgate scandal? In fact, almost every story reported about the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights concern judgements that ordinary people deem to be at best silly, at worst downright wrong.

Far better then, in my view, to lobby the government to fulfil its promise to give us a British Bill of Rights based on common sense that establishes our Supreme Court’s primacy. Why have a supreme court if it isn’t supreme? But alas, why have a government in Westminster if its laws are subject to that of a higher body, namely, the European Parliament? The problem of the European Convention of Human Rights only highlights the need for the renegotiation of our relationship with the European Union.

1949: The People’s Republic of China was founded at the end of the Chinese Civil War. Headed

by Chairman Mao Zedong.

SOCIALISTS You would have to be an incredibly nasty kind of Tory to oppose the European Convention on Human Rights, which was drafted after the atrocities of the Second World War and upholds rights such as the right to a fair trial as well as prohibiting torture and slavery.

But although the rhetoric of getting rid of human rights is popular with kneejerk reactionaries round the country, Cameron’s promise (or threat) to repeal the Human Rights Act is actually empty, since Britain would still be subject to the ECHR or equivalent human rights agreements unless it isolated itself entirely from not just the EU, but also the Council of Europe and EFTAwhich would be economically and politically disastrous. Even Cameron isn’t that stupid.

What this is really about is manufacturing the appearance of a conflict with the Lib Dems to appease supporters of both parties, and creating a distraction from the government’s unfair and ineffective programme of cuts to jobs and services.

contributors Conservatives: David MendozaWolfson Labour: Tom Highnett Freedom Association: John King Socialist Society: Andrew Godfrey

1971: The British House of Commons votes to join the EEC (the European Economic Community), along with Ireland and Denmark.

26

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

Southampton Engineers Create First Printed Aircraft Alex Williams

A team of University of Southampton engineers led

by Andy Kean and Jim Scanlan have created the world’s first fully-printed, fully-flyable airplane.

The £5000 SULSA (Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft) is an electricity-powered drone that was printed using an EOS EOSINT P730 nylon laser sintering machine. The machine printed the SULSA components using layers of metal and plastic. The components were then ‘snap fitted’ together without using tools to create the finished aircraft.

The 2m wide SULSA is a major part of the EPSRC-funded DECODE project. It has been equipped with autopilot software compiled by team member Dr Matt Bennett. The software enables the aircraft to reach speeds of almost 100 miles per hour when in flight.

In cruise mode the plane is almost silent.

The 3D printing technique no extra cost. allowed the team to use techniques that are considered too expensive when used “The flexibility in standard manufacturof the laser sintering ing. Specifically, the team made use of the process allows the deGeodetic structure, sign team to re-visit historia structure that was cal techniques and ideas that first developed by would have been prohibitively Barnes Wallis for expensive using conventional the famous Vickers manufacturing” - Professor Wellington Bomber.

The Geodetic structure Scanlon. requires a huge number of individually built parts which, with standard manufacturing techniques, would have had to be expensively Since the early 1990’s, the fastened together.

University of Southampton has been one of the world’s Laser sintering also allowed cutting edge UAV developfor the cheaper creation of ers. Teams at the National the aircraft’s elliptical wings.

Oceanography Centre at the Elliptical wings can cope bet- university’s waterside camter with air-drag but are usu- pus have created unmanned ally difficult and expensive submarines that assess herto build. With 3D printing it ring stocks in the North Sea. is just as cheap to build elliptical wings as it is to build The university has now standard triangular wings, launched a new Master’s so the aircraft can use the course in UAV design. Posthigher-performance design at graduates will be able to learn how to design and build UAVs that can travel through water and air and over land.

The students will also learn the basics of 3D printing during the one-year degree course.

The SULSA UAV

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

27

3D Printing Will Change The World The manufacturing industry is being revolutionised by a hot new technology. And it’s a technology based on research being spearheaded by the University of Southampton.The Wessex Scene takes a look at 3D printing.

3D printing will be remembered as one of the greatest inventions of our generation.

So far we’ve seen only a tiny fraction of its potential benefits. The method of sintering objects instead of tool-building them bypasses the most fundamental law of manufacturing, ignoring economies of scale. When using a 3D printer, to produce a million objects is effectively just as cheap as producing just the one. No extra machinery is required. This advantage will revolutionize manufacturing, and by revolutionizing manufacturing, 3D printing will in turn revolutionize every other industry.

The new technology doesn’t just create cheaper products, it creates better products.

Today 3D printing is nascent, but already it can be used to create finer jewellery, tougher footwear, faster engines and more durable dentures.

Prosthetic limbs, pacemakers, hearing aids and surgical apparatus can all be sintered with incredible precision and built affordably. Scientists are now even able to sinter artificial blood vessels. Almost every object can be made cheaper and better using 3D printing than by toolmanufacturing. Furthermore, the time distance between the software design and the created product is generally faster using the new method.

A personal 3D Printer

The greatest advantage of 3D printing is its affinity for innovation. It is the perfect manufacturing tool for the digital age. Ideas and designs can be transferred quickly over the Internet. Since any object can be made using any printer, the realizations of the designs can also be shared easily. 3D printing will create a new era of super fast prototyping. Industry designers can create hundreds of first run models using a ‘rapidprototyping’ process. In the past, with tool-building, if the design of a product needed to be altered, then the machinery used to manufacture the product also needed to be altered. 3D printing eliminates this problem. So designers can get creative without wor-

rying about prohibitive machinery costs. And since any printer can print any object, any design can be realized anywhere in the world.

3D printers may not be popular in people’s homes, they are still extremely expensive, but the 3D printing brands are sure to become household names. At a time when everything seems to be ‘going 3D’, it may seem easy to ignore this new technology.

But soon you won’t be able to ignore it. The 3D printer is our generation’s steam engine. It’s an industry changer.

The revolution is here.

Alex Williams

28

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

Sport and Wellbeing Membership Does SportRec represent good value for money?

Ellie Sellwood

If you, like me, find £125 difficult to spend all in one go, whether you’ve already dented your bank account or are indecisive about investing £125 in your health for a year, Sport and Wellbeing membership is better value than you might have thought.

At Southampton, we have a wealth of facilities on campus.

The Jubilee Sports Centre itself hosts a 25 metre swimming pool, 160 station gym, Sports Hall and Sports Injury Clinic.

Futhermore, should you find yourself in the lower levels of the SUSU building there’s even more to savour and that’s before you venture to the outdoor facilities at Wide Lane and Avenue.

Sport and Wellbeing membership allows free access to all of these facilities and court or pitch bookings seven days in advance. It is also essential for the competitive amongst you as it allows you to join any number of University Sports Teams, of which there are over 80 within the Athletic Union. Membership entitles you to play for your Halls, Faculty or Society teams in Intra Mural competitions such as football, rugby and netball. On top of that you are also entitled to discounted sports courses

and spinning. Judging by the number of people who participated in the first Zumba session this year, membership could prove very useful.

In comparison to University Sports Facilities around the country, Southampton’s represents good value for money.

Whilst students at Bath University have a £30million sports It is true that some people are training village, they pay reluctant to buy member£329 for similar acship for a year, parcess. Some sports ticularly if they know centres appear “It is essential that they wouldn’t to charge less, use the services for the competitive for example at enough to warrant Warwick, £49 per amongst you.” the expense. One year seems like student explained a steal. Yet the fitthat she bought a Sport ness suite, performRec membership “and ance weights room, barely used it as I didn’t really climbing wall, indoor tennis know what I could do with it.” courts, sports clubs and sauna She also explains “what has put all require extra charges. me off most is that I don’t feel I’d be getting enough for my Wessex Scene Verdict: £125 is money.” both a good deal and an excellent incentive to get fit.

Other sceptics might also note the rise in price from £115-£125 in a year.

Check out:

If you only ventured to the gym twice in one year, £62.50 a time is pretty expensive. Having said that, there are some facilities you can take advantage of without membership, namely the swimming pool and some courts and pitches.

wessexscene.co.uk/sport for regular match reports, updates, features and sports news relevant to you!

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

So, How Does Southampton Compare?

University

Special Features

Price for Gym, Swim and Access for a year

29

Price for Membership

Clubs in AU

Southampton 160 Station Fitness Suite, 8 Court Sports £125 Hall, Indoor Climbing Wall, 20 Grass Pitches, 8 Floodlit Tennis Courts, Water Sports Centre and Rifle/Archery Range.

£125

over 80

Birmingham Bouldering Wall, Athletics Track, 2 Floodlit Water Based Synthetic Pitches, Floodlit Third Generation Pitch.

£275

Gym+Swim+Squash= 50 £275

Warwick

60 Acres of Playing Fields, Athletics Track, Indoor Tennis Centre, indoor climbing centre.

N/A

£49 (Extra Charges 76 for use of most facilities)

Bath

£30million Sports Training Village- 400m 8 lane Athletics Track, 50m swimming pool, 125m 6 lane indoor track, bobsleigh and skeleton push start track.

£329 (Inc membership)

£100

Exeter

£12 Million Sports Facility, Cricket Centre, Water-Based Hockey pitch, Sand-Based Astro and Rubber-Crumb Astro Pitch.

£280 not including charges to book courts.

£225 for unlimited 49 use of gym, charges for everything else.

Oxford

Running track, Sports Hall, Swimming Pool, N/A Squash Courts, 2 Croquet Lawns, 14 Grass Tennis Courts.

Swim+Both Gyms= £170 3 year deal=£377

29

Bristol

£3million sports facilities: 10 outdoor acrylic tennis courts, indoor sports hall, health and fitness suite, jogging track.

1 year- £200 3 year- £440

54

£200

47

See Also Wessex Scene also work in collaboration with other Union media outlets such as SUSUtv and Surge Radio.

Whether you are an enthusiatic sports writer or a member of club looking to tell us a story, get hold of us at: sport@wessexscene.ac.uk

30

WessexScene | Issue 2, 2011

For Every Gym Monkey There’s A Gym Flunky Words: Will Handley Art Work: Tom Fummo Fummo At the start of a new semester the vast majority of students make plans to sort themselves out: get a job, do all the extra reading, never leave work until the last minute, eat healthily and get fit.

sance man. Sure, it coincided with the arrival of the exams and yes, revision is a useful aid.

However, for some reason I had a sudden need to get out of the house. Maybe a bit of exercise?

Don’t mind if I do.

In my first year, after a long summer of enjoying the freedom to do nothing I realised it was time for some changes.

First off I needed to get into shape and with access to what I was reliably informed as “the cheapest gym I’ll ever join,” I had no excuse.

Finally, after owning Sports Rec for seven months I dusted down my ID card and entered the gym. First I hit the weights, then did a bit of cardio - I even sneaked five minutes on the cross trainer. Nice work. As a procrastination goes, it certainly beats jelly making.

However, what I did have were obstacles. The same obstacles faced by many others who are keen to get fit. Firstly, I needed friends, and I wasn’t planning on going to the gym at least one flight of stairs. Well to get a friend for life. In all that counted as exercise, right? likelihood my mid-bench press “oh hey there Then there’s the lazy buddy, are you a evening activities: the fresher?” routine film with my flat“When the had as much mates, impromptu duvet’s warm chance of bemaking and and the skies are Jelly ing successful eye-opening trips grey, the appe- to Portswood’s as leaving the tite for a sixJubilee smelling fine watering pack slips” better than when holes. you went in.

And then there’s bed.

The next obstacle on the When the duvet’s warm and the list, which in my case was a skies are grey, the appetite for a particularly long list, was the six pack slips. journey to the shops. Then Yet there was still hope. As there was the hill I had to walk spring arrived, so did renewed up with the shopping bags and motivation; I became a renais-

TOP GYM TIPS • Find a Gym Buddyyou can motivate each other.

• Compile a Gym Playlist to get you psyched up.

• Set up a Gym Buddy Facebook group.

• Use Gym sessions as stress relief (exercise has been proven to help) • Have a banana before exercise!

Issue 2, 2011 | WessexScene

More Mike Tyson Than Bruce Lee

31

The Scene investigates whether Martial Arts are in decline Phil Adler Speak to karate practitioners, and by and large they’ll tell you that people “are just not doing martial arts these days”- or certainly that there is a reduction. Two karate clubs from my hometown have shut during my time at university, as has our own Kodo Ryu karate dojo at SUSU three years ago now.

However, statistics released to the Wessex Scene by the Athletics Union show that the picture is somewhat more complex, at least at Southampton University.

On average, martial arts clubs at the Union are growing, but this is no surprise given that student intake has skyrocketed.

Some, primarily the archetypal martial arts (karate, kung fu and the like), are experiencing mixed fortunes, but the big powerhouses are those martial arts which have in their possession a large competition.

Enter Boxing, Muay Thai, and Tae Kwon Do. This isn’t to say other clubs aren’t grow-

Southampton University’s Shorinji Kempo Club

name at least one boxer (think ing, for example Aikido has Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Joe seen respectable gains this Calzaghe, Muhammed year, but the big three Ali). Tae Kwon Do mentioned have being the only seen astounding “Boxing, eastern martial growth.

Muay Thai, and art with a global As stated, these Tae Kwon Do have governance, sits clubs seem to proud in the have competiseen astounding Olympics. This tions to thank growth.” kind of publicity for their standing. Muay Thai cannot be underfeatures heavily in mined in martial arts: the ring of competitions real working examples and like UFC. And everyone can the incentive of glory.

DID YOU KNOW...

Southampton University’s Athletic Union has fourteen different martial arts clubs.

There are only TWO martial arts in the Olympics - Tae Kwon Do, and Judo.

In 2010 the UFC generated $465 million in Pay-Per-View revenue.