UCL PROTEST AGAINST GUEST SPEAKER ROYAL LITERARY FELLOW AT WESTMINSTER MORE FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH? PG 2 /TheQHNewspaper
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NUS PRESIDENT NAMED ‘RACIST’
IMAGE: NUS Pess Office
• GOVERNMENT REPORT CALLS MALIA OUT FOR RACISM AND ANTI-SEMITISM • STUDENTS WANT APOLOGY FOR PRESIDENT’S LANGUAGE BY LAUREN WAUGH Malia Bouattia, current president of the National Union of Students, has been named a ‘racist’ and an ‘antisemite’ by the Home Affairs Select Committee. This follows a summer of disaffiliation campaigns, where Students’ Unions choose to be separate from NUS, running across the country and growing concerns that NUS
is not an inclusive space for Jewish Students. The cross party report from the committee stated “The current president of the National Union of Students, Malia Bouattia, does not appear to take sufficiently seriously the issue of antisemitism on campus, and has responded to Jewish students’ concerns about her previous language with defensiveness and an apparent unwillingness to listen to their concerns.”
Bouattia was elected in April at NUS National Conference by teams of NUS delegates from across the country, prior to Newcastle, Loughborough and Hull disaffiliating. Following the release of the report, a spokesperson for the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) told the Independent “Her inability to fully represent all parts of the student body is disgraceful, and for no part of the student population is this truer than for Jewish students.”
The report follows a string of allegations of anti-semitism made against Bouattia after she referred to Birmingham University as a ‘Zionist outpost.’ MP’s have also drawn attention to her 2014 comments at the “Gaza and the Palestinian Revolution” conference that “mainstream Zionist-led media outlets … resistance is resented as an act of terrorism.” MORE ON PAGE 3...
EXCLUSIVE: PRESIDENT OBAMA ON CAMPUS
BY RITUJA RAO
President of the United States of America, Barack Obama has been greeting students on the Harrow Campus of University of Westminster. A loyal friendly guest, he stood guard on numerous windows of Harrow Halls on many nights, welcoming each visitor with a big smile. President Obama visited many different flats and maintained vigilance all over the campus.
Many students were often spooked by a vague figure on the top floor window of B block as soon as they enter the campus past the reception. Many complained of a vague figure smiling down at the students, ensuring that Halloween came early. Dan Seamarks, VP Harrow too was caught in the chaos, “Innocently walking through campus last night and I think, why is there a man staring at me through the window? Totally freaked me out,” he said.
‘‘TOTALLY FREAKED ME OUT” Nonetheless, the more curious were delighted once they found out that it was none other than America’s most loved and perhaps, last sane President. Many were delighted to meet Obama at his humble abode with his kind hosts in flat 39 in Harrow Halls. MORE ON PAGE 3...
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A WORD FROM THE EDITOR
TEAM Rituja Rao Editor rituja.rao@smoke.media
Tooba Haq Deputy editor tooba.haq@smoke.media
Joshua Hackett Managing editor
j.hackett@su.westminster.ac.uk
Micaela Kolischer Production editor micaela.kolischer@smoke.media
BY RITUJA RAO
Leanne Hall Online editor
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Cameron McIntyre Online editor cameron.mcintyre@smoke.media
Lauren Waugh News editor lauren.waugh@smoke.media
Nicole El-Helou News editor
nicole.el-helou@smoke.media
Jack Cummings Features editor
jack.cummings@smoke.media
Aylin Paula Karansis Lifestyle editor
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Francisco Gimeno Societies editor
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Damian Burchardt Sports editor
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ABOUT THE QH The QUINTIN HOGG is produced monthly by a team of student volunteer editors and contributors. All students can get involved. No experience is needed and full training is provided.
The QH published by the University of Westminster Students’ Union, but views presented do not necessarily mirror those of UWSU or the editorial team. If you would like to make a complaint or comment about our journalism, please contact the managing editor, Joshua Hackett, in the first instance.
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IMAGE: African-Caribbean Society
BLACK HISTORY MONTH? NOT QUITE ENOUGH BY LAUREN WAUGH While this year Black History Month has created some presence on campus, some students still feel more could be done to celebrate black history at the most diverse university in the country. UWSU ‘s campaign focused on African and Caribbean history and current political topics. Events included the Afro-Caribbean Food Festival,. UWSU said “Westminster is the most diverse university in the country and it’s important we have dedicated studentled campaigns such as Black History Month and We Are Westminster to celebrate this.” Omar Balde, a secondyear Journalism student, said, “There was no information and I didn’t even know about it until the middle of the month.” Another student, Tracey Popoola, added “It wasn’t advertised enough. There is plenty of room for improvement.” Stephany Malcolm, went ahead to say, “I liked the idea of making some traditional African-Carribean foods available in the canteen, but how is this really educating us about black history?” UWSU BAME officer, Bekeowei Okoro said he felt it “was quite successful and engaging this year, but it’s not quite over yet, because one of
the outcomes of this campaign is “Why is my Curriculum White” and we are still working on releasing a working paper.” “Could we have done more as a SU? Absolutely, but students were engaged throughout October [...] The SU raised the bar higher this year which benefited everyone.” Westminster Students do feel more can be done to celebrate this month. Jack Cummings, BA Journalism Student said “It would be great if the UK had their own official division of celebrating Black British and Afro-Caribbean heritage. Black History Month is huge for African-American history.”
‘‘THERE WASN’T ENOUGH INFORMATION’’ UWSU Women’s Officer, Ethel Tambudzai also told The QH “I think we could have engaged more students by focusing on less conferences. It’s great for education but it’s 6 hours of being spoken at and not many students attended.” She also said The SU should aim for something which is “engaging enjoyable experience that keeps Black History alive.”
Welcome back to the November edition and thank you for being a keen reader. This issue we bring you critical stories that have a profound effect on our student lives. The NSS controversy that is changing the dynamics of Student Unions across the country, needs your attention today. Also find out about our Obama encounter on campus and how you too can meet him! There is growing issue of safety on campus parties and Messy Mondays have some new rules. On a lighter note, through the QH, meet some amazing personalities who might help you cope with your university life, in our features section. In Lifestyle, we introduce
you to ultra-chic bloggers on campus, who you must follow today. A man called John has a kind intention of meeting two students he helped and perhaps you know something about this? Read further to find out. As more and more stories spew around you, you too might notice something bizarre, unusual and perhaps critical to your student experience. Write for us today or come share your story and we’ll help you voice it. The QH is planning on initiating and leading some student media campaigns for burning issues in the university. Do you have any complains about anything remotely inconvenient in your daily life? Rising rent prices, unequal access to facilities, discrimination or something deeper? We want to throw light on problems less spoken about and bring them to the forefront. Reach out to QH as we are looking to campaign for a cause and throw light on issues we all might be facing collectively. Get in touch today and let’s make a difference, together.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
BY FREYA THOMPSON October was the month that we appreciated some incredible, black, British history. Organised and executed by our BAME Liberation officer, Bekeowei, there was an eclectic mix of cultural events on offer. This month, we celebrate our diverse student population (#1 in the UK don’t ya know) and bring you We are Westminster. Introduced last year, your VP Regents & LTS will be hosting a fortnight of events across all four campuses, so make sure you come along!
Our diversity campaign leads on perfectly to our highly anticipated Winter Elections! Are you interested in National democracy? Do you identify as BAME/LGBT/Women’s/ Disabilities? Then run to be an NUS delegate, or a Liberation Officer! Nominations open on Monday 31st October and stay open until Thursday 10th November. For the first time, ever, our UWSU Dragons will be taking over an OLYMPIC venue. Yes, that’s right. The Copper Box arena, a venue of London 2012, will be painted black and yellow on Friday 4th November in the newly designed Exhibition Games, when our Men’s Basketball team take on Medway in their third BUCS fixture of the year. Come down and get yourself a free Dragons t-shirt and watch as we #unleashtheDragon. 6.45pm entry for a 7pm tip! Don’t forget to nominate yourselves, and I’ll see you around campus!
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SPLIT SUPPORT FOR NUS PRESIDENT BY LAUREN WAUGH CONTD. FROM PAGE 1 175 student leaders jumped to Bouattia’s defense, saying the report is an attempt to
discredit Malia. They also asked for an apology for those who had been vilified by the claims as the report focuses “virtually all of its attention on the Labour Party and the
National Union of Students,” disregarding troubling elements on the far right. The open letter, from student leaders who defend Malia, to the Home Affairs
Select Committee calls for the report to be revised, as it makes “legitimate criticism of Zionism” into a “hate crime”, focusing mainly on Bouattia. NUS is also working to reduce anti-Semitism though its Anti-Racism and AntiFascism campaign. Malia Bouattia has not signed the open letter. Following the release of the report, Students’ Unions’ across the country have called for “Bouattia to release a full apology to both Jewish
students and the entire NUS membership.” This has been signed not only by elected officers of Student Union’s but also by NUSNEC, The President of The Union of Jewish Students and The Labour Students National Chair. The letter also calls for Malia to resign if she cannot apologise immediately and show how she intends to tackle the issue of anti-semitism in NUS. An NUS spokesperson said, “NUS takes all forms of racism, including antisemitism, extremely seriously. As such, we recognise the importance of the report and its deeply troubling findings regarding the sharp rise in antisemitism across society”. Malia’s election was not an easy road to presidency, with her decision not to condemn Islamic state causing scrutiny in 2014. Malia described this national coverage as portraying her as “a national threat.” In response to these claims Malia stated “I have always condemned Isis and will continued to.” This controversy was linked to a string of NUS referendums across the country’s Students’ Unions.
HARROW CAMPUS IS THE NEW OVAL OFFICE
BY RITUJA RAO
CONTD. FROM PAGE 1 However, the question remains, why did Obama leave USA at a key moment in the electoral process? His secret service, currently incognito, is making sure that Mr. Obama has a great vacation while they haven’t done a very good job with the Air Force One parked in the Harrow halls car park. Obama’s sudden vacation has caused an uproar in the country and raises questions about his involvement in the elections, but he is having a great time hanging out with a bunch of Freshers. Obama opens up to QH in an exclusive encounter… Residents of Flat 39 have been generous hosts to Mr. Obama since 4th October, allowing him to interact with students while playing vigilante. Harry Lye, a resident of flat 39 said, “One of our flatmates is American and we had just started decorating our flat for Thanksgiving weekend when President Obama dropped in to give us a surprise!” The president
has started befriending other students and visits other flats too which explains why he keeps moving around at night. Harry Lye, a first year Journalism student, said that Obama’s stay has stirred much controversy and in the process the flatmates have had to deal with some thefts and a possible ban from allowing the president to stand by windows. The security has banned Obama’s movement and his vigilance by the window, leaving students feeling unsafe. In fact, Obama has also been kidnapped twice by residents of other flats in vanity. President Obama gave no comment on this matter, but it is believed that the kidnapping was in goodwill as students were just trying to show me a jolly good time. When the QH interviewed Obama, he stood quietly by the corner with the Star-Spangled Banner while Harry did all the talking. His colour had faded and he looked drained from all the night-outs and Messy Mondays at Undercroft. While Mr. President refused to comment, Harry suggested that Obama had flown to
London to visit a fellow American in the hopes of escaping the election drama. It has been almost a month since he moved to London and with the D-Day weekend inching closer, he still shows no signs of leaving.
“SECURITY HAS BANNED OBAMA’S MOVEMENT” If he seems like a piece of cardboard to you, know that the 2016 election has brought it upon him. Young at heart and high on hope, this cardboard cutout continues to be the talk of town in Harrow Campus and you can drop down to greet the friendly President and bid farewell. While he has been banned from the windows, he continues to stand regally in flat 39’s kitchen, the land of free. Hopefully, Obama will continue to stay in Harrow Campus even if not the Oval Office. IMAGE: President Obama with his kind host, Harry Lye.
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BUS PARTY RAISES THE ROOF BY MIKI QUDDUS
WILD NIGHT OUT BY MIKI QUDDUS A gorilla escaped his designated area in London Zoo causing the zoo to be evacuated earlier this week, and increase of Harambe references. While neither Kumbuka, the fugitive gorilla, or any of the visitors were injured, armed police were called to the zoo to recapture the animal. The gorilla was tranquilised and then brought back to the Zoo’s Gorilla Kingdom. Senior Curator of Mammals at the zoo Malcolm Fitzpatrick reassured that Kumbuka escaped into ‘a safe, secure keeper area, so at no time did he actually get out into the zoo’.
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STUDENT’S SNAPCHAT SUCCESS
LONDON NEWS
A private-hire doubledecker party bus crashed into a railway bridge in Tottenham, North London during the early hours of the 22nd October. The collision left a total of 26 people injured, 21 treated at the scene and 5 were rushed to hospital. Firefighters at the scene rescued three people who were trapped on the upper deck of the bus. A London Fire Brigade spokesman said that “Crews from Tottenham and Edmonton fire stations attended the incident along with London Ambulance Service, Metropolitan Police and Network Rail” and no one was seriously injured.
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BY NICOLE HELOU
IMAGE: Geograph Project, Oxyman.
MAN ON TRACKS CAUSES A LOCKDOWN AT NORTHWICK PARK BY RITUJA RAO A 9 AM on 21st October, many commuters were stranded during peak hour at Northwick Park tube station as a man was found on the tracks. The incident occurred on the Northbound track and caused severe disruption. Many students from the University of Westminster’s Harrow Campus were disturbed after severe delays on the Metropolitan line. Manisha, a postgraduate student on Multimedia Journalism witnessed the chaos on Friday morning. She said, “I was on the platform when a man asked us to evacuate the station. I saw paramedics rushing in and an ambulance parked outside.” The station was shut for approximately an hour before being operational again. Manisha added, “The police arrived and asked some of us not to leave, as they wanted witnesses for questioning but most were dispersing already.” The Citymapper app said that there was no service between
Wembley Park and Uxbridge due to a ‘body on the tracks’. The service continued to run with minor delays into the late afternoon between Harrow on the Hill and Uxbridge. Many students were forced to choose alternative and tedious routes to their destination and many complained of being late to class. Local bus stops were very crowded immediately after the incident. The commuter in question fell on the rails tracks at Northwick Park station and was severely injured. The victim who has not been named was taken to Northwick Park Hospital. This incident like many others this year draws attention to safety procedures on tube stations. TfL officials at Northwick Park claim that the staff was available and alert at the time of the incident and hence the quick response rate. However, it has often been noticed by students of Harrow campus that there is seldom no staff at the station.
University of Westminster student, Pascal Sabatnig launched his own Snapchat geofilter design agency, Geofilter Studio. The company produces bespoke geofilters for businesses or individuals, all while creating Snapchat strategies. A geofilter is an overlay you can use on top of photos you take on the Snapchat application. As a Business Management and Entrepreneurship BA Honours student, Sabatnig has honed his entrepreneurial skills to create his startup company. Geofilter Studios was born as a side project from his creative agency SBTG as well as his interest in social media and marketing trends. He said, “I have always spent lots of time researching how marketing in the connected and digital age is changing, watched and listened to lots of podcast and interviews of people who know what they are talking about and then one night came to the conclusion that there might be a market for a design agency specialising on one very niche feature.” Sabatnig decided to build on the idea that so many people use Snapchat and pay attention to 10 second
IMAGE: Independant flickr user
streams of information. He then decided to turn this to businesses and offer them the opportunity to advertise using geofilters, widening their consumer audience. Talking about this idea, he said, “the content you’re consuming on snapchat is not surrounded by ads or any other distractions, it is just the image or video of a person you follow. Now think of the impact it has when users start using a brand’s geofilter on their personal content, and then share it as their story or send it directly to a friend. It’s the jackpot.” Coming from Austria to study in London, Sabatnig credits the Austrian education system for helping him specialise creatively. ‘When asked how hard it was to create his own companies, he said, “I believe everyone is capable to come up with a new, smart idea every day, but without the execution it won’t be anything. Being an entrepreneur is a huge time and energy investment in your future - nobody is going to build the next Facebook or Apple overnight!” The company are currently working on special occasions design for the festive season ahead as well as marketing the agency to new businesses and clients.
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IMAGE: Students’ Unions may focus more on academic activities, like course reps and course societies.
ACADEMICS OVER ACTIVITIES, SAYS NATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY BY NICOLE HELOU The New National Survey 2017 will feature a question asking students whether or not their Students’ Union is “effectively representing the academic interests of students”. If answered negatively, this may have an adverse affect on what Students’ Unions offer students in terms of
recreational activities. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) decided to include this question due to “strong support from NUS as a driver for improving students’ unions’ performance in this area”. The question posed to students in 2017, therefore, will be “The students’ union (association or guild) effectively represents
students’ academic interests”. The answer can range between strongly agree to strongly disagree. Traditionally, Students’ Unions were the part of university life to offer fun social events as well as represent students’ interests towards extracurricular activities, societies, and any help with university life outside of
academics. However, this may all change soon if students voice opinions on what they would rather want their students union to do. University of Westminster Students’ Union President Freya Thompson said “this adds more importance to the quality of our course/academic based societies, and our course rep system. How students feel
BAR FIGHT AT MONDAY MADNESS IN UNDERCROFT BY RITUJA RAO At approximately 2:15 AM AM on 11th October 2016, a bar fight broke out after Messy Mondays outside the Undercroft Bar in the Harrow Campus. An unnamed outsider is alleged to have attacked students after a group of them got into a verbal fight with him. The outsider was spotted in the bar by some students before the fight broke out. The suspect started violently abusing students and then further picking fights with other students at random. A student was knocked down to the ground, while another suffered a broken nose. The attacker also hit some female students when they protested him, verbally. While the fight broke out outside Undercroft, it continued until the residential halls as more and more students got aggressive.
The Students’ Union’s official statement on this incident is, “A fight allegedly broke out on Harrow campus in the car park around 2am on Tuesday 11th October. “Our bar security staff responded and called police and ambulance services. We have a team of licensed security staff that keep our venues safe and take any violent or inappropriate behaviour very seriously.”
“THE SECURITY WAS PRETTY LAID BACK ABOUT IT” The security on Harrow Campus refused to give a statement to the QH on the grounds that the fight technically did on happen in the undercroft. The Harrow Halls security were not even aware of the incident until the
next morning. Undercroft’s Bar Manager said, “The attacker had not entered the bar premises and the staff did not witness the incident as it took place outside the property.” Mridha Anand, a student on PR and Advertising witness her friend being slapped by the attacker, she said, “The man slapped my friend for no reason, which confused us but
then he went on a punching spree and beat up about six people including a girl.” “It made me think if we are safe on campus.” Another student, Khushi Gokhlani added, “The security was pretty laid back about it. Their main aim was to clear the area, conscious or unconscious.” While the attacked students refused to give a statement, an anonymous source alleged
they are supported with their course, by us. However, this doesn’t lessen the support we will provide to our more recreational activities. It will be interesting to find out how the change in question will impact on next years results.” The results of this particular question in the NSS will be reported separately to other questions in the survey.
that the attacker was dealing drugs with students on campus and hence, many students do not want to talk about it. Another source which did not wish to be named added, “The attacker is a frequent on campus and students know him. The fight broke out because some students refused to buy drugs from him.” The Metropolitan Police arrived on scene, but no arrests were made. Following this incident, the university and bar management has banned outsiders and guests without an ID from entering any student night. They are also strictly allowing entry only until 12.00 AM.
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UNI NEWS
EDUCATING ABOUT DISABILITY BY NICOLE EL-HELOU Andrew Scarborough, the University of Westminster’s Disabilities Liberation Officer, has provided disability literature in libraries across campuses and in 101 New Cavendish Street Campus. He has pushed for this for many months and finally got subscriptions to magazines like “Able and Enable” that give students with disabilities information on employability, accessibility, and support for university life. He said, “the magazines cover a wide scope of disabilities; physical, mental, learning, visible and invisible so I am delighted that students can have this opportunity to access this information.”
UCL’s main building
YOUR CITY
UCL PROTEST AGAINST GUEST SPEAKER
BY TOOBA HAQ
On Thursday, 27th of October, the police were called after proPalestine protesters barricaded a room where an Israeli spokesperson, Hen Mazzig was due to speak at UCL. The events organisers - friends of Israel - said
that they had to phone to police due to the amount of aggression happening in the protest. The protesters were banging on the windows and refused to allow people to leave at the London university. Those intent on watching the talk, ran quickly and discreetly through UCL’s campus to the Haldane room where Mazzig
was gearing up ready to speak. It was only a few minutes later until even more protestors followed in their wake and began shouting “shame,” “free, free Palestine,” and “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free”. Activists quickly contacted friends and allies, where 100s eventually barricade against the doors of the room, with only
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a few members of the security on either sides of the doors keeping society members safe, preventing anyone, with a ticket or not, from entering the room. Videos of the protest were all over social media giving an inside look to the event. Later in the same footage Palestine and Israel supporters can be heard making progressively louder sheep noises at each other, as tension rose between the two sets of opposing activists. The footage showed that the pro-Palestinian protesters were holding banners and chanting to free Palestine. Twitter user @HenMazzig shared his story on twitter. one of his tweets about the attack said “I had to be rushed out of the event at @UCL with security. The campus was the war zone and the streets are the safe place. I’m out. My god.” Two hours before the event, an email was sent to everyone attending the society event with a change of venue due to avoiding friction. The only time both sets of opposing supporters came into contact was outside the event, and while things were heated, the confrontation mainly consisted of chanting. When police arrived at the scene they escorted the proPalestinian supporters outside the building, telling one proIsrael supporter that they would ensure talk attendees would be protected from any potential threat of violence. Although nobody was seriously injured, UCL administration is said to be taking the matter very seriously and are addressing it accordingly.
WHERE ARE THE WINTER ELECTIONS? HARROW IN HOT WATER BY LAUREN WAUGH November 1st saw harrow campus without hot water. This was caused by a large hole appearing in one of the main pipes leaving the whole campus without hot water. This includes areas such as the cantine. There have yet to be reports of the issue effecting halls. A maintenance team were expected on campus the following afternoon to weld the pipe. At the time of print, It was unclear whether this had been successful. If the weld is unsuccessful, maintenance staff on campus have already warned the problem could lead to up to two weeks without hot water on campus.
BY LAUREN WAUGH As Christmas break looms, there has been little appearance of the UWSU Winter Elections. The only notification that winter elections would happen were a few Facebook posts, telling students little other than they would happen. Nominations opened on the first of November, a day later than advertised. This was communicated via social media. At press time, print and on campus advertising was not yet visible on any campus. This will also be the first time an International Officer is elected, something only noted in a small social media animation. Voting should be from the 21st to the 24th of November., and results will be announced on the night of the 24th of November. UWSU President, Freya Thompson told the QH the following about the delay in winter elections.
‘With the loss of an important staff member, facilitating winter elections this year has been challenging for the Students’ Union, but we are happy to say communications are now out and readily available. For the SABBs, our priority this year is to support our part time officers so they know fully what their role entails and how they can utilise it.’ Advertised positions are BAME Officer, Women’s Officer, LGBTI Officer, Disabled Officer and NUS Delegates, alogn side the new role of International Student’s Officer. All Nominations need to be submitted to the DRO (Deputy Returning Officer) by the 10th of November.
Want more? See more at
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UWSU Winter Elections
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EDUCATION
DONCASTER’S HE AIMS BY LAUREN WAUGH Doncaster city has set its sights on opening a University in the city, hoping it will raise aspirations for the local people. This has come about following the The One Doncaster plan but has been something the city has aimed for since 2002. While Doncaster does have colleges offering Higher Education degrees, it is yet to have a university entirely dedicated to providing HE education. Not only does the plan feel raising educational aims is important but also about building economic growth in the city. The plan aims to be complete in 10 years.
High rents leave some students feeling overwhelmed.
HALLS AWARDS FALL FLAT
BY LAUREN WAUGH
Property Week’s annual Student Accommodation Awards will not be presenting an award for “Student Experience” this year as the ten students on the panel refused to select a shortlist entrants. They criticised the entrants for
TORIES LAST SQUEEZE BY AKRAM SAID Eleven Conservative MPs voted against the Higher Education and Research Bill which would cut student maintenance grants for low to middle income families. Despite the fall in state school educated students attending higher education institutes, the government seem unconcerned when it comes to making higher education accessible. On the other hand, Labour claim to have all the benefits and best interests of students at heart, but this was still not enough to keep the grants going. According to Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, Angela Rayner, this decision slams shut the door to higher education for those students who wish to pursue a degree but may not have enough funds in order to do so. This clearly makes social mobility difficult and only promotes education for those who can afford it.
pricing out poorer students. Jenny Killin, a member of the panel, posted the letter of refusal from the panel on Twitter for students to view. It says “none of the entrants could demonstrate that they are meeting the urgent need of students to live in accommodation that will not force them into poverty.”
Judges said price was main problem as rent of entrants range from £146-£300+, not including fees, feeling these were too high for student budgets. They also state that one entrant didn’t detail fees on their website, which is illegal. Student accommodation has more focus on providing
luxury accommodation, from the list presented to the panel, then serving students with a home. They close the letter from the panel by saying “unless all students have access to safe, affordable accommodation at every institution and the means to pay for it, there is no cause for celebration, nor the ability for us to award a forprofit sector failing so many of our peers.” The tweet was shared by NUS Scotland president and has caused national press attention. At Westminster, suggested halls range from £124.39 to £279. These don’t include fees or travel. Financially, Westminster has already been identified by Gocompare as the most expensive university, with rent being a contributing factor. There was no Westminster representation invited on the board. Average student accomodation prices in the UK areound £146, this is without London inflation. For a student at a London University, like Westminster, students may find up to 70% of their loan going on rent. Propetry Week, the organisers of the awards said they “completely respect” the desision of the judges.
LONDON’S RENT STRIKE EPIDEMIC BY TOOBHA HAQ The three years of university are supposed to be the best years of your life but with new regulations and a steady rise in cost of living conditions, students are now faced with problems outside of doing well in class. London is one of the highest when it comes to rent prices in the UK with an average of £226 per week as compared to the average being £134 in the rest of the UK. The university experience has now become either eating for the week or paying rent. Rent-strikers are seen as privileged children that are whining about paying rent, but in actuality, the whole reason for the rent strike is to help poorer students get access the same amount of education everyone else does. Universities need to do more to provide accessible education to students from all backgrounds. Current and future students already face the anxiety and the stress of
student debts. An NUS study from 2015, shows that 50% of leavers from university are in debt but not only student finance, but loan sharks, credit card debt and other forms of loans. The panel cited a 2015 study by the NUS, which shows that university rent in the UK increased by 18% over two years, to an average of £146 per week. The report suggests the rise is largely due to the growth of private providers.
“RENTS INCREASED BY 18% OVER TWO YEARS” The organisation Rentstrike, is to organisation protests with free accommodation and free travel. All details can be found at rent-strike.org. Their aim is to see communal care and solidarity. Rent-striker
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TRAVEL FOR FREE, AS FAR AS YOU DARE
FRANCISCO GIMENO INTERVIEWS RAG’S TASMIN LACOURTE ABOUT THE UPCOMING JAILBREAK CHALLENGE
Wanderlust for a great cause. IMAGE: Mathew Lynch
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f you love to travel but feel constantly constrained by your depressing lack of money, this may be your lucky day. No, we are not giving away a luxury trip to Fiji, but you may end up there anyway. Let me explain, my fellow globe trekker... The Raising and Giving Society (RAG) is the fundraising body of UWSU, and they are organizing a Jailbreak challenge on the 19th-20th November. A jailbreak is a race against the clock where groups of two to three people are given 36 hours to get as far as possible from London without expending any money on traveling whatsoever. Whoever is furthest from London at the 36th hour of the challenge wins. The QH attended one of its preliminary info sessions, where we met RAG President Tamsin Lacourte. “Jailbreak is one of those amazing ways to travel,” she says with smile of excitement. “It’s a free ticket to the world, and it’s all for a great cause”. In this case, RAG is fundraising for Action Against Hunger, an NGO raising funds and awareness to save the lives of malnourished children and providing families with sustainable sources of water and food. As a participant, you would have to raise £100 entirely for the charity’s cause, and pay a £20 registration fee to cover your insurance, t-shirt and safety tracking app. This year’s jailbreak will
also be our university’s first, and will be run jointly with City University’s RAG society. Both current students and external muggles can join the challenge. “I always heard my friends talking about jailbreaks. They sounded so much fun! The experiences can get quite crazy because participants have to think on their feet about what to do, they cannot use prearranged journeys and cannot ask for money either,” Tasmin explains.
“JAILBREAK IS A RACE WHERE PEOPLE GET AS FAR AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT EXPENDING ANY MONEY” That really is a challenge. Participants are allowed to go hitchhiking, approach ports, train stations, or airports to ask for free ticket donations. The challenge organisers will be supporting and calling out big companies from the HQ to support your well-intentioned needs for a free ticket. You know, free advertising for them. Alternatively, you
can always try to find a good samaritan to drive you to Paris or Amsterdam. Or even Slough. When we ask Tasmin whether this whole thing is totally safe, she nods with acquiescence. “There are always risks, but both the charity and the society will provide safety seminars prior to departure. During the challenge, I will always be at the HQ along with a team of people tracking the participants’ locations. We will live tweet it too. A member of the SU should be present as well in case our escalation plan is put into action, and volunteers will be rotating during the event.” “You just gotta be smart,” she asserts. “So, if you are hitchhiking, always carry your luggage with you on the front seat, because if the car leaves without you but your things are still inside the car, well…” We get the point. In the informative session, Firat Dinc is one step from formally joining the challenge. He just needs one thing: a team partner. The society will organise an event for those who are willing to join the challenge, but whose friends are too busy or too boring to join them in this crazy, wonderful experience. Firat is most looking forward to traveling to the unknown. “It is scary but also exciting. You get to travel with another person, talk to them, learn from them, and go through this experience as a team.” Surely some of the stories from previous participants have reached ridiculous levels of
amazingness. “I remember this one story a lady told me in the RAG conference,” Tasmin recalls. “Two students from a UK university somehow managed to go to Australia, but only got a one way ticket. They probably won the competition, since you can get any further than Australia, but they didn’t have a return flight so they got stuck in Australia for a month. They ended up asking for donations in a local radio show to pay for their return flights.” That’s hilarious. That is why Tasmin has insisted several times in the seminar that it’s better to secure a return ticket to Amsterdam than a one-way ticket to Australia. “At least,” she says, “you get to spend a weekend away in continental Europe.” But then again, who wouldn’t like to be stranded in Australia for a month, right? Until all teams get back to London, the HQ team will keep on tracking participants and life-streaming their adventures. The event runs for 36 hours from Saturday 19th November at 10AM until Sunday 20th November 10PM. If this sounds super fun and appealing to you, this is your chance to do it. Registration closes soon, so just join and do it, it’ll be fun even if you just end up in Tooting. Contact RAG on Facebook or email at rag.soc@ su.westminster.ac.uk
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INTRODUCING THE A NIGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY’S SECULAR NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM ADVISOR
BISHAKHA DUTTA BISHAKHA DUTTA GOES INTERVIEWS ISABEL MILLAR AFTER HOURS...
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veryone goes questioning their beliefs. University is a place where this often takes place, as individuals change the way they perceive the world. While some find themselves drawn towards religion, others choose not to associate themselves with a God. According to some surveys, people of no religion now outnumber Christians in the UK. The University of Westminster — as one of the most diverse universities — has decided to provide support for those with no religion by hiring a secular advisor.
“I SUPPOSE THAT’S WHAT MY JOB REALLY IS — TO BE ABLE TO BRING TO LIGHT QUESTIONS THAT CAN CAUSE CONFLICT, THINGS PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO RELIGION, SEXUALITY, POLITICS” Isabel Millar’s role is not only to provide secular educational support at an academic and corporate level, but also non-religious pastoral care for students. Isabel became interested in secularism and social change whilst writing sitcom scripts about multiculturalism and doing her Masters in Psychosocial Studies. This led her to the British Humanist Association (BHA), where she trained to be a non-
religious pastoral support volunteer for prisons and hospitals .While she was pursuing her PhD in philosophy, psychoanalysis and political theory, she was contacted by the BHA for a position at the University of Westminster. Speaking of the motivation for the creation of this role, Isabel said: “I think it was about putting into dialogue different cultural, ethnic, religious, political interests that may be at odds at the university”. According to Isabel, even though Westminster has staff representing different faith interests, it needs someone to bring the diverse student population together to talk about things that may be seen as taboo. “I suppose that’s what my job really is — to be able to bring to light questions that can cause conflict, things people do not want to talk about when it comes to religion, sexuality, politics”. Isabel is planning to host the first in a series of events on 7th December that will bring people from different religions as well as the non-religious together. It aims to discuss the idea of free speech and where the line is drawn when it comes to talking about religion and challenging ideas. “I have absolute support for people being able to criticise religion, you can criticise an idea all you like. That is a sign of progress because we do not get anywhere in the world if we are not allowed to criticise other people’s ideas — and that is different from being abusive to a person.” The QH is sure that Isabel Millar — at the post of secular adviser for our university — will be able to bring such a diverse group of students together and help the institution progress.
Isabel Millar is the first secular advisor to be appointed to a British institution
London’s very own Night at the Museum
On the last Friday of the month, when you have exhausted your bank account and are looking for a cheap way to enjoy the night, the Natural History Museum will come to your rescue. The NHM is open until late on the last Friday of every month. Most parts are accessible until 10pm — but unlike Night At The Museum, you can’t talk to the dinosaurs. The theme is different each month and for September 2016 the museum played host to Science Uncovered, Hidden worlds. The main aim of the event was for people to discover the rare items from the Museum’s collections and uncover the hidden worlds of nature — from the depths of the oceans to planets beyond our own. This involves talk shows, events, tours and science stations. In typical South Kensington style, food and drink at the Natural History Museum is expensive. If you’re craving a cider that’ll set you back £5.50, whilst a wrap costs a nauseating £7.50. If you’ve been planning to go on a diet then you might want to spend your entire time here not being able to afford anything. The events in general are entertaining and informative, especially for those who have some basic knowledge in science. The moment you walk in, you will find rows of stalls set up with people gathered around. Each is different from the other, and September’s event saw butterflies, medicinal plants, planes, SEM- scanning electron microscopes and more. Be careful if you’re tiny though — some stalls get overwhelmingly crowded. We quickly found ourselves near the
Flett Theatre where ‘The Intergalactic Council of Intelligent Life Forms: The Case for Earth’ talk was taking place. As we opened the door to the theatre, we found ourselves in a dark room, seats filled with people, and ahead stood a woman dressed as an alien.
“IF YOU’RE CRAVING A CIDER THAT’LL SET YOU BACK £5.50...” More than 150 aliens from different galaxies and planets, sat at the Flett Theatre, waiting for four earthlings on the stage to make their case for the Earth. The audience got to ask questions after each speaker was done making their case to save the earth. In the fun and interactive hour of talk, we encountered four experts of The NHM, who talked about the marine life, wildlife- a history and future of planet earth. The first two speakers were entertaining and engaging. They made jokes and incorporated the theme of the event in their speech. The third speaker, however, was like having a McDonald’s burger right after Five Guys. He was knowledgeable but boring, and made the 15-minute speech seem like a full half an hour. Lates is definitely cheap (unless you are planning on eating there) and a quality way of spending the last Friday night of the month. Considering that it is a different theme each time, it’s worth going along.
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THE GIRL WHO SPOKE OUT IN A LECTURE
INTERVIEWS STEPHANIE KAMALE, THE GIRL WHO DEFENDED HER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS IN CLASS...
IMAGE: kaboompics.com
“I
will stand up for what I think is right”, said Stephanie Kamale, a second year Digital Media student. She attracted a lot of attention for speaking up in week 2 of this semester on a Theories of Media Communications lecture. The QH follows Stephanie’s quest from its last issue, voicing her opinion. A lecturer said, “It is obvious that the
world was not created in seven days.” This sparked Stephanie’s religious beliefs and she replied, “How can you say that?” She has never been instigated to this level in any other class on campus but this time she felt like the lecturers denial of the creationist theory directly went against what Bible said. Stephanie said, “If the lecturer had to go against anything in the Quran, she
wouldn’t have because everyone is sensitive about Islam, but people take Christianity a lot more lightly.” She told QH, “I respect everyone’s choice and their opinions, but I will stand up for what I think is right. And I think I was right to challenge what the lecturer said.” What exactly irked Stephanie? Was it the lecturer’s choice of words? She clarified, “When you are a lecturer, you need to take into consideration that there are people with other beliefs too. We don’t pay £9,000 for your opinion.” The lecturer later clarified that she claimed creationism was not true on scientific basis. To this Stephanie replied, “She should have made that clear before stating it obvious. When you say something in front of 100 students, you aren’t just sharing your opinion, you are also teaching.” She was unaware of this becoming a big deal until the QH contacted her, She said, “The fact that this incident spread like wildfire on campus shows how students are scared to stand up for what they believe in, in the fear that others will talk about them.” Stephanie’s
stand really makes you think if you just listen to anything and everything without asserting your beliefs. Why are students afraid to express their religious beliefs in university? She added, “It’s ironic how we are taught to be critical at University but here we are listening and accepting anything people say to us.”
‘‘WE DON’T PAY £9,000 FOR YOUR OPINION” She does not mean that every student should speak out when their religious beliefs are challenged, but students shouldn’t make it this big a deal when someone does. “I will continue standing up for what I think is right, and so should the lecturer. I respect choice and this is mine”, Stephanie said with intent.
LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX, BUT NOT IN THAT WAY... TELLS THE STORY OF MARY’S ENCOUNTER WITH HER INFERIOR VOICE...
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eing a student is hard enough. Studying is full of surprises and learning curves even after spending three years in the same wonderful, safe and beautiful place — if you can call Harrow those things. Finding where you need to be in the labyrinth that is the Media Arts and Design campus is in itself requires of a PhD. Asking for directions is useless as others will direct you towards The Street, at which point you will probably think ‘Which street? I don’t see any cars around here’. Mary, a third-year Westminster student whose name was changed for thought things were pretty equal at Westminster — until she had to do a voiceover for a project. Only then, she came across the ugly truth of what it means to be a female student. ‘Go over to Radio and get a guy to do it’, said Mary’s tutor. She asked why. ‘Male voices sound more professional and truthful’, he replied. Yes, you are reading correctly, this is not a typo. Think of Nigel Farage, what a soothing, confident and especially truthful voice. Just marvellous. Farage and Donald Trump should start a podcast series enlightening the world on their ideals. ‘The idea that girls are only capable of doing lifestyle, fashion and beauty
is absurd’, said Mary. ‘It makes girls insecure. This shouldn’t happen in university. That can be saved for the real world so we can learn to do it in a safe environment and not be judged by our voices or gender’, she said. It’s no surprise that sexism is an issue in today’s society, but should it happen at university? Should we simply not bother doing things just because we’re told men can do it better? These sentiments are common across the country, but shocking when coming from a member of staff.
‘‘MALE VOICES SOUND MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TRUTHFUL’’ ‘University serves as an opportunity to build confidence, not bring it down’, said Mary. Voice-overs are the least that a woman’s voice can do. Would BBC’s Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet ask a man to do voiceovers for her reports? No. So why should we?
IMAGE: Pexels
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ARE UNIVERSITIES DOING ENOUGH TO STOP OFFCAMPUS ASSAULT? UNIVERSITIES ARE WORKING HARD TO COMBAT SEXUAL ASSAULT ON CAMPUS, BUT WHAT ABOUT OFF-CAMPUS? INVESTIGATES...
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niversities UK may have published guidelines on how institutions should deal with violence and harassment towards women, but one student believes that the issue is greater off-campus — and should be dealt with there. According to a 3rd year student at the University of Westminster, assaults occur most often in local bars popular with students rather than oncampus venues. The young woman — who preferred not to be named — studies at Westminster’s Harrow campus, and believes that both local bars and their staff should receive university sanctioned training. “Off-campus at clubs are where female students are at their most vulnerable.” she said, “There needs to be more broad welfare support from the university directed at local nightlife events.” According to a spokesman for Universities UK, some institutions are doing exactly this. The University of East Anglia is among a small number who train local bar staff to better deal with sexual harassment and assault.
“THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE BROAD WELFARE SUPPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY DIRECTED AT LOCAL NIGHTLIFE EVENTS” The University of Westminster does not currently have policies in place regarding off-campus assault. According to a spokesperson for the University — such cases are beyond
the jurisdiction of the institution. Westminster does however have an on-campus initiative in place called Extra Mile. In a statement, the University of Westminster said: “The University of Westminster takes assault and harassment very seriously and operates to ensure our staff and students work within our expected codes of conduct. Any criminal activity reported is escalated to the relevant authorities and counselling services are provided. “We have developed an educational initiative called the Extra Mile which aims to support and encourage Westminster students to look out for each other by becoming ‘active bystanders’ who can feel able to support, intervene or report any cases of harassment or assault as they occur, wherever they are.” Many universities are incorporating internal initiatives like Extra Mile to support students victimised by sexual assault. In a scheme led by Brunel University, 80 staff at 15 institutions will be trained to support victims through USVreact (Universities Supporting Victims of Sexual Violence). For the young woman who studies at the University of Westminster however, it is off-campus where universities should be doing more. “Of perhaps 15 incidents during my time at University, most have occurred at off-campus venues. These range from groping to being forced upon, and as a woman it’s something you come to expect on a night out.” The student does not however believe that the venues themselves are at fault for this, and thinks that the university should take a more proactive role in working with local bars and clubs. Some venues have indicated they would be open to this. According to Chris Perdue — the bar manager of Trinity in Harrow — such training from the University of Westminster would be welcomed, and the venue is always looking to improve on its safety practices.
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INTRODUCING WESTMINSTER’S ROYAL LITERARY FELLOWS JACK CUMMINGS SITS DOWN WITH CAITLIN DAVIES TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHY ACADEMIC WRITING SERVICES MATTER
From newspaper editor to published author, Caitlin Davies now also offers academic writing advice at the University of Westminster
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cademic writing is tough. For most of us here at Westminster, the notion of a 10,000 word dissertation is intimidating, and for some it’s incomprehensible. According to Caitlin Davies however, who is one of the Royal Literary Fund Fellows here at Westminster, such feelings are possible to overcome.
‘‘LOOKING AT STUDENT’S DISSERTATIONS ALLOWS ME TO LEARN ABOUT THE INCREDIBLE WORK THEY’RE DOING” “One of the most rewarding things is when someone comes to me with a problem and we work out exactly what that is.” explained Caitlin, “Sometimes that can be as simple as sitting down one-on-one and finding out exactly what a dissertation is about.” Caitlin Davies is now in her third
year as a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Westminster. The scheme aims to bring established authors to higher education institutions, where they can help students with academic writing. According to the RLF website, this can range from structuring an argument, making an essay clearer or simply improving style. Founded by writer Hilary Spurling, the scheme operates on a confidential one-to-one basis, giving students access to academic writing services in an intimate setting. “Anyone could walk through the door,” explained Caitlin, “it’s a constant surprise, and that’s part of what I love about the job — as a writer I love meeting people and hearing their stories.” Born in the UK, Caitlin spent several years working as the editor of Botswana’s first tabloid newspaper. A daring and courageous journalist, she faced arrest for her coverage of socialpolitical issues. On top of this, Caitlin is also a successful writer, and has published several novels during her career. These include her 2005 memoir Place of Reeds, which was met with acclaim for its candid account of her time in Maun.
Between her rich experience as a journalist, novelist and activist, Caitlin’s appointment as a RLF Fellow offers a fantastic opportunity for Westminster students looking for academic writing advice.
“AS AUTHORS WE’VE GOT ALL THESE SKILLS. THE SCHEME ALLOWS US TO USE THOSE AND HELP STUDENTS”
“As authors we’ve got all these skills,” explained Caitlin, “the scheme allows us to use those and help students.” The service isn’t just for students who are struggling with their dissertations either. One-to-one academic sessions are hard to come by in university, and according to Caitlin a session is invaluable even for those who feel confident with their work. On top of this, the Royal Literary Fund is invaluable to the writers it
appoints as Fellows — supporting them during their tenures at universities. This is important in the difficult world of modern freelancing, and helps established authors continue their literary work. “I get so much out of doing this,” explained Caitlin, “although I trained as a journalist, I never studied the theory as many students here do. Looking at student’s dissertations allows me to learn about the incredible work they’re doing.”
You can book an appointment with the University of Westminster’s Royal Literary Fund Fellows via the Study Support page on the University’s website. Both Caitlin Davies and Ali Knight are based at the Harrow campus. Caitlin is available on Tuesdays and Ali on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
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THANKSGIVING MEALS: HOW NOT TO BREAK THE BANK
SIMPLIFIES HOLIDAY ON STUDENT BUDGET...
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hanksgiving is a family holiday and usually involves eating and drinking in equally spectacular volumes. However, if you are a student and end up spending Thanksgiving in halls or elsewhere, then cooking a meal can be hard. The traditional view of Thanksgiving comes with the vast bird that we all know is the turkey. As a student, buying a whole turkey is not very good. Firstly, turkey is premium meat that is reared in many cases, mainly to cater for the Thanksgiving or Christmas market. Secondly, as a student, where is the turkey going to go? Let’s face it, a student has no time to stuff their face with too much food and stay ill for an interminable amount of time. It just isn’t clever. So, naturally coming up with an alternative plan is called for. One can either decide to feast on smaller meat, which is just as sumptuous such as some beef, or it may be pertinent to share said turkey with one’s friends. Nevertheless, let’s go back to the beginning. Turkey is expensive and as a student who relies on loans, grants and quite possibly the odd weekend job, spending the best part of a hundred pounds or dollars on some meat is a bit much. In order to make yourself survive financially and not die from the boredom of eating turkey leftovers until you can no longer stand it, there are some ways in which you can alter
Thanksgiving dinner. IMAGE: Flickr
your meal. Firstly, you can get all your friends to chip in with different dishes instead of the cooking being thrust on your shoulders all at once. Alternatively, cook the turkey breast only; it will be enough for many.
“YOU CAN GET ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO CHIP IN WITH DIFFERENT DISHES INSTEAD OF THE COOKING BEING THRUST ON YOUR SHOULDERS ALL AT ONCE” Another idea that is possible is to be completely radical and order in some exotic food just so that things don’t end up being dull. Of course, there’s always the option of being completely lazy and simply getting yourself invited to a friend’s dinner party, which is much cheaper and better for you as a student. After all, no responsibility of any description will be on you, except being polite. In conclusion then, we can say that if you wish, as a student to have a wonderful Thanksgiving then you can. Just remember not to blow your money on things that will dent your bank balance.
WAS IT YOU? OPEN CALL FOR OYSTER CARD
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man has contacted the SU looking to reunite with his Oyster card and the people he humbly helped. It’s a little like a fractured fairytale, where Cinderella misplaces her glass slipper but was perhaps, not reunited. But in this case it is more simple – with the lost subject of the matter being an Oyster card. A little over three weeks ago, two University of Westminster students, carrying heavy shopping bags of groceries were walking back to Harrow Halls, only to find that they were walking in the wrong direction. This was pointed out by a friendly Harrow on the Hill resident named John Christian, who sympathetically, remembering his own time at university, pointed the students back on track and lent them his Oyster card to get home from the Hill’s station,
RECIPROCATES A KIND PLEA...
having agreed that the students would mail his card back to his address.
“IT’S HEARTWARMING TO SEE MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY SUPPORTING NEW STUDENTS ON CAMPUS” The problem is that John forgot to tell the students his address! “I do
not need any of the credit used to be repaid, but the cards themselves have a deposit of several pounds, so I would be glad to have it back,” said John. “If it has been lost amidst the hubbub of moving, there is no reason to replace it.” The students were both female, one with blonde-toned hair with red and might have been wearing glasses. John says that if the cards are not returned, it does not matter. “Having been helped out by others, when at university, I always used to worry that had I not said or done the right thing in response out of gratitude, the person who helped me would regret doing so,” he added. I am bothered by the idea that either had felt bad about receiving my help, given that they could not return the card ...or that I was now thinking them thieves. I thought it may be worth two minutes on the phone and an email to
remedy the situation.” Harrow’s Vice President, Dan Seamarks said: “It’s really heartwarming to see members of the local community supporting new students on campus and I’d like to extend a big thank you to John for his kind act of citizenship. It would be really great to reunite John and his Oyster card together.” If you recognise yourself as the students in this story, please do not hesitate to get in touch or return the Oyster card in person or confidentially to any Students’ Union office, the Undercroft or the Shop. You can also reach us at The QH. If we can find the students, then this tube-based Cinderella story can have its perfect end.
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FROM THE BLOGGERS VIEW
INTERVIEWS UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER STUDENTS ON THEIR SECRETS TO SUCCESSFUL BLOGGING...
CHARLOTTE RACHER
CHRISTINA BIHARI
LIFESTYLE BLOGGER FROM HUNGARY, BASED IN LONDON...
Charlotte Racher
LIFESTYLE BLOGGER FROM CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND...
QH: Can you tell us about yourself and your blog? C.R: I’m a sociable person, who’s not particularly good at much other than talking, writing and embarrassing myself - which can turn into content, so all is well. My blog is a place where people can relate, laugh and take comfort in. I was getting sick of being told what to wear, what to eat and how to get fit. I wanted to create something that people could read and think ‘ah I do that too, now I don’t feel so bad about myself.’ My life is a joke and so is my blog. QH: How exactly did you first get into blogging? C.R: I write down ideas all the time in my phone, if I’m feeling a certain way or something has happened that I feel the need to tell people about, I write it down. My next blog is on types of ‘people I hate for petty reasons,’ and of course this is something I jotted down on an early Monday morning. As a journalism student, I wanted extra practice with something that I could call my own. I’ve had a few blogs that I never publicized but as my confidence grew with my degree, I began doing it ‘properly.’
QH: What are your strengths that helped you with your blogging? C.R: I’m quite an open and honest person. I’m considered to be an agony aunt to many people, so this helped me to generate pieces, which gave advice. But the most important thing to do when blogging is to put your own personality into it, that’s what gives you your writing style and a voice to everything you write, whether it’s serious or friendly, just make it you. QH: What was your biggest mistake and what did you learn from it? C.R: I’ve had a few pieces that got very low viewing figures. You learn what works and what doesn’t, but you have to remember that it’s rare everything you do will be a huge success. And then when you write something that does well, you soon forget the others. QH: Who played a major role that got you into blogging and how? C.R: My parents greatly encouraged me to start my own blog. Starting your own blog is all about confidence and you soon learn not to care, what’s the worst that could happen?
QH: Can you talk to us about yourself and your blog? CB: I was born in Budapest, Hungary. I moved to London last year to study Fashion Merchandising. I have always had a thing for Fashion and Photography. My Dad taught me how to use different editing programs, I asked my brother to take photos of me, so I can try new effects, print the pictures. It was my hobby basically. I decided to create an Instagram and Tumblr account just to collect my works online and that’s how I started blogging. After two years my followers asked me to move to a bigger platform, write more about my life, my style. QH: What type of networking do you think is good to get more readers and keep your blog more active? C.B: Youtube, Instagram. I’ve never done videos, but I see how fast beauty bloggers grow. It’s obviously more personal, followers can actually hear you talking, it definitely strengthens your connection. QH: Can you tell our readers your proudest achievement so far? C.B: I recently started working on collaboration with an online
Christina Bihari
retailer to support equal education opportunities for young girls and women. I also got invited to Paris Fashion Week last year. QH: have you ever had any challenging moments of blogging? If yes, which one was the most difficult? C.B: What’s always challenging is finding a way to react as soon as possible. I’m talking about comments, emails here to keep that connection. I get personal messages every day, people share their stories with me and ask for advice. I don’t want to let them down. Blogging is still a hobby for me, not a full-time job and sometimes it’s hard to find the balance between work, university and personal life. QH: What part of blogging is the most frustrating and nervewrecking? C.B: Well, my blog is a mix of lifestyle, fashion and personal content. Because I don’t do videos, the only way of expressing myself is through photos and writing. So I don’t have the chance to talk about different topics in detail. My message could be taken the wrong way, or not fully understood by readers.
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LUNA AKKAD
LIFESTYLE BLOGGER FROM SYRIA, BASED IN LONDON...
Sal Fasone
SAL FASONE TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE BLOGGER FROM ITALY, BASED IN LONDON... QH: Can you talk about yourself and your blog for us? S.F: I like traveling so my videos are more like a recap of what I do and see when I travel around the world. You would find funny scenes or beautiful landscapes. Traveling is what i love to do the most so I thought, why not sharing my experiences with other people?
‘‘I WANT TO START DOING DIFFERENT VIDEOS THOUGH LIKE CHALLENGES AND VLOGS ABOUT SERIOUS TOPICS PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO’’ I want to start doing different videos though like challenges and vlogs about serious topics people can relate to. I want people to watch my videos and be like ‘hey, I’m not the only one going through this’ QH: What is your blogging style? S.F: It’s very catchy and simple. My videos are not long because I don’t want people to get bored. QH: Is it difficult to manage your
time for blogging with everything else you do? S.F: When you are passionate about something, you’ll find time to do it no matter what. QH: Who are your favourite bloggers and why ? S.F: My favorite would definitely be Joe Sugg or Casey Neistat because they’re funny and I love their honesty and openess with their viewers whether something good or bad happens. I love watching their stories, their travels, and their pranks. It’s what my videos are going to be about. One of the YouTuber’s I admire the most is Tyler Oakley. He turned his passion into a huge career. Big kudos to his collaboration with Michelle Obama on her education project in the US as well as becoming ambassador for Taco Bell Foundation. QH: What is your “blogging goal” in five years time? S.F: I know it sounds so cliché. But my first milestone at YouTube would be reaching 100k subscribers. I’m dying to receive the silver plaque. That would be a great step for me. Also, I’ve always wanted to write a book. Always - so who knows? I know this is everyone’s dream but you got to work on it right? And I really want it to happen.
QH: Can you tell us who you are and what your blog is about? L.A: My name is Luna Akkad I am 20 years old, my personal Instagram account @luna_xx. It is mainly about my ‘lifestyle’ and travel photos. QH: What type of networking do you recommend for people who want to blog or do blogging? L.A: Get in touch with other bloggers where you can collaborate and give each other shout outs. QH: How do you keep up the motivation for blogging? L.A: Taking a photo for Instagram becomes a habit once you have been doing it for a while. Recently I opened an online s t o r e : w w w. L u n a s e s s e n t i a l s . com that is @lunas.essentials on Instagram. Today this has been my current motivation, to try and get an audience that is interested in my products, which in a way reflect me; and therefore my ‘lifestyle’. At Luna’s Essentials you can find everything a Muslim Woman must have. From beautiful Hijabs, Rainbow Qurans, two piece Syrian Prayer clothes to some other essentials mainly for Muslim women. QH: What type of social media strategy do you use, in order to get more visitors to your blog? L.A: Try targeting the right
Luna Akkad
audience; those that are interested in your posts, because if they aren’t interested in your posts they will most probably stop following you soon. I also think giveaways can be a really good way to increase the number of visitors to your blog/ account etc, i have seen it work with other people which is why i will be doing a Luna’s Essentials giveaway in the near future. QH: How active are you on your blog?
“TODAY THIS HAS BEEN MY CURRENT MOTIVATION, TO TRY AND GET AN AUDIENCE THAT IS INTERESTED IN MY PRODUCTS, WHICH IN A WAY REFLECT ME; AND THEREFORE MY LIFESTYLE’’ L.A: I try to be as active on social media as I can; there are weeks where I post a photo everyday, and sometimes every other day. But I do have days where I just don’t post any photos for a week or two, however I would try to makeup for it by posting more often the following week.
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SPORT DRAGONS’ CORNER
The QH: London hosted three NFL games in October. How it’s cheerleading is different from the English one? Stephanie Malfatti, the cheerleaders’ team captain: Cheerleaders in the NFL are not usually real cheers. Most of them are pom dancers, which is still hard, but we stunt and we tumble; dance isn’t our primary function.
qh@smoke.media
T
he show has begun; the first NBA season without Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan - the future hall of famers who after more than 20 years of action count up to a total of 11 championship trophies - is underway. An interesting and unpredictable campaign; this seems to be lying ahead of all NBA fans. The Eastern Conference is less competitive. Nobody looks ready to compete with the Cavs, however things got shaken up in the off-season. Chicago could get there as they have landed 12-time NBA AllSan Antonio Spurs put on some extraordinary hoops during the season opening game against the Warriors
BASKETBALL IS BACK
SM: The biggest event in the cheer world is the World Championships which is held at Disney in April each year. It’s the highest level of Cheerleading and people come from more than 100 countries. This year our head coach Gerwain, assistant coach Leila and I will all be competing there. The QH: Not NFL games?
UNI PLAYER ASSAULTED AT A GAME BY REUBEN PINDER A University of Westminster student was reportedly assaulted in a women’s basketball match against the University of West London on Wednesday 19th October. A students’ union spokesperson told The QH: “We have a zero tolerance approach to physical intimidation and violence and this incident is very rare. An internal investigation by both students’ unions and the police is ongoing.” The incident occurred in the first match of the season for the UWSU Dragons women’s basketball team, which they won against their Varsity rivals at the Harrow Sports Hall.
@The_QH
BY OMAR SALVI
The QH: What’s the biggest cheerleading event in the world?
SM: That doesn’t mean that we don’t love the NFL and spirit cheer. American football is an amazing sport to watch and play and we can’t wait to cheer for our Dragons team this year.
/TheQHNewspaper
Kobe Bryant: 5-times NBA champion
Star Dwyane Wade who went back to his hometown. On the other hand, losing Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose to the Knicks surely won’t help. Toronto might also get their title shot if they keep playing the way showed in last season’s conference finals. The west is more open: after winning a record breaking 73 games last season, and shocking the world as much as Brexit did by getting Kevin Durant, the Warriors are everyone’s favourites. They
are the best team on paper but Russell Westbrook with his Thunder may upset them all, willing to prove that he can get his ring even without KD. So far, the NBA season tipoff was jaw dropping. Above all, the Warriors got blown 129-100 on their home court showing there are definitely problems to fix; particularly on the defensive side of the ball. San Antonio were getting easy buckets in transition. Kawhi Leonard finished the night
with a career-high 35 points. Just before, the Cleveland Cavaliers raised their championship banners and went on to annihilate the Knicks 117-88. After collecting their rings, Lebron James got his 43rd career triple-double and Kyrie Irving put up 29 points. Going back to the West, Damian Lillard led the Blazers to victory against the Utah Jazz by scoring a whopping 39 points.
DRAGONS RUGBY TEAM RECOVERS FROM THE SLUMP BY DAMIAN BURCHARDT
W
estminster’s rugby union men’s team vows to achieve good results this season and therefore leave behind the nightmares haunting the Dragons since the last campaign. The side remarkably lost the season opener 5-47 against Surrey continuing the bad streak after most of last year’s games the Dragons gave away with walkovers, being unable to field a team. The team’s chairman, Andrew Watson, claims there has been a huge effort in order to come back on the winning path. “This year we have hit the recruitment hard. With the help of two high end coaches and a strong dedication from our team to improve I feel that you will see strong season with many wins,” he says. “Our first match against Surrey was brought to us with
only one training session so to work the full 80 minutes as a team was found to be tricky. With future training and bonding as a team, the
second match against Surrey won’t be the same,” he adds. Watson also doesn’t want to blame anybody for last season’s struggles. “Last season is last
Dragons training hard at the Chiswick training ground to start winning again
season and in the past, so in order not to pin the blame on any single individuals let’s put it down to lack of recruitment.”