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15 • 4 • 2015
ISSUE 27 | FREE | UWSU.COM
RESULTS IN
University of Westminster Elections 2015
WHO DO YOU WANT TO SEE BEHIND THE DOOR?
Written by Gemma Smith The Students’ Union Elections 2015 results have been announced for the University of Westminster. This means that the new teams and Sabbatical Officers will bring fresh new initiatives to your faculty and to the university as a whole. On 26th February the results were announced in the Harrow Forum. The turnout was fantastic - the whole forum was packed with intrigued faces, all desperately waiting for the new candidates to be announced. As it stands there is an ongoing investigation into the VP Regent St & LTS position, complaints raised involved candidate harassment and intimidation, delaying the results for the time being.
National Voters Day Written by Daniel Seamarks With a General Election looming and students a pivotal playing piece for all of the main political parties, the National Union of Students (NUS) and Bite the Ballot are hoping to inspire young people to vote on National Voter Registration Day.
Voter turnout was 13.7%, and a live podcast from the event on the evening can be found on the Student radio website: www.smokeradio.co.uk
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Enterprise support for Westminster Students
The ‘Prince George Effect’ Page 4
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Fantastic FANS Sign-up today
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Book review 5 Star Rating
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My new routine at university Contributors
Sehrish Ahmed Daniel Seamarks Godwin Adebimpe Gemma Smith James Brookes Ranw Aso-Rashid
Written by Natasha Sporn In 2012, I was distraught I left school because I was just so comfortable there. I had my group of friends, I was good at my subjects (the majority of the time) and everyday I woke up knowing what was going to happen the next. It was having a routine – it is undeniably comforting. You go in, chat, learn, come home, do some homework, watch something rubbish on television and go to bed. Repeat. So on and so forth with little variation. People told me I would settle in to my new routine at university and I was reluctant to believe them after I got my place at university and officially left the sanctity
of my little school in Redbridge. The first few weeks at Westminster were interesting to say the least but by the end of the term I was really enjoying it. Second year came and went and I am pretty sure my first semester of this current academic year did not happen. Honestly, where did it go? I think I blinked and missed it. So here I am again, staring down the barrel of leaving another routine but this time I have no idea what is coming next. I think, in some ways, that is a lot scarier for students to look at and deal with than moving from school to university. I know it is for me. I am one of those who never wants to leave university but knows the time to do so is getting nearer.
part of university regardless but especially in final year. People often ask me how I deal with it but I am not sure I am in the best position to give advice. Anything I say that is going to scare the second years is a bad idea but I also am unwillingly to make it sound easy in case they hate me this time next year for ‘lying’. Truth is, you just get through it. You plod through the days of the week (which, in my case, is a grand total of two!) and you read and write the others. Bit like pre-school really. Just with more references and less sand.
So how does that make me feel? Stressed, mainly. Dealing with stress is a major
Yasmin Dahnoun Alia Haggag Abdulrahman Mohammed Photography
Natasha Sporn Editor in chief
General Election looming Continued from Page 1
National Voters Day On the day Students Unions’ around the country will be encouraging their students to sign up to the electoral register. UWSU is planning to host events at the different campuses but are awaiting council backing. NUS and Bite the Ballot hope to increase the number of student voters by 250,000. Talking about the new campaign Dom Anderson, Vice NUS President, said he hoped the move would help “ensure the
seven million students we represent across the UK through our member students’ unions are able to both get on the electoral roll and make their voices heard.” It is expected that the students, who make up just three percent of the population, could have the biggest impact on swing seats where a small majorities are held. Alex Roberston, Director of Communications for the Electoral Commission, said: “We want to make it as easy as possible for anyone who cares about the health of our democracy to get people registered to vote… and are asking people to get on board with a major
registration drive ahead of the General Election.” The campaign, running with the slogan “Do politics or politics will do you”, aims to increase the 73 percent of students who are currently registered to vote. Students can only vote once during a General Election but may be registered at both a home and university address. You can register to vote at https://www. gov.uk/register-to-vote and takes just five minutes.
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UWSU election results 2015 Continued from Page 1
UWSU President
VP Cavendish
VP Harrow
VP Marylebone
Jim Hirschmann – He has been a student rep during the duration of studies at the University of Westminster, and has always been an enthusiastic member in team societies as well as being a leading dragon for two years. Jim says that he has brought in a large number of externals on campus to inspire students, to deliver speeches and to take part in a variety of competitions. He ends his opening speech by saying: “Now I want to work for you.”
Usman Mahmood – Usman is the current VP for Cavendish and has been doing a wonderful job so far, which is why students voted him back into position. His passion of his role is evident and he has been working hard on ensuring that students are aware of employment opportunities after graduation. His work from this year and the last will continue into the next academic year. He also pledges to create more social space: “Social space is desperately needed for our campus. I will bring a social space to Cavendish where you can actually hang out.”
Otis Kirby-Dunkley – Otis is a versatile student who has immersed himself into more than one degree while studying at the University of Westminster, and so believes to have a wider understanding of what the people want at Harrow and ways of achieving this. He has a purpose of making the student shop on campus 24 hours, so students that want to stay and study during the night have access to food and drink at all times, as well as those staying in halls – a very useful and necessary implementation that took a liking among students.
Salsabil Al-Siri – Salsabill was the successful candidate for VP Marylebone and has a very strong manifesto to support this outcome. One of her main goals is to improve the disability services at the campus, as the current accommodation doesn’t suffice the current capacity. Another strong area of improvement is to broaden the food spectrum at the campus canteen; to offer students Halal and Vegetarian food to a good enough standard. To offer variety is essential in supporting students in all their needs, and having a good diet while studying is crucial to good results.
One strong aspect that stands out in Jim’s manifesto is his pledge to improve the Alumni network, as this element of hearing a voice from a graduate to inspire current students remains relatively important to inject the positivity from those that have walked in the same shoes. When something is relatable it is somewhat much more believable, and his ambition to “create TED TALK style events from graduates while providing opportunities to network and training on how best to do so” means that students will have a wider spectrum to external opportunities, making the transition of graduation to the working world much more smoother; thus more exciting.
Another avenue to Usman’s manifesto that is highlighted is his intention to enhance social media coverage during events, which is essential in the modern day. To remind students of this is important and to reinforce this idea will be very beneficial to how a student operates in a working environment – especially during events and other internal/external gatherings.
A favourable part of Otis’s manifesto is to make the Students’ Union at Harrow much more “approachable”, by opening the doors and making it less intimidating and more open to students. An extension to this is to have a contact team present in the forum, so students passing by can easily approach a member of staff with any questions and/or general enquiries. A lot of his ideas would benefit students, including student discounts on food, equipment and stationary, to account for student budgeting; something most students currently struggle with especially living so close to London!
She also pledges to focus on bullying on campus, and to work toward reducing it on a large scale. Bullying is still a major problem so by improving the communities and support systems, this can thoroughly help to cap any unwanted instances. Salsabil also wishes to introduce more “student-driven events”, so lecturers can collaborate with students on a more regular basis, to heighten event turnouts and to engage students in a more interactive way.
VP Regent St & LTS As already stated, the VP Regent St & LTS position is yet to be released, so please keep an eye out on www.uwsu.com and check your emails for any important updates. The University of Westminster Students’ Union apologises sincerely for any problems during the process. The results have integrity and this delay in the process highlight the transparency in the byelaws and the rights to conduct a thorough investigation into any judgement and/or complaints. If you have any information around incidents of harassment and intimidation please email the deputy returning officer: dro@su.westminster.ac.uk
NUS Delegate The NUS Delegates that have been chosen are as follows: Ash Chetri, Lydia Frumosu, Ammanah Lamara, Adil Yoqub. Left to Right - VP Harrow - Otis Kirby-Dunkley | VP Cavendish - Usman Mahmood | VP Marylebone - Salsabil Al-Siri | President Jim Hirschmann
Harrow Campus - Forum
Written by Gemma Smith 2nd Year Journalism Student University of Westminster Harrow Campus
Photos by Abdulrahman Mohammed
Jim Hirschmann - Winning speech
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Enterprise Support for Westminster Students The graduate employment rate is picking up. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) shows that the overall employment rate among UK and EU graduates from a full-time first degree after six months was up from 68.5% in 2013 to 70.7% in 2014, and unemployment after six months decreased from 9.1% to 7.8%. This is due in part to the economic recovery that is seeing the UK economy starting to return to precrash figures and also students becoming more aware and focused on developing their own employability skills. Despite rising figures, it is still an extremely competitive marketplace for graduates to enter and so it is vital you have developed a broad range of extracurricular skills. One skill your SU wants to support you with is developing your entrepreneurship. Not only is being entrepreneurial a vital life skill but it can help you get the job you want. Starting your own business can
create your own career where you are the boss. Or by showing potential employers that you are commercially aware and have bags of initiative, can help you get hired. Graduate recruiters want potential employees to be able to demonstrate they are entrepreneurial. Now this doesn’t mean you necessary have started your own business and are the next James Khan or Alan Sugar, it means you can show initiative, make things happen and be dynamic. Having some experience of enterprise is a really positive thing that can only enhance your future and we want to try and support you in developing these skills. Your SU is doing more work to help students who want to start their own business or students already with their own business but need help. This is why we have established Westminster Start-Up. Our first initiative is working with recent Westminster Alumni to offer students the chance to pitch for up to £50,000
UWSU Choral Society Presents Spring Concert 2015
investment into their business to a panel of investors. The first round of pitches is due to begin and will see 13 student businesses pitching for investment. We had 40 applications for this popular initiative and we are looking to run this again this year, so keep your eyes peeled and you can have the chance to pitch to some dragons. The second part of our support is offering students a route to market through the SU shop at the Cavendish Campus. So, we are offering current students a free trial period for their product to go on sale at our shops. We want you to be able to test your product and we can help you do it. We want to make our support here bespoke so, if this is something you want to take advantage of, drop us an email. We recognise that not everyone will have their business idea now whilst they are studying, some will have it a year after they graduate or 10 years down the line. However, not having a business
idea straight away shouldn’t stop you wanting to develop these skills. You can develop these skills in leadership roles in societies and sports clubs, by managing an event, doing some fundraising or getting sponsorship for a society - all amazing examples of being enterprising. We also recommend you join the fantastic Westminster Entrepreneurs Society. You will have access to a community of other like-minded people and can take advantage of the talks and contacts that the society has worked hard to develop and establish. Your SU is looking to do a lot more work with the University to offer even more support to people who want to develop enterprise skills. Keep your eye out for workshops, talks and opportunities to get mentors. If you have any questions or ideas email Tom Newman t.newman@ westminster.ac.uk
Reg for y ister ou ticke r free t at.. http ://bit . .ly/1 HlZO
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Date: Time: Venue:
Tuesday 24th March 2015 7:00pm Portland Hall, 4-12 Little Titchfield Street
All welcome Please enjoy this concert with a complimentary glass of wine.
CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS
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Gifts fit for a King The ‘Prince George Effect’
Written by James Brookes Journalism Student - Chief Reporter, Royal Central
For most people, a handful of gifts at Christmas and on one’s birthday would seem reasonable and maybe a few bigger presents if the occasion is a landmark anniversary. The idea of almost 800 gifts in one year alone, however, is almost unfathomable particularly if the recipient is less than two years old. In 2014, the future King found himself in exactly that situation. The son of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge received over 770 gifts last year, with 603 of them coming from Australia alone. The family undertook a 18-day tour of the country, alongside New Zealand, in April which marked the first official overseas visit for Prince George. Amongst the plethora of soft plush toys and piles of books were some rather more
unique gifts including a Possum skin cloak from the Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation and a polo mallet from the President of the Christchurch Polo Club. The latter will surely be useful should the young Prince follow in his father’s footsteps and take to the sport early on. Since his arrival in July 2013, the young Prince has captured the hearts of millions around the world. A quick check of Twitter will show the enthusiasm that the young Prince commands, perhaps even outstripping the media frenzy that surrounds his mother, the former Catherine Middleton and now The Duchess of Cambridge. Indeed, Prince George has fan page after fan page and accounts dedicated especially to the clothes that he wears.
harassment from the world’s paparazzi. It is a sentiment echoed by the antimonarchist movement, Republic, who released a statement on the announcement of pregnancy, saying: “From day one this baby will have their religion, career and whole life mapped out, pre-determined and scrutinised,” and that “Every child should have the chance to be head of state.” It has been a contentious issue for many years and one which spans back multiple
Some would say that the attention is cruel. That the media obsession is ridiculous and that, as a child, he should be allowed to grow up freely and without
UWSU Awards nominees
Society Committee of the Year • • • • •
Business Society Hindu Society Snowsports Society Debating Society WestMUN Society
Society Event of the Year • • • • •
WestMUN Conference 2015 Debating Society and Bar Society General Election Debate Snowsports Ski Trip Hindu Society Sewa Week Marroween
Best New Society • • • • • • • •
Yoga Society Change 1’s Life Society Feminist Society English Society Harry Potter Society Architecture Society Property Society Programming Society
Society of the Year • • • • • • • •
LGBTI Society Change 1’s Life Society WestMUN Society Law Society Business Society Snowsports Society Marrow Society Debating Society
Outstanding Contribution to the Centre for Performing Arts • • • • •
Dance Society Lauren Waugh Pálína Guðnadóttir Darcie Thompson-Fields Rhys Stephenson
generations to when The Queen and her sister, the late Princess Margaret, were both young. Doting and loving parents, The Duke and Duchess of York (who would later go on to become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) went out of their way to protect their daughters from the harsh media spotlight - even if Princess Margaret would court the attention more than her father would have liked.
The Centre for Performing Arts Event of the Year • • •
The Rocky Horror Picture Show LIVE Carol Service 2014 Alice In Wonderland @ Edinburgh Fringe
Student Journalist of the Year • • • •
Dan Seamarks Cassie Galpin Dida Alsaffar Richard Holmes
Best Presenter • • • •
Michael Lavin Jack Everitt Ranw Aso-Rashid Rhys Stephenson
Best Student Media Feature • • • • • •
Smoke Remembers Monday Morning Breakfast Session Candidate Question Time Smoke News Free Education Demo SSA Harrow: Hidden The Portrait of a UK ISIS Supporter
Outstanding Contribution to Smoke Media • • • •
George McDonagh Cassie Galpin Michael Lavin Chris Chandler
Outstanding Contribution to the Great Start Project • • • • • • •
Bonnie Jack (MAD) Hannah Khaja (SSH) Ryan Halmkan (LAW) Sohail Ismail (FST) Maryurin Santander (FST) Shahmaan Ahmed (WBS) Chloe Farrel (FABE)
Student Employee of the Year
Most Improved Team of the Year
• • • • • •
• • • • •
Stephen Rossiter Aisha Ishaq Margarita Popova Allison Hempenstall Ash Chetri Charles Katedza
SSA of the Year • • • •
SSA Cavendish SSA Harrow SSA Marylebone SSA Regent St and LTS
Course Rep of the Year • • • • • •
James Parrish Memona Younis Kenneth Kane Nikhita Anandji Tess Wagner Meryem Belkheiri
UWSU Personality of the Year • • • • •
Zak Boumlaki Van Nguyen Mahmuda Ahmed Mirina Koleva Charles Katedza
Sportsperson of the year • • • • • • •
Kwame Boateng (Boxing) Ellie Star (Netball) David Hung (Jujitsu) Riccardo Leo (Men’s Football 1st) Georgia Goonewardene (Netball) Elizabeth Anderton-Allen (Netball) Helen Bloxham (Netball)
Capoeira Cheerleading Mens Football 2nd Equestrian Mens Hockey
Captain of the Year • • • • • • •
Kit Wei (Muay Thai) Niamh Hodge (Netball 1st) Alia Haggag (Women’s Football) Megan Pewsey (Netball 2nd) Herbert Tuck (Men’s Hockey) Tenille Reid (Women’s Basketball) Maxine Luangkhoth (Women’s Tennis)
Team of the Year • • • • • •
Muay Thai Cheerleading Men’s Basketball Netball Women’s Basketball Women’s Tennis
Quintin Hogg Award To be revealed on the night! UWSU Awards Ball Wednesday April 1st 2015 Park Plaza Hotel, Victoria. 239 Vauxhall Bridge Road. SW1V 1EQ Tickets available online at uwsu.com, from Undercroft Bar and the Activities office (Regent Street, B33). Tickets on sale until 23/03/2015 Ticket price £49.00 This is a fundraising event, all profits will go to charity.
PROJECT
Would you like to help new undergraduate students settle into university life? Want to help make induction week more welcoming? Could you undertake library tours, get students up to speed with Blackboard and help them plan out their academic and social life through induction week? If so apply as a Friend of Arriving New Students (FANS) and help give new undergraduates the best induction week possible! Nima Takodra Great Start Project Manager n.takodra@westminster.ac.uk
Benefits include: • Cash reward on successful completion. • Experience which can help your employability. • Training in key transferrable skills. (two day training complete with overnight stay) • Leadership skills. • Fast track onto the Student Ambassador Scheme. • Free access to some SU events. If you are Interested in becoming a FAN please SIGN UP by Thursday 16th April 2015 by clicking the following link:
http://tinyurl.com/kydzgwz
University of Westminster Harrow Campus Cavendish Campus Marylebone Campus Regent Street Campus Little Titchfield Street & Wells Street Campus
@westminstersu
www.uwsu.com
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Fantastic Fans A great start at university is all about making friends, learning the tricks of the trade, feeling comfortable at and also about having fun! FANS (Friends of Arriving New Students) ensure this happens for new full time undergraduate students through the Great Start Project.
The Great Start Projects main aim is to deliver an excellent welcome, a welcome that helps students settle into uni life. In order to make sure that the new students receive the best possible induction, the project brings together all areas of the university – the Faculties, the Students’ Union and Corporate Services. Friend of Arriving new Students (FANS) act as the first point of contact for the new undergraduates during induction week. They show students the local area, undertake library tours, get the undergraduates up to speed with Blackboard, plan out their social life for the first week and ensure that they attend all the relevant school and academic sessions.
Previous FANS have gained key transferable skills through this role and many have said it has been a highlight of their university life, take a look at some FANS testimonials below: John Paul Diaz 3rd Year, Faculty of Science and Technology (Business Information Systems)
“Becoming FANS isn’t like university role I’ve ever taken. It all started when I gained admission to the university in 2012, I experienced the FANS programme from a student’s perspective, and knew that I had to take part on such an immersive program. Second year came and I officially became a FAN for the Great Start Project. The program focuses on a two-way lane enrichment. As FANS I was enriched in many cultural and heritage information of the university that I would not have known without any extensive digging. Becoming a FAN you have to open the possibility to a lifetime of friendship and great adventures, much like my recent encounter with a student whom I was a FAN for, we coincidentally crossed paths in the metro station in Barcelona, it was surreal and only made our holidays much more merry”
Hanna Khaja
Amber Rose Walker
Maryurin Santander Pena.
2nd Year, Faculty of Social and Historical Science (English)
2nd Year, Faculty of Media, Art and Design (Animation)
2nd year, Faculty of Science & Technology (Biomedical sciences)
“Being a FAN has been one of the most amazing experiences for me at university. You meet a variety of people from other courses in your campus, and gain transferable skills at the same time. This experience has taught me a sense of responsibility; knowing what your priorities are and being prepared for any situation thrown at you. With all the university campuses spread out across London, it is difficult to communicate with fellow students from other faculties. Becoming a FAN allows you to build new friendships, and teaches you valuable skills needed for the real world! One of the main reasons as to why I chose to take part in the FANS role was to showcase the university to the first year students. Every single student remembers starting their first day at university, your nerves kicking in and a feeling of uncertainty rushing through your head. Our perceptions of university at first were unconfirmed, until our FANS came to the rescue! They ensured that we felt comfortable and secure, right from the moment when we first stepped into the university. It is important that the next generation of students do not have a negative perception of the university, and it is our job as fellow students to do that. The training for this role isn’t the typical experience you would expect. In fact, it’s better! You’re whisked off to a really fancy hotel for one night out in the countryside in Buckinghamshire, away from all the noise and pollution of London. You spend two days learning what the role of a FAN consists of, and how you can make the experience enjoyable for you and your new students. You are taught these skills interactively rather than just sitting at a table and making notes. You play games, role-play, and participate in other fun activities as well! And when the first day of training is complete, you get to spend the evening just relaxing with the rest of the FANS. At my training session with the Regents campus, we stayed up until 11pm playing blackjack, charades and watching Sharknado 2! When the time came for me to meet the new first year students, it was interesting to communicate with them, and to hear what had attracted them to study their degree at Westminster. I was able to show the first years the various facilities offered by the university; by taking them on tours to the central London campuses and around the local area, as well as showing them how to use blackboard. One of the most memorable days with the students was taking them to Regents Park, and playing a football match against the FANS and first year students from the Cavendish and Marylebone campuses. This allowed not only the first years to mingle with students from other campuses, but also for FANS to introduce themselves to each other. Overall, I have learnt so many things from this experience. Not only have the Regents campus become friends, we’ve become a great big family! I will most definitely take part in this role again next year!”
“Being a FAN has been a really worthwhile experience for me because it is something that I wouldn’t usually choose to do as being told to speak and interact with a large number of people I have never met is really not something I would ever think of doing before this. But now I look back on the whole experience and I am really glad that I did it. Taking part allowed me to feel like I helped and made a difference to someone’s first week in Uni on our course. As a FAN I wanted to make sure that I was welcoming and that I could be the person that the first years could come to and ask any question about Uni life or the course. I think this was a good approach because me and my Fellow FAN Faysal kept in contact with them over the first two weeks to make sure everything was all okay and the first years were always comfortable to ask us things that they needed to know or just wondered about the course. This worked out well because there was always a constant flow of communication even up until now we still talk to the first years and even the rest of our year interacts with them. We see our course more as a community of creators and animators rather then set year groups of film makers. Overall I really enjoyed the whole FANS experience because being able to help and talk the first years through their first weeks at Uni made me feel like It was a way for me to pay it forward in hope that one of the first years I spoke to or helped out will be a FAN for the future first years. As my FANS were such a big help to me in my first few weeks at Uni. Even now they still help me out from time to time with questions I have and if I need a different perspective on my films, I wouldn’t just call them my FANS anymore but friends. I just want to keep the cycle of paying it forward going in the hope that future FANs can help the First years as much as mine and this year’s FANS have. I think it is important to keep that connection strong between the years and the cycle of help to keep going in the form of FANS. I would defiantly recommend other students to become FANS because it is a way of meeting and helping the years below you on your course. It is also a very good way to network with people that you could potentially work with on projects in the future. This is very helpful especially on the animation course as it is so small. Being a FAN is what helps some people interact with people they might not usually interact outside of their year group like first years”
“I highly recommend anyone to get involved in the FAN project. It is a great experience. Being a FAN has allowed me to get leadership skills but it has been a great reward to know that new students can benefit of my previous experience and the feeling that you know that they are settling fine is amazing, because being new is always a bit scary! You can make friends with other FANs and also the ‘fanettes’. We got some training before in a hotel and we stayed for a night. It was fantastic because we got the skills and planned situations before the actual meeting with them and we also got time to relax, play games and know everyone in the team of our campus, it felt like a community. What is more, it makes you feel part of the University of Westminster and proud of not only being a student. I also got support all the way through because there is a Super FAN who you can turn for help if something happens. It was fun to plan their activities for the first week and explain them how is everything done here. They could be all for study tips and tricks or for parties and other social activities… but it passed so quickly! I got some emails for gratitude and I cannot stress how great the sense of achievement was for me. I think that the decision of applying for it was very easy because I had a great FAN. I wanted to be like him since day one. It is worth mentioning too that it did not affect my settling for second year in any way because they had their first week before mine. So if you are enthusiastic, like to help others and importantly feel a connection with the university then this role is for you. You can make friends and get a variety of skills in return and a fast track access to the Ambassador scheme. So what are you waiting for? Make that application now! P.S A huge thanks to Nima, Bridget, Suzanna, Usman, Jayesh and Tom. Also all the other FANS, especially to Saeda and Miriam. It was great to be on the same team. Thank you to everyone for making me feel at ease and part of this great project.”
If you would like to become a FAN for September 2015 then now is the time to register. You can register your interest at the following link http://tinyurl com/kydzgwz by Thursday 16th April 2015. If you have any further questions you can contact Nima Takodra, Great Start Project Manager on N.Takodra westminster.ac.uk Don’t miss out on this FANtastic opportunity!
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Mega-bites Written by Ranw Aso-Rashid
The use of digital media can help you maintain optimal body health. In the months leading up to our final exam assessments in April/May, it is important to note that maintaining good dietary habits that support greater focus and m a collection of information on matters relating to student health in terms of nutrition and the importance of maintaining a healthy diet; which certainly goes a long way in supporting students in performing more positively at University.
Simple steps you can to improve health include: • • •
•
Reading food labels to determine the calorie content of foodstuffs. Drinking sufficient volumes of water on a daily basis. Use of diet monitoring apps on tablet devices/smart phones to monitor personal fitness. Consulting several website of organizations and charities that seek to provide free advice about leading a healthy diet.
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As is conveyed above, utilising your smart phones and tablets to access diet monitoring application software packages can be helpful, as they can track your calorie intake and help you control variations in your weight. This technique in terms of using technology to enhance personal wellbeing reflects a means of enhancing your own awareness of what you can do with your tablet devices and smart phones. By using technology as a means to support your resolution for improving overall bodily health, you will be less prone to feelings of hunger at times when you’d prefer to privately study and will be more energised overall. There exists a diverse array of health improvement strategies that take advantage of the functions of digital technology. By looking after your body’s health, you will find yourself in a position where you are mentally more fit which will certainly have positive effects on your mental ability to process, study and analyse information in the form of lecture content and assessment questions. This subsequently represents an opportunity for success that will support continued intellectual development, for you will be in a position to be more concentrated and self-determined.
Poland, Bauman and HMD Written by Natasha Sporn Back in 2011, I went on a school trip with my Year 12 classmates to Poland staying nights in Warsaw and later Kraków. The History/Religious Studies trip we were on had long been considered a cornerstone of my school. We had other trips - from Belgium to Barcelona - but this one stood out. This one stood out because we were going to visit places of mass destruction and devastation and, for some of us, the places family had perished. The trip wasn’t just about sightseeing the Holocaust but about education. The whole trip is etched into my brain and I shan’t think I will ever forget any detail of it but one story burns brighter in my memory than any other. The story of Janusz Korczak. Having changed his name from Henryk Goldszmit and put his medical career on the backburner, Korczak opened an orphanage for Jewish children in 1912. He envisaged a world in which children had the educational means to structure their own society and not have anything forced upon them from an early age. I believe by this he primarily meant religion - for Korczak renounced his faith from an early age. He was a man of high standing in Polish society often found presiding over court matters regarding minors as an ‘expert witness’ or writing and publishing a newspaper for children. In November 1940, the orphanage of Dom Sierot became enclosed in
School trip leaves a lasting memory the Warsaw Ghetto. Due to his social standing, Korczak was offered the chance to leave the ghetto safely but he refused for he would not leave the children he cared for. In August 1942, they came for them. The children. Korczak. He marched with the orphanage staff and nearly 200 children to Treblinka where they were killed. Janusz Korczak and his children remembered in Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw, Poland. I am a sociologist and so curiosity led me to read Zygmunt Bauman’s work Modernity and the Holocaust. It was as I read this that I realised why Korczak’s story hit me so much - summed up eloquently by these words towards the end of Bauman’s work: ‘it does not matter how many people chose moral duty over the rationality of self-preservation - what does matter is that some did’.
On Friday 1 April 2011 we visited Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau. Auschwitz itself now takes form of a museum you walk around attracted to your own private headset either channeled to a present tour guide or a pre-recorded experience. You see piles of glasses, crockery, artificial limbs and shoes in glass cabinets. The striped pyjamas hang up. Suitcases from those sent to the camp. You have the option to stand in what was once a gas chamber - a room of systematic death. Auschwitz-Birkenau was even harder. The railway track is still in tact and so we walked the length of it. In silence, passing one of the train carriages used for the transportation of human beings some years ago. At the end, from what I remember, the chambers once there have been destroyed and instead memorial plaques stand tall. This bit physically hurt: I turned around and slowly - sobbing as I went - walked out. Millions did not.. January 2015 marked 70 years since the liberation of death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau and so I thought I would share just some of my trip in order to do what Holocaust Memorial Day is, in part, all about - keeping the memory alive. But Holocaust Memorial Day is not just about the Holocaust nor is it just about Jewish people- approximately five million non-Jewish people were murdered during the Holocaust. Homosexuals, Romani
What is UOWPS? Written by Godwin Adebimpe We are a programming society whose primary aim to increase the pass rate of programming modules and make the Cavendish campus more sociable! The events you can expect from us consist of programming sessions to help aid your understanding of a variety of programming languages such as Java, C#, css, html, javascript, jQuery, c++ etc. We will also be holding a variety of competitions such as Computer science vs Software engineers, a FIFA tournament, football matches against other societies and campuses and more! Social events we hope to hold consists of a programming ball and various charity events. This society is not only aimed towards Computer science or Software engineering students but all students at the University of Westminster. This could be a great opportunity for you to learn new things and network with a variety of people who possess a diverse range of skills! Don’t forget to join our Facebook and Twitter pages to find out more! Facebook: UOW Programming Society Twitter: @UOWProgramming
people, disabled people and Jehovah Witnesses to name but a few other groups. No single life is more or less important than any other. It’s about remembering any genocidal atrocity - Bosnia, Rwanda, Cambodia and those, sadly, still ongoing. It’s remembering anybody who has been tortured and killed for nothing more than who they are. It’s about thinking of survivors and hearing their stories. Telling their stories. It’s about looking back at the past and keeping it out of our future.
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The Quintin Hogg
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Achieving personal goals I’m Ioannis Christodolou and since 2011 I have worked in the Westminster Business School teaching and researching aspects of strategic management. Jointly with my deputy Zorica Patel and a teaching team of 20 colleagues, I lead BKEY601 Strategic Perspectives, a year-long final year undergraduate module delivered to around 900 students. It is a key module, making up a significant part of their results and so it really matters that the module goes well. We rely heavily on the support of our registry, university services, and of course the active involvement of the students. For me, the Westminster Business School Professional Principles sum up the standards and behaviours that our team should bring to our task of delivering this huge module to a high standard. Being professional is different to being ‘a professional’ (although I hope that I am that too). Being professional means working towards and upholding high standards; working with others as you wish they’ll work with you. As they were created jointly by students, staff and the Student Union they are inclusive and they regularly remind me that education is a partnership - involving students, registry staff and us lecturers. It’s natural to want to feel that we all are doing the best we can; achieving our personal goals whilst supporting each other and making a contribution to the faculty and university. This is much easier
if we adopt a professional approach that would allow all the individual elements to shine along with a context that creates a synergy effect from all individuals as a team. This extends further than just study. We all like to work, rest, and play. I know from experience that employers value people who contribute more than just work-related knowledge and skills. They want those who respect and support others and the organisation they work for, as well as looking after themselves. These people bring credit to their workplace and themselves through their professionalism. Of course this is important for students wanting to take that all-important first step into their chosen career but it also applies to us faculty staff as well. We too aim to develop and to build a successful career so the Professional Principles apply just as much to us too. The Professional Principles outline how we can reasonably expect that others should behave towards us and just as important, remind us of how we should behave towards others regardless of whether we or they are teachers, students or other faculty staff. If we hold ourselves to account for our actions we can help others do the same. It can be easy to dismiss such ideas as a bit of corporate-style ‘whitewash’, stuck up on the wall whilst we all just carry on as we did before. This is not right; in an increasingly competitive and fast-changing world we all gain by improving the way we look after ourselves and others. Being professional is key part of that.
I’m Jayesh Gohil, the Vice-President of Marylebone for the Students’ Union. During my 4 years here at the University of Westminster I have been waiting a movement, not just in the way we learn and are taught but also in the way we portray ourselves as students & lecturers here this institution. This is what the Professional Principles are trying to bring. The bar is set high with the Professional Principles for both students and lecturers and it shouldn’t be dropped. The university staff, lecturers & Students’ Union have been working hard on creating and promoting these key focus points that we could target to keep the professionalism in your experience here. The Professional Principles aren’t just here for the students and staff to just comply with and forget about once they’ve finished here; it’s to remember for a lifetime. After students have graduated from Westminster, they’ll realise how important a professional outset is as they’ll be looking for much more than just qualifications and knowledge, which is why we’re trying to embed it into student and staff life from the get go. Setting foot in the University of Westminster already gives me a feeling that I’m surrounded with like-minded individuals trying to reach the same goal, to become ‘a professional’. Each and every one of us has a responsibility for our own actions, whether it is academically or socially.
This is really important for every student and staff to remember as it can set you on right path from an early stage. These Professional Principles enforce commitment and prepare you for what’s expected from both a student and staff perspective. When the year started, a lot of student’s were asking of certain things from staff, whether it be timely assessment feedback, punctuality to seminars/lectures, being more informative & even respectful. Then speaking to lecturers you can imagine what they said; students need to be punctual, give in coursework on deadlines, be respectful to staff, engage with the teaching and being responsible for their own learning. Now what we have here are two different overviews of the same issues, which can now be cleared up by the Professional Principles. Within these principles, the factors that are concentrated on are Responsibility, Engagement, Respect, Informed, Clear, Prepared, Punctual and Developing. With the help of students and staff, guidance and further promotion, we at the University of Westminster could have stepped closer to starting the professional career the we envisaged having after studies. The principles are placed in every seminar and lecture room in Marylebone with the intention of spreading across to the other campuses. So make yourself aware of these simple steps to a bright future at Westminster and beyond.
Living off the bare minimum Written by Yasmin Dahnoun Last term it wasn’t long until I was venturing further and further into the depths of my over-draft. Food, transport and going out take their toll. So there we have it. First few months as a student and I’m completely skint. On my way back to London after Christmas, I spent my coach journey planning out how this term will be different. And I’ve already learned some good money saving tips, some of you may have already discovered. But here they are: Shower with your clothes - obviously not whilst you’re wearing them. But you can wash them in the shower, it’s cost-less and quicker to do it this way. They’re easier to rinse them and you save loads of money on washing clothes. If you’re a weekly clothes washer, this could save you spending roughly £24 a month. Teabags are reusable. If you’re a big tea drinker like I am, then you can keep refilling your cup with hot water, without having to use any extra tea bags. You’ll be
surprised with what you can get out of one tea bag. Every penny counts. Beware of the reduced section. Sometimes reduced food isn’t actually that cheap, anything written on a yellow sticker almost seems to psychologically make things seem like good value. I’ve found that a lot of the time, over-priced brands that no one wants to spend their money are marked down to a more reasonable price, but by this time it’s almost gone off. So really it’s not actually that worth it, you might as well buy something for the same price, but more fresh and better value. Sometimes living two minutes away Northwick Park tube station can sometimes be slightly too tempting. But buses are much cheaper. I know they’re longer, less direct and sometimes packed, but if you avoid rush hour they can really save you a lot money. Obviously it depends on how determined you are to go into ultra-money saving mode. A final point: House parties are cheaper then clubs and bars, and you’re more likely to have more fun (personal preference).
So there we have it, some money saving tips that might not leave you dipping into the dark realms of the dreaded over-draft.
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The Quintin Hogg
News
Lolita
to feel sorry for Humbert, this man who will do anything for Lolita, a girl who manipulates his feelings to her advantage. It’s weird. I love and hate the novel and its characters. You feel angry at his paedophilia, her manipulation and yet sorry for his pain and her loss ‘of childhood’ as she says to him. BUT THE ENDING, OH MY WHAT!!! I think I actually hated her for what she does at the end. It’s been a month or so since I read this book and I still don’t know what to feel.
by Vladimir Nabokov Written by Sehrish Ahmed Genre: Fiction... but was it?
My rating: 5* I don’t think I’ve ever been so undecided about how to feel about a book. Lolita took emotionally wrecked to a completely different level. I don’t even know how to begin to review this. The novel follows Humbert Humbert’s account of his love for a girl he calls Lolita. Nabokov works wonders with his writing style and soon, you start to understand why Humbert is a hebephile. He’s attracted to young girls who he calls nymphs, something he thinks may have been caused by the death of his young childhood sweetheart. It’s almost as if he dies at that point too- in terms of his sexual progress- given that thereafter he fails to find mature females attractive. Anyway, the object of his fixation is a twelve-year old girl called Lolita. He becomes so obsessed with her, he begins to do everything he can to be near her (including marrying her mother), to protect her from boys her own age. Reading his feelings for Lolita, you realise he basically worships her. Controversial
Standing out from the crowd Standing out as a new graduate has never been tougher. Graduate jobs are hard to secure but not impossible. A new approach can help to make you shine. Having applied to more than 300 jobs, Alfred Ajani – a then-recent Coventry graduate with a 2:1 - tried a different approach. The 22 year old handed out CVs to city workers passing through a
as the book and its topics are, his love for this person is strangely beautiful at the core. The language Humbert uses to talk about her actually tug your heartstrings. But was the fancy language just a way to try and condone his acts? Nabokov really pushes one’s sense of boundaries and the role of society in shaping people’s understanding of morality and relationships. Madness. Another strange thing about the book is that Nabokov is able to almost humanise what society sees as a demonic character through his feelings for this girl. But the actual object of his love, Lolita, would supposedly be seen as the victim. Yet, as we get to know Lolita, it almost becomes the other way round: she the predator, Humbert the prey. (Did I not say this novel was confusing?) You start
busy station. He became inundated with offers from impressed executives. Alfred Ajanai felt he was not progressing after applying for over 300 jobs, following his graduation in May 2014. He woke up early to intercept city workers at a busy London station on their way to work. He held a sign saying ‘marketing graduate (BA Hons 2:1 Coventry Uni) Ask for a CV’. The approach impressed passers-by and even a company director. He was thoroughly impressed that he decided to hire the young graduate. Alfred said “The director walled past me when he saw me that morning, but later got in contact through LinkedIn”. His stunt brought him great recognition by his new colleagues who welcomed him with a special t-shirt on his first day.
I recommend this for a mature audience you probably won’t be able to put it down. It’s so compelling and awful at the same time: amazing!
He has added “The job is one I wouldn’t have got if I hadn’t gone to the station that morning, so I advice anyone out there who is in the same position I was to think of more direct ways to speak to employers” Recent statistics have shown that almost half of graduates are now in ‘non-graduate’ or progressive roles. Such jobs include bar tending and feeling a strong struggle to get the position they hoped for. Alfred always has a desire to work in advertising, after three years of studying his degree. He was losing hope after one last effort to be part of the industry.
Pitching for members The UWSU Women’s Football team are a diverse group of players who train regularly and compete in the BUCS league. We welcome players of all levels to join us. Training takes place every Monday from 6:40 to 8:40 PM at Harrow School Grounds, Watford Road, HA1 3TS (Opposite Northwick Park Hospital entrance and University of Westminster Harrow Campus). If you are interested in trying out one of our sessions or would like to find out more information email womens.football@su.westminster.ac.uk or contact us via social media. www.facebook.com/uwsuwomensfootball | www.twitter.com/uwsuwf
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