Smoke Magazine - Issue Six by Westminster SU

MAGAZINE

ISSUE SIX

EDITOR’S LETTER

Well, firstly I would like to introduce myself as the new Editor of Smoke Magazine. It is a very honourable position for me to take over, as I have always enjoyed working with my deepest, darkest passion – my written craft. I love words. Plain and simply, I think they are amazing. They reach out and touch people’s hearts and they are so powerful that it is impossible to not appreciate words on the daily. Smoke Magazine allows students across all faculties at the University of Westminster to express them selves in any way that may be. It gives students that bridge to connect with the university through their different journeys, and that is why diversity in content is so important to me as Editor-in-Chief and to the team. For that reason, in this issue we have really projected an interesting variety of features: from a congratulatory piece on all those who won awards at this years UWSU ball to a touching, cultural piece on the Lake District, we are hoping there is something for everyone. It’s important to be openminded and learn something new every day, so this venture is very exciting indeed for all of us. It’s what makes student life so interesting and fun and to be part of something bigger than our self. It truly is all of ‘our time to shine’ and give recognition to students who have so many different talents to broadcast and share. I would like to thank the team who have worked so hard on our first issue of Smoke Magazine to make it the best we can, and to creatively inspire our readership. I would also like to congratulate and wish our former VPs all the best of luck – you have all worked exceptionally well, and Smoke Magazine welcomes the new Sabbatical Officers for the academic year 2015/16. Please feel free to email the team: smokemagazine@su.westminster.ac.uk with any ideas or feedback on this issue. And now for the best part…to enjoy our content! The Smoke Magazine team:

(photos) Andy Kitchen

Find us at Smoke_Magazine on

Gemma Smith Ryan Browne Louis Alexander Andy Jones Ali Mulaga

Editor-in-Chief News Editor Sports Editor Culture Editor Art Director

g.smith3@westminster.ac.uk ryan.browne@my.westminster.ac.uk louis.alexander@my.westminster.ac.uk andyjaj13@gmail.com ali.mulaga@my.westminster.ac.uk

Cover artWhere There is You There is Passion by Maciej Jedrzejewski

http://www.maciejartist.co.uk/

Editor’s Letter

CONTENTS 4-Musical Theater presents... 6- Emmanuel has the voice 8- UWSU Awards

news

12-In Search of the Sublime 14- Ow, My Ass 20- The Three Lives of Dylan Thomas

culture

22- Top Places to Travel 24- Kassem Speaks 28- The Politics of Architecture

student living

30- Fashion Dignity 31- Fashion and politics 32- Spring Oufits with a Budget

fashion

34- Wing Chug at Westminster 36- Sun, Sport, Sausages 37-More than just Pom-poms

sports Contents

The devoted and talented members of the Musical Theatre Society have worked hard for many months towards what has resulted in an outstanding production of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s well-known musical. Cabaret is a story that follows the travels of an American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, played by Smoke TV’s own Rhys Stevenson, who was recently awarded with the National Student Television Award for Best On-Screen Male for his role as news presenter for Smoke. Cliff travels to Berlin, where he meets and quickly becomes infatuated with the English bohemian Cabaret dancer, Sally Bowles, played by Darcie Thompson-Fields. Darcie is a talented singer who has been an active member of many Centre of Performing Arts societies for the last few years, and was recently awarded for Outstanding Contribution to the CPA at the UWSU Awards Ball for her fantastic performance as Alice in the Drama Society’s performance of Alice in Wonderland at Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year. Sally the Cabaret dancer quickly talks her way into Cliff’s room, which he rents off the independent Frauline Schneider, here wonderfully interpreted by Johanna Lipponen who has skilfully mastered a German accent for the role. Johanna and Frauline Schneider’s companion, Herr Shultz, played by Tom Rich, make a great pair and provide the crowd with a lot of laughs – that is until the audience is made aware that at the same time, the Nazi Party is gaining support and influence. While Frauline Schneider fears the consequences of marrying a Jew while the Nazis are becoming more and more influential, Cliff wants Sally to abandon the Kit Kat Club for a better life in America. But Sally is not too easily ready to leave the club that has been her home away from home. The Undercroft Bar at Harrow campus was transformed into a Cabaret club for three nights, and it is great to see the Student Union’s bar being used for CPA activity. The Kit Kat Club is hosted by Emcee, in this production exuberantly interpreted by Liam McGrane, who also directed the production. But Liam is not the only one with two roles in the Musical Theatre Society. Regent campus’ new Vice President, Lauren Waugh, has not only carried the responsibilities of being president of the Society, organising its every rehearsal and making sure everything works out as it should, but also choreographed the whole show as well as taking on the role of one of the Kit Kat girls. She has therefore showed with this accomplishment what she is capable of, and it is safe to say that Regent campus is in good hands. The show was at once fantastically amusing as well as thought provoking, and in every way, very skilfully executed. The Musical Theatre Society has shown with this production that they are resourceful and it is clear that the CPA has many incredibly talented members. Hopefully their production of Cabaret is a sign of a continuing legacy in the Performing Arts at the University of Westminster. Pálína Guðnadóttir’s, 2nd year, English Literature and creative writing

News

The Musical Theatre Society presents:

C ABA RE T An exceptional and classy Cabaret production stems from the Musical Theatre Society - anything is possible, quite literally...

UWSU

ELECTION

CONTROVERSY For the 2015 Student Elections, all but Regents campus had a smooth run in their campaign, and after some time later a verdict has been reached. The results of the University of Westminster Students’ Union (UWSU) elections were announced on Thursday 26th February. The successful candidates are as follows: our President is Jim Hirschmann, the Vice President of Marylebone campus is Salsabil Al-Siri, Vice President of Cavendish campus is Usman Mahmood, Vice President of Harrow is Otis Kirby-Dunkley, and now Regent Street’s Vice President is Lauren Waugh. Miss Waugh’s success had been a delayed one, due to the investigation into misconduct from candidates involved in the Regent Street campus’ election. This year many students have been both perplexed and frustrated at the conduct of the UWSU elections. In the past, elections have been the subject of controversy: the former President Kaled Mimouni had been disqualified as a candidate for a breach of election rules (although he was acquitted of these allegations and has served two terms). This year, two candidates - Khalid Elmagbari and Omar Ibrahim - have been disqualified from the elections for behaviour. The Returning Officer stated that misconduct had clearly occurred, including the ‘alleged recording of election endorsements for Khalid Elmagbari by Muaz Mahmood (sic), the current VP of Regents and LTS (Little Titchfield Street), at Friday Prayers’. In addition to this, a member of the Islamic Society provided an endorsement of a candidate purely because ‘we as a Muslim community need him,’ something criticised by many as violating both election rules and the university’s status as a secular institution. In the grilling of the candidates for each campus, the Regent Street campus’ section of the evening was the most disruptive of them all. All of the other campuses’ Q&As seemed to

proceed normally; Regent Street’s on the other hand was rife with insults passed from the two now disqualified candidates the only two candidates not causing a stir were Lauren Waugh (our newly elected Vice President of Regent Street) and Imran Sanaullah. The new Sabbatical Officers (albeit Mr Mahmood was re-elected) have included promises ranging from the accountability of those elected to investing seriously in social spaces for students (particularly focusing on the need for a social space in Central London, where the Regent Street, Marylebone and Cavendish campuses are situated - the only student bar currently in existence is in the Harrow campus). Otis Kirby-Dunkley has promised 24-hour studio access for art students, something which was promised by his predecessor, Rianne Gordon. Mr Hirschmann has promised to deliver increased SU transparency, including the possibility of the publication of financial spending, monthly progress updates and a calendar of society events so that goings-on in the SU become more accessible. Mr Mahmood has emphasised the importance of course related societies and events to encourage students to engage further with their course outside the strictly academic environment. Miss Al-Siri’s main priority is utilising Floor P3 in the Marylebone building for the Students’ Union and students, and the implementation of an SU shop. One of Miss Waugh’s major policies is to introduce Careers Fairs tailored to students and their courses to enable greater employability. All of their manifestoes can be found on the UWSU website (http://www.uwsu.com). Written by Ryan Browne, second year, BA English Literature

News

Emmanuel Nwamadi has The Voice University of Westmister music student sings his way into the final of one of the UK’s most prized singing competitions. 6

News

hird year music student Emmanuel Nwamadi stunned audiences with his first live audition for The Voice, with judge Ricky Wilson (lead vocalist for The Kaiser Chiefs) being the only one to press his button and, consequently, have the 23-year-old join his team. Born in Nigeria, Nwamadi noted that he came to Britain when he was 8, and that his dad ‘had the Spice Girls album’, implying the odd origins of what was going to become a hugely successful soul act. Another of the show’s judges, pop singer Rita Ora, mouthed ‘he’s good’ to the other judges whilst he was performing, and the other judges recognised his talent: Veteran pop artist and fellow judge Tom declared at the end of the performance that ‘you deserve to be on this show.’ All four were surprised at Emmanuel’s natural baritone speaking-voice, in contrast to his diverse, brighter singing voice. From the start, Wilson (acting as his coach throughout the competition) said ‘the weirdest thing is...we just had a guy come out and he was exactly what I was looking for...he was good looking, sang a pop song, he was great...and then you come (sic) on...and I was like, that’s what I should have been thinking about all along. Why have I been thinking about this stupid game when people like that are out there singing like that?’ Nwamadi soared through the competition, winning the hearts of both the judges and the general public. Singing Otis Redding’s ‘I’ve Been Loving You Too Long’, he yet again astonished his coach with the versatility of his voice and its application to the song. After his knockout performance, he was the first of the team to be sent through to the quarterfinal. Nwamadi fought on through the semi-finals, winning a spot alongside the show’s finalists: Sasha Simone, Lucy O’Byrne and Stevie McCrorie. He sang Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ and, with Wilson, gave a duet performance of Seal’s ‘Crazy’. The singer’s voice has sometimes been compared with the latter for its melodic range and falsetto. However many have commented on his originality, including his coach: Wilson said he has ‘the grace and voice of an angel...he has a gift.’ Jones said that he thought Nwamadi

was bringing ‘something new’ to the table, and that he had ‘a rich voice, strong and powerful’. Hip-Hop artist Will-I-Am, another judge, commented that ‘I had a feeling you are going to go very far in your career’. He has been studying BA Music Performance at Westminster whilst competing on the show, and said that the university had been good to him: ‘my university have been so supportive and said, ‘Emmanuel, do this - you can worry about the work later’, in which he replied, ‘I’m so grateful’. Speaking on London Live, he has spoken of how studying at Westminster has helped him prepare for the show as well, noting that his subject stresses performance and the critical evaluation of performances in order to better himself as both a musician and as a performing artist. The topic of ‘shyness’ also cropped up, to which he said ‘It’s music. I love performing but when it comes to talking and stuff like that, I tend to get really nervous.’ Many have been critical of the show for its hypocrisy of paying too much attention to such things as ‘confidence and social skills’ rather than the things which obviously ought to matter the most - the titular ‘voice’. Stevie McCrorie ended up winning the show, which according to reviewers, ‘Is a shame as we will probably never hear from him again.’ Commenters have reflected that, although the loudest and most ostentatious performers tend to win, their success tends not to be reflected in the charts. Stevie McCrorie’s debut single - a cover of Adam Levine’s ‘Lost Stars’ - slipped out of the UK Top 40 in late April. But perhaps this can be viewed as good news for Nwamadi, whose personal endeavours include his solo act and his Indie band ‘Vintage Soul’ (who describe themselves as a blend of soul and rock); both have performed at Westminster on Open Mic Nights and the Variety Show. He also came back to university whilst still in the competition for a solo performance of his audition song, Sade’s ‘The Sweetest Taboo’.

On the subject of not winning the competition the singersongwriter said ‘I know I didn't win but I feel what happened was meant to be, and there's something else out there for me...a lot of you are asking if I’ll carry on singing: I have even more reasons to carry on singing.’ He has confirmed that he will be writing music, and that we can expect an EP to be released. He has commented on how grateful he is to Westminster students who have endlessly supported him, and to the university itself, which has enabled him to have the confidence to do what he has done. Written by Ryan Browne, second year, BA English Literature

News

The annual University of Westminster Student’s Union (UWSU) Awards Ball was celebrated by Westminster students; on 1st April at the Park Plaza Hotel in Victoria. A massive five star establishment, the venue served as an excellent choice to hold the ceremony and congratulate students on their various successes in the Students’ Union. Entering into a grand hallway, they were served preliminary refreshments and provided with mingling time before going on to enter into an even grander hall, in which the awards ceremony would begin. Presenting the awards to students were some fresh faces in the SU (although many were recognisable from their past work in School Student Associations and societies): Jim Hirschman (newly elected UWSU President), Salsabil Sila, (new Vice President of Marylebone campus), Usman Mahmoud (re-elected Vice President of Cavendish campus) and Otis Zack Kirby-Dunkley (new Vice President of Harrow campus). After some arduous election campaigning, the four sabbatical officers were more than happy to let their hair down on the night. The President commented on how impressed with the evening he was: ‘It has been a great evening’. In addition to presenting, he also received an award alongside the Bar Society for the collaborative event with the Debating Society, of which Jim had been President for two years. Another presenter was Rob Tidey who had a few words to say on the success of the Students’ Union overall. They have had a record number of new societies (up by 40%) and applications for societies this year: there are now 123 registered societies on the list (though a small handful are either inactive or disbanded - regardless, a remarkable achievement). Another well-known face of the SU included Tom Newman, who contributes to the UWSU website and works in the SU as Activities Manager. He gave out awards alongside Andita Santoso - the Societies Coordinator - for Committee of the Year, Society Event of the Year, Best New Society, Society of the Year, Outstanding Contribution to the CPA (Centre for Performing Arts), and CPA Event of the Year. The Committee of the Year went to the Westminster Model United Nations society who hosted the hugely successful Westminster Model United Nations conference earlier this year. They were beaten

(Photos) Shofar Photography

Students celebrate achievements at the UWSU Awards As the academic year comes to a close, UWSU staff presetnt awards to students in honor of the past year

however by the aforementioned General Election Debate hosted by the Debating and Bar Society. The English Society were awarded the Best New Society for their tremendous efforts in firmly establishing a society for English students and unifying students from all various disciplines within the English department. And the Marrow Society won the Society of the Year award for their incredible charitable work; another society awarded for charitable work included the Change 1’s Life Society, who was given the Special Recognition Prize. The CPA awards were given to Darcie Thompson-Fields and Rhys Stephenson: Thompson-Fields won both Outstanding Contribution and CPA Event of the Year (with the Drama Society’s production of Alice in Wonderland at the Edinburgh Fringe). Stephenson - who was commended for his recognition as best male presenter National Student Television Awards (NaSTA) - won the latter award alongside Thompson-Fields. The pair presenting the awards for Smoke Media consisted of Tom Owen (Smoke TV Manager) and Holly Seabrook (Communications Manager). The winner of Best Presenter was Michael Lavin (from Smoke Radio) and the Student Journalist of the Year was Cassie Galpin, whose in-depth investigative journalism throughout the year has been described as some of the finest Smoke Media that they have ever seen. The Best Student Media Feature went to a story published by this magazine: ‘The Portrait of UK ISIS Supporter’ by Richard Holmes. Conducting an interview with the controversial extremist speaker Anjem Choudhary, Holmes dissected the man behind the media projection exceptionally. George McDonagh was awarded with the Outstanding Contribution to Smoke Media award, who is the station manager of Smoke Radio. Usman Mahmoud and Sarah Parsons presented the awards for student accomplishments. Winning the award for Outstanding Contribution to The Great Start Project was Shahmaan Ahmed who was described as ‘going above and beyond’ in his efforts to ease students into student life. The Student Employee of the Year was Margarita ‘Maggie’ Popova: Parsons said that ‘if anyone knows Maggie, you will know her professionalism...she is hard working and

reliable, and an advocate of the SU’. When the award for best School Student Association (SSA) cropped up, Mahmoud jokingly remarked ‘am I hearing Cavendish?’ Ironically, the award for SSA of the Year went to the Harrow team, who have worked on a variety of campaigns. The Course Rep of the Year was Memoma Younis, and the UWSU Personality of the Year award went to Charles Katedza, who has been to ‘nearly every Monday Madness in the bar, nearly every single event we do...I think all the staff will agree with me that when this person is in the room, they light the room up.’ Katedza also provided the music entertainment for the rest of the evening, being a DJ himself. The wonderful Salsabil Sila and Jim Hirschmann presented the awards for student involvement in the UWSU Dragons sports and sports teams. Winning Sports Person of the Year was Kwame Boateng (Boxing), who ‘has been an integral part of the boxing club, as well as representing the university at a national level’. And ‘from the relative obscurity of last year,’ the Men’s Hockey club was awarded Most Improved Team of Year, for showing ‘impeccable dedication’. Winning Captain of the Year was Tenille Reid (Women’s Basketball) who ‘guided the team to a great finish’, and Men’s Basketball was awarded the penultimate award of the night, Team of the Year; Zack Kirby-Dunkley, Harrow’s new VP, stood with fellow basketball players to collect this award. And finally, the winner for the much-anticipated Quintin Hogg Award went to both Kirby-Dunkley and Niamh Hodge. Hodge ‘boasts the incredible record of not losing a single league game here, securing three league promotions in her three years as a student’. Kirby-Dunkley was described as a ‘people’s person,’ who, although ‘shy’ at first, stepped up as a big contributor to sports and the SU as a whole. The evening was concluded with entertainment from the aforementioned DJ, Charles Katedza, and proved to be a wonderful night for students to brush off some of the stress of their upcoming deadlines and exams with some champagne, wine and dancing until 1am when the venue closed. Written by Ryan Browne, second year, BA English Lit

News

(photo) Yasmin Laggoune

in loving memory of a westminster student, oliver douglas It is during those times that we least expect when life can completely shock us, stunt us, and move us in the most fragmented of ways… 10

News

If anyone was to ask us, who was the most memorable person at The University of Westminster the first name that would pop into our heads would be Oliver Douglas and I know we’re not alone in thinking this. Olly was extraordinarily bright and he loved sharing his enthusiasm for life. His passion for learning and his curiosity about the world made him someone who you could sit and listen to for hours. He could fill any room with conversation and laughter. Olly dreamed bigger than most and pushed unbelievably hard to get to where he wanted. At times it seemed like he had his life mapped out. Olly was extremely talented but his most stand-out quality was how he made an instant impact on people’s lives. He never judged people and could engage with most. From the old man sitting with a pint and a paper at the local pub he had wherever he was living at the time, to the dark haired beauty who caught his eye on the train journey home. He was someone who people naturally warmed to. It’s probably why he did so well studying journalism; his way with words, his sharp ears, his caring nature and his warm heart would make you want to open up your soul to him. Olly didn’t have mediocre relationships with people he had people who adored him and friends who forever will. He was a friend you could rely on without having to tell him you needed him. Despite knowing that Olly suffered from anxiety and had moments where he felt low, his cheekiness and unlimited kindness masked the demons he was fighting and made us feel secure that our best friend would always be here. Even though Olly had a beautiful depth, he had such sweet innocence too. He found animal videos on YouTube hysterically funny and enjoyed snapping pictures of people in the library using #creepylibrarycam on his Instagram. As a larger than life character, Olly never shied away from drinking red stripes with you or for the classier nights a bottle of champagne. Yet, his body always seemed to be on clockwork to an 11:30pm curfew. For Olly’s many friends, “alrightttt matee” will be remembered as his signature saying. His hugs will be the squeeziest ones we will ever have, his scrunched up nose laugh will be remembered for its overwhelming infectiousness, and we will forever remember how precious he made our lives. Written by alumni Yas and Shell.

Petsa Kaffens, visiting lecturer for Fashion Journalism and Magazine Design, and Journalism at University of Westminster was very deeply saddened also: “Olly was very special-he was the kind of student that lit up a room with his presence. He was inquisitive, helpful, sweet, annoying, funny, hard working and all of us who knew him and taught him were very fond of him. I taught him in Year Two when he was Editor of his magazine project: he was passionate about all aspects of the project, which was mirrored in the loyalty and productivity he instilled in his team. There’s a line in Blade Runner the movie that reminds me of Olly: “The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long".

University of Westminster Harrow Campus Cavendish Campus Marylebone Campus Regent Campus Little TitchďŹ eld Street & Wells Street Campus

@westminstersu

in search of the sublime An extraordinary piece that highlights the highs and lows of travelling as a student to it’s fullest capacity.

Newcastle at half past nine in the evening. Russell, a good friend of mine, was waiting at the bus depot in his dirty work overalls and a bandana. He looked like Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid franchise if he had retired from espionage and taken up beer guzzling. Every year Russell liked to celebrate his birthday, in the chilly old month of March, with a little gathering – the idea was simple; bring your camping gear and have a damn good time. Attempts to acquire narcotics, however, reeked of bad luck and bad timing but, as Russell always used to say, “I don’t need to rely on substances to have a good time”. Not only that but many of the numbers had dropped out but I was happy to be there regardless, and I knew that we could have just as much fun with beer and liquor, which arrived in

Culture

we purchased, and the special cigarettes we intended to smoke. After a quick stop at Morrison’s, we headed to Russ’ new place of residence; a caravan site in a beautiful rural area a few miles north of Newcastle. I was astonished at the adequacy of it. It was more spacious, more luxurious and better equipped than the majority of London flats and the rent was half the price. The water was cleaner and the air fresher than the CO2 contaminated air of the “Big Smoke” that squeezes and brutalises the lungs. I was eager to return to the Lake District the following morning. It was exactly a year since the last time I had been and I had found the experience to be a total reconfiguration of my psycho-physiological well being. The fresh valley air, the company and the liberation of endorphins that were bound to a reconnection with nature had cleansed my mind and body of the anxieties and tribulations of modern city life. The lakes were William Wordsworth country, his birthplace, his muse, the forger of his identity and the landscape that served as an inspiration to the spawning of the Romantic Age. It is where both he, and I, encountered the rapturous euphoria of the sublime; an emotional concept that, in Kantian terms, is experienced in the individual when they are presented with an object of unquantifiable beauty, monolithic presence or formless infinity. Whether the evocation of such an experience is via aesthetic means or through the means of conscious comprehension, the individual feels small compared to the object thus, almost cathartically, they expand their awareness of their own insignificance, their own mortality and the magnificence of the universe. “What time are we picking Trev up?” I asked Russ. Trev – or Trippy Trev as he is known in many parts of the world – is, by far, an experience within himself. He is the living embodiment of Hedonism who prides himself on having led such a “spiritually wealthy” life. An orphan from Durham Trev had quite literally seen it all. He travelled Europe in a VW camper van in the 1970s, had a special relationship with the guitarist John Martyn, toured with The Jam in the 80s, learnt Cossack dancing in Ukraine, Thai boxing in Thailand, ran falafel stands at Glastonbury and he smoked with Michael Eavis, inherited thousands and lost thousands, earned thousands and squandered them too and he had done a great deal of it in a haze of psychedelic induced spirituality that was fuelled on uppers, downers and liquor. If anyone knew the meaning of the sublime it was Trippy Trev. We picked up the middle aged lunatic from Darlington at 11:30am and set off. On the drive into Cumbria I was already getting these sublime notions. The hills, the mountains, the lakes and the forests that surrounded our journey had me speechless. We arrived in Stonethwaite campsite in mid afternoon and the sun was still blazing superbly as it peaked over the west side of the huge valley. That scene, in the heart of such a great valley, is truly breathtaking. It feels like standing in a huge room whose ceiling and walls are a glorious canvas. You feel like a child again, your imagination sprinting at 100mph but your soul is tranquil as you breathe in the clean air, hear the moaning of sheep, the singing of birds while the giant, craggy hills and mountains surround and protect you from the outside world. That night, around a roaring fire, we drank and let ourselves go a little bit. It reminded me of David Copperfield when David’s aunt says: “if nothing worse than ale happens to us, we are well off’. I think what she meant was simple pleasures are often the best. On the first night Trev did his Cossack dancing, Russ and I contested one another with our knowledge of Wing Chun (I was chuffed to find he was a little rusty), being totally arseholed I walked into the sights of Russ’ air rifle twice and almost paid the price and everyone laughed. Boy did we laugh that night.

(photos) Andy Jones

The next day we ventured up the river to the waterfalls. I wanted to venture a few miles further to where the falls were huge but everyone else wanted to go back to camp to drink some more. Back at camp we cooked sausages in beer, which is a little different. Let me tell you there is nothing like food that’s cooked on a campfire (in beer). I ate four sausage butties like a bloody animal. Later that evening, Andy and I smoked a joint and sat drinking gin, listening to Paolo Nutini, while he told me about his studies in bushcraft and his dream of living in the mountains after his operation. “The thing is,” he said, “I absolutely hate society mate.” We both looked up to the sky. I had completely forgotten about them; the stars, here the sky is full of them. In the lakes there is no light pollution so the night sky looks like what it is; endless universe. It’s a sight that words struggle to describe. This was the pinnacle of my experience of the sublime. I began to tell everyone about how my motivation in life in London was to make money. Sure I enjoy my course – I have fun, I have goals and aspirations that I want to fulfil but in the end it’s always about making money. And others who rush around, day after day, as though they don’t have a moment to live because they need to make money, surround me. And I hate it. Trev turned to me and, like some battle ravaged Tim Leary with gin on his breath, said “life is called life because you live it. We were never meant to exist it”. The next day, before we left, we stopped off at Keswick a gorgeous town and huge tourist attraction of the Lake District. There we were battered, bruised, dirty, and ruthlessly ill, clomping through the town getting strange looks from everyone. I wanted a ‘hair of the dog’ so we found one of the many pubs at Keswick and stepped in. The pub fell instantly silent and many middle and upper class toffs turned to see this sorry sight. Their conversations had quieted to a hum and we had all noticed. None of us said a word. We sat down at a table, trying to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible. But suddenly I saw a

look on Russ’ face. It was a face I knew too well… “Lads!” he shouted, “To the Woods!” and raised his pint high for all to see. And we all followed suit. And in that display of shear camaraderie the atmosphere was ours. In Darlington we dropped Trev off. He gave me a huge hug and told me not to leave it so long next time. He walked away waving and blowing kisses. “That man does not give a solitary breath on what people think of him,” said Russ as we watched this force of freakish nature rambling down the street. That weekend I think we did William Wordsworth proud. The monolithic presence of the mountains and the formless infinity of the night sky had all evoked that strange emotion that he so often spoke of in his poetry. But the unquantifiable beauty undoubtedly came from beautiful human beings who shared the experience. Before I left for London Russ told me about a few different money making schemes he’d been working on and it made me think; we’re all in this godforsaken race together. It doesn’t have to be dog-eat-dog. The trick is to spend that money on good times, building bonds, getting out of your comfort zone, expanding consciousness, always meeting new people and chasing new experiences. ‘Pleasures kept simple and fucks given kept minimal.’ So if you’re looking for a cheap break from the monotony of your studies, if you’re willing to learn how to build and stoke a fire, if you don’t mind getting a little dirty, a little closer to nature, if you want a change of scenery then scenery is certainly what you’ll find at the Lake District. Away from the hustle of the city you can rock climb, kayak, explore caves, and rent quad bikes, abseil, sail, swim and lots more. Or you can just sit around a campfire and get merry with good people. Whatever floats your boat… Written by Andy Jones, second year, BA English Literature

Culture

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I saw him rolling down, hitting a car, and then the board came back and hit him. He kicked himself in the ass.” This was the first thing Maciej “MJ” Jedrzejewski told me about the night he skated around London all night. He’s talking about his friend, Med, who took the invitation to ‘dress weird’ pretty seriously. The story itself is funny already. The clam bra, the funky sunglasses and board shorts make it priceless. It’s one of the last nights of summer, around August, and to show his friends from home around the city, MJ wanted to do something “cool and spontaneous.” For these guys, skating around goes hand in hand with both traveling and being reunited. When MJ went to visit them his home country of Poland, they gave him the grand tour. “I left when I was young, so some of the cities I’ve never seen,” he said. “It was a different experience because I skated it. It’s just cooler because you get to see places that are not really touristic.” Once his friends made it to London, it was time to repay the favour. He called up some friends, including television student Abdul Salih, and by 1am everyone was dressed accordingly and ready to go. “In the beginning MJ was like “yeah me and my friends are gonna go out for a skate, do you wanna join us? Cool, if not, that’s fine,” Abdul recalls. “Then I was like ‘What if I brought a camera? I could film that’”. He mentioned that his friend is from a film school in Poland: “I thought that’d be a sick collaboration.” His intuition was right, and out of it came ‘Skate to Sunrise’, a seven-minute video that was both exquisitely shot and generally superb. The bra was even better than I imagined. “I was surprised so many people agreed to do it, ‘cause it’s all night and skating can get tiring,” MJ said. He may have been surprised people were up for it, but I certainly wasn’t — these are the kinds of things that so many people want to do but haven’t for whatever (probably lame) reason. I had the same idea once, skating around London all night. It never happened. It takes a certain kind of mind-set to have any sort of thought and actually act on it. The fact that it was MJ who not only thought of the event, but gathered friends to partake is hardly shocking. He’s an artist, graduating from Greenwich University in July, and works very much like he lives: spontaneously, and mostly at night. “Spontaneous acts are important because they expose your mind to new things,” he explains. “Creatives need their minds to stay fresh and inspired. We tend to create more interesting things when we don’t think too much about what we do. The general effect would be something you will love yourself for later because it meant that you have lived. Lived freely beyond rules. If you’re spending your life like that, it’s not going to be hard for you to organise something because you’re going to have the will.” Like everything, skating to sunrise started as an idea, nothing tangible or profound, just something that could happen and might be pretty cool. But after a few hours and a couple phone calls a group of about ten skaters— dressed in capes and ponchos, sunglasses and Santa hats, wool nightgowns and clam bras— found themselves in Camden at one in the morning. There were no expectations, no maps, no endpoint, and only one rule: skate until you see the sun. Skaters especially seem to have the opportunity to discover places, new or familiar, in a way completely different to typical tourism. It’s more authentic than a guided trip, more fun than walking, and more convenient to take around the world than a bike. It’s the perfect tool, the Christopher Columbus of transportation, and a lot of it involves getting lost. “I love being lost,” MJ said. “You just discover things. When you don’t expect something and you just discover it, it’s so much nicer. I think change and seeing new things is healthy. To be active, not going into the slip of doing the same things and exposing yourself to something new. I think that’s the problem with people, they become ignorant, don’t open their minds, don’t learn to keep opening their minds and their eyes and having wider horizons.” There’s also something liberating about pedalling around— the momentary lack of balance when your foot comes off the ground, the speed, and the breeze it provides. It combines the unadulterated freedom and just wanting to see a little more, go a little farther. It’s probably safe to say that any skater worth their wheels has a good story about that exact feeling. “I came out in the night thinking I want to go for a swim in the sea, I’m going to skate there,” Abdul said about his trip last year to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. “I ended up skating the whole island. The best part is, you can do it barefoot and topless and no one gives a damn.” Things not going to plan is a recurring theme with the two, but for them the means

i was down the hill and he was skating behind me.

Culture

(Left) Janette Fauvism, Maciej Jedrezejewski (right) Jacob Alexander Koziel (bottom) Abdulrahman Salih (QR Code) ‘Skate to Snrise’ video

“ow, my ass”:

A lesson in spontaneity After hearing from my friend Abdul about this legendary skate trip for the past year, I finally got to meet the person who made it happen. At first my expectation was a tale of epic proportions. I got that, and along with it a lesson on living creatively from someone’s who’s obviously mastered the art.

Culture

(top and bottom) Jacob Alexander Koziel (middle) Abdulrahman Salih

outweigh the ends every time. “Thought we were going to Shoreditch at first,” Abdul told me. The trip ended in Waterloo. I figured he was just confused, but apparently that was the aim and poor directional skills were probably to blame. But no harm, no foul. “It’s very important to go a bit outside the box. If you want what you want you have to work hard for it,” stressed MJ. Considering they began in Camden, got lost, and ended up on Waterloo Hanging Bridge just as the sun started to rise at 5:40am, they worked beyond hard for it. They didn’t end up where they expected, but the struggle was still worth it, and they were right on time. “It was so beautiful that when that happened. I was so amazed by it. This is what I envisioned, and I made it happen.” MJ wasn’t just referring to that sunrise, but everything that led up to it too. So they ended up in south London, not east. So Abdul got an insanely rad video out of it. In the end, those are both products. It’s the story behind it that matters, the four hours and ten minutes spent not knowing where to go next or what there would be to see, the cramps, the personal and professional collaboration. In MJ’s words: “You need to live life, you need to do it sometimes just for the sake of doing it.” In Abdul’s: “We’re young… and we can.” At the end of their story, MJ mentions another experience in Waterloo, appreciating some street art and meeting the artist. “He told us that he maybe he doesn’t make that much money, but he just needs to do what he loves. When you meet people like that you believe that basically the trip to happiness is doing what you love. You have to shake up the world sometimes.” It’s kind of funny, or maybe it’s poetic justice, but the whole time listening to them I was thinking the exact same thing. Written by Ali Mulaga, second year, BA Journalism

Culture

the reckoning Second year BA Commercial Music student, Louis Alexander, releases his second mix-tape called the ‘The Reckoning’ that aims to inspire listeners and to learn from his journey.

8ture, one of the University of Westminster’s very own artistic talents, is about to have his hard work paid off with the release of his brand new EP ‘The Reckoning’ set for release on the 2nd of June. N8ture is a Hip-Hop artist who has been contending with the volatile ups and downs of the music industry for some time now and I doubt that it is about to change. Studying for his music degree N8ture has been relentlessly working on his new EP with producer Ethan Hill to craft and develop his own personal sound to accentuate the raw, evocative lyrics that undoubtely ascend from the passion and urgency that N8ture possesses. The EP is sure to reflect the drive that this young, aspiring musician has, an energy that has sent him before Hip-Hop artists such as Kano and Lethal Bizzle, earning valuable advice on the current state of the tempestuous music industry. In his own words, N8ture believes that “the music industry is more challenging than ever before”. Although it’s easier to get music out there to be heard and grow a fan base, there is much more competition these days.” Seems like sound advice if you ask me. But a huge concern for N8ture is the extent to which the music of today has become commoditised and used as a dull money making product for dull consumers as opposed to an expression of powerful, artistic and emotional human qualities. “There is a huge expectation and pressure of wanting more, as music is way too consumed these days,” says N8ture, “My new

mix-tape...will display Hip-Hop records with a story and a strong message behind it.” If that isn’t an incentive to get your hands on N8ture’s new EP I’m not sure what is. N8ture has combined his skills and talents, which include lyricism, beat boxing, free style rapping, and singing, to create his own sound. This is an arduous journey for any musician, which I’m sure pays off especially for those who wish to make a difference like N8ture. His inspirations include Kano, Eminem, Ludacris and Nas (to name just a few) giving you an idea of the direction his music has taken. He has performed in Germany, Spain as well as many gigs all over London supporting Wretch 32 at Pacha. In his performances he combines a confident professional attitude with a youthful, exciting and connective persona that engages and grasps the audience. The turn out and support that N8ture received for his Pacha gig was remarkable. You can follow N8ture on social media sites by looking up N8ture on Facebook where he will be posting about his upcoming shows and you can access his music via Soundcloud.com/officialn8ture and on n8ture.bandcamp. com The EP is going to be released on 2nd of June in hard copy and it can be downloaded from all online retailers including iTunes and Amazon. N8ture certainly has a bright future ahead of him and he is certainly one to look out for at the University of Westminster. Written by Andy Jones, second year, BA English Literature

Culture

THE MAN GENERATION

Many conversations are being held across the student community about today, tomorrow, maybe the next day, and how we are all expected to succeed and pull through to the brighter side.

Culture

H ATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE? What is this strange time we live in? Each day I toil with radical ideas and possible solutions to the conundrum of understanding this anxious, apathetic and claustrophobic period in British culture. I live in a house of four students and all of us resemble the above adjectives. Our days are spent huddled together in our poorly insulated living room beneath a tattered poster of Bob Marley and above sticky, filth ridden floorboards overwhelmed by empty Dominos boxes, wet towels, scrunched up clothes, empty beer cans, empty sealed bags, greasy plates and broken dreams. Or at least dreams that are limping. Scattered indiscriminately about various rooms are books of poetry, philosophy, music law, psychology, there’s a biography of Orson Welles and four diﬀerent books on music theory but we kill, nay, butcher time inadvertently via games of Fifa. I seem to constantly look at the situation from inside myself, somewhere, watching as we gloat and goad one another or scream profanities at the top of our voices when we’re being beaten by some other sad bastard online. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a constant zealous display of ball control and perseverance, there are periods when there’ll be a Clash of Clans break or five minutes to read the five or six new posts that have been uploaded to Facebook since the last time it was checked. But it won’t be long until one of us is sick of Fifa’s monotonous soundtrack, let out a sigh and utter those famous words; “you want a game of Fifa?” There are other phrases and sentences that dominate the repetitive directions our lives take in this chilly, mice-infested home on the edge of Tottenham. “Someone skin up” being highly popular and, my personal favourite, “I really need a piss but I CAN’T be arsed!” Yes, ours has been called “the generation that just can’t get its shit together” and we are undoubtedly the cream of the crop. I have heard convincing accounts from those of our generation, who take trips around the globe; achieving spiritual cognizance and inner self-confidence and ears bleed with envy for there are those who remain. But let’s get to the heart of what ‘They’ are talking about when they talk about ‘getting your shit together’. It has long been a key ideology to the Western concept of ‘success’ that one is born, one is educated – either through the likes of academia or the likes of a trade – one marries, one has children, one ‘does their part’ for society in the form of involuntary taxation and then, finally, one dies. It’s not a completely unpleasant notion to be a part of, especially if you were living in London in the 1950’s, a time on the tail end of one of humanity’s most ruthless and horrifically barbaric periods that left many British families still at the mercy of strict rationing. But things could only go up as the 50s became a period of pride and revelry for British culture. In 1951 the Festival of Britain served to reassert a sense of jovial delight in the British public and ease the recovery process of a Britain hard at work in a time of restoration. Roger Bannister ran the first four-minute-mile, Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Mount Everest and the De Havilland DH 106 Comet conquered the sky’s highways as the first commercial production jetliner.

The economy was also on the rise. Britain progressively made itself a serious contender on the world market and expected its youths to follow suit. But inspiration came, as it often does, in the form of music when Rock and Roll brought a whole new experience to British and European teenagers bringing with it the symbolic embodiment of Hedonism, rebellion and sexual intrigue. Thus, the ‘youth culture’ was born and it has been locked in its struggle against ‘oppressive adulthood’ ever since. But where are we now? In many areas schools have little to offer the disinterested, the disillusioned, the slow learners and the class clowns and I, unfortunately, ticked all four of the above. A good 85% of my teachers didn’t even attempt to utilise anything other than punishment subjugating me to many lunch-times and after school detentions, taking me out of classes or suspending me for weeks on end but none of this addressed or solved the problem. Why would it? It merely certifies the rebellion. What I was being taught I felt I didn’t need to learn and what I wanted out of life was neither encouraged nor was it seriously acknowledged for I was always reminded that I “wouldn’t get there with ‘that’ attitude”. But this is trivial compared with some methods that can have more serious effects. Diagnosing children with things like ADHD can invoke self-fulfilling prophecies out of the young and impressionable. If a child is constantly reminded of how their behaviour is the symptom of a medical condition and a source of concern to their parents and teachers it’s not exactly going to instil a sense of self-confidence. In the USA children diagnosed with ADHD symptoms (hyperactivity, disruptiveness and inattentiveness) are usually prescribed heavy drugs like Ritalin whose side effects, it has been argued, can cause anxiety, restlessness, increased blood pressure and an increased likelihood of developing schizophrenia and bipolar disorder not to mention zombifying the Hell out of usually playful children. Who’s to say it won’t eventually lead to that here in Britain? Now as a person with no psychiatric qualifications I wouldn’t purport to know whether ADHD is a real disease but the attempts to prove its legitimacy, once and for all, are still ongoing. My opinion, however, is that it seems to be a grave solution to children simply displaying their individuality. After school I wound up in full time work at my local McDonald’s restaurant where I met some of the most genuine, hard working and sentient people I’ve ever met in my life. These were a collective of disillusioned youths all with a ubiquitous mentality that was heavily centred on Hedonistic desires, living for the weekend, rife with sex, drugs and electronic dance music. They were dreamers, underdogs, lovers of life. Some had aspirations to travel, open bars, cafes and record stores, to live abroad, to become a teacher or learn a trade and, for a time, there was contentment all around. I think back on it all now and I’m reminded of the ‘Man’ speech from the film School of Rock. I must have seen that film a hundred times in school and took little notice of that speech but now it is more harrowing than ever. Because the Man is everywhere, he was in my teacher’s office when I was being told I wouldn’t amount to anything if I didn’t comply, he was in

our classrooms telling us it was his way or the hard way, he was in McDonald’s telling my friends their dreams would amount to nothing, encouraging them into careers they didn’t really want, settling down with people they probably didn’t truly love, programming them into the mainframe of a global $60 billion company that doesn’t genuinely care about them to say the least. With Britain’s religious beliefs in question for quite some time, our churches empty, Christianity’s omnipotent presence has been cleverly replaced by the escalation of consumerism because Capitalism is our new religion, the markets are its churches and celebrities, politicians and entrepreneurs are its priests and priestesses. It’s allowed the rich to get richer, the greedy greedier and the poor complacent. The Man has subdued us with cable television, games consoles, social networking, fashion, Justin Biebers and Kim Kardashians. He’s telling us what to read, what to watch, who to look like, how to behave and what to care about. He put Che Guevara and John Lennon on a t-shirt and sold them for £20 a pop and now he’s even replacing us with machines that scan our shopping, cook our meals, build our transport and deliver our groceries so that when we hear of budget cuts in our schools, paedophilic sex rings frequented by Leon Brittan and other former politicians, bankers leading us into recession for their bonuses, the rich and powerful dodging taxes, the government going through our text messages and emails we simply do what the British do best; we just get on with it. I’m not surprised Generation Z recoils in revulsion because this is what has happened to the human experience. We probably don’t all go to Heaven after we die; we are drowning in uncertainty and desperation, trying to find meaning and happiness in our lives and the only way we know how to achieve it is by getting out of our minds, together, for as long as possible. Its what youths have always done. It creates bonds, friendships, laughter, its true social networking. It allows us to endure the monotony of the 21st Century and the existence it has allowed us to have and it’s why we cannot be arsed to do anything else. And, inevitably, it will destroy us. So it is time to get our shit together and motivate ourselves. We live in the Information Age so it’s about time we started using it for something other than finding out what cup size Kim Kardashian is and educating ourselves on art, politics, economics, history, geography, psychology, anything and everything that will help us come together and lead a more productive, more altruistic, more proactive, more jovial, more communal life so that our legacy will echo for years into the future. As I sit finishing this last sentence, I can hear Bob Marley on the stereo in the other room. He’s saying “everything’s gonna be alright!” I hope he’s right. Written by Andy Jones, second year, BA English Literature

Culture

i spoke with author and Journalist hilly Janes who, last year, released her latest book The Three Lives of Dylan Thomas. The book takes an objective look at the life of the late, great Dylan Thomas a national treasure to both Wales and Britain, famous for his poem ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’, his play Under Milk Wood and for inspiring Robert Alan Zimmerman to change his name to Bob Dylan. Often considered to be a ‘womanising boozer’ Thomas was in fact a very deep, passionate and innovative master of words. In her book Janes “ventures beneath Thomas’ reputation as a feckless, disloyal, boozy Welsh bard to reveal a much more complex character”, a man not only capable of composing astounding collections of poetry but a man also skilled in short story writing, play writing and broadcasting. But Janes also looks at the story from a much closer perspective than most as she looks through the eyes of her father the Welsh artist Alfred Janes who was a dear friend and roommate of Thomas. Together with poet Vernon Watkins, composer Daniel Jones and others, Alfred Janes and Dylan Thomas would frequent The Kardomah Cafe’ in 1930’s Swansea, Wales. Here the bohemian artists would meet to discuss such things as the work of Picasso, Igor Stravinsky, Greta Garbo and Albert Einstein. They would debate one another on the deepest matters that interested them such as death and religion all with a cup of the Kardomah’s finest cup of coffee quickly earning them the nickname; “The Kardomah Boys”. Having shared rooms and frequented many pubs, bars and night clubs in London’s Fitzrovia, Alfred Janes saw a side to Dylan Thomas that was so close it was, quite literally, breathing the same air and their love and adoration for one another is well documented in letters that Thomas wrote to his friends and family. Janes saw a side to Thomas that few others have taken the time to discuss, document or decipher, a side that saw the beauty in the misfortune of a war, depression ravaged industrial Welsh town, a comforter to the victims of Fascism, a delightful, hilarious character with a “gift for wordplay, sense of rhythm and [an] appetite for making mischief” and it this perspective that Alfred’s daughter looks through to properly compose and tell the tale. But the book also serves to give the reader a wide view of the work of Alfred Janes. Alfred painted Thomas at three separate points in his life and these three paintings are the focal points of the book. There are other pieces of Alfred’s work within the book such as the highly emotive Salome’, the strange and unsettling The Queue and the harrowing painting of Castle Street Swansea, after the Blitz which depicts a child playing with a ball on the pavement of the war torn street. It also has images of many of his portraits and the various experiments he conducted in Modernism towards the latter half of his career displaying the work of a hard working and determined artist. Hilly Janes began her career in book publishing with the Oxford University Press later going onto editorial and other positions at various prestigious newspapers and magazines such as The Times, Prospect, The Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, the Observer and the Financial Times. In 1986 she was among the first journalists to set up the Independent as an objective stand against the monopolising efforts of Rupert Murdoch. Her book on Thomas, her father and their work came from a yearning to tell the tale from close quarters focusing on the work, passion and drive of two highly talented and highly dedicated artists. Janes now works as a freelance journalist, author, media consultant and events organiser in London. You can purchase her book from most retailers such as Waterstone’s and WHSmith’s and you can also go and see some of her father’s work at the National Museum of Wales, National Library of Wales and the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery which is due to reopen next year. his week

Written by Andy Jones, second year, BA English Literature

Culture

Hilly Janes explains her latest book, which touches on war and depression with an industrial edge in 1930s Wales

THE THREE LIVES OF D YLAN T HOMAS

D L O S University of Westminster Harrow Campus Cavendish Campus Marylebone Campus Regent Campus Little TitchďŹ eld Street & Wells Street Campus

@westminstersu

T U O

TOP PLACES TO TRAVEL AND TEFL

he prospect of graduating from university and joining the daily grind can be extremely daunting, and let’s face it: kind of unappealing. But what if we said you could shun the 9-5, and travel the world, all whilst gaining a good salary and great experience for your CV? Because you can do that, with Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Take a look at i-to-i TEFL’s top three countries to travel and TEFL this year!

South Korea

South Korea attracts many TEFL teachers because of the high wages (an average monthly TEFL salary is £1,580) and low cost of living – not to mention free accommodation is included in most contracts! The bigger cities are naturally where most of the jobs are (although even the smallest town will have a language academy); so if you like bustling cities, head to the bright lights of Seoul, Busan and Incheon. Teacher’s Day is celebrated in South Korea, so expected to be showered with small gifts from the students (there’s definite perks to be had here!) Come the weekend, you’ll have plenty of time to socialise with your new colleagues, whether it’s going out for Kimbap and Kimchi, or a karaoke session in a Noraebang.

(photo) Elle Pollicott

Estonia

Ever been to Tallinn before? This Baltic State’s capital’s winding cobblestoned streets, charming cafés and gorgeous cathedrals look like something straight out of a fairy tale. Whilst demand is high for English teachers, competition is low, as Estonia is often overlooked by teachers in favour of other Eastern European countries like Poland and Russia. As such, you’ll find it relatively easy finding a TEFL job here – and by having a degree, you’ll be one step ahead of the competition. The cost of living is low, and teaching contracts are likely to include accommodation free of charge; so you can spend your well-earned money sipping on a can of Kiss (Estonian cider) with your new colleagues, and travelling through the Baltics and Scandinavia on your weekends off!

Costa Rica

Stunning beaches? Check. Gorgeous weather? Check. Lush rainforests? OK, so Costa Rica really does have it all, making it the perfect place for an extended holiday and a stint of teaching. Admittedly, you won’t be making millions here (an average monthly TEFL salary is £400), but it’s more than enough to live off and enjoy your stay; and despite a degree not being a requirement, those who do have one will find it much easier securing a job. Most schools here recruit between September – December, which ties in perfectly for graduating and getting TEFL-certified. Just think: in six months’ time you could be lying on the beach sipping on a Cacique Guaro, or exploring the Monteverde cloud forest! Inspired to start your own TEFL adventure? All you need to do is get TEFL-qualified with i-to-i and you can be making the move overseas to travel and teach. Take a year gap and see the world we live in – after all, as a student you definitely deserve it and the benefits will be endless. Written by Elle Pollicott, marketing assistant at i-to-i TEFL

Student Living

Me,

just another Italian in London

A personal account about living in London from an international perspective…

talians here, italians there,

Italians everywhere. It’s just evident: whether you are shopping in busy Oxford Street – let alone Primark – or having a look around Borough, Portobello or even the less known Broadway Market, you will come across one, a couple or – worse than ever – a bunch of Italian high school students on a class trip to amazing and exotic London, UK. Insults apart, especially when they block your way in the middle of Regent Street while you are too busy arriving on time for that essential lecture, it is nice to know the reasons why so many Italians (me included) are so attracted to the English capital. Back in the day, when I was in middle and then secondary school getting bored over tons of books, I decided that that wasn’t the environment I wanted to keep living in. Since the age of six, when my family brought on a weird trip to Wisconsin in the States, I saw how the world was far more interesting than my little town in the North of Italy. After having discussed my immediate leaving the house at the age of seven, over a cup of bad Lipton tea, my mother burst out into tears: “Why do you want to leave your mamma and papà? You have time to change your mind, don’t worry”. Well, I haven’t. Like, at all. Years were passing by and day after day I knew I was about to abandon that country that hasn’t given me anything else but a good excuse to move abroad. My parents didn’t want me to move to the United States so, well, here I am in the United Kingdom. That’s so weird, it seemed yesterday that my mum and I started talking about University, and now I am here, living on my own in one of the best cities in the world. I don’t feel Italian at all. Well, yeah, it may seem strange rude and brutal but it’s just the way it is. Not saying that I was starving or that I risked my life every day, no. I’m just saying that Italy is too narrowminded for me. People look down on you if you wear something classified as “weird”, you are a sfigato if you can’t afford certain brands and double, or pluri-faced people are the current trend. I just hated all that. I needed to escape from that place as soon as possible, I was craving freedom and new ways of living, I was dying to meet new and awesome people…and here I am, living in a double room in a super small flat in dodgy Bethnal Green but I couldn’t be any happier. Just arrived in September, they assigned me a strange double room on the second floor of the building, which I would have to share with a Danish girl- even stranger. She didn’t sleep at night; she didn’t work but apparently was enrolled at Birbeck University here in London. She spent her days vegetating on the bed watching Danish movies and TV series and drinking a whole lot of energy drinks but when

normal people like me woke up at 8am in the morning, she would go to sleep and wave me goodnight while I was about to walk out of the door to go to class. After three months of almost sleepless nights and food, clothes and mess all over the place, I decided to change room and move upstairs. My new roommate is now a nice Spanish girl, who spends all day vegetating on the bed watching Spanish movies and TV series, but at least she does work as a waitress sometimes, so it’s not that bad (even though when she comes back from work in the middle of the night she is so loud that the next door neighbour screams at her). I am also living with another Spanish girl, who is working as an intern at the Spanish Embassy. She’s all right, but I can’t speak either on the phone or watch a movie because she would text me asking to shut my mouth. Okay, I guess that maybe I’m being too loud. Or maybe the weird person is just me, who knows. Just before moving here I met a guy from Milan, Italy, who was looking for a flat to live in. After learning where I was living, he moved to my same building, on the third floor. He is only one of the amazing friends that I got to know since I’ve been in London- I honestly didn’t believe people like those existed. What changed from my usual life in Italy? It is actually hard to put into words. British people, or people coming from different countries who end up living in such an international environment are much more open-minded, nobody cares about your size –something for which, even though I’m size 14, I had always made fun of back home- and nobody…well nobody properly cares about anything. People mind their own business and are always ready to help you with everything. I learnt how to live without my family, and London has fascinated me, has brought me into this amazing new world that taught me how to live without mental borders. People, places and experiences like that. Fully aware of the fact that Italy has been an important part of my life, I believe that my life is here now, and even though I am living in such a small flat with such weird people, I couldn’t be happier. So one thing I have to share is to have an open mind and an open heart, because there is so much more out there in the world that is yet to be explored. The University of Westminster allows students to develop and become the people they need to be, and that’s exactly what I’m doing as my journey and it feels like it has only just begun… Written by Chiara Mapelli, BA Arabic student

Student Living

FMM 2015 hosted by KADEEM SPEAKS FMM 2015 | Hosted by Kadeem Speaks

Brought to you by MA Music Business Management students FMM 2015 | Hosted by Kadeem Speaks is an electronic and soul mixtape, wittily combining the art of spoken word with great music created by the talented students at the University of Westminster. The project was born out of Faculty Music Media [FMM], which functions as a music label and artist development unit within the University. This year the students participating in the FMM activities were split into different genre teams and were in charge of coordinating projects, on and off campus. After a series of music submissions, from BA Commercial Music students, the best acts were selected to participate in live events and in the FMM 2015 mixtape. The submission process functioned as an A&R practical exercise, where FMM members, chose the acts after carefully listening to their songs and meeting with them.

The FMM Mixtape

The mixtape concept emerged from the fusion of the Electronic and Urban team, who decided to create an innovative and original promotional tool, showcasing the best music curated during the year. Kadeem Jeudy aka Kadeem Speaks, MA music business student and member of the FMM team, is closely involved with the conception and development of the mixtape. Being a spoken word artist for a few years, Kadeem has written and performed exclusive pieces of poetry that permeates through the mix, adding a unique touch by cleverly enhancing the message behind the songs, and the struggles new artists face when entering the Music Industry. Supported by his peers, Sibilla Granati and Giza Smith, Kadeem embraced the project imparting an extra dimension to the mixtape with his poetry. Branding the FMM mixtape was a collective effort from these students who worked closely with Jamie Reddington, a London-based producer and mix engineer, who facilitated the recording and mixing of this project, at his studio. Working with Jamie, who is a seasoned music industry professional, gave these students the opportunity to put their creative and project management skills into action and develop their personal expertise. FMM is a trusted platform aiming at helping new emerging artists to build strategies to be seen and heard, one of the main struggles new artists have to face when trying to enter the highly competitive music market.

Kadeem speaks’ interview

Can you introduce yourself? My name is Kadeem Jeudy, but my artist name is Kadeem Speaks. I am from Boston, USA and currently doing the MA Music Business Management program here at the University of Westminster. How long have you been into the art of ‘Spoken Word’? I started writing in 2010, but didn’t take it too seriously until I came out here to London this past September. It was then that, I started to write on a regular basis, and performing gigs as well. Tell us about your participation in the Faculty Music and Media activities. Participating in Faculty Music Media activities was an amazing experience. Being a part of the office team that meets every week

Student Living

gave me great insight into how the business works. The office team also includes Sibilla Granati and Giza Smith, who fully embraced the mixtape project and had crucial roles in bringing this together. We particularly liked when students came in for advice about either their music and/or careers. Having a mentor like Sally around also really gave us perspective into the music business, especially when she shared her wisdom from her years of experience in the industry. Why is the mixtape called “FMM 2015 hosted by Kadeem Speaks”? It all stems from the name of the team. We want to highlight the fact that this is a mixtape made and developed by us, Faculty Music Media, with the participation from the University students. Because my spoken word pieces act as bridges to all the songs since it’s a continuous mix, and also my input in curating the songs, we decided to add my artist handle to the mixtape title. However, this mixtape is about the artists at the University, who want to get a chance to showcase their material. How difficult was it to select the songs for the purpose of this mixtape and crafting the project? To be honest, it wasn’t that difficult. The longest part of the process was listening to all the music. Some submissions were one song, however, I noticed that some of the acts had compilations themselves thus I would listen to the whole compilation to find the one song that would fit best with the project. From there Sibilla, Giza, and I met with Jamie Reddington who gave us amazing advice, guidance, and tasks to maximize the potential of the mixtape. After that meeting, I got the chance to have a recording session with him, where his years of experience resonated and creative touches really helped the project stand out. We have also worked with Anna-Sophia John, who created the artwork for the project. What do you think of the challenges that new artist/music face? It is definitely exposure. We live in a world where it is easy to record a song and put it online. There is a huge oversaturation of artists trying to make it in the business and thus standing out is very difficult to do. That’s what we are trying to accomplish as a team. These are acts that we really believe in. We are putting in the work to get this mixtape exposed to all the right people. The intention is to let them know that the University of Westminster is full of talent and that they need to be heard. Any last words or comments? Yes I want to give a huge thank you and shout out to all the students who submitted their music to us, and everybody who supported this project so far. You can keep up to date with the project and contact us online: Facebook: Faculty Music Media, University of Westminster Twitter: @UoWFMM Tumblr: fmmmixtape.tumblr.com Written by MA Music Business Management students Sibilla Granati and Giza Smith

(photo) Giza Smith

Student Living

In the traditional project for students of Media Management, everyone is told to make an elaborate, feasible, and creative business plan to pitch at the end of semester in front of some investors like “Dragons’ Den”. I have to say, it really drives us crazy. So we contacted Mr.Gaspar Oladosu who did it last year...

(photo) media management & international media business graduates

What was your business plan? Could you give a brief introduction of your project (both the idea and the product or service)? We named our business plan INGRIDI. It was a name we coined based on USP of the business. Ingridi was positioned to be a mobile app with a fully optimized website, which sought to capitalize on the success of food industry but unlike the typical food search app, it follows a revolutionary path by creating an ingredient-based menu database. The fundamental database of ingredients of dishes from restaurants is the key resource Ingridi acquires and holds on to, whereas the unique value Ingridi provides to its users is to provide results to them directly, quickly, and accurately –exactly what you want to eat in just a few steps! How did you generate such an idea? We arrived at the idea after a series of brainstorms and research. (We followed the guidelines given in one of the modules) There were various ideas on the table, but after analysing the merits of each based on the data we had gathered, we settled for Ingridi. With the entry of disruptive technologies onto the global scene, app developers have identified the food industry for prospective growth and as such have keyed into the rapport between food service and mobile commerce. How was your preparation? What was the biggest problem or the most difficult thing in the process? What did you do to solve such problems? Or if it was not that difficult for you, could you please talk about how did your prepare the whole things? In all honesty, this was the most tedious group work. It involved putting to use all the tools we had been equipped with during the course of

Student Living

HOW TO MAKE A BUSINESS PLAN the taught masters – from scenario planning to management report to the finance and media markets etc. I was lucky to have a group of team players dedicated and hardworking, but it still wasn’t a stroll in the park. After arriving at the concept or idea of our business plan, we drew up a project timeline and distributed functions amongst ourselves. Some handled the product structure, market strategy, technological framework and some researched into competitors, while others handled finance and findings. The biggest challenge in my own opinion was making our business plan watertight; by which I mean not subject to any loopholes or criticism, especially when we faced the dragons. It was tough but it was very rewarding. In terms of our risks and mitigations however, our major difficulty amongst others, was how we were going to change user experience in terms of the existing way of food searching. Looking back the project and the process, what kind of help did it bring to you? If I must say, the business plan project (as well as the Social Media Project which was my favourite) provided a platform to put into praxis the theoretical lessons gathered in all the modules. It presents a real world situation. The project has transformed me to ‘a jack of all trades’. You get to learn something about everything. Is such help also very helpful and valuable for your current work? Project management, teamwork, elevator pitching, brainstorming, value chain evaluation…. these are all tools needed on the job. Written by Ting Liu, a postgraduate from Media Management

645,750,000 PeoPLe who’ve jumped on the ‘Twitter’ bandwagon, you’ll understand the difficulty in suppressing the urge of wanting to swipe your tablet out at every given opportunity to check updates from your favourite ‘followers.’ Whether it is live updates from the BBC or Aphex Twin’s newest song release, Twitter serves as a platform for providing first-hand information as quickly as possible. But what is more enticing is the fact that by owning a Twitter account you now share the same platform with some of the world’s most influential people. There are academics such as Mary Beard and Roger Luckhurst, activists like Minh Dang and Ima Matul, and the list goes on. Indeed this is one of the novelties of Twitter it is a multipurpose site that allows you to write your thoughts, connect with a fellow tweeter, and share (or in Twitter terminology) ‘re-tweet’ a tweet to your followers. All of this is glorious of course, because really if you are lucky enough you might even get a ‘mention’ from J.K. Rowling. This is one glamorous side of Twitter, if you’d like. But what is often forgotten or overlooked is the accountability that we hold for the content that we tweet, share and re-tweet. Sure, it is easy when you are too engrossed engaging in virtual communication to forget that in actuality the ’you are what you tweet’ phrase is a very real expression that can leave a somewhat haunting experience. Especially when you are faced with the repercussions that come after. Considering that Twitter or any social media platform for that matter is a very transparent tool, surely you’re aware that all it takes is a little background check and five minutes of scrolling through your feed to know the type of person you are. Or at least this is the popular believe. Let’s take for instance the recent squabble between television presenter Khloe Kardashian and hip-hop model Amber Rose. The gist of the argument went something like this: Amber tweeted out that Khloe’s sister is too young to be in a relationship with a 27 year old. In which Khloe tweeted y ou are one of the

back “please stop talking about us in interviews mama. None of us talk about you.” But this was just the beginning. The internet went berserk when Amber hash tagged ‘#StopSweatinMeHoe’. Feminists spoke in favour of Khloe, stating that Amber was immature for all the name-calling. It is without a doubt insensitive regardless of any presumed justifications. What needs to be considered here is the consequence of this one ridiculous tweet, shared more than 20,000 times, that is now representative of who Amber is. If you were to Google search Amber Rose, what you see now is many headlines for her feud with the Kardashians, thus showing the power of social media and how prominent it is in all of our lives, including from a student perspective. To remain safe and aware is absolutely vital. This I think is the less friendly side of Twitter – the fact that it has the ability to re-shape the way your identity is perceived without you being aware of it. Let’s look at another example perhaps one that resonates more closely to us. In light of the recent Students’ Union Presidential elections, candidates took the opportunity to converse with students on Twitter and vice versa. Whilst this was one way of tackling the issue of student engagement with elections, there were instances where some took advantage of the situation to tweet hateful remarks that served no purpose on both parties. Of course, this doesn’t imply that one should only tweet to please because it is important to voice out your opinions and stand for what is right. But if you are going to sit behind a computer screen and write bigotry comments on-line it is also important to remember that what you say reflects more on who you are than it does on the other person. Perhaps when you tweet next, think about whether it is true, necessary or kind, after all it doesn’t hurt to say nice things, and if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.

Written by Subhashini Robert William Second year undergraduate- English Literature with Language

Tweeting Responsibly

A deeper insight into social media and how to take control over what we broadcast to the virtual community…

Student Living

the politics of architecture -

can we influence change?

Angela Brady, looking at sustainable design in our communities and other engaging elements, recently gave an inspirational alumni lecture at the Marylebone campus.

Whether we realise it or not, sustainability is an aspect of our daily lives that we all ought to be more conscious of. It comes in many forms too; from food, travel to designing buildings, more than ever before now we need to be making responsible decisions even as students, to cut out as much Carbon as possible. Isn’t it time that our generation tried harder than ever before to look at renewable energy design solutions and think about things a little differently? It’s great to have multi-dimensional perspectives on things: Angela Brady gave a detailed lecture surrounding the topic. She is the Director/Founder of the reputable organisation, Brady Mallalieu Architects. Not only that but Angela is the past president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (2011-2013) so undoubtedly, she has plenty of experience and knowledge to share with students and likeminded individuals, as well as reaching out to the masses. Angela Brady, in particular, casted the spotlight on sustainable design and emphasised the need to engage collectively as a community, including students, during the process of making durable

contemporary buildings as a prime example. Sometimes reflecting back on traditional forms and ways has a premise to carry forward, and to influence change; open spaces should be exploited to positively involve all those as one, not as separate individuals. One thing we must always be very careful of is as made clear by Angela is to “not end up speaking just to ourselves, because too often, if we only talk to ourselves, we are missing out on touching the general public”. To make a real change and impact, it is important for all readers to disseminate their idea of sustainability to the people around them in a way that connects and can be applied. It seems that “only the rich live in the middle, and those who cannot live in the middle are pushed out.” – this is having a demographic effect on London, as it stands as one of the most diverse city in the world, for example. The social life of space is exceptionally important, and utilising our capacities to maximise our sites. In relation to student living, shared housing set-ups for students is a fantastic way to build communities, bring people together and form new opportunities. It also allows students to optimise their learning space, and to collaborate and become versatile with their skills. Isolation is segregation at a human level by singling people out, whereas living with others allows integration to blossom at its finest level. “The way to design is to design in smaller groups.” – Angela Brady says that it is important for us to share our ideas and exchange communications. From an architectural point of view, “variety is important to keep in mind when looking at history, culture and identity”. This opens up people’s minds and people’s hearts. Especially as a student it is so relevant to consider variety in almost every avenue of life, while remaining sustainably conscious of all our decisions. For more information on the different architectural elements of design and community, follow Angela Brady on Twitter: @AngelaBradyRIBA and look at her website: www.bradymallalieu.com So lets share our knowledge and think twice to radiate a sense of community and exchange spaces to heighten our sustainable arrays starting from today. Written by Gemma Smith, second year, BA Journalism

Student Living

GRADUATION ISN’T GOODBYE… Good luck to all final year students who are on your way to graduating this July. We hope you enjoy your final term at the University of Westminster. While it’s not quite time to leave yet, when you do the Alumni Team will be here to keep you connected to the University and with each other. Make sure you come and say hello to us at graduation to find out what we can do for you and to collect your freebies! We will be the team in the purple t-shirts. Don’t forget to book your graduation tickets by Thursday 28 May. If you have not received your invitation, then please email ceremonies@westminster.ac.uk. You can also remember your time at the University with our range of souvenirs, which can be found at westminster.ac.uk/graduation. In the meantime, here are 7 steps you can take to make the most of being an alumnus (it’s all for free!): Join alumni online. When you graaduate you will be able to join the online community to stay connectedVisit us. You will be able to access the university campuses and libraries with your alumni access card Meet the careers team. We have an amazing careers team who can help you with your CV, interview technique and job searching now, and for three years after you graduate Join our events. You can network with past and present students and hear anecdotes and expert knowledge from prestigious alumni Keep up-to-date. We’ll send you our alumni newsletter and annual magazine with the latest news, events and interesting articles Keep learning. Did you know alumni get an exclusive discount of up to 15% for postgraduate studies? Get in touch. You can connect with us now on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Find out about all these things and more at www.westminster. ac.uk/alumni

On Monday March 23, 2015 three students enrolled in MSc. Project Management volunteered to conduct a fund raising event and public awareness for Alzheimer’s Society. This is a charitable society based in the UK, which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The dementia is symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem solving or language. It is caused when diseases, such as Alzheimers, damage the brain. The statistics predict that in 2015, there will be around 850,000 people in the UK with dementia. The involved students have raised awareness across the Marylebone campus for the good cause to cooperate in fighting against this disease. The students were happy for raising this event as it will help the charity in its mission of supporting the people living with dementia and they encourage the rest of students to take similar actions for good cause. The event was conducted for a full day from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. and contained a wide range of activities such as selling ready and homemade food, distributing flyers and interacting with people to increase their awareness about the disease. Standalone banners and flying balloons branded with the charity name were also used in the event. The atmosphere was extraordinary and in harmony with the color themes: blue and green. What was surprising for the volunteers was the contribution from all the teachers and students at the University of Westminster. They mentioned to us that people from various backgrounds were walking by showing solidarity and support. Some were asking very detailed questions to get familiar with the disease, charity purpose and objectives. These students’ reflective statement includes rough number of 1 in 3 contributors knew someone who suffered from this incurable disease. The students would like to thank for all contribution and £237.07 funds collected. Written by the Project students: Abdulelah Sabbagh, Nelli Tarnawska, Shereen Nather, MSc. Project Management

“Fighting Dementia together, for a better, brighter future.”

ALZHEIMER’S FUNDRAISING EVENT Student Living

Dignity-it lasts a

lifetime

floral fashion piece discussing how new seasons are approaching but that’s not what I had in mind. Or some junk about the invigorating sense of new beginnings when spring/summer flourishes, and how we should all feel refreshed and ultimately buy a whole new wardrobe for summer. No. Equally it should be said that I love fashion and so do most students and people on this planet, but I feel as if sometimes fashion writing isn't taken seriously – or at least not as seriously as it should be. It can be seen as pretentious and shallow, which is fine, I agree, most of the time the media sexualise and demean females and they are hugely capitalist and market driven on a commercial basis. Not exactly quantum physics when you pick up a copy of ‘Cosmo’ that tends to be full to the brim of Gucci adverts and articles dictating how you should have sexual intercourse. But fashion needn't be so shallow. Sometimes we should discuss serious issues, with bigger social implications. For example, I'm not about to rant how Kim Kardashian exploits herself and got famous, because we've all heard that before, and to be frank, it's boring now. However, we cannot deny that there is an underlying issue with young girls becoming ever more sexualised at a young age. We only have to look at Instagram to see 15 year olds prancing about taking provocative ‘selfies’, pouting with their parts hanging out. It's wrong, but the problem is the media and the fashion industry has caused us to become desensitised to this behaviour. Half of the time we don’t

KNOW YOU MAY BE EXPECTING THIS TO BE A PREDICTABLE,

Fashion

even realise it’s happening and we subconsciously digest all of this in-your-face media coverage. There is no real reason why young females cannot be aspirational, sexy and attractive, whilst still maintaining self-respect – although it sounds somewhat patronising, and maybe even old fashioned. Perhaps going out in a knee length skirt rather then having everything spilling out after one too many Jägerbombs will pay off in the long haul. Although it may not be morally right, or even justifiable everyone out there is going to judge you. And to put it bluntly, if the only image of yourself which you portray is based around dressing provocatively and acting in a sexual manner, you cannot blame others for assuming that is purely what you base your morals on. I'm not proposing that we all walk around covered from head to toe, just think twice sometimes about your actions and how you dress. Because every action has a consequence and as females we need to empower one another, instead of looking like a stripper from Stringfellows. If you can look like the CEO of Hilton Hotels, it's an all round better representation of yourself. What do you guys think? Let us know, join the debate. Do you think the fashion industry and the media is to blame for sexualising young girls? Or should there be more modern elements of being non-judgemental within society? Does this have repercussions? #sexualisingwomen Written by Michelle Whitney, second year, BA Journalism student

Fashion:superficial or rereevol volutionary?

ASHION AND independent style mean different things to different people. Some claim fashion is their way of displaying their personality, a form of expression, whereas for others it is simply a means to an end. Along the lines of these opposing views, fashion has evolved into a more significant component. Whether we are fashion conscious or not is irrelevant because in any case fashion like many other things in our daily lives is Political. It is worth noting that this relationship doesn’t relate to a political ideology or academia; instead it has to do with innate features of Fashion. What we wear and where it was produced is a political act, albeit an unconscious one. So you may ask, “What difference does this make?” quite a substantial one really. Fashion is no longer just good style and good taste but is a tool used for communication between producers and consumers. It’s a way for people, designers, creative directors and other individuals in the industry to actively and physically support change and to be progressive. But is fashion really revolutionary? Can support be everything? Probably not. Like everything in life, we must practice what we preach. For fashion to subvert the notions of being superficial or frivolous it must transcend its current expectations. Individuals in the industry need to be more vocal, more apparent and more obvious in their support for the removal of sweatshops and producing clothes ethically as well as empowering women in the industry. During Paris Fashion week S/S15, we saw Karl Lagerfeld promote Feminism in Chanel's closing catwalk show; Lagerfeld transformed the Grand Palais into a Parisian boulevard. The show itself had a protest theme, complete with banners and megaphones, the whole nine yards. Lagerfeld claimed his vision for the catwalk was to emulate a women’s protest march. This show didn’t come without controversy however.

Lagerfeld promoting feminism and women empowerment is laden with irony. Especially since Lagerfeld himself has called the likes of Adele being too fat or shaming models over their size, which isn’t what you would expect from someone promoting women’s empowerment. Having said that, this display of feminism was unexpected and even though not quite revolutionary due to Lagerfeld’s personal views, the show allowed for a different perspective on the catwalk. Moreover, Lagerfeld is not the only designer that has actively displayed his views on a worldwide platform. Vivienne Westwood (a notable Westminster alumni) also did so in her Fashion show during London Fashion Week. Westwood had her models wearing a ‘Yes’ badge when walking down the runway, encouraging Yes voters for the Scottish referendum in 2014. Although, Westwood was projecting her personal views she was influencing others and perhaps gaining more support in favour of Scotland being independent. As a result, what we wear has a greater impact than we may have conceived. The range of brands we buy and promote reflects us as individuals whether we want it to or not. Of course, often we do this unknowingly, how are we to know where every high street brand produces their clothes? But I suppose that’s where we need to educate ourselves and this is where the brands themselves need to be transparent in their manufacturing. Fashion can only have as much importance as we give it. On its own it is not revolutionary rather it is just present. For it to be truly influential, there needs to be significant changes from the producers, the consumers and the general attitude in society. Written by Tahira Bakhtiari, ﬁrst year, BA Politics and International Relations

Fashion

Spring hits the campus! Six runaway must-haves put in a student budget

he spring season is finally here,

and all we think about is how to put together the most glamorous outfits. From the Uni look to the festival fever, we all want to style it out in the latest gorgeous fashion must-haves. And if you only have one takeaway from the Spring/Summer runway collections of 2015, make a move towards the ‘70s groove. And here we give you the opportunity to step ahead as we present a round-up of the runaway trends set to

Denim Jacket, H&M, £29.99

take Spring/Summer 2015 by storm. Our mission is to put six runaway pieces in a student budget.

It’s all about

This season denim makes its return to the runaway and on the High Street. At Gucci, Burrberry and Tommy Hilfiger’s shows, we saw that it is reinvented and it could be mix and matched with everything. Classy and stylish, it will be your favourite outfit for a lazy day at Uni, or a crazy night out. So here is our suggestion for all-in-one denim.

Flower Print Dungaree, H&M, £19.99

Denim

Dungarees get print update

After enjoying their moment back under the style light, they have gone through a total rework for spring/summer 2015. Plastered with punchy patterns, they are the best throw-on-and-go option. And guess what, wearing them will make you feel comfy and you can tone them down for a day by putting a pair over a white T-shirt, or denim one.

Waistcoat, Primark, £12

Fashion

This time as never before, bags have a fun new spin for the spring. And one thing is for sure, they are the perfect accessory to go for if you want to add some twist and character to your outfit. Coming in range of shapes and colours, we’re awarding them with a fashion thumbs up as the best piece this summer.

The tropical fever is coming with a rage, but we surely don’t mind. From shirts and tops, to skirts and trousers, the “Tropicana” wave makes a major statement this season. And is there a better time of the year to get hit by that combo, than end of term? Surely, there isn’t. So go for our suggestions to make your last and most impressive statement

Tropical Top, H&M, £7.99

Tropical Prints

Little Kooky Bags, Topshop, £25

Kooky Bags

for the year.

The Folk Trend

Crochet Waistcoats

Black & White Folk Dress, Primark, £12.99

Boho chic is one of our favourite summer looks, but the one and only way to nail the trend is by keeping it simple. Opt for a style that flatters your figure to avoid the curvy shapes we all try to hide. Look for dresses that nip in at the waist as wearing oversized clothes always results in feeling more comfy. We have chosen a simple, white dress from H&M that could be easily combined.

Our last suggestion is to go for layers. Layering is a key part when it comes to spring/summer 2015 inspired dressing. Short or long, they can add some twist to any outfit and they are great for festivals. And the best part is that they come in a range of colours, so feel free to team up with the one, which flatters your style. You can see our suggestions above. Written by Lulu Ivanova, Second Year, BA Journalism

Fashion

AT westminster

Improving fitness, learning self-defense techniques taught by a true master and boosting confidence while developing self-discipline, certainly sounds like something we will welcome with open arms at the University of Westminster. The stress of modern living, not to mention the pressure from deadlines, is enough to affect even the most organised of people and when asking those at the top in their field, ‘what is the secret to your success’? One of the responses that continue to crop up is: exercise. I am proud to announce that Wing Chun is now available for students at our very own university, and we have the honour of being taught by the worlds famous Master: Austin Goh. Wing Chun is a Chinese martial art designed as a form of selfdefence – utilising both sticking and grappling techniques while specialising in close contact combat. Austin Goh is an official representative of the Yip Man Martial Arts association and has been since 1978. Austin studied with his Master for many years, Master Lee Shing, who was an early private student of Grandmaster Yip Man. Lee Shing spent many years under the one to one guidance of Grand Master Yip Man and has passed all of the knowledge down to Master Goh himself. Now Austin Goh is the only successor to be still teaching the Lee Shing Lineage which includes the precious teachings from Grandmaster Yip Man. In 1973, Austin opened the first Wing Chun Kung Fu School in Europe and to date, Austin has taught in Malaysia, Hawaii, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, Hungry and now he is teaching in the UK.

Sports

Popularised by Bruce Lee and more recently the martial arts movie’s Ip Man, Ip Man 2 & The Grandmaster, Wing Chun is one of the fastest growing martial arts in existence. Being known as a practical self-defence system inventing ‘the weak overcoming the strong’, this certainly has appealed to the masses and the martial art is continues to spread all over the world. So what are the benefits? The Wing Chun society will help students to get fit while learning unique self-defence skills. This is a proven method to reduce stress and improve confidence, which I’m sure you will all agree is something that should not be overlooked. These skills however are somewhat taken for granted, considering they are the foundation that any young adult needs for modern living and an all-round healthy wellbeing. Considering we are students, the society has kindly offered the first month of classes for free to allow time to test the water and see if this particular training is for them. Classes will take place on Monday’s between 3-4pm in the Sports Hall at Harrow Campus, University of Westminster. For more information or to register yourself for the unique opportunity to be taught by Guinness World Record holder, Grandmaster Austin Goh, please contact: wingchun@su.wesminster.ac.uk Limited spaces are available so act fast if you wish to join the society and be a part of what truly is a great opportunity to meet new people, learn some priceless skills, and grow as an individual in an abundance of ways. Written by Louis Alexander, BA Commercial Music Information provided by Austin Goh

Karate, coloured belts and the grading system

“Genuine courage, tenacity and humility alongside the absence of ego and an internal drive towards self-improvement certainly some time.” So what is the big fuss about with the Black Belt? Contrary to popular opinion, Black Belt actually represents 'no belt'. It is the one that is supposed to say, 'Okay guys, we’re all the same now. Let's forget about the belt system and get on with it'. I wear the same belt as my newest Black Belt because we are supposed to have dispensed with those outward signs and are now both concentrating on internal development. An important misconception to note, both in and out of the martial arts fraternity, is that being a Black Belt represents being an expert to a certain extent. But nothing could be further from the truth. Black Belt status really only indicates a graduation to a new beginning. All the other grades are simply ‘novice’ grades. Black Belt is the level at which you begin to learn Karate. Reaching this first, beginning level simply means you have achieved some proficiency in the basics and are now ready to start learning Karate. Despite what one might see passed off as Martial Arts these days, one of the pre-requisites for this ‘new beginning’ is supposed to be the absence of ego and an internal drive towards self-improvement. Once you realise that the grading system was put in place to try and achieve these goals, you will come to realise that failure is just as, if not more, important than success along the path. Students should fail grading’s. Every martial artist on the planet should fail grading’s. In fact everybody on the planet should fail grading’s. It’s just that not everyone has the courage to put them selves under such harsh scrutiny. As we used to understand before words like ‘success’ and ‘failure’ were deemed to be too judgemental, the real development of the self (‘character’ as it used to be known) comes from failure. Success is all very well at the right time, but the lessons of getting knocked down, but getting up again and carrying on are the real defining invaluable moments in your life. Why do you think your Grannie was the toughest person you ever met? It’s because times really did used to be tough and she has been knocked down more times than she will ever tell you – but she got up, and she got up, and she kept on getting up until it became so ingrained in her that that is simply what she does – she takes a knock, shakes it off and carries on.

“Students should fail grading’s. Every martial artist on the planet should fail grading’s” Karate is a little microcosm of the ‘real world’. It is a ‘safe’ environment in which people can seek enlightenment and grow spiritually through engaging in combat and facing their fears. If students are not failing gradings something is wrong. I don’t think I know of any great martial artists, or great anyone for that matter, who didn’t get there via a series of failures, knocks and setbacks. Well guess what? It was those very failures, knocks and setbacks that ultimately led them to greatness. Dealing with success is easy. Dealing with failure takes courage, tenacity and a massive amount of humility. Genuine courage, tenacity and humility alongside the absence of ego and an internal drive towards self-improvement certainly some time. And correct management of the grading system with its highs and lows, rewards and failures, increasing time between external rewards, and decreasing contrast between those rewards, is a fantastic tool for achieving those goals. In short, used correctly the grading system can help facilitate one of the most rewarding and fundamental of changes possible through the martial arts – the shift from external goal seeker, to internal seeker of truth. In fact, the transition from being a coloured belt, to being a Black Belt. If you would like some more information on the Karate club at the University of Westminster, then simply contact the Students’ Union or call Gavin direct on 07976411901. Written by Gavin, from the Karate club

Sports

If you don’t know by now, this article is going to have its twists and turns for you. Varsity between the University of Westminster and University of West London was not only an all-round display of sporting prowess and sportsmanship, but also an incredibly enjoyable day out. Before we get into who did what and who won this and who lost that, I want to take a moment to inform those who don’t know what a Varsity day is like: hot sun, barbeque, cold drinks (alcoholic if preferred) and two universities enjoying a great day of sport. The first event unfortunately took us inside hidden away from the sun. But that’s not to say that the men’s Basketball didn’t heat things up a bit. They kicked off Varsity and set it off with a slam-dunk of a win, excuse the joke, absolutely showing UWLSU how loud the Dragons can roar. This win put the first point on the board and making it 1-0 to us. Sadly we were unable to then watch the women strut their stuff and show the men how it’s done, due to a lack in numbers. This is always a shame but a possibility so for the purpose of this article we shall say we won but through a technicality UWLSU got the points making it a tie at 1-1. So, with ‘two’ (play along) wins in the Basketball we return outside in the glorious sun for some footy… the men’s 2nd team Football to be precise. This game was interesting, with a lot of, how can I put this? Lets say ‘misunderstanding’, which led to a few cards flaunting then a red colour came out. But enough on the negative, we won that bringing the score to a 2-1 lead for the Dragons. Now then, I may be a bit biased here, but I do enjoy watching the Netball girls. Not just because they are quick on their feet and their handing skills are spot on, but they are pretty easy on the eyes. But lets get serious, we lost the two matches. But the sun was high in the sky so I reckon the sun got in their eyes as they were always

facing the sun; it was quite unfair really. But after the 1st and 2nd team were done on the court the score stood at 3-2 to UWLSU. Again this is where I call upon your vivid imagination and envisage a high intensity hockey game filled with action, controversy, comedy and a bit of romance (everyone loves it when the guy gets the girl). I ask this because UWLSU were unable to put a team out meaning the Dragons took the W. But isn’t my way much more exciting? The score stands at 3-3, the tension is rising and I didn’t know if I could continue, but for you readers I did. The women’s Football team broke out onto the pitch and got the job done. UWLSU didn’t know what hit them in the opening of the second half, but then threw some punches back in the late minutes of the game. But the Dragons carried on and won it. 3-4 and the hype is up, the men’s Football team took to the pitch. There is not much to say about the game apart from ‘meh… OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE THAT FREE KICK!’ Unfortunately that player was wearing the wrong colour and that sealed our fate in that game resulting in a disappointing loss. 4-4 the sun is setting and everyone decided to gather around the Rugby pitch. I hope I’m not biased in saying the Dragons Rugby team is a handsome bunch of gentlemen and are exceptionally good players… Too much? I’ll stop. So as I was saying it was even and the game was intense with many superstars from each team showing why they belong on the pitch. Resulting in the win of the Varsity cup – and in a good Dragons fashion, there was a pitch raid. 5-4 to the Dragons another win, four years in a row. I just want to make a quick tribute to the supporters who came and I really would encourage people to get involved in the next Varsity event. Oh and one last thing, did I mention there was a streaker? Written by Aled Scudamore, BA Journalism

SUN, SPORT, SAUSAGES AND STREAKERS (photo)- Lucy Noone

- JUST ANOTHER VARSITY

WAY MORE THAN JUST POM-POMS

There have been suggestions that cheerleading is not worthy of being labelled as a sport but after looking a little deeper, that statement seems to be unjustiﬁable. Cheerleading at the University of Westminster is a growing sports society, however from an outside perspective there seems to be a huge confusion as to what Cheerleading actually entails. By asking the average person what they think the sport is, the general response from somebody with a lack of understanding would usually be very archetypical. The hot girls dancing around in short skirts waving pompoms in the air naturally springs to mind, although after looking further into what Cheerleading really is, and receiving some information from Trea Boyce Westminster’s future captain in the forthcoming year, it has become clear that there is much more to cheerleading than actually meets the eye. Cheerleading is a great representation of a team sport and consists of hard work intense training and huge amount of trust in your fellow team members. To be a cheerleader requires good fitness, strength and discipline, which are some of the key elements found in most other sports. So what is it that separates Cheerleading from other sports? Trea Boyce told me that: “It’s not a natural thing to hold someone in the air by simply just holding a persons foot, and for a flyer to be over 8ft in the air while standing on someone’s hands is a lot more difficult than it looks.” This is where the training comes in like any sport. To be good at something several hours of practicing and dedication is essential, and I’m sure you will all agree to pull off some of the moves that modern day cheerleaders do during their performances. This entails a high level of practice and focus, not to mention having complete trust in other members of the team. “The trust you have to put in the bases holding you up is high because if they drop you too the floor it’s going to hurt just as much as someone taking you out in a ruby game. It’s easy to kick a ball but throwing someone 15ft in the air and then catching them safely is a real challenge.” Westminster’s Cheerleading society are now trying to take things to the next level, with a constant eye looking for fresh talent and a thirst to raise their standards and deliver more technical performances in the near future; one things for certain is that the team are definitely one to look out for. “This summer our team will still be attending extra training to learn new higher skills ready to teach new students who want to join the team next year. If you think you’re cut out to be on the team please get in contact with us via our Facebook page or see us at the Fresher’s fair in September.” By joining the Cheerleading team there are lots of benefits to be reaped. A chance to meet new people and belong to a society within the

University is certainly a great opportunity to develop individuality as well as opening up the chance to meet new people. If you are someone that enjoys a good work out and improving your fitness along with expressing yourself creatively, then cheerleading may very be the sport for you. Written by Louis Alexander , second year, BA Music Commercial Musiic

(Photos by UWSW Cheerleading Team)

UWSU ROUND UP Societies & Sports

has been a fantastic year for the UWSU Societies! We have reached a whopping 110 societies when only four years ago we had 10! What makes me especially proud about these societies is just how different they are from one another, giving Westminster students an abundance of activities to choose from. Now I know what you’re probably thinking ‘We have 110 societies? I only know 5.’ Well, in your next revision break or now (!) go to your Facebook, because I know you have that page open and type in ‘Westminster Marrow’. The Marrow Society won the ‘Society of the Year’ award at this year’s UWSU Awards Ball and are a great example of what can be achieved by students who are passionate about a humble cause. Not only do we have charitable societies but if you are looking for a specific interest I suggest you check out ‘UoW Harry Potter Society’. Yes that’s right, our very own Harry Potter Society. You will be sorted into houses; even Slytherin House is up for grabs! You can take part in Harry Potter Quiz Nights, compete for the House Cup and get involved in heated discussions about which was better, the books or the films. I hope by this point you would have been able to navigate to other UWSU society Facebook pages, but I just have one more if you’ll indulge me. If you’re looking for something that’s a bit more relatable to you we have Academic societies which are here to support you and your studies, if you check out the ‘UWSU English Society’ you can see exactly what’s on offer to supplement your course. The English Society won ‘Best New Society’ this year because of their mix of curricular and noncurricular activities for English students at Westminster. We have many academic societies up and running, but if you can’t find your course and would like it to be a society up, you can email me at society.coordinator@su.westminster.ac.uk. Now that I’ve given you a taste of UWSU Societies I have just one favour to ask – tell a friend, to tell a friend what you’ve just read and in September come to our Freshers Fair. Join a society, make new friends and get all the freebies, OBVIOUSLY! If you are a little nervous about joining any of our societies you can email them directly (I promise they are all so lovely), all their details can be found on our website or on their Facebook page. Written by Andita Santoso, Society Coordinator for the UWSU

t the start of this year, the Dragons had come off the back of the highest ever points collected by our university in the BUCS table for the 2013/14 year, three league titles and a massive increase in individual entries into national championships for various sports; with the aim being to improve on that as well as adding a new dimension to our sports programs. The year kicked off with all of our teams promoting hard at our Freshers Fairs. We had a new club among our ranks: Handball. With the success and publicity of the sport during the 2012 Olympics, this sport has all the rage and we wanted as many students as possible to get involved. For some of our clubs, it paid off massively with amazing numbers at our trial days, especially in men's Basketball and Football; so much that extra weekend teams have been added to these clubs to accommodate. Over the course of the first semester, our team sports well into the new BUCS season were producing some positive results with and overall decent points collection in the first two months. Our non-BUCS clubs were also doing great, training hard and preparing for competitions. With our Refreshers Fair this January came the rise of two new clubs, Wing Chun and Equestrian. Both club captains were eager and ready to recruit new students. With the road leading up to Varsity and the latter rounds of cup competitions, all of our BUCS league teams played hard until the last day of the season, finishing off in some good positions. Our highlight of the BUCS season is our Netball 1st team winning their league with a perfect record (now they have done it in a straight three years!) Our non- BUCS clubs rounded off the second semester with great performances in competitions and many of them received higher grades in their Martial Arts disciplines. Next came our awards ceremony, showcasing all that our students do throughout the year. The major sports awards of the night went to Kwame Boateng from Boxing for Sports Person of the Year, men's Basketball for team of the year and the Quitnin Hogg trophy went to Niamh Hodge and Otis Kirby- Dunkley. This year has been amazing for sport. Including our diversity in what we offer, pushing our clubs to be better, as well as welcoming anyone and everyone who has an interest in playing either for fun or a bit more seriously. So if you want to get involved in sport in the next academic year, meet new people and have some fun, check out www.uwsu.com for information on all our clubs, contact details and guidance if you want to start a new club. For further information or questions, you can also contact our sports coordinator at sport.coordinator@su.westminster.ac.uk. Written by Onyinye Nkemdirim, Sports Coordinator

Sports

You can purchase an NUS card from nusextra.co.uk or from Ash Chakraborty at the SU ofďŹ ce at each campus on these dates:

Marylebone Campus Monday 18th May

Cavendish Campus Tuesday 19th May

Harrow Campus Wednesday 20th May

Regent Campus Thursday 21th May

Well Street Campus Friday 22th May

University of Westminster Harrow Campus Cavendish Campus Marylebone Campus Regent Campus Little TitchďŹ eld Street & Wells Street Campus

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Win

We’re working towards a fairer system with regard to external speakers, and

we need you!

iPad Min i

Take part in a short survey and share your views with us to be in with the chance of winning an iPad Mini. For all the details and T&C’s, head to:

uwsu.com/speakers University of Westminster Harrow Campus Cavendish Campus Marylebone Campus Regent Campus Little Titchﬁeld Street & Wells Street Campus

JUST SAY IT YOUR VIEWS SHAPE YOUR UNION

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