Worc Hard Play Hard Issue 3

#3

Jan2018

WSU

Brought to you by Sophie Glenny and Worcester Students’ Union

WORC HARD WORC HARD PLAY HARD PLAY HARD #Black History Month p. 4-5

ALSO FEATURING...

Sport & Societies RAG Week 2017 World Mental Health Day Student Staff

EDITORIAL Hello there, and Thank You for picking up a copy of Worc Hard Play Hard I’m Sophie Glenny, your Vice President Student Activities and I’m very pleased to present you with the third issue of ‘Worc Hard Play Hard’. This is Worcester Students’ Union‘s magazine that aims to highlight all the amazing achievements of our students. The title of the magazine was chosen by students with the idea of showing off their incredible stories whilstat the University of Worcester. The majority of articles within this issue are written by our wonderful students, chronicling their achievements in many different aspects of their lives, whether that be in sport, societies, volunteering, as Course Reps, Institute Reps, and much more.

This magazine was started by my predecessor Hemaka and I would like to take the opportunity to thank him for his hard work in office and I am honoured that our students continue to strive and achieve, enabling us produce this third issue.

Finally, I would like to thank the Students’ Union designers and the Marketing and Communications team for their hard work, time and effort into keeping the magazine up and helping me collate all the articles.

Please keep sending in any news you have about your successes throughout the year. Show them off and be proud, because we definitely are!

CONTENTS

07-13

SOCIETIES 08 09 10-11 12 13

Christian Union Education Enhancement Loco Show Co. Zumba Worcester Worldwide

18-25

SPORTS 19 20-21 22 23 24-25

Fencing Netball Ladies’ Football Men’s Cricket Handball

FEATURES

04-05 Black History Month

14-15 World Mental Health Day 16 Mental Health Blog 17 Accessibility Fair 26 27 28-29 30 31 32 33

#ThisBUCSGirlCan Children in Need Rag Week 2017 SU Crew Q&A International Students Course Reps Student Staff

First commemorated in the UK in 1987, Black History Month remembers inspirational people and events from within BME communities. Over the course of October, the Students’ Union remembered and celebrated important figures from the past, alongside those who contribute and help our society today.

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Front cover by: Denisa ZettlovĂĄ

Here’s what our BAME Officer, Lexian Porter, had say about her role and e impor nce of Black Histo Mon …

My main aim whilst in this role is simply to make BAME students feel included while at Worcester. I want the University to represent BAME students to the fullest and so that at the next Open Day, I can talk for hours about the amazing and inclusive opportunities available to them. I want prospective students to feel and see that we're a welcoming and diverse community.

It's no denying that the demographic at the University of Worcester is overwhelmingly white, compared to other neighbouring universities, at least. Yet, from my experience, the University is wholly welcoming to all backgrounds and beliefs. What did surprise me was that there hadn’t been an BAME Student Part Time Officer before me for a good couple of years.

It’s been over a month since I was elected into this Part Time Officer role and I've been actively trying to engage black and ethnic minority students by letting them know who I am and that I'm here to support any change they want at Worcester. I missed the chance of organising Black History Month due to the elections starting in the middle of October, however I will ensure that next year’s will be more engaging and student-led. It’s important to have and celebrate Black History Month partly because of the ubiquity that Black History has with Slavery, when in fact it is so much more rich and diverse than that. Black History Month is one of the few times that everyone can learn something new about the accomplishments in the black community.

One of the main reasons behind me pursuing this role was my experience at Open Day. You’re probably wondering why an open day had such an impact towards to me standing in the election and giving up so much of my spare time.

Well, as an Open Day ambassador, I get a lot of prospective students asking me questions. But only those who identify themselves as Black, Asian or of a minority ethnicity ask: "Is there an African and Caribbean society?" or "How do you find the University as a black student?" etc.

It’s understandable that these questions are at the forefront of these students’ minds. Nobody wants to feel excluded or alienated while they're away from home, especially when their culture has a big impact on their everyday lives.

My reminder? Black is: beautiful; intelligent; important; strong and worthy.

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The next few pages are dedicated to recognising the hard work and achievements of societies here at Worcester.

From charity fundraising, to community work, to Scarefest’s and pantomimes, it’s certainly been a busy first semester for these students‌

#TeamWorc

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CHRISTIAN UNION

by Bethany Wearring

One of the highlights of the Christian Union week is Brew and Biscuits. I’m sure many of you will have seen us with our stall of free hot drinks, water and biscuits on a Wednesday Night outside TRAMPS Nightclub. We always have such a great night serving the student body and the wider population of Worcester who stop by for a drink, party ring, and usually a great chat. Our Welcome Week Brew and Biscuits was a record for the fastest we’ve ever run out of water and biscuits. Now we’ve stocked up to a whole new level so we can continue doing Brew and Biscuits to the full potential as we love serving the students in this way!

We’ve had an amazing start to the Academic Year as the Christian Union!

We’ve seen our membership increase vastly and we’ve been non-stop with things going on and we’ve had so much fun in the process!

You may have noticed us at the Societies Fair – we handed out 650 cans of beans and a stack of Church and Event flyers for those interested. Also during Welcome Week, we held an event we’ve done a couple of times in the past called Dial-A-Donut. Lots of students texted in questions about Christianity and received the answer with a free donut – look out for this event when we do it next time!

Finally, we hosted an event called Grill-a-Christian on October 26th. This was a great event and it was fab to see so many people in attendance, eating donuts and asking Christian Leaders great questions! We will most definitely be doing it again in the future!

Our weekly meetings on a Tuesday have been great so far and it’s really encouraging to hear from a wide range of speakers on our topic of Gathering, Growing, Going; gathering together to grow in Christ and to go out and show Jesus to the world. @uniworccu

@UniWorcCU

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@UniWorcCU

by By Sophie Palmer Chair of the Education Enhancement society.

The Education Enhancement Society was created for any students with an interest in Education and we won the Union Award for New Society of the Year 2017! It’s a gateway into all things Education and aims to equip individuals with valuable skills and knowledge linked to a career in Education. The Education Enhancement Society is inclusive of all members, and welcomes students from other non-Education courses.

We have put on five workshops so far.

Our first workshop focused on what signalong is and our members got taught some signalong! We also had a workshop on comparing working in the private sector vs state sector. A very popular workshop that we held was Morell’s handwriting. A handwriting company came and spoke about how to help improve children’s handwriting and even gave us free tools to take home!

Special Educational Needs (SEN) is always a big topic in the education sector. So we brought in an expert who was head of a SEN school to talk about different types of SEN and strategies on how to support these individuals. We have many more workshops planned in the near future, such as mindfulness in and around the classroom, working with and supporting the visually impaired, outdoor learning, behaviour managment and more!

We organise workshops to help further our member’s knowledge on all things related to education and young people.

For students who are studying a course in education at university, why join? Well, our aim is to bring in a variety of professionals to talk about education-related topics that we might not touch on in our courses. Joining the society is also a good way to build contacts and relationships with professionals that could be useful later. Not only do we put on regular workshops, but we also hold social events for our members. For example, we had a social event at Boston Tea Party in Welcome Week.

Members of the committee also featured on Sky News during Welcome Week, as we spoke about University life. Not nerve-wracking at all! @edenhancement @EdEnhancement

EDUCATION EHANCEMENT 9

LOCO SHOW CO

After winning Society of the Year in the 2017 Union Awards, Loco Show Co. (musical theatre society) started the new semester energised and eager to build upon the successes of the previous year’s pantomime and musical. Not only have the whole cast, as well as members of band and backstage crew, been undertaking numerous rehearsals for this years’ pantomime, we have challenged ourselves to have more of a presence around the SU and the University. As a result, we have been involved in charitable events such as this year’s Scare-Fest and the upcoming carol concert.

SCAREFEST

Scare-Fest has been an annual event at the SU for the last few years. This year Loco Show Co. wanted to put it on an even larger scale with more actors and props to scare even the hardiest of students! Coinciding with the new cinematic release of “IT”, scenes were assembled to highlight common nightmares and fears, with a little help from the infamous character of Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

Overall, the Scare-Walk was an enormous success and this was equalled by the Halloween inspired bake-sale that was undertaken at the same time in the SU by other members of Loco Show Co. We were able to donate £50 to the RAG charity and instil memories not only for all the people who faced their nightmares but to all the cast and helpers who managed to pull off such an exquisite event.

Students were taken down a deserted corridor in the Woodbury building and made to dread what was going to appear around the next corner. Participants were faced with bloodied surgeons and doctors, life-sized dolls that moved when somebody got too close, and this was only the first half!

Throughout the scare walk, Pennywise would appear and laugh maniacally.

People were locked in bathrooms with actors who, with creatively inspired latex make-up, only had half a face. It was actually terrifying. Slamming doors and eerie silences made the atmosphere intense and even the sound of running water was enough to make some of the partakers jump. Other scenes included; bloodied writing on the walls, humansized cobwebs, spiders and people screaming for help all of which added to the scream count.

@LocoShowCo @locouniworc @locoshowco

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ZUMBA by the Zumba Committee (Written by Sophie Bennett, Charlotte Cowell, Laura Paice, Amy Crouch)

The Zumba society has had a very successful start to the academic year.

The new committee has settled in well to their allocated roles and we have managed to gain more members this year than previous. It has been incredibly nice to see the growth in both the Zumba sessions and socials.

There have been many highlights of semester one, including the carnival party takeover hosted at Mode in which we raised ÂŁ70 for Coppafeel, a breast cancer awareness charity. This was an incredibly fun event to host with routines from our wonderful Zumba instructors a rather amusing limbo competition. Following on from this charity event, we also held a 3-hour Zumbathon at Riverside Campus in partnership with the UniBoob team and in which we were able to raise even more money for Coppafeel. Although this was quite challenging, we all had a great time and felt a great sense of achievement afterwards.

We would like to thank everyone who helped us organise these events and for those who participated.

We would definitely like to continue our growth as a society and we look forward to planning and hosting more events in the future.

@uow_zumba 12

WORCESTER WORLDWIDE A new semester represents a new beginning for Worcester Worldwide society (a society for International and British students; of course everyone is welcome!). After an ambitious start in January 2017, the committee learned and trained to be able to make the society flourish and it showed, as last year we were one of the collaborating societies organising the Red Nose Day event in the old Pear Tree (now, The Hangar). We even organised our own Eurovision event in May that will certainly take place again in 2018.

The second semester will start with even more events; keep an eye on our facebook page, Worcester Worldwide Society, to see what we’ve got lined up.

First of all, University is about studying but also about making friends. We learn but also know how to have fun and enjoy each other’s presence. Then, why not learn foreign words from natives or enjoy a discussion about what makes a specific country special? Also, if you have any other exciting ideas, don’t hesitate and let us know! We are an organised committee but also enjoy spontaneity and appreciate suggestions!

Last year we were also one of the five nominees in the Best New Society of The Year category!

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BACK IN BUSINESS This year, we are back with new events, guest speakers and some social events for those willing to take part. We are trying to bring cultures together and learn as much as we can about other countries’ values and traditions, whilst enjoying a cup of tea and a biscuit (or more of each). We usually meet every other week on Wednesday afternoons and focus on one country or more, while playing quizzes or listening to somebody’s story about how it is to travel to a new country.

A new semester represents a new begi ing

We had a Cake Sale and two Guest Speaker events this year, along with a couple of more relaxed sessions and two socials.

@Worcester-Worldwide-society

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Webeing Champions Mental Illness and the problems that coincide with it are a huge factor that can implicate anyone at any time, but the nature and environment of University can often have a significant impact on mental health and wellbeing.

Tuesday 10th October marked ‘World Mental Health’ day and various departments across the University of Worcester came together to shine a light on mental health and show support to students, staff and visitors alike that may be struggling with their mental wellbeing.

Throughout the day there was a stand in the main reception of St John’s campus, where various staff members from Student Services gathered with freebies, information and most importantly an ear to lend to anyone who wanted a chat. The University’s ‘Student Wellbeing Champions’ were asking students what helped them study. The counselling and mental health team were talking to students. There were even some visitors from the early intervention service raising awareness of mental health disorders such as Schizophrenia or eating disorders and the help available for those struggling with it. In addition, a ‘mindfulness mile’ was held where people could opt to go on a walk of the campus and see first-hand how mindfulness activities can aid wellbeing.

Over at Union Square on St John’s campus the Students’ Union had arranged for ‘Off the Scale Vintage’ to pay us a visit in an 80’s themed double decker bus! Their aim was to both raise awareness and help break the stigma’s around mental health using fashion and music.

Overall, World Mental Health Day was a huge success and demonstrated that the University of Worcester cares and is committed to supporting students through any struggles they may face whether they be mental health related or not! One of the themes that the University is focusing on across this academic year is mental health so keep your eyes peeled for more events and campaigns.

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WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

The 10th October marked World Mental Health Day, and there was a University wide effort to mark the occasion and bring awareness to the multitude of issues surrounding mental health and wellbeing, particularly while at University.

A Wellbeing Champion gives their review of the day…

The first of which being the ‘Peace of Mind’ tree that is being created at ‘Fancy a Cuppa’ sessions with Student Services – come and join us every Tuesday and Thursday 1pm until 2pm for a free hot drink, biscuits and to make mental health themed Christmas decorations!

#n d lkUW @wellbeingchamps

Almost 9 in 10 (87%) of first year students find it difficult to cope with social or academic aspects of university life

91%

82%

Female students find it particularly difficult to cope, with 91% reporting to have struggled with one or more of the above issues, compared to 82% of male students.

Nearly five times as many students as 10 years ago disclosed a mental health condition to their university.

2007

2017

https://www.worc.ac.uk/counselling/ https://www.worcsu.com/helpandadvice/

Off e Scale Vin ge

Off the Scale is a not for profit mobile converted 80's vintage bus, who aim to utilise fashion and music to raise awareness of the unfair and damaging stigmas around depression.

Mindfulne Have you ever walked the University mile?

We’re guessing some of you may not have even heard of it. It’s a mile-long walk around St John’s campus that weaves through halls, past the Malvern Gate entrance and alongside the 3G... Take a breath of fresh air, de-stress and give it a go one lunchtime.

It started back in 2015, when husband and wife team Eddie and Gail O’Callaghan decided to utilise their shared passion of vintage fashion and music to help raise awareness of the stigma’s around depression.

Speaking about Off The Scale Vintage, Eddie and Gail said: “I have long been diagnosed as bipolar but the stigmas around the condition meant that I had no way of recognising or treating it until my mid 30s and we are keen to help young people address the subject openly.”

More information can be found here: www.offthescalevintage.com 15

MENTAL HEALTH BLOG by anonymous

Please note that this blog was written by a student and not a mental health professional. For more help and support, get in touch with Student Services.

Please note this blog by its very nature may be triggering.

Let’s talk about the embarrassment about asking for help.

I consider myself lucky in that I’m open regarding my mental health condition, Borderline Personality Disorder, but it’s clear talking to and over-hearing other students and snippets of conversation that not everyone can, or wants to, talk about it. I’ve heard some students stating, “I’ve not got a diagnosis so I can’t ask for help” but clearly struggling: "I stay up all night crying" one student told me in confidence.

“This is hard for people. I want to help them realise it doesn’t have to be.”

No one tells you that university might be difficult emotionally. You were sold on stories from your older friends and the glossy prospectus.

There are no footnotes about loneliness and disillusionment. I personally don’t know how the ‘freshers’ cope. As a fresher you are constantly reminded that this is supposed to be the 'time of your life‘, when quite possibly it feels like the worst time of your life and because of this you may be feeling both a sense of guilt and a pressure to keep these negative thoughts brushed under the carpet.

Please don’t!

This new life can add pressures and as such, let’s put a plan of action in place.

So, in much the same way we have a ‘assignments plan’ let’s have a ‘health plan’.

IDEAS TO HELP... . Don’t underestimate how many others are sat there feeling just like you . Visit the counselling team in Woodbury . Join in with the ‘connect’ groups that are held in university . Talk to your personal tutors and GP if needed . Chat with others and find people you want to spend more time with

I am personally finding I simply can’t think straight at times and my short-term memory is terrible. The best description I can muster is that it feels as though the entire world has been rotated very slightly and nothing is the same anymore. Scary, right?!

The best bit of university so far…...?

People are happy to talk, to start up a conversation and take me as I am.

Ps. the worse part….?

Referencing without a doubt! Still!

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ACCESSIBILITY FAIR

By Fran Storey Part Time Student Disability Officer

DISABILITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER On Tuesday 10th October, the Student Accessibility Fair was held in the Hangar.

The idea behind the Fair was to promote services that are available to disabled students whilst studying at the University of Worcester. During my time as Student Disability Officer for the Students’ Union, I’ve realised how off-putting it can be for disabled students to go between the different services, trying to figure out what is most suitable to them. So, it made perfect sense to me to put all these services together all in one place and at one time.

Visible disabilities are the ones people tend to visualise when we discuss disability, but there are many more which are hidden or invisible. These can be illnesses which affect everyday life, or they can be learning disabilities (such as dyslexia, ASD etc). But it is important to remember that no disability takes priority over another, and how a disability affects an individual is unique to them, but what we must not lose sight of is the person who is affected by the disability and not let them be defined by it.

THANK YOU

On Wednesday 11th October, I was privileged and overwhelmed to be voted in for a third term as Student Disability Officer. Our student body is made up of many sections and my aim has always been to put the voice and needs of our disabled students first, to bring their ideas to the table and ensure equality and inclusivity prevails in everything we do.

Tables were held by WSDAC, Rugby For All, Disability Sport, STEM Ambassadors, Dyslexia & Disability Service, Money Advice Service, Careers, and Izzy Hodgetts Mentoring Services.

This year I hope that we can make our voices stronger, communicate more effectively and ensure that disabled students have an enjoyable and fulfilling student experience equal to their peers.

All the table holders seemed very pleased with the event and their opportunity to do some networking. Most importantly, the students were thankful for the opportunity to gather information and chat.

The continuation of ‘chill & chat’ sessions will give disabled students a neutral ground to air their frustrations, share ideas, support one another - but most of all make new friends, relax and smile!

Thank you everyone who believed in me and gave me their vote, and I need to thank the SU for trusting me to do the role for the past two years and for the coming year.

University of Worcester Disabled Student's Group

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We all know how much sport is a part of student life here at the University of Worcester, and these next few pages demonstrate just that.

From the success of our BUCS teams this season, to the very first Ladies Handball team in the history of the University, these are just a few examples of the ‘Worc Hard, Play Hard’ attitude here at Worcester Students’ Union!

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FENCING

by Committee Members It’s been a fun start for Fencing this year.

Our club members, Maarja Konrad and Greete Tikerpuu, attended the two-day University Fencing Officer course held in London by British Fencing in September.

Two days full of fencing, coaching, and learning and encouraging new participants into fencing.

Also, for the first time, we have a BUCS team! This time last year, the University of Worcester fencing club did not have a BUCS team and only three members fenced at the Individual BUCS Championships. This year we have a Women’s team, comprising of Alexandra Davis, Maarja Konrad and Yassena Markova, who are now part of the first team and who have been smashing it so far!

The first home match against Nottingham Trent 1st team was won by 133:125.

The second home match at the Arena against Anglia Ruskin (Cambridge) 1st was taken by University of Worcester again with the score 135:100. We have most certainly had an enjoyable start and here’s to the rest of the year’s success!

Source: Instagram

#TeamWorc @uow_fencing_club

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NETBALL

As a first year student at the University of Worcester, there have been many things that have already made my university experience amazing. This includes joining UW Netball Club with its core values of #oneHEART.

#oneHEART - Blog by Ellie Woodhall (1st Year University of Worcester Student)

I consider myself quite brave, taking a big step and signing up to Netball Preseason before term started and just before moving down to Worcester.

However, looking back on it now, I’m certain of how great a decision it was. It allowed me to meet new people and get an idea of what it’s like to join a closely knit team.

It was hard work, I’ll say that but you get so much out of it! The week was long and tiring but I met so many amazing students who made my first couple of weeks at university a little less scary.

Throughout the course of the week we took part in a number of team bonding sessions, bringing us closer as a group.

The 2nd and 3rd years really looked after all the new fresher’s that were slightly nervous about getting stuck into it. We did sessions in Yoga, Cheerleading and Basketball! On the Wednesday, we had a ‘friendly’ against University of Gloucestershire (which to the 2nd/ 3rd years wasn’t taken as a friendly at all). This definitely gave me a feel for what BUCS Wednesday might be like!

In joining UW Netball, everyone has to trial for a team. This sounds a lot scarier than it actually is, don’t worry! When people tell you there is a team for everyone, trust me there is a team for everyone.

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No matter what your ability is as a netballer, there is something for you. Even if you don’t particularly fancy joining a team, community night is run by all five teams so this is a perfect way to meet new people. The trials were extremely organised and once you got into playing games, the feeling of pressure went out the window and everyone just had fun!

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Just don’t be afraid row yourself in some ing you’ve never tried before; you never know, you mig love !

We then began training in preparation for our first BUCS matches; it was great to be able to train with Severn Stars Super League players who are part of the UW Netball 1st Team. Everyone warned me about Wednesdays at university and it was no let down, you just feel a buzz around the campus and everyone is so excited for the day. My first game for the 2nds was away at Nottingham University.

Our captain and vice-captain had organised a morning breakfast before our hub session (this is where you get taped before a game and a massage from the sports therapist, if it’s needed). We met and travelled on the bus with the team and felt like we all connected and got closer. Even though the outcome of the game was slightly disappointing it was a great first game with a lovely group of girls and we never dropped our heads.

That’s what UW Netball is all about; we stick together and support each other all the way through, training and matches!

#oneHEART

@UWNetball @UWNetball 21

@uw_netball

LADIES’ FOOTBALL

by Alice Pugh Chair woman of Ladies F tba

Ladies football has undergone a new coaching structure this year, with two new coaches coming in for both the performance team and the development team.

The club came together in September at the Sports and Societies Fair to recruit a large number of new members from all years at the University. After a great season last year, the performance team have been promoted to be part of the Midlands 1A league and the girls went out to win their first game 3-0.

The development team have now had three games and although not all matches ended in the result they wanted, the girls did get a 17-0 win in their second game, which shows the huge step that the team has made from the previous season. The club is also in the process of organising a fundraising event that will be held jointly with men’s football, in the hope of raising large amounts of money for charity. The committee and club members are hugely excited to build on last year’s success and hopefully see both teams do well in their current leagues.

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@officialuwlfc

MEN’S CRICKET

by Comm Members

The 2017/18 academic year has started tremendously positively for Men’s Cricket, with achievements across the board. A committee consisting largely of new people and three new captains are already beginning to implement changes that will benefit the sides come our season and Varsity in April.

One of these changes is within the Development Squad, which is being run alongside the Elite Performance Programme (EPP). This squad consists of eight players who have been identified as hard workers with the potential to improve and compete for places in the first and second team squads in the summer. The Development Squad boys have been training Tuesday mornings under the supervision of our new first team captain, Alex Aldred, as well as joining the EPP on a Friday morning for circuit training.

This year has also been a good year for numbers, with over twenty first-years joining men’s cricket, further boosting the strength of the club. Fresher trials were a huge success with first-years making up over a third of the EPP and Development Squads. The society also began its BUCS indoor campaign on the 21st of October in Cardiff. The 1st team won two and lost one whilst the 2nd team lost two and won one. The highlight of the day was definitely a close-fought game between the 1s and 2s with the 1s winning off the last ball. The indoor teams have another round of games on the 5th of November and are hoping that the 1s can push on and qualify for the next stage of the competition.

@WorcuniCRICKET 23

@uni_of_worcester_mens_cricket

HANDBALL

by Committee Members The first semester of this academic year has been an eventful one at Handball (in a positive way!) The new committee has seen the club double in size, as well as having brought in Dan Gentle to help improve the standard of coaching at the club. The Welcome Week taster sessions were a particular highlight, seeing an increase in membership and welcoming a women’s team for the first time in the club’s history.

This season, experienced club members and Dan have had the task of coaching the new faces the rules and skills of the ever-growing game of handball. However, this year the University National Championship has been brought forward to October. Members have responded well to this by showing constant enthusiasm and commitment to training, even asking the committee for extra sessions to practice their skills.

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On the weekend of the 28th and 29th October, the teams played their first fixtures of the University National Championship in Nottingham. The men’s team showed great character and progression in their 19:7 defeat to Nottingham Trent, in which the score line unfortunately didn’t truly reflect their performance.

The Women, showing their class, followed this result and showed that they are a force to be reckoned with; bringing home 3 points with a 17:6 win against a well-established Birmingham 1st team.

Stand out performances go out to Thale Haneferd who scored the first ever women’s goal in Worcester University Handball History, as well as to Saraella Kekkonen for sailing the women to victory with some spectacular saves and her outstanding leadership on and off the pitch.

Handba is ALWAYS on e hunt for members, so if you would like give a go, don’t hes ate drop e club a me age!

@worcunihandball

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# isBUCSGirlCan Encouraging pos v for women in sport.

The 20th – 26th November marks the ‘This BUCS Girl Can’ Campaign. The week of action is an opportunity for the Higher Education sector to highlight the breadth of opportunities for women to get active and play sport during their time at university. In support, Worcester Students’ Union proudly presented a short video, featuring a number of our sports clubs and societies. Each individual we spoke to was incredibly enthusiastic about their activity and we hope this positivity and determinedness shines through in the video.

Speaking of the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, Robyn Platt, Women’s Officer at Worcester Students’ Union said: The campaign celebrates active women who get involved without worrying about how well they do or how they look. The teams and societies were welcoming, friendly and truly inspiring.

‘H and n b hered’

“I kick rig in e stere ypes�

We would like to thank the following clubs for taking the time to allow us to include them within our mini campaign:

Ladies Basketba Ladies F tba Ladies Rugby Ladies Cricket Zumba Pole F ne Ch rleading

‘I ji le, erefore I am’

Head over to our Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/worcestersu/) to watch the video, or find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/worcestersu

#TeamWorc

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‘Swea ng like a pig, f ling like a fox’

CHILDREN IN NEED 2017 STUDENTS’ UNION RAISE £261.38 FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

The fundraising doesn’t end there.

Throughout the year, our amazing Student Engagement team and RAG Committee will be raising money for a number of causes, including our RAG Charity of the Year, the Alzheimer’s Society.

On behalf of everyone at Worcester Students’ Union, we would like to pay a huge thanks to all who helped us raise a total of £261.38 for this year’s Children in Need!

We set ourselves the gruelling challenge of rowing all the way to the Bristol Channel and back. With a little (okay, a lot) of help from UoW Rowing Club and Ladies Hockey, we managed to row even further than our 200km target, all before 4pm!

The fantastic Residential Ambassadors (RAs) also helped to raise money with a bake sale in the SU, contributing to nearly half of our grand total.

You can continue to donate online throughout the year to our RAG Charity by following this link: https://www.worc su.com/volunteer/ragcharities/ Alternatively, if you would like to get involved or organise your own fundraising event for charity, please contact Eleanor York (Student Engagement Coordinator) at e.york@worc.ac.uk

We finished off the day with a very special super-hero fancy dress karaoke. As always, we had some great (and not so great) performances and a whole lot of boogying.

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On Thursday, we spent the day filling the floor in the Hangar with people’s loose change and old pound coins. All together, we managed to raise £145. The LGBT+ and Film Society went on to raise a further £50 for RAG, with the help of some generous students at an evening screening of 90s cult film ‘But I’m A Cheerleader’.

The 23rd – 28th October marked RAG Week at the Students’ Union. All throughout the week, the RAG Committee, along with the support of the Students’ Union, organised and took part in a series of fundraisers in aid of Alzheimer’s Society, our chosen charity of the year.

In total, we managed to raise over £940!

Thanks must go to everyone who donated and took part in RAG Week 2017. With our continued support, charities like Alzheimer’s Society can keep helping people affected by dementia, whilst investing into research for care, cure and prevention.

During Friday daytime, as the University Open Day took place, Ladies Rugby put on a bake sale in the Students’ Union, with all proceeds going to RAG and Alzheimer’s Society.

Friday evening also saw the return of the Hangar’s infamous Halloween Scarefest.

Partly organised by Loco Show Co. and the Residential Ambassador’s; this year’s Scarefest was ‘IT’ themed and the Hangar bar was kitted out head to toe with spooktacular Halloween decorations. Terrifying clowns aside, the RAG Committee were able to add another healthy amount of donations to the RAG total. Head to page 10 to read more about Scarefest 2017.

The RAG Committee kicked things off on Monday with a Wheelchair Basketball Tournament down at the University Arena.

The teams consisted of Wheelchair Basketball themselves, Ultimate Frisbee, Ladies Hockey, Ladies Rugby, Men’s Rugby and the Students’ Union.

On Wednesday evening, the RAG Committee headed down to the Hangar for Societies and Sports Night to do some ghostly Halloween face painting. They also followed them to their socials in the City Centre and encouraged them to donate any loose change. Through bucket collections and face painting combined, the RAG Committee managed to add another £150.00 to the RAG total.

On behalf of the RAG Committee and everyone at the Students’ Union, we would like to thank all students and staff members who donated, thus making #RAGWeek2017 as successful as it could possibly have been.

You can continue to donate online throughout the year to our RAG Charity by following this link: https://www.worcsu.com/volunteer/ragcharities/. Alternatively, if you would like to get involved or organise your own fundraising event for charity, please contact Eleanor York (Student Engagement Coordinator) at e.york@worc.ac.uk.

RAG WEEK

OCTOBER 2017

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UNIBOOB AND SWIM TEAM CAR WASH

GUNGE THE OFFICERS

by Committee Members The Worcester Uni Boob Team, have been spreading boob love across campus since 2016. Since then we have spoken to hundreds of Worcester’s students about the benefits of checking your boobs (or pecs!). At age 23, CoppaFeel!’s founder Kris Hallenga was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer.

Three months later, Kris founded the charity to dedicate her time to educating young people and encourage them to regularly check their own boobs, in an effort to prevent late detection of breast cancer. Eight years later and Uni Boob Teams are a statement of most universities around the UK, and Worcester is no different!

You might have seen the team around campus or you may have been given one of our text reminder service cards before. If not keep your eyes peeled as we have many upcoming events to raise money and awareness for CoppaFeel! One of our biggest fundraisers this semester involved teaming up with the Zumba Society for a 3-hour ‘Zumba sesh’ down at Riverside, wearing our gorgeous boob costumes. Check our Facebook page (Worcester Uni Boob Team) and Twitter (@ubt_worcester) for regular updates on the team and events.

In RAG week, the swim team decided the best way to raise some funds for Alzheimer’s was to do a charity car wash. We got in touch with Homebase, and they allowed us to use their car park, and waive any car parking charges that may have been incurred.

Thank you, Homebase! We held the car wash on Saturday with the aim of raising £100 for RAG. Within the first 10 minutes, 3 cars showed up and we needed to call in more swimmers for reinforcement! This positive start continued throughout the day, and we raised a total of £135! As a team we would like to thank Alice, who sorted everything, and to Homebase for being so kind. The team had a great day and feel a real sense of pride for raising such a commendable amount of money.

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Also throughout the week, as we hit our fundraising goals, we gunged a member of the Full Time Officer team.

We gunged our third and final sabbatical Officer, Jade, on Friday afternoon after successfully reaching a fundraising total of £750! Missed the gunging as it happened? Don’t worry, we livestreamed them all to our Facebook page. Head over to https://www.facebook.com/worces tersu/ and see it for yourself!

SU CREW Q&A

by Yasmin Taylor-Haroun

Why did you get involved with SU Crew?

I got involved with the SU Crew because I’m interested in becoming more active within the University community. The Student’s Union is at the heart of this and it seemed like such a good opportunity for me to get involved and lend a helping hand. I was interested in future opportunities the SU may present and by being a part of the SU Crew, it has given me a stronger relationship with the members of the Students’ Union, who are all so lovely!

Why do you think other students should get involved with SU Crew/what have you gained?

I have gained so much valuable experience and genuine friendships by being a member of the SU Crew. I’d highly recommend becoming a member of the SU crew to … well…everyone! It can help build up your voluntary hours for things like the Worcester Award and it is a perfect opportunity to help a Students’ Union who bring so much to university life.

What is your favourite aspect of SU Crew?

My favourite aspect of the SU Crew was the social and teamwork side of things. I made many new friends through being a part of the Crew which made dedicating my time so much more enjoyable. I love working as a part of a team. Many of the events were encouraged to be a team effort, solidifying the friendships I had made as part of the SU Crew, and encouraging me to create new connections throughout!

What has been your favourite event to help out at so far?

My favourite event to help out at so far would have to be Welcome Week! After such a long summer holiday it was so fantastic to be back on a campus full of students. I helped at both Welcome Week events and “move in weekend” and it was so rewarding to be able to help people and to be a friendly face that potentially made a new environment seem that little bit more welcoming.

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

by Cameron Crocker Hello! My name is Cameron Cocker. I was born in England and moved to Estonia at the age of 9, during which I hardly knew a word of Estonian but still miraculously managed to somehow survive. I returned 10 years later to study drama and psychology at University of Worcester. During my time in Estonia I happened to discover an amazing recipe that I always received positive comments for. When I heard about the Global Food Festival, I thought: “Why not bring the joy of the magnificent Domino brownies to England as well?”. To clarify, “Domino” is the Estonian equivalent of the marvellous “Oreo” biscuits. Along with some chocolate and common ingredients found in nearly every household, you can create a delicious pudding for your mates in no time!

The Global Food Festival organised by International Experience here at the University gave me a perfect opportunity to present my dish. I was very impressed by the unique and tasty foods that were presented there and, overall, the event left me with a tip-top experience and a very full stomach.

International Experience are currently in the process of creating their International Cook Book, featuring all the recipes from the Global Food Festival. Make sure you give @GlobalWorcester a follow on Twitter for everything you need to know about the cook book and more!

#WeAreInternational

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COURSE REPS

by Demi Che Foster Volunteering as a Media and Culture Course Rep has brought about a variety of new experiences and skills for me. For example, the Course Rep scheme has allowed me to take more of an initiative and has given me the confidence to talk to teachers and student bodies. We use Facebook as well in order to express views and discover new opportunities to take part in.

In being a Course Rep, we need to collect feedback from students on our course. This is because it gives us and the teachers an insight into what is going well for us and if there is anything that needs to be changed.

We also maintain our online Journals to feedback to the Union. This is fulfilling because it gives us something useful to do that helps fellow University of Worcester students and writing journal entries helps me to log volunteering time.

I usually prepare beforehand and ask students on my Facebook page, in class or let them know that they are welcome to talk to me, then I take these findings/comments to meetings, writing them down in note form.

Action is taken after these meetings; the staff take it up with higher bodies to discuss what things have been said (both good and bad). We then receive an email after a short while which says what has happened and what will happen next.

Personally, I think that the Course Rep system is incredibly valuable and has actually improved since last year, resulting in happier students who feel that if there is a problem that needs to be addressed, that it can and will be.

I feel like a role model, a figure that students can look up to, and being a part of a collective community is also fun. I was a Course Rep last year too (at that point called StARs) in which I took part in similar roles and jobs. Being a Course Rep is a good way to get recognised in the world of work and academia and I would recommend it to anyone.

YOUR COURSE YOUR VOICE 32

STUDENT STAFF HANNAH SHORT WELCOME DESK ASSISTANT

I enjoy working at the Students’ Union here at Worcester because it is a fun, friendly environment and I thoroughly enjoy helping students.

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

I have a grade 6 In Musical Theatre I study a joint honours degree in Human Geography and Sociology I am the treasurer for the UniBoob team here at the University, which fundraises for the Coppafeel Charity!

DENISA ZETTLOVÁ STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER

I enjoy working at the Students’ Union because it gives me the opportunity to learn more things about designing through experience on top of my studies, as well as learning what it’s like to work in a team.

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

I am from the Czech Republic I study Graphic Design and Illustration I don’t drink alcohol When I was a kid I was apparently terrified of butterflies

I

@denisazettl

ALICE MASON

BARTENDER AT THE HANGAR

I enjoy working in the Students’ Union because it’s a friendly environment and everyone looks out for each other.

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

I study Sociology I have been in the scouts for 10 years Hairspray is my all-time favourite film

Visit https://www.worcsu.com/yourunion/vacancies/ to view current vacancies at the Students’ Union or keep your eyes peeled on our social media for updates.

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ISSUE 3

be a part of i ue 4

Wr e us about your achievements.

Whether you’re a staff member or a student, everyone in the University can write for this new and student friendly magazine.

You could wr e: About an amazing event you organised About an award you received for your hard work A story about your society’s success A review of your sports club’s performace An interview with a key volunteer or a committee member A poem about your University experience

500-word limit, submitted images must be good quality and high resolution, it must be factual and the achievement must have been undertaken (or been completed) on or after 1st January 2018

send sucommunica ons@worc.ac.uk Could you stand for students?

Nomina ons Open 19 Februa

worcsu.com/elec ons

Worcester Students’ Union Henwick Grove St John’s Worcester, WR2 6AJ www.worcsu.com