Monday 28th September 2009 Student Direct: www.studentdirect.co.uk E d i t i o n Issue 2 - FREE Page 06 Get Cooking with Will! Page 19 Appolonia’s Erasmus Experience Page 04 Matt Talks Money ● Student debt ‘could double’ in the future ● Life at university can be ‘complicated and demanding’ ● No regrets over the University’s decision to spend an extra £13,000 on a chandelier for University House THE Vice Chancellor has admitted that student finances “will get worse before they get better”. Professor Martin Hall says that there needs to be a complete overhaul of the student loans system so that students from less priviliged backgrounds do not miss out on higher education. “There needs to be a new scheme put into place. The issue of student funding is a potential crisis issue, one which needs proper debate”, he said. “I sympathise with students- many need part time jobs to fund their way through university, and this time in their lives is both complicated and demanding. But we will come out of this recession, and they will need a good degree in order to get a good job, so the stress will be worth it in the end.” Professor Hall continued that current students are in a more fortunate position in comparision with those hoping to go to university in future years. “At the moment, students are looking at repaying around £25,000 of debt back once they have finished university- it’s a lot of money, but it is managable. In the next few years, I wouldn’t be suprised to see that figure double- that will mean a lot of people missing out on an education that they deserve.” The Vice Chancellor, who moved to Salford from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, is determined to see the increased burden of student debt become an issue of national debate. He will shortly be meeting with the National Union of Students (NUS) President Wes Streeting to discuss generating a wider national discussion.. ● (continued on page 3) Steph Bartup Editor HAVE YOU got your NUS card yet? For just ten pounds, you can get a whole year of discounts from places such as play.com, superdrug, the Odeon cinema and loads more. And for an extra pound, you can make your card an ISIC (International Student Identity Card), which gives you discounts abroad- well worth doing if you’re planning on taking a holiday this year! If you’re after a proof of age card, you could upgrade to a ‘passcard’ for an exra £6 – students wishing to do this should bring along either a passport or driving liscence to the USSU General Office in University House, which is where you collect all NUS cards from. You can apply for your card online now by going to www.nus.org.uk, or come to the USSU General Office in University House, where you can pay by either cash or card. You don’t even need to bring a photo as the staff will take a picture on the webcam for you. Easy! Save £££’s with NUS! VICE CHANCELLOR: “Student Finance Will Get Worse Before It Gets Better”
Transcript
Monday 28th September 2009
Student Direct:
www.studentdirect.co.uk
Edition
Issue 2 - FREE
Page 06
GetCooking
with Will!Page 19
Appolonia’sErasmus
ExperiencePage 04
MattTalks
Money
● Student debt ‘could double’
in the future
● Life at university can
be ‘complicated and
demanding’
● No regrets over the
University’s decision to
spend an extra £13,000 on
a chandelier for University
House
THE Vice Chancellor hasadmitted that student finances“will get worse before they get
better”. Professor Martin Hallsays that there needs to be acomplete overhaul of thestudent loans system so thatstudents from less priviligedbackgrounds do not miss out
on higher education.
“There needs to be a newscheme put into place. Theissue of student funding is apotential crisis issue, one whichneeds proper debate”, he said.
“I sympathise with students-many need part time jobs tofund their way throughuniversity, and this time in theirlives is both complicated anddemanding. But we will comeout of this recession, and theywill need a good degree in
order to get a good job, so thestress will be worth it in theend.”
Professor Hall continued thatcurrent students are in a morefortunate position incomparision with those hopingto go to university in futureyears.
“At the moment, students arelooking at repaying around£25,000 of debt back once theyhave finished university- it’s alot of money, but it ismanagable. In the next fewyears, I wouldn’t be suprised tosee that figure double- that willmean a lot of people missingout on an education that theydeserve.”
The Vice Chancellor, whomoved to Salford from theUniversity of Cape Town inSouth Africa, is determined tosee the increased burden ofstudent debt become an issueof national debate. He willshortly be meeting with theNational Union of Students(NUS) President Wes Streetingto discuss generating a widernational discussion..
● (continued on page 3)
Steph BartupEditor
HAVE YOU got your NUS card yet? For just ten pounds, youcan get a whole year of discounts from places such asplay.com, superdrug, the Odeon cinema and loads more.And for an extra pound, you can make your card an ISIC(International Student Identity Card), which gives youdiscounts abroad- well worth doing if you’re planning ontaking a holiday this year!
If you’re after a proof of age card, you could upgrade to a‘passcard’ for an exra £6 – students wishing to do this shouldbring along either a passport or driving liscence to the USSUGeneral Office in University House, which is where you collectall NUS cards from.
You can apply for your card online now by going towww.nus.org.uk, or come to the USSU General Office inUniversity House, where you can pay by either cash or card. Youdon’t even need to bring a photo as the staff will take a pictureon the webcam for you. Easy!
Save £££’swith NUS!
VICE CHANCELLOR:“Student Finance
Will Get WorseBefore ItGets Better”
Hi!
Welcome to the second issue ofStudent Direct: Salford Edition.This paper is your weekly doseof news from around theUniversity and from furtherafield. This week we’ve beenspeaking to people who have
taken part in the many ‘Give ItA Go!’ opportunities that USSUare offering. As well as that, I’vehad a very interestinginterview with the University’sVice Chancellor, Martin Hall,which you can read on page 3.
For those of you slightly
confused by the layout of thepaper, I should tell you that 12 ofthe 36 pages are produced here inSalford (the ones with our USSUlogo on the top!) while theremaining pages are created atManchester University, withwhom we collaborate each week.It’s a unique system, but it doeswork!
Have a great week,Steph
THE UNIVERSITY ofSalford, in association withOfcom, hosted an event toexplore the future of localmedia last Tuesday at theInnovation Forum Centre.
The event – whichattracted some of the biggestnames in both the regionaland national media industry– consisted of two paneldiscussions with questionsfrom the floor in which someof the key issuessurrounding local media’sgeneral downwardtrajectory were addressed.
Things began with StewartPurvis, Ofcom Partner forContent and Standards,describing and explainingthe contents of Ofcom’slatest publication on thesubject, Local and RegionalMedia in the UK. They talkedof a potential financial gainprovided ITV cut theirregional news broadcastoutput, and explained theimplications of this forregional and local media.
The issue was then openedfor discussion among a panel
of industry leaders, includingMichael Jeremy, Director ofNews, Current Affairs andSport for ITV, and HelenThomas, Head of Regional &Local Programmes for BBCYorkshire. The panel aimedto deduce how pluralitycould be preserved in localmedia with the introductionof public funds being used tofund regional newsbroadcast, although thiscould potentially be liftedwhen the Digital Switchoverfee portion of the BBClicense fee expires.
The discussions becamesomewhat heated whenMichael Jeremy assertedthat, even if ITV were toabdicate productionresponsibility and associatedfinancial expenditure forregional broadcast to anexterior body, ITV wouldwish to retain quality andeditorial control over theassociated output.
The issue of local printmedia was also discussed, inwhich the particular plight ofFree-Sheet publications wasemphasised and lamented.
The second discussion waskicked off by the second key-note speaker, William Perrin,
who previously served asTony Blair’sCommunications PolicyAdvisor and provided afascinating insight into thegrowing culture of grassroots journalism taking holdacross Britain, permitted bythe internet revolution.
Speaking to Student Directafterward, Mr Perrin said ofthe plight of localnewspapers: “Jeff Jarvis’
work at NYU is very clearthat the size of a modernnewspaper for a large citywould be between 30 and 40people. There are no mediaorganisations covering largecities that employ that fewpeople in Britain, they havehuge organisations bothfinancially andquantitatively, and it isexceptionally hard todownsize.”
University Hosts ‘The Futureof Local Media’ ConferenceDamienShannon
Represent!EVERY student at the Universityof Salford has the opportunityto become a Student Rep - eachclass has a representative who isable to feedback to theUniversity about what they andtheir classmates think are thepositive points about theircourse, and what they thinkneeds to be improved aboutUniversity life - so make youropinion count!
If you think you could do a goodjob as a student rep, then speak toyour tutor or email [email protected] tofind out more.
Get InterviewSavvyINTERVIEWS can be a dauntingprospect, and something thateveryone has to go through! Ifyou’re considering getting apart time job, or thinking aboutjob prospects once you leavethe University, the Careers andEmployability team at Salfordmight just be able to help.
In preparation for the Work Fairthat the University is hosting on7th October, the team are puttingon two interactive workshops forstudents who want support onhow to approach prospectiveemployers.
Both sessions are held inDerwent Room, Student LifeCareers and Employability,Ground Floor, University House
Interested students shouldcontact Careers and Employabilityat [email protected]
Second speaker William Perrin
NEWS02 / Student Direct September 28th 2009
www.student-direct.co.uk
Editor’s Note
THE NURSE’S station based at theAllerton building by the ClarendonRoad medical surgery has nowclosed. Services from this practiceare now provided at the newlocation of Pendleton Gateway(next to Gala Bingo) ,1 Broadwalk,Salford.
However, there is a dedicated healthcentre on campus (the Maxwell HealthCentre) which is designed specifically
for Salford students, as well as GPpractices near home for students wholive off campus. All students living inUniversity accommodation areencouraged to register with the MaxwellHealth Centre!
The Maxwell Health Centre is situatedwithin the Maxwell Building (Rooms 325& 326) on the main Peel Park Campus,and is staffed by NHS GeneralPractitioners and trained Nurses. The
Medical Centre offers a comprehensiverange of healthcare services. As many ofthese services are by appointment, it isalways advisable to ring first. Studentscan also pick up HC1’s and other medicalforms from the Maxwell Centre, even ifyou are not registered there.
Maxwell Health Centre is part of TheLangworthy Road Medical Practice. Formore information, please visitwww.langworthymedical practice.co.uk
A Change of Surgery
NUS: Funding Our Future?Interview with
Professor Martin HallIt’s a Strange World...
News
Column
Features
The (re) view
(re)view
Your Space
Hayley’s Here To HelpSo You Want To Be...
In The Army?
Your Space
Hayley’s here to Help
28.09.09
Student Direct:
www.studentdirect.co.uk
Edition
Page 03
Column: The Joe Greener Side of Life
Living the Erasmus LifePage 04
Union PageColumn: State of the Union
Sabbs Ask, You Say...
Page 06
Page 07
Page 18&19
Mayweather Madness!Column: Stuart Owen
Sport
Page 35
Page 34
Page 05
View PointColumn: The Gossip
Union
SportSummer Success
for SUBC
Page 36 www.salfordstudents.com
Student Direct / News 03September 28th 2009
www.student-direct.co.uk
It’s aStrange
World
Suddenlyquite
appealing!
WHEN I agreed to write about the strangest
news hitting the headlines from across the
world, I don’t think I knew what I was letting
myself in for. Researching wacky news stories
sounded like fun, but I didn’t imagine for one
second I would uncover headlines such as
‘sex toy for dogs goes on sale’ or ‘bin sex
couple robbed’ *cringe*. More to the point,
who in their right mind would want to have
sex in a bin anyway?!
There was however some less sickening stories
that made the headlines this week, so here are
the highlights:
‘Braking’ the RulesACCORDING TO website ‘stunning-stuff.com’,
a 24-year-old male made a grave mistake
when he stole a car from a repair shop in
Moscow, only to discover whilst driving the
vehicle that the car had no brakes.
Commenting on the unfortunate incident a
police spokesman said: "He told us he had seen
mechanics do a paint job on the car and saw
them leave the keys in the ignition so he decided
to take his chance. But what he didn't know was
that the car was also getting new brakes fitted."
Thankfully the offender did manage to stop the
stolen Nissan Primera eventually; by smashing
into another car. Not a great way to ‘brake’ the
law but it works for some people!
Get the Burgers in!NOW TO Denmark; and to the glorious news
that not being able to fit into skinny jeans and
tight skirts isn’t such a bad thing after all.
Scientists at Copenhagen University Hospital
have discovered that having thin thighs may kill
you! They studied more than 2,800 middle-aged
people, only to find that those with the slimmest
thighs were more likely to suffer from heart
disease or even premature death.
People with thighs measuring less than 18
inches were at the biggest risk, according to the
study which can be found in the online version of
the British Medical Journal.
“There was up to a double risk for the people
with the smallest thighs,” said Dr. Berit L.
Heitmann, a director of research at the
University. “It’s quite substantial.”
The study found that women who had a waist
size of 6-8 were at the highest risk. Hmm, maybe
a Whopper and fries for tea isn’t such a bad idea
after all!
Caroline Steer
THE National Union of Students(NUS) has revealed its plans for acomplete overhaul of the tuitionfee system after NUS Vice-PresidentAaron Porter admitted that ‘theNUS lost in terms of free education’.
The new plan, announced at lastweeks ‘NUS: Funding our Future’conference, seeks to eliminate tuitionfees and instead create a ‘people’strust for higher education’. Thiswould involve creating a national pot,similar to the state pension, regulatedby an independent board. The trustwould be funded by personalcontributions from veterans of highereducation, and how much they paywould be dependent on theirearnings.
‘Funding our Future’ comes after itwas announced that 80 percent ofNUS delegates voted for anengagement in the funding debate, asopposed to keeping the policy of freeeducation for all.
The new plan is ambitious, and isdesigned to combat the risk of therelease of the current cap on tuitionfees. If this cap were released, NUS
claims, the market would becomeunfair, and, ‘the wealthiest and mostsocially exclusive institutions wouldget more resources, and the rest willlose out’.
The plan also opens doors forvoluntary employer contributions,which would mean that, ‘employerscould support far more employees tostudy than ever before’.
The NUS admits that no system isperfect, and they, ‘don’t claim that ourproposals can solve every problem’.
The plan does have several gapingholes. For example, internationalstudents are in no way addressed inthe report. When questioned on thisissue, Aaron Porter merely stated that‘this issue will be addressed’.
When asked how Scottish ratesfactored into this, Mr. Porter statedthat NUS was working closely withScotland, and that it was a case of,‘You scratch my back, I scratch yours’in terms of how this plan wouldengage with Scottish Universities.
Further problems have also beenfound with the new plan. Its success isdependant upon the ‘pot of gold’ i.e.‘the People’s Trust for HigherEducation’. However, when askedhow long this would take to build upto a level which could support the
national higher education sector, Mr.Porter was very empty on answers.
Mr. Porter did state that theprincipals of the plan were moreimportant than the details. However,many of the delegates challenged this.When asked, ‘Are you not using theprincipals that were decided at anNUS conference as a guise to rallyimaginary support for the details ofthe plan?’, Mr. Porter laughed this off,and did not comment.
Considering the NUS got nowherewith its free education platform, onehas to wonder whether this is simply aplan to justify its existence, so as not
to be drowned out under the cries ofthose who believe that itsabandonment of the free educationplatform was a mistake.
However, others believe, and quiterightly, that this plan is an example ofthe NUS’s realisation that engagementin the Higher Education fundingdebate is its only avenue to success.The plan is a legitimate alternative tothe current system, but one wonderswhether NUS President WesStreeting- himself a part of NUS’Labour faction- has largely proposedthis to score points with the currentgovernment.
NUS Plans toAbolish Tuition Fees
LukeDunsmore
Aaron Porterwith
NUS PresidentWes Streeting
● (continued from page 1)
ControversialDecision Making?Despite the ongoing debatesurrounding the difficulties of studentfinance, Professor Hall stands by theUniversity’s decision to spend£25,000 on the chandelier whichgraces the entrance of the newlyrefurbished University House (around£13,000 more than standard lightfittings).
“There are always going to beopinions over where the moneyshould be better spent, but I think it’sOK on balance. The money couldhave been spent on a lot of things, butyou have to balance out yourinvestments across the whole of theUniversity. We wanted to create awelcoming environment for the newlayout of University House- I think itlooks good and serves its purpose.”
And Professor Hall rejectspersistent rumours that this verybuilding - which has recentlyundergone a £2 millionrefurbishment- is to be demolished inten to 15 years: “That building has a lotof use out of it yet! There are certainlyno plans to knock it down, especiallyafter all that money has just beenspent on improving it.”
The Vice Chancellor has recentlyappointed Dr. Adrian Graves,registrar of the University, as hisDeputy Vice Chancellor. But ProfessorHall is not worried that the registrarmight be taking on too manyresponsibilities.
“It’s quite the opposite; Adrian’snew title actually describes his jobmore accurately than before- I have infact, moved to remove some of his
responsibilities, as his workload wasgetting so much.”
“I want Salford to be in the topquartile of universities”
Hall recognises that the Universitymust do better in the league tables.Currently at number 76 in the GoodUniversity Guide’s ranking, the ViceChancellor recognises that Salfordneeds to improve it’s performance.
“I really want to see Salford in thetop quartile; there are things that weare very good at here, includingmedia, energy, built environment andhealth, and it’s areas such as thesewhich I’d like to see us become evenstronger in, and become known for, asthose areas are where our strengthsreally lie.”
Having served as University ViceChancellor for just six weeks,Professor Hall already has a list ofchanges that he would like to see takeplace.
“I definately want to improvecommunication around theUniversity between students andstaff- including myself- which is whyI’ve been walking round the campus,chatting to students about what isimportant to them, and what changes
they would like to see. I have justcompleted a ‘question and answer’session with students, which wentvery well. I’ll be meeting up with thestudent reps twice a year to discussany issues and problems that theymay be experiencing.”
Professor Hall is also thought to bethe only vice chancellor in thecountry to use networking site,
Twitter as a means of communicatingwith students and staff.
However, he knows that muchmore needs to be done to improve thelines of communication.
“We have some excellent teachershere at Salford- but the teaching levelsneed to improve. We have issues withtimetabling- many commutingstudents need their timetables earlierso that they can work around a parttime job or travelling in, for example.
“We look very closesly at the resultsof the NSS [National Student Survey],and take those results very seriously.”
Change for the FutureA further major issue that ProfessorHall concedes needs improvement is
the high level of students who do notcomplete their degree courses atSalford. Around 20% of students failto finish their course, leaving theUniversity with no qualification.
“Twenty per cent is too high”, saysthe Vice Chancellor. “I really wouldlike to improve the standards ofteaching at the University, which Ibelieve would improve the rates ofstudent retention. We have excellentteaching staff here, and they need tobe supported with betterorganisational skills.”
The professor- who contributed tochanging the demographics ofstudents attending university in SouthAfrica from being white- dominatedduring his time there- is also keen forthe University to get involved with thelocal Salford community.
“Around 80% of our nursingstudents come from Salford, and thengo back to working within thecommunity, which is one example ofhow we can give something back tothe local area.”
He describes Salford as being “anexciting city, with an interestinghistory”, and is looking forward to theUniversity’s partnership with MediaCity, which will begin in early 2011.
After investing millions of poundsinto the University’s place in MediaCity, the Vice Chancellor say thatstudents have much to gain frombeing so close to the project.
“I have spoken to one student whohas already secured a job over atMedia City, which is fantastic. Therewill be teaching facilities over therefor both post graduates andundergraduates. To be surrounded byso many film makers, producers anddirectors will be a great opportunityfor Salford students.”
“There are certainly no
plans to knock it [University
House] down, especially after
all that money has just been
spent on improving it.”
NEWS04 / Student Direct September 28th 2009
Why Be An Environmental Activist?
www.studentdirect.co.uk
The Joe Greener side of life
Living the Erasmus Life
THERE IS no set definition ofwhat IS an environmentalactivist. With such anundefined boundary how faris too far to be heard? Andwhy should you be heardanyway?
Climate change and weatherfluctuation events such ashurricanes, heat waves, stormsurges, flooding and landslidescreate humanitarian issues of:homelessness, displacement,starvation, insect and diseaseoutbreaks and altered migrationof species. It is for these reasons and responses toincomprehensible politicaldecision-making (such as thecreation of more coal-fired power
plants) which motivates peopleto do something responsive.This ‘something’ is termedenvironmental activism. It iscommunicated and strengthenedby networking and driven byscientific evidence reiteratingincreasing global environmentalproblems which require collectiveactions due to the complexity ofthose problems.
Unfortunately one personalone is unable to cajoleMr.Gordon Brown or his fellowministers into acknowledging thesensible solution of
altering UK governmentlegislation and policies. Nor can asolitary person motivate himenough to want to persuadepowerful world leaders to followsuit.
This is why individual
environmental activists campaignas one collective.
Some are writers; others aremuch more direct anddemonstrative like Climate Camp.
Yet others are the consumercitizens of society who refuseto purchase organizations’environmentally-destructivewares (E.ON, RBS).
Climate Camp is a collective ofgrassroot individuals determinedto act and inspire solutions to theroot causes of climate change.They have annual week-longcamp gatherings in which you canattend workshops which trainand guide you on how to have alesser environmental impact;such as giving solutions to MarketFood Wastes which are beinglandfilled and contribute tomethane Green House Gases.They believe that policy is laggingbehind beliefs regarding foodwaste, and that culturallyconsumers are unaware of therealities of food waste and howdamaging it is globally.
This year's theme was ‘G20 inthe City’ whereby activists heldprotests outside of London'sbiggest carbon polluters whoinvest money into industries thatheavily pollute our atmosphereby combusting finite resources.
The protesters name and shamethe organisations, using loudspeakers so that their message isheard by all in the vicinity (thesedemonstrations can be viewed ontheir website).
Unfortunately mediasensationalism portrays activiststo be anarchy-lovers simplybecause such sensationalism sellspapers. Such generalisationsinfluence the general public’sopinions creating a mythicalactivist's persona, just as theyhave unjustly done for femalesingle-parents, Islamic Muslims,asylum seekers and migrantworkers. Recent debate hasoccurred regarding policing ofcamps, which will be policed justas all major outdoor events.
A spokesperson for ClimateCamp responded to this saying:“Climate Camp is an autonomousspace [which] does not needpolice on site as Climate Campfunctions without traditionalauthority. . . as there is an effectivecommunal response in the space...which is a child friendly space.”
So how far is too far? Andshould they be heard? I amsubjective and opinionated and sobelieve they should...but youdecide for yourself when aspokesperson comes to UoS fromClimate Camp.
Diary dates:7th October 2009, 4pm-6pm The Boardroom,University House,
A spokesperson fromClimate Camp will be hereto speak about why weneed to prevent coal firedpower plants fromsupplying our energy andto answer any querieswhich you may have.
Interesting fact . . .The AmericanEnvironmental Protection Agency has aMost Wanted List of peoplewho commit crimesagainst the environment.The UK EnvironmentAgency does not have anequivalent list.
. . . doing your bitat UoS● Work out what your
own food consumptionpatterns are and try tofind a way of reducingyour food waste.
● Compost your foodwaste wherever you can.
● Request that cateringstaff who work in thefood outlets in bothMaxwell and Allertoncompost your foodwaste in the composterssupplied by the UoSEstates & PropertyServices Division.
● Sign the Energy Petitionsituated in USSUreception and at GreenCollective meetings andevents.
● The Energy Petitionwants the UoS to alter itsenergy supply to a 100%Green Energy Supplier.
Joanne Green
How far is too far?
ERASMUS STUDENTS, hereyou are! Finally in the land ofSalford . . . Ready to live one ofthe best experiences of yourlife? Because this year's gonnabe wild!
I know how you all feel, aslast year I had the chance toembrace the Erasmuslifestyle, leaving my nativeFrance to to come to England.
THE ENGLISH LIFESTYLEAs a foreign student, your firstpriority is finding some cashbecause your dear euros areuseless. Once the pound is inyour pocket,your next lessonwill be to discover that theEnglish weather tends to varyonly between nuances of grey...For all those who come fromsunny countries like Spain, Italyor the south of France, just try tokeep an image of what the sunlooks like because you are notgoing to see it for a while!Eventually, you are going toadopt what I call « The Englishno-tan »!
SOME TIPS TO GET THROUGHTHE FIRST TIMES Don't worry! The first times areoften disturbing. It's totallynormal to feel completely lost,to need 30 seconds to answer asimple question (the time tounderstand, to translate whatyou want to say and to vocalizeit...a long brain process whichmakes you feel a bit confused!)...But hopefully my advice willhelp you get through thisadventure.
Now classes are starting, thesocial life here really warms up
and gives you more chances towiden your network of friends.
The Printworks is a very goodplace for big nights out with its 3clubs : Opus, Pure and TigerTiger, plus a cinema, bars andloads of restaurants. You willcertainly spend many nights outin this place, perfect for having agood time with friends.
If you are looking forsomething else, DeansgateLocks with Loaf and Revolutionis also great, different but cool.The crowd is older and theatmosphere a bit moresophisticated.
However, with all the flyersyou will receive every day, you'llhave plenty of choice in terms ofclubs. Just pick one and try it toform your own opinion!
The second really big partyspot is the flats or houses in thedifferent student residences. Ithink you will live your bestmoments during the famous“house parties” with all yourfriends, some music, drinks andfood. With all these ingredients,you are sure that the night's“gonna be a good good night”...
Last year, in my house in
Castle Irwell, we established analmost weekly party whereeveryone was invited with greatmusic and drinks. A perfect wayto build some unforgettablememories.
THE TREASURES OF THENORTH WEST OF ENGLAND!Concerning the cultural side,not only is Urbis a spectacularbuilding but it's also a greatplace to visit, for its numerousinteresting exhibitions aboutcity life. For fans of machines,the Museum of Science andIndustry is also very interestingand it's worth visiting.
But, if you like spending yourmoney on clothes oraccessories, you'll definitely bein your element in The ArndaleCentre, the big shopping centrein the heart of the city. And,obviously, for some footballlovers, Old Trafford couldbecome your second home...
TAKE YOUR BAG AND VISITTHE COUNTRY!After a while in Salford, I thinkthe best thing for an Erasmusstudent to do is discover thevariety of British landscape.
Don't hesitate to take
advantage of this opportunity;the road trips are always greatfun: waking up at undecenttimes to catch a train, takingpictures of your friends sleepingwith their mouth open on a bus,running after a cab with all yourbags...it's something toremember!
Great Britain is so diverse thatnot visiting different partswould be a shame. You can findsome affordable flights toScotland, cheap coach rides toLondon or £10-train tickets toLiverpool. For travelling, youare lucky because Salford isquite well-situated to join theother major British cities. Sodon't be afraid to leave the bigcity, I can guarantee that it'stotally worth it.
I think you have the mostimportant information to helpyou face the first times. Now thebest advice I could give youwould be just to live yourErasmus experience to thefullest, enjoy this unique part ofyour life, to discover anotherculture and to simply enjoy youryear abroad.This happens onlyonce in a lifetime, so good luckand have fun!
Appolonia’s 5 Vital Contacts
● Afflecks, 52 Church Street,Northen Quarter, Manchester(www.afflecks.com)
● Font Bar, 7-9 New WakefieldStreet, Manchester
● Urbis, next to Victoria Station(www.urbis.org.uk)
● Megabus for cheap coachrides within the UK(www.megabus.com/uk)
● National Rail for train tickets(www.nationalrail.co.uk)
The Printworksin Manchester
House Party!
AppoloniaBenoist
Student Direct / Features 05September 28th 2009
www.student-direct.co.uk
Shouldterminally illcriminals bereleased fromprison oncompassionategrounds? The case of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi (trysaying that after a glass of wine) – better knownas the Lockerbie Bomber – has been splatteredacross the media in an almost – dare I say it –promiscuous fashion during the last few weeksand months. The uproar surrounding therelease of Megrahi hasswallowed many columninches, dragged up theoriginal conspiracy theory,sent rumours flying about oildeals with Libya and broughtthe “special relationship”between America and theUnited Kingdom under closescrutiny. There seems, asDavid Cameron hascommented, to have been aspot of double-dealing goingon by that shifty-lookingbloke we call our PM and hisparty of cronies. On onehand he tells the Americanshe wants Megrahi to die injail and in the same breathtells the Libyans he’ll sort outMegrahi’s release. Hmm.
I could sit here and wax lyrical about the myriadcontradictions of the Labour Party, but I don’tthink I will: surprisingly, the question I’m going toaddress here is not overly political. I’m also notgoing to pretend to have an amazing knowledge ofMegrahi’s case; I’ve derived much of it fromnewspapers, and even such wise purveyors of theinternational news such as the Daily Mail – ahem –can, on very rare occasions, twist the facts andproduce an impression of the case that is quitedifferent from the truth. So I’m going to deal withsimplicities here. For me, the importance of
Megrahi’s case lies not in the immediate politicaldetails, but the issue it raises with regard to crimeand punishment. Put simply: should terminally illcriminals be released from prison oncompassionate grounds?
The question of Megrahi’s release was throwninto the spotlight because he is dying of terminalprostate cancer and reportedly has less than threemonths to live. One possibility after his release,then, was that he would spend his last weeks withhis wife and children – a prospect which positivelyincensed some of the families of the 270 victims ofthe fated Pan Am Flight 103 to which Megrahi’sname is inextricably linked.
I sympathise with them. The thought thatMegrahi will be allowed to spend his last days withhis family, when they will never see their deadfamily members again thanks to his doings, mustbe torturing. Yet emotionalism has never been agood grounding for law. We’ve established thatmost victims who believed Megrahi to be guiltywould not agree with the news of his release, butthis doesn’t really answer my original question,does it? While I do not agree with Megrahi’srelease, it is for a reason within which theemotional factor only plays a small part.
The thing is, I don’t think terminally ill prisonersshould ever be released from prison oncompassionate grounds. Here’s why.
In a case like Megrahi’s – where the deaths of 270-odd people areinvolved – where theword “terrorism” in anextremely tense era isinvolved – why shouldhe ever see the light ofday again? Indeed, inany case, why should amurderer be affordedcompassion? I hate touse this quote, but oneof the many things Iheard about theMegrahi case when itwas going on, over andover again, was thisidea that “He nevershowed anycompassion to hisvictims.” This isn’tquite the point. The
point of a life sentence is that the criminal will bein prison for life; that he will serve his penance andlose his liberty in punishment for the lives he hastaken or the woman he has raped. A life sentenceshould not have conditions, and if the other optionis that the criminal will die in prison – then so be it.
I don’t fall in with this namby-pamby liberal idea
that we should afford criminals a measure of
human rights. Capital punishment has been
abolished thanks to that school of thought: a life
sentence has to be a proper, harsh punishment.
The elephant in the room, of course, is Megrahi’s
supposed innocence. He has appealed against his
sentence twice, and there are families of the
victims, on both sides of the Atlantic, who believe
that Megrahi may be innocent. I do not have the
space to go into this argument, but I suspect that
one of the things that motivated the Scottish
government to release Megrahi was this idea that
he may be innocent.
Megrahi, if he really is a terrorist, is no danger to
anyone: he will die within weeks of this article
being published. I’m not enough of a conspiracy
theorist to believe that Megrahi will devise some
new terrorist plot in the weeks leading to his
death, but I think his release, as one American
commented: “… gives hope to terrorists
everywhere.”
VIEWPOINT
LauraJohnson
The Gossip
Suga-bust upKeisha Buchanan, the last remaining originalSugababe, was sensationally axed from the bandthis week over alleged spats with fellow band-mate Amelle Berrabah. Reports surfaced lastweek that Amelle had gone “missing” when shefailed to attend several public appearances withthe band. Friends of the singer claimed she’dbeen “deeply unhappy” due to months of bullyingfrom Keisha - something Keisha strongly denies.Rumours were rife that Amelle was to leave theband, but in a shock twist it was Keisha who wentinstead. Keisha has been with the band from dayone, and the group has seen three line-upchanges throughout its eleven year history.Keisha is, understandably, said to be “devastated”by the turn of events and took to her Twitter pageto inform her fans that it was not her choice toleave the band.
She said;"Although it was not my choice to leave, it's time
to enter a new chapter in my life. Now I'm going totake some time to focus on me. I've been in thisband for 11 years and I have achieved so much.This is not the end... but the beginning!!!!"
What did celebrities (and myself ) do beforeTwitter?!
Of course, now that there are no originalmembers left, the Sugababes aren’t really theSugababes anymore; I think they should startfresh with a new name and a new image. It’s ashame this had to happen now as their latestsingle “Get Sexy” is actually the best thing they’vedone in a while.
Calm DownKanye!
I have to mention, even though to be fair I thinkthe world and his wife knows, Kanye Westinterrupting Taylor Swifts acceptance speech atthe VMA’s. If you don’t know what happened,here’s the gist: Taylor won the Best Female Videocategory for her song You Belong With Me,beating (amongst others) Beyonce for her SingleLadies video. Taylor had barely uttered twowords of her acceptance speech before Kanyejumped on stage, took the mic off her andannounced that he thought Beyonce had one ofthe greatest videos “OF ALL TIME!” and that sheshould have won. Poor Taylor didn’t know whatto do and was left standing awkwardly before
being led off stage. The beautiful Beyonce wenton to win Video Of The Year for Single Ladies(that’ll teach Kanye to jump the gun) and invitedTaylor back on stage to finish her speech (blessher).
Backlash against Kanye has been suitablydramatic, with even President Obama calling hima “jackass”. There’s even a Facebook applicationyou can use to find out where Kanye willinterrupt you!(ha ha).
X-terminatedIn other news, The X Factor destroyed Strictly
Come Dancing in the ratings this week, beating
their number of viewers by over 2 million! The
shows are going head to head on Saturday nights
this year with Strictly trying to up their game to
compete with the ITV heavyweight -but to no
avail it would seem. Perhaps to compete with
Cheryl Cole’s success on The X Factor, Strictly
axed much respected choreographer Arlene
Philips (who is in her sixties) and replaced her
with the (much)
younger Alesha Dixon who won the show in
2007. The plan has backfired however as viewers
have made it clear they do not agree with the
choice. The BBC has admitted to receiving over
700 complaints about poor Alesha’s performance
last weekend. Couple that with the ratings and it’s
not been a great week for Strictly. I’m a big
believer in the saying “if it aint broke, don’t fix it”
and I think it’s rather fitting here. I also don’t
think it’s fair to put the two shows head to head -
even Simon Cowell admitted this week that his
Mum likes to watch both!
Justin LovesRihanna?Lastly, rumours have begun circulating thatRihanna and Justin Timberlake are dating oneanother. Since Justin is still officially with JessicaBiel, I’m not so sure I believe this one (howeverthere have been reports recently that theirrelationship has hit a rocky patch). Gossip siteShowbiz Spy has quoted a source close toRihanna saying: “Justin and Rihanna have beenseeing each other for the past few weeks. He isreally into her and it’s only a matter of timebefore he dumps Jessica.”
We’ll see…
Megrahi’scontroversialreturn home
Lucy Jones
“A life sentence
should not have
conditions. And if
the other option is
that the criminal
will die in prison –
then so be it.”
UNION06 / Student Direct September 28th 2009
WELCOME WEEK was as hectic as ever – andeveryone seemed to have a great time! Themarquee outside University House wasthriving at the Welcome expo event onMonday (who could miss the great musicfrom the Pav DJ’s?!) and at the Activities Fairand Trade Fair on Friday. Students enjoyedtaking part in the ‘Give It A Go!’ activites thatwere on offer – from speed dating to pie eating(the champion managed four pies in two
minutes! Amazing!), you were all busy gettinginvolved. There was also a barbeque lastSunday which was packed with students,both new and returning- even the weathermanaged to hold out! However, the fundoesn’t end at welcome week – the GIAG activites are on offer through-out the first semester – visitwww.salfordstudents.com/giag for moreinformation.
Every week, your sabbatical officers will be asking a different question to students in each oftheir faculties regarding university life- so if you see them around, tell them what you’re thinking!
This weeks question is:
“How was your Welcome Week?”
UNION PAGEAn Eventful Welcome!
State of the UnionWith USSU PresidentMatt Webber
www.student-direct.co.uk
Blackpool Trip CancelledThe previously advertised GIAG trip toBlackpool on Saturday has been cancelleddue to unforeseen circumstances. Weapologise for any inconvenience caused, butthe trip will be arranged for a later date – wewill keep you posted!
Everyone’s giving it a go!
Sabb’s Ask, You Say. . .
Jim DaleVP for Business, Lawand Built EnvironmentEmail: [email protected]
Emily GodfreyVP for Science,Engineering andEnvironmentEmail: [email protected]
Joe KirwinVP for Arts, Media andSocial SciencesEmail: [email protected]
Year 1 Buiness and Technology student“This week has beenfun; we’ve enjoyedlooking around thecampus and meetingnew people and friendson the course.”
Year 1Mental Health Nursing student“My welcome week wasfantastic, in particularthe talk that were givenby Prof Tony Warne(Head of School Nursing& Midwifery) which Ifound to be veryinspiring.”
Year 2Geography student
“My welcome week wasfantastic, in particularthe talk that were givenby Prof Tony Warne(Head of School Nursing& Midwifery) which Ifound to be veryinspiring.”
Year 1 Performing Arts student
"Welcome Week hasbeen amazing! Everyonehas been really friendlyand helpful. TheUniversity of Salford isgreat and wouldrecommend it toeveryone"
MONEY. The buzz word ofeducation for quite some timenow, certainly in the last fouryears whilst I’ve been aUniversity student. Theconversation has been generallyabout two conflicting areas; thediscussion about raisingstudent’s financial contributionto their studies whilst manystudents are generating everincreasing debt. The debate onhow to resolve the issue- aburden on so many current andprospective students- is aninteresting one, and everyoneseems to have their own view.
Only last week theConfederation of BusinessIndustry stated that studentsshould have to contribute furtherto theire d u c a t i o n ,which theNational Unionof Students(NUS) retortedwas the view of“gross fat catsfrom the CBI.”Quite right,when youconsider that inthe NUS report‘Broke andBroken’ theaverage studentdebt for thoseoutside Londonis £25,178.Those studyingin Londonaccumulate anaverage of£37,000 by theend of a three yearundergraduatecourse.
Even our new Vice ChancellorMartin Hall has commented on thefuture of funding saying in a recentManchester Evening Newsinterview that “there are fairerways to fund the system -something like a graduate taxwhich would make education freeat the point of use.”
The NUS have also offered asimilar view, suggesting that agraduate tax might be the wayforward.
What’s Being Done?But what’s your Students’ Uniondoing on this matter? Well, wewant to encourage debateamongst students at Salford onthis issue. At the beginning ofNovember we will be hostingseveral events as part of acampaign called ‘Town Takeover.’I should add before anyonebecomes unduly concerned thatthis isn’t a mob of students
invading a town and going on therampage; we are asking what thefuture of funding Universityeducation is. We are engaging inthe campaign to discuss what theoptions are in partnership withthe NUS, University of Manchesterand Manchester MetropolitanUniversity Students’ Unions. Therewill be a ‘wall of debt’ at eachUniversity which will allow allstudents to come together andwrite how much debt studying atUniversity has put them in beforethe walls are displayed atManchester Town Hall, followedby debate and discussion.
The Future of FundingWith a general election coming upnext year, it is important this issue
does not getsidelined as it isunlikely thatany of theparties will wantto engage in adebate aboutthe future offunding ineducation untilthe generalelection is over. Is itu n r e a s o n a b l efor the public to know whatwhomever is incharge is goingto do to a hugepart of oureducation overthe next fiveyears? I don’tthink so. Is itunfair to expectfuture students(such as our
children or siblings) to contributefinancially to their degree? Well,that’s for you to make up your ownmind up. I like the graduate taxscheme proposal as this wouldkeep education open to everyone.Why should only the rich go toUniversity? Why should anyoneundertake £25,000 of debt? Thesolution used to be (and for somestill is) free education, and whenthat fight was lost we had therepercussions which was to payfor our education. Let’s not do thesame to the next generationswhere our siblings, our friendsand our children may all wish togo to University but are not able toafford it. At the moment theresolution is a big unknown – butwhat is important is that we asstudents today have a significantsay in answering the question overhow much a degree in the futureshould cost- and those who will beaffected by it may not enjoy thesame privilege.
How much willa degree cost?
“With
a general
election
coming up
next year, it
is important
this issue
does not get
sidelined”
Student Direct / (re)View 07September 28th 2009
www.student-direct.co.uk
Directing Greats: Stanley Kubrick
TO graduate from High School in 1945 as amiddle-ground student in New York must havebeen a disheartening endeavour. It equated tohaving to compete for a small number of placesin higher education not only with those whohave simply outperformed you academically,but also having to compete with the brightminds of previous years returning home fromconscripted duty in the Second World War, eagerto follow up their educational activity .
Such was the circumstance Stanley Kubrick foundhimself in after graduating from William HowardTaft High School in New York’s Bronx. The son of adoctor, the most enduring gift bequeathed toKubrick by his father turned out not to be a geneticpredisposition for academia, but a small Graflexcamera given to Stanley at the age of thirteen.
Kubrick Senior could not have foreseen the impactthat such a forlorn gift would have on either hisson’s uncertain future or the future of the entire filmindustry, but it was this gift that sparked in Kubricka fascination for still photography which – after hisgraduation from High School – would aide insecuring him a photography apprenticeship withultra-hip Look magazine at the age of just 17, whichKubrick Jnr. would acknowledge to be “a miraculousbreak”.
Kubrick would stay with Look for four years –although his primary ambition remained filmmaking – during which time the extent of hisjournalistic endeavours became increasinglyfrustrating. As he went on to explain himself in aninterview with Michel Ciment: “The subject matterof my Look assignments was generally pretty dumb.
I would do stories like: ‘Is an Athlete Stronger Than aBaby?’, photographing a college football playeremulating the ‘cute’ positions an 18-month-old childwould get into.”
The monotony of such projects becamesuffocating, and at the age of just 21 Kubrickmanaged to get enough money together to make hisfirst films, two single-reel documentaries entitledDay of the Fight, about the prize fighter WalterCartier, and The Flying Padre, which Kubrickhimself described as “a silly thing about a Priest inthe south west who flew to his isolated parishes in asmall airplane.” Fight would cost him $3,900 toshoot, direct, edit and produce and he managed tosell it to RKO-Pathe for $4,000; the most they had
ever paid for a short. Padre barely broke even, butKubrick acknowledged that making both was “aninvaluable experience.”
Having two documentaries under his belt – eventhough they were shorts – gave Kubrick theconfidence to quit his stifling job at Look magazineand work full time on film making. He managed toraise $10,000 and in 1953 shot his first feature film,Fear and Desire. The film’s ‘crew’ consisted of threeMexican labourers who were responsible forcarrying the equipment around, and in spite of itreceiving respectable reviews it became acommercial failure. Rumour has it that in later lifeKubrick became so embarrassed by the film that hetried to buy up every print he could find to preventit being widely seen. He would go on to reflect in aninterview: “it’s not a film I remember with any pride,except for the fact it was finished”.
He then managed to raise from friends andrelatives a total of $40,000 for his second featurefilm, Killer’s Kiss, which again met with criticalacclaim but commercial failure, losing $20,000 of itsoriginal budget. After finishing Kiss, Kubrick met JimHarris and the two formed a production companytogether, Harris-Kubrick Productions. Their first
project was The Killing, based on the Lionel Whitestory The Clean Break, and with a formal productioncompany and previous work under their belt, theduo managed to raise a budget of $320,000 - smallpotatoes to Hollywood, but big money for anaspiring amateur. This time they could afford anexperienced crew and credible actors, and it was onthe back of Killing that Kubrick would end upworking with Kirk Douglas –one of the mostpowerful people in Hollywood at the time – on Pathsof Glory.
Paths would cement Kubrick’s reputation as adirector, but it did nothing to improve hisdisposition in life. For both Paths and Killing hereceived no salary and worked on deferredpayment. Neither of the films made money at thebox office, so he received no money. He managed tokeep himself going thanks to the generosity of hispartner Jim Harris, and ended up spending sixmonths working on a Western he wascommissioned by Marlon Brando to write anddirect, One-Eyed Jacks. Unfortunately Brando – whowas something of a megalomaniac – took over thedirection of the film himself, and Kubrick suddenlyfound himself spending two years doing nodirecting whatsoever.
Next Week: How Kubrick went from strugglingfilmmaker to one of the most legendarydirectors in cinematic history.
“The best educationin film is to make one.
I would advise anyneophyte director
to try to make a film by himself.
A three-minute shortwill teach him
a lot.”
THE DEBUT album from KidCudi is surrounded by masshype. Following the release of'Day 'n' Nite', a single thatallowed Cudi to enjoy hugesuccess (and even won theUrban Music Award for BestSingle 2009) this first release hasa lot to live up to. Although KidCudi's most well known trackisn't on the album, there's morethan enough excellence here tomake up for it. Produced byKanye West (Cudi first attainedWest's praise with the release of
his mix-tape, 'A Kid Named Cudi')every single track on this albumis a stand out track. Tounderstand his music, you firstneed to understand Cudihimself, and he aids the listenerthrough this with tracks such as'Solo Dolo' and 'CuDi Zone', inwhich he illuminates his life,almost as if this album shouldhave been titled 'The Chroniclesof Kid Cudi.' This isn't howeveryour average hip-hop album;some extremely unlikelycollaborations are formed, suchas the upcoming single 'Pursuitof Happiness' which features thevocal talents of MGMT, and it is
musical creations like this thatreinforce the fact that Cudi issomething different, somethingspecial. Things are only going tokeep getting bigger and betterfrom this Man on the Moon.
Kid Cudi: Man on the Moon: The End of DaySiobhanDockerty
THIS IS one of the more interesting two tracksplit releases I've heard in a long while.Doom/Metallers Torche with their track "KingBeef" and Japanese Drone Metal legends track"Luna". I expected thick dark bass-y sounds andthat is exactly what this release delivers.
So, Torche put forth "King Beef" as their trackwith its relentless rhythm, drum rolls, and darkchanting on this split, with no disappointment. Thedrums are almost march-like, at a nice steady pace.
The middle of this tune is fantastic, with adragged out breakdown composed of severedroning bass and some piercing high sounds,before the march inducing drums kick back in andthe song slowly builds back up towards the ending.
"Luna" is a much different and more interestingtrack. At twelve minutes in length, I'll even go so faras to say the tune makes awesomely little sense, andI'm not meaning that because I don't understandJapanese.
The track opens with beautiful, droningambience from the guitars, and once the track kickswith insane screeching and a bass section, we get torelentless drum work and very noisy and speedyguitar playing. The vocals over the top of this are a
complete contrast and are really beautiful. Thissection keeps coming back, separated by breaksfrom the snare and guitars, and a nice noisyinterlude with a guitar solo and some impressivevocal work.
The track reaches ten minutes and sounds set tofinish, but listeners of this genre know much betterthan that, and we continue forth towards a heavydoom section, with a load and abrupt ending.Awesome.
Buz’s Alternative ReviewTorche/Boris – Chapter Ahead Being Fake
AndrewBusby
Damien ShannonArts Editor
“A director is a kindof idea and taste
machine; a movie is aseries of creative and
technical decisions,and it's the director'sjob to make the right
decisions asfrequently aspossible.”
“Bad films werewhat really
encouraged me tostart out on my own.
I'd keep seeing lousyfilms and saying to
myself, ‘I don't knowanything about
moviemaking but Icouldn't do anythingworse than this.’”
18 SALFORD – ISSUE 2 Monday 28th September 2009 Monday 28th September 2009 SALFORD – ISSUE 2 19
EACH WEEK, we’ll be chatting to one
student and finding out which
possessions you just couldn’t survive
without; so, to kick us off, Miles
Collinson tells us why it’s music,
festivals and a certain American
sitcom which keep him going.
BRAND NEWThe devil and god areraging inside me
This is one of my favouritealbums ever. Every songon it is amazing- some are
dark while others are more uplifting but allare amazing, with some hardcore guitar riffsand some inspirational lyrics. The storiesbehind the album and the band are great,and give an insight into the darkness of thealbum.
MODEST MOUSE T SHIRT
My favourite item ofclothing – I don’t getexcited about clothes thatoften but I love this t shirt.I got it from a Modest
Mouse gig in New York, so there are somegreat memories attached to it. It’s a reallycool design and I like it a lot.
RIGHT AWAY,GREAT CAPTAIN
The Bitter End
This is the first of threeconcept albums fromManchester Orchestra’s
Andy Hull and is so easy to listen to. All three
albums follow the ongoing saga of a 17thcentury sailor who comes home to find hiswife sleeping with his brother. It’s a reallyrelaxing album with some brilliant songs.
YOU TUBE
I love youtube, it’s so easyto find music and TVprograms on it. However,I hate it when it says that avideo is not available in
my country. That’s when I want to throw mycomputer out of the window.
MY IPOD
My Ipod contains all themusic I own, and there isno way I could evercollect all of it again if itwas to be lost or stolen.
There are some really brilliant and rarerecordings on it like some live gigs I managedto find. It’s my constant companion.
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
This is such a feel goodstory! I put this film onwhen ever I’m feelingdown and after it’sfinished I can’t help but
smile, you feel so uplifted by the end. Thereare so many different things going on all thetime-it really plays on your emotions butthat’s what’s so good about it. You can belaughing one minute and then crying thenext.
KEVIN DEVINE
I’ve been listening to hima lot recently. His acousticsongs are the ones that Ienjoy the most, a simplesound with catchy lyrics
that you just can’t get out of your head. Hisnew album, Brothers Blood, is obviouslyinfluenced by the loss of his father and hassome really powerful songs on it.
LEEDS FESTIVAL
I’ve been going for thepast seven years and Ican’t imagine missingone- you get the chanceto see so many bands
over the weekend. My highlights includeseeing some amazing bands such asMetallica, Rage Against the Machine and theYeah Yeah Yeahs. Relaxing with friends,listening to the bands you like and gettingvery drunk always results in a verymemorable weekend.
THE AMERICAN OFFICE
I like the British version ofThe Office, starring RickyGervais, but I really lovethe American version. Ithink it’s fantastic that the
American office is going into its fifth seriesand that it’s still so funny. The pranks that Jimplays on Dwight are so funny and SteveCarell has really made his character Michael(based on Gervais’s David Brent) his own.Even though I’ve seen all the episodes beforeI can sit and watch any episode again and stilllaugh.
EAGLE VS SHARK
It’s a really strange lovestory but there issomething really coolabout it. It’s a really indiefilm and that’s one of the
reasons I love it. It’s so awkward that it’sfunny – the relationship between the maincharacters in the film is so funny and strangehowever it makes you feel better about notbeing as “cool” as others around you- itsmessage is that it’s ok to be different.
WITH USSU’S ‘Give It A Go’ scheme, thereare many chances for people to getinvolved in different clubs and societies;this one is rich in diversity and Braziliantraditions.
Officially founded almost four years ago,ACCA had been developing their group for
three years prior to going round universitiesin the North West displaying their music anddancing.
Professor William Sousa came from Brazilto teach Capoeira at Manchester College ofArt and Technology (MANCAT) in 2003. Hewas the chosen representative of Grapo deCapoeira Angola Pelourinho (GCAP) of whichhe had been an active member in Brazil formost of his life.
In 2005, Leeds University set up the firstCapoeira Club, which has become a verypopular society. On Sunday, Salford studentswitnessed a similar display at the barbequeoutside University House. The display teamare hoping that the taster sessions (which areavailable throughout October andNovember) will result in a club being set upat the University of Salford
The ‘Give It A Go’ taster workshops willcombine intensive seminars, movementclasses and learning the beat as well as thewords of a traditional Brazilian song. The aimof the group is to keep the tradition ofCapoeira Angola alive and preserving allaspects by teaching all areas of the display.
The group has performed at many highprofile events, perhaps the biggest beingBlack History Month, as well as displays atLiverpool Art Gallery, Clifton Youth Centre,the MANCAT Fashion Sow in 2005 and theannual Brazilian Carnival.
If you want to try the group out foryourself, there are currently three taster
sessions available. These are on Monday 12thof October, Monday 26th of October andFriday 13th of November, all 2pm until 4pmat the Tom Husband Leisure Centre andattendance is £3. For more information go towww.salfordstudents.com/giag.
For more information on ACCA you can goto the website: www.acca-manchester.org.ukor email the professor at [email protected].
Asspcoacao Cultural de Capoeira Angola (ACCA)ACTIVITY GROUP OF THE WEEK
Gemma BlackmanFeatures Editor
HELLO FOOD fans. It’s the beginning of anew term and, for many of you, this is anew city for you to navigate, and you havenew housemates to get along with. Withthis in mind I’d like to start my cookingcolumn with a recipe to help you getsettled, feel at home and make newfriends: the Sunday roast.
PREPARATIONThe first thing you’ll need to do is checkif you have all the equipment. This mayrequire a little expenditure but it’smuch better to get everything you’llneed now (before you’ve spent yourloan) than when you’re searching downthe back of the sofa for enough changeto buy some noodles. All of these itemscan be bought at most supermarketsand should last you through university:
EQUIPMENT• Large Saucepan• Mixing bowl• Yorkshire pudding tray• Curved basting tray (for the
INGREDIENTS For the Yorkshire puddings:• Eggs• Plain Flour• Milk• Salt
FOR THE MAIN COURSE:
• Chosen meat
• Potatoes
• Vegetables
• Gravy Granules (Same as thetype of meat)
• Oil/fat
METHOD
1. Prepare your Yorkshire puddingbatter on the morning of your meal.In a mixing bowl put two heaped
tablespoons of flour and make an indent inthe centre. Crack an egg (1 for every 2tablespoons of flour/4 large Yorkshirepuddings) into the indent and mix it togetherslowly. While still mixing slowly pour insome milk, and add a pinch of salt. Gettingthe perfect consistency for your batter is askill acquired through practice, but as arough guide, it should be slightly thinnerthan honey and run off the fork instead ofdripping. Add milk or flour to change theconsistency; there is no right or wrong way,simply the way you prefer. Whisk the batteruntil small air bubbles appear on the surface,cover with cling film and set aside.
2. About two hours before you want toserve, turn the oven on to 190?c andtake your meat out from the fridge.
Put the meat on a plate to allow it to reachroom temperature before cooking; this willmake the meat more tender when it’s done.
3. Now, there has been a lot ofdiscourse between foodies aboutthe way to cook the perfect roast
potato, but the method I’ve adapted throughtrial and error is to make a potato that iscrispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside andwithin a student’s budget. Firstly, find somelarge potatoes from the supermarket; theydon’t have to be any particular variety, justthe biggest and cheapest. Peel them and cutinto quarters, making sure that they are all asimilar size. Check how long the meat willtake to cook. About an hour before it will bedone put the potatoes into a pan of boilingwater along with a splash of oil and pinch ofsalt for 15 minutes. Put some oil on a flat trayand place it in the oven to heat up. Take thepotatoes off the heat and drain the water.Now here’s the clever bit; shake the drained
potatoes in the pan so that the outsidebecomes rough, this will make the potatoescrispy on the surface but soft inside. Putthem on the hot tray for another 45 minutesshaking the tray occasionally.
4. Just before your meat is ready, puta little oil in your Yorkshirepudding tray and put it in the oven
to heat up. When the meat has been in for thecorrect amount of time take it out of the ovenand cover it with aluminium foil for 15minutes. If you’re cooking pork; slice thecrackling off the top and put it under the grillto crisp. Covering your meat with foil allowsthe juices to return to the centre of the meatmaking it more succulent, and gives you timeto cook your Yorkshire puddings. While themeat is resting, put a little Yorkshire puddingbatter in the trays and put it in the oven,raising the temperature to 200?c. Put yourgravy granules in the jug and pour the juicesfrom the meat over them. This should make athick sauce to which you can then add thewater from any boiled vegetables you havedone so as to keep the nutrients.
Serve your Yorkshire puddings as a starterwith the gravy infused with the meat’s juicesfor an authentic Yorkshire feel, by ‘eck. Wheneveryone has finished, take the foil off of themeat (carve against the grain to make it moresucculent) with your roast potatoes andseasonal vegetables.
As you’ll be cooking a large amount of meatyou’ll probably have some left over. This canbe used in a hundred different dishes in theweek; such as pasta dishes, curries,sandwiches or soups; recipes for which I willgive you in the following weeks.
But most of all; keep it cheap, keep it fun andgo cook yourself!
Can’t Cook? Will Cooks!
38 / Student DirectSeptember 28th 2009
“MY FRIENDS are all really
wealthy; their parents have
paid for their university
courses and accommodation,
but I am really struggling for
cash! How can I make them
see that I just can't afford to do
the same stuff as them? I don't
want to miss out, but they
often spend up to £50 on a
night out, plus a new outfit,
which I just can't afford! What
do you suggest?”
Hayley says:I don't think your friends aretrying to make you feel left outon purpose; they probably don'trealise how lucky they are, asmost students have moneyworries like yourself. Don't beembarrassed about the fact thatyou have less money than theydo, because as a universitystudent everyone should expectto meet people who are from allsorts of different backgrounds tothemselves.
There’s nothing stopping youcustomising your old clothes, oryou could even have a ‘swapshop’ party with friends-exchange old items that you nolonger want for some of theirs!Try to suggest to them somemore wallet-friendly places to go
on a night out (like one of themany student nights there are inManchester- or of course thePav!). If they ask why, then tellthem straight that you aren't aswell-off as they are and that youare struggling to afford nightsout with them. I think theywould be more sympathetic andconsiderate towards you if yousaid this.
www.student-direct.co.uk
Finance
“I'M A vegetarian, but I'm
worried I'm not getting
enough vitamins and all the
nutrients I need. I've found
I'm getting really tired all the
time. What could I try?”
Hayley says:
Many vegetarians experience
this kind of constant tiredness-
it’s usually due to a lack of iron in
your diet which you would
normally get from meat, and if
you’re not compensating for
that, you’re much more likely to
feel you have less energy and are
more tired. As a result you have
to eat more iron-rich foods, such
as dried beans, spinach and
dried fruits, which are all good
sources of iron. I would also
recommend you take iron
supplement tablets which you
can buy from Boots and Holland
& Barrett's. If you’re worried
about the lack of other vitamins
you’re taking in, you can also get
these supplements from most
chemists. Should like to read up
more on recommended
supplements and foods for
vegetarians, this website should
be useful to you:
http://www.eatwell .gov.uk/
healthydiet/vegaveg/
Health and Lifestyle
“I'VE BEEN with my boyfriendfor about 3 months now andI'm beginning to think thathe's really embarrassed to bewith me. He has neverintroduced me to any of hisfriends, and hasn't even toldhis parents that he has agirlfriend! I don't think I'mparticularly unattractive andwe have such a laugh together,so I don't understand. He's myfirst serious boyfriend, so Idon't know if this is normal ornot. Please help.”
Hayley says:Firstly, is he treating you right ingeneral? Is he treating you withrespect, or is he being badtempered and rude to you? Ifhe's treating you right in generalit could be because of a numberof reasons; you have only beengoing out for 3 months, so it isstill early days and maybe he'sjust waiting to see how it pansout before he makes that step.Another reason could be that hemight not actually beembarrassed by you, but by hisfriends and family; he mightthink they'll show him up in yourpresence on purpose.
However, if it's the latter and he'sbeing horrid, you need to tellhim he had better change or
you'll be gone.
The best idea is to talk to himabout it. To make a relationshipwork you both need to becomfortable about expressingyour feelings and working outproblems together, otherwiseyou won't be on the same pagewith each other. If he loves you,he will tell you why he isbehaving this way.
Hayley’s Here to Help!Every week, our resident Agony Aunt Hayley will answer your questions oneverything from sex to education. If you have a problem you’d like an answer to,email the editor at [email protected] and we’ll pass them on!
Sex and Relationships:
IN THE weeks before he is sentto fight in Afghanistan, Paul*tells us about his life as a
soldier (he cannot beidentified for legal and safetyreasons). Even in these
uncertain and often terrifyingtimes, he says that he wouldn’tgive up a career serving hiscountry for anything…
“I wouldn’t say I have alwayswanted to join the army; it’s notlike I’ve wanted it since I was achild, but then who does reallyknow what they want untilthey’ve had some lifeexperience? The army has,however, always beensomething I was intrigued by;I’ve always wanted to go into a‘hands on’ job – a nine to five inan office would bore me to tears!But didn’t really have a clueabout exactly what I wanted todo until I finished University. Ilooked at a few things like theparamedics and fire service, butdecided that wasn’t for me.
When I was at University, I
joined the Territorial Army, andI knew then that I wanted toprogress further in the field.
I got a 2:1 in Politics, andalthough you don’t need adegree, the pay and time it takesto get promoted suffer as aresult of not being a graduate.
I made the journey from theTA to the army just over a yearago and am about to get theopportunity to go toAfghanistan. Contrary to belief,the army isn’t full of people whojust want to fight- it’s full ofamazing individuals willing tofight for democracy.
To be part of the army is anhonour and a privilege in myhumble opinion; it gives you theopportunity to see and do thingsthat most people onlyexperience through books or
TV. It also pays well, and you getto travel all over the world. Thebest part though, is thecamaraderie. It’s totally unique -the friends you have in the armyare like no other as you formclose bonds due to what you gothrough together.
People often ask if I’m scaredof being around so many peoplewith deadly weaponry 24/7, butit’s not like that when you’rehere. All training is controlled sothat it’s as challenging aspossible but at the same time100% safe.
Applications to join the armyhave actually risen since therecession hit – the total numberof troops is around 100,000now – but you don’t have to be asolider. There are jobs in humanresources, IT and medical rolesto name a few.
More and more women are alsoapplying to join – about 7% of thetroops are women, and one inevery ten officers are female.
There are a few downsides tomy job; the worst part isdefinitely the periods away frommy girlfriend. I don’t think it’sthe kind of career you can reallyhave with a young family – butsaying that, some guys do, andthey’re happy as they knowthey’re supporting their kids.But personally, I’d like to servefor another few years then gointo teaching. This way, I’mdoing what I really want to dowhile I’m young then I can settledown and concentrate on familylife when the time is right.”
For more information, visitwww.army.mod.uk
So You Want To Be . . .
IN THE ARMY
Not a day goes by when the headlines aren’t screaming about how thecountry has run out of money, there are no jobs, and if you’re graduatingfrom university then you can expect to spend the next decade on the dole…So, to try and save you all from days spent watching Jeremy Kyle, we will beintroducing a different career each week in the hope that you might findsomething you like! First up; how does life as a soldier appeal to you?
SalfordSport36 / Student Direct
Inside:Floyd Mayweather Madness
Page 35
AT THE end of a successfulacademic rowing season,Salford University Boat Clubdecided on entering racesaround England over thesummer break for the first timein many years. Both Men’s andWomen’s crews were in actionover the holidays, equally withsuccess and disappointment.
Within a month of universityexams finishing, the Men’s 8 andMen’s 4 traveled down to Marlow
Regatta, near Eton, to see howthey could compete within such alarge and important regatta. Toreach the final, the 8 had tocompete in two heats of 2000metres, with six competing crewsand finish 1st or 2nd. The lads shotoff the start and held 2nd with500 metres to go, when theirendurance ran out and wereovertaken to finish 3rd.Disappointment all round, but itwas later found out that therecorded time for their heat wasvery respectable, and had it beenany other heat, the crews wouldhave progressed onto the nextstage.
On the same weekend, theWomen’s senior 4 raced atWomen’s Henley. The girlsexpected to get through theirtime trial, which they didcomfortably, but knew theywould be up against some stiffcompetition in the first of theheats, which was soon confirmedwhen they were drawn againstImperial; a high performance clubto say the least. The umpirestarted the race and the Imperialcrew veered straight into theSalford Girls! Panic broke looseand the Umpire stopped the race,and for the third time for this typeof incident in Henley’s history, the
offending crew were disqualifiedand the girls were through to thenext round, something that hasnever happened before inSalford’s history. Unfortunately,16 crews now remained- all fromtop Universities-and Salford weredrawn against a crew in therunning to win the category;Oxford Brooks, who won the heatby a couple of lengths. Even so,the girls were still overjoyed thatthey performed so well in thetime trials, and managed to getthrough to the second round ofheats.
Later on in the summer theMen’s 4 raced at Peterborough
Regatta, where they reached thefinal and finished 3rd, a greatresult! And nearer the end of theholidays, they traveled up toHollingworth Lake, where theyentered their own category andthe category above them. Theyreached the final with a greatperformance in the highercategory, proving to themselvesthat their level of rowing isincreasing dramatically, butunfortunately came 2nd. In theirown category they again reachedthe final, and had to raceManchester University. They heldthem off all the way until the veryend when one of the boys made
the smallest of errors, but it wasjust enough to let Manchester,who were practically neck andneck with them all the way, toedge in front right on the finishline and take the victory.
In just a couple of months, thelevel of rowing within this smallclub has improved massively andwill continue to increase as thenew season starts.
