Why stand? Gain great experience and employability skills Improve student life Help lead your Students’ Union visit hertfordshire.su/elections for more information nominations NOW OPEN closing 12pm on 20th February We need people for the following positions: Nightlife Athletic Union SU Shops NUS Representation Halls League Your fortnightly Student Newspaper inside VP Comms and Media VP Student Activities Chair & Deputy Chair of the Student Ideas Forum VP Education & Welfare VP Democracy & Services Student Trustee de Havilland Campus Officer International Students’ Officer Part-Time Students’ Officer Postgraduate Students’ Officer Mature Students’ Officer President Stand in the SU Elections Many services make up Hertfordshire Students’ Union... to lead them ...
Transcript
Why stand?Gain great experience and
employability skillsImprove student life
Help lead your Students’ Union
visit hertfordshire.su/elections for more information
Up to the job?Then go find out how to stand at hertfordshire.su/elections
Stand in the
SU ElectionsAre you driven, ambitious and looking for a great opportunityto give you a boost up thecareer ladder?
Do you want to lead a not for profit organisation with aturnover of over £13 million?
Do you want to be the voicefor over 25,000 students?
If so, the Students' Union Elected Officer positions will offer you invaluable training, opportunities and responsibility. Full-time positions also come with asalary of around £21,000 pa.
Nominations are currently open for the elected positions within the Students’ Union. There are five full-time positions to run for:
There are also six part-timepositions to run for:
Working as an elected o�cer is one of the most rewarding jobs you will ever have. You will have endless opportunities to not only improve the environment around you but to also develop and improve your own skills to make sure that at the end of your elected term, you really stand out from the crowd.
You will be responsible for representing students, managing budgets, projects and teams, you will gain experience of working with the media, interviewing sta�, attending senior level meetings, writing reports, publicspeaking and countless other opportunities.No two days will ever be the same;you will constantly be experiencingnew things and continuouslyimproving your skills andenhancing your CV.
With the new, shiny accommodation, gym facilities, Hutton Hall, and The Forum Hertfordshire, all eyes seem to be on College Lane campus these days. So what about de Hav? In previous years, de Hav was a hub for activities, especially with the en suite accommodation and the fact that the Sports Village was the only place for sports events. However, with the development of the new facilities on College Lane, de Hav has grown less desirable, and it often appears to be left out in terms of activities and events. On observing the different events at each campus, it is clear that some of the major activities were solely held on College Lane. Even though the Christmas market was held on both campuses this year, College Lane’s outshone de Hav’s with more things to do and see, including Reindeer, and a larger collection of stalls. Even the Fresher’s and Refresher’s Fairs were exclusively on College Lane. These events are important for students as it gives them opportunities to sign up for societies and to get more involved with the Union. It is no secret that travelling between campuses can be time-consuming or difficult, especially with the disputed Uno Bus timetables; so holding these events only at College Lane can mean that hundreds of students miss out. The uneven distribution of activities can even be seen in the ‘freebies’ that are handed out by
external companies at The Forum. Whilst this seems to be a menial and tedious observation, it still seems unfair that the majority of College Lane students are able to try products for free including Galaxy chocolate bars, Coke Zero and Innocent Smoothies, to name a few. The Forum itself is a huge draw for student nightlife, but this is mainly due to the fact that it is the only venue on campus that offers a night out. Whilst Club de Hav is available for students, many feel that it is not a great alternative. Hattie Price, a second year history student, explained: “Club De Hav is there, but it’s not student-owned or cheap, so is full of old men. De Hav needs a better presence of the Students’ Union.” Price also suggested that Club de Hav could hold the Coffee Sessions and comedy nights like the Ele House, to draw more people in. De Havilland is also definitely more community based than College Lane, which can have a negative effect on student life. Third year law and psychology student, Mattey Avgustinov, said that “College Lane feels more student centered, whilst de Hav is more community based due to the Western Auditorium showing films and the Atrium being used as an activity space for primary school children to come and visit.” Whilst Avgustinov expressed that it was not an issue having the community come into the university, he did make it clear that students get a better experience on College Lane. Trident Media reached out to Shannen Rock, Vice President
Communications and Media, to find out how the elected officers felt about the two campuses. She said: “The Students’ Union does recognise that there are sometimes less activities on de Hav than on College Lane and particularly in the past two years I have seen an increase to try to accomodate de Havilland based students better.” She went on to say: “It’s like a catch 22 because we want to accommodate for both campuses and give all students the same opportunities but we also want to encourage students to use both campuses.” De Havilland Campus officer, Grainne O’Monghain, agreed with Rock’s comments and assured Trident Media that she has been working hard with the full time elected officers to increase activity on the campus. “This year I set out to increase the amount of SU activities and services on de Havilliand,” O’Monghain said. “We did see an increase on activities not only during Freshers but throughout the year so far.” O’Monghain agreed that “de Havilland can sometimes feel like a satellite campus, as the main hub of the SU is based on College Lane, and the SU bars are also based there. It is difficult at times to arrange large social sessions.” However, she explained that “there is still much work to be done” and hope that this will continue in the coming years, making deHav a “fully fledged campus”. Whilst it appears that College Lane is better for the student
experience, it is clear to see that more work is being put into integrating de Havilland campus more into university life. So the question is, will de Hav become a more active campus soon? What are your thoughts? Let us know @TridentMediaUK.
UniVerseFREEVolume 23, Issue 7Tuesday 17th February
Sponsored by:
TridentMedia.org
News •
Features •
Health •
Sport •
Applications to the University reach all-time high | Page 2
Celebrating LGBT+ History Month with the LGBT+ Society | Page 13
A healthy dose of science| Page 16
Step by step five minute yoga routine | Page 18
Is deHavilland being forgotten?
Herts.ac.uk
Written, designed & edited by UH students, and provided by Hertfordshire Students’ Union
We’ve got a jam packed issue for you and things are buzzing with the upcoming elections. This month, we’d like to hear your views on the issues raised by our writers. From the front page, we ask whether deHav is being ignored. and in our regular feature we tackle the superfoods debate. If you want to share your views, head to Facebook
or Twitter @TridentMediaUK and you could be featured in the next issue of UniVerse! We’re also celebrating LGBT+ History Month, with reviews of Pride and an interview with the LGBT+ society. If your society wants to be in the next issue, get in touch! Finally, head to the Sports section for an exclusive yoga routine!
How can running in the Students’ Union upcoming elections develop you as a person and give you a head start when applying for jobs after university? Trident Media speaks to current and past elected representatives about their experience and the benefits it provides. Whether you want to run for a full time position or a part time position, being an elected representative for over 25,000 students at the University of Hertfordshire is a life changing experience. Hertfordshire Students’ Union offers five full time paid positions that lead and shape the SU as well as eight voluntary part time roles. Not only will you get to work with the senior management of the SU, you will also get to work directly with senior members of staff at the University. Alex Lowry, current Student
Trustee, said: “The training and development that the SU offer as part of its trustee and officer training is fantastic in developing my judgement and business skills, I will definitely be using these skills in the workplace.” Additionally, Shannen Rock, current Vice President Communications and Media stated: “I have been able to gain so much experience in many different areas of an organisation that I didn’t even know I would get the opportunity to gain experience in. The role is fantastic because not only is it enjoyable, skills can be transferred easily into future positions. In addition, as a person, I feel I have grown in my confidence when addressing large groups of people of different levels of seniority.” Elections Manager, Anwar Azari explained that: “Elections are a fantastic opportunity to lead and change the SU as well as receiving
fantastic training if you are elected into one of the positions. it could well be one of the best experiences of your life!” Many officers both part time and full time have gone into very successful careers not just in higher education. Thom Palser, former Vice President Communications and Media (2010-2012) said: “I wouldn't have got my break at Upstage without two years in the [VP] Comms role. The Union gave me time to develop and have an advantage over new graduates with less experience. Plus it was an fantastic job, where I got to work with amazing students and staff everyday.” If you want to run in Hertfordshire Students’ Union 2015 Elections and find out about the positions available, then head to hertfordshire.su/elections.
Why run in the SU Elections?
Laura Noakes | Deputy Editor
The Government has unveiled a £2.5 million investment in an Innovation Hub at UH. The money is part of a funding package for Hertfordshire’s economy secured by the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which acquired £22.3 million for projects in the local community, including funding for houses, job creation and business support. The funding was announced by Matthew Hancock MP, the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Enterprise, on January 29th. The Vice Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire and Hertfordshire LEP Board Member, Quintin McKellar, said that: “The University is an amazing resource for
Hertfordshire's business community. This money will fund an Innovation Hub and a Research Hotel to facilitate collaborations, as well as a doctoral training centre.” Mr Hancock said: “The strength of Hertfordshire LEP is in the quality of projects that it puts forward. That is what the LEP has been getting on with, so far with great success. What I have seen today is an example of that. The University takes high-end research through to commercialisation. This together with a wider package of measures will help to support growth and create jobs.” Hancock visited the School of Life and Medical Sciences at Herts, which is where the Innovation Hub will connect small and medium sized businesses with world class research
and academic facilities. The chairman of the Hertfordshire LEP John Gourd stated: “We are delighted at the announcement today that the Government is to expand on our current ‘Growth Deal’ which will see £22.3m further investment to be spent on vital town centre regeneration, growing the skills base and accelerating further new homes and jobs creation. We also welcome the investment in an innovation hub at the University of Hertfordshire which will strengthen further, Hertfordshire’s outstanding science and technology sector.” The funding-package will help grow Hertfordshire’s world renowned reputation for technology and science, which is one of the growth sectors that the Hertfordshire
Multi-million pound funding investment announced for Hertfordshire, including Innovation Hub at UH
• News 5
Brad Johnson | Deputy Editor
Hertfordshire Raise and Give’s annual Jailbreak has come to an end and what an impressive Jailbreak it was! Jailbreak is an annual competition that gives students the opportunity to get as far away from the University as possible in 36 hours for charity. Students in the past have reached Milan, Italy but this year, they smashed that record and made us one of the most successful Jailbreak groups in the country. The 12 teams set off from Hertfordshire Students’ Union at 10am on Friday 6th February and
by 10pm on Saturday 7th February, teams had made it as far as Morocco, Czech Republic, Denmark, Scotland, Germany, France, Holland, Belgium and even Chesterfield in the UK. The teams were raising money for Teens Unite Fighting Cancer, Haven House Children's Hospice & YoungMinds, all of which are Raise and Give’s chosen charities for the academic year. They raised money through either sponsorship or fundraising while on their epic journies. Alex Lowry, one of the tracking team said: “All of us were blown away that one team got to
Germany by 5pm, just seven hours in!” What came next was even more amazing. The Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies, who subsequently won the event, messaged the control team that they had secured flights to Rome and Casablanca, blowing away the competition. The team managed to get 1,315 miles away from the Students’ Union in just 36 hours, beating not only all of the other teams but also beating the teams of many other universities who also have annual Jailbreak events. The control team were able to track the teams’ progress through both a SMS tracking system and via the hashtag #UHJailbreak which can be viewed to see the progress of many teams. Team Unite tweeted: “Our final destination is Amsterdam via Paris and Brussels, we didn't win but we saved every penny we raised for you!!” UH Spartans tweeted: “Almost at @gent. Belgian people are as nice as the chocolate. #progress” As mentioned before, the winners of Jailbreak were The Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies who managed to reach Casablanca in Morocco, and best of all they spent none of their own money! The event couldn’t have took place without support from a huge
army of people. From the team who organised the event at the Students’ Union and the volunteers who stayed in the Students’ Union office for over 36 hours to make sure all the teams travelled safely and had a place to contact if they needed help or support. Luckily there were no issues other than tiredness across all involved! For more information about the Jailbreak visit hertfordshire.su/jailbreak or facebook.com/hertsrag where you can see pictures from the teams’ travels!
Students travel the world for Jailbreak
Shelby Loasby | News Sub Editor
The University of Hertfordshire has received a significant increase in applications from potential students wanting a place at the University. The number of applicants who applied via UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service), has increased by 8.23% when compared to 2014, which is significantly higher than the 2.12% increase across the university sector. The latest round of UCAS applications to UH saw 26,949 potential students apply, which is an increase of 2,049 from last year’s figure of 24,900. This is the highest number of applicants the university has ever seen. Particular courses have seen massive jumps in application numbers from 2014 to 2015;
Marketing increased from 70 to 137, Economics increased from 161 to 235, and Film and TV Production saw the largest increase from 42 applicants to 549. Deputy Vice Chancellor Ian Campbell said: “We are delighted to see such an increase in applicants to study at the University of Hertfordshire. A qualification from Hertfordshire is increasingly highly coveted and is a testament to the quality of teaching, the employability of our graduates, and the commitment to making the student experience as enjoyable and fulfilling as possible.” Current students have had their say on why they chose Hertfordshire as their preferred universtiy of study: Colin Hamilton, a placement student studying computer science, explained that he chose the University because “the location is excellent,
surrounded by countryside but with links to London, St. Albans and Watford as well.” He also chose Hertfordshire for the computer science course: “You are exposed to all areas of technology and business, and it gave me the opportunity to do a placement year with an accelerated master’s course alongside, which no other university offers.” Hamilton also praised Hertfordshire Students’ Union for being friendly and approachable in his Freshers’ year and explained how the SU is always there to help students develop. Second and third year students Chloe Burrowes and Charlie Green, who both study English courses with Journalism, chose the university because it wasn’t too far from home so they could still see their families.
Burrowes also said that the University gave her the chance to do different modules in her first year, whilst Green explained that ‘the English course was the best one as it combines English with more society based applications.” Green echoed Hamilton’s comments about the SU and how he felt more comfortable at the UH open day than any other university. Finally, John Broughton, studying Games Art, commented that his course is highly respected and was featured in 3DWorld Magazine as the fourth best in the world. He also added that: “Everything you need is on campus and there’s always the bonus that SlamDunk festival comes to The Forum.” What are your experiences of UH? Why did you apply? Let us know @TridentMediaUK!
Applications to the University of Hertfordshire reach all-time high
Image of the winning team from Twitter @Georgia Ginny
6 News •
Shelby Loasby | News Sub Editor
The University of Hertfordshire’s first ever TEDx conference was held at The Forum Hertfordshire on Saturday 7th February, and saw a successful day of insightful and thought-provoking speeches. For those of you that don’t know, TEDx is an independently organised event that follows the framework of TED; a non-profit organisation devoted to spreading ideas worldwide, in the form of short, powerful talks. The talks usually last between 10-20 minutes and have to relate to the chosen TEDx theme. In Trident Media’s last article, we revealed the societies theme to be ‘Pink Polar Bears.’ UH students, Sean Ryan and Mattey Avgustinov, lead organisers of TEDx UH, have worked closely with their committee, the Students’ Union, volunteers from the university, and the speakers, for almost ten months in preparation for the conference. They recruited students from Art and Design to help build a stunning set on stage that represented the Pink Polar Bear theme. Volunteers from TV and Film also helped out with the live filming of the event so that students who were unable to get a ticket could watch the event online. The day of the conference kicked off with registration at 10.30am with a photo opportunity and tea, coffee and biscuits. The audience were then welcomed to find a seat in The Forum ready for the opening remarks from Ryan and Avgustinov. The morning session began with the first speaker, Professor Karen Pine, who unfortunately started with some technical difficulties - but what is a conference without something going wrong with technology? Her speech “Is thinking overrated?” was a suitable starting point, introducing the psychology behind the ‘Pink Polar Bear’ and showing how thinking and acting are not always connected. The morningcontinued with the first student
speaker, Ifrah George, with “Are you happy?” which made audience members question their happiness and provided guidelines for life; “Your happiness lays in nobody’s pocket but your own.” Poker expert Dave Woods was next with “The skillsets of poker” which looked at the poker industry, how to read people and how the skillsets for poker can apply to the skillsets in life. Following this, was Ray Wilkinson’s “Brits in Space” that encouraged the STEM programme (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths for young people) and inspired people to engage with the future of space tourism. Due to the rules of TEDx conferences, the committee were then obliged to show a TED Talks video, “Happy Maps” by Daniel Quercia. The talk proposed an app that allows people to travel by the most beautiful and meaningful route to work, instead of the most efficient; “A chance to escape the fabricated world.” To finish the morning session, Ingrid Ozols, who flew in especially from Australia, gave an emotional speech about ‘Mental Illness and Social Inclusion” and brought to light the fact that almost every 45 seconds, one person takes their own life. For lunch, the committee had kindly provided a £5 food voucher for every member of the audience for The Forum restaurant, not to mention the endless flow of coffee, tea, donuts and biscuits. The afternoon session commenced with another TED Talks video, “Silk, the ancient material of the future,” by Fiorenzo Omenetto. He discussed the hundreds of useful qualities of Silk and how future technology will rely on it. Up next was Kristina Yee with “Film and Feminism.” The Harvard graduate discussed how films are the mirrors of reality, but women are unfairly reflected behind the screen, with shocking numbers showing the lack of equality in films and behind the cameras. Peter Buckley followed with
his talk on “Healthcare - Leadership in turbulent times?” He made insightful observations on the efficiency of the NHS and how the correct structure of leadership can produce effective results. Second student speaker, Isobelle Clarke, then presented her talk on “Native speakerism,” that questioned what makes a native language. Essex proud Clarke, engaged the audience with funny stories and photos and made people aware that your native speakerism is down to how comfortable you are in speaking and understanding it. One of the universities own lecturers, Nasser Abouzakher, was next with “Cyberspace: Pros and Cons.” The informative speech gave insight into the dangers of the internet, anonymous websites and the deep dark web of TOR. Historian, Andrea Mammone, then addressed the ‘pink polar bear’ theme in the form of European economics, the state of Greece in parallel to England,and the current economic structure of the EU. It was then time for a short coffee break and an opportunity to mingle with other members of the audience and conference speakers. The final session of the day started with another TED Talks video, “Reggie Watts disorients you in the most entertaining way.” The video showed comedian, Reggie Watts, talking absolute nonsense and using a sound looping machine to make songs, with just his voice. It was a surreal, but definitely loosened up the audience from some of the more serious and intense talks. Journalist and travel writer, Justin Marozzi, followed with an eye opening approach towards terrorism with his speech “Why terrorism is a laughing matter.” What could have been regarded as an offensive talk, Marozzi cleverly tackled the issues of the media war from a comedic angle and entertained the audience. The penultimate speech “How to make digital democracy work” from Royal Holloway’s lecturer, Paolo Gerbaudo, interestingly looked at the uses of social media in political
conflicts and protests, and how digital democracy could be the way forward. To end the day, lecturer at UH, Philip Porter, discussed the issues of global warming and the state of glaciers with his speech “T-shirts on for an Arctic heat wave!” which neatly fit in with the theme and brought the day to a close. As a whole the conference was a complete success. Audience members expressed how well the event had gone, and even the speakers were impressed by the sheer energy and organisation that had gone into making UH’s first TEDx conference. Isobelle Clarke and Kristina Yee spoke to Trident Media about their thoughts of the theme and how the day had gone; “The theme applied really well to my actual talk.” Said Clarke, “I wanted to redefine native speakerism, and so its the whole process of a white polar bear being redefined as a pink polar bear.” Yee had actually forgotten to mention how the theme related during her speech and explained; “The book Don’t think of an elephant by George Lakoff obviously connects with the polar bear and was my inspiration for how associations, images and words play around in people’s minds.” She went on to say that “the things we don’t see are as important as the things we do see, like women in film.” Yee and Clarke also wanted to congratulate the TEDx team on all their efforts. “Minus a few technical difficulties, what they’ve done has been amazing,” Said Clarke, “They’ve worked so hard for ten months. I’ve only being doing it for four months and I’m stressed!” Yee added, “It is definitely one of the most beautiful set ups with the stage etc.” To which Clarke expressed, “Yeah, my name looked amazing!” Did you attend the TEDxUH conference? Let us know what you thought @TridentMediaUK #TEDxUH!
First Hertfordshire TEDx Conference is a success
• News 7
Leave your mark: Take part in the National Student Survey 2015
Shannen Rock | Editor in Chief
The National Student Survey (NSS) 2015 is now open here at the University of Hertfordshire! The NSS is your opportunity to give your opinions on what you liked about your time on your course at Hertfordshire, as well as things that you felt could have been improved.
What is the NSS? It is a high profile annual census of nearly half a million final year students across the UK, which gives students a powerful collective voice to help shape the future of both their course and university or college.
What will the NSS ask me? The questions allow you to provide feedback on a range of topics, relating to your learning experience. There is space at the end for any positive and/or negative comments you have about your experience if you wish to expand on anything. Make sure you write your thoughts down and let the University of Hertfordshire and the Hertfordshire Students’ Union know!
Who Benefits from the NSS? Feedback from the NSS is really important for current students as the feedback provides a clear picture of what the learning experience was like for those completing their course in that year. Institutions and students’ unions examine the anonymised NSS data internally to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses. This information can be used to help effect changes designed to enhance or improve the student experience for both current and prospective students. The feedback is also important for prospective students as the NSS results are made publicly available to help prospective students make informed decisions about where and what to study. The National Union of Students (NUS) fully supports the NSS and sees it as an opportunity for students to shape the future of higher education.
How can I get involved? You can complete the NSS online or via a mobile device at www.thestudentsurvey.com at
any time from 12 January 2015 to 30 April 2015. The success of the NSS depends on your feedback so please set aside a few minutes to get involved. Your completed survey will be automatically entered into the University’s prize draw for a Round the World ticket worth £1,500 (for responses before 31 March) and the University will also donate £1 for each completed survey to Hertfordshire Students’ Union’s chosen RAG charities. Your responses are anonymised so please feel free to provide your genuine perceptions of your experience at Hertfordshire. Don’t forget to reflect on your whole student experience at Hertfordshire and complete the National Student Survey at your earliest opportunity – the more people who respond, the more we can ensure a truly representative view of your experience at the University of Hertfordshire. To find out more visit www.thestudentsurvey.com or contact the NSS team at Ipsos MORI directly at [email protected].
8 Features •
Kealie Mardell | Print Editor In September, 13 students from the University of Hertfordshire are flying to Tanzania to climb the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. They are each hoping to fundraise almost £3000 for the HOPE for Children charity. HOPE for Children works tirelessly to help children reach their full potential, says HOPE Student Ambassador Ken Bell. Last year, they helped 44,000 children in Africa, Asia and the UK. Elliot Ward, a 2nd year Accounting and Finance Student, found out about the HOPE Kili climb
through Raise and Give and StudyNet. He said: “I decided to take part because I’d never done anything like it before. It will be a great experience, the climb and the fundraising, and I will hopefully learn a lot from it.” Ward is worried about the fundraising target, but believes it can be reached. The group of students are coming up with lots of ideas to help them reach the goals. Declan Hallam, 2nd year Aerospace Engineering student, said: “Raising the money is a challenge that I thoroughly enjoy and am determined to achieve. “It’s a chance for me to do something different and achieve
something that not many people have,” Hallam said. “The fact that I get to help HOPE and experience first-hand the wonderful impact they have on changing children’s lives is such a great opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.” The students will also have the opportunity to witness the work of HOPE for Children. Ward said: “I’m excited to visit one of the projects that our fundraising will be helping so I can see the change the project has made to the children’s lives already. HOPE is a worthwhile cause because it gives kids a chance to prosper and reach their full potential by giving them the opportunity that
me and you have come accustomed to.” The Herts HOPE Heroes fundraising page has reached over £5,000. “It doesn’t matter how big or small the donation is, it will still help to improve a child’s life,” said Hallam. “Thank you very much in advance.” Visit hopeheroes.org/event/2015herts to track their fundraising or make a donation. Ward said: “If you can’t donate, then telling your friend and family about our challenge and the cause we are supporting will help.” Keep an eye out on StudyNet for future fundraising events on campus!
Students climb Mount Kilimanjaro for HOPE for Children
You know what’s really annoying? When you ask someone where they want to eat, and they say they don’t mind, so you make a reservation at your favourite restaurant, take them there, and then they complain that they didn’t want to eat Italian, they wanted Chinese. You know what else is really annoying? People who “aren’t interested in politics”. Are you voting in the next general election? Are you registered to vote? Did you even know that you had to register? If the answer to any of these questions is no, and you’re a UK citizen who will be aged 18 or above by the 7th of May, then you need to sit down and listen to – well, read – this.
Hertfordshire Students’ Union are currently running the Generation Vote campaign, which is aimed at encouraging students to vote. If you need more info on voting, or more persuading, you can check it out online. In 2010, around 66% of those registered to vote did so, but almost 9.7 million young people did not vote. That means that those young people had no say in the election of the coalition government which has run the country for the last five years. It’s pretty tempting for young people to ignore politics. After all, we often feel like politics ignores us. But nothing can change unless we use our right to vote – the right, incidentally, that has been won through years of hard work and sacrifice by previous
generations. If you choose not to vote just because you “can’t be bothered”, then you are refusing to take part in our democracy, and you lose the right to complain about what the government does. The wave of anti-political sentiment which has taken the nation in the last few years is not limited to students. But we have to be aware that nothing will change unless we vote for change. Don’t like the government? (or maybe you do). Think they’re ignoring us? Either way - Hit them where it hurts – right in the polls.
Hit ’em in the Polls
Corner Grumpy
• Features 9
Tinith Pitakandage | MixedBag Society Chairperson
We are currently organising a multi-cultural talent night “Herts’ got Talent” for the students of University of Hertfordshire. The whole idea behind this event is to provide a platform for students to showcase their talents in every form. The performance can be in the form of singing, cultural dance or drama, musical, etc. One of the main ideas behind organising this event is
to create a platform for all the different societies in Herts’ SU to showcase their talents in one place, at the Students’ Union, but not in any competitive manner. However, the best performance will be selected by an independent group of judges where they can win a prize and all other participants will get a certificate of appreciation. This will be a great opportunity for all societies to take part to promote their society as well. More than 20 societies as well as individual and group performers
have signed up to perform at the event including UH Musicians, Ukulele, Salsa, Bhangra, Sri Lankan, Bboying, Drama, Voice Aloud, Malayali, Malaysian and Nepalese Societies. We will also serve food and beverages from different cuisines including Malaysian, French, Sri Lankan, Turkish, Nigerian, Chinese, etc. Early bird tickets will be priced at £5 for members of UH MixedBag Society and £7 for non-members which includes food. Tickets at the door will be £10 for both
members and non-members. You can purchase the tickets from SU reception, online, at the event or by emailing us. If you would like to perform in this event please get in touch with us before 20th of February by emailing us at [email protected]. This is an evening not to be missed! You can find us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UHMixedBagSociety Twitter: @uhmixedbag Instagram: @uhmixedbag Email:
Herts’ SU MixedBag Society presents 'Herts’ got Talent'
10 Features •What do you think about superfoods? Have you say @TridentMediaUK!
The Superfoods Debate
FOR AGAINST
Opinions are the writers own and are not endorsed by Trident Media or Hertfordshire Students’ Union
Mercedes Brazier | Sports-Sub Editor
There are a range of definitions for superfoods and their benefits, there are debates amongst nutritionists and scientists as to what foods are classed as superfoods and why. Some believe that there are over 100 superfoods, which are predominantly fruits and vegetables, due to the nutrients they contain. Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients and minerals that we all need in order to live a healthy lifestyle. However, when discussing superfoods the usual conclusion is that they are superfoods depending on the level of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty within them. Antioxidants, according to the NHS, are ‘chemicals thought to protect against the harmful effects of free radicals, which are chemicals naturally produced in every living cell and known to cause cell damage.’ Recent studies have shown that there are little benefits to human health with a huge intake of antioxidants; however a small daily dose of antioxidants will have a positive effect, they give your body the nutrients it needs to fight off potential cancer cells. It is true that due to them being termed ‘superfoods’ there has been a rise in sales of these foods; however this does not mean that they were termed this purely to make money. Since being deemed super there has been a rise in interest in food; people are putting in more time and research to understand what is in the food they eat, and how this helps them to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The food that we now term superfoods are not always the fruit and veg we assume them to be, many companies now sell pure forms of predominantly plant based nutrients in the form of powder and tablets. One company, who’s products I have tried, are Organic Burst (organicburst.com) who state: “All our chosen products have a proven track record over millennia with indigenous people around the world having cherished them for their incredible benefits.” A young couple started the company in 2011 and they sell products such as: acai berries, spirulina, maca, chlorella, baobab and wheatgrass, and they can be bought in the form of powder or tablets. These products have been proven by scientists to have a beneficial impact on our health. Superfoods do not necessarily need to be the fruit and veg we students often have to force ourselves to eat, but can be in the form of a pure tablet or powder we can take in the morning or sprinkle over porridge (maca is best for that). People are quick to judge when they are introduced to something new and I agree that the term ‘superfood’ is a bit presumptuous as to their benefits, but by doing research and introducing them into your diet you could see beneficial improvements. For more information on superfoods and what they do for us, do some research on the Organic Burst website, given above. They also provide you with recipes and advice for using their products!
Oliver Price | Contributing Writer Superfoods aren’t a real thing. In fact, they’re so not-a-real-thing that in 2007 the EU effectively banned calling any product a superfood without accompanying scientific evidence backing up the claim. However, this is impossible, seeing as superfood is not a scientifically defined term, by either dietitians or nutrition scientists (but possibly by nutritionist charlatans such as “Dr” Gillian McKeith). So-called superfoods have a wide variety of claims made about them, from garlic curing the common cold to omega-3 oils in oily fish preventing dementia. The evidence for almost every single claim made about superfoods is inconclusive, and any benefits are the same you would get from eating a balanced diet. No one is claiming that blueberries, pomegranates (which are delicious), and goji berries (which are horrible) aren’t healthy, but it’s completely asinine to put “superfoods” above other parts of a well balanced diet, as they have no more significant nutrient density than other similar foods. So what are superfoods? In reality, 'superfood' is a shallow marketing term; an attempt by companies to jump on the healthy food bandwagon and sound sciency in order to… you guessed it, make money! And you know what? It works. Sales of foods commonly believed to be superfoods are much higher than they were before superfood was in the common vernacular. Some
people may not have a problem with lying to make money, but I do. A belief in superfoods can potentially have an opposite to the desired effect. Until recently, Yog Frozen Yoghurt advertised itself as a superfood, and while it is very tasty, and is probably healthier than Ben and Jerry’s, it’s still basically fancy ice cream, full of sugar, and you’re not going to do your diet any favours by eating it frequently. Superfood lovers also have the unfortunate downside of eating horrible food, like the aforementioned goji berries and a Superfood Strawberry Cheesecake I found online; you can’t call something a cheesecake if it hasn’t got any cheese in it! There is a much darker side to the superfood craze. A common claim by superfood advocates is that antioxidants in foods such as cranberries can prevent cancer. However, a significant statistical link between antioxidants and a reduction in cancer rates has never been found in scientific trials. Because of their false beliefs some people may think that they are far safer from cancer than they actually are, and therefore forgo required checkups that come with age, or a weird ache. Some people may even drop treatment entirely and stick to their superfoods even if they know they have cancer, and will probably die. Next time you see a food advertised as a superfood, really think about whether they deserve your business. And maybe call Trading Standards.
OrganicBurst.com
• Features 11
Study abroad blog: from Herts to Mexico
Becky Williams | Contributing Writer I am spending my third year of study in Mexico, in the historic city of Querétaro, at the Tecnológico de Monterrey. It is one of the best universities in Mexico and is in the top 10 in Latin America, specialising in engineering, agriculture and communication studies. My degree at Herts is psychology, and this year was a chance to expand my knowledge. For example, I have studied philosophy, social anthropology and history of Latin America. The campus also offers many cultural classes which are free to Tec students, and range from sports classes, to cultural classes such salsa and bachata, oil painting, tango, guitar and more! I took a salsa class during Semester A and it was really fun, I learned a lot very quickly and we performed along with other dance classes at the end
of the semester. This semester I am taking other classes such as guitar and yoga. In general, the experience is like a rollercoaster ride; a mixture of rich cultural experiences and meeting interesting people from all over the world. You will have the opportunity to take an internship with a Mexican business or organisation. This semester I am interning with an organisation called ‘Fundacion Integral de la Mujer’, which is based in the city centre and works with young women who have left their education very early, for various reasons, and who want to get back into education to improve their opportunities. My assignment is to teach them basic operations on a computer, and of course I have to speak in Spanish! It is a challenge, but definitely a rewarding and worthwhile experience. Last semester I lived with a host family, who prepared
traditional Mexican food and only spoke in Spanish to me, which accelerated the learning curve. They were very welcoming and happy to sit and talk about things which interested us, and we got on very well. This semester I am living in a houseshare with one of the friends I made last semester, and another student whose family owns the house. It is more independent and relaxed, and generally those who share apartments are closer to the campus. All of this is only a tiny fraction of the study abroad experience – I have travelled as much as possible and I aim to see as much of Mexico as possible before I go back. I have visited the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan, which were fascinating and revealed an amazing view from the top. I have been white water rafting in the stunning jungle region of Huasteca, and we had an adventure when our
raft flipped over! Of course we had life jackets and the route wasn’t especially treacherous – but it was definitely a heart-pumper! And then to be taken to a small jutting rock and jump freely into the rushing water – was an unforgettable experience. I have also travelled with friends to the region of Sierra Gorda, an area of amazing mountains and waterfalls just outside of the city. We rented quad bikes and drove through the scenic valley to the Bucareli mission – a sanctuary set up by Franciscan monks during the 1700s to try and convert the indigenous people, the Aztecs, to Christianity. Overall, this experience has been enriching, fun and entirely unforgettable – it has changed my character and will stay with me for life. If you’re studying abroad this year and would like to blog for us, please email [email protected].
12 Features •
Brad Johnson | Deputy Editor
In this edition of ‘Meet the SU Staff’, we meet Gary Houghton, the Students’ Union’s Marketing Coordinator for Commercial & Sales. Gary takes care of all of the Forum Hertfordshire’s marketing both internally and externally. Gary was a student at the University of Hertfordshire between 2007 and 2011 studying Business Studies and graduated with a 2:1. Surprisingly, Gary had little involvement with Hertfordshire Students’ Union before joining the team in 2012. When asked what the reason for this was, he said it was: “very hard to get involved when you are a home student that studied on de Havilland.”
Luckily today, the SU now has a wider presence on the de Havilland campus compared to 2007 to 2011. Gary did say that if you could do something different while being at university, he “would have got involved with the SU more.” During Gary’s studies, he took a placement year at Safe Tots in Stevenage. He became one of the team as a Marketing Assistant which gave him a “good insight into what [he] was studying.” This, he explained, was his first full time job so it prepared him for what was to come following graduation, when Gary worked at some local companies before joining the SU team in January 2012. Gary said his role gives him “lots of responsibility” and he “gets
to work with some great people”. He was happy to share how fun and exciting some of the projects are with highlights being the multiple Summer Balls and Freshers’ events he has been part of since joining the organisation. When asked what would be his advice to any business student, he said it would be either to gain relevant work experience or to do a placement year in the industry. Gary can be found working closely with the commercial team in the Students’ Union admin office and when he’s not working you will catch him playing football or his PS4! If you know of a staff member at the SU that you would like us to feature, let us know!
Meet the SU Staff: Gary Houghton
Interview with an Elected Officer: Shannen Rock VP Comms & Media
In this issue’s Meet your Elected Officer, we have Shannen Rock, Vice President Communications and Media! Before becoming an elected officer for the Students’ Union Shannen studied Business Administration with a specialism in Human Resource Management. During her time at the University she undertook a study abroad year in Fresno, California and was actively involved in the Students’ Union, hosting her own radio show on Crush Radio as well as being a member of the HUSKIS.
Tell us a bit about your role in the Students’ Union? “In my role as VP Comms and Media I oversee the running of Trident Media, which includes Crush Radio and Crush Underground, UniVerse and BlueMoon and UnionTV; although all of these outlets are student run and student led I see my role as a facilitator to ensure that media members have all the resources they need to carry out their activities. In terms of communications I work closely within the Students’ Union’s marketing team and the University to ensure that key messages are communicated to the student body effectively. In addition to this, I also work on a variety of projects throughout the year as well as always being there for students. I would say that that is each of the elected officers most important role – representing students.”
Can you tell us about one of the projects you are working on? “Of course, so one of the projects I’m working on is building stronger relationships with the consortium colleges. UH is partnered with four local colleges known as the consortium, these are: Hertford Regional, North Herts, Oaklands and West Herts College, and there are students who are studying degrees at these colleges that are also part of UH. My aim with this project has been to ensure these students are aware of what the
Students’ Union does here and what opportunities and experiences are available to them. I have been working really closely with the colleges the past two years to build on this and it has been progressing really positively.”
What do you think you have gained from the role? “Being an elected officer is such an amazing experience. You get so many opportunities to work and lead on a variety of projects and work with such amazing staff of different levels of seniority. Personally I have developed many skills including communication, project planning, proposal writing and presentation skills to name a few. I have also built on my confidence tenfold. I would definitely recommend to students to run in the SU elections, running in itself is a wonderful experience and if you win you’re guaranteed an amazing job role!”
As this is your final year as an officer, where do you see yourself in the future? “Yes, I’m a second year officer, and two years is all you can run for! I am now beginning my job searching. I am looking at going into a career in training and development. This has always been a passion of mine since my degree and I have been able to gain experience in this area of work as an elected officer too. I am also toying with the idea of cabin crew though to get some travel in. And sunshine!” If you’re interested in running for this or any other position visit hertfordshire.su/elections.
• Features 13
Oliver Price | Contributing Writer
LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Trans) month has been started with the signature Rainbow Flag being flown at College Lane and a screening of the 2014 film Pride, directed by Matthew Warchus. Pride is a heartwarming true story about a group of Lesbian and Gay activists, who called themselves “Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners”, raising money to support striking miners in Thatcher’s Britain. The film focuses on the solidarity between persecuted groups of people (be it by the government or the tabloids) and makes a big point that people should accept each other in spite of, or even because of, their
differences. The role of LGBT people in aiding the Trade Unions during the Miner’s Strike has sometimes been overlooked, but not by Ian Murphy, an official from the Communication Workers Union. He thought that the film gave “an insightful look at some of the situations people found themselves in.” In 1985, Labour tabled a motion at their national conference in Bournemouth to support equal rights for gay and lesbian people, which got passed at conference with the aid of the vote from the Union of Mineworkers. Emma Absolon, a Careers and Placements Officer, thought that the film was a good thing to show during
LGBT history month because she said: “It was all new to me, and it is about the importance of solidarity.” Min Rodriguez, the Head of Equality at the University, said that LGBT history month is, “really good exposure for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans staff and students,” and by, “giving visibility to those communities... people will feel more comfortable to be out in the workplace or as a student, and they know that perhaps there is somewhere they can go for support, and that it’s not all doom and gloom; it’s not about homophobia, biphobia, transphobia all the time, there is something more positive than that.” She commended the University of Hertfordshire,
saying that in regards to the LGBT community, “attitudes are pretty positive, I haven’t heard any major incidents of homophobia, biphobia or transphobia.” She also said people can “get a bit lethargic about LGBT rights and we may think that everything’s done now, and it’s not. I think there’s a long way to go and people should be more active about LGBT equality.” LGBT history month will give us all a chance to reflect on the past ill-treatment of LGBT people, and will give us all a chance to make sure that such things do not happen again. And watch Pride, it’s fantastic!
Jennie Couling | Contributing Writer
For some people, joining a society means a lot of hard work, dedication and time. But for those part of the LGBT+ society, the word has a completely different meaning. A night with the LBGT+ society is more like hanging out with a large group of friends. “Other Universities use it as a hook up service but we use it as a social thing,” explained Chairperson Simon George. A typical meeting can be anything from playing card games to watching a film, a quiz night or simply chatting and listening to music. Member Sam Brilliant said: “Everyone has their reasons for coming, but basically it's people wanting to come and play cards and hang out.” George admits that some people are shocked when they realise that the group aren’t as political as some might expect, he sees it as a positive thing: “These days things aren't as bad... I haven't heard of any problems.”
However, some members, such as Brilliant, see the mere existence of the group as a political statement: “I think LGBT+ is the best thing for anyone interested in equality,” he said. “It's way more about LGBT being genuinely equal and not rubbing it in people's faces.” With such a casual atmosphere, it’s clear that any new members are always welcome to the group. “People bring along different people,” Nadia Coppleman explained. “We've always got an activity.” Keen to emphasise that anyone is welcome, including straight people, George said: “Personally I feel like, as part of standing tall and fighting, we’ve got to be inclusive...that’s why we have the plus - it
includes everyone.” Meetings are every Wednesday at 7.30pm in C152 except the last week of the month when the group head to Style Bar for half price cocktails. As part of LGBT+ History Month the University’s Equality Office are holding a number of events. . Coming up: -A Trans Awareness workshop is being held 19th February at F324 in The Wright Building 14:00 to 16:00 with Gendered Intelligence, a company who aims to ‘engage people in debates about gender and building awareness around the ways in which heteronormativity regulates and restricts everyone’. Admission is free but tickets need to be booked through
the Equality Office’s eventbrite page -Carrying on from last week’s screening of Pride, there is a free screening of the film Still The Enemy Within on 25th February at 18:00 in E351 on College Lane. Described by the Equality Office as a ‘unique insight into the 1984-85 British Miners' Strike the plot is an ‘ultimately a universal tale of ordinary people standing up for what they believe in’ and ‘challenges us to look again at our past so that in the words of one miner, "we can still seek to do something about the future.” Anyone interested in joining can find more information on their Facebook page Herts SU: LGBT or website hertssu-lgbt.co.uk.
LGBT History Month kicked off at Herts with Pride screening
Society feature LGBT+
Jennie Couling | UniVerse
14 Health •
Alex Jungeling | Contributing Writer
February is all about the heart. It’s the time of year people feel they need to be romantic and loving because of Valentine’s Day. But not only is it the month of love, roses being red and violets being blue, it’s also National Heart Month, raising awareness of the UK’s biggest killers, cardiovascular disease. One of the biggest charities raising awareness of diseases linked to the heart, as well as working to combat them, is The British Heart Foundation. They state on their website: "Our mission is to win the fight against cardiovascular disease and our vision is a world in which people do not die prematurely or suffer from cardiovascular disease.” They focus on life saving research, supporting heart patients and fundraising, just to mention a few things, and these are all essential in the fight against cardiovascular disease. They also try to raise awareness for the prevention of heart disease, leading a healthy lifestyle, focusing on regular cardiovascular exercise and not eating excessive junk food, especially concerning children. Along with looking at tobacco marketing and passive smoking, as smoking is a huge problem when it comes to cardiovascular disease, as around
February - The Month all about the Heart
11,000 people a year are thought to die due to passive smoking, in the UK. These are just a few parts of the extensive work they do to try and help fight cardiovascular disease. As they have such a focus on raising awareness, and February is National Heart Month, it is a great
idea to get involved and wear red. Doing that little bit so that people are more aware of cardiovascular disease, especially how to prevent it, could help save many lives, as well as helping a very worthwhile charity. To find out more about cardiovascular disease, or the work
The British Heart Foundation do, head to their website bhf.org.uk or to see their Wear it. Beat it. campaign, search for them on Facebook. If you are taking part in any events or activities for National Heart Month, please let us know @TridentMediaUK!
• Health 15
Laura Noakes | Deputy Editor
Raynaud’s Awareness Month is an annual awareness campaign held each February to highlight the plight of those suffering from Raynaud’s and to create greater public understanding of the disease.
So what is Raynauds? Raynaud’s is a condition that can affect anyone and does affect up to 10 million people in the UK. Raynaud’s affects the blood supply to certain areas of a person’s body, most commonly fingers and toes. It causes blood vessels to go into a temporary spasm, blocking blood flow and is can be triggered by coldness or anxiety. Although Raynaud’s is not a serious health threat, it can negatively affect a persons life as it can cause pain, numbness, pins and needles and make movement of the affected areas difficult. What are the symptoms of Raynaud’s?• Very cold fingers or toes (but can
affect other areas of the body)• Colour changes in skin due to
coldness or anxiety• Pain, numbness and tingling in
your fingers or toes
How can Raynaud’s Awareness Month Help? During this year’s Raynaud’s Awareness Month the Raynaud’s & Scleroderma Association (RSA) has been promoting a ‘Love Your Gloves’ campaign to encourage sufferers to wear gloves to relieve the symptoms of Raynaud’s, and also promote awareness among the general public, as many people don’t know what Raynaud’s is. The ‘Love Your Gloves’ campaign has put up posters in doctors surgeries and hospitals around the world. There is also a Twitter account (@raynaudsuk) and RSA are encouraging people to tweet the phrase #loveyourgloves to show support for the cause. What can you do to help Raynaud’s Awareness Month? Along with tweeting your support, you could also fundraise to support Raynauds by organising ‘Love Your Gloves’ events at uni or work or you can donate to the cause by texting COLD15 and the amount (£5/£10) to 70070. If you’ve taken part in #LoveYourGloves share it with us @TridentMediaUK!
Everything you need to know about Raynaud’s Awareness Month
Kealie Mardell | Print Editor
Time to Change asked everyone to take five minutes on the 5th of February to have a conversation about mental health for Time to Talk Day. Having a mental health problem is hard enough, but sometimes the isolation and stigma can make it even worse, says Time to Change. We can all help to break the silence. Throughout the day, participants could log each five minutes of conversation on an interactive counter to help Time to Change reach their goal of 24 hours’ worth of conversation. This goal was well exceeded, with over 19 days’ worth of conversation by midnight. As part of Raise and Give week, volunteers were on hand in the Forum Foyer with information and
ideas for Time to Talk. If you missed the conversation but would like to find out more, visit time-to-change.org.uk and follow their future campaigns. For everyone’s five minutes, whether it was an event or activity, talking to someone or posting online, we helped to break the silence and stigma surrounding mental health. However, one day a year is not enough. Time to Change is urging everyone to continue their efforts and to keep talking about mental health. If you are seeking support for mental health concerns, the Counselling Centre is now located at the Hutton Hub on College Lane. Call 01707 284453 or email [email protected]. Share your Time to Talk activities with us on Facebook or Twitter @TridentMediaUK!
Time to Talk Day sparks conversations about mental health
16 Health •
A healthy dose of scienceKat Clements | Contributing Writer
Working out what science stories matter and which ones are just a flash in the pan can be tricky, especially if you don’t have a science background. UniVerse is here to help with our monthly roundup of the biggest news in science, environment and health. You can find more at TridentMedia.org and share your favourite science stories with us on Twitter @TridentMediaUK!
Cancer has, as always, been big in the news this month. First up is the optimistic news that we could beat cancer by 2050, as reported by a team from King’s College London and University College London. The study, “Overcoming Cancer in the 21st Century” by Taylor et al, is co-written by scientists from both institutes, and it suggests that people under the age of 80, at least, could be safe from cancer in 35 years. That prediction is based on the way in which deaths have decreased in the past, due to improvements in medicine and care. Deaths have declined by 1% every year since 1990, due to falling smoking rates and increased awareness, among other factors. If that trend continues, say the authors, we could all survive cancer by 2050 – at least until we’re 80. But they said that that could only happen if more money was invested in research and care, which leads us on to the next big cancer story: the NHS’s decision to no longer fund cancer treatments for dying patients. 25 life-extending drugs have been removed from the NHS’s treatment list, potentially cutting short the lives of many people with terminal cancer. This, most people agree, sucks. But why have the NHS taken this step? It isn’t, no matter what
the tabloids might claim, because French immigrant gay single mothers on benefits need the money for boob jobs. It’s because the NHS is struggling to fund cancer treatment and hard decisions have had to be taken to benefit the greatest number of people. Although 25 drugs have been removed, 3 have been added, and the prices of several others have been reduced after tough bargaining with pharmaceutical companies. The prescription of some others has been restricted, saving the NHS around £80m per year. The NHS say that these steps have been taken because some drugs just weren’t worth it. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but sometimes there’s not much that drugs can do for you; and where the medicines weren’t offering much benefit, or cost more than they delivered, or were prolonging life only briefly and painfully, they had to be withdrawn so that other patients could have a better chance. However, many cancer charities have heavily criticised that decision, saying that potentially hundreds of people will lose out on the care that they need thanks to this cost-saving measure. There’s not really an easy answer to this kind of problem, and there’s not really any way to joke about it either, so let’s move on to some good news.
The C Word
The ultimate good news story; drinking could be good for you! A new study published in the European Heart Journal suggests that around 7 drinks per week, or one per day, could cut the risk of heart disease by 20% for men, 16% for women, when compared to teetotallers. But you shouldn’t go out and celebrate in the EleHouse just yet. This is just one of a huge body of research “proving” different and contradictory things about the impact of alcohol. The study, by a team from the US’ Harvard Medical School and a Boston hospital, followed around 15,000 men and women for 25 years, starting in the 80s, and recorded the incidence of heart failure. That’s different to heart attacks, by the way – there’ve been plenty of studies suggesting that drinking moderately can protect you from myocardial infarction, which is the official name for heart attacks. Heart failure, on the other hand, is a condition where the heart can no longer pump blood around the body, due to injury or disease. It often results from trauma or fatigue. Plus, “one drink” doesn’t mean what you think it means. The
researchers defined “one drink” as around 14g of alcohol, which is equivalent to a small glass of wine, around half a pint of beer, or a bit less than a single shot of spirits like vodka. Seven drinks a week is 12 units of alcohol, only just under the NHS’s recommended limit of 14 units for women, 21 for men. And, in case you thought more drinks was better, the 20% figure was actually compared to teetotallers – people who don’t drink at all. People who drink more than 7 drinks a week had an increased incidence of heart failure – and the more they drank, the worse it got. But if you don’t drink, you shouldn’t rush out to the Forum to make up for lost time – the study might not show that you’re more likely to die because of it. Prof. Scott Solomon, who led the study, is quoted by The Times as saying: “This could be related to the reasons why they had stopped drinking in the first place, for instance because they had already developed health problems,” such as alcoholism or liver failure, or a non-alcohol induced disease. So if you’re totally healthy, deciding not to drink isn’t going to kill you.
Drink up
• Health 17
Over Christmas, many parents chose to make Christmas truly magical by taking their kids to Disneyland California. Great! Except that many of those kids hadn’t had the MMR vaccine, which gives immunity to measles, mumps and rubella. The park brought together hundreds of kids in close proximity – just what viruses need. Southern California is now struggling to contain the worst outbreak of measles for 15 years, with 73 cases ranging from ages seven months to seventy years. Other cases have been reported in seven US states as well as in Mexico. Some of those affected might have been unable to have the MMR jab because of their ages (the vaccine can’t be given to infants under 12 months), or because of pre-existing health conditions, but most of them were unvaccinated simply because their parents had chosen not to give them the jab. Measles once killed 500 people per year in the US. It still kills in countries with less developed health infrastructures, where the MMR jab is not given routinely. It was declared eradicated in the US in the 90s, and in the UK only 12 people in total have died since 2000 – compared to the year 1980, when there were 26 deaths. In order to achieve “herd immunity”, where the virus can’t spread because the majority of the population are immune, 95%
of the population need to be vaccinated. In England, 91% of infants are receiving the vaccine, but that is still not enough, and leaves the population open to outbreaks like this one. Measles is a highly contagious viral illness which initially manifests as a flu-like cough and fever, followed by the appearance of “Koplik Spots” – blue-white spots on the inside of the mouth. After that, the measles rash begins – a lumpy, itchy, achy cascade of spots, worse than the most painful acne or infected mosquito bite you’ve ever had, which starts behind the ears and spreads to cover the entire body. Go look up some pictures if you still don’t think it’s a big deal. And then there’s the dehydration, the fever, and the complications – measles can, and does, lead to pneumonia and encephalitis, which is a bacterial infection in the brain which causes extreme swelling and is often fatal, leaving many survivors severely brain damaged. So why are people still unvaccinated? The MMR vaccine is offered to all children once they reach 12 months, but parents can still choose to “opt-out” of the injection. And, unfortunately, some people still choose to do so despite the evidence of measles’ danger. In 1998, a doctor named Andrew Wakefield, together with 12 other doctors, published a paper in the respected journal The Lancet showing a link
between the MMR vaccine and the development of autism. Wakefield’s paper presented the case histories of 12 patients who had the MMR vaccine and later developed symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder. The public was shocked and frightened; the press were quick to ride the wave of anti-vaccine fear and puff the story up for all it was worth (for the record, not much). Wakefield’s claims didn’t last for long. In March 2004, the paper’s authors finally retracted their claims of a causal link between MMR and autism (and bowel disorders, which they also claimed were linked). But the damage was done; in April 2006, the NHS reported the first death from measles for 14 years in Britain. In 2007, Wakefield and two of his co-authors were charged with serious misconduct by the General Medical Council and, in 2010, he was struck off the register. The Lancet retracted the paper, saying that the results were entirely false. It has since been widely accepted by medical professionals that almost all of Wakefield’s evidence was falsified; large parts of the medical history of his subjects was altered, and even if it hadn’t been, twelve people is not a statistically significant study. It has now been long accepted in the medical community that there is absolutely no link between the MMR jab and autism.
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In a medical first, doctors at Hammersmith Hospital managed to perform the very first neonatal organ transplant. A six day old child who had been stillborn was declared dead after a week on life support, and the parents consented to the child’s liver and kidneys being removed and given to patients in need of new organs. The reason that this is significant is that baby’s organs are tiny; transplanting them is an incredibly difficult operation. However, young patients needing transplants simply cannot take organs from older donors; the organs are just too big. In addition, the organs of neonates have powerful regenerative properties, which makes them much better for transplantation. Britain has a dire shortage of organ donors. The current system is opt-in, and most people just don’t think to join the register until it is too late. The use of stillborn babies as donors may seem macabre, but it can be the difference between life and death for other children.
History is made
18 Sport •
Jennie Couling | Contributing Writer
There are all kinds of excuses we use to get out of exercise: not enough time, not enough money for a gym membership, not knowing where to start. Yoga is a good exercise to start with if you have only five minutes in your busy day, it has many benefits to your health and wellbeing. Yoga has been known to improve lower back pain, joint pain and neck pain, and studies from the International Journal of Yoga show that yoga can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression and improve sleep patterns. This will help many of us students as back pain from leaning over notepads and computers is a given when studying, and our mental health is always on the edge with assignment deadlines and workloads. According to a study presented at the Experimental Biology 2006 conference, Yoga also has a positive impact on your strength and balance, along with your breathing and lung capacity as research suggests that the deep breathing involved in yoga impacts chest wall expansion, and forced expiratory lung volumes which improves overall respiratory function and can help manage conditions such as asthma. Your heart health is improved as well as studies from the Harvard Healthbeat suggest yoga can reduce high blood pressure, improve symptoms of heart failure, ease heart palpitations and lower other heart disease risk factors such as high cholesterol levels, blood sugar and stress hormones. With this quick yoga routine, there’s no excuses - all you need is five minutes and a bit of space!
Step 1. Start standing tall. Make sure your heels are in line with
your toes and hips are stacked above feet, shoulders over toes. With a big inhale take your arms overhead.
Step 2. As you exhale bend forwards over your legs and let your head and neck soften inward.
Step 3. With your next inhale, lengthen up to a long flat back looking in front of you.
Step 4. Plant your hands firmly on the ground and step back into Plank (top of pushup position) and hold for five deep breaths.
Step 5. Drop your knees down and move into Upward Dog (you can always bend the elbows if this feels like too much).
Step 6. Keeping your knees on the ground, shift your hips up and back to sit on your heels and move into Child's Pose.
Step 7. Come back onto hands and knees, fingers spread wide.
Step 8. Tuck your toes and lift your hips up and back to a Downward Dog. Your should be relaxing towards the ground (but don't necessarily have to touch), hips lifting up, shoulders and head relaxed.
Step 9. On your next inhale, lift up on to your tip toes reaching your heels high. As you exhale let them down. Repeat this twice.
Step 10. On your next inhale, lift your right leg up high moving into Downward Dog Split (opening the hips if it feels comfortable).
Step 11. Bend your right knee and bring it towards your forehead and plant down in a Low Lunge. Use your fingertips for balance and let your hips sink low.
Step 12. Keeping your feet where
they are, take a big inhale and come up into a High Lunge. Your hips sinking with shoulders relaxed.
Step 13. As you exhale, bring your palms together in front of your chest, with a big inhale to lift yourself up.
Step 14. On your next exhale, spin your torso to the right resting your upper arm on your thigh moving into Twist Lunge. Push your bottom hand into to the top to create space between your thigh and your stomach.
Step 15. Then open up your arms, putting your left hand on the floor and holding up the right to open the chest.
Step 16. Bring both of your palms to the ground. Sink your hips low and step back into Plank pose.
Step 17. Knees lifted or lowered (up to you) bend your elbows and ease down into an Upward Dog.
Step 18. Keeping your knees on the ground, lift your hips to sit back on your ankles and move into Child's Pose.
Step 19. Repeat steps 6-16 with the other leg.
Step 20. Push back and up into Downward Dog.
Step 21. Walk your feet up to your hands to come into a forward fold.
Step 22. With a big inhale roll up to standing one vertebra at a time.
The next exercise tutorial will be Zumba! So visit the website tridentmedia.org for updates!
Five Minute Yoga RoutineStep by step
Jennie Couling shows us Downdog split (above) and Downward dog (below)
• Sport 19
Childpose
Upwarddog
Twistlunge
Lowlunge
Highlunge
20 Sport •
Matt Creasey | Contributing Writer Wednesday 21st January played host to UH Campus Football "Get Into Football Day" which saw around 60 footballers take to the 3G pitches on the DeHavilland campus. The aim of the day was to provide players who didn’t already have a team to play for in Semester B with the chance to prove their worth to the Captains of the 11-a-side league with the hopes
of getting picked. Likewise this also helps Captains fill any spaces which they have in their squads; which ideally need to comprise of 14 players. UniVerse spoke to Mouthampton player, Ernest Didivor, who was at the event to scout an extra couple players in order to depthen his team’s squad; Mouthampton being the runners-up in the Semester A competition. Didivor claimed that
Mouthampton’s lack of depth in Semester A was the reason that they faltered in the cup final, with injuries and absences taking their toll on the yellows who are the only team to have made it into the Semester A final three years in a row. Alfie Jackson and Jordan Coleman, of Herts of Midlothian, were both also on-hand to speak to UniVerse about their scouting missions for the day, and went home
Matt Creasey | Contributing Writer
Semester A saw League A con-tested brutally right up to the end, with the top spot changing hands around four times on the final match-day! This semester the league is even more competitive with both finalists from last semester, Jägerbombs and Mouthampton, as well as League A runners-up, Dixie Normous, all being pitted against each other with only one spot on offer in that Cup Final match. Contrary to the expectations of many supporters, Jägerbombs were defeated in both of their first matches, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table, a massive six points behind rivals Mouthampton who top the table at present. It could be said that Mouthampton got off to the start that was expected of them, since increasing the depth in their squad as of the 'Get Into Football
Day' before the start of the season. FC Royalty were the team that caused upset on the opening day of the season by beating Jägerbombs 3-1. Another team that has surprised us all is the new team to the league, Nike Elites. The greens managed to pull off a 2-1 win against Dixie Nor-mous on the opening day and were able to follow it up with a 1-0 win over FC Royalty thus proving very tough competition and making this look as though it will be a 5-horse race for that top spot. League B had the overall win-ners of the whole competition in it last semester; Jägerbombs, who were replaced by Herts of Midlothian this time around in the draw that com-menced just before the start of the new semester. In the opening weeks it appears clear the league has Herts of Midlothian’s to lose, wins over Baines on Toast and ManChestHair, who drew with the very competitive Class
on Grass in the first week, paired with Lee Rix and Jordan Coleman be-ing arguably the two best players of the semester so far could prove that to be true. However it does seem as though Hangover 96 (six points) and Class on Grass (four points) will give Midlothian a run for their money. With neither of these two teams con-ceding in the first two weeks it proves that they both have a defence that is tough to break down as well as strik-ers that can score goals. Union TV's very own Ken Ishi-do forms part of the Class on Grass attack and has already netted once this season for his side. Who will top the table at the end of the semester to make it through to the final? Watch the weekly highlights show, brought
to you by UnionTV, to find out!
Campus Football returns for Semester BFor some, this is their last chance.
Sensational Second Semester of Intramural Football Ahead
early after securing a player to fill the required position within an hour. Herts Army captain, Mario Lamaa, took a more in-depth approach to his scouting, biding his time before going to speak to any of the players on show; whether this will come back to haunt him is yet to be seen. James Tierney, from the UH Athletic Union who organised the event, was also present and commented about how pleased he was at the turnout. At close of play on Friday 23rd January, 13 of the 16 places in the 11-a-side league had been filled; it has not yet been confirmed whether or not late entrants to the league will be allowed however the Captain’s meeting on Monday 26th January will probably serve as the final deadline for teams to register, what with the leagues being drawn at this time. Union TV will be covering the Captain’s meeting and discussing the draw and potential outcomes with league organisers, footage can be found on the Trident Media YouTube channel: youtube.com/TridentMediaUK. 11-a-side matches will be taking place every Wednesday between midday and 5 p.m. on the 3G pitches behind the Hertfordshire Sports Village, deHavilland campus. Highlights of the matches will be broadcast on YouTube and on the weekly show; The UH Campus Football Recap, brought to you by Union TV, every Wednesday from 10 p.m. For more updates follow the hashtag on Twitter: #MattCreaseyUnionTV and like the Facebook page: facebook.com/uhcfRecap
• Sport 21
Hall Points Participation Hall Points Participation
Bellingham Court 14 44 Butler Chapman 4 50
Fern 13 58 Broad 3 73
Spalding 12 46 Welwyn 2 31
Coales 9 76 Shenley 2 14
Hadham 6 49 Watton 1 27
Redbourn 6 31 Sandridge Sarratt 1 19
Ashwell Lemsford 6 27 Kimpton 0 23
Telford Court 4 80 Aldenham 0 13
Herts Halls League
Throughout the academic year, Halls will get points for their success in competitions (such as Quiz Nights or sport competitions) and for their participation in events. Make sure you let us know loud and proud which Hall you are in. Not only will the winning Hall be crowned Hall League Champions at the Students’ Union Awards but they will also win an exclusive Hall Party in the Forum! For the all the latest from the league visit hertfordshire.su/halls Correct at time of printing 13th Feb
Aiden Perrins | Contributing Writer
“A game of gods, where the weak perish and the strong become immortal.” This is how vice-captain Matt Young rather emphatically described the rapidly growing sport of dodgeball. He also described it as: “A really fun game where you get to hit people in the face with balls”. Which just about sums it up really. Dodgeball is an inclusive sport where men and women play and compete together, which sets it apart from many sports where men and women will often compete separately. The Hertfordshire Stags are the team which represents the University of Hertfordshire in national competitions. They train at the Sports Village on De Havilland from 4pm-6pm every Friday, and also at 8.30am on Thursday morning, for those morning people which I’m told do actually exist. “Dodgeball is a place where you can release the stress from lecture
work and also to have a fun game,” said player Misty Sava. A lot of people who play dodgeball seem to enjoy the sport, maybe partly because the training sessions are always run with enjoyment of playing the sport before anything else. This sport has been helped a lot by the 2004 film of the same name, which created a wider interest in Dodgeball and helped with its popularity and growth. Many of us have seen the film, so therefore we know how to play dodgeball right? The five D’s: dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge. However, player and coach Scotty Whitelaw says that this is terrible advice and a load of “Hollywood b******t”. By and large the rules are the same as the Rawson Marshall Thunder film, with two teams of six throwing balls at each other and trying to either dodge or catch them. The only difference is that the Hertfordshire Stags don’t have the constant struggle to defeat an evil Ben Stiller.D
